Tatyana Ali says her sons are following her progress on season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, but they are not especially impressed by her performances. “I’m their mother,” Ali told Us, joking that they do not see her as a star on the dance floor.
Ali shares Edward Aszard “Aszi,” 10, and Alejandro, 7, with her husband, Vaughn Rasberry. She said the boys are learning about dance through the show. Her older son, for example, recognized contemporary dance when Ali told him it was the style she would perform that week. Her partner, Jan Ravnik, agreed with her son’s description of the genre as one where dancers can choose their approach.
Though they may not be dazzled by her dancing, Ali said her sons watch and cheer her on. During their nighttime prayers, they tell her they are proud and hope she remembers her steps and makes it through another week. Ali called the experience an opportunity to show them perseverance in real time.
The children have met Ravnik over FaceTime, but Ali said they do not attend rehearsals because they are in school and do not live in Los Angeles.
Ali and Ravnik had spent multiple weeks near the bottom of the leaderboard. On Disney Night, they earned their first nine of the season and scored 33 out of 40 for a contemporary performance to “Easy As Life” from Aida, accompanied live by Heather Headley. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said Ali’s storytelling moved her. Ali said that connecting with people is a central purpose of performing.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
Sources: Us Weekly.