On Monday night’s episode of “Dancing,” Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced a slow rumba to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” As part of the routine, the dance pro grabbed Alley’s leg, dragged her a few feet and then gently leaned over before his leg gave out and they both stumbled on stage.
The fall elicited a few gasps from the audience as Maksim winced in pain and even held his hands out indicating he needed to stop for a second. They were able to get up and finish the routine, and even earned 21 points from the judges.
“My thigh gave out. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Chmerkovskiy said after the fall. “It has nothing to do with her.”
The dance was part of a personal story night on the show, with stars choosing a song to which they felt connected. Kirstie picked “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to tell the emotional story of her move to L.A. after her mother’s death… and her dream of becoming an actress.
The judges applauded Kirstie and Maks for overcoming the fall and finishing the dance. “Sometimes tragedy leads to an amazingly beautiful moment,” Carrie Ann Inaba said. She told the pair “something magical happened” after they got up again.