Danielle Fishel danced a contemporary routine with Pasha Pashkov to Aerosmith’s “Dream On” on Dancing with the Stars, connecting the performance to her outlook after a breast cancer diagnosis she had disclosed the previous August. Afterward, she told cohost Julianne Hough, “It was like therapy.”
Why Fishel connected the dance to her diagnosis
In an Entertainment Weekly report syndicated by Yahoo News on November 5, 2025, Fishel said she learned of her stage 0 breast cancer after receiving a reminder for her yearly mammogram and making an appointment. The report recounts her personal account; it does not independently verify her diagnosis announcement.
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During rehearsal, Fishel explained why “Dream On” resonated with her: “This song really inspires me to live out my dreams, because as my cancer diagnosis showed me last year, you never know when your time could be up.”
She also said, “I have remained incredibly positive since my diagnosis. I’m feeling really proud, and I don’t often feel that way.” She wanted the performance to show “the benefit of being able to take hardship and being able to rise above.”
#1 Best Overall
What Fishel said after the performance
After dancing with Pashkov, Fishel told Hough, “It was like therapy.” She was describing what the experience meant to her personally; the report does not establish dance as a cancer treatment or clinical therapy.
Judge Bruno Tonioli offered encouragement, telling her, “Darling listen, we’re all with you. Life can be a b—- sometimes, but you don’t give up. You stay resilient, keep a positive attitude, and it’s not over.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba also said, “I would like to apologize for my words if they hurt at all, I didn’t mean that at all.”
Rank #2
- Ballroom Instruction
- Excercise
- Self Improvement
- DVD
Her score and the episode result
The contemporary routine received 34 points, while Fishel’s team routine earlier in the episode earned four scores of 10. Despite those perfect team scores, the report says Fishel was eliminated that night.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1 U.S. and Canada only
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Run Time: 51 minutes
| Judge | Score for the contemporary routine |
|---|---|
| Carrie Ann Inaba | 9 |
| Flavor Flav, guest judge | 9 |
| Derek Hough | 8 |
| Bruno Tonioli | 8 |
| Total | 34 |
