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‘DWTS’ ensemble dancer Diego Pasillas reacts after falling on live TV.Credit :
Diego Pasillas/Instagram; ABC
A split-second slip could have derailed the opening number on Dancing with the Stars, but ensemble dancer Diego Pasillas turned an unexpected fall into an impressive recovery—and later had a good laugh about the moment.
Pasillas slipped during the live Disney Night opening number on Monday, November 2. After quickly getting back on his feet and continuing the routine, he addressed the mishap on social media with a sense of humor.
“You guys, I just ate it on national television,” he said in an Instagram video shared after the episode aired.
A Slip During the Newsies Number
The fall happened during the Newsies-inspired portion of the elaborate opening performance.
Pasillas was supposed to execute a jump as part of the choreography, but he lost his footing and ended up on the ballroom floor instead. Rather than allowing the mistake to interrupt the performance, he recovered almost immediately and carried on with the rest of the ensemble.
His reaction was so smooth that some viewers initially wondered whether the fall had been part of the choreography.
After the show, Pasillas shared a slow-motion clip of the moment and demonstrated the move he had originally intended to perform.
“This is what I was supposed to do,” he explained before recreating the choreography—and then reenacting the fall that actually happened.
His conclusion perfectly summed up his attitude toward the unexpected moment: “The show must go on.”
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Keeping the Show Going
Pasillas’ ability to recover quickly earned praise from viewers and fellow performers, with many impressed by how seamlessly he returned to the routine.
The moment was also a reminder that even experienced performers can encounter the unexpected during a live show.
Dancing with the Stars has seen its share of memorable mishaps over its 35 seasons. In 2007, contestant Marie Osmond famously fainted after a performance, while more recent episodes have featured wardrobe-related stumbles on the ballroom floor.
Just last week, Jenna Dewan encountered a problem during her Argentine tango with professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy when her heel became caught on her skirt.
Dewan later admitted she was disappointed that the wardrobe issue disrupted one of her favorite moments in the routine, but she echoed the same philosophy Pasillas embraced: the performance has to continue.
Guest judge Shirley Ballas described the moment as “a little hiccup,” and Dewan and Chmerkovskiy still received a score of 37 out of 40.
For Diego Pasillas, one unexpected fall did not stop the show—or prevent him from finishing the routine. Instead, his quick recovery and humorous response afterward turned a potentially embarrassing moment into a memorable example of a performer doing exactly what live entertainment demands: getting back up and carrying on.