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Anna Delvey (née Anna Sorokin) and her new face made their debut on Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night. She and her dancing partner, Ezra Sosa, performed the cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” She wore a sparkly ombre-colored two-piece outfit, a short skirt with a long-sleeved top. And yes, she blinged the heck out of her ICE-mandated ankle monitor to match her costume.
As for her cha cha, it was…boring. She talked a big game in her intro clips about wanting to reinvent herself one more time in hopes that people change their negative opinions about her, but looked pretty nervous during the entire dance. In fact, it was so lackluster that that description was trending on DWTS Twitter afterward.
The biggest couple in Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” premiere was convicted con artist Anna Delvey and her bedazzled ankle monitor legally attached to her right leg.
Delvey (aka Anna Sorkin), the real-life subject of the Shonda Rhimes Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” was convicted in 2019 and spent prison time for swindling banks, hotels, and rich friends with a false reputation as a wealthy German heiress. But Delvey debuted her new ballroom persona, a so-so cha-cha dance, and her sparkly monitoring bracelet in the Season 33 premiere Tuesday, after causing national outrage with the reality show casting.
Delvey was introduced as a New York “fashionista and entrepreneur” and placed as the night’s final dancer to wring out every curious viewer during the hour-long “DWTS” debut. The silence in the studio audience − which had screamed wildly for Olympic athlete contestants Stephen “Pommel Horse Guy” Nedoroscik and rugby sensation Ilona Maher, among others − was palpable as Delvey worked her through the dance with new pro dancer Ezra Sousa to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”
Anna Delvey perfume bottles exploded into flames in the digital background screens, but Delvey failed to register heat in both her dance and “DWTS” banter.
“In 2017, I was accused of multiple counts of grand larceny,” Delvey said in her extraordinary voice-over package before her dance, which saw her struggling with the ankle bracelet during rehearsals. “I did serve my time, and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is a way to show people a different side of me.”
“My prior history shows I’m pretty determined,” Delvey added, showing the best spinning of the night. “It’s a good quality to channel into something positive.”
Delvey explained that she was wearing the ankle bracelet since, “I overstayed my visa because I was in jail.”
“It was hard to leave,” she added, giggling. “I’ve reinvented myself many times. This time I’m going to be a ballroom dancer.”
They were kind. Former pro dancer Derek Hough seemed shocked he was put on the spot to speak first and sputtered out some unfocused judge compliments, saying he was “kind of surprised.”
Normally bombastically enthusiastic judge Bruno Tonilo came up with something quippy.
“Reinventing Anna yet again,” he said. “And it could be working.”
Rather than give a critique, judge Carrie Ann Inaba took the studio audience (and really the TV audience) to task for the flat response.
“There was a shift in the energy. Let’s all give this a chance,” said Inaba. “This is about your dancing here. Let’s all give her that space, please.”
The judges gave Delvey straight 6s for a total of 18 points, which left the couple in the middle of the pack scoring-wise. “Anna Delvey’s Lackluster DWTS Debut” became a trending term on the social media site known as X following Tuesday’s performance.
No dancing couple was eliminated on Tuesday night. The scores and viewers’ votes from the first two weeks will be added together and be incorporated into the first elimination on Sept. 25.
During the post-dance interview, Delvey did herself little favors with flat answers to questions from bubbly (and vastly improved from last year) co-host Julianne Hough. Why was Delvey dancing? Hough asked.
“Just why not?” Delvey replied. “I hope America will get a chance to see a different side of me.”
Hough asked what it felt like to finish the dance.
“I feel happy I don’t have to do this again,” Delvey replied.
“Well, maybe you’ll have to do one again next week,” Hough responded.
When it came time to face the judges, they each said that they saw unrealized dancing potential in Anna. I’m not a dancing expert, so maybe she does have room for real improvement, but she didn’t really have any stage presence, either. It was just a very flat performance. It wasn’t as bad as Eric Roberts’ cha-cha last night, though, or as cringe as Tori Spelling’s campy foxtrot. I’ll give her that. You know who did do a fabulous cha-cha last night? Phaedra Parks from Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Traitors. Phaedra is paired with Val Chmerkovskiy and they performed to “I’m Every Woman.” I personally thought that it was a night and day difference in both ability and charisma.
Photos credit: Elder Ordonez/INSTARimages, Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images, Getty
I feel sorry for her dance partner in that clip you posted. He’s trying so hard to sell it and she just looks bored. I was bored too, I only watched half of it.
I feel even worse for him because I think he’s the one they said who just got promoted from the troupe to pro partner this season. This is a big opportunity for him, and he got stuck with her, probably to be the first pair voted off.
Again, this is gross. She should be deported. And her assertion that she was “accused of multiple counts of grand larceny” is garbage. She was convicted, and she apparently still cannot take responsibility. She is a psychopath and this show is gleefully giving her an audience because they are lazy and amoral.
I don’t get it. She has done time in jail as a convicted felon. She does not meet the strict criteria to obtain any kind of visa in the US. How is she still in the country and working????
Boring and lack luster — just like Anna. Unless her life is in danger, should really be sent back to her own country. And if that’s the case she should not be on dance shows. Gross.
Agreed; I wish that media outlets/magazines would stop trying to make her happen.
Why on earth is this woman being given a platform on DWTS? Why rehab her image? My senior citizen relatives watch this show and they are not happy about AD being allowed on in the first place.
Sean Spicer, Paula Dean, Carole Baskin, Olivia Jade Giannulli, Tom Delay, Floyd Merriweather…
This dumb show is literally where famous (or infamous) people go for image rehab. It’s nothing new.
I find it reprehensible that she hasn’t been deported yet.
The audience was polite to her. Very disappointed in DWTS, but not surprised. Sounds like Anna Delvey got the message from social media.
Why are we not talking about Ilona, your Olympist?! She’s amazing, she was the Emmy red carpet host!! She plays rugby, she is awesome, she is on Dancing with the stars!!
Don’t forget Pommel Horse Steve too! Arguably it’s even more a stretch for him as he doesn’t seem to be as naturally outgoing as Ilona and male gymnasts do not have the dance component that women do in their routines. Both Ilona and Steve were just so fun to watch and they are doing a great job on their socials too!
Yes, it was boring. But choreography has a lot to do with it as well. Maybe the felon fox trot will pick things up.
Can someone explain how this person can afford plastic surgery and an apartment in NYC? Did she get $ from the documentary or movie?
Carrie Ann needs to keep her mouth shut. The audiences was being kind by being silent. What a slap in the face to Delvey’s victims. Who next? Spring Weinstein out for the waltz?
Damn woman has less rhythm than I do. Just terrible, boring, wooden…yikes.
This show had Sean Spicer on, of course they would have zero moral quandaries about having Anna on. Luckily I don’t think America really cares for her either
Having less charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent than Sean Spicer is a *condition* honey. #giveusnothing
I don’t care about this phony grifter. Stephen Nedoroscik was fantastic, though!