Will Ilona Maher of Burlington win ‘Dancing with the Stars’? What her odds are

Tuesday night marked a spectacular beginning for Ilona Maher’s “Dancing with the Stars” 33rd season. Thirteen new contenders and their coaches joined to perform their first dance and introduce themselves to the audience in the opening of the 33rd season of the popular dancing competition show.

Ilona Maher was not a well-known figure in 2024. However, she led the American rugby team to Olympic success and rose to fame on social media during the Summer Games by emphasizing humor in her posts. Maher’s strong, rigid arms solidified her reputation versus rivals. She contributed to Team USA’s historic bronze medal win. Since the Olympics, she has capitalized on her newfound fame — including at the Emmy Awards earlier this week, during which she interviewed celebrities on the red carpet.

Let’s take a look at how Maher did in her debut episode of DWTS. The theme of the first episode of “Dancing with the Stars” was personal anthems. Maher danced to “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” an iconic song from country singer Shania Twain — and a fitting choice for Maher, a strong, athletic woman who wants to be an icon for young girls and to expand their mindset of what femininity can look like.

Maher’s nerves came through a bit during her dance. She is plenty strong enough to compete, but her flexibility came into question. But Maher ultimately calmed down and let go. And she burst with enthusiasm when the judges gave her a score of 18.

Who is the DWTS partner of Ilona Maher?

Maher’s partner and coach, Alan Bertsen, is a professional ballroom and Latin dancer. He has experience competing in dance television shows, having participated in the tenth season of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Maher has a successful coach in Bersten, who together with Hannah Brown, a former “Bachelorette” celebrity, won the 28th season of DTWS. In season 20, Bertsen joined the show as one of the backup dancers. In season 25, he was appointed as an official coach, and he has been paired with a dancer ever since.