Dancing With the Stars Pays Tribute to Dolly Parton With an Emotional Performance

Dancing With the Stars brought back one of its most beloved themes for Week 6 of Season 35. Dedication Night is known for its emotional performances, giving celebrity contestants the chance to honor someone who has made a lasting difference in their lives through dance.

This season’s Dedication Night carried that same emotional weight, with an additional tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton. Dolly died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, after a brief battle with cancer.

Her influence extended well beyond country music, touching artists across numerous musical genres and entertainers throughout the entertainment industry.

Dancing With the Stars Honors Dolly Parton With a Special Tribute

The Dancing With the Stars professional dance troupe paid tribute to Dolly with a moving performance celebrating her legacy.

Ahead of the show, dancers Alan Genkin and Adele Zaikman shared the news on social media, writing, “We have some exciting news! This Tuesday, we’ll be performing together on Dancing With the Stars as part of a beautiful tribute to Dolly Parton.”

Genkin and Zaikman are a couple in real life who first met while competing on Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.

For their tribute, the pair delivered a brief yet striking routine to Dolly’s “Here You Come Again.” They danced on a dimly lit stage framed by a colorful backdrop and large floral arrangements on either side.

As the music ended, a beautiful photograph of Dolly appeared on the screen behind them. The dancers gestured toward her image while host Julianne Hough spoke about the upcoming CMA tribute special celebrating Dolly. The special airs on ABC on October 21, the same network that broadcasts DWTS.

Earlier in Season 35, actress Julia Stiles and her professional partner Ezra Sosa also honored Dolly through dance, performing a Quickstep to her iconic