5 Moments From the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Holiday Special I’ll Be Thinking About For Weeks 

‘Tis the season to haul out the holly and spend time with your loved ones. For some, that includes friends. For others, that means family members. For me this year, that means the pros and the troupe members of Dancing With the Stars as I sat down to watch Dancing With the Holidays, ABC’s celebration of everything merry and bright.

In this first-ever holiday spectacular — which you can now catch streaming on Hulu and Disney+ — the fan-favorite pros partnered up with DWTS hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough to bring an extra dose of cheer to the fans at home, one week after Season 34 came to a close. Sadly, the newly crowned Mirrorball Trophy winner, Robert Irwin, does not make an appearance in the special to dance with his partner, Witney Carson, or just say hi, but that doesn’t mean other Season 34 contestants couldn’t swing by…

With a live performance by Scott Hoying and Pentatonix, a dance featuring not one but two of Emma Slater’s former celeb partners, and tons of holiday-themed routines, this special is jam-packed with a little bit of holiday magic for every member of the family. That said, as a certified DWTS fan, some moments certainly stood out a little more than others.

Fair warning, spoilers ahead! If that doesn’t bother you, scroll on for our top five favorite moments from the Dancing With the Holidays special…

Andy Richter and Reginald VelJohnson dancing with Emma Slater to “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth“

There is simply no world in which we could talk about this holiday spectacular without mentioning Emma bringing the designated “people’s princess” of Season 34, Andy Richter, and her Season 33 partner, Reginald VelJohnson, to come and dance with her. What’s more, the show has them dressed up as the titular “two front teeth” Emma is so desperate to receive from Santa this year. Hilarious, sweet, and a good reminder of the incredible coaching skills (and patience) of this seasoned pro.

Alan Bersten’s Hanukkah-Themed Dance

While Emma danced with her own former partners, her boyfriend, Alan Bersten, channeled his own personal touch into a dance he choreographed celebrating Hanukkah. In a very DWTS-style package, Alan opened up about feeling underrepresented as a Jew growing up and wanting to tell the story of this holiday through the power of movement. He even recruited some of his fellow pros for a dance that is as entertaining as it is transformational.

The DWTS Pros Getting Fiesty By Handing Out Holiday Superlatives

Every minute of this holiday special has something to love, don’t get me wrong. But when it comes to moments that feel like food for the fans, there is no better segment than the pros handing out their superlatives. Watching Val Chmerkovskiy say that all of the pros are equally likely to take the “Most Likely to Post a Thirst Trap in Front of a Tree” title or hearing Brandon Armstrong say that he definitely isn’t the “Most Likely to Bring Their Mirrorball Trophy to a Holiday Party” because he doesn’t have one is true TV gold.

Mark Ballas’ Hauntingly Beautiful Dance to “We Three Kings”

If there is one thing that Mark Ballas is going to do, it is eat down with choreography. If and when ABC decides to create a Dancing With the Stars hall of fame someday, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn’t have him at the top of the inductees list. In this special, his choreography skills shine once again as he puts together a dance for Julianne, Daniella Karagach, and Jenna Johnson, who perform a haunting contemporary to “We Three Kings.” Not only does he incorporate props to tell the tale of the song, he also sings the version the show uses alongside his wife and bandmate, BC Jean. Truly unforgettable.

The Pros Surprising Fans While Undercover on 3rd Street Promenade

Last but not least, who would ever be able to forget a surprise from Alan, Emma, Britt Stewart, and Brandon, as they went down to Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade to surprise fans. Before unmasking themselves, they asked passerbys to show off their own dance moves, which ranged from slight wiggles to full-blown flips. Before revealing themselves, they performed a little dance number and then handed out gifts in what is surely a memorable day for all those in attendance. Wish they had told me ahead of time!

The Dancing with the Holidays special is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

If you’re new to Hulu, you can get started with a 30-day free trial on the streamer’s basic (with ads) plan. After the trial period, you’ll pay $10.99/month. If you want to upgrade to Hulu ad-free, it costs $18.99/month.

If you want to stream even more and save a few bucks a month while you’re at it, we recommend subscribing to one of the Disney+ Bundles, all of which include Hulu. These bundles start at $12.99/month for ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu and goes up to $32.99/month for Disney+, Hulu, and Max, all ad-free.