Diego Pasillas has cleared up one of the biggest questions to emerge from Dancing With the Stars Disney Night: His dramatic tumble during the opening performance was not part of the choreography.
The packed group number, which included a Newsies segment, moved so smoothly that Pasillas’ quick recovery left some fans online debating whether the fall had been intentional. The dancer later confirmed on Instagram that it was a genuine mishap.
“You guys. I just ate it on national television,” Pasillas said.
He demonstrated what the move was supposed to look like, recreated the fall and summed up his response with a familiar show-business rule: “the show must go on.”
‘DWTS’ Cast Praises the Recovery
Pasillas’ fellow Dancing With the Stars cast members focused less on the tumble than on how quickly he returned to the routine.
Hailey Bills reacted in the comments, writing, “BUT THE WAY YOU GOT UP.” Val Chmerkovskiy also applauded Pasillas’ ability to turn the moment around, commenting, “Bro you shablammed it and then shamblammed it in the air.”
The reactions reflected what made the incident stand out: Pasillas recovered so seamlessly that viewers could reasonably interpret the fall as another beat in an intricately staged opening number. His Instagram explanation ultimately settled the online discussion.
A Last-Minute Disney Night Shake-Up
The opening performance had already faced an unexpected behind-the-scenes complication. Pro Adele Zaikman was forced to miss Disney Night because she was sick, prompting changes to multiple dances.
According to a report from The Sun, Zaikman’s absence left producers and dancers rushing to rework the performances. She had been scheduled to appear in three separate dances, and the disruption reportedly made an already demanding rehearsal process more chaotic.
“She had to drop out very last minute, so that mixed with the week already being one day shorter has been really hectic behind the scenes,” a source said. “Multiple troupe members are going to fill in for her.”
The source identified the opening number as the most significant adjustment. Zaikman’s roles in the other two dances were described as much smaller and therefore easier to cover.
“The opening number was the big one,” the source added. “The other two she just had a tiny part, so it wasn’t as big of a deal to fill. But the troupe has been practicing all Monday before showtime.”
That late reshuffling adds another layer to Pasillas’ onstage moment. The performers were navigating a major ensemble routine after limited preparation time and a last-minute substitution process. Even with those circumstances, the number remained polished enough that an actual fall briefly passed as choreography.
ShowBiz Take
Pasillas’ tumble became memorable precisely because it did not derail the performance. In a densely choreographed Disney Night opener, the distinction between accident and intentional movement was blurred by the speed and confidence of his recovery.
His candid Instagram response also transformed a potentially awkward television moment into a celebration of professionalism. Rather than avoiding the mishap, Pasillas showed followers both the planned move and what actually happened, while his castmates publicly praised the way he kept going.
The episode also highlights the work behind the finished performance. Zaikman’s last-minute absence required troupe members to step into multiple numbers, with the opening routine demanding the biggest adjustment. Pasillas’ fall may have generated the online debate, but the larger story is how the ensemble maintained the number through both an unexpected rehearsal shake-up and an unplanned onstage slip.