Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin Take a Staircase Risk as Strictly Momentum Builds
After a career-best Viennese Waltz, Dyer and Kuzmin are attempting a new staircase move, with her comeback and growing confidence adding to the stakes.
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin have found their rhythm at a pivotal point in Strictly Come Dancing. Their latest Viennese Waltz, danced to “My Favourite Things,” brought them their highest score of the series. Now they’re taking that momentum into an American Smooth, with a risky staircase sequence designed to make an early impression.
Kuzmin told Metro that a move the pair had previously considered dropping because of its difficulty had worked in training. They’re keeping the details under wraps, but he said it involves descending the stairs in a way viewers haven’t seen on the show. The move comes in the routine’s first 10 seconds, leaving little room for hesitation before they have to travel from the top of the stairs to the bottom.
“It’s going to be over and out quite quickly,” Kuzmin said, describing the pressure the sequence puts on both dancers. He added that it gives them “quite a lot of anxiety.” The brief moment carries an outsized burden: it has to land cleanly, set the tone and lead straight into the rest of the performance.
Dyer said she feels more excited than nervous about the challenge. “I like to try new things,” she said, pointing to the six lifts she has already performed and the experience of being thrown into the air. Her willingness to take on the staircase sequence reflects a sharp change in confidence over the course of the series.
That confidence has come after a difficult stretch. A year ago, Dyer had to leave the competition before the first live show after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals. Amber Davies, another Love Island winner, stepped in at the last minute and had only days to learn and rehearse her first routine.
Dyer said the early weeks this time brought back the memory of the injury. “The first week I was probably the most scared,” she said. When they passed the point in the schedule at which she had been injured before, she felt they had “got past the curse.” Since then, she has tried to put the setback out of her mind while taking care with her ankles.
Her routine starts with warming up, and she has done extensive physiotherapy. She also uses tape to protect her ankles, saying that every day begins with it. The precautions give her a way to manage the past injury while continuing to train and perform, rather than letting it define her return.
The pair’s rise has not been a straight line. The week before their best-scoring Viennese Waltz, Dyer’s rumba left her second from the bottom of the leaderboard and close to elimination. She called it her lowest point. In the training room afterward, she decided she needed to change her approach and find the confidence to deliver more.
The turning point came with the salsa. It was the first time the pair scored more than 30 points, and Dyer said the dance helped her reset. She has carried that belief into the following weeks, driven in part by not wanting to disappoint herself. The change now shows in her appetite for demanding choreography as well as in the scores.
With the series reaching its halfway point this weekend, Dyer is being described as one of the strongest contenders for the Glitterball trophy. That standing follows a rapid shift from a low leaderboard position to a run of stronger performances. The next test is whether she and Kuzmin can turn that improvement into consistency under the pressure of a new routine and a high-profile opening stunt.
Dyer said she particularly enjoyed the Viennese Waltz because it let them play with different characters. Their American Smooth offers another chance to build on that connection: they’ll dance to “It Had To Be You,” a song Kuzmin said felt fitting for their journey together. He described this as one of his favourite series and said he has enjoyed their time in training.
Kuzmin also praised Dyer’s effort, saying she is already her own harshest critic and pushes herself to the limit. Dyer, for her part, said the partnership has brought a feeling of excitement to each day and has been “everything I’ve wanted and more.” Their enjoyment is part of the story, but the results now give it competitive weight.
The staircase move is a short passage, but it captures the risks behind Dyer’s progress: bold choreography, physical care and a need to stay composed from the opening seconds. If it works on the live floor as it did in training, the pair will have another way to turn their recent momentum into a performance that stands out. Dani Dyer and Kuzmin perform their American Smooth when Strictly Come Dancing continues tomorrow night at 6.40pm on BBC One.
