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Regarding Maxim Chmerkovskiy and the Gala of the Stars! The Industry Dance Awards announced that he would be hosting the event on October 21st. This gala is the charity event for dance with proceeds going to support dancers and their families through cancer via the I’m A Dancer Against Cancer foundation, and the pro dancer and DWTS alumnus will be the host. Tickets for this annual celebration of dance and philanthropy are to be donated somehow-the choice is yours! Be seated on-location or streaming online.
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Just wow! The news started the talking, but not so much actually about the hosting. Industry Dance Awards decided to drop the bomb that Maksim Chmerkovskiy would be hosting their 2025 gala, but at the start, the fandom barely ever touched on the topic of that charming and classy “Dancing With The Stars” pro.
Instead, the choice for graphic design almost instantly raised alarms and confusion on social media. One user effectively summed up the collective meltdown: “Yikes that image and font was giving me RIP vibes. I GASPED.” That comment was promptly followed by a chorus of similar voices, one of which added, “Jesus! At first glance this looks like a death notice and I almost vomited on the floor!”
The way the announcement was designed, with its beautifully somber typography against a dark background, was probably the worst choice for conveying celebratory vibes; a few users chimed in, thankful they weren’t the only ones who initially misread the announcement: “ooo thank you I thought I was just paranoid, thank God.”
Once saved from that horrible visual assault, they started to realize what the real news was. Their return was welcomed with joy, describing how after that unforgettable presence last year, it was clear to the community that they wanted him there again, guiding them through another uplifting night of celebration, dance, and giving back.”
Acting both as an award for dance excellence and a fundraiser for I’m a Dancer Against Cancer, October 21st will be a massive event founded on the celebration of dance and philanthropy in its purest form. Considered one of the biggest annual events within the dance community, the gala fully combines professionals, studios, and dance fans for a night of performances and awards.
Among those were “Where do we livestream it?” The more sardonic perspective followed: “to the people who can afford it”-a jab at the inaccessibility of highbrow dance events.
Hence, some comments dripped into critiques of present-day graphic trends, with one user brevity stating, “The AI is out of control 😩”—implying this announcement’s artwork may have been birthed via AI-tools rather than good ol’ human design.
The news of Chmerkovskiy’s return for the evening elicited a sincere exuberance once the brief visual shock wore off. “Yessssss!! Finally something to showcase that charm!” read one comment, soon followed by another that said, “Great choice! Looking forward to your celebration and recognition of dance 😍.”
The mixed reaction serves as a reminder that presentation indeed matters as much as the actual message in the age of social media. And yet, it did successfuly get everybody talking about its October event- albeit with a brief moment of panic rather than immediate celebration.
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The dance community has already embraced this reunion date, and the organization will surely sleep better knowing the event’s chosen host–Maksim Chmerkovskiy- remains an adored figure far more capable of eliciting positive reactions than the announcement itself ever was. His partner, Peta Murgatroyd, is also a celebrated dancer, and she recently shared a secret weapon for teething baby Milan in a candid post.
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