Trevor Donovan Goes from "Dark Horse" to Shining Light on "Dancing with the Stars"

All of this is a far cry from the Trevor Donovan of week one, who after performing an exhaustive Quick Step (notoriously one of the show's hardest routines) was told he was "technically off the mark" and received a 21/40 for his effort. Donovan also admitted on that episode to being "dance-phobic" and after the show, explained how fearful he was to even be in the cast. "The dance was exhilarating," he said. "And it's a relief because I was terrified coming into this. [Emma] is an amazing teacher and held my hand the whole way, but my first thought was, 'what's a quick step?'"

Things did turn around in week two's Elvis-themed night. The duo performed a beautiful Rumba to "You Are Always My Mind," upping their score by nine points and receiving 30/40 for the dance, along with some encouraging feedback. In fact, judge Bruno Tonioli fell out of his chair in praise. "Bruno is quite the showman," Donovan laughed following that performance. "It felt great, and it was such a nice improvement from last week, but I blacked out. I'm going to have to watch it. I was starting to hyperventilate right before! But they had a bunch of constructive criticism last week that I took to heart, and it was nice to hear that they recognized the effort and the commitment."

In week three's James Bond-themed night, Donovan's scores did take a dip. He and Slater received 27/40 for a Tango -- but he was nevertheless christened a "dark horse." Week four (Disney+ Night) saw Donovan tackle a difficult Samba. He coped with the dance well, and his score increased to 28/40 -- despite dancing with an injured shoulder and being told he was dancing, "Too in his own head."

"I felt pretty loose and didn't feel heady at all," he shared post-show. "Again, I will take their criticism to heart and get back in it next week."

That week also saw Donovan and Slater land in the dreaded bottom two, along with Sam Champion and his partner Cheryl Burke. The judges' decision to save him only fueled his competitive spirit. "After the scores, I wasn't shocked to be in the bottom two," Donovan shared. "But we're coming back next week. Watch out!"

Week five (featuring the Most Memorable Year two-night event) saw Donovan bring judge Carrie Ann Inaba to tears when the duo performed a Jazz routine, fueled by the year he was fired from his first acting job on Days of Our Lives. They scored 32/40, but with Selma Blair withdrawing from the show due to health concerns, no elimination took place in the very emotional ballroom. "It did feel fantastic [to move] Carrie Ann," Donovan reflected after that performance. "After last week, and more constructive criticism, I wanted to show them I was listening. I took [it] seriously. I wanted to bring what was missing last week and we did, so I couldn't be happier. Hearing this was our best dance yet was wonderful. I just want to progress, get better, and not backtrack."

The Jive performed during week six's prom-themed night was awarded another 32/40. However, despite receiving some of their highest scores in week's seven's Michael Bublé night (a 42/50, along with his first 9 from Bublé for a Foxtrot), the duo found themselves in the bottom two again, and they were again saved from elimination by the judges.

Despite the peaks and valleys of Donovan's journey on DWTS, he has never lost focus. His determination to succeed at something new reflects the heart and spirit of the show, and in essence what it's all about. This week (week eight) saw that drive pay off, when during the competition's Halloween-themed night the aforementioned Contemporary routine scored a whopping 39/40. That, combined with another 39 points received for the group dance (one that he also captained), landed Donovan and Slater atop the week's leaderboard, tied with competition frontrunner and TikTok star Charli D'Amelio and her partner Mark Ballas). With 78 out of a possible 80 points, the competition's "dark horse" became a bright light in what's been a very competitive season.

"I'm a dancer," he reluctantly shared post-show this week. "I wish I could do [a contemporary] dance every week as it's more in my wheelhouse and lent itself to the acting world and telling a story.

"It feels amazing," Donovan added in closing. "Had I more time to learn frame and some of those other dances, I think I could get a lot better, too. All I know is I'm loving it!"

Next week the couples will face off in a Relay Dance, in what promises to be a very fun-filled '90s-themed night.

Dancing with the Starsis telecast Mondays, live on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT.

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