Before the first live episode was shot in 2004, Tonioli uncharacteristically found himself overcome by stage fright.
“I was terrified.
As he approaches 70 years of age, Tonioli shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
But where did Tonioli’s passion for performing begin?
The “DWTS” judge has actually been dancing up a storm for as long as he can remember.
At the age of three, I would leap on the table and dance if I heard music.
It was something I had to do as if my legs were moving for themselves.”
One of Tonioli’s favorite childhood memories?
Going to the ballroom and watching his parents dance.
Sadly, Tonioli’s parents never got to see him thriving at the height of his career.
In an interview with theMirror, Tonioli described that period as a “seven year nightmare.”
“After my father died, I made a toast and prayed for a better decade.
“And, of course, they have.
After the pain of the 1990s, my life has taken off.”
