Alfonso Ribeiro danced a jive with partner Witney Carson on Dancing With The Stars' premiere and stole the show - it seems the 'Carlton' is a thing of the past! The actors, famous for his role as Carlton Banks in Will Smith's hit 90s show 'The Prince of Bel Air', actually stems from a Broadway background as a child actor and has worked in Broadway for decades. Alfonso Ribeiro also danced in one of Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercials.
Alfonso Ribeiro's dance moves have been famous (or rather infamous) in the past, as he invented a move called "The Carlton" for his iconic character in 'The Price of Bel Air', in a classic television scene where he danced in the Banks' home living room to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual", using a large candle as a microphone as he basically made a fool of himself - until Will Smith walked in to Alfonso Ribeiro dancing and he hilariously stopped, giving Smith the candle.
Ribeiro, now 42, was partnered with pro dancer 20 year-old Witney, and earned the top score after a widely praised performance. Dancing with the Stars Judge Len Goodman praised his talents, saying: "A beautiful routine. That was, without question, the best dance of the night!"
In a shocking turn of events, even the guys at Hollywood Life expected Alfonso Ribeiro's dance moves to rely heavily on the routine that made him a goofy star in the 90s, but his natural dance moves shocked and delighted everyone in the audience, as applause roared in the hall. Not only did they get the highest score of the night, but they went home with the best praises of the night.
At rehearsal, Alfonso Ribeiro said his goal was to lose weight, while Witney's approach was far more aggressive: she just wanted to win! You can watch their amazing presentation below.
