Claudia Karvan’s salsa dance on tonight’s Dancing With The Stars is particularly special

Claudia Karvan is excited to show off her salsa skills on tonight’s Dancing With The Stars, but there’s a sad reason why it means so much to her.

Australian actress Claudia Karvan is set to hit the dancefloor tonight with a saucy salsa routine.

But it won’t just be her and her dance partner, Aric Yegudkin, shimmying on the Dancing With The Stars stage.

The 47-year-old hopes she’ll be joined by her dear friend, Samantha, who tragically died two years ago.

In a preview of tonight’s episode on Channel 10, Karvan says the pair loved to salsa dance, and it ended up being the last thing they ever did together.

Claudia Karvan is a contestant on DWTS.

“The last time I saw her, I took her to a salsa workshop and looked across at her and saw her moving her hips, and she had this smile on her face … And I thought, ‘She’s going to be OK’.

“Unfortunately that was the last time I saw her.

“Salsa dancing makes me think of Samantha because she loved dancing.

“She was very spontaneous and effervescent, and there’s a sort of character about salsa that reflects Samantha.

“I am doing this dance for Samantha … Her son said to me ‘I hope she is dancing with you, wherever she is’.”

DWTS returned to our screens this year, and is hosted by Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller.

Dancing With The Stars 2020 cast Dami Im, Angie Kent, Beau Ryan, Claudia Karvan, Ed Kavalee, travis Cloke, Ed Kavalee, Celia Pacquola, Christian Wilkins and Dean Wells.

Karvan is joined by fellow celebs including Olivia Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, comedians Ed Kavalee and Celia Pacquola, reality stars Angie Kent and Dean Wells, singer Dami Im, Amazing Race host Beau Ryan and Richard Wilkins’ socialite son, Christian Wilkins.

Dancing With The Stars airs tonight at 7.30pm on Ten

Originally published as Claudia Karvan’s salsa dance on tonight’s Dancing With The Stars is particularly special