Tatyana Ali and Alfonso Ribeiro Honor James Avery on "Dancing With the Stars"

Tatyana Ali and Alfonso Ribeiro paid tribute to the late James Avery, their revered "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" co-star and on-screen father figure, during Tuesday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars." Ali, performing with professional dancer Jan Ravnik, delivered a Viennese waltz to Nancy Wilson's "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am," lending her own vocals to the rendition.

Avery, who passed away on December 31, 2013, was deeply influential for Ali and Ribeiro, who co-hosts the current season of "DWTS" with Julianne Hough. In a pre-recorded segment, Ali described Avery as more than an acting mentor. "He was very much a father figure for all of us," she said. "He taught me that what you do can be more than just a job — it can be how you contribute, how you share, as an artist and as a performer."

Ribeiro echoed these sentiments, calling Avery "the most lovable, charismatic, intelligent person." He added, "So to be part of this routine for Tatyana is a blessing for my life."

Ali became emotional discussing her connection to Avery, stating, "I loved him a lot, so I knew that if I made it to ‘Dedication Night’ that it had to be to him. I miss him."

During rehearsals, Ribeiro expressed that the performance was an "opportunity to say ‘thank you’" to Avery. Ali concluded their segment by saying, "My heart is full because how lucky are we to get to have this experience together again [with Alfonso]? I think [Avery] would be really proud."

The performance earned Ali and Ravnik a score of 32 out of 40. Judge Bruno Tonioli praised Ali's glowing performance, noting she appeared to be "floating on the wings of [her] guardian angel."

Ali, who portrayed Ashley Banks on the beloved sitcom, also shared personal memories of Avery on Instagram. She recalled him gifting her baby dolls each holiday, telling her they resembled her and that he wanted her to always know her beauty. Ali noted that Avery's meticulous approach to his craft, which made "Fresh Prince" so successful, influenced her performance down to the costume choice, which was inspired by Eartha Kitt, whom Avery often said Ali resembled.

The episode also occurred amidst recent drama on "DWTS," involving professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension. Chmerkovskiy was suspended for an inappropriate social media post that referenced Will Smith's 2022 Oscars incident. The post was made after his wife, Jenna Johnson, and her partner Harry Shum Jr. received harsh criticism from judge Carrie Ann Inaba.