Heavy Tony Dovolani mourns the loss of his "second mother."
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Tony Dovolani is mourning the loss of a woman named Charlotte Johnston.
Johnston was a teacher at Turn of River Middle School in Connecticut. She was one of the first people to help Dovolani learn English when he moved to the United States from Kosovo.
“RIP my angel Charlotte Johnston words can’t describe how special you were to me from teaching me English to teaching me about life in the USA grateful to have had you in my life to Allan and Donnell she was a mother to us all #willmissyouforever. I know your dancing up in heaven my love,” Dovolani captioned an Instagram post on May 21.
Dovolani included an old photograph of Johnston along with his kind words.
Fans Reacted to tony Dovolani’s Post in the Comments Section
Quite a few “Dancing With the Stars” fans commented on Dovolani’s post, some leaving their condolences and others, who seemingly knew Johnston, mourning alongside the ballroom pro.
“Such sad news. Charlotte was always so kind to all of us. Loved seeing her on the dance floor with you. Dancing among the angels now,” one person wrote.
“An angel of mercy, who knew the value of kindness for anyone immigrating to the United States,” someone else added.
“Omg, noooooooo. She was an amazing lady,” a third comment read.
“So sorry for your loss. Prayers for her family and friends,” a fourth Instagram user said.
Season 18 “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Danica McKellar also dropped by to leave a red heart and a prayer hands emoji.
Following just six months of studying dance at Fred Astaire Dance Academy when he was a teen, he became an instructor. From there, Dovolani embraced his calling in the arts, competing alongside Johnston and eventually inking a deal to appear on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2006.
Tony Dovolani & Charlotte Johnston Went on Tour Together
In an interview with Kosovo Diaspora, Dovolani talked about his relationship with Johnston, calling her his “second mother.”
“Charlotte taught me English, while I taught her to dance,” he explained. He and Johnston ended up having great chemistry and decided to compete together in Pro/Am (short for Professional/Amateur). They were so good, in fact, that they took their talents on the road and toured all over the United States.
Johnston also spoke to Kosovo Diaspora, and had nothing but great things to say about Dovolani’s teaching style and who he is as a person.
“Sometimes he would be in the studio and say something and immediately know it was wrong or off somehow. He would say, ‘Charlotte, what did I say? What did I do?’ He would ask me questions and I would explain things to him,” she recalled.
She also gave a nod to Dovolani’s character as a husband and a father.
“He is comfortable with a simple, middle-class life. Happy to come home to his family. He doesn’t have a need for a lot more,” she told the outlet.