It’s Most Memorable Year Night on Dancing with the Stars. The 10 remaining couples will hit the ballroom and celebrate a special year in their lives. Mira Sorvino will be dancing a contemporary with partner Gleb Savchenko to Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”
Mira and Gleb will be joined by Mira’s 18-year-old daughter on the dance floor. Mattea Backus is part of Mira and Gleb’s routine, and their emotional performance will undoubtedly bring viewers to tears. Get to know Mattea as she makes her DWTS debut.
Mattea Is Mira’s Oldest Child
Mira has chosen 2004 as her most memorable year, which happens to be the year she got married and gave birth to Mattea. Mira and her husband, Christopher Backus, got married on June 11, 2004. Mattea was born just months later on November 3, 2004.
Mattea soon found herself with three more siblings. Mira and Christopher’s son, Johnny, was born in 2006, followed by Holden in 2009 and Lucia in 2012.
Mattea Will Join Her Mom on DWTS
Mattea will dance alongside her mom and Gleb during the trio’s contemporary routine. “Time After Time” is an homage to Mira’s beloved 1997 comedy Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion.
“I am so excited because, this week, I get to live out another dream which is to dance with my daughter,” Mira told ET ahead of the episode. “Gleb choreographed this incredible dance to ‘Time After Time’ about the love between parents and a daughter and, you know, her going away and coming back but love always returns and we always end up together in the end. And it’s really beautiful.”
Mira shared sweet behind-the-scenes photos with Mattea during DWTS rehearsals. For Mira, getting the opportunity to dance with her daughter is “another dream come true.”
Mattea Is ‘Honored’ to Support Her Mom
In a behind-the-scenes video shared on the Dancing with the Stars Instagram Story, Mattea said she was “honored” that her mom chose the year 2004 as her most memorable year. “Being able to dance with her on stage is gonna be like the most incredible memory and doing what I love most with her is just gonna be the best,” Mattea said.
Mattea Is a Dancer
Mattea has been a ballet dancer for several years. Mira gushed in her interview with ET that Mattea is a “really amazing dancer, which, you’ll see! Her dancing speaks for itself.”
Mattea Is in College
Mattea is currently a student at Tufts University. Mattea admitted that she and her friends have been tuning in to watch Mira perform every week. Mira’s daughter said it’s been “super fun” to watch her mom out on the dance floor.