In a standout moment from Saturday Night Live‘s 2025 Christmas episode, host Ariana Grande and cast member Marcello Hernández teamed up for a hilarious and oddly informative dance class. The sketch, titled “Dancing 101”, featured the duo as self-proclaimed expert choreographers teaching their unique philosophy of movement to a small, bewildered class. Their first and most important rule of “great dancing” became the night’s unexpected catchphrase: “fast fast fast slow”.
The episode, which aired on Saturday, December 20, 2025, was Grande’s third time hosting the late-night show. The musical guest was Cher, making a celebrated return to the SNL stage. The night was also significant as it marked the final episode for longtime cast member Bowen Yang, a close friend and Wicked co-star of Grande.
Inside the “Dancing 101” Sketch
The sketch opened with a group of four students, including Bowen Yang, waiting excitedly for their famed instructors. Grande and Hernández made a synchronized entrance, immediately establishing their quirky and confident teaching personas. After a quick joke about the three-hour class duration—Grande clarified it started at 3 o’clock, not that it lasted three hours—they got straight to the point.
“Okay, lesson one. The first rule of dancing…of great dancing is…fast fast fast slow,” declared Ariana Grande at the start of the class.
When a confused student asked for clarification, Hernández explained it was the essential technique used by all pop stars: “It starts out fast, and then you get slow”. The two then demonstrated a series of dance moves following this rhythmic pattern, leaving their students to mimic them.
Bowen Yang’s Unconventional Interpretation
While the other students struggled, Bowen Yang’s character had a sudden, brilliant understanding. He re-framed the instructors’ abstract concept into more relatable terms.
“What? It’s so easy. It’s fast fast fast…slow. It’s cocaine then red wine,” Yang explained before dancing and chanting, “cocaine cocaine cocaine, red wine red wine”.
Grande and Hernández were visibly impressed. As a reward for his insight, Grande promised Yang a “forehead kiss,” with both instructors blowing kisses that he dramatically caught and applied to his forehead. When another student expressed disappointment, expecting to learn “actual dance moves,” Hernández fired back with perfect comedic timing, “Oh, I’m sorry. Who’s the expert here? You with zero experience or us with some (experience)?”
“Dance Is the Universal Language”
The sketch continued with the instructors teaching that dance is a “universal language” and that any feeling can be expressed through the body. They then offered bizarre, personal examples. Hernández performed a move to express he was hungry. Grande followed with a dance she said communicated that she was “not vaccinated,” and when a student questioned this, she tersely replied, “You can’t ask that”.
The lesson culminated with Hernández singing and dancing to a made-up lyric, “I met a girl, and she had a baby, so I left,” before instructing the students to express their own feelings through movement. The absurd premise, combined with the deadpan delivery from Grande and Hernández, made the sketch a memorable highlight of the Christmas episode.
Marcello Hernández’s Rising Star on SNL
For Marcello Hernández, the sketch was another showcase in a season of growing prominence. The 27-year-old comedian, who joined SNL in 2022, was the show’s first Gen Z cast member. A Miami native of Cuban and Dominican descent, he first gained attention for his comedy on social media platforms like TikTok.
In October 2024, Hernández originated the viral character “Domingo” in a sketch that also featured Ariana Grande. That sketch, where Grande played a bridesmaid giving an off-key speech about a bachelorette party encounter, became a massive hit online and spawned several popular sequels throughout SNL’s 50th and 51st seasons. His performance in a parody of the Spanish-language show Sábado Gigante also earned praise from the original host, Don Francisco.
Just weeks before the December 20 episode, Hernández announced his first Netflix comedy special, “American Boy,” set for release on January 7, 2026. In his announcement, he credited his start in comedy to performing at dive bars and clubs in Cleveland, Ohio, while he was a student at John Carroll University.
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A Night of Holiday-Themed Comedy
The “Dancing 101” sketch was one of nine sketches featuring Ariana Grande during the Christmas episode. Other highlights included a darkly funny parody of “Home Alone” reimagined as a horror movie, which was ranked as the best sketch of the night by Billboard. Grande also played a traumatized Elf on the Shelf in a support group, a judge who believes a defendant is actually Santa Claus, and a contestant on a Love Is Blind reunion special where her former partner was the Grinch.
The episode served as a heartfelt send-off for Bowen Yang, who left the show after the 2025 season. In his final sketch, “Delta Lounge,” Grande made a special appearance to sing a duet with him, showcasing their real-life friendship.
The SNL Christmas episode with Ariana Grande and Cher is available to stream on Peacock. Marcello Hernández continues as a repertory player on Saturday Night Live, which will return with new episodes in 2026.
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