Next week’s three-day premiere of Dancing with the Stars will include a tribute to one of their early contributors. On Wednesday, the program will take time out to honor Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze.

Back in 2005, the actor/dancer made a brief appearance on the freshman series as a coach for John O’Hurley. He also sat in the audience during the Season 1 finale to support his friend.

“He was one of the few people to integrate dance with being an A-list actor,” executive producer Conrad Green said. “He inspired many people and many of our pros to dance. We want to honor the great moments he’s brought to film by getting our dancers to do their interpretation to some music from his films.”

DWTS’ ninth season begins Monday, September 21 @ 8:00.

(You can find all the Dancing with the Stars: Season 9 posts here.)