Disclaimer: Yes SWAT never made it to this fundraiser so basically anything she helped Shakes come up with in this blog post is 50% nonsense, and 50% pure crap, but she's convinced that she's earned her heckling rights.

We all learned a lot on Saturday, January 26 when Tristan graced us with his presence at the DublinDown330 fundraiser for Grassroot Soccer.  Keeping in mind that we are rarely serious on this blog, we will leave it to you to decide how to interpret it and why we chose 13.4 and not 14, 15, etc. By now, you should know that we never do things the normal way.  So here are the 13.4 things we learned that day.

1. He looks really good up close. Glowingly smooth skin, killer smile, deliciousness in all its forms...ummm, we probably don’t need to elaborate anymore. Don't feel like hanging out in the dungeon tonight.

2. SWAT needed to be there to see if our opinions of how good he looks are accurate, but then I (Shakes) remembered that SWAT would be the first ‘’thud-ee” and realized we could just put her in a chair in the corner and let her watch and drool. She would have been the first casualty of the evening when she fell out of her chair. Then Tristan would have had to haul her to the E.R. fireman style, so maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. The photo op for that alone would have been worth it.

3.The northeast U.S. experienced its first major earthquake in a long time when Tristan did his Samba step, or whatever step it was that we thought was a Samba step. This was due to the collective thudding that probably led to something like a major axis tilt or another fault line or something equally scientific.  It will probably also lead to a tsunami or create a storm system that will go down in history as Superstorm MacThud.

4. Tristan’s female supporters can drink a whole lot of white wine in a very short period of time. Just ask Ripley.

5. Lincap must truly have the luck of the Irish because she got not one, but two, personal photo opportunities because of a “shadow on the photo.” We think she bribed the photographer and the security guys.

6. Teal Ribbon has a DNA story that she isn’t telling. Shakes knows the story and thinks that MGM is probably going to want the movie rights. What Teal doesn't know is that entire thing was caught on film and will be used as necessary.  :)

7.  Patty and Stacy are ringers. There’s no way they could have learned a dance that fast and perfected it without being Nicole Scherzinger-type ringers. Boo Hiss. 

8. The MacManiacs and Giggle Pants (LL from DublinDown330) are a wild and crazy bunch. SWAT might not have been there but she caused trouble from afar. We will all swear to that in court too.

9. Out of Tea is hilarious. So are Teal, Patty, and every one of the MacManiacs.

10. Tristan’s tattoos are sexy. You should see the really large close-up photo Shakes has seen of them.  *evil laugh*   (and I ain't sharin'---mwahahahaha)

11. He looks 12 feet tall on tv and even though he might not look that big in person, he had a whole lot of women swooning and drooling and having heart palpitations after the one-on-one in the meet and greet. We made the EMTs go to this thing incognito as to not alarm everyone, but we were expecting at least one heart related medical emergency and wanted to be prepared. We had at least 36 heart related emergencies.  Good thing we prepared.

12. Not everybody has  the dvd Burn the Floor: The New Show – Floor Play. I know, we were shocked as hell about that.

13. Photos do not do Tristan justice, but we think we need to verify that by using the scientific method so we’re going on a road trip to make sure. Yoo hoo, Tristan? We’re on the way! SWAT didn’t get to wear her green sparkly tutu in Princeton, so she spent the time sewing more sequins on it for the next road trip. Never mind that it now weighs more than the puddle jumper.

13.1 Tristan had nothing to do with choosing the dance for the lesson. Patty's first dance style choice was the Lambada. Stacy really wanted to dance the Lambada too but decided to behave and not scare Tristan off. They agreed on the Cha Cha so that so they could be Nancy Grace. Stacy had even brought a pair of suspenders for Tristan to wear for the occasion (she knew she was going to win, we’re positive – otherwise, why bring suspenders?) but the emcee swiped them because he felt it made him look even more like Tristan. True Story. (Well, in SWAT's mind anyway)

13.2. Nothing was as it seemed. What really happened was that SWAT made it to Princeton, Shakes ended up looking breathtaking in her evening gown, Minolo Blahniks, and perfectly coiffed hair and was prepared when she first met Tristan (instead of never getting to change clothes, do the hair, put on makeup, or look stunning), and we got to do the dance lesson instead of those cheaters Patty and Stacy. I mean really. We know that they had to have cheated. We’re positive we should have won. So what if we didn’t enter and SWAT wasn't there? We wuz robbed.  

13.3. Teal Ribbon is secretly a bodybuilder and personal trainer to the stars. You should see how much stuff she could carry to Shakes’ car in one trip. Amazing.

13.4 The most important thing we learned? That this whole thing was definite inspiration for a new road trip series. Watch out….March is just around the corner and while for some of you, that might mean DWTS. For SWAT and Shakes? The first thought was McDonald's and Shamrock Shakes and you know what happened last time….

Do you remember our “He Said – She Said” with Sasha Farber and Emma Slater from December? You guys were fascinated by their answers and then Sasha followed it up with more fun responses to those questions that we just keep thinking of.  You sent us even more questions and both Sasha and Emma readily agreed to answer whatever we sent them.  A big thank you goes out to two very lovely people who have not only enriched the DWTS performance stage but continue to give so freely to their fans.  Thanks, Emma and Sasha!

What is your teaching approach?  How do you evaluate your partner’s strengths and weakness and move forward?

Sasha: That’s an interesting question. A lot of it depends on how much they want to learn. I think everyone can dance if they want to. Put a song on and see if the person has rhythm first, and their ability to listen to music and trust. If  your partner doesn’t trust you, then you’re  in trouble.

Musicality is a great advantage and you can see that straight away in a person when he starts to dance. When teaching students I always choreograph  to the strengths - if the couple has great speed, I tend to mix that up with slow steps, so that when it's time to show speed they look extra fast and slick so its not boring to watch.

You can tell a dancer’s strengths and weaknesses from just watching them do basics - it all comes from having a good foundation.

Emma: The more you get to know a person, the easier it is to work out what makes them ‘tick’ and what kind of learning process they favor; Some people connect to words and having something described to them, others to physically being shown the movement and observing it first hand. When you find their method of learning, you can stick to that and it will help them more. And ultimately enjoy it more too! Dancing is a fun thing to participate in, and my number one goal for myself when I teach is to make it enjoyable for my partner/pupil. I can be quite cheeky because it usually works!

Is there a favorite style of dance you would prefer to use for a beginner? 

Sasha: I always take them through a journey of where the dance came from, so they have an idea of the character of the dance - basics on how to move your body in the right way and using basic life examples so it is more clear for the dancer. Dancing is very basic and you can’t learn to run before you can walk.

Emma: I like to ask them about it first, what their preference is and what type of music they like. Everyone is different and enjoys different music and styles. Its always best to get to know what kind of dances they like best so you can try to teach them exactly what they are after. And they will be happy when you realize they can dance that style! Everyone… EVERYONE can dance.  :)

The dances I’ve found most people like to learn the most are Cha Cha, Rumba or Salsa.

As a dancer, you’ve been exposed to all kinds of music and performers.  What type of music do you personally enjoy and who are some of your favorite recording artists?

Sasha:  Well, performing alongside KISS, choreographing and dancing to Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Smokey Robinson, Santana, Kylie Minogue, and more, It's hard to say which music type I love. I love all music  and everything about it.  But there is something a little different to real live Latin music that I love!
I could just sit there all day watching a live Cuban band play!

Some of my favorites are
*Guy Sebastian
*Bruno Mars
*Olly Murs

Emma: I honestly like everything. Music is essential in my life. It does wonders for my state of mind, much the same as writing actually. I enjoy a lot of 80’s classics, probably thanks to my parents for playing a lot of it when we grew up. Queen is one of the bands I grew up to love. A few that I like now are Coldplay, Adele, Neyo & Paolo Nutini. I do appreciate some good dance tunes too, oddly enough I seem to like songs with violins in them! Good lyrics will always get me too.

The piña colada song (Rupert Holmes – Escape) should be in everyone playlist! And Ordinary World by Duran Duran.  :)

If you could be in any Broadway show, past or present, which one would it be?

Sasha:  I performed on Broadway for 7 months and loved every second of it. I cherished every moment and will definitely be one of my highlights, but one show on Broadway I would love to be in is West Side Story!

Emma: Well I was very lucky to have done a few popular musicals. I did Broadway in 2009 with a phenomenal show called Burn the Floor and I have also done 6 West End shows during my career and appeared in Mamma Mia the movie.  I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and perform again in either Broadway or West End (London, UK). Best Stages in the world. My favorite one to watch was always Guy and Dolls. I just adored the era, the music, the comedy behind it. I loved that one. There is also a feisty Havana Dancer in the musical for a scene or two so I’d like to do that! I would have said Dirty Dancing but I had the pleasure of doing that show already and it was one of my favorites. :)  But to be honest (and I’m sure everyone says this!) I plan to get more involved in straight acting, I’m very passionate about it. I would give a whole lot to be involved in a black comedy play. I love the art of comedy acting!

Let’s talk the Trio Dance.  That happens to be one of our favorite, and we hope it comes back in Season 16.  If you could choose your Trio Dance, which other pro/troupe member would you like to work with and what style of dance would you like to do?

Sasha: Well, I loved working with Karina she is so much fun, working with her was a dream come true.

I would love to do a trio dance and dance a Cha cha cha, I think that would be so much fun and would love to dance a trio with my baby Emma Slater.

Emma: I would kind of like to do an Argentine Tango/Rumba. Either one of those or a mix of the two. I live for drama in performances, you can make it very powerful. Like a love triangle between three people. I would love to work with Derek on a Trio dance. His ideas and ability to transform a piece of music into live artwork full of flavor is amazing. He has a great skill for showing the audience exactly what he wants them to see. The piece as he sees it in his mind, is exactly what he creates in front of the camera and that is a difficult thing to master. So he hits the nail on the head every time. I like that kind of 100% commitment to the piece thing! Karina performs and choreographs very much the same, and I loved watching and support her, Apollo and Sash last season in their trio!

Okay, Sasha and Emma.  You have danced together many times.  Which of those is your favorite performance? (DWTS, Burn the Floor, Ballroom With A Twist, or any other performance)

Sasha:  I think my Favorite is ALL OF THEM, whichever one I’m doing at the time, I give 100% and enjoy every second I’m on stage or TV. :)

Emma:  There was this one solo piece of swing that opened a number in Burn the Floor during Act 1 called Sway. Sash probably wouldn’t have put this! But it was slightly like a dance-off between the guy and the girl who were dancing together (Sasha and I). The music was purely drum beats and a few symbols from the percussion behind us and I remember having so much fun making that connection onstage very real. You could almost egg each other on in middle of it, and make it really fun for the audience. The cheekier it got, the better reception we had so we went to town! It wouldn’t have been the same it I was dancing with any other than Sash. We were pretty much the same onstage as we were offstage!

I have some other favorites too, I enjoyed being Red Riding Hood last season on DWTS for a rumba (which I was going to be dancing with Tristan but it didn’t end up happening!) I really loved playing Lisa Houseman in Dirty Dancing for a short term, and I vividly remember my last dance on Broadway. But dancing in the finals of the British nationals when I was 16 and competing was a really brilliant time too. Every performance could be my favorite really.

Several people from the site saw your recent performances in Ballroom With A Twist and loved the show’s energy and artistry.  Of these performance so far, do you have a special memory?  What city has been a personal favorite so far?  Is there some city you would like to see more of?

Sasha:  Well we just performed in Calgary in Canada, where we danced along side a 80 piece symphony which was an amazing feeling  - dancing to live music which is made right behind you  is a feeling I can’t explain. 

Emma: I only did three places so far with the show! This was my first stint with the show and I honestly enjoyed every second. All the dancers on the show work so hard and are so talented. They made me feel very welcome and I guess the good nights hanging out after the show would be my favorite memories so far. It’s a bit too soon to comment on favorite cities with BWAT just yet but I have been to many US cities and towns in the past with previous tours. A few of my favorite cities would be Chicago & San Fran. I also fell for Seattle. But I could name so many, San Diego is stunning and I really enjoyed Dallas too. I’m from a smaller town in England though so I appreciate the country side and smaller towns too.

 That’s it for now! As long as you’re willing to answer, we will keep sending the questions. Thanks for being so fan friendly. It really is appreciated.

Sasha:   No problem I love these questions. :)  Thank you all for your support.

       --Sasha Farber

Emma: Thank you for your questions, Glad to answer anymore you guys have!!

Love Emma x
@EmmaSlaterDance


Thanks, Emma and Sasha!  Please continue to send us your questions at macmaniacs.org@gmail.com and we will forward them along to these two lovely pros.  Be sure to follow them on Twitter:  @SashaFarber and @EmmaSlaterDance

For those of you who have been on this site for a while, you know all about our legendary 'dungeon' or the place where site members get sent when misbehaving.  We've all been there many, many times, and the administrators spend more time there than anybody because they (we) like to cause a wee bit of trouble.  We decided that in order to be comfortable in our dungeon, you need some special supplies.  Here is our list of recommended items.

1.  Beer - Because beer tastes kind of icky but is probably better than tequila shots and looks cool when you drink it out of frosted mugs. You can look classy sipping it when you take breaks from practicing your "I'll pretend that I'm on the dance floor in NYC" Samba.  

Also it’s okay to be tacky on occasion and dye the beer green on St. Patrick’s Day, which is one of those things we do a lot of here in the U.S.

2. Chocolate - Because chocolate is just necessary - dark chocolate, Godiva chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, hot chocolate...all of those.  We read somewhere that chocolate makes you live longer, and we figure we'll live to be 300 years old based on how much chocolate we eat (and sometimes drink- see below). 

3. A fake mirror ball trophy - as in one of those 1970s disco balls like those of us who are 70s relics recall, or if you’re not a 70s relic, it looks like that thing the winners of Dancing With the Stars carry around and show off to the world.  If you have one, you could use it for, oh, any number of things (whether in or out of the dungeon) like: 

*Put a bunch of them on the dungeon fireplace mantle and add dozens of blinking multicolored LED tea lights around them to give it 'pop'.

*Attach it to your Carmen Miranda hat in lieu of fruit. That will add to the video possibilities within the dungeon.

*Secure it to the top of your minivan so it draws the attention of all the hot guys in the carpool lane (during non-dungeon occupation of course)

*Use it as a hood ornament.  Nothing says classy Lexus (or 10 year old PT Cruiser) like a cheap mirror ball attached to it.

4.  Caffeine is ecstasy and thus, necessary – no doubt about it.  But we’re not talking your typical French roast with one artificial sweetener and a little skim milk.  Oh no.  We want to impress so we plan to have our own Starbucks-style facility where we can make good beverages and say cool things like:

“A grande green tea latte with extra whip” or

“Gimme a venti skinny caramel macchiato with an extra shot and extra foam” or

“A nonfat white peppermint mocha with whipped cream” because it sounds better and saves 12 calories when you use nonfat milk with all that whipped cream or

“A tall skinny chai and make sure you really use nonfat because I will know the difference”

And to mix it up…

“A MacManus, please"  (or a tall triple shot espresso that packs a mean wallop)

Yeah, stuff like that.

5.  Sensible shoes - This is obvious because there are any number of klutzes on MML, starting with us (SWAT and Shakes).  Ripley’s no bargain either.  You should hear about the time she had a ladder and was trying to do some home maintenance.  It ended badly.  Anyway, the point is that we can’t walk from point A to point B without tripping or running into a door so sensible shoes are a must – particularly when we are practicing the Salsa or the Jitterbug.   (We would have included Teal Ribbon in this section but we’ve been picking on her a lot lately, and we don’t want to hurt her feelings.  Besides, she couldn’t possibly be as much of a klutz as any of us).

6. Some platform shoes, your best museum quality mini-skirt, and a hip replacement because bring on The Bump ladies.  It’s disco time! 

7. A Bar - Yes, not to get too nostalgic for the 1980s and for Cheers, but this really is a place where "Everybody knows your name"...errr or maybe it should be called "Where Everybody Knows Your Alias" or "Where Everybody Knows Your Avatar"...whatever. The point is that we have installed a bar in the MML Dungeon and therefore it serves its purpose or two and is a real must have. Instead of Cheers, we’re gonna call it “Slàinte” but we decided we aren’t that classy.  We’re callin’ it “The Bar.”

~ Interested in trying some of that green beer we were talking about earlier? How about a chocolate martini? SWAT is attending bartending school as we speak so she can serve up the best cocktails and spirits that any of our MacManiacs can think of. Here we specialize in anything that is chocolate, involves Bailey's Irish Creme, or is potentially Jameson Whiskey based, although there is some flexibility there. Also be on the lookout for the newest additions to the cocktail menu such as the Tristan inspired Tequila Sunrise (nothing like mixing Irish whiskey and tequila to make your evening interesting) or a few others we found online when doing our extensive research:

Check out this plethora of deliciousness.

 Irish Hot Chocolate – This is a popular choice among dungeon-dwellers – Pour some Bailey’s in a huge mug, add some dark chocolate hot chocolate, and top it with a huge mound of whipped cream and add our own touch, some shaved Godivas on top for more chocolateishiness. Yep, we made that word up.  We do that a lot around here.

 Irish French Kiss - This is our naughty beverage but so what?  It’s also made with Bailey’s. It contains equal parts Cointreau and Grand Marnier with twice as much Baileys. Just shake it all up and garnish with orange slices.  Maybe skip the orange slices if that's too much for your system to handle.

Frozen Leprechaun. Shots of Bailey’s, Kahlua, peppermint schnapps and milk, blend it all with ice and then top it off with a sprig of mint.

Don't forget the Bailey's Chocolatini with Baileys, raspberries, vodka and chocolate liqueur, or perhaps the Guiness Milkshake with vanilla ice cream, Guiness, chocolate drizzle, and chocolate shavings.  Another option could be the Original Irish Cream with vanilla, heavy cream, Irish whiskey, coffee granules, almond extract and a bit of sweetened condensed milk.  

See?  We've got it covered.

Did you ever see "Coyote Ugly"? Um yeah...not saying that we'll look as hot as those women or dance as well as them either, but we'll all give it the old college try, and we'll be doing it our way. What better way to let loose and have some fun than by trying to Riverdance on a bar after downing any of the above. Exactly...

8. One Heck of a First Aid Kit- Please refer to the "Coyote Ugly" Section of # 7 above.

Intrigued yet?  This is only the beginning.  See y'all in the dungeon for a taste test.  We'll be the ones with the mirror balls on our Carmen Miranda hats.

We (SWAT and Shakes) always feel that it's best to be prepared for any and every occasion, and the fundraiser on January 26 is no exception. Being that we've been on so many road trips together (all within the confines of very strange imaginations, of course), we think we know a thing or two about what it will take to not only enhance this little event – but survive it.  We also knew that we needed to get a blog out for this week and what better way for us to spout off some nonsense and give everyone advice than by going with the first thing that popped into our heads? 

So, without wasting any more time, we give you the January 26, 2013 Princeton Fundraiser Survival Kit.

1. A snow shovel.  Well, it is January, and it is Princeton, and not to be a downer but crap happens and sometimes it snows in Jersey.  It also snows in Kentucky and South Carolina in January but at least in Jersey we have plenty of snow plows and salt.  A shovel will come in handy when Shakes recruits you to shovel her driveway. Next:

2.  We hesitate to use the word “spanx”  and in fact, we know for a fact that not a single person who posts on this site even knows that that word means.  So let’s move on.  Bridget Jones put it best when she said to her hunky beau Mark Darcy... (yes, we are still fighting over Colin Firth and Darcy in all his forms; SWAT says Mark needs a “younger woman” while Shakes swears that Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice is her destiny – and she’s almost as old as the book, but we digress)…Bridget Jones put it best to her hunky beau Mark Darcy when she said that she didn’t want Mark D to see her wobbly bits.  Forget that the lovely – and misunderstood – Mark D said he had a high regard for her wobbly bits. We just aren’t willing to take the chance.  If you don’t want the Tristanator to see some wobbly bits or the hint of them, then proper industrial strength garments are the way to go.

3.  Green and White MacManiac Soccer Jerseys - These stylish soccer jerseys have green sequined letters and have everyone's MML username on the back so Tristan can identify you (and perhaps choose to hide from- cough- SWAT ). But then we remembered he wouldn’t know a Ripley from a Patty or an Out of Tea from a SWAT/Shakes hybrid so the point is that the names are strictly for ornamental purposes. The number on the jersey comes from the number of times each of us has wiped out trying to do the Samba in our living rooms. Shakes' number on her Jersey is 3, SWAT's is 15. Rumor has it that Teal Ribbon once injured her knee just walking to her living room so we’re still figuring out her jersey number. Should it be 0 or should it be 912? We’re not sure.

4.. Kaopectate- Do we really need to explain here? Let's just say the shock and awe of seeing The Irish Love Doctor in the flesh may make us all do something quite unladylike.  Yes, it’s probably TMI, but this item is a necessary item and a necessary precaution for such a prestigious event.

5. Green Sharpie - What else would you want Tristan to use when he signs your favorite items? Besides, he will actually hold your very own green sharpie in his hand – just in case you  get all fangirly and crazy. Not that this could ever happen, of course, but you need to be prepared. So you want a green sharpie and forget yours?  No problem, SWAT will be selling ‘em for the low, low price of $19.95.  Okay, maybe that’s tacky.  Bring your own or we’ll give you one.

6. An English Dictionary - This is just in case you forget to speak how to speak your native language when you finally get to talk to Tristan.  While eloquent, the “uh, uh, blaa, uh, duh, muh…..” sentence is sometimes difficult to comprehend and Tristan might have enough trouble with Shakes’ constant use of y’all and that moment when SWAT looks him dead in the eyes and says, “Bless your pea pickin’ heart.”  You will need that dictionary.  Trust us.

7. Hot Flash Medication – No explanation needed.

8.  "I Survived MacCon 2013" Irish Farmer Caps are must haves to have once you leave MacCon, and  these items are a true status symbol. Not only does it show that you attended the event and lived to tell about it – yes, all that high class mingling and autographing can take its toll - but it also helps pay homage to Tristan's roots, and let's face it, we'd love to take those home and have our husbands/boyfriends/golden retrievers wear them. Or maybe not.  That’s a stupid idea.  We don’t even know what an Irish farmer cap is.

9.  A bib.  Drooling isn’t ladylike and you don’t wanna be drooling all over your new cashmere sweater – or your black sweater from Target – so protective coverings are necessary.

10.  Oxygen tank.  Because somebody is going to forget to breathe and pass out.  It’ll probably be SWAT because Shakes is too sane and level-headed for such nonsense. Or so she says.

11.  Godiva Chocolate and Starbucks Coffee.  Tristan MacManus or not, these are basic food groups and without ‘em, Shakes will expire.  That means croak. Then SWAT would have to pick her up and haul her home and then she’d throw her back out and have to go to the hospital and Ripley would have to go along to make sure neither of them gets into trouble and then Ripley might get lost and end up going to the airport with one of our world travelers and she might never find her way back to Pennsylvania.  So we’re better off making sure the Godivas and Starbucks are present and accounted for. Just to be on the safe side.

So there you have it.  Everything you need to make January 26, 2013 an event to remember.

Oh yeah.  We’ll make all this up to you, we promise.  We have lots of great prizes to give away to y’all and not one of them starts with spanx or kaopectate.  

See y'all in Princeton.  Bless your pea pickin' hearts....

When Sasha answered questions for our "He Said - She Said" Q and A with Emma Slater, he offered to answer any other questions that we wanted to send along.   Here are his answers.

How have things changed on Dancing With the stars since you joined the cast in Season 13?

Since I have joined in Season 13, it has been the most exciting part of my life. I never thought I would have so much support so quickly, and I’m so grateful for every single comment I get, and I will keep trying my hardest to make everyone happy!

DWTS grows every season, with production and dancers and choreography. It’s such an amazing feeling to be part of it, and I think having the all stars was a great idea.  It was the best of the best , shame we didn’t see Tristan in as much as we wanted to, but I know he will fire back this season. I love that this show grows every season, and as a dancer you have to be on your game every time!

In one of Tristan’s video Q and As with members of MacManiacs.org, he told the story of a time from Burn the Floor in Atlantic City when you and Damian were in the same number as Tristan and tucked his trousers into his socks – which says made him look like a farmer for the rest of the dance.  Do you remember that?  And do you have any Tristan stories to share with us?

LOL, LOL, Yes I remember that very well as it was me who tucked his pants in.

I’m known for a bit of a joker, I love to play pranks on people and have fun! :)

Tristan and I have been friends for a long time - more than 10 years, and I’m sure we have done a lot of pranks together. There was once this time when we decided to film an MTV CRIBS in our hotel room - there is a video going round somewhere that is a must see - lol!

How do you think your experiences from Burn the Floor prepared you for a show like Dancing With the Stars?

I was in Burn the Floor for 11 years and have learned a lot from it.  I was one of the original cast members that put the show together, and I was also one of the main dancers on Broadway and West End!

And while on Burn the Floor I was the Australian champion and repetitive to the world championships where I was placed 8th in Latvia Riga!

Burn the Floor is a great show and I also worked very hard.  I was also a pro on the Australian version and Indian version for DWTS . But there is nothing better then being on a live tv show, and on one of the biggest in America. :) But I do get more nervous on DWTS then Burn the Floor. It’s live and if you make a mistake then that’s it.  In saying that, I have never made a big mistake yet. (Knock wood )

Ballroom With A Twist is an amazing show. Could you tell us how it is different from other productions that you have been involved with?

Yes Ballroom With a Twist is a great show and  fun to watch and all the dancers are amazing in what they do , also including the singers. We always have such a great time , and I love performing in that show. It’s a high energy show and the audience always leaves wanting more!

What do you see as the biggest challenge for a pro on Dancing With the Stars?

I don’t see a challenge, I see a journey. It is such an amazing thing to watch because the celebrity transforms right in front of your eyes  into this amazing dancer by the time you are finished with her!

I love to teach and dance so this is the perfect equation for me. It is a lot of hard work I must admit, but I wouldn’t even call it work because it’s what I love to do!

I think it would be a dream come true If I got to be a pro on the USA version!  I watch all the pros in all the season and how passionate they are in their work and I love it!

But in answering your question about what I see the biggest challenge for a pro is – it’s coming up with all the different dancers because each dance has to  take the viewers on a rollercoaster, and I always say that each dance you do has to be amazing and each time the viewers hear the same song all they can think of is our dance!

Thank you all for these questions,

I loved them and I hope you all have a great New Year with lots of success and fortune and happiness, and lets make sure Tristan takes home this mirror ball this season!

---Sasha