Interviews With Sasha Farber & Emma Slater

It’s been quite a while since we’ve spoken with two of our favorite pros – Sasha Farber and Emma Slater. Both took time this week to answer our questions.  For the most part, the questions to each are the same, but as you will see, their answers are vastly different! Sasha's questions and answers appear first and Emma's immediately follow.  (Sasha and Emma's previous interviews with us are archived on our forum, MacManiaLand.)

Photo Credit: Emma Slater Twitter

Interview with Sasha







Sasha, What did you enjoy most about working with Nicole Polizzi in Season 17, and which of those Season 17 performances was your favorite?

Nicole is such a sweet girl, and we really became friends right away! She never sugar coated anything and that’s what I loved about her. She is a down to earth, hard working woman, that’s for sure. During the season we had to fly back and forth to New Jersey, because she didn’t want to be away from her family. I really enjoyed goofing around with Nicole. We played around a lot, and had a lot of fun. We became really good friends after the first day. I always teach people to have fun in their dancing, and that’s exactly what we did. The thing that I enjoyed about working with Nicole is her work ethic. There was one week when our dance was the jive. I remember her being so sick that day, and she kept screaming “COME ON LET'S DO THIS!”  I felt so bad for her. But she never gave up!

My favorite would have to be the Jazz routine we did. It was such a good dance for her. She really enjoyed that dance and had a lot of fun learning and performing it on the night of the show. It’s hard to pick one favorite dance because with Snooki they were all my favorites.  She made it so much fun coming into work and teaching. Wish I could do it all over again.

What is the hardest part about being a dancer in the off seasons of DWTS? Do you have a specific workout regimen?

When being on the show, I feel like you’re on such a high and a buzz, and it’s all GO,GO,GO, and everything is always scheduled for you on an email.  You know where you have to be and what time you have to be there. So when the season is over it's really sad, and your body kind of shuts off, so it’s important to keep going with exercise and eating the right foods. I try to teach and dance as much as I can.  Dance is always evolving and it’s good to stay on top of that. 

During the DWTS off-season, do you manage to have a lot of down time and how often do you dance?

Yes and no.  Down time is good but I get bored quickly.  I always have to be doing something, otherwise it drives me crazy - lol.  I love to research things around the world - for example different culture and topics that make a difference in the world. My down time has to be my up time. I love to get inspired by people challenging themselves and pushing themselves to the next level. I try to dance and learn something new about dance every day during the off season. It’s important to keep your body moving at all times.

What has been your favorite recent teaching or performing experience away from DWTS?

My favorite teaching experience was going over to Tucson in my last break and teaching for a great friend Stacey. I taught 13 lessons a day and did workshops for the teachers and students of the studio. I really enjoyed being a part of that dance tour because everyone had so much passion to dance and learn to dance.  It was a great experience. And I will be going back there on July 18, so I am really looking forward to that.

If you could change any one thing about the current DWTS format, what would it be?

Well one thing I would change is, I would be pro again.  :)

The format of the show is pretty much spot on.  DWTS here in America is such a benchmark to all the shows around the world. I must say I wasn’t a fan of the switch up. I would have liked it if the couples got eliminated in the switch up.  That would have been interesting. I preferred the trio challenge more. That’s about it. It was such a great season and I thought that everything was done exactly how it was meant to be done.  So much goes into putting a show on like this, that a lot of people don’t know about - the backstage guys and all the producers work so hard to make it what it is today.  CONGRATULATIONS to you guys.

During the break between Seasons 17 and 18, you and Emma went to Belize. What did you especially enjoy about that trip?

Belize was so much fun. WE HAD THE BEST TIME.

We tried to do all the activities that the resort offered, and I think we did all of them. We booked this cave swim, and on the booking paper, it said that there was another couple from the resort booked in to go with us. In the morning when we got downstairs the tour guide said that it was just Emma and myself which worried me a little. We drove for nearly 2 hours, and we stopped at a little family restaurant to have some lunch. I was very careful this time what and where I ate because the day before I had a piece of metal in my food that I pulled out of my mouth. When we got to this cave it was something you see in a movie. It was just beautiful, but the water was freezing.  We put on our headlights so we could see in the dark. We had to swim alongside it and hold onto the rocks, because the current would send us of the cliff. Once we got past the current we could let go and just float and enjoy the experience. It truly was amazing and something I will remember for the rest of my life.  At the resort the food was 10/10 - some of the best food I have ever had. The trip to Belize was so much fun. I love to travel and I’m so happy I got to see Belize - I would go back there in a second!

Sasha, was it difficult transitioning back to the troupe after being a pro with a celebrity partner during Season 17? You seemed to enjoy every minute you were dancing in Season 18!

Yes I love to dance no matter where I do it. This season in the troupe I had so much fun and I was so excited to be back on the show. I felt like for my first season as a pro, I did really well and got to week 7 in the competition. I was a little upset, but I’m just happy I am still part of this amazing show. Being in the Troupe is harder than being a pro I think sometimes because when you are a pro most of the time you know your music, and what dance you're dancing, and with who you are dancing it. Being in the troupe it can change on the spot. Having so much experience and my background with dance, this can become really exciting and keeps you on your toes every time. I love it!

I love the troupe, we all have the same passion and drive, and we all strive to be better dancers - working as a team is what we do best! I really miss being pro but never say never.

What do you like most about choreography and what kinds of obstacles do you face as a choreographer?

The best thing about doing choreography is you can take people to a different place through movement and dance.  You get to tell a story through your body with no words. That’s the best part.  When coming up with steps for a dance, each step has to have meaning for me, otherwise it's pointless. My obstacle would be sometimes finding good music these days.

As we look forward to Season 19 of DWTS, what is one thing you hope to see?

One thing I hope to see, is me as a pro!

Now for the fun questions:

Favorite Food   Chinese food       
Favorite thing to do when not dancing  Play sports
Favorite cartoon or animated character  Bugs Bunny
Favorite movie  Iron Man
Favorite dessert  chocolate mousse
Favorite comfort food  chocolate
Favorite book  Goosebumps
Favorite TV game show  Price Is Right
Favorite TV reality show  DWTS
Regular coffee or frou-frou drink? Don’t drink coffee
Favorite Pike MacManus Story [for those of you who don't know, Pike is Tristan and Tahyna MacManus's dog. He's a bit of an imp]
There is one story that I don’t like to say. Pike was resting on my chest on the floor and wanted to jump up on the couch behind me, as he jumped up, he weed on my face.  It was horrible.

 Thank you.  I hope you guys enjoyed my little interview. Remember to keep dancing!                                                                                                                                Sasha Farber


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                             Interview with Emma 

What is your opinion of the one show a week format as opposed to having a separate results show on Tuesday nights?

Having just the one show a week I feel is a good decision.  Sometimes people would rather tune in just once a week and get to watch all the action in one go.  It’s fast paced and fun!  It also has the element of each of the couples dancing, some of whom know they are safe and some are in jeopardy.  It’s more exciting and suspenseful!  In terms of competing on the show, the couples also have one extra day to grasp the routine and rehearse for the next week ahead. So bonus!

What has been the most rewarding part of your time as a pro with a celebrity partner so far? 

I think the rewarding part is the support, lovely comments and feedback you get from the people at home.  It’s totally new to me and a hugely overwhelming feeling.  It tends to shock the celebrities too when they read such supportive and encouraging feedback from their fans. That’s when they embrace it more!  Watching the You Tube clips back is a wonderful thing for me, too, and, of course actually staying in touch with Billy Dee and Bill E and having them as close friends (American Dad even) has been the biggest reward ever.  I’m going to visit Bill & Gail Engvall next week!

Emma, What is your favorite of all of the performances with Bill Engvall? What did you enjoy the most about working with legendary actor Billy Dee Williams? He learned a lot from you but what did you learn from him? 

My all time favorite performance with Bill Engvall was our week 3 Paso Doble to "The Lone Ranger Theme" where Bill dressed as the Lone Ranger (which he loved!) and I was Tonto.  It was his breakthrough dance in a way and he absolutely nailed it!  I also adored our Disco routine in week 8, our Argentine Tango in week 10 and the dance Bill dedicated to his wife Gail in week 5 which was the Viennese Waltz.  Oh, also the freestyle.  I could name them all! 

Billy Dee was the strong silent type. To me,  it was adorable how much he spoke about his family, his grandkids in particular.  For this reason we decided to dedicate our week 3 dance to them (but unfortunately we never got to perform it due to his chronic health issues and withdrawal from the show).  Luckily, he is doing much better now! Billy had many stories of his experiences in show business and over the dinner table on many occasions he would give me lots of advice.  He was very encouraging about my ambition to pursue Hosting in my life, which I took as a huge compliment considering all the personalities he must have worked with!

What is the hardest part about being a dancer in the off seasons of DWTS? Do you have a specific workout regimen?

In terms of workout, I do like to go to the gym (or rather, I feel better afterwards!) and I often go to workout classes too.  Xtend Barre, which is a cardio/pilates class has been my thing for a while.  It’s great for your butt!  But during the summer I have to say, I find it so hard because the heat just drains me. I have to drink a lot of water as I’ve found I become easily dehydrated.  The down time is never an issue.  I am always traveling a lot for shows or teaching or the cruises. 

In this off season, whatever down time I have I am focused towards my Hosting education. Dancing unfortunately doesn't last forever and for when that time comes, I hope to turn to Hosting.  Since the beginning of this year I have worked every week with my Hosting Coach, taking privates and shooting footage in her amazing studio. I’ve truly fallen in love with it; it’s hard to imagine there would be another outlet for me that I could even entertain the idea of doing instead of dance, but this would be it certainly.  I adore it, so this is what I’m actively striving towards a lot these days :)

During the DWTS off-season, do you manage to have a lot of down time and how often do you dance?

During the off seasons of DWTS my schedule has varied from season to season.  One season I performed with the ‘Dancing with the Stars Live in Las Vegas’ along with Tristan, which took up the entire break.  Every break for me since then I have been lucky enough to be part of the ‘DWTS at Sea’ cruises. All these people are my dear friends and we’ve gone to some incredible places together.  A show called ‘Ballroom with a Twist’ is another muse of most of the professional dancers on DWTS.  I usually do a lot of shows with them as they are a smashing company.  I usually get the pleasure of dancing a lot with either Derek, Tristan or Sasha on shows around the US which pop up quite frequently.  I also have two additional shows coming up actually - June 19th/20th with Tony Dovolani, Maks and Val in FL! 

I also of course get the luxury of recharging my batteries which is important during this time.  It’s a period where we can adjust to normal sleeping patterns at last (I find it so hard to sleep well while on the show!) The down time of the off season is absolutely welcomed!! Towards the end though, I get itchy feet and want to start again!

You’ll return to the HAL Cruises: DWTS At Sea in July.  What has been your favorite performance from the cruises so far?

I’ve been so lucky, I’ve had my ‘sea legs’ more than any other Pro by doing all the DWTS cruises to date.  It’s a fabulous opportunity.  In terms of actual performance, we perform two shows, one day a week and the other days we have schedules of judging competitions, Q&A, photograph opportunities, autographing and dropping by the daily classes.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to just spend a week of dancing and having a holiday around stunning places at the same time.  I adore both the Caribbean and the Alaska cruises. There is a small (tiny) island called Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas though, which has to be the highlight of any Holland America Caribbean cruise, wow this place is paradise!!!!!!

If you could change any one thing about the current DWTS format, what would it be?

I actually really enjoyed the format of the show this season.  I’m a fan of the one show a week layout.  It’s interesting for each couple to be revealed either safe or in jeopardy before they dance.  I think I would keep the guest judging too, as long as each judge is relevant to each week on the show. 

I think (If my budget was limitless!) maybe one week I would take the show outside into an outdoor arena (maybe the close by Stub Hub Center??) and have a specialized magical outdoors themed week with thousands and thousands of people in the audience and big live screens of the action for that raw, live feeling.  The dancers would be totally surrounded by a vast audience and would perform their dance underneath the stars.  It could be called ‘Dancing Under the Stars’.  The footage would be awesome, and as a performer, there’s NO other feeling like it. 

I really enjoy the snippets of footage on the show (the packages) which display the fun and/or drama side of each journey. Last season DWTS captured some brilliant packages in my opinion. I adored the ‘Dress Rehearsal Package’ that was put together for the finale, displaying the quick wit and wickedly fantastic humor of our hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. It’s interesting to see that side of the cast and our ballroom. Every now and then, DWTS will film a general master interview with each member of the cast and I think it would be interesting to base one on a list of short but specific questions fed to each person about the current cast. I love it when the audience gets to see the real relationships behind the scenes between couples and all the cast members.

During the break between Seasons 17 and 18, you and Sasha went to Belize. What did you especially enjoy about that trip?

We had both never been to Central America before, and we love to travel. The country is gorgeous, everyone was lovely to us too. We did an excursion one day, where it was just us two and our tour guide who was super sweet. The excursion was through the jungle, following a stunning flowing river and then swimming into a cave behind a waterfall which was pitch black and completely empty. It’s something I’ve never done before and one of the best things I’ve done. 


What do you like most about choreography and what kinds of obstacles do you face as a choreographer?

Choreographing for a celebrity gives me the chance to highlight that particular celebrity’s strengths. To me, that doesn’t just mean dancing, it means that person’s personality. They have to be able to really feel excited about performing therefore they have to love the dance and feel like themselves doing it, not somebody else. It’s a chance for the US to see our partnership in a short 1 minute showcase and not hold anything back. So often the ‘out there’ choices I’ve made with choreography and performance concepts are the ones that have paid off the most. All the celebrities and pros will get the opportunity to dance a Cha Cha, but it’s the Cha Cha that gets remembered that’s the one that’s more successful. As a pro it’s your job to make sure that you and your celeb’s dance stands out.

As we look forward to Season 19 of DWTS, what is one thing you hope to see?

Each season the show gets bigger and better with the limits of what we can do. I think season 19 will be no exception. I love the new set changes introduced in season 18 (The band layout and the huge LED screen covering the entire back wall). I still hope however that we see some simplistic performances from the couples, especially if the occasion lends it. If my partner was right for this concept, I would love to do an International Tango routine for instance to an actual piece of intense competition Tango music from the ballroom world, and dance a no fills extremely sharp routine that we worked super hard on from top to finish. It’s nice to see performances like this, just raw dance. It’s a salute to where the show derives from. Maks and Meryl did a good job of these types of performances last season - here the intensity between the couple is the main factor in the excitement. 

What appearances and travels do you have planned for the current off-season?

On June 19th & 20th I will be performing in Florida with Tony Dovolani, along with Maks & Val & Jenna Johnson from the troupe. The show on the 19th is in Fort Walton & the show on 20th is in Pensacola. I will tweet details for tickets when I get that info! I will also be on the HAL ‘DWTS At Sea’ cruises in Alaska this summer - the two cruises in a row beginning 26th July. Directly after that I'll be traveling home to England to be a bridesmaid to my best friend also called Emma! 

This month I’ll also be completing final footage on my Hosting Reel with my magical Hosting Coach Suzanne Sena. I also recently did a photo shoot with photographer Jonathan Ressler for his new exhibition 'Raw'. That should be released within the next week so look out for that. I’ll be posting :) 

Now for the fun questions:

Favorite Food    British Sunday Roast: turkey or chicken, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, roast potatoes, stuffing, gravy, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, gravy, pigs in blankets, gravy and burnt parsnip. 

And your choice of side sauce: cranberry sauce (with turkey), bread sauce (for chicken), apple sauce (with pork), horseradish sauce (with beef), mint sauce (with lamb), plum sauce (with duck) and I always put mustard on me carrots. And gravy. 

Favorite thing to do when not dancing  Hosting and socializing with friends and family
Favorite cartoon or animated character  Hmmm I don’t think I have one. If I had to pick, Betty Boop because she reminds me of my Mum. My Mum is the best in the world and she bought me & my sister a few Betty Boop things when we were younger.

Favorite movie  I have a few. Primal Fear, Shutter Island and The Usual Suspects to name a few. Anything psychological, crime, legal courtroom or suspense mystery based I love.

Favorite dessert  Tristan’s homemade Banoffee Pie, hands down! 

Favorite comfort food  Caramel popcorn & Indian food. Not together.

Favorite book  Anything by John Grisham, I’ve read most of them. He’s an outstanding courtroom/crime   writer. I love neuroscience books too these days, if they boarder the subject of cognitive science. Sounds like I’m really intellectual but I’m not really! I’m fascinated with psychology and the power of positive thinking, trusting your intuition (that’s your subconscious telling you something!) and understanding fear and confidence. I love all Malcolm Gladwell’s books like Blink but if you want an easier read with a mild storyline, Jon Ronson has a book called The Psychopath Test in which he embarks on a journey to distinguish what it physically means to be a clinical “psychopath.”  I actually would have studied to be a psychologist if I hadn’t become a dancer!

Favorite TV game show  Shark Tank isn’t a game show, but I love watching that! We have a British version called Dragons Den. I used to watch Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at home in England - it was huge when it first came out. 

Favorite TV reality show  Dancing with the Stars!!!!!! of course :)

Regular coffee or frou-frou drink?  Tea! I do drink coffee, but I’m a huge Chai Tea latte and English Breakfast Tea connoisseur. 

Favorite Pike MacManus Story (Tristan has told a few!)  I don’t know if Tristan has told you, but little Pikey seems to be fascinated with clothes if you leave them on the bed or where he can get to them. Socks, jeans, underwear. One day I chased him around the lounge cause he had got into my undies draw and ran out with a pair of my knickers!

Thanks to Sasha and Emma for another great interview! They are two of the nicest people around!

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