Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hello, Welcome to Danielle with the Stars. I am Danielle Fischl,
a TV director, a podcaster.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Forever to Panga, and a mom of two.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Currently, though I am learning how to ballroom dance one step.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
At a time.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm training for Season thirty four of Dancing with the Stars,
premiering September sixteenth on ABC and Disney Plus. And I'm
going to be recording this podcast chronicling my journey, giving
you the inside story of one celebrities quest for a
Mirror Ball Trophy. And right now I am engulfed in rehearsals.
(00:52):
I'm practicing every single day, and I figured the best
way for me to prep for a victory, because my
goal is victory, is to talk to those who have
competed before me, and today I am chatting to someone
from within the pod meets World Extended Universe. A celebrity
dancer who participated in not just one season of Dancing
(01:14):
with the Stars, but two. She first competed in season
five back in two thousand and seven with partner Mark
Ballas and finished seventh place, a result often considered the
most shocking and unfair in the show's history.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
AOL users settled.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Down everyone remember it's the year two thousand and seven,
even voted it as the most shocking TV moment of
the year, and to right the wrong. She would return
for season fifteen in twenty twelve, the only all Star
incarnation to date, now paired with Louis van Amstell, and
she placed eighth eliminated exactly five years to the date
(01:52):
she controversially exited back in two thousand and seven, and
in between the two appearances, she even went on the
road for Dancing with the Stars Live. So if I
am going to get advice from anyone, I think I'm
starting in the right place. Today on Danielle with the Stars,
I am paired with the iconic Cheetah Girl and the
co host of the magical rewind podcast. It's Sabrina Brian. Sabrina,
(02:17):
I am so happy that you are here to talk
with me and help me through this process.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I am gonna be honest, I feel.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
In slightly over my head, So your expert advice is
greatly appreciated.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I know the feeling. It's it's a bit of an unknown, right, Like,
I mean, you've done live TV, so that's not a thing,
but it it's you're learning something New Right, and it's
like it's really nerve racking. But I will tell you
that the pros on this show, they are they're just
(02:57):
they're exactly that they're pros, and they will hold your
hand and take you through this journey and it's just you.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You just have to get ready that.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
This is gonna be one of the most exciting things
you've ever done. It's so different, and you're gonna be
hooked like you're gonna always want to be in the audience.
You are gonna be obsessed with spray tnds. It is
like everything like you just will get hooked in this
entire world.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Believe me, I swear you all.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I mean you were very kind to give me credit
that I have done live TV, which means I have
held a microphone and spoken during live TV. I have
never really had to perform on live TV. So that
kind of brings me to my next question for you,
and I might have a feeling I regret this, but
(03:44):
what is your background in dance before you agreed to
the show.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Okay, so I grew up dancing hip hop, tap okay,
ballet jazz from the time you were a little girl.
I start or what's actually considered pretty late. I started
at seven, Oh, that wasn't too late, but it's it
actually now that my daughter is in the world, It's like,
if you don't have classes starting at two, with like
(04:12):
those mommy and me classes, you're kind of like tested
it out, and then if you're wanting to be like
a competitive dancer, you really got to get your kids
in like going hard around like four or five, which
is wow.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
That do you think forty four is too late?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Not at all okay, because I mean, listen, this show
isn't I think what's great is you're entering it during
a time where the show has seen all kinds of
celebrities come on. When I did my first season, there
wasn't a lot of quote unquote dancers that would do it,
and so I got actually a lot of flak for
(04:49):
the dance background I had because I had been on
The Cheetah Girls. They knew already I could dance, and
they that was actually a little bit of a backlash
at that time during the show, because it was like, well,
this isn't even fair. She can dance, and it's like
I can dance, but my habits. First of all, I
had never danced with like a partner like this, like
(05:11):
learning for someone to lead me.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Oh yeah, are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I know the choreography? Why am I gonna you know?
Why where are you doing anything? Yeah? Yeah, it's it's
like it's one of those things where being hooked to
somebody and having them steer you into the direction and
waiting for them, because that's part of the technique of
learning ballroom in Latin is being as a woman and
being in the man's frame. You're supposed to be led
(05:37):
by them. And that was really difficult for me to
lean into because I just was used to being on
my own. I mean, yeah, I would maybe grab a hand,
do a spin in something, but like never like this
where the entire time you are locked like hand in hand, right,
And that was really hard for me for timing. I mean,
(05:59):
I had Mark Ballast my first season, and what was
awesome with Mark is it was his first season, so
we were both kind of just lost. I hardly know
what in regards with the show, but he was so
vibrant and so he had already like what he came from.
(06:19):
When he was in London. He was teaching a lot,
which I think makes a big difference because it gives
you a bit of an understanding of somebody brand new
and also giving the level of patients.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, how to communicate what he's trying to get out
of you. He's already had practice of that with kids too,
which is great.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You're like, talk to me like I'm for There's.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Nothing that gives you more patience than handling kids.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yes, So that was really amazing, and he was really
good on teaching me the steps he saw that I
needed to learn choreography, then timing, then how he wants
to push me into being where I need to be
on that timing.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
So it was just it. But you'll see everyone has
their own journey.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
But you'll see regardless, everyone's journey involves creating a relationship
with your partner, learning to trust them. And like I said,
now where we're at with Dancing with the Stars forty
five years after I've done it, it is like the
pros have it locked in. So all you gotta do
is listen to your pro and you are going to
(07:26):
be golden.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
So you mentioned you were in one of the earlier seasons.
You were originally on the fifth season of the show
back in two thousand and seven, So what season are
we already four? I know nothing will make you feel
older than hearing that for sure. Do you think having
had experience with other styles of dance helped you or
hurt you with learning the choreography?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I think for learning helped me. I there's something I
think this is what is great with athletes that joined
the show as well as there's a way in your
brain that is, it's a training process of learning to
be able to see see movement, do movement, and have
it sink into your body and then remembering it. And
(08:13):
that memory aspect is what I think people who don't
come with any kind of training in that sense, whether
it's you know, a football player, an ice hockey or
what you know, a figure skater, that ability to remember
movement is what helped me. What didn't help me was
my movement was like heavy and I was not elegant
(08:35):
in any sense. And when I say I trained in ballet,
it was like I did the bitter minimum classes they
made me do. I didn't like being like this elegant ballerina.
That was kind of my cousin's role. She was a
dancer and she was bury into balleta so that elegance
that happens within the ballroom side was probably the hardest
for me to really lock in.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I could get into.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
The fears cha cha and the fun you know, passo
and all of that, but when it came to ballroom
and I had to be this like elegant, like princess vibe.
That's just not man.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
That is I'm so glad you said that. That is
my achilles heel too. Like I have been watching videos
of ballroom dancing just to like get just just visual.
Like you said, part of my training for myself is
like I want to watch as much of it as
I can so that I know what I'm trying to emulate. Yes,
I am gonna break my neck. I'm gonna break my neck.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
How do they leave?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Far back?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And now? And I'm sore. I'm just sore.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I've been practicing and okay, I'm akey.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
It hurts, it all hurts. Oh well, it's gonna get
a whole lot worse before it gets better. But you're
gonna love it because you're What's great too about the
show and like doing something like this, you have video
from the start to the end, and you're gonna see your.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Progression and you're really I think.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
You know, there's only a few people that I think
come off the show and aren't like proud, But I
think ninety eight percent of the people. No matter how
far you make it in the competition, you look back
at that first package they put together, when it's the
first day, the first couple of weeks before the audience
ever gets to see you, and then your first dance,
and you're going, even in that short amount of time,
(10:19):
look at me, I really, really, I really learned something
like a whole routine. You're not learning a couple of steps,
you're learning a whole routine. Yeah. So I think you're
going to really enjoy the process, and it's something so magical.
I would do it again in a heartbeat, even though
it's so I know how much work it comes into.
I know the kind of criticism you get while you're
(10:41):
on the show. You know, the viewers now are professionals themselves,
right so you know, I mean my parents are included.
They used to watch the show. They're not as avid anymore.
But the reason why I did the show is for
my mom. I walked into their house one day. I
was living up in la and I came down to
visit and it was on a Monday night and I
(11:05):
walk in and they each have their own little tablets
of paper and they're writing down notes and giving their
own scores to see how they match up to the judges.
I mean these the audience. You can't really ask for
a better Dancing the Stars audience. They are invested, right
They they love it?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Yes, they do.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Oh. I can't wait to get to know them too. Yes.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So had you you said you did it for your mom?
Your mom was obviously a fan. Had you watched the
earlier seasons before you get on the show?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
No, I it was this was back when the show
did two seasons a year. Yeah. And it was around
Mother's Day and it popped in my head, you know
what would be really cool. I'm going to call my
agent and see if I can get my mom and
I at the live show for Mother's Day like a
Mother's Day present. And I called my agent, Julie, and she.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Was like, are you being serious right now?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I'm like, yeah, I have watched the show, but my
mom loves it, and she goes I literally just got
off the phone with cast scene and they're interested in
you coming in and we're gonna ask for you to
come watch and see if you'd be interested. And I
was like, well tell them yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Oh that's so great.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
It's just kind of I mean, just one of those
things that happened, like the timing couldn't have been perfect.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Oh that's so, that's so amazing, what a great feeling. Okay,
what was your rehearsal process?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Like I've heard it changed a little bit, and it
changed from and I think it's just again the show progressing.
It changed from my season five to my All Star season.
So season five we had I think a max of
eight hours a day to be in the rehearsal studio. Okay,
(13:00):
just a max.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Just a max of eight physical activity.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
And I think a lot of that had to do
with they had to schedule other celebrities within that studio.
Back then, we were sprinkled out throughout LA so there
was you know one off of Ventura, one in in
you know, North Hollywood. There was all different dance studios
that they were renting from, Okay, and so we had
(13:29):
they had to kind of you know schedule all of
everyone getting their time in to have room space. Then
I went back for my All Star season and they
had built this Dancing with the Stars like complex where
there's multiple rooms in this big building, which was really
fun because the first season, the only time you really
saw the other celebrities was if you maybe pass them
they were coming into your room while you were leaving.
(13:51):
But the complex made it to where like you could be,
you know, hitting up the water station and you know,
you're hanging out with EMMITTT. Smith. Okay, you know. I
was always so like enamored with everyone I was on
my season with, so it was really fun. So that
rehearsal process, I really didn't know anyone until that first
show day and so that's when you kind of met
(14:12):
everyone on the set. I then though with I think
more so my first season than the second season. We
did and I think it was maybe against the rules.
I don't know, but what can they do now? I mean,
if my Miraball trophy, i'd ever won one. So we did,
(14:33):
Mark and I did. We would park like we both
lived at the same like complex because I was I
moved into like an apartment situation. He had moved into
one down the street, and we would be in the
parking garage and going over. I specifically remember my quick
step because we needed a lot of space. We were
like going over or we'd be yeah, in the parking lot,
(14:53):
like when no cars were there. We were just going
through our quick step, you know, and we were working
on it outside because him and I both knew, I mean,
I was a cheated girl, but that was not at
all the demo of Dancing with the Stars. So I
knew I was going into this like I had to
come full throttle to prove my you know, legitimacy, because
(15:14):
I wasn't really like I mean, I was going to
guesst like Wayne Newton, how do you? How do you?
It's way noon? Everyone knows him right and Melby a
spice girl like you know. So I we really took
our rehearsal like as much as we can. But what's
on the opposite end and why you start burning the
(15:36):
candle at both sticks? And I think they're better at
this this time with the rehearsal. Amount of time you
are all allotted is because you're doing so much press.
You are going to like every premiere, or you're doing
you know, morning shows, or you know, you're doing so
much all within your rehearsal, your fittings, your second fittings,
(15:58):
your tapings of for just the crew so they can
get their their schedule of like what they're going to
do with the cameras, and then whatever you're working on.
I was working on the Cheetah Girls. We had actually
put out our own album, oh aside from the soundtrack,
so you know, Mark was flying with me to New
York to do Good Morning America. And then straight from
(16:19):
when I was done with that, we were in a
studio rehearsing, you know. And so you kind of also
have to like Bob and weave with your own work schedule,
right mate, as you I'm sure, no, you're so busy
to make this job also make sense. Oh my gosh, well,
you definitely showed your legitimacy. Let's jump into the season.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
You scored a twenty six out of thirty in week one,
which is the highest score from a contestant during week
one in the show's history at the time, so still
to this day, I don't know about to this day,
at the time, it's still the highest.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I'm like, there's been so many people there's I know,
but I don't know.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
That is a good question, because I have seen several
weak ones in part of my prep and process. It's like,
what do people look like during week one? I haven't
seen a twenty six. I haven't seen that high. But listen,
that's anecdotally, that's not facts. But you did a chat
shop to the song Don't You by the Pussycat Dolls. Yes,
getting a twenty six out of thirty must have been
(17:22):
an incredibly great feeling.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
It really was. I mean, I especially after we ended
the routine. You know, there's nothing like I mean, we're
gonna get We're talking about live music. Yeah, you see
your package is the first time you see it is
when you're sitting on the stage waiting for the package
to be done in your oh my gosh, should be on.
(17:47):
And I just knew at that point, you know, it'd
been a couple of weeks, I'd really started to feel
like I got to know Mark, and I just knew
how much he was really wanting to make such a
big entrance into this. This is gonna be so huge
for his career, you know, and what he wanted to
do with Dancing with the Stars. So there was that,
and then when I feel like I nailed every single
(18:08):
footwork and as much of the technique as I could
really like hold on to and just the explosion in
the room was like, it's just a moment. I don't
think I'll ever forget. When people ask, like, what was
your favorite dance, I always say it was the Chacha
because it just was a moment that just it was
just so epic for me, you know, it just was
(18:29):
and looking over at my mom and dad that were
just like, you know again.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Probably tears streaming down my mom just bawling.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
My dad just given his big woo woo, you know,
the way you used to do when I was up
on the stage or on the soccer field as he
was coaching me. It was like that was like it
brought back just and to have them there on the
floor with me was just so magical. And then to
look at Mark and for him to be so proud
was just like it was just such a great moment.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
And yeah, I have full body chills. I truly I
have full chills.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
At that point. Sometimes you know, when you get into
the season, it doesn't matter to you. But at that
point the scores, because I really again I hadn't watched
it a lot, so I didn't know what a good
score was, you know, I mean I knew the max
was thirty, but I didn't know what a good score
would be for us, and so I mean when it
was mainly what happened in the ballroom that you're just
like I think I remember hearing some of the things
(19:23):
that judges said, but really I was just in like
a total bubble of like, yeah, it is amazing this show.
I never want to get off that. I just remember
saying that we have to make it to the end.
I mean the first episode, Are you kidding? Nobody should
ever have that expectation. Just get to the next week.
Just just get to the next week.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
As someone who then obviously did conquer those first week jitters,
what is your advice for me when I feel them?
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Okay, I will say, first, focus on what you're going
to do, Focus on your dan scene, focus on your partner.
I think I think it's really good to stay close,
continue to talk, looking at each other's eyes, try not
to get distracted, and don't watch your package. You just
(20:11):
never know when they're gonna again, remember it's alive. You
know it's a reality show as well, and you never
really know when they're gonna pull from something that happened
in rehearsal that like you're not really so stoked about like,
you know, we had I remember, see uh the third
week mark and I had an argument about and when
(20:32):
I say argument, it was just like we talked about
it about something a disagreement about something you wanted me
to do on our jive and I really just didn't
feel comfortable for me. He did. He didn't come from
where I came from, where it was Disney, and like
for me, it wasn't like malicious, And I know that's
why he felt a little bit like I was maybe
(20:53):
thinking too hard into it, which I probably was, because
I'm a Disney kid and everything I did at that
point was looked at, you know, was it disney esque?
And it was a little bit of a jab at
one of the other contestants, and I just kind of
didn't feel right about it, and I voiced that opinion,
and then you know, of course we kind of went
back and forth because he was he's the creative, right
(21:15):
and at the end of the day, he's the pro
he's the one that's choreographing. But you still have to
advocate for like what feels good for you, of course,
and that sort of in the magic of producing turned
into a little bit more like we had this all
out me disagreeing in it being this big thing, and
that totally got in my head right before I'm trying
to do a routine that I'd only done for less
(21:37):
than you know, five days, and I just remember going,
I'm not watching those packages ever again, and so I
just needed to focus because it.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Could have it turned out fine. Our jive looked.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Great, but it could have been it could have been
a downfall, and why would I want that to be
the reason why I have a misstep that maybe ends
up taking me on off the show after you know, totally, well,
that is really good advice, and.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
There's also going to be emotional weeks too.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
That one. Really I don't know if you can get
like earplugs or what, because that really gets you in
the fields too. There's a lot of things that they
do and people don't. I think contestants don't necessarily think
about that part, you know, until it hits them and
you're going, oh my gosh, now I'm like all like
thinking about this this package and just thinking about my routine.
(22:28):
So it's good to and your pro I'm sure will
walk you through that, right they'll just keep you close.
I've been to the taping since and you just see
you know that that's why the pros really keep them
in because it's like they're also used to competing, but
you know, and all the craziness that happens in the
Latin world, you know, on the right before they hit
the floor. So they're really good about keeping you guys close,
(22:51):
keeping your chemistry good, keeping you focused to do what
you you've worked so hard to do all week. Okay, good?
When did you know that Mark was your partner? When
did you find that out? On August? I'm just kidding.
They want to be losing Dayton time.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
I meant howling early in the process. I think we worked.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I want to say it was three weeks before the premiere. Okay, okay?
Speaker 1 (23:19):
And they did they film you finding out Mark was
your partner?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They did? And again, I only this is gonna sound terrible.
The only partner I partners I knew of was more
of the women partners. Those are the ones I was watching, right,
So Cheryl Burke, Juliana Off and then the only one
that I knew of male wise was Max and Louis
(23:43):
van Am Still. Okay, I don't even know why I
knew of them, but they must have had good partners
the season before or something. But those are the only two.
So he walked in and he was just like a
brand new person. I had never seen him before. He
could have walked right by me, right, So he was new.
But it was cool because he was young, and I
(24:03):
liked that. I wasn't gonna it wasn't gonna feel like
too much of a like an age gap, you know,
because again I didn't know how how old that any
of the pros were, you know, right, So it was
right there, you know, first meeting, and I wore everyone
else in my season was like dressed ready to like
start dancing. I wore like an outfit. And then I
was like, oh, nice to meet you. Oh I probably
(24:25):
should go change because he started teaching you all. I'm
in like jeans and heels, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Like, I'm gonna go get I did bring dance.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Clothes, so I'm gonna go change.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
My gosh, dance clothes. What even our dance clothes?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
When I am gonna send you some with you to
start your rehearsal process, you have a dance okay, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Some cute awesome stuff.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It feels good, it feels sexy. So when you get
into that, you need to get into that like gral
part of the cha cha oh gosh, you know all
of that. It's gonna give you just that little bit
of an umph. So I'll get you some sobery apparel. Absolutely, Okay,
thank you. I'm gonna send him, thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Okay, looking back, now, what do you think made Mark? Like,
what are some specific qualities that made Mark such a
good partner? And what are some qualities you had that
made you a good partner?
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Oh, there's so many to talk about Marx creative. I
feel really lucky because it was his first season, so
he was kind of just really staying in the realm
of Latin dancing. So when you on the floor that
they do, I don't think it happens as often, but
(25:41):
there's like in ballroom, you can only go through the
outside perimeter of the ballroom and to cut through you
have to hit the center and then can go to
the side.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
There's all these rules.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
So he was so I mean, Mark's parents are very
His mom specifically is like one of the most well
known Latin ballroom instructors, like across the world, So he
was just everything. He was so detailed, and he even
was teaching me where the chacha comes from started in Cuba,
(26:13):
Like I was learning like everything, Like I was learning
all this stuff that I probably didn't need, but it
was great to know it. So he was so informative.
He had so much energy and the desire to just
make this the most epic season, you know, for me
(26:34):
and for both of us. And so he was really
great with that. And I loved his level of creativity.
And now since he's broken out of maybe the box
of what he thought he had to be in the
first couple seasons, he went on to do some of
the most incredible routines on the show that I just
think the show has ever seen. So it was great
(26:57):
and awesome to be like there on his first begins
and then later on watch his journey just like explode.
So his creativity I think is one of the great.
And then there you'll notice, like if you ever dance
with like forever whatever reason, maybe in a group dance
or something, and you get paired with someone else, yeah,
to do a couple of eight counts or whatever. I
(27:20):
really loved how he was able to lead me some
dancers and I've danced I've had a chance because I
did so much with dancing with the stars in Vegas,
on cruise ships and everything that I've danced with a
lot of them and some of them tend to like
fling you, or some of them are are so strong
that you feel like you're just being like grunted to
a place. He was just the perfect for me as
(27:43):
far as getting me where I needed to go, having
the power behind it, but it not ever feeling like
it was overwhelming me. Okay good, which I would have
never known that hit the first season because he was
the only one I danced with. It's like you get
you know, right, like having a first kid, you just
kind of you would just go with it, yeah, and
then the second time you're like, oh, I've been through
this before. Yeah yeah, and then oh I and then
(28:04):
you start seeing the differences. But those were my things
for me. I think the ability for me to really
lock in during rehearsals, like I was not somebody that
you'll see I've seen on the show partners that tend
to you know, even though I had so much going on,
I wasn't somebody who would get like distracted, like oh
(28:27):
my phone, or or if I was tired, that wouldn't
make me want to go like oh can I use
the restroom and you're like you just did five minutes ago,
or or water breaks or anything like I was. I
feel like for him, it was great that he had
my full attention. I was hitting him right at that
halfway mark and ready to go as long as we
(28:47):
had to do what we needed to do to get
it right, and we really melded that way. That was
like good for him to not have someone who he
was like pulling teeth, like can you please care about
this exactly? You don't have the choreography, Let's do it again.
He never had to do that with me. I was like,
he's like, you want to do it again? And I
was like yes, dood yeah. It was always you know,
(29:08):
and not just because I was trained, because I actually
really really wanted to. I also wanted it to be
as perfect as possible. Well, I want to jump ahead.
Speaking of perfect, I want to jump to week four.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
You had been safe from elimination every week, never scoring
below that twenty six, and then it happened. It's pasa
doblay you spin me right round.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
You get the.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Shows first ever perfect thirty. I'm sure you must have
felt good rehearsing that one throughout the week, like you
just knew. Oh, I'm I'm locked in on this. But
did you ever think a perfect thirty was possible?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
No, no, that it was. At that point, I just
was so scared if my again, because I didn't have
the fan base that so many I mean Marie Osmond,
think about how much it wouldn't have maybe mattered what
she did out there. Her fans are avid, they were
going to keep her on the show as long as
(30:08):
they could, right, So mine was just wanting it to
be as good as possible so that my score would
be high enough that no matter like hopefully that the
votes that did come in would just keep me going.
I knew my fan base wasn't anywhere near pretty much
the majority of the team like the cast I was on,
if not everyone, if I was not actually the lowest
(30:30):
fan base on the on the show, but we actually
funny story, I don't think I've ever told this, There
was a point where I think passa dobly might have
been that week I had to go to New York
because I do remember rehearsing that Dad in New York.
And I remember at one point, because you know Mark
would film or whatever, he came in and was like, yeah,
(30:55):
I'm scratching like that, and I'm like, like, would what
does that mean? He was like from this point like
I like the beginning and I like the end, but
like all this in the middle, we're gonna we're gonna
rework it.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
And I was like, oh my gosh, you're out of town,
you're working on something else, and now you have to
relearn brand new choreography for the middle of a dance.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And the thing is, I do know he wouldn't have
done that if I was a partner that he didn't
think couldn't take that on. So I do. It's not
that he didn't trust. It was like, and that's that's
what I was gonna say, is is I fully trusted him.
If he knew if he thought I could do it,
then I was pretty convinced I could. At this point,
we had known each other for like almost two months,
(31:41):
and he knew my work ethic, he knew the abilities
of things that I could and couldn't do. So if
he felt like he could do this, and it was
at the end of the day, gonna make it better.
I was like, I, let's do it. I'm exhausted, but
let's go, you know. And so it was pretty awesome,
I you know, the whole. I loved that song. It
(32:02):
was a song that I don't know if anyone really knows.
And I have you put yours in? You get to
put in like song requests, Yes, yeah, a list, right,
I put in maybe forty songs. I then find out
Joey Fatone, who's you know, I got to know him
later on through the Dancing with the Stars world, he
put in like two hundred and fifty songs. I put
(32:25):
in like forty songs, just forty of my favorite songs,
forty songs that I thought were great. Knowing absolutely nothing
about Latin ballroom, knowing that a chacha has to have
a certain kind of thing, a mambo, a salsa, all
of those dances have to have certain like specifics within
their their musicality. So but I put in and this
(32:47):
happened to be one of the songs that I put in.
It's been a song, a favorite song of mine. So
I loved it, and it was awesome to learn choreography
to it. But yeah, that week, actually during the rehearsal.
They used to let you do what Latin and ballroom
dancers do at a real competition, where your walkout isn't
(33:08):
just walk walk walk, and you get in your first position,
you do like a spin and a drop and this
and that and at this and that and that and
then it's like this whole thing you do, Like it
was like a two eight count thing that we would
learn to walk out, and it wasn't ever filmed. They
never showed on the camera, but uh, it was something
that we would do. He wanted to do for the audience,
(33:30):
and so him and Derek both did these things.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Like I remember Jenny going, why do.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I have to learn extra stuff that I'm not gonna
No one's gonna see. What's even gonna saw? The audience
is gonna see the ballroom. This is how we're set
in the stage for what we're about to do. Okay.
So I loved it because it was so dramatic and
totally what I love. But there was one part and
I don't remember if it was in that that thing
or if it was at the end, but I like,
(33:56):
did this thing and I, oh it's at the end.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I slide through.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
His legs and I'm like like literally like wrapping around
and I'm like it's like a little snake going through
his legs and then I landed on the ground. Well
in the rehearsal, you know, you do the whole show,
the the what is it dressed camera blocking? Yeah, the
camera blocking, and I like, my, I mean to the
point where my whole face mad because I had gobs
(34:20):
and gobs of makeup like you do on the show,
was on his leg like he I hit it so
hard and I remember being so mad at him because
him and Derek could not stop laughing. And meanwhile, my
eyes are watering. I I might have a broken nose,
but they are cracking up because I'm like, you know,
(34:41):
not so much pain. I knew it wasn't broken, but it, yeah,
like not comfortable.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
It knocked me silly a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
And him and Derek are just just laughing so hard,
and I'm like, this is it funny? I was like
totally like a toddler, like my toddler, now, like my,
it's not funny, And he just could not get him
sell together and him and Derek together have this ridiculous
laugh that just they keep themselves laughing, and I remember that.
(35:07):
So I'm thinking I'm not all I'm worried about pretty
much that whole routine is not smacking my face on
his inner thigh.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Have that happen on live TV?
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Please? God, don't let that happen, please please. So I
think at the end of it, I was just happy
that I made it through and I didn't get my
face mask put on his inner thigh at that point?
Speaker 3 (35:29):
What would the like rumors be at that point?
Speaker 1 (35:33):
So that was during a camera blocking. Did you ever
have during a life taping any sort of wardrobe malfunction
or the music stopped playing, any sort of thing that
maybe the audience wouldn't notice, but that you noticed.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
I did my second time on this show. I had
during the all Stone, I could feel I had to
stop wearing. They put these pads in your top, yeah,
and your cleavage and you it's on the side right, okay, so,
which looks really nice, but when you have if you're
more busty than the average actress, which you and I
(36:10):
both are, I had to ask them to stop putting
those in because, you know, the it was just it
was too scary. It felt like they were out. But
then I feel like there's one. It was actually my
passo the second time, which is funny. We're talking about
where I had a spaghetti strap and my my strap
(36:30):
went down and I could feel like I had to
like quickly get it, and you can't really see it
from the camera angles. But I came back and I
was pretty sure I was gonna I had a nip slip.
And I came back to Tom Bergern and I was like, whoop, uh, Yeah,
that was really fun, Like, oh my gosh, I felt
so exposed because it's not just the people in the room,
(36:51):
it's millions wive TV and I, you know, so that
I think from then on there, I was like, again, guys,
I think we put these, you know, because a lot
of times your Mike packs in there too. Yeah. Right.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
It also feels like maybe we could just also double
stick everything so that if a strap does break.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
At least you are double stickware.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
And it doesn't matter if strap breaks.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
You're moving and grooving. You're going so fast, it's like,
you know, and and the girls sometimes just do what
they want. Yeah, there's no controlling them, but what we're
gonna do, you know, come on, they wanted their moment
in the spotlight. What are we gonna say, I guess
so they're like, you didn't show us first season, so
here we go.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
I want to ask you, because there's always been just
such a buzz around Dancing with the Stars and relationships
people I know, were there any relationships during your first
season or your second season for that matter, that you
were away?
Speaker 2 (38:02):
No? Okay, no, if anything. Honestly, again, season five, everyone
was really kind of cessing out. So I'm not saying
that there wasn't things happening, but like an actual, full blown,
blown relationship. No, but it was definitely a cast that
(38:22):
was very young. We were not after we were done
rehearsing than going to whatever, you know, industry party or whatever.
We were all hitting up the same club, we were
all going back to the same house, and we were
just literally having the time of our lives, knowing like
this was such a cool experience. So we were all
(38:43):
hanging out and it was just fun everything about it.
I mean for me to be able to say, for
however many weeks straight, I hung out at Melby, a
spice girl's house, after we went to hide and had
fun and hung I mean, it was match the time
of your life. I was twenty three. Yeah, there was
no better time, Like that was just the best, most
(39:05):
exciting to you. What that is how I feel now
at forty four when I'm in bed by nine pm
and I'd taken a melatonin and I know I don't
have to wake up until five am.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Oh I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Yeah. But again, different climate. I mean, I think the
show has just become so much different now, and I think,
you know, not that not that everyone's not having fun.
I just oh, yeah, it's just like evolved into so
much of a different situation, totally totally.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
You were also, like you said, you were twenty three
at the time. You were probably single at the time.
It's a little different when you're a forty four year
old married mother.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Of two, you know, joining the show.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
So it's it's all just I think back to that
time for you, and I think I remember what it
was like to be twenty three and just gosh, to
have that experience at that age, what a time will
be alive.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Five years later.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Even me just having like in a relationship my boyfriend
and he was up there living with me while I
was on this show, that was a different experience. Now
being married and having two kids like that would have
been on the show now would be a totally different
for me. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Well, I want to get to the elimination heard around
the world. It's week six and you get your lowest score,
which is a twenty five.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Damn that twenty five, and boom you're gone.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Can I before I ask you what your thoughts are
on why it happened, can I tell you.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
My theory here?
Speaker 1 (40:39):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (40:39):
So.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
My theory is that people watching had seen you kill
it week after week and just totally assumed there was
no reason they had to vote for you because you
were gonna be safe for sure. I know you probably
also feel like because you feel like you had maybe
a smaller fan base than the Wayne Newton's and the
Marie Osmond's and maybe everybody else on the show. I
(41:03):
just think it's the fact that you were so darn
good they figured you were safe no matter what.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Yeah, I think that that would. I mean, that's kind
of the mindset that that I have, that they were,
you know, because at that point of the show, you know,
as always, someone's got to go, and so there I
feel like their votes were going towards somebody they were
a little bit more worried about with a lower score
(41:30):
that they were more worried about, you know, saving versus
thinking they had to for me. But that just goes
to show like that's how the show works. You have
to vote for who you want to see that next week, right,
not necessarily vote for who you're trying to save.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Right, don't don't try to outsmart the system. Just vote
for who you want to see the next week. Yes,
and and you know and again too. I mean that again,
that was why my mindset was I had to have
those high scores to hopefully help me, because even if
I had everyone voting for me, how big was my
(42:06):
vote level compared to everyone else. But I will say,
I mean what I was told by my publicists at
the time was like listen because you know, she let
me have my I mean.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Mark and I were devastated. I was gonna say, you
had to have been crushed. I was devastated for Mark
because I felt like I let him down. You know,
this was a season that he could have come in
and made it to the finals his first season as
a pro, and how big would that be? You know,
I think Juliane Huff had just done it the season
(42:42):
before with Apollo and they actually won, and so I
felt really bad for him. I obviously really wanted it,
but for me it was like I was leaving there
and then in a couple of months going to India
to do to do Cheetah Girls three. I had my
my career was moving, you know, and I felt bad
(43:04):
because this was the start of his and I knew
he needed to really make a big splash to get
all the things that his music and everything, and our
time coming to an end, like thinking like, oh my gosh,
like this is this is done. I loved being on
the show. I loved my rehearsal schedule. I am a
person that loves being busy, psychotically busy.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
I love that, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
And so it was just like, wow, I had other
stuff to do with the Cheeta Girls. Like I said,
we had just released our album, so there was lots
to do. But I was getting to dance and I
really fell in love with ballroom and Latin dancing. I
just did. And so it was like we were working
our next routine. That week was when we were going
to start doing two of them, and I had already
(43:51):
picked out my costume for the next week, not because Okay,
let me give a prep. Guys, don't come at me.
Not because I thought I was gonna make it. That's
just what you do while you're working on one routine.
As you're entering the end of that week and you're
getting to the the taping and the actual show, they
start having you look at material, start designing your costumes.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
The crew has a lot of work to do to
get everything.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
This wasn't me being like, oh, I decided no because
I because I'll make it. It wasn't that. It was
that's the course of the scheduling, and so I had
already picked out my costume. I had already known what
the design was going to be. I remember it was
going to be like, uh, was it Christian do or
it was some kind of like designer material that they
(44:38):
were getting me, And it was beautiful. I knew my
dance song, Mark was my dance song. It was for
a mambo. I was going to do a mambo, which
I really wanted to do because I wanted to learn
botchakata is so bad and I still am obsessed with them.
You don't know what. I don't know what about chakata is.
I can't explain it because I don't really hundred percent
(45:00):
know it, but I really wanted to learn those and
the like where you like they go like they circle
in and then they move out, and then you circle
in and then you move out, like that whole thing.
I wanted to learn all of that. I was really
excited about the mombo choreography, and then we also had
an Argentine tango coming up, so those were two styles
I was dying to learn.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
And so that was a disappointment.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
You know, just your whole life is like swept up
in this just big, awesome experience and then when you
realize and it's and trying to hold it together on
camera too, which luckily I've got the Disney training of
like keeping it like just because I want. If I
could have, I would have just instantly cried, but I
(45:46):
just kind of held it together and tried to be
as gracious as possible for the for the journey and
the experience that I did have. You know what, it
felt like, what a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
And so it was.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
It was sad, and we, I mean Mark and I bawled.
We were the last to leave the trailers that night.
On week six, tom berdrown when he was hosting, would
do this big party where everyone he invites all the
cast members to come to this big mid season party.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
We pulled our together.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
To that party and then you get, you know, to
be embraced by Melby and Max and you know, Elio
and everyone that was on the show and all the pros,
Cheryl Burke, everyone being embraced. Being like I, they were
just as shocked as I think the rest of who
was watching was that was.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
A that was a really hard day.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
And then you go, you know, on a red eye
to Good Morning America and you gotta just like save
face and feel, you know, do the interview and that's
your exit interview and then it's done, and you know,
but then luckily I had this. The fans created a petition.
They try these fans they were called at that point,
(47:02):
they had they were nicknamed Team Sabrina had caught petitioned
a whole They had a whole thing going around getting
signatures and they got tons of them to get me
back on the show. They thought they could like convince ABC,
Oh no, just just just put her back, shout it,
just put her back in and know. But what was
great was we had already had talks about Mark and
(47:23):
I joining the tour. So that was nice to know that, like,
this wasn't one hundred percent the end of our Dancing
with the Stars journey. Okay, that at least is a
little bit of a consolation.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
Yes, Yeah, and we.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
Then we got to go back and do a routine
with Avril Levine to promote the we did. We performed
with Avril Levine, who I was a giant fan of.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Of course it was Mark.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
She was singing while we were dancing, and it was
all to promote the tour. I ended up getting a
really great, you know, all around awesome thing. And I
honestly think I got more press out of that elimination
than I would have than anyone would have ever cared
if I actually got to the finals and or won, Like,
no one really cared as much as my elimination bothered them,
(48:04):
Your negativity was better.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
Yeah, Well, Team Sabrina may not have been able to
get their way and get you reinstated on the show
the following week, but they did bring you back for
season fifteen, the only All Star season they've ever done
with some of their favorites returning. Was that an immediate
yes from you well.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
It was yes. I mean I was doing Dancing with
the Stars live in Las Vegas with Joey Fatone, Kyle Massey,
and Carson Kresley. We were doing a show at the Tropicana,
which I feel so honored now because it's gone, I know,
And we did a whole ninety minute Dancing with the
Stars show with a ton of amazing pros, and you
(48:49):
know they would have like Kim Johnson, some people would
come in and out and do like little stays for
like a week, and so we were all there together.
Joey gets the call to do All Star seasons. So
then now I'm waiting by my phone, not praying more
than I probably ever had for any other job for
my phone call to happen. And then as we're like
(49:13):
like kind of finishing up our stay, I get a
call from the talent coordinator there and she says, how
would you feel about joining the All Star team? And
I was like, yes, yes, I've been waiting for this call. Yes, absolutely,
and she goes, well, hold on, this is this is
what we're doing that's going to be special. We're going
(49:36):
to put three of.
Speaker 3 (49:38):
Our Dancing with the Stars faves up.
Speaker 2 (49:41):
And the audience and the our fans are going to
be able to vote in which of the three of
you they want to compete.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
Oh my gosh, it's not even a guaranteed. Yes, you're
not back to being voted on.
Speaker 2 (49:55):
It's against my three people that haven't gotten the call
in Vegas. It's against Kyle Massey and Carson Kresley and me.
So then they come up. We do this whole different
kind of video campaign. Mine looked very presidential. I had
my glasses on and we did like a whole fun
campaign to get votes to happen, and they were commercials
(50:17):
and everything on the website and just it was kind
of fun to do. Is an extra thing. And then
she called me when I got home, so we didn't know.
After we left, we finished our time out in Vegas,
and then when I got home, like that first week,
she called me and they had a film crew there
(50:38):
filming me. They never showed it, but they had a
film crew there filming me, you know, getting the call,
and I'm going, I gotta like be super excited or
you know, I understand congratulations, that a whole respectful and
luckily she said, you you know, the votes were they
were in and they were.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
We were not expecting them to be this overwhelm.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
It was so great for us to know that the
fan base is still dying for you to be back
on the show. Will you do it? And I was
like one hundred times, yes, I will be there today
is rehearsal today. Wow. Wow.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Well you had a new partner, you were with Louis
van Amstell that time, and yet again you got a
perfect thirty during week six and you were atop the
leaderboard for two weeks. Did it feel like you were
finally getting a fair shake this time or not so much?
Speaker 2 (51:29):
Well, I mean, first of all, everyone on the cast
pretty much had made at least the final, if not
won their season. There wasn't very many of us that
went out like I did. But it was just exciting,
Like it was just again, it was different. I was
now in a relationship. I was five years older. I was,
(51:52):
you know, twenty seven at this time, and I feel
like I just really took in everything so much more.
I took I was a much sure way of looking
at it. It was I had Louie, who again is
an extreme I mean in the world of ballroom he
is like the top notch Louie was just I've just
(52:13):
felt so lucky I got. I mean, all of the
pros are so good, but you know, when you get
to really look into the background of your own pro
you just have so much respect for them. And I
will say his teaching methods were different than than Mark.
Speaker 3 (52:28):
They were equally amazing, but they were different. So it
was cool, yeah, to be.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
Taught by someone different who comes from a different like
background of how he trains. But our last routine, our rumba,
was actually his routine that he competed his last season
of competing with his partner. It was like his last
goodbye dance type thing, that rumba. And when he told
(52:54):
me he wanted me to do it, I just was like,
are you that seems like a really big deal.
Speaker 3 (53:01):
Are you sure?
Speaker 2 (53:02):
And He's like, I wouldn't trust this routine with anyone
else besides you and my other partner. And it was
like I remember crying and being so you know, and
it just that made that dance a lot more special.
The package was its own kind of emotional situation. But
this for Louie, for me to him to give this
and trust me with that was crazy for me, and
(53:23):
I even my dress was even very similar to what
she wore when she would compete, So it's kind of
like a like an homage to her from him. So
it was very cool, beautiful. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
Well, finally, Sabrina, you have already given me so much
amazing advice so that I am so happy that I
now have. But now that I am just weeks away
from ballroom dancing for the first time in front of
millions of people, if you could just tell me one
thing doesn't have to be deep or meaningful, If you
(53:56):
could just tell me one thing that, like you think
is the most important thing to take into going into
the season of Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
What would it be? Oh? Man, I think soak it in,
you know, because the unknown is so huge. I don't
and you I don't even know if you know how
the show's gonna work out as far as the first week.
Sometimes everyone goes through the second week. Sometimes they have
eliminations first week, right, You just really it's a show
(54:23):
that you really don't know what the next week is.
Take it from me. At that point, I was feeling
pretty good that we were gonna have a chance, a
bigger chance than than the week. That next week, and
then I got eliminated. And it's like, don't let yourself
get comfortable every time you step out on that stage.
Stay focused with your partner, but take a minute to
(54:46):
scan that that vision, that full blown just like mental
picture of what that's like, because it just when it
is done, whether you go through vinyls and you win it,
it's still just something you cannot recreate, you know, So
just take it in and enjoy it and the like, Listen,
(55:07):
the bumps are gonna go. You're gonna possibly, you know,
disagree or just have a bad day. I mean listen,
you're a mom. That could happen, and that could happen
on the car ride there, you know, so you're gonna
have give yourself grace because that is you're human and
that's what happens. But take it in because it was
really such an incredible experience and it's something you're gonna
(55:30):
look back and like I said, you're gonna have video
of it. You're gonna have so much well I don't
know how much they let you take, but it looks
like on Instagram you can really have your phone freely
taking video and doing fun stuff. Do all of it.
Whatever the do all of the fun stuff. Get into
I know you're not as big like well, I know,
I guess I'm thinking will but like get into the
(55:51):
tiktoks with the kids, like with the young, the young
and thes. Yes, if I were to go on it now,
if they asked me to do anything, Sabrina slide down
the band's fair Okay, ok here, like do it all
because it's just so fun and like I said, they
have and make it the best experience.
Speaker 3 (56:11):
And take hot baths that night.
Speaker 2 (56:13):
Okay hot, Okay, thank you? I like that one too
insulted and all the things. And you know, I mean,
those dancers know how to take care of their body.
So if your pro has like a a tip, take it.
Take it will give you the longevity you need and
I'll see you at the finals. I love it. I
(56:35):
have to come watch you. This is I'm begging you.
Please please come anyway.
Speaker 1 (56:39):
I have to any week, and do it earlier than later,
because you never know how long I'm going to be there,
so please please come.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Well, the first week I probably won't because there's every
single contestant has like eight people in the audience, so
there's like no place but hotfully By like week two
or three, I can hop in and and come see you,
and oh, I'm just so excited for you, girl.
Speaker 3 (57:00):
This is gonna be so magical, it really is.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
And just thank you.
Speaker 3 (57:05):
Lean in and enjoy it. It's gonna be so fun.
Speaker 2 (57:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (57:08):
I want everyone to know you are a dance coach. Now,
So if I ever have a last minute question or
a concern about where I'm supposed to put my hands,
if I call.
Speaker 2 (57:16):
You, will you please pick up the phone. Absolutely. We've
now are able to do sessions over zoom, so I
could even honestly, if you're having a hard time memory,
which I think is one of the hardest things, I
will sit there and I've got patients like crazy of
We'll do it four counts at a time. We'll do
it four counts, and we'll add and add and add,
and we can just drill it that way, so you know,
(57:38):
next time you see your partner, you've got your actual
steps in. I love this.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
Okay, I might be hiring you as my my pro
beyond the pro I really.
Speaker 2 (57:48):
Like to know. I'm not a pro. I just could
I have memory. I have a good aspect of memory,
not necessarily technique. That will be your pro, but I
can help you remember just get it like muscle memory.
I love that. And where how can people find your
dance clothing line as well? It's at sobriofficial dot com
s A b r I right, s A b r I,
and we're on Instagram that there you can kind of
(58:09):
see everything, and that's at sobre Dance Underscore Official. Well Sabrina,
I am so grateful and so appreciative that you came
on and just thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (58:20):
I feel better after talking to you, and I'm going
to embrace all the aspects of it, all the craziness,
and just do my best to soak it in.
Speaker 2 (58:28):
So thank you.
Speaker 3 (58:29):
Yes, absolutely, and best of luck.
Speaker 1 (58:32):
Break a lash girl, break a lash and I'll see
you in the audience in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (58:36):
Absolutely say yeah, by bye.