Dancing with…Britt Stewart

00:00:14
Speaker 1: Welcome to Danielle with the Stars.

00:00:16
Speaker 2: I am Danielle Fischl, a TV director, podcaster, forever topanga, and a mom of two.

00:00:21
Speaker 1: But nowadays I am an aspiring.

00:00:24
Speaker 2: Ballroom dancer competing on the thirty fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, and all the while, I am continuing to record a podcast forever immortalizing my attempt to be the twenty twenty five Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy winner. And every week I am podcasting for a leg up through a bruised leg up by talking to pros, former contestants, and even some of my peers, accepting any and all advice in hopes that my national TV dream of a perfect score could soon come true. And today I am being spoiled with expertise because my guest is a fan favorite Dancing with the Stars superstar who joined the show in twenty sixteen, later becoming the first black female pro dancer in the show's history. She began on Troop, then just a year later, was partnered with figure skater Johnny Weir, a celebrity she took all the way to the semifinals, but since then she has ridden a bit of a Dancing with the Stars roller Coaster, paired with Karate Kidd and Cobra Kai star Martin Cove, TV actor Daniel Durant, former NFL player Adrian Peterson, Legacy Hollywood named Eric Roberts, and then this season she was with a teddy bear who was eliminated in week two, the ray of Light known as Baron Davis. I think it's safe to say she has not had it easy, but yet through it all, her star has shown brighter than ever. Her infectious smile and undeniable talent has stood out to everyone who watches, and now I get the chance to know her on a deeper level while also picking her brain about my own journey. Please welcome to Danielle with the Stars. A total pro, a trooper, and someone who can make anyone shine. It's brit Stewart.

00:02:09
Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Hello, you're the Queen of introductions. Can you just come with me everywhere?

00:02:16
Speaker 2: I will anywhere you want to go. Just let me walk in. Before you give a little intro, I'll shorten it. I'll make it a little tighter, you know.

00:02:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, if I could just have that in like a ball of a daily affirmation, I'll let you keep the paper. I am so happy you agreed to do this podcast.

00:02:32
Speaker 2: I have been trying to have you as a guest literally since day one of the podcast.

00:02:36
Speaker 1: You were at the very top of my list. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here, and I know I'm just excited to talk to you. You're so sweet and interacting with you at the rehearsal studio and everything. It's just I'm excited to go on a deeper level. Yes, me too.

00:02:54
Speaker 2: I wish we were here talking just because we were still both rehearsing together. In no universe did I anticipate that we would be sitting down for this podcast after you and Baron had been eliminated, just during week two.

00:03:12
Speaker 1: It was absolutely flabbergasting to me.

00:03:16
Speaker 2: Was it as shocking to you as it was to I think everyone else?

00:03:20
Speaker 1: It actually was? And I try to say that without any ego involved, But I feel like if you're a fan of the show, if you are, if you've watched it for you know, it's been on air for twenty years, yes, if you watch it, and then of course being part of it, you kind of you kind of have a feeling of who's going to go home or you have like a few options and I really I didn't think that we would go home week one. No, I knew it was going to be difficult because this year is the cast is I don't know if we've ever had this competitive of a cast. I mean, if you don't have dance experience, you have social media following, or you have both, and so you know, I knew it was going to be an uphill climb for us. But in my mind, I was like, if I can get Baron to week three, even week four, people are going to fall exactly him. Yes he does. He has so much charisma, his personality, his smile, his sense of humor, and so much of that just takes a little bit of him getting comfortable for him to reveal it. And so you knew, like your work was going to be. How do I get him comfortable enough out there to start letting more of that shine?

00:04:42
Speaker 2: And really, yeah, it's just I was I was already seeing it. But I feel like I got to Baron and I connected very early on. We connected in New York during Good Morning America. We ended up as being somehow the only two cast members on the pro bus. There were two different hotels and the rest of the cast somehow got on the right bus to go to their hotel, and we ended up on the professional dancer bus and you guys all got dropped off first, and so it was just Baron and I for maybe a ten minute bus ride, and just in normal conversation, we were like.

00:05:14
Speaker 1: Oh, you're one of my We're you're one of my people.

00:05:18
Speaker 2: And from that moment on, every time I knew he was there, we made a point of finding each other, checking in with each other. He was always so generous with his advice, asking me how I was feeling, showing me different stretches.

00:05:30
Speaker 1: We did our first show and tell.

00:05:32
Speaker 2: Yeah, we together, and that was such a special moment, and I was so I had no idea what to expect. And you the work you put in with him, and you can't hit you guys danced your first dance too.

00:05:43
Speaker 1: You can't touch this, and he just came alive. I. Yeah.

00:05:48
Speaker 2: I think he's just such a special person and it is not at all surprising to me that the two of you connected. Did you guys connect the same way it feels Barren and I connected?

00:05:58
Speaker 1: Oh? Yes. You know what I love about Baron is he comes forward as his authentic self, always and so I feel like if he's met with that same energy, it's hard to not be connected with him. Yeah. I think he's also an extremely curious person. So if he like sees oh oh, he wants to try to get to know you and try to you know, and also be present in an experience and be present in whatever he is doing. And so, you know, I knew Baron and I would get along because during our first meet he was like, I'm just here to learn something new, to challenge myself, to be vulnerable. And that's my type of people. I you know, for me'm I do wear I don't wear my heart on my sleeves, actually, but I am very sensitive, okay, and I try to I don't try. I lead my life with authenticity. And one of my mottos for life is to be a consistent student, to always be a student, to always learn ooh. I love that. And so when I first met him, I was like, Okay, this is going to be this is going to be fun. And then he has a sense of humor on top of it, so you know, we connected very quickly. I joke with him, I'm like, I don't know if you manifested getting a sister, a little sister in this life. But you have one. Now, you have one, now your stuff. Yeah, we definitely connected. Did it surprise you at all.

00:07:34
Speaker 2: To see the amount of support online? Yes, it did, because there is quite a swell of justice for Baron.

00:07:43
Speaker 1: There is a swell. And I know it doesn't I know it doesn't make it better, right, but I wanted to make sure that he knew that is not normal, especially in the beginning, like especially the first few eliminations. It's not that's not typical. You know. Even though he was only on the show for two weeks, he made an impact.

00:08:08
Speaker 2: Totally, which is a huge deal, and people saw in him the same thing we see, which was just if just a few more weeks, everyone would have been you would have blossomed like a flower and everyone would have been able.

00:08:21
Speaker 1: So it does. It feels like a robbery.

00:08:24
Speaker 2: The America, Canada, the world was cut short of being able to know the Baron we know is just right below that surface. And it's interesting that people were able to see it. And so it just makes me say, where were the vote?

00:08:40
Speaker 1: I know, Wow, it's so frustrating. It is what it is. Yeah, and you can't change it. I know, and and one of those people. You know, even though I'm like, it was too short, all these things, I'm you know, I again, I'm sensitive, so I felt all my feelings. At the end of the day, I still believe that that is what was meant to happen, right, So right, because what if it's meant for you, it will be yours yours.

00:09:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, and so you may not know exactly the why of it happening, but you know that, Okay, it is what it's supposed to be. So that's I mean, that's a wonderful perspective to have and anything you do in.

00:09:20
Speaker 1: Life looking forward.

00:09:22
Speaker 2: Had you guys continued, what were some of the things you were looking forward to for some of the theme weeks?

00:09:27
Speaker 1: Do you want to share any of that? Actually?

00:09:29
Speaker 2: Would love great because I'm dying to know. I want to know what your vision was for him.

00:09:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, so something super simple. We were supposed to have a tango this week. And his frame was actually the best frame that I've like. His frame was incredible, Oh gorgeous frame on day one. Yes, so not only were we robbed of Baron, but he we were robbed of his gorgeous But that's okay. Okay, I was really looking forward to we were going to do a West coast like La True la hip hop for his dedication week. Oh man, I still want to see it. Yeah, And so I you know that that would just have been a big celebration of not only like Los Angeles where he's from, it was going to be a celebration of his kids and almost this generational this generational celebration of what he is curating for his children, and you know, within that with hip hop and everything, also the celebration of black culture too. Wow. So I was really looking for I had a lot of ideas for Baron. Actually, you know, he's a he's a businessman too, So I was even thinking like, how can I dive into this like structured business world of what you normally think of what a businessman is and our eyes in America, But how he deltely is not defined by what that stereotype is, and he's this mega businessman. So I was playing around with ideas with that, and oh I love that. I had some dreams.

00:11:11
Speaker 2: Any any chance we could get you guys to still put that together for that dedication week.

00:11:17
Speaker 1: I feel like that dedication week everyone needs that. Yeah, Okay, let me you know what, let me give him a call. Let's do what we can do. I called him yesterday. I called him yesterday. I wanted to check in. He was like, you know, I kind of want to come visit. And I was like, I mean, you know, you know what that's actually breaking my heart. Maybe the most is he's really upset.

00:11:38
Speaker 2: He he.

00:11:40
Speaker 1: Oh, he misses it. And I don't think people realize when you really take a chance on something, when you really open yourself up to an experience, it takes a lot of vulnerability. And so he's, yeah, he's he's missing you. Let me know how I can help you. Let me know what I can do. I want to we need to rent a space, set a space.

00:12:04
Speaker 2: I just want I want you guys to be able to go out on your terms, pick you know, for you to have like, Okay, I didn't get to I didn't get to make.

00:12:13
Speaker 1: The decision that we left on week two.

00:12:16
Speaker 2: But here's a week that was going to mean something black to black culture, to your children, to music, to him.

00:12:24
Speaker 1: Let's do it anyway, Let's do it anyway. Why not? Why not?

00:12:28
Speaker 2: Why not put it together, have fun with it own, have it for himself, because he did say when I talked to him yesterday, he was.

00:12:35
Speaker 1: Like, you know, I just I guess I'm not a dancer. And I was like, surprise, you are? You are?

00:12:42
Speaker 2: And he started dying. He was like, yeah, you know what, You're right, Surprise I am. I was like, you are?

00:12:49
Speaker 1: You were? So I don't know.

00:12:51
Speaker 2: I just want to see I just want to I want to see it. I want there to be I want there to be a nice button that feels like there's some owner.

00:13:00
Speaker 1: I love that for you both. Thank you.

00:13:03
Speaker 2: So I don't know what I can do, but anything is very want I want to do.

00:13:09
Speaker 1: Now.

00:13:09
Speaker 2: Outside of the obvious, have you kept in touch with a lot of your partners over the years, I.

00:13:14
Speaker 1: Actually have, Well, we all know the very obvious there, That's what I'm saying.

00:13:21
Speaker 2: Outside of the obvious, the one who you recently married and lived with. Because I'm thinking about moving in with Pasha, and yes, so you should.

00:13:29
Speaker 1: I think maybe you should. Maybe you should just purchase a commune and then you know your families can just actually love that idea.

00:13:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, communal living either for each other, raise the children in the group.

00:13:39
Speaker 1: I think that's smart. Yeah, I haven't talked to them about it. Oh, I think it's a great idea. Yeah, I think so. Maybe fine. You know, I'm still really good friends with my very first partner, Johnny Weir. He was actually a bridesmaid and the photos wonderful, and he is just you know, we instantly clicked, okay, instantly, and you know, I call him doodle. He calls me Bruce. It's a thing so cute. What are those nicknames? Doodle? So I don't know, I just started calling him doodle. He's so cute, like he's a little doodle. He is just a doodle, and I it's just so now it's his nickname. Later to find out his family, any they call anything that's cute doodle. Really, yes, And I had no idea. I just started calling him doodle. I know that. I know that's weird.

00:14:39
Speaker 2: That's oh yeah, that's a sole connection. Yes, oh oh, one thousand percent is a sole connection. And then he calls me Bruce because apparently I'm like very sometimes I can be aggressive when I count the chat shaw oh, which was I don't know.

00:14:55
Speaker 1: He just he would be like four. I would sometimes go four and he was like, oh, okay, Bruce. Bruce is out I sent him in one of our you know how we get the camera blocking photos. Oh my mouth was like doing something crazy, Like I was obviously mid scream, you know, leading bar on the floor, and I I like zoomed in very close in. I was like, doodle, Bruce is back. Check out this photo of Bruce. Check out Bruce. Those photos I don't. I don't love a lot of them. No, no, it's like mid motion thing, weird things. I saw the one with your hair hilarious.

00:15:34
Speaker 2: Okay, great, yeah, so good. Yeah, hair was all over the place there. I also with my leg bruise. Wouldn't The day that I did the cartwheel, I was wearing shorts and it was like, you know, mid cartwheels, by the way.

00:15:44
Speaker 1: Just not going to be attractive, no period. It's just legs everywhere.

00:15:48
Speaker 2: And then like dark Bruce in my upper thigh. I was like, guys, did we could we not have just not snapped the camera during that moment. But you know, okay, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about your Disney roots because that is something we share. You are a principal dancer in all three of the High School musical films, all directed by Kenny Ortega.

00:16:07
Speaker 1: Were you intimidated working with such an icon at a young age? Oh, this is quite embarrassing. I have to tell you. I didn't know who Kinny was. You were like, was it weird for me? No? I was like, Okay, hey dude, Hey, what's up? No, hey, broch Okay, this is great. No. I so I didn't go through the normal audition process. Okay, they were. I happened to be in New York at a national dance competition. It's called New York Sky Dance Lions, and one of the co choreographers, Bonnie's Story. She has a daughter same age as me, and we were both there alone without our big dance studios, and we bonded in the rehearsal process, and Bonnie saw me dance, and randomly we were on the same subway after like an late night rehearsal. Okay, with my I was with my mom. Kelly, her daughter same age as me, was with Bonnie and she just looks at us and she goes, this is going to be absolutely insane. But I'm filming a movie this summer in Utah with Kenny ar Otega, and we're looking for one more dancer, one more female dancer. And I really I've already called Kenny, you are it. You would have to come straight from New York to Utah, but you can. You can live with me and my family and the girls, the whole thing. And my mom and I were like, oh, okay, god, yeah, girls, we'll think about it. Yeah. And so then you know, I was like, I'm supposed to be staying and assisting this choreographer named Brian Friedman at the Broadway Dance Center after New York whose I don't know Kenneyega Artega in Utah and Utah you know, I from Colorado. So it's okay, you know, it's not too far off, but still, and you know you're in New York. I'm in New York. I'd have to go without my parents, like all all these things. So I called Brian Friedman, who I was meant to assist in his classes and his master classes, and he goes, Britt, you, Kenny or Tega, you have to go ends up. Brian Friedman his first job was as a dancer as a child was Newsi's and Kenny or Teja choreographed newsies and so he was like, this is kismet, that this is happening. This would be your first professional job. You have to go, and so I went, and you know, High School Musical was not supposed to be what it was. It was six weeks. It was low budget Disney Channel Channel film that became this cultural phenomenon. Yeah.

00:18:52
Speaker 2: I can't believe how many things in your life are all connected.

00:18:57
Speaker 1: It's it's actually wild.

00:18:59
Speaker 2: Do you notice in the moment or are you the type of person who, with with some space and time, looks back and then finds the connections or you do you notice as they're happening, You're like, oh, here's a here's a thing, here's a sign.

00:19:12
Speaker 1: No, they just kind of happen. I mean, same thing with Dancing with the Stars. I got the audition from being in a rehearsal, had no idea, absolutely no idea. Just again, these big moments feel quite kismet in my life. I feel very blessed in that way.

00:19:31
Speaker 2: You've got guides, I do, Yeah, I do. We've got guides and they're they're.

00:19:36
Speaker 1: They're doing their work. They're doing their work, and then you're like, oh, thanks, and.

00:19:41
Speaker 2: You are prepared at the right place at the right time, and wow, it's pretty great. You have danced with Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas as a dancer on tour. Do you ever get sick of hearing the songs? Because that would be an occupational hazard. You're losing a lot of bops in your life.

00:20:12
Speaker 1: Can you still listen to all the music of the people you've danced for? So the longest I've danced for an artist is three years, and I was with Katie Perry for three years, wild three years. Three years, and I'm actually proud to say I did not get sick of her music. Okay, great, good? Those are boy, They're boppy, They're great. But I'm very shocked by my answer, really honestly. And I can still listen to Teenage Dream and still love it. I love it. It takes me back a little bit. Yeah, that's a little nostalgia for you. Okay, Well that's good. That makes me happy. Is there a dream musician you would want to tour with? You know what? I think? I'm gonna be honest, I don't know. I don't think so. I think as far as a dancer goes, touring with Katie for that long was such a full experience. I mean, I got to go all over the world. We did. I was in her super Bowl performance, like I got to do so with her, and then like after I danced for Jana Jackson, I was like, what else is there? Yeah? This was pretty cool. Yeah, exactly, I'm good. So I don't know about dance. Yeah, maybe if I could, like choreograph for somebody.

00:21:29
Speaker 2: Maybe I love that is that you're where your sites are starting to send you.

00:21:37
Speaker 1: You know, I'm a little bit I'm I'm a limitless dreamer and I've always believed that choreography would still be my connection to dance after I stopped dancing. So yeah, I talked to Mandy Moore the other day.

00:21:52
Speaker 2: We and I interviewed her and she was telling me a little bit about her process for choreographing the tour and how, you know, some of it she's a planner. Some of it needs to start now, but also she needs to see how the season ends up.

00:22:05
Speaker 1: And is there now that you have some unexpected free time.

00:22:08
Speaker 2: Does Mandy ever ask you to come in and help think of things, put things together, being that you are clearly so good at.

00:22:16
Speaker 1: What you do, thank you not typically Actually that sort of process really happens once we're in the rehearsal process. Okay, I mean Mandy is like my I actually call her one of like my fairy dance godmothers because she had such a massive part in bringing me on to Dancing with the Stars. Oh yeah, Like that rehearsal that I was talking about was her rehearsal, and she put me in. She actually asked me to dance with Derek in a moment that I wasn't supposed to dance with him, but he needed a partner and that we were filming a wide and that's what got sent to all of the producers and the networking sects, and that's how I got my audition for Troop Wow. And so she just kind of made all the puzzle pieces of the puzzle come together, and she really helped and supported me in that journey. But you know, sometimes she'll she usually during a season, will sit down with each of the pros that are going on tour and just talk about some of the things that we really are either feeling inspired by or feeling like, hey, I did a cha chaw last tour. I don't necessarily need to do a cha cha, but maybe I can do a rumba this year. That is our involvement in her creation process, and then things she yes, absolutely, things unfold and develop within the rehearsal process. It's actually I'm actually really glad that you asked me this, because there's this rumor going around that Emma and I request to have partners that get eliminated early so that we can have involvement. Can you imagine being the time.

00:23:58
Speaker 2: I mean, in order to be a part of this show and to even do remotely well in it, you have to be competitive.

00:24:06
Speaker 1: Yes.

00:24:06
Speaker 2: Can you imagine being a professional dancer who's involved in a show where you're going to try to win a mirror ball by teaching a celebrity who most of the time knows very little about dance, and then being like, I only want to do it for like a couple of weeks.

00:24:21
Speaker 1: Can you give me?

00:24:22
Speaker 2: I mean, that's ah, that's a crazy rumor.

00:24:25
Speaker 1: It is crazy. But Emma is the host, she's one of the co hosts of the tour on it, and then I'm dance captain when we go on tour, But my work doesn't really start until we get out.

00:24:36
Speaker 2: Until you get out on the road, but at least you know where the impetus for that rumor started. You guys have special names and roles attached to the tour that maybe other people do not have, and so.

00:24:48
Speaker 1: There was a little bit of an assumption made.

00:24:50
Speaker 2: But so, okay, you do not actually have a hand in the choreography until you're in the actual tour and things flourish on their own, collaboratively exactly, okay. Uh. And so with your origin on Dancing with the Stars, producers saw you in this wonderful world of Disney show, right and that rehearsal okay, and they ask you to audition for Troop. You get the job, but you didn't have any experience.

00:25:14
Speaker 1: In ballroom dancing, right, okay.

00:25:17
Speaker 2: And so this is an important question for some of us, very relevant to me at least.

00:25:22
Speaker 1: How did you get so good so fast? And can I have it? You know what? It's First of all, I feel like I was always meant to do this style of dance because it didn't come I don't want to it didn't come easy, but I loved it right away. I also feel like, you know, I was on True. I was on True for five seasons actually, okay, And so it gave me time to become a student. So as I was doing true my first season, I was also training simultaneously, okay, And then when I got into the world and learned more about the ballroom world, I was like, this is completely different from the type of dance and the community that I grew up in, and I really wanted to not only show respect to the art form, to the dance style, but to also my peers. So I ended up competing in pro am as well to really like, not for the not for the accolade, not for anything other to dive deeper into the culture of ballroom because it is it is unique all on its own. Yeah, it's completely different than how I was raised in the dance world.

00:26:49
Speaker 2: Right, That's what Mandy was saying too. Mandy was saying, it doesn't matter how well versed you are in contemporary or modern or jazz or hip hop, it does not matter.

00:27:00
Speaker 1: It's a totally different thing. It's wild. Yeah, it's wild. I actually love teaching kids that have ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap hip hop training to do ballroom because I know exactly how it feels. And sometimes I'll look at them and I'll say, I know this feels crazy, Yeah, I know this is this is this is exactly opposite from what your ballet teacher is teaching you right now. But this is why, this is how we initiate a movement like this in ballroom. Yeah, I kind of geek out on it a little bit. I love that. I love that you geek out on it. I feel like Pasha geeks out on it too. Oh. I think Pasha geeks out more than I do.

00:27:36
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, I was just saying I feel like Pasha's definitely geeking out, and I'm like, okay, you really love this.

00:27:42
Speaker 1: He loves it. Yeah. I love Pasha's dedication. He's always practicing, always perfecting, always, and I feel like you guys are a very good match. We are, We are a very good match.

00:27:54
Speaker 2: He's been saying in interviews that he thought he was a perfectionist until he met me, and now he feels like he can let go of that title.

00:28:01
Speaker 1: I was like, no, no, no, no, definitely not.

00:28:06
Speaker 2: What did it mean then for you when you in twenty twenty were asked to become the first black female pro on Dancing with the Stars, What did it mean to you?

00:28:14
Speaker 1: Oh? My goodness, Well, it was very overwhelming and it was also unexpected, so I did five seasons on Troop and the season before season twenty eight he actually got rid of the Troop. And right before that season, I had re auditioned to become a pro, and I remember at the time, the showrunner different than Conrad called me, and he was straight up from the beginning. He's like, I don't want to sugarcoat anything. This call is not going to be good. Oh man, yeah, I know he was. He basically said, we were very impressed with your audition, we love you, but we're not going to promote you to be a pro. And then on top of that, we're getting rid of Troop this season, so out of the job.

00:28:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, not only do you not get the job you want, but the job you have you don't have it exactly.

00:29:00
Speaker 1: And so then I, just like any industry dancer does, or I should say, anyone in this industry, does you Okay, you feel what you pi it and you pivot immediately. And that's exactly what I did. I just did. I just called my agent.

00:29:20
Speaker 2: I was like, get me look exactly exactly, tell us what find me.

00:29:25
Speaker 1: Some work exactly. And the work that I did in that year actually ended up being really great. It was and I think it all prepared me to become a pro. And I'm actually very grateful for that time off because I think if I would have become a pro immediately after Troop, I would have been too close to it. I would have been like, I don't know. It gave me a little bit of a fresh perspective and just a breath.

00:29:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, a breath of Yeah, a nice little breath away from something which is also something you do and dance.

00:29:58
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, you have to. Times you just have to not practice, just need to. I call it marination. You need to let it marinate and get some sleep sometimes. Yeah, not always, not if you're just being lazy. Yeah, there's a different there's a big difference. Yeah, yeah, yeah, difference. So and then, of course in twenty twenty the world shut down, so you know, I was also like we were still isolated when I when I learned that I was going to become a pown, did you learn that you were going to become op?

00:30:28
Speaker 2: This is now I want to hear the flip side, because you had the conversation that started off with guess what, this is bad news. I'm just warning you now it's going to be a bad conversation. What was the flip side of that conversation.

00:30:40
Speaker 1: So Dina texted me and she just simply asked, can you can you do a video call at this time? And I was like, okay, okay, yeah, I guess of course sure. I mean even if I wasn't in isolation, I would have dropped everything too, Like when Dina text you, when this.

00:31:01
Speaker 2: Is Dina Cats for those of you who may not know, Dina CAATs executive producer, casting, really very very very high up head honcho, lots of decisions being made by Dina exactly.

00:31:14
Speaker 1: And so I said yes, anytime, whatever. Yeah. So then we get onto a zoom and she tells me that I'm becoming a pro and I actually I was like, I think I was in such shock. I was almost emotionless because I was like just say yes, yeah, that just happy and yes, yes. And then I called my mom. I was like, I lost it when I called my mom. Of course I lost it. Yeah, And I was just filled with so much gratitude. And then after that, I was like, oh my gosh, I'm not only is you know, this dream of mine coming true, but now I'm becoming you know, this representation that has not existed until now tell you and you know it's the representation has been in the celebrity Partners, but never as a dancer, which is so important. And it was very overwhelming, very exciting. And then when I got there for the premiere, I had a little baby like not freak out, but I felt very overwhelmed, and I felt very much like I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to be perfect and to be right. Now. I have to be at all. Now, I have to be at Allah. And that season, I'm so grateful I was partnered with Johnny that season. Johnny is so there is no other human in this world that is like Johnny Weir, and he taught me so much in that season. I always led with authenticity, but sometimes in moments of fear or moments of anxiety, I would I would just little myself, make myself small. And I just learned in that moment that all I have to do is show up as myself and that would be the perfect representation because that's all I have, is me. I don't need to do anything other than just show up and be me exactly. And so wonderful that you had a partner that was able to recognize you doing it and to be able to point it out to you and say, don't do that.

00:33:24
Speaker 2: You know again, such a wonderful like the things that happened that have happened for you in your life, Like what a perfect first partner for you, What a gift. Yes, probably a decision made by Dina, by the way, Yes it was.

00:33:37
Speaker 1: And yeah, he was like, just let your bruce, your inner bruce fly, everybody, let your inner bruce out. Fine, let your inner bruce go. I love it.

00:33:48
Speaker 2: I ask every guest this because I know that there are sort of two camps on the subject. One that is, one camp is totally fine with celebrities coming in having previous dance experience, and then the other camp, who think the premise of the show should be to teach newbies.

00:34:07
Speaker 1: Where do you fall on the subject. It is so interesting. I'm gonna say this, ooh, this is actually a little bit difficult for me because I've actually, outside of Johnny, who, even though he's a figure skater, never took a dance class, I've actually never had a partner with previous dance experiences. So I come from that side of it. I see my peers with partners with dance experience, and they're able to have like a lot of creative freedom. I'll say, yeah, so that is I could see some people on one side saying, Okay, like you can like really produce some things. There's not as many like limitations or what have you. But I still go back in the heart of the show is teaching someone how to dance? Yeah, and is teaching someone the very beginning and what that journey is like, you know, and some you know, if you go to past season, some of those people that won that had zero dance experience, Oh my gosh, how rewarding, I know, how incredible to see them from their first days of rehearsals and then at the finale doing their freestyle like a proper dancer. Right, That is the heart of the show. And I almost think it's like it's a little bit more rewarding. Yeah in my eyes. Yeah, you're right. And and certainly.

00:35:44
Speaker 2: For you as the pro to be able to see like I did that you know, of course the celebrity had to put in the work, but like you were able to figure out how to communicate to somebody in a language they do not speak, to become fluent.

00:36:01
Speaker 1: Yes, in this language in a short amount of time and zero time, zero time.

00:36:07
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean, I'm talking about how crazy the schedule is. Four hours a day is just not enough time to really get everything across. I mean, Pasha talks a lot about teaching and layers. You know, like the first day is really just you are in your brain one hundred percent of the time making sure you can try to remember the steps. That's day one goal, Day one goal. Can you just remember the steps? And then after that it's like, Okay, that's honestly going to end up only being worth about ten percent.

00:36:36
Speaker 1: Of this whole thing.

00:36:38
Speaker 2: If that's all we got, we're not going to have much, and that's crazy. So that you're like, now I gotta start doing the steps bigger, wider, grander, more this, and now.

00:36:47
Speaker 1: I got a twist while I'm doing them, and now I gotta perform while I'm doing it.

00:36:50
Speaker 2: Now I have to be in my heart and not in my head. The fact that you guys are able to do it with total dumb dums like myself. I do not know how you do what you do, but I will say my biggest takeaway so far, and only however many weeks I've been a part of the show is how truly remarkable.

00:37:10
Speaker 1: You guys are you are. You are the stars of Dancing with the.

00:37:15
Speaker 2: Stars, and you keep spirits high and you are patient and you don't I mean, I would be losing my marbles if I would be losing my marbles.

00:37:26
Speaker 1: I don't know how you guys do it, but you're incredible. I mean, I will say I was so pleasantly surprised that first time we did a show and tell with you, Okay, I mean I thought you blew me away. Really, yes, thank you. Yes, I would say, like, just just trust in your process because it's it's paying off, like it is to me to watch you go out on the ballroom floor and do what you do with no previous experience is absolutely remarkable, Like, thank you. I remember that first show and Tell. I looked at you and I was like, you are the epitome of this show, and you gave all of us a very nice pep talk.

00:38:08
Speaker 2: It was, And I went home and I specifically told my husband, I said, britt.

00:38:12
Speaker 1: Just gave us the nicest talk.

00:38:14
Speaker 2: You know, because every we all pretty much nailed that first Show and Tell.

00:38:19
Speaker 1: We were all nervous.

00:38:20
Speaker 2: We had never done this before we're about ready to show our dances for the first time. And even though, of course were there are things we all could have done better or little things that were missed. Sure, but nobody fell apart, which is kind of the expectation is like, let's do this so that you get your fall apart moment now, and nobody really fell apart. And then we were all just looking at each other like we just did that. And at the end of it, you were like, I just have to give I have to tell you, you guys are what the heart of.

00:38:46
Speaker 1: This show is.

00:38:47
Speaker 2: And it meant a lot to us who were in that room, and so thank you. It's just it goes to show what a special person you are. So in season thirty one, let's talk about the fact that you were paired with actor Daniel Durant. You place fifth, your best showing to date. But most importantly, did you ever say I will never have a showmance on Dancing.

00:39:23
Speaker 1: With the Stars And did you actually believe that? I actually believe you did. Yes, I you know. And no judgment too, I mean I can't obviously I can't judge because I had a show. We know that judgment I mean, yeah, but I just you know, I think also starting in the industry at such a young age, at fifteen, I think I saw a lot of showmances, right, and I kind of know that that's not for me. That's not for me. I like to keep my work and my love separate totally. And funny with Daniel, he's the same way, because you know, you can have an intimate scene or a love scene, or a character or whatever, but then you go home and you that was your character. You left that at home totally, or you left that at the studio, whatever it is. And so we both had the same mindset entering into work.

00:40:13
Speaker 2: Right, this is a business. It's a business, and we're gonna be friends. Of course we have to have chemistry, yes, but that's where it ends.

00:40:19
Speaker 1: Yes, And I knew we had chemistry. We both knew that we had chemistry from the beginning. But it wasn't it wasn't really like, it wasn't romantic romantic, it wasn't like intimate in that sort of way. And it's so funny the way Daniel says it is hilarious, Like American sign language is extremely expressive and sometimes like if I was to interpret what he was signing, it'd be like, oh, I did it. I was not attracted to her at all. I didn't even I didn't even I didn't even never even that. I'm like, whoa easy settle down, settle down, you can still appreciate, yes, exactly. But we really just in that process we became teammates. First, like we just had this goal and we just we we wanted to have a great team have fun together. And you know, I'm way more competitive than he is, but he was still very competitive. Yeah, and then we actually became legitimately friends and we would go get ivs and with his interpreter, we were like to do, yes, we don't. Who doesn't go get IV's with their friends anyone not in LA. That sounds very weird to anyone not here, but for us. We did a cold plunge contrast therapy IV's red light. I said, you know, a casual friend date. And then we got eliminated and we didn't see each other, and we started texting, and then one day he was it was actually in his trailer. He was just it was it was after we got eliminated and his interpreter stepped out and he was like staring at me. And I looked at him and I was like, why are you looking at me like that? And all he signed was I think you know exactly why I'm looking at you, and I said I do and same but and then and then we were like and I was like, I gotta go figure out my life. And then we went to dinner and then nothing happened. And then I think both of us were so hesitant because we had been with each other every single day. Dancing with the Stars is extremely intense. I don't know if we thought it was.

00:42:33
Speaker 2: Real right, You're like, was that because we were kind of forced to be in a room together for that many hours?

00:42:40
Speaker 1: Or is this legitimate? Will it survive outside of the pressure cooker? Yes? And then he the first time he kissed me, he asked, oh so sweet, like can I kiss you? And then we kiss and both of us were like this.

00:42:57
Speaker 2: Yes, oh so well, you guys, I mean, you've started the falling in love process on the show, but you didn't technically fall in love on the show. It's not like the cameras were around and you were like, pretend we're just friends. You guys really were just partners with the same goal in mind. Who became legitimate friends, and then after you were eliminated, actually fell in love. Yeah, oh gosh, I love your love stories so much. For your wedding, were people intimidated to get on the dance floor?

00:43:29
Speaker 1: I thought about that the minute. The minute I knew you were getting married.

00:43:32
Speaker 2: I was like, how do normal people dance at a wedding? For incredible dancers?

00:43:38
Speaker 1: I would, I'd be like, I'm just gonna set this one out, you know, It's so funny. It was actually our family and friends that weren't dancers that were dancing the most. Wow, which is hilarious. That's great. I also think Daniel and I for our first dance, we didn't do anything like choreographed or anything. We just slow danced. We just went out there, and so I think we set the tone pretty like this is gonna be chill. It's going to be We're not gonna put on a whole thing. No.

00:44:02
Speaker 2: A lot of the fans of the show feel like some of the pros get regularly paired with celebrities that maybe on the outside, don't seem as though they're gonna go as far. Do you feel like the sharing of celebrity talent is generally fair or how It's such a hard question to ask because I know the casting process has so many factors that go into it. But when you hear fans say like, come on, how come some people seem to get ringers year after year and other people seem to get whatever the opposite of a ringer is here after you?

00:44:44
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on that. I do think that when pairing comes that Honestly, that's kind of a hard question. But I do think, you know, when parings do happen, I think everything is considered. I can only speak for myself, and I don't know if I've I don't actually I know, I don't think I've had a ringer, and I do feel like I want that chance, you know, I don't know if I've had that chance. I do think Baron could have been a dark horse. Again, if we he could have potentially been a dark horse, But again, it was very very competitive. I would actually argue that Daniel was a bit of a dark horse. They are, you know, if we're he had an incredible story, but you know, he the challenge of dancing when you're deaf can be and for Daniel, he's profoundly deaf, so deaf is very vast in what the community is. You can be like doctory. It's a huge spectrum and Daniel's profoundly deaf. So he People don't realize how hard he worked on the show because he had to learn everything. He had to learn the choreography, but then he had to learn the rhythm. He had to memorize when something was fast and when something was slow. Wow, I didn't even think about any of that stuff. Yeah, but he does have this like very I always call it an internal metronome that for some reason, he shocked me every single week. But you know, he in his season he came on. If we're talking about just social media, just numbers, yeah, he came onto that season which was stacked with Charlie Demilio, Wayne Brady, Chandela has a huge social social media following. I know I'm missing some other people, Oh Jordan's sparks, like Selma Blair. He came in with fifty thousand Instagram followers and we made it fifth to fifth place, so he I would actually consider Daniel to be a underdog for horse for sure, But yeah, I don't. I don't know if I have gotten a ringer yet. Actually I know you have not gotten a ring and you're ready for them. My gosh, I'm so ready. Yeah, I'm so ready. Yeah, I'm ready for you to have that too.

00:47:12
Speaker 2: I'm ready for you to be like you know what, I actually like having somebody with a little dance experience. It's uh feels pretty good. I mean, maybe I'd just like to pitch that maybe for season thirty five you get like Usher.

00:47:26
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it's crazy. One of my friends had a dream that I would that I was going to be paired with Usher, And that's really weird that you just said that. It's that's wild. I don't think Esher would ever do the show, but maybe maybe what I bet I don't know him. I bet you everybody we are calling baron the minute we leave here. One to figure out when he can get in a rehearsal space with you for this dedication week dance that I'm gonna somehow facilitate, and two to see if he knows Usher. Also side note, do you know.

00:47:58
Speaker 2: Okay I am going to ask for I'm not asking for any sort of leg up here because all of my competition could listen to this podcast, But if you had to reveal the biggest strategy that you have learned over the last six seasons of Dancing with the Stars, what would it.

00:48:16
Speaker 1: Be, I would actually putting dancing scores, you know, social media trends, all of that aside. I think it's actually the connection with your partner. I think if you can find that that connection, which I believe you and Pasha have. You guys, you have an amazing camaraderie with each other yea and support and it's also very cute to see.

00:48:46
Speaker 2: Like.

00:48:48
Speaker 1: Danny and Dylan and the four of you. And if you can find that essence, I feel like that people fall in love with that, people want to root for that as well. You know, talking from experience, you know, my best seasons have been with people that I also have a big connection with Johnny Johnny Daniel and that grew within the show. Yeah, so that would be my one big advice to you, which I think that you're already doing. I feel like again I said it you. I think casting you is incredible for the show, and you're pleasantly surprising on the dance floor. You're dynamic, and what's so exciting about you is you're going to see your growth.

00:49:36
Speaker 2: I hope, so I really, I desperately need to start getting better every week. And you know, we're doing such drastically style different styles of dance that it's hard to go. You know, well, if maybe if I were to do a tango again in week four, I'd be like, oh, look at the difference in tango week one versus week four. But I'm struggling to be like, you know, they're all so different. But I do think it'll start, It'll start to be more apparent that I'm growing and learning.

00:50:04
Speaker 1: So so close to it. Yeah, you're staring at yourself for four hours as your day.

00:50:09
Speaker 2: I don't even like to look at myself for two minutes, much less for four hours.

00:50:13
Speaker 1: And I'm like, welcome to a dancer's brain. This is why we have so many problems.

00:50:16
Speaker 2: No, seriously, Like every now and then, Pasha's like, okay, let's do it toward the mirror, and.

00:50:20
Speaker 1: I'm like, really do we have to? No? Please, don't know. But imagine our audience. They get to see you once a week, I know, and so they you know, you're so close to it. Yeah, So the audience's perspective is we're seeing your like major big shifts each week. Yeah.

00:50:38
Speaker 2: Well, and I appreciate your advice also because I feel like it's so perfect coming from you, because you are such a person who, as you have said, and it's very clear to anybody who meets you, you really do truly lead with authenticity and that your advice about the connection with your partner is something you can't fake. It's something you have, it's some thing you nurture, it's something if you have it, you use it to your advantage, and it is it's such a It's about connecting authentically with the other person in the room with you, who you're creating with, and your storytelling with you know, it's I've also I've been so surprised by how much dance is just a story telling element. I had never thought of in this in the entertainment industry, and now that I get to be a part of it, it's such a fun new thing to play with. And I know, I already know I'm going to be not just a better dancer at the end of this, but I really believe I'm going to be a better person at the end of this. I already am, and so much of that has been because of you and your advice and getting to know you, and I am so grateful that you came and spent your time with me on this podcast today.

00:51:50
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Brit Oh, my goodness, thank you. I think you're such a ray of light like you just beam and so I'm so happy that I'm here. Thank you.

00:51:59
Speaker 2: I hope this is this is not the end of our journey. I can't wait to spend more time with you. Yes please, Okay, thank you all for listening to this episode of Danielle with the Stars. I'll see you next time. Danielle with the Stars produced and hosted by Danielle Fischel. Executive producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer, editor and engineer Tara Sudbosch.

00:52:22
Speaker 1: Theme song by Justin Siegel. Follow us on Instagram at Danielle with Stars and vote for me