WEBVTT - Danielle With…Witney Carson 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:20.160 Hello, and welcome to Danielle With a podcast that if 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:24.120 your hip to industry. LINGO recently flipped into my solo 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:29.080 interview series teen Beat. But since I Danielle Fischl, director, podcaster, 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:32.840 mom of two, and TV ready ballroom dancer, I am about 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:34.519 to go out on the road for the Dancing with 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:37.440 the Stars Live Tour. I figured that I'd not only 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:43.040 be updating you from all cities like Hershey, Pennsylvania and Banger, Maine, 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:46.280 I'd also prep a bit and return to talk to 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:49.480 some of my favorite pros and contestants from the show. 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:54.000 I'm hosting twenty eight live performances over three months, and 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:57.000 since this is a safe space, I will admit one thing. 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.960 I have no idea what to expect. 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:02.920 Yet I am very excited to meet some of you 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:05.920 live and in person at these shows, and if worse 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.640 comes to worse, I will just use any free time 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:10.800 I have on the bus to force Jenna Johnson to 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.800 help me get abs. But today I wouldn't just return 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:19.000 to Danielle with for any meaningless reason. It would have 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.320 to be for a guest of the utmost importance, a 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:26.880 superstar even, And so for this week's special episode, I'm 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:30.320 joined by the owner of not only one, but two 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:34.080 mirror ball trophies, with her most recent victory capturing the 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:37.840 nation by storm and forever changing the culture of the 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:41.520 show moving forward. She first appeared on the ballroom floor 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.440 as a member of the troop in seasons sixteen and seventeen, 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.720 then the following year was promoted to big League competitor, 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.920 and it only took two cycles to score her way 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.440 into the winner's circle, partnered with Alfonso Ribero, who at 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:58.600 the time was just a lowly celebrity contestant, but with 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:01.640 her help not only transformed into one of the most 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:05.040 impressive winners in the show's history, he would later become 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:09.240 the face of the process. Then, over the next thirteen seasons, 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:13.680 she'd have eight top five finishes, including her turn with 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:17.800 Milo Mannheim, whose second place showing is often referred to 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.960 by dance experts as a total effing crime against rhythm. 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:26.079 But in twenty twenty five, things began to look up 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:29.400 or should I say down under, when she paired with 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:33.680 human Koala Bear Robert Erwin, and right out of the gate, 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:37.600 the pair stole America's hearts, gliding into the finals and 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.639 securing the len Goodman Trophy. It makes you wonder how 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:45.040 could she top it? What's next for this fellow mom 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.400 of two adorable boys who seems to capture dance magic 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.919 year after year. Well, i'll tell you what. She's sitting 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:54.800 with me to talk about her undeniable Hall of fame 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.400 career in the hollowed halls of Dancing with the Stars 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.840 and what I can expect on this tour. I'm wildly 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.280 nervous about it. So please welcome to Danielle with the 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:07.160 reigning champ, Miss Whitney Carson. 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:17.079 Oh my gosh, what an intro. Chills Like, Oh my god, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.320 this is incredible. How do I put that Danielle in 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:22.000 you listen monologue for myself. 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:24.600 I will get it for you. We'll we'll snip it, 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:27.800 we'll send it in. It's actually a really a really 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:30.920 great intro for my one of my first questions, which 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:34.800 is I when we had Alfonso on the show, Yeah, 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:37.920 talk about getting chills. The way he spoke about you 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:41.320 and the love and the reverence and the respect he 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:43.840 has for you, and the way he knows you and 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:47.800 like really sees you was so special. And one of 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.640 the clips of him talking about you, what pretty viral. 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.600 What did you think when you first heard that. 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:58.960 Oh, my gosh, he is just such a gem of 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.000 a human. I mean, you know him, you've known him 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:04.040 for years, but he really is like an uncle a 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:06.520 brother to me. And he really helped me kind of 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.320 spread my wings in this Hollywood world. Because I'm from 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.160 American for Utah, a small town. I did not know 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.040 what I was getting myself into and at eighteen, like 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.680 you're still a kid, and so the fact that he 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.120 was my partner was such divine intervention for us, because 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.680 he really he actually really taught me so much and 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.520 kind of put me under his wing. And from then 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:32.560 on we've just had like this inseparable bond and something 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.559 that I can't really explain, but it's it's a bond 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:38.960 that's really traveled with us through adulthood and through my marriage. 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:41.800 And he's always been a mentor to me. But that 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:45.320 specific interview that he did with you, I he had 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:48.120 never told me those feelings or thoughts before, and so 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.880 I was hearing it for the first time on social 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:57.120 media and I immediately started crying because he's one of 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.720 those He's that type of person that just knows you 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:02.480 better than you know yourself and use that for me. 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:05.040 And so I was like, you know what, that is 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:08.479 so true and it just resonated so much with me, 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:12.400 and obviously it resonated with so many of you guys 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:15.400 and people watching, and it just kind of took off. 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:18.560 And I'm just so grateful that he's always been in 0:05:18.600 --> 0:05:21.120 my corner and he's just been such a safe space 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:23.839 for me in a world that can be so stressful 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:27.240 and that you can kind of lose your way at times, 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:30.080 and it's such a crazy wild ride within this industry, 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:34.120 and especially with the show, how stressful and how physically 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:37.320 and mentally demanding it is for him to be there 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:41.160 in the studio and mentoring me and just honestly just 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.479 being there made it made me feel like I was 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.640 so safe. Yeah, And so that's what he is for me. 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:50.200 So that was really sweet to see that kind of 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:53.279 go viral and people just love that because our bond 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:54.120 is very special. 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:56.200 Yes, well, that's very apparent. 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.920 I am speaking to you the day before you leave 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.840 for Australia with your family. We were just discussing before 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:07.080 we started recording about how stressful the idea of a 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:12.560 sixteen hour flight is with two small children, how excited 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:15.640 are you? And how excited are the kids for this trip? 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:20.120 We are so extremely excited. We honestly weren't planning on 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:23.600 going to Australia this quickly, but it kind of just 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:28.039 fell into place, and the kids are We actually surprised 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:30.520 them on Christmas morning that we were going, and so 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:35.920 they were so excited. And my boys love animals and 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.520 they just can't stop talking about the koalas and they 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:40.800 love Robert. So the fact that we get to combine 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:44.200 all of those Robert and animals in the zoo, like, 0:06:44.320 --> 0:06:48.239 we're just so so excited. So they this is actually 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:53.000 the first trip with jet out of the country so internationally, 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:55.120 so I think it's going to be the trip is 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:58.080 going to be crazy, but when we get there, it's 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:00.440 going to be it's going to be amazing. And I 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:02.680 have facetimed and texted over what we're going to do 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:05.559 and our plans. He's like, can I just go ahead 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:07.720 and plan everything for you guys? And I'm like please, 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:10.600 I'm like please, here take it. And so he's been 0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.440 very kind and sweet enough to He's got a whole 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:15.960 plan for us. We're in Robert Irwin's hands. 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:17.640 For oh Man two weeks. 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:20.840 You're in very good, capable hands, so that's at least 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:21.920 a safe feeling. 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:22.920 Yes for sure. 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.320 How once you touched down, how long are you there 0:07:25.360 --> 0:07:26.560 before you return home? 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:30.360 So we're we fly to Sydney and then Brisbane and 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:32.560 then we're going to go I think the Zoo's like 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:34.400 an hour and a half away, and then we'll spend 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:38.080 a whole week at their lodge, which they've so graciously 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:41.040 hosted us for that. We're really excited about that though. 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.280 I heard the food's amazing and so we'll do that 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:46.120 for a week and then we'll be on the Sunshine 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.120 Coast for the second week. So we wanted a little 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.360 bit of zoo, a little bit of like the beach town. 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.240 So everything recommended by. 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.240 Robert so oh, I love it. 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:56.280 I will let you guys know because I know you 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:57.400 guys are going or trying. 0:07:57.640 --> 0:07:59.440 Are we are? Yeah, we're going to book a trip. 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.240 I don't know exactly when, but uh, I think are 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:04.760 you guys going to be there through the Australian. 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:08.320 Open I think so yep? Oh man, oh, I'm like, 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:09.640 do I try and go? 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:11.480 You should? Absolutely? 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:15.960 Yeah, that would actually be incredible, But we actually we 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:18.160 decided not to bring any help. So I'm like, our 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:19.880 kids allowed? Kids allowed there? 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:22.000 I don't know they are. You're allowed it, You're yeah, 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:23.720 kids are allowed at ten. I mean it's going to 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:26.480 be you know if one of you will probably be 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:28.560 up and down and up and down trying to keep 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:31.080 you know, you don't want them like loud, But yes, 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:32.560 I think I think kids are allowed. 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:32.920 Yeah. 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:35.480 I mean you can't be in Australian during the Australian 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:36.760 Open and not try to go. 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.560 I know, okay, we'll try and go. I know Carson 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.080 will probably be all for it with the sports and 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:45.199 exactly Robert too. I'm like, I'm sure Robert will want 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:45.720 to go as well. 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.960 So yes, yes, you guys should think it'll be fun. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.440 I can't imagine when you started a career in ballroom 0:09:04.520 --> 0:09:10.040 dancing you thought it would lead to zoo trips with 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:11.959 the Irwin family and. 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:16.760 You never And that's what's so beautiful about this show though. 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.240 You get to meet so many different people and walks 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:23.839 of life that you just would never expect to become 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:26.560 friends with. I mean, if I never had this career, 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:28.720 I mean, I don't you know, I wouldn't know Robert 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:31.480 Irwin and He's like one of the most special people 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:33.240 in my life. So I'm very grateful to be on 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:36.200 a show that allows that to happen and to create 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:41.400 friendships and long lasting friendships forever. No, I never thought 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.880 in a million that one of my good friends would 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:47.679 be a zoo keeper from Australia. And it was so 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:50.840 funny during rehearsals too. I would get, you know, towards 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:52.640 the end and be like, Okay, come on, like you 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:54.920 know this, like you know the dance deep and he'd 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:57.840 be like, remember, Whitney, I am just a zoo keeper. 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:01.640 I'm like, right right, You're not as much as it 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:06.120 seems like it. You're not a fellow professional dancer, right this. 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:07.480 You've known this for a few weeks. 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:11.240 Yeah, No, but he honestly, it's going to be hard 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:15.679 to have another partner compared to Robert. I mean, I know, 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:18.439 this is so amazing. I mean, you know how incredible 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:18.760 he is. 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:20.080 He's truly incredible. 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:23.520 I tell everybody every chance I get, like, exactly what 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.440 he seems like is exactly what he is. 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:30.880 I know. Literally, it's so funny, and I forget that 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.520 he's twenty one because he acts like a forty year 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.600 old I know, and then sometimes you get little glimpses 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:40.160 and you're like, oh right, okay, you're all one yes exactly, 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:43.840 but he's yeah, no, he's amazing. So we're really excited 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:45.200 to see him look good. 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.679 I want to talk a little bit about young Whitney. 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:52.080 Kid Whitney, your mom was a travel agent and your 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:57.400 dad was in software developing. How did you gravitate toward dance? 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:01.400 Well, you know what, my mom, she actually grew up 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:05.760 very very poor. She could not afford dance, and she 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.240 really always wanted to be a dancer. And so I 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:11.800 think she knew when I was her first So I 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:14.240 think what she knew that she could tell that I 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.959 kind of liked to dance. She was immediately like okay, 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.920 Like she kind of lived a little bit vicariously through 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.360 me because she wanted to give me all the opportunities 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.000 that she didn't have. And so that's you know, I 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:29.440 started dance very young, and I loved it, loved it, 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:33.440 loved it. And then as I grew older, she actually 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:40.199 became she started a swimweark company, so she was an entrepreneur. 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:44.080 And of that get I remember her starting this business 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:47.480 in our basement and just hustling, and I think that's 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.680 where I get kind of my entrepreneur gene a little 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:54.000 bit that little fire in me to be an entrepreneur 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:57.000 because I saw her work so so hard for something 0:11:57.040 --> 0:11:59.440 that she wanted so badly. So that was she was 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:02.360 amazing example to me of hard work and being a 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:06.160 mom and balancing it all. And it was really inspiring 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:08.520 for me as a kid and a teen to watch 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:13.040 her do that. And my dad, he was in software development, 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:16.480 so he was obviously the techie guy, but they did 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:21.480 trade a lot for my dance training because you know, 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:23.920 at times we couldn't afford it, and they wanted so 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:26.960 badly for me to go after my dreams. And so 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:30.000 I'm just so thankful that they were able to sacrifice 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:32.280 so much for me too. I mean, that's what you 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:34.440 do for your kids, and now having kids, and like 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:37.720 you would do anything for them to have their dreams 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:40.120 and to go after their dreams. And so my dad 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:42.599 did a little bit of the stage work, so he 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.920 would actually take down sets for us and travel with 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.560 us to competitions and set it up to trade for 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:53.679 a lot of my dance training. So he did that 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:56.800 as well as software development, and then once the Swimwork 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:59.160 company kind of took off, they kind of tag teamed 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:05.959 that together. So very very hard working parents came from so. 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:09.800 And creative to think like, okay, there's other ways of 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:13.199 you know, other than cold hard cash. There are other 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:15.880 things we can do. And so even just thinking of that, 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.000 like I can take down and put up sets and. 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:20.640 Yep, and they just they were just willing to do 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.480 that for me, and it was I'm just so thankful 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:27.240 for that and the example of hard work and perseverance 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:29.760 through everything. I truly believe if you work hard enough, 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:32.840 like you can do anything. And that's what you know. 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:35.680 I always tell my brothers and sisters who are adults 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.280 now and just you know, I'm kind of living proof 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:40.840 of that, like you can do anything that you set 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:44.800 your mind to. And yeah, they they We had an 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:47.000 amazing childhood and very grateful for that. 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:51.120 Was the goal always to end up in Los Angeles, 0:13:51.120 --> 0:13:52.920 Like when you start dancing and you know you're going 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.480 to pursue a dance career, is the goal, like let's 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:57.640 get to LA. 0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:59.600 You know what. That Actually that wasn't really in my 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.320 sight because I feel like it was so scary for 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:06.120 me because you know, I've always been born and raised 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:09.960 in that small town, and I just loved dance. I 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.679 loved it so much that I didn't really have sights 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:17.600 on TV or film or that was really wasn't really 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:21.440 in my headspace. I actually had all of my classes 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:24.200 set up for college and I was on the dance team. 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.640 I had auditioned for the dance team in college, and 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:29.080 I was kind of going that route, like Okay, maybe 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:32.560 dance can just be a passion of mine and not 0:14:32.680 --> 0:14:35.560 something that's really on TV or film. And then that 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.480 I remember so thinking you can dance. Came to Salt 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:41.720 Lake City and my mom the two nights before was like, 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:46.040 Mom's intuition is so good, but she was like, I 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:47.960 really just feel like you need to try. You need 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:50.280 to try an audition for this and just see what 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:54.960 happens and you don't. Don't get upset or you know, determined, 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.120 but just just go for it. And so two nights 0:14:58.120 --> 0:15:00.520 before I grabbed my partner and we la last minute, 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:03.200 got a routine together, and I was just like, Okay, 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:06.640 let's go for it. And that just really skyrocketed my 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.160 career into TV and film and so you can dance, 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.480 and then dancing with the Stars found me on that show, okay, 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:16.280 and the kind of the rest is history from that, 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:19.160 But my mom's intuition, she knows. 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:20.400 She knew for sure. 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.440 So that was around twenty twelve that you were on 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.760 So You Think you Can Dance. You finished in the 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.000 top six, and in that first season you were partnered 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.640 with Steven twitch Boss, a dancer that I as a fan, 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:33.440 admired very much from afar. 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:36.480 What are your memories of working with him? 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:41.600 Oh, my gosh, that was one of the most influential 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:46.080 times in my career was with Steven. And he was 0:15:47.240 --> 0:15:50.480 such a beautiful person, a beautiful dancer. Obviously, everyone who 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:54.880 watched him dance just felt an instant connection sol to soul. 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:58.920 It was kind of indescribable. And working with him, he 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.560 was so sweet. Because I was a ballroom dancer, so 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:06.720 I wasn't like completely comfortable with hip hop, and although 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.360 we cross trained a lot, I mean, this was hip 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:11.920 hop hip hop, so I was very much intimidated. But 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:15.640 he made it so fun, He made it so comfortable. 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:23.840 And who was our choreographer, Luthor lu choreographer, and they 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:26.000 had known each other for a while, so I just 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:29.000 remember coming into the studio and feeling like so welcomed 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:32.240 and we had we just had so much fun. And 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:34.280 that was one of the most memorable routines that I 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:38.120 ever did on the show. So again, I'm just I'm 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:40.840 so grateful that I was able to have the opportunity 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:42.160 with him. That was fun. 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:43.600 That was very fun, so fun. 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:46.440 You were there for two seasons and then in twenty 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:48.560 thirteen you made the jump over to Dancing with the 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:50.440 Stars as a member of the Troop. 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:50.960 Right. 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:53.320 It was a little bit of a hot button issue 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:57.600 this season because some were critical of pros who don't 0:16:57.680 --> 0:16:58.840 start in that like. 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:01.200 Quasi prentice position. 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:04.880 Do you think it should be mandatory to ease into 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:07.040 the competition by starting on troop? 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:11.600 I mean, you know what's hard is so they took 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:15.080 away the Troop for a while, and so I think 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:18.359 like that transition kind of changed the way the producers 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:22.040 thought about the Troop and getting promoted to being a professional. 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:25.159 I do think that it helps a lot because the 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:28.480 east of the show is something unlike anything. I mean, 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:31.159 you can't be prepared for a show like this, no 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.400 matter how much training in the studio that you do. 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:38.119 So being on the troop and it helps you see 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:40.399 kind of how it works, how the beast of the 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.760 show works, and how to teach, because you can be 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:45.800 the best dancer in the entire world, but if you 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.080 don't know how to teach, then you know that it 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:51.760 can become very hard for you, and you know, you 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.320 do have to be I think it's it's helpful if 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.159 you are a little bit cross trained, because now now 0:17:57.240 --> 0:18:00.639 we're seeing you know, the freestyles, and we're seeing you know, 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:04.480 obviously there's jazz and contemporary styles that get judged, and 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:07.359 so it is really nice to have a little bit 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:11.080 of everything, and also just to get a little bit 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:14.080 more information and education under your belt before you get 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:16.600 promoted as a pro. And I did feel a little 0:18:16.600 --> 0:18:20.040 bit bad for Yawn that he wasn't able. I mean, 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.320 he had never been involved in the show. I mean 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.160 it's nice when you can kind of see it firsthand 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:29.800 before you step into that role. Yeah, and so I 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:31.480 think it would just be helpful. I don't know if 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:33.600 it needs to be mandatory, but I think that it 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:34.200 would help. 0:18:34.080 --> 0:18:35.719 The pro Yeah, benefits the pros. 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:39.480 It benefits the pros. Honestly, Like, if I had to choose, 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:43.199 I would say put me on troop first before I 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:46.320 get promoted to a pro. But yeah, I think it's 0:18:46.440 --> 0:18:49.800 it was very helpful. And then obviously each season that 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:52.439 you do as a professional is still so much that 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:55.719 you learn. I mean, my first season to this season 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:59.800 is dramatically different. You know, each you learn more and 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:02.600 you get better at teaching, you get better at choreographing, 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:05.399 you get better about how you plan everything, and so 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:08.480 now like within the last even few years, I feel 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:11.159 like I've gotten a grip on that where I feel like, 0:19:11.840 --> 0:19:13.879 you know, I've watched back some of the routines that 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:16.040 I did with Von Miller and I'm like, oh my gosh, 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:19.400 what was I thinking? You know, which I think everybody 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:23.719 does that at some point in their work, correct, But 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:27.400 you know it definitely each season teaches you and makes 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:29.639 you grow in ways that you didn't expect. 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.359 And as we talked about, then in your second season, 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.800 you were paired with the incomparable Alphonso Ribero and you 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:39.480 take home the Mirror Ball Trophy with him. Did that 0:19:39.520 --> 0:19:42.480 partnership feel special just right from the start? 0:19:44.080 --> 0:19:49.520 I yes, And I remember actually our first meeting and 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:53.199 I knew exactly who he was. They used to just 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:56.880 surprise us and it got it got. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.159 When people, yeah, because sometimes people didn't know who. 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:01.280 They were exactly, and you're like, nice to meet you. 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:04.320 I don't know anymore. But they surprised me on this 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:06.840 one because I think they knew I would know who 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:09.719 he was. I mean, I watched Fresh Prince all growing up, 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:14.199 like I wash, so of course I was instantly excited 0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:16.040 when I met him, and then we started to get 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:18.720 into I remember it was just simple chochaw locks across 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.800 the floor and he got it like that, and I 0:20:21.960 --> 0:20:27.159 was like, Okay, this is gonna be really good. And 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:29.640 I could just feel it. I could just feel how 0:20:29.680 --> 0:20:32.840 different it was, and he was so good in the 0:20:32.880 --> 0:20:35.320 fact that, like, okay, so it's my second season, right, 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:39.879 I'm still very much competitive, Like I'm still trying to 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:42.520 prove myself in a way, because you know, the first 0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:45.159 season I was with Cody Simpson and I got we 0:20:45.200 --> 0:20:48.160 got eliminated I think like the fourth or fifth week 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.840 fairly early. So I still had something to prove and 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:55.520 I was very competitive and very hard, very hard on him, 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:58.639 and he was just so patient and kind with me, 0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:02.080 and he was exactly what I needed to be, like, Okay, 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:06.119 it's okay, it's about it's about making the celebrity better. 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:09.960 And I think all when once you get into a group, 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:12.720 you understand that, but at the beginning you're really focused 0:21:12.760 --> 0:21:15.040 on you know, I've got to prove myself. I have 0:21:15.119 --> 0:21:18.640