Sasha Farber

Sasha Farber
Born
Alexander Farber

May 9, 1984
Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality
  • Australian
  • American
Occupations
  • Professional dancer
  • choreographer
Years active2000–present
Spouse
(m. 2018; div. 2024)

Alexander "Sasha" Farber (born 1984) is an Australian and American professional dancer, known for his appearances as a pro and troupe member on Dancing with the Stars.

Personal life

[edit]

Farber was born in Belarus, Soviet Union[1] but moved to Australia in 1986. His family is Jewish.[2] He began dancing at the age of 13. When he was 17, Farber won the Australian Youth Latin Championships twice and represented Australia at the World Latin Championships. He was also featured in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony, and featured in the second season of the Australian Dancing with the Stars. He was also an original cast member of Broadway production of Burn the Floor.[citation needed] He dated fellow Dancing with the Stars member Emma Slater from 2011 to 2014. In December 2015, Farber made a post on his Instagram account confirming that he and Slater were back together. On 4 October 2016, Farber proposed to Slater during a broadcast of Dancing with the Stars after performing a dance together.[3] The two married on 25 March 2018.[4] In 2020, he gained American citizenship.[5] In 2022, he and Slater separated, and in February 2023, Slater filed for divorce.[6]

Professional career

[edit]

Dancing with the Stars

[edit]

Farber started out as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars in Australia before he moved across to the US version in season fourteen as a troupe member. However he was promoted to professional dancer in season 17 when he was paired with Jersey Shore cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.[7] The pair were eliminated in week 7 despite good scores from the judges. He was placed back in the troupe for the next four seasons. On 8 March 2016, Farber was again announced as a pro for season 22 and paired with actress Kim Fields.[8] The couple was eliminated on 2 May 2016, along with Von Miller and Witney Carson, tying for 7th place. Farber returned for season 23 and was partnered with Little Women: LA star Terra Jolé. Jolé and Farber were eliminated on week 10 of the competition, finishing in 5th place despite tying for the top of the leaderboard, marking Farber's first time in the Semifinals. He returned for season 24 and was partnered with Olympic artistic gymnast Simone Biles. The couple was shockingly eliminated one week before the finals on 15 May 2017, after receiving two perfect scores and praise from the judges. For season 25, he returned as a member of the troupe. He appeared as a pro again in season 26 and was paired with former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. The pair made it to the finals and finished in third place overall, marking Farber's first appearance in the finale. For season 27, he was partnered with former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton.[9] The couple was eliminated on week 6 of competition, finishing in 9th place. Farber also appeared on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors mentoring Scottie Pippen’s daughter Sophia Pippen and pro Jake Monreal. They were eliminated on week 3. He returned again for season 28 where he was paired with Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke. Farber once again made it to finals with Brooke and finished in third place for the second time.[10] For season 29, he was partnered with One Day at a Time actress Justina Machado. They reached the finals and finished in 4th place.[11] For season 30, he was partnered with Olympic gymnast Suni Lee. They reached the semifinals and finished in 5th place. For season 31, he was partnered actress Selma Blair.[12] On 17 October 2022, Blair and Farber were forced to withdraw from the competition due to Blair’s ongoing health condition with Multiple Sclerosis finishing in 12th place.

Season Partner Place
17 Snooki 8th
22 Kim Fields 7th
23 Terra Jolé 5th
24 Simone Biles 4th
26 Tonya Harding 3rd
27 Mary Lou Retton 9th
28 Ally Brooke 3rd
29 Justina Machado 4th
30 Suni Lee 5th
31 Selma Blair 12th
32 Alyson Hannigan 5th
33 Jenn Tran 7th

With Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

[edit]
  • Placed: 8th; (average: 25.0)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Wild Ones" 7 8 7 No Elimination
2 Rumba / "Just Give Me a Reason" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Quickstep / "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" 9 8 8 Safe
4 Jive / "Mickey" 8 81 8 Safe
5 Jazz / "Work Bitch" 9 9 9 Safe
6 Foxtrot / "Build Me Up Buttercup" 9 9 9 No Elimination
Switch-Up Challenge / Various Awarded 3 Points
7 Samba / "Hey Mama"
Team Freestyle / "Bom Bom"
9
9
9
9
9
9
Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Julianne Hough.

With Kim Fields

[edit]
  • Placed: 8th; (average: 22.9)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Sax" 7 6 7 No Elimination
2 Salsa / "Conga" 7 6 6 Safe
3 Foxtrot / "The Facts of Life Theme" 8 7 7 Safe
4 Quickstep / "I Wan'na Be Like You" 8 8/81 8 Safe
52 Viennese Waltz / "These Arms of Mine" 8 6/63 8 No Elimination
6 Jive / "You Can't Stop the Beat" 8 8 8 Safe
7 Samba / "ABC"
Team Freestyle / "End of Time", "If I Were a Boy" & "Crazy in Love"
9
8
9
8
9
9
Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Zendaya.
2 For this week only, as part of "America's Switch Up", Fields performed with Keo Motsepe instead of Farber. Farber performed with Paige VanZant.
3 Score given by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

With Terra Jolé

[edit]
  • Placed: 5th; (average: 33.8)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Jive / "Stuff Like That There" 7 7 7 7 No Elimination
2 Quickstep / "Bewitched Theme" 7 7 7 7 Safe
3 Viennese Waltz / "Iris" 8 7 8 7 Safe
4 Samba / "Simcha" 9 8 8 8 Safe
5 Contemporary / "Stand By Me" 9 9 9 9 No Elimination
6 Paso Doble / "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" 7 8 8 7 Safe
7 Foxtrot / "Cheek to Cheek"
Team Freestyle / "Embrace"
9
8
8
9
9
9
8
9
Safe
8 Cha-cha-cha / "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)"
Salsa Dance Off / "Magic"
8
No
8
Extra
8
Points
8
Awarded
Last to be called safe
9 Charleston / "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
Team-Up Dance (Jazz) / "Big Noise from Winnetka"
10
9
10
9
9
9
9
9
Safe
10[13]
Semifinals
Rumba / "Scars to Your Beautiful"
Trio Tango / "Hideway"
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Eliminated

With Simone Biles

[edit]
  • Placed: 4th; (average: 35.4)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Tango / "Untouchable" 8 8 8 8 No Elimination
2 Cha-cha-cha / "Burnin' Up" 7 7 7 7 Safe
3 Quickstep / "Viva Las Vegas" 8 8 9 8 Safe
4 Viennese Waltz / "Good Good Father" 9 9 9 9 Safe
5 Contemporary / "How Far I'll Go" 9 9 10 10 Safe
6 Samba / "Survivor"
Team Freestyle / "My Boyfriend's Back", "No Scrubs" & "BO$$"
9
8
9
8
81
91
9
9
Safe
7 Charleston / "Charleston"
Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Crave"
10
Awarded
9
2
92
Extra
9
Points
Safe
8[14] Foxtrot / "What Makes You Beautiful"
Trio Paso Doble / "Don't Let Me Down"
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
Safe
9
Semifinals
Jive / "Faith"
Rumba / "Skyscraper"
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Nick Carter.
2 Score given by guest judge Mandy Moore.

With Tonya Harding

[edit]
  • Placed: 3rd; (average: 25.2)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "When You Believe" 8 8 7 Last to be called safe
2 Quickstep / "Redneck Woman"
Team Freestyle / "...Baby One More Time"
8
8
8/91
8/91
8
8
Safe
3 Rumba / "See You Again"
Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Dance"
8
Awarded
8/92
2
8
Points
Safe
4
Finals
Viennese Waltz / "The Time of My Life"
Freestyle / "I Will Survive"
8
10
9
10
9
10
3rd place

1 Score given by guest judge Rashad Jennings.
2 Score given by guest judge David Ross.

With Mary Lou Retton

[edit]
  • Placed: 9th; (average: 23.1)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Treasure"
Cha-cha-cha / "Hot Stuff"
6
7
7
7
6
7
Safe
2 Waltz / "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
Samba / "Copacabana"
8
8
7
8
7
8
Safe
3 Viennese Waltz / "We Are the Champions" 8 8 8 Safe
4 Trio Charleston / "V.E.S.P.A." 9 8 9 Safe
5 Contemporary / "Reflection" 9 8 8 No Elimination
6 Tango / "Shame" 8 8 8 Eliminated

With Ally Brooke

[edit]
  • Placed: 3rd; (average: 35.47)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Guest Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Work from Home" 6 5 6 6 No Elimination
2 Viennese Waltz / "Iris" 6 6 6 7 Safe
3 Rumba / "Dreaming of You" 8 8 8 8 Safe
4 Jive / "Proud Mary" 8 8 8 8 Safe
5 Contemporary / "Beauty and the Beast" 9 9 9 9 No Elimination
6 Quickstep / "Take On Me" 8 9 8 8 Bottom two
7 Tango / "Sweet but Psycho"
Team Freestyle / "Somebody's Watching Me"
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
Safe
8 Paso Doble / "Higher"
Jive Dance-Off / "Don't Stop Me Now"
10
No
10
Extra
10
Points
10
Awarded
Bottom two
9 Samba / "Wannabe"
Jazz / "Step by Step"
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Safe
10
Semifinals
Viennese Waltz / "Perfect"
Charleston / "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"
10
10
9
10
10
10
10
10
Bottom two
11
Finals
Jive / "Proud Mary"
Freestyle / "Conga"
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
3rd place

Blue score given by guest judge Leah Remini.
Purple score given by guest judge Joey Fatone.

With Justina Machado

[edit]
  • Placed: 4th; (average: 25.5)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Respect" 7 7 7 No Elimination
2 Foxtrot / "When You Believe" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Charleston / “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 7 6 6 Safe
4 Salsa / “Que Viva la Vida” 8 8 8 Safe
5 Jazz / “Maniac 8 8 8 Safe
6 Viennese waltz / "She's Always a Woman" 9 9 9 Safe
7 Tango / "Take Me to Church" 9 9 8 Safe
8 Samba / "Magalenha"
Viennese waltz Relay / "I Have Nothing"
9
Awarded
9
2
9
points
Safe
9 Rumba / "Crazy for You"
Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Telephone"
8
Awarded
8
2
8
points
Safe
10
Semifinals
Tango / "El Tango de Roxanne"
Contemporary / "Holding Out for a Hero"
9
10
10
10
9
10
Bottom three
11
Finals
Cha-cha-cha / "Respect"
Freestyle / "Let's Get Loud"
10
10
10
10
10
10
4th place

With Suni Lee

[edit]
  • Placed: 5th; (average: 33.8)
Week # Dance / song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Jive / "Stay" 7 7 7 7 No Elimination
2 Cha-cha-cha / "I Like It" 7 7 7 7 Safe
3 Foxtrot / "I'm a Slave 4 U" 7 7 7 7 Safe
4 Salsa / "Colombia, Mi Encanto" 8 8 9 8 Safe
Viennese waltz / "I Put a Spell on You" 9 8 9 9
5 Charleston / "Born to Hand Jive" 9 9 9 9 Safe
6 Tango / "Bad Habits" 9 9 9 9 Bottom two
7 Paso doble / "We Will Rock You" 8 8 8 9 Safe
Viennese waltz relay / "We Are the Champions" +1
8 Samba / "All for You" 10 10 10 10 Safe
Salsa / "Made for Now (Latin version)" Awarded 2 points
9 Foxtrot / "Haven't Met You Yet" 10 9 9 9 Eliminated
Contemporary / "Gravity" 10 9 10 9

With Selma Blair

[edit]
  • Placed: 12th; (average: 29.0)
Week # Dance / song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Viennese waltz / "The Time of My Life" 7 7 7 7 Safe
2 Jive / "Jailhouse Rock" 7 7 7 7 Safe
3 Rumba / "For Your Eyes Only" 7 7 7 7 Safe
4 Quickstep / "The Muppet Show Theme" 8 8 8 8 Safe (later withdrew)

With Alyson Hannigan

[edit]
  • Placed: 5th; (average: 22.3)
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Salsa / "Never Gonna Not Dance Again" 5 4 4 Safe
2 Tango / "Can't Remember to Forget You" 7 6 6 Safe
3 Foxtrot / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" 6 6/61 6 Safe
4 Jazz / "Be Our Guest" 6 6 6 Safe
5 Viennese Waltz / "Perfect" 7 7 7 Safe
6 Paso Doble / "Supermassive Black Home"
Hustle & Charleston Marathon / Stayin' Alive & Grim Grinning Ghosts
7
Awarded
7/72
2
8
Points
Safe
7 Quickstep / "Candyman"
Team Freestyle / "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
8
9
8/93
9/103
8
9
Safe
8 Contemporary / "The Greatest Love of All"
Rumba dance-off/ "One Moment in Time"
8
Awarded
8/94
3
8
Points
Safe
9
Quarter-finals
Cha-Cha-Cha / "You Belong with Me"
Jive relay/ "Shake It Off"
7
Awarded
7/85
3
7
Points
Safe
10
Semi-Finals
Jive / "Footloose"
Waltz / "Come Away with Me"
9
8
8
9
8
9
No elimination
11
Final
Salsa / "Get on Your Feet"
Freestyle / "Enchanted & Papi"
9
9
8
9
8
10
5th place

1 Score given by guest judge Michael Strahan.
2 Score given by guest judge Niecy Nash-Betts.
3 Score given by guest judge Paula Abdul.
4 Score given by guest judge Billy Porter.
5 Score given by guest judge Mandy Moore.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sasha Faber: Celebrity". TV Guide.
  2. ^ Brostoff, Marissa (8 January 2010). "Dancing with the Czars". Tablet. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2016. Farber, meanwhile, was born in Belarus in a town not far from Chernobyl.
  3. ^ Stone, Natalie (4 October 2016). "Dancing with the Stars Engagement! Emma Slater Says 'Yes' to Sasha Farber". People.
  4. ^ Crabtree, Erin (25 March 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' Pros Emma Slater and Sasha Farber Are Married: Photos". US Weekly. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  5. ^ "I've dreamed of this day ever since I was a little boy in Russia watching blockbuster movies". Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  6. ^ America, Good Morning. "'DWTS' star Emma Slater files for divorce from Sasha Farber after 4 years of marriage". Good Morning America. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  7. ^ Dancing With The Stars 17 Cast Revealed September 4 on GMA
  8. ^ "Dancing With the Stars 2016: Season 22 Celebrity Cast Revealed Live on 'GMA'". ABC News. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. ^ Murphy, Desiree (12 September 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 27 Cast Revealed -- Meet the Celebs and Their Pro Partners!". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (25 November 2019). "'Dancing with the Stars' Finale recap: Who won the Mirror Ball Trophy at the end of topsy-turvy season 28?". Gold Derby. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  11. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (23 November 2020). "'Dancing with the Stars' finale recap: Who won the Mirror Ball Trophy for season 29? [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]". Gold Derby. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Dancing with the Stars: Teresa Giudice, Wayne Brady, Selma Blair and More Celebs Join Season 31". Peoplemag. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Five Couples Remain as the Competition Heats up for the Semi-Finals, and Each Couple Must Perform Two New Dances, on 'Dancing with the Stars,' Monday, November 14". disneyabcpress.com. 10 November 2016.
  14. ^ "Scoop: DANCING WITH THE STARS on ABC - Monday, May 8, 2017". BroadwayWorld.com. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.