Danielle with… Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

0:16Speaker 1:Welcome back to Danielle With.

0:18Speaker 2:Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars is in full swing. The ballroom is packed with energy. We've already seen some show-stopping routines, multiple eliminations.

0:30Speaker 1:And a lot of ads for bread.

0:33Speaker 2:And I have shown no restraint when asked who I'm voting for 20 times every week. I have been screaming it from the rooftops. It is my partner from last year, competing in his eighth season of the show, Pasha Pashkov and his new partner, three-time U.S. champion, gold medal-winning figure skater Amber Glenn. They have quickly shot their way up to the top of the pack, becoming a true contender.

1:02Speaker 1:For the Mirror Ball.

1:03Speaker 2:Especially with last week's impressive routine to DJ Harrison's remix of tattoos, all the things she said, perfectly placed on the eve of Bi Visibility Day. And now I get the opportunity to talk to them smack dab in the middle of their preparation for week three, Yacht Rock Night.

1:22Speaker 1:And I have some questions. Almost all of them.

1:27Speaker 2:Involve Pasha's rice cake consumption. Please welcome to the podcast, Pasha Pashkov and Amber Glenn.

1:36Speaker 3:I'm so glad that you mentioned that because it's one of the first things I say when, is there anything that you've really gotten to know about each other within these first few weeks?

1:47Speaker 4:And it's the rice cakes and yogurt. Oh, yeah. Yeah, the yogurt is.

1:53Speaker 2:I really got to see the yogurt consumption on tour. And he mixes the rice cakes with the yogurt.

2:01Speaker 5:It has increased. Now we're talking like a tub a day.

2:04Speaker 4:It's bad. It's insane. Wow.

2:07Speaker 2:I mean, I will say, Pasha, you are extra ripped right now. And you have been really since tour. So is the secret a tub of yogurt a day?

2:17Speaker 6:I think the tub of yogurt is what keeps me from disappearing because the amount of dancing we've been doing on tour and now, you know.

2:26Speaker 5:Is extreme.

2:27Speaker 2:Yes. I mean, he lived off of rice cakes for season 34, the same way a semi truck runs on diesel fuel. I would love to thank you both so much for joining me. I have experienced so much joy watching you dance together from home and Having been on the show, I know what an enormous rush it feels like on those Tuesday nights. And it was completely new to me when I did the show. But Amber, you are a gold medalist. You are used to pushing your body and competing in front of millions of people. Is Dancing with the Stars still difficult for you, even though you have that experience?

3:08Speaker 3:Of course, it's difficult. It's not like I'm going out there like, oh, this is easy. I'm used to this. It's completely different for me. One, I'm used to being alone. And now it's like, oh, I am sharing in this, which is incredible because we get to share in the joy and accomplishment.

3:24Speaker 4:But it's also like.

3:25Speaker 3:I have someone else that's like, yeah, in this with that's invested as well. It's like if I mess up, it's not just me. It's like for both of us, which I've been I think I've been decent about trying to, you know, I know that no matter what, Pasha has my back and that everything will be good. But it makes the success and things going well even better.

3:46Speaker 5:Yeah.

3:47Speaker 2:It can be hard when you've gotten so used to being self-reliant and just like, okay, if I let myself down, it's just me. But now to have someone to share it with, but hopefully the sharing in the lows helps and the sharing in the highs is extra fun. Have you had a breakdown yet? An emotional breakdown? I had mine maybe around.

4:08Speaker 1:Week five during the jive. Have you had a breakdown yet?

4:13Speaker 3:I know I wouldn't consider any breakdowns I think I have little I call my little crash outs and I just I don't even say words I just make noises um and I usually just like kind of go silent and contemplate for a minute and I'm just like thinking and Pasha's like you're good like everything's fine he knows when I kind of like go silent and I'm not like goofing and gagging that he's like oh.

4:37Speaker 2:Okay yeah Pasha what makes Amber such a great.

4:42Speaker 6:Partner Um, Amber, she locks in, you know, when it matters, which is most of the time, but at the same time, I think there's a good balance. We are goofing around and, um, that relaxed, you know, state of mind, playful state of mind really helps, you know, um, keeps, you know, it keeps the flow going during the rehearsal. Um, I think that would like number one and number two is I think because Amber is an athlete and she performed, you know, under high pressure. She knows her body and she knows exactly what she needs to do, you know, physically and mentally on the show day before we go live. So I'm just observing and I always tell her like, hey, I'm here for you if you need me, you know, like if you want to go over the dance with me, I'm here. But if you feel good, I trust you, you know, like you know your body, you know when what it feels like to be warm and ready to go.

5:45Speaker 6:You know, when you feel like I've got this or wait, I need to go over one more time because obviously in.

5:51Speaker 5:Figure skating, you also do a certain routine.

5:54Speaker 4:Yeah.

5:56Speaker 5:I feel like I trust her with.

6:00Speaker 6:Letting either use me, you know, if she needs to or opposite, you know, stay back and say, hey, if you got it, you got it. I don't want to like barge in, do something extra that you might not need.

6:12Speaker 5:Totally.

6:24Speaker 2:Amber, tell me what went into saying yes to Dancing with the Stars. You are coming off the Winter Games with Team USA and you are eyeing an upcoming Grand Prix season.

6:34Speaker 1:So what led you here?

6:36Speaker 3:There were talks about it being a possibility, which... It even being, like, in a conversation, like, blew my mind.

6:46Speaker 4:I've always, like, I've.

6:47Speaker 3:Been a big fan for many years, and I never expected that I'd get to a level to where I would be considered for something like this. And. For so many years, I've been doing like the same thing, competing, skating, doing the same thing. But because it was on a whole nother level, which is Olympics, it's like so many opportunities started arising afterwards.

7:11Speaker 4:And one of them.

7:12Speaker 3:Being, Hey, like we're in talks with dancing with the stars. And when I tell you it was months of like, Oh, we're talking to them. We're and it, Eventually I was kind of like, okay, like if they haven't asked me by now, like I don't think it's going to happen. I should just like prepare for the upcoming season. And literally like days after I like got my entire schedule sorted, I had everything planned out. I get a call from my agent being like, guess what? Which of course I was ecstatic, but I was like, oh my God, I just spent like a week planning my entire year.

7:45Speaker 4:Yep.

7:46Speaker 1:Well, that's exactly why it came about.

7:48Speaker 2:You know, if you ever want something to happen, make a plan to do something else and then you'll have to wipe it all out.

7:53Speaker 4:Exactly. But it was the easiest.

7:55Speaker 3:Yes. I, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I've been doing the same thing for a long, long, long time.

8:03Speaker 4:And I could do it forever.

8:05Speaker 3:I love it dearly, but I wanted to challenge myself with something different.

8:10Speaker 4:I love that.

8:11Speaker 1:Was it hard to keep a secret?

8:12Speaker 2:The show is obviously at a real pop culture peak, so I bet you were dying to tell your friends.

8:19Speaker 4:For sure.

8:20Speaker 3:And it was kind of hard to not say anything because I'm just like suddenly not at the rank.

8:27Speaker 4:Right. So it's just like, oh, what? She disappeared. Hello?

8:32Speaker 3:Just like disappeared. And then suddenly I'm at a rank in California and people are like, oh, that's odd. That's suspicious.

8:40Speaker 4:I'm like, oh, I'm just doing a little project. Like, it's fine.

8:44Speaker 1:You'll hear soon.

8:46Speaker 4:Yeah.

8:46Speaker 3:And now, of course, like I have so many people that are coming in and supporting. Like I had a fellow Olympian come in just for the show this last week. And it was so sweet. He had like little cutouts of us and was just like so.

9:00Speaker 4:Pumped, so excited.

9:02Speaker 3:So every single week, like I have new people that are wanting to come in and I'm like, hey, like I still like this isn't like a planned competition. Like I got to qualify every week still.

9:11Speaker 6:Right. Yeah.

9:13Speaker 2:It's fun, though, to know how many people are supporting you. And, you know, it is it is difficult when you're like, I'm still working. I'm working really hard, actually.

9:23Speaker 1:In 2019, you came out as pansexual.

9:26Speaker 2:And I wanted to know, did you ever think about having a female partner on Dancing with the Stars?

9:32Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I know that like in the past, I think on Alona's podcast, they asked if I would JoJo Siwa it.

9:40Speaker 6:Oh, okay.

9:40Speaker 3:Because I guess at that point, that was the only time that that had happened. And it's funny because in the past, especially when on the ice, I was the one who would lift other people. There's actually a video of me lifting Basha on the ice.

9:54Speaker 1:Yes, oh, I saw.

9:55Speaker 5:Oh, for sure.

9:56Speaker 1:Impressive, impressive. I tried to drag him. One time I just had... to drag him across the floor and I couldn't do it. He is dense.

10:03Speaker 4:Yeah. I mean, there's, there's a video of me trying to drag him as well.

10:07Speaker 1:It's all the yogurt. Exactly.

10:12Speaker 4:All the yogurt. Yeah.

10:13Speaker 3:And of course, I was open to the idea, but I couldn't be happier with how things landed and how fastly that trust has been just solidified.

10:26Speaker 2:Good. I know you're friends with Adam Rippon, and I'm sure a lot of other Olympians who have participated in the show at some point. What advice did they give you when they found out you were going to be on Dancing with the Stars?

10:38Speaker 3:Yeah, immediately after it was announced, I got a message from all the people in figure skating that have been on the show. And every single one said to enjoy it. I'm like, well, yeah, like, of course I'm going to try to enjoy it. I was like hoping there was like a secret or something. I was like, but they're so right. I, especially after that first week, like I was so nervous and it happened so fast.

11:03Speaker 4:I was like, oh my God, it's over already. And I was like, I was sad. I was like, damn. So I feel like something this.

11:10Speaker 3:Week is I really tried to take it all in a bit more. And I think it helped. I felt like I was able to enjoy every second and really put my all into it without getting too carried away. So I think Week after week, I'm going to keep trying to do that. And I enjoy the every day. I like putting the work in. I like learning new things. One of my favorite things is seeing Pasha get into like when something like clicks and figures out he.

11:36Speaker 4:Gets so excited.

11:38Speaker 3:And I know that feeling as an athlete, as someone who does choreography, like when something falls into place, how like satisfying that can be. And so seeing the gears turning is like so exciting, even though I have no idea what's going on.

11:50Speaker 4:I'm just like, oh, OK, great.

11:53Speaker 1:I think something good happened.

11:55Speaker 3:Yeah.

11:57Speaker 2:Pasha, have you felt the pressure of social media? We know it is almost like a second competition posting TikToks.

12:05Speaker 1:How has that been for you two this year?

12:08Speaker 6:I think we kind of we split the the law between the two of us.

12:14Speaker 5:Amber in.

12:17Speaker 6:Obviously younger and being on top of all the sounds and trends on TikTok, you know, that she brings in that I have no idea about.

12:25Speaker 5:I'm like, yeah, let's do it. Great.

12:28Speaker 6:And then I come up with more of the dad joke.

12:32Speaker 5:Type of reels, you know, like my type of humor, which Amber also at first is like, yeah, that's very dad jokey. But you know what? People like it. It works. Let's do it.

12:42Speaker 1:So, yeah.

12:43Speaker 4:Yeah.

12:44Speaker 3:They've been doing his dad joke ones have been doing better than like, like ones I'm like, Oh, this is trending.

12:49Speaker 4:I'm like, Oh yeah, sure. Yep.

12:51Speaker 1:Let's go with the dad jokes then.

12:53Speaker 4:Yeah.

12:54Speaker 5:So I think, yeah, definitely social media.

12:57Speaker 6:Um, it takes a lot of, you know, like creative juices out of you and a lot of extra time and effort.

13:05Speaker 5:Uh, but at the same time, it's fun, you know, it's fun.

13:09Speaker 6:And I think the best thing is that, um, on the show itself, you know, we can show the dance and we see the package and that's about it.

13:19Speaker 5:And I don't think.

13:20Speaker 6:People really get to know what happens behind the scenes, really get to know us very well and not to get to know Amber, like different sides of her or how our partnership actually is. And I think right now, even Amber, you know, she posts a lot of BTS stuff from our rehearsals that people don't get to see. And I think it's great for people to see what is actually happening. Yes, we're locked in most of the time and we're working hard, but there are funny things that are happening, you know, and like we do trip and we do fall and we do laugh and we do crash out and all of those things are real things and part of the rehearsal when you're in the studio for so many hours.

14:01Speaker 2:Yeah, if people don't get the opportunity to see that, it almost seems as though you just walked in and immediately put on this perfect, glorious performance.

14:10Speaker 1:And we know you're.

14:12Speaker 2:Actually scraping and clawing and, you know, digging in and, you know, having those moments where there's some meltdowns or hysterical laughing fits.

14:21Speaker 1:And, you know, it's quite a roller coaster. So I'm glad that you guys are letting people into that.

14:27Speaker 2:I want to talk about week one. You performed a cha-cha to Smooth by Santana. Were you two happy with the performance? How did you feel after week one?

14:37Speaker 4:I felt pretty good.

14:38Speaker 3:Like, of course it was, it just happened so fast. Like that's the biggest thing for me is like, it just, it was, I'm used to like these long routines where I'm alone. And so I'm like in my head a lot and there's like, so it feels so drawn out. And this, it felt like I blinked and it was over.

14:54Speaker 4:And I was like, oh my God, whoa.

14:56Speaker 3:Uh, I personally, like, it was so cool seeing it all come together. And it was interesting since it was a two-night premiere.

15:05Speaker 4:Yep. And I just had to sit there for a night and watch. That was hard.

15:09Speaker 1:That's a hard part, for sure.

15:11Speaker 4:It was very hard.

15:13Speaker 3:And then the second night, like, we were second to go.

15:16Speaker 4:It was like, got it done.

15:18Speaker 3:So I think the biggest thing for me is like, oh, it just, it happened so fast. I, of course, like, enjoyed it.

15:25Speaker 4:I felt like we did really, really well. But I was. Really happy and really.

15:31Speaker 3:Excited to see the progress that we made from week one to week two with our partnership. Yes.

15:38Speaker 1:Pasha, how'd you feel about week one?

15:40Speaker 5:Oh, great.

15:41Speaker 6:Um, I do have to agree that, uh, having two separate premiere nights and being the one to go on the second night was not easy. No, I think it was better for the male celebs, you know, cause they, Got it out of the way.

15:56Speaker 5:And the second night, they were just there chilling.

15:59Speaker 4:Chilling.

16:00Speaker 6:To worry about, you know, oh, I still have to do this dance next day. So for us, you know, there was like a lot of like, we're there. We feel the energy. It's the premiere.

16:08Speaker 5:You're like, yes, it's here. You know, dancing.

16:12Speaker 6:So that was not an easy one. But I'm very happy with, I think, you know, cha-cha in general. I think it's one of the, it seems like an easy.

16:24Speaker 5:Dance, but it's not. You know, you remember, right?

16:27Speaker 6:Like it's not an easy dance because it's hard to, it's a lot of technique and it's hard to make it, very impactful you know so i'm happy that we're able to um first of all i was very happy with the song yeah thank you thank you amber for being born in 1999 because you know it's a great song it's a good cha-cha so i was really happy that for three weeks when we had to listen to it thousands of times it was that song you know and not something that that we don't like So it was a great song and I think Amber has improved, you know, like a lot because it was a huge shift, you know, to go from ice where when we had our first meet and I put the skates on, the first thing she told me, soft knees, bend your knees when you get on the ice, you know, and I'm like, yeah, I get it. And in Chacha, opposite, log those knees, straighten those legs, you know, like hit those lines. it was definitely a big adjustment and we worked hard. So I'm happy with how the technique turned out. And I think we're able to show, you know, some things that Amber's fans haven't seen before, you know, full work.

17:42Speaker 5:And a lot of the fans were excited about that.

17:44Speaker 4:Very excited to see you do it.

17:46Speaker 6:And then of course, I was like, when I saw, when we had the first meet and I was like, Amber, please show me some cool stuff on the ice, you know?

17:54Speaker 5:And she did that aerial.

17:55Speaker 6:I was like, that's gone in the routine and like can you do that in the in heels on the floor and she tried and the funny thing she said um with a boot in on ice it's easier because the weight of the.

18:11Speaker 1:Boot sends you right.

18:14Speaker 6:Yeah which I didn't even think about it so uh yeah I was I was very very happy with.

18:20Speaker 1:Week one Yeah, as you should be. It was a stellar performance.

18:24Speaker 2:I personally think you were underscored, which seems to be a common.

18:31Speaker 1:Occurrence with Mr. Pashkov. I was very frustrated. What did Pasha.

18:36Speaker 2:Tell you about how to let go of some of the critiques or judges' scores so that you can just get right back into the next dance?

18:46Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, of course, as an athlete, I immediately was like, what did I do wrong?

18:51Speaker 4:What happened?

18:52Speaker 3:You know, like picking out every single thing that I could.

18:55Speaker 4:Have done better.

18:57Speaker 3:But I'm also used to getting like a score sheet right after and getting like feedback for every single thing that I did on a scale of like minus five to plus five and like having an explanation from 12 different judges. So I like, If I have any questions, I have plenty of like explanations, not a one through 10, which is wild to me. And then just having that is just, again, it was just so strange and foreign to me. And then immediately getting like verbal feedback. Oh my God, I just finished.

19:36Speaker 4:Like, what do you mean?

19:37Speaker 1:Hold on, give me a second.

19:38Speaker 4:I haven't even processed what happened yet. What's going on?

19:41Speaker 3:So definitely was strange for me. And, you know, of course, watch is like just you know take it in uh just be everything's great no matter how you feel like you know but also stay true to yourself and I was happy with the feedback we got because I feel like we improved on it so much within one week it's like we took it and we applied it so.

20:10Speaker 4:I definitely, when I hear.

20:12Speaker 3:Feedback, I immediately am like, okay, I need to do it to show like, I heard you, I listened. Like when I get feedback, like from Pasha, I'm like, I immediately try and apply it. And if I like forget it when trying to do something else, I'm like, I'm sorry, I promise I'm listening. I promise I'm listening. Like I am trying, I promise. It's just my brain can only handle so many things at once. yep it's okay I know like I promise I'm listening I trust you I want to do well right exactly I promise I know you're right I'm not doubting you I'm just not good I'm trying.

20:44Speaker 6:Sometimes I can give like five notes at a time and like four of them and might miss one and she'd be like oh my god I'm like are you kidding me I was expecting maybe one of them to show up you did four of them so right like also like that perfectionist athlete that's super hard on herself.

21:04Speaker 1:Yes. And how do you manage that, Amber? Because there is no way in just a few.

21:10Speaker 2:Weeks or in, you know, now that you're into one week per dance, there's no way you're going to be perfect on something you are just learning. So how do you manage your perfectionism? It's something I know a little bit about myself.

21:25Speaker 3:Yeah.

21:26Speaker 1:How do you manage it?

21:27Speaker 3:Well, what's interesting is in skating, like I know what like perfect, like there's not in dance and skating, there's never going to be like perfect, but you know what I mean?

21:38Speaker 4:Like, just like I did it right.

21:40Speaker 6:Yes.

21:41Speaker 4:And this was the absolute best I can do it.

21:43Speaker 3:And I know what that feels like for every single thing I do in figure skating. Like I have been doing it for so long and done it so much. At some point in my life, I've done at least one time it perfectly. to the best of my ability. I don't know what the best of my ability is in this. I'm like, I have no idea if like, that's my geek or if like, okay, that feels good now, but oh, I know I can do it so much better. Like I look at some of the stuff I did, you know, three weeks ago. And at the time I was like, hell yeah, that was the best I could ever do it. And I'm like, oh, I can do that so much better now. And it's because I'm learning new things constantly and And applying things to another dance. Oh, oh, like the dots are connecting. The neurons are firing, as Pasha said. He tells me that all the time.

22:35Speaker 4:He's like, it's just it's going. We're just, you know, lighting up your brain.

22:37Speaker 3:And I'm like, I feel like someone I literally said this yesterday. You know, those little poppers for like Fourth of July that you throw on the ground. It feels like he's throwing those onto my brain sometimes.

22:47Speaker 4:And I'm just like, right.

22:48Speaker 6:Right.

22:49Speaker 1:That's a great way of thinking about it. That is exactly what it feels like where you're like.

22:52Speaker 4:Whoa, oh, okay, got it.

22:56Speaker 2:Pasha, how do you deal with a celebrity who is naturally a perfectionist?

23:01Speaker 1:What's your, how does that change the way you teach?

23:05Speaker 5:I don't think it changes anything. You know, I'm a perfectionist myself.

23:09Speaker 3:Yes.

23:09Speaker 5:And I had to kind of deal with that my whole life.

23:13Speaker 6:And I think this show is, you know, if you ever, you know, people like, oh, just, let go of the perfectionism and just go out there and do it and show your work to the world. Well, the show is a perfect way because you don't have a, you don't have a choice. There is no way you're not going to show your unperfect self.

23:31Speaker 5:You have to, because you have a week and then you go live.

23:35Speaker 6:And coming into this, Amber said something that I could relate to in figure skating and in competitive ballroom world, you don't change the routines often. In fact, I had some of the routines that I had with anyone we're competing. We had them for years and the adjustments were absolutely minute. It was about perfecting that perfecting the technique, perfecting the timing, the togetherness, the chemistry, the body, body mechanics, the musicality, whatever it was. And same thing with figure skating, you know, um, first of all, the elements, most of them stay the same.

24:12Speaker 5:And even when the choreo changes, um, that choreo, they perform it.

24:15Speaker 6:For the entire season and they have a chance to perfect it from competition to competition, right? So when you go out there, it's so ingrained in your muscle memory that you can focus on other things than, you know, the choreography and steps. Here we have to try and get to that level within a week. Yeah, exactly. And so there is no way, there is no way it is going to be perfect. And- you just have to go and literally just try to do your personal best, whatever you could possibly have accomplished within this week. And honestly, like it was this show that really helped me understand, you know, just what you work out there, you know, and it's actually, sometimes it lands, sometimes it doesn't, but that's this, the show forces you out of your perfectionism, whether you want it or not.

25:07Speaker 1:Yeah, it does for sure.

25:22Speaker 2:I want to talk a little bit about Ezra, a fellow Olympian paired with Pasha's real life, life partner, wife, Dani. What has it been like watching him transform into a dancer and And have you two prepped for the fact that there is a strong possibility he could be your final opponent in the finale, if I have anything to do with it, turning him from ultimate friend into ultimate foe?

25:55Speaker 3:It's been so inspirational to see both him and Danny being able to.

26:06Speaker 4:Really highlight what.

26:08Speaker 3:He's best at and what she's best at. I mean, she's best at everything. Is there anything she's not amazing at? Exactly.

26:15Speaker 4:It's like, yeah, you don't have to worry about that.

26:19Speaker 3:So seeing how they've adjusted certain things to really show the power, the speed, the just dynamic way he's able to move as a track athlete.

26:33Speaker 4:And being able to.

26:37Speaker 3:Really like, I, I, you know, Danny was paired with two NBA players, right?

26:43Speaker 5:Two.

26:44Speaker 3:Yeah.

26:44Speaker 4:Like giants. And I feel like it starts, just keeps being like, well, you're really good at adjusting. Here you go. I'm like, Oh my God.

26:52Speaker 3:And she takes it and like runs with it. But I'm just, cause he's a track athlete. His dad jokes are running, rubbing off on me.

27:00Speaker 6:Yeah.

27:04Speaker 3:And he's such a hard worker during one of the first times we're meeting, we're talking about like the discipline and our different Olympic and Paralympic experiences. And he is so dedicated to the craft and he is so locked in. And of course, like he's bringing that to this, which we both are for sure. And for him, you know, it's not like he's done choreography all of his life. It's like, it's a whole nother like step that he has to take. And to see him do it so well and Danny and his partnership, you know.

27:38Speaker 4:He's a 21 year old kid.

27:39Speaker 3:It's like both the Pachacos are getting like these younger people that in the past, there's been a lot of like partnerships to where.

27:50Speaker 4:You don't know what the vibe is. And for us, it just feels like a little family.

27:53Speaker 3:It's like, you know, we're the two like either kids. Kids are like younger siblings that are just like, you know, kind of tormenting.

28:04Speaker 4:Or the other way around.

28:05Speaker 3:Honestly, they've made some TikToks. They made some devious TikToks of Ezra and I.

28:10Speaker 4:Oh, I.

28:11Speaker 3:Know.

28:12Speaker 4:It was very it was very silly.

28:14Speaker 3:Um, yeah, they tricked us into, it's like a trend and it was very silly.

28:19Speaker 1:Is this where they ask you one question and then they give you good.

28:22Speaker 5:Okay.

28:22Speaker 1:I love that. Where you said you were going to stab someone.

28:27Speaker 4:Yeah.

28:27Speaker 1:You were going to stab someone.

28:30Speaker 3:Yeah. And then Ezra's was like, uh, the actual question was like, what are you like on a roller coaster? And then it's like, what are you like on the toilet? You know, I'm like, oh my God.

28:43Speaker 2:So you got to be careful with those two. Did you know Ezra or any of the other contestants before the show started?

28:51Speaker 3:I knew of Ezra, of course. Like I'd seen him, I knew his story and everything. So I was very excited to be able to get to know him and see his progress.

29:02Speaker 4:I know Alona. So I had like seen. I'd seen some of the people that were around.

29:16Speaker 3:I saw Alan and Emma a little bit at like an event.

29:21Speaker 4:That's really it.

29:22Speaker 3:I can't think of, yeah, I hadn't seen anyone before, but I've like gotten to know them pretty, a lot of people pretty well. And they're all so wonderful.

29:33Speaker 6:Amber is the mom of of the group in the studio. She helps everybody wrap their ankles and toes from blisters and put the KT tape on.

29:45Speaker 1:How cute!

29:47Speaker 4:I've been... I always have carried that stuff with me.

29:50Speaker 3:I know how to deal with blisters and aches and pains and a lot of these people, they're new to it. Especially the women in these new shoes. It's a whole other... I mean, you know, it's a whole... new thing where it's like oh maybe you'd be sore in shoes for style and it's like well you don't have a choice like you have to wear these and.

30:11Speaker 2:You have to put them on immediately the next day you know you're yeah it's one thing i loved about my season was the camaraderie and the friendships we built as a cast is it very similar this season are you guys all close pasha saying you're the mom and helping everybody tape their feet and their injuries is so cute Who would you say is your crew outside of obviously Ezra and Danny?

30:34Speaker 4:Yeah, of course.

30:35Speaker 3:It's hard to top that. It's like a little family. I mean, Mark and Maura are wonderful. And then I haven't seen that much of Val and Jenna, but I've seen.

30:47Speaker 4:Their partners around a lot.

30:48Speaker 5:Okay.

30:49Speaker 3:So I've seen like Harry and Jenna a bit. And then of course, like there's other people that fluctuate in and out, but it's such a big cast this year.

30:58Speaker 2:I know. And you are limited based on what time you're rehearsing. You only get to see those people in the other rooms.

31:06Speaker 6:I feel like, I guess like, you know, everybody has like their own schedules. And then there's some people who like, now, first of all, because of the bigger cast, you know, like instead of having four hours a day and three slots throughout the day, now we have three hours a day and now it's four different slots. So somebody, you know, even who comes like, nine to 12 or 12 to three, you know, is like very different from three to six or six to nine. So, and I guess like everybody's schedule kind of stays more or less consistent. So some people literally don't see because the cast is so huge.

31:39Speaker 5:Right.

31:39Speaker 6:Like we do definitely see.

31:43Speaker 5:Mark and more.

31:43Speaker 6:I think their schedule is very similar. So we kind of like see each other a lot in the studio and communicate. But there are some people who literally I haven't seen in the studio once yet.

31:54Speaker 5:Only, only, only.

31:56Speaker 1:Only on the show night, right?

31:57Speaker 3:Oh, Guillermo and Whitney sometimes have similar ones. And he's such a sweetheart.

32:03Speaker 4:Oh, my God.

32:04Speaker 3:He's been so nice and so supportive. And he's actually... He's working his ass off. Like, he was in the warm-up room day of show, like, working.

32:13Speaker 1:Well, it paid off. Because let me tell you, I.

32:17Speaker 2:completely loved their Paso Doble. I thought it was great. And it wasn't because there was anything funny or goofy about it. I thought it was actually had content.

32:28Speaker 1:It was a, it was a true Paso Doble. He did not take the easy route.

32:32Speaker 2:I thought it was a wonderful dance and I was watching with my kids.

32:35Speaker 1:And the minute the dance ended, my kids both went, I want to watch it again.

32:39Speaker 4:Like, yeah.

32:40Speaker 2:So yeah, he is definitely working hard. I want to talk about week two. It was a breakout night for you two. So incredible to see the growth from week one, which I already thought was great, but to week two, which completely blew me away. Was dancing to a song from Heated Rivalry always an idea you had in mind?

33:02Speaker 4:For me, I.

33:04Speaker 3:did something with HBO earlier in the year to this song on the ice. And it was a really cool experience. Of course, it wasn't like a skating routine in particular.

33:14Speaker 4:It was more of.

33:15Speaker 3:A, uh, like cinematic video that was kind of displaying like, Oh, what if he was like figure skating, you know, women in figure skating.

33:26Speaker 4:Instead of men in hockey.

33:28Speaker 3:And it was a really great project that I was really passionate about because I really do love the story behind the series. And when we heard like Vile Hits Night, it was like, oh, wait, OK, this could be like this could really be something. And then Harrison coming out last minute was just like the cherry on top, like crazy.

33:49Speaker 1:So cool. We didn't get to. Oh, well, we had Earth, Wind and Fire for for. Chicago week, right?

33:55Speaker 2:That we has, I was gonna say the live, the live performances from the actual DJ or artist are always cool.

34:02Speaker 5:Like, do you know how it came about? No. So internet, internet did its thing.

34:09Speaker 6:Um, when, uh, they released when anything, the stars officially released, you know, the song, uh, choices and the styles for the week. Uh, Harrison, he literally was on Instagram and he just posted a reel. He goes, Hey guys, I'm in the pub in England, but it was Friday. And he's like, but if you want me there Tuesday night, I'll be there. And after he posted it, of course, fans started, you know, commenting and tagging us and everything. And by the time he DM'd us and we responded to him, and by the time we pitched to the production team, you know, this whole idea, he already bought his own ticket. He's like, I'm going to be there no matter what, like whether I'm going to be part of the thing or not, I'm going to be there.

34:51Speaker 5:And then the production team reaches out and they're like, let's do it.

34:55Speaker 6:You know, and it happened so fast because we had a conversation with them on Saturday and on Monday night for our camera blocking, he was there and we were like, it happened so fast.

35:09Speaker 5:And it was just like a cherry on top. It was it was so cool.

35:12Speaker 1:Yeah, it was meant to be.

35:12Speaker 2:I mean, it all just landed into place the way it was supposed to happen. Yeah.

35:17Speaker 1:Amber, this year you became the first U.S.

35:20Speaker 2:Woman to land three triple axles at a single Olympic Games. And I'm wondering, can a triple axel translate on the dance floor? And Pasha, are you thinking about how you can incorporate it?

35:34Speaker 3:Not necessarily a triple axel, but there are some things that are pretty interesting that are very similar that we're kind of like mission, like, like ballroom and skating. There was actually some stuff in this last week's dance that I did on the ice and like tried to do and is kind of similar to like the last like 15 seconds of our dance, which I actually need to get on that and like post like a side by side.

36:04Speaker 4:It's really cool.

36:06Speaker 3:So it's been neat kind of seeing what we can incorporate from skating into the ballroom. And of course, after this is done, like I, I have so much stuff that I'm like, oh my God, this is going to like be so nice to try and bring like this experience and the different styles of choreography and technique that I've learned here onto the ice.

36:26Speaker 1:Oh, that's so fun.

36:28Speaker 2:You have danced or you've skated to everything from Janet Jackson to Madonna. Is there a song you've already told Pasha that you will have to dance to if you get the opportunity?

36:39Speaker 3:I mean, I don't want to spoil anything. They got to keep me on the show for that.

36:44Speaker 4:Exactly. You got to vote to find out. Like, come on, guys.

36:49Speaker 3:But we definitely have some really cool stuff planned. You know, some Easter eggs, some, like, callbacks, some stuff I've done in my skating career, or some stuff that I haven't gotten to do in skating, but now I can do.

37:06Speaker 4:In the ballroom because.

37:08Speaker 3:a lot of the times when I hear music, I think like, oh, this is, you know, cool as like a singles performance, but as like, you know, a pair, because on ice, it's like pairs, as like a pair in ice dance, it would be like so cool. And so I'm like, oh my God, I finally have like someone to do this with. Like there's so many new opportunities that come with having a partner.

37:30Speaker 2:So fun. I love, Amber, you have officially entered the Pasha Posse. We are so happy to have you. I was welcomed by both Ariana Maddox and Kate Flannery. You will be welcoming someone next year. Pasha is truly an incredible and amazing partner and friend, as you know, and I am so jealous that you get to experience his guidance in this journey for the first time.

38:00Speaker 1:I am voting for you. I am rooting for you.

38:03Speaker 2:I can't wait to be there in person screaming your name.

38:07Speaker 1:And remember everybody, please.

38:09Speaker 2:Text Amber to 21523 and go to abc.com and vote for Amber and Pasha every Tuesday night at 8 p.m.

38:17Speaker 1:Eastern.

38:18Speaker 4:Yes.

38:19Speaker 2:I'm manifesting a spectacular finale. I just, I'm so excited for you both and I'm so happy. So thank you for spending time with me this morning.

38:28Speaker 5:Thank you.

38:29Speaker 4:Bye. Bye.