Emma Slater

Some Lesser Known Facts About Emma Slater

• Emma Slater grew up in Tamworth, England.

  

• She has had a love for dance since her childhood.

• At 10, Emma saw a local Rumba dance show, which made her interested in Latin dance.

• Emma joined Zig Zag Dance Factory in Wolverhampton, England, soon after and later trained at Richardz Dance in Rubery. She started learning both Latin and ballroom dance but focused only on Latin by the age of 14.

• During her school years, Slater competed in dance contests across the UK and other countries. She represented England three times and won both the UK and British Latin Dance Championships.

• Emma Slater was 18 when she chose to pursue dance as a full-time career.

• In 2005, Emma became a principal dancer in the stage show ‘Simply Ballroom,’ which toured in the UK and worldwide.

• That same year, she was featured as a dancer in the music video for George Michael’s song ‘Round Here.’

  

• In 2006, Emma was the dance captain for the show ‘Cuban Groove,’ which went on a tour across Europe.

• In 2008, Emma was the lead Latin/ballroom dancer in ‘Cheek to Cheek,’ a stage production by Anton Du Beke performed at the London Coliseum.

• That same year, she was also a principal dancer in the play ‘Latin Fever,’ which was performed at the Peacock Theatre in London; the play was choreographed by Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova.

  

• In 2009, Emma was a lead dancer in the stage show ‘Burn the Floor.’ She began with the China tour in 2009, then performed at the Longacre Theatre in New York for a long run. She also toured across Belgium, South Korea, Japan, and many other countries.

  

• Emma Slater met dancer Sasha Farber while working on the Broadway show ‘Burn the Floor’ in 2009. They soon fell in love and started dating in 2011.

• In 2012, she worked with Australian-American dancer Sasha Farber to choreograph singer Usher’s dance routine for the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.

  

• In March 2012, Slater appeared in ABC’s reality show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as a troupe dancer. She also helped choreograph all the opening routines, including the finale.

•  Emma continued as a troupe dancer for Dancing with the Stars’ next two seasons, i.e., seasons 15 and 16, gaining popularity for her stage presence and choreography skills.

• In September 2013, she appeared as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars season 17, where she was paired with comedian and actor Bill Engvall. They ended the season in 4th place.

  

• Slater and Sasha Farber broke up in 2014 after three years together, but remained close friends and even continued living together for a while. In 2015, they got back together.

• In March 2014, Emma again appeared as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars season 18, where she was paired with novelist and retired actor Billy Dee Williams. They had to withdraw from the competition in week 3 due to Billy’s back injury.

  

• In September 2014, Emma Slater was paired with former professional stock car racing driver Michael Waltrip on the Dancing with the Stars season 19. They finished in 7th place.

  

• Slater partnered with singer Redfoo (aka Stefan Kendal Gordy) for Dancing with the Stars season 20 (March 2015). They were the first couple to get eliminated from the show.

  

• Emma was paired with Benjamin Hayes Grier, an internet personality, for Dancing with the Stars season 21 (September 2015) and finished in 8th place.

  

• Emma Slater skipped season 22 of Dancing with the Stars but made a comeback in September 2016 for season 23. She partnered with former Texas governor Rick Perry. The pair were eliminated in week 3, finishing in 12th place.

  

• Sasha Farber proposed to Emma Slater during a live episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in October 2016.

  

• In 2017, Emma Slater paired with professional football player Rashad Jennings for Dancing with the Stars 24. The pair emerged as a winner, marking her first win.

  

• In Dancing with the Stars 25 (September 2017), she finished 4th with reality television personality Drew Scott.

  

• In Dancing with the Stars season 26 (April 2018), she placed 9th with professional baseball player Johnny Damon.

  

• Emma paired with actor and singer John Schneider for Dancing with the Stars season 27 (September 2018), finishing 7th.

  

• In Dancing with the Stars season 28 (September 2019), she paired with actor James Van Der Beek and finished in 5th place.

  

• She finished in 15th place with NBA player Charles Oakley in Dancing with the Stars season 29 (September 2020).

  

• In 2020, Emma became a US citizen along with her then-husband and fellow Dancing with the Stars contestant, Sasha Farber.

  

• She also became a licensed real estate agent in 2020.

  

• Emma paired with Jimmie Allen, a singer and songwriter, for season 30 of Dancing with the Stars in September 2021. They finished in 7th place.

  

• In Dancing with the Stars season 31 (2022), Emma reached the semi-finals and finished in 6th place with actor and model Trevor Donovan.

  

• Emma and Sasha separated in 2022, though they remained on good terms and continued working on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

• In February 2023, Emma officially filed for divorce, believing they had grown apart and could not resolve their differences, mainly about having kids, as she was not ready, but Sasha was. Their divorce was finalised in May 2024.

• She paired with real estate agent Mauricio Umansky for Dancing with the Stars season 32 (2023) and finished 9th. The pair was rumoured to be dating; however, they denied and stated they were just friends.

  

• Emma partnered with actor Reginald VelJohnson for Dancing with the Stars season 33 (2024). They finished in 10th place.

  

• Emma and dancer Alan Bersten confirmed their relationship after sharing a kiss at the end of their performance on the ‘Dancing with the Stars: Live!’ 2025 tour.

  

• Emma is an avid traveller and often shares her travel experiences on social media.

  

• She consumes alcohol occasionally.

  

• She is adventurous and enjoys engaging in activities like indoor skydiving.