Interview with Fabian Sanchez

Written by Sammi-T for TV Grapevine

I recently had the chance to talk to mambo champion Fabian Sanchez, who participated in season six of Dancing With The Stars. Although he and his partner Marlee Matlin placed sixth in the competition, they quickly became fan favorites. During our conversation, Fabian told me about how he got involved in the dance world, what it was like teaching a deaf student and what the future holds for him and his career.

HOW DID FABIAN GET HIS START IN BALLROOM DANCING?
Fabian started his dance career when he was twenty years old and waiting tables in Alabama. He was discovered by Alan King, who happened to be the regional owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studios. The owner loved his personality and offered him a job teaching at his school. Although Fabian had only been a social dancer at the time, he jumped at the opportunity. He began taking ballroom lessons as he was teaching and within a year and a half, was competing with his dance partner. During his ballroom training, Fabian got to work with several world-renowned dancers, including Bruno Collins, Charlie Paretella, Linda Dean and Corky Ballas.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING A MALE IN THE DANCE WORLD?
When Fabian got started in the dance world, he was a very shy and only danced for fun at teen clubs. Once he began teaching and getting into competing, he realized it was not only a good way to get over his shyness, but also a way to interact with the opposite sex, since ballroom is all about a man and a woman. He said that he makes sure to teach this to his students and his son as well. He makes sure that the boys ask to dance with the girls and feels that it is a good way for males to learn how to treat a lady.

WHEN DID FABIAN GO PRO AND WHAT TITLES/RANKS DOES HE HOLD?
Since he had gone right into teaching, he was considered a professional right away and never competed in amateur competitions. He mostly competed in American Rhythm, although he was trained in all forms of American and International ballroom dancing. As a competitor, Fabian won several championships, including the Fred Astaire Rhythm Champ four times and the Rising Star US Rhythm Champ. He also was a US Open Finalist and the 2006 World Mambo Champion.

HOW DID FABIAN GET INVOLVED IN DANCING WITH THE STARS?
Fabian considers being on Dancing With The Stars a wonderful opportunity for him and his career. But how did he get chosen to be a part of one of the biggest shows in the country? It all started when Fabian met professional dancer and show favorite Maksim Chmerkovskiy at a charity event three years ago. Maks told him how wonderful the show was and invited him to see it live. Fabian was looking for a challenge and wanted to take his experience to a new level, so he decided to go for it after Maks got him an interview. After several interviews and meetings, Fabian was finally hired for season six of the show, along with good friend and show veteran Tony Dovolani.

DWTS AND A NEW CHALLENGE (AND FRIEND!)
Fabian was paired with Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin, who was the first deaf contestant on the show. He initially thought this would be a challenge, but he soon realized that teaching Marlee was not much different than teaching any other student. The biggest difference was that he had to make sure he had eye contact with Marlee at all times, as well as stomping his feet and clapping to make sure she could feel the beats. He also relied on lip reading and communicating through her interpreters, Bill and Jack. However, Marlee did not let being deaf bring her down or keep her from trying her best in the competition. Fabian revealed that she had such determination and talent that he would sometimes forget she couldn’t hear anything. He said that she proved that anything could be accomplished no matter what if you just put your mind to it.

LIFE AFTER DWTS
Since leaving the show, Fabian has been a very busy man. He owns a Fred Astaire Studio with his wife, something he said allows him to not only continue his career, but be a family man as well. He is also putting a show together with Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff and participating in a traveling tour in October and November. He also plans on participating in the DWTS Winter Tour and possibly more seasons of the show. Either way, he feels blessed because he is living the American Dream.

I want to thank Fabian for taking the time to talk to me and wish him all the luck in the world with his future endeavors. Be sure to look out for the upcoming Dancing With The Stars tours so you can get a chance to see Fabian live!