As a cast member of Dancing with the Stars and the co-host of Dancing with the Stars Live! 2023, Emma Slater feels honored to be doing something she loves to do.
Slater has been with DWTS for ten years and has participated in the tour for ten years as well.
“It’s both daunting and exciting,” she says of the experience.
Slater moved from her home in England to Los Angeles after landing the role on DWTS.
“I was pinching myself when I got the role,” she says, noting she had competed in ballroom dancing in Europe, representing England, until she was eighteen. 
Performing as a cast member on the television show is arduous work. Slater and her celebrity partner have just a week to learn each dance. They start training on Tuesday. Slater teaches her partner a skeleton structure of the dance and they also meet with the production crew, go over music edits and more.
“The rest of the week, we are pushing the celebrity to be the best they can be,” she says. “If the celebrity has dance experience, it’s a quicker process. If they are without dance experience, you have to be reassuring. It’s quite nerve-racking.”
The live performance is on a Monday in front of the judges and the audience. “I worry if we made the right decision, and if my partner will perform the dance correctly,” she says.
A lot of thought goes into choreography and teaching the dance, she adds. “We have to assess how the celebrity learns and what they can relate to. Anything that will help them learn and perform better is your ally.”
While she has danced in all of the tours – Dancing with the Stars Live! 2023 comes to Altria Theater on February 13 – this year will be memorable because she is co-hosting with Gabby Windey, co-star of season 19 of The Bachelorette and one of last year’s finalists on DWTS.
“It’s always fun as a host. It’s so interesting and endearing to work with Gabby. She has a phenomenal personality,” Slater says. “We often go off script and rogue.”
This year’s tour is choreographed by choreographer Mandy Moore, who has choreographed everything from the 2016 film La La Land and the Academy Awards to So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars.
“Mandy hasn’t choreographed our tour in a little bit,” says Slater. “I believe this is the best tour we have ever done. We have a phenomenal group of dancers. The show gels together and has great energy. I am on the microphone a lot and welcome everyone in a new city and that makes my heart happy.”
One of her favorite numbers in the show appears in the first act. It is the first group Argentine tango on a tour. “It’s a really great number,” she says. “It’s choreographed by Argentine choreographers Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo.”
Being on tour takes a physical toll on the dancers, especially if they are performing seven shows in a row without a day off.
“It’s hard to maintain an injury-free body when you are doing that amount of dancing,” Slater says. “We travel with a physical therapist, Sandra. She warms us up, provides us with ice packs and stretches us out. She works on any injuries or stress on our bodies.”
Albeit rigorous, Slater and the other dancers are used to the tour routine. One of Slater’s favorite parts of the tour is visiting different cities.
“I love traveling, and I love traveling with fellow cast members,” she says. “We love dancing in each city. It makes life exciting. At the end of the day, we are doing what we love to do.”
DWTS, Live! plays at Altria Theater tonight at 8 p.m. For tickets, go here.
[Photos by Michael Last and Joe Duarte]
