Just four weeks ago, the Dancing with the Stars Tour was entertaining fans across the country. Then slight changes began to happen due to COVID-19 — the Mix and Mingle for VIP guests was canceled, then the Meet and Greet was cut and then, security staff was handing out hand sanitizer before the interactive number, "I Gotcha."
The inevitable eventually happened with the final two-and-a-half weeks being postponed, and finally canceled. For Dancing with the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko, the news was heartbreaking. "It was quite sad, to be honest with you," Gleb shared. "We were all expecting something to happen, but we didn't know how bad it was going to be."
More: Vlad Kvartin Takes His Talents to 'Dancing with the Stars Russia' It was Val Chmerkovskiy, who seemed to know the writing was on the wall when it came to the end of the tour. "Each night we do a little prayer to say what we are thankful for. A day before the tour was postponed, Val said, 'Guys, it feels like the last show. I have this gut feeling. I love you all. Make sure everyone's safe and go out and enjoy it like it's the last show,' " revealed Gleb. By the next day, the news was divulged to the tour cast and crew. Their final performance in Davenport, Iowa was an emotional one.
More: It's Your 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 28 Pro Roll Call! "Alan [Bersten] did his solo and he cried. He will kill me for saying that," he laughed. "But it shows how much he cares for [the show]. It was so fast. No one was prepared for it. We couldn't celebrate the last show. It didn't feel right." Gleb also had to move quickly with the ever-changing news when it came to his studio, Pro Dance LA, that he owns with his wife, Elena Samodanova. They shifted their business model to online private lessons and classes. However, he was ahead of the curve when it came to teaching one-on-one while on tour. "I've been doing online classes for a long time. Even on tour, I would tell everyone, 'I have an online class.' Everyone would laugh at me," he said. "I have a student from Day of Dancing, Kia, whom I admire for her spirit and [her] drive to learn how to dance," Gleb explained. "It's pretty much the same thing that we would do in the studio. I can look at Kia and tell her what she's doing wrong. By explaining in a certain way and using a certain language, she can understand that."
More: Is ABC & FOX Building a Portfolio of Choreographers? The plans to move ahead with Day of Dancing are still continuing, although on a different timeline than originally planned. Alan and Artem Chigvintsev are also back again. "We were about to announce it when this whole thing started. We are so glad we didn't announce the dates and the cities, but we do have the studios... everything is confirmed," he said. "After this whole thing passes, we hope to have the same results as last year. It will be the three of us back together. We will see Artem!"
As for Season 29, the cast believes the show is happening. It's just unknown when it will film since Hollywood is currently shut down. Co-executive producer Deena Katz did check in on everyone to make sure they were safe and healthy. "We love her, she's awesome! But nothing is official yet, we don't know," he said. Gleb hasn't taken his eyes off that Mirrorball Trophy, though. He laughed, "Give me the winning material, baby!"
The full audio of this interview is available on Patreon: Gleb Savchenko.
This site is independently produced and created. Thank you for your support as we bring you the most up-to-date dance news and insight. Here are ways to help keep dance journalism coming your way:
For weekly dance insight that goes beyond the surface, join our Patreon page for weekly dance news, twice-a-week podcasts and dance-industry analysis: Patreon.
Need a gift idea for a dance lover? Check out my Amazon page for gift ideas.
If you make a purchase using the link included, we may earn a small commission.
Looking to join a dance community? Dance Dish with KB is on Facebook! Don't forget to answer the two questions for admission to the private group.