Antonio Sabato Jr. and Cheryl Burke are revving up their engines for Halloween week on Dancing with the Stars! Even though last week’s Salsa earned Sabato some blunt feedback from the judges, who referred to his dancing as “stiff,” the soap opera veteran is taking the constructive criticism in stride and using it to improve as he prepares to do the Viennese Waltz on tonight’s show. The saucy duo also promises a group dance that will blow audiences away. As for Sabato’s other show Fix it and Finish It, the crew is migrating to Cleveland to take on their next task. Check out our celebrity interview with the actor below!
Antonio Sabato Jr. Talks Group Dance in Celebrity Interview
We were so happy to see you back with Cheryl last week, and your Salsa was our favorite dance yet! How did it compare to your previous dances for you?
ASJ: Well, being back with my partner and working with her was great. Being away from her made me miss her and reminded me of how great a teacher she is. Getting back together made it better after being apart. Now, we just want to keep dancing stronger and better. Every week, we put a lot of time and effort into the show and our dancing. It’s been almost two months of hard work, but we’re still going strong.
Related Link: Antonio Sabato Jr. on His ‘DWTS’ Journey So Far: “I Have a Passion with Everything I Do”
How did Cheryl’s dad’s health scare bring the two of you closer?
ASJ: My family and I are behind her and will support her whenever she needs it. No show is more important than family, so I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure she got whatever she needed.
We’d love to talk a bit about your storytelling process. Do you help Cheryl come up with the concept for each dance?
ASJ: No, it’s all Cheryl. I’m not much involved in that. I get the routine from her, and we go step-by-step. It’s all on Cheryl.
What about the costumes? Do you have any say in what you wear?
ASJ: That’s all Cheryl again! She comes up with the costume, and we work with a designer. She lets me add in my opinion, but all the creative is Cheryl and the designer.
Related Link: ‘DWTS’ Pro Tony Dovolani on Betsey Johnson: “She’s Never Felt Pretty in Her Life”
Julianne Hough commented that it’s obvious you take to heart the judges’ comments and apply them the following week. So how will you keep in mind their feedback as you rehearse this week?
ASJ: I’m focusing on improving my lines, footwork, and posture. There are so many notes to keep track of and to improve on each week. I have no background in dance, so it’s important for me to take what the judges and Cheryl give me and apply it to the dance. It’s extremely difficult work but very rewarding at the end!
Tonight is the group dance, and you have an awesome team! What have rehearsals been like so far? Anything you can reveal about your dance?
ASJ: They’ve been good. We work really well together and have the whole routine down. It’s tough because we all have to be in sync and have our own dance to do as well. Plus, it’s a complicated routine. We don’t have a lot of hours to work on it as a team, so when we do, we have to focus and get down to business as soon as possible.
And finally, what’s next with the Fix It and Finish It crew?
ASJ: We get to Cleveland this week to start production, and I’m looking forward to it!
Follow Antonio Sabato Jr. on Twitter @antoniosabatojr. Watch him on Dancing with the Stars on Mondays on ABC at 8/7c!
