Sasha Farber
Aleksandr Mikhailovich "Sasha" Farber is an Australian and American professional dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his appearances on the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars.
Early life
Aleksandr Mikhailovich Farber was born to a Jewish family on 9 May 1984 in Byelorussian SSR. The town he was born in was not far from Chernobyl, Ukrainian SSR. After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, his family emigrated to Sydney, Australia.Career
Farber began dancing at the age of 13, while training for his bar mitzvah. By 17, he won the Australian Youth Latin Championships twice and represented Australia at the World Latin Championships. He was also featured in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics and appeared on the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars. In 2009, Farber made his Broadway debut as an original cast member on the theatrical dance production Burn the Floor.2013–present: ''Dancing with the Stars''
Farber's tenure on the American version of Dancing with the Stars began on the fourteenth season as a member of the troupe. He was promoted to pro for season 17, where he was partnered with Jersey Shore cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Despite receiving good scores from the judges, the pair were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on 28 October 2013, finishing in eighth place. Farber was placed back in the troupe for the next four seasons.For season 22, Farber was promoted to pro again and was paired with actress Kim Fields. They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on 2 May 2016 in a double elimination alongside Von Miller and Witney Carson; both couples finished in seventh place.
For season 23, Farber was partnered with Little Women: LA cast member Terra Jolé. They reached the semi-finals and were eliminated during the tenth week of competition on 14 November 2016, finishing in fifth place despite tying for the top of the leaderboard. The season marked Farber's first appearance in the semi-finals.
For season 24, Farber was partnered with Olympic artistic gymnast Simone Biles. They were shockingly eliminated during the semi-finals on 15 May 2017, finishing in fourth place despite receiving two perfect scores from the judges. Farber returned to the troupe for the following season.
Farber appeared as a pro again for the Athletes season, and was paired with Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. The couple reached the finals and finished in third place on 21 May 2018. This season marked Farber's first appearance in the finale and his highest placement to-date.
For season 27, he was partnered with Olympic artistic gymnast Mary Lou Retton. They were eliminated during the sixth week of competition on 29 October 2018, finishing in ninth place. During the season, Farber also appeared on the spin-off series Dancing with the Stars: Juniors as a mentor for Scottie Pippen’s daughter, Sophia, and pro dancer Jake Monreal. They were eliminated during the third week of competition on 21 October 2018, finishing in ninth place.
For season 28, Farber was paired with singer Ally Brooke of the girl group Fifth Harmony. They reached the finals and finished in third place on 25 November 2019.
For season 29, Farber was partnered with actress Justina Machado. They also reached the finals and finished in fourth place on 23 November 2020.
For season 30, Farber was partnered with Olympic artistic gymnast Suni Lee. They reached the semi-finals and were eliminated on 15 November 2021 in a double elimination alongside Melora Hardin and Artem Chigvintsev. Farber and Lee ultimately finished in fifth place.
For season 31, he was partnered actress Selma Blair. On 17 October 2022, Blair and Farber were forced to withdraw from the competition due to Blair’s ongoing health condition with multiple sclerosis finishing in 12th place.
For season 32, he was partnered with film & television actress Alyson Hannigan. The couple made it to the finale and finished in fifth place.
For season 33, Farber was partnered with The Bachelorette star Jenn Tran. They were eliminated week 6, and finished in 7th place.
| Season | Partner | Place |
| 17 | Snooki | 8th |
| 22 | Kim Fields | 7th |
| 23 | Terra Jolé | 5th |
| 24 | Simone Biles | 4th |
| 26 | Tonya Harding | 3rd |
| 27 | Mary Lou Retton | 9th |
| 28 | Ally Brooke | 3rd |
| 29 | Justina Machado | 4th |
| 30 | Suni Lee | 5th |
| 31 | Selma Blair | 12th |
| 32 | Alyson Hannigan | 5th |
| 33 | Jenn Tran | 7th |
Season 17
Celebrity partner: Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi'''Notes'''
Season 22
Celebrity partner: Kim Fields'''Notes'''
Season 23
Celebrity partner: Terra Jolé'''Notes'''
Season 24
Celebrity partner: Simone Biles'''Notes'''
Season 26
Celebrity partner: Tonya Harding'''Notes'''
Season 27
Celebrity partner: Mary Lou Retton'''Notes'''
Season 28
Celebrity partner: Ally Brooke'''Notes'''
Season 29
Celebrity partner: Justina Machado'''Notes'''
Season 30
Celebrity partner: Suni Lee'''Notes'''
Season 31
Celebrity partner: Selma Blair'''Notes'''
Season 32
Celebrity partner: Alyson Hannigan'''Notes'''
Season 33
Celebrity partner: Jenn Tran'''Notes'''
Personal life
In 2011, Farber entered a relationship with fellow Dancing with the Stars pro Emma Slater. He proposed to her on 4 October 2016 after they performed a contemporary routine to Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" during a results episode on the twenty-third season. The two married on 25 March 2018 in Los Angeles, California, and gained American citizenship together in December 2020. Farber and Slater separated on 1 April 2022 after four years of marriage. Slater filed for divorce in February 2023, citing "irreconcilable differences". Proceedings were finalised on 16 May 2024.Farber started dating his Dancing with the Stars partner Jenn Tran while on the 33rd season of the show. The two broke up in June of 2025.