Sasha Farber

Aleksandr Mikhailovich Farber, known professionally as Sasha Farber, was born on May 9, 1984, in the Byelorussian SSR (now Belarus). Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, his family emigrated to Sydney, Australia. Farber began dancing at the age of 13, stimulated by training for his bar mitzvah. By the age of 17, he had achieved significant recognition in the dance world, winning the Australian Youth Latin Championships twice and representing Australia at the World Latin Championships. His early career also included an appearance in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics and on the Australian version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’. In 2009, Farber expanded his professional experience to Broadway, joining the original cast of the theatrical dance production ‘Burn the Floor’.

Farber’s involvement with the American version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ commenced in its fourteenth season as a member of the dance troupe. His transition to a professional dancer occurred in Season 17, where he partnered with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. Despite strong performances, they were eliminated in the seventh week. He rejoined the troupe for several subsequent seasons before being reinstated as a pro in Season 22 with actress Kim Fields, reaching seventh place. Subsequent seasons saw Farber achieve greater competitive success, including reaching the semi-finals in Season 23 with Terra Jolé and securing a fourth-place finish with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in Season 24. His highest competitive placement to date was third place in Season 26 with Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding and again in Season 28 with singer Ally Brooke.

Throughout his career on ‘Dancing with the Stars’, Sasha Farber has competed in 12 seasons as a professional dancer. His partnerships span a variety of public figures, including athletes such as Mary Lou Retton and Suni Lee, and entertainers like Justina Machado and Selma Blair. In addition to his competitive roles, Farber also served as a mentor on the spin-off series ‘Dancing with the Stars: Juniors’. He became a U.S. citizen in December 2020. Having established himself as a prominent figure in ballroom dance, Farber continues to be involved with ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in various capacities, including providing behind-the-scenes content for the show’s official TikTok in Season 34.