Anna Trebunskaya – Dancing With The Stars

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) How prepare for this season of “Dancing With The Stars?”

A) The thing is, you don’t know who your partner is until you meet them. So, you can’t really prepare. You can’t say, “I really want to dance to this song because I have this concept,” because then you meet them and go, “Well, that’s not going to work for that person at all.” Fortunately, for me, I choreographer for people all the time when I am not on “Dancing With The Stars.” That’s actually my job; I’m a dancer/choreographer. So, I choreograph for different people. That helps me when I meet with the celebrity and find out what their strengths and weaknesses are then I can go, “We can do this. We can never do that. And maybe we can try this.” When it comes to physical preparation, I have a work out regimen that is consistent and I try to be as consistent as I can. I have what I call a “Maintenance Crew,” which is an acupuncturist, physical therapist and a massage here and there. Those  things are very important since most of my job is to be physically active and functional. I can’t have little injuries so I have to constantly be on top of it.

Q) What was your first impressions of recent partner Gary Busey?

A) I knew he was an actor, was seventy-one years old and was in a motorcycle accident. So, I knew those things were going to be limitations. Let’s be honest, when you are a seventy-one year old going against seventeen year olds there is a BIG difference physically. For Gary, it  was also a challenge because of his brain injury to comprehend certain things. He would teach me how to teach him. He would say, “This is how I work.” I learned that within the first couple of weeks and after that we had a strategy and kept following it.

Q) What were some of the other hurdles you faced this season?

A) Every season there are a lot of senilities whether I have a seventy-one year old actor or a twenty-four year old Olympic figure skater. The similarities is that it is a brand new challenge for them, they are a fish out of water and are learning a new language. It will be frustrating and we won’t know where to start. They have to trust me completely because I’m their guide. Of course, the difference though for a twenty-four year old and a seventy-one year old is that the process of learning is different. The demands of the body are different. There are certain things they can and cannot do, but also the life experiences are different. The ability to tell a story, emote and make it more than a dance and performance, I feel like people with a bit of age and experience have a bit of an edge than younger folks.

Q) Which routines were your favorites this season?

A) Every one of them really because they were all very different. They all had very different characters. The last one we did I’m very happy that Gary got to dance five dances because it was a huge deal for him since it was the Buddy Holly story. That was quite special to be there for him for that particular performance. My personal favorite I would say our third dance and fourth dance. For the passo doble we got to dance to a Russian composer classical piece. Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite composers of all time and he is Russian and I am Russian. I got to dress as a Russian princess so that was definitely a highlight of my career. It was surreal, but fantastic. Then, we played The Adams Family and I got to be Morticia Addams, which was amazing and a lot of fun. I’m a fan of Morticia Addams and she is one of the coolest characters that has ever been. So, to embrace that with someone such as Gary (an Oscar nominated actor), he really knew his stuff. He knew how to get into character and how to play. So, it  was a really cool experience.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive?

A) People that follow me on social media are great and purging, but there are a couple of people in the industry and some people I am close with that I really listen to. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but after we dance and I post a picture or video there will always be a couple of posts with criticism on the dancing. I am grateful for people taking their time to invest their energy in telling me what to do, but then I also have to remind myself that it is just their opinion. This is what they think and they’re entitled it. Do I listen to what they say? Sometimes. When I hear some comments I can always tell if it is someone with knowledge of dance and education because I’ve been teaching since I was twelve years old. I can tell a good teacher from a bad teacher. That’s why I’m so tough with my dance teachers and personal trainers because I can just tell if we are going to work. There is a certain level that I expect now from others so I can always tell who knows their stuff. Most of the time though it is just people who are fans and took some dance classes in their life. So, I think, “Thanks, but  no thanks.”

Q) Do you review your routines after you have performed and critic them?

A) I definitely go back the same night we shoot live. By the time the show is done, it is time for the West Coast feed to start. So, it always happens that by the time I get home or to my computer I’m able to catch our dance. For the most part, I look at it like educationally. I can’t go and look and say, “That’s me.” I can’t look at it from a personal view of it being me because if I do I’m my own worst critic. If I look at it as another female dancer and the celebrity is Gary then I can in a weird way withdraw myself from the process and look at it from a technical entertaining performance. I cannot look at it as myself and judge myself because I think it is very unhealthy. I can’t think anyone should do it. I’ve done it in the past where I looked at my self and thought something was horrible and judged myself as me. If I look at it and just judge it as a dancing body or performer than it is much more productive and healthier for me. It makes a more positive process.

Q) Do you find yourself rooting for anyone on the show?

A) I have been in that boot with Gary so I have to root for Paula [Deen] because she is the oldest competitor going against twenty-somethings. I have to view the underdog and root for her. However long she lasts, I can’t predict that, but I want her to do her best and enjoy her time. I can relate to what she might be going through and what her teacher might be going through. My heart goes out to her and my supportive advice is going to her.

Q) Talk about the judges this year and with Len Goodman leaving.

A) It’s a different show without Len. I loved his quirky English humor remarks. They were really funny. I feel with the other judges that they can get sometimes caught in their emotions and feelings. Len was always more the practical one and always kept his cool. He was the beacon of information when you danced. You could always listen to him and get constructive criticism. Even if the other judges would be raving, Len would always give you a little thing that you could still work on. I liked that and thought it was great. I thought it was constructive. If you tell someone, “You’re amazing! You’re like a professional,” then where do they go from that? That would be my critique to the judges, which is weird because I’m telling them to be more critical, but constructive.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure to share with fans?

A) Even though I got eliminated from the show on week four, I will still be a part of “Dancing With The Stars” and their family. I will do being “Dancing With The Stars  LiveAccess, which is a live stream so tune in. Also, I’m a part of an Argentinean Tango Group called Forever Tango and we are touring in the US starting from Texas. On November 7th, we are starting in Corpus Christie. Of course, on top of that, I own a dance studio in Hermosa Beach, California. With all of that, it keeps me pretty busy!