7 Things You Didn’t Know About DWTS Pro Emma Slater

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6. Humble Beginnings

Emma Louise Slater was born in Sutton Coldfield, England, on December 25, 1988, but was raised in Tamworth, a medieval town in Staffordshire, England. She has one sibling, a twin sister, Kelly. At the age of four, she started dancing. She attended Novelli State School where she studied ballet and began appearing in numerous productions.

A photo posted by Emma Slater (@theemmaslater) on Aug 22, 2016 at 11:23am PDT

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5. Young Talent

At the age of 10, she began training in Ballroom and Latin American dance. She also took formal dance training and competed in a number of competitions. At 15, she appeared in George Michael’s music video for “Round Here” and later that year she took part in a fitness video “Latinasize.” When she was 16, she joined the cast of Simply Ballroom, touring the U.K., United Arab Emirates and South Africa and she also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing, which is the British version of Dancing with the Stars. In 2009, she became a principal dancer in Burn the Floor on Broadway.

A photo posted by Emma Slater (@theemmaslater) on Aug 1, 2015 at 1:16pm PDT

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4. Award-Winning Dancer

As a competitive dancer, Slater has been honored with numerous awards. When she was only 16, she won the British Under 21 Latin American Championships at the Blackpool Closed 2005. The following year, she won the 2006 United Kingdom Under 21 Latin American Championships at the Bournemouth Pavilions, England. She was ranked in the world’s top 10 and went on to represent the UK in competitions around the world.

A photo posted by Emma Slater (@theemmaslater) on Dec 20, 2015 at 10:25pm PST

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3. True Love

She met her fiancé Sasha Farber when they were both doing Burn the Floor, but they didn’t start dating until a couple of years later in 2011 when they were both on Dancing with the Stars. They dated for five years before they got engaged; however, they did break up at one point, but the breakup was so amicable that they continued to live together. In October 2016, he proposed to her on an episode of the show in with a vintage-inspired rose-colored sapphire.

A photo posted by Emma Slater (@theemmaslater) on Oct 5, 2016 at 11:23am PDT

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2. Rumored Love Interest

During her break with Sasha Farber, she was rumored to be dating Alex Skarlatos, one of the non-pros from season 21 of Dancing with the Stars. These two seemed to really hit it off during Switch Up Week when they were paired together for a romantic Rumba. Even though she talked about possibly going on a date with Alex, the two ended up becoming friends instead.

A photo posted by Emma Slater (@theemmaslater) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:27pm PST

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1. Choreographer

Emma assisted with the choreography for Usher’s performance of “Scream” at the American Billboard Awards in 2012. “I assisted in the choreography for Usher’s performance of Scream at the American Billboard Awards this year and although that wasn’t too difficult, we had to choreograph it without either Usher or his female partner being there. Plus he had to sing live so the duet couldn’t hinder his singing either. But I was very glad to do it,” she said.

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Cate

Cate has a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature and has been the Managing Editor of Fame10 for more than 6 years. Despite having a love for the works of Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy and Lord Byron, she also has an intense fascination with pop culture. When she isn’t writing for Fame10, she’s planning her next big adventure in Southeast Asia.