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Gleb Savchenko has been a fixture on Dancing With The Stars for more than a decade, earning a sterling reputation among fans and critics for his charisma, versatility, and show-stopping routines.
From performing in drag alongside Shangela to creating high-energy partnerships with stars like Brooks Nader, Savchenko has experienced nearly every facet of the competition.
This season, he was paired with Hilaria Baldwin. Their Cha Cha during the premiere drew attention, but their time together was short; the pair were eliminated during Disney Week. Still, Savchenko says he relished the experience.
In an exclusive interview with Covers, the DWTS veteran discussed his time with Baldwin, weighed in on this year’s frontrunners, addressed rumours about favoritism, shared his thoughts on judging, and explained why he’s stepping away from the tour to focus on acting.
Key Takeaways
- Committed Partner: Savchenko praises Hilaria Baldwin for her dedication and says she “put her soul and heart into dancing”
- No Favourites: He dismisses talk of favoritism around Mark Ballas, calling him “an amazing choreographer and performer.”
- Top Contenders: Savchenko tips Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa as his pick to win this season.
- New Direction: After 11 years of touring, Savchenko is taking a break to pursue acting.
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 odds
(Odds to win courtesy Kalshi as of Friday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 am ET)
| Performer | Implied Odds | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Irwin | 60% | 60¢ | 45¢ |
| Alix Earle | 32% | 34¢ | 68¢ |
| Whitney Leavitt | 9% | 12¢ | 91¢ |
| Jordan Chiles | 3% | 5¢ | 98¢ |
| Andy Richter | 2% | 4¢ | 98¢ |
| Dylan Efron | 2% | 3¢ | 99¢ |
New to prediction markets? Check out our primer here.
Hilaria Baldwin “put her soul and heart into dancing”
Savchenko raves about his partnership with Baldwin.
“There were no challenges. It was amazing,” Savchenko said. “When we first met and had our first practice together – she’s awesome. Obviously everyone knows she had training experience and competed in ballroom prior to her injury, which of course put her much further back.
“There’s some physical limitations: she couldn’t do splits or kicks because of her hip. It was wonderful to dance with her, it was amazing to meet her family. She was a superhero in the dance studio. She really wanted to be in the competition; she put her soul and heart into dancing. It was great to work with her.”
Savchenko also described meeting her husband, Alec Baldwin.
“I was like, ‘God dammit, I’m meeting Alec Baldwin.’ I was starstruck. He’s such a cool guy, I love him with so much personality. He was telling me all these fun stories. Great family and a great season for me. I was super blessed to be paired with her.”
He confirmed that he and Hilaria remain in touch: “We talked yesterday on the phone.”
Hilaria recently spoke out about the online backlash she received during her time on the show. Gleb explains that he tells his partners not to get caught up in it.
“In my opinion, there’s billions of opinions, so just cut the noise,” he told Covers. “You can say whatever and people talk s**t about me too, but I know who I am. I’ve got a good heart and I’m a good person – I’ve never done anything wrong.
“People can talk s**t about you all day long and create stories, try to seek attention, whatever that is. I know who I am and my friends love me, so that’s all I care about. We were so locked in the competition, so I just told her to brush it off – who cares?”
Asked if he’d change anything about their performances, Savchenko said: “Maybe the only thing I would do differently is when we danced the Cha Cha in week one, I wore black pants but should have worn lime green pants. That’s the only thing.
“I wanted to pop, so I was like, why am I wearing black pants? And they were velvet. That was my idea, so maybe I should have listened to the wardrobe department and been all lime green, like a Teletubby.”
Defending Mark Ballas amid favoritism talk
Savchenko dismissed the idea that fellow pro Mark Ballas receives special treatment – a sentiment that has permeated fan chatter.
“To be honest, I think everyone is in the same boat,” he said. “People can say whatever, but he is extremely talented and he’s proved himself over the years, being an amazing choreographer, an amazing performer. He knows the drill; he knows how to pace his couple and look after his partner very well. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
He said Ballas’s success comes from experience and strategy, not favoritism.
“You have to take it one week at a time and plan ahead. When you have a great celebrity like Whitney, you know that you’re going far, and you’re thinking, what do I have to do next? Mark is great at that.”
Savchenko noted that Ballas’ long tenure gives him an understanding of how to make dances pop for TV audiences.
“I think everyone is really good and in the same position – I don’t think there’s favoritism,” he told Covers. “He’s won the Mirrorball three times, he’s been doing the show since the very beginning. You also have to think when you choreograph a dance, you’re not just thinking about the steps, you’re thinking about the camera shots and creating a music video, basically, for people to see at home. I think Mark is doing a great job.
This week’s Paso was fire! I mean, him shirtless, fully tatted, and being in a spider’s web at the beginning – come on! That already deserves a perfect score.”
Why Chiles and Sosa are his pick to win
Savchenko said this season’s competition is “really tough,” with several standouts emerging.
“I think we definitely have a few front runners. Obviously Robert (Irwin), Alix (Earle), and Whitney (Leavitt) are doing a great job. I also feel like Jordan (Chiles) and Ezra (Sosa) are killing it – every week they’re amazing.”
He praised Sosa’s growth as a professional dancer and his ability to make his partner shine.
“Ezra, I have to give it to him, it’s his second season as a pro and he’s crushing it with the choreo and everything,” Savchenko said. “As a pro, that’s what we should do: step away and highlight the celebrity, which is what he’s doing very well with Jordan.”
Savchenko said Chiles’ talent and personality make the pair strong contenders for the title.
“She’s obviously extremely talented, a great dancer and girl. I would love for them to win, it would be cool. Look, everyone is good, but those top four are the top four. I think they’re the final four.”
On “misunderstood” DWTS judging and scoring
Savchenko says judging consistency on DWTS is often misunderstood.
“I don’t know – we have had a lot of 10s this season,” he said. “We’re still in Week Seven and going into Week Eight – I mean, this is a build-up and everyone wants to see the perfect score when that happens. It’s exciting and makes the show more exciting. It will be interesting to see who will get a perfect score.”
He said viewers sometimes miss how the scoring is designed to show growth over the season.
“You would want a 10 and you get a seven – it’s a build-up,” Savchenko explained. “You have to understand, this is not just a dance competition, it’s a reality show and a journey, so people want to see the progression. The judges have been doing it for so long and they’re professionals at what they do.
“When they see a celebrity has got a lot of potential, they’re like, OK, we’re sure this person will stay in the competition, so we’ll give them an eight when the dance deserved a nine.”
He pointed to his own early performance with Baldwin as an example.
“Look, me and Hilaria, we danced the Cha Cha in Week One – it could have been the perfect score right away because it was pure technique. If we had done that Cha Cha in the semi-finals, it probably would have been the perfect score.”
“I don’t think people understand how hard it is”
Savchenko said the physical and mental demands of Dancing With The Stars are often underestimated.
“Listen, Dancing With The Stars is freaking hard – I don’t think people understand how hard it is,” he revealed to Covers. “This show and Strictly Come Dancing is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. When you’re in it, your mind locks in.
“When I danced with Shangela, for example, each week I took it like my last one. I remember the semi-finals — I don’t know how I squeezed out that Quickstep because we only rehearsed two days that week and it was two dances.”
He said the workload takes a toll even on professionals.
“It’s really hard, it’s hard on your body and mental health, especially being a pro. You want to be able to teach your celebrity not just the steps, but how to connect. That’s very important. If a pro dancer doesn’t know how to lead their partner, it’s very difficult to do anything. On top of that, you want to learn all the different styles as well.”
Savchenko went as far as to compare the show’s training process to the discipline required in athletics.
“Dance is not just an art form – it’s also a sport,” he said. “If you take any kind of sport, it’s training, and you have to train your body and mind. The hardest thing is when you’re exhausted, frustrated, hungry, or you get a bad score – we as pros are also with them, doing it over and over again.You get exhausted and mentally defeated too. The moment your partner overcomes that pain and everything, that’s where the growth is happening.
“Our generation is soft – I’m not talking about dance, but just in general. In order to overcome everything and to become better, you need to toughen up and do the work.”
Taking a break to focus on acting
Savchenko is taking a rare break from the Dancing With The Stars tour to focus on a new career direction.
“For the last eleven years I went on tour after DWTS. This year I’m not doing it and I’m taking a break because I’m pursuing my acting career,” he said.
“A year and a half ago I did my first movie with Danica McKellar. I’ve been acting all my life and now it’s time to slowly transition – I’ve had so many great opportunities and auditions. I know a lot of people are going on tour this year, but I’m not because I needed a little break.”
He said acting has already begun to feel like a natural next step.
“Yes, that’s the plan and a dream,” he told Covers. “It’s a goal and I know it’s already happening. It’s something that I’m passionate about. I know there’s a lot of dancers and singers who transition to try different things. Look at Patrick Swayze – he was a dancer and a great actor.”
Asked if he’d join a Dirty Dancing sequel, Savchenko didn’t hesitate: “Yes, that would be fun.”
Reflecting on his DWTS legacy
Savchenko says he’s proud of everything he’s accomplished on the show.
“Look, I’ve had a great run,” he said. “I’ve been on the show nonstop for the last 12 years, I’ve done 14 tours. If I’m back next season and I win, that’s great, but I’m not locking myself into, oh my God, Mirrorball.”