Sasha Farber has confirmed that his absence from season 35 of Dancing With the Stars was not his own choice, breaking his silence following the official cast reveal. The 42-year-old professional dancer was left off the roster of experts paired with celebrity contestants when the lineup was unveiled on Sept. 2.
Addressing fan disappointment online, the 12-time pro clarified that the decision to omit him from the upcoming series was out of his hands, denying that he stepped away to pursue alternative career opportunities.
Dancing With the Stars, the long-running American television dance competition broadcast on ABC and Disney+, pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers to compete for the Mirrorball trophy. Farber, a Russia-native Latin Dance Champion, has been a fixture on the show for over a decade, having previously danced alongside high-profile partners including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, actress Selma Blair, and reality TV personality Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.
The revelation came after Farber shared a video on TikTok performing a quickstep routine to the song "Land of 1000 Dances." Followers quickly flooded the comment section of the post to express their frustration at his omission, having hoped he would return as a pro dancer after serving as a social media correspondent during season 34.
In a since-deleted comment accompanied by a red heart emoji, Farber responded directly to a fan by writing, "Not my choice," according to Us Weekly. He also acknowledged support from another viewer who called him one of the best male pros on the show and questioned his exclusion, replying with a string of heart-faced emojis.
Farber, whose last appearance as a pro partner was alongside his now ex Emma Slater during season 33, signaled hope that he might still remain involved with the show in the future. He liked a fan comment predicting his appearance and expressing hope to see cameos from him this year, and double-tapped another message encouraging him to get back into the ballroom and on stage. Representatives for Farber were contacted for comment by E! News but did not immediately respond.
Gleb Savchenko Sitting Out
Farber is not the only veteran dancer missing from the roster for the 2026 season. Longtime pro Gleb Savchenko, 42, also confirmed he would not take part in season 35, ending a continuous run on the show that began when he joined the cast in 2016.
Savchenko posted a video to Instagram on Sept. 2 to reassure fans following the announcement. "Guys, you can stop telling me you’re sorry," he told followers in the video, adding, "I’m good."
In the caption accompanying his video post, Savchenko expressed appreciation for his time on the programme and indicated there were no hard feelings. "Nothing but love and gratitude for all the years in that ballroom," he wrote, adding that he was excited for his next chapter and wishing everyone an amazing season.
Season 35 Celebrity and Pro Pairings
The announcements came alongside the unveiling of the full star-dancer duos competing in season 35. The new lineup features a wide range of actors, athletes, television personalities, and online content creators paired with seasoned professional partners.
Film star Julia Stiles, known for her lead role in the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, is set to make her ballroom debut alongside pro partner Ezra Sosa. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will compete with Alan Bersten, while former Glee actor Harry Shum Jr. is partnering with Jenna Johnson.
Musician Taylor Hanson, former member of '90s teen pop band Hanson, will dance alongside Britt Stewart, hoping to make his way to the top of the leaderboard. Actress Tatyana Ali, best known for her role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will perform alongside Jan Ravnik.
Dancer and actress Jenna Dewan is returning to her performance roots 20 years after starring in the movie Step Up, pairing with veteran pro Val Chmerkovskiy. Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, fresh off competing in the 2026 Winter Games, is taking her skills from the ice to the ballroom with Pasha Pashkov.
Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech will display his athleticism paired with Daniella Karagach. Reality personality Sarah Jane Nader, star of Love Thy Nader, is following in the footsteps of her sister Brooks Nader, who competed in season 33, and will dance with pro partner Hailey Bills.
Comedians, Reality Stars, and Athletes
Comedian Connor Wood, known to millions of social media followers as Fibula, is paired with pro Rylee Arnold. Conner Leavitt, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, will take to the dance floor with Adele Zaikman, following his wife Whitney Leavitt who competed in season 34.
Reality television star Tyler Cameron, known from The Bachelor franchise, is trading roses for rumbas alongside pro Sharna Burgess. Jackson Olson, a baseball player for the Savannah Bananas exhibition team, brings his moves from the diamond to the ballroom with pro Emma Slater.
Guillermo Rodriguez, the beloved sidekick and personality from late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is set to learn new routines under the guidance of pro Witney Carson.
Pre-Season Preparation and Ambitions
Summer House star Ciara Miller is paired with Brandon Armstrong as she prepares for her turn in the ballroom. Miller previously spoke about preparing for the physical demands of the show during an interview in June, acknowledging that appearance does not guarantee stamina. "Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Miller said. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Former Love Island UK star Maura Higgins will take to the dance floor alongside Mark Ballas. Higgins revealed in May that competing on the series had been a longstanding personal ambition that she actively manifested.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," Higgins recalled. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
