Pod Meets World – “Dancing with...Sabrina Bryan”

Original Release: September 13, 2025 | Host: Danielle Fishel (iHeartPodcasts) | Guest: Sabrina Bryan

Episode Overview

In this "Danielle with the Stars" special, Danielle Fishel (forever Topanga from Boy Meets World) embarks on her “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 journey by seeking advice from Sabrina Bryan: Cheetah Girl, two-time DWTS contestant, and dance podcast host.
Together, they dive into the highs and lows of reality TV dance competition—discussing the pressures, expectations, behind-the-scenes moments, and emotional rollercoasters that come with ballroom dancing in the spotlight.
The goal: First-hand wisdom and support for Danielle as she prepares for her own debut on the ballroom floor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Entering the Ballroom: Nerves, Experience, and Expectations

• Danielle opens feeling “slightly over my head” preparing for DWTS and seeks Sabrina’s mentorship (04:45).
• Sabrina reassures:

  “You just have to get ready that this is going to be one of the most exciting things you’ve ever done… You are going to be obsessed with spray tans. It is like everything. Like you just will get hooked in this entire world.” (05:05)

Sabrina’s Dance Background

• Started relatively late—for a competitive dancer—at age 7 (06:30), having trained in hip hop, tap, jazz, and ballet.
• Perception of advantage:

  “I got actually a lot of flack for the dance background… That was actually a little bit of a, a backlash … because it was like, well, this isn’t even fair. She—she can dance. But my habits…” (07:01)

• Challenge: Never had partner dancing experience—especially “being in the man’s frame”—which was her greatest hurdle (07:49).

The Learning Curve & Trust

• Building trust and chemistry with a pro partner is “everyone’s journey.”
• Emphasizes that success—and joy—on the show comes from listening to your professional partner (09:12).

2. Rehearsal Realities & Show Evolution

Early DWTS vs. Later Seasons

• Season 5 (2007): Rehearsals capped at 8 hours/day, studios scattered around LA, limited interactions with other contestants (17:40).
• All-Star Season (2012): Custom-built DWTS rehearsal complex fostered camaraderie and more frequent run-ins with other celebrities (18:29).

Out-of-Studio Work—Making it Count

• Sabrina and her partner would sneak extra practice time in their parking lot—proving their mutual commitment (19:08).

• “I knew I had to come full throttle to prove my, you know, legitimacy, because I wasn’t really like… I mean, I was going against, like, Wayne Newton. How do you—how do you—it’s Wayne Newton.” (19:34)

• Press commitments and outside work (like the Cheetah Girls) made time management essential (21:12).

3. The Competitor’s Mindset: Highs, Milestones, and Shocks

Sabrina’s Record-Setting Scores

• Week 1, Season 5: Scored 26/30 on her cha-cha—the highest ever week-one score at that time (21:34).
  • “When people ask, like, what was your favorite dance? I always say it was the cha cha. Because it just was a moment that just—it was just so epic for me…” (22:26)
• Reluctant to gauge her performance solely by scores; instead, she cherished the magic of each moment with her family and partner in the audience (23:33).

Advice for First-Week Jitters

• “Focus on your dancing, focus on your partner… don’t watch your package. You just never know when they’re gonna, again, remember, it’s a live—you know, it’s a reality show as well.” (24:51)
• Avoid letting the show’s emotional narrative packages distract you on show night—stay close to your pro and focused.

Partnership Dynamics

• Mark Ballas (her S5 pro): “He was so detailed… He even was teaching me where the cha cha comes from. Started in Cuba—I was learning everything. Like, I was learning all the stuff that I probably didn’t need, but it was great to know it.” (30:20)
• Their mutual drive and focus in rehearsal paid off in their routines and connection (33:00).

4. Behind the Scenes: Wardrobe, Malfunctions, and Dance Clothes

• Sabrina shares tales of wardrobe anxieties—in particular, issues with “pads in your top” and near-miss incidents during energetic routines (40:46).
• Offers Danielle a care package of dance clothes to boost rehearsal vibes:

  “It feels good. It feels sexy… I’ll get you some Sabri apparel. Absolutely.” (29:57)

5. Social Life on DWTS & The Myth of Showmances

• No major showmances during Sabrina’s seasons; instead, a “cast that was very young” simply hung out together, club-hopped, and enjoyed a heady, whirlwind experience off the clock (45:35).

  “For me to be able to say for however many weeks straight, I hung out at Mel B.—A Spice Girl’s house after we went to Hide and had fun… I mean, it was magical.” (46:03)

• Contrasts her single, 23-year-old experience with Danielle’s now—as a married mom—emphasizing how life stage colors one’s DWTS journey (47:10).

6. The “Elimination Heard Around the World” and Its Aftermath

• After a streak of high scores, Sabrina’s surprise week 6 elimination—having received her lowest score (25)—became a defining moment in DWTS history.
  • Danielle’s theory: viewers assumed Sabrina was “safe” because she was so good, so didn’t vote, leading to her exit (48:11).
• Sabrina’s advice:

  “That’s how the show works. You have to vote for who you want to see that next week. Not necessarily vote for who you’re trying to save.” (49:19)

• Recalls devastation for her partner Mark, but found solace knowing she’d continue performing on the DWTS tour and through overwhelming fan support (53:52):

  “Team Sabrina… petitioned a whole… getting signatures… They thought they could, like, convince ABC… what was great was we had already had talks about Mark and I joining the tour, so that was nice.” (54:48)

7. All-Star Redemption & New Perspectives

• The fan petition brought Sabrina back for Season 15 All-Stars, where she partnered with Louis Van Amstel (55:57).
  • “I was five years older. I just really took in everything so much more. Took—it was a mature way of looking at it.” (59:01)
• Unique honor: Reprising Louis’s own champion rumba choreography—“I wouldn’t trust this routine with anyone else besides you and my other partner”—leaving Sabrina moved to tears (60:30).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Respecting the Pro’s Process:

  “Now where we’re at with Dancing with the Stars, 45 years after I’ve done it, it is like—the pros have it locked in. So, yeah, all you gotta do is listen to your pro, and you are gonna be golden.” – Sabrina Bryan (09:12)

• Regarding The Emotional Toll and Staying Present:

  “There’s going to be emotional weeks, too… There’s a lot of things the contestants don’t necessarily think about… until it hits them.” (27:05)

• On the DWTS Audience:

  “The audience, you can’t really ask for a better Dancing of the Stars audience. They are invested, right?” (13:51)

• Why She Did the Show:

  “The reason why I did the show is for my mom… They each have their own little Tablets of paper and they’re writing down notes and giving their own scores to see how they match up to the judges.” (13:18)

• On Handling Disagreement and Show Drama:

  “You still have to advocate for, like, what feels good for you, of course. And that sort of in the magic of producing turned into a little bit more like, we had this all out… and that totally got in my head right before I was trying to do a routine...” (25:36)

• Perspective on Elimination:

  “What it felt like—what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so, so it was sad… but I was getting to dance, and I really fell in love with ballroom and Latin dancing.” (52:18)

Advice for Danielle (& All New DWTS Contestants)

Sabrina’s Top Takeaways

• Stay Present:

  “Soak it in… Take a minute to scan that vision, that full blown, just like, mental picture of what that’s like. Because it just—when it is done… it’s still just something you cannot recreate.” (61:37)

• Resilience is Key:

  “Don’t let yourself get comfortable every time you step out on that stage. Stay focused with your partner… bumps are gonna go… but take it in because it was really such an ex—incredible experience.” (61:54, 63:45)

• Listen to your pro, lean on your partner, and embrace the experience wholeheartedly.

• Get into the fun!

  “Do all of it, whatever. Do all of the fun stuff. Get into… the Tiktoks with the young kids… If I were to go on it now… okay, like, I’m in! Like, do it all because it’s just so fun.” (63:24)

• Self-care tip:
  “Take hot baths at night… with epsom salt… Those dancers know how to take care of their body. If your pro has, like, a tip, take it. That will give you the longevity you need. And I’ll see you at the finals.” (63:45, 64:00)

Important Timestamps

• [04:45] Intro – Danielle sets the stage, welcomes Sabrina
• [05:05] Sabrina speaks about the “unknown” of the DWTS journey
• [09:12] Rehearsal process and Sabrina’s advice
• [21:34] Sabrina’s record-setting Week 1 score and emotional response
• [24:51] Handling first-week jitters and the importance of focusing
• [30:20] Detailed discussion of Mark Ballas’s mentoring and their rehearsal dynamic
• [40:46] Wardrobe and live mishaps—laughter and on-air recovery
• [45:35] No showmances—season 5 cast’s social life
• [48:11] Sabrina’s shock elimination and Danielle’s theory
• [55:57] Sabrina’s All-Star return—fan-vote redemption
• [61:37] The most important advice: “Soak it in.”

Where to Find Sabrina & Her Dancewear

• Sabri Dance Official
• Instagram: @sabri_dance_official

Episode Summary

This episode offers a warm, candid, and practical look into what it really means to step into the world of “Dancing with the Stars”—as a celebrity rookie, an audience favorite, and a contestant who has known both the glory of high scores and the sting of surprise elimination.

Sabrina Bryan provides Danielle Fishel—and listeners—with not just survival tips, but a call to be truly present, cherish the journey, and embrace every moment both on and off the dance floor.

If you want to understand the heart, sweat, and magic behind a DWTS journey—this episode is your backstage pass.