DC: Ever since the new DWTS cast was announced, viewers have been teased that Alfonso Ribeiro will do the āCarlton Dance.ā Do you know if or how youāll incorporate Fix It & Finish It, or other past roles like Jagger or your Calvin Klein modeling, into DWTS yet?
ASJ: I donāt know. Right now Iām just really concentrating on one dance, which is our first dance, [a Cha-Cha], which is the week from Monday. Itās such a huge challenge to be dancing like this with an amazing partner. Thatās what I have to focus on right now. Then, if I make it to the next week, weāll see what they do with me. So far, I know that we have our dance, and then thereās another song that they want us to dance to, which is a slower song. Now, all I have in front of me is one dance, and thatās what Iāve been rehearsing every day. Weāll see. Iām sure theyāre going to throw out something fun to do, and weāll do it. Weāll have a great time.
DC: Good luck, it seems like quite the challenge.
ASJ: Yep, it is. It is a challenge because, you know, I donāt have any dancing background of any kind, and this is something else. Itās a whole new beast. Itās just, like, the number one show in the country, and Iāve been asked to do this by my fans for the last 10 years, so itās finally here. Iām finally doing it. You know? What a great time! Iām just so fortunate. Iām just taking it each day, one day at a time.
DC: Youāre working on the Cha-Cha now. Did you have any say in choosing the type of dance youāre doingā
ASJ: No. [Laughs].
DC: ā¦and is there one youāre looking forward to, like a jive or salsa, should you advance?
ASJ: Iām looking forward to all the dances. This one right hereā¦you know, I mean I didnāt have a say in it, which might surprise you. They give you a weekās notice, and then you pretty much have seven days to get one dance down. Itās really something else. Itās a huge challenge. Iām looking forward to dancing Cha-Cha, but Iāve also got some time to go. I have one week to perfect it. As soon as Iām done [here], Iām going over to rehearse with [partner Cheryl Burke]. Sheās probably waiting for me at the dance studio right now.
DC: Youāre going to be very busy!
ASJ: A challenge is something I love confronting head on. Fix It & Finish It is a huge challenge to do 150 shows in a year across [the] country. Iām working a lot on renovations and demo, and things like that ā things I personally do. Then, throughout that, I got another blessing. I got a call saying, āWould you like to be involved with Dancing with the Stars?ā My first thing was, you know, āI canāt do it.ā It sucks for the producers and my team. If they want me to do it, if theyāre okay with it ācause Fix It & Finish It was my main priority. So, it all worked out, and now we have somewhat of a busy, seven-day-a-week schedule. I donāt have free time, but Dancing with the Stars is something I considered for a long time. My fans and my family are so, so happy that Iām doing this. I love the challenge. I think itās an amazing journey that Iām taking right now. You know, Cheryl Burke is on the road with me right now, which is really cool. I donāt know. I just take every challenge as it is, and maybe they work. You know, I go to work every morning [and] I ambush the families and then I go into the rehearsals, and then I go back and keep doing work, and thatās a seven-day job. Weāll just keep going, [and] as long as Iām healthy, and Iām eating and getting some restāIām happy.