Handsome, charming and oh so suave, Tony Dovolani is once again competing for America’s votes of ABC’s hit show, Dancing with the Stars. In a recent interview with Fitzness, he reveals his hopes for this season, tips for keeping him and his partner in shape and his surprising passion outside of dance.iN
This is his season to win DWTS. “I’ve been on the show for 14 seasons, and I’ve had my ups and downs, but I think this is the best chance I’ve had to far.”
He gets along very well with his partner. “Melissa has been fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Basically we come in and lose track of time because we enjoy ourselves so much.”
On getting in shape for the show. “Melissa hadn’t had a child the last time I danced with her, so when she came back, she said, “I’m not as strong or as flexible as I was.” I told her not to worry and that I would get her back in shape. She works her tail off to try and get her body back to speed. For strength training, we begin every rehearsal with a 45 minute warm up with high power physical exercises and stretches.”
How he avoids bulky muscles. “I go to the gym, but I do more of floor and cable exercises. I don’t do weights as much. Cables have weights underneath them, but they have more resistance from beginning to end. They work on dexterity, stretching and basically elongate your muscles.”
He recommends people take dance classes. “I encourage everyone to go to the dance studio. You burn a lot of calories, it goes by quickly and you’re interacting with another person. Then on top of that, you should do some basic exercises with cables or rubber bands. This will help your joints and strength while working the small muscles we all forget about.”
Photo credit: Brandon Wade/Invision
Tony’s tips for getting in shape. “Start with something small. The number one thing people do – usually right after new years – is decide they want to get in shape. They go to a gym, kill themselves for an hour and a half and are sore for the next week. Then they freak out, knowing it’s a painful experience and don’t go back. Do small workouts at home, like stretching, push-ups or simple core exercises. Slowly you’ll build yourself back up to go to the gym. You have to be careful how you start and let the body warm up properly.
He’s addicted to fruit. “I eat fruit a lot! I eat everything from berries to apples to pears to oranges. I eat fruit more than anything else.”
How he stays healthy. “I keep myself healthy because when I open my fridge, the first thing in front of me is fruit. If you want to go on a diet or are on a health quick, then you need to change what you shop for. If you shop for fruit, then you will eat fruit. If you open the fridge and there’s cake, you’re going to eat cake. You’re the one that bought it! It’s simple, but not an easy change.”
But he has a guilty pleasure snack food. “That’s a tough one. I love hazelnuts. I don’t know why, but I really like them.”
DWTS means embarrassing yourself. “The funniest thing that has ever happened was dancing to Beyonce’s Single Ladies in a leotard on top of the judges’ table during season 8. Yeah, we did the whole Justin Timberlake thing. It was funny for everyone else, but not for us!”
He loves being on the show. “I love putting smiles on people’s faces. That’s my number one thing. It feels great when people come up to me and tell me that the show brings their families together.”
The show is everything he loves. “As long as DWTS will have me, I’ll be there! I love teaching and connecting with the audience. I like that I represent what teachers should be like in real life – I’m always respectful, kind and very encouraging.”
He has other passions. “I want to play golf for the rest of my life. That’s my passion outside of dance. But after DWTS, I want to go all over the world and spread my love and passion for dance. I’m going to start doing charity work to help those who can’t afford to dance.”
Wise words of a professional dancer. “Don’t expect to dance at the highest level if you’re not wearing the highest-level shoes. Capezio is made by dancers, for dancers.”
