Background and career
Emma Louise Slater (born 25 December 1988) is a British and American professional dancer and choreographer best known for her appearances on the reality competition program Dancing with the Stars.
Emma Louise Slater was born on 25 December 1988 in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. She has a twin sister, Kelly, who is a costume designer and stylist. Slater was raised in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and began taking dance classes at an early age. At age 10, Slater started her training in ballroom and Latin dance. In the early years of competing, she won a number of competitions in England. At 15, she appeared in a George Michael music video "Round Here" produced by Bikini Films on location in London. Later that year, Slater took part in the fitness video "Latinasize" again filmed at the Pinewood Studios in London.
She dated fellow Dancing with the Stars member Sasha Farber from 2011 to 2014. In December 2015, Farber made a post on his Instagram account confirming that he and Slater were back together. He proposed to Slater during a broadcast of Dancing with the Stars on 4 October 2016. They married on 25 March 2018, with fellow Dancing with the Stars pros Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson and Jenna Johnson serving as bridesmaids, and Derek Hough serving as one of Farber's groomsmen. Slater became an American citizen in December 2020. The couple separated in April 2022. Slater filed for divorce in February 2023. She is now in a relationship with fellow Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Alan Bersten.
Slater has numerous titles to her name. In 2005, at the age of 16, she won the British Under 21 Latin American Championships at the Blackpool Closed 2005. She won the 2006 United Kingdom Under 21 Latin American Championships at the Bournemouth Pavilions, England. Ranked in the world's top 10, Slater went on to represent the UK in competitions around the world.
At 16, Slater joined the hit theatre show ‘Simply Ballroom’ touring UK, including Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London's West End, United Arab Emirates and South Africa. While in South Africa, Slater appeared on Dancing with the South African Stars with her celebrity partner TV Host Dalen Lance. Following Simply Ballroom, Slater had an extended run in London's West End with theatre shows; Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre where she was the Principal Latin Dancer/Ballroom Supervisor, but also understudied and played the principal role of Lisa Houseman, ‘Cheek to Cheek’ at The Coliseum and ‘Latin Fever’ at the Peacock Theatre.
In 2009, Slater joined the stage show Burn the Floor for the China tour initially, but later joined the cast for an extended run at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway New York City and a world tour covering: Belgium, Holland, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, West End London, a nine-month USA multi-city tour. She also danced and advised on UK's ITV Popstar to Opera Star on a number of occasions.
