Danielle with… Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart

Pod Meets World

Host Danielle Fishel sits down with Taylor Hanson and professional dancer Britt Stewart to discuss their recent experience in the Season 35 pr

Key takeaways

• Taylor Hanson is navigating a significant career shift after more than 30 years performing with his brothers in Hanson.
• The physical intensity of the competition has been so high that Taylor has had to rely on ice packs for recovery.

Main topics

• Dancing with the Stars Season 35
• Ballroom dance technique

Notable quotes

I am not good at being impressed with myself.

Conclusion

The episode provides an inspiring look at the courage required to embr

Transcript preview

Speaker 5 (0:00) This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Hi, this is Kylie Brakeman. Angela Geratana. Jeremy Colhane. Patrick McDonald. And we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists podcast. The improvised character comedy podcast where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. He gets right Speaker 8 (0:27) up next to the microphone. Speaker 5 (0:28) I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes hit each other. Speaker 8 (0:31) You've never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Speaker 3 (0:36) Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (0:44) So like by age 11 or so, at least Speaker 5 (0:47) 70 % have a phone. I'm Speaker 7 (0:49) Dr. Joy, and this is Therapy for Black Girls. We spend our surviving middle school run getting into what's happening inside your kid's brain, the group chats, and their friendships, and what you can do about it. Speaker 5 (0:59) Your child is not doing this on purpose. Speaker 7 (1:02) That's the kind of perspective we've been pulling from the psychologists and psychiatrists who study this for a living. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (1:13) Self-care September Speaker 6 (1:14) is your reminder to slow down, check in with yourself, get off your phone, and maybe ask, why am I like this? I'm Gemma Speck, host of the Psychology of Your 20s podcast, and this month we're helping you make sense of the person that you are becoming, from setting boundaries and navigating friendships to understanding anxiety. confidence, relationships, and attachment. Sometimes our biggest decisions, without us even realizing it, aren't driven by what we truly want, but by what will prevent us from feeling lonely or being alone. Listen to The Psychology of Your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 5 (1:57) Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday on our podcast, Lots to Say, with me, Bobby Bones, and Matt Castle. You're in training camp, and the rookie quarterback has one good throwing session in front of the media. Suddenly, everybody online says he should start over you week one. How do you handle this? You just go back out to practice the next day and wait for him to mess up. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Michael Imperioli. I want to tell you about my new podcast, Underground Zero. We're looking at the opportunity of a lifetime for us and the other families. It's about the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks. What's in the tunnels? Gold bars, silver Speaker 1 (2:39) ingots. It Speaker 5 (2:40) could be worth half a billion. Starring Steve Schirrippa, Ray Abruzzo, and me, Michael Imperioli. How far are you prepared to go? Depends how far you are. Listen to Underground Zero on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Speaker 1 (2:57) World Cup is over, but if you caught the soccer bug and aren't sure what to do now, check out our podcast, Big Kick Energy. I'm Cameron Dicker, the kicker from the Los Angeles Chargers, and I'm here with Timmy Tillman, current LAFC star player. So, we know a little something about kicking balls. Each week, we'll tackle things like who's winning the Premier League this year? What do you think is harder, scoring a penalty kick or scoring a field goal? Join us each week for a quick chat with your soccer-loving bros about the best sport in the world. Soccer. Just don't tell my coaches I said that. Listen to Big Kick Energy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Speaker 5 (3:32) Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I talk to actor Stephen Root. I'm Speaker 7 (3:38) a people watcher. You see that guy going down the street and go, yeah, I can use that. Speaker 5 (3:42) And Open Igloo co-founder Alia Mohamed. I love staying on top of what is going on in our city, what is on renters' minds, and taking all of that knowledge to build a platform that hopefully is going to make New York City better in the long run. Listen to Here's the Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 3 (4:24) Welcome back to Danielle with hosted by 2025 eighth place celebrity on dancing with the stars, a title I take seriously, maybe too seriously. I am Danielle Fishel and I am amped up baby. Season 35 is here. Night one and two of the show are in the books and this cast is not playing around. Continuing to break viewership records and apparently breaking websites, the show's resurgence continues to surprise experts and it is showing no sign of slowing down. So throughout the season, I will not only be recapping every week with beloved two-time mirrorball champion Kim Johnson Herjavec, I will be talking to members of the current eclectic roster of competitors, finding out what it's like to be giving it their all and... watching Julianne dance so close to dozens of baguette rolls. And I could not be happier to kick it all off by talking to a major reason for this season's buzz, alongside a pro who truly is the lifeblood of Dancing with the Stars. He is one-third of the iconic family band that burst onto the scene in 1997 with Mbop. a song that topped the Billboard charts when my guest was just 14 years old. They've went on to sell over 16 million records and have three top 20 albums, proving they are so much more than just a brotherly boy band. They are truly a gifted trio that have not only withstood the test of time, they have defied it, racking up generation after generation of diehard fans. And she... is a dancer and choreographer who appeared in High School Musical, Teen Beach Movie, Glee, and Grey's Anatomy. She's toured and performed with acts like Janet Jackson, Rihanna, and Selena Gomez, Katy Perry too. And for the past seven seasons, she has been shining a light of positivity and proof to girls everywhere who may not look like your typical ballroom pro, but have dreams to become one. She is a fan favorite and for good reason. She is a genuine superstar, both on and off the dance floor and someone I am proud to call a friend. And now these two are in the thick of it, trying to bring home the mirror ball trophy on TV's most exciting show. And I am so thankful they took time away from their never ending practice schedule and producing TikToks to sit with me on Danielle with. So please welcome to the show, Taylor Hansen and Britt Stewart. Hello. Welcome. What an intro. Yeah, I was going to say, Speaker 2 (7:14) they sound fascinating. Speaker 3 (7:15) Aren't they wonderful? You should have them on your show. Absolutely. I'm honored that they are here. Thanks for having us. Thank you so much. You survived week one, the first massive checkmark on this long. journey. How are you feeling? Are you yet in so much pain that you sleep in ice? I Speaker 2 (7:34) was sitting on ice pack last night, actually. I was like, yep, that's me. Definitely. They just brought me an ice pack for me to sit and watch the show. I mean, first of all, such a Brit fan. She's amazing. And so grateful that we're partnered, I think. And yeah, this is serious. You know, this is no joke. Dancing with the Stars, obviously, is such a fun show, such a uplifting. Somebody said it's high fives and hugs. It's true. It really is. There's a lot of camaraderie, but it is, it's a real leap. It's a lot of work physically. It's I'm hurting actually, but, but in a good, in a good way, because I mean, we're learning new skills. I mean, and I told, I mean, right from the get go, I mean, I said, I have not been a dancer, but whatever I am, you've got it all. Like this is, you know, just mold me into a dancer as much as you can. And we're having fun. I mean, it was really nice to get through night one. It was like, and Speaker 3 (8:29) I'm spent. Yeah. And a huge, Speaker 2 (8:32) big milestone. When Speaker 3 (8:33) you found out, when did you guys find out that they were doing, splitting the men and women performances? And did you know you were going to be night one? Because like, I can't even imagine. Having to be night two when you've Speaker 2 (8:46) watched it all happen Speaker 3 (8:48) night one. How did you feel? I mean, I Speaker 2 (8:50) think we, I heard about it in stages. I mean, it was just like, it was going to be two nights. We knew that for a while. Cause 16 more couples than ever. I know. Obviously they've got a great cast. So many different people. I mean, you've got Olympians, you've got actors, you've got musicians, you've got, you know, podcasters and, you know, you know, celebrity personalities and influencers. I mean, it's such a unique combination of people, banana ballers. And. Is that how you say that? I don't know. I Speaker 4 (9:12) think Speaker 2 (9:12) so. I'm Speaker 3 (9:13) going Speaker 2 (9:13) to Speaker 3 (9:13) go Speaker 2 (9:13) with banana ball. You're Speaker 1 (9:14) a Speaker 2 (9:14) banana ball. But I think it's, we just found out it was two nights and then pretty close to it. They said it was just the guys. Yeah. I think the pros Speaker 4 (9:23) had a little bit more of a clue into what was happening or at least like. you know, some hearsay throughout production. But it was such a relief that the guys got to go first. Honestly, it was a lot of buildup for those female celebrities last night to sit and watch the guys the first night and then have to perform last night. Speaker 2 (9:42) And, you know, there's immediately, there's just the human element of all this stuff is people don't necessarily know from the show watching on TV is we're seeing everybody day in and day out. I mean, you know that. And yeah, everybody's, you know, we all have a healthy sense of competition and we're going to try and go do well and throw down. But you see the people that are showing up and, and all of the guests, I mean, we're looking at each other like, what did we sign up Speaker 6 (10:04) for? Oh Speaker 2 (10:04) my God. Are you, are you okay? Like, and, and, and in a good way, you're saying that, but it's a, it's a big deal. Every single person, you know, you feel that drop in your stomach when you're like. Like, oh, I don't want to be the one, you know, night one, you're already thinking that. And, and it's just a great, great thing to feel like everybody's just given their all honestly. And we're only just the very, very beginning. So now, Speaker 3 (10:25) I mean, a difference between your season and my season last year is that we didn't have an elimination until week two. Yeah. And so knowing that it was like, nope, right off the bat, you're saying goodbye to somebody adds a different feeling to the competitiveness that you're talking about, even though you said it's friendly competition. There's still a sense of like, one of us is going to be going. And I don't want it to be you, but I really don't want it to be me. So yeah, I, now Taylor, tell me about. your first dance and are you incredibly impressed with what you were able to pull off in only two weeks? Speaker 2 (11:05) I am not good at being impressed with myself. Speaker 3 (11:07) Okay. I'm very Speaker 2 (11:08) unimpressed with myself. I Speaker 3 (11:10) can't think of anything Speaker 2 (11:11) worse than being impressed with myself and then having others not impressed with me. Like that sounds like the greatest nightmare of all time. So I would much, I'm much more comfortable being very hard on me. And the first thought, probably my only real fail was immediately going straight to my problem with our dance right after, like as we finished it, I'm like, I missed that. I missed that. And then that's where it was like, don't say that. But, you know, I am very proud of what we were able to do. I mean, the first dance was a more difficult dance, not the easiest one to do. Speaker 3 (11:44) And Speaker 2 (11:44) we knew that from the start, I mean, quick step. is the dance. It's Speaker 3 (11:48) a Speaker 2 (11:48) more, it's a ballroom style. It's very elevated. You're, you know, you don't walk around, at least most people don't walk around with the sort of form that that brings you, you know, the guys are, you're creating a frame, right? You're lifting this sort of box and then your partner is sort of fitting within that and you're moving and you're sort of, it's beautiful, but you have to like flip your brain around. You know, I've sort of had to become kind of a character a little bit. Like who is this guy that turns his head away? You know? Right. And, but, It's really fun to watch, honestly, the footage of it because you see the work. Now that I can actually enjoy the work of those couple weeks of like, actually, that looks pretty good. But, you know, the details, it's all about the details. And as a lifelong performer, I spend a lot of time on stages. I love performing. The strangest thing for me is to get ready for a show. And we've both been on stage since we were little kids doing some kind of performance. I know what that's like, but then to be like, and now go. And the thing you're going to do is not singing or playing music, but performing with your body. Like that's a totally different brain flip. So I'm excited about it now. I feel kind of like, all right, like let's try and get really good. Yeah. I want to get really, really. And Speaker 3 (13:03) so because he's so hard on himself and. can't talk about how impressed he is with himself. Speaker 2 (13:09) Please be Speaker 3 (13:09) hard on Speaker 2 (13:10) me too. How Speaker 3 (13:11) impressed are you with the work you two were able to accomplish in those first two weeks? I Speaker 4 (13:17) am incredibly impressed. And I mean, I've learned a little bit about Taylor's process. So I know that he doesn't necessarily want to hear good job until it's like a legitimate good job because You know, my teaching style is very, it's very nurturing. Yeah, it's very positive. Very positive and very encouraging. Speaker 1 (13:38) Which Speaker 4 (13:38) I appreciate. Yes, I know. I know you do. Speaker 4 (13:43) Um, but I've, you know, I've learned to really, to really save it a bit so he can appreciate it more because he is so hard on himself. Um, but I have constantly reminded him where we started at day one and where we got to is significant. And not only is quick step a hard dance, it's one of the. It might look like it's fun and easy and you're just running across the stage, but it is actually one of the harder, more complicated ballroom dance styles because you have to maintain your frame and then also have fast movement, fast feet. You're bouncing, you're jumping up and down. It is extremely difficult. And then I also wasn't easy on Taylor. I gave him a very technical and hard piece of choreography, but because I knew he could do it. And I also instinctively, I'm realizing, and I think, well, I'm realizing now, and I think instinctively when we first met, that if I was easy on him, he would be unsatisfied. I know I'm talking about you in the third person, but I think you would be, I think you would be unsatisfied if I gave you sort of like a basic, you know, performance. Yeah. Speaker 2 (15:00) Absolutely. I mean, yeah. Headcase. No, but. That's, that's what's beautiful. I mean, so many beautiful things about this process. I mean, when I have such admiration now for just learning about dance and seeing the craft and