The Square Life

Ashly Delgrosso may have proved she has “the right stuff” dancing with New Kid Joey MacIntyre this past summer on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, but Kirby Heyborne suggests a new venture for her...in the wedding business.

Kirby Heyborne: I hear you have a cold.

Ashly Delgrosso: Yeah, I do. How’d you guess?

KH: You turned from an alto to a base. How are you?

AD: I’m doing well, actually, I’m moving out to L.A. on Friday, so I’m just getting ready to go there.

KH: Oh, really, that’s awesome.

AD: How are you doing?

KH: I’m doing great, are you going to be dancing out here.

AD: Yes.

KH: When did you get started dancing?

AD: I was three years old, in Colorado. I was actually born in Colorado. My mother owned a dance studio, so basically I was raised in a dance studio.

KH: So your mom was a dancer.

AD: Yes, my mom, she still dances. She still owns a studio in Orem. So at the age of three she put me in but basically she says I was kinda moving when I came out of her stomach. I would hear music and that was what I would do.

KH: Did you immediately go to Latin dancing?

AD: No, I was trained in Jazz and Ballet, and Tap and Hip-Hop all the way up to age twelve and then a kid came up to me, his mom actually called me. I was sitting at home and she asked me to be his Swing partner and I was like, “I don’t even know what Swing Dancing is.” I was like sure, you know, it’s a new thing. So I was like cool, yeah, I’ll be his partner. So um...I...went and started dancing with him. I went to our first competition and I saw Latin dancing and I told my mom that was something I really wanted to learn to do. To Latin dance. So I started. And then I still had to continue training...to this day I still train in mainly Jazz, Ballet and Ballroom. The Hip-Hop and Tap I just do once in a blue moon.

KH: Do you like stuff where you have to have a partner or do you like doing it solo.

AD: Ummm...it depends on my mood. There’s days where I love, I need a partner and I appreciate you know, I just love dancing but that’s why I have both forms. I also love just doing things on my own. So it kinda just depends.

KH: What are the benefits of both, what do you like about having a partner or doing it by yourself.

AD: I’ve never had someone ask me that question, that’s cool. The best thing about ballroom dancing and dancing with a partner is that you get to share a storyline to people between two people, a relationship. It’s a major journey when you go through that and have the opportunity to share the same experience with somebody else. It’s just like in a normal relationship. When you’re dancing solo, it’s the same thing; you kinda break free and be yourself and find out who you are. So that’s kinda the difference between the two.

KH: Do you find yourself…Are you married?

AD: Not anymore. (laughs)

KH: O.K. That’s interesting. How ’bout I stop here. Well, that brings up a question, were you married to a [dance] partner?

AD: Yup. I was. We were partners for six years.

KH: And then...

AD: And then he went on his mission and came home and then I married him.

KH: How long were you married?

AD: We were married 13 months.

KH: Did he just forget how to dance? Was he the longest partner you had?

AD: Yup...well, kinda, no...cause when he was on his mission I turned pro and danced with a guy named Rick Robinson and he and I are still partners.

KH: Do you have a good relationship with him?

AD: Oh yeah, Rick was my coach when I was younger and so I turned pro to dance with my coach. Rick has always been like a brother to me. I kinda retired from competing a year ago and I just focused on...I’m on Odyssey Dance Theater, it’s a professional dance company in Utah. I’ve been on that for six years. I decided just to focus on that last year and then Dancing with the Stars kinda called me in and I flew out and then I got that gig.

KH: What did they say? Did they say, “Hey, come and dance with us?”

AD: Well, actually, how I got the gig was very weird. How the story goes, Odyssey was going to Europe during the whole month of April. Well, Derryl had to pick certain people to go and I was thinking... “okay”...

KH: Now Derryl’s the owner?

AD: Derryl Yeager is the director.

KH: And he used to be an actor?

AD: Yes.

KH: Yeah, I’ve seen him before. Okay, go ahead. . .

AD: So, I was actually not chosen to go to Europe. It was weird to me because I’ve been on this company for six years and it really humbled me, I was like, “Oh, I don’t understand why I wasn’t chosen.” So they left for Europe the first week in April. That week my coach, Louie van Amstel, he was actually one of the dancers on the show, I was teaching in the studio and he came up to me and said, “Ashly, there’s this new t.v. show that’s out there that’s called Dancing with the Stars and they’re looking for “Ten dances” and...
KH: What is “Ten dances”?

AD: “Ten dances.” We do the 5 Latin dances and the 5 standard dances. And he said, “you’d be perfect for the part.” I was like, of course, I’d love to do it. So basically he just handed me the phone and it was Matilda, the casting agent on the other line...

KH: What a name!

AD: Matilda, I know. I love her to death, they’re all from England.

KH: Does she act like her name?

AD: No, she’s the sweetest lady.

KH: Hey, there is a song, “Waltzing Matilda”

AD: Really?

KH: Yeah, (Singing) Waltzing Matilda,
waltzing Matilda, go waltzing Matilda with me...anyway...what?

AD: (laughs) That was a very nice song. So she asked me, “would you mind flying out to L.A. and having an interview with us?” Sure. “Well, you need to be out here on Monday.” Well, this is on a Friday, so I’m like okay and booked a flight and flew out to L.A., had an hour interview and basically, they kept saying, you know, just asking me questions and I’m just myself and I just answer them the way I feel. Well, three days later I got the job. I didn’t realize how many people auditioned for the show.
KH: And you just show up?
AD: I just showed up, this Utah girl, you know, like in L.A.–Hollywood–just kinda waltzes in and then I found out I got the show. A week later I moved out to L.A. and started teaching Joey McIntyre. It was a whole life changing experience within one week. It’s so ironic, if I went to Europe and had been chosen to go, I wouldn’t have gotten this job. So things work out.
KH: So what do you want to do now – do you continue dancing? I mean like professionally
in L.A.
AD: Yes, maybe like the Emmy awards, you know they always have dancers for those kinds of awards or commercials. Like dance commercials, there are a lot of dance commercials out there.

KH: Yeah, like Gap.

AD: Yeah, Target.

KH: How about weddings, would you go dance at weddings, like a band?

AD: If they hire me, of course!

KH: Would you have to bring your own stuff? Like a boom-box?

AD: I don’t know, I’ve never done it before.

KH: I’ll be your manager and we’ll just do weddings.

AD: Would you? Nice.

KH: We could make some money.

AD: Don’t you live in L.A?

KH: I do.

AD: ‘Cause I’m moving to the West Hollywood part.

KH: That’s a good dancing place.

AD: Yeah, I’m going to go train at The Edge, which is one of the top studios. I’m going to be teaching at a lot of ballroom studios. I actually teach children. I’m one of the few ballroom teachers that teach children.

KH: Are they hard to work with or why?

AD: I think people are just afraid of them.

KH: They are kinda scary. Have you seen Children of the Corn, or are they anything like Chucky?

AD: (laughs)

KH: Do you think they can’t handle it.

AD: I don’t know if they don’t think they can handle them. But for me I was raised basically teaching kids. Like, my mom was a children’s teacher and I just love them.

KH: What else do you do besides dance?

AD: I love to be outdoors, anything to do
with the outdoors, like hiking, I love camping.

KH: Have you hiked a lot through the Wasatch Hills?

AD: No. Mainly just behind my house, in the summertime I would hike Timp cave every morning. Up to the cave and back just for a work out.

KH: So you live, where then?

AD: My family lives in Highland, Utah. I was raised here and decided to branch out. Where are you from?

KH: I grew up in Sandy. Just on the other side of the hills.

AD: I have a question for you. Were you in the Olympics?

KH: Was I in the Olympics?

AD: Did you work for the Olympics?

KH: Like I won the gold medal in the downhill.

AD: Riiiiight...did you really?

KH: I did, Yeah.

AD: You did? No, because I don’t know if it was you but I was a Coca-Cola dancer.

KH: Oh, no way. Yeah, I worked for Coke.

AD: I know you did–weren’t you one of the hosts?

KH: Yeah.

AD: See I was like I swear I know him. I worked in Park City, I was one of those dancers.

KH: I remember and that’s where I met Derryl.

AD: Yes.

KH: What an opportunity. Those were the days.

AD: Those were the days...I can’t believe I ever. They made us dance outside in the freezing cold on concrete. That was crazy and so nuts but it was really fun and a great experience.

KH: How old were you then?

AD: It was...2002, that’s 3 years ago I think I was 19. I’m 23.

KH: When’s your birthday?

AD: July 9th, when’s yours?

KH: October 8th.

AD: Oh, you’re birthday’s coming up.

KH: I know, like in a couple of days. I’m going to be 43.

AD: No you’re not.

KH: I know.

AD: You’re so full of it! So, are you married?

KH: Yes.

AD: Do you have any kids?

KH: I do.

AD: How many?

KH: I have two that I know of.

AD: (laughs) Nice. So how is it raising a family in L.A? Do you like it?

KH; Yeah, I love it because we live in a great part. I love it here.

AD: Good. Are you going to do more movies?

KH: Actually, right now I’m on a new show on Fox.We’re making it now and it will air in April. It’s a sitcom. I finished two films this summer and things are going good.

AD: Great, well good for you, it’s so nice to have that kind of success come from Utah.

KH: Yeah it’s fun. It’s always good to be by the family. Aren’t there like 30 kids in your family?