Gleb Savchenko won't be back in the "Dancing with the Stars," dancefloor for Season 35, but the longtime professional dancer is assuring disappointed fans that he is "good."
Savchenko, 42, addressed his absence in an Instagram video posted Sept. 2 after receiving messages from disappointed fans following the Season 35 lineup announcement on "Good Morning America."
"Guys, you can stop telling me you're sorry. I'm good," Savchenko said while filming himself shirtless near a pool.
He echoed the message in his post's caption, expressing appreciation for his time in the ballroom and optimism about what comes next for him.
"Guys, I promise … I'm good," Savchenko wrote. "Nothing
but love and gratitude for all the years in that ballroom. Excited for this next chapter — and wishing everyone an amazing season. No sad messages. We're moving forward."
While Savchenko is sitting out the upcoming season, returning male pros include Alan Bersten, Val Chmerkovskiy, Pasha Pashkov and Ezra Sosa.
Savchenko first joined the U.S. edition of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2013 for Season 16, when he was paired with "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump. He went on to compete across multiple seasons with celebrity partners including Jana Kramer, Erika Jayne, Lauren Alaina, Shangela, Brooks Nader, Chrishell Stause and Mira Sorvino.
Savchenko competed alongside Hilaria Baldwin in Season 34, but the pair were eliminated during the fourth week of the competition.
Although Savchenko will not return as a competing pro this season, he recently remained connected to the franchise through "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro," a competition series seeking a new dancer to join the flagship show.
Savchenko has been actively pursuing opportunities outside of dancing and is dabbling with a career in acting. Savchenko told Us Weekly in July that he had filmed a vertical drama titled "Swallow Me Like a Sin," in which he plays a mafia king. He said at the time that he hoped to pursue acting "on the next level."
'Dancing with the Stars' premiere date
Season 35 of "Dancing with the Stars" will premiere on Sept. 15 on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gleb Savchenko won't be on 'DWTS' Season 35. Here's his response
