ENTERTAINMENT

Alfonso Ribeiro reveals origin of 'Carlton Dance'

Sarah Dose
sdose@dmreg.com

Alfonso Ribeiro has been killing it on "Dancing With the Stars."

Alfonso Ribeiro and his son, AJ, in front of a tractor on his wife's family farm in southeast Iowa.

Maybe you missed his performance on Oct. 6, when he did his infamous "Carlton Dance," made famous when he starred opposite Will Smith on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." You couldn't have missed it in your Facebook or Twitter feed the next day, though. The jazz routine earned him and his partner, Witney Carson, a perfect score from judges -- a 40. They routinely score in the top portion each week and have yet to receive a score below an 8.

The dance is what made Alfonso's Carlton character iconic (along with the sweater vests), but Iowans can also call him one of their own -- his wife is from Iowa originally. OK, that tie is admittedly loose, but we Iowans could never turn down the opportunity to embrace somebody who rode on the "Silver Spoons" train.

Q: First, how did you meet your wife? Considering she's from Iowa and you're … not.

A: We met here in Los Angeles. My wife, Angela Unkrich, grew up in Iowa, went to college at Northwestern University in Chicago, then moved out here. We had mutual friends and met through them.

Q: Where are you from originally? When did you move to LA?

A: I was born and raised in Riverdale, N.Y. After starring on Broadway and appearing with Michael Jackson in a Pepsi commercial, I moved to Los Angeles in 1984 when I was 12 to work on the show "Silver Spoons." I've been here in LA ever since.

Alfonso Ribeiro and his son, AJ, with cattle on his wife's family farm in southeast Iowa.

Q: How often do you get to Iowa, and what were you thinking the first time you visited?

A: We visit Iowa usually a few times a year. My first time to Iowa was during the '93 floods. I was racing cars at the time and had a race in Des Moines. My first time visiting my wife's family farm -- or any farm for that matter -- was definitely a bit of a shock for me, initially. But I've certainly grown to love and appreciate the farm and truly enjoy my time there.

Q: I'm told you help on the farm. What kind of farm is it and what chores do you do?

A: They raise corn and soybeans, and they have cattle for livestock. I always offer to help out with whatever they need help with. I did my first cattle drive a couple of years ago when we had to move cattle from one pasture to another.

Q: What do you love about Iowa? Or not love?

A: I love how peaceful it is, the wholesome values, and I simply love being part of such a large, close-knit family. My wife's family has some wonderful family traditions, particularly for the holidays, and it's great to be a part of that. I also love visiting the Swedish Heritage Museum in Swedesburg, which my wife's grandmother Louise started more than 20 years ago. It's great to see how their family and community preserve and honor their heritage and have a strong sense of where they come from.

Q: Have you been to Des Moines? I think you would love the butter cow at the Iowa State Fair (because everybody loves it).

A: I haven't been to the State Fair but I have been to Des Moines. We would love to go to the State Fair sometime. My wife grew up going to the State Fair every year as a kid and she definitely wants all of us to go at some point, it just hasn't worked well time-wise with our schedule thus far. Hopefully next year.

Q: Did you ever get to ride the train on "Silver Spoons"?

A: Yes, one time.

Q: What are you loving about "Dancing With the Stars"? Have you been trying to get on for a while? Fans loved your "Carlton dance" last week; was it weird to see how that dance has basically transcended time?

A: I'm loving the friendships being created, the excitement of performing again, and learning all of the different types of dances. That's something I've always wanted to learn. It's definitely a lot of hard work. I don't think people realize just how many hours we're all putting in and how demanding it is. I'll get home after a full day of rehearsals and I'll continue rehearsing on my own at the house for another 2-3 hours. I'll usually hold my 11-month old son, AJ, while I go through my steps with the music which he loves.

Q: Moreover, do you get tired of doing "the dance"? I'm sure people ask you to do it all the time.

A: Yes, I don't do it much at all anymore, but I get asked to do it pretty much every day of my life.

Q: You could win! You could really win "DWTS." What would be next for you? A celebratory trip to Des Moines, I'm sure.

A: We definitely plan to visit Swedesburg right after "DWTS," most likely around Thanksgiving. Unsure about Des Moines, though. We do have some family friends in Des Moines who we would love to visit sometime -- their daughter (Rachel Gowey) is a gymnast at Chow's and is on the National Team. My daughter, who is also a gymnast, loves watching her compete and has been wanting to go watch one of her practices at Chow's for a while now. (In fact, Rachel and her mom are coming out with my in-laws this week for Monday's show.)

Q: How did you come up with the "Carlton Dance"?

A: In the script, it read "Carlton dances." I created it using the idea of Eddie Murphy's 'White Man Dance' and the dance Courtney Cox did on stage to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." I felt it was very indicative of how the character "Carlton" would dance.

Q: Which episode of "Fresh Prince" was your favorite?

A: I don't have a favorite. They were all memorable.