Eden Golan on the Injury That Forced Her to Leave 'Dancing with the Stars': 'It Was a Shock'
Eden Golan and Artem Lyaskovsky were forced to leave the 'Dancing with the Stars' project due to the singer's shoulder injury. In an interview, they shared their feelings about the missed opportunity and their gratitude for the experience.
The live broadcast stage of "Dancing with the Stars" kicked off this week (the competition continues, Saturdays after the news on Keshet 12), and the first live episode provided plenty of drama: beyond the elimination of Maya Dagan, Eden Golan was forced to retire from the competition due to a shoulder injury. The singer, along with dancer Artem Lyaskovsky, had been marked by the judges and the audience as one of the couples capable of going all the way. In an interview with Yoav Limor and Galit Gutman after the surprising announcement, they shared their feelings of missed opportunity, how they reacted to the injury, and whether they truly believed they could have taken first place.
"It was a shock to everyone, I personally denied it for a long time," Golan shared about how she and her surroundings reacted to the injury: "Everyone tried to deny it and find solutions. Maybe not use the hand, and all sorts of things to make it happen, but we realized it wasn't possible, and it's too dangerous. It wasn't easy for everyone."
The dancer added about the incident: "In the end, this is a reality show about dancing with lifts, with tons of hours of training in the studio. You can't take such a big risk when it comes to a health issue that is not in our control, so we acted according to the production's instructions."
And now have you already processed the injury?
Eden: "Enough tears came out from the performances, everything is processed. There's nothing to do, everything is for the best. The main thing is that we are whole, that I have a hand and it wasn't lost."
Artem: "You make plans and God has other plans. In the end, I think I had the most amazing experience, I danced with Eden Golan, we did crazy numbers that haven't been seen in any season. I am proud of our work, of our friendship, and I also wish her to be healthy, that is the most important thing."
Eden: "I gained this person and an unforgettable experience. I learned from a world champion, the cream of the crop."
It must sting a little to know that your path ended here.
Artem: "If it were up to Eden, she would be dancing even now."
Eden: "Of course it stings. But we've been in this story for about two weeks now. Lots of doctors, tests, and physiotherapy. If it were up to me, I would be dancing even now, but it wasn't my decision. Physically they told me, 'Eden, you can't, it's dangerous for you.' Here I have nothing left to do."
Did you really feel that you were about to take first place easily?
Artem: "We invested our soul and our heart in the studio and worked like crazy. It was not easy at all. People only see the final product, they don't see what's behind it, which is hours of training. We really thank everyone for all the love and endless support."
Eden: "At first I couldn't succeed. Everything happened through hard work, sweat, blood, and pain to reach the point I am at today. It was really not easy, although people think so, I will take it as a compliment."
What feelings accompanied you the last time you went up to the dance floor?
Eden: "We cried too, I processed it and said, 'Come on, everything is fine.' But in the end, standing on the dance floor for the last time, singing this song and seeing Artem dancing this crazy number, brought a wave of emotions and I decided not to hide them because I'm not a robot."
Artem: "When Eden and I held hands, I saw her take that deep breath to keep from crying and that's how she held that note until the end and it was our moment, it was amazing. We have so many amazing moments and beautiful memories. Thank you that we are ending it this way."
