Week 5: Doing It for My Partner
Hi, everyone! Another week, another two dances. This week you'll get to see Ian and I dance the tango and the mambo, sort of opposite ends of the spectrum in the dance world. Lately we've been working twice as hard as normal. Learning two dances this week has been tough, especially since we just got into the pace of nailing one dance per week. Two dances each week is what's going to separate the pack a little bit more. We're going to start to see a few couples gently ease their way away from the pack, and I hope that
Ian and I are one of them.
I had a moment the other day when I reflected on the last 12 months. Twelve months in which I've had 14 days off, I might add. But it's been a 12-month period that I wouldn't change for the world. I've met wonderful people, I've gotten to visit so many wonderful cities across the country when we did the tour, and I've gotten to experience so many memorable moments that will forever stay ingrained in my mind, including championships on
Dancing with the Stars with
Drew Lachey and
Emmitt Smith. As much as I treasure all of these special memories, there's still one more that I selfishly want to be able to have.
There has been a lot of talk this season on
Dancing with the Stars about a possible three-peat championship for me, and to be honest, I don't think about those chances at all. I don't think about what it would feel like to win a third time in a row. I think about how much I want Ian to win that mirror-ball trophy - that's one more memory I want to be able to look back on fondly. I think about how much I want Ian to be able to lift that trophy and feel a sense of pride, of doing what 10 other contestants weren't able to do. I think about how I'd feel watching Ian feel proud of his own accomplishments. And mostly I think about how I'm going to help him get there - how I'm going to design the dances so that they showcase his strongest attributes and so that no one notices that his feet are killing him or that his onesie is uncomfortable. I keep myself up at night worrying that as strong as our dances may be, is it enough to overcome Billy Ray's fan base, John's endearing sensibilities, Apolo's footwork, Joey's dynamic personality and Laila's natural rhythm? Time and hard work will tell.
Ian has been working so hard learning each and every step and really dedicating himself to be the best possible dancer he can be at this stage of the game. He puts in as much time and effort as those of us that have been dancing our whole lives do for a competition, even more in some respects. That's why it's so hard to hear the comments from the judges. The past two weeks have been filled with harsh criticism for Ian. The judges don't feel that he's been "meeting his full potential" on the dance floor. I have to say that I have full faith in Ian and his potential; I know that one week he's going to have his moment and wow the crowd with his footwork, his impeccable posture, his devil-may-care attitude and most importantly his love of the moment. And this week just might be that week. So tune in and, most importantly, don't forget to vote!
