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One thing is for sure - I definitely have a whole new level of respect for ballroom dancers.  They make it look so easy!  We had a 3-hour practice on Saturday...whew!  By the end of it my brain felt a little mushy, but the good news is that I have now learned all of the Tango routine, which makes me feel a lot better!  The routine and music are both great.  Next I will be working on the Swing routine which I think will feel a little more natural to me.  I tried a couple of moves during yesterday's practice and they are really fun!  However, the thing that I keep wondering is how I'm going to do these dances in heels!  Yikes!
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The idea of being on Dancing with the Stars is really cool, right?  You see the really cool costumes, the neat dance floor and the crowd cheering them on, and it makes you want to dance even more!  That's what happened to me too!  I was extremely excited when I committed to do the Lafayette DWTS for Big Brothers Big Sisters!  Then Day One arrived.

You are in the dance studio, staring at a mirror and you realize:  there are no cameras, no fancy outfits, no crowds, and oh yeah, you can't really dance either!  Luckily I have an incredible dance partner, Michelle Tate from Tates’ Dance Studio.  She has taught me so much!  After just a few sessions I already know my Foxtrot steps and my Mambo is coming along.  I actually feel like I know what I am doing!  Now I am not saying I am Derrick Hough, but I am excited to keep on learning and growing as a new dancer.  This is fun!  So stay tuned to watch video of our practice sessions and see pictures from our journey!

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Well, after the first night of practice, I already feel more comfortable with the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone!  Andrew and Michelle are such professionals and they did a great job with putting me at ease.  I know I'm in good hands, so I am just going to trust them and follow their lead!  Oddly enough that is going to the be the hardest thing to do on the dance floor - follow someone else's lead!  It is funny how different partner dancing is from the kind of dancing I'm used to.  I'm used to performing my choreography while keeping formation with a team.  Now I have to remember that all of my choreography is directly connected to someone else's choreography.  He steps, I step.  He turns, I turn.  I fall, he falls!
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