I want to thank EVERYONE for all your support and encouragement. From the moment I agreed to do EDIN’s Celebrity Dance Challenge you all made sure to ask how training was going and tell me how great I would do.When it came time to vote you all came out in droves! And on performance day many of you emailed, texted, posted on my facebook wall and even SHOWED UP at the theater to cheer me on.
Being a celebrity on a dance challenge is everything you think it is. I watched Dancing With the Stars this season asn I have a profound respect for both the dancers and the celebrities. I only had to do ONE dance that I had 2 months to train for. I can’t imagine having to do a new dance EVERY week. Wow.
What I did get the opportunity to experience was being paired with an AMAZING dance partner who will be my friend for life. Jeffrey Scott Bailey held my hand and me together. Every week he pushed me and empowered me. It was so so so much fun to dance with him every week. And to be honest, I never read his bio until after the event. This guy’s bio reads like a who’s who. He made it fun and it showed on stage. We were in synch and laughed through the whole thing.
When we finally got the the final dress rehearsal on the Friday evening before the event I was sooo nervous I couldn’t stand it. I was really scared! Thank you to Bubba Carr for talking me through it and calming me down. It is one thing to do it in a studio laughing and another thing on a STAGE looking at to seats knowing an audience will be watching.
In the final moments we also decided to pull a costume change. We had planned all along for me to dress like Judy Garland in “Get Happy”. She wore a double breasted jacket with short heels and fishnet stockings. For whatever reason I just couldn’t find the right jacket and the heels just didn’t look or feel right. Jeffrey tells me the night before, ” I put on my version of the outfit and I looked like a choir boy. Let’s do 80’s punk”. We were dancing to One Night in Bangkok from the play Chess. He informed me he was wearing his boots. “Well, if you are wearing your boots, then I am wearing mine”, I told him. I own platform boots from my heavy metal concert days. Now, keep in mind that I had not practiced in these. These boots make me over 6 feet 2 inches.
I went home that night and practiced in my garage. I felt better in the boots than I did in the small heels! Now if I could just land the cartwheel. I got to the theater early on Saturday and practiced over and over. I didn’t miss once. What the hell!
Jeffrey and I were first on. I don’t know how we managed to get that honor but I guess it was better to get it over with.
I wasn’t really nervous. I just wanted to be done. I went for it and I felt good about it. I gave it my all. I worked REALLY hard to prepare for this. I am NOT a dancer but I tell you, I will be taking classes next year because hands down this was one of the most fun experiences I have had. I got to breakthrough in ways I never imagined.
I didn’t win but for me I was happy I got to participate. Ginair McKerrow was the winner. She did a beautiful contemporary piece. I was thrilled for her. She is a friend and an Authentic Beauty Client so we had weeks of cheering each other on! All the other “celebrities” who competed danced their hearts out. I especially loved Samantha Mohr, of the Weather Channel‘s performance.
Hands down it was one of the best experiences I have had. In addition I used it as an opportunity to get myself fit again. I am in the gym 4-5 days a week and have dropped a size or 2. I feel really good.
Thank you again for all your encouragement! Here is the video. (this video was taken by my daughter. There was no professional videographer). ENJOY!
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