SheKnows blogger Mark Ballas explains how his dance partner got a little help with her routine this week — and how it went a long way.
I was very proud of Candace for overcoming her fear, anxiety and blackouts this week. She made one little error in the tango, but that was only because she was getting so excited over how well the performance was going. I definitely feel like the trip to the sports psychologist helped. Even though the techniques and the ideas she gave us were simple, they were super effective. It was great that she gave Candace guidance to get her through the routine. I felt super settled and I think that’s the most settled Candace has felt since we did the contemporary routine in Week 1.
Meet our SheKnows guest blogger: Mark Ballas of Dancing with the Stars >>
I was really excited for the team dance, but unfortunately, Amy got injured. That made me really sad because I hate seeing anyone get hurt, let alone Amy, because of how close she and I have become. Anyway, fortunately, we took the winning spot with the team dance. Even though they only played our dress rehearsal, we were still doing the dance live for the studio audience, putting on a show, and we got a great crowd reaction.
It was a great week, but it was really sad to see NeNe go. I became pretty close with her, and she’s so fun, hilarious and always in good spirits. I’m definitely going to miss her.
Moving into next week, I want to keep Candace in the same positive mental zone so we can keep climbing. I keep telling Candace that this is a turtle race, not a rabbit race. She’s my turtle and she just put on rollerblades so she’s moving a little faster. So that’s been really fun and a great mentality for her to have.
DWTS‘ Mark Ballas blogs: Candace comes out of her shell >>
Candace and I have the foxtrot next week. I think it’s really suited to her personality — fun, quirky, sassy, but still elegant and classy. I think she’s going to do really well. We also have this new challenge where we’re doing this side-by-side dual thing where we’re dancing with another couple. I can’t reveal who that couple is yet, but I think it’s going to turn out really great because we get along really well with them, so it’s going to be super cool!
All in all, I’m really proud of Candace. I think she’s on the incline right now and really hitting her stride in the competition. We’re just going to keep moving and pacing ourselves. We want to live in the now and keep moving forward.
DWTS‘ Mark Ballas blogs: Sick with the samba >>
Another fun fact, and something to look forward to: I will be releasing my brand-new single and music video for “Get My Name” on Monday, May 5. So be on the lookout for that. I’m really excited to share it with you!
You can keep voting for Candace and me online all day today if you want to see us continue on. Voting is open until 8/7c.
Until next week,
Mark Ballas
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