Do you spend your Mondays watching Dancing with the Stars? The Season 24 #DWTS finale is coming, and what a season it is with the Dancing with the Stars 2017 cast on ABC. I am eager to learn who will take home the coveted Mirrorball Trophy. We’ll find out in the May finale. But for now, let’s talk dance.
Last Tuesday, I pushed my comfort zone when I entered a dance studio in Los Angeles. It was my first dance lesson, and my instructors were the Dancing with the Stars Troup members Brittany Cherry, Britt Stewart, Hayley Erbert, Brandon Strong, Alan Bersten, and Artur Adamski.
About the Dancing with the Stars Troupe:
Since Season 12, there has been a DWTS Troupe. Eight Troupe members of the first 24 have gone on to be pro at some tenure after the Troupe. Today, I am with six.
A Troupe is a group of immensely talented dancers who perform on every episode in special dance bits and as backup dancers with the celebs & pros. (They also sometimes sub in for an injured dance pro, as troupe member Alan Bersten is doing now for Maksim Chmerkovskiy – he‘s dancing with actress Heather Morris while Maks is healing from an injury.)
I suppose if I were shopping for dancing lessons, I’d be looking for a good teacher. Someone who had some experience in, say, choreographing.
My expertise in dancing stems from waiting for my husband to leave for work, having one of the kiddos holler, “Dad’s out of the driveway.” The blinds get closed, and the music gets turned up. None of us knows what we’re doing, but we’re dancing and having the time of our lives.
With this said, there have been no rules. And if I’m honest, no rules. So my dance teacher will need to be patient.
Remember, I’m pushing my comfort zone. People, I’m pushing it HARD. So I will need someone emotionally stable enough to deal with me and an emotionally unstable student. Someone who can divert from the instability by showcasing my strengths, which have absolutely nothing to do with dancing. The bonus is they can also conceal my weaknesses (like dancing).
It’s a small studio—your typical hardwood dance floors. One wall is a huge mirror. The back wall is painted a bright blue with white signature lettering that reads “Dancing with the Stars.”
Inside, I’m met with the larger-than-life Alan Bersten. He has an incredible sense of humor, and charisma oozes from his broad shoulders.
Alan Bersten Dancing with the Stars Troupe Member and me at Dancing with the Stars Dance Studio in Los Angeles.
Within the first 30 seconds of our meeting, I feel like I can do this.
The DWTS Troupe takes the lead in front of the mirrored wall. Today, their mission is to teach 25 bloggers how to Salsa.
They make it look so easy!
Then we all practiced together:
And practiced more:
And then, we divided into groups for more intimate instruction. I was paired with Hayley Erbert.
She was SO patient. Even when I announced I couldn’t count and move my feet at the same time! She had so much confidence in me that she added hip rolls and arm movements! Eek!
And then we were told we had a “Dance Competition.”
People, even after a 30-minute dance lesson with an amazingly talented and patient DWTS Troupe member, I rhythm.
I was TERRIFIED!
But I did it…
And you know what?! It was truly the time of my life. I learned to Salsa–my children have told me that despite this, I am NOT to do it in public–EVER!
I stepped out of my comfort zone. I gave it my best and walked away feeling proud that I danced with the DWTS Troupe!
The meet and greet were pretty awesome also:
from DWTS Troupe
Brittany Cherry from Dancing with the Stars Troupe
Artur Adamski from Dancing with the Stars Troupe
Britt Stewart Dancing with the Stars Troupe
And not only is she from Dancing with Stars Troupe, but she also toured with Katy Perry as a backup dancer, AND she was in High School Musical, High School Musical 2, High School Musical 3, Teen Beach Movie, No Strings Attached, and Girl Walks Into A Bar. She was also the reason the Paparazzi were everywhere during our visit. The beautiful and extremely talented Britt Stewart!
AND BE SURE TO TUNE IN TO DWTS ON MONDAY NIGHT! (8/7c on ABC)…the finale’s coming!
THE EIGHT REMAINING COUPLES DANCE TO SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC SONGS FROM FAMOUS BOY BANDS AND GIRL GROUPS THROUGHOUT MUSICAL HISTORY, ON ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS,’ MONDAY, APRIL 24
The Celebrities Compete Against Each Other in Team Dances – Men vs. Women
Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter Is a Guest Judge
Maksim Chmerkovskiy Returns to the Ballroom Floor
One Couple Will Be Eliminated at the End of the Night
Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter joins Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Julianne Hough as a guest judge.
Some of the iconic boy bands and girl groups whose songs will be danced to include:
- Simone and Sasha performing a samba to Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.”
- Bonner and Sharna dancing the rumba to Backstreet Boys‘ “I Want It That Way.”
- Nick and Peta jiving to The Beach Boys’ “Fun.Fun, Fun”
- Normani and Val dancing salsa to The Pussycat Dolls‘ “When I Grow Up.”
- David and Lindsay performing an Argentine tango to *NSYNC’s “I Want You Back.”
- Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater dance the Tango to “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” by The Four Tops.
- Nancy Kerrigan & Artem Chigvintsev perform a Paso Doblé to “Free Your Mind” by En Vogue.
Also, after being injured, Maks makes his return to the ballroom floor, where he and Heather will perform a rumba to TLC’s “Waterfalls.”
To add some spice to the competition, it’s Team Dances with men vs. women:
- TEAM BOY BAND
Bonner Bolton, Nick Viall, David Ross, and Rashad Jennings will dance to a medley of “Dancing Machine” by Jackson 5, “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block, and “Best Song Ever” by One Direction. - TEAM GIRL GROUP
Simone Biles, Nancy Kerrigan, Normani Kordei, and Heather Morris will dance to a medley of “My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Chiffons, “No Scrubs” by TLC, and “BO$$” by Fifth Harmony.
Each celebrity will perform a samba, rumba, tango, Paso doblé, salsa, Argentine tango, or jive.
Based on scores and votes from last Monday, one couple will be eliminated at the end of the night.
About Dancing with the Stars:
Hosted by two-time Emmy-winning host Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, “Dancing with the Stars” is the hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including head judge Len Goodman, dancers/choreographers Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Julianne Hough.
Photo Courtesy of The ABC Television Network