"I hope everyone had a great summer! I really enjoyed mine, as it gave me a chance to focus on my music, which as most of you know is another passion of mine. I am so blessed to be able to pursue both dancing and music, the two things I love to do most.
A highlight of my summer was the release of my video for my single Hotwire. It exceeded all my expectations and managed to make its way all over the Internet and TV including being voted the winner of MTV's Freshman Five for 2011. The song itself was even used for promotional use by Major League Baseball. As a fan of the game of baseball, I was definitely excited about that.
But now fall is here and that means that Season 13 is in full force! I feel like a new man this season. There is a new ballroom (that disco ball is huge!), I have a new haircut, and, best of all, an awesome new dance partner. Dancing is my favorite thing to do and each season brings me more and more excitement. I get to entertain, train, and meet an amazing new cast every season, and it all revolves around the one thing I love the most — performing.
I have been very fortunate this season to be partnered with Kristin (Cavallari). Many of you could probably tell by watching the show this week that this girl can dance! She is naturally coordinated and catches on quickly. She also is laid back and pays very good attention to detail. These are the qualities that you look for in a good dance partner.
She makes my job a lot easier but don't think for a second that I'm going to go easy on her (Kristin, if you're reading this you should be very nervous). I am very competitive and I already have a spot picked out in my house for another mirror ball trophy. If Kristin and I put in the necessary hard work I know our fans can take us to the top. However, the cast is stacked with talent, so it's definitely going to be a challenge. It's very early, and I'm not discounting anyone, but here are a few stars that stuck out to me in week 1.
First, J.R. (Martinez) is going to be tough to beat. He's a good dancer and he has a very inspirational story. He will be a fan favorite for sure and I expect him to make it very far this season.
Carson (Kressley) is another competitor to watch out for. He's very entertaining and he knows how to work the crowd. His charisma will translate well to the dance floor and I have a feeling that his good sense of humor is going to help him develop a strong fan base.
Chaz (Bono) is another star I am keeping my eye on. Despite what he has had to endure through so far, the guy is fearless out there and he's a good dancer on top of it! He had a great first week and I am very happy for him.
Finally, Ricki (Lake) also has my attention. She's a good dancer and seems really motivated to do well. Also, her partner Derek will push her to do her best. I missed Derek last season so it is great to have him back.
But of course, the star I have been most impressed with so far is Kristin. She did an awesome job this week with her first dance, the energetic cha-cha. There were a few jitters that we had to work out, but as we got further in to our dance, I could tell that Kristin began to loosen up and we saw more of what she is capable of. It was a good start, but we will need to improve each week if we want to win. All Kristin has to do is listen to me and shake what her mama gave her. And of course, fan voting will be essential in carrying us forward.
In Week 2, we are going to step it up a notch with a harder dance called the quick step, the fastest of the ballroom dances. This means that our cardio stamina will be put to the test this week as we rehearse for 6 hours a day. That said, with a good partner like Kristin, I look forward to the challenge. Welcome to the new season and many thanks to all the fans who watched the show this week!"
Hey loves :)
Mark has posted a new blog entry on USAToday.com, I hope you enjoy it & vote for team KristinBalls! :)
-J
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