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"My Weekly
Dancing with the Stars Regimen"
SATURDAY:
I wake up bright and early on Saturday
morning to take the first flight out to Los Angeles. As soon as I land
in California, I race over to the costume design department to try on
the rough cut of my dress that I will wear on Monday to perform. It’s so
excited because everyone is so talented. They way they put together
these outfits for all the contestants each week is really unbelievable.
After my costume fitting, I go for lunch.
And this day calls for Spaghetti and Meatballs! Now, remember, I’m
dancing 5 hours a day. This girl needs her carbs! And when not devouring
my amazing Italian meal, I might also have grilled salmon or salads. I
eat lots of protein and carbs. Need to stay balanced!
When lunch is over, I go back to the dance
studio to meet my amazing partner Tony. We have gotten to know each
other so well. It’s so exciting when you click with someone. What a
bonus! Now by Saturday we have already been dancing for an entire week
so we are just perfecting our dance moves by today.
After dancing, I am completely wiped out and
look forward to taking a bubble bath and pampering my skin with all the
wonderful Youthful Essence products. It just makes me feel so relaxed
and at home. Like a little bit of Garden City right there in Los
Angeles.
Bedtime – lights out 9 p.m.!
SUNDAY:
On Sunday morning, I wake up bright and
early to do a pilates workout with the Malibu Pilates chair. Then I am
on my way to go for Camera Blocking. Every Sunday the contestants all
meet at the studio to practice on the dance floor for the actual
performance. It gives the directors a chance to light the stage, check
the angles and make sure they get the best of out each of us on Monday
night! We have about an hour on the stage and perform our song 4 or 5
times.
When it’s over, I go to lunch, and then go
dancing for about 4 more hours again with Tony. It’s truly amazing what
these dancers go through for each show. They are so passionate,
dedicated and full of energy. Tony wants us to win and so do I!
Sometimes, I’ll do an interview in between but Sunday’s are my quiet
day, to think about Monday, dance both in the studio and go through the
moves in my head, relax and get a good night sleep. As Monday is a long
day!
MONDAY:
Its Monday morning! Show day and I am up
bright and early for my 9 a.m. call time. A little oatmeal or scrambled
eggs and some coffee and I’m out the door! This is the day when we get
to rehearse with the whole orchestra.
Its amazing because for the entire week we
have been dancing to recorded music and this is the first time I am
hearing the music live. It is so exhilarating to move on the floor
listening to the music and letting it envelope me into the mood and
style of the dance. This is truly one of my most favorite parts except
for perhaps when my name is called and I get to dance in front of all of
you. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was time for Erica Kane to learn
how to dance. Who knew there was something my character hadn’t’ done
after all this time. We gotta get her some lessons!
Anyway, after my final camera blocking and
rehearsal with the orchestra, I go straight to hair and makeup. Each
week is different but the process usually takes 2 – 3 hours. I’m
starting to get nervous! My butterflies are arriving right on time!
Before I know it, we are doing final
touches, and I’m having my pep talk with Tony. 5 p.m. PST comes so fast
; where did the day go? I’m dressed, I’m ready and we’re all starting
to gather in the waiting area for Showtime! And then soon enough,
“Dancing with the Stars” starts live at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST.
I am so alive with adrenaline and excitement
that I can hardly wait to dance for you and the judges. I’ve come so far
since my first performance and its so wonderful to feel the confidence
in me rise as I take to the dance floor. Thank you so much for voting
for me and having confidence in me! It’s the fans that keep me going! I
don’t want to disappoint you. After the show, we have this amazing press
line and we all talk about the week’s show. When I’m done with the
media, I go for dinner with friends. There are so many wonderful
restaurants to try in Los Angeles.
TUESDAY:
ELIMINATION DAY! ------ Butterflies!
I don’t have to be at the studio till 11a.m
on Tuesday but I can’t wait to get there and at the same time don’t want
to go. The Elimination day is by far the most nerve wracking of all! Am
I going to be eliminated? Can I dance again for another week? It’s all
live, so we don’t know until you know, who is going home!
But at the same time, what is great about
Tuesday is that we learn the music for the dance for the following week,
meet with the head costume designer and whole department and sit
together to hear the music and conceptualize what the costumes are going
to look like. Can you believe they create costumes for all of us in only
1 week? The head costume designer’s name is Randall and he is just
amazing as is the rest of the team. Professional, smart and so creative!
They always make me look amazing!
So…if I’m not eliminated and this week I
wasn’t (so excited), I fly home on the red eye, to get back to New York.
Tony comes with me and bless him for being able to keep up with my crazy
bi-coastal schedule!
WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY/FRIDAY:
I get in and get home around 10 a.m. in the
morning. I am so tired from the flight that I sleep in the car all the
way home. Helmut is so wonderful… traveling back and forth with me to
Los Angeles every week. He keeps me sane! He encourages me to get some
shut eye while he goes about our business making sure everything is
running smoothly. When I wake up, I usually have a couple of eggs, read
the paper, and start to get acclimated to my New York schedule. I have
to get Erica Kane on the brain, as it won’t be long before I have to go
to the ABC Studio. As you know, Erica and the rest of Pine Valley was
recently in a tornado! I mean, anything can happen there!
Back to Dancing with the Stars…. In the
afternoon, I go to meet Tony for about two hours of dancing. This is the
first time Tony and I will be learning our new dance for Monday night.
He is so patient with me as I learn the steps and block them out with
him. This is a great day. It is new and fresh and we start all over
again.
When I get home from rehearsing, there is an
All My Children script waiting for me. What kind of trouble has Erica
Kane got into now! I am about to find out as I peruse through my lines
and get ready for work on Thursday and Friday.
Now being back in New York is no small feat.
I honestly don’t know how Cameron did it, but I am doing it each week
and its starting to become par t of my schedule. The amazing producers
at All My Children were able to make it possible for me to do Dancing
with the Stars so I owe it to everyone to do my best as if it was a
regular schedule.
So I get to work on Thursday and Friday
mornings, work in the A.M. and the have some lunch and go dancing in the
P.M. As you know, I even took Tony to work with me one day. How much fun
that was! I was serious about bringing him back to the show – he has so
much talent! Maybe he can give Erica dancing lessons when this is all
over!
Each day, after the rehearsal of All My
Children, I race to the rehearsal hall to meet Tony to practice my new
dance for Dancing with the Stars. I think about it all the time. Even
when I am at All My Children it takes so much for me not to think about
dancing. I eat, sleep and breathe Dancing with the Stars and this has
been the most amazing experience for me.
Friday afternoon comes and I am already
memorizing my moves and starting to put the drama and excitement into
the dance. Before I know it, I am back on a plane to Los Angeles to hit
the costume department and start this all over again!
So now you have an inside look into my
world. I hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for reading and watching…
Love,
Susan
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![Rehearsing![1].jpg (29583 bytes)](Rehearsing1.jpg)
![More_Costume_Fittings[1].jpg (35577 bytes)](More_Costume_Fittings1.jpg)
![Tango_Dress_Waiting_For_Susan[1].jpg (17955 bytes)](Tango_Dress_Waiting_For_Susan1.jpg)
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June 2008 