Mark Ballas newspaper "Dynamic": return to repeat

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Last season, Dancing With the Stars professional and two-time champion Mark Ballas chronicled the ups and downs of Team Ballin (his nickname for himself and partner Bristol Palin). Ballas, 24, who is also a musician, is back with his USA TODAY journal once more, this time as part of Team KanenBall, which has him teamed with Disney Channel actress Chelsea Kane. You can find his dispatches here on Wednesdays following the Tuesday night results show, and on weekends when he'll let us know how practice for the next performance is going.

By Adam Taylor, ABC

Dancing fans will get an extra dose of Mark Ballas this week as he is doing his Quickstep with partner Chelsea Kane and a pro dance with Karina Smirnoff.

By Adam Taylor, ABC

Dancing fans will get an extra dose of Mark Ballas this week as he is doing his Quickstep with partner Chelsea Kane and a pro dance with Karina Smirnoff.

April 22

Time to get back to rehearsal. With this competition heading into the home stretch, that's going to be my mantra: back to rehearsal. Because the only way we can knock off Hines and Kym, Romeo and Chelsie, Ralph and Karina, Kendra and Louis, Kirstie and Maks, and Chris and Cheryl, is to get back to rehearsal. In dance, as in life, hard work pays off! It's officially go time. Five weeks behind us, five weeks ahead of us.

Our goal this past week has been to turn it up a notch since we're in the second half. When there are several couples, it's easy to hide in the masses. But now there's no hiding. Over the next several weeks, the dances will get tougher, the judges scoring will get stricter, the fans will get focused on their favorites, and the couples will be more scrutinized. Oh, and the couples will have to learn and dance two or three dances per week.

We've had a pretty smooth rehearsal week. As always, Chelsea picked up the choreography quickly, and we've spent Thursday and Friday tweaking and perfecting the dance. Ballroom Quickstep is a lot different from Latin Samba, so the approach is completely different.

What's the biggest challenge of the Quickstep? Keeping your partner in hold for the entire dance. Chelsea has proven that she has the ability to dance away from her partner, and now we're getting used to dancing while connected. That's a great problem to have, as usually it happens in reverse. Although, she might have blisters on her hands from never letting go of me this week!

In my last entry, I mentioned I'm doing a pro dance on Tuesday's Results show. Since we have the Dance Troupe performing each week now, this is only my second pro dance of the season. The extra hours of rehearsal for pro dances make the week busier, but they're absolutely worth it. As dancers on the show, we tend to simplify our dancing to match our celeb partners, so I'm really looking forward to dancing "all out" with Karina.

My rehearsal schedule had an opening on Wednesday night so I was able to take my dad to American Idol, which second to DWTS, is Dad's favorite TV show. He just had ear surgery (and he's doing well), so he was happy to get out of the house. Even though my dad's a veteran of TV, I was joking with him about all the face time we got during the filming of the show. It was a lot of fun and I cherish the time I get to spend with Dad. Since he splits time between Houston and Los Angeles, I don't see him as often as I'd like to.

Lastly, I wanted to share that I'm really happy with the response I've gotten from everybody that's picked up HurtLoveBox. The album hasn't even been out for two weeks yet, but the feedback has been overwhelming to. My music comes from my heart, so it's normal to feel vulnerable when you put something that personal to you out there for the world to listen to and critique. Ever since I recorded this album, I've been in a groove performing and writing. I'm looking forward to the I'll have to focus on touring, performing, and promoting the album full-time this summer. So, thank you again for all of your support.

It's time to get back to rehearsal!

April 20

And ... exhale. Thanks to our fans, we're able to take a breath. Because of your support, we're buckling down this week to make sure we bring our A-game.

I was really nervous for Tuesday's Results show. There were four teams in the top two this week, with Romeo and Chelsie getting the encore. Even though Team Kanenball was tied for second with a 26, I was still quite anxious for the reveal. Typically, the team with the encore is safe that week. With three other teams below us, I thought it was a very real possibility for us to be saved late in the show again.

Petra was really nice and so sweet. Really, she's one of the nicest celebs we've had on the show. Her story from the tsunami in 2004 is absolutely heartbreaking and devastating, and her charity helps people around the world. You're missed already, Petra!

This week we have the Quick Step. It's the fastest of all the ballroom dances, and Chelsea has responded quite well to the faster dances. Remember how well she did on her Samba this week? Even though that's a Latin dance, it was really fast. I expect Chelsea to continue her push for the mirror ball trophy.

The theme this week is Guilty Pleasures Week: songs you hate to admit that you love. My guilty pleasures are eating Domino's Pizza and playing the video game Mortal Kombat. I'm stoked that the newest edition of Mortal Kombat is coming out this month. I'm preordering it!

We shot the video for my song All For Nothing a week and a half ago. I saw the first draft of the edited video and I'm really happy with what we have so far. It's a very intense video, and the intensity that comes through my cousin Mary's eyes pierces your soul. She the bravest person I know for attacking her emotions head on, and it's impossible to watch her in the video without getting chills and breaking down. I love you, Mary, and our story will help countless others.

Fittingly during America Week, I was booked to perform the national anthem for an upcoming Dodgers game. I'm looking forward to performing and I'll keep you posted on the date as it gets closer. I hope the Dodger Blue faithful appreciate my rendition of our classic American anthem.

It's going to be another long week this week. We have to choreograph and learn our dance for next week. We also have our normal press requirements and I have some promotional commitments on the schedule for HurtLoveBox. I'm also doing a pro dance for this Tuesday's Results show, which I'm really looking forward to. Karina and I are dancing during a musical performance by American Idol's Pia Toscano. Pia is the second American Idol castoff to perform on our stage in three weeks, and I'm grateful that I get to dance to her beautiful voice.

Off to bed I go. I'm looking forward to another week on your favorite television show. My goal this week is to make sure you're "wowed" when watching the next dance discipline of Team Kanenball's arsenal. I'll let you know this weekend how everything is going!

April 15

It's been a hectic week, and everything is gearing up for Monday again.

This Monday marks the end of the first half of the season. Despite Team Kanenball being the final couple saved on last week's show, I feel confident that we're gearing up for a strong run. Chelsea has been almost flawless on her last three dances, and I think she's establishing herself as the celeb to beat as the competition heats up. Our score of 26, the highest of the season thus far for any couple, just backs that up. But as we've seen on shows that require the fan vote, we deeply rely on our fans to support us.

Just like Chelsea thrived in her other two Latin dances (Cha Cha and Jive), she's done a great job picking up the choreography and principles of Samba. We started choreography on Wednesday, and I finished it on Thursday afternoon. By Thursday night we were on a roll with our routine and we'll use the weekend to put the finishing touches on it so the dance is performance ready. We have a really fun song and a cool theme for America Week. I hope you like it!

As the season progresses, there are more and more requirements for press. This is partly because there are fewer teams to share the commitments, but also because the remaining teams are under more scrutiny. I love doing media, but it's certainly still work. As the pressure rises, we find ourselves trying to squeeze everything in, with our priority being rehearsals. On Thursday we were up at 6:30 a.m. for an interview with Access Hollywood. After that, I went straight to the rehearsal studio to finish our Samba choreography. In the afternoon, it was on to another interview for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, followed by four hours of rehearsal until almost midnight. It was a long day, butI'm certainly not complaining!

My career requires a lot of long days and time management, but I'm grateful to be able to do what I love for a living: entertaining people through the arts. The support from our fans make the exhausting days seem shorter and the chaotic schedule worth it. I am also aware that my career as a dancer allows me to pursue my passion, which is music. My advice to anyone that isn't happy in what you're doing for a living: find a way to do what you love. It's that passion that makes it all worth it.

Speaking of my career, it's been a fun week of promoting my new CD, HurtLoveBox. All the work in releasing an album comes from the recording, re-recording, writing, and touring processes. Once the album comes out it's like a weight off your shoulders. The stress now is in hoping everyone likes the music, which is truly a piece of my heart and so personal to me.

After the long days, short nights, countless interviews, fittings, charity commitments, press, re-fittings, CD promotion, and of course rehearsals, we're really grateful to have the opportunity to beat our top score from last week. Chelsea continues to improve every week, and I can't wait to roll out our new dance for all of you! Go Team Kanenball!

April 13

Encore! After the last 24 hours I've had, it's a perfect ending to have capped it off with an encore performance. Everyone should be so lucky!

I have to admit, I feel a bit vindicated from our low Jive scores after getting the top score last night, especially since they both were so creative. Getting chosen for the encore dance in the Results Show just adds the cherry on top! I haven't had an encore since last season with Bristol and I really appreciated being able to perform our Viennese Waltz for everyone again tonight. I was looking forward to donning that wizard hat again. It's ridiculous, but I love that hat so much I took it home with me!

As always, Chelsea nailed the dance and I'm really proud of her. This season, I've been pouring my heart and soul into coming up with creative and innovative choreography because I know Chelsea can handle it. She trusted the quirks and originality that I added to a very classic dance, and the judges finally rewarded us. We're in Season 12 and at this point, our audience has a high dance IQ. It's all about entertaining the audience and not recycling the same dance. Monday night's score was such sweet redemption for us.

When we were put in the bottom two on the Results show, I was truly surprised and I thought I was going to have a lot more free time to promote my album than I originally had planned. Getting the Encore, but landing in the bottom was crazy and just shows that regardless of the judges, the viewer votes really do matter. But, with the fan support I've received for the album and finishing with the top score on Monday night, I still felt confident.

Sugar Ray is an American icon and I'm sad to see he and Anna go. I've known Anna my whole life, so I really feel for her. Sugar Ray is extremely nice and caring to everyone backstage, and is just an absolutely lovely person. They will definitely be missed.

Speaking of America, next week is America week. I can't think of a more all-American Girl to shine than that adorable, hard-working girl next door; the blond cutie Chelsea Kane. We have a fun dance to choreograph and learn: the Samba. Have you ever been to Carnival in Brazil? Or seen footage of the millions of people dancing in the streets of Rio de Janiero? Samba's the bouncing dance that you'll see everyone dancing. It is very rhythmic and the only Latin dance that permits bent legs, aside from the Jive.

I started my morning on Tuesday at 5 a.m., calling radio stations across the country to spread the good word about HurtLoveBox. Had I known it would have gone down like it did tonight, I would have been thanking all the fans on the air this morning. It's been a long 24 hours with the promotion of the album release, the ups of our scores Monday night and the downs of our nerve-wracking finish on Tuesday. It's time to get some rest before getting back at it Wednesday morning. Thanks for all your support and let's keep this strong streak going. Go Team Kanenball!

April 8

Back to the grind. It's been a good week of rehearsals thus far, and a productive and fun week outside of the studio. This season is really speeding along, as we're approaching the halfway point already. As they say, time flies when you're having fun!

On Monday, we're dancing the Viennese Waltz. This dance is a smooth dance with a lot of turns and is very beautiful and classic when done right. Unlike the Jive and Cha Cha, we had the past two weeks, which were fast paced and energetic, you'll see the graceful and elegant side of Chelsea — a side she pulls off flawlessly. It's movie theme week and it's been so much fun at rehearsal getting to hear the songs from movies that have been on the soundtrack to many of our lives. I can't tell you what Team Kanenball's movie theme is, but you'll definitely recognize the song and know the movie.

Our rehearsal schedule got changed up a little bit this week. That was done to accommodate two very important personal things on my schedule on Thursday and Friday. My cousin Mary, who's like a little sister to me, is in town from England for two weeks during her spring break from college. On Thursday night, Mary, my mom and I all got tattoos together.

We decided to get the tattoos as a memorial to my late Uncle David (Mary's dad and my mom's only sibling), who we lost to suicide over six years ago. Uncle David was like a father to me when I was growing up, helping to raise me when my mom and dad traveled the world competing professionally in dance competitions. We miss him more and more every day.

On Friday after rehearsal, I'm shooting another music video. I wrote the song All For Nothing for my cousin Mary when she was left without her father at the young age of 11. It is emotional, dark and gut wrenching, but performing it helps shine a light at the end of the tunnel for friends and family members who've been affected by suicide. It's going to be a long, stressful and painful day Friday, but honoring my uncle makes it worth it.

As always, I'm anxious for Monday to get here, so I can show 20 million of my closest friends the dance we've prepared. Tuesdays make me anxious for the exact opposite reason, because I don't want the show to end for my partner and me. But I can't wait for this Tuesday, in that same "Is-Christmas-here-yet?" feeling that kids have.

On Tuesday, April 12th, my debut solo album, HurtLoveBox, is finally being released in stores! My fans have been waiting for this day for months, and I'm so happy to announce that the day is finally here. Professionally, this might just be a blip on the radar in the long run for me, but personally, it's one of my proudest moments as an artist.

A lot goes in to getting a CD released by a label, and so many talented musicians aren't ever blessed with this opportunity. I greatly appreciate all the support I receive from my fans from Dancing With The Stars, fans of my music, and fans of performers in general. It's a cliché, but the fans really do make what I do possible.

Speaking of fans, it's time to put the finishing touches on this Viennese Waltz for our fans on Monday. We look forward to another solid performance and hope you love it! If you want to check out our Cha Cha from last week, you can watch it at Youtube.com/markballasmusic. Go Team Kanenball!

April 6

And we live to dance another week!

Let me explain to you what it's like, having to stand there on stage in front of the world, publicly put on trial for your dancing sins. I spend the whole day feeling confident, through dress rehearsal, then I freak out and become very anxious and nervous about five minutes before we go on stage. My nerves are a lot easier on me if we scored 10s the night before, or dance the encore in the Results show. Otherwise I feel like this every Tuesday night. Oh, and Tom and Brooke making us wait what seems like an eternity before announcing certainly exacerbates the situation, and makes them the meanest people in the world!

I left early a year ago, in Season 10 with Shannen Doherty. It sucks. I feel really badly for Tony and Wendy. Tony's like a brother to me, since I've known him most of my life. Tony's also my next-door neighbor backstage, with our trailers immediately across from one another. It'll be lonely on the block without you, Tony! And Wendy was hilarious backstage, always making everyone laugh. She was the larger-than-life personality on this season, and she's already missed. Great job, Wendy and Tony!

What did you think about our Cha Cha? I was thrilled with how Chelsea performed on Monday. I always feel like we deserve higher scores, but I guess that's why I'm not a judge! I thought she was flawless, and the choreography was fun and exactly what the judges wanted: very traditional Cha Cha, but young and fun at the same time, which is just like Chelsea Kane. Great job, partner!

Dancing with the other Chels (pro Chelsie Hightower), was awesome tonight. I really enjoy dancing with the other pros. While it requires more time away from our celebrity partners to prepare for Monday's dance, it's so much fun to let it fly! Naturally, we professionals dial it back a bit with our celeb partners, as any of them would look bad if we danced all out. I must say though, I'm not holding back much with Miss Kane at this point, and we've only finished Week 3!

What are my thoughts on the other dancers this week? Hines and Kym's dance had a lot of energy, and was worthy of the encore. Petra and Dmitry's dance was beautiful and clearly from her heart, and Kendra and Louis had a great night as well. As for Maks and Kirstie, everybody falls sometime. I thought that they picked it up gracefully and finished strong.

My show at the Mint was great on Monday night. I appreciate the support I got from everyone from the cast who attended. And based on how she was dancing during my set, it appears I have a supermodel as my biggest fan. That's right: Petra doesn't need a ballroom to dance well, and I really had fun watching her have such a good time. You can dance at my shows anytime you want, Petra!

HurtLoveBox comes out on April 12th. That's six days! It's been available through digital download for a few weeks already, and I'm excited for it to hit stores. I'm really proud to finally get to this point, as many of the songs have been in the works for years. I'm so happy that my producer, Rob Chiarelli, saw my vision and brought the songs to life!

All right, Kananballers, time to run. I have to get some rest since I'll be up early to choreograph our dance for next week, the Viennese Waltz. I have two fun things happening this week, but I'll tell you about them on Friday. Thanks for your support and we look forward to wowing you again next week!

April 1

Can you feel that? It's definitely getting hot in here.

Just like the heat wave that hit Los Angeles this week, this season is really starting to heat up. After the first elimination, everyone is reminded that this is a competition. Sure, I have fun bonding with Chelsea while teaching her the new choreography for the week, and I'm sure the other couples are enjoying it, too. But at the end of our week, someone goes home. That takes the fun right out of it. The clock is ticking and we have a dance to learn and make perfect. There are less laughs and more stiff brows in rehearsal as we hunker down and see who can get through Tuesday's elimination.

I say it a lot — maybe even in every journal so far — but Chelsea is doing so great. She's pretty quick to pick up the choreography and is excellent at bringing her personality out to shine during the performance. I've re-watched our Jive from last week several times and she really nailed it. I wouldn't expect any celebrity partner to be so exact in Week 2. She delivered a performance worthy of Week 8, and only on five total weeks of training. She blew me away and, because of it, I'm going to drastically raise my expectations of her. Buckle up Chelsea, I think we're going to take this competition to the next level!

This week we have the Cha Cha, which is faster than the Foxtrot (Week 1) and slower than the Jive (Week 2). As I write this we've had only two days of rehearsal so far, but I like our progression at this point. Two more days to get it performance-ready, then it's time to wow everyone on Monday.

This week, I haven't had much free time away from work. My cousin Sal has been in town from Houston, so it's been great spending some time with him. He comes out every Dancing With The Stars season. I dragged him to an event Thursday night that I performed at in Century City, for the opening of the Sony Style store. I was really excited to play at this party because I'm a member of the Sony family, with HurtLoveBox being released by Sony Red. I also got to see a lot of friends, as Melissa Joan Hart, Lisa Rinna, Ali Fedotowsky (The Bachelorette), Chelsie Hightower, Damon Wayans, and Adrian Grenier were all there. It was a good warm up with my drummer, Joel Alpers, since we begin a seven-week residency at the Mint in Los Angeles on Monday nights after Dancing With The Stars.

Speaking of HurtLoveBox, the music video for my song Hotwire was released this week. Did anyone catch it? You'll probably recognize the leading lady in the video if you did. The shoot was a lot of fun, as we were running all around downtown Los Angeles. I'm thrilled to finally get the video out there!

All right, back to the grind. Miss Kane is giving me that look. You know, the one where you're ready to get back to work and your co-worker is holding you back? Yes, that look. By the time Monday gets here, Team Kananball will be dressed to impress and movin' and groovin'!

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