Dancing Queen! | 舞後!

I've just finished what probably has been the craziest thing I've done in my career. I took part in the Chinese version of "Dancing With The Stars" called "Wu Lin Da Hui". Big difference though, On the U.S. version you get a couple of months to practice. On the China version I got a day and a half. Let me just say this. I am not a dancer. I've never thought of myself as the most graceful of creatures. A day and a half!!! Oi vay, what had I gotten myself into...

I arrived in Shanghai thinking I was going to do an easy waltz or something since I had no prior dancing experience. Instead I was promptly given the "Paso Doble". Modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the spanish bullfight, it's got tons of kicks, turns, and dips. Watching someone my height performing these things is kind of like watching a Daddy Long Leg spider having an epileptic fit. But I still went for it and practiced my butt off for that measly day and a half.

Turned out to be a twelve hour rush of adrenalin that ripped through my body almost causing me to black out on stage. It was terrifying and fun all wrapped up into one surreal experience. I remembered all my steps and managed to not injure myself or my partner in the process. Since my Mandarin stinks, I literally had no idea what was going on, but  Everyone was really cool and I had such a laugh. It was a lot of fun in the end but I think I'm gonna hang up my dancing shoes (they actually let me keep my shoes) for now.

Here's me sharpening my dancing prowess.

On stage with all the other contestants. I stick out like a sore thumb. I'm like a foot taller then almost everyone. The wardrobe ladies back stage were having a little giggle about how they had to scour the city to find size 40 dance shoes.

I have to apologize for the poor quality photos but these were taken with a snap and shot from the audience, and they were like a mile away from us.

This is after the dance and the judges are critiquing me. I'm smiling because I have no idea what they are saying.

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剛剛結束可能是我職業生涯最瘋狂的事情。我參加了中國版的”與明星共舞”節目，叫作”舞林大會”。有很大差異，美國版給你幾個月時間訓練，但中國版我只有一天半時間。我只想說，我不是會跳舞的人，從沒想過自己是最優美的生物。一天半時間!!!天哪，我讓自己陷入了什麽…

到了上海，本以為會被分配跳比較容易的華爾茲或其他，因為我沒有舞蹈功底。但是，我要跳的是”鬥牛舞”，模仿西班牙鬥牛的音樂、戲劇表現和動作，需要大量踢腿、轉身和傾斜。看著象我這樣高度的人表演就象在看長腿蜘蛛患了癲癇在痙攣。但我還是堅持練習，開始這類似麻疹發作的一天半。

狂飆了12小 時的腎上腺素，我都暈了，差點在舞臺上失去意識。把我們練習的動作表演出來真是可怕和有趣，結果是超現實體驗。還記得過程中我的所有舞步總算沒有傷到自己 和舞伴。因為普通話不好，我完全不知道節目進行到什麽程度，但大家都很嚴肅，我在笑。其實樂趣不少，但我想從現在起會把舞鞋高高掛起(他們讓我留著我的鞋)。

這是我在練習舞蹈。

舞臺上和其他參賽者在一起，我很不自在，我好象比其他人都高出一截。負責道具的女士在後臺說起他們跑遍全城尋找40碼的舞鞋時小小傻笑了一下。

要為照片像素不高抱歉，但這些是觀眾用隨手拍照的，而且他們離我們有一英裏那麽遠。

跳完後評委在批評我，我仍舊笑著因為不知道他們在說什麽。