ABC

Former Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur will be offering behind-the-scenes commentary each week for Usmagazine.com as she competes as one of this season’s celebrity dancers with partner Tony Dovolani on Dancing With the Stars. Here is her first entry.

LIGHTS, CAMERA... DREAM COME TRUE!
I've watched Dancing With the Stars every season that it has been on-air and after last season, I started begging to be on the show. Producers generally give straight offers to the stars. However, over a meeting, I begged and begged and pleaded to get on the show. And it was all worth it!

It all hit me the other day when the entire cast shot the title shoot. You know, the one where each couple is introduced at the start of the show with the Dancing with the Stars logo behind us. It was amazing! As I was standing in front of a green screen – wearing the dress, fresh spray tan, full makeup and bigger hair than I've ever ha – it all hit me that I am on the show. Watching the pro dancers walking around on-set — all of whom I knew — I felt like a crazy fan. Then I looked in the mirror and saw that I was dressed like them and realized that if I got booted off the show at that exact moment, it was all already worth it.

REHEARSAL REACTIONS
Prior to starting rehearsals, I thought I had a previous background in dance. It was at my first rehearsal when I realized that all of the "dancing" that I have ever done before was simply bouncing around with a lot of smoke and mirrors. In Hairspray, as Tracy Turnblad, I was always flanked on stage with at least 10-20 professional dancers – ultimately making me look really good.

Ballroom dance is all about technique and specific moves, so if I have difficulty with choreography, I need to work really hard to get it. There is no easy way out and a lot more rules for me!

Our first dance is the Cha Cha and it's really exciting, but everything about the Cha Cha is tough. I'm so excited that Tony's my partner, though - he's been my prince charming in this amazing dream. The only time that we ever butt heads is when I want to stop for lunch!

JUDGE JITTERS
I'm excited about judge Len Goodman. I'm trying to prepare myself for having judges critique my work right after the performance. Tony just keeps telling me to say thank you and we'll work on incorporating their comments into our rehearsals. However, Len seems so smart and such an authority – I just want him to like me!

Watch Marissa Jaret Winokur tonight on Dancing With the Stars at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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