Dancing With the Stars competitor AJ McLean is blogging exclusively with Us Weekly about his quest to take home the season 29 mirrorball trophy with partner Cheryl Burke! Check back each week for his latest update on the competition.
This week, rehearsals were a little more challenging for me. Coming out of my first four dances, which were all tempo songs and tempo choreography, going into a slow waltz is a challenge — I think for anybody. Going from something that’s fast to something that’s slow, you really need a lot of patience. It definitely got a little bit frustrating. But I think Cheryl really did bring the best out of me. And we did a great freakin’ job. I couldn’t be prouder, and I couldn’t be happier.
My go-to method to chill out when I get frustrated. I love to play golf. Golf is my little getaway. It really soothes me and even though golf can be frustrating sometimes, I’m definitely able to overcome that frustration a little bit quicker. I think I just have to let go and let God and just really just pray and meditate like I do every day and just maybe double it up now!
I didn’t get to go to my own prom, which I think I had a much better alternative that’s still going strong. But, there are definitely moments over the past few years, where I had a couple of regrets about maybe not experiencing certain things in my childhood — my formative years, high school years — homecoming, prom, going to your friend’s parties, smoking behind the bleachers, whatever kids did back then that I didn’t do, because I was traveling the world. At the same time, I didn’t think I was missing out on anything. What is a normal life? What is normal? I prefer the more abnormal, that’s just me.
I doubt I would have been prom king. I highly doubt that. I was the geek in school, but I did have a lot of friends — mainly girls, because I wasn’t the kind of goobery jock, who was just a brainless wonder I was more sensitive. I think people like that more.
Jesse Metcalfe has not been in the bottom two at all since the show started. It was a shock to see him there. Right now, at this point, it’s going to be a shock to see anybody in the bottom two! To see Jesse go home definitely sucked. I could tell he was super bummed. Now, like Derek Hough said last night, now the real competition starts. Now, we’re pretty much at the halfway point. So, it’s about to get real!
Coming up next week is the samba to “Mi Gente” by J Balvin. I’m stoked that we’re getting back into tempo. This one could be a little bit simpler for me or this could be just as hard as the waltz. I don’t know. Every dance is unique, every dance is different.
This coming week is really going to be about me and my partner. I just want to show everybody this amazing relationship that we have. We have a great friendship. We are a great team and we really do work well together. I think, God willing and obviously, with all your votes, we can take this thing all the way!
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
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