Dancing With the Stars pro Jenna Johnson is blogging exclusively with Us Weekly about her quest to take home the season 27 Mirrorball Trophy with partner Joe Amabile! Check back each week for her latest update on the competition.
Country week was super hard. You have two dances – a team dance and individual. We were running on no sleep, there was no time for team rehearsals. It was a lot; it was a lot for Joe. It was his first time experiencing a group dance and he knew he was one of the weaker dancers and he wanted to show up for everyone.
I was excited, though. I think we had strong competitors and it was a great mashup. Carrie Ann Inaba made a comment about Joe being upfront. Obviously we wanted to put Joe closer to the judges so that they didn’t think we were trying to hide him. We wanted him up there with everyone else and make it apparent that he can hang with them and he could do this.
When it comes to scoring, I think we’re constantly in this seven and eight realm, which is fine. We still have two weeks to get a little higher, but we did get two nines in the group dance – Joe’s first nines! We actually went to Saddle Ranch on Sunset and we practiced riding the bull. He got thrown off it twice, it was everything. I almost peed my pants laughing. So yeah, Joe really did get to practice. He took charge of the bull.
Success!
The fact that Joe and I have made the semifinals is crazy amazing. This has been a very different journey for us than it has for the other couples. We’re just very grateful for every week we have to dance together and to spend together. But the fact that people are so supportive of us and of Joe specifically, I’m so proud of him for working hard. I think he deserves to be here. I just can’t believe it! It’s the semifinals and Joe is in it. I did not expect this. I did not think that from the first night that we would be here right now. It’s week eight, it’s crazy.
So this coming week is going to be an emotional week for our first dance. I’m really excited about that, I think I really want to strip him down and make him a real person, take away the façade of Dancing With the Stars. I think people just want to see Joe, I want to give that to them. This is an awesome week because we don’t have anything to lose. This is the end. We’ve accomplished so much, I don’t want there to be a lot of immense pressure on us. I want us to just enjoy it. I’m going to push Joe so hard, it’s insane. I really want him to shine this coming week. I want people to see this effort that I get to see every day. I want to show the judges, too, that he belongs here.
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
