Hello my friends,
I hope you all had a great week … we are only days away from the premiere of the show. I am extremely excited and nervous.
For the last month, I’ve been getting up early every day and studying some of the greats like Fred Astaire, Michael Jackson, and Steve-O.
At first I thought, how hard can this be? Edyta drags me around, the judges vote, I make a joke about how tan my dad is … and then I go back and cry in my dressing room. I have realized it is much more than that. Dancing is an expression of life, and I am living it to the fullest through this experience. It is challenging on all three levels, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The true challenge lies in how fast we have to learn how to dance. It takes humongous discipline to stay out of your head and in your dance shoes … remembering it is a process that is one step at a time. Sometimes Edyta reminds me of that school teacher or parent who would make you sit there for hours and finish your project even though you didn’t think it was possible.
DANCING WITH THE STARS - ASHLEY HAMILTON & EDYTA SLIWINSKA
In addition to his competitor Louie Vito, actor, comedian and singer Ashley Hamilton will be writing to PEOPLE.com as he competes against 15 other couples on the new season of Dancing with the Stars. Check back each week to keep up with hilarious Hamilton, whose partner Edyta Sliwinska danced with his dad George Hamilton on season 2 of the show, which returns Sept. 21 to ABC:
To the fans of DWTS, I was asked to write a blog for PEOPLE.com. I’m Ashley Hamilton. At this point you may be asking yourself, ‘Who is she?’ I’m not a she. Actually, I’m a he (some may beg to differ). It’s okay, I’m the only contestant whose partner is more famous than them.
These are the first weeks of rehearsal. If I danced any longer than I did today, I probably wouldn’t have the energy to pick up this pen and write this … Actually, I am on my Blackberry in my car in an alley — I know that sounds creepy — but I am about to get up on stage at The Laugh Factory.