Dancing With The Stars for E*Trade

So last month, I had what I affectionately call “March Madness”!!!  The acting fairies smiled down and blessed me.  This gig was by far my favorite…EVER!  Why?  I got some designer swag, worked with some award-winning, very well respected choreographers from SYTYCD, choreographers who worked with Madonna, MJ, Miley Cyrus to name a few and a had a fake husband for a few days…thanks Shashawnee Hall…LOL.  All of that  AND Kevin Spacey had talent approval!  I guess you could say that I felt really “fabulous” for about three days:)

Let me tell you, booking any type of gig is literally like playing lotto!  Commercials are at the top of the lotto list.  You never know what they want unless it happens to be YOU walking through the door.  Luck was on my side from the start, as I was called straight into callbacks.  Needless to say, the hair had to be tight as we were told we would be dancing at a wedding.  Thank you Sherri Shepherd for your wig line!  That little short pixie number saved my booty that day!  I had just purchased a beautiful royal blue Calvin Klein dress.  Calvin sure knows how to design with girls with boobs and booties…just saying…

So, during and after the audition we were told that we would be working with a “celebrity” on this spot.  Did I care?  Nope!  I just wanted to book a gig and commence to collecting some “mailbox money”.  When KMR called saying I had booked it I was over the moon — mortgage money baby!!!  Then I found out that we had rehearsals for the tango!  What???!!!  I don’t know a thing about ballroom dancing.  I am a HUGE fan of “Dancing With The Stars”, but being a fan and then being on national television after having a crash course in free tango lessons is a completely different thing!!!  So, I dusted off my dance Capezio sneakers and hit the rehearsal studio, which is where I found out my partner and I would not be doing the tango alone.  Oh no!  We are now doing the tango with Kevin Spacey!!!   I was like …could this get any better!!!  Ironically, enough I was right in the middle of watching the 2nd season of “House of Cards”.  I LOVE THAT SHOW!!! Can I say that any louder!!!

Anywhoo, after being thoroughly rehearsed, we proceeded to tape the spot at a fabulous club in downtown Los Angeles called Cicada.  Apparently, once a month people get dressed to the 10th power from the 20’s and 30’s in order to  dance and dine with a live band.  For more info on that Cicada  you can go to http://www.cicadaclub.com.

Needless to say, after about 10-12 hours doing the tango in my fabulous new soft ballroom Capezio pumps…my feet wanted to amputate themselves!!!  At the end of the day, though, it was great fun, I worked with a 2-time Oscar winner and the finished product didn’t come out too shabby.  Here are some pix and the finished commercial.  Thanks for allowing me to share my journey