DWTS' Mark Ballas blogs: Sick with the samba in Week 5

Mark and Candace
Photo credit: Mark Ballas

We just got through Week 5. Rehearsals went really well this week. We were a little nervous because we were coming off of a lower score after last week's switch-up. Being toward the bottom of the leaderboard, it was really important that we up our scores. This week was Disney week, and everyone loves Disney. I felt like we had one of the most iconic songs, "Under The Sea," from The Little Mermaid. We were trying to portray the relationship between Ariel and Sebastian, two of my favorite characters from when I was growing up, so I was stoked to get to do that.

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Rehearsals were seamless. One thing that people didn't know was Candace actually had the flu this week. She was really sick, but still came to rehearsals and did her best to get through it. We had to make some modifications: cut down on rehearsal time, work harder and take fewer breaks. So the fact that she overcame that and practiced such a difficult dance like the samba while feeling under the weather was super-cool. I'm very proud of her and her performance. We climbed back up the leaderboard, and received thee 9s and an 8, which is great.

When I was standing upstairs before the elimination, I had this gut feeling that we were going to be safe. I was nervous, of course, and I know Candace was too. I felt like I had a little angel on my shoulder telling me we were going to make it through. I felt confident in our dance, and that the fans were going to get behind her. So, a huge thank-you to the fans for voting for us.

#MyA**LooksWeird
Photo credit: Mark Ballas

I'm sad to see Cody Simpson go because I got really close to him this season. He's a good kid: very polite, very talented and just sweet all around. It's a shame to see him go because I enjoyed spending time with him. I'm also upset for his partner, Witney Carson. Witney was one of my students when I taught at her school in Utah, and this is her first season on DWTS. I feel like for her first season, she did an incredible job. She showed that she deserves to be here. I'm not only impressed by the work she did with Cody, but also with Drew Carey last week during the switch-up. In my opinion, she completely solidified her place as a pro here. She has the looks, the talent and the goods to back it up and be successful on the show. I think at some point, she will have a Mirror Ball trophy under her belt.

Moving forward, next week is Party Anthem week. We're all dancing to crazy party tunes, and we have the cha-cha. I'm really excited Candace and I are safe, and super-grateful to all the fans who voted for us. Hopefully we'll have a great week of rehearsals where we continue to grow and show Candace's dance potential and ability so we can stay alive in the competition.

Until next week,
Mark Ballas