Would you like to be able to keep up with “all things Ricki” now and in the future? If so, she’s writing a new blog for iVillage. In her second blog she writes of Dancing With The Stars and her partner Derek. She dishes on how “tirelessly” they worked each week and how she’s still nursing bruises, bruised ribs, sore feet, etc.. More below on the challenges she faced on one of the hardest and best three months of her life….
My dance partner, Derek Hough, and I worked so tirelessly each week, trying to outdo ourselves with every turn, twist and shimmy. More than two weeks after the finale, I am still nursing bruised ribs, sore feet, black-and-blue marks and neck/shoulder injuries. The silver lining? My body is in fantastic shape, and I feel like I really accomplished something.
I cherish each dance we did — the rumba, the samba, the tango, and so on — and I am saving DVDs of each performance so I can look back at them over the years. Hours of blood, sweat and tears (sometimes literally) went into those routines, and each one is so meaningful and special.
But the entire process was definitely a challenge. The rehearsal schedule was grueling and took almost all of my time for three months. The hardest part for me was the hours away from my family — my children and my fiancé. As all moms know, we are constantly being pulled by the demands of our careers and our families. We want both, and we want to do both well. The juggling of the show, along with making sure I was staying up on homework assignments, activities and just spending good quality time with my kids, was harder than I expected.
She has memories of a lifetime…as well as Derek and us! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that Psycho performance!! Be sure to read the full blog at iVillage.