Dancing with Artem Chigvintsev: Part 1

13

The show is starting and Maks and I are sitting out in the back parking lot in our costumes. He has his arms around me and doesn't even need an explanation to why I am upset.

"You should go back." I said "Peta needs you too, you know."

"Yeah, I know she does, but she cares about you too, she understands."

"Go!" I said "you have to be ready for your dance, she will kill you if you don't make it good, and do something for me.." I said, "when your out there, put emotion into your face, your dance was so good that's all you need."

"I'm supposed to be pep-talking you, don't pep-talk me." He argued and I laughed.

He picked me up and carried me to the backstage area.

Artem was there with the other dancers and the producers pulled me back into the make-up chair.

He of course walked over. I looked up at the live footage of what's going on and the Houghs just began their dance. Then I looked over to Maks and Peta they were having a moment swaying to their own voices getting ready to go out next.

"It wasn't what it looked like." Artem said "I wasn't expecting her to be here, I didn't know that she flew here from London, she surprised me."

"I don't want to hear it, Artem. I need to focus." I whisper-yelled at him.

"You don't understand, it meant nothing." He begged me to listen to him.

I closed my eyes as the make-up artist returned. I let her fix my makeup and I watched the dances on the screen. Maks and Peta began their dance and to my surprise they both showed pure emotion and the crowd erupted, louder than ever.

The judges weighed in about what they liked about the dance and they got a 39 out of 40 for their score. I was so proud.

I took a few deep breaths and I kept my distance from Artem; the Russian heartbreaker. All I wanted was a drink right now. I don't know how I can pretend to have the same impact on the dance floor as I did yesterday during rehearsal.

More and more groups went until finally it was our turn, the final dance of the night.

Right before the dance began Artem grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me.

Why would he do that? I almost began to cry.

The music started and I had no choice but to dance with him right then and there. We were live on national television and in front of a huge crowd surrounding the ballroom floor.

He grabbed me in a tight embrace and I let my body do what I do best, danced breathtakingly to the music. What he had done right before our dance, the kiss, he planned to do that. He wanted to make me feel something during the dance other than hatred for him and it worked. I tuned out everything and before long the dance was over and the crowd roared with applause and cheering.

I wasn't even sure that I did the right steps, I wasn't focusing on dancing but only Artem, my feelings for him and creating a story for the audience to follow. I guess we created something magical.

We stood before the judges to hear their comments, one that stood out for me was when Carrie Ann Inaba said, "We all expect a dance from you two to be at the highest level of skill and technique, but what you do with the context of your dances, the way you, Emma, are able to act like you and Artem have this lust for one another, it's so magical, very well done. I am inspired."

Artem picked me up and swung me around and for that one moment I didn't absolutely hate him for messing with my emotions.

I ran backstage to hear our scores and we got a perfect score of 40 from the judges. The whole backstage red room erupted, jumping up and down and then we all had to return to the stage for the host to read our names one last time for the viewers to vote to keeps us in the competition.

Then the red recording light went out and Maks picked me up and swung me around and brought me backstage so we could change. He was quicker than I was and when I was ready I grabbed my purse and we were out the door.

The one thing I regretted was not saying goodbye to Artem.