My Soap Board

Susan Lucci is still hanging in there. I found her "blog" on her website about what her week is like between doing the two shows:
Here it is.


My Weekly Dancing with the Stars Regimen"

SATURDAY:

I wake up bright and early on Saturday morning to take the first flight out to Los Angeles. As soon as I land in California, I race over to the costume design department to try on the rough cut of my dress that I will wear on Monday to perform. It’s so excited because everyone is so talented. They way they put together these outfits for all the contestants each week is really unbelievable.

After my costume fitting, I go for lunch. And this day calls for Spaghetti and Meatballs! Now, remember, I’m dancing 5 hours a day. This girl needs her carbs! And when not devouring my amazing Italian meal, I might also have grilled salmon or salads. I eat lots of protein and carbs. Need to stay balanced!

When lunch is over, I go back to the dance studio to meet my amazing partner Tony. We have gotten to know each other so well. It’s so exciting when you click with someone. What a bonus! Now by Saturday we have already been dancing for an entire week so we are just perfecting our dance moves by today.

After dancing, I am completely wiped out and look forward to taking a bubble bath and pampering my skin with all the wonderful Youthful Essence products. It just makes me feel so relaxed and at home. Like a little bit of Garden City right there in Los Angeles.

Bedtime – lights out 9 p.m.!

SUNDAY:

On Sunday morning, I wake up bright and early to do a pilates workout with the Malibu Pilates chair. Then I am on my way to go for Camera Blocking. Every Sunday the contestants all meet at the studio to practice on the dance floor for the actual performance. It gives the directors a chance to light the stage, check the angles and make sure they get the best of out each of us on Monday night! We have about an hour on the stage and perform our song 4 or 5 times.

When it’s over, I go to lunch, and then go dancing for about 4 more hours again with Tony. It’s truly amazing what these dancers go through for each show. They are so passionate, dedicated and full of energy. Tony wants us to win and so do I! Sometimes, I’ll do an interview in between but Sunday’s are my quiet day, to think about Monday, dance both in the studio and go through the moves in my head, relax and get a good night sleep. As Monday is a long day!

MONDAY:

Its Monday morning! Show day and I am up bright and early for my 9 a.m. call time. A little oatmeal or scrambled eggs and some coffee and I’m out the door! This is the day when we get to rehearse with the whole orchestra.

Its amazing because for the entire week we have been dancing to recorded music and this is the first time I am hearing the music live. It is so exhilarating to move on the floor listening to the music and letting it envelope me into the mood and style of the dance. This is truly one of my most favorite parts except for perhaps when my name is called and I get to dance in front of all of you. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was time for Erica Kane to learn how to dance. Who knew there was something my character hadn’t’ done after all this time. We gotta get her some lessons!

Anyway, after my final camera blocking and rehearsal with the orchestra, I go straight to hair and makeup. Each week is different but the process usually takes 2 – 3 hours. I’m starting to get nervous! My butterflies are arriving right on time!

Before I know it, we are doing final touches, and I’m having my pep talk with Tony. 5 p.m. PST comes so fast ; where did the day go? I’m dressed, I’m ready and we’re all starting to gather in the waiting area for Showtime! And then soon enough, “Dancing with the Stars” starts live at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST.

I am so alive with adrenaline and excitement that I can hardly wait to dance for you and the judges. I’ve come so far since my first performance and its so wonderful to feel the confidence in me rise as I take to the dance floor. Thank you so much for voting for me and having confidence in me! It’s the fans that keep me going! I don’t want to disappoint you. After the show, we have this amazing press line and we all talk about the week’s show. When I’m done with the media, I go for dinner with friends. There are so many wonderful restaurants to try in Los Angeles.

TUESDAY:

ELIMINATION DAY! ------ Butterflies!

I don’t have to be at the studio till 11a.m on Tuesday but I can’t wait to get there and at the same time don’t want to go. The Elimination day is by far the most nerve wracking of all! Am I going to be eliminated? Can I dance again for another week? It’s all live, so we don’t know until you know, who is going home!

But at the same time, what is great about Tuesday is that we learn the music for the dance for the following week, meet with the head costume designer and whole department and sit together to hear the music and conceptualize what the costumes are going to look like. Can you believe they create costumes for all of us in only 1 week? The head costume designer’s name is Randall and he is just amazing as is the rest of the team. Professional, smart and so creative! They always make me look amazing!

So…if I’m not eliminated and this week I wasn’t (so excited), I fly home on the red eye, to get back to New York. Tony comes with me and bless him for being able to keep up with my crazy bi-coastal schedule!

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY/FRIDAY:

I get in and get home around 10 a.m. in the morning. I am so tired from the flight that I sleep in the car all the way home. Helmut is so wonderful… traveling back and forth with me to Los Angeles every week. He keeps me sane! He encourages me to get some shut eye while he goes about our business making sure everything is running smoothly. When I wake up, I usually have a couple of eggs, read the paper, and start to get acclimated to my New York schedule. I have to get Erica Kane on the brain, as it won’t be long before I have to go to the ABC Studio. As you know, Erica and the rest of Pine Valley was recently in a tornado! I mean, anything can happen there!

Back to Dancing with the Stars…. In the afternoon, I go to meet Tony for about two hours of dancing. This is the first time Tony and I will be learning our new dance for Monday night. He is so patient with me as I learn the steps and block them out with him. This is a great day. It is new and fresh and we start all over again.

When I get home from rehearsing, there is an All My Children script waiting for me. What kind of trouble has Erica Kane got into now! I am about to find out as I peruse through my lines and get ready for work on Thursday and Friday.

Now being back in New York is no small feat. I honestly don’t know how Cameron did it, but I am doing it each week and its starting to become par t of my schedule. The amazing producers at All My Children were able to make it possible for me to do Dancing with the Stars so I owe it to everyone to do my best as if it was a regular schedule.

So I get to work on Thursday and Friday mornings, work in the A.M. and the have some lunch and go dancing in the P.M. As you know, I even took Tony to work with me one day. How much fun that was! I was serious about bringing him back to the show – he has so much talent! Maybe he can give Erica dancing lessons when this is all over!

Each day, after the rehearsal of All My Children, I race to the rehearsal hall to meet Tony to practice my new dance for Dancing with the Stars. I think about it all the time. Even when I am at All My Children it takes so much for me not to think about dancing. I eat, sleep and breathe Dancing with the Stars and this has been the most amazing experience for me.

Friday afternoon comes and I am already memorizing my moves and starting to put the drama and excitement into the dance. Before I know it, I am back on a plane to Los Angeles to hit the costume department and start this all over again!

So now you have an inside look into my world. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading and watching…

Love,

Susan

thanks for sharing that, it was great to read it. I 've always like Susan, she seems so down toearth!!! I will have to try her "diet" of protein and carbs. its certainly working on her - she looks amazing and last nite she was totally cute doing that number with all the other cast members - I missed her on Monday nite, dont remember y but am glad shes still on the show. I did like Cloris even if they thought she couldnt dance.