Mark and Kym ready to Samba
Art Garcia | mavs.com

10.19.07

Cha-cha? Check. Mambo? Check. Jive? Check? Waltz? Check. Samba? Tune in Monday night (ABC, 7 p.m. CT) as Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson get saucy, campy and a little silly for the newest installment of Dancing with the Stars.

Our favorite Cuban and Australian are alive in Week 5. Remember, once Mark and Kym are done, get your voting on. The call-in number to vote for Mark and Kym is 1-800-VOTE-411. You can call up to 11 times from any phone. You can also vote 10 times online at DWTS.

Mavs.com tracked down Mark before Friday’s dance practice in Dallas.

In your wildest dreams, did you think you would get this far?
I had no idea what to expect. I hoped I would and planned on working as hard as I could to go far. I think the difference, though, has been all the support from Texas and, in particular, Mavs Fans. I may not be the best dancer on the show, but no one has better support than I do, and that is half the challenge.

Do you remember the last time you worked this hard for something? What was it?
I always work hard. I’m used to that. Physically, I can’t remember being this sore all the time since playing rugby. But it’s a good sore.

Do you feel you’ve made more of a connection with people everywhere through Dancing with the Stars than any other venture you’ve been involved in?
No question. I’m hearing from fans of the show across the country that have connected with how hard I work, how much fun we are having or just like the show. It’s far different than the business world.

What did you or your body (i.e. hip) enjoy most about the waltz?
That it was very low impact and I had to glide and not jump. Now with the samba, it’s back to going up and down with lots of hip movement. So I’m back to being sore.

Any stage fright left?
Sure. There are no 20-second timeouts when you are dancing. You get one shot. That’s it. That can be nerve wracking.

What do you have in store for us in Week 5?
A fun, crazy samba. The samba is about having fun. We have a song from the 60s, so you are going to see us get very campy and silly.

We’ve asked you this before, but share your thoughts again on the support you’ve received.
It’s amazing. Half of my score is based on votes from fans. Mavs fans have come through for me. I can’t thank all of you enough. It’s amazing.

10.10.07

Was the “jive” your favorite dance so far?
It was a fun dance, but practicing it was not easy at all. The key to the dance is what they call “bounce action,” getting your legs up and down very fast. I could do it, but I was scared my hip wasn’t going to like it. I was sore after every practice. And it wasn’t a good sore. But now I have the waltz. I get to channel my inner James Bond.

What are you looking forward to out of the waltz?
Showing my elegant and as Kym would say “proper” side.

Do you have a favorite judge? Feel free to take the fifth.
Joey Crawford.

Ever worry about Kym “revealing” too much in those outfits?
Are you serious?

I think we saw another MJ-tongue-waging moment?
I don’t remember, I have no idea.

Still Dancin'

Art Garcia / mavs.com

No sweating this time out for Mark and Kym. Staring down the red light after Week 1, the Mambo King and Queen comfortably graduated to Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars.

Mark checked in with mavs.com after the Results Show wrapping up Week 2 and before he headed out to another day of practice. The Dancing Man in Black is missing Mavs training camp, but he’s got a good excuse.

Can you say relieved?
Definitely. I thought for sure I would be under the red light at best, going home at worst.

You’ve got another week of practice – blessing or curse?
Blessing. It’s a ton of work, but I love doing it. The downside is that I’m missing camp.

The judges liked the energy, while critiquing the technique. Fair assessment?
Sure.

Give us a sneak peak at what’s in store next week.
The jive, up-tempo, classic big-band dance. I’m on my way to practice to learn the dance and routine.

So was the outfit Johnny Cash meets the gun show?
I think they found the outfit in Jack LaLanne’s closet, but I needed to change things up.

What would you like to say to the voting public here and abroad?
Thank you. We aren’t dancing for the judges. We are dancing for all the people who voted for us.

Stayin' Alive

Art Garcia / mavs.com

Mark Cuban lives to cha-cha another day. One night after fox-trotting into living rooms across America, Mark and partner Kym Johnson were one of 11 couples to advance after Week One of Dancing with the Stars.

They did sweat it out as one of the last two couples on the elimination stage Tuesday night. Waiting until his heart rate returned to something resembling normal, mavs.com caught up with Mambo Mark shortly after surviving the showdown.

What were your thoughts as you were waiting to hear if you continued?
Anxious. It was a humbling experience. But it’s also motivating. I’m having too much fun. We are just going to have to work harder.

How would you critique your first round?
I was too pumped up. I was pushing too hard, so I lost some of my technique. But it was fun and an amazing learning experience.

Did you take the judges’ comments to heart?
Absolutely. Contrary to how they are trying to set things up, I have a ton of respect for them. You won’t see me yelling at them.

How are you physically? How is the hip after the jump?
It’s definitely sore, but we are in it to win. It won’t stop me.

So was the tongue wag an ode to Michael Jordan?
I had no idea I was even doing it. I used to do it when I played baseball, but I was surprised to know I did it during the show.

What can we expect next week?
We are going to work hard to get better. We are going to give it everything we have. Hopefully Mavs fans and all of Dallas will rally around us and vote to keep us on. This is where I really need their support.