Health & Fitness

Inside Scoop: It's Just Like on TV, Without the Massages

Behind the scenes at "Dancing With the Stars at The Raven."

Lots of people have been asking me how things are going with

I answer just like they do on TV: This is one of the hardest things I've ever done -- and also the most fun.

In case you haven't heard, I am one of nine "stars" in the roster, paired up with a pro dance teacher -- in my case Jason Taylor out of Nordquist Studio in Santa Rosa.

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posted on the Facebook page for the event, which is Nov. 12 at the Raven Theater in Healdsburg.

You can also vote for me and Jason (each $1 counts as one vote) or buy tickets for the event. All proceeds go to help the historic with maintenance and operations.

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As with the TV show, some of the "stars" are more well-known than others -- like Efren Carrillo, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

OK, but can Efren do the 2-Step? 'Nuff said.

And what about He has already informed me, "You're going down."

Yessir, I mean Chief, er, I mean Kevin...(He knows where I live, for gosh sakes!).

So, back to me -- and Jason. Jason, who lives in Rohnert Park, will be 21 years old this month and is studying accounting at Sonoma State University.

He's been dancing at Nordquist -- which trains hundreds of local teenagers to dance -- since he was 13 and now helps teach there.

He competes in West Coast Swing and recently came in fifth in a big regional contest in San Francisco.

And did I mention he is also tall, dark-haired and gorgeous ...just like Maksim Chmerkovskiy on TV, but a lot nicer?

So, what could be bad?

Let's just say I have a long way to go. We are dancing Nightclub 2-Step, a relatively easy dance, right?

Wrong!!!!

KERI'S TOP 5 PROBLEMS:

1. She's never competed or performed before.

2. She just found out she's been doing the Nighclub 2-Step all wrong, technique-wise.

3. She's more than twice her partner's age -- and more than twice as much out of shape.

4. Our song is only half-choreographed, with less than a month to go.

5. Her form and lines look like mustard pretzels instead of tall reeds of flowing sea grass.

Jason told me today to move my arms "as if you're going through peanut butter."

Really, I'm more like just full of jelly. Yuck!

(Note to self: Isn't this just like on TV?)


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