Getty Images Kristi Yamaguchi yelled at Mark Ballas during rehearsal.
Season 6 “Dancing With the Stars” champ Kristi Yamaguchi recalled a time when she flipped out on her partner, Mark Ballas.
On the March 18 episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, Yamaguchi talked about a “pivotal” moment when she spoke up to Ballas during rehearsal. She told host Cheryl Burke that her emotions hit a fever pitch when Ballas yelled at her about heel leads during the Rumba.
Yamaguchi admitted that she shouted at her partner in frustration.
Here’s what you need to know:
Kristi Yamaguchi Reacted to Mark Ballas Raising His Voice
Yamaguchi recalled being in a different mindset during rehearsals for the Rumba. She really wanted to pour some emotion into the dance, which was her focus.
“It was… what’s the slow dance? Rumba week. And, you know, Rumba was hard, and it’s all the hips and emotion, right? That was the week I was really trying to not focus so much on the technique of it. It was just like, ‘okay, this is where I’m going to have Carrie Ann [Inaba] be like yes!'” Yamaguchi told Burke on the podcast.
However, things didn’t go quite as planned.
“I remember one time in rehearsal, you know, in the Rumba it’s toe, heel. You have to step. There’s no heel leads, right? All these tiny little techniques and you’re just like, ohh. So, I was like, toe lead, toe lead, and I think [Mark] heard my heel touch the ground. Or like come down like, walking on it or something. He’s like, ‘No heel leads!'” she continued.
“I can’t even remember what I said but it was something like ‘this isn’t Blackpool!'” Yamaguchi shouted. “‘It’s okay if I have one heel! This isn’t Blackpool,'” she shouted again.
For those unfamiliar, Burke described Blackpool as the equivalent of the Olympics for ballroom.
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Rumba Earned Her a ’10 From Len’
Despite the rough rehearsals, Yamaguchi and Ballas were able to impress the judges with their Rumba.
“I have to commend you,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Yamaguchi following the performance. “You really did take a risk this week. Emotionally, there was just so much really flowing out. I’m really curious to see what’s even going to progress from here. Because I was worried that you hit a plateau, but it doesn’t seem like it,” she added.
Inaba noted that she thinks that Yamaguchi sacrificed some technique for emotion, but admitted it was a “good call.” Inaba scored the dance a 9.
Meanwhile, judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli had nothing bad to say about the dance and both gave Yamaguchi and Ballas a perfect 10.
“I’m going to give you three words,” Goodman remarked. “Fab-u-lous,” he said, and the crowd cheered loudly in response.
Tonioli noted the “incredible” chemistry between Yamaguchi and Ballas. “Two bodies becoming one,” he said before calling the dance “stupendous.”
Overall, things worked out for Yamaguchi and Ballas, who went on to win the Mirrorball Trophy that season.
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