Sharna Burgess’ ‘DWTS’ Blog, Week 2: A Challenging Argentine Tango and Visit From J.R. Martinez!

For the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars, professional dancer and choreographer Sharna Burgess is sharing her inside scoop with ‘Closer’ readers — everything from show highlights and behind the scenes secrets to her experience dancing with Army veteran and double amputee, Noah Galloway! Read her week two blog post below.

Hi everyone! Well… as far as intense weeks go, this was certainly one of the biggest I have experienced with my celebrity on 'DWTS.' In all honesty, I was incredibly stressed on Saturday and wasn't sure if this Argentine tango was even going to come together in time!

I went into this week with a clear plan and hour by hour it was changing. [Noah's prosthetic] arm had malfunctioned at the start of the week and we didn't get to rehearse with it until Friday, which of course wasn't ideal. It was really putting the pressure on Noah. I realized very quickly that you can't just put on an arm and go because it simply isn't that easy.

Noah's analogy of him trying to play call of duty on Xbox made it very clear — he knows all of the strategies and rules of warfare, but has no idea what buttons to press to make it happen. That arm is an incredible machine and he has never used one with that technology. I love him for trying so hard to make it happen, but on Sunday I had to make the call to take it out of the dance because it was counter productive. He wasn't improving within the dance and he wasn't confident or comfortable. At the end of the day, Noah is my priority and not the arm. I want him to always feel confident and strong heading into Monday.

What a night it turned out to be! Everyone was awesome, but one of my favorite performances was Allison and Riker's. My goodness he is a talented boy and I so enjoy watching his presence and swag on the dance floor. He is a big contender this season and Allison's choreography so far has been on point. However, while they are so strong individually, I agree with the judges that I would love to see them focus some of that on their chemistry and connection while dancing.

I could not be more proud of Noah. He is improving every week and that is key in this competition. We, of course, have a lot of work to do on his movement if we want to stay in, but just wow! He inspires me every day with how much he wants this. He can be very hard on himself, as he is a perfectionist and can become super frustrated if things don't go as well as they have before. In truth, last night wasn't our best run and Carrie Ann was right in what she said. We need that constructive criticism from the judges because it reinforces to Noah the things I teach him. It wasn't until Noah watched it back a second time that he saw the beauty in what he had done last night.

Related: Sharna Burgess' 'DWTS' Blog, Week 1: Noah Gets a Surprise From His Girlfriend!

Moving forward, this [week's dance theme] is 'Most Memorable Year' and you already know that this is usually a very emotional week for most couples. Noah's story deserves greatness, something epic and worthy of him and what he's been through. It's Tuesday and I haven't yet found what that is. I can feel I've put a lot of pressure on myself this week, which is more than I think I have in a long time. I want it to be perfect, to blow everyone away and to have our viewers be taken on a journey with us. Telling his story is important and I have to stop myself from getting emotional while trying to create. It ain't easy! We have [to perform a] contemporary [dance] this week and, if you don't already know, it is one of my faves! Our song is just amazing! It is beyond perfect for Noah and what we're trying to achieve. I can't wait for you all to see the finished product.

Lastly my loves, I want to thank you soooooo much for the incredible support for #TeamShway! Without you guys we wouldn't still be here. All the love you shout out to us is seen on social media and it gives the both of us so much joy to know all of Noah's hard work is paying off. We will keep working our butts off and hopefully, we can take #TeamShway all the way!

Xo,
Sharna