The singer-songwriter talks about his experience on DWTS and the story behind his Most Memorable Song. He also talks about being told to wear a dance belt that had been worn before by Standards & Practices.

Jason Mraz waits for his Mirror Ball Trophy to arrive.

The singer has been a stomping success week after week in Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars. He's paired with professional Daniella Karagach. They have been near the top of leaderboards while performing the Cha-cha cha, Rumba, Jive, and Foxtrot.

The pair will return to the ballroom this week with a Quickstep set based on Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again. Mraz is celebrating 1999 as his most memorable year.

Continue reading to find out what he said about the challenges he has faced on DWTS, why 1999 is a significant year in his life, what he thought of his competitors, and why ABC made him wear a dance belt at last week's Disney Night.

Congratulations on your season to date. You've been slaying it every week on Dancing with the Stars. Your performance has surprised even some of your fans. You've also been surprised, right?

Yes, I'm also surprised. My dancing has always been a form of individual expression. I've always loved movement but always put humor before it. I was not expecting to have a partner, learn routines and do ballroom holds. I thought that I could learn a routine, but that I would lose myself and become stiff. My partner is great at letting me put my personality in the dance routine. She is a pro when it comes to drilling technique and making certain that I am doing it correctly, but also makes sure that I have fun and that I remain on top of the dance.

TooFab: it comes across! The personality comes through!

Thanks! It's because I was shy and didn't want people to take me serious. Now that I am taking it more seriously and allowing myself to move around, I feel my hips loosening and my posture improving. I also have more strength and a greater willingness to be present every day. As much as I dislike it, I also think that I love it.

Yeah, exactly. I had a lot of trouble with the ballroom hold. By the time I had my feet down, I forgot my upper body, my arms, and I took a couple of days to get them together. When I have my arms in order, I tend to forget about my feet. This week we are dancing a different ballroom dance. I was able take the things I learned in Week 4 and quickly apply them to this dance. This week I'm doing a bit better but last week was a struggle.

The theme this week is Most Memorable Years and I think you are highlighting 1999, with On the Road Again. How did it feel to look back at that time as you prepared for this project?

It was 24 years ago that I quit school and moved to the West in order to pursue my dream of being a musician. I had no idea what my life would be like. I was going to play at house concerts, bars, coffee shops and street corners. I did not know how I would live it. While moving to California and literally on the road, Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again was playing on the radio. It hit me in a new way I'd never heard it before. I cried in my car out of fear and gratitude for the life I was about to embark on as a touring musician.

The lyrics tell about how I enjoyed being on the road, seeing things that I might never see again. Here I am, 24 years later. I've traveled the world, thanks to that idiot who bet everything on me. And thanks to Willie Nelson's music, which has been a consistent theme in my career. He's a bit like an idol to me, as I watch him still on the road at 90 and still performing, writing songs, and entertaining people. I'm glad to dance to his music, both for him and my younger self.

We follow you on Instagram, and we saw that you posted about getting a dancer belt last week despite Daniella's promise you wouldn’t. How did that conversation go? And it was a hand-me-down? !

The wardrobe department makes amazing clothes every week. When we had finished our dress rehearsal the network told us, "Hey Standards and Practices could still see through your pants a little bit, we're going to give you a dancing belt." I thought that was fair. I didn't expect to see reruns of past episodes, but I am a team-player and will be there for the whole thing. I think wearing the chonies of a previous contestant gave me some luck in getting through Disney 100 Night.

It's an interesting way to think about it. Do you and Daniella feel any competition with Pasha or Ariana? I know that many people hope for a husband-and-wife showdown at the final.

I believe they will keep four couples in the final, and I hope that Daniella and Pasha are a part. I would love for that to be true for them. Both are incredible, and both deserve this. There's currently no competition. We are all having a lot of fun, learning new things and encouraging each other. We don't even think about it until the last 10 minutes when the announcer says it's time to eliminate. When you see the faces of everyone, it's almost like we forgot. The hardest part is losing a friend every episode.

Each season, TooFab impresses us with their cast reveal. Was there someone in particular that you were excited to meet when you first heard the cast? Or, are you surprised now that you have met them all, and you feel close to them?

Barry Williams was a familiar name to me because I had grown up watching The Brady Bunch and Alyson Hannigan. Lele Pons has a phenomenal social media presence as a stunt performer and comedian. When I first met Xochtil, she was so energetic and wonderful. She has the talent to make it to the top. She was right. My niece, who is a Vanderpump Rules fan, told me that I'd like Ariana. We've all become fast friends and I have really enjoyed getting know everyone. I am sad to see some people leave.

TooFab: Lastly you announced the second leg in your Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride Tour... will you incorporate any new dance numbers?

I'm sure I will. The fans are going to expect it. This show has taught that I can do quite a bit in 60 seconds. But I need someone with whom I can dance in my band. It's going to be hard. I'm sure I can convince Daniella, Pasha, or both of them to come and help us with our tour rehearsals. They could give us some pointers or maybe even help me and my band come up with one or two steps that would please the audience. I'd enjoy it.

Dancing with the Stars is broadcast on ABC every Tuesday.

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Title: What Jason Mraz Has Learned on DWTS ... While Wearing 'Former Contestant's Chonies' (Exclusive)
Sourced From: www.toofab.com/2023/10/24/jason-mraz-dancing-with-the-stars/
Published Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:59:26 +0000

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