IMS Photo
He’s got it
“It’s not only
about
dancing,
it’s about
popularity”
Helio Castroneves
teamed with Ohno to win the title six months
earlier, in coaching the novice. She could laugh
with and at Castroneves’ peccadilloes and loose
command of English. He could be his cut-up
self in the studio while soaking up steps in a
matter of days. One thing was clear from the
outset – while there was open communication,
Castroneves wasn’t the one at the wheel.
“He had to give that control to me and give
that trust and he ended up doing that, and we’ve
become such good friends now,” Hough says.
Says Castroneves, the better for taking a back
seat: “At times, she had been trying to push me
to my limit, and I’d say it’s now a little beyond
my limit. But that’s the type of the dance;
there’s not much you can do about it. It’s a
team, and we work together.”
WHATEVER “IT” IS, HE’S GOT IT
“No question it’s a challenge,” Castroneves
said after the initial live show in which couples
perform a ballroom routine seeking to entice
high scores from the three-judge panel and
votes from the TV audience. “No question it’s
difficult. But no question it’s a lot of fun, too.”
Exuding what stage actors/dancers call the
“It” factor – stage presence and personality that
engages the audience – Castroneves was an
instant hit with the viewers/voters. Safe to
dance at least a second week, Castroneves could
allow his charisma to flow through the footwork.
20 IndyCarSeries 2007 winterspecial
His dancing may
have been nearperfect,
but his
engaging smile
and chemistry
with Hough were
key in Castroneves
winning the mirror
ball trophy
“You don’t have to start out as a fantastic
dancer,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba says. “It’s all
about giving your heart and soul to learning
to dance.”
Adds judge Bruno Toniolo: “It’s a very
honest show. [Contestants] really have to put
their heart and soul in it. They can’t get away
with publicity and spin. The public will see
something very, very real.”
The 20 million-plus demographically
diverse viewers discovered the appeal
previously afforded mainly to IndyCar Series
event ticket holders and TV audiences.
Suddenly, the novice hoofer and his mentor
were being touted as one of the favorites to
waltz off with the mirror ball trophy.
“I always knew he had a lot of moves. I just
didn’t know he had dance moves,” says Team
Penske owner Roger Penske, who cheered
during one of Castroneves’ performances and
booed the judges’ scores while in the studio
audience in mid-October.
HEART AND SOUL INTO EFFORT
Each week Castroneves gained confidence and
competency with the choreography. Not
surprisingly, after receiving a perfect 30 score for
the Quickstep in week eight and following up
with two more solid efforts the next week, the
couple reached the finals. After singer Marie
Osmond was eliminated, a “dance-off”
between Castroneves and Spice Girl Melanie
Brown would determine the champion.
Both couples received three sets of 10s. So it
came down to the voters’ total of phone, text
messaging and online voting from the previous
night’s performances. Castroneves’ enthusiasm
that had resonated with the viewers for the past
10 weeks was his ace in the hole.
“It’s not only about dancing, it’s about
popularity,” says Castroneves, obviously more
savvy about the entertainment business than
three months earlier. “That’s what I’m actually
very happy about.”
Less than 24 hours later, in a quiet moment
during a whirlwind talk show tour that
celebrated his celebrity in a different forum, a
haggard Castroneves reflected on his IndyCar
Series off-season odyssey.
“The competition was physically and
mentally hard, [as] was the level and difficulty
of the choreography. And being in L.A. for two
months was hard,” Castroneves sums up. “But
hard work has always been part of my strength
and it paid off on the dance floor.
“I always say, if you put your heart and
soul into something, and you work hard, you
can do anything.”
With that thought, Castroneves can put his
aching feet up without guilt and gaze at the
Indianapolis 500 trophies reflecting in the
mirror ball.
Courtesy ABC
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