'DWTS': Brandy on Date with Maksim and Rumba Dance

Entering her fifth week on “Dancing with the Stars,” Brandy continues to impress the judges and audiences around America. Last week she went on a date with partner, Maksim, danced the Rumba and landed in second place. She’s had a hell of a time getting the footwork down, but it looks like she’ll be on top. She spoke with ESSENCE.com about her date with Maksim, her rumba and what she has planned for the next dance… ESSENCE.com: Last week you danced the Rumba and before the performance you went on a cute little date with Maksim. Did it bring any romance and sexiness out of you? BRANDY: A little bit. It’s seeing Maksim in a different light, he’s my buddy, my teacher so it was hard to separate the three. I dressed up and really treated it like it was date. It still brought a different side to both of us. He got to see me all blushy and I got to see him a little more vulnerable. It was really sweet and the flowers and the candy. ESSENCE.com: While dancing you looked so in love, what was going through your head? BRANDY: Point your toes, don’t fall…all of that! When you’re on that stage, you can’t see it, but I’m talking to myself the whole time, ‘Don’t fall! Don’t fall! This is the part where you have to turn.’ It’s a whole conversation that I’m having. That’s why I said it the other night, when Brooke asked me what was going through my head, I’m like ‘Don’t fall. Point your toes. Calm down. Relax.’  ESSNCE.com: You practice for days and days for a performance that lasts a few mins… BRANDY: That’s true. You want to do your best out there. You want whatever you did in rehearsal to translate out there on the stage. ESSENCE.com: Last week on the show you mentioned that rehearsals were full of miscommunications, have they gotten better? BRANDY: Oh yea. We get better each week. You know when you first meet somebody you got to figure them out and how they respond to things and how you respond to things. Max and I are getting to know each other just fine. It’s so great to get to know different sides of who he is.cAlthough, he’s very hardcore when it comes to teaching and making sure I’m doing my best and pushing me. When I do my best, he has this smile. He’s not going to be like “Oh my God!” That’s not him. ESSENCE.com: Do you have special music planned for tonight’s episode? BRANDY: They actually select the songs for us. This week we’re using the theme song from the TV show, “Friends.” ESSENCE.com: With all this dancing you’re doing, are you going to add dance to your music videos now? BRANDY: C’mon now! You know I can’t be on “Dancing with the Stars” and not take it to the video. You know I got to take it to the video! This is the perfect excuse to get back to my dancing in the videos. I got to have a team of people behind me. Like a movie of dancing. Yes!