Singer Mya's Billboard-charting history in R&B, pop, and hip-hop now seems like required briefing ahead of her newest venture: dazzling the over-animated judges on Dancing with the Stars. As the highest-scoring competitor of DWTS's ninth season, Mya seems poised to win it all with her seemingly shirt-allergic partner Dmitry Chaplin. Her success against contestants like Kelly Osbourne and Donny Osmond may not be a surprise considering her past in choreographed music videos ("Case of the Ex," "My Love is Like Wo," and the Grammy-winning remake with Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, and Pink, "Lady Marmalde" spring to mind), but she is nonetheless thrilling to watch. Mya talked with Movieline to recount the near-perfect scores she garnered on this week's samba and quickstep, the impact of Savion Glover and Gregory Hines on her life, and her most intimidating "Lady Marmalade" co-writher.
At this point on Dancing with the Stars, your scores are incredible. Does the competition get easier?
Well, your body is a lot more conditioned at this point, however the workload is doubled, and it does take a toll on your body. You experience excruciating pain, mentally and physically.
Yikes. What doesn't ache?
I've gotten double the massages for a week now just because it's so necessary after the rehearsals. You can easily pull things in a cold venue if you don't have time to stretch, and you definitely feel the results. And the consequences from rehearsing so much in these heels! it's very painful on the feet for all of us.
Is foot pain the worst of it all?
It probably is. These ballroom shoes are not the most secure, and your feet are very wobbly at points. It's dangerous, honestly. It's easy to sprain your ankle, it's easy to pull something. More importantly you need stretch at least 15-20 minutes before you begin eight hours of rehearsal.
Can you compare the rigor of the show to your tours or music videos of the past? "My Love is Like Wo" comes to mind.
Honestly, it has no comparison. It's so much harder, and you're dancing in high heels, and you're dancing with a partner who's throwing you around. When you're dancing by yourself, you're limited in your movement. You're only going to go as far as your body allows you to go. But when you're dealing with another weight, another person who steps on your toes and you step on theirs, they fling you and flick you around. It's very dangerous and painful. And you do acquire a lot of bruises and blisters! It's honestly a sport -- just because we're wearing fancy clothes and we smile, it doesn't necessarily look like one. But the training of one is truly a sport, it needs to be classified as one.
Do you think the judges hold you to a higher standard?
OK, yes. I think they do. But based on week one, and not based on anyone else. It's based on the fact that I did a difficult routine for the waltz, which I had four weeks to prepare. They measured me from that week, and everything else that followed couldn't be simplified. It has to be more difficult. Yes, we're amateurs, but you have to show growth in this competition.
In retrospect, would you have simplified the waltz to mitigate the demands of the rest of the competition?
Honestly, because of the criticism that we received for the waltz, we would make it more simplified in the choreography, not necessarily in the technical skill of the steps. Len [Goodman's] comment was to let it breathe and not make it too much of a show, make it more of a Viennese Waltz. That's what we would do; we'd refine it and fulfill the criticism.
Even during your "rougher" weeks, you're usually top-ranked. This must be a very validating experience.
It's validating, but it's almost not a gauge of what you can do in such little time. The true test is what's about to come, doing three dances next week but having Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday to learn it. Four days. Four days of perfecting it for stage blocking and camera blocking on Sunday. That will be the true test. Having the waltz was nice, actually, it was leisure and luxury. But that doesn't exist anymore. So this will be the true test, three dances in four days.
Can you often predict what the judges will say about your performances?
I cannot! Obviously not, after last night. I was numbed for about five seconds. When he commented after our quickstep, which was one of the more standard dances, Len fooled the audience, he fooled myself, he fooled Dmitry. You never know what they'll say. But even sometimes when they give great comments, they'll say, "But you need to work on the following," which is great, because it's never too harsh.
In that case, do their comments sometimes make no sense to you?
Yes, sometimes I'm totally confused. Other times I agree with them, like during jitterbug week, I totally agreed with Carrie Ann, I thought I could've gone bigger if I was a little higher in my split, but sometimes that doesn't work out every time where you can allow yourself to let go. That was a very hard dance for me, hard on the ankles and knees, so I probably held back. Now, regarding tango week, where they felt that I was a little distant, I totally agreed with them as well. Because physically I became distant from Dmitry because the dance was so brutal, and we kicked each other so many times, and I kicked him where it hurts a couple times during the performance. So they were right in that aspect. Regarding the emotional and internal dialogue? I didn't understand where that was lacking. I did have it. You watch it over and over again and try to figure out what they're talking about, and hope to bring it in the next week. There are specifics and rules for the quickstep and waltz, the dos and don'ts of those technical dances. Foxtrot, you can pretty much be open to putting on a show, but in the paso doble, lifts and tricks are not allowed. So that much we know about. Otherwise we're in the gray.
You've said before that as a kid, you had terrible stage fright. And yet, you've built a career on being a vivacious performer. Your role in Chicago, for instance?
Honestly, I didn't like to do taps and Majorettes. My mom made my brother and I do it when we were little. There were judges [laughs] during competitions, and I didn't understand what they were looking for, first of all, and why I had to smile and be so girly. I couldn't stand being in front of an audience and having to act like why I didn't feel. And then wear a tutu or leotard or whatever you want to call it? These little costumes? And act like I was having the time of my life -- when I was totally bored out of my mind, and I didn't want to be there? It didn't last at all. I tapped from 5 to 10, and I hated it. But when I saw Savion Glover in the movie Tap, I was 10-years-old. And that's when I wanted to take that tap, rhythm tap, because it's so cool. He made it seem like something I'd like to do.
Do pangs of stage fright ever crop up?
It's really changed, thanks to my mom. I love being onstage. It has to revolve around something I like to do. Like, if it's a speaking engagement that I'm totally ignorant to, that is very nerve-wracking; I'm very intimidated. I have to know at all times what I'm getting myself into. I love performing, whether it's singing, dancing, but I also want to have the proper rehearsal time. I always want to put on a great show, not just mediocre. So there's stage fright always attached to it? No. It's the jitters. Because you never know what'll happen when it goes live. And I like that too -- when it goes well.
I read that an interaction with Gregory Hines was also an influence on you.
It was before I became a singer. I was about 15 or 16, and I did a solo, and Gregory Hines was there. He was watching me from backstage. He went on at the end of the night, and then he called me out onstage. We started improvising together, and trading and challenging each other, which a lot of tap-dancers do, which made my heart drop. And he's not here anymore, so I really cherish that moment for a legend to call me out onstage. I remember it really well.
Lastly, which of your "Lady Marmalade" co-singers would be the biggest competition if she participated on Dancing with the Stars?
You never know! I really can't say, because anything could happen, and people have talent that is always waiting to be revealed. Pink, first of all, is athletic and she can kick some butt. She has stamina for days, and I hope you guys know that. I wouldn't want to go against Pink, in the ring or on the dance floor.