The Pros and Cons of the DWTS Pros – The Louis and Mark Edition
This is a part of the Pros and Cons of the DWTS pros Series. You can check out all the posts in this series here.
Louis van Amstel
Marianya: Okay, so Louis rubbed some people off the wrong way in the first season with his aloofness and stand-off-ish behavior (as depicted on screen) and I think the various celebs he has had from season to season has opened him up quite a bit (Lisa Rinna of Season 2 and Kelly Osbourne of Season 9 of note). And consider we all now have seen Louis in a dress (and wore better may I add) than Florence Henderson, I say he has opened up a lot. Add on top of that his precise dancing and strong choreography with the professional numbers I’d say he’s a pretty good package. Now I have no idea what was said behind the scenes because I don’t typically read all that stuff despite being a blogger myself, but what I have seen on screen I like and I like a lot. However, him being a “short” pro (both Mark and Corky are just an inch or so taller than him) he has only been on six of the previous ten seasons, but of all the pros he has the best non-winner placement thus far. Placing fourth twice, third once, and fifth in the last season. So he’s doing something right. I really enjoy watching him dance, and like Karina he has that strong classic ballroom feel to him that I really love, and seeing him and Karina dance together is magic to me for a non-couple.
Heidi: Believe it or not, Louis is my least favorite pro and it has nothing to do with dancing. I just think he was the most ungracious and rude pro last season – he seemed angry that Nicole was on the show, never clapped for her and Derek and looked like he’d sucked lemons after they danced. You know, if you don’t think it’s fair, take it up with the producers, but at least try to be gracious to your fellow pros and the other celebrities. I will say he did work wonders with Kelly and I really loved the two of them during her season. That said, when it comes to choreographing the tour, I was glad when Maks took over – I thought he choreographed a more entertaining, more contemporary show than Louis did. But maybe Louis was burnt out on it. And I think that’s enough of that. 🙂
Courtney: I agree with both Marianya & Heidi – in the seasons he’s been on the show, he’s been doing something right technically, because his stars always seem to do decently well, even if they don’t make it to the finale; however, some of his behavior off-stage is just downright bitchy. I absolutely ADORED him in season 9 with Kelly; but after watching a post-show interview he did after Nicole won, he came across as bitter, petty, and an all-around sore loser – complaining about Nicole having a blatant “unfair advantage” and refusing to recognize any legitimate natural talent she may have had or hard work she may have put into the the show. Really, Louis – had Nicole NOT done season 10, do you really think you & Niecy would have won? And really, here’s my philosophy for all of the pros who think they’ve been “cheated” somehow in the course of the show: WORK HARDER. I’m a firm believer that in the hands of the right pro, even the biggest klutz can be a legitimately good dancer – it’s just a matter of how hard you work. Life’s not fair, and the show’s never gonna be 100% fair…so get used to it. Be gracious. Ok, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest – I really do respect how Louis tends to work with the strengths of his partners. Was Niecy a great dancer? Hell no, but Louis managed to work with what she had, and played on her comedy skills to make their performances entertaining. Was Kelly the most graceful star ever to hit the DWTS floor? Nope, but he brought something out in her that people adored, and instilled a sense of confidence in her that I’m not sure she had before. And I think I’ve mentioned this about Louis in general before, but he really seems to thrive when he has partners with a bit of a ‘tude – his best partners (Kelly, Niecy, Lisa to some degree) always seemed to be the ones that were a little mouthy. While this may have irked other pros (I honestly don’t see Mark, Jonathan, Tony, Dmitry, or Alec faring well with divas), I almost think it just fuels Louis – because as we’ve seen, Louis is a bit of a diva himself 😉
John: I have a hard time really commenting on Louis. I feel bad trying to critique him when the stars he’s been paired with have been some of my least favorite stars on the show. Kelly, Niecy, and even Priscilla Presley always felt awkward to me on the show and I could never come around to liking them. I don’t really see that changing with Margaret. Man it sure seems like the producers have cast Louis with the eccentric star each season. Since I haven’t really liked any of the stars he’s been with, it’s really hard for me to fairly judge Louis. Seems like not too many people care about Louis either since I checked his Wikipedia page and it hasn’t been updated since Priscilla Presley. I can’t argue with his talent and dance ability. His partners seem to love him too. I’ll just hold out any final opinions until he has a partner that I really like.
Mark Ballas
Marianya: Okay between Mark Ballas and Derek Hough I definitely prefer Mark Ballas, he’s such a ham I love him. He’s so sweet and so cute, but he doesn’t have the choreography prowess that his “brother” seems to be blessed with. But I do know that when the two of them dance in pro numbers my eyes float more to Mark than to Derek, despite Derek getting front and center a lot of the time. In the very first pro number that they were in Mark really hammed it up… again something I enjoy. His dancing isn’t as sharp and crisp and he seems to struggle with celebs unless the celeb happens to be a ringer (Shawn Johnson and Kristi Yamaguchi anyone?). He needs to step things up with all celebs across the board to really have an impact I think. At least he’s not as lovesick as his “brother” though, and for that I am glad.
Heidi: Ha! You’ve not been paying attention to Mark for long, have you? 🙂 Normally, Mark is the lovesick one and Derek is the one rolling his eyes. Derek is probably regretting this video right now (at the 4:50 mark). Give Mark time, he’ll be back in love land before we know it. You and I are complete opposites – Mark is much too frenetic and hammy for me. I also think that he has a bit of a tendency try to benefit from his “brother” without giving any of that loyalty back. I certainly hope it’s different behind the scenes. Mark never once tweeted good luck to Derek last season, or asked his fans to vote – yet Derek, to an annoying degree, was pimping Mark’s musical performances. That apparent inequity in their relationship is really starting to bother me, and I’m really hoping there is more going on behind the scenes. If there isn’t – well, that’s more Derek’s fault for letting that happen than Mark’s, when you get right down to it. As for Mark as a dancer – I think he’s very crisp and fast, and I only don’t like it when he goes all hammy and frenetic like I previously mentioned – I think he’s the only male pro who will dance around his partner, or try to draw attention to himself to cover for his partner when they’re faltering, whereas several of the women do it. I don’t think that’s the majority of the time, by any means. I think he’s a very good dancer, he just doesn’t do anything for me.
Courtney: While I don’t by any means hate Mark, he’s not my favorite male pro, either. Unfortunately, in the multitude of classes I’ve taken with his pops, I’m afraid the apple does not fall far from the tree as far as Mark is concerned – without going too far into detail, let’s just say I think he’s inherited some of his father’s less savory traits. While it has nothing to do with his abilities as a choreographer or a pro, his revolving door of a love life tends to bother me. He’s what I like to call a “serial monogamist” – totally in love with one girl until the next best thing comes along. It’s hard for me to take him seriously when he’s speaking all flowery about our dear Chelsie when he was doing the same thing about Joanna just months before…and he was doing the same about Sabrina not long before that. Or when he’s tweeting awkward things about sleeping with a Donald Duck doll since he isn’t “sleeping next to anyone at the moment”. TMI 🙁 Ok, personal life aside, I do think that Mark is the only pro on the show that can come close to matching Derek in terms of energy – granted, they’re also the two youngest male pros, so that might explain why they’re the ones out in front dancing the hardest and the fastest in the pro dances. He does a pretty good job of choreographing to his partner’s strengths and pulling the best out of them, but I worry that he often gets so caught up in the “vision” of what he wants a dance to look like that he’s reluctant to alter his routines when they clearly aren’t working for his partner – I think that’s what may have happened with Shannen’s Viennese waltz, where the poor girl just looked like she was trying to keep her head above water. His routines are creative, though – his cha-cha for Shawn to “P.Y.T.” is still one of my all-time favorites, as is his Jabbawockee-themed freestyle for her. And for some reason, I always remember his rumbas. But I do see what Heidi’s saying about his energy level – I think he sometimes resorts to dancing around or just flat-out “out-dancing” his partner in order to distract from a sub-par performance on their part – Kim’s dreadful mambo comes to mind. And it actually pains me to see him do jive – literally, it hurts my lungs & chest because the boy is just absolutely spastic. If he could just calm down a bit, in terms of choreography and performance, and pay a bit more attention to his partner’s strengths & weaknesses, I think he’d be neck & neck with Derek as the strongest male pro on the show.
John: No doubt that Mark is a ball of energy on the dance floor. It’s an interesting contrast to when I saw him backstage. He had all of his energy totally focused on his guitar. Plus, when he was asked to come and say hi he was incredibly kind to me and my wife and seemed to be totally focused on us. Which is a bit ironic since you’d think with his energetic dance style that he would be all over the place. Instead, he was incredible focused and welcoming in person backstage. In fact, it was Derek who seemed like the spastic one backstage who couldn’t focus on anything or anyone. I guess all the pros deal with the nerves before the performance in different ways. I loved Mark with Sabrina. The couple worked and the energy was incredibly fun to watch. However, ever since then his performances have seemed to be missing something for me. Sure, Kristi and Shawn were very popular, but I could just never get into their dances. I felt like Mark should have gotten a lot more out of Kim. Maybe it was all Kim’s fault, but she was a train wreck for me. Shannen was similar. I’m pretty sure Bristol is going to be overwhelmed by Mark’s energy as well. Mark needs a partner that can match his energy or it just feels awkward to me.
Round Up
Louis van Amstel
Marianya: If he can pull off a tacky dress better than the women that have worn it… he can pull off much anything else.
John: Jury is still out for me.
Heidi: Next.
Courtney: Quit yer bitchin’ and get out there and shake it! The latter works the best for you.
Mark Ballas
Marianya: Mmmm Ham…
John: I’ll take Sabrina and Mark, but leave the rest.
Heidi: Ham is too salty. 😉
Courtney: Just reign it in a bit, dude. When you calm down & focus, I like what you do.
I divide Louis up into two different categories: Louis when he was a competitive dancer, and Louis on the show. Louis as a comeptitive dancer was fantastic, very stylized, precise, streamlined. Louis on the show turns me off with his personality. He was good with Kelly and Lisa, with the others not so much.
In regards to Mark, I like his personality on the show, and think he’s a good dancer.
Well you managed to pair my least favorite pro with my utmost favorite, so this is a good one for me, thanks guys!
Can’t stand Louis, not because of his dancing abilities but purely on his personality. Too often he’s been caught being just downright mean!!! The Cheryl comment’s a few years back were unnecessary and cady and as I recall he’s said similar things about Lacey which I think is just bad, bad, bad! Don’t get me wrong, in the end I will always vote for a celeb if they surprise me in anyway that’s good and Kelly got more than one of my votes her season but I can do without Louis anytime they’re willing to set him aside! That aside, I love Margaret Cho and am looking forward to seeing her dance this season, regardless of Louis.
Well…Mark…what can I say, I just love him and am constantly amazed by him. At times I will agree with Courtney that he over “visualizes” his partners abilities and puts a bit too much on them but there are times he just hits the nail on the head (his Foxtrot with Kristi for example – genius!). I was fortunate enough to meet Mark this past July in Hershey, PA for BWAT and he was soooo incredibly kind and very attentive. When I approached he and Kristi, I had a small conversation with her (we’re from the same part of CA originally) and he pleasantly listened and when I turned to ask him for a photo, he immediately and without one ounce of hesitation agreed and pulled me in tight, smiled brightly for my husband and was just SO sweet. As for his personal life, he’s a 24 year old boy, nuff said! He’s better than many I’d venture to say and since being on the show he’s largely been only involved with Joanna (2 years I believe it was?) and well, I don’t think any of us can say any better of ourselves looking back at that time in our own lives now can we? He just makes me happy and honestly I think he’s a really good guy with the kindest of hearts, best of intentions and immense talent. Just my two cents. Thanks for this one again, guys!
Louis Van Amstel is a great latin dancer.
He also has a “cold hearted” trait of being brutally honest, or perhaps just brutal to both other pros and celebrities. I heard there was a personality problem between Louis and Monique Coleman and he was not invited back as a competitive pro for quite a while.
If you watched her dancing, she was actually very good, but he was pushing her as if she was a competitive dancer with quite a bit more difficulty than the others and I felt she had to keep thinking about the choreography instead of dancing in the moment and was cracking under that pressure, from him. Trista Sutter as well season 1, she lasted only a week, she should have went further.
As much as I’m a non-Lacey fan, he apparently said things to her that sent her into a tailspin season 9. Even her normally reserved partner Mark Dacascos tweeted that he was saddened by what had happened. That’s just not cricket in my books. You don’t undermine a fellow pro just to win a competition.
I don’t like him, nor do I trust him. I think he’s the type of pro that would cut you instead of root for you. And yes, the daggers were out for Derek and Nicole last season, lead by LVA. If there’s a picture of Professional jealousy in the dictionary, it’s Louis’
Mark- I think he’s a great dancer. I also think his approach to teaching dance has become a formula instead of thinking about what is best for his partner. You can see it mainly in the Jives he does. Every partner seems to wear the requisite crinolined poka dots in either Sailor blue or different sizes and shades of pink, and Mark wears horned rimmed Buddy Holly glasses. I mean, please, has the guy run out of ideas or has he been Gary Busey’d on his head?
Can I just say I always LOVE your “Round Up” comments!!! ROTFLLLLLL!!!!!!
Ok Louis: I thought his best parter was Kelly. Wow, you have to give this guy props. He 150% turned this girl around and into a total lady….not only on the dance floor but personally. Never in a million did I expect that when I first heard Kelly was on the show and paired with him. So, not only does this guy have dancing talent, he’s an awesome teacher and maybe even psychologist. He’s funny too. I agree how he seems to do better with an outragous partner. Margaret will suit him perfectly. I don’t think Margaret will go as far as Kelly. But, they are going to be fun to watch.
Mark: He’s good and a lot of fun. But, I agree. He doesn’t have the “touch” his brother does. I’m not sure he wants it either. I sometimes think he can take or leave dancing. He loves making music a lot more. If DWTS wants him, fine. If not, he has other things that are just as important if not more important. Dancing isnt everything.
Great post again Guys! I’m loving this!!
Another great post! What can I say about Mark. I loved a few of the partners he has had (Sabrina, Kristi and Shawn) and his energy. I think Sabrina was his best match and it was a darn shame when they got eliminated. You guys bring up a good point that I do sense he over “visualizes” his partner abilities and puts a bit too much on them. Shannon comes to mind. She wasn’t half bad, but because of the level of difficulty in their two routines and running order didn’t help them. Not sure what to expect from him with Bristol.
I am divided when it comes to Louis. What he did with Kelly was great. I couldn’t help but not support her and him. He is also a really great dancer. However, last season I couldn’t stand him and it was his attitude towards the press about Nicole.
Joan, as long as he makes you happy, then that’s really all that matters. 🙂 He was involved (heavily) with Sabrina for about a year though, prior to Joanna. I was also under the impression that he was involved to some degree with Ashly from PCD – they tweeted pics from a hot air balloon and a bed and breakfast – that says involvement to me. 🙂 Of course, could be CRAZY, because I also think Derek spending every single moment of the past 3 months with Cheryl means they’re involved, but to read the press…well, nuff said. Idiots. I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with Mark being a serial monogamist – he’s just difficult to take seriously when he declares undying love for someone because he’s done it several times before for someone who’s so young.
LOL Andie – I HAD noticed that about Marks’ Jive’s and had forgotten to mention it.
And damn, you guys had to remind me about what he did to and said about Lacey – sorry, but he’s an out and out bastard for that. I do wish, at times, that Derek would just be less PC – because Louis deserves a verbal bitch-slap not just for Nicole but for how he treated Lacey and Cheryl. Maybe it’s Little Man disease.
@Joan & Heidi – Yah, I agree he’s young and deserve to get his kicks…I guess it’s just that now that he’s set his eye on Chelsie, it makes me a bit skeptical. I would hate to see those two go down the Maks & Karina route – once head over heels in love, now total sour grapes. And Mark is sometimes just a TMI tweeter…I guess that’s what makes me the most uncomfortable, hehe. I didn’t know about Ashly from PCD…hot air balloon & a B&B? Sounds awfully couple-y to me. What else did they do? Weekend in Napa? Horseback riding on the beach? *trying to think of cliche romantic activities*….
I had forgotten about those nasty remarks that Louis made about Cheryl & Lacey’s weight in season 7. Not to point fingers, but didn’t Maks kinda chime in on that, too? I can’t remember if he was backing Louis up or defending the girls…oh well. It was 4 seasons ago. But as for the “tailspin” that Louis sent Lacey into in season 9 – what exactly did he say to her? I didn’t know they had come to blows. Really the only altercation I can remember Lacey having with any cast member on SYTYCD or DWTS was a physical fight she got into with Lauren Gottlieb backstage at one of the shows on the SYTYCD tour…but from my understanding, it was instigated by Lauren, not Lacey. Crazy.
Heidi; Understood…you’re right about Sabrina and for the longest time I (immaturely) held the ending of their reationship against Joanna (I now really like Joanna, I’ve found her to be mature, funny and someone who never takes herself too seriously) – I’ve honestly never seen Mark happier than when he was with Sabrina. And he was often VERY nasty in the press about her until they had to make amends when assigned the DAD in season 9 and I still think Sabrina carries a bit of a torch but that’s just my opinion. Whatever happened between them hurt them both a lot, enough for him to act like a d*ck on more than one occasion and for her to still be on the fringes of his life…None-the-less, yes he is serially involved with the ladies in his life but I’d rather see that than a guy running the streets without constraint, right?
And yes, I do think Derek is involved…again, just my opinion and I’m happy for him, he seems to really like this girl and that’s good enough for me!
I like them both, but Louis can be a diva. I also think that sometimes his reasonings for certain things in choreography were completely wonky. Like when they had a 90’s paso and he kept saying the 90’s were the decade of the divas and how niecy was a diva and I didn’t see anything in the routine to do with divas. I also don’t see his “storylines” that he talks about in his rehearsal packages.
Mark, I thought he could only teach ringers how to do well. My opinion started to change last season, because I thought Shannen was doing quite well for a non-dancer. I really thought their viennese waltz should’ve been scored a lot higher, much higher than Jake’s. Then she got voted off, but from what I gather, it might’ve been set up for her to be eliminated and she knew. As for his jive, I really wish he didn’t have to dress his partners up looking like Minnie Mouse every time they do jive. The only one that came close to breaking away from that was Shannen, mainly because she doesn’t fit that look as the Beverly Hills bad girl, but he was still able to sneak in the pigtails and the shoes.
Courtney, people close to Lacey were extremely upset with Louis. Lacey tweeted that a person who she thought was a friend threw her under the bus. Then Lacey’s close fanbase organizers went ballistic. I’m not close to that group, but I got information from people that were organizing the vote for Mark D that it was indeed LVA who said something very unprofessional about Lacey’s weight issues. After the season was over there was an article about her struggle with Bulimina. I have to wonder about her being dropped for season 10, and if pros gossip affect casting decisions.
Courtney: Do you really think he’s set his sights on Chels? I’ve always understood that they were just like best friends? Anyway, I don’t think he’s her type in the least and I agree I’d hate to see that go the way of Maks and Karina, messy, messy…
I think Maks came to the girls’ defense, if I remember correctly? Maks has known Cheryl forever and has said recently she and Tony are eachothers best friends. So, I think he’d take none too lightly to anyone being overly and unnecessarily critical.
Court, that’s what Derek picks on Mark about in that one video, saying he puts rose petals all over the bed in addition to other things. Then Derek all but rolls his eyes in a very 23 year old (as he was at the time) male way. 🙂 I believe his exact words were, “Yeah, that’s nice, but DUDE come ON.” Pretty funny. The way Derek started down that path and then considered carefully what he was going to say made me think there was a lot more that he’s seen with regard to Mark and romance. 🙂
Also Court – Maks did say some less than politic thing about both Cheryl and Lacey, but he clarified his remarks later – and even without the clarification came off a LOT better than Louis did. The difference between Maks and Louis is that with Maks I don’t often get the feeling that he’s being down right mean and nasty – the same can NOT be said for Louis.
I’m very…umm….”emotionally confused” when it comes to Louis. I took a liking to him when he was with Monique Coleman and I absolutely adored him and Kelly (the only couple I gave votes to that season besides Joanna and Derek). I liked him and Niecy fun and energy-wise, but I really didn’t appreciate his behavior towards Nicole, the same for many people (even a couple more people on the show). Sometimes, Louis seems really nice and a stand up guy, other times, he’s got a bitchy attitude. As for Mark, I really like him for the most part, probably my second favorite pro. He was brilliant with Sabrina, Kristi, and Shawn, who were naturally gifted. He’s really gotta work on being with those who don’t have prior experience to help them along. I agree with saying Mark doesn’t have that last pinch of “IT” that Derek has, but I still 9 out of every 10 times enjoy Mark’s choreography.
Just wanted to chime in about the Louis/Maks/Lacey thing. Lacey told Access Hollywood that it was Maks who hurt her feelings and that she didn’t believe him when he said he was misquoted. The article is still online if anyone wants to look it up.
That said, Louis has made horrible remarks about more than one person, including making a jab at Niecy’s eating habits after the dance where he bit into a sandwich and choked on it (can’t remember which dance it was). And his remarks about Nicole are what made me really dislike him on the show. Like I said earlier, prior to the show, I liked him as a dancer. He was amazing. On the show, I don’t like his personality.
Louis seems like a fairly nice guy, but the comments on Nicole last season were so unnecessary. Really, how does a professional, who has competed in numerous competitions, not realize that someone’s always going to be better, have some sort of advantage, or more experience. If it were all equal then there would be no such thing as a competition. Does anyone else remember last season when they had the packages on the “back story” on the celebrities? Evan Lysacek said something about “if someone’s better than you, you just have to work harder.” Well, Louis should really take that advice. 🙂
The comments about Lacey’s weight were completely unecessary as well. It doesn’t matter what she looks like, it’s not his place to criticize her body. I’m not the biggest Lacey fan, but that really upsets me that he would say something like that.
As for Mark, I like him but he does remind me of some of my friends who disappear whenever they’re in a relationship! It’s annoying, but I think that’s something people grow out of with time.
A lot of people say that Mark can inly do well with ringer but a least he won with then(kristi and Shawn), there are pros that not even with ringer can win this show.
I love Mark, his cha cha with Shawn is one of my favorite dances ever, and i loved his rumbas too.
Louis is a great dancer and a good cheoragrapher/teacher but he seems kinda like as a diva and he irritates me ( Seeing him in a sparkly dress didnt help….) like yea Nicole had dance experience but shes a Hip Hop dancer! Dances like the Waltz, Paso Doble, Jive, Quickstep was nothing like what she does. Shes just a great dancer…
Sabrina and Mark were the best period. Put them in an All-star season and they will win. it’d be no contest. That is why they won Design-a-Dance.
I’m sad that people bash Mark still for something that happened 2 years ago. Mark and Sabrina are close friends again, they have forgiven and forgotten. Mark has never stopped saying nice things about Sabrina. he always has good things to say about her because he cares deeply for her as Sabrina cares deeply for him. the reason they don’t tweet or facebook friend each other is because of the multiple nasty comments from tweeters and FBers that have obviously not seen they are friends again. That’s why they stopped following each other on twitter last Nov. was because of the haters not because they aren’t friends anymore. They are definately at least best friends again when my friend and I saw them in Chautauqua NY this past July for ballroom With a Twist. Definately acted like nothing ever happened…:)
Joanna, well, Joanna is a whore to put it in terms. I knew she was no good from the start. Good riddance.
Chelsie and him are just friends. If they were dating they would have come straight out and said it. Since tons of people annoy them constantly by asking this question repeatedly, that is why they now ignore most of those tweets. She is also MORMON. Mark is not Mormon, and would have to have permission at the most if they were to be serious. Plus she is very close to Louie Vito’s family, especially him, his sister and Dad.
Apparently if you have lunch with someone of the opposite sex, and is a close friend, then that means you’re now dating. Until someone confirms it, don’t assume.
I thank you for your time.
@Patty But ringers like Mya or Mel did not have Shawn or Kristi’s fans.
I have always thought that Mark best partner dancing wise was Sabrina they matched well in everything from chemistry to dancing For Louis I think it is Kelly O..Both pros are great! Great blog:)
oh to the person who said that they think Sabrina carries a torch for him is wrong. lol She has a new bf and is serious about him. If I had a chance again to see Sabrina and Mark dance I would so love that to see that!! They shine so good together!I don’t think Chels will ever get with Mark. She seems so into Louie V. Louie and her are uber cute. They are just friends! Besides, it seems Mark and the 17 yr girl he hangs out with now might be his future girl the way he mentions her and puts in things for her and all. Maybe when she turns 18.
Okay, how do you know Sabrina has a new BF? How do you know shes serious about him, I doubt you do. Unless you’re family, and I know Sabrinas family wouldn’t spill the beans until she was ready to, then don’t tell me she doesn’t care about Mark. She very much does. She wouldn’t have done BWAT, and neither would have Mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w87xiDEqU5Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYAap6OjRHk
Maybe you should watch these videos. Watch how they interact, especially at the end of the chacha.
Though it was never captured by my friend,numerous people can and will confirm that night they were bumping butts. You don’t do something like that with your ex, even if you’re just joking around.
Or dance a paso doble that is sexually innuendo. Just saying.
And FTR Tanisha is one of mark’s students. ew.
Hey, just an FYI – if you include more than one link in your post it will hold it up as potential spam. Luckily I came on right after you posted and approved it. 🙂
ah sorry. 🙂 just trying to prove a point without trying to start a war.
I really could give a rats ass about the whole Mark/Sabrina/Joanna thing, but lets not start the name calling or the fan wars here, please.
And Mark and Sabrina won DaD because Mark was the only one that had 3 of his former partners – all with crazy fanbases – actually in the voting. All three of the female fanbases combined with one Mark for him to win easily. Reverse Mark’s position with either Derek or Maks or Cheryl and Mark would have lost even with Sabrina still in it. That’s simple math.
Mods I wasn’t trying to do any name calling or start drama. I was just replying to comments I see.It is true what I said but will not mention anymore about that. Sorry about that. I will only in the future when you mention about Sabrina and Mark when they dance only now on and not read or reply to comments. They are great together dancing! Sabrina and Mark you will always be my favorite dancing pair.Again love the site.
Cindy; I don’t think the mods were necessarily pointing fingers. But I agree that I, too, wasn’t trying to start any drama, I thought this site was about sharing friendly opinions and not nasty name calling and putting people down. I think I will strongly consider continuing to post my opinions here in the future. Some people take all the fun out of it!
Just for some historical perspective on Lacey.. she and Cheryl got the remarks from Maks back in season 7 when Lacey was not in the best shape. Cheryl later admitted being on birth control, and I get it, if you go on the Pill some women get a little puffy through no fault of their own. Lacey got a lot of criticism and she knew it, prior to the season she was off with a knee injury and she said she wasn’t keeping in shape. They both were under attack, and Louis chimed in. Maks then did a “Maks” apology, I don’t think we heard anything from Louis. The following season Cheryl looked very trim dancing with Gilles, her boyfriend was into nutrition, and she got really fit. Gilles made the remark that he loves Cheryl how she looks, and Lacey lost a significant amount of weight so she looked really different dancing with Steveo. She’s had a battle to keep trim, and she admitted she wasn’t doing it in a healthy way. Fast Forward to season 9, she wasn’t the rail thin she was in season 8, but for me, she looked healthy and apparently Louis had something bitchy to say and that hurt her. Again, I’m not a Lacey fan, but this type of thing undermines a pro’s confidence..Mark D was constantly trying to be re-assuring in the press that Lacey is beautiful, so Louie’s bitchiness is just a really sneaky thing to do.
Andie – Can you imagine what some of the male pros would be like if someone were to comment on their weight? 🙂
Off camera these female dancers are all teeny tiny, it is disgusting how the media puts this type of pressure on them. And the guys? My experience is men are far more sensitive about their looks.
As for Louie, I like him as a dancer, I think he did great choreography for the pros and was able to turn Kelly from a tramp to a princess, but I don’t like his personality and that habit of bitching around other pros and celebrities. Certainly not one of my favorite pros.
As for Mark, I’m not a big fan of him, the few choregraphies I remembered were the out of the place ones, that rumba with Shawn and that waltz with Shannon, really too difficult for her. I do agree with you Courtney about his “vision” of the dance and his inability to adapt it to his partner
I think it’s a ridiculous double standard when it comes to the male pros vs. the female pros on the show when it comes to weight. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s always more noticeable with the girls, since their costumes are so much skimpier – we see legs, arms, stomachs, backs, etc. At most, the guys will SOMETIMES go completely shirtless. And honestly, I have noticed a bit of weight fluctuation with some of the guys – both Mark and Maks seem to have gone through varying degrees of muscle definition over the years, and Derek had one season where he looked terribly skinny. But you never see people pointing fingers at them – it’s always at Cheryl and Lacey, who get called out for even just a few pounds. And if it’s Louis that’s doing all the finger pointing – I find it very suspicious that we’ve never seen him with his shirt off. For all we know, he could have weight issues of his own…so until he shows of his “fabulous” bod, he’s full of poppycock in my book.
And Andie, I couldn’t agree more about men being more sensitive about their looks than girls are – my bf, who is a dancer, would refuse to let me see him shirtless if he thought he had put on a few pounds in the middle or his stomach didn’t look defined enough. Mind you, I think he’s absolutely gorgeous and in great shape, but in his mind, he was disgusting. Kind of sad. Hell, my weight typically fluctuates within a 5 lb range (and I think that’s the case with a lot of girls, depending on what time of the month it is), and my abs certainly aren’t made of steel – but that ain’t gonna stop me from wearing a bikini. I’ll wear a bikini while eating a donut! Haha.
I normally don’t respond to the comments on this site because the Derek bias seems so strong but this time you picked two of my favorite pros. Like John, I have not liked any of Louis’s partners and so it should have been hard to like him. However he does seem to bring out the best in his partners and he has had some real challenges. I have found him to be very sweet on twitter. I’m sure he is far from perfect and some of the above situations do not reflect positively on him, but I still like him. As for Mark, like Marianya I can’t take my eyes off him when he dances. Derek fades into the woodwork if they are dancing side by side. I find him technically the superior dancer and I actually also prefer his choreography to any of the other pros. He has been given some challenging partners and I think he has done his best with them. Since I subscribe to the philosophy of set high expectations and students will rise to that expectation, I have no problem with what he did with Shannen. Mark seems to be a very passionate man and that passion sometimes seems to make him look fickle or inmature. Not going to comment on his personal life because I rememember what I was like at that age and we all live and learn. All in all Mark is my favorite pro and I naturally consider him the best.
Cindy, I was specifically referring to the person who called Joanna a “whore” – that was totally uncalled for and not something we allow on the site. I contemplated deleting the comment, but I figured that everyone gets ONE shot. You can comment on Sabrina and/or Mark, I just want to avoid the escalating back and for fighting between “Team Sabrina” and others. I’ve seen it get way out of control in other places – very passionate and vocal group of fans who hate one girl because they see her as the usurper. Really, Mark’s the one at the center of all that – I don’t get why the women get all the crap. They both seem like nice young women.
Louis – He doesn’t really bother me as he does some others but I can’t say I’m a fan of his. He did do wonders with Kelly but part of me wonders whether it was just her addictive personality finding another kind of “high.” Part of me also wonders what he might’ve said to her re: weight as she has continued to lose a lot of it post-DWTS. I really hope she has done it in a healthy way. I don’t want to see her with Rachel Zoe as her stylist!
I do have to say I was actually offended and concerned with the fixation on Niecy’s eating habits last season. Yes, she played it up too with her jiggly bits, but drawing attention to how much/often someone eats and chastising them for it (even in a playful way) is a really dangerous path to go down..
Mark – probably my favourite pro. Yes, I agree the polka dots have to go! Otherwise, I really enjoy the different things Mark has brought to the show. His show dance with Sabrina to Avril Lavigne remains one of my favourites and it wasn’t even ballroom. Perhaps Maks should have looked closer to home to find a choreographer for a contemporary freestyle perfect for DWTS… I really want to see Mark & Lacey do a contemporary/ballroom mashup because I think it would be SICK. The flamenco guitar on Derek & Chelsie’s Emmy nominated Paso was also amazing. I also just recently saw Mark & Melissa’s Charleston again – I had forgotten about it. I think it proves he can choreo for the less able dancers. Okay it was ham & cheese on toast but it worked perfectly for her
I think that being eliminated early with Sabrina causes Mark to over think the competition side of things a bit too much. In trying to get his partners through the first few rounds, he actually unwittingly overplays it and sabotages their chances. Except the “ringers” that is He seems to have remained in contact with all of his partners though and I think he deserves a lot of credit for how he handled 17-year-old Shawn and her stalker drama in season 8. None of the other pros has ever had to deal with their celebrity’s parents on the set the whole time too
Like Michelle, I have never posted on this site, (or much at all), but I wanted to put it a word for all of us quiet Mark supporters. I think Mark may have a big fan base that has always appreciated him but in more of a quiet way. So…
For me, Mark has been a constant. I may get enamored with a different pro dancer from time to time, but Mark is always in the mix.
As much as I love to watch him dance, I also love the way he works with his partners. He is always so supportive and encouraging and when he pushes, he does it gently. Look at the way Shannon adores him.
I think that’s why they give him the younger celebs. He handles them with a sensitivity that I don’t think the other pros can match (maybe some of the ladies but certainly not the men). In training and also in their dancing. He had just the right amount of sexiness and romance in his dances with Shawn…not overdone…not absent all together.
I don’t know the inside story with Mark and Derek. All I know, is that they have been best friends for years and they each have nothing but good things to say about the other. I think we should take it for what it seems to be…a great friendship.
Anyway, I guess you can tell, I like the guy and hope he succeeds in his singing career as that seems to be where his heart is.
“She is also MORMON. Mark is not Mormon, and would have to have permission at the most if they were to be serious.”
This is so not true it’s funny. Chelsie and/or Mark wouldn’t need to get permission to date since Chelsie is Mormon. That’s just silly to even think about.
“I’ll wear a bikini while eating a donut!” – Courtney
Now that’s some imagery. The merging of 2 great things.
To all those closet Mark fans:
Feel free to comment more. As you can see from this writeup, we don’t hate Mark and in fact we like him for the most part.
I think the things people realize when they comment is the difference in saying…
“[Insert Pro] is the best!”
and
“I think [Insert Pro] is the best!”
One attracts the ire from the other pros fan base. The other is a statement of opinion and so it doesn’t incite the others to defend their ground in some way.
Either way, I think this thread illustrates well that people are welcome to have different opinions.
I agree about the points about Louis and his fixation on weight. I think he’s obsessive about it, and not in a good way.
Mark I could always just take him or leave him. An excellent dancer, but his choreography rarely engages me. I am not always in the tank for Derek either. For me it’s always the celebrity partner that I root for, then the pro. So this season Jennifer Grey and Rick Fox are early favorites, just because of what they are putting out there personality wise . As for pros, I’ve rooted for Derek, Tony, Maks, Julianne, Karina, Lacey and Cheryl throughout the seasons, and that’s due to the celebrity they are partnered with
FYI,
Louis and Mark don’t come up on the page that is compiling all of the Professional Pros and Cons.
My bad Lewy. It will once the cache clears. Thanks for pointing it out.
It’s so hard for me to pick a favorite Pro because it all depends on the partnership – I really do see this as a team endeavor. And I really can’t even pick a team favorite until I’ve seen them dance at least once. Even if there’s a celebrity fave, until I see that chemistry on the dance floor ….. And this is where I see the major difference between Derek and Mark: Derek seems to dance to his partner and Mark seems to expect the novice celebrity to dance to him. By that I mean Derek changes up his teaching and choreo to suit his partner, making the adjustments to ensure they both look good as a team. Mark seems to keep to the same teaching style, even some of the same choreo (and yes, I do agree he’s had some great routines) and hopes his partner can make the adjustments. This of course works with partners like Shawn & Kristi, who have not only athletic discipline in their repertoire, but Olympic training; or Sabrina who’s was just damn good and they obviously clicked as a couple. These celebreties can take the physcial and mental requirements and make the necessary adjustments. With parnters like Shannen, MJH & Kim K. a different approach might have worked better. Derek has consistently placed in the top of the draw – his worst place finish was 6th out of 12. Mark on the other hand has not faired so well – except for his two 1st place finishes, he’s been in the bottom half. I have generally liked Louis – I don’t remember much about Trista except she had a weird phobia about not wanting to dance too close – she had to have her husband’s permissions or something like that; he seemed really sweet with Priscilla and he was wonderful wtih Kelly; he & Monique were a good team; I liked him with Niecy, but did not like the catty b**tch that came out vis-a-vis Nicole. That whole season brought out a weird Louis – what with all those strange story lines (they seemed to be really grasping for something, but I’m still now sure what) and the choking on the cookie at the end of the dance (was it a Tango?). I was willing to forgive Louis a little for his weight issues because I had read somewhere that he was a licensed/trained nutritionist or something like that so I figure, OK it’s part of his thing and yes, we should all eat healthier. But he went way over board! Was Niecy the drive behind some of this stuff? Is he not getting any? (Having seen him in that dress, one would think otherwise 😉 )
Great posts, by the way. Wonderful site. Absolutely love it.
@ Linde – That’s interesting that Louis is a licenced nutritionist. I never knew that, but I did hear Kelly Osbourne say he created a tailor-made diet program for her and that she’s been following it since the show. Have you seen her lately? Her waist is incredibly small and she is much slimmer than the show.
@ Carlie – I haven’t seen any pics of Kelly lately, but I do remember seeing something after the season was way over and she looked terrific. It’s touching that Kelly (unlike some others) really had the right attitude and took something very positive from this experience. Dare I say it was life changing??? And I can’t help but think that Louis had something to do with that. How could he not? I hope that whatever was going on last season has passed and that we’ll have the good Louis back. I’m interested to see how the pairing with Margaret works out. It could go either way – I think the general buzz is that she won’t do all that well, but I just love the surprises on this show 😮
Thank you for this site. I’m going to watch it this season, along with DWTS. LOL.
I did not watch DWTS until the end of Season 3, so I do not know about Louis’ prior partnerships. I loved him with Kelly and liked the one with Niecy well enough. I am looking forward to him dancing with Margaret this season. I am also looking forward to Louis dancing with Karina, as, IMO, they are remarkable.
As for Mark, uber talented. However, his spastic dancing, been there-done that costuming choices and fish faces annoy the crap out of me. He was fabulous with Kristi and Shawn, but they had inate talent and Olympians work ethic. I also liked him with Sabrina and it is unfortunate when they were eliminated. IMO, Mark checks out when his celebrities are not contenders. As for Bristol this season, he’s sure gonna like all the attention he gets, though he may not like her.
As for Mark’s personal life, IMO, he uses his long-time friendship with Chelsie, the OTT tweets and fish face pictures to get attention because of her popularity. His TMI personal comments are to get attention. As for him being kind and polite to fans, IMO, he’s still in performance mode and it is part of the performance.