Dancing With The Stars 11, Week 3 – Blogger Alert 2
We have more blogging from our Pros today. This time from Cheryl and Maks. Here’s just a couple of highlights. To read in more detail, be sure to read the source links afterwards.
Here is a snippet of Cheryl Burke’s blog. She mentions how Maks isn’t the only one who has “harsh” training;
You saw Carrie-Ann calling out Max on his “harsh” training style with Brandy this week. I think all of the pros on “Dancing with the Stars” are demanding in our own styles. We know what it takes to get results from our students and we know what motivates them and we learn what doesn’t–and what causes them to shut down.
As I mentioned, Rick and I really communicate with each other. I’m not sure that I’ve figured out yet just how hard I can push him, how many hours a day would be too many for him, but I know that he’d tell me if he couldn’t handle it.
And here she talks about her and Rick Fox’s dance next week and her furture plans as a dancer;
We’re working on the Argentine Tango this week. I’m really passionate about this dance, and I spent three weeks living and training in Buenos Aires with the cast of “Forever Tango” right before the start of this season of “Dancing with the Stars.” I’m also joining them on tour and performing with them when this season of DWTS is over. It’s such an honor and I’m really looking forward to performing with them in my home town of San Francisco.
I’m heading to Atlanta, and that is really going to throw a wrench into our training schedule as I’m not sure we’ll be able to manage more than a few hours while I’m away–but that just means we’re going to have to work harder than ever before to make sure we nail this dance!
And here are some snippets from Maks’ blog today where he addresses Carrie Anne’s slap again (everytime he says, “What is she, my mother?” I am cracking up). Check out the mention about him being bullied as a dancer when he was growing up as well. Just a small glimpse that might explain why Maks is the way he is imo. If I was him, I’d be furious too is someone tried to make me look like an abuser or bully;
I just want to address the judges right off the bat. Carrie Ann had absolutely no right to call me over and try to spank me. What is she, my mother? Their job is to give constructive criticism to the celebrities. The show is not about me. I want everyone to understand that I am not trying to jump out and take the spotlight. I’m there as a mechanism that is used to get the celebrities better. That’s my job. I’m a teacher. I try to do my best every minute when I’m on the show. Whether they agree with my teaching style or not is completely irrelevant. Everybody fights. Everybody has arguments. There has never been a couple who has never fought. I’m no different.
Having said that, I really don’t understand why I’m being highlighted. There’s absolutely nothing that the judges can tell me that will ever change me as a person. Their opinions mean nothing when it has to do with what I am and what I should be. When they comment constructively on my partner’s dancing, I will address it and will work on those details. I have a 17-year coaching career, a franchise of studios and thousands of students from age 5 to 50 who can vouch for me as coach. I don’t understand why Brandy’s performance is not being commented on. Why highlight my teaching method? I was actually surprised that Len gave us an 8 because from what he said, it sounded like it was going to be a 6. I haven’t spoken to them and I don’t plan to because again the show is not about me. I didn’t sign up for their opinion. Their opinion is supposed to be about Brandy. At the end of the day, we dance together and we’re judged together, but the focus should not be on me. I don’t understand where this is coming from. It’s a very weird beginning of the season.
As for the package, I’m not OK with it. I’ve been bullied in my childhood for being a dancer. I’m the first person to say there should never be any physical violence or abuse of any kind. To portray me as a physically abusive person? Why would you do that to anyone? There’s a very thin line between “Maks the Bad Boy of Ballroom and “Maks being abusive.” I don’t need anybody’s approval. I don’t need the public’s approval on who I am. My parents know who I am. My friends, students and clientele knows who I am. Most of my students stay with me for years, and most, if not all, leave with a very positive experience, not just having learned how to dance, but having had a great time doing it. I promote positivity. I’m in the business of promoting something other than worrying about life and its problems. That package made me look like an idiot and an abuser, and I’m neither. That wasn’t a disciplinary smack. It’s an inside joke between us from Couples Retreat. It’s been on TV 17 times the past month, and the yoga instructor in it smacks everyone on the butt for encouragement, so that’s our joke. We’ve been smacking each other on the butt.
And here he talks about he and Brandy’s “Rumba” Monday night;
As for the rumba, everything’s going well. Brandy’s picking it up fast. I feel like, more and more, the pressure is on me to figure out a very clear way to explain things. That’s what I’ve been focused on personally — to be more detail-oriented teacher. Because Brandy’s a fast learner, that leaves us more time to figure out all the details and to make adjustments.
I can’t believe Cheryl misspelled Maks’ name!
Cheryl changed a lot his approach to her star students. Just compare drew, ian and gilles, for example.
The thing is that I’m tired of maks trying to explain what can’t be explained. He’s rude sometimes. Just has to admit.
OK, it can work, but we don’t have to agree with. Actually this is one thing that makes me reject him a little bit. I respect him as a dancer and choreographer, but think that he’s not that gentleman… hehe
Just my opinion….
Maks please!-LOL He knows how to point out the faults of others but he will “never” admit to doing wrong himself. His actions this week, rather he will admit to them or not, has really turned off a lot of viewers and probably cost them a lot of votes. I hope they can get it together for this week.
Really looking forward to Acoustic week and the Rumba and Argentine Tango. This could be really amazing. I do fee though that the pros really have a challenge ahead of them as the dance floor is definitely a lot smaller.
That misspelling could very well have been the webpage and not Cheryl.
Anyway, I knew Maks was not abusive. It’s too bad that the producers like to prolong the drama instead of Maks giving a reasonable explanation from the get go. I’m not Maks’ biggest fan, but neither do I want to see a teacher unfairly characterized as an abuser. That’s just crossing the line from entertainment to potentially messing with his career outside of DWTS.
There have been two chorographers on SYTYCD who have been brought up on charges for sexual abuse, and this show should not try to go down any sort of road like this.
He was never doing the bottom smack with any other celebrity dancer, so this didn’t make any sense. Now that it’s an inside joke it makes perfect sense.
Andie – I couldn’t agree more. I’m just not getting what the big deal was. What with all the “I don’t condone” – WTF ? His explanation makes perfect sense – and is certainly more reasonable than the abusive person the producers made him out to be. I think they may have crossed a line here.
However, I still cannot warm up to this team. I can’t quite put my finger on what the problem is for me … yet. Is it their chemistry? Is it her? Something is turning me off.
I am really fed up with ABC and their editing of rehearsal packages. ABC was getting back and Maks for the week before when he complained to them about using old footage in the “brandy’s a diva” rehearsal package. This season is almost becoming not fun to watch at all and I don’t think the stars or pros are enjoying it either. Way to go and screw things up ABC!
Dee it is the opposite, we Brandy and Maks fans rallied even more for votes because we could see what Carrie Ann, Lenn and the Producers where playing at.
Shocking that the producers and Carrie and and Len tried to make Maks look like a bad teacher, an abuser, when the whole smacking on the butt thing was a joke between and him and Brandy from ‘Couples Retreat.’
I agree! It is sad Karla!!
Jean, I’d like to see ABC improve and step up their game too. I noticed they used old footage in Maks and Brandy’s rehearsal package too this last week. They really are getting as bad as the news and rag media at sensationalizing.
Adding: and once again, if the show keeps this up (being over the top mean to celebrities like what Bruno did to Michael Bolton and now sensationalizing on Maks and Brandy which might ruin her chances of winning), they are going to have a harder and harder time finding celebrities in the future to dance.
Vogue, please don’t jump on the “poor widdle Maks” bandwagon – it’s just silly. Old footage – they do that for EVERY couple. In the second week, they used Derek and Jennifer’s meeting footage, for example. They do it every single season and not just to poor widdle Maks. :::rolls eyes::: All you have to do is watch every couples package carefully and you can pick out when they do it.
I don’t have a problem with Maks and Brandy’s package, as I’ve said – but to continually cry about him getting a bad edit is just ridiculous. He’s been on this show long enough to know that they’re going to use the crazy stuff, and yet he keeps doing it. So, is he crafty for getting everyone talking about him? Or stupid for not realizing that if he doesn’t like it he should change his behavior??
Unfortunately, Karla, the online fans of the pro/celeb can’t win this show for them. You have to have the viewing public behind your team as well or it won’t happen. If it worked the way you say, Evan and Anna would have won last season. There’s still time to turn it around – and frankly Brandy should be in the final – but if it continues on the way it is, it’s not going to happen.
jeanmom, there is something wrong with this season – but I think it had more too do with boo-gate and the Michael Bolton thing than with anything regarding Maks. As for the producers “getting back at him” – maybe they are. Hard to say. But they are his BOSSES and he does have a tendency to forget that he’s an employee of the show. Frankly, I think they are just editing the most exciting packages they can and none of the other couples are giving them the conflict they want. It’s about excitement and drama and ratings. It always has been. No different this season.
I can’t believe that people haven’t realized it before.
That’s true and I do think he knows how important drama is for himself and the show. At the same time, I don’t blame him for complaining and trying to set the record straight about what happened this past week. Anyway, I do hope he drops it now (or it will get old much like when MB started carrying on too much about what to him) and just concentrates on doing a good Rumba.
I actually don’t have a problem with him trying to set the record straight either – it’s when he brings the other couples into it that he should STFU. The other couples have nothing to do with him and Brandy and when he does that, he just seems like a child. If he were an adult he would simply say – that’s not how we are, it’s just a small, biased snippet of me and Brandy’s time together. He could even add “The producers edit us the way they want and I really don’t think it was fair how they did that this week” – but when he starts saying utter bullshit like “Brandy and I actually get along better than most of the other couples on the show” – well, I’m going to call him a horse’s ass every single time.
I have to say though, that complaining every season getting kinda old too – I mean, how smart do you have to be to realize that that’s the way it is?? I’ve always assumed that they were using new pros every once in a while (Damian, Dmitry) to prepare for the eventuality of Derek or Mark moving on to different things (since they seem to have interests outside dancing), but they could just as easily be looking for a replacement for their mouthy pros. Popular actors often get fired from shows when they become too much of a liability. So, either Maks has forgotten that, or part of his job description that he’s fully aware of (and the reason they keep giving him the edits they do) is to really be the bad boy. Which is it??
Oh, Heidi, I can’t agree more with you. You are completely right. (Except the thing about Evan and Anna winning last season… =p he he)
Do you remember Season 5? Helio had a lot of charisma and danced well, but, even being his fan and brazilian, I have to confess, that Mel B danced a little better than him.
Let’s not consider that Mel B terrible freestyle, Maks behavior made me go against her. On an interview to Mario Lopez, in Larry King show, Helio said something like “the dancers are like sportists” and Maks interrupted him “off course. There are championships of dance. It’s called dance sport” – something like this, in a rude way. Helio said “But a lot of people don’t know this”.
I mean, this wasn’t necessary from Maksim, answer Helio this way. This makes me don’t like his behavior since then.
(Hope you understand my bad english… ahahahaha sorry =p )
@Linde I do think the dynamic between the two of them is off, and I also think that’s affecting performance. Maks is one hot dancer, but I’m feeling a wall between him and Brandy on the dance floor. I do think the bum taps were an attempt to get some “hot” talk going but it’s backfired when Len/Carrie Ann started talking about it as abusive.
I mean, let’s face it, last season Derek put a full SPANK into the Prince Cha Cha routine, and nobody said boo.
Which begs the question, why is a choreographed spank okay, it’s sexy and provocative, and not a few insider joke bum taps in rehearsal not okay ??
Well, Andie it was ONE faux spank as part of the routine as opposed to many spanks used as a training tool. Cheryl had Rick smack her ass – and other have done it during routines as well. It’s meant to be PROVOCATIVE. And it is.
Heidi I think a fair representation is online, what you see, comments from people etc. There is a top 4 at the moment, Audrina, Brandy, Jennifer and Rick. I do not agree with you about Maks, he is a favorite and and whether you like him or not, he is known for his honesty. All Maks said was the Judges should not compare this season’s cast to previous season’s cast, big deal.
Carlos, first of all Helio had a advantage of being a race car driver, Mel B was known for dancing in the spice girls, and Helio had Julianne who was a favorite on the show and people still really liked her from the whole Apolo thing. And plus, a bad freestyle from Maks, could not compare.
Well, Karla, if that was all he said, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. He makes those statements ignoring his own ringer past and then makes other statements about the other couples. And I admire his willingness to be honest – now if we could just get him to OWN it all all the repercussions that come with it, we’d be in much better shape.
Maks’ main problem is that he wants to have his cake and eat it too – he wants to be blatantly honest and do things his own way, but them doesn’t want other people to have their OWN honest opinion about him and how he does what he does. You can’t have it both ways, no matter how hard you try. Having an opinion means you have to deal with other people not agreeing with it. He seems to say, “Hey, I’m totally, bluntly honest – that’s my opinion.” Then he can’t handle it when people disagree or have opinions of their own.
While I totally agree with Maks’ perpensity to blame others for his shortcomings, I still think the whole issue of the bum taps in rehearsal was waay overblown to the point of telling 20 million viewers that Maks’ methods were inappropriate, and basically giving him a public scolding so he will stop.
One has to ask the question, how many bum taps were done in rehearsal to get the right slap for the choreographed performances of Cheryl and Derek? They weren’t shown in rehearsal, but we know they had to rehearse that part of the choreography. Fun and games, just as Maks and Brandy’s slaps we have discovered from his blog is all in fun and they’re both in on the joke.
Of course it’s provocative. That’s why this show elected to show the 2 slaps in rehearsal.
Regardless, it’s totally uncool for the producers to deliberately mislead the audience into thinking a pro is also an abuser.
@Andie – I agree that the bum taps were nothing. But how about the slap on the wrists and hands? That’s where Brandy looked uncomfortable. Again, could have been how it was edited, but that part disturbed me, particularly since Maks seems to be a grabby person. I didn’t like his grabbing Brooke’s stomach, and he’s grabbed Audrina’s butt a couple of times too. And what’s with him pinching Tom’s butt all the time? It just seems like he has a problem with personal boundaries.
Carlie…true. But, I always try to remember that Maks comes from a different culture and language. It’s not an excuse for some of his behavior or for the things he says sometimes. But, it helps in understanding him and why he is the way he is.
All I know is DWTS just wouldn’t be the same without this guy whether you love or hate him. …or whether can appreciate the good and bad sides to him. Afterall,…when you think about….which one of us is perfect and haven’t messed up in the things we’ve said or done. I think we’ve all put our foot in our mouth at times. I know I have. For that, I forgive him. Again, it’s still not an excuse for some of the things he’s said and done….and I do think he’s trying and improved as a person as time goes versus what we’ve seen in the past. But, the person he is (along with his dancing) stirs/provokes discussion and thought. I love that.
@Carlie, the ‘grab ass” started with Mel B. She’s the one who did that to Tom every week, and I suppose the Ukranian kept the tradition up. As far as slaps on the hands and what not, Julianne would slap Apolo’s arms to get his shoulders into position so a little corporal stimulation has been done before.