Dancing with the Stars Season 12, Week 4 – Power Rankings
Filling in for Courtney gives me a migraine and makes me want to drink copious…oh, wait, I am drinking copious amounts. 🙂 :::sigh::: The judging does drive me to drink, but I’m not truly capable of copious amounts. Wishful thinking. It’s very hard for me to separate what I understand of the math for my Numbers post from this post.
I get why some were calling it movie night now. 🙂 TWO songs from Harry Potter (one inappropriate for a Paso), one from Romeo and Juliette, one from the Nutcracker and so on. Loved the orchestra and loved most of the music very much even if it might not have been good for a particular dance. Some of you music people help me out here – Harry Potter music is beautiful and mostly very orchestral – but when I think Classical, I think…well, Classical. Beethoven, etc. They had a bit of Carmen and a bit of the William Tell Overture in there, if I am remembering correctly – but Harry Potter?
It was also another wacky night from a scoring perspective, when nearly every dance had feet off the floor but only Romeo gets called for it and when it sure appears that they are targeting Kendra for elimination. Very heavy handed, although I do sort of agree that she is next to go. The inexplicable high scoring for Petra continues and it actually makes me a tad concerned for her longevity on the show. Anyway, on with the show.
1) Hines and Kym – This, for me, was the dance of the night and I hereby declare Hines the winner of Season 12. 🙂 I don’t see anyone other than maybe Ralph catching him – they’ll have a charm off. 🙂 Kym Johnson can choreograph a great Paso, maybe second only to Derek. It was entertaining, it was sharp, it was clean – everything I need. Throw in the Steeler Nation and a good score? Numero Uno. Unfortunately, the judges raved and then cramped up with it came to dealing the appropriate paddles. Undercored by two points, IMO. I’m not quite sure what the judges are thinking. This will be a recurring theme. 🙂 Crack is whack.
2) Ralph and Karina – What a beautifully choreographed and executed dance!! Props to Karina for incorporating the Romeo and Juliette theme so well. Improved from last week, he mostly lost the weird hands. I just love this guy, he’s so charming. I can’t help but think that lots and lots of people love him, mainly because I love him so much. I also tend to freakishly represent the mainstream in these sorts of things, much to my chagrin. 😉 In terms of likely popularity and ability, Hines and Ralph are the guys to beat. But here’s where it gets tricky…
Three-way tie between Kirstie, Chelsea and Chris!! But I did still put them in a chronological order.
3) Chelsea and Mark – I honestly don’t know what to make of this dance. When it started I thought “Oh god, Mark’s gone over the top again and Len is going to crucify him” – and at the very beginning it would have been justified, but they quickly pulled it together and got a lot of V. Waltz content in there. But between the costuming and the Harry Potter Theme…well, I just don’t know what to make of it. I guess my jury is out on them – it kinda felt like a whole lotta Mark and some girl. The V. Waltz content was very well executed, but I must say – if I’m having this much trouble connecting to them, who else is?? I just don’t get the same jazzed feeling from watching them as I do from watching Hines and Ralph and, to a much lesser extent this week, Kirstie.
3) Kirstie and Maks – Are these two cursed or is it just me?? Kirstie is wrong if she thinks she’s the only one to lose a shoe – Lance lost one in the middle of a dance and Derek did most of a…Tango?…with his shoe half off. So it happens, but she covered it reasonably well. But damn, I felt sorry for her. The two of them can’t catch a break recently – but I think that will help them with the voters. I also think there is something to be said for having a partner who is acting charming as hell. Who the heck is this version of Maks and can we keep him?? Because if Derek doesn’t come back, this is the guy who I will be watching the show for! Hilarious and sweet. The two of them together are magic – even if Kirstie’s laryngitis is making her sound like a man. 🙂 Anyway, power rankings are about a whole combination of factors – likely votes, score, likeability etc. – so despite their troubles I put them in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. Heck, because of their troubles I put them there.
3) Chris and Cheryl – Chris Jericho is another one that I just love – there is something about his personality that is just so engaging and charming. I also think this couple is one of the few that got the right score tonight. It was a really good Paso, but it wasn’t as crisp and sharp as it could have been, but very entertaining. I have a feeling he is scoring with the audience as well. Such a cutie.
6) Petra and Dmitry – Overscored yet again. I don’t get it. She’s a lovely, wonderful woman, but that was stiff and a bit wobbly. Not horrible, but not nearly worthy of a 23. Romeo’s dance was better, as was Chris’. I believe her feet also came off the ground at one point but CAI is only calling lifts on Romeo tonight. Petra is a wonderful, charming girl, but I can only think she isn’t getting the votes. I think part of the issue here is her doing better than the judges expected – Len said as much. But doing better than expected shouldn’t put you ahead of better dancers in scores. And interesting that he castigates Romeo for removing his shirt, but Dmitry does this stupid, awkward move of removing Petra’s skirt and no one says a word. That was less fitting to the dance and Romeo’s shirt/jacket!!
7) Romeo and Chelsie – Romeo and Chelsie did a fantastic job on this dance. I agree with Len that Romeo needs a bit of refinement but he has the performance down and he looked good. I wager he spent some time on YouTube watching other Paso Dobles done on the show – I would guess Maks and Derek’s, to be specific. Of course, it could be that they were dancing to Derek and Brooke’s Paso music that put Derek at the front of my brain. 🙂 Or it could be that ending jump which Derek used in his Paso with Jennifer. In any case, I hope he sticks around because I think he has serious potential – the problem is he might be getting lost in the shuffle. Maybe Chelsie needs to start breaking more rules and being crazy, like her buddy Mark. 🙂
8 ) Ray and Anna – Crazy technique, but I have to agree with the judges – what an entertaining sweetheart! A little too much posing for my taste, but they did disguise it with charm. I am also biased because I just adore all the music from The Nutcracker. Reminds me of when I was little and my mom would take me to the ballet every Christmas. In any case, I adore Sugar Ray and I hope and think he dodged a bullet this week, mainly because the judges seem to have targeted Kendra for elimination this week.
9) Kendra and Louis – Boy oh boy – a friend of mine on Twitter (Hi Dona) commented that Kendra looked like she was being tortured while dancing and that was exactly what I was trying to verbalize but couldn’t find a way. Not that she did badly – just that she just had this look and feel to the dance that was painful. Then Carrie Ann also nailed it when she said Kendra is afraid of the elegance and is holding herself back. Exactly. Add in a slight mess up and awkward turns, plus the low score? I dunno. Not good. I think part of the issue is not that she’s a bad dancer – she’s not – but that it’s difficult to watch her being uncomfortable. She’s probably technically better than Ray, but where Ray is charming she’s just awkward. She also needs to stop talking when the judges are talking – that’s just off putting and I doubt I am the only one with that issue. If she makes it through, she really needs to just let go.
What a night once again. I didn’t expect to love Classical night so much! But, the orchestra and the singers were so good. I LOVED THE VIOLINIST and his HAIR!!! I hope they all return again!!
Ok, onto my review and rankings;
1. Chelsea and Mark – Ok, I hate to say it since these two annoy me so much, but, this dance and choreography were phenomenal. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it. It was so perfect. I thought I was watching two long time dancers on Broadway. Will they get my Votes? No. 10
2. .Karina and Ralph – This dance was so beautiful. I loved the lines and Ralph’s hands were perfect. I totally felt the characters. Awesome choreography by Karina! He’s in this thing to win it. 9+
3. Hines and Kym – This was beyond powerful! I continue to be fascinated for how fast Hines is on his feet. After it was over, I played it back for my husband. He had to tell me how Hines moves like that playing football. We both agreed he is a “Steeler” on the dancefloor as much as he is a “Steeler” on the football field. 9+
4. Romeo and Chelsie – I loved them again this week. He was totally into character and intense. I agree with Len. He is like a “colt” ready to be let free when he realizes just how good he could be and keeps working hard. If he and his dancing keep maturing, watch out. 8+
5. Chris and Cheryl – Chris was back and strong this week. He was a little stiff in spots, but, he owned it out there regardless. A very strong dance. 8
6. Maks and Kirstie – This pains me to put them this low. I love them to death. But, even without the shoe flub up, she didn’t seem as into the dance tonight as she has been in the past. I imagine her injuries are playing a part of it. It was still a beautiful and magical dance though and they still get my votes. I love them and their chemistry and I want to see them in the finale. I know they can do it! 7
7. Anna and Sugar – I just loved these two. Like Len, I felt myself smiling through the whole dance. It was entertaining and fun! Anna was so pretty….a beautiful ballerina. 7+
8. Petra and Dmitry – I loved all the passion in this dance, but, Petra seemed to be walking instead of dancing in a lot of it. She needed more strength in her footwork like one of the judges said. It was still good though and I love her. 7
9. Kendra and Louis -Ok, this was bad. Kendra’s nerves got the best of her again and, let’s face it, her attitude just plain STINKS! 5 (I would have given her a 6, but she loses a point for a rotten attitude. I’m starting to feel sorry for Louis now having to put up with her)
Ok, I’m off to read Heidi’s rankings.
I think you put a lot of weight onto the judges scores, Vogue, when there is a lot more to it than that. Chelsea at number 1 when all things are considered?? Boy, I don’t think so. Maybe this will change, but I’m seeing shades of Sabrina here. I think Hines and Ralph are duking it out for numbers 1 and 2.
I have a friend who I text back and forth with every week while we watch the show and she’s a big Kendra fan but even she admitted that her attitude the last few weeks sucks. Hopefully Ray has the votes to outlast her.
p.s. Go Hines!
Dare I wade in? Eep!! What a night!
1. My top couple of the night has to be Chelsea and Mark. I thought their dance was terrific, full of fun, lots of talent and kept me glued to the screen. Did I think Len would like it? Of course not. I did think his critique was a little … um… dare I say, Headmastery? I thought Chelsea and Mark were in for a little detention there!
2. Oh… this is gonna kill me… Ralph and Karina (yeah, yeah, I know… Karina) He improved SOOOO much! The work he did on his hands was great and their routine was really elegant and beautiful I actually agreed with Carrie Ann Hormone – the man feels his character and the dance SO well. Full, full of charm!
3. I’m saying Cheryl and Chris, just because of those fantastic kneely things he did! OMG! The best I’ve ever seen, I think. And he had the attitude and he’s just so darned CUTE! I thought they were great! And I thought they were underscored compared to Romeo and Chelsea and Petra and Dmitry.
4. You know, I have to say Hines and Kym, but I just don’t GET the fuss over him. Puddin’! And vanilla at that. Yeah, his feet work very well, but his upper body – I dunno, maybe I find his arms too short and too big? He always looks clunky above the waist to me. I guess I’m just destined to never get it.
5. Kirstie and Maks. Yeah, yeah, I know, her shoe fell off and she seemed a little disconnected at times – but it’s just a joy to watch her dance. I loved that she didn’t want to do no grandma choreography! The spirit of that woman is incredible and the connection she has with my favorite Russian at times brings tears to my eyes. Seriously! (I know, I’m a wuss.)
6. Romeo and Chelsie. Not that I enjoyed it all that much because he really leaves me cold, but I did see alot of improvement. Less just posing and more dancing, so I have to give him credit for those.
7. Sugar Ray and Anna. Because it was so darned sweet and cute! Ray is trying his best, but seriously, the man is not really a ballroom dancer. He’s charming as hell though and that will carry him a little ways, I think.
8. Petra and Dmitry – Oh, Lord, that was one hot mess! Sloppy and disjointed to my eyes. Petra’s feet were moving to another tune, I think, one that only she could hear. She’s so lovely and I wish she would do better because she IS just that sweet, but this wasn’t the dance that was doing it for me tonight. She’s the judges’ sweetheart though, and benefits in their scores. That dance wasn’t worth the same as Cheryl and Chris’, nor even Romeo and Chelsie’s.
9. Kendra and Louis. I am SO over her. Tonight she reminded me of a petulant teenager. I’m tired of her whining that she’s not a lady. And she only had 4 days??? Didn’t she get the same number of days that everyone else got? I could just feel Louis, standing behind her during the judging, WILLING her to shut the hell up ever time she whined back at the judges. As I said to my friend with whom I was chatting online, this is Louis’ karma for being so preeny about getting her at the beginning of the season. I really don’t know how the heck he puts up with her.
Voguerista it’s like you’re reading my mind. A lot of the things you wrote are the exact same thing I thought when I watched tonight, except I would give Maks & Kirstie a 7+ and Anna & Sugar the 7 🙂 Poor Kirstie…I’m just glad that shoe mishap happened while she was down on the floor. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if that had gone down while she and Maks were actually dancing…would’ve been another “fall seen ’round the world”….yikes!!
And I agree about Kendra…her bad attitude is so off-putting and I’m tired of hearing her excuses. When she complained about having only 4 days to learn the dance, I wanted to tell her to shut the F up…so did all the other couples!! I have zero tolerance for whiners! Go home already!! The less I see/hear of her, the better 🙂
Oooh I had a band geek-gasm tonight, omg!!! (side note: not to be a rude spelling nazi, Heidi, but it’s Juliet, not Juliette) I thought the orchestra was great, but the sound was Linda wonky sometimes, it leaned toward the string heavy side sometimes. Ralph and Karinas dance was beautiful. Great song, the melody lines along with Karinas choreography was amazing, and it was just theatrical enough; like a Renaissance tragedy, I loved it. His dancing is allllmost there. I have to say it though, I’m not as crazy about Hines as I am about Ralph, even if his scores are higher, I’m just not all that into his dancing…nice dance though. Mark is coming off as arrogant to me lately and it’s getting quite annoying, it took away from Chelseas beautiful dancing. Her cackling face was perfect for the Wicked-esque feel of the V. Waltz 🙂 but the hip-hop slides across the floor? I swear, it’s like Mark is trying to be the über choreographer this year since Derek is gone. Kendra LOOKED beautiful today, but oohhh dear…well…bye, K 🙂
Oh, that was the other thing! While I loved the concept of the orchestra and the fullness of the music, I thought that maybe the opera singer (as wonderful as she was) and the fiddler (as HOT as he was. *g*) as well as the crazy lighting took away from the couples. Sometimes it was hard to not be distracted. But I did really enjoy the orchestra!
Haha, hey, we’re two for two! I disagree with you again! 🙂 Chelsea and Mark were creative, energetic, and brought some life to the crappy music of the night! Well deserved first place. Hines and Kym, second is right where they belong. And again I think Petra and Dmitry did a fabulous Paso and deserved even HIGHER SCORES! All of the elements required, energy, agression, leg movements, and again her trademark graceful lines. It was a beautiful dance. The rest of the group you got right.
For me, I summed up the night –
1. Ralph & Karina – I may be a bit biased because I love Ralph and I love the Romeo & Juliet theme – but this really got me. He emoted and moved so well. I loved the choreography and it was just theatrical enough to make it interesting. The crowd seems to love him more than anyone, or that could just be that he really acknowledges the crowd more than anyone – might be his theater days that taught him that 🙂
2. Chelsea & Mark – I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I really liked it. Chelsea did very well and it seemed like difficult choreography. There were a few moments where I was aware of Mark more than Chelsea (I think her spotlight was dimmer), but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. Did not like Mark’s “but she’s 22” comment. I can see why he is doing these things though because with great personalities like Ralph, Kirstie, Hines, and Chris Jericho, it’s gonna be tough to compete!
3. Romeo & Chelsie – I loved this dance! Again,love the music so I’m a bit biased, but I thought that was a really tough piece to choreo to and I thought Chelsie did a fantastic job. It wasn’t perfect, but there were a few moments that I was like, GODDAMN LOVE IT. Oh and Heidi, I think Cheryl & Gilles did that stab thing on the Paso as well – seems to be done at least once a season or so 🙂
4. Hines & Kym – really loved the choreography, and Hines did a very good job. However, I thought there was a bit of disconnect in his upper body and I didn’t like his face for 90% of the dance. Still, it was a really great job. Probably underscored a point or two.
5. Chris & Cheryl – there were moments that I liked it a lot, others where I thought it was a bit quiet (really agreed with Len). Overall though he looked great doing it. Another difficult song.
6. Sugar Ray & Anna – I know I’m putting this too high on the list but that was an awesome job. Loved the Russian Ballerina Anna, and I thought Sugar Ray did a fantastic job with character. There were some icky shoulder parts and he is definitely a step below most of the others but I still loved it.
7. Kirstie & Maks – This is deceptively low, because I did like it! I also thought she did a better job once her shoe came off – how weird is that? It was good, and I love these two together, but she seemed a bit off tonight.
8. Petra & Dmitry – I love this girl, but some of her poses were painful to look at. I am guessing it is in part due to her height and waifish body, but when she was strutting around it looked silly. There were a few moments of beauty, and maybe on a weaker night this would have been higher. I still adore Petra, even if she was overscored. It’s so hard to not root for her – but I’m glad that she’s at least lasted this long. Hopefully she has another week or two in her.
9. Kendra & Louie – no contest, this was my least favorite dance of the night. The other eight could jiggle around a bit, but this is the one most definite placement. She looks so uncomfortable out there – I think her self confidence is absolutely shot. I didn’t like the costumes either. I hope she gets the boot tomorrow, put her out of her misery – although I think that she is a better “dancer” than Sugar Ray and Petra, Kendra is the one I don’t like. I don’t enjoy her packages, her attitude, or their dances.
I have to be honest. I think Chelsea is doing well in the competition but I think the judges overdid it with them. Len says it’s not a traditional waltz but he gives them an 8. What’s with him? I thought he was going to give them a 6 the way he spoke about them. I’m just not feeling their V. Waltz at all. Actually I didn’t enjoy it that much. Maybe it was their costumes that were distracting me and I do feel that Mark is starting to overdo it with his choreography. I know he wants to be modern and creative but I think he’s going too far with the monkey suit for Bristol’s Jive and the clown look just last week for Chelsea’s Jive. I’m really surprised at him, he used to be such an amazing choreographer.
Now that’s out of the way, Hines’ paso doble was AMAZING!!!!!! Now you can see why I was so excited for days when I heard they were doing Bond’s “Explosive” and saw Kym doing it on the Aussie version of DWTS. Heidi, I had to say, “WOW!!” when I read you say that Kym choreograph the best Paso, second to Derek! I was very pleased and happy to see you say that and I’m sure Kym would’ve been glad to see that too because we know what an amazing choreographer Derek is. Never really thought that someone would say that about Kym, being so close to Derek like that. 🙂 I agree, though. I think Derek is the best male Paso Doble choreographer and Kym is the best female Paso Doble choreographer and had two amazing choreography with Joey F and Warren and they both got encores for their Paso Dobles. It’s one of my favorite dances choreographed by her. I expected a great paso doble from her tonight and she didn’t cease to amaze me, she met my expectation! 🙂 The paso doble was more than a 25, the audience were right to boo the judges.
I do not get the overscoring of Petra at all. She did not have the aggression necessary for the Paso, and she looked like she was doing kind of awkward runway walks instead. Oh well – tonight my favorites were Ralph and Chris. I just loved Cheryl’s Paso choreography and Chris has great timing, I think because he’s a musician as well. And he’s beautiful! I also loved Romeo’s dance and was surprised at how good it was since I’d seen nothing of it all week. I love Hines and Kym but I often think his moves aren’t as crisp as they should be – is that just me? Or maybe it’s his body type.
Wow! What a night of dancing! Loved the music, the orchestra and the guests! I pretty much agree with Heidi’s rankings. I loved Ralph and Karina’s dance and execution – so much improvement with the arms too. Hines and Kym are right up there with them. I think Ralph was the better dancer tonight, but damn it, Hines is just so sexy! (and Ralph is not!) I really enjoyed Mark and Chelsie’s dance! It was innovative, current, charming, well executed and still looked like a V. waltz. I agree with whomever said that Mark is getting “full of himself” though. It’s a major turn-off! He could take some modesty lessons from his BFF Derek! I thought Petra was overscored again. I just don’t get her dancing. At times she looked like a stiff doll trying to bend naturally. Yes, “silly” comes to mind. Love Kirstie and Maks’ chemistry. Maks is a new man, I think! But boy, they’ve got to dance a clean dance soon. It’s so disappointing to watch. I’m afraid her age and injuries are going to catch up with her sooner or later, but I’ll enjoy their great chemistry while I can. ( I’m not trying to snark, I’m just being realistic.) I thought Cheryl and Chris were underscored tonight – well, based on everyone else’s scores. You can’t help but love that guy! And then there’s Kendra – the exact opposite of Chris in oh so many ways! I have no idea who will go home tonight. I really think it will come down to the popularity factor. Talk about an evenly matched group! DWTS’ producers, you finally got it right!
Oh, here’s a random thought, but I’ll throw it out there. Did anyone else notice that Brooke looks thicker through the waist than last season? And I don’t mean because of the style of that dress she was wearing. I noticed it last week on the results show I think, when she wore that short black number. Baby # 4 (?) maybe or maybe she’s just taking some advice from Oprah, who told her in so many words last year that she was very very very thin! 🙂
Loved the classical week, the music was really great and the dances really good.
1. Ralph & Karina: oh I’va almost cried at the end, it was so beautiful !
2. Romeo & Chelsie: I still don’t like the boy but I loved that dance, great choreography, great music, beautiful dress and for the first time I had the impression Romeo was actually dancing
3. Chris & Cheryl: I think he did great with a such slow music
4. Hines & Kym, I like it but not as much as I like the others
5. Chelsea & Mark, it was well danced and original but I didn’t feel the magic at all, I definitively don’t connect to them
6.Kirstie & Maks/Petra & Dmitry/Sugar Ray & Anna: Kirstie because it was not as good as usual even without the shoe issue (plus her dress was ugly), Petra because it was sometimes painful to watch and Sugar Ray because it was better than usual and Anna is the perfect little ballerina
9. Kendra & Louis, damn I don’t see any improvement since day 1
Chelsea seems very forgettable, and for me that’s the kiss of death. I bet that Mark is thinking very strategically and going for the crowd-pleasing non-dance routines because he knows that will get people voting, when doing a more traditional number would leave voters forgetting her. Now they’re motivated to dial.
First Maks drops Kirstie, then she steps out of her shoes… and still got good scores. What’s next? What if all the couples do that next time instead of dancing?
My rankings are as follows:
tie for 9th) 9a: Kendra and Louis: She was good but I agree with you when you said she needs to shut up when judges are talking.
9b: Sugar Ray and Anna: Big fan of his but he has got to go soon. He is a real crowd pleaser though and the rehersal footage was hysterical.
7) Romeo and cHELSIE: Nice job. Defiinately has potential that I didn’t see before.
6) Chris and Cheryl: He was good but i agree with him not being as crisp and I kinda though Cheryl was dancing around him too much.
5) Petra: Awesome job. She really impressed me.
4) Kirstie and Maks: She has the worst luck lol. When the shoe came off I was like “Lance Bass has some compnay in the shoe department now”. Otherwise, it was pretty to watch and she did very well in my opinion.
3) Chelsea and Mark: I though they were really good this week even though Mark might have overshadowed her a tad. Still great choreogrpahy and awesome job.
2) Hines: He was great but I was expecting more. Its just my opinin though. It was good though.
1) Ralph and Karina: I LOVED THIS ONE! They were great and Ralph was at his best. This dance deserves an Emmy nomination.
Loving everyone’s thoughts on this so much! <3
Heidi, you are right. I'm not considering all the numbers and likability factor. If that's the case, Chelsea and Mark would be somewhere in the middle or at the bottom.
Meggie, I was wondering the same thing on Brooke too.
For the most part, I loved the dances tonight and the music. The judges wonky scoring, not so much. I’ll just hit my main points.
Hines was probably the best of the night for me, he was underscored by two points. I dislike how the judges praise him so highly, then turn around to give him a lukewarm score. Anyways, he was sharp, crisp, and powerful, worth a 27 for me.
Chelsea and Ralph were pretty much even for me, both deserving at least 26(Chelsea got a score I agree with, Ralph was underscored by at least a point). Ralph’s dance was absolutely beautiful, very classy, and Karina had some great choreography. Chelsea’s dance was very magical, creative, and original for me. She executed the dancing beautifully, especially in hold I think. However, I think Mark’s out of the box choreography is beginning to be way too reptitive, and he’s simply trying too hard to make he and Chelsea different. I can see it’s turning some off, including Len too a degree (even though an 8 isn’t half bad with how he sounded). Mark’s got to be careful, and be more traditional, find common ground between young and fresh and traditional, otherwise, it could end up hindering Chelsea more than helping her. Anyways, Petra impressed me a lot more last week. And I don’t think it was a 23, while I love Petra to death, this just isn’t her type of dance.
Kendra was…eh…I think it might be her time tonight, she’s behind by 3 points, and I don’t think she’s got the fanbase to catch up to Sugar Ray or anyone close to the bottom.
Another hit for TPTB! LOVED this theme night.
I think they really need to work on their camera angles though.
I loved parts of all the dances. So much beautiful choreography! Chris, Hines, Ralph all stood out for me. It didn’t seem as if anyone had too much difficulty with the orchestra and not having a regular beat or lyrics (except Kendra). I was surprised by Romeo, and Ray, and felt sorry for Kirstie,..
I think Chelsea is cute as a button, and I would really like to see her dance without gimmicks or Mark stealing the spotlight. I liked him until last season, but he really annoyed me with Bristol, and he is annoying this season as well. He is front and center every dance and Chelsea is pushed into the background. So over him.
On another note, my husband does not keep up with the show, he’s usually on his laptop while I watch, but last night when Kendra said “I loved that song! I love Katherine Jenkins!”, my husband said “Do you think she thinks thats a Katherine Jenkins song?!” And when they were showing Kirstie’s package and she was talking about her hip, he glanced up and said “Wow. Jennifer Grey’s gained some weight.”
Made me giggle.
As much as I adore Hines&Kym and her Paso with Warren was amazing I thought this one lacked a certain punch that would make it stand out.
Romeo really danced for the first time and parts of it were excellent. It’s just that I’m gonna scream if he mentions “the kids” one more time. Nice choreo by Chelsie, that’s a first one this season I really enjoyed from her.
Ralph&Karina were almost flawless, probably my favorite of the night.
I didn’t enjoy Mark’s choreography this week as much as did with the Jive. I had a feeling that instead of really going for something different he tried to do it both ways this week, both traditional and modern, which for me felt disjointed and put too much attention on him instead of on her.
Kirstie&Maks- shoe or no shoe I didn’t enjoy their dancing. I’m not seeing a significant improvement in her from week 1.
Chris was good, but too stiff at times much like Hines. It’s probably a muscular physique thing.
Petra was comparable to Romeo for me. At times really good but lacked overall consistency in the dance. Overscored again. I would like to see her improve though because I think she can.
Sugar Ray was sweet as sugar and Anna was lovely. Little technique but loads of charm.
Kendra was a bit underscored IMO. She is a good dancer she just needs to immerse herself into the dance and stop with the doubting and the whining. If she gets another chance which I think she will but let’s wait and see.
Ok, I previously have been a big Louis fan but I can’t say that I am anymore. I feel that he is a big part of Kendra’s problems and her attitude. He makes things so hard that she can barely get them down and she definitely doesnt have time to be able to make them look good. That is very frustrating for a student (been there, done that). I understand that he wants to show what she can do, but doing hard stuff that looks sloppy and hurried never looks as good as doing stuff that is a little bit simpler and much cleaner. And this week, her gagging about the classical music certainly did not help. Nor did her whining about having to do another ballroom dance. He-LLO! what did she expect? Its ballroom dancing! Duh! And also, I agree with what alot of you have said about Petra. She seems like a lovely person but good Lord that paso was bad! Bad!! I was totally floored when they raved about it and scored her higher than she deserved. Ridiculous!
Feel free to tell me what’s possibly left for the remainder of the season…a children’s choir ringing the stage holding flashlights? DIY kazoo music by the couples? dancing in giant hamster balls? If they didn’t put something in last night it must not exist. Kendra…ugh. Double ugh. As soon as she said, “Mafia!” I knew it was over. And Mark never met a camera angle he didn’t like. While too much backstory or personality can be a bad thing – is there any “there” there with Chelsea?
Loving reading all your posts guys! Well, for me last night was the epidamy of why we love this show! I thought the orchestra was fantastic along with most all of the dancing. I loved everyone except Kendra and Louis and I have a bone to pick with Chelsea and Mark, His quirky stupid choreography annoys me more and more every week..pretty much the Cha Cha was the only dance so far this season where I havn’t felt like going – fist to face – at some point in their dance and last night lets just say I could of given myself a concussion. 🙂 Im sorry but they danced well but it sho wouldnt a V. Waltz, atleast in my opinion, but im more of a classic guy for the V. Waltz or Slow Waltz for that matter like Niclole and Derek, Petra and Dmitry, Audrina and Tony etc but on with my rankings and im also going to post the score I would’ve given them 🙂
1. Ralph and Karina: 27
2. Hines and Kym: 27
3. Chelsea and Mark: 23 ( maybe )
4. Kirstie and Maks: 22
5. Chris and Cheryl: 24
TIE 5. Petra and Dmitry: 23
7. Romeo and Chelsie: 24
8. Suger Ray and Anna: 21
9. Kendra and Louis: 18
great summary – pretty close to where I would put everyone. I continue to agree about the judges – I just don’t get it sometimes. Total lift police for Romeo, but the supermodel gets by with multiple lifts every week (and I’m not sure why CAI gets so uppity about that. If it is an intentional lift, ie to create drama, points off. But if someone’s foot comes off the ground when being spun around by happenstance, roll with it.)
I agree that Kendra needs to go next. She is just not enjoying this at all and that shows up on the dance floor. I still stand by the position that if Louis wasn’t so darn stubborn to give her really hard choreography and would dumb it down for her so she could just ‘dance’ instead of trying to remember the steps, she might have a chance…..
People who thought Hines was good but not good enough needs to see their performance again. I’m not being biased because I like Kym. A friend who has been teaching ballroom dancing for over 20 years said Hines was the best and both Len and Bruno were wrong about their scores.
WOW, what a great show. Bravo!
Ralpha and Hines are the ones to beat.
Kirstie has been one of my favorites, but last night was so off. Her dancing has not improved since week 1, and I really dont see her making the finals unless she steps it up. She was overscored also.
Mark– I just couldnt get past Marks hat, not connecting with these two at all.
Romeo was great, I couldnt take my eyes off of their paso.
Petra–?? I dont get it. I must be watching something else. She was overscored again.
Chris and Cheryl–Im surprised how much I like him. Hes trying and hes entertaining.
Sugar Ray—I love him. But he may be gone soon.
Kendra—Yikes.
Overall, I enjoyed last night. i liked most of the dances, especially Ralph, Romeo, Chris (despite the ridiculously, insanely difficult music)…
I’m going to pick on Mark, because I think he must have it written into his contract to get BETTER MUSIC THAN EVERYONE ELSE. Am I the only one who notices this? Oh my gosh! I felt to bad for Petra and for Chris Jericho. That was like, impossible music to dance to, and then Mark and Chelsea get Hedwig’s Theme? Totally unfair. ALSO, Viennese waltz is not a hard dance. The turning basics they did are not hard, even in shadow… not hard. It’s a repeated basic, it’s not like the step changes every time. I don’t know if they even reversed and did right-turning waltz either… That would have made it harder. Or if they’d done redowa; of course, I don’t know if ballroom considers that part of its “syllabus.”
Every week I get more and more convinced that Mark is just using this show to fund his music career and garner himself some publicity and angle for a choreography spot on another show. Boooo.
@Jay – DIY kazoo music from the audience. Hahahahaha. And no, Mark never has met a camera angle he didn’t like. (I see a s*x tape in his future, if it’ll sell a few CDs. Pia whats-her-face would probably co-star.) Derek was the same way, though, but somehow I think I like Derek more now. I really think it’s time for Mark to go. I’m soooooo tired of him. But his music career hasn’t taken off, and this show is the way he stays in the limelight.
I don’t know what else they’re going to do. PLEASE don’t let them repeat that awful “rock” night they did last year. Maybe they will do an a capella night, though. That would be awful. No beat. Oh man.
At first while watching last night, I was wishing we had a live comment thread, or live chatting, or whatever…. And then I decided it was NOT such a good idea, because I probably would have said something that I regret this morning.
Instead of ranking, I am just going to give my (edited) comments as I remember them from last night….
PETRA AND DMITRY: I do love Petra, I think she’s the sweetest person ever, but I think I am agreeing with my teenaged daughter, who is BY FAR not a fan of this pair, because EVERY SINGLE WEEK Carrie Ann DOES NOT mention their lifts. Honestly, it’s every week. We sat there and CHEERED when we heard Carrie Ann dock a point for a lift for another couple, and thought that THIS WEEK, she would finally say something, should a lift happen for P/D. And she didn’t. Unfortunately, being so upset about the lack of Lift Docks ruined the whole thing for me.
KENDRA AND LOUIS: Louis has annoyed me in the past, and I haven’t been able to get behind him, as I was in season 3 when he danced with Monique…. This season, Louis isn’t annoying to me, it’s Kendra. She seems whiny and needy, and slightly petulant. On one hand, I do understand where she was coming from, trying to find something she could relate to, in order to embody the dance, but a Mafia Viennese Waltz? Too big a stretch for me.
CHELSEA AND MARK: I fully agreed 1000000% with what Len told Mark. Yes, Mark is a good teacher, and yes, Chelsea is a good dancer, and yes, the 2 of them could do some amazing dancing and choreography….. BUT!!!! He seems to be taking quite a few risks this season. I didn’t like their costuming, when I saw them come out, I figured they were doing the Paso. The V Waltz and that costuming didn’t make sense at all…. Once they began, I understood the whole thing, but I also spent their whole dance wondering what amazing choreography he COULD have given us, embodied the “soul” of the song, AND still have a 100% complete and total Viennese Waltz. He could have done a much better job… And I do think he was overdancing a bit at times, and he doesn’t need to.
HINES AND KYM: I didn’t think he would have problems with finding what he needs to to a great Paso, and I was right! He’s a football player, and he knows what he needs to do on the field… To me, it was an easy stretch from football game-face, to Paso-face. I do like this pair. They’re sweet, and the respect each other, and completely trust the other.
RAY AND ANNA: I immediately thought that Anna looked like the Sugar Plum Fairy when I saw her costume, and I was so glad to see I was right…. And while not technically the best, I did love the joy of the dance….
CHRIS AND CHERYL: People Magazine has an article that says that Cheryl was hurt while dancing last night…. I don’t think this was his best dance, but I did enjoy that he tried. I didn’t notice the similarity to…. someone’s Oscar dress, but I thought that their costumes reminded me of liquid chocolate…..
RALPH AND KARINA: LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!!! this dance! From beginning to the end…. Everything fit, and fit well…. By far, my FAVORITE dance of the night!!!!!!!!!!!!
KIRSTIE AND MAKS: Still love this pair….. Hope she sticks around for a while…. Too bad about her shoe, but it does show her professionalism…
I am missing someone, right?
One other thing, I realize it’s a dancing show so the music must adapt. But…But that was NOT classical music. Meanwhile, every professional in the pit, while glad to have a paying gig, could have gotten up and been featured, I’ll bet. Being “the fastest” violinist is different from being a master. Yeah, being “the fastest” accountant doesn’t mean I want you to do my taxes.
I think Kym is often over looked in terms of choreography, Liz. She has a quality similar to Derek in that she seems to really choreograph to her partner well and still get an entertaining dance out of them. And her Paso’s almost always entertain me as much as Derek’s – part of it is her dancing. She is one of those who I think of when I say that the faces you make when dancing are so important. Nobody does fierce as well as Kym, in my book.
Louis and Mark are having similar problems this season, in my book. Both are going for either very hard or very different choreo in an attempt to get attention. Mark has the advantage because Chelsea is a much better dancer – but I wonder if he’s doing more harm than good with her. I still don’t know what to make of that choreography from last night for example – and I’m not sure that me being ambivelant is what they were going for. In any case, it may pay off, it may not. He’s trying very hard to not be forgotten – question is determining when very hard is TOO hard.
Louis, on the other hand, is going for choreo that intimidates the hell out of Kendra and as a result the dance looks like it is killing her. She’s got this smile pasted on, but you can see the counting and the effort to remember Louis’ teachings going on in her brain, along with her own pre-conceived notions of who she is versus who she feels she has to be for the dance. And it’s seriously messing her up. I put the blame on Louis – you don’t get to decide that you have an extremely talented partner and then choreograph UP to a level you think she should be at. You have to look at who she is and how she performs on stage and tailor it to THAT person. This is what I think Derek, Kym, Cheryl and, to a lesser extent, Maks – and maybe a few others – are really good at. Knowing just how much they can push to get a good, yet entertaining dance. Chelsie did a great job with Romeo last night, as did Karina with Ralph – Karina really choreographed a beautiful dance and paid attention to what Bruno had been complaining about. All that stuff is IMPORTANT, IMO. I am a firm believe in the occassional break of the rules in an attempt to work the game aspect of the show – as long as you suck it up and take the lumps that comes with KNOWING you broke the rules. But, also, doing it over and over again the way Mark seems to be doing?? At what point does the audience say, “What the hell is wrong with him? Why does he keep doing that?” And using age as an excuse may not play well with the DWTS demographic.
Lori, you are missing Romeo and Chelsie. Is that a direct commentary on how you feel about their dance – forgettable??? lol
Shoot me now, but I LIKE Karina this season. I actually LIKE her. I think it’s a testament to my love for Ralph Macchio and all things Karate Kid.
Megan, I have to agree that I like her this season, too, and I think that she is picking up on Ralph’s modest nature. I commented after week one that I didn’t like the way she reacted when she got her scores, but she has certainly toned it down since then. I think she is really happy this year with Ralph.
I have to say watching the dancing on YouTube because I refuse to sit and watch the show this season completely one because I don’t have time and two I do miss Derek. But seeing
Mark the past couple times this season with choreographing seems like he trying to be better than Derek in a way and get a STICK out dance of the season. It is like he is trying to hard to be the best. Love him to death but he is like combining Derek and Lacey together it seems. Cause Lacey usually goes out of the box with trying to please the judges and then trying to male the dance to please people as if it were Derek designing the dance.
Meggie, not purposefully, I assure you. I do like Romeo, he’s turning into someone I really wasn’t expecting, and I do like the slightly shy boy underneath the swagger.
I think it’s just that I am not really as good at remembering as I used to be. I’ve got a lot happening here at my house, my distractions are on Spring Break and not at school….
Lori, I hear you about not remembering as well these days! I couldn’t resist poking fun at you though. Romeo is a nice surprise, although I wish he wouldn’t “huff, puff and preen” quite so much. He probably is a sweet boy underneath.
I think Dmitry’s choreo gets overlooked a lot on this show. I think Dmitry gets overlooked a lot in general, and maybe it’s because he’s always flashing his chest and people get distracted. But how many Emmys has he been nominated for, and the dude can’t win a mirror ball? He needs a decent, likable partner. Maybe that will be Petra, though she’s really not flashy… I really, really adored him on SYTYCD though, and he did a couple of amazing tango choreos on that show, one for Chelsie Hightower, I believe.
Wait, what? Better partners for Dmitry? Whaaaaaa? He had Holly and no one knew what a bust (har har) she’d be (same goes for Kendra, apparently)! Then he had the most ringiest ringa ding ding of them all in Mya – she’s a freaking professional dancer AND teacher. She didn’t win cause she and Dmitry were greatly overshadowed by Kym and Donny’s big personalities – and Mya’s freestyle sucked. With Petra, Dmitry has a model, yes, but probably the nicest person on the show, ever. No he’s not going to win with her, but he is certainly far from a ton of other pros in terms of getting the short hand – look at Jonathan, fer crying out loud!
I think that Kendra was upset because they edited her to look like a whiney, ungrateful person. You could tell that she was upset before she even started dancing, which in turn threw her off. I don’t really care for her much, but I felt sorry for her and the way they portrayed her in rehearsals.
Every week I find myself forgetting about Chelsea and Mark, which I think is the exact opposite of what Mark has been going for with the choreography. I’m not sure what he’s thinking though because Chelsea’s a great dancer, and he’s choreographed plenty of good routines on this show in the past.
I agree about Kym being close to Derek in terms of choreography. She’s been a bit underrated in the past, but I think she’s fantastic. 🙂
Yeah, Jonathan AND Edyta’s husband (Alec?) have gotten kind of screwed. Isn’t that why Edyta left? Alec left and they didn’t feature him as heavily in the pro dances, and she got tired of dancing with other people. The same people have gotten *good* (“talented,” famous, personable) partners year after year.
Edyta left because she wanted to move on with her life – not because Alec was “getting screwed” and she “got tired of dancing with other people”. I’m not sure where that rumor got started…if anything, Alec left because of Edyta, and not the other way around.
As for “the same people” getting all the “good” partners – ugh. So tired of this argument. Everyone has gotten screwed in some way over the course of the show, and everyone has also gotten at least 1 “good” partner – even Jonathan, who seriously lucked out with Marie. Mark got screwed with Shannen & Melissa, and was presumably screwed with Bristol until she became an unexpected fan-favorite. Cheryl got screwed with Tom DeLay and Wayne Newton. Julianne was screwed when she got Adam Carolla. Derek was screwed with Shannon, and was almost screwed with Kim but they ended up being very likeable. Sometimes what some presume to be a “good” partner is just a product of hard work and dedication on the part of the pro and the celeb…and not necessarily any sort of unfair advantage.
Courtney, the show definitely doesn’t randomly assign partners, so it’s not crazy to look at trends in partnering over the years. Why are you so angry all the time? Certain pros have gotten the lion’s share of Olympians or younger, more able-bodied participants (Mark). It does more for DWTS’s ratings to have pros like Mark Ballas or Derek Hough to be with Shawn Johnson or Jennifer Grey, because people LOVE them. Or to keep Lacey Schwimmer (who is, in my opinion, probably the best all-around female dancer on the show, along with Chelsie) with a potential dark horse, because she’s not as well-liked. If you put Lacey with some golden boy, viewers would go, “Oh, well, I don’t like that skanky girl with the crazy hair with Peyton Manning. UGH.”
Dmitry has never been nominated for an Emmy on DWTS and only once for SYTYCD as far as I know. And SYTYCD doesn’t count here – that show has no rules and everyone dancing is a trained dancer; getting nominated is somewhat easier than it is for DWTS where the majority of choreography is done for amatures. As for better partners? This is that revisionist history at work again. Not only did he have one of the biggest ringers ever, he was supposed to have Jewel, was he not? And then she got injured so Holly filled in. So they are not sticking him with crap partners – hell, they’re overscoring the hell out of Petra so he and his fans have no room to complain.
Megan, I have to disagree somewhat. Of course TPTB don’t assign partners randomly, but it’s very easy to scope out their main criteria – how the celeb’s personality will mesh with their pro’s personality (this I think is the most important, but sometimes, BOY, when they screw up, they SCREW UP!) and the celeb’s height in contrast to the pros.
Can you see Lacey, for instance with Sugar Ray? Hello? Neither would get the other, I’m sure. Or Maks with Kendra? Maks would be slitting his wrists. So while, yes, I agree that TPTB would want to keep their big pro draws in the limelight, I don’t think it’s as important as the other two reasons.
See, Kelsey, that’s why I don’t every put Chelsea at the number 1 spot, no matter how well she dances – her dancing doesn’t stick with me and that’s usually a bad sign.
Heh – Courtney, I read the “Derek got screwed with Shannon” and pretty much aspirated Diet Coke. 🙂 He did indeed… 🙂
Megan, honey, I’m not angry – I’m just sick of the argument that “Ugh, so-and-so ALWAYS gets all the GOOD partners! NO FAIR!” No, the show does not “randomly assign partners” – I’m not arguing that. But they also don’t solely assign partners based on popularity. Height, age, personality, and even scheduling all play a part in determining what pro gets what celeb…it’s a combination of factors. Some might say Tony gets stuck with bad partners because he’s “less popular” – I say Tony gets stuck with all of the ladies who are bi-coastal because he too is bicoastal. It’s a matter of coincidence that they all happened to be bad dancers. Oh, and Mark only gets popular partners? I’d hardly call Shannen Doherty popular. Derek? Yeah, a recentely-parolled convict like Lil Kim is sure to be ratings draw. Oh, poor Lacey, she got stuck with an unpopular dud like Lance Bass…and then gets stuck with the uber-boring Kyle Massey. Poor, poor Lacey 🙂 No pro (barring the ones that have only done one or 2 seasons of the show), has ever been screwed EVERY season – Alec won season 1, Jonathan got Marie, Edyta got Jason, and Corky stuck around FAR longer than anticipated thanks to Cloris. Everyone is bound to get at least one good partner sooner or later – just like everyone is bound to get dud every now and then. And while you may argue that Derek & Mark always get the “young, able-bodied” participants – would you have honestly rather seen Corky doing a rumba with Shawn? Go ahead and examine trends in partnering – but don’t do it at the expense of overlooking partnerships that DON’T fit the trend.
Oh god, not this ridiculous argument again. I better get back to work on my post about ringers and partners and paying dues. And Lacey and Chelsie as the best female dancers on the show?? Not in a million years. Not even close.
LOL…”Derek got screwed with Shannon”. That wasn’t even intentional…but ’twas funny indeed 😉 MEOW.
Courtney, did you mean screwed “with” or “by” or both?!?
With…by…all of the above. 🙂 There was a whole lot of sumpthin’ goin’ on there.
I asked my co-worker about the show this morning at work and who she thinks should go home. She is from England and she’s very conservative and tradional. Len is her favorite judge as you might have guessed. She’s sick to death of Mark and Chelsea. She doesn’t like Kendra either. But, she thinks Chelsea and Mark should go home since they keep breaking the ballroom rules every week. Right now her favorites are Hines and Kim and Ralph and Karina.
I need to go visit with my Dad this afternoon and get his thoughts next. lol
Lol Vogue…that’s cute about your coworker and dad 🙂 I usually poll the ladies in my office…the general consensus around the water cooler this morning is that it’s gonna be Kendra. A lot of the ladies just find her…well, bitchy.
And here’s a funny story for Heidi 🙂 My mom has started reading stuff on the site, and now puts so much stock in Heidi’s “by the numbers” post that she argues with me if I try to say something contrary. I could say “I think Sugar Ray will go home this week” and she’ll say “I don’t know, Heidi says that it will be Kendra…”. Cracks me up. 😀
I don’t think Derek “got screwed” with Shannon. I don’t remember what happened but I think it was something he said that people didn’t like so they stopped voting for them and they got eliminated.
I have to agree a little bit that Mark may be trying to self-promote himself more than anything else. He used to be an amazing choreographer then he brought out the monkey suit with Bristol and dressed like a clown in Chelsea’s Jive and now the Harry Potter theme for the V. Waltz. I can’t see Derek doing anything like that. He could’ve just stayed with the costumes he and Bristol had for the “Monkees” theme song because it was TV week. So I think Mark needs to stick with what he already knew and his talent as a teacher, instead of trying to throw in a bunch of different gimmicks and wacky ideas in the choreography. He was winning 2 trophies that way.
I also agree about how the couples are matched up but I think the most important factor was personality. You had Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke. Height wasn’t considered very much. Then you got pros who were a lot younger than their celeb partners so I don’t think age was considered that much either but the producers do the best they can. I also think they look at temperament also. Maks tend to get the aggressive or stubborn partners. Maybe not, I don’t know the word I’m looking for but something sorta like that. Looking at temperament is important too because you need a couple with great chemistry. If there’s no chemistry, people and the judges pick up on that.
I think people underestimate on how well Kym does on DWTS. So many people keep saying she has all the duds and clumsy ones. Warren, Joey F and Donny weren’t duds at all. Jerry Springer was probably not that great but he had the other part of the package that was important… personality. People like that and because of that and the chemistry, he was just one week shy from the semi-finals. Kym did 3 seasons of DWTS in Australia with making the finals twice, made the finals in America 3 times and once, she was a week from the semi-finals. Yes, she had a few partners who weren’t that good like Mark Cuban, Penn Jillette and David Alan Grier but overall, I think she has done well. I can’t say for many other pros that they made the finals that often. I know some of you aren’t feeling Lacey but I think she’s actually good because she made the finals twice out of the 4 seasons she’s been on.
OMG – that’s great!! I love your mom!! That reminds me. I should get moving on that post. The judges are making it far too easy – if it’s not Kendra, I will be surprised. 🙂
You missed the whole point of that conversation about shannon, Liz. We were talking about partners that quite disprove stupid, tired, over use argument of “Derek and Mark always get the good partners”. Shannon was not a “good partner” – in that she wasn’t guaranteed to go far, she wasn’t a judges darling and so on. Same for Lil’ Kim – she was a parolee from prison – that’s a good bit of baggage working against you on that show. For that matter, Joanna Krupa most likely would have been an early exit with any other pro as well. Up until Nicole and Jennifer, Derek was not getting the “great on paper” partners – far from it. He just happens to be good at making lemonade. 🙂 That and he has a lot of fans of his own.
Hehe… Loved the Derek/Shannon (unintentional) play-on-words.
I felt a little let down by Len last night for giving Chelsea & Mark a decent score. I like them fine, but I was so pissed at Mark for doing such a weird Viennese waltz when he’s capable of a beautiful traditional one. I really thought Len would crack down and teach him a lesson. But no.
Although after reading some of your comments, I guess Mark is just trying to stand out. Either that or he’s gone crazy. At least I liked their cha-cha.
Great comments, everyone.
I hope Kendra goes this week. She’s not having a good time, and it brings out her less-than-pleasing qualities. So watching her gives me a cramp.
Petra’s overscored Paso was barely passable. She’s a sentimental favorite with me, but unless Dmitry works a miracle, she can’t go the distance. I still enjoy watching her every week.
Ralph showed the improvement I’ve been waiting for. What a relief! He was getting very “samey” to me — more show dancer than ballroom dancer. I think he made the step over to ballroom with this performance. If he stays on this path, he legitimately deserves a place in the finals.
Even without throwing a shoe, Kirsite was not impressing me last night (and the unflattering costume didn’t help). I realize the last 2 weeks haven’t been anyone’s fault, but she and Maks have to dance clean next week and really show improvement or I can’t support them going to the finals (which would devastate me).
I actually liked Chelsea and Mark’s VWaltz (and Chelsea’s costume). It’ll be very interesting to see if Mark’s strategy (whatever it is) works.
Hines did well, but wasn’t as spectacular as I hoped. He seemed to be “concentrating” harder than normal out there. Hope he doesn’t have anymore outside obligations because I think the day they lost traveling hurt them. That said, Kym is still doing great things with him and he should be solid for the finals.
It seems like the judges are still playing games with their paddles to get the result they want on Tuesday. Once they get past next week (the halfway point, right?) if they’ve played the game well, the herd should be culled. So that’s when they need to stop the games and get down to legitimate scoring.
Seems like I did a lot of complaining, but I actually found “classical” night quite entertaining. When they’re done with him tonight, can I have the “fastest violinist” for dessert? He’s yummy.
LOL Heidi, can’t wait for your numbers post.
Courtney, that is so cute about your Mom and ladies at work! My Dad reads the site too. I told him he could post, but, he’s too shy and says he doesn’t know how (he’s 76). He loves all things on Cheryl Burke the most of course. lol
Don’t know the rules for the pairings, but still interesting. You wonder, would Maks have won with Jennifer Grey, Tony with Nicole and so on. Let’s really mix things up: one season, the pro pairings change at mid-point!!!!