DWTS Season 12 – Are Modern Twists And Risks Hurting Mark Ballas And Chelsea Kane?
Mark has a new blog up at USA Today. As you will soon read, he thought his and Chelsea’s Paso Doble was perfect. I hate to say it, but, I don’t think we are going to see any changes in his style of dancing (or ego) anytime soon. More below and at the link. He talks of how well his new album is selling too.
I’m very grateful to the fans for supporting and voting for us. I loved our paso doble so much and I think Chelsea absolutely nailed it. As I’ve said previously, we’re in season 12 and fans of the show now have a high Latin and ballroom IQ (if they didn’t already). I think it’s important to be creative in the choreography to keep the fans on their toes. It may not have been as traditional as other pasos, but ours had all the necessary elements and steps. I thought it had a very fun and modern twist!
Because of this philosophy, I don’t always see eye to eye with the judges, especially Len. I’ve known Len, literally, since I was born. He’s family to me, like a grandfather, but we fundamentally differ on this. I guess that’s the difference in our generations, but I assure you, there’s nothing but love there between us! Tonight, Len said that Chelsea was the best dancer in the competition. I appreciate his acknowledgement and certainly agree that she can do it all, from Latin to ballroom, technically to emotionally. In fact, because Len is the most critical judge for technique, it’s a huge compliment for Chelsea. He had the same positivity for Bristol last season with her near-perfect footwork, and we danced all the way to the finals.
In a new Access Hollywood interview the two talk about the elimination last night and the “risks” they are taking on the show. Mark says he would not change a thing and he is proud of Chelsea.
My thoughts are if he could set his ego and overpowering her dances aside, the modern day twists and risks might work. In fact, I like it. But, right now all many fans (including myself) are seeing is EGO and disrespect for the judges and tradition.
Note: They have the Slow Waltz next week and the Salsa in the “Instant Dance”.
Vogue – thanks for the comments. I don’t catch it all, as I’m in Afghanistan and only get to see every other week, or so. That being said, I have seen some of the Mark drama this season, and I wonder if any media have ever asked him “Do you choreograph dances to help your partner win, or dances that reflect your own tastes?”
David, YOU SAID IT! I’d like for the media to ask Mark that too. It seems he’s only out for himself this year.
Keep safe in Afghanistan, you hear?? Thanks for your thoughts too and checking in. I hope you can see the show when you can. (((hugzzz))))
Wow. Mark doesn’t seem to have learned ANYTHING from this week’s drama. Still disagreeing with the judges, still swearing up and down that their paso was perfect, still under the impression that Bristol was better than she really was. And STILL putting his own desires ahead of Chelsea’s progress! That sure didn’t sound like a blog by a person who was willing to play by the rules in order to please the judges. He’ll be defiant to the very end – and that end may come sooner rather than later, if he keeps it up. Sad for Chelsea – if she goes home next week, I’m blaming Mark.
Yes Mark, Chelsea may in fact be the best dancer left in the competition. But by you constantly over dancing her, pushing the judges buttons in ways you know will upset them and just having a really crappy attitude that is turning off a lot of fans – you may just make sure that the best dancer goes home before the finals.
Maybe he figures that Maks had this bad-boy attitude last season and ended up with the star of season 11, if he does the same thing, he’ll get the star of season 12…..
Does he really think Bristol had near-perfect footwork?
Just because they audience has knowledge of what ballroom dancing should look like doesn’t mean we’re bored and want to see crazy out of the box routines. I prefer the other pro’s choreography over Mark’s.
Okay… this whole thing makes me think and do some wondering. Maybe those of you who are more knowledgeable about this stuff can help me clarify stuff in my head.
The judges are supposed to judge the celebrity contestant, right? So, why all the shots at the choreo? There were shots last year to various couples and again this year. Are the judges not supposed to judge how the celeb executes the given routine, as opposed to the routine itself? I understand how at this point in the game, the routines have to have a lot of content, so I have no problem with them scoring a ‘simple’ routine that’s done well lower than a ‘complicated’ routine that’s done well.
I’ve wondered if maybe, after so many seasons, and so many of the pros becoming personalities themselves, with fanbases that vote etc…, does that give the judges the license to give more weight to the actual choreo than they would have before? And if so, is that okay? I really don’t know.
Mark’s routines are filled with the ‘required elements’ and Chelsea executes them very, very well. Even Len will acknowledge it – but there’s SO much yakety-yak about how he dislikes the ‘pushing the envelope’ of the routines that sometimes the quality of Chelsea’s performance gets lost.
And I truly believe, contrary to many, that Mark just wants the best for Chelsea. And I believe that she’s right there with him in wanting to ‘push the envelope’. She’s young, she’s excited, she wants to leave her mark (pardon the unintentional pun) on the competition. And I think she wants to show that she’s got more substance than just being a Disney Kid.
Do I think that Mark and Chelsea should dial it back and opt for a more traditional route? If they want the big scores from Len, yeah. But is that a compromise to what Mark and Chelsea truly want and believe? If so, is that a good thing? Compromising your beliefs to placate Len and some of the masses? I just don’t know. Seriously. I would love to be a fly on the wall for a whole day of their rehearsals, to be honest. To see more than what the packages and interviews allow us to see.
I DO understand why a lot of folks are pissed at Mark this season. I’m not one of them, as y’all probably know. ๐ But the whole situation does have the ability to make me pause and actually think about things a little more deeply. As for that last paso of Mark and Chelsea’s… it was very well done, I thought; but it wasn’t one of my favorites. If I was a judge, I’d have given it a 9.
Colour me a tad confuzzled about the whole thing. ๐
He has the right to get pissed. If that crappy dance from Kirstie and Maks got a 9, Chelsea and Mark dance deserved 11. Maks’ choreo was non existent, but they didnt gang up on him for that. They complimented Kirstie on her ‘acting’ skills (really!?!?) However, they didn’t compliment Chelsea on her dance skills (after dosent count)
If “pushing the envelope” is what Mark & Chelsea want to do, fine. But “pushing the envelope” and then acting shocked & disappointed when you don’t get the scores you want? That’s the problem I think they’re having. Mark knows quite well what Len likes and what Len doesn’t – he’s experienced it firsthand, as well as watching other pros either succeed or fail with Len. What’s the definition of idiocy? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time. If he knows Len doesn’t like “envelope pushing”, then I don’t think he can really get upset if he’s not getting great scores.
And you’re right, Evaine – the judges should be judging the celeb instead of the choreo. However, if they’re not given enough content by which to judge the celeb (or the content is somehow altered from normal dance standards), then I don’t think they have a choice but to judge only what they’ve seen – and it often results in a lower score. The best example I can think of is Chelsea & Mark’s jive – Mark had the content, but he actually had Chelsea alter the technique by which it was executed in order to fit the theme of the dance. It wasn’t correct jive technique anymore – it was a stylized variation of it. So I think the judges had no choice but to dock them, point-wise, since it wasn’t a proper jive. As for their paso – Len may have outwardly blamed Mark’s choreo, but I think their score had more to do with Chelsea not really maintaining the character of the dance than anything else. I watched their paso again and she did have a rather strange expression on her face – and she got the same “thinking” look that Hines has had the past few weeks. We know the judges will often say one thing and do another – this is probably just another instance of that.
Overall, if Mark & Chelsea want to stay “true to themselves”, they have the right to – but I don’t think they can expect to get the scores they think they deserve. If they really want to win, they’ve got to “play the game”.
Btw, Maks reacted the same way last season. I did see an outrage then.
Let me see if I can recall the backstage interchange between Mark and Chelsea that they showed on last night’s show.
Chelsea-Yea! I’m so happy everyone’s is doing good.
Mark-You won’t be happy if you mess up this Paso Doble.
Chelsea-Mark! Can’t you be happy? Can’t you for once see the glass as half full?
Mark-The glass is NEVER half full.
And he wasn’t joking around, he was dead serious. That attitude typifies why I’m really sick of him and I’m not so sure that Chelsea is as crazy about working with him as some might think. We have seen footage in the past of her begging him not to “break the rules” and make the judges mad.
The thing is, Mark, this isn’t supposed to be all about YOU.
There’s a whole lotta point missing going on here. Some of you act like the judges being wacky and inconsistent is a NEW thing that Mark SHOULD be outraged about. Well, where was he LAST season when he was getting great scores he didn’t deserve with Bristol, eh? The shoe was on other other foot then, wasn’t it. This is not a new thing – the judges have been like this for several seasons now (and yes, I am still working on that series about judges it’s just harder with the show on the air) – Mark should be smart enough to know this by now. Which IS the exact same thing I was saying about Maks a season or two ago. Life ain’t fair!! This competition has NEVER been fair. SUCK. IT. UP. Where was Mark when they were severely underscoring Nicole to keep the competition tight?? Oh, that’s right, he was bitching about ringers and throwing Derek under a bus. Yeah, boo fucking hoo, poor Mark. ๐
I realize Mark’s comments are self-serving in a way, but, I agree, the show does need to freshen up, The performances have always had Broadway and Las Vegas style elements in them. Let’s try some new dances each season-otherwise, do a better job of educating the audience on ballroom dancing technique-not through the judges entertainment comments, but in demos. Has the program ever looked at Arthur Murray, then and now. Or do a feature on how the show has spawned more ballroom dancing classes nationwide, not just Cheryl’s or Max’s companies. Maybe, the show should be restricted, but I do think Mark and Derek are heads above the other pros, as good as they are, in total dancing skills. The implication: Shirley and Corky are pretty talented teachers. And show-offs, do show-off.
Evaine I completely agree with you..and yes you are right they should be judged NOT on the choreography but how well the celebs dance to the choreography they are given. I don’t understand why this site continues to gang up on Mark and say that he has an ego. Im sorry but every single one of the male dancers has an ego including DEREK. All Mark said in his blog was that he thought Chelsea nailed it and he has a right to say it considering she is his partner and he only wants the best for her. Also, he has every right to be disappointed in the scores..there isn’t a single pro dancer on the show that hasn’t been disappointed in the scores they have gotten. DWTS only shows us what they want us to see and they like the constant drama.
Last season there was tons of drama with Maks and Carrie Ann and what he did was way worse b/c he literally yelled at her for what she was saying and Mark did nothing except say he was disappointed.
I like the updates this site brings and I believe everyone has a right to their opinion but I don’t believe in the harshness and blatant rudeness y’all have towards it just seems like Mark in particular. He is an amazing dancer and choreographer and pushes his partners to be the best they can be. He pushes the envelope and takes risks because he refuses to settle for less and won’t compromise what he believes in to fit the uptight mold that Len wants everyone to dance within. Im sorry but risks are good and so is change. If no one was willing to change dance would never have come as far as it has and its because of people like Mark that make me love dance so much. He is amazing and so is Chelsea because of him. There is a reason why Mark and Derek and Julianne have won this show multiple times and its because of their ability to take something old and boring and progress it into something new and exciting.
So by your definition, Lauren, Mark going against the grain of the competition and still expecting to get great scores isn’t considered having an ego. Ok, fine…that’s your opinion.
And it’s my opinion that anyone that thinks we’re being “harsh” or “blantantly rude” can go elsewhere. I’m not one to sugarcoat my opinions to suit someone else’s delicate sensibilities…just like Mark isn’t going to change the way he choreographs in order to suit the judges.
Well-said, Lauren. I was thinking what kind of scores Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire would earn on the show. It ain’t strictly ballroom, it ain’t jazz. or tap, or Broadway style, or ballet, it’s all of themโand more. Score them a 5???
Ya see, this argument just DOES NOT make sense to me. You have to judge the choreography because there are steps that are required in every single dance they do. If you don’t include enough of those steps, or if you alter how those steps are executed, then you can’t *execute* the dance properly. That’s the way dancing works. There’s this thing called a syllabus. That’s ALSO why the pros have every right to celebrate their asses off if they win – they had just as much invested in the win as the celebrity did. So, if you get to celebrate, you get to share blame as well. That’s life. And all the pros have been on the show for a while – they KNOW what makes Len happy and what makes him grumpy just as well as they know CAI will yell if their feet come off the floor (until this season). So, from where I sit, if you whine and complain after doing something that Len ALWAYS complains about, then you’re either an idiot or playing dumb for some mysterious reason.
But once again, this conversation and other people’s comments get twisted – the main issue appears to me to be not that Mark and Chelsea are taking risks, but how they (he) responds when those risks are criticized. And you all act like this is new and it’s poor Mark getting all the flack – do you all WATCH this show or is this your first season? Because this happens every season – it’s just that some (Mark and Maks) haven’t figured out this is how the show has always been and have to act up. Now, Maks has seriously had an attitude adjustment and he’s been getting lots of love around here. I imagine if Mark quits acting like a total jerk ALL the time, he will get the same treatment.
And Lauren – feel free to disagree with us all you want, but EVERY time someone starts bitching about other peoples opinions it leads to trouble. Another website out there has a hard and fast rule about not talking about how other people post their opinions and critiquing them, if you do you get ONE warning, then you get banned. I’m seriously tempted to start this rule here.
For those of you clamoring for “change” and “freshness” on the show – I suggest you go watch SYTYCD. A lot of the ballroom done on that show is such a watered-down, mucked-up version of ballroom that it’s often hard to tell what dance they’re trying to do. If they instituted the same sort of freedom on DWTS, they may as well call it “Interpretive Dancing with the Stars”. I don’t want interpretive dancing. I want to see ballroom dancing. Which is exactly what I see in a lot of the demos they already have on the show – whether it’s guest pros or the troupe, I’ve seen plenty of good examples of ballroom dancing on the show. I don’t think it should be too hard for the viewers with less dance knowledge to figure out what’s good and what’s not.
And I feel as though I should also point out that while Mark has got 2 MBT’s under his belt, they were both won during seasons where he did an exceptional job of showcasing his partner’s skills – WITHOUT BREAKING THE RULES. The judges adored him in season 6, and aside from some minor rule-breaking in season 8, they generally really liked his choreography. There weren’t the weekly lectures about rule-breaking – because he wasn’t breaking any rules. Definitely a far cry from what we’ve been seeing of Mark the past 2 seasons especially, when he’s been chastised for his near constant envelope-pushing.
Absolutely. Everyone knows what Len likes, the viewers and the pros, for example, no fussing around just get right too it, no props. But some pros want to b**tch and moan when they get called out for it. Mark knows what Len wants, he is pretty much old school when it comes to dance.
As far as scoring, its okay when the judges are generous when its your partner. But when its not then its boohoo. I agree SUCK IT UP and be a professional. Bristol stank last year and had no personality but I didnt hear Mark complain about her generous scores.
I so agree with Heidi about how Mark was given a free ride last year. I remember it all too well and now he expects the same again. And seriously, Lauren. If only a few people felt the way we do, I could understand your defense. But, fans everywhere are feeling the same about him.
Believe me, I’m a huge fan to modern twists and risks. For example, I love Lady Gaga and Madonna and their theatrical creativity and how they can push buttons. For that, I can relate to what Mark is trying to do. But, he’s failing because he’s trying too hard and being overbearing about it. For Lady Gaga and Madonna, it comes natural to them (much like it does when Derek pulls out the creativity he does in his dances). Mark just needs to seriously cool it and find a happy and natural balance. He needs to work on the likablity factor too or he’s in big trouble.
Voguerista–I think you hit the nail on the head. He’s trying too hard! I love the creative twists he had in past seasons that also catered to his partners’ strengths and didn’t showcase his own skills at the expense of his partner. Mark has always been one of my favs…and Maks always annoyed me to no end.
Now my opinions have flip-flopped and Maks is my new fav. Attitude is everything.
I can’t understand why he’s doing it. really. I loved all dances he did with Shawn.
Of course we know what is ballroom dance. we are watching this for – dunno – 5, 6 years…
but, i can talk by myself, I want see a great dance that still being traditional. as nicole’s jives, as kristi’s paso, gille’s quickstep…
his eye of a tiger paso with sabrina was edgy but still a great paso doble.
He should be more worried with it: be edgy but don’t crossing the line… =/
If Mark continues to go outside the box, which I personally don’t have a problem with, he and Chelsea could be next to go. I like the mix of tradition and new school moves – depending on the music that is given. I would like to see something traditional from Mark at least once.
And I agree with Heidi this competition isn’t fair. The best dancer doesn’t always win. Chelsea is the best dancer left but I don’t see her winning.
Does Mark ever watch the show back I wonder. You would think he would see with his own eyes how over the top he dances. I guess he is so absorbed in his wonderfulness that he is blind to it. He thinks he is all that. His facial expressions let alone are enough to give me nightmares. He dances like he has a firecracker stuck up his behind. I dont think he will ever get it together hes too far gone. It didnt help his ego with all the P** publicity either, that only fueled his fire.
I have to agree Mark is trying to hard…for me it seems that he has trouble blending the traditional steps with the modern ones.
@Courtney yes SYTYCD tends to be watered down ballroom but they also have no rules to follow. Though there has be some amazing ballroom numbers on the show.
Interesting comments and many posters are on target regarding behavior. One test is this: what other opportunities do we see presented to DWTS cast. Julianne. Derek. Cheryl. Maks, Chelsie? I see Tony popping up everywhere, so it doesn’t even matter if he bows out early, he still gets a lot of exposure and income.
Mark has had some traditional dances this year – their chacha, quickstep, and if I recall correctly, their samba was as well. I’ve really liked some of his radical interpretations, but I think in each dance he does one or two moves that I could do without – with the v.waltz there was that crawl across the floor, and last night that jerky motion he made when dragging Chelsea – it didn’t add to the dance at all, but rather detracted. So while I think Chelsea has been very good in all the dances, his routines have been mostly appropriately scored – and for the most part, they’ve all been pretty high scoring anyway. Maybe not tens, but eights and nines. It’s just the comments that the judges make that are really negative. There is a cognitive dissonance going on there, so I can understand any pro being frustrated with it. However, this is nothing new to the show. I think if Mark maybe balanced his routines just a tad more – and didn’t pick Deadmau for ballroom (we GET IT Mark – you like their music) everyone would be a lot happier and Chelsea could get the nines and tens she is capable of getting.
@ten – Oh yes – I agree SYTYCD has had some great ballroom routines. Joshua & Katee’s samba comes to mind as a favorite, as does Benji & Heidi’s mambo. But for some reason, the last few seasons especially have had some pretty iffy ballroom routines…and it’s getting bad enough that some of the judges have actually started to call the choreographers out on it. I remember Tony & Melanie choreographed a samba that was just lift after lift after lift, and very little actual samba; and a lot of the ballroom has just been some cleverly choreographed jazz done to the appropriate tempo. I think the mediocrity of the ballroom is the direct result of Nigel basically giving the choreographers carte blanche with the routines – basically “choreograph a cha-cha!” and then leaving everything else up to them. I can’t blame them for being creative – kinda reminds me of the professors in the dance department back in college, choreographing some very, very post-modern stuff as part of their research. But when it’s someone else that either benefits or suffers from your choreo, I do think there’s a certain responsibility there to give them some appropriate steps – which is exactly what I think Mark needs to keep in mind. If he wants to explore his creative side, maybe he should do a semester as an artist-in-residence at a dance school or something – those folks are encouraged to really exercise their genius.
Really, Mark? Bristol’s footwork was “near perfect”? In what universe, son?
It might just be coincidence, but my theory is that Matk’s near meltdown has something to do with his expectations. He was blessed with a natural ballroom dancer as a partner and sees it as an opportunity to choreograph a paso that will equal or surpass Derek’s 2 Emmy nominated Pasos. When he did not get rave reviews/scores from the judges that he expected, he was very disappointed. it was not about Chelsea as he claims his actions were very selfish. His words do not match his actions.
As to judging just the steps and not the choreo, my opinion is that you can’t have it both ways – it’s a team sport. The team (the couple) is putting out the end product. They either succeed as a team, or fail as a team. If not, then why was Ralph penalized when Karina fell on her tushy? After all, that wasn’t Ralph’s fault. Same with Kirstie when Maks fell – no harm, no foul?
It’s been said many times on this site, but my frustration with Mark is that he doesn’t seem to learn (or care)… it goes something like this:
Len growls and barks when anyone does “edgy” choreo.
Mark does “edgy” choreo.
Len growls and barks.
Mark is surprised and upset.
Uhh…. what? Pardon me? Am I watching DWTS, or Claude Raines in Casablanca?
The other thing that bugs me is Mark out-dancing Chelsea. It takes the focus from her, makes her an accessory instead of the main theme. When he does the extreme (I would say spastic) choreo, she’s just standing there. Oh, maybe she’s tugging on an imaginary rope, or holding her skirt to look like a cape, but just standing there….. Hey, wait a sec! I’ve got an idea! The next time he does the spazzy stuff (like “robot man”), how about Chelsea does the “wanker” gesture??? While looking at Mark? I know I’d throw a couple of extra votes her way! ๐ ๐ ๐
Anyway, I agree with the other posters here – it makes Mark look petty and selfish, and takes away from Chelsea’s opportunity to shine, and I think she’s capable – if Mark will let her. It’s sad to me that for some reason, he won’t.
Like I said, just one opinion…
He’s a douche. Period.
I just dropped in to say hello and thank you all for helping confirm my thoughts about Mark Bales. I also, feel he is topping his dancing thus trying to show off shall we say, that he can thinks he has all the talent. Sorry but I feel like he is trying to out dance everyone because of the disastor with Bristol Palin, who we all know could not dance but looked like a dead log dragged across the dance floor. The clothes she wore hid most of her feet movements.
Bristol Palin should have never been allowed to go on as long as she did. Sorry, its history but a very nasty taste left.
Marks Ego is so big that his dancing falls into his own failure to come across as a dancer.
Maks, also has a ego they are bothing trying to hard be mocho
I hope Mark is the next one to go,
Judges are still doing their little head games, Bruno makes me want to barf. Len he is scores low and Carrie Ann is doing her thing. DWTS has lost the luster.
Thank you all
IMO, Bristol was being “promoted” last year. She was a ratings draw.
(And I don’t mean to knock Bristol or Mark or their dancing with this comment. I actually enjoyed some of Bristol’s performances. I am just describing what I saw.)
This season Mark has a much more capable partner who isn’t being promoted and he is seeing scores that are disappointing to him. Not only isn’t he getting generous scores for just showing up, it almost seems that he is being punished for bringing great choreography and freshness (my opinion) to the show. I can see why he is confused. And pissed.
Well, I don’t mind something fresh and new in choreography because every pro bring something different on the dance floor but I feel that Mark brings something too different, making it hard for me to figure out how it’s a Jive or a Paso Doble. I have to agree with the “jerky movement” in his face when dragging Chelsea around. It was kinda distracting, actually. I think fresh and new is fine as long as it’s not distracting and it was. So I think this is why Len tells him to try and keep the choreography as traditional as possible. Mark was doing fine without overdoing it. Look at Sabrina’s Paso Doble. One of the best Paso Doble I’ve seen and it was very traditional!
As for Mark’s behavior, I have to agree with everyone. I try to be neutral even though I have a favorite pro because everyone have their own favorites but I think Mark overreacted to the scores and Len’s comments. I mean, Mark has been in dancing competitions all his life. He should be able to accept critical criticism by now. Has he ever went backstage to yell at a judge for not giving him some extra points at a competition? He’s also into music and has an album. Suppose a Grammy got handed over to someone else and not him and a lot of people thought Mark was great and he put a lot of work into it? Is he going to go backstage and yell at the people working at the Grammys? I hope not. He needs to learn how to be more professional and just take whatever they give him. He won DWTS twice. He should be happy about that.
I know Chelsea is doing great and is one of the best dancers on the show. 8s and 9s are not bad scores and Mark is upset with Len’s comments and the scores! Sometimes some people aren’t given credits when it’s due and that’s life. Actually, that’s show business. So I thought it was ridiculous for Mark to be upset over 8s and 9s. They’re not bad scores but he acted like Len gave them a 5. There are other competitors on the show and the judges have to be fair to everyone. I don’t know about the hand gesture thing but I didn’t find it offensive. It looked like he was pretending to roll dice, like a good luck thing while on the way to get scores. The only thing that shouldn’t happen is what they didn’t air until the results show where Mark is seen at the table shouting at Len about the score. Sorry but that was completely unprofessional and Mark is one of those who represent the show so that was bad. It makes himself and Chelsea look bad when he acts that way and not accept critical criticism. Yes, the judges can be harsh but it’s week 7. They aren’t going to cut you some slack right now. I think Len had the right to talk to them when he did when he told them repeatedly to stop throwing in a lot of gimmicks and new choreography and Mark isn’t listening to him. Mark doesn’t listen to him and starts yelling at Len over the judges’ table. Not very impressive or professional. It’s not even up to him whether he and Chelsea stays. Len and the other judges partially controls whether they stay with scores so the judges aren’t people you want to mess with. Mark has been a great teacher, dancer and choreographer. Why is he trying to mess that up? I suddenly remembered Maks with Carrie Ann. He got in trouble. I also remembered Derek and Shannon Elizabeth in their confessional right before they got eliminated. The best thing to do? Shut up and listen to the judges.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/05/04/tom-bergeron-mark-ballas-hand-gesture/
FYI, here’s a link to EW where Tom Bergeron talks about Mark’s hand gesture, which Tom says was a “rolling the dice” gesture to Corky, who was in the audience. On the one hand, I’m kind of dubious about this. But if it’s a lie to deflect the critcism of Mark’s gesture, well, it sure is an elaborate, cockamamie coverup story that they’re putting out there…
I don’t have much to add about Mark that hasn’t already been said. Meltdown seems like an accurate description at this point. I think the DWTS pros are always under a lot of pressure, we’ve seen other examples in past seasons of them straining under the weight of it, and Mark seems to be the most egregious example of this. FIngers crossed that he can turn it around so that Chelsea doesn’t have to go down with his sinking ship.
Haha Liz! Love the Grammy analogy. Though Mark probably thinks he can win one!
Haha! I love Tom!
โIf that was a gesture of self-gratification, youโre really bragging about your size, because that was WAY off to the side.โ
I was thinking about this earlier, and part of me really thinks that the producers are encouraging all of this Mark drama because of the lack of drama this season. They keep giving him (or allowing him to choose) songs that would encourage (but not necessarily require) more avant garde choreography. I bet the producers are loving this story line.
Whomever wrote this sums it up:
“There is a reason why Mark and Derek and Julianne have won this show multiple times and its because of their ability to take something old and boring and progress it into something new and exciting.”
I’ve been dancing all my life…doing ballroom for over half of it and I believe that if this TV show can break all the ballroom “rules” regarding music, costuming and scoring then he pros can surely break all the rules regarding choreography. Some of the dances they do on the show aren’t even BALLROOM dances. e.g;, Argentine Tango, Salsa, West Coast Swing.
I also think that the producers LIKE the conflict (otherwise they wouldn’t show it on the show) because it gets the viewers (e.g.; everyone on this board) riled enough to have opinions and comment.
Trust me…..EVERYTHING on this show is choreographed. If they didn’t want it aired they would edit it out.
That said I think Mark is ready to move on…just like Derek and Julianne who are both currently shooting movies. He is clearly more into his music than he is into this show. Although the dance world will have lost 3 FANTASTIC dancers/choreographers. None of them could have surpassed what Corky and Shirley attained in the ballroom world AND growing up they were all trained to do more than dance anyway.
Kudos to them all. And I take this show for exactly what it is…..MADE FOR TV BALLROOM WITH MADE FOR TV RULES. NONE of it would hold up in a real ballroom competition and all you ballroom dancers that have competed know this.
BTW, 2 of the judges are NOT even qualified to judge ballroom dancing and every thing they have learned about it they have probably leaned from watching the performances on this show. I know I don’t value their opinions as ballroom judges….
And Len is all over the place with his remarks. Even Donnie last night didn’t score they way he would score in a real competition.
IT’S ALL MADE FOR TV FOLKS….AND FOR TV WE NEED DRAMA.
I will say this does bring back memories of Corky Ballas being “innovative” on the ballroom floor in “real” ballroom competitions. He took huge risks….then the next year everyone was copying him. H. (Same can be said for Vernon Brock.) It’s true genius….true genius can’t follow all the rules. Therefore the rules change over time. AND true genius’s are often views as cocky and self centered. Frankly, Mark did put allot of Paso content in that dance….that cannot be denied. So you either liked it or you didn’t. I thought it was brilliant.
Well, dancingdog, whether or not the producers have a hand in orchestrating the drama with Mark, he’s a big boy, and can decide whether or not to take the bait and make an ass of himself or rise above and handle the situation gracefully. While the producers may be eating it all up and are thrilled with ratings, it’s Mark who suffers – I’ve seen far more criticism for his actions this week than support for them.
And yes, dancingdog, we’ve acknowledged one MULTIPLE occasions that this show is nowhere near being a real ballroom competition – which is why I have to chuckle a bit at your dismissal of Bruno & Carrie Ann as judges. Since it’s not a real ballroom competition, why is it so important that the judges have to be ballroom experts? ๐ However, that doesn’t mean it is a free-for-all without certain expectations – and Len has made it abundantly clear over the years that he doesn’t care for very out-of-the-box dancing. Once again, I’m going to reiterate: if you know Len doesn’t like edgy choreography, then you really don’t have room to complain if you do it and he doesn’t give you the scores you think you deserve. That is the main issue I have with Mark – he has learned nothing from his own faux pas with judges and the faux pas of others. If Len didn’t like edgy choreo last week, odds are he isn’t going to like it this week. So if Mark’s insistent upon doing it – he better be prepared to be disappointed with his critiques/scores.
And some viewers can clamor all they want for “change” and “fresh choreography” – I doubt the judges aren’t going to change. They haven’t for 12 seasons; I don’t see them all of sudden waking up and saying “You know what? I’d love to see a goth paso doble to Deadmau5 today!” And yes, their scoring is “all over the place” – that isn’t gonna change, either. It’s been all over the place for several seasons now.
As for Julianne, Derek & Mark’s success coming from “their ability to take something old and boring and progress it into something new and exciting”, I feel as though I should point out that in the seasons that they won, they didn’t attempt the same rule-breaking choreo that Mark has tried to get away with this season. They did judge-pleasing, proper routines with just enough modern energy in them to make them crowd pleasing. They weren’t trying to push the limits of choreo like Mark is – in fact, the last time Mark won, the only rule I can remember him really breaking that season was breaking hold during the quickstep.
Dancing dog, like many people commenting on this post you seem to miss the point or the real bone of contention. No one who works on this site thinks this is remotely like a real competion. No one who works here is under any illusion that it is FAIR. Most would absolutely agree that the producers love and foster conflict – and I bet most of our readers know this as well. The ONLY person who seems to be cluelss on the reality of this show is Mark, ironically enough. And, believe it or not we don’t need YOU to tell us about editing etc. You probably need to read this site more before you start educating us on the ins and outs of this show.
The point is that Mark behaves like all these issues are new and he doesn’t understand why Len is picking on him. Of course, they let so much utter shit slide while he was dancing with Bristol that he might be confused. But that just makes him either stupid or blind to what has been going on for several seasons now. Perhaps too much focus on the music?
We are also very aware that DWTS doesn’t follow regular ballroom competition rules and that 2 of the judges aren’t exactly qualified for judging ballroom. What you perhaps fail to realize is that there are *DWTS* judges and DWTS rules and those judges have very clear preferences – and, duh, yes it is all for tv. So, if *I* have this all figured out, and most of the readers on this site have it all figured out – why doesn’t mark?
As for Derek and Julianne…she will never be back, but I think right now Derek expects to be back for one season at least. It’s the smart thing to do, to stay visible until you see how the movie does. But even if the movie doesn’t do well, it won’t likely matter if Derek himself does well in it. No one will be expecting to put the success or failure on him at this point in his career. From the way he and his family have been talking, this movie is just the first of many things. I don’t see mark leaving because he needs dwts to keep visible. For now at least.
May be no one notice what i have been noticed behind mark’s behaviour this season.
Tell urself whats going on its Chelsea.Mark is soooo in love with Chelsea u can see that in his looks his smile his touchs even when he was angry he treat her sooo tender.When len told him they are first for him and ask him what do u mean he was so so angry but when the cameras back to the show he get down and went to Chelsea and hugs her from the back and put his head on her shoulder just to comfort himself this move unless me show What she means to him he was upset from everybody but her. he was angry because of her he knows she deserves high scors. For those who say that Mark care about himself I hope but he is losing himself because of her he seems so protective to her and want to show the best of her abilities to show to the world that she deserve to win and he is holding on the winning this season not for the trophy but he is holding on Chelsea he konws that their relationship will end by the elimenation to her.
I wonder why no one observe this for me is very clear his crush on her from the very begining but his feeling grows day by day.I’ve never seen him act like this with any girl before.
And i’m saying this but because I love Mark and Chelsea I’ll vote against them because I know his feeling to her will grow by each hour pass and she will break his heart for that I hope it will happened earlier its just better for his own. I love Mark since 2007 and I vote for him each year.
But not this year for his own goods. Chelsea is sooo sweet and funny and kind also beautiful from what I see She also has crush on Mark and she seems happy when he holding her she looks so comfortable between his arms.
But she has Stephen and seems happy with him.
She will not let her self go on with her tiny feeling towards Mark he is cute , handsome , funny and smooth talking guy any girl will have crush on him from the first sight.
This is my own opinion and I wonder that there is no one talk about their crush on each other.
@macy – Err…I kinda had a hard time following what you just said, but I disagree with you that Mark is acting this way because of he and Chelsea’s unrequited love for one another. I think it’s more about Mark wanting to exercise his creative powers and still get good scores. I’m also going to strongly disagree that any girl would have a crush on him from first sight – he’s not everyone’s type.
[…] was discussed at length by our readers in the comments section ofย Vogue’s post about whether Mark & Chelsea’s risk-taking was hurting their chances of winning. Many believed it was obscene; others insisted it was benign.ย According to Mark’s mom […]
Nope, not my type. People say the same thing about Maks…but nope. The fact is, people just have different tastes. You gotta accept that.
Oh, and Macy?? You might want to talk to the Sabrina fans, the Joanna Pacitti fans and the Bristol fans about him “never acting like this before” – I think they might have a bone to pick with you. ๐
Have I mentioned that I don’t quite get the need to “ship” people or why people get so invested in it?
There is no need to ask them I’m one of Bristol fan I’m not even fan of Chelsea. I’m just observing Mark.I’m a fan of him since 2007.I record dancing with the star and just rpeat his scenes. He was soo kind with all of them and so close to all of them and treat them very nice but this season not Mark that I knew he just can’t keep his eyes out of her he laughs from his heart when she joking.I’ve seen mark smiling but laughing on that way never.
Just try to see the scene episode 14 the results episode before the talking about them when he say the cup never half his looks to her i don;t know he seems that he is in another world and keep trying to hold her.
When I say that I’m sad. I dont want him to get involved with her at any way but this is the truth because I love him I know him. I voted for him each year but not now I want her to get out and he will forget her.