Pure DWTS Season 12, Week 8 – Mark Ballas: “We can smell the finish line”
Mark has updated his blog at USA Today. He’s excited to be in the semi-finals and they “can smell the finish line” (can’t stand this line. Ego much?). He also talks a little on their three dances coming up with one being a “dance challenge” in the second take below. He says he will explain more on that dance Friday. (Heidi’s Note: I was reading too fast and thought it was “we can smell the fish.” Heh.)
We’re in the semi-finals already? Where did the time go?! It’s been a great run thus far for Team Kanenball and Chelsea and I are antsy to get back into the rehearsal studio right away to work on these three new dances for you. The finals are just one week away and we can smell the finish line. This competition is intense, and we’re so grateful to the fans for relentlessly voting for us.
I’m running out of words to tell you just how great Chelsea has been this season. She keeps growing and growing as a dancer and continues to get better every week. We achieved another first for the season, this time getting another season-high score of 29. We did it a few weeks back, and it feels great to be given two 10s this week. When you’re the couple breaking the threshold on the season-high scores, it’s quite an honor that you’re setting the benchmark. All of us are working our tails off and appreciate these little tokens of recognition. I proud of both our performances on Monday night and I am thrilled the instant dance is over!
This week we have three individual dances, the third one being a “dance challenge”. I’ll tell you more about that in my next entry. I?ve been talking with Chelsea for weeks about how our schedule will get crazier and crazier the farther we go in the competition, but she?s ready to meet it head on. With all the extra attention that comes with being in the semifinals, as well as the increasing scrutiny of the judges, we?re in for a long, sweat filled couple of days. Eat, sleep and rehearse. That’s what we’ll be doing.
HEIDI>>>LOLLLLL!!!!!!
Heidi ~ I read the exact same thing xD I read it again and was all confused, and still read ‘fish line’ again. It took me another try to get it right rofl
OMG! could he think any higher of himself? Sorry, can’t stand him!!
“When you’re the couple breaking the threshold on the season-high scores, it’s quite an honor that you’re setting the benchmark”.
He (they) need to be voted off NEXT!
I don’t get why everyone hates Mark. Sure he’s cocky but he’s a damn good dancer/choreographer. When he puts contemperary moves into his routines, it’s annoying but its something different. Also, if Chelsea couldn’t pull it off then I don’t think he would put contemperary moves into their routines. So good for them and I hope they wine.
I don’t hate Mark. I hate his attitude this season.
Usually he’s my favorite choreographer…but this season he’s been trying to outshine Chelsea and make himself the center of attention in ways that don’t reflect well on him or his partner. And that is frustrating. Usually, I’m one of his biggest fans. And that’s probably why his antics are so annoying to me–because I expect better from him.
Very happy that Mark can smell the finish line ’cause he’s too far away from it to see it. :))
Hate? That’s a rather immature view of most people’s thoughts on Mark these days. Most here have said why they aren’t crazy about Mark right now and they have stated it clearly. Just because you don’t like how someone is acting and what they’re doing doesn’t mean you “hate” them. That’s just simplistic.
Look all I’m saying is that there is a lot of people that are hating on mark and yes I’ll admit that he is too cocky this season but honestly he’s the best choreographer on the show this season. Also, I hope that he and chelsea do win because it would keep it in the family. Plus you can’t deny that they are the most consistant couple this season. Chelsea is great at both ballroom and latin. For example with Ralph he’s better at ballroom than he is in latin. All I’m saying is that I hope they do win so their haters can shut up.
@Frances, “keep it in the family?” You mean, like in the “Hough/Ballas Family”?
“Keep it in the family”? What family? The ABC/Disney one?
And Frances, you may think that Mark is the best choreographer this season, but not everyone feels that way. And that’s not a reason to come in here calling us “haters”. I would also disagree with the fact that they’re consistent – Mark goes back & forth for me between good, judge-pleasing routines that showcase Chelsea well to off-the-wall ones that barely look like the dance they’re supposed to and just end up pissing off the judges.
@Liz thats exsactly what I meant. Obviously Derek isn’t on this season, so I think all of the derek fans would vote for mark because their “brothers.”
Frances, I think that’s another rather immature assumption to make – that one has to vote for Mark just because they like Derek and the two are “brothers”. I did not see Mark lifting a finger to support Derek & Nicole this time last year, and his behavior this season has turned me off completely. I like Derek, but there’s no way I’m voting for Mark because of it.
As for “keeping it in the family” and letting only Ballas’ & Houghs win MBT’s – I strongly, strongly disagree. I don’t think that anyone should “deserve” to win just based on their family. I’d love to see a pro who hasn’t won yet – namely Karina or Maks – win this season. I’d even like to see Kym win again. I don’t think Mark deserves a 3rd MBT – especially after the way he’s treated his partner, the judges, and the viewers this season.
THE BALLAS/HOUGH FAMILY.
well the one time they really pissed off the judges was their jive. But they did get a 2005 rock song and they want a tradtional jive? Its like doing a foxtrot to boom boom pow. Doesn’t work…Oh wait that already happened. Other than that the only judge that they keep pissing off is len.
Sorry, Frances, but no. That’s bull. Derek fans should vote for who they like. If it’s Mark and Chelsea, fine. But if not, don’t be harassing people. That whole “vote for Mark because of Derek” is silly and immature – and doubtless only goes ONE way. Doubt very much that Mark fans return the favor and I wouldn’t expect them to.
When did I start harassing people? All I’m saying is that it’s a possiblity.
Not from what I’ve seen, Frances – wishful thinking. Only the young ones. And please read more carefully – I said, “don’t be harassing people” as in, don’t start it if people don’t agree with you.
Frances, I am a huge Mark fan (my fave after Maks). I don’t vote for Derek because I don’t care much for him. But I do try and respect other folks’ appreciation of him. Like… not harshing their squee as we say in fandom circles. I respect his talent but… he’s not on my voting palette. So no, I wouldn’t vote for him in place of Mark and I wouldn’t expect my Derek fan friends to do the reverse.
Exactly right, Courtney – Mark himself hasn’t said a single WORD in support of Derek for well more than a year now. No urging people to vote Nicole and Derek (like Derek did for him last time he stayed longer), no congrats on winning with either Nicole or Jennifer – no tweets to Derek congratulating him on his movie.
I’m not saying it’s required – I’m sure they talk privately. But when Derek DOES support Mark, asking ppl to go out to clubs to see him the silence from Mark on Derek is deafening. Thankfully, Derek seems to have gotten over the obsession he seemed to have with supporting ALL his friends on twitter. It was rather aggravating.
Frances – I actually thought the Boom Boom Pow foxtrot was pretty awesome. Mike’s technique wasn’t great, but Karina salvaged what could have been disastrous and made an entertaining foxtrot that still stayed true to the style of dance (i.e. its content was that of a more traditional foxtrot). And if I remember correctly, Derek & Nicole’s jive to a Rihanna song was still more traditional than Mark & Chelsea’s.
That’s just my opinion, though, and I am certainly not an expert on ballroom dancing so I don’t exactly claim to know what I’m talking about. 😛
@ Roy,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I liked mikes and karinas foxtrot, its just harder to do a traditional foxtrot to boom boom pow or any hip hop song for that matter.
I feel as though I should also point out that Karina & The Situation didn’t choose “Boom Boom Pow” – they were assigned it. So Karina had no choice but to make the best of it. Not to split hairs, but Mark actually chose that Panic! At the Disco song for their jive – so he consciously made the choice to go the non-traditional route. And while there were still a lot of jive steps in that routine, it seemed like he had Chelsea deliberately change the technique to look more “doll-like”. The result was something that wasn’t true jive.
COURTNEY AND PRINCESS HEIDI
Look its just an opinion that I have. I feel that mark and kym are great choreographers. I think it will come down to chelsea and hines in the end. There are 20 million people who watch this show, some people may agree with me and some people may agree with the two of you. It doesnt matter what I think or you think because in the end the votes will determine who will win. If there is going to be any shocker for the rest of the season its going to be hines getting eliminated on tuesday. I don’t want that to happen because hes the best male contestant this season. End of story.
Frances, we’re stating our opinions too. It goes both ways. And I’m not sure why you’re taking my last comment so personally – I was just pointing out the difference between Karina being forced to do an out-of-the-box foxtrot, and Mark choosing to do an out-of-the-box jive.
Out-of-the-box or not, I loved the “Boom Boom Pow” foxtrot and I have to admit that I even rewatched it a few times over.
@Frances – I like Derek but there is no way in h*ll that I would ever vote for Mark. Period.
“Out-of-the-box or not, I loved the “Boom Boom Pow” foxtrot and I have to admit that I even rewatched it a few times over.”
***
Glad I’m not the only one!! I’ve watched it again a couple of times. Loved the choreography. I’m appreciating Karina’s skill as a choreographer more and more, and she’s always been a phenomenal dancer.
Frances- I think you should just worry about your favorite and getting YOUR votes in and quit worrying about what other people are doing and who they’re voting for. I personally think that if chelsea doesn’t get the 15 points she is most likely to go home. But if she doesn’t? It’s no skin off my nose. If she does? Life will go on.
Well today is Friday the day that Mark says he will talk more about the bonus dance. Hopefully today we will have some of the answers to our questions. Fingerscrossed that its not as bad as we think.
Hi Frances – I just wanted to explain why as a massive Derek fan I am not voting for Mark. I think that a lot of people have been defensively dismissing any anti-Mark comments as ‘Mark haters’. I don’t hate Mark at all. Indeed up until 18 months ago, I would have always voted for Mark if Derek were not around – indeed I supported him in Season 6 and 8. I was a massive fan of his choreography in his early seasons. There are two main reasons why this has changed.
I don’t think that bad behaviour should be rewarded. I’m not talking about the decision to use alternative choreography – that’s between him and Chelsea (she should have a say in it!), but his reaction to the judges’ comments which are entirely predictable (especially Len). Give Derek his due he has learned how to listen to the judges and not lose his rag. The only time he didn’t with Shannon in season 6 (which was fueled by hormones) was wrong and I am actually glad he was eliminated the following week. I think he learned a valuable lesson from it and has behaved much better since. I think Mark needs to calm down and genuinely think he perhaps needs a break to recharge – the process is quite draining and he has been full on for a while now. If he wins, he would consider it to be vindication for his behaviour.
The other reason would be the way that Mark has reacted to Derek over the last couple of seasons. He was very condescending about D’s partnership with Nicole, and as Heidi has pointed out, has not publicly been supportive of D’s recent successes. I feel the ‘brotherly’ relationship has become a bit more like sibling rivalry at the moment with D and Julianne getting film roles.
There’s also the fact that I don’t really warm to Chelsea. I expect that I would vote for D no matter who his partner was, but don’t feel any sense that I should do so when I don’t like the couple dynamic.
There is a part of me that would like them to be in the final because Mark does a blooming good freestyle, but they won’t get my votes this week or next. Don’t suppose you are still reading (I do go on sometimes) but I feel better for saying it!
@Lisa W – Very well-said. Indeed there’s a lot of people that are dismissing us as “Mark-haters” here, and many of them are not bothering to pay attention to what our real problem is with him – his behavior. I don’t think anyone here really and truly “hates” Mark; I think a lot of us are just offended and annoyed by his behavior. There’s a big, big difference between disliking someone’s behavior and hating them as a person. Wish some people could make that same distinction like you can!