Dancing With The Stars Season 14 Cast Practicing In The Rehearsal Studio (Videos)
Some rehearsal footage of some of the cast members from Dancing With The Stars Season 14 has been released. I can’t embed the links, but, you can see Derek and Maria, Peta and Donald, Tony and Martina, Melissa and Maks, Jaleel and Kym, Roshon and Chelsie, Karina and Gavin, and Val and Sherri at MSN here. They are all looking so good so far. Impressive!! What do you think?
Thanks to PureDWTS reader @Elmari for the heads up on this link!!
Thanks Vogue!
Vogue, you amazingly wonderful being…thank you. I love all of them.
Maria and Derek: Derek is always so positive and encouraging! What a sweetheart.
Kym and Jaleel: “Hines Ward did this???” — Too funny.
Melissa and Maks: “It’s moving and it doesn’t hurt.” LOL
Donald and Peta: I thought I detected some hip action. Very nice, and nice legs too.
Sherri and Val: We now know Val’s super-power; x-ray eyes.
Martina and Tony: “Oh you are so sexy, bloody h*ll!”
Roshon and Chelsie: Roshon has the cutest dimple.
LOL Thanks! I love how you ran through them all. I loved it when Derek said at the end that they were going to fly. I also thought Melissa looked so pretty. I felt a really good connection between her and Maks. His hair is so cute too.
Yes, Vogue, Melissa does look pretty. I thought HER hair was cute too. Love her smile. She seems to be moving relatively well. A bit stiff in the hips, but I think that’s pretty common in these early stages. Maria was also moving her feet pretty nicely but she, too, was a tad tight through the hips.
I think this is going to be a very strong cast because watching all the videos, everyone looked decent from about a minute of footage. But can it translate into good dancing in front of millions of people? Derek said on Good Day LA this morning that he has peeked in on the other couples and feels like this is going to be a highly competitive season.
Elmari, I think Derek’s right. I saw some of those dancers on the promo video and I think everyone will be each other’s biggest competitions. He was funny to Maria when he was showing her how a woman does not walk lol. Suddenly, it reminded me of Mark and Melissa in Season 9 before the season began where we can see a sneak peak of their rehearsal. Mark told Melissa not to do “this” and he started walking around the room like a duck, making Melissa laugh lol. Wish I could see that video again, that was funny.
Everyone looks pretty good! Wish we could’ve seen Jaleel dancing more and less of Kym stretching him. lol
LOL at Jaleel and Kym stretching
that convo was funny. He pick up steps quickly. Melissa and Maria look good and pick up steps well too. Donald movements were a little to feminine. He can move though and hopefully Peta can find a balance for him. Chelsie and that Roshon dude seem like their going to be irritating. He tries way to hard to be cool. Everyone seems like they can dance, it’s going to come down to fan bases and likability factor.
Brit, that’s the impression I got from Roshon & Chelsie, too. I like Chelsie and want her do well this season. Hopefully, he’ll notice the others as they dance (how good they might be) and get serious.
Thoughts…
Of all the contestants, Melissa looks the best to me in her videos – she’s moving well, but also keeping calm & focused. Seems to get along well with Maks.
Jaleel is hilarious and definitely the most charismatic of this season’s cast. Also has great posture.
Peta…could be in trouble. Donald seems like he’s a bit of a goofball and not exactly a natural mover. Fun personality, though.
Martina seems to be trying, but is probably going to have to work a bit harder than some of the more naturally talented dancers. Kinda stiff.
Just as I suspected, Maria seems awkward, and it seems to stem from her being afraid of looking silly…so she ends up looking even sillier.
I think Roshon is quite possibly the least charming Disney kid they’ve had on the show…seems a bit cocky. Then again, I think his whole “rehearsal” with Chelsie was just a quick bit for show – he’s wearing ridiculous sneakers and she’s in platform stilettos. I’m gonna give them the benefit of the doubt & assume that little blurb was staged.
And this is just an observation, but Sherri’s Latin technique seems suspiciously good for someone that’s supposedly only been rehearsing for a week. She’s already “checking” (bumping the knee of the non-weight-bearing leg against the back of her weight-bearing leg) on her cha-cha New Yorkers – from what I remember of my days as a beginner, that was something that I only got taught after I had a good grasp of my cha-cha footwork. Just sayin’…
…but overall, I’m very much looking forward to this season
And Courtney, I think these videos are from the first day (Karina says “day 1″) or so!! Yeah, Sherri’s never done the Cha Cha before. :::rolls eyes:::
As for who’s good and who isn’t – I think there is only relaxed and not relaxed in these videos, not a real indication of who will be good or won’t. Hell, Derek is using his “I’m kinda nervous around this new, gorgeous girl” voice.
Maks is telling Melissa how to wear her shoes. Yep, first day. And Melissa?? I wasn’t that impressed, really. She’s just more comfortable (probably because she’s older and less worried about looking weird). Roshon?? ANNOYING. I think Donald has some moves. Jaleel I’m not so sure about.
ETA: Forgot Gavin. He’s going to have trouble. He might be a good dancer – but who knows. His entire focus is on his concert tour and this is just a PR stunt, I think.
Yeah I agree with both Courtney and Heidi, especially about Donald and Roshon. Roshon seems to act like a kid and Chelsie isn’t doing much to snap him out of it. She’s actually encouraging it. I thought he would be like Romeo but I think Roshon is being a little sillier than him. So from first impression, I’m not too impressed with Roshon but since he is clearly a great dancer, I’ll give him some time to get serious then I might change my mind.
I thought Donald was funny pulling up those legs but at the same time, he was a little unfocused.
I can understand Heidi’s point about Jaleel. We didn’t really see a lot of dancing from him on that video, just mostly stretching and Kym showing him how to do the frame. I think you can tell more how Jaleel would do if you watch the Access Hollywood video just posted.
Regardless, Liz, these first week videos are rarely indicative of anything. I’m tempted to go back and see what people said about Hope in week 1 videos.
If memory serves correct, Hope was one of the stronger people in the first videos of rehearsels and her V. Waltz has good. Problem was it was all down hill from there.
Court, interesting thoughts, ty – it always helps my perspective to have a peek at what a dancer sees
Sherri doing check is pretty suspicious
Unless she’s done ballet or something and very used to it. Gavin can move to my suprise, and Donald and Jaleel are entertaining 
Melissa seems very calm, and Maks is looking serious so that’s good. Martina seems to be enjoying it very much, me like it. Roshon and Chelsie, wth are they doing….ABC doesn’t have other footage? Maria is too hesitant? Definitely the most nervous/afraid one from this bunch.
Can’t wait to see Gladys and Tristan! And Jack and Anna!
Adding, I just want to thank, Vogue for providing us with these links and say how fun this season will be and how difficult eliminations are going to be…I’m judging nothing by these first rehearsels ( Except for Sherri who looked days away from being ready for show night
) but they all seem to be enjoying themselves and a few observations are that Donald has got some moves, a fun attidtude, and good work ethic so, unlike, maybe, some others here, I see him leaving nowhere sooner than week 6 or so, so i’m very excited for Peta who was royaly screwed last season….we all got to pay our doos 
, Maria is a little stiff but I see potential that Derek is very capable of pulling out…and shes still hoooooooooooot, I wish I could of seen more of Jaleel dancing and less of that EXTREMELY ackward stretch 
, Hopefully, Reshon isn’t always hair pull annoying and that was all staged ” Please “, Gavin looks like he’s having fun but hopefully Karina can whip him into shape, and Martina and Tony look to be having so much fun together ” literally, I giggle everytime I see an interview with them and their chemistry in that video was clear. I admit to have biasm but I can’t remember Tony and his partner laughing and smiling and just plain getting each other since Melissa Rycroft. I like that. 
“. On the other hand I noticed Martina seems to be focusing and working hard too, a good balance so I think if they keep it up they’ll suprise; I admit I was most impressed with Melissa Gilbert, Her attitude and her natural ability were automatic turn ons for me; I think she’ll suprise.
YW Zach and thank you. I’m loving everyone’s reviews on the couples so far. I was also noticing how Melissa’s and Maks’ hair styles are the same as when TMZ first leaked them as a pair (her walking into the studio and he arriving at the airport). Like Heidi, I bet it was their first meeting too.
Sherry’s pre-season preparation gets more irksome by the minute—just her foot placement and position of her legs indicates training and IMO it’s recent,shall we say, because I believe last year when she was whining about wanting to be on DWTS she indicated she’s never had time to have lessons. I am just hoping majority finds her as fingernails-on-a-chalkboard irritiating as I do and she is off early.
Also irritating, no complaints about dance experience of a couple of the others but then they aren’t dancing with Derek so I guess it’s no problem.
Well, Mimi, I’m not thrilled with the idea of the Disney kid being a dancer… even Karina called him a dancer. But… *shrug* Why make things unpleasant for any fans he might have?
This season is pretty much a toss-up the way it looks now, and I don’t expect the actual dancing to change things greatly. 
Evaine, with people this season going on shows and saying yes, they are a dancer, or they have been in dance lessons, or have been in dancing productions and why should anyone care ? Or someone who has taken lessons prior to being announced…I just find the silence this season, deafening and hypocritical. Don’t know why that would make things unplesant for anyones fans.
If anyone would like to know what unpleasant feels like try asking any of Derek’s fans who have had to put up with haranging, insults and lies every season about partners with supposed experience.
Mimi… we won’t exchange unpleasant dancer fan experiences, okay?
I have to agree with Mimi – Derek fans have put up with ringer bullshit for years now, warranted or not. Can’t say I’m too worried about how other fans may or may not feel. If it’s true, it’s true. Deal.
Well, one set of fans experience is not earned by anything in reality (and is annoying because it’s based on a false premise). The other set of fans experience result from their favorite pro acting like a tool.
So, I guess I don’t see it as being equivalent in the least. Although I’m sure it’s just as annoying.
“(Sherri’s) already “checking”
I didn’t watch her vid, but do remember doing such (and seeing some others) fairly early in training (with a Soviet instructor, not sure if Val’s fits the mold or not). But curious why she’s Cha-Chaing. Aren’t her first two dances Foxtrot and Jive?
Just read that Tristan and Gladys squeezed in a 2 hour rehearsal on Saturday and that Gavin & Karina got a 90 minute re-scheduled rehearsal done in between his shows….hmmm? Sigh…..
Wynn, another forum said she had cha cha. I can see her doing a decent jive as much as Wendy, Bristol, and Kirstie…SMH.
I, too, remember something definitive indicating that Sherri was doing fox trot first.
Based on interviews and posts I’ve seen here, this is what I think I know thus far:
FOXTROT – Martina, Jack, Sherri, Jaleel
CHA CHA – Donald, Roshon, William