PureDWTS Maks Chmerkovskiy And Melissa Gilbert “The Dancing Underdogs” (Video)
On he and Melissa’s dances tonight which includes his brother Val, Maks tells Good Morning America, “I think we’re going to be great, I think we’re going to be fun and entertaining.” Maks is so proud of Melissa making it this far on Dancing With The Stars being it’s so physically demanding. Melissa has nothing, but, good things to say about her partner calling “sweet”, “protective”, and “caring”. He also has the “best ….” ehum. lol Note: it’s Melissa’s birthday Tuesday and she hopes she won’t be eliminated. More below in a take from the link. You can watch the interview in a video below courtesy of Good Morning America.
“I’m very proud of her, I really am, especially with us trying to stay entertaining, it’s physically very hard,” he told Rycroft.
Getting the routines down requires a lot of work, and during the vignettes of the pair practicing that air before each performance, Chmerkovskiy has appeared to be a tough taskmaster.
Asked what he was like the rest of the time that the public didn’t see, Gilbert replied: “He’s really sweet and he’s really got a big heart and he’s very protective of me and he’s very caring.”
Chmerkovskiy reminded her he had “an amazing ass,” and she agreed.
Tonight they will face a new challenge: Each of the six remaining couples will be paired with a pro who has already been voted off this season. Gilbert and Chmerkovskiy will dance a samba, and they’ll be joined by his younger brother, Val.
“I think we’re going to be great, I think we’re going to be fun and entertaining,” Chmerkovskiy said.
Gilbert says she’s not ready to go home yet, and sent a message for all the fans who’ve kept her in the competition: “Just keep doing whatever you’re doing, we’re working really hard to earn all of your hard work.”
“It’s my birthday on Tuesday and I don’t want to get eliminated on my birthday,” she said.
UPDATE: Melissa has written a new blog at People. Here is a take from the link on their dances tonight. Be sure to see the link for a funny story for happened to her yesterday.
Our dances this week are a lot of fun. First I have a fox trot with Maks to “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart. Our story for the dance follows the lyrics: nasty cougar takes advantage of sweet, studious young man. There might even be a little kiss in their somewhere.
Our second dance is the samba. There is a twist, though. Each couple got to pick an eliminated pro or troupe member to dance with them. Since Maks and I were at the bottom of the leader board, we got to pick first. Of course we chose Val! So, once again I’m the middle of the Chmerkovskiy sandwich. It doesn’t suck to be me!
Thank you thank you for posting the video i wasnt able to watch it when it aired. Yay Team MGMC!!!
And add my thanks as well….I forgot Maks and Melissa would be on GMA this morning…Melissa doesn’t want to go home..and I don’t want her to, either…I think she’s doing just fine with her dancing…I’m still marveling over that opening lift of their AT last week…not many pros could pull that off, and not many celebs are that fearless. Loved it. Too bad anybody has to go home this week, but there are some I wouldn’t miss as much as others. 🙂
I have really enjoyed watching M and M. I love the sweet and fun side of Maks that Melissa brings out. I know that she isn’t the best dancer, but she has really gotten a bad deal from the judges in scoring and comments. I would like to see her go on in the competition if for no other reasons than to spite the judges and trip up the show’s manipulations. 🙂
You guys are welcome!!! 😉
Sorry Ladies, I love you all. 🙂 But I do feel that it is Melissa’s time to go, her dancing is just not even close to the level of the others. The pairing of Maks and Melissa seems awkward and strained to me.
Melissa (both of them) and Maks need to have hearing checked. The judges have never said that their dances lack “content” … indeed, many of their routines have actually had too much content. What they lack is quality of movement and expression.
Actually Breck, the judges did say that their AT did not have enough content! For most of the other dances that they have done this year, Melissa had done harder choreography than most of the other couples. The judges even admitted once or twice, but definitely Louis Van Amstel has in his blog of the show!
I know she wants to stay, but it really is time to go. She can not dance, not in the same league as the others. Loved her on LIttle House, good actress. Thats it! I think Maks knows.
Melissa’s dancing is not even in the same league as the remaining celebs, and her staying beyond this week would be the same as Bristol staying far too long in Season 11. The very thing so many people complained about.
indeed, Margaret!
In spite of all the manipulations…TPTB would get exactly what they are trying to avoid. Can’t say I would be THAT disappointed by it. 🙂 Especially if we got lucky and Maria and Melissa stuck around at William’s expense.
Amen to that Princess Heidi!
Just because she was given “difficult” choreography, doesn’t mean by any stretch of the imagination that she’s pulled it off…she hasn’t. I really wanted to root for her, but she’s an odd personality and a poor dancer.
Sheery, I agree with you. I think the chore Maks has thrown at her just overloads her, and she has to think too much. It causes them to look like Maks is dragging her up & down the floor, and gives her that “deer in the headlights” look. The best scores they got so far was the week Melissa was injured, and Maks eased up on her a bit. But at this juncture, I don’t think Maks will change his approach… 🙁
Yeah, that “difficult choreo” comment ONLY applies if the dancer in question pulls it off. Melissa hasn’t. The point of the show is NOT difficult choreography, the point is choreographing to showcase your partner – this has to take into account the skill of your partner. It’s easier to choreograph more difficult routines if the partner in question has talent and skill…not so easy if that partner is limited for whatever reason. The question in my mind is – would Melissa be up with Maria IF Maks approached the choreography in the way that Derek does? I’m not saying that Maria has had easier routines – frankly, I don’t look at it that way. This is a TV show, not an actual ballroom competition – the same rules don’t apply. Anyone who does look at it that way has forgotten what this show is, IMO. Or they’re looking for excuses. Whatever. But the routines have to fit the celebrity and they have to be entertaining – what the hell is the point of a difficult routine if you can’t dance it or it’s boring as hell?? This is TV…not Blackpool. Give me a well executed, entertaining dance – screw some arbitrary difficulty level (which is often in the viewers mind anyway). I watch TV to be entertained, period – and I bet most average viewers do as well.
Sally, I agree…that “deer in the headlights” look and her faces is what brings these two down. Notice she doesn’t do that in practice and she looks more natural and into it all.
Couldn’t agree more Miss.
We all have our opinions ( or as Maks would say, opeenions). I don’t find simplified choreography entertaining,…some of you do, and that’s fine. We like different things. Obviously there are some viewers out there that agree with me and like what Maks and Melissa are doing with their dances. If that trend continues tonight, they’ll stay. If not they’ll go home.
So, some of the posters here aren’t going to like what happens tomorrow. Some are. Bottom line, two couples go home. Best of luck to all the couples and trios tonight. They’ve made it this far and that’s something to be proud of. 🙂
PH, Vogue – Yes, I agree. I should have said Maks is giving Melissa routines that are too difficult for her. I didn’t mean to draw any other inferences (for example, more difficult than fill-in-a-name-here). I look at it exactly the same way you do, PH – is the routine entertaining to me? So far with Melissa, my answer is “not really”… 🙁 I don’t think Maks has altered his approach based on Melissa’s ability. And I don’t know why…. seems like it takes the fun out it for her, at least during the performance. 🙁
Well, Auntie, you are kind of assuming that there IS simplified choreo on the show – I actually don’t, so it’s a moot point. I was making a point about choreo – what good is it that it’s difficult if the Celeb can’t pull it off? As much as I like Melissa – she has pulled off few if any of Maks’ dances. She SHOULD be the one going home tomorrow night – by a MILE – but will that happen?? Hard to say. Maks got by on his partner’s fanbase in the past, this season might be more of the same. And really – that’s fine. That’s how the show works. Better than than a stupid dance duel.
But really – if you find a supposedly “difficult” dance that isn’t well executed (not even close) to be entertaining…then it really IS different strokes for different folks. I tend to judge by dance quality and entertainment value.
And it’s a shame, Sally, because I really like Melissa. I think she has the potential to be as good as Maria if Maks would just make the routines right for her. He’s pretty much dragged her around the floor on at least half their dances – and I really don’t understand it, because I would think if you watch it back you would see it’s plain as day.
Heidi, we just agree to disagree, and I hope that’s ok here, as long as it’s done politely. I do have my views on what is simplified and what is more in line with what the particular dance calls for. But they are mine, and I hope that’s ok , too. What matters to me is that I am enjoying watching Maks and Melissa. If tonight is it for them, so be it. Good Luck to all the dancers tonight. 🙂
Jennifer Karins — “Actually”, the judges did not say that their AT was lacking in content (unless you choose to interpret Carrie Ann’s “lift-fest” comment as an attack on content, which I do not). I hold to my original statement, the judges said that this routine (as in the case of their prior routines other than their Viennese Waltz) was lacking in quality. The actual judges’ comments were as follows:
Bruno: “You’re extremely brave to even attempt to navigate the tempos of Mozart… At times, it looked like you were riding the Cyclone at Coney Island… It got messy … It wasn’t clean…”
Carrie Ann: “It was kind of like Cirque du Soleil went terribly wrong. Lifts are ambitious, and there is a matter of quality versus quantity. You went for quantity, and I feel you sacrificed the quality… This week was just like a lift-fest, but they went terribly wrong…”
Len: “There was so much intensity that it did lose a bit of quality… It was full-on, but it just lacked a little bit of dance quality.”
I’ve wondered if because Melissa acted in front of filmed television (LHOP) instead of “live” audiences if that why she has trouble in DWTS performances?