DWTS Season 15, Week 1 – Power Rankings
Eeee gad, I had forgotten how long it takes to offer up commentary on 13 couples as opposed to 11 or even 12 😛 Anywho! Hope you guys are still up to chat about the show (and the site has not crashed…again), because we’ve got a lot to talk about. Overall, I’m left with one big concern after watching tonight’s show: is the high level of competition pushing everyone just a bit too hard to stand out? Because there seemed to be an awful lot of over-dancing going on tonight, and the pros seemed to stuff as much choreography as they could into their routines. The cha-cha’s seemed to fare much better with the judges than the foxtrots, but I actually think the foxtrots were more technically sound on the whole. *shrug* Such is life with this show, where, to quote Kanye, sh*t is often pretty “cray”. 😯 Let’s get right into it, shall we?
1.) Emmitt & Cheryl – Is anyone else having flashbacks to last season, when William & Cheryl could do absolutely no wrong in the judges eyes, no matter how badly they danced? 😯 Don’t get me wrong, I love Emmitt – probably one of the most lovable contestants ever to do the show, along with Warren Sapp & Donald Driver. But REALLY, Len??? Best dance of the night?! I’m calling bullsh*t, because while Emmitt was very fun to watch and definitely got into the groove of it and didn’t miss any steps or get off-time, I daresay many other contestants had far more content and a higher level of difficulty…and they, too, were fun to watch. And yet again, I saw Cheryl doing an awful lot moving around a stationary Emmitt – not as bad as a regular season, but still there. *sigh* I thought it was odd that they got the pimp spot, and now after the gushing & overscoring (one of a few incidents of suspicious scoring tonight), my only theory is that they might want to keep Emmitt around in order to stand a hope & a prayer of competing with Monday Night Football, which consistently tops the ratings. I highly doubt they’ll succeed, but they will likely die trying – and we’ll probably lose some stronger dancers as a result 🙁 I like Emmitt, and I liked this dance – but I already smell a rat.
2.) Gilles & Peta – A very well-danced, well-choreographed foxtrot – definitely the best of the night, and very pretty to watch. But was it REALLY a full 2 points better than the next highest-scoring foxtrot? Or either of the other foxtrots done by male contestants? I really don’t think so – I think Gilles may have benefitted from a more classic song and just a generally more calm demeanor, but I don’t really think he was leaps and bounds better than Shawn or even Drew’s foxtrots, and and I actually think Shawn’s had a far higher level of difficulty. I’m also just feeling kinda lukewarm about Gilles at this point – some of the laid-back charm that made him so appealing in season 8 seems to have been replaced with this brooding intensity and extreme desire to win…which is actually off-putting. No doubt Gilles is a great dancer and a great showman – but as of right now, I’m on the fence about whether or not he’s the full package of skill, charm, and entertainment worth of the MBT this time around. However, I do think he may have a bit of a leg up in that he’s part of the ABC family – and thus the TPTB likely have a vested interest in keeping him around for awhile and drumming up publicity for his new project. I anticipate we’ll see him around for awhile – even if his dancing isn’t quite up-to-snuff and he doesn’t loosen up.
3.) Apolo & Karina – I actually think these two came the closest to being the “full package” tonight – they were fun to watch, had great chemistry, and a good amount of skill in their routine. And I do think Apolo has the right attitude about this season: he wants to work hard and do well, but he’s there to have fun, too. Yes, there were a few stumbles – mainly due to “overdancing”, which is a problem just about everyone (with the exception of Pam, Bristol, & maybe Kirstie) had tonight. Folks, when you push too hard and throw too much stuff into a routine to try and get noticed, it likely will backfire – and it seemed like with the costumes, lights, pulsating music and over-the-top dancing, there was just a tad too much going on in their cha-cha tonight. I think they may have fared better with a little more subtlely to their choreography – but there really isn’t anything subtle about LMFAO or “Party Rock Anthem”, so I can’t really blame them for going that route. I actually think Apolo’s Latin technique has improved since his original season, and he’s good and knowing where to place his weight in order to create Latin hip action. Still a bit stiff in the hips, but I’m counting on Karina to help loosen them up this season – just like I’m counting on Apolo’s Olympic fanbase to carry him through to the finale. I still think Apolo’s gonna walk away with the MBT this season, when all’s said & done…
4.) Shawn & Derek – One thing’s for sure: Shawn is definitely NOT the timid, well-mannered girl next door I remember from season 8! I actually found myself far more impressed by her dancing this time around – she seemed to let go of the constant desire for perfection in her movement that I seemed to see in season 8, and actually managed to let loose and really work on her performance quality a lot more. This dance was punchy, energetic, and Shawn didn’t miss a bit – which is impressive, considering how much content this foxtrot had…almost too much content. I’ve gotta say – I think of all the foxtrots tonight, Shawn & Derek were the most screwed right off the bat just because of their song. It was this season’s “Easy Lover” – a song with a foxtrot rhythm so buried underneath a heavy drumline, vocals, and melody, that it forces the dancers to move at hyperspeed just to look like they’re actually keeping up. Can you really blame them for having so much movement in their routine when the song is here, there, and everywhere – all at once? None of the other foxtrots tonight had songs that were nearly as difficult – which leads me to wonder if they were trying to either a) handicap Shawn a bit due to her Olympic fanbase, b) challenge Derek to create another incarnation of his 50’s paso doble/Psycho tango/”Material Girl” rumba, or c) all of the above. Regardless of their motives as far as Shawn & Derek are concerned, I still think we’ll see these two in the finale – as long as wacky decisions like this made by TPTB don’t somehow ruin them 🙁
5.) Kirstie & Maks – I was pretty unimpressed by this foxtrot – I’ll get that off my chest right off the bat. Yes, they did get a bit of a crummy song FOR A FOXTROT (note me qualifying in caps, for all the Adele fans out there who are only selectively literate and likely inclined to attack me for *gasp!* disliking Adele), and that likely hindered them a bit – but I actually feel like Maks held back a bit with the choreo, and Kirstie felt a little heavy on her feet to me, compared to how I remembered her from season 12. I think Kirstie probably could have handled a few more bells & whistles, because this felt a bit bland…seemed like a lot of foxtrot basic steps with a turn here & there. But for what they lacked in choreography, they more than made up for in chemistry – these two are still a hoot to watch a year and a half later 😛 And leave it to Kirstie to put the patented Bergeron ass pinch to shame by laying a long, hard kiss smack dab on The Berg’s pie hole. Talk about stealing the show 😛 Anywho, even if these two aren’t the judges’ darlings this season (and I don’t really think they were most of the time in season 12, either), I do think they have some longevity, between their collective fanbases and just how freakin’ fun they are to watch 😛
6.) Sabrina & Louis – Kids, remember my main complaint in The Great “Previous Dance Experience” Debate: Sabrina Bryan Edition? Anyone? Well, reader Melissa remembered that I pretty clearly stated that Sabrina danced wayyy too aggressively, and that everything she did seemed so hard-hitting. And wouldn’t you know – the judges main complaint tonight was the exact same thing! Not much has changed in the 5 years since Sabrina originally did the show – she is still hitting every line so hard that’s almost unpleasant to watch, and she even seems to throw herself off-balance in trying so hard to punctuate every single step. Yes, she’s a good dancer – but a great one? I don’t believe it yet, because to be a great one, she’d have to soften up her lines and incorporate more light & shade into her dancing: periods of punctuated movement juxtaposed with softer, more fluid movement in order to enhance the impact of both. Right now, Sabrina is just “LIGHT!!! LIGHT!!! BRIGHTER LIGHT!!! EVEN BRIGHTER LIGHT!!!”, and I kinda had a feeling this would be something even Louis would struggle with: dimming Sabrina’s “light” in order to show her versatility. I know Louis is probably out to prove something, and if he’s anything like he was in season 12, when he thought Kendra was the sh*t, he’s going to dive head-on into his bag of tricks and pull out every single flashy, impressive move he can in order to say “Look at me!!! Look at me!!! I AM AN AWESOME DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER!!!” And this cha-cha was unfortunately a prime example of both Sabrina AND Louis enabling each other’s choreographic problems – impressive choreography, yes, but I think I would have appreciated it more if every step wasn’t punching me in the face. Can they soften things up? We’ll see – I still think they’ve got a few weeks in them, just due to scores.
7.) Kelly & Val – Kelly was the revelation of the evening for me…contrary to my initial worries, she ROCKED this cha-cha, and seriously made me wonder what she had been up in the past 7 years that created such a vast improvement in her dancing. I don’t know if it was anything she did (except maybe breaking up with her deadbeat boyfriend of 18 years), but I daresay the chemistry (and that should be spelled in all caps – CHEMISTRY) she has forged with Val has taken her from Bambi on ice to contender in no time flat. Now I’m by no means one of those “crazy fangirl shippers” that I roll my eyes at on Twitter when they’re trying to fabricate romances between Hines & Kym/Bristol & Mark/Kirstie & Maks/etc., but with the amount of sexual tension I was sensing between these two? Get thee to a hotel…forthwith, my dears. 😉 I thought Val was the calm, pragmatic, unflappable Chmerkovskiy – but the way I saw him all twitterpated in the celebraquarium when Kelly’s hair brushed his face? Or when he was spellbound by her tatas in rehearsal? Val has become one smitten kitten, I daresay – and I actually don’t see anything wrong with that, especially since it seems to be working well for their dancing. I’ve never seen Kelly so confident, sexy, and fun-loving out on the floor – and I am excited to see more 😀
8.) Joey & Kym – I’m actually a little bit puzzled as to why they picked these two to kick off the show, as I thought Apolo & Karina’s cha-cha was far more impactful – but these two were fun nonetheless, and I can see that doing the Vegas show has paid off for Joey. Very high-energy & fun – but, like many other celebs tonight, a little too hard-hitting. Joey got a bit of excited puppy syndrome and may have proverbially peed on the floor, as he seemed to get a bit ahead of Kym at a few points and hit a few lines just a bit too enthusiastically. It was a fun, well-executed routine – but as I predicted, Joey will probably have to work on refining & tidying up his movement, and becoming a bit lighter on his feet…because this felt a little messy. He’s got showmanship for days, don’t get me wrong – but he seems to lack the refinement and laid-back charm that Apolo & Emmitt had in their cha-chas that likely got them better scores. I still think Joey’s a contender, no doubt – but he’s gonna have to buckle down (and calm down) if he want to go toe-to-toe with Emmitt, Apolo, & Gilles.
9.) Bristol & Mark – Bristol actually surprised me a bit tonight – she seemed quite a bit more relaxed and confident than her initial cha-cha 2 years ago, and I daresay this cha-cha was an improvement for her. At first I think I rolled my eyes a bit at how many of their “old standby” moves from season 11 Mark threw in – a lot of shimmying, hip twists, and hair flipping. Then I realized it was probably a smart move on his part, in order to make Bristol feel more comfortable and familiar with the dance. She’s still a pretty tentative mover, and likely not even in the same league as some of the other female contestants in terms of skill – but I do think that she’s better than before, and I do see potential for improvement. For tonight, I was just glad to see her scored properly – no cushy 8’s or sympathy 9’s to make her feel better. As cruel as it sounds, I think the judges created some pretty unrealistic expectations on Bristol’s part in season 11 by giving her such generous scores – by the end of the competition, she seemed to assume that she just deserved them outright, even if her dancing was clearly not up to snuff with the other competitors. By starting out scoring realistically, I think they’ll nudge her to improve each week…the question is, can we rely on them to score her realistically week after week?
10.) Drew & Anna – It really pains me to put these two here, because I really had high hopes for them going into this season. But Drew just seemed so damn tense out on the floor, and I think Anna may be pushing him a bit too hard in rehearsals – and it’s creating an uneasy dynamic between them that seems to spill out onto the dance floor. There were parts of this foxtot that were really good – mainly the parts that stayed in hold, in which I thought Drew had gorgeous posture and some clean, gliding feet. Then there were parts that just kinda made me cringe – like those silly jumps Anna was having him do that he was just fumbling pitifully with (he should have asked Helio the jumping bean to give him some pointers ;-)). I don’t know if it was just nerves from opening night, or just shaken confidence in being in such a competitive season – but I just felt bad for Drew tonight, because he just struck me as being petrified. I’m really hoping these two can learn to relax & have fun, because I do see a lot of potential in Drew – potential that could definitely be harnassed again.
11.) Melissa & Tony – I generally liked their foxtrot and I’m just in awe of Melissa’s ridiculously fit physique after having a baby, as well those crazy long, flexible legs of hers. But I’m getting a bad gut feeling that these two may have gotten a little lost in the shuffle tonight – a moderate-to-good dance that may have been lowballed a bit in the scores, wedged between a pretty memorable, good dance (Apolo & Karina) and an astonishing train wreck (Pam & Tristan). I loved the beginning part with Melissa showing off her mad stretching skills, and the more Broadway-y parts she & Tony did side by side. But when they got in hold, I was actually a little taken aback by Melissa’s posture; something about it just seemed…wonky. And just as I did in season 8, I once again found myself a bit annoyed by Melissa’s spaghetti arms – just a bit too soft for some of the moves she was trying to hit hard. Generally, I liked it – but is it the first dance that pops into my head when I think about tonight? Definitely not – maybe not even the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th. And that’s what has me worried. I think she’ll be safe this week due to Pam’s trainwreckittude, but I would not be surprised if she was a “shock” elimination within the next few weeks.
12.) Helio & Chelsie – I like Helio, I really do – maybe it’s the Indycar fan in me, but I just find him to be so damn lovable. But tonight? He was easily the weakest of the male contestants, and was maybe only slightly better than Kirstie in terms of content & execution of his dance. I did see some posture & footwork issues, and I think he may have gotten a bit lost at a few points because I caught him looking a bit sheepish just kind of standing there awkwardly. He also seems to want to stick his little Brazilian tushy out behind him when he’s dancing – which is unfortunately no bueno. On the other hand, he was grinning like a kid in a candy store the whole time, and is actually pretty good at those kooky jumps Anna was having Drew try to do (Helio, help a brother out and give Drew some hopping lessons ;-)). So it actually ended up being kind of a fun dance to watch, in a similar vein to Gavin’s wacky boat samba last season. But I find myself kind of forgetting about these two – and I’m not sure Helio & Chelsie have the same endearing chemistry that Helio & Julianne had. Are they safe this week? Probably – I hope. But I’m skeptical about the next few…
13.) Pam & Tristan – Ohhhhh my. I really wish I had something else to say other than “WTF was this???” I daresay this aimless, bizarre cha-cha was a prime example of how lack of practice time makes you stick out like a sore thumb – and both Pam & Tristan looked like they had just rolled out of bed with a hangover and were just shuffling through it (did I miss something? Was that intentional?) Even Tristan, who’s usually pretty energetic (and with women far older than Pam, no less!) seemed kinda apathetic about the whole thing. Yeah, they were kinda screwed by their song, too, but that was the least of their problems. Honestly, I will be very, very shocked if they’re able to stick around after that hot mess. Love both of them – but that was just bad to the bone 😯
So who do you guys think is going home tomorrow? And who are your favorites so far? 🙂
Court, I love these and good job!! Wow, what a night and the competition was beyond fierce!! Ok, here are my rankings from 1st to last:
1st: Emmitt and Cheryl: I’m not a Cheryl fan, but, I loved Emmitt. He made me forget he was dancing wtih her. He’s so fun to watch. What a full on, energetic, flawless performance. 28.0
2nd: Peta and Gilles: These two were so passionate, romantic, and full of charm. I loved their lines and technique. Just beautiful! 27.5
3rd: Val and Kelly: Every season someone comes out of the gate and ends up surprising me and this was these two tonight. Wow, I LOVED THEM!!! They oozed natural sex appeal and passion. It was like she had been doing the cha cha all of her life. If she keeps letting loose and listens to everything Val says, watch out. They could find themselves in the finals. Go Kelly and Val!! Muah! 27.0
4th: Apolo and Karina -I loved these two so much too!! I loved their chemistry and artistry. Great choreography by Karina. Excellent. 27.0
5th: Derek and Shawn – Wow, they FLY and HOP!!! So fun and creative. I really look forward to everything these two will come up with this season. I loved them. Just excellent! 25.0
6th: Sabrina and Louis My only two complaints with these two is that they it seemed Louis was dancing enough in the beginning. Secondly, I agree with the judges that she over danced it. Even still, they came our strong. 23
7th: Melissa and Tony -Another surprise of the night. They both really tried to give it their all. I was expecting her to be nervous, but, she came out like a force. Beautiful lines and extensions! 23
8th Joey and Kym -Wow, these two were perfect to start the show. They were fun and full of power. I loved the jump over Kym in the beginning. 22.5
9th Drew and Anna – Such grace, elegance, and charm. It’s like Drew has never left the dance floor. I think his biggest handicap right now is nerves. He just really needs to let loose. 22.5
10th Kirstie and Maks I loved them and the choreograph was superb. I loved Kirstie’s lines. I loved when Maks dragged her. Beautiful and her dress was pretty too. 21
11th: Helio and Chelsie His feet and leg movements were a little messy. Other than that, what a charmer and I loved his big smile and carriage. 22
12th Pam and Tristan This was a weak dance and it needed some polish, but, we all know Pam can do better. She just needs longer rehearsals and to loosen up. She has such beautiful lines. And wow, she and Tristan were really sexing it up. I so hope they aren’t picked to go yet. I know they can do it. 18
13th: Bristol and Mark: Ok, there was some improvement. She’s loosened up a lot in her movement and seems more natural and confident, but, she was still sluggish, slow, and if felt odd and forced in places. 15
My faves: KELLY and VAL, DEREK and SHAWN, PETA and GILLES, APOLO and KARINA, MAKS and KIRSTIE! I loved EMMITT too!
I think Bristol is going home. I don’t see how her dancing can ever compare to the rest? It might be Pamela too, but, I hope not. She can do so much better and I hope she gets another chance. Plus, wouldn’t it be fun to see Tristan sex it up some more?:D
And yep, I remember what you said about Sabrina and you were right!
Loved almost all the teams, they all have pretty great chemistry.
Who I want and think will go home first is Pamela, it was pretty rude of her to do a crazy motion to Bristol. Plus her dancing was the worst tonight
Thanks Court! Sadly, I think it may be Helio heading home. I’m not certain that his and Chelsie’s fanbases are up to the job of keeping him in.
I totally agree with you, specially on the shawn Gilles foxtrot thing,=. IMO she her DANCING was far stronger than him, her routine was probably the most difficult one along side Sabrina, but unlike Sabrina Shawn was in control the all time. some of the moves was really hard ,that run in the end in to the spin was amazing, She really keep up with Derek.
Im really scared that Melissa and Tony may go home. They were put in the middle, she dosen’t have that strong of a fan base. Hope they stay.
I think Pamela will go, really surprised how bad she danced. I didn’t see the rude motion she made to Bristol.
I enjoyed to loved everyone tonight except for pam which is sad because i want to root for her.
surprises
kelly – for 7 yrs and no cha cha- darn respectable job
bristol – i was ready to laugh, but she shut me up- definitely improved
mirrorball to lose – Emmitt and cheryl…i sensed old emmitt and cheryl chemistry, and boy does that man light up a room
in danger tomorrow: melissa, kelly, pam
My favorite cha cha of the evening was Apolo and Karina. Loved their energy and commitment to the dance.
I thought the best foxtrot was Gilles and Peta. It was lovely and elegant, and they benefited from having a great foxtrot song.
Pamela was the weakest of the night for me (although I didn’t think Bristol was much better.) Pamela’s timing was off and her movements were jerky. Her dance lacked the charm of her cha cha last time.
Most shocking to me, by a mile, was Kelly – holy cow! I don’t know if anyone else had as much pressure on them going into tonight as she did, given how long it has been since her season and all the trash talk about what a weak dancer she is. What a comeback, and their chemistry together is off the charts.
The only other dance I thought highly of was Shawn’s. They danced beautifully together and did a great job overcoming a terrible foxtrot song.
When did Pam make the rude motion to Bristol? I must’ve looked away and missed it. Her tea party comment had me cracking up, tho I’m sure Bristol and Sarah probably didn’t find it funny.
Wow, I think I agreed with every single point made in this power ranking list (except the comment that Kirstie wasn’t a judges’ darling in season 12. I must have watched a different season 12).
Especially agree with Emmit overscoring, and Kelly and even Bristol’s surprising improvement. My personal favorite was Apolo and Karina. I don’t know about 3000%, but it was a whole new, sexy Apolo with Karina. Very hot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-q7c2AkV1g Here is the clip, bad quality but she looks at Bristol then does the crazy motion with her hand
I’m hoping it’s Pam. It really ticks me off when a celeb splits time with DWTS, even more do when the celeb is one of only two that didn’t make the finale. Scheduling that much together was a stupid move, IMO, and Pam deserves the boot for it. If not Pam, then a “mini shocker” of Melissa, due to a small fan base and a less memorable routine. As long as it’s NOT Joey & Kym… One if my two faves of the night (with Shawn & Derek).
I suspect Pam will be the first to go. It also made me wonder if she was a bit…ahem….high…on something.
Kelly was the surprise of the night. Wow…her and Val do have some chemistry. Will the little brother outlast big brother Maks?
Overall, I enjoyed tonight quite a bit. Most of the routines were fun and entertaining. I like the .5 paddles. Of course the addition of the half-point paddles can’t stop pimping. Emmitt’s a nice guy but it was disappointing to see him get loved on by the judges and pimped into the top spot on the leaderboard.
I hope the overdancing was just an outgrowth of knowing the competition was good but not knowing exactly who was bringing what. Now that they’ve all seen each other, I’m cautiously optimistic the pros will settle down and not throw everything plus the kitchen sink onto the dance floor next week.
For me the “best” dances of the night were: Shawn/Derek, Apolo/Karina, and Gilles/Peta.
I was really hoping Drew/Anna would hit a home run, but you’re right, Court, Drew seemed really tense both in the rehearsal package and on the dance floor. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but Anna needs to lighten up.
As for who’s going home? Well, I just can’t imagine how Pamela and Tristan can survive, and that breaks my heart. What the heck was that? There’s nothing wrong with edgy, dark and different if you have technique to back you up and know the routine. I hope they get a second chance, but it seems unlikely.
Is anyone else having trouble voting on ABC.com? I go to click to vote and it refreshes like it took it my vote but it still says I have 13 votes left. Weird!
As to who go home tomorrow I will be shocked if it isn’t Pamela. She came in having done the worst on her original season and got the lowest score tonight and went early in the show. If it’s not her I don’t necassarily think it will be Kirstie or Bristol who were the next at the bottom as I think they have the fans to safe them. I don’t think Joey should feel safe, he went first and I had forgotten about him by shows end. And Drew and Helio gave solid yet forgettable foxtrots and I am not sure they are going to be the first choices of alot of voters.
Courtney, totally agree w/ ya on the your assessment. Glad the judges are more realistic in there scoring for the most, give or take here or there.
A lot of over dancing by a lot of the couples, sometimes less can be more. Yes, Shawn and Sabrina had the most difficult content in their dances, but I found it a bit overwhelming & frantic, again less is more.
My Standouts of the night:
Best Foxtrot – Definitely goes to Gilles & Peta. I thought they had the best dance of the night, out of all of them. I look for him to be the one to beat.
Best Cha-cha – Emmitt & Cheryl, best cha-cha of the night, this dance has always been Emmitt’s dance, it’s the one that earned him the nickname “Twinkle toes”
Most Improved – Bristol & Mark, I saw a higher degree of performance from her than I’ve ever seen from her. She has great technique & placement, but like the judges said more fluidity in the arms, more core strength, power & focus. If she does the things the judges said, then I look for the awkwardness in her dancing to diminish. I am glad the judges scored her accordingly it definitely gives her room to improve. She definitely has a better attitude, is more confident & self-assured, if she keeps improving I expect her to win the votes stay around.
Surprise of the night – Kelly & Val, wow!!! I think Val got more out of Kelly than Alec ever did. She still has it after 7 years, fantastic dancing & chemistry. With their chemistry, it wouldn’t surprise me if they showmance it up, lol.
Who I think is in jeopardy: Melissa & Tony, and Kelly & Val (I hope their fanbases turn out for these 2 couples)
Who’s going home: Pam & Tristan, her dance was a hodgepodge of a hot mess. I though the judges scores were too kind to her. Also her comments & attitude about Bristol were catty & unnecessary, which made her all the more unlikable (if ya can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all). If I recall, Pam was in the bottom 2, twice back in her season, I don’t think her fanbase or Tristan’s is gonna pull her out of the fire.
I tweeted my comments. I’m sad to say that I almost tweeted that Helio’s going to be a “surprise” early elimination. Although, I don’t know if he’s quite as low as you list him. I don’t think Julianne was carrying him completely in the voting in order to win. So, I think he’ll last a few weeks.
At least some good dancing. I don’t think there were any I didn’t enjoy.
So glad that the judges decided to be fair and no 9’s this week. I also like the half points they are doing this season. My favorite couples so far are Kelly and Val and Gilles and Peta. Out of all the couples, Kelly and Val looked to me like they were competing in a real ballroom dance competition. They looked like the real deal to me. Adorable couple …I gave most of my votes to Pam and Tristan, event though I never usually split votes, because I figure it’s between Pam and Bristol going home and I want it to be Bristol. Hope my strategy works. Also, I usually like Anna but there is something about her this season that is off-putting. I am also more annoyed than entertained when watching Sabrina and Louis.Just some of my random thoughts.
Andrea, I did when I was on my second e-mail address. I’m also doing my voting on an iPad. This worked for me: clicked vote (if it didn’t register), then I opened the vote link in a new window. That took me to the ABC website. When I went back to the original page, it worked just fine.
Love Gilles and Peta and liked Helio’s foxtrot too. None of the cha chas wowed me, but the best one was probably Apolo’s. I can’t with Emmitt, the scoring and the “higher” standards from the judges. It was good and light, but enough with the charisma bullshit. If you’re going to call out Helio, Joey, and Drew on their posture and their feet, do it to Emmitt too. I don’t get why they’re promoting him so hard. Maybe to keep him around and compete with MNF?
Overall I enjoyed the show – again the judges were “generous” for two of the couples.
My favs are: Shawn/Derek, Apolo/Karina and Helio/chelsie.
I’m thinking maybe Pam will be going – that was kind of a mess.
It’s going to be a tough season and the scores may be up and down.
If we have favs we’ll just have to score our little fingers off.
Just wish (and I say this every year) that the judges would be consistent.
Thanks for a great write-up,ladies.And all the comments.
Hmm. Melissa’s foxtrot was my favorite of the night. And of course, I was very pleased at Kelly’s performance. Who is leaving? Sadly, I think its Pam and I think she knows it. Feel so bad for her *sigh*
Loved Emmitt tonight! his moves were smooth and relaxed. Agree with the score! Enjoyed Val/Kelly’s dance too. Since I want Anna/Drew to be holding that plastic ball at the end of this season, hoping they will regroup and come out with something wonderful next week. As for who goes home tomorrow? I know who I like to see dismissed from the show.
After tonight, I hope Pam gets a big boot. What a piece of trash IMO. I don’t care for Palin but I’m watching to be entertained not see some washed up pin-up who acted like she was on something make a crap comment that wasn’t necessary and made it uncomfortable for me to watch. Pam also couldn’t walk through that routine to save her life. It’s disrespectful to Tristan to not make the time to rehearse. The lowest of low class all around for me.
My favorite tonight was Kelly and Val. They did a great job good choreography and WOW! chemistry. I wanted so bad for Kirstie and Maks to have a better dance but sadly they didn’t. Don’t know how long fan bases will keep them around. It’s still pretty evident how the judges feel about Maks, especially Len. All that aside I think Pam will be going home. She was nothing but a hot mess. Didn’t think anybody could make Tristan look bad but she managed it. I’m sorry to say the judges showed their hand really early this season. Emmitt will be hard to beat no matter what he does. It will be what it will be.
Kelly and Val were the surprise standouts for me. I’d actually worried about her, since her GH responsibilities were heavier than originally planned and she often seemed to be rehearsing hard after 10 hr days on the set. I remember her joking that she’d asked the GH producers to just put her in a coma for a month for her storyline.
No coma tonight – loved their dancing.
Love Pam and Tristan,too, but that was just awful.
Excellent write-up, Court – your critiques are so well-focused and have so much content that I still marvel at how quickly you get them writ and posted.
This is the first season that I watched all dances before picking up my favorites. Love Apolo/Karina, Kelly/Val and Gilles/Peta. I was also impressed by Shawn. This is going to be a great season! 🙂
Really wanted so much more from Pam because i love Tristan. I guess she did get the character down that they were trying for, which was what she was so good at before, but she was just weak. Gilles very classy, noticed the jacket covering his hips, can’t wait for the unveiling! Helio still just a joy to watch, and Chelsea looked so pretty! Apollo & Karina were tops in my book last night, so fun and so Hot!
Boy were those judges tough! I loved Derek and Shawn, Gilles and Peta and Emmitt and cheryl. It has to be Pam or Bristol going home!I don’t think Tristian or Pam knew where they were, like they came out of a drunken stuper. Bristol just doesn’t have the level of quality to keep up with all that talent!
By the way Gilles is so damm handsome!
Last night was underwhelming to say the least. The crowd seemed dead and the atmosphere was weak. WTH. And were the dances extremely short?
Good post. Good comments. Thanks.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I was kind of underwhelmed by it all last night. No one really stood out for me. They all seemed to be at the same level or they over danced, OR I’d seen it from them before. I think it’s the latter really. I agree with Courtney’s ratings for the most part. I think Shawn would have scored a bit better if she hadn’t danced so early. Kelly was a nice surprise, and yes, Bristol has improved. Otherwise, nothing is really new. I hope to be a little more upbeat after next week’s dances! 🙂
Also – Thanks Courtney for the great power ratings! Now that’s something I can be upbeat about!
Last night was surprising for me as well. It wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped. I was entertained for the full two hours, but, I don’t know something felt off. I think maybe because the dances just felt so SHORT. My personal rankings below:
1)Kelly and Val. I was shocked at how much I loved them. I’ve been torn all through the pre-season on who to vote for, b/c I didn’t want any former winners or the re-creation of former teams, etc. In the end, I decided to do what I alwsys do-give my votes to the dance I liked best that night. I usually do that until at least the mid-way point in the competition, and tonight my votes went to Kelly and Val. They were so awesome. I really hope they can stick around for a while, b/c I’d love to see what else they can do.
2)Apolo and Karina. Loved it. They were great, I thought Karina choreographed an excellent routine for him. She is my favorite pro, and she didn’t let me down. But–I almost had a hard time concentrating on the dance. Was Apolo’s booty always that…nice? I really could not stop looking at it. LOL
3) Joey and Kym. Another couple I was surprised I like so well. I too am wondering why they chose to open the show with him, but they put on a great show. I’m excited to see what else they can bring.
4) Sabrina and Louis. They did great, but I agree with everyone else that Sabrina hits stuff too hard. I hope she can learn to tone it down with that. And I was really worried she was going to have a wardrobe malfunction!
5) Melissa and Tony. I’m really only placing them this high on my list because I love Melissa so much. And it’s not that I think she did a bad job. I think she danced great. But at the end of the routine, I was left feeling like, that’s it? Why wasn’t there MORE? It didn’t have enough dance in it for me. And I did actually agree with Len that it was too theatrical.
6) Gilles and Peta. I like Gilles, and I think he danced well. But during their dance…I was bored.
7) Shawn and Derek. I think Shawn danced well, too. But I hated the song for a foxtrot, which skewed my opinion. And I know she’s short, but it was like I couldn’t see her legs hitting any steps or something. It felt odd. By the end of the night, I’d forgotten about them.
8) Emmitt and Cheryl. I’ve always loved Emmitt. And I think he did well, but was not the best dance of the night, not by a long shot. I have a theory on this, though, because I’ve been thinking about it. Since TPTB seem to have a hard on for Cheryl and her doing well, my thoughts are that they want to pimp Emmitt to the end and are also counting on Gilles being at the end. That way they can hype the Cheryl v. Gilles showdown. It’s the only reason I can figure they may want Emmitt lasting longer than the likes of Apolo, Shawn, etc.
9) Bristol and Mark. I was surprised by these two as well. I feel so bad for Mark. I saw his face after Shawn danced and he just seemed sad. I’m not a big Mark fan, but it must suck to watch Shawn and Sabrina dance with other people and he got Bristol. She did pretty well, but she missed it in a few places. Her attitude seemed to be kept in check last night, and I hope she keeps it that way so I can warm up to her. One other thing, though–her son is cute as a button.
10) Kirstie and Maks. They did okay. I was bored. I couldn’t believe she kissed Tom though. LOL.
11) Helio and Chelsie. Same as above. I was bored. But man, does Helio’s daughter look just like him! She was cute as a button, too.
12) Drew and Anna. Please, please do better guys! I was bored with their routine, too. I’m really looking forward to the foxtrot couples doing the jive next week. Foxtrot is sort of a blah dance for me, so maybe that’s why I’m feeling this way about most of those couples?
13) Pam and Tristan. Now, I don’t like Pam, for my own reasons. But I do admit I felt incredibly sorry for her last night after her dance. She just looked so…broken. I think they will go home tonight, and I still hope they go home, because I don’t want to lose anybody else after the trainwreck that was her dance. But I was sad for her, all the same. One other thing though, has Tristan always had that giant tattoo on his arm? It distracted me. I like tattoos, in moderation. That was just too much for my taste, and he lost a little of his appeal last night, for me.
I am so disappointed with Pam and Tristan. I was hoping that Tristan finally had a partner that could get him farther in the competition, but I don’t see it happening. I agree that if she committed to doing this, she should be putting the time in for rehearsal. It was hard to watch. I too enjoyed Kelly and Val and I can see Val staying longer than Maks. I don’t see it happening, but wouldn’t a final of Kelly/Val vs. Kirstie/Maks be interesting? I didn’t care for Melissa and Tony, it was ok, but Tony’s choreography isn’t up there with the others. He needs to up his game or they’re going to be out soon. Helio is a joy to watch just to see him smile. I enjoyed Apollo and Karina and right now, I think he has a good chance to make it to the finals again. I liked Emmitt, but I can’t stand Cheryl. Getting the pimp spot and finishing in first place is going to go straight to her already swollen ego. I don’t think Bristol was all that improved. She might last a few weeks, but I don’t see her getting even to the halfway point. Who is going home tonight? Sadly, it will probably be Pam and Tristan. I love him, but after that train wreck she danced, her comments and attitude, I can’t see it being anyone else.
If Pam and Tristan don’t go home tonight, it would surprise the heck out of me. I love Tristan, but good lord that was a trainwreck.
It is going to be hard to take Gilles overpraise every week, his dance was good but not that good, it was a easy routine when you compare to Shawn/Sabrina.
I’m surprised these words are going to come out of my mouth but, my favorite dance belonged to Cheryl and Emmitt and I also thought it was the best Cha-Cha of the night. I thought Gilles was really good and he and PETA look good together … but, they don’t have a lot of chemistry. At least, I’m not feeling it and he’s going to have to lighten up. If you want chemistry, look at Val and Kelly – wow. I hope they stick around for a while.
Tristan finally bared his chest, I think that may be enough to keep him around for another week. I also think Melissa and Tony got lost in the crowd and may be leaving tonight.
Kelly totally blew me away, has she been dancing since she won??
Of course I agree with Courtney…. I think Apolo will dance away with that MBT once again.
@Lisa C – Speaking of bare chests… OMG Val drove me crazy with his shirt flapping during their Cha-Cha. What is is with these C-Bros. they seem desperate at times. Okay, Got that off my Chest!
Last night was somewhat of a disappointment, everything seemed rushed. The half-point stuff will take some getting used to.
Oh my dear sweet Pamela, most of the time I had to turn away, this was such a let down on all levels. I think these two may be going home tonight.
Thanks for the Power Rankings, I can’t wait to log onto the site to see where my favorite stands. 🙂
Not getting the Kelly love, IMHO, she was pretty bad. I’d put the bottom 3 at Pam, Bristol, Kelly. She did a lot of posing. Bristol did a lot of hip shaking and Pam did a lot a stoner walking lol.
Disappointed as well with Apolo and Drew’s dances, but I’m hard to please lol. I guess it was more the choreography for them that lacked.
Yes, #3, Pam did the weird face and then did the crazy finger spin sign to Bristol as she sat next to her for a commercial break. The interviewer George, even commented that the press room loved her faces and the backstage LOL moment. As if he didn’t think the dwts audience knows what he’s talking about. No matter what she thinks about Bristol, she should show class and everyone should be nice to each other and have fun, and be participating in good sportsmanship. I actually feel bad for Tristan, he looks uncomfortable and awkward with her….he does have a GF.
Not getting the Kelly love, IMHO, she was pretty bad. I’d put the bottom 3 at Pam, Bristol, Kelly. She did a lot of posing. Bristol did a lot of hip shaking and Pam did a lot a stoner walking lol.
Disappointed as well with Apolo and Drew’s dances, but I’m hard to please lol. I guess it was more the choreography for them that lacked.
Yes, #3, Pam did the weird face and then did the crazy finger spin sign to Bristol as she sat next to her for a commercial break. The interviewer George, even commented that the press room loved her faces and the backstage LOL moment. As if he didn’t think the dwts audience knows what he’s talking about. No matter what she thinks about Bristol, she should show class and everyone should be nice to each other and have fun, and be participating in good sportsmanship. I actually feel bad for Tristan, he looks uncomfortable and awkward with her….he does have a GF.
I do think Joey was waaaay underscored.
I don’t think there was anything tonight that showed the judges don’t like Maks. They were scored appropriately for their dance. In this group, Kirstie is FAR from the best dancer. I like her…but she’s not on par with most of the cast.
My guess as to why the audience wasn’t going ape$&@# crazy is because they weren’t told “Now, when William goes up, we want you all to scream your heads off and get loud”. Plus, the judges were on their best behavior. No usual wild gimmicks or picking pets, or claiming this is the best season ever, etc. I think we have all gotten used to that shpeel that compared to past seasons, it was very subdue. But, I liked it, and it was one of my favorite season premieres.
Pam was twirling her hair. Whether she was doing it as a way to “do the crazy finger spin sign” to Bristol or just because she often twirls her hair is open to interpretation. To make the Tea Party comment on video was just plain stupid; why energize the voting base of the other weakest dancer? As to Pam & Tristan both seeming hung over, it suited the dance. I’m sure Tristan’s had his share of hangovers, but he’s too much of a pro to show up to work that way. Pam? All bets are off, since she seemed kind of “out there” outside of the performance, not just within it.
Tristan deserved better than someone who signed on to the show knowing she’d be traveling internationally for much of the initial rehearsal period. Even if he’d been sent to travel with her, they still wouldn’t have gotten in anywhere near the rehearsal time of the other couples. When they did send him to Rio with her, they got 2 hours of rehearsal time (vs. a full day of round trip travel.) Some of the other performances and routines were bland and forgettable; had Pam been able to execute her steps and not just perform with her face, they easily could have been middle of the pack rather than dead last.
The gesture Pam Anderson made was obvious and intentional in my opinion. Guys look at the tape very carefully.
I love these posts, Courtney, they are my favorite part of the site. I almost always agree with you, which validates my comparably novice eye, haha.
– These dances were too short. I realize that there was not enough time to do more with 13 couples, but because of their length it seemed that many of them had too much content or in the case of Kirstie and Maks, not enough.
– Speaking of Kirstie, she looked much less graceful out there than I expected, and she seemed, I dunno – aware? Of her body in a bad way. I also thought the Tom kiss was stupid.
– Pam, good lord. I think she knew she was going to be the worst of the night and it showed. This is what she is gonna give us each week after performing on DWTS several times in different countries? Come on, if that’s what her dances are going to be like because of her schedule, get rid of them now. How uncomfortable. Too bad, because I adore Tristan and look forward to every millisecond I get of him each week.
– Drew definitely seemed nervous and stiff, and I didn’t love him and Anna together as much as I’d hoped. I fear an early elimination for them.
– I forgot how bright Melissa’s teeth are. Yowzers. I think she has a pretty small, but rabid fanbase. I don’t know if they will last long unless Tony stops being so safe. Love her lines though.
– Emmitt was definitely overscored, but he is a very likable and popular contestant so I see him lasting for at least a little while
– Shawn was excellent, but I actually agreed with the judges that it was difficult to see the foxtrot, but I blame the music and not the fun choreography. I still expect to see her in the finale and I look forward to seeing what these two can do together.
– I can’t take my eyes off of Bristol’s new chin. I actually had jaw surgery to correct my jawline, and with my perhaps overly critical eye her chin looks too protruding and stiff, still. But her legs look great, she still has awesome hair. I was pleasantly surprised with her performance, and even more pleasantly surprised that the judges scored her appropriately. She’s better than before but still nowhere near the other celebs.
– Helio is adorable. But definitely one of the weaker technicians. I think he will be a relatively early elimination.
– Apolo and Karina were awesome. I love him, I love her. I love them together. His arms still look a bit wonky at times, but I’ll eat my panties if they don’t make it to the final.
– Joey and Kym are fun, but his posture bothers me. Looking forward to see him do some lifts and tricks though, if they can make it far enough to do em.
– Sabrina was too powerful, big surprise there. I thought the same back in her original season and she hasn’t let up yet.
– Kelly was a nice surprise, she may last a bit longer than I expected if only because people want to see how good she and Val can be – she is one of the few celebs with the “unknown” factor so she feels newer and more refreshing, not a retread of past routines.
– I almost forgot about Gilles, which is bizarre because he’s one of my all time favorites. Very nice routine, he’ll be around for a while but I don’t think a sure thing for the finale, but a definite possibility. No one looks lovelier on the dance floor than he does.
My pick to go home is likely Pam, but I think Drew is in trouble too. Possibly Helio, outside chance of Melissa.
I think it’s Pam that should go home, but perhaps, because of fan bases it’s likely to be Melissa or Helio…possibly Kelly. I would hate it for Helio, he’s just so sunny+fun but again, really don’t know about his type of fan-base or soap fanbases, either.
I’m gonna have to go back and re-watch the performance show and look for this alleged “rude gesture” everyone is referring to. Personally, it doesn’t really bother me, considering that I’ve seen the celebs/pros/judges/whoever giving other celebs/pros/judges the stink eye on multiple occasions over the seasons, or taking subtle verbal jabs at one another in interviews. At least Pam had the cojones to do it blatantly 😛
I think you may be giving Bristol’s fanbase too much credit, justme. Those kooks are gonna vote their fingers off (or at least CLAIM they’re voting their fingers off), regardless, whether Pam makes a rude gesture or not – and I hate to break it to them, but while they may have been able to outvote fans of Brandy & Audrina in season 11, I doubt they’re going to be able to overcome juggernaut fanbases like Kirstie, Shawn, Apolo, & Emmitt…especially if the judges continue to score Bristol appropriately, as they did last night.
@NancyM – if you rewatch a lot of Kirstie’s critiques & scoring in season 12, you’ll see that the judges really weren’t afraid to call her out on a lot of mistakes & wishy-washy technique. I daresay it was her fanbase that pulled her through to the finale…because if anyone was the judges’ darling that season, it was Chelsea. That girl got cut breaks left & right.
As for everyone noting the shortened routines – yes, they were shorter this time around, and that was intentional. They had to shave some time off of everyone’s routines in order to fit everyone in and allow their intro packages enough time to explain why they came back to the show. 13 couples with longer-than-average week 1 intro packages is a lot to fit into 2 hours.
I wanna play the “2 Cents” game! lol
Joey & Kym: First off, what TF was Kym wearing? Anyway…I thought the dance was good! I don’t really have much else to say about it other than I agree with the judges. I didn’t notice the hunched posture until the judges brought it up. I have to say…I thought he was a little underscored as well.
Shawn & Derek: Enter comment about how they got screwed over in the music. Now this may just be me, but I thought Shawn danced better with Derek last night than she EVER did with Mark. Despite how fast she was dancing, she managed to make everything look so fluid. Her movement quality was so much better this time around, and I imagine it can only get better.
Sabrina & Louis: After reading your “Previous Dance Exp” about Sabrina, I noticed everything you pointed out. Sabrina hits everything SO HARD! And I get it now! I’m still an amateur to an amateur, but even that much was obvious to me. My mother thinks Sabrina is just so stinking cute, and I’m inclined to agree. And I did enjoy the routine. Hopefully Sabrina can secured her spot in the competition this time around?
Hélio & Chelsie: I’m not a fan of Chelsie. And from what I can remember I guess the dance was okay. I have to be honest, I don’t remember much about this dance, if anything at all. Well, that’s a lie. I remember Hélio jumping…but that’s about it.
Pam & Tristan: Yeah…it was bad. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Melissa & Tony: I liked this a lot. I also have to give credit to Tony for saying he didn’t push Melissa hard enough the first time around. I remember most of Melissa’s dances and they were good the first time, but there wasn’t a lot of acting going on. Melissa really committed to the character of this Foxtrot and she acted so well. I’m with Len and Carrie Ann, I wanted more hold/body contact, but it was still a pretty solid routine.
Apolo & Karina: I just think this dude needs to calm down! Haha! He seemed pretty excited to get out on the dance floor! And I think I like him more with Karina now that I’ve actually seen them dance and interact together. This was by far the most entertaining routine of the night.
Gilles & Peta: I just have to say one thing: I hate when they switch around the Week 1 Running order. Have them coincide with the numbers, please! I don’t get why they switched Gilles and Drew. Anyway. I do think this was the best Foxtrot of the night. Yes, the song played a huge part in doing so, but I still think it was the best. I didn’t get a sense of Brandy-itis (or whatever is was you witty ladies dubbed it. lol) from Gilles last night…
Bristol & Mark: I’m not going to vote for her, but if she dances like that, she could be come a little more favorable to me. No, it was not the best Cha-Cha of the night, but it wasn’t the worst. Carrie Ann, I think, was right to call Bristol the most improved. She had a smile on her face the entire time and she was really enjoying herself, so that was good to see. However, she’s got a lot of work, and I don’t see her making it as far as she’d like to.
Drew & Anna: I’m on the fence with these two. I thought I liked them last night, but after giving it some thought…I dunno. Drew & Anna seem to have some sort of strained relationship, I think. I got a tense vibe from them. Anna looked like she was enjoying herself, but Drew didn’t. It’ll be interesting to see how their chemistry works out. As for the dance, it wasn’t that bad. I love “Love Song” and I was surprised by how much Anna made Drew do. But, as I said, I’m on the fence with these two.
Kelly & Val: Talk about exceeding expectations! I’m with Court; she was the revelation of the night. I went into last night thinking Kelly was going to bomb. But she didn’t. She delivered! Now, I may just be biased in terms of her partner, but I thought she did an amazing job and I want to see her stick around.
Kirstie & Maks: It was good, I still don’t see how “Set Fire To The Rain” is a Foxtrot. But it was kind of boring because Maks got them in hold and away they went. This is weird of Maks to do, I think. He’s done it before, but it didn’t work with me. There wasn’t much going on in this Foxtrot to wow me. However, I do enjoy watching Kirstie, but I don’t know how far she can make it this time around.
Emmitt & Cheryl: Emmitt’s such a great mover. I enjoyed the dance, but as with a lot of people, there just wasn’t a lot going on. I want to like Emmitt, but Cheryl’s recent ego/personality just prevents me from voting for the two of them.
I agree with you on everything you said…my only thing is this…if the TPTB are going to give out these crazy contemporary songs that have an undercurrent of possibility to be a foxtrot or whatever…then that difficulty should be considered in the judging…giving one couple a standard song and some other couple like Shawn and Derek something so difficult and then having Len say..it just didn’t feel a like a foxtrot…well no crap….lol….if they are going to go contemporary the judges have to be savvy enough to see the creativity….and I admit I am a Derek fan….but why does it seem like he always has to claw his way to the top each season….it just feels like his creativity is overlooked or downplayed early in the season. I agree with Pam’s dance being a train wreck and I was so disappointed in Tristan…and I didn’t find myself just plain irritated with Bristol…I think because I thought she was actually trying….and I agree with Emmitt being good but not great…certainly not the best dance of the night. I always love your assessments because for the most part I think you are spot on.
Last night was great!
Shawn & Derek rocked it. She has matured and looks beautiful with him. I have to give them props too. Len was wrong-IMO! They had the most difficult song to perform a Foxtrot to, yet they pulled off a great performance. Her technique-IMO was best. I have no doubt that if they were given a more traditional Foxtrot song like “Giles or Drew” that they would have scored higher because of her skills and his choreography. Looking forward to seeing how this team blossoms/grows.
Gotta say, Apolo is definitely hotter than he was 5 years ago and I think he’s gonna be great with Karina this season.
Great job ladies and great comments everyone.
Wow it was hard to breathe in between dances – it seemed everything was on overdrive but I understand it needed to be.
I am going to be “pissy” this year if Len doesn’t get his mind into the 21st century and understand that sometimes the songs don’t go with his “what Len likes” and judges accordingly – hope everyone understands this comment. i.e. Shawn & Derek’s dance – imo full of life, content and excitement.
Geez, hate to say this, but it looked like Pam & Tristan just came off a bender. Pam should go home.
All in all should be an interesting season. Probably will be able to tell more after next week.
Interesting night. Bristol was a big surprise for me. Not that I like her particularly, but she did seem to be trying and didn’t have the attitude that was present last time around
I love Kirstie and Maks, but no way are they going to get as far as they did last time.
Pam and Tristan were just a hot mess, and I felt bad for Tristan. I was hoping he’d be able to work with someone really good this season.
Not a fan of Anna and Drew’s dance. There’s definitely some sort of tension going on there.
Emmitt was fun to watch but I really can’t stand Cheryl.
I loved Karina and Apollo’s dance and I liked Peta and Giles, but I don’t much care for the vibe that seems to be coming from him.
I think it will be Pam going home, but I suppose it could be Chelsie and Helio too.
@ Courtney #50–I know Bristol’s fans will vote anyway, and no, they won’t be able to overcome the larger fanbases of far superior dancers. My comment on Pam being stupid mentioning the Tea Party was strictly in regards to Pam vs. Bristol. When you’re one of the two weakest dancers, there’s no point in pissing off and further motivating the fanbase of your closest rival. Let sleeping dogs lie, and you stand a better chance of outlasting her. Try motivating your own fans instead, and start by actually learning and performing the dance.
I’ll take another shot at this: Yes, Pam & Tristan did look like they just came off a bender. They were dancing to an Amy Winehouse song about a couple in a rough relationship. It would have been strange had their performance been all smiles and bright shining faces. I don’t think Tristan looked post-bender at all in their non-dancing moments; Pam, well…
I was surprised at how well Emmitt performed. I didn’t think Cheryl danced around him. He held his own, but three 8s were generous. Cheryl has never looked better imo. She’s clearly enjoying her partner this time.
My favorites were Apolo, Joey and Shawn. Gilles in my opinion was overscored. He got an easy routine to an easy song and still he looked too loose. Joey imo was underscored, as were several couples that went early, Shawn included.
I agree Pam will go home tonight.
The thing about sabrina this time, she still hitting things hard but last time it was much better, Louie choreo was not that good and the chemestry was not there. When she did the cha cha with Mark, even with her hitting everything really hard the choreo was great and they were hot togheter. I think Louie is going to hurt sabrina’s chances, even Sabrina didnt like his coments about been a front runner.
I have a question about pams dance that maybe some one on here can answer for me what was up with the fake slap half way through the dance? To me it made the dance more difficult to watch afterwards. I’m not sure i like this side of Tristan.
@christina, I think #57 above about the song/music might answer your question.
I can´t believe that Len gave Shawn and Bristol the same score, and apart from Pam and Kristie, he gave everyone better scores than Shawn. Even if he didnt like the foxtrot , she danced extremilly well the most difficul choreo of the night.
I just watched the performance back, and..yeah..disaster doesn’t even begin to describe it. Holy crud. Any other season, Pam and Tristan would’ve probably been able to make it through this week and maybe even next week as long as there was drastic improvement. However, this being all stars, and the fact that Pamela seemed to have a very negative attitude last night and was more interested in ways of getting Tristan into bed rather than dance with him just sort of seals the deal for me. She seemed very out of it last night, as a lot of people said.
And all of this is a shame since I love Tristan. I think he is adorable and very talented, but you can’t just be an adorable pro to win this thing, you gotta be able to dance and get your fans excited and wanting to help you get to the finals. That performance didn’t make me excited at all, in fact it made me rather uncomfortable.
Great write-up! And so fast, I don’t know how you do it….
I had the DVR problem, too, so I missed the first three dances. Boo! I was upset to have missed Derek and Shawn. Fingers are crossed that they show the complete dances during the 2-hour results show tonight.
The show was not nearly as sparkling and magical as I had expected. My expectations were too high, obviously. It does feel more like a re-run season than a super spectacular ALL-STAR season, at least the first night.
I wasn’t looking forward to Helio and Chelsie, but he charmed me. Such joy and enthusiasm on the dance floor. And Chelsie looked terrific! Loved her dress, her hair, everything. Fun dance.
Apolo and Karina had my favorite dance of the evening. Great energy and fun. Apolo can stop now with the comments about ‘not returning to take second place,’ it seemed a little bit cocky and overly concerned with beating his fellow dancers.
Bristol might have improved a bit, but I’d still be happy if she leaves ASAP.
Pamela and Tristan can go home tonight and I won’t miss them. That was a horrific mess, and I wouldn’t have liked it any better if it had been well danced. I don’t like the paso doble because it often looks like the damn wifebeater dance, with partners throwing punches at each other. The last thing I want to see is a cha-cha with a violent theme. Yuck. A big strike against Tristan in my book for that awful choreography.
In the preseason discussions, someone suggested that they All-Stars should be allowed to do lifts in all dances this season. I think they should have taken this suggestion — it would add energy and pizzazz and make the show more exciting than just a regular season with re-run celebrities.
I hope Melissa and Tony make it through to next week. They did a nice Foxtrot, I hope we get to see their jive and more dances. They are a great couple, but I worry about their fan base.
This is my ranking of last night’s performances:
1. Emmit and Cheryl: best cha cha cha of the night.
2. Kelly and Val: WOW this is a pairing to watch out for.
3. Giles and Peta: A natural performer as always and he just seemes to have gotten better.
4. Kirstie and Maks: Great dance but she stol the show after the dance as usual.
5. Shawn and Derek: So fun to watch.
6. Apollo and Karina: It was very fun to watch.
7. Sabrina and Louis: Awesome job. overdanced a bit.
From 6 to 13, I have some criticism.
8. Joey and Kym: fun to watch but the footwork was iffy.
9. Mellissa and Tony: Danced well but is there such a thing as too much Fosse? Cuz Tony might have invented it.
10. Helio and Chelsie: Another good one but forgettable.
11. Bristol and Mark: She had fun out there and had a laod of newfound confidence but I forgot about it too in the end.
12. Pam and Tristan: It wasn’t bad but it was kinda a mess.Oddly the song might have made it stand out though and bristo lmight get the boot…….hopefully 🙂
Forgot Anna and Drew. They were tied for seventh in my opinion. I took some bullet points during the dance: 1. Wow Anna looks great! 2. Damn this guys still can dance! 3. I ahte this song and 4. What was with that score? I think that should have gotten 8,8,8.
On a side note, I think that this .5 stuff with the scoring is actually a good idea in the begining but I hope they scrap it once there are only 7 couples left. I don’t realy want to see .5 scores in the finale.
Courtney, I always love these rankings, so thanks for the time you put in.
I thought Sabrina was slightly softer in her movement, but emphasis on “slightly.” Pam was quite messy. Her legs were bent weird in her splits, which is something I noticed during her original season, but I thought she was a better mover than Bristol for sure. I’d be surprised if she isn’t eliminated tonight though. I’ll miss you Tristan!
I found Pam/Tristan to be the weakest dancers last night (much to my surprise) – it almost looked like they just hadn’t put the work in, or maybe Pam just got really nervous. Next weakest for me was Bristol/Mark, although I do agree that Bristol has improved (she seems to be taking things more seriously, at least for now – let’s see if she means to finish as she has started). Depending of course on the viewer votes, I would expect either Pam or Bristol to go home, and I’m betting it will be Pam, since she probably has a smaller viewer fan base than Bristol (this is pure speculation on my part, since I don’t know whether Bristol’s mom’s supporters still care enough to mobilize to support her). I really thought most of the men were strong last night – I won’t be surprised if Apollo, Helio or Gilles take the prize this season. Joey could win if he tidies up his dancing and I hope Kym will work with him on this.
First I gotta say that I was a bit underwhelmed. Not by dancing, the dancing was great. But something about the all stars concept. I guess I’m a traditionalist, I like it when celebrities come in clueless and consequently share the bond of “what the heck have we gotten ourselves into”. This competitive intensity going on takes away from the overall enjoyment a little bit. For me.
As far as dances go, the ones I enjoyed the most were Emmitt, Apolo and (surprisingly) Kelly. Gilles and Shawn were very good but not as enjoyable. Sabrina got way overexcited and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between her and Louis though I think it will improve.
Dances that had certain elements I really liked but not so much as a whole were Melissa’s, Bristol’s (again a surprise) and Helio’s. Joey wasn’t bad but I have this “same old” feeling watching him. I also wasn’t feeling Drew at all and I agree with whoever said that although I love Anna she needs to lighten up during rehearsals. Kirstie was just okay, just like she’s always been for me after week 1 of her last season. And Pam was unfortunately a train wreck.
The show really has changed a lot since season 2. I’m thinking/hoping that maybe Drew was just really nervous the first time out. And Anna is a tough coach, but I’m pretty sure that Cheryl was not a softy either. Did the band play their song really fast? Seemed faster than the radio anyhow.
On another topic, did Kelly say that she didn’t learn the cha-cha before? I could swear that she did it in that dance-off thingy after the regular season. She doesn’t come off very likeable in interviews (at least to me), which could be a problem vote-wise. I wonder if she gets nervous being in the spotlight without a script.
Forgot to say that I also loved Kellly and Val – Mr. VC is surely smitten with his partner or he’s doing an Oscar-worthy imitation of being sprung! I am really looking forward to seeing them next week.
I liked Peta and Gilles, but I must say I was a little taken aback by her rather “enthusiastic” greeting of Gilles. I’m sure she was happy to get a partner who had previously won, but jumping up and wrapping her legs around him seemed a bit much to me. But maybe she’s just an excitable girl, and Gilles didn’t really seem to mind – he seemed glad that he’d gotten a cute blond partner.
Kelly has danced chacha before if you look it up on youtube it was one of her dance’s for the dance off.
And I just gotta add: Gilles is no doubt a wonderful dancer. But I think he needed Cheryl, who is a very feminine dancer, to make him look masculine in contrast. Peta is more athletic and I feel that makes Gilles look feminine at times. Which is of itself fine but doesn’t really go with his latin lover schtick.
Why do I get the feeling they want Cheryl to win?
They’re the only champion couple to return( previous champs have diff partners this time around)
Overscored
And dancing last.
I got to look at the dances again to really analyze them but I have to say that my favorites were:
Kelly- I was so surprised. She was sexy, energetic, and had great chemistry with Val, on and off the dance floor.
Gilles- Very elegant and charming. His chemistry with Peta seemed off but its only the first week. When they first met I thought it was funny how different their greetings were. She was super excited while he was a little disapointed but then he quickly got over it because she was beautiful. I just thought that was interesting.
Emmitt- I loved it. I know dancing is subjective but I really thought this was one of the best dances of the night. He looked so natural out there and he really looked like he was having fun. Cheryl danced with him and her charisma along with his really sold the dance. I always say that Cheryl’s choreography is simple but effective and it really showed in this dance. It doesn’t make sense for someone like Emmitt to do difficult moves on the first week since he is not as fit as the others and he is the second oldest. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he did though.(He was actually a lot faster this time than in season 3)
Bristol also really surprised me in a good way and I am really loving Mark for being such a great person to Bristol while his best friend got one of his best partners. That must of been really hard for him.
Its only the first week of competition. Seasons past have shown us that it doesn’t matter the placement on the leaderboard, if the fans don’t vote then they won’t stay. This week Emmitt is on top but the next could be different. I don’t know, this is all stars so anything can happen. Good luck to all tonight.
#72 Sandra77
I was thinking the same thing. Melissa did it as well with Tony. I don’t think either meant anything as all are in happy relationships which is why it came off as…REALLY? If it’s your blood sister, it’s one thing but if you’re the wife/husband of the one wrapped around….not so much. I think either they didn’t think when they did the wrap-around or they thought too much about enticing viewers but a huge hug would have conveyed that message better and more appropriately, for me anyways.
Am I reading too much into it, maybe. But just picture everyone who is genuinely happy to see a dear friend, it’s not exactly the common greeting. I just thought it was a little over-lame for attention. Having said that, I like these two couples very much and hope they go far.
I don’t think Peta does it for attention, I think she just hugs exuberantly. I think it’s odd and perhaps off putting with a new acquaintance, especially one that’s married, but I think it comes from a genuine place within her. Same for Melissa. I think cute girls with a certain personality are comfortable with affection that can perhaps look inappropriate from an outside view.
By the way, I love the power rankings and really enjoy reading Courtney’s take on the performances. Thanks!
Wow, Courtney, yet again, thank you for amazing, knowledgeable and insightful commentary!!!!
Joey & Kym: Kyms’s pants looked like some kind of wierd gold hairy legs to me, and Joey over danced and needs more finesse but otherwise, a fun routine.
Shawn & Derek: Agree they got screwed with the music selection. But I was impressed with the routine and Shawn danced really well. I’m looking forward to seeing more! Of course, I’m a huge Derek fan, so I love any dance he does.
Sabrina & Louis: Same old Sabrina…power-dancing her way through. And Louis was no help to her because he was way too exhuberant, as if he had to show off. And Sabrina’s hair extensions? Too much, too long, too bulky, for that little body, imo.
Hélio & Chelsie: I miss Julianne and the chemistry Helio had with her. He isn’t the same with Chelsie. It was just OK for me.
Pam & Tristan: Oh, baby Jaysus! Both of them looked wrecked. What a hot mess. I fear she’s headed for bye-bye this evening. Poor Tristan.
Melissa & Tony: A solid routine but Tony just seems to dance behind the beat for some reason. He seems slow.
Apolo & Karina: Very entertaining routine and I really enjoyed it. Apolo wants that MBT!
Gilles & Peta: Beautiful dancing. Gorgeous couple. Loved it.
Bristol & Mark: Sigh. I was pleasantly surprised she didn’t go down in flames, and she danced better than her last DWTS appearance, but I am just not a fan. Also, I just wish Mark would let his hair grow; I don’t like that shaved look on him: not attractive, imo.
Drew & Anna: He seemed tense, and his solo moves didn’t work. I always enjoy Anna’s dancing though.
Kelly & Val: WOW!!!! What a wonderful pairing this is and what a surprise that they were so fantastic! She was so fluid, the chemistry was insane and Val is just such a beautiful dancer. I just loved them! Can’t wait to see more!
Kirstie & Maks: So-so. Nothing new or different from the last time she was on the show.
Emmitt & Cheryl: He is so fun to watch with his fast feet, fluid hip moves and bright smile. Having said that, I don’t think he deserved the pimp spot. As for Cheryl..just more of the same from her.
All in all, I really enjoyed the show, except for Brookbot…you could just feel the energy flag when the camera went to her.
The “wrap your legs around your partner greeting” doesn’t bother me. It’s all for show. The producer said, “OK, we’re going to film the fake first-meeting with your partner. So act super-excited, like you’ve just won the lottery.” If the significant others involved are going to get upset over a greeting like that, they’re in for a looong season of discontent.
Well I didn’t get to see the live show last night, so I kind of have to go off of what I see in the youtube videos, so bear with me 😛
Okay, first off, I was pretty thrown off by the .5 scores LOL. While they may take a while to get used to, I can see why they put those as options. With a season that is all about the difference between good dancing and amazing dancing, a .5 can be a significant difference.
As for the night itself, I found myself overall enjoying about 95% of the dances 🙂 Great start. But, I do hope most of the couples slow it down a bit, lots of “jam-packed, high octane, constantly moving” routines. Like Courtney said, I think the pros need to avoid cramming content and difficult steps into routines and the celebs need to have fun, relax, and dance naturally. Okay, now for my thoughts on the dances:
Emmitt & Cheryl- This was fun, light, cute, energetic…but was it as technically sound or difficult as some of the dances scored below it?? Hells to the no. I swear, the judges are going to pick these two as the golden couple. I like Emmitt, really, but that was not worth the top score. Good dance, most certainly not the weakest, but not top of the leaderboard worthy IMO. I’d give this dance about a 22.
Gilles & Peta- I actually REALLY liked this foxtrot. Very smooth, authentic, full of content, but not too jumbled up. It was well-danced, well performed, well choreographed. A big bowl of lovely 🙂 Gilles is definitely not going to be beaten easily. However, I too noticed a hint of desperation with him. He did seem in little spots to be trying a little to hard to get things right, like “I have to win this time, I must be perfect in this foxtrot, I must be entertaining.” I would love Gilles to go back to his laid back, charming personality he had in season 8. But still, I do think it was one of the best in terms of the full package. I’d give it a 23.5.
Apolo & Karina- I think these two were one of the best in terms of hitting that balance between difficulty and content and fun and entertainment. They gave it tons of energy, gusto, and solid content, but they seemed to be natural and having a great time. Karina probably choreographed a better cha-cha than most of the others. It was difficult, had content, but was also fun, had some “slow down” moments, and felt balanced. Apolo also seems to be a better technician than last time, while still keeping his fun exuberance. He just needs some refinement and some hip action, but overall, fantastic job. I’d say 24.
Shawn & Derek- I knew I was going to adore these two, and I was right 🙂 It did seem a little “rushy” and a bit too fast paced for a foxtrot, but I blame a heavy majority of that on the very inappropriate song they were given. I loved it, but it was too fast for a foxtrot. That being said, I LOVED this and it was indeed a favorite of mine last night. The first thing I noticed was that Shawn has definitely become a mature woman. She actually PERFORMED and sold it. She had a new confident vitality about her that will really make her be likely the best girl. This dance was punchy (Perfect description! I agree Court :)), youthful, fun, beautifully danced, spunky, elegant in hold. Just wow all around. I say around 23.5 or 24.
Kirstie & Maks- Unfortunately, I felt pretty apathetic about this dance. I was halfway tempted to skip it halfway through. It was cute, Kirstie can dance well, but it was pretty marginal for an all star routine I’m afraid. I felt like she struggled with the rise and fall that I love to see in foxtrot, and her shapes could’ve been a bit better. Overall feeling of “meh” here, maybe I’ll love her more in Latin, that’s really where she seems to shine. 21.5.
Sabrina & Louis- Surprisingly, I actually really liked this cha-cha for the most part. The biggest thing was that, like Courtney mentioned, she hits everything REALLY hard. She needs to work on getting the smooth, earthy, fluid feeling, because it needs to be there as well in some form or variation, no matter what style you’re doing. Still, she dances right on time, with vibrancy, and with overall great precision. Sabrina for me is marginal from being very good to amazing. If she can work on that smooth, light & shade, etc, she could be incredible. I honestly am starting to love her enthusiasm. Is it a bit much? Possibly. But I do think she genuinely is having a blast and REALLY wanting to be there. Louis is “meh” for me at the moment. But, I still am getting to like Sabrina, hoping she improves and does well. I’d give it a 23.
Kelly & Val- HOLY crap!! Where did these two come from?? Man she improved by light years from season 1. Way to go girl! Far better technique, better balance, better showmanship, and DEFINITELY better connection with her partner. She and Val were on fire. Great chemistry, fun, energetic, good hip action and placement. Main thing is that she needs to work a tad on footwork and getting the bending and straightening of her legs. Other than that, very good. These two rose above what I expected, can’t wait to see more! I’d say 23.
Joey & Kym- Tons of fun, great timing. But it does need quite a bit of refinement. With that will come the other things he needs: precision, clarity, fluidity. But I found myself wanting to dance myself watching this. An extremely fun couple just like the first time. However, I do think he really needs to step it up technique-wise. Still, nice job. 22.5.
Bristol & Mark- As weird as I feel saying this, I did actually enjoy it. Again, WAY better than last time. I actually saw genuine facial expressions, a good bit more confidence, and some vitality in her movement. However, she still does seem to move a bit slowly and timidly in certain points. Her legs also got a bit weird in some places while being fantastic in others. They really seemed to look floppy getting to the finish, but once they got their, they looked quite good. Good job to these two. Major improvement. But, still one of the weaker contestants. I’d say 21.5.
Drew & Anna- As much as I hate to say it…Drew seemed to have a tough time out there. I’m not sure if it was nerves, Anna throwing a bit too much and overwhelming him or a combination of the two. Drew was very tense and a bit stiff, which was very noticeable as most of the foxtrots were REALLY smooth, even the weaker ones. That being said, I loved the song, there were some nice moments in this dance, he has loads of potential, and his footwork was quite good for the most part. I just hope he relaxes and Anna slows it down a little. If they do that, I still think they can do well. Overall, nice dance. Nervous and a little tense, but nice. 22
Melissa & Tony- Well, like Court, I did like it. It was smooth, well placed, and very classy. Beyond that though, I had a hard time really grasping it and seeing it as memorable. And like Courtney, her posture did seem a tad odd and her arms need some work. But, she has fantastic legs and flexibility and very good musicality. I think these two will definitely have to work on sticking out a bit more, as this kind of just faded into tonight for me. Really nice dance, but with a night full of really nice dances…well, that alone doesn’t get you anywhere. 22.5.
Helio & Chelsie- Actually, I think these two were one of the best in terms of doing a more relaxed (yet very fun), smooth foxtrot. Do I think Helio was one of the better dancers? No. But I LOVED Chelsie’s choreography and they seemed to really do well with light & shade. A fun dance for sure. However, if he wants to stand a chance with the stronger dancers and even some of the middle packers, he needs to REALLY work on his technique. 21.5.
Pam & Tristan- Oh wow… I am also left with an overall feeling of “WTF did I just watch??” Now if this was done in week 1 in a regular season?? I would’ve classified it as “pretty good” but for All stars?? Yowza. I hear something about Pam doing other things along with this? Yeah, I can see that. Big lack of refinement and she it really felt a bit messy and stumble-y. It was fun to a degree, but sadly, it was the worst dance of the night. Sorry Pam & Tristan 🙁 20.
Wow…excuse my horrible grammar…I’m running off of about 3 hours of sleep 🙂
First off, I kinda feel bad for those stars who will be on DWTS season 16 after last season and now this All Star Season. So much talent in this season and last. I liked the .5 scoring but I think trying something like the old figure skating system might work better (technical score and then a presentation score) for scoring but might as TV friendly.
My faves dances came were Kelly/Val, Emmit, Apollo/Karina,and Helio/Chelsie. Plus, these teams seem to have great partnerships and chemistry based on their video. I felt like some of the old partnerships lost some of their spark. Based on their video and dance, IMO Drew and Anna did not make a great impression:( I like them individually but not so much together right now.
Joey – I was expecting an uptick in technique given his run with the show. Great energy and fun with Kym (interesting choice of legwear on that one).
Shawn – For being a short, stalkily built girl, she really managed to pull off a fairly elegant, funky dance to non Foxtrot song. Still a bit lost in the shuffle though.
Sabrina – Courtney is exactly right – there is a thing as too much enthusiasm and her partner’s approach is not likely to do her ‘justice.’
Helio – While entertaining but forgettable. Seems to like Blondie#2, though being more of a Contemporarian, she’s not likely to push him on technique as the original.
Pam – Reminds me a bit of Kendra – she’s got legs just doesn’t know how to use them (in Latin dancing at least 😉 ). Plus she looked terrified and I find her dancing a bit small and frail looking in general even after a handful of runs on DWTS/type shows. Pretty sure she was trying to channel Amy Winehouse last night, but think it was lost. Not crazy about the song choice here either.
Melissa – Not bad but forgettable. (A word about Len: First he laments Shaw for not having and now it’s too much theatrics to a Broadway tune?!?)
Apolo – He has a great energy. Karina is not my fav, but a good fit to help him iron out his technique.
Gilles – Arguably one of the best male technicians ever on the show. Still this team doesn’t really appeal to me and the pimping of them is turning me off. [BTW, about the leg-wrapping greeting, remember that 1) dancers don’t have ordinary personal space boundary issues and 2) this is a TV show].
Bristol – As expected, somewhat better in both dancing and presentation, but still won’t be on my Youtube playlist anytime soon. She still really needs to work on her transititions as she regularly has very noticeably pauses between moves.
Drew – Not all dancing hope is lost just not feeling this partnership at all. His short stature did him no favors on the heels debonair Gilles. Btw, anyone know why the two swapped dance order?
Kelly – Decent mover who dances big for her size, but her bent legs distracted me a bit. Agree nice choreo by Val. But the obvious pimping and showmancing attempts…ugh.
Kirstie – She’s 2-for-2 for non-Foxtrot music. The song did zero favors but doesn’t fully account for some errors and lapses in technical areas that are usually among her better dance qualities. Even still the dance had some nice moments and I like the intangibles that she brings to her dancing. And no matter how she dances, she’s always up for a water cooler moment.
Emmitt – Somewhat sharper than I remember but still needing cleaner footwork and more hip action in places. Plenty likeable but overscored and overpimped.
In short, lots of good dancing, but many couples blended together that I found myself forgetting about by the end of the night…the taller contestants, both male and female left the most impact with me one way or another. Good luck to all!
Loved Shawn and Derek’s Foxtrot! Best one of the night given the music they had to dance to. If they had danced later on I think they’d have scored higher. I dont see how Len could give Shawn the SAME score as Bristol! Seriously! He needs to lighten up!!
I don’t know why the judges and TPTB LOVE Cheryl! I HATE her attitude! I wish she’d leave DWTS but really, what ELSE would she do? She’s not multi-talented like Derek and I think it REALLY bugs her that she hasn’t won more mirrorballs given how many times she’s made the Finals.
Kelly and Val are the couple to watch for sure, I was pleasantly surprised at how well she danced last night.
I think Pam and Tristan will be leaving tonight!
My review of the Premiere (sorry kinda late haha):
1. Joey and Kym – I though he was good. I agree with the judges his posture wasn’t that great. But I love his personality and his chemistry with Kym. I have him going far this season.
2. Shawn and Derek – WOW! I couldn’t tell which one was the pro or the celebrity. I mean seriously!!! That dance was sooo good. Even though it wasn’t a “traditional” foxtrot it was the best! In my opinion she had the TOUGHEST song to dance to. But her and Derek rocked it out of the house! And what’s with Len “6.5” score?! My mouth literally dropped! I think he gave the lower score to the song not the dance. VERY UNDERSCORED!
3. Sabrina and Louis – I have to admit but I like her Cha-Cha-Cha better in Season 5 than this one. It looked to force and not really feeling the chemistry between her and Louis. Shawn and Derek did better than this!
4. Helio and Chelsie – It was ok… but not Helio’s best. I hope he can have more balance and more connection with Chelsie.
5. Pamela and Tristan – A total mess – can’t believe she’s on “All-Stars”
6. Melissa and Tony – It was good too. But enjoyed it more in Season 8. I don’t think she’ll last long this time around.
7. Apolo and Karina – I loved it! He just needs to more a little more on his placement. But overall I loved it!
8. Gilles and Peta – LOVE THIS PARTNERSHIP!!! Kinda easy song though for a Foxtrot. Not really compared with Shawn.
9. Bristol and Mark – Sooo much improved!!! People need to start giving this women credit! All the hate! Calm down she IMPROVED A LOT!
10. Kelly and Val – TOTAL SHOCK!!! Freakin LOVED IT!!! And underscored!
11. Kirstie and Maksim – Loved Kirstie but hated the foxtrot. That’s it.
12. Drew and Anna – Don’t remember Drew with a bad attitude. Need’s to show more respect for his partner. No wonder people was thrown of that’s why he ended up in the Bottom 2.
13. Emmitt and Cheryl – It was good but not great! I don’t know why this dance was the top score of the night in my opinion. But I do loved Emmitt!
I don’t usually post here, but I would like to disagree with you a little. For the most part about Apolo, I did not like his dance hardly at all, I felt that he pretty much just stood there through the whole thing and shook his hips, which wasn’t even that good. Also, I think Emmitt & Gilles did a really good job and there wasn’t that much overscoring with them as you believe. Just my opinion.