DWTS 15 – What’s Left to Dance?
So obviously, this season is beyond wacky – double eliminations, no eliminations, new dance styles, guest judges, the whole shebang. And there have been quite a few questions about what dances are being done each week…while I don’t pretend to have a super-clear picture of how the rest of the season is going to unfold, I do have a little bit of info, and I think the bulk of our readers are smart enough to deduce a lot of things 🙂 So here’s my best (educated) guess at how the rest of the season will unfold – and keep in mind that, like other things this season, some of the stuff in this post has the potential to change. The double elim’s were scheduled for weeks 4 & 6, and then were moved to weeks 3 & 8 without explanation. It’s kind of a crap shoot, kids.
First things first: the question I’ve been seeing the most is “Will the couples be able to get through all of the 10 regular ballroom & Latin dances by the finale?” While I can’t say for sure, in all likelihood I doubt they will, given how many other extraneous dances they seem to be trying to fit into the schedule – unless they try and double or even triple up dances in some weeks, which I think is just asking for trouble. So it’s entirely possible that you may not see Gilles doing a quickstep, or Shawn doing a samba, or Apolo doing a tango, etc. Sorry kids – don’t shoot the messenger. So every couple has 5 regular dances still remaining – here they are, in no particular order.
ETA1: That’ll teach me not to look more carefully before hitting “post” 😉 I see now that Shawn & Derek ALSO have a fusion dance comprised of 2 dances they have yet to do, just like Gilles & Peta…while everyone else has done one of the dances in their fusion this season. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a bit of pre-planning in who picked what…but I can’t imagine any way they could do that, judging from how sloppy & disorganized the selection process seemed to be. Guess it’s all just a coincidence.
ETA2: Since this seems to be just too difficult for some to process on their own, let me spell this out loud and clear: THERE ARE TWO DANCES NEXT WEEK. TWOOOOO. NOT THREE. I know you saw Apolo’s tweet about 3 dances – the dude is referring to the fusion dance (which is ONE DANCE) as two dances, since it is two dances mashed together into one routine. Then there is the swing marathon. 1 fusion dance + 1 marathon dance = 2 dances. I can assure you, there is not some 3rd “secret dance” that the powers that be are going to spring on us at the last minute. Got it? Good, cause I’m done spoon feeding information to anyone that can’t be bothered to read this post.
ETA3: Small update – there will be one more dance this season (in week 9) that is a “new” style that the couples will pick for one another. No, I don’t have the list. Still not a peep about the Argentine tango – so at this point, I’m assuming we aren’t going to see it.
ETA4: Looks like they scrapped the idea of having celebs as the 3rd member of the trio dances, and we’re back to using pros (and troupe members) – phew! Also looks like salsa has been thrown into the mix as a possible trio dance, and it’s been confirmed: back-to-back double elims in weeks 8 AND 9 😯 Start making those extra verified accounts, kids…
Gilles & Peta – remaining dances: samba, paso doble, waltz, quickstep, Viennese waltz
Ruh-roh! Gilles only has 2 “sexy” dances left for him to get overscored on, based solely on his sex appeal. Then he’s got three of the pretty staunch ballroom dances to contend with – any bets on which of the 3 (or more) that he miraculously won’t get to this season? I could see him somehow dodging the waltz, since that seems to be a dance that has to be amazing in order for a couples to get votes. If there’s any dance I’d say Peta might struggle with choreographing, it’s the quickstep – for the simple reason that she’s only choreographed one so far on the show (for Donald) and I recall thinking it was a tad weak.
Shawn & Derek – remaining dances: samba, paso doble, waltz, tango, Viennese waltz
I think the fact that these two still have paso doble left bodes well for them – it’s a dance for which Derek almost always comes up with stellar choreography. Viennese waltz will probably be a good one as well. I do worry about the samba a bit, though, because it’s a dance that Derek has said is one of his least favorite to choreograph, and if I recall, it was one that Shawn got mixed reviews for on her original season. I wonder if it would benefit them to use it as their trio dance.
Melissa & Tony – remaining dances: cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, waltz, quickstep
I don’t see Melissa getting tripped up by any of these dances, but I’m also not sure if any will be stand-out performances, with the exception of the waltz. I remember her struggling a bit with paso doble during season 8, but if I recall, I think the bulk of the issues she had with it were due to a wardrobe malfunction; I’m kinda blanking on her cha-cha and quickstep. Rumba should make nice use of her flexibility. I think her cha-cha will most likely be her trio dance, since I’m having a hard time imagining a paso doble that focuses on a female celeb, since it’s really the “man’s dance”.
Emmitt & Cheryl – remaining dances: rumba, jive, waltz, tango, Viennese waltz
I’m just not sure quite what to make of Emmitt anymore – I do think he’s wildly entertaining, but I also think he’s probably one of the weaker dancers remaining in the competition…and the judges still seem pretty taken by his “charm”. So for that reason, it’s hard for me to say that I think he’ll struggle/do really well at any of these dances. Seems like he has more problems with the ballroom dances, though, so waltz, tango, and Viennese waltz could be problematic for him. He can be goofy in the jive, but I wonder about his technique; and I’m sure he’ll turn on the charm in his rumba…but will the judges call him out for lackluster technique?
Apolo & Karina – remaining dances: rumba, paso doble, jive, waltz, tango
As someone rooting for Apolo, I’m kind of hoping he can conveniently dodge the jive – that was the one dance in season 4 that I feel like he never really nailed. Then again, I do love the jives that Karina choreographs, and Apolo has improved since his original season…so maybe jive wouldn’t be so bad. If emotion is still a problem, rumba & waltz could be a bit of a struggle – but I think after seeing his Viennese waltz, I think he’s found the emotion he needs to bring to his dances. I don’t foresee him having any problems with tango or paso doble – “poker face” seems to be his specialty, so he’ll probably nail the mood of those dances.
Kelly & Val – remaining dances: rumba, jive, waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz
Aside from the rumba (which I’m sure they can’t wait to do, so they can show us all how much chemistry they have), it looks like these two have burned through most of their smoldery dances – and Kelly definitely seems weaker with the ballroom dances, so she may hit a bit of a wall with waltz, foxtrot, and Viennese waltz. Not sure how well I see her doing with jive – if the high speed of her tango was any indicator this week, jive may be another dance where Val really has to lead her hard in order to get her to keep up.
Kirstie & Maks – remaining dances: samba, paso doble, waltz, tango, Viennese waltz
I could see Viennese waltz being a problem, since it’s just so FAST – and I’m having a hard time remembering her Viennese waltz from season 12. She did ok in samba her original season, but I’m sure the judges have higher standards this time around. Paso? I think I remember it being awkward during her original season. Waltz shouldn’t be too big of a problem (if she can keep her shoe on), but I don’t think she did standard tango in her original season. I think the big problem with Kirstie is just that she’s the weakest dancer left – and while she may rely heavily on the “entertainment” factor, I’m not sure the dances she has left lend themselves easily to being entertaining.
Now I guess I’ll address various questions I’ve gotten on Twitter/here at Pure about the coming weeks:
Whats’s going on with this “dance fusion”? Well, as they explained last night, it’s a combination of two different dance styles, both danced to the same song. Now here’s the interesting part I noticed: with the exception of Gilles & Peta and Shawn & Derek (who have two unlearned dances), each of the couples’ fusions includes one dance they have already done, and one dance they have yet to do. Will they get to cross the unlearned dance(s) in their fusions off the list of dances they have yet to do, or will there still be the possibility of having to do one of those dances again later? For example, Kelly has the cha-cha/foxtrot fusion – will she be done with foxtrot after this week, or might she have to do another, regular foxtrot before the season ends? And someone asked on Twitter if I knew whether lifts & tricks would be allowed in these dances. To be honest, I don’t know, but I would think that only dances where lifts are normally allowed would be allowed to do them in the fusion dance…so in this case, I think Gilles is the only one that MIGHT be allowed to do them, since he’s the only one with Argentine tango as part of his fusion. Who knows, though – they seem to lift & trick crazy this season, so maybe they’ll let everyone do them.
Is there a trio dance this season? Yes, the trio dance is back – look for it in week 8. Originally, the “twist” that Heidi & I have been speaking of was supposed to be that the couples would be picking a former celeb contestant to participate in the trio with them, in lieu of a 2nd pro; but now, it seems like they may revert back to just including a 2nd pro…not really sure yet. If it is a former celeb, we don’t know if it’s a previously-eliminated celeb from this season (i.e. Drew, Helio, Sabrina, etc.) or if it could be ANY former celeb that’s done the show in the 14 previous seasons. If it’s the latter, I would assume that they probably already have a list of celebs from previous seasons that have agreed to participate in a trio dance if asked, and the couples would just pick from that list. Perhaps this is what the press releases from the beginning of the season meant when they said we might see former contestants coming back to perform again. If the third trio member is a pro, I’d assume it’s the same choices as last season – any eliminated pro from the current season, or any member of the troupe. We do know that the trio dance will be a Latin dance.
Are they bringing back the instant dance? Yes, and it’s in either week 9 or the finale week…or both. Allegedly, it will be one of 10 different styles…and no, and I don’t know what those styles are. If I had to guess, I’d say probably the 5 Latin dances (cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, & jive) and maybe salsa, mambo, jitterbug, bolero, & rock ‘n’ roll – since the couples will know their dance ahead of time (but not the music), that’s going to limit the list of dances to ones that don’t rely so heavily on musical cues…so that kind of rules out dances like contemporary, hip-hop, and Bollywood.
Is there a marathon dance? Yep, next week, according to Tom – and it’s a swing dance marathon. I could see Kirstie being at a disadvantage, just due to stamina (or lack thereof), and I think the athletes (Shawn, Apolo, possibly Emmitt) have an edge, just due to their level of physical fitness.
How many dances will the couples have to do each week from here on out? Two in week 7, two in week 8, allegedly three in week 9…and I’m hearing rumors of FOUR during finale week. Yes, I know that sounds absolutely insane for the finale (especially given the tidbit below), but if you think about it, they did four during the finale weeks of seasons 11 & 13…so it’s kind of become regular fall-season finale fare. Plus, I’m assuming one dance will just be a repeat of a dance they’ve already done this season, and maybe a re-tooled version of a dance they whiffed the first time around…so I wouldn’t necessarily consider it 4 completely new dances.
Is there anything special going on for the finale? We’ve been told that the freestyle will be “supersized” – whatever that means. I’m guessing it means they will be longer than usual…which I’m not so sure is a good idea.
What about the Argentine tango? As of this moment, I haven’t heard a peep about the Argentine tango – no word whether they are or aren’t going to do it, aside from Gilles lucking into getting it as part of his fusion dance this week. But I’m beginning to worry that it may have gotten scrapped in favor of one of these stupid “new styles” they seem hellbent on ramming down our throats. If they do find time to work it in, I would say it would almost have to been in week 9…or MAYBE finale week. The dances have already been determined for week 7 (fusion dance & swing marathon), and week 8 (one unlearned ballroom dance in honor of Veteran’s Day, one Latin trio dance), so they’re kinda running out of time…I’d brace yourself to not see it, kids.
So hopefully this addresses some of the many questions I’ve been trying to field individually…feel free to ask more, but be aware that I’ve pretty much already told you what I know as of this moment. I can offer opinions, but I’ve given you just about all the facts I have. Stay tuned later this week for a post that delves deeper into the dance fusion 😉
Very interesting. Thanks for the inside info Courtney!
I wouldn’t mind a “supersized” finale for Derek because I would love to see his imagination and talent in choreography and storytelling extended. Not sure what that means for anyone else.
As far as the trio dance, I didn’t like the idea of picking another celeb 1) Because now the pro has to train two people and they have enough on their plate with one and 2) I feel it would diminish the attention from the celeb still in the competition to have another eliminated celeb be in their trio dance.
Thanks for posting. I really appreciate it. (Gives me something interesting to read while at work). 🙂 It’s interesting to see what dances each couple has left. With the elections and debates going on, this season’s scheduling has been crazy. I don’t really know what to expect anymore.
An unlearned ballroom dance to honor veteran’s day? Oh god. I’m sooooo tired of dead people dances. JR’s military dance was enough.
Thanks PH! Love all this info! Re: trio dance – If it is a former celeb, then they all have to have someone who wasn’t on this season to make it fair. Those who were just voted off have had practice. Hines vs Helio for example. Obviously, the trio with Helio would have an edge, I would think.
I’ve decided that I want a “do-over” All Star season, and have it done MY WAY!
No celebrity will be paired with their former partner.
Judges will be ballroom judges, and circulate weekly.
ONLY ballroom and latin dancing.
No theme weeks, no hidden tricks or agendas, and nothing added or replaced at the last moment.
During MY dream all star season, the show will go back to the way it used to be…. Week 6 is the COMPLETELY UNSCORED group dance, and then in weeks 7, 8, and 9, each pair will dance 1 ballroom and 1 latin dance. Week 10 will have ONLY 3 dances, 2 on Monday… 1 dance the judges feel could be done better, and the freestyle, and the dance that’s the couple’s favorite on Tuesday.
Thanks for all of this information, Courtney! It’s really nice to be updated through the season.
Question for you: Do you think they will extend the season beyond 10 weeks? There are a lot of people left right now for it being week 7. They would have to do the scheduled double elimination week 8, another double elimination week 9, and then the finale. Thanks!
Thanks for all the inside info. Being as this year is so wacky what would we do without this site.
You all are the best.
Thanks for keeping us uninformed informed.
Glad everyone likes the post 🙂
To answer your question, Kaitlyn, I HIGHLY doubt they’re going to extend the season – not only have they already confirmed that finale week will be the week of November 26, but usually networks have pretty tight schedules, especially as far as premieres and finales are concerned…plus I think the revenue from primetime commericals drops significantly during the month of December, since so many shows have had their fall finales and the assumption is that more people are out eating, drinking, and being merry around the holidays. It’s similar to summer hiatus – there’s not nearly as much revenue to be had from commercials, since the assumption is that more people are out enjoying the nice weather. I would be prepared for double eliminations in weeks 8 & 9…or, if they’re feeling benevolent, allowing 4 couples in the finale (doubt it) and only doing a double elim in week 8. Guess we’ll see.
Matt, I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that it’s going to be “dead people dances” for Veteran’s Day. It very well could be a few patriotic songs or something with a more celebratory tone.
Meggie, I’m not convinced the celebrities will just be ones from this season – I get the feeling they could be celebrities from other seasons that perhaps couldn’t commit to another full season of DWTS, but were interested in coming back for one week. Ricki Lake comes to mind – I vaguely remember her saying she was too tied up with her talk show to do another season of DWTS, but would love to come back and dance with Derek again. Maybe she’ll turn up as the 3rd member of Shawn’s trio?
Of course my foggy mind would forget one key point that drives it all home: they wouldn’t bump the DWTS to finale because they want the huge viewership to be recorded for November sweeps. May & November are the big “sweeps” months (with February & August being smaller sweeps months), which means that the ratings in those two months are what help to set the rate the network can charge for commercials for the next 6 months. Thus, the networks try to stack their lineup in those months with the stuff that will pull in the greatest number of viewers – usually nail-biting finales or big “to be continued…” two-parters for dramas. Season finales typically pull in the greatest number of viewers…I doubt they’d forego that huge number in November by extending the season into December. They’d be flushing money down the crapper.
I think that if Apollo makes the finale, we are going to see him do a jive.
That all makes a lot of sense, Courtney. I figured they wouldn’t extend it, but it just seems crazy that there are going to be so many people eliminated in 3 weeks time. Not having anybody go next week is the dumbest idea (and as you mentioned, an extremely poor excuse).
This season is so disorganized. I do love all the different challenges and I love the show. Seeing all of the past celebs is fantastic, and the dancing is incredible. But I hope that if they ever do another all-star season, they don’t cram so much confusing stuff into it, and avoid election year!!! Thank you guys so much for straightening this all out! 🙂 So, is next week’s judge elimination definitely gone?
My apologies, Courtney! My thanks to YOU for the above post. I can’t see for looking! I actually looked at the bottom of the post to see who wrote it! 😳
I dunno. I think maybe that keeping as many celebs around for as many weeks as possible during sweeps month is a decent idea. More stars, more viewers? Anyway, I can see why they wouldn’t be too fashed about it. 🙂
Excellet post, Court! Thanks for putting this all together.
Oh please TPTB, let there be an Argenitine Tango week. It’s by far my favorite dance with the Paso Doble next.
I also want to see ATs! My favorite dance, followed by Pasos. 🙂
Thank you, Court, very well organized and clears up a whole lot of questions in a fell swoop.
Agree w/Evaine that keeping more celebs around for longer in Nov might help sustain a larger audience. (OT, I looked up “fashed” in online dictionary and am a better person for it.)
hear hear Lori … I’m with you. I want an All-Star do over
I also really, really hope there will an opportunity for the Argentine tango – one, it’s one of my favorite dances; two, they pretty much always put appropriate music with it; three, I was really looking forward to the earlier celebs (for instance, Apolo) dancing it, and four, it would be just not cool to have Gilles be the only one who gets the chance to dance it, since I don’t particularly care for him.
Lori, great ideas, I would enjoy it – and they’ve gotten so far away from that format in recent years that the way it used to be would be new again. 🙂
Me too – i looked up fashed in my online dictionary and came up with nothin’
This IT stuff isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be LOL
I’m old school so of course still have my old Webster at hand! And my vocabulary now has been enriched, thanks Evaine. I’ll have to be sure to use it every day for a week so that it’ll get stored in my brain, otherwise i’ll be looking it up again next week :))
Thanks, Court, for sharing all you know that’s solid enough to print at this time (even though it’s all subject to change in the blink of a producer’s bleary eye).
I feel like throwing a tantrum at the very real possibility of not getting any ATs, except from Mr. Ego. However, I’ll act like an adult and have a shot of Glenlevit instead. 😉
Mrs. Ryan (my grade 5 teacher) would be so pleased at the vocabulary enrichment! *LOL*
Great post.
Shawn is gonna run out of latin, I would love for her to get a regular paso as weel, especially if Derek doesn’t dance this week.
Week 8 she will definitely get V.waltz and Samba for the trio, not sure about week 9, maybe some a.tango and salsa.
I Wonder witch style they are doing for the marathon, I would say cha cha because is the only dance that everybody has done. (apart from Melissa, but since she has tango cha cha this week, it is ok).
I actually wanna see Apolo doing the jive, Karina is great with the jive like you said. I rather him miss the rumba, such a weird dance for male celeb, not his best dance on his season.
As Court said in the post, it’s a swing dance marathon.
Thanks for pointing it out so I don’t have to, Evaine 🙂
sorry, just saw that it is swing marathon. Don’t know much about swing, isn’t similar to jive somehow, based on stamina and already doing the jive, I think this is shawn to lose, Apolo has the stamina as well, but Jive was not his best dance his season and he hasn’t done this season. The only think that can hurt Shawn is the knee thing, but who knows.
Sometimes I hate iphone’s, I always miss something when I’m reading.
LOL Oh, good idea! 😀
Thanks so much for the info Court! 🙂 really appreciate it! I’m hoping they allow four couples in the finale… i don’t want to see 2 more double elims 🙁
Thanks for compiling this info, Courtney.
I agree that they really need to do the Argentine Tango. I don’t know why they’re wasting time with Veterans ballroom dances, when they could do the Argentine Tango instead. That’s far more exciting. I’m gonna be really pissed if they don’t do it.
I wonder if “Supersized” Freestyles means that they can use the Troupe and stuff like that? I always thought that they would be more exciting if they could do that. Not literally dance with them the whole time, but feed off of their energy and use them to improve the ambiance.
@Lori – I Absolutely LOVE your All-Stars Re-Do! If only you could have been in charge… Maybe next time!
Yeah, why don’t they just cancel Veteran’s Day while they’re at it? It’s a boring holiday anyway…< /sarcasm>
The next person that complains about the Veteran’s Day dances runs the risk of getting ripped a new one by yours truly, because I come from a long line of military service and think it’s going to be a wonderful tribute to those who have served our country. Have some respect. To quote Evaine, “it’s just a sparkly, glittery dance show” – if you have to sacrifice your precious Argentine tango for one dance dedicated to someone who has served our country, it’s a sacrifice well made. Remember: our season 13 champ is a veteran…just sayin’.
Here, here, Court! I totally agree. It’s our Remembrance Day here in Canada where we also honour our veterans. It’s about respect.
Comment 33 Well said, Courtney!!
Thank you Courtney!
Speaking of veteran’s…anyone see JR’s tweet about people who can’t dance, but getting ton of votes, staying on over people who can dance? Hmmm…whoever could he mean? 🙂
I’m I the only one who thought there’s no elimination next week because Kirstie didn’t get eliminated last night, and there’s a swing marathon that she probably (definitely) won’t win for extra points? The canceling of an elimination next week for a hurricane this week is nonsense.
Thank you, Court!
My Dad is a WWII veteran. He just celebrated his 93rd birthday and still works out twice a week in a senior weight lifting group (and I’m *not* talking about 5-pound hand weights people).
I will gladly give up Argentine Tango and a lot more to honor him and all the men and women who’ve followed in his footsteps to serve their country (and that includes Canadian vets).
Very informative post, always get the most (and most accurate) info here.
I don’t mind the Veteran’s Day tribute at all. The ballroom dances are some of the most beautiful. Just loved Derek and Jennifer and Derek and Brooke doing those dances. plus they seem to not be so hard on everyone physically. All this pounding seems to be causing injuries and everyone is physically exhausted by now. I really think 4 in the finals this year would be great. so are next weeks scores rolling over into the next week again? Not having an elimination next week was a bad idea.
Some of the fusion combos seem more simple than others. For instance, switching between tango and paso or between foxtrot and cha-cha seems to flow pretty well. But mixing an agressive tango or paso with a perky cha-cha seems like apples and oranges. Also wondering if Kirstie/Maks will have to somehow manage to do samba without breaking quickstep hold. Not saying anything is impossible, but some just seem harder. Hope someone knowledgeable picked the music, or some couples could really get screwed.
I think given the right combo, the fusion dances should work and be entertaining. Can’t wait to see them next Monday. Will be a break from the onslaught of election campaigning. 🙁
As for the swing marathon, they did one in Season 10. Fast paced. The only bad thing is that there is so much action you can’t see how everyone is really doing. This is where the judges can play favorites.
Thanks Courtney and all for standing up for Vets…I got pretty upset when I read about the “dead” people’s dance…you see my dad gave his life for this country…he died when I was 10 because he was exposed to radiation in the Korean War…because they culled out the really smart mathematicians to work on the brand new radar systems. My son is now a member of the Navy. Those “dead man” dances mean a lot to me. I still miss my dad every day and I would have given anything to have him with me as a I grew up and for him to know my son. Okay I think enough said…except perhaps did you serve in the military…or did you depend on people like my dad and now my son to protect your freedoms? I apologize if any of you think my post is ugly. I don’t mean it to be, it just bothered me all day and it took me this long to say it as nicely as I could.
As a veteran (Navy) who well remembers the Vietnam era of so much negativity toward members of the military, I am very honored that DWTS is recognizing veterans. Also thanking you for standing up for us, Courtney, and thank you to my fellow Vets and their loved ones. So many will truly appreciate these dances.
Beautiful post, Lynne. Thank you. Vets in my family as well.
@Thank you Lynne – What a wonderful story about a brave and honorable family. Prayers for your son that he stays safe and sound.
My father served as a Marine in the Korean War, but he was one of the lucky ones, he was able to come home and raise his family and even watch his grandchildren grow up. My heart goes out to you and others like you that don’t get to share in the same precious gift of a loved one returning home.
Now see, this is one of the reasons I love this site – so many caring people. I love to hear your stories. My dad was a vet of the Canadian navy. It’s super important that we continue to honor our vets so the generations to come realize what they gave up for us. I thank DWTS for doing that! 🙂
Lynne, I’m so sorry!!! hugssss I couldn’t agree more about the military and honoring them as much as we can and kudos to DWTS for doing so.
It’s been wonderful hearing everyone’s vet stories. Both of my grandfathers served – my paternal grandfather was a Marine colonel that stormed the beach at Iwo Jima and later served in Korea; my maternal grandfather (I called him Poppo) stormed the beach at Normandy and met my grandmother in England during the war. Growing up with such a stern, regimented Marine colonel for a grandfather wasn’t always fun, but I often credit him with my resilience and strong work ethic – plus he had a bawdy sense of humor and the best stories. I actually have a brass mortar casing he managed to haul back from IJ in my living room – we put umbrellas in it 🙂 And I still smile when I look at pictures of my Poppo & Granny on their wedding day – he in his dress uniform & she in her dress that her friends pooled their war rations to help her buy 🙂 When Poppo passed when I was 3 and grandad passed in 2009, both were buried with their purple hearts and flags draped over their caskets, and both got 21 gun salutes. I’ve never been so proud of my heritage.
I know we all love the show, and sometimes we get upset when things don’t go as planned and dances we love get scrapped. But let’s just keep in mind that it’s still just “a sparkly, glittery dance show” and there are more serious things in life that take precedence – and that paying homage to our vets is very important. It’s just one dance…I think we should gracefully accept it.
Do you think Maks picked tango (and cha cha) for Melissa because she is still recovering from her neck injury?
If so, that was not very nice >:|
Didn’t Melissa just do a tango? To me that’s a gift…to only really have to learn the cha cha cha. She can have Tango steps she just learned in it.
The point of choosing IS to use strategy and beat your opponents.
I think everyone needs to get past the notion of “so-and-so totally screwed over so-and-so when they picked this dance for them!!!” because at this point, it’s just getting dumb. TPTB have set things up this season so as to basically encourage the couples to screw each other over – and that’s exactly what some of them have done. It’s strategy, people. The way some of you are talking, I think you think it’s all kum-bay-ah and sunshine & rainbows and “Awwww, I don’t want to screw over a fellow cast member!” Not everyone is as benevolent as Sabrina. It’s still a competition – and the smart thing to do was to get rid of the “tougher” fusions so that you don’t get stuck with them yourself.
And after hearing all the music, I can state with certainty that I think EVERY SINGLE FUSION ON THAT BOARD IS DOABLE. I don’t think anyone is really all that screwed, unless they either a) couldn’t dance to begin with, or b) their pro doesn’t have a creative bone in their body. If anything, Cameron, I think Maks was nice when he gave Melissa & Tony tango/cha-cha…because if he were smart, he would have quickly gotten rid of that quickstep/samba fusion that I hear some of his fans bitching about and blaming Karina for. I don’t think tango is going to be any harder on her neck than Viennese waltz was. And I swear, I’m going to virtually slap the next person who whines about how “screwed” [insert couple here] is by their fusion style. I’m hearing way too much whining these days…it’s just a dance show, kids.
Heh. Derek was not screwed at all. How’s that, Court. 😀
I kinda wish he was…wait. Did I say that out loud?
That said, you wanna hear some whining, go listen to the Mark fans whine about how Derek fans have the nerve to be upset that he’s not dancing. Shocker.
It’ll be interesting to see what songs the couples will dance to for this fusion week. While I think some of the fusions maybe harder than the others, I don’t think any of them are really impossible. There’s no Waltz-Jive fusion, for example. It’s a challenge, which is, of course, the point.
The vets tribute should be nice. I have a couple uncles and a grandfather who served, so it’s always nice to see our veterans honored.
Is ther no Salsa this year ? That is one of my favorite dances
Hi everybody, first of all – thank you for the support during the hurricane – it was very important; and coming to this site every few hours to check the “normal” stuff, kept the rest bearable.
Special thank you to Teresa for offering to vote for me – that was super nice!!!
I missed both shows – Monday and Tuesday, but this is my opinion on the fusion dance – CRAZY, they should just let them dance!!!
Bombed about Derek – wish him speedy recovery!!!
My Dad is a Vietnam Vet, he served with the Army and did an 18month tour in Nam. My Maternal grandfather was a WWII vet also with the Army and served in Germany. My Father in law was also a WWII vet. I can’t believe how quickly this season seems to be going! Ahh..I don’t want Derek’s last season to end and now that he’ll be missing a week..well it just won’t be the same without him.
PH, Did I hear you right? You want to screw Derek? Yes, I went there. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
OK, mind out of gutter and back on topic.
I think some sentimental waltzes, uptempo quicksteps, and frisky foxtrots will make a great Veterans Day tribute. Looking forward to it. Hopefully that old fuss-pot, Len, will be in a good mood.
You read my mind….
…not like it’s that hard to read my mind or anything. 🙂
Ahh, no Agrentine tango this year? That’s one of my favorites! Oh well, at least Giles got it as one of his fusion dances. Like him or not, you have to admit he can dance a mean Agrentine tango. At least now I don’t have to worry about someone like Kirstie butchering it.
Yeah, PH, on this subject your mind is like a large-print book. Easy reading 😛
AbsAlice, Gilles might have done a mean AT with Cheryl back in the day, but I fear this time his AT might shade a bit too much to the raunchy side. That seems to be the road he and Peta have chosen to travel. I hope I’m wrong. As for Kirstie, if I’m remembering it right, I think AT was one of her better dances last time. Of course, “better” is a relative term.
I end up climbing on my soap box and ranting every Rememberance Day because stores that are closed on New Years Day are open on Nov 11th. I personally think Nov 11 is WAY more important then recovering from a night a partyinG.
So glad that DWTS is doing a tribute night, so many shows just ignore the day. Now to make it perfect, someone should dance to “Rememberance Day” by Bryan Adams, but given that it is an American show I won’t hold my breath (blue is not my colour)
Wow I guess I shouldn’t post while trying to work, hit enter too soon & typos galore.
Hopefully the judges will keep the personal feelings out if it that night and just judge the dances.
What does Apolo mean by 3 dances this week, fusion dance (2) + marathon or actually three dances
TWO DANCES, laila – the fusion & the marathon.
One of my family members is a member of the military right now. It is my opinion that schmaltzy dances on Dancing show is not my thing. It doesn’t project my thought on the military in general, and I don’t think a dance or slapping a ribbon your car reflects whether you support the military or not. I think that it’s a gimmick for DWTS, just like these themes constantly are. The holiday isn’t, but I’m not gonna pretend that the DANCING should hold some divine, sacred, purpose and that the purpose for DWTS doing it is anything more than that.
You were doing fine until you got to your second paragraph, sweetheart. No, it’s not okay for you to comment on other posters or take wacks at the mods on this site. This is not a democracy, it’s a blog we moderate as we see fit. You don’t like how it’s working, no one’s forcing you to read it. – Heidi
“Hear”, I mean.
“Didn’t Melissa just do a tango? To me that’s a gift…to only really have to learn the cha cha cha. She can have Tango steps she just learned in it.”
I think that she can improve on her Tango. It was a little lackluster the first time to me, so she’s got a chance to really improve.
I also don’t think that Maks was trying to hurt Melissa with his choice. He’s good buds with Tony, and I actually think Tango/Cha-Cha is one of the better combos. Kirstie’s reaction was hilarious.
Sorry, but I forgot … who picked Argentine Tango for Gilles? I’d like to slap them silly lol.
Sheery, Val chose the AT for Gilles to help his sister in law no doubt. I’m sure he would have caught hell from big bro if he had given her a challenging combo. There’s a definite conflic of interest there imo. Are they supposed to first, maximIze their partners chances, or take care of thr “fam?”
Definitely a conflict of interest Katarina. But at the end of the day you go home to your family. Like them or not, they’re definitely, maybe understandably, predictable in that department. 🙂
Katarina, thanks for reminding me.
If you’re Kelly then you shouldn’t give a rat’s tail about the C Brothers’ “family”. She’s trying to stay on show and Gilles is big competition to her. Unless she was clueless to the fact that his A. Tango was ranked the #2 dance of all time on dwts during s11 when they did the countdown.
Absolutely. Unfortunately for Kelly, Val isn’t going to put her over his “family”. Kind of hijack’s the whole show when you mix in family members if they can’t be impartial and add into the mix romantic relationships with other cast members on the show etc. Can get uncomfortable at times, for me anyway. Well, now that I think about it, Kelly should feel right at home in this DWTS soap opera.
Hello,
How many dances they’re will be next week 2 or 3? Thankk you!!!!
Monsy, read the post.
I feel for you, Courtney.
Back to back eliminations? ahhh 🙁
*off making more accounts*
sorry, meant to say back to back double eliminations
Glad about dance trio is back, I think it will probably go down:
Cheryl/Emmit with Kym
Karina/Apolo with Chelsie
Melissa/ Tony with Tristan
Peta/ Gilles with Anna or Sharma
Val and Kelly with Henry or Sasha
Maks and Kirstie with Henry or Louie
Shawn/ Derek with Mark ( pretty much confirm by Derek on twitter)
Thanks for the update Courtney!
I really really wish they could have scrapped the 3rd double elimination and had a final 4 instead… 🙁
Based on the dances that are left, should be interesting to see which couples gets the salsa. I’m talking in particular about the 3 couples who still have the jive left – Apolo, Kelly, and Emmitt. IMO, Kelly and Emmitt stand the most to be benefitted from having the salsa instead of the jive – now will the producers favor them (as they pretty much have all season) by giving it to them??