PureDWTS Season 18, Week 5 – Power Rankings
Well Disney week went just as predicted, for the most part – overall, it was a pretty feel-good evening in terms of scores and critiques, (minus one or two puzzling comments here and there), and the rules seemed to be relaxed a bit; the animations dancing along the couples were not as intrusive as they were made to sound; Donny, of course, managed to make every critique all about himself instead of the dance he just saw; and Erin (who looked like she was going to the prom and her bff had done her hair & makeup and let her borrow a “super expensive” Claire’s rhinestone necklace) did not call a moratorium on obnoxious questions in honor of Disney week, and continues to bug. The opener was probably the best we’ve seen so far this season – tons of fun and a good use of the Disney songs they were actually able to clear (more on that later).
So what did we learn tonight? That if you give the impression of not really caring about being on DWTS, then the audience won’t really care about voting for you. Such is the case with Cody, our first “shocking” (but not really, when you think about it) elimination of the season – I think many of us had commented that he seemed rather blase about the whole experience, and just didn’t seem to be very invested or enthusiastic about learning the dances. I know many had assumed that he was getting “tons of votes” from his teenybopper fans, but once again, I reiterate: it’s not how a small (but vocal) minority is voting; it’s how the main demographic (middle-aged women) is voting that will determine long-term success on DWTS. I doubt Cody is too disappointed about getting sent home, though – his pride may be wounded, but I’m sure he will be right back to donning his genie pants and admiring his hair in the mirror while singing “Surfboard” to his supermodel girlfriend in no time. 😛 He got his exposure, he’s good to go – I just feel bad for Witney, who made a pretty damn good showing for her first outing as a pro and just suffered from having a partner that didn’t connect with viewers, despite her best efforts. Thank god for the switch-up – I think her week with Drew was just a taste of what she’s capable of as a pro. She’s got a thumbs-up from me if they want to bring her back as a pro next sesaon! 😉
So now that we’re at the halfway point of the season, how are things looking, overall? Hate to say it, but I’m starting to get the William Levy-vibe from Meryl – somebody that the judges/PTB seem intent on jamming down my throat as the be-all, end-all, and someone who manages to avoid negative critiques altogether despite making technique mistakes that other couples get called out on in a heartbeat. I’m also still not quite sure what the deal is with Charlie – the judges seem to be much harder on him than Meryl, despite him not really being inferior to her in terms of skill; can’t decide if they’re setting him up for more of a “journey” arc or what. Danica seems like she might still be in the mix as a potential contender, but the judges seem to run hot & cold on her; James, however, has solidified his position as this season’s “dark horse” in a BIG way – I would be nervous if my name were Meryl, Charlie, or Danica, because James is HUNGRY for that MBT.
1.) Meryl & Maks – This is the portion of the power rankings where I remind our readers that this is NOT a ranking of who I think danced the best last night, but who I think has the most staying power 😛 So that being said – I think if any other couple had done this exact same samba, they would have gotten chewed out for complete lack of bounce and not wearing heels. The problem with Meryl’s technique on this one is that the whole feel was just a bit too “smooth” – samba is syncopated, and the 1&2, 2&2 count isn’t divided up evenly – the first count is held longer, with the “&2” done quickly right after, so it’s more of a “1…&2, 2…&2”; that little pause is essential in helping to get the feel of the bounce, and Meryl didn’t have it. The addition of those flat shoes also didn’t help much, and just enhanced the more jazzy feel of the dance. The samba rolls, while pretty, were also not 100% correct – Meryl’s right arm should have been extended out behind her instead of folded over Maks’. Danica pwns Meryl when it comes to samba rolls – check back to her week 2 samba to see what I’m talking about. I’ll cut them a break on the swing/Lindy portion in the middle, as I have a feeling they were told they had to do that portion with the animated characters; but it didn’t exactly help me to remember that what I was watching was a samba and not a jazz or freestyle routine. I’m definitely a bit irked that the judges didn’t have the balls to call them out on any of it – it was all “You were great!” and then they just handed out 9’s. For a non-samba, samba.This is part of why I find myself just getting really turned off of Meryl, to no fault of her own – it’s as if she can do no wrong on this show (or rather, she can do wrong and not get called out on it) and TPTB feel the need to CONSTANTLY remind me how great Meryl is. I’d rather form my own opinions, thanks – Meryl is talented enough on her own that I don’t need someone constantly gushing in order to remind of it.
2.) James & Peta – Last night just proved to me that James has IT – the skill, the drive, and appeal to win this whole thing, and may prove to be a strong 3rd party candidate for those who might not be all that jazzed about Meryl & Charlie in the finale. And I do have to give props to Peta, who seems to have bounced back from a bit of a lackluster week in terms of choreography with her rumba with Charlie – I actually LOVED how this all came together with the animation, and the lifts were fantastic. James did a star lift – a f*cking STAR LIFT (sorry John)!!!! That’s widely considered one of the most difficult lifts in pairs figure skating/ice dancing/cabaret & theater arts-style ballroom dancing – it’s incredibly difficult to get into and maintain and requires a LOT of strength on the part of the man. And James handled it like it was no big deal – I’m not even sure I’ve ever seen Charlie do one (then again, I don’t follow figure skating religiously). Even Tony (who is probably the best lifter on the show) and Julianne (the best liftee we’ve ever seen) struggled with holding it at the end of the season 4 “Ballroom Blitz” pro dance. But anyway – besides that stellar (no pun intended) lift, I also appreciated the rest of the dance because James just surrendered completely to it, and also just has a great quality of movement. And on top of that – James just seems like an all-around good guy. Inviting the fan with Down Syndrome to the show? Above and beyond. He’s got my stamp of approval if he just wants to go ahead and win this whole thing 🙂
3.) Charlie & Sharna – Poor Charlie – last week it was the choreography the judges took issue with, this week the poor guy flubbed one cane toss in a routine riddled with complicated prop movement. And I think that’s actually one beef I have with the choreography – I felt like they might have gotten a bit bogged down in the complex movements of the cane and umbrella, and if it were me, I probably would have ditched the props halfway through and focused more on the side-by-side choreography. Overall, it was a cute routine, though – as always, Charlie kept up with it well and really committed to it…I get the feeling he is a really good sport and unconcerned about looking goofy or corny, which just makes him more adorable 😛 Loved the bumper they did with him and the penguins – kinda wondered why they didn’t just add it into their routine, but it was already pretty crowded onstage with the “chorus” of troupe members up there. Overall, I don’t have a whole lot more to say about it – I guess I was just expecting them to totally SLAY this routine, and they really only gave it a good smacking around. I’m hoping he can rebound next week and maybe get a perfect score – he’s had a rough go of it the past few weeks and needs a break. 🙂
4.) Danica & Val – I was honestly surprised that they were able to get “Be Our Guest” for Danica, because there were apparently issues with clearing the rights to both this song and “Hakuna Matata” (which apparently cost too much moola, because Cody ended up with “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” instead). But I think it all worked out nicely for Danica – it was a sweet, pleasant quickstep to watch, and I thought having the troupe members play plates and cups and whatnot was cute (if not a tad distracting). No major issues, although I am a bit irked that they called her out for lack of body contact (which was a major sticking point in Candace’s low-scoring quickstep last week), then give her a near-perfect score??? God, it gets my goat when the judges critiques and scores do not match up AT ALL. But oh well – Disney week was kind of a lax week anyway, so I guess it doesn’t really matter too much.
5.) Amy & Derek – Probably the dance I saw the most arguments about last night – some arguing that Amy deserves to be cut breaks due to her special circumstances, others saying that it’s not fair that she doesn’t get called out for the same things that the other contestants do. I guess I fall somewhere in between the two camps: I do think the judges have to take special consideration when critiquing and scoring her, because there’s certain things that, no matter how hard she tries, she simply isn’t physically able to do – pointing her toes and really getting rise and fall being one of them; in the same token, though, I don’t see anything wrong with pointing out that Amy does get judged using a different set of rules than the rest of the contestants – I think denying that she’s getting special treatment is also denying that she’s disabled in the first place. Anyway – I enjoyed their dance and thought it was lovely to watch, with or without rise & fall and/or lifts. Honestly, in the great scheme of this season – is it really going to matter much that Carrie Ann didn’t deduct one point from one dance for some lifts? Hell, at least once a season, Carrie Ann conveniently misses a blatant lift and doesn’t deduct points. I don’t think it was any different than Len not deducting for Drew & Cheryl breaking hold in their quickstep – and really, Disney night was kind of a cushy night, anyway. Everyone got cut a break or two. I just don’t see the sense in getting all riled up about it. As much as I love Amy, I don’t see her winning this season, or even making it to the finale (especially if Meryl continues to get pimped and James stays hungry) – so I guess I don’t mind a whole lot if they cut her some slack on things that are just a physical impossibility for her. I do have an interesting question to pose, though: would we be hearing this much complaining if her partner’s name wasn’t Derek? Just some food for thought….
6.) Candace & Mark – I was honestly worried that this samba was Candace’s swan song – the way the judges and even Candace herself were talking, I thought she was a goner for sure. But thankfully, she lives to dance another week – and her samba turned out pretty cute. I do have to commend her on actually having bounce in her samba (and actually wearing heels), which certain other contestants didn’t do this week… 😉 Sure, there were a few awkward parts here and there, but both she & Mark really committed to the character of the dance and gave a very fun, cute performance…and Candace even showed off a bit of midriff!!! Christian housewives gone wild, kids. 😛 I’m hoping she sticks around awhile longer, but I’m beginning to wonder if she, NeNe, and Drew have been labeled as “disposable” by the judges – it seemed like they were really digging to find stuff to pick at with her samba…as if they were bound & determined to justify giving her a lower score. Guess we’ll see…
7.) Drew & Cheryl – I think Drew unfortunately just had an off-week – from what I heard, he & Cheryl were traveling a LOT this past week, and Drew was just downright exhausted…and unfortunately, it kind of showed in his quickstep. Seemed like he lost steam and got a little off-time at a few points, and he didn’t seem quite as invested this week as he did with his cha-cha with Witney last week. I think his performance also suffered a bit due to the animation section in the middle, which seemed to disrupt the flow of their dance – I could have done without the genie. Also could have done without Drew’s “squinty face” that he was making – was he just thinking really hard as he danced, or does somebody need to get this man a set of contact lenses for when he dances? Anywho, I’m hoping he can make a bit of a comeback with his tango next week – would like to see him stick around until at least Latin week.
8.) NeNe & Tony – Oddly enough, this ended up being one of my two favorite routines from Disney night – I knew NeNe would make a PERFECT Cruella De Vil, but I was impressed with how into the character she really got while still giving a pretty admirable foxtrot. LOVED the bluesy, more urban take on the song that they used – really fit NeNe well, and seemed to enhance the slinkyness of the steps she was doing. She might have gotten a tad off-time at one point, but other than that, she seemed to really commit to the routine and I enjoyed it thoroughly. As for the spat with Tony in rehearsal? I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but judging from some of the reactions I saw on Twitter, I’m afraid it might come back to haunt her – I guess I don’t blame her for being all “Derek, Derek, Derek” after having a bit of a breakthrough week with him last week, but I also feel a bit bad for Tony, who was man enough to admit that he was a tad insecure about it. Really & truly, I blame TPTB for the circumstances of the switch and any bad blood it might have created – but a lot seem to think that NeNe was being overdramatic (eh, partially true) and have checked out on this partnership. And then, of course, there’s some that blame Derek for the whole thing – cause giving someone’s partner a great routine and helping them to kill so that they don’t get sent home is SUCH a dick move, guys 😛 Anywho – I kinda hope they last through next week, because I do think she’s a better dancer than Drew at this point (maybe even Candace, too), but I’m wondering how much effect that bad rehearsal package might have on the outcome of voting.
The “Rivalry Scorecard” for the week:
Charlie vs. Meryl – This is kind of an odd one – Charlie got picked on more in his critique, but got a better score; Meryl got nothing but praise in her critique, and got a lower score than Charlie. Tie again, maybe? Running total: Charlie 4, Meryl 3.
James vs. Cody – Well, James got the first perfect score of the season, and Cody got sent home, sooo… Running total: James 4, Cody 1. WINNER: James
Danica vs. Candace – Danica, who got one point off from a perfect score, while Candace is still only getting lukewarm critiques & scores from the judges. Running total: Danica 4, Candace 1.
So how do you guys think Disney Week panned out? Did the right person go home? Who’s on the chopping block next week? What say you? 😛
Still voting for Candace here, but got to say, I just love everything about James. Would be great if he could win this thing!
Just excellent as always Court. And you are right about voting and what happened with Cody. I think people sort of lost interest when he didn’t seem as interested. But, I have to really give it to Witney as a first year pro. She really tried and gave it her all.
Ok, here are my rankings….
1. Amy and Derek – In all the time I’ve been watching this show, I have never been more touched than I was last night because of these two. I agree with Carrie Anne. These two created magic. They were enchanting and romantic. It was like watching “a dream come true” for real out there. Amy continues to challenge herself and inspire with anything that’s thrown at her and with so much heart no matter what. She’s unbelievable as well as Derek. I’m so glad she has him not only because of his talent, but, for his support and love. They made me cry all through out the package and dance too. Just lovely as ever. They deserved all 10’s for this dance and were underscored in my opinion.
2. Sharna and Charlie – I knew these two would be great and that they were! The speed of this dance and that Charlie kept up the way he did blew me away. I loved the way his HAIR bounced and flew with the dance too (one of my favorite parts of why I like to watch him dance and skate). Sharna was beautiful as always. Both were so charming and full of character. I also love the difficulty of the dance with adding a cane and an umbrella to the mix too. So cool!
3. Danica and Val – For the first time, I thought she really brought it. She glided out there. Her technique was better….and the performance factor was off the hook. They were dashing and beautiful. Huge props again to Val for coming up with challenging and brilliant choreography again too. They just seriously entered the ball game.
4. James and Peta -From the beautiful Disney graphics to the choreography of this dance, I was blown away. They brought the power of emotion and romance into every move. Just stunning. Everything. This guy is a serious dark horse.
5. Meryl and Maks – I’m kind of mixed on this dance. There was something lacking. The performance factor is there, but, the difficulty in choreography is not. It’s also not in the same league as the people above. If this keeps up, they won’t make it to the finals. But, I agree with Carrie Ann too for how there is a special feeling between these two that has become deep.
6. Drew and Cheryl- Don’t you just love his showmanship and “larger than life” attitude every week? He may have been a a little sluggish around the turns and with some of his footwork, but, the entertainment factor always prevails for him.
7. Candace and Mark – This dance seemed a little messy through out. Like the judges, I too can feel Candace is nervous. I also thought the choreo and production was kind of lame compared to all the others. With that said, I still love that she is like a “ray of light” out there.
8. Nene and Tony – lol I just loved all of Nene’s confidence and attitude with this dance and how she told Tony like it is. She also never broke character which she has learned to utilize in covering up her flaws. You can tell she’s learned a lot from Derek last week and Tony is jealous. With that said, there was a lot of stiffness going on too.
All the riled up Cody fans on Twitter saying that the show’s going to lose all it’s viewers….right, okay. I wonder if he was losing to Billy Dee in votes.
Interesting also how Cody’s last two Instagram posts have been about Surfboard and nothing about DWTS…I think he got the promotion he needs, he wasn’t really there to learn to dance.
James is a real dark horse, and he is quickly giving two Olympic ice dancers and Danica a real run for their money. Also loving Peta this season…so much less of the showmance arc from her, even when Erin sometimes tries to shove it down their throat.
Excellent Court!
Like I was telling Derek fans on twitter last night – you can’t vote someone OFF DWTS. This ain’t survivor. So, NeNe should be fine unless the uber sensitive La Familia fans turn against her. But even still, it’s the regular viewers who decide.
I think you pretty much have to be a brain dead moron to blame Derek for any part of the Tony-NeNe spat though. I mean, really?? Dude gave her his best, was excited to dance with her, and made her shine. What an asshole. LOL.
I’m at the point where I hope your ranking of Meryl turns out to be as wrong as when you gave number 1 to Willy. 🙂 Maks is screwing this thing UP. Big time. Of course, even if Amy is eliminated in week 7 or 8, somehow it will be Derek’s fault when Meryl doesn’t win. I wonder if he realizes his own power, that Derek.
Of course there wouldn’t be this much complaining if any other pro was dancing with Amy.
Drew might be in trouble because I have day after forgetfulness with his dance.
I was SO happy that Candace was safe after she got screwed by the judges last week. They need a reminder once in a while that they aren’t all that.
I think this could come down to James and Charlie. At least, I hope so anyway.
Charlie and Danica were my favorites of the night! The song choice and style was right up Charlie’s alley and I thought Danica performed beautifully. Really disliked the song choice for Meryl. That song is a swing, not really a samba.I wish she and Candace had traded songs but ah well. Still would have liked to see more creative choreo from Maks. I agree that TPTB are propping Meryl up, and I feel bad that she’s going to get the flak for that, since from the beginning she’s just gushed about wanting to have fun after the Olympics and enjoy the ride.
Strangely, I think James looks like a stronger contender than Charlie in terms of male celebrities right now, partly because he’s “less of a ringer” than Charlie is but he’s doing pretty darn well. I think James also probably has a bigger fan base.
Maks and Meryl’s dance this week was not really a samba, but then again, that music was not really samba music. The choreography wasn’t too inspired, but if I were Maks I would not be too happy about being forced to be a character I didn’t want to be either. I’ll give them a pass this week because of really terrible music and dance genre disconnect.
Heidi, I agree that there is a special connection between Maks and Meryl though. They might not have the best choreography, but the chemistry is there at least. Hopefully for the sake of Meryl, Maks will see how his subpar choreography is impacting Meryl in the competition and step it up for their tango next week.
I def see Amy in the finals. A winner? Hard to say, although it’s not impossible, especially if Derek comes up with a touching freestyle (khm *Kellie/Derek* khm). Can I just mention that it broke my heart when she was crying in a package? This girl is so brave and inspiring, yet she is so hard on herself. She is in it to win it any I love that!
James is suprising me more and more and he is my favorite male celebrity right now. Yup, he beat Charlie. 🙂
In the finals I see Amy, James, Meryl and Charlie. Who is going to win? Hard to say, but I don’t want Maks/Meryl to win, because Maks just doesn’t deserve it with these kind of choreography. C’mon dude, here is your chance to finally win it this season and you are screwing it big time with your boring routines.
I am shocked to see Cody go, if I’m being honest, but I’m not sad. I just wasn’t feeling him.
Overall, I loved Disney night – as I knew I would. Sure there were a few moments of awkwardness, and Erin just seems so out of place, but these are minor complaints in a pretty well-executed theme. I do hope this one sticks around and they are able to clear even more songs for the next go-around.
James – wow, I’m a believer. He’s got the whole package – great looks, fun personality, commitment to the process, and is a hell of a dancer. When talking to my boyfriend’s mom and sister (prime DWTS demo) they were both so impressed with him, and I think it’s indicative of how surprising he has been. Not only that, but I think Peta is very invested this season and is challenging herself choreographically, without simple smut factor. Oh, my daughter did have one beef with an awkward splice in the song editing, but overall great routine.
I have to say, I was so impressed with NeNe and Tony this week. Everyone knows that I am Tony’s biggest detractor on this site – but I can’t deny that I was proud of him for admitting his insecurities about Derek. It’s a natural feeling and to act beyond that would have rang false. I think NeNe’s reaction may have been a bit dramatic, but it was obviously a tense time for them. But then they came together and I agree with Carrie-Ann – it was one of Tony’s best routines, ever. Great use of NeNe’s skills, her personality, and the theme. I think for all these reasons it was not overscored and they deserved those 9’s. Okay now I have to shower after giving such positive feedback about Tony.
Courtney, I COMPLETELY agree with you about Charlie and Sharna’s routine – I wanted a tad more side-by-side and less prop work. It was a great routine, but just shy of perfection for me, cane drop or no. But I LOVED LOVED LOVED the penguin dance bumper – Charlie’s face while doing that dance really won me over. I think even my boyfriend is rooting for him at this point, just for his goofy, endearing personality and his effortless moves (although his adoration of Sharna may be a factor, too).
I thought Derek and Amy did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the song and the movie, and I’m so impressed with how he created the movement with minimal floor-work. It’s gotta be a testament to both of them that they make what Amy is doing look like it’s not a big deal, when in fact, it’s unheard of.
I had SO much fun with Mark and Candance’s routine last night. Mark is just a goof and really went for it – cheesy as hell, but we were laughing for a full ten minutes after. I will never look at Sebastian the same way again, haha. I admire her for her eagerness and commitment to the dance, and she really tries hard, so I’m glad for both of their sake that they stuck around. She’s a true newb and her struggles with the samba movement felt “right” for a non-dancer, if that makes sense. But it didn’t detract from the fun.
I could not stop looking at Drew’s open mouth in the dance last night – seriously, his mouth was agape the entire routine. I think he looked tired and while it was fun, it seemed to be the most off routine of the night. Cheryl looked great, though, and I loved his costume. I’d say he may be in danger of leaving, though.
I think Meryl and Maks suffered the most from their song and dance combo, and I’ll give Maks credit in that parts looked like a lot of fun, and I do like them dancing together. But I do feel like in the hands of a greater choreographer this could have been a better routine. Still, it was good, and for once I didn’t mind clean-shaven Maks.
I thought Val looked kind of hot, which is weird, but I think they did a great routine and sure enough, Danica looked like a pro out there. I enjoyed it, although of the *great* dancers she is my least favorite and I wouldn’t mind seeing her go before the semi-finals.
I had a feeling Cody was not getting the votes, and while he seems like a nice enough kid, I’m glad he’s gone rather than anyone else that is left. I will also admit that maybe I was wrong about Witney, as I HATED her in the troupe. But she doesn’t ham it up too much in the celeb partner dances, so I do look forward to seeing what she can do next season. The elimination made me feel worse for her than Cody.
I kinda felt like Cody would go by the end of the night. It seemed like they were throwing the likely situation of ‘goodbye Candace’ in our faces that it almost seemed too obvious. I was waiting for them to throw a curve ball.
Just a few quick thoughts.
Charlie and Sharna? So impressive. And his hair? Yes. I loved the dance he did last week with Peta BUT his hair flying is his calling card so slicking it back took that away. Glad to see it was back!!
I watched wall to wall coverage of the Olympics. I saw tons of interviews with Meryl and Charlie. Meryl seems nice but I never came away from any of those thinking I knew her. Charlie, on the other hand? Fell in love with him. I came away from every interview liking him more and more. The same goes with DWTS. I just can’t warm up to Meryl and it has nothing to do with Maks. She seems nice but I just don’t get anything else from her. I’m just not sure I can explain it. Then top it with the propping that TPTB are doing and I’m coming away just feeling ugh!!!
I have no idea if Maks is capable of better, harder, etc choreography but if he is, he needs to start pulling it out. Meryl is capable. He is doing her no favors at all.
I had no idea who James was before this season. But I’m sold. He is in it. He has learned. I also love the fact that he is not promoting the showmance thing. I like that.
I hope that Charlie and James are the final two. I will have to figure out who to vote for then, A good problem to have!!!
Thank you for clarifying how you came up with the rankings, Courtney! It’s a good reminder for me as a reader to understand where you’re coming from. It also helps me to view each dance in all possible aspects: costume, choreography, actual performance, judging, and even BTS packages.
For me, I’d put Amy and Derek above Danica and Val. The rest are in their right places for this week.
Glad that Candace is safe. Goes to show that she was getting the necessary votes. I’m okay with NeNe staying another week, but hers was the only negative package shown this week, and the second one so far this season (Sean’s being the first), if I am not mistaken. I wonder, too, how that would would come into play in the voting this week.
For me, as far as Amy goes my issue is with the judges, I believe CAI said in the beginning of the season that they were going to judge get like everyone else, correct me if I’m wrong, then last night she says she won’t. For the record I don’t feel like they should judge her like everyone else because she doesn’t have the equipment to do so, but I don’t have a solution for how they should judge her either. I just hate when the judges are inconsistent, but ultimately I have to just “let it go”, pun intended, cause the judges will never be consistent. I don’t know if I would say nene was being overly dramatic considering I’m sure there’s more that was edited out of what was filmed of them,I do know that in that package she didn’t even go full “naynay” on him, but did she do so and they just didn’t show it? Hmmm. I’m gonna have to watch that back bc I don’t remember Tony admitting his insecurities. I have to say, while I still would have preferred a different house wife, she has surprised me by not behaving as i thought she might, but I don’t think she’s gonna be around much longer. Now just for one wish, can they please just not bring Donny back in any capacity whatsoever,
Yup, I agree James was awesome last night. Definitely in contender territory now.
Is it a four or three celeb finals?
Donny was irritating and just a reminder Donny, you only sang the song. BD Wong did his actual voice. Not the same thing.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention – I didn’t mind Donny in his season, if only because he was tempered by Kym and I do like his “entertainment” personality. But good lord, he is so self-centered. I didn’t enjoy most of his critiques, and he didn’t even mention that he was only the SINGING voice of Chang (although I did enjoy that song a lot).
So far this season my favorite guest judge has been Robin Roberts. She was supportive and complimentary and just a good “presence” at the judges table, even if she didn’t have expertise.
Right now I’d like to see Charlie, Meryl, James, and Amy in the finals.
I found it very interesting that both Cheryl and Witney happily incorporated what of value their partners got from the switch up, while Tony couldn’t even stand to hear Derek’s name. I couldn’t believe that it bothered him so much that he felt compelled to voice his disagreement when Carrie Ann said she thought the switch was “the best thing that could have happened for their partnership.” For the female pros, it was about what helped their partners. For Tony, it was all about him. Maybe he’s nervous that his position as the only male in the fam with a MBT is being threatened by both Chmercocky boys. Well good news, Tony. It is part of my mission this season to not let either of them succeed, so (strangely) you have my support. Although I have to say if I had to pick one to win, I would much prefer Val since that would probably really really really bother Maks, both that his little brother did it before he did, and he couldn’t make it happen even with his precious Meryl. I was appalled by what he said about how he would be if his partner weren’t Meryl. Earning every inch of the name Chmercocky.
@Melissa – Unless they have a surprise double elimination planned it will be four people in the finals (just based on weeks left and the number of contestants).
I think Nene and Drew are the next two to go (not sure which will go first yet though). I think Meryl, James and Charlie will make the finals (though part of me wonders about Charlie sometimes). The fourth spot I go back and forth on. I really hope Danica doesn’t make it. I just think Amy and Candace have more of a story to tell and I connect with them much more. Danica did well last night but her personality fit the theme perfectly. I wonder how she’ll do in something like a Paso or a Tango.
James and Candace are probably the two that draw me in the most right now. I know Candace might be a long shot for the finals but I would love to see her make it there.
As Courtney said in her post, good on Tony for at least admitting the switch kinda made him insecure. He obviously didn’t like it, but I’m happy he gave his reasoning for why.
Maks had great chemistry with Mel B, too. And others. That will take you a long way, but it won’t hand you the win.
Isn’t it kinda weird – and I guess this is a sign of propping up – but when Derek had Nicole (and Shawn, which was a bit different since it was her second season) he gave her the most difficult routines he could come up with that suited her personality. And the judges, because she was a ringer, came to expect “difficult” and gave him a much harder time of it BECAUSE she was a great dancer. Why is that not happening with Meryl like it did Nicole and like it is with Charlie?? Can she not afford bad scores?? You have to wonder. I don’t think it’s about Maks – unlike Maks fans who think it’s all about Derek when he gets great scores, I think it has to do with Meryl maybe not getting the votes. Women vote for this show and Meryl is up against Charlie and James. I wonder.
My rankings:
1)James and Peta: Loved this one! It was awesome. Probably my favorite contemporary routine this season thus far.
2)Charlie and Sharna: The best jazz routine all season (of any season in my opinion). He was having a blast out there!
3)Danica and Val: Those ten were deserved. Loved it!
4)Meryl and Maks: Loved it! It was so much fun!
5)Candance and Mark: Loved it!
6) Amy and Derek: I really don’t want to say it but I have to…..her weakest dance so far in my opinion. It was nice but overall I forgot about it at the end of the show.
7)Nene and Tony: What the hell goes on in rehersal could come back to haunt her. Tony mouthing off to Carrie Ann can haunt her. Either way, it doesn’t take away from the fact that she did really well.
8)Drew and Cheryl: By this point, you all know Drew is my fav celeb in general this season but I really disliked this dance.
Now if Cody would have been safe, I would have ranked him in 4th place but he got eliminated so that’s that.
# 12 @Dyann – it was Len that said during the first episode of the season that they would be judging Amy just like any other dancer during the season and basically wouldn’t be judged on her limitations.
Apparently, by the talk on a lot of forums, people actually bought that as Gods word. I didn’t for one moment see that happening. I understand the frustration for many, I feel like Courtney where I am in the middle on it all.
They say that all the time, Jackie, and then do the exact opposite. I don’t get why anyone believes it after all this time. They handed out 7s in the past for dances that deserved no higher than a 5, for one reason or another.
One thing I have used to gauge how the celebs are doing is the DWTS facebook page…Kristyn Burtt and myself call it facebook’ology. Last week, the DWTS facebook page asked people to like the dance they liked best after the partner switch. The most likings went in this order- Meryl, James, Amy, Candace, Charlie, Danica, Drew, Nene, Cody..And just like that Cody was elminated this week, with nene and Candace being in jeopardy- which i don’t think she is yet. I tweeted that Cody was probably going home last Tues? Almost 6 days before the show last night. I actually think Drew is in the bottom with them. Candace has a ton of FB love. I have used FB to gauge how the celebs are really stacking up since DWTS all star season and honestly it is really really accurate. They have 5 million followers so it is a really good sample size and is the true “watchers” of the show. Sometimes it gets too much to bear because people sure do like to b!tch but if you have time you can typically see the way the viewers are feeling. I knew Melissa was going to beat Shawn, Kelli was going to beat Zendaya, and Amber last year….the numbers don’t lie:) I am not surprised Cody went home at all! I personally think James has more people voting for him AT THIS POINT in the season than Charlie- however I am sure TPTB will want a Meryl/Charlie faceoff in the finals so who knows how things will play out. Keep in mind things change week to week and quickly. People will love Meryl all season and then the final will come and all of a sudden the “she has too much dance experience” card will be pulled. Just some food for thought…take it for what its worth:)
PH – like you said ” after ALL this time” how anyone actually can believe their word …. well it’s beyond me, lol.
I almost wish the judges would remain on an American Idol type panel where they offer feedback but they have no paddles, score. Instead it’s completely left up to the “public” or in some cases Tptb … okay, maybe most.
I want to clarify something about my opinion on Drew’s dance. He was having a blast but something about that choreography was a bit predictable and just overall just not the quickstep I expected out of Cheryl.
Also to add, I think if they were going to dock Charlie for dropping the cane, docking others last week for the mess up in music then they should have docked Amy for *intentional* lifts. (I understand there will be times when she may not realize her prosthesis are not touching the floor)
I don’t think there will ever be a time where they can dock her on her footwork – and i don’t think she should be graded for that in the slightest, but the lifts for me, yeah … if you’re gonna call it out then I think CAI should have followed through. It just points out the blatant inconsistent judging even MORE.
This was one of my favorite theme nights by far in the show’s running. I will say that I was really annoyed by Donny the whole time.
My rankings:
1. James & Peta: Words can’t even describe how much I loved this dance. Best of the night. And inviting a fan to be in the audience makes me love him even more.
2. Danica & Val: Val really kept the momentum from last week going with Danica. This was the perfect dance for her. Her best dance so far. If they make a live action Beauty and the Beast, can Val play the Beast? Haha
3. Charlie & Sharna: They get the award for cutest dance of the night. Such a shame that a prop mishap ruined their chances of getting a perfect score, but at least there was one 10 from Len. All that was missing was them saying the word backwards. Haha
4. Amy & Derek: Such a beautiful Waltz. Regardless of her disability, she is still a beautiful dancer. If the Waltz was hard on Amy, then Viennese Waltz will be just as difficult.
5. Meryl & Maks: Another fun routine from these two. I was actually surprised that they got all 9’s. I thought it was perfect, but I wonder what caused them to only get 9’s.
6. NeNe & Tony: She made a very convincing Cruella. The dance itself was amazing. Well done to these two.
7. Candace & Mark: This was definitely her turning point in the competition. She brought the character out, and she and Mark were adorable.
8. Drew & Cheryl: I hate to say this but I think Drew might leave next week. The dance was great, but Drew looked like he was running out of steam halfway.
As for the elimination, I saw that coming. If anyone was going to have a Christina Milian like elimination, it was going to be Cody.
See you all next week for Party Anthems Night.
I was overall impressed with last night.. (and in no particular order)
1) Amy and Derek – Loved this dance. She is just so elegant and beautiful.
2) Meryl and Maks – It was a good dance but it wasn’t my favourite of the night. She looked gorgeous though. It was interesting because Maks said last night in an interview with Afterbuzz that he wishes that Meryl was princess instead tonight but from what was said this week, she did not want to be one. (she would have made a cute Aurora)
3) Charlie and Sharna – I loved this dance. I feel like it would have had less cane choreography but still, I just love Charlie. He’s one of my favourites this season.
4) Candace and Mark – I actually really loved this dance. I thought she did great and came out of her shell (no pun intended) a little bit more. Great choreography and costumes.
5) Drew and Cheryl – Aw, I just love Drew. I thought the side by side with the genie was not his greatest but from what Cheryl said, this week was tough for him. I’m glad he’s staying. PS. His son in the audience is so adorable.
6) Danica and Val – She actually makes a great Belle. I really liked this dance and to be honest, I’m starting to warm up to Danica.
7) James and Peta – Wow! This dance definitely had the best production of the night and he was flawless. He’s definitely a contender. When he invited that girl to the show last night, my heart melted. He seems like a sweet guy.
8) NeNe and Tony – I did feel a bit bad for NeNe because I think she was excited about her dance with Derek but then again, it impressed me how Tony admitted he was jealous. I wonder how awkward Derek was looking at that package and the questions afterwards? ha! Either way, I think this dance and song suited NeNe well. Like CA said, she played the Villan well.
8) Cody and Witney – Not going to say I’m surprised or sad that they’re gone. In comparison to everyone else, they were one of my least favourite couples. That being said, I like Witney b/c of how we saw her with Drew last week and I do think Cody did better in this dance.
Is next week the week with Redfoo from LMFAO?
1.Charlie and Sharna
2.Peta and James
3.Danica and Val
4.Amy and Derek
5.Meryl and Maks
6.NeNe and Tony
7.Candace and Mark
8.Drew and Cheryl
I liked Charlie and Sharna’s dance much better than Peta and James’. In the Let it Go contemporary it seemed to be ALL ABOUT PETA. Charlie and Sharna did side by side dancing, but I agree..too much use of the cane and umbrella & had he not dropped that cane, they would’ve given him all 10’s I’m sure.
Gee, just as I said, we have Danica in her breakthrough week, where all of a sudden the girl with no dance experience gets it! Imagine that! Still not feeling a connection with her at all. Think that Val would’ve been much better matched with Meryl. Maks isn’t showing Meryl to her potential. That wasn’t a Samba we saw last night. I wasn’t impressed at all with it. ’twas a cute dance but nothing impressive.
I liked Amy and Derek’s Waltz. I was waiting for the Stooges to slam it for not much Waltz content and Len kind of did. If CAI wasn’t going to deduct for lifts, she should’ve just kept her yap shut about it. Thought the costumes were lovely. We all know there’s things she’s just not going to be able to do because she doesn’t have natural feet and ankles. So, it’s like should they score her the same as the other contestants who have their own two feet? I think she’s done a damn good job thus far. I know I couldn’t dance that good & I’ve got both legs and feet still attached.
NeNe looked FIERCE last night a Cruella De Ville!! I’d say her week with Derek paid off in a huge way! Shame Tony didn’t want to hear any of that and then to argue with CAI about it on live TV! CAI was completely RIGHT about it too! Jealous much Tony? The Foxtrot was good..hard to see the steps though with that dance. Was a good one though and a great dance!
Drew and Cheryl were ok as was Candace. Candace did do a proper Samba…there was bounce in that dance, that’s for sure and I was glad to see that she wore an appropriate outfit that suited the dance! Mark was being Mark..lol
Thought for SURE Candace was toast! Surprised Cody got eliminated but then not really. I’m the “middle aged woman (at almost 42–sniff sniff)” that votes and I gave almost all of my votes to Candace in an effort to save her as I thought the Judges HOSED her last week on her scores!!! Now I will go back to voting for Amy and Derek!
I really enjoyed Disney week with one or two exceptions:
Tony please just shut up and let CAI give u a compliment.
Maks in the skybox making “phone in” jokes with Erin and getting hi fives from Val. Please let it go.
People arguing about CAI not docking Amy for her lifts, again please let it go.
I have a voting question. If anyone knows, it would really help me out so I don’t waste my time.
– When you vote via facebook or twitter, is it normal that when you log in to the SAME facebook or twitter you used already but on another browser (example- you voted with chrome and are now on firefox) that the site allows you to vote again? My votes are not being counted twice, right? It goes by IP addy, no?
– Same thing happens if I go in my other room and use a different computer. Even if I use the same browser I did, it allows me to vote all over again even though I already voted with that account.
So basically, my question in a nutshell is- does voting go by IP addy or do I actually have to re-vote on ALL my browsers and computers since the site is allowing me to do so? Any help would be appreciated.
Disney week was lots of fun. I thought the majority of the animation additions were good too.
Did not enjoy Donny O as a judge. Nothing more to say on him.
Dances:
Understandably so, Drew & Cheryl’s Friend Like Me did not hold up to Shawn & Mark’s. I didn’t think his technique was very good here. I think he just preferred the Cha Cha to the Quickstep, but to many it could look like he also preferred Witney to Cheryl! There scores were probably a tad low compared to others, but I do not disagree with them being in last place for the night.
Charlie & Sharna were awesome! Great job by Sharna on the choreo. I actually thought CHarlie outdanced Shanrna on this dance! His movement throughout was great and my eye as drawn to him the whole time. As shame about the cane but I am glad that didn’t stop one deserved 10. And Charlie taking the time as busy as he is to also do a bumper (and one of the best parts of Mary Poppins) was so awesome and made me like him even more!
I thought Val did a great job on the choreo and I really enjoyed Danica tonight. Her technique is better though there are still some things that need work. As a whole piece, it was great.
Amy & Derek were beautiful. Great job on the concept and choreo to enhance what she is good at and create a magical mood. I do worry about some of the other ballroom dances for her. I am so enjoying their journey and want her to stay as long as possible. I wish Carrie Ann hadn’t said what she did. She could have ignored it like she chooses to do at other times. I figured ‘rules’ were not going to be picked at tonight since the Disney and animation additions affected things like breaking hold and lifts.
I actually really enjoyed Cody & Witney. Witney’s choreography was great once again. Yes, maybe not quite enough samba but it was an entertaining, musical routine with more interesting elements than both Maks and Tony generally put in their routines. His technique did improve a bit over the last few weeks. I actually think throwing his Cody flavor into Latin dances is a good touch, it is in ballroom dances more than I would rather him stick to traditional stylings. I think Witney had proven herself to be a capable partner this season and I really hope she gets asked to be a pro again next season. I think the switch up benefitted her, the producers got to see she is good with both young and older partners. And yes, she did look a bit Julianne-esque in her styling (Apolo & Julianne’s samba).
I thought Nene & Tony were the best they’ve been so far. It was a well done foxtrot and I liked the feel of it. Now the package….Holy moly Nene. I do think a lot of truth, not pleasant as it maybe be, came out during that package. As much as Maks has seemingly had issues with Derek, Tony has always seemed to have the most of ANY of the ‘family’. It probably hurts his ego to see all the success of these young 20s dancers when he is the elder 40 year old champion of the bunch. I think the package placed both Nene and Tony in a negative light. I do think they both, particularly her, were upset by the package, that the producers only showed that part of their week. This is why they say not to watch the package before you dance! Nene said she didn’t but Tony did and she saw him reacting. I do feel a little bad for them. But then Nene does a lot of reality tv- wouldn’t she realize they are going to use some of that negative footage? And I did feel a bit bad for Tony…..until his biting remarks when Carrie Ann wasn’t even being critical with him for once….just so childish. Switch week is over and done Tony, get over it already.
I may be the only one, but I really don’t like the song Let It Go. It ruined the routine for me, I think James could have even been better with a different contemporary song. Peta’s choreo was good, the animation was used well and the lift was great. I am very impressed by him, he has so much talent for no dance experience. Was it a 40? Not sure if it was, but I am glad they are recognizing James for the good work he is doing. Dark horse indeed.
Tired of Maks complaining about stuff he has to do for the show. All couples get screwed over with producer song choices from time to time. Meryl was fine with it, just deal with it. He claimed he is coming back with a new attitude about the show and the improvement I see only has to do with having a sweet, ringer partner, not a new attitude about the show in general. Anyway, I did appreciate he did finally accept the music they got and did a fun, humorous routine instead of sexy. It was enjoyable but not anything wow worthy. Meryl totally makes this couple, because Maks routines from this season on anyone less would be much less impressive. She does a lot with what she’s given.
Candace’s technique is improving and the routine was fun. I am glad she gets to stay another week, I love to see how much she is enjoying the show and want to see her grow with Mark some more.
I am not shocked to see Cody go. He hasn’t always come across with a good attitude and his fanbase is not in the key demographic of the show, where Candace, Drew and Nene fans would fall into that demographic. Also, Witney is new with a smaller fanbase than the rest. I am mainly sad to lose Witney. I wanted to see some more of her routines, I enjoy fresh choreo from the new pros.
Drew and Nene need to go in the next two eliminations though IMO. There is just too much great talent this season! After those two, it’s going to get tough to lose anyone…
As of right now, my dream finale has Charlie, Meryl (but can I have Val’s choreo instead? haha), James and Amy.
I have a feeling Maks won’t step up coreography level that much. And not only because of his limited skills… From all the post show interviews what comes across to me is that Meryl just wants to enjoy herself, she just won an olimpic gold medal, and that road was full-on focus and determination, thanks to that she’s at the top of her fame level, she isn’t that desperate for the mirror ball, on top of it she and charlie are really overloaded, like she said in the afterbuzz interview she flew in at 1:30 AM before the show and was picked up at 7:20 to start the day…. And it’s obvious that she enjoyed herself more on the lighter weeks with Maks than last week with mr detail Val. I think she is happy just happy with the amount of difficulty she is getting. I still expect them to make the final, cause (if not her dancing skills than at least) her chemistry with maks and her taming of the beast storyline is getting the push. And in the end it will be Amys win. Nothing can beat her story. Plus she doesn’t suck. Plus she’s got the brilliant mastermind that is Derek behind her.
I guess it’s subjective, but for me James has the William Levy vibe. The guy I didn’t expect to be good, but does bring it. Still, I didn’t feel last night’s dance was that outstanding to be awarded the allmighty first perfect score. I guess the scores got a bit out of hand last night, they started being very generous early on so they had to go there.
I expect the final to be Amy, Meryl, James and either Charlie or Danica. I love charlie to bits, but somehow I struggle to remember his performances and don’t feel the need to watch them over and over like with some of the others.
All I can say is I really hope our votes will be good enough to keep Amy in and let her shine some more for a two or three shows! CA’s comment about the lift was not needed and just created more drama. She should have just given the score and her compliments and that’s it. Amy does not ask for that treatment and she just wants to be judged on performance alone.
I loved their waltz it was breathtaking and beautiful I thank donny for finally giving them a 10!
I loved james and peta’s dance I thought peta really showed what she can do and that James is the new contender everyone should be looking out for because he could win this.
Sad for Witney because I really liked her as a pro hope she can come back as one again next season if there is one at least lol
Nene and tony well i must say this also made everyone go crazy and blaming Derek. Everything that happens has to be Derek’s fault. I swear i think he needs to leave after this season and never come back lol hes too good for it. I did like Nene’s dance it was a very good one.
Meryl and Maks- That was not very Samba like and not his best work I don’t know why hes not challenging Meryl because she can do so much more.
Loved Charlie’s dance it was cute and really fit with everything. Loved Mark as a crab it made me laugh when he just came out and I applaud Candace for stepping up and dancing in an outfit like that!
Im scared for Amy for her Jive next week it will not be easy because of all the kicks and the fast pace of it all. Hope they can get through it alright.
And here we go week 6 party anthem!
Nice try, Dave, but you don’t get to be both “Rita” and “Dave”. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize the “James isn’t as good as you think, James isn’t going anywhere near the finale, everyone is overestimating James” rhetoric you’ve been spitting the past two weeks???
The Amy lift everyone is talking about–is it the thing where she goes around the back of Derek? Didn’t he also do that in Jenn Greys second waltz ( Over Yonder)and it wasn’t called a lift in that dance was it? Or was it when he carried her down the stairs which I didn’t consider unusual since everyone knows she can walk down stairs–I think I am confused .
The majority opinion on the 4 best dancers are Danica, James, and the ice dancers. However the best technical dancer does not always win. Eliminations more and more are determined by fan base as scores become closer and closer together. The general public respects the journey as well as the partnership.
One other important factor is the pros fan base. On an individual basis I can see both C brothers making the final, I think this will be a receive for disaster because of the vote splitting. If Amy is eliminated before the final week where do the Derek voting bloc go.? I can not wait for the final power ranking to get a better picture.
Thanks, Court. Great analysis as always.
For now I’d put Amy above Danica because there’s no way Danica inspires viewers the way Amy does and last night was the first time I thought Danica danced well enough to get noticed. If Val’s non-dancer bursts into full butterfly mode next week and nails her dance, then I think she could bump Amy (although that would suck in my opinion).
I wonder why Sharna hung onto the cane and umbrella? She’s a clever choreographer, but is she trying to be too clever when she doesn’t need to be? Ditching the props halfway through would have been more interesting because we could have seen more eye-popping side-by-side work from Charlie — synchronized step sequences are right in an ice dancer’s wheelhouse.
For me there’s no question Drew, Candace, and NeNe have “disposable” stamped on their foreheads. Of the 3, I can see TPTB being marginally interested in keeping NeNe one more week to see if they can get anymore rehearsal drama out of her.
While I’m delighted Candace survived her switch-up hosing, I think she is likely to go next week. I feel average viewers threw their support to her last week, but I don’t think it was a long-term commitment. So I think Drew and Cheryl’s fans might have enough left in the tank to bump Candace.
Cody didn’t seem like a bad kid, just immature, but I’m glad he went home. I wouldn’t mind seeing Witney again with a more invested celeb.
Disney night turned out to be as fun as I hoped it would be (once I started muting Donny Osmond).
I am not so sure Meryl has that much staying power. I am no fan of Maks and she is quickly losing any interest for me. Her dances (Maks-choreographed ones) are forgettable and she is not very personable. I guess Charlie has all the personality in that team. I would root for him over Meryl in a heartbeat. I too don’t understand why she isn’t getting judged nearly as hard as Charlie or Nicole in her ssn. Meryl is not perfect. She needs to straighten her legs at times and her lack of bounce in that non-samba was glaring. I love Amy and hope to see her in the finals over Danica. As for Donny I think he was trying to relate to the celeb because he’s been in their shoes but it came off very self serving. He did say nice things about Amy and gave her a 10 so I will forgive him 😉
I don’t think that it happens often, Ryan, that a couple gets BOTH Waltz and V.Waltz. I think Courtney’s written on that topic before. Depends on what TPTB want, though, since people didn’t used to get both Jazz and Contemporary.
As for Meryl – she should be getting 9’s for the choreography letting her down. Any other ringer would.
I would be utterly shocked to see Candace go next week…she has a ALOT of love on fb- her bday post alone had over 100k likes- that is 3x’s plus what anyone even likes on that page. Meryl has staying power…she will DEF make it to the end…whether she wins will be determined. If Maks choreographs a doozy then she might not. Amy has alot more people rooting/voting for her than Danica at this point…Danica has been very middle of the road…not a ton of love. I think Nene or Drew will go next week. James has a ton of people voting for him as well i think…more than Charlie…watch the numbers and the comments on FB…they might surprise you:) I know I sound kinda preachy but there is a direct correlation and has been for years.
I personally wonder if Candace has been receiving a ton of votes, and will be sticking around until at least the top five. Full House has always been insanely popular, and she also caters to the conservative/Christian audience more than others. We saw how this voting effect helped Bristol stay in Season 11, and Candace is a much better dancer than Bristol!
My rankings:
1) James and Peta: Plenty of emotion and romance. Great overall performance and oh that Star lift. Scores were spot on. Not a fan of Peta but I like James a lot. Good looking, talented, hard working and a nice guy too. He’s definitely a contender, should be in the finals and I wouldn’t be unhappy if he won.
2) Charlie and Sharna: I LOVED these too and throughly enjoyed their performance. A difficult, high energy non-stop routine was well executed. As for the cane incident, ah so what!! Not the first time a contestant dropped a prop, costume malfunctions, etc. These things happen. Charlie covered it well and IMO) it did not distract or negate his wonderful performance. He’s really enjoying this and it shows. Underscored. Should have been at least 2 or 3 10’s.
3) Amy and Derek: Okay, I’m bias. I adore Derek and Amy just tugs at my heart. And what they have accomplished together is absolutely amazing. I’m very happy that she has Derek as her Pro. Their Waltz was touching and lovely, especially knowing how difficult this dance was for her.
The scores were fair but I would have like 1 more 10. Hope they’re in the finals.
4) Meryl and Maks: I cannot connect with these two. Meryl, while talented, leaves me cold. IDK if it’s her, the partnership with Maks or the simple dumb downed choreography. I’m just not impressed and tired of seeing her over scored and not called out on errors or lack of content. I also think they have the MBT in the bag thanks to TPTB. The only performance I liked was her AT with Val.
5) Danica and Val: Good performance, nice quickstep. Compared to Maks, Val is a wonderful dancer, choreographer and teacher (although Danica has so much prior ballroom training, it’s easier for him this season). That said, I honestly cannot stand her and hope she get eliminated before the finals. Over Scored. Forgettable and not worthy of 3 10’s.
6) Candace and Mark: Sooo glad she’s safe. She tries so hard. No, she’s not the best dancer but unlike some of the others, she has NO prior dance experience and there was bounce in her samba. I’m enjoying her journey. Candace is fun, enthusiastic and gives 110%. Hope she stays in for awhile.
Drew and NeNe. Either one could be the next elimination. I would prefer that Drew is safe and NeNe goes.
#TDl19 I threw all my online votes to Candace last week after she got hosed by the Judges so I do think that in addition to what you mentioned means that she’s receiving a TON of votes! I’d MUCH rather see Candace dance than Bristol…she’s got a much better attitude for one thing.
I’m hoping for a Charlie, James, Amy and Meryl final 4! I’m thinking they’ll stick to a 4 person final as they’ve done it that way since All-Star season.
@Kristin – I believe you when it comes to Facebook. Obviously the results don’t always correlate (and it takes a while to really go through all the posts) but it is a pretty good indication. Seems like people are mostly complaining about Nene right now. As one of the mods pointed out though (forget which one, sorry!) people don’t vote to eliminate someone, so even if people are complaining a lot of about Nene as long as she has enough votes to beat one person she’ll make it through another week. Don’t see a lot of people talking about Drew though which could be a bad sign. I think Danica’s support will fluctuate depending on the dance. She had a good night last night so I’m assuming she’ll make it through to week 7.
My ideal final four would be James, Charlie, Amy, and Meryl I guess. I would also really like to see Candace though and not sure which person I would knock off…
1. Danica and Val — I knew this dance would look great on Danica and Val’s choreography and the troupe helping out where all cute. They looked amazing too.
2. Charlie and Sharna — So cute, but a little frenetic. I wasn’t surprised he dropped the cane because he looked like he was a little out of control going into the move where he did. Overly ambitious routine by Sharna?
3. James and Peta — Pretty and best use of animation but did not deserve all 10s.
4. Meryl and Maks — Probably the worst song/movie (I didn’t even remember Meryl’s character she was playing from the movie, I guess the girl at the very end…) but I thought it turned out so charming and one of the more fun numbers of the night.
5. Amy and Derek — I wish Amy had been in a blue dress, Derek looked PERFECT however. Anyway… yeah, it was pretty but did not play to Amy’s strengths and showed her weaknesses moreso than any other dance so far. IDK. I’m fine with the scores, but only b/c everyone seemed inflated.
6. Nene/Tony — Cute foxtrot, good character for Nene but she didn’t get into it as much as I expected.
7. Cody and Witney — His best dance for me, and I felt like I finally enjoyed his personality and then he had to be voted off!
8. Lost in the shuffle for me and seemed overscored, but whatever. I like her, hope she sticks around past Drew and Nene.
9. Drew and Cheryl — His mouth being open the whole time was so distracting to me, and it was awkward when the genie was there dancing next to him a lot better than he was. Poor Drew. He had the least inflated scores of the night, I thing going first is the kiss of death on this show.
In Amy’s interview with the LA Times they asked her, “Some people on the Internet are becoming critical because they feel you are being judged differently than the other competitors. Do you feel that way at all, and how do you respond to those people?
A part of Amy’s response:
As for how do I respond to those who want to throw stones, well, I don’t. I’ve said it many times before, I don’t spend much time or energy on things I can’t control and how people feel the judges judge me definitely falls into that category.
I love Amy! She is amazing in everything she does.
#46 DLT- at this point alot of them will fluctuate…depending on the scores, judges comments, how good the dance was, etc. I can’t always go through the comments- people are sooo negative and can just be annoying! Some people i think just go on there to complain, however I like to look at the pics and the number of people who “like” the pics (that way I don’t have to deal with ridiculous people). People complained about NeNe the week Derek danced with her- but she still had more likes than Cody…so that is how I knew she was ok. Now this week she had a better dance than Drew so they could potentially flip flop because he had more likes than her last week. It can be tiresome..and some weeks i just can’t deal but when I take the time it almost always accurately indicates who is staying and who is going.
After reading Courtney’s gushing on the lifts in James/Peta’s dance, my wife and I went back and watched it in slow motion. Perfect – of course not. But for a non-pro his movements were phenomenal – a lot of snap and precision that you wouldn’t expect. His jumping over Peta with his feet together, but he also had the toes pointed. And that lift, which was partially one-armed. Wow!
Obviously nowhere close in overall technical ability, but another dancer that came to my mind in the snap and precision was – and I’m going to say it – Alex Wong. James is definitely in the mix if Peta can continue to choreograph at that level.
@ Carolyn—I think that is why Amy & Derek make such a great team. Neither wastes time or energy on things they can’t control, or listens to any negativity.
Love when the show reveals stars who have such dance potential. Brooke, kellie and Apolo were for me such fun to watch because their dance skills were such surprising and loved seeing them grow. James fits that bill for me. He could be an amazing dancer kinda like Kellie. I could see both doing broadway or something.
Kristin, the fb info is always interesting and I agree with you. Meryl is going no where, she might win in spite of Maks. Candance was not necessarily the bottom 2 yesterday as Tom said and she has tons of fans. Think it is nene or Drew going next week. Danica might move up after that charming quickstep.
I think that’s the most I’ve ever agreed with you! Well stated and well put for every controversial topic from last night
#29 — Yeah, Maks said he wished Meryl could have been a princess and I think she said he should have been a prince, I think they wou
Kristin (oops lost your number), loved the Facebook’ology deets! IA that Canadace is not in trouble based on her Facebook support. I see her making the finale more likely than Danica making it at this point, which is too bad b/c I think Danica is a better dancer and I like her personality better.
#34 annie — ITA, Meryl does not seem to be competitive at all which is strange b/c she is very competitive on the ice. Charlie said their goal is to make the finale in an interview last week, but his competitive spirit is coming out more than Meryl’s, and he talks much more about scores. As good as her dance with Val was, she visibly enjoyed this week much more watching the interviews. Maks was oddly zen about everything too and seems to be following her lead. Poor Charlie and Sharna seem a bit crestfallen about the error and lost 10s, despite playing it off well.
I do wonder if in Meryl maybe we are seeing a professional competitor with buttloads of talent just not that interested in scores and winning so much as the fun of the journey – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, given that it’s a stupid mirrorball! Maybe that’s why she and Maks are getting along so well, since she’s not being pushed so hard. Perhaps this will change as the season goes along, but right now she seems happy with this partnership and their efforts. The question is, does Maks want to keep the status quo, enjoy himself and maybe only come in second, third or fourth – again?! Or does he dig deeper and propel them both? I don’t know, but I do think they get along way better than I expected them to, and I hope that no matter the outcome they are happy with what they have put into it.
In order of appearance:
Drew & Cheryl: It was a cute and fun dance but most times it felt a bit awkward for me. I don’t think Drew was 100% invested in this dance (my guess because of the struggles during rehearsals). Hopefully he makes a comeback with his Tango next week. I think that could be good. And why did he go first again? Not cool!
Charlie & Sharna: I loved loved loved it! I knew Sharna was going to choreograph something so fun! His footwork was so impressive and I just was so impressed with him. He dropped the cane so I understand the deduction of points but it was basically perfect score worthy.
Danica & Val: I rewatched it this morning and I must say this is my favorite dance of hers so far. I didn’t remember much of it at the end of last night (tends to happen often). Maybe she needs to go later in the show more often. Don’t think she’s ever danced any later than 4th. Oh well, I liked it the second time around and I did not find her annoying for the first time around (except one part where she implied she did not have dance experience… hmph)
Amy & Derek: It really was beautiful. Amy impresses me every single week and she proved that she can do everything. While I didn’t think this was much of a WOW dance (Waltzes aren’t my favorites) she did well with what she did. Not gonna comment on the whole lift thing because I am sorta in the middle. Overall, it was nice.
Cody & Witney: This dance just felt like the same ol same ol Cody dances with the same ol moves with certain Samba moves. I kinda agreed with Tony that his expression did not show much, if any, joy. Had his attitude towards the show been different he might have been around for a couple more weeks but .. guess not.
NeNe & Tony: No comment about that package. The dance itself was nice. If they need to cast someone to be the next Cruella, call NeNe. While I did not think it deserved all 9s, I did appreciate her effort and her invesment in this dance. Yay for NeNe!
James & Peta: Dayum. Talk about kicking butt! James just became a serious threat after last night. That dance was absolutely amazing. His movements were so expressive, his lines were gorgeous, those lifts were INSANE! This guy has what it takes to win. I’m a fan and he gets all my votes. (And amazing choreo on Peta’s part)
Meryl & Maks: First thing I will say… can they STOP making her go near last place every week? Can she like go first next week please? I love her but seriously… Anyways, Maks really needs to step up his choreo. It was just underwhelming even though Meryl danced it pretty well. Not her best though..
Candace & Mark: I am glad she let loose even more this time. I enjoyed the dance and I do love that song so that was a plus. Not sure I liked her red hair much and also was not a fan of Mark’s red outfit but oh well.. a nice dance nonetheless.
# Figamentation
Exactly! She just reached a peak towards which she had to work really hard, over the course of basically almost 20 years,especially intense in the last olympic cycle. So it’s quite easy to imagine that she will do as much as she enjoys but doesn’t mind not being pushed to the limit.
LOVED Disney week!! One of their best ideas in a while in my opinion 🙂 The opening dance was lots of fun and was my favorite thus far.
Meryl/Maks- I have mixed feelings about this dance. Meryl danced it pretty cleanly, it was smooth, and had good precision. However, I totally agree that the bounce action was pretty much nonexistent, and the bounce is REALLY important in samba. The choreography also wasn’t the greatest. I seriously think Meryl just won’t win if Maks doesn’t step it up. Anwyays, I think the straight 9s were just a wee bit nice, I’d have given at least one 8 in there. I also think it’s odd they just refuse to call them out on anything that anyone else would.
James/Peta- LOVED this lots and lots!! Let It Go is so popular and loved at the moment that these two really had some expectations to live up to. In the end, I’d say they not only met those expectations and soared above them 🙂 James moved incredibly well, it was smooth and artistic. The animations were awesome too, and this suited the theme and movie beautifully. The best part? James was so immersed into the dance and was showing genuine emotion. Beautiful! I also think it was incredibly sweet of him to have Hannah come to the show. James is easily right up there with Amy in terms of my favorites 🙂 Dark horse indeed!
Charlie/Sharna- I really enjoyed this. I totally agree that the cane and umbrella kind of bogged them down in the end. I bet it would’ve went even better if they would’ve only done part of their dance with them and done more side by side stuff. However, Charlie handled the drop very well and danced beautifully, despite all the crazy tempo changes and whatnot. I honestly would’ve given it at least one 10 even with the cane drop, because it was really, really good.
Danica/Val- My favorite dance from her by far and her best as well 🙂 Danica was absolutely adorable in this dance and it was such a delight to watch. It was clean, not too simple, but not overly complex, had great timing, nice posture, just overall a lovely package. I don’t think I would’ve given it as many 10s as it got though. It was really good but I would’ve only given it one or MAYBE two 10s.
Amy/Derek- Just stunning. My heart totally broke in the package watching Amy struggle. I don’t think a single person in their right mind can say what Amy & Derek are doing isn’t difficult and that she is facing the most challenges out of anyone. But they handled this really well, I thought. Just gorgeous, smooth, and I think they created a nice waltz even though it was just physically impossible to do all of the things needed to do in the dance. Totally think it was worth a 9. I do honestly think to a degree she HAS to be judged differently. Pretty obvious that someone who physically has no toes and feet to point shouldn’t be judged the same as people who have those body parts and are more than capable. I don’t think she should be treated with kid gloves, but a different type of standard for sure. I think she’s done incredibly well, and I REALLY want her to make at least the semis. I think she has it in her (barring any manipulation from behind the scenes), and I would LOVE to see her in the finals (although I’m not getting my hopes up too much). I think it’s silly that people fought over how Amy is judged. I honestly don’t think it’s something to get too riled up about. And I do agree a LOT of people would be singing a different tune if she wasn’t with Derek.
Question: Do we know how many will be in the finale at this point? Are they going with four people still our going back to three? If four, I think Amy could very well bump out Danica if she cant’ keep up what she did last night and Amy really gains momentum. If three…yeah, I honestly think it will likely be Meryl, Charlie, and James.
Candace/Mark- I really enjoyed this samba overall 🙂 A few awkward spots that just felt a bit stiff, but Candace actually got the bounce of the samba really well (totally owned Meryl in that aspect), kept right on with Mark, and had a blast! I hate to see her getting the stamp, but it’s happening for sure :/ I would like to see her stick around over NeNe and Drew at least.
Drew/Cheryl- Sadly, Drew took a couple steps backwards this week. I do have to cut them both some major slack though since it sounds like they were traveling so much this week and the genie didn’t do them too many favors. I do think it was loads of fun, but the technique really suffered 🙁
NeNe/Tony- I liked this foxtrot. Probably not quite as much as many others did, but I did enjoy it very much. NeNe captured the spirit and character perfectly and really did well out of hold. In hold I think her posture was really closed in and her shoulders were up, and the feet were a bit hit or miss, but she was very smooth. Overall, I do NOT think it was worth 9s. Some 8s and a 7?? Maybe. As for the spat? Aaaaawwwkward. Honestly, I don’t think it was as much of a humongous deal as some were making it, but I do feel there were issues from both parties. I don’t think it was necessary for NeNe to walk out perse, but I don’t blame for wanting to use some of what she learned last week and getting upset when Tony reacted that way. Tony did show jealousy and insecurity, and I don’t think he should’ve let it affect him as much as it did. But he did admit it like a man, and in the end gave her a good routine and worked hard for her.
I absolutely loved the concept of Disney night and I hope they bring it back again. So many song choices!
Erin seemed a bit more tame but she really needs to stop heckling Maks during the interviews. It is really annoying. Also, her outfit was bothering me. Her hair looked like someone stopped in the middle of styling it and forgot to finish.
If Meryl or Charlie were involved in a surprise elimination, I’m not sure the remaining one would perform so well. They view DWTS as a partnership, not a competition. These 2 thrive off the support for one another–they are used to being around one another all the time. They even rehearsed in the same room part of last week. So I think that drives them to individually up their game.
Here are my thoughts from last night:
Cheryl/Drew: What was Cheryl wearing? Not the most flattering Jasmine outfit–it looked too tight and must everything she wears expose skin? I also thought the matching shoes were not necessary. The dance was ok for me but nothing memorable aside from the genie. I also thought there was a flub at the end. They were both pointing upwards but what were they pointing at?
James/Peta: I actually did not think this was worthy of a perfect score. It was a great contemporary but I thought it lacked content from James. It seemed to be primarily lifts and Peta shining as Elsa but not James. The animation was awesome though and I was sad they couldn’t get Idina there to sing live. The overhead lift was awesome but his arm was wobbling the entire time–I went back and re-watched to make sure. It did look amazing other than that! I do think James will be in the final though.
NeNe/Tony: I remember more about the Kate Gosselin-esque package than the actual dance. Between that and her comments about Meryl/Charlie last week, I’m ready for her to leave.
Meryl/Maks: Cute number. It wasn’t perfect but it was very good and scored appropriately. And Meryl executed well for the most part. Surprised they didn’t use Bare Necessities instead.
Charlie/Sharna: I was ok with his scores too. He also lost timing a couple times in addition to the dropped cane. LOVED the penguin number though. Would have preferred that over the troupe but I guess penguins were part of the Jolly Holiday song in the movie.
Danica/Val: LOVED this one too. And the animation as well.
Candace/Mark: I was scared because Candace was missing for most of the show but then I realized she was getting into character. In the opener, she did not have on the Ariel costume. I’m glad she was open to wearing the Ariel suit. Very well executed samba but she was definitely holding back. But at least she danced it well. I actually thought this dance had more filler at the beginning than the Meryl/Maks one.
Amy/Derek: Lovely Cinderella dance. I’m in the middle too in terms of how she should be scored. I say this every week but Derek never ceases to amaze.
It was the right time for Cody to go–he just didn’t seem to care. But I loved the shocked look on Candace’s face when they called it.
I enjoyed Disney night overall! I will say that I thought that they were setting NeNe and Tony up to go home based on the rehearsal package and the fact that she was the only one dressed up as a villain. Looks like they surprised me with that one since the other eliminations seemed set up too ;).
I am also in the camp of doubting Witney’s abilities and have been pleasantly surprised by her. I hope she also comes back as a pro and her costume reminded me of Julianne’s outfit when she did her samba with Apolo.
Here are my rankings:
1.) James & Peta- This was just so great and amazing! I originally predicted the show would pull a roshon fegan with him but now i feel he can go all the way. My score: 10
2.) Amy & Derek – I just loved this dance. It was very elegant and smooth. I still think she’ll make the finals. My score: 10
3.) Charlie & Sharna- this dance was nice but i don’t think he shouldve gotten points taken off for a prop mistake. It was still entertaining. My score: 10
4.) NeNe & Tony- This dance was AMAZING! NeNe got into character really well. I think that their argument made them stronger as a couple. My score: 9
5.) Danica & Val- first i want to say that i loved danicas dress. Her dance was smooth and easy on the eyes. Although i still think she won’t make it to finale. My Score: 9
6.) Meryl & Maks- im still not feeling this couple yet. Something about this pairing seems like a turn off to me. My Score: 8
7.) Drew & Cheryl- This dance was great and entertaining. Admittedly he is the weakest dancer left. I think he has one or two weeks left in him but i don’t think he’ll pull a Bill Engvall on us. My Score: 8
8.) Candace & Mark- Her samba was good but i still don’t feel connected to her. I guess now i know how popular she is. My Score: 8
I’m liking James more each week. He’s really interested in doing well and works hard at it every week. He’s even making Peta look good. I wouldn’t mind seeing and James and Charlie finals, but it would be hard to choose between them. What he did for Hannah was so sweet. I’m betting if his schedule had allowed it, he would have gone to the prom with her, but he did the next best thing and gave her a dream come true. In my book, that’s truly a caring, giving person that thinks of others.
I’m glad Cody left. He seemed bored by the whole thing from day one and was too interested in how he looked and came across then learning how to dance. I hope Witney gets another chance at pro next season.
I would love to see NeNe leave next week. Although I would keep her over Danica. Just like everyone predicted, we’re at the halfway point and the lightbulb goes on and she “gets it.” I can’t support her or Val and would love to see her the next “surprise” elimination.
Amy brought tears to my eyes. We should all have her outlook and attitude towards life.
@Cindy – Me too! James showed everyone just how big of a heart he has. And that contemporary was one of my favorite dances. After tonight, I think James is finale bound. And he might just win the whole thing.
I haven’t read all the comments, but Charlie and Meryl haven’t done a star lift in competition because it isn’t allowed in ice dancing. You can’t lift your partner above your head.
My rankings:
1. Charlie and Sharna – even though he dropped the cane this was the most memorable and fun routine of the night for me. The footwork was very challenging and I don’t think many of the celebrities could have pulled it off the way he did.
2. Danica and Val – I actually enjoyed their quickstep and think it was one of the better quicksteps of the season so far.
3. Meryl and Maks – another fun routine though I kind of wish they would stop it with the showmance thing. It’s not really cute anymore.
4. James and Peta – a nice contemporary but way, WAY overscored and most definitely not worthy of a perfect 40. I felt Peta was doing most of the dancing and James was just dancing around her and holding her up. He wasn’t fluid in his moves and his lifts were shaky. Charlie would have been more suited for that routine.
5. Amy and Derek – a lovely waltz but forgettable and the fact that none of the judges deducted points for the illegal lift annoyed me. Meanwhile they gave Charlie nines for dropping his cane (when his routine deserved all tens).
6. Candace and Mark – a cute samba and Candace made a good Ariel. I liked that she was able to move her hips during it. Glad to see her be saved for another week.
7. Drew and Cheryl – messy quickstep but he was better then the last two on my list.
8. NeNe and Tony – NeNe really was the perfect Cruella. A decent foxtrot but honestly I forgot all about it by the time it was over.
9. Cody and Witney – I’m sorry but he had to go. He had no rhythm whatsoever and I didn’t feel like he was going to improve anymore then he could.
Overall I very much enjoyed Disney week and felt only a few dances were bad or forgettable. Probably the strongest week of the season so far. I hope either NeNe or Drew go next.
What a great board so much information and insight!
Only been following this board for a week or so and have to admit I finally figured out what TPTB means…LOL
The FB/twitter following as indicators discussed here were very interesting. Coming into this knew James had nearly 2.5 million followers comprised of the pre-teen demographic which didn’t think would impact voting for him. However, a twitter account has been set up specifically for him and Peta for DWTS and has already grown to over 30,000 so think/hope he has some true voting power along with those teenie boopers with addictions to technology!
It’s been mentioned in various posts that Charlie/Meryl have never done the star lift because it’s not allowed. Well perfect time to try something new. James hasn’t been practicing them for years either by picking up his band members randomly–he just learned it too!
@Livia – Good to know 🙂 I don’t follow skating, so I’m not really up-to-speed on the regulations. I just know that in cabaret/theater arts ballroom competitions, anything above the head or shoulder will get your MAJOR points if it’s executed well – bonus points if you can do it one-armed. 😛
Kim, Cody has 6.5 million twitter followers and he was just eliminated. I do hope you’re voting
PH–yes that was the point I was trying to make their twitter accounts from their “teenie bopper” images/roles aren’t enough but what James does have that Cody didn’t was this new twitter account specifically for DWTS which I’m sure includes some of the previous teenage girls but hopefully also includes the more important DWTS regular audience .
Yes voting I vote all 4 ways I know how 🙂
I doubt very much that an additional twitter account is going to do something that James’ other one didn’t. Most people know how to find someone on twitter and follow that person.
I have a question on professional competitive dancers. Did they choreograph their own dances when they were dancing competitively or do they have help (eg like Derek did the ice dance for Meryl and Charlie)?
ok HP
@Kim All the couples have Twitter fan pages so that really doesn’t indicate who is getting the votes or not. What James has going for him-he’s hot/good looking, he has no drama, he’s a genuinely nice guy, he can dance, him & Peta are super sweet together and he’s hot. I may be wrong but most middle aged women go for that.
Cody’s fans can say all 6 million followers voted for him and the show is rigged all they want but truth be told the people that vote don’t have school the next day. It’s not the online votes that win the show. It’s the call in votes, especially after the freestyle dance, that determine the winner.
If anyone proved the amount of Twitter followers (celeb, pro or fan page wise) doesn’t really matter, it was Bill last season.
yeah got it thanks….
@Sueb – Most pros usually have someone else that choreographs their competition routines – just easier to have an outside eye that can see the couples dancing together and knows what works for them and is appealing to the judges, and not all pros are actually good choreographers. My bf’s competition routines are usually choreographed by Shirley Ballas; if he & his partner need a showcase routine (with lifts or tricks), they go to Bruno Collins. Different pros specialize in different kinds of choreo – I’ve heard Jonathan is the go-to guy for American smooth choreography.
I really can’t disagree w/ these rankings they seemed to be pretty spot on. As far as Disney night goes, I think judges threw out the normal judging & scoring rules, and just decided to make it the happiest night in the ballroom. Just some stand out things I took note of:
My Personal Favorite dance of the night: Val & Danica’s Be Our Guest Quickstep, loved Val’s choreography, probably one of my most favorite Quicksteps on the show since Helio & Julianne’s Hey Pachuco Quickstep and also I’m pretty much a sucker for anything Beauty & the Beast, especially after seeing the Broadway musical 5x’s & Belle being the Disney princess I relate to the most. With their difficulty & personal sentimental reasons I agree w/ the judges score 39/40
Most Emotional dance of the night: James & Peta’s Let It Go Contemporary, this was definitely the case where the emotion stirring music & lyrics along with the animated effects really seemed to carry them. It was a little bit heavy on the lifts, I usually prefer contemporary dances to have more dancing & not so many lifts. I also felt that there were certain parts of the choreography that James could’ve executed better along with a couple of the lifts as well. Didn’t like the focus being all on Peta as Elsa, it took away from James and also Elsa didn’t have a love interest in Frozen so who the heck was James supposed to be anyways. In all honesty I actually preferred Peta’s contemporary number with Brant from last season that one had me in tears. Overall I would’ve scored James & Peta a 38/40, it was a great dance but not perfect to me.
(Just a side-note info about lifts in figure skating since it was mentioned & I also happen to be a figure skating junkie: ice dancers lifts are never extended above the shoulders, only pairs skaters do extended overhead lifts. The star lift that James & Peta did is an extended overhead lift. By chance if any of ya ever take a look at Meryl & Charlie’s short & free dances from past competitions, they never do a star lift due to ice dancing rules & are simply not permitted to; however I’m sure if given the chance they’re fully capable of performing a star lift)
The Dance that makes you wanna dance: Charlie & Sharna’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Jazz, loved all the difficulty Sharna choreographed & use of props. Charlie would’ve had a perfect score if he hadn’t dropped his cane, but that error was noticeable enough to doc him because he stopped dancing for 2 counts to pick up his cane, but the good thing was he was able to hop right back into the dance without missing anything else. Adored his bumper penguin dance too. I agree with the judges score here, except it was Len judging performance in this case and Donny judging the technical aspect, so 37/40.
The Making Lemonade out of Lemons dance: Meryl & Maks I Wanna Be Like You Samba, the producers really hosed them by giving them this song, I kinda wish it had been given to someone else & not them. I think if Meryl had been given Under the Sea, then her & Maks’ would’ve killed their Samba to that song & gotten higher scores. I agree that Meryl could’ve had just a tad more bounce in her Samba but I think that was mostly due to her not being in Latin heels; but unlike say some other celeb’s Sambas during the show, there was no awkwardness in Meryl’s movement throughout the dance & she was clean and I loved loved loved the reverse shadow rolls (by & far my fave samba move). Had to agree w/ Carrie Ann, there’s a oneness in Maks’ dancing w/ Meryl that I’ve never seen him have w/ any of his previous celeb partners. Out of all the dances, I do think they danced the best with their animated characters & match their choreography the best with that. Normally I would be fine w/ Meryl’s scores but considering they gave the same scores to Nene (who should’ve been scored lower) then I’d give Meryl & Maks a 37/40.
Worst intro package of the night: Nene & Tony’s, all the drama from that really took away from me having any enjoyment for their Cruella Deville Foxtrot. If the producers wanted to make Nene a real life Cruella, their editing sure did the trick; and it made me get PTSD flashbacks for Tony of his partner from hell Kate Gosselin. Also, AfterbuzzTV did a great job of addressing what happened with Nene & Tony and explaining where Tony was coming from & why he felt the way he did.
Who I think is going home next week: well based on scores it should be Drew, but after Nene’s package & her diva antics I really want her gone, especially for Tony’s own mental health, not to mention I just have never warmed up to her at all this season. Frankly I’d rather have Drew or Candace stick around longer than Nene.
Ok, I think we’ve sufficiently clarified the rules for what lifts are legal in figure skating vs. ice dancing, guys. No need to keep mentioning it.
“the William Levy-vibe from Meryl”
+1
LOL, Court, the figure skating nerds are just as obsessive about this stuff as Len is about heel leads. They freak out when the “uneducated masses” don’t get the difference between ice dance and pairs and go into a massive teaching moment never realizing that the average viewer just doesn’t give a hoot. (I’m a *recovered* figure skating nerd.) 😉
I’ll tell you what, Cidra – I’ve had about as much figure skating/ice dancing “education” as I need for a LIFETIME. I respect that some people get very, very passionate about their hobbies (whether it’s following figure skating, enjoying the opera, breeding dachshunds, whatever), but I think some (and it’s not necessarily here – this is more of a Twitter/Facebook thing I’m seeing) tend to forget that not everyone is as passionate as they are, and when we might not get every single factoid about their chosen hobby right, it’s not out of ignorance/stupidity/being a “big meanie” – we just aren’t that deep into it. Ballroom is my bread & butter – I know the rule book like the back of my hand. But I don’t expect a casual ballroom fan to know the difference between a cabaret-style routine and a theater arts routine – just like I think it’s a bit unrealistic to expect someone like me, who only watches maybe 30 minutes of figure skating every 4 years (and I only tuned in this year to watch Jason Brown), to know what lifts are allowed in figure skating vs. ice dancing. And yes, I was taken to task for this on Twitter 😛 Apparently some people seriously lost some sleep over the fact that I did not know that you cannot lift over the head in ice dancing – and others resented the implication that Meryl & Charlie were incapable of doing a star lift. Well, you just got done telling me that you can’t lift over the head in ice dancing – so why would Meryl & Charlie even try doing a star lift??? I get it, they’re experts at their craft – I don’t think anyone is denying that. But it’s not like me being skeptical about one lift that they’re not even allowed to do in competition is somehow diminishing the rest of their accomplishments. I’m finding many of the figure skating fans to be very “all or nothing” – you either praise every single thing Meryl & Charlie do, or you’re ignorant and a hater. They’re HUMAN, people – we all are. None of us are above ridicule. Reminds me of the soccer nut in season 13 that felt the need to defend Hope Solo’s honor the minute anyone said anything as minute as “I didn’t really like the costume Hope wore last night”, or the opera fans that resented the fact that we were referring to Katherine Jenkins as an “opera singer” in season 14 because “it’s an insult to REAL opera singers” – honestly, we just don’t care. This isn’t a figure skating blog, a soccer blog, or an opera blog – it’s about DWTS. So I’m not really all about getting into the nitty gritty of a bunch of other disciplines. Sorry. 😛
PS How does AfterBuzz earn income? What funds it?
Haha Courtney. I’m glad the figure skating fan in me didn’t feel the need to point out ice dance and pairs skating differences, it looks like enough people covered that anyway, geesh.
I don’t blame you for especially wanting to see Jason Brown….he’s a star! So fun to watch
@EPMusic – I just think Jason is just a breath of fresh air and the most entertaining male skater to watch. I feel like a lot of today’s skaters have gotten so focused on technique that their performances come across a bit cold – I thought that about all three male skaters that actually medaled in Sochi. Jason hasn’t lost focus on the importance of really performing and connecting with the audience – it’s like he treats them as another judge. Plus he just strikes me as being the most happy-go-lucky, gracious guy ever 🙂
Court, the obsessive, tunnel-vision mentality of many in the figure skating fandom is one reason I turned away from figure skating about 10 years ago. The other was the trend toward designing programs solely to earn the highest number of points at the expense of artistic expression. I tune in occasionally now, mostly to catch ice dance which, to me, is the best of the disciplines these days.
I agree with EPMusic — Jason Brown is adorable and talented. He’s a throwback to the “real” figure skaters from the sport’s hey-day.
Back to the real topic of this blog — Have you had any insider info on whether or not there will be a team dance this season? I’m kind of hoping there *won’t* be.
@Cidra – I’ve been wondering about the team dance also. Last season the team dance was in week 7 and in season 16 week 6. Last season during week 6 they had the switch-up dance challenge. Neither was mentioned in the press release for next week though. Maybe since they are doing Macy’s Stars of Dance that will take place of those random challenges they throw in.
@Cidra – I’m hearing week 7 (Latin week) for the team dance…but that’s tentative.
Lurve Jason! He and his coach have stated his lack of quad has forced them to focus on the fundamentals of skating, artistry and performance, and thank G-d for that! The quad will be there soon, and he’s just going to be amazing. As it is, his joy is boundless and infections and I hope he always keeps that! Just wish he was going to be in a SOI show by me. Closest one is Chicago 🙁
Latin week in week 7? Guessing tons of pasos that night. Cant belief we have gone this long without a paso.
@Melissa – A lot of Pasos and probably a lot of Rumbas also. They’ll probably throw some Salsas in there as well.
I’ve got a “What’s Left to Dance?” post coming up later today that should help to illustrate what we might see for the remainder of the season from each couple. Still can’t believe we’re heading into week 6 and still no paso – then again, we still don’t know James’ party anthem dance, so it could be paso…he has plenty of Latin dances left for Latin week. Has anyone asked James & Peta what dance they have?
First, please let me say I loved DISNEY week! I think you will see my enthusiasm in the poem I just finished and sent. I hope the theme will be used again in Season 19. They haven’t scratched the surface as to what else can be done with the theme.
Regarding the one armed Star Lift James did with Peta. I have no doubt Charlie could effortlessly do that lift with Meryl or anyone. In ice dancing that lift would not be done, only in pairs. Ice dancers are restricted on how high the lifts can go.
*banging head on desk*
@Courtney #92
Please don’t bang too hard! We need you!
I find sometimes that I will answer a question, but while I’m working on it ten other posts have gone up, maybe three or so of which have addressed the same issue. But if you hit your browser to update this thread, then you lose what you just typed, unless you type on notebook or a document and then paste, at which point I’m so lost… you get the drift.
Hopefully we’re all trying to be helpful.
Well, its a good thing DWTS is a dancing show and lifts like that are allowed! 😉
Courney I hope it’s a padded desk or one of those breakaway desks they use in movie fight scenes.
I am the same way Lee. Sometimes I don’t see a post and put in an opinion that has already been stated. I know mine above did that after it posted.
Loved Monday night’s show! The Disney theme played out much better than I expected and I couldn’t be happier. I really hope they bring this back next season!
Is it just me, or is Meryl not connecting to the audience like she should be? Kinda reminds me of Elizabeth Berkley. Great dancer undeniably, but can’t connect with voters. I can’t seem to bring myself to vote for her (given- I’m a huge Amy/Derek fan and love what they’re doing together, so all my votes go their way). But even if Amy was to leave, I would vote for Charlie and James before I even thought about dialing Meryl’s number.
Charlie seems to have so much fun and be happy all the time. If Amy doesn’t take the MBT, I hope Charlie does!
Thanks Court, look forward to your what’s left to dance post.
I know I’m being overly protective, but I kind of hoped they would *not* do a team dance this season because I really don’t want Amy jostled around out there on a crowded dance floor. She’s got the heart of a lion and would probably be up for it, but I just don’t think it’s necessary. Of course Lord Conrad is probably salivating like dog with a meaty bone at the thought of someone knocking Amy off her feet in a team dance.
I too would not want to see anything harm Amy however with the amount of talent this year would love to see forces unite 🙂
I see your point, Kim, but the down side of that is we’d most likely end up with another unpleasant rematch of “Team Chmercocky vs. The Evil Hough Empire”. Frankly, I’m way past over that. Although, it might be even worse to have Derek and Maks (or Tony) on the same team because Maks and Tony would be sitting there with sullen faces and passive-aggressive attitudes. Yeah, I think I’ll pass.
Yeah I hear ya this unnecessary rivalry is too much–takes away from the enjoyment–seems to be somewhat one sided (but I won’t name which side lol) IMO.
I’ve missed a few seasons has Derek ever lost one? He puts together such amazing routines and think it’s a great way for him to “respond” to all the immature behaviors and back handed compliments he has to endure (yet professionally ignores) all season.
Thanks Courtney for that clarification on professional dancers and the choreographing of their routines. So pro’s on DWTS can be great dancers in their own right, but if they aren’t great choreographers, their partners may suffer. Unless they can outside help for DWTS….can they?
Thanks for the insight. Love the board. And sometimes love your responses to some of the posters even more!
I think Amy would be taken care of by Derek in a team dance and it would be much better than say, one of those where another couple picks a dance for them and the dances have to be learned in 24 hrs. That could really hurt her chances.
Chelsie made an observation in her recent blog she thought Mark was more attentive with Candace after working with Amy. Maybe pros that work with Amy in the team dance will also have that rub off on them. Heather didn’t do a team dance but still did a group dance her season.
Sorry this is so late. I was unable to watch the show until last night, so we’ll see how this goes. Here are my (hopefully unbiased @Cidra 😉 ) comments.
Drew and Cheryl: I think that it helped Drew to have Witney. He did seem to do better. But quickstep is HARD. I think the scores were more based on the fact that they had so much trouble with the steps. I mean, Drew is no Cody, age-wise. And I loved the animation. But don’t think it deserved straight 7’s.
Charlie and Sharna – OOF! THE CANE! But it was a really great recovery on his part. And I’m surprised with how shocked Sharna was with 9’s. I would have given it a 9.
Danica and Val – boy, was this calculated. It was a good dance – maybe a bit slow for a quickstep, but good – and yet, I have a hunch that her quickstep was planned to be so good. It’s the story arc. I do love her gown, though. I am also a sucker for yellow. It’s a bit suspicious.
Amy and Derek: I feel so bad for her that she feels like she can’t do was much because of her legs. This must be such a challenge for them both. I really appreciate how well she is doing, though. She is a true inspiration. I think the inconsistencies in judging with her do pose a little bit of a problem. I mean, on the one hand, you can’t really judge her the way you would judge some other people. On the other hand, that will cause problems later in the season, but then again, the judges are never consistent. So I have some trouble with this one.
Cody and Witney: without a doubt, the biggest winner from the switch-up was Witney. IMO, if we hadn’t had the switch-up, we would not want her to be a pro this season. And I do think she got screwed with having such a young partner. As much as Cody has ability because he sings and has rhythm, it can be so much harder to listen to your partner when she is three years older than you. And he seems like a typical, maybe even a stereotypical, teenager. But when she had that week with Drew, who knew to listen to her, she did better. I think this dance was better, but he would have still needed a lot of work that I don’t think she could have given him, if that makes any sense.
NeNe and Tony: Likewise, they are the biggest losers. Anyone who went from Fam to non-Fam then back to Fam was going to hit a wall, and that is what happened here. I almost want them to go home, solely because I can’t deal with this. I don’t know what was going on during that interview. I just hope they can work it out, and Tony can be less arrogant, because that is what they need.
James and Peta: well, that was good. I really loved watching that dance. It was well-choreographed, well-animated… But it was a bit weird in terms of how the music was cut. That star lift… Wow! I didn’t know James could do that! I like him a lot as a person, because he seems so genuine. And he, as Court said, is HUNGRY. I can see him in the finale, easily. And Peta does make a pretty good Elsa.
Meryl and Maks: kind of suspicious how much she likes Maks and how much she praises him. I don’t know. They did pretty well in the dance. She can milk whatever she does. I don’t quite understand how she isn’t falling for it, or how they are so connected, but whatever. When Len said the thing about the lindy hop, though, I wonder if the way that Maks can improve his choreo is to take from other styles. But I do appreciate it how well they get along.
Get rid of Erin. Now.
Candace and Mark – Candance! I like how she broke out of her shell. She really did, but you kinda have to for a samba. Definitely on an upswing. But they did not go up to Erin. I wonder…
Side note: this was the first week where they had a real elimination format. Think about it: Weeks 1 and 4 there was no elimination, week 2 was the double, and week 3, Billy pulled out. I think it worked a lot better this time around. They seem to actually have a plan.