PureDWTS Season 18, Week 7 – The Team Dances REVEALED!!!
It’s been a long ass day and I need sleep, so I’m just gonna get right to it…your teams for next week’s team dances are:
Team Meryl: Meryl & Maks, Danica & Val, Amy & Derek, and Candace & Mark
Team Charlie: Charlie & Sharna, James & Peta, NeNe & Tony
Yes, I know – please take a moment to lift your jaw off the floor as I did when I first heard the teams. I assure you, there’s a perfectly rational explanation…and her name is Saint Meryl the Peacemaker. ๐ Apparently Meryl won the coin toss and got to pick first – and the funny thing is, the pros did not have any say in who got picked for each team. Deep Throat insinuated that the pros may not have even been in the same room when the picking of the teams was happening…which I actually think is kind of cool. Kept some of the politics out of the team-picking. Anywho! Danica & Val were Meryl’s first pick, as that was who she “thought Maks would really want”. Then Charlie picked James & Peta (bromance!), and Meryl picked Amy & Derek. Charlie picked NeNe & Tony, and Meryl was left with Candace & Mark.
Don’t know what the dances are yet or who has what – but one of the songs is apparently “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (last seen as Kendra & Louis’ samba in season 12) so I’m guessing one of the teams has samba. Will update with more info as I hear it ๐
UPDATE: “Livin’ La Vida Loca” has been confirmed as Team Meryl’s song, so they’re doing samba.ย No word yet on the other team’s song/dance, but I’m wondering if they, too, have a samba to a Ricky Martin song – perhaps “Shake Your Bon Bon”? Just a theory, since I think TPTB are going to capitalize on Ricky Martin being the guest judge.ย Also received word that Meryl & Charlie are out-of-town until late Sunday evening – so they will miss both camera blocking and the 2nd rehearsals with their teams.ย At best, they might be able to do a couple run-throughs with their team during dress rehearsals on Monday, but that’s IT. Wonder if they’re going to be Skyping with their teammates at all in order to get the synchronized choreography on lock.ย I’m told Meryl also has a “really fast” Latin dance as her regular dance, but it’s “not jive”.ย Will update this post again as I hear more…
UPDATE #2: So this is interesting: apparently the team dances are not any set style – both are “freestyle” and it sounds like the teams are talking about using different steps from samba, paso, salsa, cha-cha, etc. in a sort of fusion dance.ย Team Charlie has “The Cup of Life” by Ricky Martin (thank 8 lb, 10 oz baby Jesus is is NOT “Shake Your Bon Bon”!) and while they are using some salsa steps, they’re also including some samba & paso in their routine.ย Apparently our readers are right on track with some of their suspicions…because James is already joking about “getting naked” in their routine. ๐ Over on Team Meryl, Maks & Derek have teamed up to do most of the choreography, while Val & Mark are taking on a more observational role and occasionally making suggestions.ย And the best part? EVERYBODY on BOTH teams are getting along – not a single argument so far ๐ Also interesting? Apparently TPTB decided to move up the 2nd team dance rehearsal to tomorrow so Meryl & Charlie can rehearse with their teams before heading out to do SOI for the weekend.ย
UPDATE #3: The teams now have names – and pictures, courtesy of Instagram ๐ Looks like the team ARE set in stone after all, huh Henry? ๐
So my thoughts? I was completely and totally wrong in my “team dance picks” post – although if the pros had been involved in the picking, I think the teams would look a lot different. That being said – I’m actually kind of optimistic about Team Meryl; maybe working all together is just what the Brothers Chmerkovskiy and the Ballas/Hough faction needed to mend some fences. I think it would behoove all parties involved to really try to find a good synergy and work together – I’m guessing Derek & Val might jointly take the lead on the choreography for Team Meryl, with an assist from Mark, as I don’t know that Maks is going to be able to contribute a whole lot with he & Meryl’s travel schedule. The teams really only have 2 rehearsals together – one is happening as we speak and the other is on Saturday or Sunday (which Meryl & Charlie might not be able to attend). While I do think Team Charlie might struggle a bit more in terms of choreography, I think Sharna & Peta might have picked up a few tricks from Derek in previous seasons and it may be a more evenly-matched bout than we initally thought. ๐
So what are your thoughts on the teams for the team dances? Are they what you expected, or totally different? Who do you think has the edge? Discuss…while I get some shut-eye. ๐
They put Derek and Val on the same team. This is not ‘balanced’.
“They” didn’t do anything – Meryl & Charlie picked the teams. And it’s not like the teams have ever been 100% “balanced”.
Hm. Interesting and to be honest I was kind of taken back with the teams when I first read the thread.
I’m going to say that Team Amy has the edge here but then again, Team Charlie has the “performance” factor, especially having NeNe on the team during Latin week but, Val and Derek are great choreographers so they have the edge in that aspect as well for Team Amy.
It’s going to be a “Hough/Balls vs C-brothers” blend as well as a “Danika vs Candance” blend (even though I doubt these two have any personal beef that the show made them out to have)
I am surprised Charlie would choose NeNe over Candace. Did he maybe go by who got the hughest score of thr night. Although now as I write this it kinda makes SOME sense seeing as Latin is definitely NOT Candace’s fortรฉ and thr judges seem to love NeNe’s Latin dances becausr she loves to get loose. So I guess it makes sorta sense.
This is gonna be interesting… Meryl seems to have two awesome dancers and one good one while Charlie has one great dancer and one good one. As it stands now, I think Meryl’s team is going to win but anything could happen, I guess..
WOW. Talk about an upcoming landslide victory for Team Meryl. Ignoring the 4 to 3 deficit (that isn’t the issue), you have the best choreographers all on one side. Derek will continue his team victories and I am going to predict a perfect score for this team.
The other team…oh boy. I hope both James and Charlie practice hard for their individual numbers because this team thing is just… well… yeah.
Awwwww @ Saint Meryl the Peacemaker.
Let the mending of the fences BEGIN!!
BEST NIGHT EVER! ๐ Loved the show & LOVING this news regarding the teams. #TeamPeacemaker for the WIN!
Glad I didn’t go to bed early! Definitely didn’t see those teams coming. Really curious for how the choreography is going to go down for Team Meryl.
I am speechless, and at the same time, impressed. I really wanted Amy and Derek on Charlie’s team, but having Maks, Val, Derek, and Mark all on the same team is an intriguing thought. Also, all female stars with all male pros. I just don’t know what to think about it. I definitely give the edge to Meryl’s team, especially since the judges are so in love with her right now. I’m just surprised. Hoping for great dances.
Well I’m shocked-lol They may not have been in the room but I bet Maks told her who to pick since she was in 1st place coming into this week! Plus he knows Derek’s team has NEVER lost a team dance!
C’bros/Hough & Ballas team-wow Yeah Maks wants this trophy BAD!-lol
TBH, I would have rather Amy/Derek have been on Charlie/Sharna!s team. I love Charlie!
Thanks for the info! No idea how it will go, but I’m over Latin dances. I guess that is a clue who the guest judge (a waste) will be.
Oh boyyyyy…this is actually going to be a landslide! Team meryl WILL WIN endofstory. Btw..i like meryl and charlie, but team meryl has the advantage!
I’ve gotta admit my jaws dropped for a minute or two. Totally, totally shocked. I can understand the Val and Peta pick…….switched partners. In a crazy kind of way, I understand the other picks. Don’t agree with it but I understand it.
At this point the judges minds are made up who they want in the finale. As long as the ratings are up, TPTB will continue to jerk us around.
I do not like either C brother so having Derek and Amy on the same team with them is a bust for me. Oh well.
Totally baffled that Charlie picked Nene and Tony instead of Candace and Mark, but wow Team Meryl looks very strong! Can’t wait to see what goes down next week!
Wish Charlie had chosen Amy and Derek – definitely think Team Meryl has the edge
Well, you might as well give the Mirror Ball to Neryl and Maks.
IMO, Charlie just want to have fun. He is friends with Tony(of all the pros)and he hangs out with him in practice a lot. He also likes James and Cody.
Cody said he is rooting for Amy and Charlie and said he is one of his “mates” and he is the sweetest guy in the world.
why are they uneven?? Usually they have an even amount of dancers…I didn’t even think about it when they said the team dances were next week when they were going to have an odd number of people! and yeah, this match up seems unfair…val, maks, derek, and mark on the same team…?? *rolls eyes*
I was a little shocked at the change in the way teams were picked. I was thinking towards the end of the show that they would announce who the Team Captains would be and let them pick their couples for each team. But, when that didn’t happen, I had a feeling it also changed this season. After seeing the 2 Teams posted and who was on each, made me lean back in my chair and take a big sigh! LOL All 4 of the best male pros on ONE Team???
I think there is a reason for this madness of the producers. Now all 4 pros will have to put their heads together (work together)to put an awesome Latin team dance together. A real test for them, and I hope they pass it.
Sharna, Peta and Tony have their work cut out for them having 3 couples instead of four. Maybe the producers are thinking that Amy is in a different category and it will be a challenge to come up with choreography that she will be able to perform also. And, because of this Team Meryl has a challenge that Team Charlie won’t have.
That’s my take on the team dances for next week.
@Ria, oh that’s true. Charlie does seem to be good friends with Tony. I didn’t consider that. He does just want to have fun. James and Charlie will be fantastic together I think.
I think Sharna and Peta will pull off a good routine for Team Charlie, but just with the overwhelming concentration of choreographic talent & experience as well as dance ability (I mean, the “weakest link” (score wise), Candace/Mark are still pretty darn good dancers) on Team Meryl will probably give them the win.
I think Team Meryl will have the Samba. 3 of its members have already danced Samba. And I think Team Charlie will have the Cha Cha.
It’s kind of weird how they make the team dances uneven. Maybe because they did a double elimination so early?
I think this happened during season 14 as well, where one team had 4 celebs and the other team had 3.
Either way, I’m interested to see the other Ricky Martin song other than “La vi da loca”, maybe it could be “she bangs?” (it’s the only other Ricky Martin song I know of)
Sigh. Heidi, that was an unspecified, ‘the forces of the Is’ sort of ‘they’. Nor did I ever assert that the teams ‘had’ to be balanced.
My comment was to specify that these teams are extraordinarily slanted because the two strongest group choreographers (of the remaining pros) are on the same team. In other words, it certainly doesn’t appear as though it could possibly be ‘evenly matched’ to me.
An interesting point here on the Team Dance, that’s been brought up before: Meryl has really bad depth perception. That might be a factor if they’re trying to do group routines that require her to separate from Maks.
She is a professional dancer Sam. I am sure she will hold her own lol.
I would like to see some shadow rolls. Let the girls roll the guys and impress the heck out of us.
Holy crap!
My first thought when I saw the teams is Team Meryl is going to wipe the floor with Team Charlie. My second thought was, Team Meryl is still going to wipe the floor with Team Charlie. At least they have Sharna but she can’t carry the whole team.
Between Derek and Val, I’m expecting an amazing group dance next week. I can’t wait to see what they do.
I think that Maks definetly had a say in Meryl’s picking and he is clever. Having Derek in your team is almost a guaranteed win. I guess he really wants to win this season and he was ready to swallow his ego a little bit.
I don’t like C-brothers and I would much rather see Amy & Derek at Charlie’s team, but I have to confess that we are probably going to see a very good team dance. I think team Meryl is going to win, but we shouldn’t underestimate team Charlie either ๐
Funny enough, I am not surprise at the team Meryl choice, even though the pros was not in the room, Maks would have spoken to Meryl the minute he found out she was captain, picking his brother is obvious, but there is no way in high heaven, would he not have picked Derek. As much as I don’t like him and can just about tolerate this brother, I have to give credit where credit is due, Val is good dancer & he is dancing more in Derek’s dances than Maks (who hasn’t done one!).
On paper team Meryl should wipe the floor with Team Charlie, but they are not going to go down without a fight!!!
Actually can’t wait to see it & thank goodness Maks wouldn’t be around a lot, Derek, Val & Mark can get on with it!!!
Yes…. This is what I wanted – hot male energy….. And mark lol just kidding. Love the choices. It’s technically boys vs Girls (and tony). Don’t underestimate sharna and PETA because I think they’ll know theyre the underdogs and they’ll want to so something about it.
I can not wait for the team dances!! It’s going to be one great night of dancing again. I’m curious to see how well Maks, Derek, Mark, and Val work together.
Catherine, and I agree. Team Charlie won’t go down without a fight.
What the hell? That is the most obvious rigging ever. So Meryl gets all the best pros on her team while Charlie gets stuck with Peta…and NeNe?! Yeah I call bullshit on this.
I don’t see see team Meryl as a guaranteed win because more egos to deal with! Hope they low lifts as it could prove to be a great competition!
I’m sorry, I really wish Amy & Derek were on Charlie’s team!!
Saint Meryl, lol. Her first pick makes sense and I think people forget that Amy is also an Olympian and Meryl did work with .derek before. Makes sense they were picked next. I think Maks will swallow his pride because he is thirsty for that mbt. While I think Val is also a good choreographer and dancer, he could learn from Derek, again, reason why he won so often and he has that Emmy.
This is so unbalanced. Sharna will be away with Charlie so that leaves only Peta and Tony to do choreography for their team while Derek, Val and Mark are around to do theirs? Kind of ridiculous imo. I know they had a rehearsal last night but even the 3-4 couple split is unfair.
wow wow wow! Jaw on the floor does not even begin to describe my reaction to this post. Never in my different imagined scenarios did I consider this combo. At first glance I’d say Team Meryl has it in the bag but I think you’re right Courtney. Sharna is a great choreographer and Peta does well too and I think they are both smart enough to let themselves learn from past seasons. This should be fun. Let’s just hope the Chem bros will check their egos and work with Derek and Mark who know a thing or two about wining team dances. I’m still shocked!!
You guys need to READ the post. The celebs picked the teams, minus the pros. You also need to brush up on your DWTS history. It is NOT unusual to have four couples on one team and three on the other. It’s happened before.
Charlie picking Peta/James first, instead of Derek/Amy, sure changed the dynamics of the teams.
Steve – I think you meant Courtney.
The only way Team Meryl is going to win this team dance is if the C-bros can tame the massive egos and listen to Derek. I am skeptical. I know Maks has worked with Derek on a team dance before, and well. And Val has been in Derek’s Macy’s Dance. But both of them together?? Glad Mark is there, because Derek is less likely to push it. He is a bit of a peacemaker himself, these days. Derek will do whatever to get the best for Amy, though, so this should be interesting to watch.
Just saw the clip with pop TV of the teams arriving to rehearsals and Candace confirmed that she’s on Team Meryl and dancing to Livin’ La Vida Loca. Now I’m super curious to know what the other team is dancing to.
I just saw this, and I have to admit, my jaw did drop. I never thought there would be a team of both brothers with Derek and Mark.
I’m going to be cautiously optimistic about Team Meryl. Derek featuring Val prominently in his Macy’s dance last night gives me some hope that Val is comfortable taking direction from Derek. It also helps that Maks will be on the road with Meryl.
I hope Sharna and Peta will come up with a great dance for Team Charlie.
No matter who is on what team, I hate to see a team really stink on ice. I want them both to do well.
I’m not surprised by Meryl’s choices, she did work with Val and Derek after all.
This is going to be very interesting. With all of the egos on Team Meryl, I don’t know how anyone is going to be able to pull this off. And the two factions (best word ever!! Ie it’s from Divergent).should make things interesting. But if they can pull this off, it could be one of the best team dances ever, as they have two great male pros and two semi-great male pros.
Here’s a thought. Almost everyone has both their original and switch partners on their team, which means two people who both know how these dancers work.
I also think we are underestimating Charlie’s team. I mean, they have Sharna and Peta, and the two seem to be really good friends. Tony and NeNe will be the wild card over there.
Oh no, I forgot Sharna will be on the road so I don’t see how she can choreograph a group dance if she won’t be there. I think Sharna could come up with something fantastic if she has time but if it’s left to Peta and Tony, I do worry a bit. A lot really. Ugh!
When are Meryl and Charlie supposed to learn, memorize and practice a group dance with the group, at the 11th hour? Worried but I guess they’ll figure it out. They’re professionals and at least Meryl and Charlie are trained for this kind of pressure. And they committed to both shows.
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Heidi. I hope that his quest to get the best for Amy and anyone he works with will outweigh his desire to be a peacemaker and let the Chem Bros make all the decisions. I sure hope their smarts is greater than their ego and that they will be receptive to him and Mark. I’m a bit of an optimist so even if it starts out roughly, I’m hoping they find their flow.
THERE ISN’T ANY REASON TO WORRY ABOUT CHARLIE/SHARNA AND MERYL/MAKS LEARNING THE TEAM DANCES!!!
Sorry for shouting, I just wanted to get people’s attention. They DON’T practice together more than twice. During the first practice, last night, is the night they get what they’re doing worked out, choreography complete. And then each pair on the team works on the sections by themselves during the week, because all of the choreography is already done. They get together again for one more practice, which is to firm everything up. That’s the ONLY practice that Charlie and Meryl will miss. Peta and Tony won’t be doing the choreography alone, and Charlie will not have to learn it at the last moment. He and Sharna will be working on their parts while they are practicing their individual dance.
As for Team Meryl, yes. There IS potential for disaster, but all 4 of the pros on that team are VERY smart (when they use it). None of them can ignore the fact that there is ONLY one person in the history of the show who is undefeated in the team dances, and they know that having that person on their team is a benefit to them, and their partner. And they also know that there is one person who knows best how to choreograph for Amy, and they know that Amy has some special considerations that ALL OF THEM will have to take into account. Plus, Meryl seems to be doing quite well in keeping Maks under control, so if she seems to want to have Maks defer to Derek for the choreography, he will…. And Val will follow. Most likely, Mr Switzerland will hear everyone’s ideas for choreography, and come up with some wizardly creation that makes everyone happy.
Phew!
Thanks Lori for explaining in detail how the team dance works throughout the week.
Haha! Thanks, Lori. Wizardly creation indeed ๐
I’ve gotten over the initial shock. Thank you, Lori #46. That helped clear my brain, LOL! It’s very interesting to find out how these teams work together. Courtney mentioned that there might be a Samba for a team dance, a difficult one. What could be the other team dance? I hope it’s equally difficult as Samba, you know, to even the playing field. Hey, I’m an optimist. ๐
Actually, most of the pros agree that it’s easier with three couples as opposed to four – so Team Charlie has that working in their favor.
I feel the need to clarify a few things, considering some of the complaints I’m seeing here, on Twitter, on Instagram, etc…
1.) Odd numbers are not divisible by two…therefore, one team has three couples and the other has four. I’m sorry that the basic laws of mathematics don’t accommodate some of the viewers’ desires for “balanced” teams. Perhaps we should saw one of the couples in half to make things more copacetic for you? Could get a bit gory, though…
2.) These “unbalanced” teams are nothing new – see the season 9 and season 14 team dances. The world did not end when there were different numbers of couples on those teams; it will not end next week.
3.) Meryl & Charlie picked the teams – not Maks, not Derek, not Conrad, not Jimmy from craft services, not us here at Pure, etc. If you are upset about who ended up on what team, direct your ire at them…if you’re a douchebag like that.
4.) Meryl & Charlie are out of town for the majority of this week; however, the teams typically only practice together twice before showtime, anyway, and they already got one rehearsal out of the way last night. There’s also these neat little inventions called Skype and Facetime, that allow people to communicate over great distances with video. MIND. BLOWN.
5.) It’s going to be in all of the pros best interests to set aside egos and get along – I don’t see any of them intentionally acting like asshats to each other just cause. IT WILL BE OK.
Oh Lori! I cracked up at work with the “Mr. Switzerland” comment. He can add that to his Mr Choreography title.
I think Maks is so pressured doing the regular dances with Meryl, he’ll gladly let someone else take over.
I’m gonna guess Meryl’s “very fast” Latin dance is the Salsa which I am guessing she’ll be pretty good in.
I also am gonna take a wild guess that Charlie’s team has Salsa (maybe to like… “Cup of Life?”). I was thinking they might make them Team Paso but that’d be extremely unfair considering no one’s even done a Paso yet. So I hope they do Salsa.. James and NeNe both did it already and did rather well in them and I am sure Charlie would be able to pick up the Salsa quickly.
LOL – Mr Switzerland is a PERFECT nickname for Derek.
Hmmm…the tip about Meryl having a fast Latin dance that isn’t Jive has me intrigued. She only has Rumba, Paso, and Jive left for Latin dances. Salsa isn’t considered Latin by ballroom competition standards is it? I so had them pegged for doing Rumba next week.
Val has been a few of Derek’s choreographed dances so I think the friction is more with Maks & Tony vs Hough/Ballas. And Maks even admitted last night that he’s not as good as he thought he was.
It may also help that a couple celebs are dancing with the pros from the switch up . That may especially help Amy who has both Derek & Mark that understand her limitations (a term I use for lack of a better one -she’s pretty much proved limitless). Can’t wait to see what they come up with.
I don’t expect that Tony will be contributing much to the choreography on the other team. Sharna & Peta will pretty much take control.
@DLT I am no ballroom expert, but even if it isn’t consider a Latin dance by the standars, it’s been used during Latin Week since the beginning of time, so I don’t see them changing that ๐
I oddly am rooting for both teams. Usually it’s pretty cut and dry who is going to win the team dance but these seem pretty evenly matched…..well except for Nene but I’m sure the pros will find a way to cover that she isn’t as strong as the other two.
Derek and Maks was together on the Team Dance for S11 and they won and it was a great dance.
Yes, Megan, and they were on a team again in season 13 and also won – and Derek kinda took over teaching Hope the routine when Maks stormed out of rehearsal. I don’t think anyone is denying they’ve worked together without issues in the past – I just think Val & Mark being thrown into the mix are two variables we aren’t sure are going to compute.
This should be interesting and agree with most if the egos are checked at the door by certain brothers than should be an awesome routine.
I also think Team Charlie will do an awesome job as well.
#46 Lori – Mr. Switzerland indeed. lol Love that man.
Meryl and Charlie have already been doing camera blocking on Monday mornings with the exception of this past week. So the schedule this week should be nothing new aside from the need to do an extra team rehearsal. They perform in Detroit at 4pm Sunday and then fly back to LA that evening. Plus the pros fly ahead of them so they could potentially meet with the team ahead of time.
As for these teams, WOWZA!!!!! I love Meryl more and more each day. I think she picked Amy and Derek because she already has relationships with both of them. I’m actually surprised Charlie didn’t pick them as his first pick. Amy shares some Olympic sponsors(Procter & Gamble) with Meryl and Charlie so they have spent time together already.
I scratch my head about NeNe but the only thing I can say is Charlie either wasn’t thinking or he thought Tony would be good at choreography. Maybe he didn’t want Meryl to have the entire “family” on her side. But yes either Derek or Mark would have made more sense as his first pick.
I definitely think Team Meryl has this locked on many levels. But I do expect a good dance from Team Charlie, I just don’t expect a win from them.
Ego? Maks? Won’t it be traveling around with Meryl this week? Therein lies the reasoning (for me) that the picks went down in this fashion. Val will protect Maks’ space. Derik, Val & Mark will be awesome. I am excited for this group as it will hopefully keep Candice in the race!
One thing I noticed in the Macy dance. Val was on stage, front and center with Derek & Allison. He did an awesome job. He was also a part of the troupe, but I don’t recall seeing Maks in the Macy dance at all! Or..maybe there just wasn’t enough light for Maks to mug to?
LOL Lori to “Mr. Switzerland”! I love it!!!!
Why would Meryl & Charlie be out of town all week when they only perform Friday and Sunday this week? Seems like the groups could get in another joint rehearsal pretty easily on Wednesday or Thursday, and even do the blocking for the team dance then since M & M/C&S won’t be there for Sunday blocking. (But, I don’t know DWTS — maybe the studio isn’t even available on those other days, or there is some other constraint.)
@Ziggle They may have other obligations we don’t know about yet. But if not, I’d expect them to fly back East on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.
Ziggle, I’m just reporting what I was told. They will not be in LA again until Sunday evening – maybe they have other engagements elsewhere. As for the camera blocking for the team dances, they need to have the entire team dance choreographed – including the solo portions – so doing the blocking tomorrow or Thursday will not be enough time. The show cannot reschedule everything to accommodate Meryl & Charlie, despite what some of their fans might think – it would not be fair to the other couples to force them to rush and get their team dance solos done early just so that Meryl & Charlie could attend camera blocking.
I wish the teams had not shaken up like this, but it’ll be really interesting to see what Sharna and Peta can come up with (since they will probably lead the choreography) and show some of their mettle. I hope for Charlie and James’s sake that they do well, but I also want Amy and Candance and even Meryl to be good. I’m a bit torn!
I’m hoping the lineup will look like this:
First hour will be cheeky Latin dances…
Amy & Derek… Salsa or Paso Doble (I feel as though Paso would be in her wheelhouse since it goes by fast in time with music. The heel lead may prove a challenge)
NeNe & Tony… Jive or Argentine Tango (Can’t say I remember Tony really doing a well executed Argentine Tango before except with Audrina Patridge)
Candace & Mark… Salsa or Argentine Tango (Gonna hope she gets salsa and surpasses NeNe)
James & Peta… Cha cha cha or Rumba
Meryl & Maks… Paso Doble (it’s fast in terms of bpms)
Danica & Val… Argentine Tango (Seems like it would be appropriate for Danica after getting some womanhood down in her Cha cha)
Charlie & Sharna… Paso Doble or Samba (Wouldn’t surprise me if he and Meryl had the same dance)
Here’s to hoping this week’s guest judge isn’t just unnecessary fodder to create a spike in scores.
Very interesting…Charlie could have taken Derek and didn’t. Perhaps when planning strategy before the pros were told to get out, Charlie/Sharna assumed (wrongly, as it turns out) that Derek would still be available to them in the 2nd round. So they grabbed their friends (and good dancers) James/Peta first and ended up losing Derek.
Bless his heart, Charlie better wax his chest; get a spray tan; eat nothing but carrots, celery & protein shakes; pump iron like a fiend; and prepare to get naked because everyone else on Team Charlie likes to wear as little as possible for Latin dances. For Latin Night they’re all gonna want to strip down to dance belts and pasties. ๐ฏ
@Nico – Amy has already done salsa (with Mark) and NeNe has alreayd done jive (with Tony).
Cidra you made me spew coffee on my computer! I think it would be very funny to see everybody else in pasties and Charlie in full dress mode doing the salsa.
I thought Sharna said Charlie told her he would not take his shirt off as it is not who he is and I remember one photo shoot where he had his shirt open and he looked so uncomfortable. I will have to wait till next week.
Cidra just said what I was thinking. Charlie’s on the team that STILL thinks the way to winning is to have naked people dancing. They haven’t won yet, but will they have figured this out yet?? ๐
Yeah and I’m going to have to endure another week of Tony topless. No thank-you!
Why in the world would Charlie not pick Derek and Amy first? James is my fav but his choice made for very unbalanced teams!!! Maks, Val, Derek, Mark on one team??? Is there even a competition here???
I can’t wait to see the footage next week of team rehearsals. That’s always fun to see everyone work together and how it it all came together, theme and choreography. I see more Sharna and Tony the Elder taking on the choreography. I just remember Peta during the Gangnam Style team dance of which she was the team leader and she didn’t do anything. Never took the lead or offered up any ideas. Still love that dance or whatever it was. I laughed so hard.
Anyway it’ll be interesting to see what both teams come up with and how it all came together!
Yes of course they have always been “unbalanced” but I don’t believe with all male pros on one team and all female pros on the other! Come on now this is unique !
Val seems to like his shirt off regularly too And mark but Candance won’t let him. Derek’s been known to go shirtless. Not that I mind seeing any of them shirtless especially Derek ๐
But let’s be fair each team has their “naked” tendencies
@Heidi: If James’ perfect score with a “Henley and PJs” couldn’t get the light going on, nothing will.
OTOH, I’m reminded of a quote about the main cheer for UCONN: “what it lacks in creativity it more than makes up for in gusto.”
Charlie definitely has the three biggest personalities on his team (although Amy is a close fourth).
#Cidra – Charlie’s surprisingly buff with his shirt off! Well, I guess not surprisingly since he is an athlete and a large part of his job is human lifting. He doesn’t need protein shakes, but he will need some serious waxing and several coats of spray tan. And a personality transplant because he posed once with an open shirt and he was not comfortable with it at all.
“(Canโt say I remember Tony really doing a well executed Argentine Tango before except with Audrina Patridge)”
His season 8 AT with Melissa was one of his better pieces of work. Don’t remember him ever doing any others.
No, Kim, not at all. We are talking TEAM dances, not just men taking their shirts off. Charlie’s team’s pros have been known to be more focused on – and have said OUT LOUD in rehearsal – getting well built men naked for points to appeal to Bruno. This is VASTLY different from anything that Derek or even Val have done. Hell, Derek’s one time going shirtless last season was the PRODUCERS making him take his shirt off.
People seem to not be realising here that derek,maks,val and mark are all actually good friends,but just like any good competitor they are competitive at the right times.you see the guys out together all the time eg val at dereks film premiere the other week or when val and mark did toxic all those season ago mark saying that him and val are good friends off the dance floor so personally i don’t see any reason why these guys who are all very talented,true pros wont knuckle down and work well together.I love both the c bros and derek and cant wait to see what they all collab to produce ๐
I wondered when in the world Meryl and Charlie would get team rehearsals in with their killer schedules. I always love seeing team dance rehearsal footage too.
I’m seeing a lot of people baffled by why Charlie didn’t pick Amy & Derek first. It’s really not that baffling when you think about it – he probably just assumed that Meryl wouldn’t pick Amy & Derek because of Maks & Val. I think I even mentioned it in my team dance picks post yesterday – in the past, those who don’t necessarily run with the C-bros have been able to strategize in picking their teams because they know that Maks & Val will not pick certain pros (Karina, Mark, Derek, etc.) It was a strategy that worked PERFECTLY during the season 15 picks – Shawn & Derek felt comfortable saving Apolo & Karina (one of the stronger couples) for last because they knew La Familia wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. I’m assuming Charlie was assuming the same thing here – that Meryl (at Maks’ urging) wasn’t going to pick Amy & Derek. Little did he know that Maks had actually been quite complimentary to Derek earlier in the week, and had said that he “likes working with Derek because we spur each other to come up with ideas”. He was notably less enthusiastic about working with Mark, but that’s neither here nor there. Or, maybe Charlie wasn’t worried about strategy – he was just picking people he knew he’d like to work with, and we know he has a bit of a bromance with James. I don’t think it’s completely off-the-wall that he wouldn’t pick Amy & Derek first. Now as for picking NeNe & Tony over Candace & Mark – I got nuttin’. You guys are on your own figuring that one out…
I find myself in the very strange position of feeling optimistic about Maks!!! I can hardly believe it myself. What makes Meryl different is that Maks has a very high opinion of her both as a person and as a performer, so that when things get rough, he can’t just put it all on her and go off on how ridiculous it is to think that anyone could get a dance out of this person. So for the first time that I can remember, Maks owned his stuff. I see this as huge. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would say that something Maks did was “sweet,” but saying that Meryl said to hold her hand was really really sweet. I just hope the synapses are still firing and that he realizes that there is a link between this kind of honesty, and producing (in my opinion) the absolute best dance he has ever created and performed on this show. Totally 100% deserved the 10’s. (Who is this person writing this comment anyway?) I think him having this “breakdown/breakthrough” and getting a perfect score augur well for the team’s energy. I can’t tell you how strange it is being out here on this limb, but here I be.
@DWTSGossip is reporting on Twitter that TeamCharlie will be dancing Salsa.
Should be interesting!
I’m really excited about these group dances. Charlie probably picked James/Peta because he worked with Peta, and James is a great guy and a great dancer. Maybe Nene because she’d probably add some spice in their group number.
Meryl obviously picked Val because he’s Maks’ bro and she worked with him. Probably Amy/Derek because she worked with Derek, too and because Amy is a sweetheart and a hard worker and a great dancer, plus obviously they’re both Olympians – they know what they other has been through in that regard. It will be interesting to see Amy work a little bit with Val because she was interested in working with him for the switch-up and vice versa.
I think Val and Derek will get along fine. I know people want to create some drama that Val and Maks have some “ego” (Which I honestly don’t see… especially in these recent weeks. Maks has been very open, honest, and vulnerable this season and Val has been having a good and cute time with sweetie Danica.) Derek and Val are fabulous choreographers and I’m sure Maks will let them take the reins since he’s out of town. I don’t see any issues arising there, they work together all the time for opening numbers and the recent Macy’s number. I hope they have a really sweet package so everyone can just calm down about the C-bro/Derek “feud”. They’re all great. They hang out outside of the show and do respect each other as performers.
Susan – welcome to the limb!! ๐ It’s refreshing to hear you talk about the vulnerability from that package last night. There has been A LOT of talk about that and people either seem to feel it was completely staged or like you & myself – a genuine breakdown/breakthrough. I hope they continue to carry this open line of communication with each other into the coming weeks.
I would have loved to see Charlie & Amy on the same team, but this combo of people could prove to be very interesting. It def made my jaw hit the floor when I read the names. I hope both teams knock our socks off, and Derek remains undefeated.
I think these teams are pretty darn even and the caliber of dancing of the top 7 is extremely high. I think we’ll see some great dances. Neither team is entirely made up of weak choreographers either so each dance should be strong. I am looking forward to it!
Val has made some comments before, but I think he does respect Derek and Derek obviously respects his dancing. I know TPTB will try to pull drama moments out of rehearsals but I hope they don’t give them much to work with.
I also hope they both have the same dance style, to make it even more fair.
Ria (#72), sorry about your keyboard ๐ I hope Charlie sticks by his principles and continues to do what he feels comfortable with — a muscle shirt or just undoing a few buttons (like Peta got him to do for the rumba) is as far as he needs to go in my opinion.
Lippy (#80), I have no doubt Charlie is quite fit in an attractively lean way. I’ve noticed his biceps when he wears t-shirts in rehearsal. So maybe he doesn’t need too many shakes. ๐ However, I think I heard that to get the popped muscle look, guys pump iron or do push-ups right before their photo shoots. All that aside, I’d prefer he keep his (and everyone else’s) shirts on for their team dance.
And Val going to Derek’s premiere didn’t benefit Val at all?? LOL.
Lol Cidra. I think Charlie is a very conservative guy and an admitted nerd(as he said in an interview)so I’m not surprised with his no open shirt rule. However, I’ve seen a picture of him shirtless with his dog taken by Tanith in their Mexican vacation years ago and he looked very, very good.
Still, I’d prefer him to keep his shirt on.
Wow, thanks for this new set of spoilers Courtney!
From here on out, as far as Latin week is concerned, I’m gonna have to throw out each and every preconceived notion I have about anything to do with DWTS. Clearly, just like I didn’t see the teams forming as they did, I never thought a fusion dance was an option either.
I’m excited for all of these positive updates & cannot wait to see how it all turns out! ๐
I find it rather humorous that people think we are making shit up about rivalries when they are reading our post that contains insider information. Um…hello? ๐
Maybe they will get along fine, maybe they won’t. But we actually do hear other things beside who’s dancing what and with whom.
Oh but Heidi, if they don’t LIKE what we’re saying, then it must not be true. If they like it, then duh – it’s obviously true!!! ๐
LOL Court – yes, there is always a bit of selective belief going on. But it’s pretty blatant when it’s in the comments on a post where we were the first to have the info. Does not compute…
#Jackie … Thanks for your welcome to the limb! I may be proven dead wrong, but I feel like there’s been a shift. For them. For me it’s the same: I see what I see. And the Maks I saw last night was … wait for it … introspective! I hasten to add that Meryl seems to be central to the whole change, just by virtue of her being who she is. Remarkable. I just love alchemy.
I have a feeling TPTB will throw in something to make the teams even. I think the night of the show Team Meryl will have to pick a couple to sit out so that the teams will be equal. And then the fun begins because who will be humble enough to back and who will try their best to stay on?!? Just think among Danica, Candance and Amy who will think “she” is not strong enough to carry the team to a victory and who will motivate the others to go out their and let it loose?!? Just a thought.
Heh-heh PH & Court — You know by now how many people survive on the basis of “I reject your reality and substitute my own”. They do it as naturally as breathing.
@Susan – Aww…I could live in your sentence w/ how you ended on the alchemy note. It felt like perfection! One thing I have noticed (and this is only my knowledge of this season w/ Maks)is that he has horrible delivery. That might his problem most of the time w/ how he communicates with others. But Saint Meryl knows how to translate him like no other. I wish we could clone her.
P.S. *Fingers-Crossed* he doesn’t prove us both wrong next week, lol.
Hell, Heidi – it’s not even “insider info” that there’s been bad blood between the Chmerkovskiys & Derek. I think any fan that’s trying to deny that they haven’t always gotten along in the past is sticking their head in the sand – there was the feud in season 13 because Derek dared to point out that Maks shouldn’t have mouthed off to the judges (and Maks struck back on GMA the next day), there was the tweets about “revenge” after Tony won in season 15, there was the team picking during season 15, there’s the constant “keep it all in the family/the only person I trust with Meryl is Val!” nonsense…and then there’s the passive aggressive tweets we see from them every season. I think trying to claim that everything between them is sunshine & rainbows & unicorn farts and always has been is just…idiotic. They may be getting along now, but they haven’t always in the past…
I think Maks almost always speaks from the heart. I think that’s why he seems like such a knucklehead sometimes, since it’s a difficult thing to reconcile the heart and the head as well as some people do – that’s not to say I always agree with him, and more than anyone on the show Maks has made me facepalm because of his foot-in-mouth disease that often crops up.
While I don’t believe in any sort of showmance, I do think Maks genuinely cares for Meryl and wants to serve her right. Perhaps he’s been doing the self-reflection that we all have wanted out of him, and last night was a glimpse of this. Hopefully he won’t get too relaxed now that he’s been rewarded with great scores, but instead use this as an inspiration to keep challenging themselves.
Um, no Lucia.
I think with regards to the feud, it would be MUCH more of one if Derek wasn’t a forgiving person. A lot of the passive-aggressive stuff uttered by Maks, Val, and Tony would be a greater strain on a less-agreeable competitor. I am sure Derek is no saint, but at least he lets his accomplishments speak for themselves and chooses to be the bigger man. He obviously has a great deal of empathy and can understand insecurities and competitiveness and doesn’t let it affect him too much when it comes to maintaining friendly work relations. I’m very much the same way, and its how I would hope to behave in a similar situation.
@Figamentation – Well spoken! Maybe like Meryl, you’re also a Maks-whisperer ๐ I agreed w/ every sentiment you wrote in your post.
Haha, thanks Jackie – maybe it’s all the Russian literature that I read, or maybe it’s just my experience with temperamental people that mean well, but I do like to think that I’d handle Maks decently, since I empathize with his shortcomings. I think to do well in Maks’s world you have to either idolize him, which will be a one-sided, harmonious but ultimately shallow partnership. Or you can be like Kristie and strong-willed, but still complementary – one of his best partnerships, by far. Meryl is something new because she’s so agreeable but not passive, and her sheer existence challenges him to rethink his old ways.
@Fig – Very true. In that respect, it’s a pretty one-sided feud – Derek tends to pick his battles and dealing with the passive-aggressive mutterings of Maks, Val, & Tony are generally not high on his list of battles to pick. I’m hoping after this team dance is over and done with, we see a lot less of that passive-aggressiveness and more of an understanding between them.
Maks has never won and complains about it, Val has not won but does not say anything,
Tony only won All Star Season because it was set up for him to win something, he has been there since Season2 and no wins. Believe me, if you watched the All Star Season Derek and Shawn Johnson did the most incredible dancing done on the show. I will watch it on you tube because Shawn did a special. Now, the producers are working for Maks to win and what better way than to keep the competition on his team. I thought having Maks and Meryl do a Tango this week was so unfair…she already did one and we know she can tango. Maks spent the summer doing Forever Tango on broadway with Karina, he better have some good choreography. I went to vote on ABC.com last night, I am in the Mountain zone and it kept telling me I had 3 more votes about 4 times but would not take them…so you watch next week they will probably say no votes from ABC.com again……It takes the fun from being a loyal fan, but the dancing is awesome.
I really like these teams! And I think each pro on the team will be more than willing to work together and share innovative ideas with one another. People seem to be forgetting that Maks complimented Derek as a guest judge last season, and Derek has been thoroughly supportive of Meryl and Maks this season. People like to stir up the pot with sh*t for no reason.
And just who are you directing this to, Jen?
I guess Sharna and Peta may know some tricks by them own…
By the same token, people don’t believe what they don’t want to believe.
Julie, I’m no Maks apologist, but in past seasons of the show — when the format was more structured — it wasn’t unusual for lots of couples to get *both* Tango and Argentine Tango. So giving both to Meryl and Maks this season is not unprecedented. It’s true that lately, TPTB have been doling out dance styles in a more manipulative manner. Certainly, Tango and ATango were excellent choices for Maks, and he hasn’t (yet) been handed Jazz and Contemporary which would not suit his talents. However, Sharna got both Jazz and Contemporary for Charlie (whom I adore) and they suited him extremely well. NeNe has avoided most of the ballroom dances because being sexy and shaking her booty is her thing. So it’s not just Meryl and Maks who have been favored with dance styles that are in their wheelhouse.
As for Saint Val, sorry, but give him a couple more seasons and he’ll be complaining as loudly as Maks. I believe it’s in their DNA.
The phone and online voting systems have always been unstable. There’s no conspiracy going on there. You just have to be strategic about when you phone or go online if you want to avoid snafus.
Courtney, I’m directing it to the people who seem to be suggesting that there’s automatically going to be bad blood in this team.
If this team dance for team #1 goes really well and we see real team work between the C. brothers & Hough/Ballas and the rest of the season reveals only respect for each other anytime, what a positive affect for the show. That will be a giant leap forward, then the next hurtle will be calming down the hostility with members in websites of DWTS. I say this because I had to leave one certain site because of the constant cruel remarks toward basically one pro dancer. I was just so sick of opening a thread that looked innocent just to see cruelty. One thread was all about bashing Derek & Amy and Pure DWTS to the point that I had to call the posters out on the carpet on their shameful behavior in their posts. I actually had to tell them that everything they were saying about Pure doing, was exactly what they were doing. 3/4 of the posters on the site are Maks & Val worshipers. No one dare say anything negative about M & V or you will be attacked big time. There are some who stayed neutral and keep comments mature, though, and I do miss them, but the other negatively wasn’t worth it, as I rather enjoy humor and positiveness anytime.
I feel that abusive behavior and rudeness will not be tolerated here by the monitors, and I am enjoying my new membership here. I look forward to sharing and communicating with you all.
I’m sure both teams will be outstanding but I’m worried that TPTB have an agenda. I feel like no matter what Team Charlie ends up doing they will get hosed by the score and the judges while Team Meryl will be praised to the highest heavens. I mean really just look at whose on her team – Val, Maks, Derek AND Mark (aka the Wonder Boys). This is TPTB’s wet dream. They’ve probably been waiting for this forever. The judges will probably declare Team Meryl’s dance to be the greatest dance in the history of dance. They’ll get the best costumes and the best special effects. They’ll get the show an Emmy nomination. Call me a cynic if you will but I just can’t see how Team Charlie can win this thing. Sounds to me like they’re gonna be doomed from the start.
Yes, Megan….Derek & Maks were on the same team in Season 11 and the team dance was awesome!
I don’t know why there is so much emphasis on who gets what score, especially when we haven’t ourselves seen the dances anyway. As for me, I’m so looking forward to seeing both these team dances and would rather not think negatively before hand. James is a good dancer, and Charlie, and NeNe is holding her own, then there is Peta & Sharna who are pretty talented pro dancers along with Tony. How does anyone really know whether or not they just might come up with something pretty darn cute and clever?
@Princess Heidi on #114…..Isn’t that the truth!
#46 @Lori
I have a question, dear. Who is the real Mr. Switzerland (besides Derek)??
These are going to be enjoyable dances no matter what it will be good entertainment!
Meryl’s team will be the professionals that they are and get along in order to produce an out of this world routine and get the win!
Unfortunately, the “unbalance” (which has nothing to do with 3 vs. 4) has totally taken the wind out of it (competition) for me. There is just no way with all that talent on one team it will even be close in quality. But I will stick with my team (Charlie) and hope for the best. ๐
Glad to hear both teams are getting along really well! And it makes sense to move up the 2nd rehearsal, so I think that’s fair and logical.
Hmmmโฆanyone else listen to Afterbuzz tonight? Kristyn read the teams off and Henry said those aren’t exactly set yet and he wouldn’t confirm anymore. Maybe I misunderstood him or heard wrong but it was very odd.
Mods, just a quick question: are there specific rules (especially lift-wise) for salsa on DWTS, or is it a kind of like the argentine tango and you can add in whatever lifts you want? I’m talking more for individual dances for latin week. Thanks!
DLT 125 I heard those words from Henry. I expect Henry did not want to confirm anything before official announcement by ABC.
Not sure what Henry’s talking about, because the teams have already started rehearsing and they have their second (and final) rehearsal tomorrow before Meryl & Charlie leave to go do SOI for the weekend. I don’t see TPTB rearranging the teams at this point – so my only guess as to what Henry means is either a) somebody’s injured and might have to sit out, b) they’re letting someone from the troupe or eliminated pros join Team Charlie to even up the numbers, or c) Henry is smoking crack. ๐
@Leann – As far as lifts go in salsa & Argentine tango – it’s pretty much anything goes. I would say that it’s beneficial that the lifts enhance the dance and fit with the theme, but beyond that, they can do pretty much whatever they want. Len has been known to call out routines for being too lift-and-trick laden, though, so I would say its good to have a balance of basic steps and lifts/tricks.
Yeah, another interesting tidbit that Henry mentioned on AfterBuzz was that he was with Meryl & Maks today in the studio working on something for the future. I guess there’s a bunch a different things this could mean, so unless we get spoiled I’ll just have to wait and see.
I’m guessing the trio dance, but it could be something else.
I’m a bit stunned that people are dismissing Team Charlie so completely. Sharna Burgess happens to be a KICK ASS choreographer and has a TON of experience choreographing Latin Dances for stage and film. She was a choreographer on both the US and Australia versions of SYTYCD. I won’t count her out.
I also think having only 3 couples to choreograph for will make a difference. I like the symmetry of 3 couples and fewer bodies overall. It could make it much easier to clean and polish. If Sharna and Peta spend a lot of their time working with Nene and help polish her lines and footwork and then Tony working with James and Charlie? I think some really terrific stuff could happen with that team. Of course, I’m speaking as a non-dancer, so take it with a grain of salt.
And frankly, with the demographic of the remaining couples, one team was ALWAYS going to be heavy with male pros since there are 5 female celebs left and only 2 male celebs.
I’ve also heard Sharna say that she and Peta have known each other for years and are great friends, so that working relationship should be great.
As for any strategy in picking teams? Somehow, I don’t see Meryl and Charlie really having a deep, working knowledge of all of the “family feuds” happening on DWTS. They’ve been a little busy over the past 5 years (especially the past 5 years, that is) training 8 hours or so a day, going to school and competing in 5 international competitions plus 1 national competition every year. I think they are really just trying to have some fun and enjoy the experience of doing something new and different without the incredible pressure of the past year.
Thanks for your expertise, Courtney! ๐
@Angie, I don’t think anyone is dismissing Charlie’s team necessarily, since Sharna is a fantastic choreographer and James and Charlie are both good dancers. I mean, an important factor in team dances is making everyone look good and in sync, and I think potentially Nene can lower the level a little bit (especially when they go into solo partner sections). It’s just that Derek hasn’t lost a team dance yet, and he manages to pull together fantastic numbers no matter who he has on his team. Not to mention that Meryl, Amy, and Danica as well as Candace are all good dancers. Especially since it seems that Maks, Val, Mark, and Derek all seem to be getting along, it can be a tour de force imo (they are some of the best and most experienced pros on the show).
Also, imo 4 teams has as good symmetry as 3 teams. It’s just that it’s often pyramid formation in 3 teams and trapezoid formation in 4 teams (and of course slanted/straight lines).
Thank you for the update, Courtney. Glad to know that things are going well for both teams. Hmmm, Latin dances fusion? Sounds interesting. Looking forward to great dancing on Monday.
I think Henry was just saying that because he couldn’t “confirm” or “deny” any information directly until DWTS wants to officially announce it. Either way, I’m interested in seeing the team dances, I’m not going to count out Charlie’s team because I think they’ll make it really fun especially having NeNe on the team.
Side note: Henry did say he was working on something with Meryl and Maks for later on, maybe the trio dance for the week after?
Welcome KreativeKat. (#120) It’s always good to have a positive outlook and take a wait and see approach. However, you also have to be realistic and recognize that the show does manipulate things from time to time to fit their storyboarding.
I’d say folks who are concerned about the scoring are concerned because that’s what’s easiest to manipulate. Both teams will probably come up with fun, entertaining routines (even bad team dances can be entertaining); but if the producers have decided that the couples on one team need a boost, they’ll encourage the judges to give them the edge on scores.
This whole thing already sounds anti-climatic. They should at least have waited one more week to make it more even.
Like last season teams are lopsided team Meryl is much stronger. Why Charlie didn’t pick Derek and Amy I don’t know after all Derek has never lost a team dance looks like he probably still hasn’t.
@Angie
Sharna is a kick ass choreographer and I don’t count her out, she’s the only one I count on for that team in terms of choreography. But Val and especially Derek are kick ass too and Derek has never lost. I’m excited to see both I just think Sharna has more of a burden with what she has to work with.
I’m guessing your question is really more like “Why didn’t Charlie pick Derek & Amy FIRST?”, Kathy? Because he wanted James – said “the last two guys standing have to stick together!!!” He probably also assumed that Meryl wouldn’t pick Amy & Derek because of Maks. Not sure why everyone is coming down so hard on Charlie for this, or why they’re wracking their brains trying to make sense of it…it’s not really rocket science.
Poor Charlie–the man can’t seem to catch a break. He picks James and is getting such grief. It wasn’t a bad pick. I admit I would have LOVED for Amy & Charlie & James to all be on one Team, but I don’t think Charlie deserves all of the second guessing.
OMG why didn’t he pick Derek & Amy. lol
Exactly, PJ – and now I worry that poor Charlie is gonna get blamed if his team loses because he “didn’t pick better”. What I think some forget is that Charlie doesn’t strike me as the type that wakes up every morning with the mission to “win, win, win”. He seems like the type that likes to have a good time, too – and from what I’ve heard from Deep Throat, he & James are like two peas in a pod. Just good, good buddies. I ain’t gonna begrudge him for wanting to be on a team with his friend. And really, James isn’t a bad pick – I honestly would have done the same thing, because I didn’t think there was a snowball’s chance in hell that Meryl would actually (willingly) pick Amy & Derek just due to the history between Derek & Maks. It’s one week, people – one dance. I’m hoping all of this “Why, god, WHYYYY???!!!” ceases within the next 24 hours…it’s tiresome.
You have to also remember that it’s unlikely that Charlie is aware that Derek has never lost. Why would he know? The pros weren’t in the room and he wanted his buddy (who happens to be a VERY GOOD DANCER) on his team.
I don’t get why this is a hard concept.
I’m not disappointed at all in how the teams have worked out. Surprised, sure, but not disappointed. I love Charlie and James, and I love Amy. They are my top 3, so now I can cheer for both teams to do well.
I think Charlie was probably somewhat aware/had some idea that Derek does pretty well at these team dances and would be a good choice because Derek choreographed for the olympics for them (so Charlie knows his choreography is terrific) and both Meryl and Charlie have watched/followed DWTS before (and they mention how Derek hasn’t lost a team dance pretty much every year I think because he’s never lost one yet :D). Perhaps Charlie hasn’t watched to the extent that he would know Derek has never lost, but I mean they even went to support Derek last year or the year before or sometime at DWTS.
However, I agree it’s totally not Charlie’s fault that he didn’t get Derek and Amy on his team. He picked 2nd after all. If he didn’t pick James first, then Meryl probably would have picked James as her 2nd choice given that he’s a pretty good dancer, and I think Charlie really wanted to have James with him.
I think there have been more so-called “lopsided” teams before than this arrangement.
A few things. First of all, I think that the pros on Charlie’s team will be able to tailor the dance to their stars, because they are all familiar with how their stars work. Same with Meryl’s team. I think in terms of the difference between the two dances, we can look at the S15 team dances… I mean, there was the skillful dance, and then the crazy dance.
I also think that the Hough/Ballas vs. Fam feud is fueled more by the fans of the Fam than by anyone else involved. I have a feeling that this team dance might be a turning point in the feud in the right direction.
The only problem I see on Charlie’s team is NeNe. The rest of them could do something “smaller,” complex, more lyrical — except then what are they going to do with NeNe?
I agree, Susan, I’m sure Sharna and Peta have been humming “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” and substituting the word “NeNe” in their brains. She’s definitely the weakest link and this will probably be the week the judges decide to drop the hammer on her lack of dance skills.
Re. Update #2: The song’s a plus. Not sure how I feel about basically getting a “freestyle” team dance, although it gives the choreographers a bit more leeway to come up with choreography that plays to the strengths of all their team members. As for James joking about getting naked…I’ll just say “James, don’t be such a *guy*! If you force Charlie into gratuitous shirtlessness for this Team Dance, I’ll be very disappointed in you. That’s not what friends do.” :grrrrrrrrrrr:
Haven’t the past two or three team dances been freestyles??
Deep Throat has mentioned that James is a bit…pervy, behind the scenes. Likes to tell raunchy jokes, joke about getting naked with NeNe (true story), and just generally act like a typical 20-year-old guy. I guess I would just chalk it up to him being a young, virile 20-something with one thing on the brain, and having to put up the G-rated facade for too long on Big Time Rush – but I guess he did throw out the suggestion that they call their team “Team Vajeeda”. James…just, no. ๐
PH, Yeah, come to think of it, I believe they have been freestyles.
Thanks for the behind the scenes tidbit, Court. Considering Peta’s tendencies, “Team Vajeeda” is actually pretty accurate. ๐ James puts on the G-rated facade so well in public and comes across as quite mature. So I forget he’s just a couple years away from teenager-hood. ๐ Guess I’ll cut him some slack. He can joke all he wants about getting naked for the team dance, as long as he’s just joking. I’m sure he loves teasing Charlie about acting like a staid old man. ๐
LOL it’s funny to think that Charlie isn’t even that much older than James – he’s 26 to James’ 23.
Any information about the individual dances yet?
Yes, Misty, and if you look through the comments, you’ll find some hints.
Princess Heidi, season 16’s team dances was samba and paso.
Hope Maks has time to practice since he is now dating J Lo according to Gossip Cop.
Thanks for all the info so far!! I think Team Charlie got the better song (just my opinion-back when both songs were popular I thought Cup of Life was much less played out than Livin La Vida Loca)
as for the teams being stacked or not stacked…all I have to say is last season, on paper, Team Foxing Awesome should have wiped the floor with Team Spooky Bombom-but they definitely gave those foxes a run for their money, and I actually enjoyed both team dances a lot ๐ No expectations from me til I actually see them dance.
Question-if there is a tie, we can still consider Derek undefeated-right? ๐
Hey Jackie #130 I hope you see this as I just got on the computer and commented on the After Buzz thread. I heard that comment Henry made about him working with Meryl and Max and my ears perked up. Can’t wait to see what it’s all about.
Susan #86 welcome to exactly what happened to me this season with Max and I never thought I would be in this position. I have loved Meryl from the start and was disappointed that she got Max until I saw what she was able to do with him. I love them together and that package made me even more of a believer. I so agree with you that Tango was the best I have ever seen Max create ever and so deserved the 10’s.
So glad to hear that everyone is getting along and I am hoping for some spectacular dancing. Miracles do happen.
Team two has the better song in my opinion but I am probably becuase my sister blatsed that song all last week from her Ipod so it’s still fresh in my mind.
#Nasim … that can’t be right. The songs were “Call me maybe” and “Gangnam style.” Both were freestyle.
Susan, I think you’re mixed up. Season 15’s team dances were the “Call Me Maybe” and “Gangnam Style” freestyles. Season 16’s team dances were a samba and a paso to “Superstition” and “Higher Ground.”
You’re so right … mixed up and then some! At doctor’s office so have other things on my mind. Sorry for the mistake. Thanks for the correction.
No problem. Always happy to help!
Charlie blew it by picking James and Peta over Derek and Amy. Shakes head.
That wasn’t the question, Nasim. There were other seasons that were freestyle.
Guess I missed the memo that Charlie should have consulted with the fans before picking his team…cause screw what he wants! It’s about what the fans want!!! He’ll probably get voted off cause he didn’t pick Amy & Derek…such a shame.
*emphatic eye roll*
@Cori Charlie didn’t “blow” anything. James is as good of a dancer as Amy and yes Derek has won all the previous team dances and is an amazing choreographer but that doesn’t mean Peta, along with Sharna and Tony, can’t come up with good choreography.
I say, just let both teams dance before making any assumption that one is better than the other because no one can see the future and stranger things have happened on this show…
Maks and J Lo? I guess stranger things have happened.
And seriously? Maks and J Lo? Are people really running out of things to “report” that they have to make these stuff up? sigh… Hollywood…
But Meryl & Maks are supposed to be soul mates, according to tumblr!!! J Lo is such a (future) homewrecker!!!! *tries to feign outrage*
I don’t get why Charlie is getting slack for picking James. James is a great dancer and also a contender as well as NeNe has a lot of personality. I think their dance will be fun to watch.
Actually I think both dances will awesome on Monday!
So it is Team Vida versus Team Loca now ๐ how creative! lol?
I think Team Vida(Charlie) will hold its own against Team Loca(Meryl). Even if they lose, they’re probably going to have a lot of fun.
I find that funny that the teams are “Vida” and “Loca”, because Loca’s song is Livin’ la Vida Loca. But, at least we have confirmed teams. Now it should be interesting to look at the M/V fansites…
It’s interesting to look at the team pics on the DWTS facebook page. Team Vida (Team Charlie) are all together, stars on the top, pros on the bottom, everyone in a little clump. Team Loca (Team Meryl) are all standing next to their pro partners; Derek, Amy, Candace and Mark are being crazy and Maks, Meryl, Val, and Danica are not. It’s kind of an interesting personality pic.
Also, Court (#171), I personally wouldn’t want JLo or Meryl married to Maks…
I’m sure Meryl is currently in a corner having the vapors over the betrayal that Maks has shown by faux dating JLo. :::rolls eyes:::
#Aviva
Oh I never noticed that until you mentioned it. Team Loca has an interesting dynamic.
Team Vida seems so symmetrical from every angle with the placement of each one down to the hair color.
@Aviva – Well the Spanish translation of “The Cup of Life” is “La Copa De La Vida”…so they just took the last words of each song title to name the teams.
Kate #176 I think that Team Loca is going to have very PC and calm rehearsals, while Team Vida’s rehearsals will be more fun.
Court #177 OHHHH! That makes sense! (It would help if had heard The Cup Of Life before and I spoke a little more Spanish than I do……)
Aviva, that is exactly what I saw when I looked at that pic. VERY telling.
Thank you for all the inside tidbits Courtney! I do love reading your posts. IMO, Charlie and Meryl don’t know much about the history of the DWTS dramas & all that good stuff. Before when the show would show the picking of the teams, I’d always see the pro whisper into the celeb’s ear who to pick or I’ve even seen Derek doing all the choosing since his partner seems to always be a team captain. I definitely know there has been bad blood btw Derek and Maks in the past and I have often rolled my eyes at Maks for making little dramas with Derek into big diva drama (in his eyes). I just dislike when the C-Bros will light fires with their words because their fans follow suit and guess who gets abused on social media But Derek will never strike back unless he feels it’s important and he never has.
Anyways, with all that said… For me, hell did freeze over when Maks and Karina apparently buried the hatchet and became friends again. Derek graciously took Hope and Maks into his team because he didn’t want Karina to have to deal with Maks.. and that was after that huge fight Derek and Maks had when Maks lashed out at Len. So who knows, maybe Maks and Derek are okay now.
Back to Meryl and Charlie picking teams WITHOUT their partners whispering in their ears, i just doubt that Meryl would know about the history btw Derek and Maks and that Charlie would know that Derek has never lost a team dance. I am fine with these teams, especially knowing that EVERYONE is getting along and working well with one another. But I give the edge to Team Meryl bc of Derek.
Added team pix from Instagram. I can already tell which team is gonna be goofier ๐
@Elmari, since you mentioned Maks and Karina mended those fences, it did really surprise me. I remember an interview (I think, or it could have been a backstage thing, or post result show, I don’t remember now. But anyway..) he was asked about Karina, and their working relationship, and he said, “I will never speak to that person again.” And it took whoever was interviewing him aback a bit and I’m remembering something like, “Oh…..”
But they did, and it was probably Karina who led the way, being just Karina.
So, maybe Maks really did change, but… Maybe I’ve been watching this show too long.
I’m certain no matter what the team dances will be fun and entertaining Monday. Heck, Gangnam Style was a “hot mess” but it still was fun!
It definately, isn’t rocket science why Charlie picked like he did nor were the predicted teams. It all made sense that Derek would be around for Charlie’s second pick oh well didn’t work that way. Even though the pro’s weren’t in the room when the picks were made I’m certain that they had had previous conversations with their pros (and others for that matter) about the history,strategies, etc. They didn’t make their picks totally independent or uninformed.
PH #179, I almost wonder if this was taken in the first rehearsal and maybe they actually are sort of getting along. And even if these team dances don’t completely work, maybe it will help to break the ice between Ballas/Hough and the C brothers. It might not be the biggest or best step, but it’s the first step to teamwork.
Court #181, I feel like there’s always a technically better team and a goofier team. Some years (S15) it’s easier to tell than others (S16, IMO).
Yeah I agree with you, Aviva. And is it just me or do Val and Maks look exceptionally unexcited in that picture? Lol
(sorry if this out of context with the thread but since it was mentioned…)
@Lori I remember that interview, I think it was Season 13 when asked who he wants to win. I think he chose JR because he was most deserving of it but he still would never talk to Karina.
It was actually interesting watching interviews with them when they were doing Forever Tango, they actually have a very playful relationship which was interesting to see.
I still think you can’t hate someone that much for years without still having unresolved feelings towards them and I still to this day, think they are a perfect match (maybe more so now because they both seem to have lightened up over the past few years)
I love this site very entertaining reading the different comment and all the different views The bit about Maks and JLo LOL!
Someone else on here mentioned that the feud btw Derek and Maks is the fans more or less not them I seem to remember Derek was stranded in NYC this winter and he hung out with Val and Maks course now that Maks is back on the show maybe??
Another thing everyone is saying they have never seen this side of Maks that Meryl has brought out What about S10 with Erin He was very much the same way and supposedly they are good friends yet today Just sayen
I think the team dances will work out fine I do think Sharna is very good at cherograpy and may surprise a few But she does have some tuff competion
I was so blowen away with Amy and Derek’s jive I have no words She is amazing!
Love all the *snark* from PH and Court. Reminds me of the good ol’ cheesecake days.
PH is right, someone fetch poor devastated Meryl some smelling salts ๐ her preux chevalier has feet of clay.
Court, Meryl-Maks-JLo will make excellent grist for the mature fanfic mill.
@Jessica – I’ve always been of the school of thought that the opposite of love isn’t hate – it’s indifference – and in order to hate someone passionately, you have to have invested a LOT of emotional energy in them. Such is the case with Maks & Karina – I think in order to be that hurt and bitter about a breakup for so long, you had to have loved that person VERY deeply at one point…so I agree with you about Maks & Karina. I think she was the one person that really knew how to handle him at his best and worst. Who knows – maybe they’ll find their way back to each other at some point in their lives.
@Shannon – The people that insist that the feud between the Chmerkovskiy’s & Derek is between the fans and not the guys themselves seem to be fans of revisionist history, and conveniently forget past friction from previous seasons. The boys have NOT always been BFF, as some like to claim. Just look at some of the incidents I mentioned in #103.
Sorry I’m trying to catch up with some of the hx regarding the feud topics. Clearly from the incidents listed in #103 sounds like some definate shade has been thrown by the “C-bros”. Has there been any relatialtion or anything from Derek’s camp or is/was he the receipent of the “attacks”?
@Court, I agree the friction between the Chmerkovskiy clan and Derek (or the Hough/Ballas clan) has its roots in the relationships and interactions between the pros. However, with some effort, they are able to behave maturely and be *professional*. On the other hand, the Chmercocky fanatics (and even a few – albeit a small percentage – of Derek fans) seem totally incapable of any kind of rational, mature behavior.
Looks like its going to be a good competition-lol
I think everyone knows James was a great pick. I just think, at least for me many wanted to see Charlie/Amy/James on the same team. I just love Charlie-haha
Well, I’m over it now.. Let the games begin-woohoo!!
Aviva, I don’t think there is any ice on Derek (and Mark’s) side of the equation. Not based on what I know of him these days. He’s Mr. Switzerland AND Mr. Love. It’s quite annoying, frankly. ๐
I, like most of the other commenters, was surprised that Charlie picked James and Peta first. But hey, I’m sure his first choice would have been Meryl, had that been an option.
I think both teams will have fun dances!
Well, whatever the nature of the relationship between Derek/Mark and the Maks/Val, I’m just glad to hear that they are getting along and putting together an amazing team dance ๐
Does anyone think that Ricky Martin may actually sing his songs for the team dances? I know he has to guest judge but maybe he can do both?
I’m not totally surprised that Meryl picked Derek and Mark–she did want to dance with Derek originally, after all. She’s gushed about working with him in the past. And I think she’s too mature to humor any kind of friction between the pros. And it sounds like everyone is getting along, which is awesome! I’m not going to count out Team Charlie though–he and James are real contenders, and I adore Sharna as a choreographer.
Here’s my two cents – yes I am rooting for Team Meryl, but I don’t think anyone can count out Team Charlie, which is the sense that I’m getting on the Dancing with the stars Instagram posts. Aside from why the Charlie and Meryl chose who they did and why they did it, I think that both teams are going to bring it, especially Team Charlie because I’m sure they have something to prove, as they don’t have the stellar choregraphers that we know are on Team Meryl, but they want to show that they can still produce some great stuff, even with Nene.
However, I admit I have my reservatons of the choreographing abilities of the pros on Team Charlie, as although they’re all amazing choreographers, specfifcally Sharna, none of them have the experience and ability of chorepgraphing team dances that the pros on Team Meryl have. Sharna has only been in one team dance in her time, season 16 with andy dick, and in that instance derek was of course the leading choreographer. Peta has been in evEry team dance since sesoson 14 but I’ve just rewatched those packages of those dances, and I don’t see her coming out and showing us her leadership skills, even when she was the team leader of Team Gangnam Style in season 15. And then theres Tony, who’s leadership abilities is a little unknown to me in team dances, because he’s always on a team where there are voices that are louder than his own. As well as this, I find that whilst Sharna and Peta are amazing choreographers, specifically Sharna, I’ve been only able to see what they’re capable of when they have capable partners, although what Sharna did with Andy Dick and Peta’s work with Brant Daugherty was greaat. I’m curious to see how they handle making their choreography suited to the abilities of Nene, as Charlie and James are exceptionally talented dancers, capable of complex choreography, whereas Nene is not, and if they choreograph their routine with same complexity that Sharna and Peta have for all the dances that Charlie and James have done this season, then it’s really going to hinder them as we’ll be able to see the difference in skill with Nene.
Then again, I might have just over analysed this whole thing.
See, I keep thinking that the 2 female pros will be better at helping Nene look good in this dance because she’s the ONLY female celebrity they have to contend with. Maybe it will let Sharna and Peta help match/mask Nene’s lower technical skills more easily. I’m having a hard time figuring out how to explain with words what’s really in my head here, but here goes:
I guess what I’m sort of saying is that Sharna and Peta can “dumb down” (which sounds so negative but I don’t really mean it that way) the female choreography and match their style to Nene while letting the boys shine and look really good dancing side by side with Tony. Then, when they do their individual “feature” sections, it let’s Nene be Nene with Tony and each of the guys KILL IT with their female pros.
Does that make any sense to anyone else? Or is it just my slightly addled brain tonight?
#Angie no I get your point exactly actually, I didn’t think about that, and it actually makes sense. It’ll be interesting to see if Sharna and Peta had that same idea though. Thanks for that point, I never thought about it that way!
I very much agree Angie. If there is one thing going for Team Vida is that there are not one, but TWO female pros who can help NeNe really polish her movements. She’s got the soul, like she says, now if Sharna and Peta can work on her technique, then that could help the team A LOT. Same goes for Tony helping out Charlie and James (though I don’t think the necessarily need as much help). Team Loca has all male pros and all female stars so there isn’t really a female pro to help the girls perhaps “shine” a bit more… Maybe not so much with Meryl, Amy and Danica but with Candace (but I am guessing the other girls will help her as well. I guess both teams have their advantages and disadvantages but I think we are gonna see some great choreographies on Monday night. I fully trust Sharna’s choreography skills after that AMAZING Jazz routine with Charlie and Andy Dick.
Guys, check out maks’s latest Instagram post, it’s him with the females of the team, with the caption ‘the winning team this Monday….’ and even tags derek and mark. Much like I suspected, I think the male pros respect these ladies too much to not do the best they can to make them shine, of course meaning to lead their team cooperatively and with the best intentions in mind, of course well have to wait till Monday to see if this rings true, but I have high hopes for the male pros working together productively on this one
I’m actually really interested in seeing how all the celebs get along with each other and work together. Charlie/James/NeNe are going to be a hoot, and I think the ladies of Team Meryl are going to be super cute. If NeNe had been on Team Meryl, there might have been some clashing with her and Candace, but I think everyone is going to get along with their teams. so yay, no unnecessary drama!
Wow, the caption on Maks new ig pic “the winning team this Monday” They havent even danced and Team Meryl already won. For that reason alone I hope Team Charlie takes the win.
Well kelly, I agree that maks caption was ill advised, but hey it’s maks ego vs other worthy people who are humble and thankful for what they have, they have amy and Candace, some of the most real, genuine and humble people I’ve seen on the show. and team Charlie have nene, who isn’t in comparison. But these team dances should not be based on personality and ego, but skill and cooperation as a team that works successfully in their routine, and we won’t find that out until they actually perform on Monday, so I agree that maks shouldn’t have openly stated that they were the winning team already. Tony won’t be too happy about that…
I think the point of Maks’ comment was kind of a “we are going to kill it on monday” vote of confidence. It’s not a bad thing necessarily – it could mean that the team dance is looking really, really good to have that much confidence in it. Admittedly though, Maks isn’t wording this sentiment very well (diplomatically) if that’s what he was going for. LOL
Where do u find the Instagram? I’ve never gone there. I’m really excited for both dances and decide based on the dance only.
Kelly and Leeann, I don’t think that Maks calling his team the winning team is something to go crazy about. In every color war, sports game, competition, etc., you say that you are going to win. It’s a good confidence booster. Plus, it just sounds like something Maks would say.
I’ve read this in mltiple sources, but apparently Team Meryl is dancing the samba, although I don’t even remember where I read it. Of course I don’t know if this is a confirmed fact or just a rumour, but if it is the samba, then I think (I hope) Candace will KILL it, and show everyone that she’s not the underdog in Team Meryl, despite being picked last for the teams, and hopefully show that she can be still shine amongst the other praised female stars of the show, all of whom have gotten tens whilst Candace continues to be underscored and can’t even a wrangle a 9 out of REDFOO. The samba(score wise) is Candace’s best dance so no doubt she’ll feel comfortable doing this dance a second time so hoefully she’ll feel more confident and let that show in the dance. I just love Candace, and I want to see her do well, because I feel like she’s being screwed by the judges and TPTB.
On another point, if Candace isn’t eliminated next week (please, please be Nene) then I hope TPTB will spare the poor girl for one week and maybe pronounce her safe at the start of the show rather then tell her she’s in jeapordy before dancing, or after a dance, and then proceed to put her in ‘not necessarily the bottom two’ for the third week in a row. She loves this show so much, let her enjoy it for one episode please TPTB, I beg of you.
@Charlotte – My source says the dances are freestyles – that might include some samba, but the dance is not strictly a samba.
As for Maks’ labeling his team as “the winning team” – I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. According to Deep Throat, “Don’t be so sure that Team Loca will win!” Apparently Team Vida is looking really, really good too – and they seem to be doing better with synchronization and group choreography than Team Loca. A lot of emphasis is being put on the fact that Derek has “never lost” – seems like they might be setting Team Loca up to lose….
Er, Maks says and does a lot of stupid shit, but I don’t think this is one of those times. People ALWAYS say stuff like that at sporting events, etc. I agree with Leeann – it’s about a vote of confidence.
It’s easier to be synchronized with only three couples – but yeah, I can already sense the narrative.
But if the narrative sets Derek up to lose, what exactly does that mean? Are they setting him up to lose so that he will sweep in and win? Or are they setting him up to lose and then when he loses, there will be “crushing disappointment?” (Of course, Derek will feel nothing but crushing disappointment when he loses, even if there are 10’s in his team’s dance, because he is really annoying and Derek always gets ringers and he always wins. :rolls eyes:)
No, a narrative is just a narrative…a story. They’ll make a big deal on the show about Derek never losing…and then the other team (“the underdogs!!”) will pull out a surprise win. Everyone loves an under dog win, right?? :::rolls eyes::: This show feels so obvious anymore. At the end of the day, unless Team Loca seriously fucks up, it will mean next to nothing.
@Aviva – I think it’s just for shock value and to shift the lead back to Charlie. It’s not so much a way to stick it to Derek – it’s just potential for a gripping storyline: the 10-time undefeated team dance champ taken down by three novices? It’s an attention-grabber. And since Meryl has been comfortably in the lead these past few weeks – maybe they’re looking to shake things up and present Charlie as a potential champion now.
And of course if Team Loca Wins it will be because of Maks, if they lose it will be Derek’s fault, even tho he isn’t partnered with the Teams Captain–yadda yadda. Sour grapes? Yes but I’ve watched so much unnecessary hate from the C-side over the years, I just expect more.
That being said, I think even when it gets really heated, Derek and sometimes Mark just let it roll off their backs mostly. Both have talked about how DWTS is a big deal, how everyone (dancers) would give their right arm to be selected to just be on the show and that they really love it. So I think they try to keep things professional because if the atmosphere at a job gets too toxic it can all blow up, tear it apart and be gone. And I think Derek after the first couple of seasons REALLY understood that it would be the place if he played his cards right and was a team player he could try out and get many of his ideas seen by the most people. And I think he REALLY loves to dance and wants to be able to continue to do it, if someone wants to see him. Be it Broadway, a tour or the show.
I think Derek, Mark + Val could all work together + come up with an AWESOME routine but Maks is the partner of the Team Captain so will he do that, who knows. But I don’t think he meant anything by his Insta comment other than just a little toying with the other team and the typical playful trash talk in most competitions.
This is my first time watching DWTS. I don’t know how the show works. I think be interesting and cool, if it was tied match. Both teams deserve to win.
What probably going to happen: Team Vida is probably going to win because they are the underdogs.
For me the team dances are just a carnival side-show. All I ever hope for is that there’s harmony on both teams so all the celebs can have fun working together, and we (the viewers) get two entertaining routines. TPTB will decide which team they want to give the win to and drop the word into the judges ears.
I just wish that the team dances weren’t about winning and losing. It would be so much better if people didn’t bring winning or losing into this and the team dances were just about seeing the dances. Sure, it’s good for your ego. But I don’t think winning the team dances makes or breaks winning the show.
My take on this situation is the teams are so lopsided (no disrespect to either Sharna/Charlie or Peta/James) that in order for it to even feel like a competition, Team Vida has to get some noise. Except for (the problem of) NeNe, I expect they will give a good performance, but I just don’t think they will be able to match the energy/dynamism of Team Loca.
[…] My first team dance post was getting a bit lengthy…so I decided to carry on the discussion here I thought I’d take a look at several factors that may affect the outcome of the team dances – things that may affect scores and overall success on each of the teams.ย Join me, won’t you? And be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom! […]
Raine, only complete idiots would believe such a thing and they are the types that should be ignored most of the time anyway.
[…] to PureDWTS, ice dancing partners Meryl and Charlie are opposing team captains, and we think the squads turned […]