Carrie Ann Inaba Writes About Dancing With The Stars Season 18 Week 6
Carrie Ann Inaba’s new blog has been posted at Parade. She talks about Redfoo and the fun Macy’s Stars Of Dance! She also breaks down the dances and talks about her kitty Taz who is in his last year’s of life (I love this cat and hope he’s going to be ok). Below are her thoughts on Charlie, Sharna, Amy, and Derek. Be sure to see the link for more.
Charlie and Sharna Burgess took me back to my Fly Girl days. I was impressed with his ability to get funky. I wasn’t sure if he had it in him, but he does and he brings a special Charlie White style to everything he does. He does everything with ease. I know I’ve said it before, but he’s like a Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. He’s got such a stylistic stamp when he dances, you know it’s him immediately. It’s fun and fresh and clean. I really enjoyed his high-octane presence, but I do think that he and Sharna will be thinking hard about their next performance. I think we need to have impact from him. We need a surprise from them. Something unexpected needs to happen in their journey towards the mirror ball trophy. He’s definitely a contender and so is Meryl, and the competition between the two of them is going to get intense.
And there is another contender…that would be Amy Purdy.
Amy and Derek’s wedding-themed performance to “Shout” blew the roof off the ballroom! She faltered in the middle of the dance and lost her balance a few times–so I couldn’t give a 10, however, WOW! She gave us kicks and flicks like I’ve never seen before. The energy was moving the right way, down and out as opposed to just outward and, I don’t want to get too technical here, but after watching this performance I realize how incredibly detailed she and Derek have to be about the catalyst of every movement due to her unique circumstance. She is understanding the movements in a way most people would never have to and it’s created (when it’s possible) a highly-detailed understanding of the technique. This is what is helping her to perform these almost miraculous performances. I’ve read a lot of feedback about Amy–a lot of people feel she is getting special treatment and a lot of people feel she’s nothing short of a hero. I think that people think she’s getting special treatment because at least one of the judges comments about how incredibly special she is, but people have to understand to watch her dance is to see this. She is special, we can’t ignore it. As dancers ourselves, this is something to be in awe of. What she does baffles the brain. If we see mistakes, we have to take off for them, but it will never take away from the incredible ability she has to put a whole ballroom in awe.
I’m confused how she says that Charlie was winning in the mini race between Meryl and Charlie before last night when she’s given Meryl 2 10’s and Charlie nothing but 9’s. Hmmmm…
I don’t know. Maybe because they are more entertained by Charlie and the way he dances. Yes, Meryl dance with precision and technically better but
for some reason I can not connect with her. I watch her dance and I have no desire to watch it again.
Charlie, with all his errors, I can watch over and over again. I have to say I am a bit biased since discovering them in the Olympics. In ice-dancing the guy is supposed to showcase the girl which Davis-White have
successfully done. And yet, it was Charlie who caught my eye. I have watched a lot of their ice dances on youtube and I found myself watching him more and more. He has a style that is so uniquely his and just so watchable.
Amen Kaitlyn. However, CAI never makes any sense to me — what she says and what she does rarely match up, *and* she’s huge on revisionism.
Ria, I would hardly use the phrase “with all his errors” when referring to Charlie’s performances. I’ve seen very few errors from Charlie. True, Meryl hasn’t made obvious errors, but then she’s been given mostly spare (albeit elegant) routines; whereas Charlie has been shouldering much more complex choreography. Since Charlie has had to learn a lot more dance steps and done a lot more dancing (vs. walking and posing), the chances of making a mistake (small or large) are multiplied. As for “technically better”, well I think they’re both very good technically, but again I have to point out that Charlie has had to learn a lot more technique than Meryl, yet in many dances I’ve seen some bent leg issues with Meryl that should have been addressed and corrected several weeks ago.
Well, when I said errors I meant it tongue in cheek. I personally dis not see that many errors with his routines(and I agree his is the more
difficult, I dare any of the celebrities to do his Mary Poppins routine complete with props!).
On his tango – Len dinged him for the break on hold and yet, there were a couple that he did not deduct points. CAI complained about his being off in the jive which made me roll my eyes. The judges continue to nitpick on him and yet they let almost everybody else get away with stuff – I just don’t get it yet Meryl who should be held up to the same since hello? isn’t she a ringer too? continue to get praise with rarely any errors pointed out.
I love Sharna and her choreography – she makes him work and not just coast. I would like the 2 of them to stay not only because I like Charlie but I really like Sharna’s choreos.
That’s the rub…the judges should be consistent in their critique. I go with holding the olympians to a higher standard (least we forget Danica has been involved with ballroom for well over a decade…but shhh we don’t talk about that); but I’m getting irritated by the obvious low ball scores compared to what I saw & what the judges said regarding Charlie; he has taken on complex routines compared to others as mentioned in other comments but seemingly gets no credit and there are starting to be major rumblings from knowledgeable dance fans on what is starting to seem to be a bias against him…and it’s starting to fan the fumes of the “conspiracy” faction….This is entertainment foremost, and the reason I’m watching is I knew we’d see some terrific performances. But week after week tweaking Charlie over weenie is getting annoying…you need to spread it out for the fans (Charlie definitely doesn’t mind taking the heat and allowing Meryl free reign) but like I said it’s starting to go over the top & is getting “same old same old”
Yeah, I ‘m with Cidra. Comparing Charlie and Meryl at this point is like apples and oranges. Is Meryl REALLY the better dancer when she’s been given easier choreography?? I sure don’t think so. Charlie has been handed much harder stuff and has done it relatively error free.
Let’s face it – it’s easy to look perfect when you’re asked to do baby steps as a great walker, compared to being asked to run. Sharna is asking a lot more of Charlie than Maks is of Meryl. Will this cost them in the long run? I don’t know. It actually may depend on the judges. If Meryl were dancing with Derek, she would have been getting worse scores than Charlie for the simple reason that when Derek is involved the old adage of “To whom much is given, much is expected” totally applies. It appears this doesn’t apply when it’s Meryl and Maks. Will the judges eventually sit up and go “hold on, ya’ll aren’t performing up to expectations”?? Maybe – if this coming week Maks can’t live up to his tango and Val’s AT.
When Derek is involved, it seems the judges have MUCH higher expectations in terms of choreography and execution. When he has someone of high caliber, he can’t seem to win with Len in particular (Nicole, Shawn). He is clearly operating under a different standard – a much higher one. So….is the reverse true?? That they have much lower expectations where Maks is concerned, so when he pulls off a decent dance (that still isn’t close to what Meryl is capable of) he gets better scores than what Derek would get?? It begs the questions.
#2 @Ria
I understand what you are saying. Meryl has been more technical and hasn’t been told about the bent knees @ times. Charlie hasn’t made that many errors, and the male’s part of the dance is much different than the female’s. I’ve alwayss felt that I’d rather compare the male’s dances together and the female’s together. It is true that Meryl’s dance styles have been more moderate while Charlie’s have been more fast paced. The one thing I see is that Charlie really comes across like he is having a total blast dancing, while Meryl seems more refined and proper. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but maybe because her dance styles haven’t been as “upbeat” where she can let her hair down sort of speak. I’m just not as convinced that she’s having the same total blast as Charlie. Maybe the next weeks will show more.
I don’t understand how Carrie Ann can say that Charlie danced in a way she didn’t think he could, and then in the next breath declare that he has to do something to surprise her. You just said that he did! It feels like they keep moving the goalposts on the guy. She wanted hip action, he gave her hip action. She wanted an unexpected style, he gave her funky. He’s already danced with invisible penguins, what more can he do?
I think you’re onto something, PH, and I was actually thinking the same thing (more or less)… That the judges, Len in particular, score each couple depending on what he perceives as the pro’s abilities as a choreographer and teacher. I mean, what more do they want???? Right now, it feels like Meryl and Maks are bringing the kindergarten teacher some daisies, and are being praised and told how wonderful it is, and how gorgeous they are, and just lavished and rewarded…. While Charlie and Sharna are bringing a bouquet of roses they grew themselves, and they’re being told that it’s not good enough, and they’re wrong, and sent to go stand in the corner…
CAI, WHAT MORE CAN YOU HAVE HIM DO? He’s got tough choreography, and he NAILS it every time. He’s engaging the audience every time. He’s enjoying himself, and he’s working hard, and he nails each character that he’s given, he’s done every single thing you have asked, and he’s one of the nicest people….. “He needs to bring something more” doesn’t really say WHAT you’re looking for, that he’s not already done? Everything asked by the judges and Sharna he does happily. What else?
She probably means he has no drama or intrigue that he can bring to the show. He has a long time girlfriend that apparently he worships
and proudly displays so there can be no showmance for him, he does not like stripping so there won’t be any abs for her to gush on, he is so sunny and positive, there can’t be no angst to show in his packages.
I am beginning to think, he should dump Tanith and start having a fling
with the cast, crew and celebs on the show including Bruno, start crying during the packages whining how tough it is to do SOI and DWTS at the same time, maybe curse the judges once in a while. Did I forget
anything?
LOL, Ria (#9), well said. I think you covered all the bases. Somebody send that list to Charlie, STAT. He’s such a good student, I’m sure he’ll get right to work on it! 😛 Also, apologies for not seeing the tongue in your cheek on your comment (#2).
PH, why is it that even the judges now make it about the pros instead of about the celebs? What’s happened to this show?
Oops, sorry, can’t count – It’s Ria (#10)
Lori, (the real #9), love your analogy with the roses, and I agree, if CAI wants him to “bring something more” how about she gives him a shopping list!
#10 Ria, LOL! I was thinking along the same lines. I think you’ve covered everything.
Sometimes, I am tempted to think that the judges’ scores and comments don’t matter, but they actually do. I was expecting that Charlie would finally get a perfect score for his Cha Cha, or least a couple of 10’s, but we all know what happened. And I don’t think they gave any helpful pointers for him to improve. What’s the guy supposed to do?
Wow Lori, I like your roes and daisies comparison. I am really getting frustrated every week and I can just imagine how Charlie and Sharna feel. They must feel like the poor relations while King Maks and Queen Meryl are feted and fawned over.
At this point I will take anybody to win except M&M.
I am sure Charlie is frustrated by the inconsistent feedback and scoring that he’s been getting, though I suspect he may be even more critical of himself than the judges are. You don’t win 3 Olympic medals without being a perfectionist. But he’d never blame Meryl or resent the favorable treatment that she’s getting. I’m positive that he’s nothing but delighted by her success.
I never said nor thought that he blames Meryl. He always appears glad for Meryl’s scores. And he had stated before that he thinks Meryl is the better skater and dancer of the two of them. My beef is with the judges.
And I know it is illogical but it makes me dislike M&M.
I think it’s been that way for a few seasons, Cidra, to one extent or another. How can they not when they know most of them so well? Derek’s won an Emmy – so they rank him higher? I’ve thought for a long time…based partly on something deep throat said a while ago….that Len LOVES Derek and, as a result, grades him harder to avoid playing favorites. I bet there are other examples.
Len, for example, has known Derek, mark and Julianne since they were small children – and probably the others just as long. He KNOWS them and all their quirks. So he probably has certain expectations.
Yeah DWTS has never been a level playing field for the celebs, and now it’s not for the pros. That’s USUALLY okay with me, since it often causes the couples to rise to the occasion – the rare exception when I feel a couple really gets hosed like Ralph and Karina and Apolo and Karina, and to a small extent their portrayal of Shawn and Derek as rulebreakers played a role in their 2nd place finish. But those weren’t the only reasons for those outcomes – Ralph was hurting, Apolo and Karina were too tense and people probably just assumed they were safe, and Shawn’s freestyle was in my opinion, a very slight misstep in a wonderful season, but also Melissa was so likable, had never won, and Tony whined a lot, haha. So all these factors play a part, not just the judges giving them varying treatment.
Sorry I misread your meaning, Ria. When you described Charlie and Sharna as feeling like poor relations, I assumed you were suggesting they might resent the king and queen.
No problem. I better stop whining now. The problem is I have no taste for intrigues, drama, showmances or whatever and that is why except for DWTS, I never watch any other reality shows. And please do not think I am condescending to those who do, my sisters and friends all watch them and I’m sure some of them are entertaining. The truth is I do not watch that much TV at all except for the news. I prefer to read.
I saw the very first DWTS and I just loved the format. I don’t remember any dramas except people trying to dance better. I fell in love with the contestants, the pros and everybody else in the show and watched faithfully for years. Lately though I get very frustrated at the judges and the stuff that they try to insert in the packages.
There is an interesting bit of foreshadowing in her blog. She says both Charlie and Meryl are contenders and that competition between them will become intense, which is probably why she mentions Charlie bringing a surprise dance. The pieces of the puzzle are all there. All of us here knew this would be the script, but it is interesting to hear her say it nonetheless.
The contrast between her intelligently written blog and her behavior on the show is very telling. She definitely has a “role” that she plays and a script that she follows as a judge. The kooky, emotional, excitable one.
Every season she picks one or two of the contestants usually female that she criticizes for not letting go and showing us the real side of themselves. Then when they to open up a bit on the dance floor she acts like a proud mother hen who thinks she’s responsible for their breakthrough.
Every season she picks a female contestant to get the special Carrie Ann hug at the judges table.
Don’t even get me started with her fake crying voices, her “look at me” stunts like falling off her chair, and her nonsensical vocal blundering.
The other two judges have a roll to play as well. Len is the cranky “get off my lawn” old man with a heart of gold. Bruno is the hot blooded, sexually charged, gesticulating, loveable Italian.
This season with the show adding a 4th judge it seems like too much time is wasted on the “personalities” of the judges and not enough on the actual contestants.
I miss the seeing the confessionals and miked comments that the couples make after they just finished their dance. They could easily have time to show this if only they’d reign in the time wasted on the judging nonsense.
Whatever role she is playing I dislike it immensely. She comes off as a dingbat and that laugh of hers drives me nuts.
One thing I agree with her is about Charlie having a unique style of dancing. Even on the ice he has a style that is his which is the first thing I noticed especially in his younger years. He seems like a cute adorable nerd but on the ice he projects a raw energy and speed which just commands and so different from his off ice persona.
I am new to dwts & admit was drawn to it because of Meryl & Charlie’s participation. when you mentioned his cute adorable nerd persona you were right on – …his glasses, short hair, deep infatuation with Lord of the Rings & Star Wars & preppy clothes, and almost mystical love of his dog DJ are who he is & he doesn’t try to hide it. When he takes to the performance persona on ice (this dancing is new & more close up) he projects raw energy, speed, & passion & for me what traditionally was a platform to showcase the female skater he brought attn to the male – with his blond blowing in the wind hair (that emphasized the speed, was recommended by a coach) & his athletic masculine style really caught attention & the fluidity & synchronization between him and Meryl was captivating. Although not alone he is an inspiration how you deal with & work around obstacles (specifically his asthma where at times it’s a challenge to regulate his breathing at the end of a arduous program) I won’t even get into the magnitude of what Amy has/is deaing with. I just love him. Enough of that – my real question is about the scoring & if I understand it – 4 judges = 40points (possible) so you take the score given & change it to a percent 9+9+9+9=36 divided by 40 = 90% then you add the % of fan votes – say a total of 40,000 votes tabulated & your share was 12,000 divided by 40,000=30% &add the 2 90%+30%=120% that is what decides what position you are actually in (so I can see where the judges % is static at 40 (100%) so the # of fan votes really have a greater impact & can actually raise someone with a lower judges score well above someone with a higher score from the judges – so one of the most vulnerable places to be is in the middle of the pack because if their fans feel their safe & don’t vote they could be pushed to low man (am I understanding this correctly)
Ruby, the points a couple is given is divided by the TOTAL points handed out to all couples – it’s a percentage of the whole, not a percentage of 40. Same for the viewer votes. Each thing counts as 50% of your total. So, no, the fans don’t have a greater impact than the judges – it’s equal.