DWTS Season 18, Week 8: Who’s Dancing What…and When?? (SPOILERS)
Well, let’s hope that this week is finally Charlie’s week. Quickstep should be great for him. If he does another great dance only to get hosed by the judges in their quest to get Meryl and Maks the MBT – well, I might have to write a really long, scathing rant post that blisters the ass of any producer that comes close to this site. (waves) Seriously, this show is pissing me off big time. Have they learned nothing from their other pimpees, who include the likes of Chelsea Kane and William Levy – that reminds me, I need to finish my post entitled “Winners Never Pimp and Pimpers Never Win.” For you reading-impaired shippers of the quivering loins with your heads in the clouds – this has nothing to do with Meryl herself, or her ability. It has to do with the single minded moronic quest of the judges and producers to make sure that Meryl and Maks win. If she’s all that….LET IT HAPPEN.
Anyway, I hope Amy does well on the AT, but her injuries worry me. James is a big question mark for me on a dance like V.Waltz. Candace should do well as she could be in hold a lot of the time. Danica and Val?? Who the hell knows? Meryl and Maks? Tums are your friend. 😉
ETA #1: So Danica’s song is the only one I immediately recognized from this week’s list of individual dances…the rest are more obscure. And rumor has it that Grandma Chmerkovskiy flew in to observe one of Maks & Val’s dual rehearsal sessions…that ought to make for an interesting rehearsal package 😛 -Court-
ETA #2: I’m back from out of town and ready to rumble. There are going to be ground rules for Monday night – I’m going to post them here and reiterate them on Monday night so none of you forget. First, DO NOT constantly hit refresh. Read, comment if you want, then walk away for a few minutes. There’s no possible way for you to read anything new if everyone keeps clicking refresh. Two – DO NOT use the comment section like it’s twitter. If people start posting one-liners, I’m going to start deleting. If I have to delete you several times in a row, I’m putting you on moderation. You need context. Think of it this way – if someone comes along two hours later and reads your comment, will they be able to tell what you’re talking about? If the answer is no, you’re doing it wrong. The last couple Monday nights have been out of control – ya’ll need to start practicing some simple netiquette. Look it up. 😀 ~Heidi
ETA #3: Okay, so the “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” IS the Lorde version, as someone earlier suggested. Other tidbits we’ve heard? James is doing pretty well with a standard Viennese waltz, with at least one cool move where James is holding Peta’s leg over her head. Amy is having trouble with the AT. 🙁 Whether it’s due to her lack of feet, her injury or just the lack of rehearsal, it’s hard to say. Also, as I alluded to in the comments, all the pros are pretty pissed that Abby Lee Miller is judging them on Monday night.
ETA #4: Anybody else think that Candace hit the song/dance combo jackpot?? 🙂 With Mark as her choreographer, this should be a really cute dance.
ETA #5: Some last minute intel on the various dances – all sound interesting:
* Apparently Meryl & Maks’ rumba isn’t all that unorthodox – though parts of it look like a couple fighting. So maybe think less “protesting the situation in Ukraine” and more “wife working up the courage to leave an abusive husband”? There’s also a part where she rolls around on the floor.
* Amy is using a stool for part of her Argentine tango – the question is: will the judges like it, or dock her for it? (Heidi says “docked” since it’s about time the judges start angling for their favorite finalists – tonight will be telling)
* Source says his/her least favorite dance this week is Danica’s tango – wayyy too slow and weird.
* Apparently, Candace’s foxtrot has a comedic storyline to it – might be starting off sitting on a bench.
* Charlie’s quickstep is “cute and fun” and actually has a section of tango in the middle – will get him hosed or praised? He seems to be struggling a bit with the technique and hold – we’ll see if he gets it fixed before showtime. (Again, Heidi votes “hosed” – just cuz that’s what they do to Charlie, whether he deserves it or not.)
* Looks like Peta & James may have omitted the leg in the air trick from their Viennese waltz – it was a potential “lift risk”.
* All of the duels are looking good – our source particularly praised Amy & James’ jive duel.
Amy and Derek – Argentine Tango (song: “Heart Upon My Sleeve” by Avicii
1-800-868-3410
James and Peta – Viennese Waltz (song: “6-2” by Marie Miller
1-800-868-3402
Charlie and Sharna – Quickstep (song: “My Heart Goes Boom” by Miss Li
1-800-868-3412
Candace and Mark – Foxtrot (song: “That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On” by Sam Cooke
1-800-868-3407
Danica and Val – Tango (song: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Lorde
1-800-868-3403
Meryl and Maks – Rumba (song: “Read All About It, Part III” by Emeli Sandé
1-800-868-3406
Round two, as you all know by now, is three sets of “Duos” dancing together. (:::sigh:::) The Duos are:
James/Amy – dancing Jive (song: “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That” by Robert Randolph & the Family Band
)Charlie/Candace – dancing contemporary (song: “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith
)Meryl/Danica – dancing samba (song: “I Luh Yah Papi” by J. Lo feat. French Montana
)
Oh Heidi, bring on the new commentaries! And you crack me up!!!
Really worried about Amy. I so hope this girl will make it to the finals and that her injury won’t jeopardize any other week, just this one. She is so incredible. Has she even started dancing this week?
I would assume so, Tamara, but we haven’t heard anything about Amy’s condition since Wednesday evening.
I am worried about Charlie…I still think Danica might be the one to go home this week, but ironically Charlie has the LEAST amount of “likes” on FB. He and Danica are close- within 50 or so but i think the negative comments from the judges might be starting to take a toll. Just an observation!
And it appears Candace has jumped over Amy this week from the viewers perspective…her package coupled with a good AT seems to have worked well for her this week and she has a really strong showing on fb.
Do you think since all the celebs are repeating a dance they have already done this week that once we get the final four they wont have to have to do that redo/redemption dance and get to dance a style they have never done? I really dont want to see them dance a style they already done for the second time and Im sure all these celebs want to try new dance styles instead of repeating something they have already done again.
Guys, you’re KILLING me with all this “Facebookology” and “Bingology” and “Twitterology” – we put very little stock in a lot of these “predictors”, because they can’t possibly account for all the variables that go into calculating who goes home. And when someone mentions bing or Facebook and how it says this and that and it gets everyone riled up and Heidi & I have to step in and calm everyone down, it gets annoying. So please – keep the Facebook like/Bing predictor/Twitter follower/YouTube view/etc. count nail-biting to a minimum. Especially with the bing – it’s starting to feel like an add for that stupid search engine around here…and I’m not about free advertising…
I’m not quite sure what you’re asking, kelly (that was one looooooong sentence), but if you’re asking if they won’t have to do the redemption dance because they’re redoing another dance this week – I doubt it. I don’t see them getting rid of the redemption dance.
The first time I heard “Stay With Me” I knew it would make for a very good Contemporary and I figured they would use it next season on Week 1 but I am so glad Charlie and Candace are dancing to it. Love it! Thanks for these updates Courtney and PH! Makes friday and fighting allergies a lot better 😛
I understand you wanting Charlie to be appreciated. Him and Sharna are great mentally and physically. But in the judges eyes, Charlie can do better in that he doesn’t get the dance complete technically. He is smooth on sharp dances. He dropped the cane, his knee was wobbly. Its in all fairness. Meryl has been technically flawless as well as beautiful musically. She does have an edge over Charlie and has earned it fair and square. You are picking on Meryl personally when you are implying the judges over-score her and put her on high. She is beacon of light out there putting out flawless beautiful performances. Her dances are really the only ones I desire to watch multiple times because it i just so good.
Also, Len pretty much demanded that Charlie danced a proper Rumba for a redemption dance, so I am guessing we’ll get some redemption dances in the finals. Hmm I wonder which they will be for each couple…
Thanks for the spoilers, Princess Heidi! LOL! Love the first paragraph. I cannot wait for pimpers-winners post. I may just have to buy tums.
I’m also hoping this week is Charlie’s. I don’t get the judges at all. Still praying for Amy.
I just hope it’s a good night of dancing.
I worry about Amy’s health and hope she gets through this week, if she is dancing, guess we don’t know that for sure. Since she’s been on I’ve so looking forward to her doing the AT or Paso with Derek as I believe him to be the best at choreographing these dances.
Thanks for the post, Courtney. To all you mods this has been an interesting week of reading but you have done a great job of keeping commenters in line. Kudos to you all and what you do. Love this site and PDH. Thanks again.
No, Meli, you clearly don’t understand – I think you’re just here to defend “poor Meryl” from the people that just aren’t buying into all the crap the judges are spewing. “In all fairness” – you thinking Meryl has been “technically flawless as well as beautiful musically” is YOUR OPINION – not fact. I thought Meryl completely lacked bounce in her samba, and hip action in her salsa. That is MY OPINION – and I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish, coming here and accusing us of “picking on Meryl”. Grow up – if you had actually read anything we were saying, you’d see that our problem is not Meryl herself, but the fact that she is getting lavished with praise while Charlie is getting raked across the coals. Next time (if there even is a next time), don’t come in here and insult the people that post here – do I go running to Meryl & Maks sites to pick fights with their fans? NO. You kinda owe us the same courtesy.
Facebook has been on point for 4 seasons now…it has predicted just about everyone going home (including all “shocking” eliminations”)…regardless of all factors. It has over 5 million people talking about the show and almost all of them are your true viewers who VOTE each week. Twitter does not equate to anything I agree. But I won’t talk about it here since you don’t approve of it!
Don’t be dramatic, kristin – all I asked is that YOU DON’T GET EVERYONE ALL RILED UP OVER THINGS LIKE FACEBOOK LIKES. It only results in a bunch of hand-wringing and people freaking out, and derails a lot of insightful discussion.
@ Meli, in my eyes, when the complexity of the dances that Maks choreographs for Meryl matches that of Sharna’s for Charlie, then I’ll think Meryl has earned her “edge” over Charlie. Imo, Maks just hasn’t pushed Meryl enough and has not given her choreography that suits how amazing she is. Charlie has been pushed by Sharna and has been challenged way more with choreography that is above and beyond what he’s capable of doing and yet he has done a stellar job with them. And it really isn’t that hard to see how Charlie gets slammed by the judges while Meryl apparently can do no wrong. Seriously, I cannot remember a time when the judges have actually given criticism to Meryl rather than telling her “OMG YOU ARE SO AMAZING”.
@Meli, I’m stepping out on a limb here but I’ve had it. I don’t appreciate you coming in here and telling me I’m picking on Meryl personally and educating me on Charlie’s obvious flaws as expressed by the oh-so-unbiased 🙄 judges.
It’s YOUR OPINION (yes, I’m yelling) that Meryl has been technically flawless — frankly I disagree.
Meryl is a lovely and excellent dancer, but in my opinion she’s no better than Charlie and she *has been* overscored and allowed to get away with doing less content and less appropriate content than other couples. Also, in my opinion and the opinion of many others here and some professional dancers as well, Charlie *has* been underscored.
Meli, I agree Charlie shouldn’t have gotten a perfect 40 or anything for the paso, but the 8 from Len was low IMO, and worse Len gave him an unconstructive and mean comment (“that was not special”). At less Bruno and CAI justified why they gave 9s – because of the techical aspects of the dance. I think it was more the harsh comments than the score, he was probably under marked by a point or two (37 or 38) because of the technical imperfections IMO.
Not being dramatic at all…but I won’t post about it here if it gets people all in a tizzy. I do find it very insightful because it really shows what the viewers think- and its fun to watch TPTB move their way around the season with it. You can truly tell what the viewers like and why they like/feel the way the do. It kinda makes the producers stick out and watch the “reality tv” at work. It was never meant to be an absolute predictor but it’s interesting to observe that is all!
PH, thanks for the excellent intro to this piece. You’ve captured my sentiments perfectly. Can’t wait to read “Winners Never Pimp and Pimpers Never Win” but while I adore your rant posts, I’m hoping against hope that this will be Charlie’s week and you won’t have to write one.
I’ve also got my fingers crossed for Amy. It sucks that they’ve got ATango this week, of all weeks! I was so looking forward to another great Derek Hough ATango. Amy dances with such passion, they have such excellent chemistry, and with her core of steel their lifts would have been out of this world. Now I’m just hoping she can make it through the dance without hurting herself even more. 🙁
Gawd, it’s turned into a frustrating season.
Mona, It’s not Charlie’s scores for Week 7 that are the issue for me (although the 8 from Len, and his comment, were completely inexcusable). It’s the pattern of low-balling that’s the problem as well as the unhelpful and unkind comments — especially when you contrast it with the over-the-top praise and 10s that are being showered on Meryl.
Ugh, Cidra, stop picking on Meryl by logically backing up your opinions with evidence and clearly demonstrating that you actually have no quarrel with Meryl!!!! 😉
The funny thing is, I think if Meryl herself actually read this post, she’d probably agree with us to some degree – I don’t think she thinks she’s better than Charlie, and I think she of all people is probably the most likely to come to Charlie’s defense…so I imagine she herself is pretty upset with the disparity in judging and scoring between them.
Kristin, I use to wonder on FB likes too. For instance, I loved the X factor. Well, in the season that Tate Stevens won, Fifth Harmony would contanstly get the most “likes” and well, look how that turned out. The thing is, People “LIKE” a post more than just for who they think will “win” or for the “performance”. They may “like” it for what’s pictured or what’s written in the post. And if I remember right, Zendaya seemed to get the most “likes” at FB in her season, and look how that turned out too.
CC, preach on (#17)! Also, I agree with you on the redemption dance (#11). I would *love* to see Charlie do the rumba with Sharna. Peta did the best she could, but she’s just not my favorite choreographer. I feel Sharna would be able to put together something that really suited Charlie. Also, I think his hip action has improved markedly since Week 4, and I’d love for him to be able to show us that. Now, whether or not the judges will acknowledge it is another story, but I’d like to see how much better he dances rumba the second time around. Of course all this hinges on TPTB allowing him to make it to the finals. God, I hope the viewers don’t let him down.
I’m going to take an early stab at predictions (CAI, Len, ALM, Bruno):
Amy (9,8,8,9): I really have no idea what to expect with Amy. Even if she hadn’t been injured I was worried about how she would handle the footwork for an AT. Even anyone can figure out how to work with her skill set while still giving a great AT it’s Derek though. Her injury is a big question mark though.
James (9,9,9,9): Another dance I don’t really know what to expect. I could just as easily see him getting some 8s. I think they’ll look aesthetically nice doing it and I would hope by week 8 he would have a decent frame.
Charlie (10,10,10,10): This is my hope but I have no idea if Len will throw in a 9 there.
Candace (9,9,8,9): I think she’ll do well in hold and hopefully her nerves won’t be bad since it is ballroom. I could see ALM not liking her though as she isn’t the typical, trained dancer.
Danica (10,10,10,10): This is more because I think she’s due for a perfect score in the producers mind and she does do well with the ballroom dances in hold (it’s when she’s apart from Val that she looks lost IMO). Again though, it’s very possible Len might throw a 9 in there.
Meryl (10,9,9,10): A lot of it depends on what kind of Rumba Maks choreographs. It could really go either way.
Depending on who goes first for the night I might change my scores around. If Charlie or Danica go first I’m guessing they get a 39 instead of a 40. I also think of them will be going home so I could see TPTB wanting to give them a perfect score only to then eliminate them for the drama of it all.
Thank you for the spoilers though! Hope you are extra kind to us this Friday and drop some more songs 😉
Meli, really….it would do you some good to go back and read comments before commenting and accusing us that we are picking on Meryl. I too do not appreciate you telling us this since the majority very much like her. Please don’t comment further on this until you go back and READ!!
LOL, Court. Sorry, I just can’t help being logical (I must be related to Mr. Spock).
I agree with you about how Meryl must feel about what’s happening to Charlie. She’s a smart woman. She knows she isn’t being challenged choreographically the way Charlie is, and it must hurt to see her friend being publicly raked over the coals while she’s getting nothing but praise.
I agree with Charlie and a rumba redemption dance. Nothing against Peta, but I think because she thought “oh he’s such a good and lyrical dancer and a ringer” that she probably didn’t hammer out technique like rumba hip action enough. His action definitely got better ever since the cha cha boot camp I think! 😉
Voguerista I can’t speak about other shows because I don’t look at those. I just started following DWTS fb page season 15. It was glaringly obvious that Melissa was going to beat Shawn that season on FB. However what is interesting is it truly changes week to week. So packages, music, the judges all affect how people vote weekly. Everyone votes for their favorites of course but its the other votes that make it interesting. Also, Zendaya didn’t have the most “likes” or positive comments on FB that season…everyone talked about Kellie. The viewers related to her and liked that she never danced before and after her free style every single person on that page said they voted for her the night before. The thing is it isn’t just people liking or complaining…its people actually saying who they voted for the night before and why. Like I said previously, i have followed it for 4 seasons and it is really a good predictor- if it isn’t one person its the other person with low likeability or complaints. It’s just an interesting thing to observe. I have sent Krisyn Burtt info from FB for 4 seasons and we both just scratch our heads sometimes and are like wow…maybe this thing is accurate! It truly is meant as an additional piece of info- esp to watch the judging, the scores, who is “in jeopardy”. You take it for what it’s worth ya know? especially since it’s ran from someone AT dwts:)
DLT I’m game again:
Amy 10, 9, 10, 9 (I hope this is her all “10” week. though not sure being she has an injury?)
James 9, 9, 9, 9
Charlie 10, 10, 10, 10 (I hope this is his all “10” week)
Candace 8, 9, 8, 8
Danica 9, 9, 9, 10 (If she’s healed up, there could be more “10”s)
Meryl 10, 9, 10, 10
BTW, I would not be surprised if Dance Mom Abby doesn’t give out one “10”. I hope I am wrong. Also, I’m worried for how she will judge Derek and Mark being they’ve been vocal about her abuse on Dance Moms.
Is it Monday yet? Thanks again for all the updates! I am really looking forward to seeing all the couples do a different dance (nice variety for Monday) and also seeing how this “duel” works. I do have my doubts about that.
I really hope that Charlie has a breakthrough week. I think it would really help his confidence and I think quickstep is something he will be able to pull off really well. I 100% agree Sharna has thrown some really great and hard choreography at him, and he has been underscored. Courtney, I 100% agree with you about how Meryl would feel. Did you not see her and Mak’s reactions to his scores last week. They could not believe he got an 8 and even the 9s. Of course everyone has their own opinions and that is fine, but I just wish the judges scoring could be a little more on point this season. Then just let the fans decide who they want to vote for. But then again that wouldn’t be interesting enough!
If Charlie goes home this week I’m afraid in gonna lose the security deposit on my apartment cuz SOMETHING’S gonna get broken and since it can’t be a lamp over the judges’ collective pinheads it’ll end up being something structural in my home. Dammit. /end dramatic rant
I completely agree that Charlie has been low balled, especially last week. IF I had to say a reason why, do you think it’s because of such low expectations they had placed on Meryl and high on Charlie? Because we have all seen interviews with them. Charlie is the outright adorable, goofy, charming one; Meryl is the quiet, reserved, shy, and poised one. I feel like Meryl may be getting higher scores as well because the judges (CAI in particular) are quiet surprised at the character she has been able to bring into the dances. Meryl has really come out of her shell, and Charlie even more so! I’m hoping it’s his week for some 10s, however with Abby Lee miller you never know. I think he would have benefitted dancing last because IMO, those who dance last usually get higher scored (and those who dance first are scored lower). Either way, I’m SO SO enjoying see both Meryl and Charlie dance. It’s so hard to compare them because in dance the man and woman’s role is so different.
What bothers me is that, IMO, there are/were so many interesting couples this season that TPTB/cabal could have easily let the darn thing play out without much interference and still kept the audience’s attention (and ratings).
DLM #26 – Just a couple comments on your predictions.
James – I can’t see James getting a 9 from ALM. His posture in the standard dances is HORRIBLE. Bent knees, butt sticks out, shoulders slouchy. I doubt he’ll be able to correct all those problems, partly because he didn’t get improve from foxtrot to tango, and partly because I’m not sure Peta works on technique all that much.
Danica – I don’t see her getting all 10s, whether she’s due for it or not. She might get some 10s, but she’s dancing injured. Plus, she’s not really a 10 dancer.
I do think Meryl will get a perfect score on her rumba. I can just see her being able to master anything Maks gives her.
Charlie – From your your keyboard to God’s… oops, I mean the judges ears. 🙂
kristin (#30), no offense intended to you, but I hope the fb prediction model is dead wrong this season 😉
As you pointed out, the DWTS fb page is run by DWTS. It might have started out as a way to promote the show in general, but my guess is they’ve figured out how to use it as a tool to pimp their favorites. They decide what content to post for fans to “like” and comment on. Others here have said DWTS doesn’t post content equally for all the celebs. Apparently lately there’s been a ton of Meryl/Maks and someone else (maybe James/Peta) but not a lot of Charlie/Sharna. You can’t “like” something that isn’t there. Finally, they also get to choose *when* to post things. If they post stuff on a couple during “high traffic” times on the page, it’s going to get a lot more “likes” than if they post at “off times”. One thing I’ve noticed about the DWTS fb page is that people don’t scroll. They comment on and “like” the first item or two. As soon as it’s replaced by some other item, it’s forgotten.
Gailann – thing is I have NO idea what kind of judge ALM will be. I could very easily see her being “tough” about posture, frame, footwork, etc, so an 8 to James wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t expect her to give Candace anything over an 8, especially with Mark being her partner.
I don’t disagree that Danica isn’t really a 10 dancer but the judges will want to keep their improvement arc storyline up with her. She hasn’t danced first yet (I thought she did in week 2 but I was wrong) so she very well could go first, in which case I don’t foresee a 40.
I’m not au courant with 99% of today’s music so I had to go out to YT and hear “Stay with Me”, by Sam Smith. Me like! I think Charlie and Sharna will look great dancing to this piece.
Hope Candace fully commits to it and uses her acting skills (for once) to produce some believable chemistry in her 20 seconds with Charlie. I think the meat of this challenge is going to be (& should be) the 20 seconds the celebs dance with each other. So if Candace is “awkward” and “reserved” with Charlie, they’re going to get a low score and the judges will have a field day with their comments. Now how anyone could be uncomfortable with adorable, sweet Charlie is a mystery to me, but I find Candace a bit beyond my ability to understand at times.
Good morning, first time posting on here and first season watching DWTS. I have been sucked into watching by Meryl Davis. I have read comments on here saying that her dances haven’t been challenging and I just don’t understand what those people are seeing. To my eyes, she ends up doing some of the most challenging, and risky, dances of anyone on the show. I rarely see anyone being thrown around as much as she is and she makes it looks so smooth and effortless. I know a lot of people on here are fans of Charlie, and I think he has been pretty great as well. I guess for me though, when I watch Charlie I feel like I can see him trying really hard. I can sense the effort he’s using. With Meryl it just flows for me. Anyway, thats just my opinion obviously. Either way I’m really enjoying the show and find myself really excited for Monday to come around. Thank you for all the spoilers and inside information on this site. I really appreciate and enjoy it.
Cidra, yeah I think the “like the pictures of the dances you liked the most” photo galleries are probably the only somewhat indicative aspects of the FB page because otherwise DWTS chooses who to promote (Amy for Disney Week, Meryl for Party Anthem Week, James for Latin Week, etc.).
I like others here wonder how Abby Lee Miller is going to judge. I think she’ll probably judge on whole package – performance quality, technique, etc – as she is a dance instructor, but I wonder especially how she’s going to judge technique. Her specialties are jazz, contemporary, and broadway/musical theater so she will know what to look for and how to judge for those styles, but she has little to no experience in ballroom dances (especially for styles like rumba, samba, salsa, etc).
Update on Amy, for those who asked: http://www.purederekhough.com/2014/05/02/a-dancing-with-the-stars-update-on-amy-purdy-doing-actual-rehearsals/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
I apologize for causing offense with my opinion. I certainly didn’t mean to. We all have strong opinions. I do think it was harsh and unfounded of Len to call Charlies dance not special. I felt so bad and upset for him and Sharna because they didn’t deserve that. All his dances are special. I admire all the dancers for what they do. But I guess we all do pick a fave, whatever our reasons are. And from my normal home viewer non-dancing eyes, I enjoy watching Meryl the most. I shouldn’t have used the words “technically flawless” since I am not a student of dance. I went overboard with my words. Take care and Peace!!
Dear first-time posters that are only showing up to start fights: welcome to the garbage bin. Feel free to share your opinions ON THE SHOW – we don’t want to hear what you think about us, our site, how we run our site, what you think of our opinions, etc. I see any of the things I just mentioned in your comments – to the garbage bin you go, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
I guess I’ll play the guessing game too!
Amy 9, 9, 9, 9 (really depends on how the injury is going for Amy)
James 9, 8, 8, 9 (it depends if Peta really drills down the technique)
Charlie 10, 10, 10, 10 (if he doesn’t make a mistake/leave anything on the floor for the judges to pick on (it’s quickstep for a reason!), it’s a 10 for sure imo)
Candace 8, 8, 9, 9 (foxtrot suits her style more, so could be higher imo)
Danica 10, 9, 9, 10 (you don’t need to move your upper body *that* much in tango, right?)
Meryl 10, 10, 10, 10 (I hope she’s going to be in heels. Maks tends to choreograph more traditional/not too contemporary rumbas which should satisfy Len and they have good chemistry, plus Abby doesn’t really know how to judge rumbas so I’m think she’ll judge based on aesthetics)
And that was directed to the individual whose comment I just trashed.
Guess I’ll do some score predicting myself (CAI, Leb, ALM, Bruno:
Charlie & Sharna: Quickstep : 38 (10,9,9?,10) – I just know this dance is going to be amazing and a turning point for Charlie. I’m guessing Carrie Ann will finally see how great Charlie is and give him that 10, as will Bruno. Len I’m not so sure of because he is always hard to predict and Abby, well, I’m not so sure, tbh.
Amy & Derek: Arg. Tango : 38 (10,9,9,10) – I am also guessing it will be amazing. Len will probably have something negative to say about it and I don’t know if Abby will give DEREK a 10.
Candace & Mark: Foxtrot : 36 (9,9,9,9) – I think it will be nice but if she doesn’t mantain the confidence from last week, I think she’ll stumble a bit here and there. Hopefully the confidence is still there, but with two dances to do, I worry about her.
Danica & Val: Tango : 36 (9,9,9,9) – She seems to do rather well when it comes to ballroom and her hold is amazing. If she isn’t having any problems with her ribs anymore then I could see her getting one 10 but if it’s still hurting her then I think it will set her back a bit.
James & Peta: V. Waltz : 37 (9,9,9,10) – I’ll have to disagree with Gailaan, I think James improved miles from his Foxtrot to his Tango. The only problem I saw were indeed his bent knees and butt sticking out but other than that I thought his frame was excellent and his shoulders did not look slouchy at all. I think he’ll do well in this one as long as he gets the footwork. Also, from some interviews I have seen from these two it seems that Peta is very aware that the judges want better technique from James so I think she’ll REALLY work on that this week specially being that the finale is 2 weeks away.
Meryl & Maks: Rumba : 40 (10,10,10,10) – I just have a feeling she’ll be the only one who will manage to get a 10 out of ALM because TPTB probably already filled her in on how Meryl is this season’s pimpee. I see the judges going gaga over how sultry (Bruno) and beautiful (CAI) her movements and connection with Maks are. I also see Maks doing a lot of his usual choreography where he spends a lot of time doing something else besides dancing 😛
Won’t gigve scores on duels since I am still not sure if they will be scored as a team or individually (after all they are calling them DUELS). Not too sure though.
Since I am new to watching DWTS, I have a question for people who have been watching for years. Maks and Meryl seem to have a pretty great chemistry together. Maks in particular is always kissing and hugging her more than I see with the other pairs. Is this just Maks normal behavior, where he plays up his relationship for the show, or does he seem more wrapped up with her partner than in years past? As I’ve been watching I keep wondering how much of the interaction we see between each of the pairs is genuine and how much the producers push on them.
Andrew, thank you for a pretty decent first post. At least you didn’t come storming in here to defend Meryl from all of us “haters” and you expressed your views as “opinions” rather than facts. I appreciate that.
However, you said “I have read comments on here saying that her dances haven’t been challenging and I just don’t understand what those people are seeing.” “Those people” as you call us are seeing the choreography, content and technical quality of the dances; but we’re not being swayed by the judges excessive praise. There’s more to difficult choreography than “risky” moves and being “thrown around”. Meryl’s a talented dancer and skilled performer. The reason she makes it look easier than Charlie is because (for the most part) she’s not being challenged and pushed to her full potential week to week with with technically difficult and complex choreography the way Charlie is. Maks’s choreography tends to go for style over substance.
One of our Mods is a trained ballroom dancer, and those of us who have watched the show for years have a lot more experience evaluating choreography and technique than you do. You said yourself, that you started watching DWTS this season because Meryl sucked you in. So I hardly think that qualifies you as an expert on what is and what isn’t challenging choreography. If you have significant dance experience, yourself, and wish to challenge our assessment of the content and complexity of Maks’s choreography for Meryl, let’s have a discussion on that.
All that aside, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with preferring Meryl’s *performances* to Charlie’s. Everyone likes their coffee different.
I don’t know how the scoring will go Monday, but I predict Carrie Ann will have an on screen orgasm over Meryl and Maks’ rumba.
I’d actually lay money on it!
Andrew (#48) — that’s Maks engaging in a “showmance” with his partner. I think they do like each other and get along, but all the kissy-kissy, grabby, handsy stuff from Maks is fake, in my opinion. There are those who disagree and are already naming Maks and Meryl’s children. So go with whatever floats your boat. 😉
LOL, Judy, Bet you’re right on CAI — Oh my eyes, my eyes! I’m just hoping like crazy that Maks goes overboard on the heat, and Len simply won’t be able to give them a 10 because the dance was too raunchy for him. The old goat really doesn’t like raunchy rumbas. He seems to prefer more raunch in his ATangos, and I confess, as much as it pains me to agree with the grumpy ass, I also like my rumbas more romantic sensual and my ATangos more sexually charged.
Cidra,
Well I am definitely not a professional dancer on any level, so I wouldn’t be able to challenge your assesment of the dances. The extent of my experience with professional dancing is spending time watching my friend who runs a studio. So I guess I’m just speaking from the point of view of the average veiwer who knows nothing about dance. I usually gauge complexitity just by whether or not I feel like I could, at least in my own mind, learn and perform the choreography or whether it seems impossible. When I watch Meryl I always wonder how in the world she is able to learn and perform what she does in just one week. With some of the others I feel like I could actually do it if I tried. But I do know from years of doing martial arts that many times what looks easy is actually very difficult, and what looks hard is actually easy. If you all say that is the case, I believe you. So if what Meryl is doing is actually much easier than many of the others but she still gets votes, maybe its just the fact that people like myself don’t know the details the dances involve and are basing a lot of what we think on the handful of really acrobatic moves or the emotional aspect. I have to say that, either way, I’m really having fun watching and have a ton of respect for everyone still on the show.
Cidra(#51) I hear you about people naming children already. I think this stuff always gets blown out of proportion. At the same time I’ve watched a few youtube videos of Maks in past seasons and he never seen as touchy-feely with his partners. But again, I just watched a tiny portion and haven’t been a loyal viewer, so if you say he’s done this in the past, then you are probably right and it’s mostly fake. I like to imagine they really care about each other so I’m jumping on that boat for now, just out of stubborness and because I enjoy the dancing more that way. It would sure be annoying though to find out that whenever the cameras turn off they can’t stand each other haha.
Judy #50, LOL! You have me cracking up. Then again Maks may disappoint. It seems like he’s panicking because he’s got such a ringer and need I say not sure what to do with her. Maybe they should have given her to Val since we all know she wouldn’t have been paired with Derek. Anxious to see what he comes up with for their Rumba.
Andrew #48,as far as the kissy stuff with Maks, don’t think it’s a real relationship. If you go back to past seasons, you would see this goes on all the time especially if the partners get along really well. Everyone pretty much had Derek and Maria married. They had great chemistry on the dance floor and they hung out a lot even though Maria had a boyfriend. Was it all for the cameras? I think most of it was, but they also had a great friendship. DWTS tries to create these showmances to have everyone believing these couples are dating. Every season there is at least one couple the show try to create a “romantic story” and I think this season it’s James and Peta.
That’s great news about Amy, thanks for the update!
I guess I’m in the old fogey camp too. I much prefer a more sensual Rumba as opposed to an overtly sexual one. The problem with Maks is that I don’t really think he knows the difference between sensual and sexual. Meryl is a classy girl. I don’t want to see her raunchy side. It just feels icky.
Andrew – I don’t buy into this big romance between M&M but I do think they truly care for another and have a deep connection and just generally like being around one another. Both C brothers are pretty touchy-feely guys, the degree of it all depends on the partner. I thought Maks was pretty grabby with Mel B in season 5 and she was/is married, but they also got along very well. It all depends on their comfort level with their partner.
The real key with all these DWTS pairings is the state of their relationship AFTER their season ends. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in someone when you are with them all the time, rehearsing, dancing, etc. Once the season is over and you go back to your lives it then takes work to keep a relationship going.
Thank you so much for this update about Amy, Courtney! I can’t even tell how happy I am that she is doing well! And Derek’s Argentine Tangos are probably my favorites. I don’t think there will be a lot of lifts because of her injury, but I think that they are going to kill it 🙂
Andrew, (#53) I have no dance training but I’ve tried to pick up as much as I can on technique, appropriate dance content, and complexity from here and elsewhere. Court, is the ballroom expert. I would say the majority of DWTS viewers don’t know anything about dancing either and choose their favorites or whom to vote for (if they vote) based on the performance quality and the couple’s chemistry (real or perceived), and sometimes on the “supposedly expert” opinions of the judges. Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion, when the judging is equitable. Unfortunately, in the last few seasons that hasn’t been the case, which is why many of us long-time viewers are so stirred up right now.
Since viewers are not experts and are voting the dances that look the best to them and the couples they like the best, the best dancer often doesn’t win. Which is why many of us don’t care if someone is a ringer (as long as they can’t or don’t try to hide their dance experience). What makes a lot of us here crazy is when the show tries to manipulate the viewers’ opinions by pimping one or two couples while trying to undermine other couples.
Terri (#55) did an excellent job of describing how the show likes to promote romances each season so I won’t add anything except to say a lot of viewers get really motivated when they sense a “romance” which kind of puts a celeb who is known to be in a committed relationship (or one paired with a pro in a known relationship) at a disadvantage because they can’t play that angle. It also puts the singles in the awkward position of having to either go along with a “showmance” or hope their “friendly chemistry” with their pro will be enough to engage the audience.
Cidra-LOL I had to re-read your post #49 as I thought you were Courtney-LOL
I love this sight and the MODs here are AMAZING!!
Wishing Amy a speedy recovery. I have a feeling if she’s feeling well enough her Argentine Tango w/Derek, it could prove to be amazing/special/sexy performance..-lol
Fingers crossed for Charlie.. For me, he’s a gem. Would love to see Charlie & Amy receive a perfect score this week.
No comment on ABL except boo!!-lol
Thanks for the update on Amy!!
With regards to Maks & Meryl being touchy-feely – in my experience, ballroom dancers in general tend to be more “handsy” than your average person. The bf (a professional ballroom dancer) postulates that it’s because they spend almost all day everyday touching their partner, and I think the fact that dance partnerships tend to be a bit like marriages (minus the romance, of course) makes ballroom dancers more comfortable and “connected” to one another. It was a bit of a culture shock to me when I started taking lessons 12 years ago – I’m not really the huggy/kissy/touchy-feely type, so it took some getting used to when my teammates on my ballroom team in college were constantly throwing arms around me, pulling me into a hug, practicing lifts with me, etc. But over time, I got used to it, and I would think nothing of being mere inches away from a teammate’s face when demonstrating a rumba step, or having to share beds at out-of-town competitions, or just laying on one another when trying to catch some zzzzz’s in the car ride back home. And you know what? None of it meant anything – it was all totally platonic and just kind of “how things were”. And it seems like a lot of the pros on DWTS are the same way – constantly hugging and kissing one another after they finish dancing, leaning on each other up in the Celebraquarium, etc. So all that being said – I don’t see Meryl & Maks doing anything that’s vastly different than any other ballroom couple. I think they might be playing it up a bit for the camera (likely at the urging of TPTB), but I doubt it comes from a romatic, sexualized place – I have thought from day 1 that Meryl & Maks’ connection is more of a “meeting of the minds” than a “meeting of the hearts”; it just seems to be more of a dynamic of mutual respect than burning desire. I also think that Meryl is just VERY good at tolerating and calmly dealing with some of Maks’ less savory behavior (namely tantrums during rehearsals) – she seems far more able to let his outbursts roll off her back than any of his previous partners (including Mel B and Kirstie, who up until this point were my gold standard for partners who really knew how to deal with Maks). Meryl just seems so zen about everything that I really think people would try to “ship” her with anyone she was partnered with – she’s just one of those rare people that knows how to get along with everyone. So yeah, the shipping? Totally doesn’t compute for me…and this is coming from someone who actually fell for her dance teacher, and is still with him 5 years later 🙂
Did I read somewhere or was I dreaming That Len said he thought Charlie or Amy would win? I still think and hope the low scores for these two means they are getting more votes then TPTB want them to I can dream anyway
Meryl is a great dancer but far from flawless Someone mentioned Maks doesn’t know what to do with her I agree As far as the chemistry between Meryl and Maks I have seen it before in S10 It’s something Maks does when he gets along with his partners and they are single I prefer they stop with the romance and just DANCE! JMO
I don’t check FB Utube for the likes etc I still believe TPTB have a lot to say about who wins 🙁
I hope Charlie and Amy do well Monday I am pulling for them both
Susan2, (#56) I prefer to use the term “discriminating” to “old fogey” when I describe my taste in rumbas. 😉 One of my favorites was Shawn and Derek’s “Titanic” rumba on the All-Stars Season.
As for Maks’s rumbas, I thought the one he and Brandy did was more sensual than the overtly sexual. I’m definitely not a prude, but for me what often tips the scales from sensual to sexual in a rumba is when the couple (a) undresses each other (open the shirt if you must, but leave it on & keep the woman’s clothes on), (b) spend 90% of the dance rubbing their bodies against each other, (c) pretend to be kissing half the time, and/or (d) end the dance with the man lying on top of the woman. Of course it’s not a set formula, if they throw in one of these elements, but there’s a lot of dance content to, then I can usually deal.
Shannon(#62) I saw that too, on the dwtsgossip twitter they posted a pic a fan put up with len saying he thought Amy or Charlie would win. My option I think hes saying that to try to make it less obvious there setting Meryl up for the win.
Dee (#60) I’ll take that compliment, but comparing my amateurish posts to her expert ones is like confusing a hamburger with a filet mignon. Poor Court!
Nonsense, Cidra – I am in good company if people are confusing our posts 😉
Courtney, great post! I really enjoy Meryl and Maks together, not because I think they are in love and going to get married. Like you said I feel like Maks got someone that can deal with him in a positive way. I think you described it perfectly with “meeting of the minds.” Their is mutual respect there, and I don’t think Maks has always respected the type of partners he has been giving. Like he has said himself Meryl is normal. She is not some overly dramatic, Hollywood type. Another great point is that no matter who Meryl was paired with the audience would love that couple just because what she brings to the table as a partner. I think the “shipping” more has to do with her being with Maks and people seeing a bit of a different side to him (a bit more relaxed and happy)and they equate that to them being a couple in real life too.
Cidra, Courtney, both of your posts are always top notch 🙂
and haha Grandma Chmerkovskiy will keep Val and Maks in line! that should be a funny package!
Is Susan2 lurking? Because my “ChmerWolowitz Alert!!!” siren is going off like crazy 😛
@Court (#61), Well said. Some professions just require you to get up close and personal with people whether or not you really know them or even like them. When you’re in a field like that, it just slips over into the way you interact with your co-workers even when you’re not performing. I’m not the touchy-feely type either and also had to adjust when I went to college as a theatre major. It didn’t take long for me to be fine with someone coming up behind me and wrapping their arms around my waist or casually kissing my cheek or forehead and their was lots of faux-flirting going on. You get used to seeing people pretty much naked and pretty soon bodies are just a tool of the trade and touching is not necessarily sexual. I often worked as a “dresser” which put me in the men’s dressing room (or backstage) with guys in boxers, briefs or dance belts getting them into or out of costumes. Didn’t bother me, didn’t bother the guys.
Very long story short, people in other walks of life often don’t realize how handsy some performing arts fields are and figure the hugging and kissing must mean there’s a romance brewing. TPTB definitely use that misconception to fuel the showmances they’re pushing.
CC (#47) You may disagree with me all you like. I do not mind at all! 😉 Which leads me to…
For all those participating in the “predictions” game, do we get a prize for whoever comes closest? LOL
Cidra (#39) I did the exact same thing, since I’d not heard “Stay With Me.” And my reaction is the same, too. It’s beautiful! At least the parts YT played. I may have to buy it.
Thanks, Court! I’ve never had a ballroom lesson in my life, but when I get interested in something I like to study up on it a bit. So I love all your technical stuff on the dance styles themselves and social insight into the ballroom world.
Oh, oh, OH! I forgot to add..
Shannon, (#62), you weren’t dreaming! Here’s the source: http://i.instagram.com/p/nfzKglp3CX/# Knock me over with a feather!!
Hmmm…Tears for Fears should be interesting for a Tango, not sure what to expect really, doesn’t really scream “intensity” to me which is normally what I think of when I think of Tango (especially with Val). I’m expecting some little boy bickering between the brothers with Grandma there.
Thanks for the update!
Cidra, I knew you weren’t Courtney, I was just kidding. It was because you didn’t sugar coat that comment at all.-LOL
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
I wish I could take some ballroom lessons but my husband does not like dancing. Although, since I have started Zumba classes I have learned to do the cha-cha and some other Latin moves.
Cidra: In one of your posts you questioned the bracelets that Charlie is sporting(I wondered about that too because I never saw him wear any jewelry)- he said they were made by some fans for him so he is wearing them.
I love Charlie to death and I might just find myself adopting him.
@Gailaan If we don’t, we should get a mirrorball trophy of our own. Then again last week I only managed to guess 3 scores out of all of them. Darn..
Danica and Val’s song sounds… odd. I’m not particularly sure I like it. I AM going to like Granny Chmerkovskiy though. Oh that should make for some good television.
Gailann (#73) and Shannon, what I find interesting is the comment with the picture which says That time @natalieebel and I took a picture with Len Goodman of @dancingabc outside the @pencilsofpromise office. Gives you no indication of when that encounter took place. Was it a week ago or a month ago? If it was last week, then he’s definitely playing TPTB’s scripted games with his scores and comments. If it was a month ago, his opinion could be very different today.
Can’t wait for Grandma ChmerWolowitz’s cameo on DWTS. Sometimes the C-bros are good for a laugh.
Courtney
Great comments and loved your backstory..
Dee (#75), Phew! Glad to hear it. As for not sugar-coating, well, I’ve watched and learned from the best here at Pure 😉
Boy oh boy – calling us biased when you’re drooling over Meryl is quite tricky, don’t you think Meli?? Beacon of light?? :::gag::: Has Meryl been flawless? Well, I don’t think so – but let’s say you’re right. Is it really fair to compare someone doing much simpler choreography with someone doing harder choreography?? No, it’s not. There is nothing fair about what the judges are doing to Charlie.
I would venture to say that she is one of those die-hard fans in one of those skaters website. When I discovered D/W I went and looked at fan sites and even thought of joining. However, I got disheartened because almost everybody thinks Meryl is perfect and flawless and I even saw a lot of criticism on Charlie- he is not emotional enough, won’t look at Meryl when they dance, seems that his emtion is all reserved for Tanith etc etc. that I wondered why Meryl did not win the OG all by herself.
All very important points on facebook, Cidra. Like I said earlier, unless it has been right every single week for every single season – it’s no better than guessing. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, after all.
By your own admission, Andrew, this is the first season you’ve watched DWTS, so perhaps you’re not is a position to know what is complicated and what isn’t?
I always DREAMED for Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears as a foxtrot. I already was thinking the concept as Charles Chaplin’s The Great Dictador… have all the choreography in my head… ahahahahahah
Not sure if the music will work as ballroom tango.
Cidra #78:
I don’t think I understand what you’re saying. I think I get it, but I’d rather hear it from a more learned keyboard than mine, so can you just clarify for this young’un? 🙂 😉
Oy vey! Maks doing a rumba with Grandma C in the house? All those shippers out there will be very disappointed with the outcome of that scenario.
Thanks for the information on the dances. Honestly I think all of should bring out 10s. The choices seem to be good ones for each individual. Hope it’s a great night to watch. I am really curious to see how it works out with Abby judging though. Maybe they will actually sit her next to Bruno for this week. Ha.
Ria (#82), If I had to guess, I’d say a lot of the criticism directed at Charlie is caused by disappointed shippers. From what I gather, the rabid D/W fans won’t accept that Charlie and Meryl don’t want to be romantically involved with one another. It must be someone’s fault! So of course it became Tanith’s fault for stealing him from Meryl and by extension Charlie’s for getting into a relationship with the “wrong” woman. It’s no wonder Charlie only now feels free to talk about his relationship with Tanith. While he and Meryl were focusing on achieving their Olympic goal, he certainly didn’t want to be distracted by having to defend his relationship with Tanith and didn’t want to expose her anymore than necessary to the nastiness of the crazy element of the D/W fans.
Carlos, it might be Lorde’s version of the song which is much darker and tangoish I think. Although I could be wrong but it is a more suitable song imo.
Why are most shippers batshit crazy?? Are they shippers because they are batshit crazy, or are they batshit crazy because they’re shippers?? Hmmmm….
They are batshit crazy cuz they believe reality tv is reality. They need to step away from the internet and get into the sunshine.
You are right Cidra. here is even this website that absolutely despises Tanith and you just wonder how delusional people can be. I admit when I saw the two of them(Meryl & Charlie)I thought they made a
really cute couple and a little disappointed that he was dating Tanith.
There is very little in the net about their relationship but they have been together 5 years so it must be working and he seems to be head over heels on her. While I was viewing some youtube videos of D/W I happened on one of those where at the end the commentators was interviewing Tanith after D/W danced in a competition. The commentator
said to her that she has been covering icedancing for years and she has never seen Tanith nervous when she was competing herself but she thought Tanith was going to pass out when she was watching D/W skate, she was that nervous. She also said that Tanith lit up like a lghtbulb
when Charlie camr back from dancing. I really liked her after that little revelation.
@Susan – I don’t know if Grandma C was there for Meryl & Maks’ rumba rehearsal, but she was definitely there for Meryl & Maks and Danica & Val’s samba rehearsal.
Seems that the focus is for sure on Maks & Meryl this next episode and a visit from his mom will for sure have the shippers go into overdrive.
@Misty – Not his mom – his grandma.
I can just the shippers sending out the wedding invitations after their rhumba.
I’m sorry, I meant his Grandmother.
I agree with those who aren’t feeling “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” for a Tango. I’d almost forgotten what it sounded like so I had listen to it again, but it just doesn’t say “Tango” to me either.
Susan (#87) Hmmm, that’s food for thought. I was hoping Maks would go so steamy that Len couldn’t give them a 10. With Grandma in the house, he’ll probably dial it back to the point Len might be convinced it’s “perfect”. So now I’ll have to hope he makes is so tame that CAI and Bruno don’t get enough of a kick out of it to give it their 10s.
Aviva, (#86) Yeah, that was clear as mud, wasn’t it? What I was trying to say is Len’s scores and comments for Charlie’s Week 7 Paso don’t match his opinion that Charlie or Amy will win. If his opinion was given around the same time as his score/comment, he must be following TPTB’s orders to low-ball and undermine Charlie. However, upon reflection, there are other ways to interpret those actions (opinon and score), but I’m not going into them since it’s just pure speculation & I’ve already done enough of that. 😉
In the shippers’ minds Meryl meeting grandma C is pretty much a sign that Maks and Meryl are getting serious by introducing her to the family.
How cute! I wonder if Maks will propose to Meryl right after they win (if they win) the MBT?!? ………………………… barf.
Cidra, check out Lorde’s version of “Everyone wants to Rule the World”. It is from the Hunger Games soundtrack. I am sure that is the version they are dancing to.
@Judy If they are dancing to Lorde’s version, to me, it sounds even WORSE for a Tango. For a Paso, MAYBE. Out of the two, the original version sounds more Tango-ish even if it isn’t as dark. Lorde’s version is just a bit too slow for a Tango I would say
Allow me to serve the shippers a dose of reality: Grandma C’s visit was supposedly a surprise – and Maks was actually a bit unnerved that she was there watching them rehearse. But let’s hypothesize, just for a second, that the visit WAS planned, and Maks & Meryl are planning on gettin’ hitched and havin’ bebes (HA!) – if memory serves, Maks’ family is Jewish on his dad’s side, which means that Grandma C is “bubbie” and likely exerts a lot of influence over her grandson’s lives. And if there’s one thing that Jewish grandmothers aren’t very fond of, it’s shiksas – and I speak from experience on that one. Do we really need to have the Jewish grandmother discussion again? 😛
But Courtney!! Their babies would be sooooo pretty!!!
Ugh…I think I feel that cupcake coming back on me….
@Terri: I get the impression that James and Peta decided that the best thing to do is just “be friends” right now. They’ve got plenty of time after the show’s over to decide if there really is something more between them.
[I have to say, BTW, that I would *love* to see an actual DWTS marriage—not necessarily James and Peta—at some point, if only to provide even more reason to laugh at the utter train wreck that is The Bachelor (what are they, 1 for 18 or something?).]
Well I really doubt Meryl is anywhere close to even thinking about marrying Maks haha. Maybe date, but she’s a long term relationship kind of girl.
Cidra, especially during the 2 years leading up to Sochi Charlie dialed down the “I have a girlfriend” story because they wanted to make the on-ice chemistry more believable. It worked – almost every news station that was covering their gold medal win was saying that they looked like they were dating. It’s true that Charlie hasn’t been as good as Meryl in terms of emoting though – they had to take acting classes in fact to bring out the chemistry, and frankly in the early days there was little to no chemistry (there is one gif on tumblr where they are doing a romantic exhibition dance to “Fade into You” and Meryl is holding Charlie’s face/looking “lovingly” at him while Charlie has his face turned away and he has this annoyed look on). It got a lot better at Sochi though.
“Mom on speed dial”????????? This is what the self- proclaimed “Meryl lovers” are wishing on her? It still bowls me over that Maks has not a shred of embarrassment when he says things like that. Meryl deserves better than a mama’s boy.
My guesses:
Amy and Derek: 35 (8,9,9,9)
Danica and Val: 35 (9,9,9,9)
Meryl ad Maks: 40 (10,10,10,10)
James and Peta: 36 (9,9,9,9)
Candance and Mark: 35 (8,9,9,9)
Charlie and Sharna: 40 (10,10,10,10)
Hey, Mods! Kristyn Burtt reported on her most recent post on her blog that CAI has been getting an earful on twitter about her Charlie comments. Can one of the mods confirm? I don’t exactly work Twitter very well.
Whenever I see these wacko shippers or people who keep promoting a fauxmance, I feel like a hairball wants to come out.
My fear is that Charlie won’t be able to “surprise” the judges with his growth since Quickstep is (theoretically) right in his wheelhouse… And, therefore, “no 10s for you!” *sigh* PLEASE let me be wrong as wrong can be!!
The contemporary should be interesting though, as both he and Candice killed it the first time around with that…
@Aviva – Couldn’t tell you, cause Carrie Ann blocked me 4 seasons ago. But I would assume that’s true
Stay with me is a song about leaving after a one night stand…. So interesting song choice for Candace and Charlie. Haha. I hate the idea of Abby Lee Miller but I’d pay good money to see her go up against the boy pros. The duos sound interesting but to throw something new in this late in the game seems way too contrived to me.
Kristin: Three words about your facebook predictions Kelli and Zendaya. End of that story. Pretty sure facebook doesn’t show what the viewers think either. There are way too many viewers who aren’t discussing it on facebook. And just to clarify….Zendaya was way ahead all season.
Is anyone else tired of the “worries” about how Amy will handle the foot work. Every week I hear this. OMG the jive will be too fast and intricate. Oh the Rhumba. Oh this and that. Guess what she has done great. Each and every challenge thrown her way she has met. She has done the jive. Derek will choreograph a great AT Tango. I think, this is my opinion, people underestimate her. I know she is injured. I also think that if she thought she couldn’t do a really good job, she would probably withdraw.
Heidi: I can not wait for your post on pimping. I can already tell it is going to be awesome.
I don’t think DWTS is good for relationships in general between pros or between celebs and pros IF and this is a big IF they start dating while on the show. It puts them in a superficially close place where they are working towards a common goal. It is an artificial environment and in most cases would make their relationship seem difference than it might be. I think there are many examples of relationships that started on DWTS and then ended when the show was over. They simply drift apart. Don’t hate on me it’s just my opinion.
Princess Heidi (#84) My point was that my perception of who has the harder dance, from the eyes of a person without experience, is probably what a lot of other people like myself see as well. So I’m not trying to say I know what actually is complicated and what is easy, only what looks complicated or easy to a person like myself.
A lot of people with more experience than myself seem to feel that Charlie has more difficult dances than Meryl, and I’m in on position to disbute them. Any disagreement I have with that is based on nothing other than my own uninformed opinion. If that is true though, and is even part of the reason Charlie has gotten some lower scores than he deserved, maybe that is on Sharna for pushing him a little past the point where he can perform perfectly. If Maks is giving Meryl easier dances but as a result she’s having few issues and getting really high scores and lots of votes, he’s doing his job I would think. At the same time, the conspiracy thing could be true, and maybe the judges decide in advance who should win. I know I used to feel that way about American Idol back when I watched it. So far I feel like I agree with most of what the judges say, but again, that’s not based on anything other than my layman’s point of view. I’m really looking forward to next week regardless.
Court #103, at least the Jewish roots aren’t on his MOTHER’s side… Then we would be stuck seeing a Jewish grandmother and a Jewish mother and hearing about both.
Then again…..
#61-Courtney, have to agree with you on the difference in personal space/handsiness. Daughter’s good friend, who played football in high school (center on the offensive line, they snap the ball to the quarterback-don’t have to be too tall but have to be as strong as an ox and be able to lift houses off their foundations), was lifting weights at the student rec center the first week of freshman year at Big State U-cheerleader coach came through the room, saw him, asked him if he would like to try out for the cheerleading squad. He figured hell yeah, he would get to meet/hang out with “hot chicks”, and, as an electrical engineering pre-major, figured there wouldn’t be many opportunities like that to come along. He ended making the squad. The biggest issues that he had get over quickly were 1) boosting/tossing/catching and hand placement on the girls, and 2) their lack of personal space due to being boosted/tossed/caught and their hugginess/drapiness. I would have to imagine that it is the same way with ice skating pairs and ice dancers. So while we with fairly defined personal spaces might find that off putting, ice skaters/dancer/cheerleaders/theater people might find it to be NBD.
I’ve never considered myself a shipper but maybe I am against my own will. I guess I just enjoy the show a lot more and get more out of the dances if I think the couple has more invested between themselves. At the same time its about impossible for me to imagine people meeting on a show like this, falling in love, and then staying together longterm. If anyone has the disposition to make it happen it would seem to be Meryl, but from what other people have told me, Maks is the opposite. I’ve having fun pretending if nothing else and I do believe, like Courtney said earlier, they seem to at least have a very deep respect for each other’s abilities. Then again, I just saw a picture on Meryl’s instagram where she and Maks wore coordinated black and white outfits, so maybe we should start naming the babies haha
LurkerB5 (#111) I really think Charlie will be amazing at Quickstep and even if it doesn’t surprise the judges, they won’t have a choice but to hand out some 10s. He absolutely has the opportunity to do well this week based on the type of dances he’ll be performing. And they have given him a hard time the past few weeks so unless he has a real rough time, it would seem he’s due to get some credit.
#Cidra,
Just wanted to say, you’re on point with your comments about FB. I don’t usually go there but decided to today. ITA with what you said about why some couples may have more likes than others. As, IMO, TPTB clearly have an agenda this season. Its like looking at the Maks/Meryl and Val/Danica show.. With some James/Peta to balance it off.
Truly ridiculous. If they don’t win, the sh** is going to hit the fan, so to speak-lol
SAD!!
Instead of the C-Bubbie in rehearsals, I’d much rather the C-Dog, Sir Sleep. I don’t know, maybe Bubbie drools a lot too? lol.
#114 Lynne – Well, one good example will be Maks. Wasn’t he engaged to
Karina, dated Peta and who else, Erin and probably some other celebs that we don’t know about.
Kate Upton for 6 months? I don’t think I am going to bet on him if I have a betting nature.
A lot of celebrities(actors)have affairs while on location. It is a known fact in Hollywood. Nobody thinks about it and it is forgotten when the shooting is finished. That’s because they are together all the time. I will venture to say it is the same at DWTS. It is the proximity factor and that you have to work together closely while you are doing the show. I had a short stint working for an entertainment law firm in Wilshire, Beverly Hills years ago and one of the lawyers who fronts celebs told us we will be shocked if we knew who these celebs are.
Courtney (#61) Thanks for the insight. It’s interesting how people just get used to being all over each other and it doesn’t have the same effect as it would for a person not used to it. I guess sometimes its all part of the show and maybe thats completely the case with Maks and Meryl. I will say though, you had me pretty well convinced that being dancer partners doesn’t usually lead to romance all the way up to the part where you said you ended up with your instructor haha
Charlie is getting 10s across the board on this Quickstep. Anyone who doubts this needs to watch a video of Davis & White’s Finnstep program this past season. Heck, go watch it anyway, just for fun. He will slay the Quickstep.
Disclaimer: I realize I have come perilously close to stating my opinion as if it were fact, but I believe this to be true. I would bet on it.
The only thing(s) that can prevent this happening – ALB has a bias against skaters and is not going to give a skater, even an ice dancer, a 10. And/Or, if his knee injury is serious enough to prevent him from performing at his highest level. And/Or, Sharna decides “eff this” and deliberately breaks rules in her choreography.
If I am wrong about this, I will eat crow sauteed in wrong-sauce and wash it down with tears!
And whatever happened to Maks “acting career”?
And… not to double post, but I am, here are my predictions for scores. I see them as relatively low scoring, as a ball busting celebrity judge will be there as compared to a guest judge who is scoring based on the feel of the dance. Her ish will rub off on Bruno, Len and CAI, so…
Mark/Candace-35- I am hoping that Candace feels good/encouraged about her performances last week in her dance with Mark and the Team Loca dance, and it carries over. I do like her really nice girl vibe, her earnestness and her cheerleading for the other teams, but someone will ding her.
Val/Danica-36-Her ribs will still give her enough issues that Val will not be able to dance around them.
Derek/Amy-36-Amy’s back/rib will still be giving her issues, so that and lack of actual practice time might catch up to them, so they will get dinged for it.
Maks/Meryl-36-The judges tell Maks that while they were killing it the last few weeks, this week is a bit of a setback (would conveniently fit into a scripted arc of a story, don’t you think?) for them. Question is how Maks will respond to it, and how Erin will gig him about it.
Sharna/Charlie-40. Because that would fit the narrative triumphant. That and they will go in with a “Screw it, let’s just dance” mindset, and blow everyone out of the water. I also predict that they will be the only ones to get 10’s.
Peta/James-36-Footwork gets dinged, decent dance but not enough.
At DTL (#57) I will have to check out some clips from back when Maks works with Mel B. I definitely think you could be right and any relationship people see between Maks and Meryl could just be a really high comfort level between them. Meryl seems like the type of person who just rolls with anything and makes anyone comfortable with her. Thats probably part of how she’s been so successful at Ice Dancing.
I also totally agree with you that even if there was a real relationship between those two, it would be so hard to maintain in their circumstances. I can say that I do wish any relationship they have is real, if only because it makes the show more fun for me to watch. But you are probably right on all points.
Andrew, perhaps you should READ the site for a while before posting because, again by your own admission, you haven’t watched the show before. It’s only polite to read so that I don’t have to ONCE AGAIN discuss all the same crap that we’ve discussed before. The problem is that ANY OTHER PRO who had a partner like Meryl and didn’t push her as much as humanly possible (since she is the biggest ringer in the history of the show) would be getting HAMMERED by the judges. Because she’s a ringer. And if you have a ringer you are generally expected to push them hard. Not give them easy choreo in an attempt to get great scores. Normally, that wouldn’t work. But, oddly, it seems to be working for Meryl – which is why we’re calling foul. Maks is not doing his job if he’s giving her easy choreo. Sharna is most certainly doing what is expected – she has a ringer too and is giving him challenging choreo. YOU make the assumption that the judges are right in how they score Charlie – we disagree. It’s that simple. You don’t lose three points on an EXTREMELY difficult dance because you dropped a cane. It’s ridiculous. They refuse to take into account that Charlie is doing harder dances and you can be sure that if Sharna eased up on the choreo, she would get called on it. All the while Meryl is lacking bounce in her samba and gets 10s. Has little foxtrot content in her foxtrot – high score and no one says a word.
Again, Andrew – don’t come in here and say “I’ve never watched the show before” and then make shit tons of excuses for Meryl and Maks. You don’t have any point of reference. It’s more honest to say “I like them” and leave it at that.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” as a tango? That’s just wrong. I listen to that song pretty much all the time because it’s one of my favorites. It doesn’t scream tango to me.
@Sam #105. I really don’t care what James and Peta decide to be now or after. In my earlier post I said that the show always try to promote some type of romance between a couple and this season its James and Peta based on the packages that have been shown. Trust me I am not a “shipper” or care to be one. Find it childish and immature. I’ll leave that for the tweens and teens. LOL. I just want to see good competitive dancing and be entertained.
Judy (#101), Thanks for pointing me to Lorde’s version. I listened to it and have to agree with CC (#102) that while it’s got more of the tango darkness, it’s too ponderous. However, I can absolutely believe that’s the version they’ll use because it’s attached to a very popular movie franchise that has wide appeal in addition to being a favorite of the desired demo. I wouldn’t put it past Val to choreograph something that would work; but I’m not convinced Dancia-not-a-Dancer *is* enough of a dancer/performer to sell it properly. I never would have said this before the season because I’m no Val-fan, but in retrospect, I wish Meryl had gone to the younger C-bro.
Yes!!! Love everything written in the first paragraph!! That is exactly what I think too! Producers: LET IT HAPPEN (naturally without manipulation)! Do they think we don’t have a brain? We know what you are doing! And I don’t like it at all!! There should be no favoritism! Unless it is my favorite. Kidding!
If Charlie gets bashed unnecessarily again or if they mess up his music or something (I bet they greased his cane to make it slippery LOL), I’m still going to vote like crazy but give me an email addy to complain to the producers.
I expect the paid professional judges and producers to be consistent and fair to everyone. The same expectations for the paid referees in a pro basketball game (Go Golden State Warriors!). I hate it when the refs give the elite players extra leeway then call it tight on everyone else.
Of course, I still wish to believe the good in people and that there is magic in rainbows.
Court & PH (#103 & #104), You’re killing me! Good thing hubby isn’t home yet and I’m not drinking my FAC adult beverage(s) because I would have wasted a mouthful of the good stuff thanks to you two 😛
I guess Maks being surprised by the visit and then unnerved to have Bubbie watching, means he’s choreographed a hot and steamy rumba that will have shippers in ecstacy and Len grumping about. So no 10 from Len (or so we can hope). I’d love to see a bit of judging reality slap Maksim in the face.
@Andrew – I would say my relationship is the exception to the rule, rather than the norm 😛 Most studios have very strict no-fraternization policies, and I paid a hefty price for violating that: when my bf’s boss found out about us, I got banned from the studio indefinitely, he got a reprimand, and we were told we cannot go public with our relationship – so there are no pictures of us on Facebook, his students don’t even know he has a girlfriend, and when he has studio-related functions, I’m not allowed to tag along. It sounds extreme (and it kind of is), but he and I have weathered the storm for 5 years now and are still very much in love 🙂 But it kind of makes one think about why relationships on DWTS don’t last: after the show is over and these couples don’t have something that brings them together every day, most of them don’t have the wherewithal to make a relationship work. You aren’t in the emotionally-charged, romantic environment of the ballroom anymore; you aren’t working together to win the MBT anymore; odds are, you aren’t even in the same city anymore, either. While the romance seemed easy while the show was going on, it takes a lot more effort to make it work once DWTS wraps. I think of couples like Sabrina & Mark, Mario & Karina, and Shannon & Derek – none of them were really able to go the distance after the show wrapped. It reminds me a lot of The Bachelor, too – it’s kind of a culture shock when these couples go from being on these lavish, romantic dates in beautiful locales to just chillin’ on the couch eating taking takeout – and when you take them out that romantic setting, they often find that they don’t really have that much in common and their connection was pretty superficial. So even if there was some romantic interest between Meryl & Maks on the show – I don’t really know that they’d be able to go the distance after DWTS.
And I always warn people taking dance lessons NOT to fall for their instructor – 9 times out of 10, the instructor is trying to “sell” the glamorous experience of taking lessons, and any flirting they may do is just for show. It’s not easy dating a ballroom dancer – their schedules are crazy, and a lot of times family & significant others take a backseat to work. You gotta really have something substantial between the two of you, besides the initial attraction, in order to make it work in the long run.
Well, if you really feel so strongly that the show is completely rigged, I guess I don’t understand why you continue to watch it. I definitely think you’re missing the point I made earlier, which is that even if Charlie is doing more difficult dances in the eyes of people like yourself, a lot of layman like me who don’t know all the intricacies of each specific dance have so far been really impresssed by what Maks puts together. So maybe I’m the crowd he’s shooting to get the vote from and if so, he’s doing a decent job. And I keep reading reviews of their dances on dancing and TV websites that consistently put Meryl at the top of their ranking each week. Maybe they are all in on the conspiracy too, but I find it hard to imagine. Just for my own knowledge, in what ways are Charlie’s dances more difficult? Meryl’s dances so far just seem to have so much more movement to them, are longer somehow, and also have more acrobatic elements with potential for disaster. Either way, please don’t take any of what I’m saying personal. Obviously this is all just my own opinions. I am definitely a fan of Maks and Meryl, but honestly its based on being impressed by what I’ve seen so far and not just liking them as people or as a couple. I had no idea who Maks was before I started watching this season, and I only briefly knew Meryl from this year’s olympics. I just decided to watch the first episode of DWTS this year, got pulled in by them, and have been increasingly impressed as the season has gone on.
Sorry, forgot to put my response #135 above is a response to Princess Heidi, #128.
I am actually looking forward to the sibling hijinks with the C bros and their mom and grandmas. That funny stuff is real, unlike the fake huggy kissy Maks which sorta makes Meryl look uncomfortable sometimes. I also think Maks being impatient with Meryl is real too.
Maks is so different than Charlie in so many ways, but Maks is her instructor so it is a different kind of relationship.
I also think Len’s comment seemed more like a distraction to say Meryl isn’t running away with it. So it would be a surprise. Meryl is the biggest ringer IMO on this show given fans and background and Maks for her. He and his DWM crew shouldn’t ever criticize Derek for his partners. But how I would love to see his face losing to Sharna or especially Derek. But this season seems all about Maks.
I don’t want to burst your bubble Andrew but as usual Maks has been there and done that. He and Erin wore cute little coordinating outfits for an appearance on Good Day LA when they were partners.
You’re the one missing the point Andrew – there is a difference between the audience and the judges and you seem to be confusing the two. And why would I give a rats ass what other websites say – they are no more “right” than anyone else is. Big deal. Courtney puts Meryl at the top of the rankings too – did you read her post to see why that is, or do you just look at numbers?
What I want from you, Andrew, is to READ this site as much or MORE than you post comments. When you start doing that, I won’t roll my eyes when I see your name every other comment.
Courtney #134 – Well I am really happy for you that you’ve made it work for all these years but I can absolutely understand how thats the exception to the rule. How crazy that you have to follow all those rules while being together. I bet in a way it makes the relationship pretty exciting but gets old after a while. I can also 100 percent understand what you’re saying about many instructors just flirting to get people locked in.
As for couples on the show, I have pretty much accepted that any “romanace” is probably manufactored, like you’ve been saying, and even if it isn’t, it sure wouldn’t be likely to last once the show ended. That having been said, it’s still fun for me to pretend while I’m watching.
I agree with the above comments regarding Meryl and Charlie rooting for each other and being upset if the other is treated unfairly. Also agree that they both love each other as partners and will always be there for each other, which is different and possibly deeper than romantic love. Of course, Meryl is better than showing real or acting emotions than Charlie.
I sorta see that same relationship starting with Amy’s feeling toward Derek. Seriously, how can you not like that guy if you were her. Women love it when the guy will do everything in their power for your happiness and success. That’s why Amy said she doesn’t want the dancing to end. And I think that is adding to the complications with the boyfriend. He can’t compete with Derek!
Princess Heidi (#140) – **edited – do not talk about how I post, nor your opinions of how others post unless you want to be put on moderation. – Heidi**
The point I keep trying to make is that, even if Maks is doing easier choreography, if its working by impressing the audience who have a huge impact on deciding who moves on, then he is doing his job. I can’t speak to whether he is doing a good job in the eyes of the judges who know a lot more about dance, but so far they are seeming to be impressed as well (except Julianna 🙂 You could be right about a conspiracy on the judges part, but I’m just saying that I understand how layman who don’t dance would see Meryl as having dances that are as hard or harder than Charlie’s, and with fewer mistakes. That doesn’t mean we are right, just that we are perceiving things that way, which I guess goes to Maks’ credit.
Things that make you go..hmmmmmmm. So just watched Maks and Meryl interview on Access Hollywood and he mentioned that on the switch up where he got Danica and Val danced with Meryl that the next week Meryl was black and blue and had bruises all over from her from Val when Danica “was returned nice and bubbly wrapped” LOL. Uhmm maybe that’ s because Val pushed her and gave her more difficult choreo? hmmmmmm
There is a reason why we call some of the audience sheeple, Andrew. And AGAIN – the judges are playing a game, it’s called pimp the one you want to win. If you believe everything they say, you are one of the sheeple. Now MOVE ON – you are adding nothing new, just beating the same horse. He’s dead.
@Terri – While she was starring in Singin’ in the Rain, Cyd Charisse’s husband said that he could always tell who Cyd had danced with that day by how many bruises she had on her at the end of the day – if she had a lot of bruises and was sore, she had danced with Gene Kelly (who was extremely athletic & very physically demanding of his partners); if she didn’t have a single scratch or bruise on her, she had danced with Fred Astaire (who had more finesse and was much more skilled at partnering). So I believe that Meryl got a very different treatment from the brothers! Haha
Princess Heidi, Meryl got 9’s for that Samba. She received a lot of praise, but given the fact they had to incorporate choreography to dance alongside animated characters who weren’t dancing a Samba, I can see why the judges weren’t critical. And it was Disney night. Everyone got love!
She has gotten one 10 from Len, same as Charlie.
When Meryl lost her timing in the Swing dance, Bruno and Carrie Ann both docked her for it. Just like they docked Charlie for being off balance in his Paso.
Both Bruno and Carrie Ann (and sometimes Len) have been praising Maks’ choreography to the moon and back in their post-dance comments. Specifically, the swing, foxtrot, tango and salsa got a lot of positive feedback with some “your best choreography ever!” thrown in. Yes, they are idiots, (not Len) but they are idiots who are awarding the scores.
For what it’s worth, in her blog, Chelsie Hightower, described that swing as one of the most difficult dances she had seen performed on dwts. She also commented that she would have difficulty with one of those lifts that Meryl executed. I think Elena Grinenko said something similar. Those two have some credibility in my book.
Meryl and Charlie are headlining SOI. Remaining injury free is probably pretty high on their list of priorities. Maks seems to be on board with that. Meryl is fortunate enough not to be significantly injured right now. Other than the broken toe she sustained training with Val. (Let’s hear it for upping the difficulty in the choreography!) Nothing she can’t skate with, but Charlie’s knee could end being a different story if it gets worse.
LOL at the pic of Candace and Charlie. Actually, I could see it more as a screwball romantic comedy than secret love affair. Too funny. Any word where they are heading with this?
Princess Heidi (#145) Sorry to have offended, was just trying to lighten the mood by joking with you. I am about as easy going a person as Meryl, so I never mean to make someone mad. You obviously have a very strong opinion one way and so far I don’t feel the same way, so we will definitely agree to disagree. Either way I’m really enjoying this show and the site. I love the insider information. How many years have you all been watching and posting? It blows my mind that this is season 18 of the show. Wish I’d caught on sooner.
Oh, I like the look of that Mark/Candace/Charlie/Sharna photo. It looks like they’ve got something fun up their sleeves that will really match the song. I think it’s going to be good.
You could see that Meryl was being very diplomatic about Val. I think your “deep throat” gave some intell into that week she and Val worked on the AT. He must be a rough partner, very intense in practice.
I mean, it’s hard to say because IMO, AT is a more physically demanding dance than say foxtrot especially since Meryl was doing more lifts and sharp footwork in AT. I’m not an expert though,just my impression.
Also who knows what may or may not happen with Meryl/Maks? Meryl has done long distance before, and her supposed last boyfriend Fedor Andreev (she never confirmed, but you know rumors) was kind of the Maks type – Russian, dated several others before her (including Tanith, Charlie’s girlfriend now interestingly), and handsome.
@ Terri maybe Maks should not have “trusted” Val with his precious Meryl. lol
I also love the pic of C&C, but I followed Cidra’s advice and youtubed the song. I have a hard time believing these two can sell it.
LOL! Well, dress me up and call me Mary (or whatever the heck it is that old goat Len says). Now Maks is even willing to throw little bro Val under the bus to show everyone how much he’s changed (or is it how much he adores Meryl and wants to “protect” her from harm)? I suppose it could work on the clueless sheeple. I just hope that there are enough viewers out there who remember the rough and ready teaching methods he’s used on countless celebs in the past.
Meryl’s an Olympic athlete. I’m sure she’s been bruised head to toe, both on and off the ice, while learning and perfecting new routines with Charlie. She’s not some fragile Hollywood C-lister or reality fame ‘ho who’s never done anything more strenuous than walk down the street in her Via Spigas to get a skinny latte at Starbucks.
Agree with all on the great pic of Candace/Mark and Charlie/Sharna. I hope Candace and Charlie’s expressions give us a hint of the way Mark and Sharna are going with the choreo for this contemporary. It would be an excellent way to change things up from their Week 1 contemporary routines. Also, it’s much more in Candace’s comfort zone (and maybe Charlie’s as well) to go with a light, even screwball, romantic comedy theme.
Angela, if they use the official track I listened to on YT, yes, it’s a bit more romantic than romantic comedy; but if the band/singers do it they might be able to tweak the tone so it has a more romantic comedy sound.
I agree about the picture of Candace/Mark and Charlie/Sharna being pretty awesome and making things look really fun. But after listening to their song, I wonder if the picture is just to promote and not really indicative of the tone their dance will take. It’s just hard for me to picture them making that song light or funny. Speaking of that, is it just me or does it seem like the judges always mark people lower when the tone of the dance is lighter. There are some exceptions, but I just feel like the judges instantly give less credence to a dance when its lighter in tone.
So cute! I love that picture!!!
My take on what will happen on Monday with the due dances (note: each of the below sentences start with an implied “I think”)
Charlie and Candace will do really well. Candace and Mark’s early contemporary was her best (I think) and Charlie & Sharna’s was pretty bang on too, so I have a good feeling about them. Plus, when these two celebs dance together, I bet they look All American (think Derek and Shawn, both blonde beauties, hee hee)
Meryl will be challenged by Val choreo and Danica will start to fade away once she and Meryl are shown side by side. I think they are both ringers, and therefore good dancers, but Meryl’s the better ringer, which will become more apparent when shown side by side
James and Amy will be fun to watch. I always enjoy Amy’s performances and have especially enjoyed Derek’s themes throughout his dances this year. James is up and down but having Derek show him some moves makes me think that he’ll tilt up this week.
As to CharlieGate: Sometimes I think Sharna should go a little easier on the choreo. She is so fantastic, and Charlie could totally handle it, but sometimes less is more. Like when Derek and Kelly did their freestyle; beautiful.
That’s a really good point, Cidra. Meryl is in the best shape of her life. But the possibility exists that she might also be carrying some preexisting minor injuries or muscle strains from her Olympic training. Factor in learning new dances and travel (nothing like a cross country plane trip to aggravate your back!) and you’ve got potential for problems. Her wrist seemed to ‘give out’ on her during a very simple move.
It’s also a possibility that Maks is trying to protect himself. Groin pulls are not fun, and they keep getting worse the longer you keep trying to work through them. One of the things that doomed his freestyle with Mel B. was his back injury that prevented him from being able to practice during the limited time they had.
Wow, really like “Stay With Me” hopefully it comes together beautifully for Charlie & Candace!
James/Amy Jive to a great song -Derek will choreograph something amazing to it w/Peta!! Hope they nail it~ could be great!!!
I love the song Stay with Me by Sam Smith, it’s such a beautiful song.
I am worried for Amy, the jive is so rigorous and fast, I don’t want her to injure herself any further. Gosh, this competition is so hard on everyone’s body. Makes me wonder if it’s worth it sometimes.
Finley, the same can be said for Charlie. We know he has an ongoing knee glitch. However, Sharna didn’t make a fuss about him working with Peta for a week. Maks made a federal case out of having to “turn Meryl over” to anyone (like she was his property *gag*) and said the only pro he would trust “his precious Meryl” with was his bro Val. Yet now he’s implying Val roughed her up by saying he got her back all bruised. That’s brotherly love for you and it doesn’t show much respect for Meryl, as an athlete or a person.
uuummmm…pretty sure I read somewhere that at some point during their rehearsal for one of their programs over the past years, Meryl skated over Charlie’s arm and then he sat on her head. I’m thinking Meryl has had her share of bumps and bruises in the past 17 years and she seems to have weathered them just fine.
Katiebearnugget, I suggested that Sharna might back off a bit too. Then it was pointed out to me that they set their own standard, and they set it high. If they simplify now, the judges could ding them on that just when others might be ramping up. So they’re kind of in a catch 22. Maybe in hindsight, Sharna came out of the gate too hard, but that’s water under the bridge now.
#Sandy … I actually think the Jive will be easier for her. I thought it would be difficult for her, but she loved loved loved doing it. She smiles from ear to ear. Derek has said that the slower dances are much more difficult, likens it to riding a bike very very slowly. He mentioned in the Access Hollywood interview how totally exhausting the rumba was because of all the pressure on the muscles to keep things steady and still. That’s what I think put Amy over the edge. I think the Jive is probably the best dance for her, as counter-intuitive as that might seem.
#Cidra-164
I get the same feeling. Every time I see Maks talk about Meryl, I feel like he’s referring to a thing and not a person. I don’t know if it is a cultural thing or what. He overuses “this” when referring to her. It is weird.
@Sandy, don’t worry so much about Amy. Worry, but just not as much as you are. Be confident in Derek, he knows her well, he knows what works for her and what doesn’t work for her. He knows she’s hurting, and will make sure she’s taking proper care of herself to prevent further injury.
And remember Derek’s bike analogy? When you’re riding a bike, it’s easier to go faster, than it is to go slower. It’s much more work to keep the bike controlled and balanced at a slower speed, and it’s the same with dancing. The muscles shouldn’t need to be worked as much (I think) for the jive with James. And just think, Amy’s managing to ride the bike while wearing stilts.
I think Karina, along with Sharna, is another pro that prefers to challenge her partner, particularly if they show promise. Sometimes this means that she is writing choreographic dances that maybe her partner’s skill level or body can’t cash at the moment, but I prefer this method over just getting by with the bare minimum.
I would like Charlie’s movements to be a tiny bit sharper and finished, but would I give up his enthusiasm and forward momentum to achieve this? Heck no. I love his balls to the wall dancing. It’s dancing in the moment at it’s most joyous and thrilling best.
At this point I think most of us are a little overprotective of Charlie and Sharna. I think we’ve earned it and I think they themselves have earned it. We like this couple, feel they’ve been shafted a bit and want to see them triumph.
Speaking of Karina, that was way too little of her featured on Monday’s show. She only did what, a group dance and maybe a short bumper? More Karina, less guest judging.
Angie #165, I don’t know why, but when I read what you had written about Charlie accidentally sitting on Meryl’s head, I had a nice giggle at the mental image. I suppose I have the sense of humor of a middle school-er.
I believe Sharna thought she owed it to Charlie and the fans to create dynamic routines out of the gate, just as Derek did for Nicole S in S10. Not to get biblical but something along the lines of to whom much is given much is expected. If Maks hadn’t resorted to showmancing, I am convinced the game would be playing out very differently this season because Charlie is just as talented and I believe more personable.
Charlie also dislocated one of Meryl’s arms and Meryl said Charlie has scars all over his arms because she has skated all over him at numerous times.
As for giggling I could not stop giggling when I watched one of their videos where they asked Charlie what his most embarrasing moment on ice was:
Charlie – “I think it was when I fell 4 times.”
Meryl in her little vice whispering – “It was only 3.”
Rose, yes, and that is Charlie’s mistake – he has no story to sell.
Ria (#174), I don’t think that’s a “mistake” on Charlie’s part. If it is, then it’s a mistake I applaud him for.
I think it’s a sad reflection on what DWTS has become (more of a mean-spirited tabloid reality show than a light-hearted celebrity dance competition). It’s also a sad commentary on what a lot of viewers are apparently drawn to when they watch TV these days — manufactured drama and fighting and tacky false attraction.
I respect Charlie and Sharna immensely for not trying to find some kind of fake angle with which to sell themselves to viewers. They just want to have fun and go out there and compete honestly, as themselves. So they dance the hardest routines Sharna feels Charlie can handle, do it as best they can on the night, and hope that’s enough for the judges and the fans. It’s more than enough for a lot of us, but it’s obviously nowhere near enough for the judges (or the show’s producer). The jury’s still out on if it’s enough for the majority of general viewers.
So now we’re parsing out LEN’S tens to make it look like Charlie and Meryl are getting the same treatment??? :::rolls eyes::: You people are out of control. No matter how you try to spin it, Meryl has been treated FAR better than Charlie while not being that much better (if at all ) than him. Chelsie and Elena praising Meryl doesn’t actually mean she is better than Charlie – it just means they were praising that one move. You are creating a whole lot of false equivalencies and really – you all should stop talking. Because the more you talk, the more my eyes roll and they’re starting to hurt. I get it, you love Meryl madly. Quit trying to convince me that I’m wrong for NOT loving her madly. All you’re managing to do is make me sick to death of her.
OMG – nothing is going to “happen with Meryl/Maks” – I would bet you a million dollars that nothing will happen. I would even bet that they won’t be seen together two months from now.
Cidra I do like Charlie and Sharna not doing anything else to promote their partnership except to go out there and do the best they can. I am just commenting that it is sad because it is not enough for majority of people who crave drama and tabloidy stuff.
In one of D?W fansite one of the so-called fans was bemoaning the fact that Charlie is not as active as Meryl in the media stuff(twitter etc). Apparently they love it when Meryl and Maks post something about them almost every day while Charlie does not. They say it makes them part of her journey while they have NO IDEA what Charlie does in his spare time after rehearsals for DWTS. Um. maybe the guy just like his privacy?
That’s another thing that frustrates me about the show’s treatment of Charlie. He’s a funny, charismatic guy who just had an unprecedented Olympic experience and then jumped headlong into a totally different kind of competition. There’s all sorts of story lines they could use with him, but TPTB don’t seem willing or able to sell anything other than showmances or emotional meltdowns. It’s so lazy.
Katie, Kellie’s freestyle may have been simply produced, but it was far from simple choreography – not at all what you could call going “easier”. That’s the beauty of it. I think you’re confusing simply produced with simple choreography – they’re not the same. And no, if Sharna dumbs it down she will totally get called on it because she’s not covered in teflon like Maks is (for now). Frankly, I think Meryl’s fans are sheeple to the point that they actually believe that Charlie isn’t dancing well. That’s just wrong – he’s dancing VERY well.
It amuses me that some of you actually believe that the judges score accurately and aren’t full of shit at least half the time. Well, it would amuse me if it weren’t so freakin’ obvious that you same people would be (will be?) whining and crying if it were going the other way.
Ah, I see, Ria (#178) I misinterpreted your use of the word “mistake”.
I agree with you 100% on the whole social media thing. As with just about everything else I’ve learned about Charlie, I respect him for wanting to keep his private life moderately private. Charlie couldn’t win with them even if he did post pictures or tweet every day about what he’s doing. When he’s not involved with SOI or DWTS he’s probably either sleeping (which he needs desparately) or spending time with Tanith. Sleeping isn’t very interesting and considering how the idiot arm of the D/W fandom feel about his relationship with Tanith, I doubt it would win him any additional votes to show him having dinner, or walking the dog or shopping with her.
Curious, I know this is a short post, but those with dance experience, how do you grade James’ choreography. Last week, in particular, I felt like there was no content but a whole lot of nakedness. Just wanted to see what those of you thought about the difficulty of his choreo. I’m not a huge fan of his at all, but still interested
Yeah, PH (#180), that full-body balance lean thing (where’s Court when you need her) that Kellie did with her feet hooked around Derek’s neck was child’s play, wasn’t it? 😀 Knowing Derek’s had neck problems for years had me scared to death when they did that move.
Brook, I’m having a hard time remembering James and Peta’s choreography, to be honest, which is probably not a good sign for him. I think Peta had been doing pretty well up until the last week or so. But the bar is set lower for James because he’s not a huge ringer like Meryl and Charlie are. Or at least his bar isn’t as high as *charlie’s*.
Thanks for the response, Heidi! Sadly, in my opinion, James is no where near close to Meryl and Charlie’s talent. I think Charlie and Meryl dance superior to him, I even think Amy dances superior to James. What’s so unfortunate is that James’ has such a big fan base–probably equal to Amy, Meryl, and Charlie combined. This is worsened by the fact that the three Olympians are splitting a fan base and votes (more so Meryl and Charlie). I’m not saying James is a bad dancer, but IMO he needs much improvement before I can be satisfied if he were to win MBT.
I love being able to vote for contestants, but I almost rather judges score be 75% and 25% voting (WHEN JUDGES ARE REPLACED). It’s truly sad to see some top-notch contestants voted off for lesser contestants. But I guess that’s the name of the game. I wish they would add a “save card” where the judges only had ONE total save card, and they would have to agree who to save if that couple would be eliminated
First time commenter here… and I just wanted to say with this whole meryl and charlie topic, I think meryl does a better job at emoting sometimes and selling her performance. Her technique and posture sometimes (esp. with the salsa) is not perfect. Charlie suffers because he is not as good at selling the performance and he looks odd playing the fierce, masculine male… but he defintely has been underscored. No way his dance was on the same level as James, but len gave them the same score. I love Meryl and Charlie both and they equally deserve to win. BUT i hate that maks is always stealing the attention. isn’t it supposed to be about the celebrity? idk makes him look so self centered. He literally makes it all about him and idk, maybe meryl is just too shy and doesn’t have much to say but it annoys me.
on another note, this might not be a popular opinion but i am kind of sick of amy being so praised for being inspiration. it was good for the first 3 weeks, but its week 7, we get that she is amazing, but lets move on to the dancing… and her dancing, in my opinion has been overscored. imo, the cheroegraphy by derek is good, but i just do not think that her dancing is on the same level as everyone else. she doesn’t utilize all the dancing space, derek is aways just lifting her, she doesn’t move around much, her footwork is never that complex ( yes, she has prosthetic feet…but idk, her dances are not that interesting or good to me). overscored and i do not want her to win. if she wins, it would be a sympathy win imo.
Regarding Kellie’s Freestyle, I recall Derek saying in the package that he incorporated moves that he’d never done with PROFESSIONAL dancers because of Kellie’s amazing flexibility. Plus the emotion she displayed in that dance was just incredible.
I had a feeling that because Meryl was paired with Maks that they were gonna be shoved down our throats by TPTB. . I don’t like being ‘told’ that this person is the one who is the winner.. I also honestly believe that it’s the only reason Maks came back, because they GAVE him a ringer in Meryl which pretty much guarantees in a Mirrorball. BUT it may bite him in the butt too as it did with his lil bro Val in Season 16 with Zendaya. The winner is determined by the freestyle.
So just because Meryl seems to be the front-runner, doesn’t mean she’ll win it. I might have liked her, had she been paired with someone else other than Maks. NOT a C-bro fan AT ALL! I like Val a little more than Maks but not much.
I also don’t care for the fact that Maks doesn’t seem to be giving Meryl Tough choreography. She can handle it! Didn’t Val prove that during switch week?
Not looking forward to Abby Lee on the show this week as the guest judge.
Hope Amy will be ok for the Argentine Tango, they’re always my favorite dances of Derek’s!
Just a curiosity… have Meryl and Charlie spent time with Derek on or off set since doing DWTS?
Since they knew each other from before the show, I was expecting to see more interactions between them. However, throughout the weeks, I’ve tried to catch glimpses of D/M/C together but couldn’t see any. Not relevant for anything at all since everyone is so busy on set, but was just wondering.
@KellyK (#185) They also should’ve guaranteed him that Derek’s out. LOL.
I actually find it pretty ridiculous that people think Meryl and Maks are going to get married. But i don’t doubt that their friendship seems genuine. Maks happens to be of a culture and involved in things that are very suited to Meryl’s interests outside of dance, so I guess that has made their partnership more rewarding for them both.
About Charlie: I do think Charlie has been underscored several times. But I don’t think that takes away from Meryl earning her high scores. I think Sharna is doing great with choreography but she is pushing it a little tiny bit too far. The difference between Meryl & Charlie so far is that Meryl’s performances have been cleaner and she has been a little more expressive/natural. If Sharna tones it down just one notch, then Charlie can be just as clean as Meryl and really own his performance.
Len’s comment about his Paso not being special made my blood boil because I can tell he poured a lot into it. I’ve watched Charlie perform for years and years. Although I truly believe he has been underscored, I guess I can also see why he hasn’t gotten a perfect score. I think it’s mostly because of the emoting/connecting performance aspect. Charlie has it in him but it doesn’t come as naturally to him as it does with Meryl. And I can confidently say he hasn’t completely reached the levels of connection/emotion in his performance that he can and that I’ve seen him do for years on the ice with Meryl. He is SO CLOSE, and I hope he gets there this week. He actually connected extremely well with his Paso, that my mouth was open in shock the whole time because I would never consider Paso “his thing.” For Len to say something so blantant just shocked me because it did feel pretty special in my eyes. Charlie surprised me with what he brought to the Paso. So I know he is really getting there and I am excited to where he can take that performance aspect with the dances more suited to his personality like the quick step and contemporary. I’m crossing my fingers!!! 🙂
At Lana#187–Maybe they did, until Amy signed on 😉 Never discount Derek. Maks even said to him last season when he was a guest judge that Derek KNOWS how to choreograph MBT winning Freestyles.
Kate Meighan of Celebrity Dirty Laundry just called it in that Season 18 is fixed and that the judges already decided on a Maks-Meryl win even before the cast is announced. She is also mad about the judges on Charlie. She is an ice dancing fan and is not happy about it.
Cynthia Dagnal Myron, a Huffington journalist/blogger is also very unhappy about how they are treating Charlie and has been commenting on a lot of blogs about it.
It is so ridiculous how they think they are getting away with it.
It is funny that you mention social media use. Charlie has always been the type who actually did post tidbits from his personal life. His twitter was a mix of what he may have been thinking, a question or an answer thrown out to his followers unrelated to skating, funny interaction with his friends and UM support. You have to go back to last summer and before. It just seems like he doesn’t think whatever he is doing right now off the show, is interesting enough to him to post about, like someone mentioned. e.g. sleeping when he gets some down time.
Meryl has always been about motivational quotes, random dog pictures and sponsors. In that regard, Meryl hasn’t changed much. I never saw her post too many things from her personal life. It has heavily been to promote any brand that she is promoting which includes herself, always portraying that perfect Meryl Davis image. In my opinion, Maks and Meryl are a brand. 😛
#142; After Amy and Derek’s last package I have been wondering about Amy’s feelings toward Derek, too. What is real and what is reality tv? No matter what I found this package somewhat painful to watch – Amy telling on national television that she is struggling in her relationship due to her and her boyfriend’s time schedule. What on earth must her poor boyfriend be feeling after this? Amya is crying over problems in their relationship and the producers showing him several times – what a torture!
Derek is always building up great relationships with his partners- and I think his connection with his dance partner always is part of his success. He is always handling his partner with respect and love, and it seems as the thought of him helping his oartner to grow and move on in life is what motivates him most. I don’t know of course – but looking at Amy, reading her tweets, I am a little bit worried that she is connecting with Derek on a level which will not help her in her real life realtionship. I think all the contestants in dwts in a way are living in a bubble and imo Amy more than most of them.
That you were so shocked by Len’s comments to Charlie regarding his paso should be a HUGE clue to you, Sarah. It’s a nasty combination of Meryl being overscored by a couple points and Charlie being underscored by a point or two most dances. Right now Meryl is 13 points ahead of Charlie in the cummulative score – I just don’t think she’s that far ahead of him. Her average score is also 1.7 points higher than him. As for difficulty – it SHOULD be taken into account that Charlies dances are more ambitious. Both are massive ringers – both should be treated like massive ringers.
Minnie – are you trying to tell me that Amy’s jive wasn’t AMAZING? It was UNDERSCORED – that was one of the better jives I’ve seen on this show. Rumba was pretty damn good as well. How would YOU score her?? Fives for having prosthetic feet which don’t move?? Can’t be lack of hip action – she certainly had that. As for moving around the floor – there isn’t a DWTS rule that requires that. There is one that prohibits lifts – Amy got docked a point for it this last time. Yet there is also a rule about not breaking hold in a couple dances and that’s been conveniently ignored for a few couples – why aren’t you complaining about that, eh?? Meryl’s foxtrot had little foxtrot content and her samba had little bounce – she wasn’t called. Why aren’t you complaining about that?? There is SO MUCH inequity in the scoring this season and your focus is on the woman who is dancing her ass off in prosthetic feet? Looks to me like you’re the one with the problem. Yer scared Amy might just play spoiler for someone.
Minnie, seriously?
I thought Amy’s rehearsal package was odd, but there really was no context. We would have to hear the questions her producer asked in order to get that kind of reaction. The clip was clearly selectively edited.
@princess heidi
I am simply expressing my opinion that I do not feel impressed by Amy’s performance. It is amazing for someone with prosthetics. she is amazing, she is inspiration. i said that and i believe that. I do not think her dancing is on the same level. so in the end, it depends on whether you are judging her as a dancing like everyone else or a dancer with a disability. For the former, I do not think she deserves the score that she got because her dances are just a combination of derek lifting her and her walking a bit. So, that’s my opinion on Amy and I don’t really appreciate being attacked for my opinion, which I have justified. If you disagree, PH, lets please agree to disagree.
I won’t hide the fact that I want meryl or charlie to win. I’ve been their fans for years. I dont care that they are ringers or that they have experience. to me, they are magnificent on the dance floor. that much is clear, whether they win or not. So yes, if amy wins, she will definately not win because she is a better dancer. she will win because of her story. again IN MY OPINION.
I just have one question for all the first-time posters flocking here to scold us for not worshipping Meryl: what are you so afraid of? Are you feeling that insecure about your girl that you feel the need to try and silence any opposition? If so, it’s kind of immature (and fascist) of you…cause there’s always going to be opposing views in this world. May as well learn to live with them. But I’m flattered that we’ve ruffled your feathers to the point that you feel the need to come to us and clamor for “fairness”. Thanks for the hits…guess if you build it, they will come…whether they want to or not. 😉
Court, it is pretty obvious to me that you are very bias when it comes to Candace & Charlie and anyone that dances with Derrick. Just what exactly is your beef with Danica? Cause the same hard time you say the judges give Charlie & Candace you give to Danica and I can’t understand why. I think she is just as good as Charlie & Meryl. Although I agree with you bout the judges wanting Meryl to win the entire thing, but I think it is more for Maks’ sake than Meryl. I think they are pacifying him so he can stay on the show. Giving him Meryl like she is a sure win. Especially after the rumors I heard bout his complants with Derrick. I think Meryl is great but Maks has been getting on my last nerve. That’s why I hope Charlie or Danica wins cause Maks is acting like he has already won.
*eye roll* Don’t act like you KNOW me, Sheila. And I think you mean “biased”, not “bias”. What don’t I like about Danica? I find her annoying, and I think she’s been dishonest about how much dance experience she has. And the judges have been extremely kind to Danica, Sheila – not sure what “hard time” you think they’ve given her. She danced sh*tty this week, and they gave her a pretty kind score for a salsa with a lot of missed leads and forgotten choreography. Before that, they gushed about a cha-cha that was just ok; and she got a near-perfect score for a quickstep where the judges admitted there was “not enough body contact”. Where is this hard time she’s supposedly getting? You think she should be getting 40’s each week?
Minnie thank you for inspiring me to vote for Amy that much harder this week. You’re a gem.
@ shelia. I agree that maks is getting on my nerves… he’s too self-absorbed. its one thing to be confident but another to be abnoxiously arrogant. I like Danica’s story too… i think shes had great growth and she a great dancer actually too. i hope she makes it farther than someone like James who relies too much on sex appeal.
Courtney, if you are asking your questions to me as a newbie here, I like Meryl and I’m shove not trying to shove my opinion down anyone’s throats… what i said earlier about charlie and meryl was to try to differentiate the two and maybe trying to figure out the disparity between the scores. I didn’t come to convince people to like meryl because her dancing should do that. BUT i still stick by what i said about amy.
In some ways, I do understand what some say about Amy’s scores. She is obviously scored a little higher (sometimes) in a couple of her dances. That being said, this is kind of an unprecedented case. Yes, the judges need to score her according to how they score the others, but that is also nearly impossible seeing as such different circumstances concerning her. Even with prosthesis, the way she is able to move her upper body and create beautiful lines is astounding. I would prefer her to win over James for sure. I may stand alone here (not sure everyone else’s views) but I am very upset about Danica and her injury. I was so excited to see her progress through the rest of the season. She started off slow and quite a dark horse, but I admire her determination. I would have loved to see her full force in these coming weeks. As of right now, I see Candance and Danica as the weakest- Danica because of her injury and Candace because of her lack of experience. However, Candace has grown the most over the season. I would really enjoy to see her stay over James. Obviously, my dislike for James is showing, lol! So far I just have not clicked with his or Peta’s personality. I find him likeable sometimes, and other times not so much.. Am I alone here??
Minnie, you best watch yourself – you think that was an attack and you don’t appreciate it? Leave. I asked you a whole bunch of questions which you conveniently ignored. You want to agree to disagree? Fine – but expect LOTS of disagreement. I think you’re scared to death that Amy might win and for that reason you want her marked down for a disability that really isn’t hindering her that badly. I think she IS dancing on a level with most of the other dancers – maybe not Meryl – but then she’s scored well below Meryl (ten points, cumulatively) and Meryl is a massive ringer. So again – what is it you want?? You think Meryl is the better dancer? Well, Meryl is getting the better scores. You think Charlie is the better dancer? Fine – Charlie is being underscored to prop up Meryl. Why not complain about that? Amy is only 0.4 points ahead of him on average scores. So you would rather complain about the woman who is kicking ass with no feet than complain about Charlie’s scoring. You really believe that Amy’s dancing is lifting and walking?? I feel sorry for you.
As for wanting her scored relative to the other dancers? THAT NEVER HAPPENS ON THIS SHOW. Never. They’ve said out loud that they score the couples relative to their own personal growth and ability. Where were you when NeNe was getting 9’s?? Oh wait…you weren’t scared of her. 😀
I’ll add to Courtney’s comments about first time posters here – you don’t get to come in here, state your opinions and then not get disagreement in return. Or cry when you do. If you can’t handle it, don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.
And question also, mainly to the mods (anyone else feel free to answer):
Do you think the pros have a strategy going in? My main question is that maybe Maks has done slower choreo to build up? Look, I am no way trying to hide that I like Meryl, a lot, but I also like Charlie. I’m just curious to see if maybe each pro comes from a different strategy. Sharna constantly gives Charlie extensive and hard choreo, more power to her. From my eyes, I think Maks is holding out until the end and pulling out the big guns. I’m a fan on both teaching methods by Sharna and Maks, I just think they are different. Could it also be that men celebs are judged harder usually? Y’all can grill me on some DWTS history, but I have always thought they grilled the men celebs harder (bc IMO, being a male celeb is harder because they must lead the female in dance) . The only person that usually is nicer to men is CAI, when she is drooling over them.
That reminds me, Court!! Where are all the complaints about scoring Danica just like everyone else in spite of her injury??!?! 🙂 I mean, a 33 for THAT dance was pretty freaking kind of the judges. Three 8s and a 9?? Really. LOL.
Bwahahaha…Minnie, Minnie, Minnie….that wasn’t a passive aggressive attack!! That was an aggressive post if ever there was one. You don’t like it, you know what to do. You don’t get to come in here, spout your opinions and then just expect people to bow down to you. Thanks, though, for your permission to continue to vote for Amy – that was very nice of you!!
Funny thing, opinions. EVERYONE has one and not all are going to agree with you. They get to post TOO.
I don’t think that Maks had a strategy, Brook, because Maks has too often botched the choreography in the end. Does he have a strategy NOW? Well, I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. The last few seasons, though, should have shown him that Derek’s old strategy (that lots of the pros used) isn’t good anymore. That was: start really slow and save some cards (big moves) for the end. He can only afford that strategy when the judges are on his side. Funny thing about the judges, they can change loyalties at the drop of a hat. If Charlie suddenly leaves the judges NO room to complain and Maks is playing it safe, they could be in trouble.
Wow, there sure are a lot of newbies turning up recently here. I’m guessing they are skating fans who have never watched the show before and have no idea how it “works”. I agree that some of them are pretty afraid of a celeb who has a wonderful spirit, who defies the odds daily in life, and who dances better than most people with two feet. I guess it is pretty scary if she’s not your favourite. They should also be afraid of Amy because IMO if she is eliminated the majority of the people voting for her with take their votes to Charlie. Yes, you should be scared!
Heidi’s ETA#2 better be the first thing everyone sees on Monday night before the show! It’s going to be increasingly crazy here for the next few weeks on show nights!!
We will need reminders on how to post, etc so we don’t crash the site!! Haha
I am a West Coaster so I always check to see what happened!!! I am hoping for good news for everyone. I just want a fair and happy and amazing show!! I can’t wait!!
I agree Meggie! So many newbies, that I as a regular can barely keep up with everything. I can’t imagine the task at hand for all of the mods on this lovely site. 🙂
I’m an avid watcher, but I have never really been this into the show. But this year, with so much good talent, I have been glued. SO many different types of dancers. I can honestly say this is the first season I think I am happy with the final 6. Each brings something so different and exciting. I think it’s time to retire some of the judges, imo. I know Len is such a stickler, but I think out of all of them, he is the most qualified. He isn’t all fancied up about fluffing up routines (as evidenced by last week). CAI drools over sexually and naked guys. Bruno too, lol, but for some reason I like Bruno more..
This is a question I have always had, and since finally someone has insider info, maybe yall know (Southern in me is coming out, sorry yall). Who/how do they pair the celebs and pros each season? What goes into those decisions.
After this, I’m sure I’ve met my post quota today–off to lurking
Yes, Sandy, I feel bad for the fantastic mods of this site at this point in the season. It is the same almost every season – just change the names and you here the same complaints!
:hear:
True, Meggie – if Amy is out that’s where my votes go. Charlie all the way. Meryl has a better shot of winning, IMO, if Amy stays to the end.
PH, I can’t wait to read Winners Never Pimp and Pimpers Never Win. You have a way with words, like Courtney, that say what everyone is thinking in the best way possible.
I too have nothing against Meryl, but being shoved at me every week with her perfect or near perfect scores, when others deserve it just as much, just turns me away from wanting her to win. At this point, if she does win, people will be talking like they did when Tony won. Oh, it’s so great Maks finally won. It will all be about Maks, not Meryl, and it’s supposed to be about the celebrities. It would be a shame to have that happen to her.
@Judy, #92, that is so true. There are a lot of people out there that really believe reality tv is real. That’s the world they choose to live. Me, and the majority of others, take it for what it is, entertainment.
Brook, that is one of the age old questions and the answer, after you’ve been watching the show for a while becomes somewhat clear. But only somewhat. It’s an odd mix of height, personality, potential for showmance, potential for DRAMA…and the need to keep Derek challenged, apparently. 🙂 Oh, and to give Maks a sure thing. LOL. Seriously, though, they need to keep either Derek or Maks and the only way to get Derek is to give him something he would love – a new challenge. To get Maks…well, that one is obvious.
If Meryl doesn’t win, I will be very interested to see what Maks does next season, for sure. Will he be back? I think they better hope so, because I don’t think they can find another partner who gets Derek’s juices flowing. They keep trying to make Val happen, but I don’t see it. Maybe Artem will be the new “IT” guy.
Either way, I don’t think Maks will be back next season. He will never get another ringer like Meryl in my opinion. I swear I saw in an interview recently (don’t remember where though) and it seemed like Maks only came back for one season? I think if he and Val were one person, together, they would be an unstoppable choreographer. That’s why I am thinking- IF M&M make it to the finale, Val will be their saving grace (based on the fact that I don’t see Danica making top 3). I think Val is a top-notch choreographer. I really enjoy his passion and work ethic. Derek will do the usual freestyle dance and choreograph something awesome, as usual. I would be interested to see Sharna’s freestyle. She is relatively new and never been in the finals, if my memory serves me (it fails often). I’m VERY curious to see what approach she takes and what type of dances she chooses to place in their routine.
:::sigh::: Oh poor Minnie. When you can handle disagreement and not make your posts all about me and Courtney, I’ll let you post again. Keep in mind that people WILL disagree with you and strongly.
Val is pretty uneven in the freestyle department, Brook. He has a looong way to go to reach Derek’s level, just in general. But he does have more potential for a good freestyle than Maks does.
One only has to look at Sharna’s dances with Andy Dick to see that she has serious potential. But the freestyle with a ringer is tough – Anna kinda caved to the pressure when dancing with Evan Lysacek. It could go either way.
I think I’d rather fellate a hot curling iron than dance to “I Luh Yah Papi”. Man, that extra “v” sound at the end of “love” must be a real bitch to pronounce.
wow, what an influx of comments all of a sudden haha!
@Kate, I’m surprised a little bit too at the response. I’ve been following both Meryl and Charlie on social media for a while now, and I would say they post similar material and at a similar rate. Both tend not to post personal stuff (except Charlie’s photos and stuff with Tanith every once in a while), and they do their sponsor posts for Ralph Lauren, Puffs, etc. mostly. Ok, so maybe Meryl did post ONE photo this week of her and Maks.
I completely agree with the need for privacy, but imo, for me personally, if I’m rooting for someone, I get pretty obsessed with what’s going on and want to know a little bit about spoilers like songs, dances, how they are doing (why I am on this site LOL) – I think M/C fans just want to see maybe a photo of Sharna and Charlie or something once in a while going “hey! we’re working hard on our dance, can’t wait for you to see it!” type of thing to keep them satisfied. No one should have to post personal stuff if they don’t want to though imo, but a little something is nice for the fans to see.
Courtney, I know that we are not allowed to comment on other posts and I understand that my comment is going to be deleted and I’m fine with it. But please could you stop using words like “fascist”. I find it very insensitive especially when discussing a relatively trivial topic like TV entertainment.
That being said, I wanted to thank you and the rest of the mods for all the info, spoilers and scoops on the show you so generously share with the rest of us.
Zuzana, you’re being hypersensitive. It’s not a good look.
Thought this was interesting (not the racism part, but the scripted part)
**edited**
It’s about Wendy Williams and her experience with producers telling her what to say/do. I find it so sad that DWTS has gone to scripting. There is no need, the packages would be just as interesting to see true personalities and teamwork. Not sure how much of each package is actually scripted, but it’s still so disheartening. This is a DANCE competition, there is no reason to have scripts. The producers need to let the show play out naturally. At this rate, let’s hope DWTS doesn’t become the next Jersey Shore
Brook, we try really hard to NOT allow links in the comments. Thanks.
We’ve already talked about the Wendy Williams thing – I think it’s safe to say that she’s an expert at hyperbole. I’m sure there is some scripting when the pros and celebs are talking directly to the camera, or when they do stuff like “Our team dance is….and follow it with blah blah blah”.
My apologies, I was unsure so I shouldn’t have posted the link. In Derek’s blog (I think it came out yesterday or today), he seemed confused as well whether the stars are dueling against each other or acting mainly as a team. I know this has been discussed quite frequently, but was it ever made positive that the stars are working together as a team? Blogs/web sites are still calling it a “duel” and it seems as the pros themselves are learning as they go and aren’t exactly sure yet.
#218 Brook, I fluctuate on whether Maks will be back. On one hand, I think the past year showed him the movie and TV producers aren’t kicking down his door so unless Kirstie gives him a permanent role on her show, I’m not sure there’s any future for him as an actor. Plus Maks is very much a “pack animal” and I think he needs to be in the center of things, thus why he was still out in LA hanging around the show and the cast the past two seasons. And there’s now yet another of “his people” around in Erin.
On the other hand I agree with you that he’ll never get another ringer like Meryl and will likely go back to being himself once he’s paired with a partner who doesn’t dance at such a high level and/or who he doesn’t much like or get along with. Are Val, Tony and Erin enough to keep him in check? I’m not so sure about that.
The ABC site is calling it a “duel” – a competition between the two celebrities with one coming out on top. As with everything, I expect they will score according to their favorite, but the interesting thing will be how the pros and celebs actually treat it. I suspect that, like with most attempts at fostering competition between the couples, it will fail and Derek will help James (for example) while Peta helps Amy. I think this will certainly hold true for Maks and Val (although didn’t Maks just throw Val under a bus recently) and Sharna/Mark.
#229 It seems as if ABC isn’t even sure what they are doing-making it up as they go. On Access Hollywood, Maks was sure that they would be working together for ONE total score. If they are in fact competing, I see this benefiting Charlie and Meryl. I’m at a loss for who would win out of James and Amy?! Normally, my vote would go to Amy, but her injuries have unknown impact as of right now.
In James recent otrc interview he said that they will get the same score and be scored as a team. Peta said the judges were going to give one couple two more points originally then they dropped that idea.
Heidi, So when Maks said they are “teams” and get the same score, he was wrong? I don’t doubt it (that he was wrong)….just double checking lol.
I can’t stand that JLo song …ugh.
Isn’t danica’s song kind of “slow” for a tango? Playing to her injury perhaps?
Anyway, thanks os much Andrew and Minnie!!!! I have set up even more accts so I can help James & Amy 🙂
Enjoy this site so much mods, thanks!
They better revise the website then, Kelly. It seems kinda strange to do it that way and call it a duel.
I hope Danica and Amy is ok and won’t force themselves too hard.
I think my favorites Charlie and Meryl will be amazing this week. Quickstep suits Charlie perfectly and Maks and Meryl have amazing chemistry so the audience will love this Rumba. But I hope Maks will put in a lot of content because I don’t like it when the rumba is mostly just kissing, caressing etc… And I hope Sharna won’t push the choreography too hard to get a perfect score. They should just keep doing what they’re doing, because it’s already great.
Amy will be fine with A.T. Not sure about James, I don’t think he’ll do great. I don’t think Candace will do well with Foxtrot and Danica will struggle with Tango I guess.
I think Charlie is underscored a couple of times but not too much. And I never thought Meryl is overscored other than a couple of times. I think she has the harder choreography most of the time. I liked Charlie’s paso doble though I don’t think it was perfect. But I was mad that the judges, especially Len, because didn’t give him much constructive criticism. I wonder if Sharna pissed them off lol 😀 . Anyway, I hope the fans are voting harder than ever for Charlie. By the way, I think Meryl and Charlie are the biggest ringers of dwts but I love them and I love to watch great dancing, I think Meryl is one of the best of female dancers of dwts and Charlie is one of the best of male dancers so I’m happy with them and I hope they’ll cast more ringers next season, it makes the show more exciting for me. I think Meryl’s dancing is better than Charlie at the moment.
Princess Heidi, I need to clarify something I didn’t express well – I will never claim, or even imply, that Meryl is a better dancer, skater, or athlete than Charlie. Nor that she is more talented or works harder. None of those things are true. They are equally matched. She may have an edge in the performance aspect, but Charlie brings his own artistry that is in a class by itself.
I also did not mean that Chelsie’s comments reflected on Meryl’s superiority to Charlie. In any way! I was attempting to make the point that her description of that Swing being one of the most difficult dances she had seen performed on dwts, and remarking on the difficulty of the lift, spoke well for Maks’ choreography. It also gave some credence to Bruno’s praise. Which is not always the case. I generally ignore Bruno unless he is having a moment of lucidity.
Cidra, absolutely everything regarding injuries that applies to Meryl applies to Charlie. Maybe more so. He is responsible for her safety in those lifts. His knee injury is way more concerning than her toe!
If I didn’t explain myself well, it was because I was trying not to ramble on too much. My posts get way too long quickly.
I also agree 100% that Charlie is not getting enough praise and acknowledgment from the judges. The 8 from Len was a joke. When the camera cut to Meryl during Carrie Ann’s comments, her expression was almost full on Bitch-face! Couldn’t agree more!
I loved Derek’s freestyle with Kellie more than any other freestyle I have ever seen on this show. I have re-watched it more than any other freestyle I have ever seen on this show. Derek deserves all his wings. If Amy gets to the finals (the only thing that will stop that from happening is her injury) she will win. I am more certain of that than I am that Charlie is going to nail his Quickstep.
Forget all of the fanbases for a moment and just think of the viewers watching this show. The people who don’t vote, who don’t give a thought to the show 5 minutes after it is off the air. Derek is going to do what Derek does. Amy can dance and perform. Just like JR Martinez could dance and perform. She will sell the hell out of whatever Derek gives her. It will be amazing, she will be amazing, and how can you not root for that?! I would love to see her win this show.
The best dancer doesn’t always win. The best dance doesn’t always win. The best pro doesn’t always win. Those are all key deciding factors, but the ultimate influence on voting (imho) is how you feel. People vote for what makes them happy. For what makes them feel good about themselves. If it makes them feel good to support a certain pro or celeb that’s who they vote for. If they want the best dancer throughout the season to win, or the best freestyle performance of the night, then that’s how they decide their vote. They vote for the happy ending. Whatever their version of the happy ending might be.
Now for some people their ‘happy ending’ is not letting certain groups of fans have their version of a ‘happy ending’. And they have every right to feel that way.
I’ve lurked here for years and clearly picked the worst possible time to start posting. But it is what it is. If I make a mistake, tell me. I will try to fix it. Not here to insult, fight or start drama. Your site is amazing!
Sandy & Meggie, I agree we’re getting visits from tons of newbies right now, and most of them are just mindless koolaide drinkers. However, we’ve also had some sensible new voices join the conversation, and I welcome and appreciate them. Hope they’ll stick around.
PH, Court & Vogue I just want to say Thank You! for the fantastic job you do with the overwhelming task of keeping up with all the news & getting it posted so quickly, writing interesting and insightful articles to keep us informed and entertained, & policing the site so that it doesn’t dissolve into a chaotic brawling mess. I have massive respect & appreciation for what you do! I’m not forgetting John and Lori. I appreciate their behind-the-scenes work too, but they’re not on the frontlines under heavy fire like you three.
I forgot to add that I hate that “i laya laya laya papi” song. No offense, just my opinion. I miss old seasons’ music picks. Lil Kim & Derek’s samba, Melissa & Tony’s samba, Gilles & Cheryl’s samba… Those songs were better choices in my opinion.
Love love love love james and petas song!! Really excited for that dance! Lmao about Courtney’s comment on, “I Luh Ya Papi”. This week seems very interesting, just please God let everyone keep their clothes on because it’s starting to make me uncomfortable
The word Duel definately seems misleading. Celebs/pros seem to be on the same page and their interpretation does not sound like a duel at all.
Sorry for the threadjack, but I’m new to watching DWTS this season and I’m wondering where I can find online analysis of the dance/ballroom technique of the performances (with strong emphasis on technique). Thus far, I’ve only found this site and AfterBuzz. Thanks for helping educate this new viewer!
Lex, I honestly don’t know if Maks was right or wrong – just that the website doesn’t seem to support him.
Just read an interview OK did with guest judge Abby Lee Miller. It sounds like she will be out for revenge on Derek & mark. So much for her being a professional judge on the show. I still think this is the worst idea dwts has ever had……she said pay backs are a bitch. This will not be fair.
As far as I know, they’re being scored as a team – one score. No idea why it’s called a duel.
I hope she does try for payback, Carolyn. It will hurt her far more than it does Derek or Mark. But I doubt that the producers will let her get too out of control – and I doubt very much that she will have the balls to seriously underscore either of them.
Thanks buttercup. 🙂
I think for team dances, Charlie and Candace may receive the brunt of Abby’s wrath. Not only is Mark on that team, but they are performing a contemporary routine. Contemporary is Abby’s forte, her girls are known for contemporary, lyrical, and jazz routines. In terms of Abby Lee Miller, Charlie and Candace better be FLAWLESS.
Heidi, I hope the producers control her. I can see her giving some backhanded comments to Mark & Derek.
I cannot wait for James and Amy’s jive! I love the song they got (unlike last week), I think it was also used in Shannon and Derek’s mambo in season 6, which was one of my favorite routines of hers that season. I’m sure they’re gonna knock it out of the park, especially with Derek on board!
I look forward to Amy’s dance. Derek’s Argentine tangos are always great, dramatic, sharp and with some ingenuous lifts. I’m only worried about Amy’s busted rib. I would hate for her to aggravate the injury and not be able to go on this season. She deserves to be in the finale as do Meryl and Charlie IMO. The three I feel are the best dancers this season. I’m undecided on the fourth spot – might be Candace (she’s really improving week to week) or James (he seems to have a massive fanbase). I think that Danica is out of the race unfortunately because of her injury. I feel bad for her, but her salsa really wasn’t good.
I have great expectations for Charlie’s quickstep. He and Meryl danced a superb finnstep (quickstep in ice dancing) at the Olympics so he’s familiar with the rhythm and style of the dance. If he masters the steps this could be the best dance of the night.
I hope for Maks and Meryl’s rumba to be more sensual than raunchy and over-sexualized. I’m worried about some of Maks’s comments about going “all the way” with this one. BTW, my favourite rumbas on the show were Shawn Johnson and Kelly Monaco in all-stars season, both sexy and classy at the same time.
I don’t know what to think of the duo/duel dances. If the pairs are going to work together for one score it could be awesome. The alternative – celebs partnering each other and at the same time trying to outshine each other – could be awkward.
BTW whoever picked that crappy song “I Luh Yah Papi” for Meryl’s and Danica’s samba should be shot. 😉
So what if she does, Carolyn?? What do you think will happen then?? Derek fans vote like crazy? Yes. Mark fans vote like crazy? Yes. Big time backfire on DWTS? Yes. 🙂
I say to her “Bring it, Bitch”. 🙂
I don’t think even Abby Lee Miller will be rude to Amy. I think Abby often crosses the line, but I don’t think she will go that far. She may critique the dance a little, but I think Amy will get some praise from her. I watch Dance Moms often and she does create amazing dancers. Now no telling how big of a bitch she actually is (she’s become a bigger one since gaining fame for it). I hope Charlie/Sharna/Mark/Candace have rainbows coming out the ass with their dance, because ALM will be out for blood. She LOVES expression and acting in her dances, so I’m hoping Candace lets go of the nerves and acts. I feel that is her weakest point.
If she is blatantly rude to Derek and Mark in their show she will end up looking stupid. She may be catty with remarks and deduct some points, but I really don’t think she will make any impact on them. They have proved they are great dancers, choreographers and mentors. And if she gave them, say, a 5, that would only result in making the fanbases really angry and they will vote even more.
Thank you Heidi for reminding me that Abby will be the one to look bad. I see it your way now…Bring it on 🙂
Glad to get confirmation that the celebs will receive one score, as a team, for their duo dance.
Throwing the Duo “Duel” out there without thinking it through is just another example of Lord Conrad’s minions behaving like a bunch of teenage boys. They get over-excited and have no self control. I pity their significant others if they display similar tendencies in the boudoir. 😉
I am loving that Sam Smith song but am not really a fan of J Lo, especially that papi song. I think just based on the music selected, Charlie and Candace will have an advantage over Meryl and Danika on the team dances. I hope I’m wrong but that’s my first impression.
Carloyn (#253) I think a few weeks back Julianne caught a ton of heat for some of her comments coming off as snide, so if Abby’s been watching she probably wants no part of that. It seems to me that the guest judges always come off looking bad when they go too negative. It’s one thing to offer constructive criticism but anything more than that isn’t really their place.
Will be interesting to see which Ms. Miller shows up. The toadying one, who gives all of the couples high scores with just a few snarky comments, or the “I’m just calling it the way I see it” witchy judge? Can’t you just see TPTB rubbing their tiny little hands together in glee, thinking that the headline for the show would be “Best.Fireworks. Ever!!!” while envisioning the following scenarios if the witchy one shows up?
With Derek, I can see her make some passive/aggressive remarks about his choreography. His narrowed eyes and grim mouth will be his only sign of displeasure.
I hope for Candace’s sake that she and Mark are first. Otherwise, if Ms. Miller is too cutting in her remarks to a couple before them, Candace could freeze up and all of her hard work psychologically might go down the drain. No need to get back at Mark, her work is done here.
She might disparage Danica and her injury, calling it trifling. Val will later be overheard telling someone that he has Russian friends that he would like Ms. Miller to meet.
She could say something negative about Meryl’s dancing. Meryl will have to grip both of Maks’ hands really hard so that he won’t charge the judges’ table.
She would end it with saying something controversial about Charlie’s footwork, with Sharna looking like she has to be held back from charging the judges’ table.
I imagine that all of the reporters that interview the couples after the Monday telecast are hoping for some nice, juicy, inflammatory stuff.
I am thinking this may be the week Meryl and Maks are in “jeopardy”. They may not actually be in jeopardy of going home, but I think it’s about Meryl’s turn to feel the burn (as the producers like to make couples and their fan bases nervous). It’s the perfect week seeing as the end is so soon. Charlie experienced it last week (although are we entirely sure he was actually in “jeopardy” with low votes?). I’m waiting for the day where they put Meryl and Charlie in jeopardy together, with one going home. I think we can all agree that’s exactly what the producers are waiting to do. Whether it’s this week or next, it’s definitely coming.
Courtney #61: Way up thread, thank you Courtney, for sharing your personal insight with ballroom partner relationships. It was really interesting! And the way you explained it, sounds almost exactly like Charlie and Meryl’s partnership, except their’s may be even more closer than most partnerships because they were together for practically their whole lives. Non romantic but may be an even closer relationship than with their romantic real life partner.
#195 No, I said I was pleasantly surprised by what Charlie brought to the Paso. That doesn’t mean I think his scoring is being low balled for the sake of propping Meryl. My main point was that Len’s comment about it not being special was way out of line. I also said that Meryl has been cleaner in her performances, which is something that Charlie needs a chance at, thus Sharna should take it down one notch. I have no doubt that Charlie can do the difficult choreography with all the content, but with his schedule, I don’t think it’s enough time to perfect it and make it clean.
Unfortunately I did see this whole thing coming for Charlie when he got major praise in week 1… 🙁 I knew it might hurt him.
And I am definitely not looking forward to that Miller judge. I don’t like her show. I don’t like that she apparently already has it out for two of the pros, and I also read somewhere that she hates figure skaters, so that will be interesting at least.
I definitely don’t want to come on here to get mad that everyone doesn’t worship Meryl. My main issue is that I feel like people are turning this into a nasty Meryl vs. Charlie thing, and making Meryl out to be that bad guy. It’s always the woman who is the scapegoat. Do I think Charlie has been underscored? Yes, but at the end of the day he was knocked off points in the dances he was underscored for some obvious reasons. I thought his jazz deserved all 10’s but the cane dropping incident makes it hard for me to flat out say the judges are full of it. And then his Paso, I definitely thought he would get some 10’s, but then there’s the whole losing balance issue. The last time Meryl had a very obvious mistake in her dance was with her swing dance and she obviously did get knocked off points for it.
Maybe it’s different for the judges watching everything in person, in fact I’m sure it is. And maybe it’s also different when you watch people perform after having watched them perform for 5 years. I have been watching Meryl and Charlie for years, and I usually find myself starring mostly at Charlie because he is unusually powerful/graceful in comparison to most other male ice dancers, he is more of a rarity in the figure skating world. But as someone who adores both of them, I can honestly say I have enjoyed Meryl’s dances a little more often than Charlie’s. I think it might be because Meryl’s dances have surprised me on the performance and emotional levels. I feel like I’ve gotten to see a new part of Meryl’s personality in her dances which is why I have enjoyed them a little more. My guess is that this must translate the judges as well. While I think Charlie’s performances have been fantastic, he still hasn’t really surprised me with the performance/emotion element, and I guess that’s the difference. He was ALMOST there with his paso, but not quite. I still caught a slight sense of discomfort from him.
As far as the claim that Meryl and Maks are putting on a showmance…I never even thought of romance between the two while watching the show. It’s the creepy comments from interviewers that are stirring that up, and my guess is it has everything to do with Maks’ past and nothing to do with Meryl Davis. The show is playing up Peta and James as a showmance more than anything, especially with that comment about having a difficult time keeping their relationship platonic.
Charlie and Sharna have been toning it down on social media a bit, which i find strange. At the beginning they were way more involved than Meryl and Maks were. I rememember waiting around to hear stuff from Meryl and Charlie and I almost always saw Charlie Sharna stuff and wondered why I only saw maybe one pic of Meryl Maks that week. So I don’t know I do find it odd right now.
#259 I, for one, am fascinated by their relationship. It’s so cool to see how close they are without ever being romantic. They have stated, along with some that know them, that they are similar to twins. Meryl stated in an interview that not only do they finish each other’s sentences, but they also have the same exact thoughts. She said it even creeps them out sometimes. It was a super cute interview. The last line of the interview Meryl finished Charlie’s sentence before he could.
If you think people are making MERYL the scapegoat, Sarah, you’re not being a very discerning reader. Very little of this actually has to do with Meryl herself.
Let me ask you this, Sarah – do you think that dropping a cane is worth losing THREE points over? Because that was the only mistake. Do you think that a wobbly knee was worth losing three points over? I sure don’t. Dock the man a point or two….but when you go beyond that it’s ridiculous.
sarah (260) i completely agree with everything you said. it breaks my heart still tho, what is happening with charlie on the show. He’s just such a sweetheart and i think he just wants a little bit of validation from the judges that he’s doing well. on the media end, i wonder if there is some storyboarding going on… i know that’s been touched upon, but i think the producers are consistently putting meryl and maks out there to show maks’ transformation. which, lets be real. he hasn’t changed that much.
As for meryl and charlie’s relationship, its amazing that they spend so much time together and have been together for sooo long. that takes some skill to keep it going for 17 years.
Question about the scoring. do the judges get to communicate with each other about their scoring before they give it out? i ask because, well if charlie’s wobbly knee is only worth losing 1 point and each judge thinks so… then he gets all 9’s. so i don’t know how you would even be able to dock the guy a point or two. each judge is giving their individual score right? not collaborating on an overall score.
The mods here have never made it a Meryl vs. Charlie issue. In fact it is quite clear to those of use who have been around awhile that it is about Meryl being pimped to help get Maks the win. You know today, okay call me stupid, I finally think I figured out why they are working so hard at the pimping. It’s because, IMO, that Derek was signed on at the last minute and although they couldn’t resist having Derek come back…they also want to make Maks happy.
And I am with you PH…let that *itch Abby Lee Miller score then down. She might think she wins the battle, but honey she will lose the war. I have already set up so many new accounts just for that purpose. And for those of you who are “sure” Meryl is the choice of the average viewer…don’t be too surprised if you are wrong.
TPTB and the judges have been slapped down before. There is NOTHING that Americans like less than being told what to do in my opinion.
Sarah (#260) We get it. You’ve been watching D/W for years on the ice, and you love both Meryl and Charlie, but you love Charie more on the ice and Meryl more on the dance floor. What *you* don’t get is that *we* have been watching DWTS for years, and just as you know ice dance, *we* know DWTS. Just as there’s all kinds of behind the scenes stuff going on in the ice skating world, with judging shennanigans, rivalries between skaters and coaches from different camps, fanbases, etc., the same holds true in DWTS.
As much as the show likes to pretend the season is about the celebs, it’s just as much about the pros (and unfortunately about the judges) now because they provide the continuity from season to season. If Meryl had been partnered with anyone except Maks, Val or Derek, it would have been a very different season and we’d be having a very different discussion here. Unfortunately, Meryl has one of the most polarizing, obnoxious, arrogant, pros in the show’s history. He’s had multiple chances to win and hasn’t been able to pull it off. It’s made him and his fans bitter and jealous. Just as we don’t know all the history behind D/W’s career in ice dance, *you* don’t know DWTS history.
What I think YOU need to understand is that you’re in *our* house now and you have to deal with our reality and our history, and believe me, it ain’t pretty. What *you* see as a Meryl vs. Charlie thing is really a Chmerkovskiy thing. Also, you don’t seem to get (even though we’ve said it over and over) that Charlie and Sharna are being held to a higher standard than Meryl and Maks. He’s getting points deducted when he makes a minor mistake or the judge doesn’t like the choreography, but Meryl and Maks aren’t getting docked points when they do a dance style that has very little dance content or doesn’t accurately represent the dance style they’ve been given (e.g., the foxtrot).
You’re certainly entitled to have a preference on whose dances (Meryl’s or Charlie’s) you have enjoyed more. However, we have a whole lot more experience with this show than you do. So it’s a bit of an insult that you’re trying to argue with us on what does or doesn’t constitute a showmance, and who is and isn’t being propped, pimped, or lowballed.
I think having the dancing duel couples being given the same score stinks!
We already had a team dance and at this stage of the competition I don’t like one couple riding the coattails of the better choreographer and/or dancer of the other couple. You should get what you alone as a couple earn.
So, Ashley L, you’d rather see an ugly, competitive, in-your-face 20-second dance-off between the two celebs as they try to prove they’re better than the other? Yeah, that’s entertainment! (not)
Yes! I would.
It is a competition after all and if tptb wanted a duel then follow through or don’t do it at all. Not much difference than when they would have all couples on the floor and tap them out as one is left standing.
#266 Cidra,
but isn’t that the point of DWTS? A fight to win the title of best dancer. Ideally, the best dancer should win at the end. I don’t care for the whole 2 couple team anyway. Either way you look at it, it stinks. Competing for separate scores could cause some ugliness and arguments, but on the other hand getting the same scores could hurt the stronger celeb. I know many people here love Charlie (I do as well), but think about it: this season Candace has been up and down, she doesn’t have nearly the level of finesse or talent as Charlie. If she were to mess up, not show emotion, or forget choreo, Charlie could be negatively impacted (like getting a 34/40). And i think Charlie needs all the points he can get. Same with Meryl and James, they are both dancing with injured celebs. So, if the injured celeb can’t keep up or starts having pain in the midst of the routine, should Meryl and James be penalized?
I see Mr . Maksim has got another J. Lo song, 2nd week in a row no less. How much side eye do I have to give this show this season. I am so hoping for a major upset.
I wasn’t even picturing any ugliness or face-offs for the duel. I wasn’t going for the shoot out at the OK Corral.
Just a normal, more civilized, Burr-Hamilton duel. 😉 I’d really prefer no duel at all but that wasn’t up to me.
For at least the past 2 seasons I’ve heard so much on this site the following arguments:
1. DWTS is about the celebrity not the pro. It doesn’t matter what the pro has or hasn’t done in the past (e.g., Derek winning 5 MTB), it’s the celebrity first and only time on the show
2. DWTS is not a dance competition, it is an entertainment show
So then, I’ve got to ask folks the following questions (with the risk of being deleted or bullied for not getting it):
1. Why talk so much about Maks and his past history and behavior? Why not focus on Meryl only? It’s ok not to like her and her dancing, but why downgrade her effort and journey because of her pro?
2. If DWTS is entertainment, why focus so much on the complexity of the dance in the debate Charlie vs. Meryl? Harder dances executed imperfectly has never been a virtue on DWTS, though it could be worth a strategy in competitive dancing.
Thanks.
I posted it in the wrong discussion. So posting again…
Did anyone notice that the front ABC DWTS page leads to the article about Monday’s show. Right below the article are not one, but three clips of the judges berating Charlie for his tango, rumba and team dance. Is this a premonition of more abuse to come?
They certainly could, Minnie. Nice try though.
“Let me ask you this, Sarah – do you think that dropping a cane is worth losing THREE points over? Because that was the only mistake. Do you think that a wobbly knee was worth losing three points over? I sure don’t. Dock the man a point or two….but when you go beyond that it’s ridiculous.”
Wait, do the judges confer before giving out the scores? I thought each judge scores individually? If they score individually, how could they ensure that say only 1 or 2 points are taken off?
Heh, Lynne – some of the Maks fans are already salivating over ALM getting revenge on Derek. What they don’t realize that their beloved is no more happy about her being on the show than WE are. All the pros are outraged about it, in fact. I say bring it on. Derek has FIVE MBTs and an Emmy. He’s got nothing left to prove on this show. The Maks fans haven’t figured out that if Amy gets eliminated, most of the Derek fans will likely go to CHARLIE. But then, many of them don’t show a lot of smarts when it comes to Maks.
Ah Cidra, I’ve just about given up on the likes of Minnie and Sarah – they don’t want to get what the real argument is, because then it would appear that Meryl isn’t the end all be all of the universe. Perish the thought! That she’s not actually a thousand times better than Charlie (that rat bastard who had the nerve to get a girlfriend NOT named Meryl :::rolls eyes:::). Every freakin’ season we get some irrational fan girls coming here telling us how it is, when it would be much better if they would read and listen and realize that WE know how it is when it comes to DWTS.
@Anna
This is probably more of a general answer but I think it’s both. An entertainment show whose medium is ballroom dancing. I think it all matters because everything is subjective and the average viewer can look at the show anyway they choose. They can vote or focus on whatever is in from of them, personality, dance skill, hair color, cute bottom, whatever.
Every element of the show is subjective so I guess it goes back to the beginning of every one has their own opinion, neither right or wrong because it’s just an opinion.
Ashley L, we agree that neither of us wanted a “dance duel”.
Brook, this isn’t a dance competition anymore, it’s a friggin’ (and heavily manipulated) popularity contest. The couples aren’t competing for the title of best dancer, they’re going for the title of “most popular couple”. It’s high school all over again.
I’m not a simpleton. I completely understand that the weaker dancer (e.g., Candace) is quite likely to drag down the stronger dancer’s score (e.g., Charlie). However, while I would be over the moon to see Charlie and Sharna win this season, there’s more to life than winning a cheap-ass $15 mirror ball trophy. I don’t want to see Charlie trying to take down Candace in a 20-second dance-off. It’s obviously no contest.
TPTB started off wanting a “dance duel” because they thought that would create drama. Once they saw how the pairings worked out, they realized it would be more advantageous to give the duos a combined score. They’re going to shower Meryl/Danica with praise for their girl-power sexy side-by-side sambas, and low-ball Charlie/Candace and James/Amy to widen the gap between Meryl and her competition (Charlie and Amy). This is all about making Meryl and Maks King and Queen of the Prom.
Oh, so sorry Heidi. I think I asked/was drafting my question before you responded so I didn’t see your response until I refreshed the page. Thanks for answering!
Anna, you confuse what should be with what IS. Meryl and Maks are a package deal and it is most certainly supposed to be about her and her dancing. But it’s also supposed to be about Charlie, Amy, Candace, Danica and so on. So why is the show pimping the hell out of Meryl? And why are all their packages about Maks? Hmm?
Where have we downgraded Meryl’s efforts. Point it out. Where have we said her dancing is shit, she’s not working hard, that we don’t like her. Point it out. Point out a specific post. You do realize that saying her choreo isn’t as hard and that the judges are kissing her and Maks asses aren’t the same thing right? You do realize that complaining about Charlie’s scoring relative to Meryl has nothing at all to do with Meryl herself, right? Or are you just another hypersensitive fangirl who can’t bear anything other than sunshine and rainbows around the beloved Meryl?
As for harder dances imperfectly executed not having been a virtue on DWTS, you are confused. It may not be a virtue – but neither is a ringer doing simpler choreo. THAT is the point we have been discussing. Derek would have gotten called out for a lot of Meryl’s dances (but then Derek wouldn’t have taken the easy way). How long have you watched this show?
Sorry for a bunch of comments in a row, I’m just catching up on comments.
Andrew #135, IMO, I don’t care if the show is rigged, because it’s good to watch. And because of some sort of crazy scandal thing in the 50’s or 60’s, there are people who monitor to make sure that game shows aren’t rigged. So TPTB can influence us to vote for whoever they want, but they can’t actually change the people for whom we vote.
Cidra,
I do agree that the MBT isn’t worth tearing each other apart. Luckily, I think this group of celebs are pretty nice and moral. I don’t believe for a second that Charlie would do anything to harm or degrade Candace, vice versa and same with the other couples. And I REALLY respect that. If not because of their own moral compasses, I think the celebs are smart enough to know that completely cremating the other contestant would make them lose votes.
In regards to Charlie getting 3 points off for the dropped cane–isn’t that pretty accurate? Each judge scores their own way, so they each are able to take off a point for it. I do think that was justified. However, he slayed that paso. He admitted he stumbled when his knee popped, but still that performance was with 38 or 29 points.
Okay, I am ready to get completely torn down, but I just can’t shake this feeling. DWTS producers aren’t COMPLETELY idiotic and stupid. (I mean granted, they aren’t the brightest). I think they have learned their pimping has not ever worked out in their favor. I honestly think they are shining Meryl in our faces because she will end up 2nd or 3rd. I think they are grooming Charlie, in my opinion, to win. He started off strong, hit a plateau (in the way of judge scores), and I think the storyline will be him coming in and swooping the win. He may not get 40 this week, but he will damn well get at least a 38 or 39. I think the producers want the dramatics, and right now, how dramatic would it be if Charlie won over Meryl? Because currently, everyone thinks Meryl is a shoe-in. I think Charlie and Meryl have both earned their spots and deserve a win, which one will get it…we shall see.
One more step in the “Meryl/Maks must win” journey, Kate? I dunno. Could be. Or it could be that they’re getting ready to turn it around. We’ll have to wait and see.
EXACTLY, Cidra.
I’m getting pretty sick and tired of the newbies coming in here and arguing with people who have watched this show for years, acting like they actually know what is going on and getting defensive over Meryl. Just shut up already – you’re making it worse. I LOVED Meryl and Charlie before this season started and now I can hardly bear to read her damn name on my website – and that’s not HER fault, but the fault of her over the top, defensive, shrill fans. Is that not fair? Tough Shit. Life ain’t fair. I can tell you one thing, continuing down this path won’t help any of you at all when it comes to the regular readers of this site, myself included.
That song from J-Lo annoys me beyond belief but I can see why they chose it. I’m wondering if they are going to keep the French Montana part in it or just going to not use that all together though? That’s the only interesting part of the song lol
PH (#280), thanks for answering.
First, I think the show/producers/judges have been impartial and inconsistent since I can remember. I think this has been a premise on this site. It’s a given. But in spite of that, there are couples that have charmed and captured the viewers in spite of the setting of the show. Sharna/Andy, Emma/Bill, Corbin/Karina are just some of the examples were in spite of the adversities from the show, these couples have been able to reach the audience. In my opinion, this is what Sharna and Charlie or Candace and Mark should focus on. And I think they would be better off.
Second, I don’t what to go back to various posts and point out where Meryl’s journey has been diminished. This site is not about that, and I respect this policy. But not to let people think that by avoiding to be specific I have no argument to sustain my previous claim, let’s just say that I’ve read quite a few posts says something along the lines of Meryl has not become part of the Fam, has been contaminated by the C bros, and therefore I don’t like her.
Anyways, I do not want to stir the waters any further regarding Charlie vs. Meryl, and Maks vs. other pros. We’ve had a lot of debate on these topics already. I do enjoy reading this site, but I guess I like to see more discussions about the stars and the performances rather than the pros and the judges/show.
Post Update!!
Brook,
If TPTB had learned from previous seasons that their pimping doesn’t work, why are they still doing it? With the really solid cast they have this season, they don’t need to play games to keep the viewers interested. Yet they insist on trying to be super clever and manipulate their way to a dramatic season-ending climax.
If, as you suggest, they’re trying to set up Charlie as the come-from-behind winner over Meryl, the season-long frontrunner, they’re playing a dangerous game. The more you try to manipulate people, the more likely things are to go wrong. The judges have been praising Meryl to the skies and showering her with 10s. They’ve been nit-picking Charlie, telling him they want to see “more” and that his peformance isn’t “special” and giving him lower scores. What if the viewers swallow the story and decide that maybe the judges (who are experts) know more than they do about dancing and maybe Charlie isn’t as good as they thought he was and shouldn’t be in the finals? They stop voting for him, and he’s eliminated. Now there’s no underdog left to give TPTB their dramatic season-ending finale.
I agree Charlie and Meryl have both earned their spots in the finals. It remains to be seen if they both get there.
Anna – this site and what is discussed is driven by the readers and the content. If you want the conversation to be different, MAKE IT DIFFERENT instead of driving it down the same road. It’s not that hard. I’d be happy as hell to never have these discussions again, but until the newbies have a positive impact instead of a negative one, I don’t see it changing.
Re: post update
So bummed Amy is having a hard time with the AT. I still think/hope she would get the votes to stay in considering how she’s done so far.
Clutching my pearls……Peta’s leg is going up in the air, again! Can’t wait to see what that will look like, the suspense is killing me. 😉
Same, I hope it will be like when she had salsa. That she struggled but did well. Between Abby judging and her injuries, I nervous and worried for her this week. But hopefully she will do all right. I was already worried about how she could handle AT and the injuries sure do not help.
Wow. That Avicii song sounds grear. Very suited for an Arg. Tango. Sad to hear Amy is having difficulties but hoping for the best of her on Monday night :/
Glad to hear James is doing well with tthe V. waltz, hopefully he makes a comeback this week. And I still think that Lorde version is a but too slow and.. weird for a Tango.
PH, Thanks for the heads up on the post update.
It breaks my heart to read Amy is struggling with the AT. My guess is it’s lack of rehearsal time due to her injury. I just feel she and Derek would have been able to make it come together if they’d been able to do what they’ve done in previous weeks and take it step by step – together – to figure out what moves work and don’t work with Amy’s prostheses.
I’m also angry to read that the pros are upset they’re going to be judged by ALM. Gods above, I’m *not* looking forward to Monday night with that disgusting woman sitting at the judges table. I really don’t think I can watch it live. Even with the mute button on, I’ll be able to see their reactions. Looks like for my own sanity, I’ll be recording and just watching the rehearsal packages and dances.
Gee, Peta’s leg above her head? That’s novel — we’ve never seen that before! 😛 Trying to end on a light note here. Sarcasm aside, I’m happy to hear James is coping well with the VWaltz. At least there’s some good news.
CC, I just listened to the Avicii song too and agree it’s fabulous for an AT — especially a Derek-choreographed AT! Makes me even sadder to know Amy is injured and struggling. Hope they have a miracle breakthrough and it all comes together. If not, then I hope this is one piece of music they reuse in a future season.
I think that “I Luh Ya Papi” is a horrible song. I think DWTS is starting to run out of ideas for music so they are reverting to having at least one terrible song choice per week.
To all of the (sensible) newbies, welcome! Cidra #236, agreed on that count! And another huge thanks to the mods!
PH re ETA#3, how exactly does one get away with HOLDING YOUR PARTNERS LEG OVER HER HEAD in a Viennese Waltz? I cannot even imagine being physically able to do that. And agreed that ALM is going to be annoying – I record the show every week, and generally the judges’ comments get skipped to try to fit a 2-hour show into one hour before bedtime.
Thanks for the response, Cidra, always appreciated.
I do wish that the stars would be left alone to fight/dance their hearts out. Whatever the motives are of the producers, it’s very stupid and unneeded. I think the finale would have been dramatic without producer input, because simply put, I don’t see a clear cut winner. IMO Danica, James, and Candace aren’t MBT worthy, yet. However, the other 3 are in it to win it.
I’m sad for Amy as well. I have noticed many celebs have trouble getting the AT down, and this is compounded by her injury. I believe it was Melissa Rycroft that danced the AT with a broken rib? It’s not a good dance for an injured person for sure.
Happy for James and curious to see Peta’s costume, or lack there of. But hey, I’m sure the costume department is happy, her costumes save them $$$
*keeps fingers crossed and parying for Amy! She’s just got to be ok!!
Based on the song list so far, Monday night promises to be a great night of dancing. Except for the J.Lo song, all tracks sound very good. Also, many of the dance styles seem to suit the partnerships. I’m excited already.
Brook #258, I hope that doesn’t happen until AT LEAST the finale. And #283, I hope you’re right.
And I am still very nervous for Amy. I just don’t want to see her get hurt more than she already is!
I just wanted to make a general comment on scores – I think the biggest problem of the scoring on the show is that the judges pick numbers individually and then the differential gets exaggerated when they are combined. For sake of an example, let’s take Charlie’s Disney dance. I don’t think the cane drop was worth the loss of three points, but I would agree that it would merit the loss of one point. If the judges had discussed collectively and chosen to score a 39, and then divvied up the points as they wish, I can understand that. The problem, for me, is that each judge scores individually. 3 judges felt that a one point loss was justified, so he lost three points. That is a huge problem for me.
And a comment about the whole season in general: I think that this has been the season of ideas that could have worked had they been thought through, but that basically ended up being executed poorly. See: switch-up, duel dances, ALM as a judge, guest judges in general, Party Anthem night…
Two points – I don’t think the “dance duel” was EVER supposed to be dancing against each other, it’s always been dancing together for one score. Which is why I don’t understand the name.
Also, Charlie was not expecting 10s for his Paso, only because he missed a jump. It was really just the 8 that surprised and upset him, as it did us all.
I agree Cidra. However, it isn’t that often when they give a pro a song that they have already danced to. So if by any chance (and I hope this does not happen) Amy doesn’t execute her AT well enough I guess we won’t see Derek create a second great AT to that song. This that make sense? Lol. I do would love to see a set if pros do an AT to that song. I just love the Argentine Tango so much.
Also, Aviva, I could not agree with you more. That “I Luh Ya Papi” song is so awful (and this coming from a JLo fan). I find it hard to picture a Samba to it but oh well. Seems like they are just picking any song that is “in” right now and making the pros create a dance to it. I bet they too wish they could get some ACTUAL music that fits the dances. Sighh
I’ve heard it’s a cool move and it’s more complicated than I described – it’s saturday night, I’m lazy and I’ve other things to do. 😉
Aviva, why are you saying the duel dance was executed poorly when it hasn’t been executed yet? Just because the name is stupid?
For the record, Derek loves the duel dance, the team dance, the switch-up and all other things they throw at them.
That’s cuz Derek is a nutbar (said with much affection). 😀
I like the idea of themed nights, but IMO they are altered the concept of DWTS. I have seen many complain (and to some extent I agree) about troupe dancers being in the couples’ routines. I think it often takes away from the celeb. However, when themes like “Party Anthem” or “Latin Night” sometimes its hard to choose between impressing the audience and impressing the judges. I will just use the obvious example (for me): Meryl’s salsa. I personally liked the troupe in this dance, but could I have done without them the whole time? Yes. But from what I have seen and read, many of the viewers and audience did enjoy it. So did the guest judge. Len didn’t like that, I think M&M knew that going into it probably, but with a theme of “Latin Night” how can you not go all out? This is not in defense of any couple, but more of a generic example. I feel that this season especially that the entertainment factor (lots of flips, troupe, etc) are being pushed–understandable to get more viewers and I do enjoy it, but I feel that the other aspects are being denied. They should allow each couple to use the troupe for ONE themed night and then be done with it.
CC, Guess I did another poor job with my sentence structure. I agree that they’d never give the same song to the same pro for the same dance style in a future season. So I wasn’t expecting Derek to ever get it again (even if he were to return for future seasons which I think is unlikely). I just hoped they do reuse this one because it’s so good.
I’m with both you, Aviva and countless others who’ve said that “I Luh Ya Papi” is flat-out awful. My guess is we’ll see a lot of booty shaking and chest pops (or whatever they’re called) and not a lot of real Samba. Then we’ll see how the judges feel about that.
Aviva, you make an excellent point about the judges’ individual scores creating exaggerated deductions when aggregated. I believe that’s one reason CAI became the designated Lift Nazi so that each judge didn’t take off a point for an illegal lift, thus resulting in a 3-point deduction for what should be a 1-point penalty. Too bad they can’t work out something similar for situations like Charlie’s now infamous cane-drop. I vote we make Bruno the designated Prop-drop Nazi.
The “duel” dances could turn out quite a nice surprise, like the side-by-side challenge. The stars may be very motivated and engaged in the dance, simply because they want to show how much they’ve grown dance-wise, to the degree that they can perform on their own without the guidance of the pros.
This “duel” thing made me think about the cha-cha challenge from last season, when after Corbin/Karina and Val/Liz finished their dances, Corbin and Liz did a little cha-cha on their own. There was not time for it because of the live show, so Tom quickly interrupted them. But I remember Karina and Val having a very proud look as their celebrities managed to dance cha-cha on their own. I think it should be fun.
Hoping Amy will be in great shape by Monday, so that she can enjoy the whole evening.
Derek does love challenges and keeping things different so I can see him liking it, lol.
@buttercup, any word on Amy? Just hope it comes together for Monday. She is keeping it kinda competitive and not a complete Meryl runaway. Otherwise feel we will be stuck with a long coronation for Meryl and Maks.
Brook, I agree using extra dancers and theme nights has significantly altered the concept of the show from seeing how well the celebs have learned a specific dance style. It’s become more performance based than technique based, and I get they’re doing it to make the show more entertaining and appealing, especially to a younger audience. However, it’s getting a bit out of hand. So I think you’re right, they ought to limit each couple to using the troupe once during the season. Then if they make it to the finale and want to supersive their freestyle, they can do whatever they want including using the troupe again. I also don’t mind a few theme nights because it adds a bit of flavor; but I’d rather they limited those to no more than 3. They could start with the now-mandatory Personal Story Week in Week 3, then do 2 more and be done by week 7.
The guest judge should be the only one judging purely on entertainment values. The other judges can have that in mind and it can certainly be a factor in scoring, but they should focus on character, technique, and execution.
From what I’ve seen on Dance Moms, ALM will probably not take into account the injuries of Danica and Amy. She believes in sucking it up and “saving the tears for your pillow”. That’s her exact quote. I don’t believe she has any room to talk about Amy and Danica’s injured ribs when the only ribs she knows about have the word “baby-back” attached to the front of them
Since DWTS is having that horrible Abby Lee Miller as a judge, I’ve decided to not watch this Monday night. I’ll still vote, but I refuse to help the show’s ratings by watching… God, I feel so bad for Derek and Mark, having to stand before her.
I’m not a dancer, but I do have a sense of rhythm and I think I would have a difficult time with Amy’s song. I wonder if the song might be compounding all the other challenges this week. I would hate to see her beautiful spirit broken.
Since the last ETA has something on Abby Lee Miller as guest judge, I just have to vent my thoughts on that b*tch judging on Monday. It’s clear she is milking the little drama of Derek/Mark vs Abby on twitter by RTing stuff and other stuff. I absolutely hate that she is judging Derek and Mark (& Amy/Candace) with what seems like a vengeful attitude, if you read her OK magazine comments. As a DH fan, one of my biggest pet peeves is people attacking him out of jealousy. IMO, Derek and Mark’s comments abt Abby weren’t attacking her… but she makes it seem like it was such a big deal.
Derek certainly attracts a large audience to the show, so I am very unhappy that they put him in this position (and to a certain extent Mark). I just have this scenario in my head that Abby will have a saturation of love for Maks/Meryl and Val/Danica and be a witch towards Derek/Amy and Mark/Candace. If she does, I know Derek/Mark will always be respectful.
I will not be watching the show on Monday. I will watch the performances on youtube and vote for Amy. Since I am on the west coast, I hope that when I read the comments from the ppl watching the east coast, I will be proven wrong about what I think is going to happen. But I am not holding my breath on that … =P
WOW! I just read the Abby Lee Miller interview from OK. She’s outright bragging about her bias. Her comments towards Derek and Mark are pathetic. How does this woman qualify to be a fair judge with all the grudges she is holding against people??? They couldn’t find anyone else in the world to be guest judge? This show is desperate!
Thanks for all the updates! Do we have any word on songs & how Charlie’s quickstep, Meryl’s rumba, or Candace’s foxtrot is going too (maybe tomorrow since it’s blocking day)? hehe seriously you guys rock 🙂
Also, I had a feeling that AT would be difficult on Amy especially since she’s injured. I hope she can pull through, but I don’t want her to hurt herself either.
Personally I think ALM is all talk and no (substantial) bite. I doubt she’ll be dishing out 5s or 6s or anything, although she might have some choice comments. I’m not too worried. I’m actually pretty excited for this episode!
Hi Couple of things of non importance – “Singing in the Rain” was Donald O’Connor, Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds (her first movie). No Fred Astaire or Cyd Cherisse. I don’t know why I can’t warm up to Meryl but I can’t. I do like the Cbrothers but I like most of the pros. I try to look at the celebs to make my choices not the pros and this season I’m rooting for Candace (Mark). She seems to be what I always liked about the show – the journey.
Oh God, poor Amy, exactly what I was worried about 🙁 When Derek posted his blog on Friday, he said that they still weren’t dancing. I guess 2 days of rehearsals just weren’t enough for her. I hope that voters will vote extra hard for her this week (I know I will) so she will go to the finals.
Oh Brook…the only ribs she knows have “baby-back” attached to the front of them.
U just made my morning, I needed a good laugh Although I did snort oj up my nose. Now I must go to church, ask for forgiveness for all the mean things I will say about ALM Monday, and pray that Amy will be able to perform.
@lea – I know my Cyd Charisse – she was in Singin’ in the Rain. IMDB confirms. Now I may have mixed up Donald O’Connor & Fres Astaire, but I am POSITIVE about Cyd.
ALM already proved herself less credible, as if she hasn’t already, with her comments about Meryl. How she is like a professional. Anna and ?Chelsie would be rolling their eyes at that one. It is insulting to pros who spend years on their craft. Not to mention Meryl already is the type of dancer given her training that would appeal to ALM. It is amusing how this woman thinks Mark and Derek were somehow rude. They expressed an opinion many share. It should have made her more reflective but instead she seems to think she is in the wrong. Horrible. I just hope Amy and Charlie do great tomorrow. That ALM remembers she has former students who may want a job and Derek has projects coming up that employs dancers. Maybe she should take her own evidence. But if she is gushing over Maks while is tough on Derek who has done amazing work with Amy and his resume speaks for itself, I figure she is got the Maks must be praised and his little ego taken care of memo.
Yes, Cyd Charisse and the green dress. Wonderful movie.
Eh, Derek will either kill her with kindness or outright laugh at anything she says – either way, it will probably end up being harder on her than it will be on him. Mark is a different story. He doesn’t quite have Derek’s level of zen. I do wish Derek would be a bit more like Mark from time to time. 🙂 Either way, both of them know that all the pros have their back – at least in this instance.
As for Amy – do you seriously see her “spirit broken” by a dance?? She might get frustrated and upset and she might be in pain – but this is one tough cookie. She has to be to have made it to the Olympics as a double amputee along with all the other challenges of Bacterial meningitis.
I hope Maks lets Abbie have it. I usually despise when he gets snippy BUT if there is any pro there that can use words like daggers to make her feel like dog poop, its Maks.
Maybe Mark too but I feel like Candace will stop him from saying anything (She is just so nice….at first I thought it was an act but she really is probably the nicest person in Hollywood.)
Ah, she’ll (Abby) kiss Maks’ ass because that’s the theme of the season. I don’t think we can expect any back talk from him.
I was thinking about this a bit more and I feel so bad for the pros…but not because she’ll be critiquing them as I know they can all handle that. I feel like they have all worked so hard for DWTS to become such a reputable dance show over the seasons. It’s widely known that she is a poor representation of the competitive dance world and even people other than Derek and Mark (Travis Wall, Tyce Diorio, Mia Michaels) have said horrible things about her in public. I just think that by having her on the show, they are bringing DWTS down from what they’ve worked so hard at. I get that they want to bring in the ratings and the younger demo, but this is certainly not the way to do it.
Okay what is the purpose of this woman being in the show? Are they trying to finally bring down the show?
First they get judges who do not know anything about dancing. I’d rather they get singers who can actually sing to entertain.
Then they bring more drama every week that I sometimes wonder is this a dancing show or a soap opera show? Peta dancing in her underwear is much too much for me on a supposedly “family show” and judges getting more and more mean. I never watch shows where judges humiliate contestants for the sake of ratings(AI)and I never liked comedians who go to extremes making fun of disabled people, rape etc etc. I want to watch something which entertains!
I barely watch anything on TV nowadays except for the news and and now it looks like I will be back to watching the news and nothing else.
Post Update!!
If they want a tough judge that knows ballroom, bring on Craig from SCD.
I am not watching live but still voting. I don’t want ABC to see a bump. 24 is back on fox. I can see that and not give this woman any attention
Melissa, I doubt Abby gives a crap about Derek potentially having employment opportunities for dancers. Not only does she probably not think so strategically, but she’d probably rather stir up the drama and prove her reputation as a mean strict judge/teacher/whatever. To her, most of her students go into more broadway type jobs anyway.
Luckily for Abby’s dancers though, Derek is the type to cast based on talent, not personal grudges against their dance teacher. And Abby may be a bad teacher, but her dancers are pretty darn talented. I’d say it’s Abby’s dancers who are the true victims though, having her as a teacher. However, I will add that having dance teachers (especially Russian ballet teachers!) like Abby (probably less drama though, but more in terms of very, very demanding, strict, and painfully blunt) is not too uncommon – my own dance teacher was somewhat like that.
That is the sad part, Mona. Mark and Derek spoke up on behalf of her students. Again, who is she to judge? She is solely cast for drama. She is not an entertainment legend. I get why the pros are insulted because she isn’t even the best dance teacher. Many pros teach too so they know how awful her methods are for sure. There is difference between strict and tough and abusive.
One pro remarked about her needing two chairs, her ego will need like three chairs. One time I want Maks to go off on his this my show rant. I would love to see it.
Oh, I’m so happy for Candace — she got a great song for her foxtrot and Mark should be able to choreograph something super-cute for her. Surely this is a style and song she’ll be able to relax into and enjoy! I hope so.
I also listned to Charlie’s song and think it will make a great quickstep. It’s cute too. I just hope Charlie and Sharna are glued together at the hip. No gapping!
Agreed, Candace got an amazing song. Sam cooke is a favorite of mine. I just hope they will actually play his version, and not have their own kidzbop version of it. Not lovin the band.
Great songs this week. Maybe except the Lorde’s. (and didn’t like they recycled the Katherine’s jive song… but that’s me)
I’m still frustrated about that party anthem and latin weeks… the themes were good but not that well executed, specially because of the songs…
Kinda bummed to hear Amy is struggling with the Argentine tango, I was looking forward to seeing her do it from the start, regardless I am sure she’ll pull through and I hope her injury won’t hold her back the rest of the season! The way I see it this season will be between Meryl and Amy, and I’m hoping it’ll be Amy who wins!
Just got around to songs… some impressions:
“Stay with Me” is an amazing song, and perfect for contemporary! But some people said that it might be a romantic comedy type theme for Charlie and Candace’s duel dance? I didn’t get that impression from this song … I got a very heartfelt and sad goodbye type vibe. Anyway, just imo!
“I Luh Ya Papi” is ok I guess as a song, but it just seems weird as a samba to me…
“My Heart Goes Boom” makes for a good quickstep imo! Can’t wait to see it!
Leeann,
You’re right “Stay with Me” doesn’t have a romantic comedy tone to it. However, the picture of Candace/Mark and Charlie/Sharna was very rom-com (at least to me). I love the expressions on Candace and Charlie’s faces. 🙂 Of course, as some have said, they could have been doing that just to get a cute promo picture and the actual dance will be more sentimental. You wouldn’t want a weird disconnect between the tone of the song and the story of the dance since most viewers wouldn’t get it.
I just hope these 2 couples to have a really good night on Monday.
I LOVE it when Buttercup flies by with spoiler/behind the scenes/clarifying info!! Thank you!
It was very interesting to read about Charlie and other DWTS people also being up upset about Len’s 8!! Grrrr! I knew Sharna was pissed with her WTF tweet!
Also, thanks Buttercup! I just love how Derek enjoys every challenge thrown at him. He appears to be so confident in everything that he does that he doesn’t need the validation from the judges. He already knows what they are likely to say. So he probably doesn’t really care what the Dance Mom judge says. He will probably just smile/laugh/chuckle because the audience will boo at her if she says anything obnoxious or negative.
I’m sure he will warn Amy about it. If the warning is done during rehearsals, I wonder if TPTB will show it to promote the conflict with Abby. I wouldn’t put it past the producers.
I actually think Abby will be critical like she is on her show because that is her “brand” and that’s how the general audience knows her to be. It will be all about her on Monday. The worse the comments, the more publicity for DWTS and her own show! I just feel badly for the dancers.
Are the song spoilers from “deep throat”? If so, any news on the rumba song?
Whomever mentioned ALM getting booed makes a good point. She’s never had to deal with that. While having her judge still sucks big time (what — was Gordon Ramsey not available?), thinking about her getting booed by the ballroom has brightened my day a bit. Maybe she’s really thin skinned (needing 2 chairs notwithstanding), and the booing will make her totally lose the miniscule composure she usually manages. And there’s always the pitch perfect Tom Bergeron, who may well deliver a fabulous zinger or two. I can’t imagine he’s thrilled about her being there either.
Being critical of Amy, besides the Amy critics who are irrational, it will make her look awful. I am sure ALM will love to play villain to Amy.
I am reminded of something Derek Hough once said, “Power over others, is weakness in disguise ” ALM is just a weak bully.
Just read the ALM OK magazine interview. What a joke! She’s such a moron.
The best and only thing any of the pros should say to her if she mouths off is nothing. Even better, laugh at her and still say nothing. She wants the talk back because it gives her attention and that’s the last thing you want to give a baiter like this b*%ch.
I’ve known what the rumba song is for some time. I’m just taking my time sharing it. 😀
Can’t wait to hear about it when you share, PH. I am so not looking forward to seeing that dance and according to Maks it will be epic. They can’t get the pimp spot again on the show but where else will it get the attention tptb want for it.
WHAT!!?? You know what the rumba song is?? Haha! You have us right in the palm of your hand.
Since producers want to promote their showmance, I expect it will be a very romantic yearning one. TPTB messed up with All of Me because some of us thought it was a “love” song to Charlie and NOT Maks!! Haha!
Are you waiting for a magic number to be reached before the rumba reveal, PH? lol! Hope it’s #350 because we are close!
I hope we are going to see good performances tomorrow night. I’m excited!
No, I’m just being mean to the Meryl fanatics who come in here and are nasty – and who copy our info verbatim to post elsewhere and take credit for it. 😀
Update!! 😉
Thanks for the update!!!
Can I just say I am obsessed with the song “Read All About it”; it will be interesting to see a Rumba out of that. I have always thought it would make a beautiful song for a contemporary routine.
That song Read All About It was used by a pretty cool group of shadow dancers on Brittain’s Got Talent a little while back. You can find it on YouTube I think. It could be an amazing song for Meryl and Maks. I sure like it better than Meryl’s other song this week. I think Candace definitely got the best songs with my favorite so far being that Sam Smith song. But I’m excited for Meryl now too. Should be a really fun night tomorrow.
And thank you Princess Heidi for finally relenting. It was getting pretty cruel. 🙂
#351 – Smart thinking! That will teach them! Thanks, PH!
Thanks for the update! While the song is very pretty and romantic I am not sure I am ready to see Maks and Meryl’s rumba tbh. I predict there will be a lot of gazing, groping and grinding with Carrie Ann going nuts and probably falling off her chair. She hasn’t done that yet this season and we are running out of time.
Judy,
I hope there won’t be that much groping! I want sensual, but not sexual. Besides I think this song doesn’t call for that. This isn’t a happy, romantic song. It’s more of a dramatic song (almost like a couple breaking up and this song playing in the background, lol).
If any couple dances to “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles they would get my votes for the rest of the season. Patiently waiting since 2003 for it to pop up..
The thing about “Read All About It, Part III” is that it’s not a love song at all – it’s a song about finding your voice and speaking out against injustice. So I think if they go the overtly romantic route, it’s going to look really mismatched. But I see some of the shippers are already turning this one into Meryl & Maks’ wedding song, so even if there’s a ton of cognitive dissonance in their performance, people will still rave. Is this season over yet???
@brook, ricki danced a rumba to gravity.
Meryl who I always liked but has gotten to point I don’t want to see anymore and cannot wait for the season end with the endless pimping and praise. No where near the level perfection they make her out to be.
Courtney (359) I kind of feel like Maks and Meryl already did the purely romantic dance back a few weeks ago to All of Me. I could see one more dance focused on love before the end of the show but even though they are dancing the Rumba this week, I kind of get the feeling they aren’t going there this time. I guess we will see.
#351- Even as a Mery fan I bust out laughing at that.
I had to look up the last full season of dwts I watched (season 8) but is Maks known for having a groping type of rumba? I remember Len disliked the overly sexual ones. Is that still the same? I actually feel bad for missing so many seasons but there were college…then grad school…then pure laziness lol. It’s been interesting to see the changes from then and now. I admit to missing some things from earlier seasons but actually like not having to sit through a results show.
I may be completely off base, but can anyone see Maks choreographing some kind of tribute to what is happening in Ukraine right now? I think he tweeted something about it being ‘historic’. That is an odd way to describe a rumba. And Val tweeted something about the destruction in Odessa. Just a thought.
Melissa, I agree completely. I am actually quite surprised the rumba is not being pimped on the show’s FB site tonight.
Brook (#358) I love Gravity and was just recently thinking Sara Bareilles’ new one “I Choose You” would be an awesome choice for someone to dance to as well.
Finley, since this season is in his mind about him, it would not surprise me.
Court, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of people don’t listen to the lyrics of a song when they’re watching couples on DWTS dance to it. They seem to just think of it as “background mood music” for the dance. That goes double when you’re a shipper whose brains turned to dust and blew away back in week 1.
Germ, Len still doesn’t like overly sexual rumbas, although he seems to think almost every rumba is overly sexual. However, I don’t think he’ll be too tough on Meryl because she’s the type of female celeb he really likes.
@Brook (357) You might want to look up Ricki Lake and Derek Hough’s Rumba. You’ll be pleasently surprised 😉
Judy #356
Meryl and Maks should go first and make it just as over-the-top sexual as Maksimally possibly. Then, I’d love for CAI and ALM to both fall hard off their chairs, in synchrony, enough to send them packing for the rest of the show.
I know, I know…wishful thinking! 🙂
This is the correct order of the dances, right? I just want to make sure. Does the winner of each week get to choose their dance spot? Because Meryl and Maks have gone last or nearly last quite often, so I am just curious. Same for Peta and James, they’ve gone first a couple of times now.
Finley, Oy vey! A political statement rumba — great, can’t wait. 🙄 Luckily for him, the M&M shippers won’t have a clue and just see it as Meryl and Maks sharing with us their true feelings for each other. *gag*
Wonder where they’ll end up in the running order?
I really hope they don’t make Charlie/Sharna dance right after Meryl/Maks. CAI and Bruno, in particular, won’t be able to shift gears fast enough to appreciate a fun, full-on, technically difficult Quickstep when they’re still in the throes of afterglow and enjoying an imaginary cigarette.
Well, to continue with the theme of the season that everyone must be injured, I just read on fsuniverse that Meryl was dropped tonight during the girls’ group number. 🙁 When someone asked for clarification on ‘dropped’, a poster responded – “No, she was dropped to the ice. I’m not sure how it was supposed to look but at one point all the other girls picked her up in a lift and kind of awkwardly flipped her I think which led to the drop. It didn’t look horribly hard but I did worry for a moment that she could be hurt. When they came back for their second number she seemed fine though.” 🙁 Apparently she and Charlie look completely exhausted in the press photos. 🙁
Finley, Interesting and unfortunate. I bet Maks is furious that those da*n FS girls didn’t take care of “his precious Meryl.” Doing SOI and DWTS at the same time is brutal. Evan did it in Season 10 and, I believe, the exhaustion took its toll on him and Anna. I won’t say it caused their flame-out in the freestyle (or use it as an excuse for them), but it don’t think it helped.
It is. I seem to remember Evan had a broken toe as well. It was kind of sad to see them melt-down at the end after such a strong season.
No one ever accused shippers of being smart. 😀
Brook, (#369) Do you see any numbers (besides their phone numbers) next to the names? So no, I’d say this is not the correct dance order. It’s either PH’s best guess or she just threw a list up there. Normally PH adds dance order if/as that info gets leaked. No, I doubt the couples have any say whatsoever in when they dance.
Finley, Yes, he broke a couple toes on one foot early in the season (week 3 or something). I don’t think it affected his dancing very much.
Meryl and Maks have already done the “almost kiss” twice too, so why not go for round three. So what if all their slow dances start to look alike. 😀
How do you do a rumba to the Ukraine?? It’s an interesting thought…I just can’t imagine it.
No, Brook, the dances are in no particular order. If Meryl goes last AGAIN, I’ll be pissed.
Luckily the rest of the SOI shows are on the west coast, so it’s about to get a lot easier for Charlie and Meryl.
Well, they may be a casualty of their own making – everyone talks about how hard DWTS was, perhaps they should have listened, eh?? Sorry – they should be scored same as everyone else, regardless of their schedule, right? 😀
PH, no but they have big hearts <3 or maybe big something else…
(oh wait, that’s probably something else you’d rather not think about like Maks shooting blanks — sorry, couldn’t resist going there) 😉
:::gag:::
🙂
Thanks Cidra. For running order I thought they would put Meryl first weeks ago but was wrong. Maybe it’s Meryl, Candace, Amy, Charlie, Danica, then James? I think James and Danica are the only ones who haven’t had the last spot (not counting Danica with Team Loca). But my list is using fairness as a factor which I don’t think the producers are using.
Aw, c’mon PH, don’t be a “hater” 😉 give the gold medalists a break! My guess is the judges will give Meryl one, but Charlie? Yeah, fat chance.
As for not being able to imagine a rumba to the Ukraine, darlin’ you won’t have to imagine it, Maks is gonna show you how it’s done tomorrow night…dancing last.
PH 377
I need to keep a stash of barf bags ready for these “almost kisses”. Yuck!
How do you do a rumba to the Ukraine?
By “too much messing about” with Russia. Len doesn’t seem to call them out on it. 😀
Germ, good bet on fairness not being a factor with the producers. Equitable distribution of who gets to dance first, last, etc in the running order went out the window somewhere between season 8 (when you got distracted) and now.
I think a rumba protesting the situation in Ukraine right now would have to involve riot gear, Molotov cocktails, and Putin looking disinterested while standing at a podium. You think Sasha could pass for Putin, in the right costume? Can the costume department bedazzle some riot shields? Just what kind of pyrotechnics can that stage handle? 🙂
LOL, Kate — good one! 😛 And hand me one of thoe barf bags, please. I might need it although since I’m recording the show rather than watching live, I can FF through all the messin’ about if they give me enough warning.
Court, wouldn’t riot gear be far too much clothing? Oh no, wait, I remember Mark was a gladiator or something for Kath’s rumba. So bring on the riot shields. Sasha as Putin, ROFL!!!!! And I think the stage can handle lots of pyro. I know I’m beginning to sound like that old goat Len, but there’s been so many flashing lights that I could hardly see some of the dancing (Charlie’s Paso last week, James Tango with Cheryl to name a few that immediately come to mind).
Maybe Meryl will wear the colors of Ukraine? I fully expect fondling to be the predominant theme though.
#377 Heidi, that’s why I’m thinking Maks will go for the real kiss this week. Got to keep the shippers shipping. Never mind that kind of lost something when it became a weekly part of his dances with Kirstie Alley (talk about needing a barf bag!)
Since the song is about speaking out against injustice, I thought Maks might choose to create a dance that was a tribute to the injustice of the situation happening in Ukraine right now. And the need to speak out against the persecution being suffered by the Ukrainians who oppose the occupation by Russia. Not Ukraine itself. I can’t imagine a rumba about Ukraine either.
I just thought his description of their upcoming rumba as ‘historic’ was an odd choice of word. (I know it wouldn’t be the first time he has misused a word.) Val’s tweet about Odessa, and Maks stating in an interview a few weeks ago that Ukraine was being bullied, put this thought in my head.
I’m probably wrong and it will just be another romantic rumba.
Rose, That’s it, you got it — Meryl will represent the Ukraine and Maks will (have to hold his nose) and represent Russia; and he’ll have his hands all over her. Excellent political allegory. The man’s a genius.
I might not be posting this in the right place but here goes.
So now that I FINALLY know all the songs 😛 here is my guess on scores:
Amy and Derek – Argentine Tango (song: “Heart Upon My Sleeve” by Avicii )
37 (if her back holds up)
James and Peta – Viennese Waltz (song: “6-2″ by Marie Miller )
36
Charlie and Sharna – Quickstep (song: “My Heart Goes Boom” by Miss Li )
37
Candace and Mark – Foxtrot (song: “That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On” by Sam Cooke )
36
Danica and Val – Tango (song: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Lorde )
35
Meryl and Maks – Rumba (song: “Read All About It, Part III” by Emeli Sandé )
38
Round two:
James/Amy – dancing Jive (song: “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That” by Robert Randolph & the Family Band )
35
Charlie/Candace – dancing contemporary (song: “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith )
37
Meryl/Danica – dancing samba (song: “I Luh Yah Papi” by J. Lo feat. French Montana )
36
So the combined scores I’m guessing will be:
Charlie: 74
Meryl: 74
Candace: 73
Amy: 72
Danica: 71
James: 71
With all the injuries etc, who knows how this will turn out. It’s just fun guessing though.
And as to who will get voted off based on last week’s dances, I think the bottom three will be:
Danica
Charlie
James
I think Charlie and James will end up there just because their group dance score was lower. Otherwise Charlie for sure would probably be safe. I also think Candace has enough of a fanbase, as proven a few weeks ago, to stay ahead of Danica and she also had the higher scores. As to who will actually be voted off, I’m just not sure. I kind of think it will be James or Charlie, depending on who has the more rabid fans. My gut tells me James, especially because their performance was pretty polarizing, what with the outfits and all. So I will guess James will be voted off. All I know is that my precious Meryl (yes, Maks, she’s mine 🙂 had better not even be in the bottom three haha. And I heard someone mentioning bulding a bunch more facebook accounts to help vote. I hadn’t thought of that but will have to spend a little time maybe doing that myself 🙂
Finley, if we’re lucky, it will be just another romantic rumba. I really don’t think rumba is a good dance for making political statements of any kind, and I don’t think DWTS is a good place to be making political statements of any kind.
Maks also posted a video on instagram a few days ago of Meryl slapping him across the face in slow motion. He called it ‘art’. At the time I thought ‘I guess nothing says romantic rumba like a little simulated domestic violence.’ Not my idea of anything I want to see in that kind of dance, but whatever. I’ll reserve judgment until I see it. Something darker could be more interesting. And it’s always possible that particular piece of ‘choreography’ won’t be used in the finished version of the dance.
If he is going the ‘protest/tribute’ route, it makes a little more sense.
Whatever…but is any of this really necessary? This is supposed to be about MERYL not Maks, remember? Why do we have to have some dark, artsy tribute to Ukraine in a freakin rumba? Meryl is from Michigan for heaven’s sake! Of course, CAI and Bruno will absolutely ADORE it and say this is Maks’s best choreography ever and he’s really rising to the occasion, blah-blah-blah.
I don’t think Maks meant “historic” in any sense that would involve something outside of himself. He just meant it would go down in history as being epic or something. Maks does love a good superlative when it involves himself. Like others have said, can this season just be done.
#392
LOL Cidra. Indeed, he is. Maks could be a Russian spy in Ukraine. It would lead into productive pillow talk after the rumba. I don’t think I can watch their dance with a straight face tomorrow. 😀
#Courtney #387
We should just pretend that Len is Putin if Sasha can’t deliver. 😛
Cidra, I am inclined to agree with you. And if he was going to attempt something like that, I think it would work better within the context of a contemporary or free-style. But we’ll see. If he does it at all I am hoping it is subtle and not over the top. (I know. I know.)
It will give the judges (Carrie Ann) a chance to tell him that they “didn’t really understand what he was going for. That it was dis-jointed and not really in the character of the rumba.” She loves that particular critique, and I don’t believe she has had a chance to break it out this season.
Let the drinking games begin! Injuries! Ribs! The most dramatic elimination ever!
Finley, Don’t know if CAI will call out Maks this season. Guess we’ll see. If you’re right about CAI, I’ll do a shot of tequila in your honor. 😉 Although since I’m not watching live tomorrow, it’ll be a bit delayed.
I thought she kind of did the “not in the character of the rumba” thing with Charlie and Peta’s rumba on Switch-up Week. I try to ignore or forget what she says most of the time because it hardly ever makes any sense and she goes on ad nauseum. So I can’t tell you precisely what she said. What I do remember is that she agreed with Len that Peta’s choreography “wasn’t a rumba”.
Damn! I completely forgot the whole “not a rumba” spiel for Charlie. Well, maybe it’s only fair if Meryl gets her very own “that’s not a rumba”. Just to even it up a bit! 😉
I will be watching live and I will need plenty of wine to get me through the “I luh ya papi” song. Never heard that song before. Tried to listen. Could not. It. Is. Awful.
I’ve never seen Dance Moms so I’ve no idea what to expect from ALM, but based on what I’ve read here, wine is required!
If Maks choreographed the rumba with the Ukraine message, I’m sure Abby Lee Miller will eat it up. ALM herself has choreographed a couple of admittedly very good dances that had messages against child bullying, kidnapping, etc. and she thinks that “the purpose of dance is to convey messages”.
I didn’t know most of this week’s music, so I went and looked them all up – Candace’s foxtrot music is *great*, as is the jive music for Amy and James, and Charlie’s quickstep music. I also think the music for Charlie and Candace’s contemporary, Amy’s A tango, and James’ V waltz is pretty good. However, it seems like both Meryl and Danica got screwed this week with the music choices. While Meryl’s music has the proper beat, it just doesn’t *feel* like a rumba (probably primarily due to the lyrics), and Danica’s song is even worse – I can’t feel a tango in that at all. And their samba song…talk about being *incredibly* annoying. If I had to practice to that song for a week, I would go nuts.
Based on what I have read here and elsewhere, ALM needs to get her own message against child bullying!
I’ve seen two fan pictures with Meryl on twitter tonight and it appears that she has a slight black eye. Doesn’t look like anything the show’s makeup artists shouldn’t be able to completely cover up.
As Finley mentioned:
Reading a little further into tonight’s SOI show, apparently Meryl hit her head on the ice. Ouch! The girls helped her get up and she skated off the ice leaning on their prop/bar. Competition aside, when I see skaters fall I cringe. Luckily from all reports she seems okay. I’m sure Charlie and Meryl’s constant moving, traveling,skating, and dancing is finally beginning to take a toll.
LOL picturing a Rumba about Ukraine… the images coming into my head right now. We shall see tomorrow. I think I’m most excited for tommorrow’s show then any so far. I feel as though each couple has gotten a dance that suits them. BTW: NOT a fan of telling a couple they are in jeopardy right before dancing. I don’t think one couple has done good/scored high after hearing that and dancing right after.
Amen, Finley (#405), when I read what Leeann said about that disgusting woman doing dances with an anti bullying message, I thought “what a flaming hypocrite ALM is!” Unbelievable!!! I’ve never watched “Dance Moms” either, but just hearing about her here is enough to make me “just say no” to watching live tomorrow.
I don’t know what I’m going to do about that obnoxious “I Luh Ya Papi” song. Just having to listen to it once to watch Meryl/Danica’s duo dance is going to be like hearing nails on a chalkboard for me. Maybe 2 shots of tequila a few minutes before will numb my brain enough to get me through it.
It would be somewhat poetic justice, in my opinion, for Meryl to get the same negative comment on her rumba that Charlie got for his.
Cidra, we may not agree on Meryl, but we can bond over our mutual loathing of “I luh ya papi” and our shared love of tequila! It is Cinco de Mayo after all! Cheers!
You guys are in fine form tonight! 🙂
Well, Maks just recently proclaimed his love for “I luh ya papi” on twitter. Also there was a couple of reports about Maks and JLo spending some time together at the restaurant. So, maybe this song choice wasn’t necessarily random …
Finley, I’ll drink to that 😉 Happy Cinco de Mayo (early) and may we never hear “I Luh Ya Papi” again after tomorrow.
For the record, I have no quarrel with Meryl and wish she’d been paired with a different pro so this season could have been about her instead of about him.
I’m out outta here for the night.
Oh no! I hope Meryl is okay!! I can’t believe that the SOI girls dropped her!! And reports of a black eye?
I don’t know that Maks or Val are paying tribute to Ukraine but it would be very poignant if they did. But it may too emotional a topic as important as it may be. Watching the news today and the body count, I can’t imagine watching my birthplace destroyed and the memories and heritage of my family tied to it for generations.
Rumba on ‘Read All Abouit It’? Sorry, but I don’t get it. That’s a beautiful song, yes, but romantic? No!
I agree Tamara. That’s why I think some people are considering the “tribute to Ukraine” theory – Read All About It to me is not your standard romantic rumba song, so personally I feel like/hope there must be some reason why it was assigned (is it known whether the pros/celebrities “chose” the songs this week/requested the songs or they were just assigned? that might help shed light on this). I actually was listening to that song a couple weeks ago and thinking that it would make for a good contemporary dance.
Well, there has been a track record of questionable song choices this season, so who knows?
Kate #399,
Abbey Lee Miller is the Putin of reality stars. A bullying, loathsome snake with delusions of grandeur.
I’m really skeptical about the “Ukraine tribute rumba theory” for two reasons: one, that would make the rumba far more about Maks than Meryl; two, DWTS has generally tried to avoid dances with a political tone. If they do opt to go down that road – I’m not sure how well it’s going to be received, even if it’s danced beautifully.
#Courtney
I would normally agree, but don’t you feel that this season it’s a bit weird already that more of their journey seems to be rather about maks then meryl. Their packages, in all their interviews the interest in maks is almost as big as it is in meryl…Just look at their latest Acces Hollywood videos…
#courtney …And another argument would be the song. Last year Britains Got Talent was won by a group of shadow dancers presenting a war theme for their (very memorable) audition to Read All About it. The video went pretty much viral and they won the show despite being hungarians from hungary… And we know Maks isnt always striving for that much originality (their salsa set up, outfits was almost identical to the music video of adrenalina) So it could very well be that especially with Maks being ukrainian and thus making it even more convenient they will actually milk the opportunity .
But this is a RUMBA, Annie – there’s a certain expectation that it’s going to be a dance of love. The BGT group didn’t have that kind of expectation – I wouldn’t expect Maks pulling the same schlock on DWTS to be as well-received.
Praise God Charlie finally got a good song, oh my God.
I love the song and Emeli Sande’s other songs, but I just can’t see how it will be worked into a Rumba. Both the Ukraine idea and romantic idea don’t mesh well with me. I’m sure Meryl will pull it off beautifully as she creates beautiful lines and expression. However, not sure how well the concept behind the dance will go.
Courtney, interested to know: if you had to choreograph a Rumba to this song, what direction would you take?
@Brook – I WOULDN’T choreograph a rumba to this song 😛 I’d use it for contemporary, both because the theme is better suited to something more flexible (like contemporary) and because the rhythm itself is a bit wishy-washy. If I absolutely HAD to do it – I think I’d go the safe route and choreograph a very by-the-book rumba that wasn’t too heavy on the OTT lovey-doveyness…something similar to Shawn & Mark’s rumba in season 8. I wouldn’t go for a theme at all.
Thanks for the response! I agree I wouldn’t have placed this song with the Rumba. I’m not sure if the pros are given one song or if they could choose from a list. I wish they had a list of songs for each dance (“Rumba” songs; “Quickstep” songs, etc) and then let the couples choose from that list. It would be a happy medium.
I’m watching back some of the DWTS allstar videos and I wish they would bring back the .5 score cards. I feel that there is such a huge gap between a 9 and a 10. Some of these dances don’t necessarily need 10s, but a 9 is too low. Like when Charlie dropped the cane, he could have gotten 9.5 from the judges instead of 10s. Each season the talent gets so much better, so some of these celebs are staring off with 9s and there isn’t much room for growth.
The first time I thought of the possible “tribute to the social unrest in Ukraine” theme for the rumba was when I read Princess Heidi’s post in another thread mentioning the song and also referencing the war in Syria in relation to the song. At the exact moment I read that I thought, not Syria, Ukraine maybe…. But then I just couldn’t connect those dots in my head.
After you guys revealed the name of the song, someone else on the skating site mentioned the possibility, and I thought maybe it is not such a crazy idea after all. We’ll see. If he goes there I hope they pull it off.
I’m uncomfortable having almost any ballroom dance have a political theme or being used as a comment on society. They just don’t lend themselves well to that sort of thing.
Waltz might be the only one where you could incorporate something like that, however I think of a Waltz as an elegant, romantic type of dance and not an overly emotional grip my head in tortured agony type of dance.
Something that sometimes annoys me on SYTYCD is all those “message” contemporaries they do. Some are quite good, but some are just crap. However if a judge critiques the crap dance as it deserves to be then they come off sounding like a heartless git. So this horrible message dance gets praised to the skies with many tears, blah, blah, blah. I don’t want to see that on DWTS.
Plus you know that if Meryl and Maks did a message Rumba that Carrie Anne would dial her fake crying voice up to ten. She’s already at the top of my s**t list for her idiotic comments in her blog. I just don’t think I could handle insincere crying from her this week without wanting to fling myself into an active volcano.
I don’t believe it was me referencing any wars in other threads. Maybe someone did in response to me…
@Heart wait a second, how did you know that the SOI girls dropped Meryl?
@Heart #413 wait a second, how did you know that the SOI girls dropped Meryl?
@Leonie,
You can go look at Meryl’s most recent instagram pic and someone commented about it, it’s one of her instagram fan pages. Also fans were tweeting her asking if she was okay. One lady on FSuniverse was there and talked about it/blogged vids and pics as well. I’m sure she is used to falling, ad many have said it won’t be her last fall. But, I’ve seen enough skaters fall once the wrong way and it ends badly. I’m sure it doesn’t help more that she is already injured and sore.
I’ve read on twitter that someone recommended to an interviewer to ask Meryl about her lack of depth perception, dyslexia, etc and struggling with that in dancing. Although I think it would be interesting to see how she copes with that, I think it’s already been stated multiple times that she doesn’t dwell or talk about it much. I wish those would just let it go. Typical Olympian she never complains. I so admire Amy for that as well. Her strength is astounding…yall home girl gave an interview while in pain and struggling to breathe. And to think one time I nearly passed out from a papercut.
I think I was the one jokingly mentioning the war in Syria as the backdrop for Meryl & Maks’ rumba. Regardless, I hope they don’t go the social commentary route with this rumba, because I can’t see any way that it would turn out anything but tacky.
Brook, I am with you on cringe-worthy figure skating falls! They are tough cookies, and used to falling, but anything related to a potential head injury freaks me out. Especially after what happened to Liam Neeson’s wife, Natasha Richardson.
But in Meryl’s case it seems to have been very minor considering she skated afterwards. In a couple of fan photos I thought she might have had a very slight black eye, but it could have just been a combination of shadow, her being tired, and me looking for a sign of injury and expecting to see it. I hope so.
I don’t think she will make a big deal out of it. The show on the other hand….
Sorry for getting your posts confused, Courtney and PH. Also thanks for all the spoilers and inside info. Thanks for all the math. And thanks for sharing your insight and perspective into the Dance world. It is much appreciated.
Brook #425, I have said that before! I think that adding in half points would differentiate between couples better – last week, both Danica and NeNe got 8’s, and even though Danica didn’t do a great job, I’m not sure it was on NeNe’s level.
I’m hoping everyone on the cast is OK! Everyone seems to be getting injured this year!
It may be that shirtlessness is the concept that brought the idea of something historic to Maks. There’s the rumba (shirtlessness OK), and there’s Putin (shirtlessness a favored fashion statement). From there it’s a no-brainer (perfect for Maks/Putin) to pawing at the diminutive, defenseless Meryl/Crimea. It could work — NOT.
I don’t think Maks and Val are doing anything that has to do with Ukraine as I think it’s too raw and too sad. (Maks wouldn’t be Putin, he’s the enemy of Ukraine). And I don’t know that DWTS is their platform to do that. They can just speak out as they are if interviewed or on their own websites. Of course they may still have relatives there that could be in danger.
But it reminds me of Katarina Witt, the (East) German Olympic ice skater who performed a tear-jerking routine about Sarajevo at the ’95 Lillehammer Olympics. I’ve never forgotten that.
I meant ’94 winter Olympics.
Is this the supposed order for this evening’s dances? Also, as a newbie I don’t think I can predict scores, yet, but I do predict this. The bottom 3 will be one from each Dancing Duo? Duel? (Even DWTS is confused because twitter says one and instagram says the other…)
I think it’ll be: James (jeopardy) Amy (safe)
Candace (jeopardy) Charlie (safe)
Danica (jeopardy) Meryl (safe)
Just catching up, so if somebody’s already pointed this out, my apologies.
#272 Ashley L – Actually, that “civilized” duel between Burr and Hamilton was literally to the death.
*stepping on my soapbox* As violence-happy as our society has become, I’m pretty sure actual blood-spillage is still frowned upon for network programming. At least for now… smh *steps down from soapbox, returns to shadows*
Ukraine tribute rumba? What in the actual fuck is going on in these comments?
@Newbie The order of dances and music posted here isn’t the order for tonight. It’s just in no particular order.
No one said anything yesterday about when they are dancing (mainly Peta, who always seems to share that piece of info) so I am wondering if they KNOW their dance order yet or not.
My guess in the dance order would be:
1. Charlie (Being called safe at the beginning — YAY!. And I still think he could get 10s even if he is the first one. I remember season 16 Kellie getting a perfect score going first in Week 9. Fingers crossed)
2. Candace
3. Meryl
4. Danica
5. Amy
6. James.
And then of course Charlie and Candace dance first for the duel, then Meryl and Danica and lastly James and Amy.
If you take the time to read through the comments, Simone, you might not be saying “WTF”.
Post update!
Ashley, that was one of my favorite moments of those Olympic games.
Simone, it’s probably not going to be anything like that and I’m beginning to feel like a complete idiot for ever having brought it up.
“wife working up the courage to leave an abusive husband” – I think Maks would NAIL that character. Cough cough. (too far? hehe). And rolling around the floor doesn’t sound too Rumba-y so maybe Len won’t like that part. This should be one interesting dance…
Just read the update after I posted. Not sure how I feel about the description of their rumba. The video of the slap makes more sense now. I guess I will just wait and see if it works or not. He is really going in a different direction than expected.
“Floor rolling” could get them some negative feedback.
Hopefully they put enough Rumba content to satisfy Len, although I am glad they are doing the husband/wife arguing theme as it makes more sense than Ukraine history and romantic Rumba. If it’s emotional and dramatic that usually seals the deal for CAI and Bruno, and to some extent ALM (if there isn’t a flub in technique or dance)
I am kind of interested to see Abby judge James and Charlie. She will think they are super cute and I’m sure comment on that. However, Abby doesn’t have many (if any) male dancers on her competition team/studio. And I’ve seen her make MANY comments about boys getting higher scores in competitions to keep them dancing. She always talks about their higher scoring in disgust. Now this is for a competitive dance team for 9-16 year olds, but I’m interested to see how it translates over to the men celebs.
CC#442: I think they will alternate with one person from each duo going first, and one going later. My guess:
1. Candace
2. Danica
3. James
4. Charlie
5. Meryl
6. Amy
And then C&C, ‘Merica, and Jamy, in that order.
Love last minute intel!
Hmmm…sounds like we’ll have some “interesting” dances on our hands tonight. I’ll reserve judgement until we actually see them but I have a feeling Meryl WON’T be hosed by the judges and Amy and Charlie WILL be hosed by them. I was hoping Sharna would do a very traditional Quickstep just to prevent any problems with the judges…I still have hope for him though!
When I heard Lorde’s version of the Vanica song I had a thought that Val might make it a little artsy or maybe “weird” for what is typical of a tango. Somewhat in the same vein as Elizabeth’s V. Waltz last season. I still expect Danica to have pretty good form though so if anything Len may not be a fan of the performance part of it.
Seems like maybe Candace and James will have the most straightforward performances tonight.
Thanks again!
It would be helpful if you read all the comments, newbie. Then I wouldn’t have to answer the same question five times.
To add in: I do think sometimes song choice should be taken into Grumpy Len’s decision for scoring. Some of these songs handed out make it hard to do a typical, orthodox routine. The pros do what they can to make the dance as orthodox as possible, but sometimes things must be changed or added in (I’m not talking about blatantly ignoring the dance and doing whatever choreo the pro feels). Charlie’s paso was an example–it wasn’t even Latin. Danica getting a Lourde song for a Tango? Meryl getting a more contemporary song for rumba? Shall I go on…..
Question for Courtney or Heidi, The stool being in Amy & Derek’s dance is it a rule infraction or just something Len will find fault in because he hates props (only when Derek uses them of course)?
Thanks for the updates. Glad to hear the duo dances are looking good. I hope I’ll enjoy Charlie/Sharna/Candace/Mark and Amy/Derek/James/Peta. I’m pretty sure I won’t like the “C-bros/girls” Samba to that gawd-awful song.
For the individual dances, I’m throwing my cynical lot in with PH.
* Amy will get hosed for using a stool. CAI will make some condescending face-saving comment about Amy being so good that Derek doesn’t need to use gimmicks like that (as if using a stool has never been done before in the history of DWTS) 🙄
* Charlie will get hosed for having Tango in his Quickstep. Len will grouse that it wasn’t his cup of tea, and he didn’t want to see a Tango, he wanted to see a Quickstep. He’ll direct these comments to Charlie as if it was his fault. This *is* a risky move on Sharna’s part, but if she and Charlie are prepared to take the hit, I say more power to them. I guess they’ve decided to dance for their own enjoyment instead of trying to please the judges.
* Peta playing it safe by not putting in the overhead leg thing is probably a wise choice for them. If James were a better dancer and they could almost guarantee that Peta’s other foot would be obviously on the floor during that move, then it might be worth it; but he’s not that good.
* Meryl rolling around on the floor…lame; but CAI, Bruno and ALM will love it because it will be telling a strong story 🙄 Really Maks, that’s the kind of time-wasting filler you put in when you’re dancing with someone like Kirstie not Meryl! If Len praises this routine with that kind of fluff-move in it, that will be very telling.
Seems like that song for Mark and Candace’s dance matches that ‘duel’ photo more than the song they got. LOL
CC (#446) Nope, not too far at all. He deserves that kind of dig after the crap he’s pulled with some of his celeb partners over the years. I wonder if he’ll be wearing a “wife beater”? 😛
With Abby Lee being a judge & all of her interviews about being on the show I see her giving Meryl, Charlie (about time), & Danica all high scores. They have dance experience and Abby said shame on anyone who does not have some type of dance classes. So fans of Amy, Candance, & James get ready for a long night of voting to keep your favorites in.
In my mind, Amy is the judge’s most favourite to get the finals…
Happy Monday! Interested to see how these dances turn out. If anyone can pull of a stool in their choreography and make it look brilliant it is Derek. I however agree though the judges will hose them for it. Somehow they will say they were trying to cover up the injury, or something ridiculous.
More interesting though is who is going to go home?? I feel like it could be a couple people so can’t wait to see who it is.
Love the updates! Thanks so much! I’m really nervous for Amy tonight. Hope she is feeling okay and also hope she was well enough to get some good rehearsal time in the past few days. I have seen AT with a stool used as a prop and really liked it. It certainly fits the feel of the dance. Hopefully it’s used more at the beginning than all the way throughout the dance.
As for the tango in Charlie’s quickstep. I’m worried about that too. The judges don’t need much to mark Charlie down. If you ask me, they are just waiting for something like this. Hope i’m wrong!
[…] To read the full article, see ABC. For some fun spoilers, go here. […]
My punctuation is the pits these days. It my typing. Sorry!
So exciting! Bring on tonight!! Just please…let the judges behave themselves…especially Abby!
Cidra (#456) You, ma’am, crack me up. Hahaha.
Also agreed with several points on your post #454, Cidra. Amy and Derek are “due” to get hosed by Len, I would say. Seems like during Week 8 is when Len gives Derek a 7 just because. That’s usually during the Trio Dances but since there isn’t one he’ll either do that for their AT or Jive (which would suck for James). Nevertheless, I don’t think using a Stool should be anything too major to distract from the dance. It could work wonderfully (I think back to an Argentine Tango from Strictly where a couple used a chair for their dance and it worked very well). Hope Len’s on his happy pills tonight. However, I hope the effects of the happy pills go away during Maks and Meryl’s Rumba because rolling on the floor just sounds very unnecessary and Len doesn’t usually like that. We shall see.
I almost feel bad for Danica and Val for getting such a terrible song for a Tango. That Lorde version is so slow and weird that Val must have had a tough time coming up with a normal Tango to it. They should have just given them the original version but Lorde is more “in” right now. Sigh..
I’m most looking forward to Candace’s Foxtrot and James’ Viennese Waltz at this point because it sounds like the only two dances where the judges might not be so annoying and picky. I think Candace is going to do really well in that Foxtrot and going the comedic route for the dance is a smart move on Mark’s part (the guy’s really killing it this season). Also smart of Peta to remove that potential lift. Can’t risk getting points deducted at this point in the competition. Hope she keeps it traditional, yet fun and endearing.
Charlie’s Quickstep should be really fun too but I am scared for the Tango part they are talking about. Wonder which one of the judges will hose him for that. I still think it’s gonna be amazing though. Fingers crossed for him.
I’m so excited!! 4 more hours until show time!! Crossing fingers for good news and scores for all 3 Olympians!!
It’s not a rule infraction – it’s just something for Len to be grumpy about. Normally, he would pull out that shit on the person he thinks is winning (Nicole, Shawn, Kellie) and let all others use all the props they want. But the script this year seems to be Meryl can do no wrong, everyone else is open to his whims.
Actually, it might just be Derek that gets routinely hosed for stuff like this. I’ll never forget Len bitching about a COW after every other couple also had props. Too much frippery!!
@PH It is telling when the only thing someone can find wrong with a dance is the cow.
Just Sayin’.
Thank you Heidi. I remember the cow and the sheeple believe that Len is the voice of reason.
Wow, thanks for the pre-show intel!! 🙂 I can’t wait! Some thoughts…
-I personally didn’t expect an unorthodox rumba from Maks anyway… but domestic abuse/fighting makes sense because earlier last week Maks released a little clip of Meryl “slapping” him “for the art”. I’ll reserve judgment on the rolling around on the floor in Maks and Meryl’s rumba, but just on first impression from reading about it, that sounds strange.
-I mean, I don’t think it’s too uncommon for stools to be like a prop, but you never know how the judges are going to play it. She is so incredibly strong for pushing through this week!!
-I think foxtrot will suit Candace in terms of elegance, etc. – I’m excited to see it!
-Oh gosh, Sharna put tango in the quickstep? I hope that’s not just giving judges fodder to criticize! I wonder if it’s like fusion quickstep and tango or straight up tango? Also, I’m surprised that Charlie isn’t getting the technique down on this one as much – it seems like it would be in his wheelhouse since Derek worked with Meryl and Charlie for their quickstep/finnstep Olympic “My Fair Lady” routine.
-Glad to hear that the duets are going well too! I’m not surprised that James and Amy’s jive is looking good – they have Derek as choreographer after all!! I’m actually a little bit concerned for the “I luh ya papi” samba… not only is the song so annoying, but it doesn’t sound like a typical samba song to me.
Hmm, Abby Lee Millers favorite ballroom dance is the Tango because it is sexy. I am Val & Danica bring their sexy tonight.
If yall need a good laugh go see some of the twitter questions people are asking Flabby.. She answered about 5 questions and then I’m assuming she needed a snack break because she’s already finished answering questions.
“Satan is that you @abby_lee_miller” is one of my favorites thus far
I listened to Val and Danica’s song by Lorde annd thought is was kinda strange… So if their dance is slow and weird it’s probably because of the music… But I’m sure her execution will be fine. She’s no ballroom newbie, she’s danced tango before… Could they still be going home based on last week’s dance? Yes. I have to say I won’t miss her. I love watching Val, love his teaching style, but I can’t relate to Danica at all, I feel nothing when she dances. She’s doing a good job, but I find her a bit boring to be honest.
As far as Amy using a stool in her performance, I guess it depends on how Derek plans on incorporating it, but it has been done before (chairs, stools, BEDS!) so the judges should not give them a hard time about it.
My prediction for who goes home is based on cumulative scores: Charlie and James were on the losing team of the team dances, so they could be in danger, but Charlie is still high on the leader board. Candace is still at the bottom with Danica and James above her. Candace had a great dance and a major breakthrough last week, so I think (and hope) she’s safe. I think it will come down to Danica and James.
And Gosh, I hope Charlie is safe!!
CC, (#464) Just tellin’ it like I see it.
As for which judge will hose Charlie for having Tango in his Quickstep, why do you think it will be just one? I’m expecting a 4-point deduction for that (or 3 at least because Bruno is more independent minded and sometimes doesn’t play these stupid games).
I’m looking forward to Candace’s Foxtrot too. I agree Mark’s choreography has been up a notch this season. Having to work with the limits Candace has set on how sexy she’ll go has forced him to abandon the easy stuff he’s got in his back pocket, and it’s done him a world of good.
James’s VWaltz could be pleasant to watch if his ballroom technique has improved.
Somehow I have a feeling Amy will have had a breakthrough on her ATango and think she’ll pull a good one out of the bag. Too bad neither Amy nor Derek are the type to make a scene and break their stool over Len’s head when rants about it.
Can’t drum up any interest in Danica’s Tango. Everyone gets lousy songs to dance to and I was tired of her several weeks ago. So no sympathy to spare for her.
@LurkerB5
“#272 Ashley L – Actually, that “civilized” duel between Burr and Hamilton was literally to the death.”
I know. I was being facetious, or trying to. :/
I hadn’t actually pictured violence or anger at all in the dance duel. Being a glittery, tv show and all.
@Finley #445
Wasn’t it? The Wall had come down by those Olympics but the memories of that period…..
So strange to see my niece and nephew born years after the Cold War and having no idea what it was like before the Wall came down. Of course, we remember as it’s rearing its ugly head again. 🙁
Re: the updates. Sounds interesting and fun, except for Danica/Val’s tango. I hope it turns out better than predicted. Fingers crossed!
I actually think the thought of Meryl and Maks’ abuse themed dance is very smart. Who wouldn’t want to see Maks smacked for his past transgressions.
Also sounds like Amy and Candace are going to do well. It can always change when they go live but I hope for the best for all.
@Ashley L, lol at the “Who wouldn’t want to see Maks smacked for his past transgressions”. Well an abused theme dance is definitely playing to the unexpected for their rumba – I think personally I was bracing myself for one of those super lovey-dovey or sexed up rumbas that all the Maks/Meryl fans are looking forward to.
Ashley, it’s sad the way history keeps repeating itself.
Leeann, Maks is definitely playing against what’s expected by not trying to create ‘the greatest love story ever’ in his rumba. It was an easy home run. Choreograph a proper rumba = happy Len. Romance/Love story = happy CAI & Bruno & happy fan base. Whether he pulls off whatever he is trying for or not, I give him credit for trying something different instead of going back to same old well.
If anyone has earned a slap across the face… I know there have been times during previous seasons that I have wanted to crawl through my TV and slap that man across the face. With a tire iron. So, bring it, Meryl! Don’t hold back! This rumba might actually have something for everyone!
Why would Sharna put a tango in a quickstep???? I guess going by the rules hasn’t worked. Has she just had it with the judges that she just decided to cluck it all this week? I shouldn’t get my hopes up at all for Charlie. I just hope he stays. Charlie and Sharna need some Novocaine for the soul to make those insults bearable on live TV.
I’m not feeling any love for Danica either. I can’t seem to remember any of her dances. For all of the other couples, I do recall most of them. I wouldn’t be missing much if she left.
As for ROTF Rumba…just another creative way of messing about I guess. The pimping will continue. CAI and ALM will be at their most obnoxious selves in their flattery.
It should be an interesting one tonight.
PH, didn’t have time to read 436 comments on lunch break, and last week (my first week here) it was in the post so I didn’t know to check the comments. Thanks to #CC.
So, I just saw a bit of what looks like Meryl and Maks’ rumba on my local news and it looks like there’s a lot of throwing around. I said out loud, “That’s a rumba?!” I’m sure they’ll get a perfect score for it, though.
Wait, if my memory is correct, isn’t this the first time Sharna is choreographing a quickstep for the show? If so, I can see why she put in some tango.
I do hope Amy is doing well. Any news on her? Danica just tweeted a picture and I know pictures don’t always catch people in the best light, but Amy looks a little in pain and/or tired. Hope she’s ok!!
Also, so has it been made clear yet whether the duels are pitting the teams against each other or the teams get the same score? ABC was all like “Amy & Derek vs. James & Peta — Jive” so … guess we’ll find out tonight!
@Fancy, what channel/area was it on? Did they show anything of other couples too?
hm. throwing around? I thought there was a strict “no lifts” rule in rumba…
I am looking forward to all of the dances tonight, now that Disney, Party and Latin nights are done with. Will be most interested in the “duel” dances. PErhaps someone at ABC doesn’t know how to spell and meant “dual” instead of “duel”? Nah, didn’t think so.
As to Meryl/Maks’ dance which might be about domestic abuse, they did go to a ChildHelp USA awards luncheon last week, as he is involved with the charity. ChildHelp USA deals extensively with children that have been abused in a family situation, or abuse from people that they trust. (Disclaimer: I was a local volunteer for ChildHelp USA until local social services funding cuts forced ChildHelp to make the tough decision to focus on other areas of the country.) So the “historic” part of his tweet might be because causes haven’t perhaps been covered on DWTS? Or it could mean that he will have an history meltdown because ALM is there. 🙂 Or none of the above.
@Leeann, I’m in Chicago. It was on ABC 7 News. Apparently, the Stars on Ice tour was in town over the weekend and they got interviews with Meryl and Maks and Charlie and Sharna. I didn’t see any footage of Charlie and Sharna. I changed the channel.
And there were no lifts; Maks was kind of pushing/shoving Meryl onto the floor and I was like, okay. Maybe their story for their rumba is “wife getting the courage to leave abusive husband”. Maybe it’ll look better on the show. I don’t know. They’ll still get a perfect score, though.
Has Sharna lost her grip? There’s going your own way, and then there’s waving a red flag in front of a bull. Why would she put tango into the quickstep when she knows the judges always call Charlie out on every infraction(even when there aren’t any)?
Oh well. As long as he pulls off the technique, I’ll enjoy it and the chips can fall where they may.
The whole Maks/face slapping thing reminds me of the Hope Solo incident. And I do not mean that in a humorous way. It will be interesting how this Rumba will come across tonight. As for tonight’s elimination, I think it’s going to be Danica or James. I would hate for Mark to be eliminated in front of ABL!
I saw the insta pic as well. Obviously it could just be a bad picture, I mean we have all had them. Amy just didn’t look like her Purdy self 🙂
Hopefully the rest earlier in the week did her some good and she will come out with a fantastic routine!
#Fancy
I found it…
The whole travelling-geing tired thing seems to be getting to maks cause he was borderline jerk in the interview. But anyways, the problem with the dancing bit they show is that it doesnt really look like a rumba, its like the spin-off of their waltz-foxtrot from week 3. So maybe meryl wont de the nights perfect scorer.
About the abusive husband theme for rumba… I’d like to hear what Hope Solo thinks… Lol #justkidding
I just have a quick question for the mods….is 489 the most comments ever on a post? It must be right up there. I have been trying to keep up, but have to say I sort of thought…I’m not going to read all this. Of course, that was a fleeting though and here I am at the end…lol.
Whatthebuckshow has a fun interview with Charlie and Sharna on youtube. 🙂
Dear Courtney, Heidi and Vouge…..I promise I will be good and not post one line comments tonight. I know I was bad the last few weeks and posted like I was on Twitter…lol Sorry. I’ll behave.
Have you thought of a drinking game for tonight 😀 I opened a new bottle of wine. I’ve already started drinking it. I’ve watched ALM’s interview on ET :/
490 comments? Holy F*C!! Poster obviously had a TON to say following last week’s show.
Every appendage I have is crossed for Charlie but I’m prepping to watching tonight with a nice bottle of wine.
Will there be a drinking game? I don’t mind getting totally smashed after the weekend I’ve had.
I think the record is somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 comments on a post…I could be wrong though.
If you don’t have time to read the comments, DO NOT make a comment of your own. It’s called being polite.
@Courtney I believe said record was on the post in All-Star season when Giles was dubbed Douche Lord. We had cake, glitter and Boys of Summer happened.
Ahhhh yes – the “Playin’ with the Boys” thread. 😛
#474 Ashley L – Sorry! My bad… I’m usually better at picking up the snark *shameface for missing the obvious*