DWTS Season 19 – GMA Pro Watch!! (Live Blog)
Hi all!! Decided to start a new post because the other one was getting cluttered and would be hard to read for anyone coming back for the first time in a while. Click to read the old post.
I was watching GMA at the beginning and they teased nothing – which means I have to wait until they go to the first commercial. Boo.
ETA: Vogue here! GMA just said the announcement was soon coming. Will Derek Hough be back, they ask? We will soon find out!!
ETA: I’m back! They just teased it again, not mentioning any single pro, but showing Cheryl and Drew.
ETA: They just showed their play room with all the screens with big question marks and asked “Maks? Derek? Who will be back and what will their role be??”
ETA4: Okay, there are four pros in studio. I’m guessing Cheryl and Mark. Not sure of the other two. And then they show a child photo of Karina – I take it as she’s IN. They showed Maks/Meryl, Derek’s Ameska Macy’s and Cheryl/Drew – clues.
ETA5: Latest tease shows Derek and Jennie Garth and says 8:22 is the time for the reveal. Ask again about Derek and Maks’ role. Asked if they would be going “head to head”. Um, yeah, Derek is super competitive. :::rolls eyes:::
ETA6: Cheryl is in Studio and competing. Tony is in studio. Karina also in studio, along with Val. Switch up is back. Results show the first two weeks. Len gone for part of season. There will be some “guest judges”. COMMERCIAL/Local News Break.
ETA7: Next…Mark Ballas. See below for the rest. Can’t say I’m happy Derek is back. No vacay for Heidi. 🙂 I was typing as I went and just realized no Sharna. Kinda devastated about that. Also, no Gleb in the pro lineup despite his wife’s tweet. He must be back in the troupe.
The starting positions below are based on the individual pro’s status last season. Troupe is still unknown.
Male Pros for Season 19
Derek – IN
Val – IN
Tony -IN
Mark – IN
Keokantse Motsepe – IN
Artem – IN
Female Pros for Season 19
Cheryl – IN
Peta – IN
Karina – IN
Emma – IN
Witney – IN
Allison Holker – IN
Out for the Season
Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Likely out for good
Henry – OUT as Pro
Sharna – Out as Pro
Former Pros, Status Unknown
Tyne Steckline – Likely Out
Gleb Savchenko – Likely Out
Tristan MacManus – Pro on Strictly Come Dancing (UK)
Anna Trebunskaya
Louis Van Amstel
Kym Johnson – Judging Aussie version?
Lacey Schwimmer
Julianne Hough – on the list only because she didn’t rule it out like normal
The Troupe
Lindsay Arnold –
Sasha Farber –
Artem Chigvintsev –
Jenna Johnson –
Super Troupers, Past
Oksana Dmytrenko –
Kiki Nyemchek –
Nicole Volynets –
Ted Volynets –
Dasha Chesnokova –
Julian Tocker –
Potential Future Troupers??
Armen Way
Serge Onik
Tanisha Belnap
Marcquet Hill
Is this the first season there has been this much promo of the pros? I only started watching a few years ago. Kind of wonder how celebs will feel being more accessory than the main focus of the show.
I just want Cheryl back. And Karina. That is all.
And no Maks as a permanent judge. That will end it for me.
Well at least it’s refreshing to hear GMA focusing the attention on the return of Derek instead of the return of Maks. Hopefully Maks was given his parting gift last season and will be gone for good.
I’m actually nervous. I just had an unexpected thought and I know it doesn’t necessarily mean anything but I would die if Karina was not on. Can’t even fathom it. She hasn’t tweeted one thing about DWTS 19 recently and she tweeted a pic from a tropical locale, probably Hawaii 3 days ago. I figured she was getting in a little vacay before BWAT in Hawaii this weekend but then she won’t be in NY if that’s not a throwback pic which she didn’t say it was.
Okay, just got scared and had to get that off my chest. I’m hope it’s nothing. :/
Uh oh… Getting scared Maks may be a permanent weekly feature on the show this season. Better get my Barf bucket ready..
I’m on west coast so having to get all the live updates here with no visual until later this morning. I’m hanging on every update. Thanks ladies for your live play by play!
Sandy, just prepare yourself. I have no doubts in my mind that Maks is back in some role.:(
Looked like Karina in backdrop.. fingerscrossed.
Yes!!!
Def Karina in that child picture.
Does anyone know weather paul karmiryan is possibly part of the troupe or not?
We know they talked to him, Sara. But that’s about it.
I know I can’t see what you guys are seeing but why would they show a pic of Drew and Jennie, old partners? Wouldn’t you just show the pro?
Based on Lizzie Grubmans tweet, I’m guessing Val is one of the pros in the studio.
Uggh Tony!!!!
But, yay for Karina, Val, and Cheryl!!
I found it more interesting that they showed Derek’s “Ameska”. Hmmmm…..
Pleasantly surprised Cheryl is back this season.
I’m hoping Little Emma will on this season.
Well I’ll take guest judges as fillers for Len over a 4th judge any day.
Soo happy Witney is back!!
Stop… No Sharna?! I’m not really feeling this…
Witney and Emma… Yay!
Wow. No Sharna! Really surprised at that.
No sharna???????? Why??? I’m just happy that cheryl and karina as back, but seriously, Allison holker? Love her as a dancer, but she’s not even trained in ballroom. Atleast we’ll get some proper contemporary numbers.
We couldn’t see the announcement in NY. Will the video be up?
So happy about Derek, bummed about Sharna, but love Allison Holker.
Shocked at no Sharna! Why?
Can’t wait to hear if that was her decision to make or TPTB. How you keep Peta over Sharna is beyond me.
So happy for Karina, Witney, Emma and Cheryl! And happy for me to see Derek’s work again.
sharna!!!! come back! why?
…she was in detroit yesterday, aparently workng with the Shibs (as charlie as well …) could that be the reason?
Out of everyone I never thought of her not returning…. :((( so sad.
There are only a few pros that I am excited about this season. Somewhat disappointed.
So happy about Allison and Derek! Ecstatic!!
Kinda bummed about Sharna though 🙁
Gawd, I’m crushed on Sharna (are they crazy not to have her? what the??) and was hoping for Gleb. Hopefully they will be part of the troupe?
And yay for Derek and Allison…I hope we see these two paired in pro dances. Can you imagine?
Allison Holker?? Really?! I mean she is great, but this is a ballroom show……..
And why no Sharna?! I don’t get why they keep Peta and kick off Sharna. I just hope this was her decision and she will be back next season.
And I really don’t like Tony. Actually, I was hoping he wouldn’t be on..
I am very happy that Witney, Emma, Karina and Derek are back, though. But I don’t know, otherwise I am not too happy about the pro cast.
Does anybody know anything about the troupe?
This no Sharna thing is really bugging me. I hope Deep Throat can help explain or anyone that has info on why. I can’t imagine she wouldn’t want the national exposure and chose not be back. If it’s because TPTB didn’t ask her back, I’ll fill a complaint. Makes no sense.
I was so looking forward to seeing Sharna’s choreography again and personality. 🙁
Keo is amazing. He’s from Burn the Floor and we finally have a black pro! He’s South African.
maybe Sharna and Charlie not playing into the drama last season affected her chances.
Wow, very surprised (and very happy) to see that Derek is back. Also pleased to see Mark, Karina, Val, and Cheryl are returning. Bummed Sharna is missing. But who the heck is Keokantse Motsepe? Off to Google him. Thanks for the reporting, Vogue!
Sharna better not be demoted to the Troupe!!
All the raves she received for her work last season and everyone seems to like her. That would be absolutely nuts. I’d almost rather her be off doing her own thing than to think TPTB demoted her. I’m so baffled. I don’t know what to make of it.
Just checked out Keokantse on youtube. He is going to really shake up the male pros imo. I am surprised Derek is back. I thought he would be done with the show cuz he definitely doesn’t need it. Wonder what they have in mind for him this season.
Well, laura, ask yourself this…how much ballroom did we actually see last season. I am NOT happy with the direction the show is taking, in that there was a noticable decrease in standard ballroom last season. We saw what? ONE paso?? It’s annoying as hell. I guess if they are weighting it with more contemporary and jazz, they should have one of the best contemporary dancers included – one that HAS trained in AT, I believe. We’ll see how she does – I actually like her VERY much and if they’re going to go in that direction then she’s the one to go with. Not to mention that her and Derek dancing together is wonderful.
Yay, Derek is back. I just don’t know how he find the energy after last season and his Move tour. Does that mean Megan Fox will be his partner? He said that will seal the 🙂
They screwed over Henry…all those seasons in the troupe and one partner who wasn’t so good? Poor guy.
I’m really surprised that Derek’s back and REALLY pissed that Sharna isn’t!! Grr. That girl has mega talent. I hope she’s in the troupe, at least.
*seal the deal
Number 1: a big shout-out to everyone at PureDWTS for keeping those who were unable to see the pro announcement informed by tweeting updates- you guys rock!!!
Number 2: the pro choices this season are great of course (minus Tristan Mac Manus, but happy that he’s involved with the UK version), and in particular, i’m very curious to see how the new additions will fit in with the show.
one more thing, any reason why sharna isn’t invited back? thoughts? comments?
I agree with you Heidi. Allison is awesome at what she is trained in. I am just bummed the show is going in that direction… Totally agree with you there. But honestly they can’t give her contemporary, jazz etc every week with her celeb… How is she going to deal with ballroom? I don’t know, I would have liked it more if she would be on the troupe for one or two seasons to at least do a little bit of ballroom before she becomes pro. And maybe doing a little bit of choreography for pro contemporary numbers 😀 So I like her, just not where the show is going. Just my opinion.
I need to step away a second and go watch Sharna and Andy’s jazz routine. It’s the only medicine that will fix my sadness this morning. No Sharna.. BOO!!
Hopefully Emma and Witney will have great partners, as they will probably be my favorites this season.
Keo could be a surprise this season, I will wait to see his pairing and what he brings to the dancefloor. If all meshes, I may add him to my favorites as well. No matter how hard I try I always find myself rooting for the underdogs.
I honestly think Sharna choose to sit out because of the (aparent) shot at coreographing with Charlie in Detroit…. Or maybe because she got frustrated by the way she and Charlie got treated last season and needed a break….
Or because she and Charlie didn’t play their asigned role well enough they gave her a time out.
I am very upset.
At least Emma and Karina are back. Allison doesn’t tickle my imagination so far.
I am happy about Mark (and Val, but he was for sure anyway) too. I was expecting Derek to move on to grander things. I am looking forward to Keo and Artem.
Thank god keo is on he has been a fav of mine from btf he is so good so quick and fresh
No Sharna = big shock to me. Echoing everything said above, I’m just hoping it was her choice to sit this one out – lord knows I would after the royal screwing she & Charlie got last season.
Allison, I’m taking a big leap of faith by supporting you on this show, after how (rightfully) skeptical I was about Tyne – PUH-LEASE change my mind about how all the pros should be ballroom experts :-/ A least Derek has vetted you on multiple occasions.
South African accents are my favorite accent in the world, so I’m just excited about hearing Keokantse talk 🙂
They gave Karina the hard names, Artem Chigvintse and Keoikantse Motsepe! LOL
They had to bring boring Tony back didn’t they? EW.100% over him!!
I miss Kym Johnson. 🙁 And Sharna. But maybe she was busy with something else.
The switch up is back? No, why? Everyone was vocal on how much they hated it last season and they bring it back?
I dont think Gleb or Henry were ever really given a chance to prove themselves as pros, thats to bad. Also no Sharna too 🙁
Glad they gave Whitney another chance and hopefully Emma gets a contender this season.
Yay!! for Karina and Emma!!! I can only think that Sharna has some other wonderful opportunity that takes her away. I think recently I read a q&a session she had on tweet someone asked her if she was ever going to pursue acting and she said that she was and she IS.
Over all I think they did a good job of mixing some old favorites with some new excitement. Whitney has a certain “it” factor, and fromm my brief google/utube look, it appears that Keokantse might also have significant “it” factor.
Thanks PURE for all the things you do to make dwts fun!
I do love Allison. I just watched some video from her and Twitch’s wedding. Absolutely adorable. Having said that, I’m not happy about her on the show. I want ballroom dancers teaching ballroom. Is that too much to ask for? I don’t want Dancing Contemporary With The Stars.
If you start to erode the core dances on this show, Latin/American Rhythm and Standard/Smooth, in favor of other dance styles then you take away one of the very things that make the show unique.
Very happy about Karina, Emma and Witney. Sad and confused about the exclusion of Sharna. Bored about Tony. Happy we’ll see at least some of Len. Kinda divided on Derek. I’m glad I’ll get to see him dance and again every week on my TV, but I really think he should concentrate on his choreography.
Who do we think is in the the troupe this year? Im a bit bummed they didnt announce that this morning too! Im guessing gleb will be one of the though considering his wifes previous tweets! Im going with gleg henry lindsay and jenna
Before I could celebrate the “no return” of my least favorite dancer….No Sharna?? So ticked off 🙁 I hope that it wasn’t because she nor Charlie would play those crappy games that they love to play. Near kisses *rolling eyes*. 🙁
I’m guessing the troupe is going to be Gleb, Paul Karmiryan, Jenna, & Lindsay. I just think they have realized that Sasha is only useful to them if they have very, very short ladies in the cast 🙁
Allison is not trained in ballroom but most pros are in jazz or contemporary. I mean with the direction the show is going, can’t believe they kept Tony. Happy for her and Keo. Was hoping he would join and happy he is and kinda shocked Derek is coming back. Wonder if he got Macy’s again,
Tote, we want plenty of pro dances with Allison and Derek please! All we ask.
Thank you mods for all the updates and the live feed!
So is this the first time we will officially know a permanent judge has slept with a pro, lol?
ALLISON HOLKER?! ALLISON HOLKER?!?! SHE’S NOT A BALLROOM DANCER! How can you NOT bring Sharna back?!?! Allison intead of Sharna? I can’t believe this… Not happy not to see Henry, Sharna and Henry back. Bad decision the show made in my opinion… I hope the other changes won’t be as bad…
Can’t say I’m surprised with Allison being cast on the show considering the route that the show has headed. That being said, I will give her a chance. Then again, I also gave Tyne a chance.. and yeah.. But Tyne had Bill Nye so 😛 Anyways, the most exciting thing about this announcement is Keo (as I believe is what they call him and he will be called..?). I have always wondered why there never really were any African American pros to give the show a little more diversity so now that he is on I am pretty stoked to see what he’s got.
VERY, SEVERELY bummed that Sharna isn’t returning as a pro. But like Coutney said, I wouldn’t either after what they did to her and Charlie last season. Still not over that..
Very excited that Derek is back! Maybe I shouldn’t be.. but I can’t help it. The guy is a genius and seeing him dance every Monday night is always a pleasure.
Not surprised about Artem.. of course everyone saw that coming. Kinda hoped Tony would takr a break but.. guess not. Happy that Karina, Peta, Cheryl, Mark, Emma, Witney and Val are back.
So Len being gone for part of the season… Why do I get the feeling that we are going to still be seeing a whole lotta Maks.. Oh well, hope I’m mistaken. If they get some guest judges to take Len’s place can they please bring people who know at least something about dancing? (No Redfoos again please…).
Btw, I just wanted to quickly “LOL” at Val’s tweet: “I still got a job
Was GMA taped in NY or L.A. this morning?
KarenT, slept with two pros, related to one, bestie with another! Ya, that is credible.
#53 Kelly Also remember what other “incident” was hated even more than the switch up. If they are looking to pi$$ off fans even more, there is always that major disaster, Abby Lee.
Actually, I didn’t mind the switch up; it was the messed up twitter voting and the manipulated results that made me angry. I’m hoping for the dance duel again. Loved Amy & James and Candace & Charlie blew my mind!
No. Dammit, Derek. No. I was going to finally be done with this show. I wouldn’t have to deal with the BS that comes with it. My Mondays were going to be a breeze. Then, Derek decides to come back. Gah. Dammit.
@ Judy
I think Karent meant Carrie Anne and Artem. They were in a relationship a few years back. I think it lasted a few years if I’m not mistaken. So yep….gross and awkward for the viewer!
Excited to see Keo. I just watched him on youtube. How perfect if they paired him with Carla Hall, for me. 🙂
I’ll give Allison a shot but no ballroom background at all? That’s the foundation of the show. We’ll see how it goes.
Someone on Twitter seems to know Henry is in the Troupe.
GMA is always live. It came from NYC today.
Super exited about Allison, I think she will be great. She is VERY hardworking, and I bet she is practicing samba/rumba right now.
@CC – On the topic of why there hasn’t been an African-American pro on DWTS yet: I wasn’t going to weigh in on this, but I feel like the general impression amongst some of the fans is that this has been a deliberate oversight on the part of TPTB for many years…and I really don’t think that’s the case. In reality, there just aren’t a ton of African American ballroom pros – and only one of them (Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine) is semi-well-known Stateside. The few I’ve met have either been from Haiti or South Africa, and their interests seem to lie more in teaching in their home countries or competing internationally (in Emmanuel’s case). I’m guessing that DWTS probably pursued Keokantse, rather than the other way around. I’m seeing more African American ballroom dancers now than I did ten years ago, and hopefully Keokantse doing DWTS will help generate even more interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Marcquet from SYTYCD popping up in the troupe in the next few seasons, either. Now we just need to see an Asian pro (maybe Victor Fung? :-)) on DWTS and we’ll have all the continents (minus Antarctica) represented on the show. 🙂
#65 Judy, three pros. Let’s not forget his long time FWB relationship with Cheryl.
Thx Ashley! Didn’t think of that although I know he has a colourful past!
Very pleased about Artem. I would have swapped Sharna for Peta and would’ve liked Tony to take a (permanent) break making space for Gleb. I like Allison, but am sad the show is moving ever further from its roots. Really looking forward to seeing Keo – loved him in BTF. I really, really don’t want Maks in for Len during his break.
LOL at all that hot air surrounding Maksim being judge #4. I don’t know who was worse, those obsessed fans or his publicist with her teasing tweet yesterday…. all for naught.
Sharna will surely be missed, but I am not disappointed in the pro list.
I’m just happy Derek & Mark are back.
I think it’s funny that Val was the one to introduce Derek. I am on the fence with some of the pros, but will take a wait & see approach. I think it will depend on the celeb partner & how they mesh. I should be wishing that Derek was on to bigger things, but selfishly glad he is back.
And who is Tony sleeping with that they keep bringing him back? lol
Oh and ditto about Sharna. Would have much rather seen her over Peta. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of her.
I am really pissed about Sharna. I don’t think that she opted out this season because the last time she was asked if she was coming back as a pro she said that they will know this coming Wednesday on GMA. She was the only one now asked from the pros last season and whose choreos are good and different.
I am wondering if it is because she was very outspoken about the judging and the producers did not like that. I guess they did not like that she and Charlie would not go with the flow and the script. MAD!!!!!
Well, at least she will be kept busy choreographing.
Really surprised at Derek coming back. This is awesome!!! Allison is a big surprise.
I really hope they have an interview with Sharna so we can find out. I automatically assumed she would be on this season. She is an amazing choreographer. I hope she has better things lined up. For how she was treated with Charlie, I’m sure there was more behind the scenes than what we were led to believe.
Part of me did wish that she’d move on to other things on her own terms due to the nonsense she had to go through, week after week, with the judges. For someone, who puts in their heart and soul into choreography, being unfairly mistreated for your work is a demoralizing blow.
She is clearly a talented, smart and beautiful dancer who will encounter success in whatever she does.
Give Tony a freaking break, my God. I know he’s the one that got a lot of the pros on the show (I think I saw someone say that here on Pure a while back) but good lord…
I agree with everyone about Sharna. I’m so bummed she’s not back this season.
Love Allison, but NO! She is NOT a ballroom dancer and I hate the emphasis the show will obviously be putting on contemporary and jazz. Bleh! Not happy they went with Allison and threw Sharna to the curb… (grumble grumble bitch moan)
Sharna’s boyfriend Paul Kirkland just tweeted that he was lost for words. It sounds like Sharna must be surprised by this too. This is terrible, if true. 🙁
Wow, great cast of pros!!!
Shocked his back but I love me some Derek Hough -he is so on a roll!! The book tour, MOVE- He’s quickly becoming on of the hardest working men in the biz!! & am so looking forward to his creations this season..
Congrats Allison& Keokantse Motsepe(really excited about his addition to the show) I don’t know him but Im just happy to see a black/African male pro on the show!!
I can’t help but wonder that if Sharna didn’t decide on her own to not come back if this is a clear message to the pros – play our way, or don’t play at all? What a shame. She and Charlie were great.
I’m actually really excited about Allison, and yay finally a minority representation on the pros – but I do agree with Courtney, it probably had a lot to do with the dearth of African-American professional ballroom dancers rather than purposeful or accidental oversight. Glad to see they made a concerted effort for this, and while I’m not familiar with him I do look forward to seeing what he can do.
And Derek. Wow. How will he top last season? Crazy. But I’m glad for him and Mark and Karina all being there, and a little surprised that Cheryl is back too.
Ugh, Artem. There’s about 2245325 other pros that I’d rather give a shot to, but oh well. I guess he can only rise above my rock-bottom expectations and maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
#kate
would they really do that? Let her hanging like this? Tell her only live on Gma? That is very cruel if that is how the show works…
LOL Fancy #67. I was thinking the same thing especially hearing Maks would be judging. Now I’m hooked again, thanks to Derek.
#78 PJ. Tony must have kiss a lot of producers behind. I’m going to move away from my TV when he’s on.
#87
Here is one such example…
After they did the double elimination in extremely poor taste, where Diana Nyad had to ask if she could do the dance that she practiced after she got eliminated, I don’t put anything past them.
@Courtney Thanks for the insight on the topic 🙂 I figured that that was partly the case. It would be nice to see all different races of pros on the show! haha .. as a Hispanic, I would love to see some Latinos being pros as well. Though I guess my wish did come true some years ago when Fabian Sanchez was a pro. And I think there have been others that I just don’t know since I didn’t watch the show back then.
@#84Kate1 If he tweeted that then it must mean they didn’t want Sharna back which makes me wonder why… Such a bad move to not have her back.. Sigh :\
I think the pros who are on this season signed contracts and knew they were doing the show. I would think the ones who are not on must have known because they knew the announcement was happening today and they knew they did not have a contract.
People on twitter always think they know stuff. Maks fans were pretty sure today was going to be all about Maks.
The new pros might be fun. I’m unsure about Alison Holker but I ended up really liking Tyne. I’m disappointed Sharna isn’t back either. She was great last season. I wish they would give Lindsay & Sasha another chance. I liked both of them when they were on. Wow, I’m surprised Henry isn’t a pro again. He’s been on the show for a pretty long time in some capacity or another.
I have a hard time believing Sharna is “busy with something else”. Derek is the ultimate in “busy” and he manages to find himself back on the show (not totally happy about that), so why can’t Sharna. I would completely understand if she wanted to sit one out after getting totally HOSED by the producers and judges last season. She did better with Charlie than Maks did with Meryl and NOTHING in the show acknowledged that.
CAI has been with Tony, once upon a time, as well.
Well, PJ, you never know. Last two seasons Derek was working up a book AND working up a 48 show tour with Julianne. If he’s ONLY doing DWTS this season, it will be like a vacation.
And I hate, Lurker, when people draw lines like that. It is not Allison’s fault that Sharna isn’t on the show this season any more than it was Derek’s fault LAST season that Tristan wasn’t on. That’s silly.
Did they recruit Allison to bring back Derek?
I don’t care about Allison, and intrigued to see what Keo will bring.
Never warmed to Sharna, no love lost.
I like all pros recruited this season.
Disappointed this morning….would rather see Sharna over Peta. i have seen Sharna dance in person and she is awesome. I would like to have seen Gleb as a Pro, especially replacing Tony. There could be an older woman who requested Tony is all I can think of, he is past his time. If a celebrity requests someone, they usually accommodate even though they say they do not.
Interesting nothing was said about a Troupe, I hope they will do something different with them.
The rest of the Pro’s will be great….I have to do a wait and see with Artem.
#92 Heidi, I really like the ones who thought it would be about Meryl coming back to dance with Maks in some capacity. Yes let’s take the focus off the new season and the new celebrities to feed the shippers and the Lizzie Grubman PR machine!
#100 Donna, Haha those shippers really thought this was going to be about Maks & Meryl? Those people really are delusional.
I get the feeling Sharna was blindsided as much this season as Tristan was last season. Sadly both of them brought a lot of adult class to the show and have been passed over.
I’m not excited to see dull Tony with the snippy attitude or Peta and her lady parts again. I’m not really sure what either adds to the show. I know the show gave a lot of hints last season that they thought Sharna wasn’t bringing out the best in Charlie but I’m still surprised she’s not back.
I think all of us that would rather see Tony replaced with Gleb, Henry, or a hundred other pros will just have to accept that Tony will have a spot until he doesn’t want one. He’s on strong terms with TPTB and they’ve pretty much made it clear that Tony will always be a part of their lineup if he wants it.
So let’s hope that someday Tony decides to retire 🙂
Actually, as one of this site’s most fervent anti-Tony folks, I didn’t mind him so much last season. I thought he tried really hard with NeNe and even his admission that he was insecure about the Derek/NeNe dynamic was a good thing, not a negative. So if he keeps at least trying to step up his choreography then I might find him more tolerable. But I’d still take most any of the other pros 😛
I wonder if they are replacing other Troupe members or if they’re just swapping Artem for Gleb?
I mean if they are taking Henry off of Pro why would you stick him back in the Troupe again and same with Sasha and Lindsay when they can pick new blood for potential pros for the Troupe line-up.
Not sure when they announce the troupe members but happy Gleb is back if they plan on making him a pro soon.
Poor Sharna! After last season I thought she would be a lock!
so per her recent tweet we can confirm it wasn’t Sharna’s decision to stay away… very sad. she really did bring it!
I’m also bummed because now there are 4 blondies on the troupe. It would have been nice to have a bit more mix.
Would it be obnoxious to ask for a special Sharna post so we can show tptb how we feel and why she’s such a needed member of the pro cast?
Okay, I know, I’ll go away now.
#101 Carolyn, oh yes! I’ve seen them suggest her and Maks dancing on the premiere, having her replace Erin and making her a pro among other ways to have her back on this season. It’s crazy!
They really need to dial back on the crazy, I swear.
LOL@ #108…have to give those shippers an A+ for creativity. 😀
I’m really curious who the celebs are now, especially for Derek. And Tony said that switch up week was going to back. The producers must have thought that was a hit. I wonder if they have new plans for the switch up voting situation than trusty old twitter LOL. 🙂
I’m so torn on how to feel about the pro announcement. For one, I’m happy to see Derek every week but I just wish he would move on. I wonder who he has or what they did to reel him in for another season in which he can find ways to grow personally and creatively.
Like everybody else, I’m heartbroken that Sharna isn’t a pro. I think she’s the only person who can really keep up with Derek creatively.
I absolutely love that Allison Holker is a pro though. I’ve loved her since she was first on SYTYCD. Personally, I think she’ll really be able to hack it as a pro. I think she can really teach as well as choreograph. Really hoping that she lasts more than a few weeks.
I have never seen a more delusional bunch of people than the Maksyl shippers. If it were up to them, M&M would have a whole new TV show just for them.
Replace Erin with Meryl? Darn, I don’t like Erin’s voice but Meryls’
squeaky voice drives me nuts!
Oh gma, try to make a competition between Maks and Derek but Derek doesn’t care and it is lopsided with Derek clearly winning. No real competition.
I don’t see Allison taking Sharna’s spot. It isn’t black and white like that but I would prefer Sharna over Witney. She still mugs too much. Heck I would rather they give Brittany Cherry a spot as the young female pro. Allison will be fine with jazz and contemporary and she did do a lovely Argentine tango on sytycd. But this show isn’t strictly ballroom as much anymore or a real dance competition. I also just hope we see tons of pro dances with Derek and Allison.
I am impressed again by .derek. Haters can say what they want but he will have gone non stop for how long now? Sell out tour, book, four seasons to the finals.
Oh these shippers, I am so glad season 18 is over. I don’t care if I ever see team M&M ever again. Wasn’t it enough that TPTB gave them everything they wanted??? What more can they do??
Anyhow, shippers should rejoice… Maksim and Meryl have plenty of free time to plan their grand royal wedding now, in their blind rage they forgot about that!!!
Sharna’s boyfriend has been saying some very interesting things on twitter today…..Looks like she did not have a clue about her being removed from the pro list.
Wow, Paul Kirkland’s twitter is an eye-opener. She obviously didn’t play the game TPTB wanted and spoke openly about it. This is payback apparently, that is awful. Sharna is one of the best choreographers and a breath of fresh air.
Sorry PH – didn’t mean to imply in any way it was Allison’s fault. It’s a gig for her, and a *good* one. The “they” I’m grumbling about are TPTB, not the talent. Sorry for the misunderstanding
Nor did I mean to imply it was a one-for-one deal. I was really trying to express 2 different complains in one sentence, and that totally got mashed up…
Yes, Paul sure has been saying a lot this morning. I just don’t want him to go too far to where she can’t ever be asked back.
It’s okay, Lurker – I just saw sooo much bullshit on twitter last season with delusional Tristan fans trying to pin his absence on Derek. Um, hello?? Derek’s not had a season off since Season 12. If that argument (one pro replacing another) was actually logical, you should be point your fingers at a pro who’s been off for a couple seasons (Maks) or a pro who is brand new (Henry).
The stupidity I see on twitter offends me on a near daily basis and sometimes I read something that looks similar here and argh. 🙂
#119
I feel bad for Paul. It is obvious he loves her a lot and is hurt by this decision. I agree with keeping his feelings off social media. The media loves to run with that sort of thing and make up lies.
Wow. Paul is really spitting mad and I don’t blame him. I guess the
producers really did not like Sharna standing up for her celeb, herself and Peta last season. I feel really bad for her.
I hope she gets more offers for choreographing instead or go do something else with Paul.
I am thinking this will probably be Derek’s last season (although you never know with that guy)since he and Julianne are supposedly doing their tour next summer again so I doubt he will want to do Season 20 which if he goes all the way would put him into the end of May like this year and then he would be running right to the tour. Just my opinion as D-man likes being at full tilt all the time.
But they’ll let Val’s brother back on the show after abusing women and talking smack about the producers. Welcome to showbiz. Sigh.
LOL…when you talk about stupidity, it happens. I made the mistake of looking at DWTS searches in twitter and there are a couple of real intellects saying that DEREK stole Henry’s spot on the show. Um…what? Derek has been on the show since Season 5. Henry…not so much. You’re not pointing fingers at Artem or Keo?? Cuz you dumb, that’s why.
Hahaha, Derek stole Henry’s spot….um, who has an Emmy and another Emmy nomination this year? Twitter has introduced me to the most delusional people ever.
Henry deserved a spot but I kinda love the lineup of pros we got (with the exception of no Sharna of course. In a perfect world, I would have 14 contestants and Sharna and Henry would be there but maybe next season one or both will be back.
If anyone took Henry’s spot it was Artem or Tony.
How can Derek have stolen Henry’s spot when last season each of them had their own spot? Faulty logic if I ever saw one.
Henry is not that popular and really if Tony despite lackluster choreo and cannot do a decent jazz or contemporary is still on the show yet Derek stole
Henry’s spot? Sounds like Henry with that type of entitled attitude. Get over yourselves fans.
As for ?Sharna, I always love that she outspoken. Loved when she said Jason Gilkinson and her on sytycd when they worked with Witney pointed out her immaturity. Maybe that has helped Witney. She is frank but not rude. Unfortunate if that is the case.
I hope Henry isn’t on the troupe. I want to see Paul instead. More charisma and not a douche.
I didn’t think Derek would be back, but Yes! I’m watching!
I don’t even care who judges anymore. I’m just thrilled the best is back.
I bet the pros already know who their partners are.
If TPTB snubbed Sharna this season for not following the narrative last season, then I doubt she’s gonna be back – regardless of what she and/or her bf might be saying on Twitter. So I say to hell with being professional – there’s something awfully romantic about Paul standing up for his girl on Twitter. I hereby nominate Paul Kirkland as the first ever PureDWTS “Hump Day Hottie” for being Sharna’s ride-or-die guy. 😎 Who’s with me?
This probably isn’t a popular opinion, but I’m just fine with Henry not being a pro this season. Has nothing to do with how he was with Diana, has nothing to do with who he hangs out with, has nothing to do with how he was in the troupe – and has everything to do with something he said to someone I hold in very high regard. Let’s just say I’m pretty sure I saw his true colors…and they weren’t pretty.
If that is an unpopular opinion, then I am with fine with Henry being out. Since he was on troupe stealth douche and now I am curious. Not surprised and glad to hear about it.
Paul’s tweets are fun to read and raises questions. Adding Allison who I love would be the right choice if they want sytycd fans bc she is one of their dancers. Name wise and all. Like her and twitch are the dance couple. But funny with all the amazing ballroom guys like Pasha and Anya to Ryan that Allison is a pro.
Paul’s tweets about Sharna choreographing for others is also curious. I wonder whose dances. I can’t help but wonder about Maks and the familia bc they are the least cross trained of the current pros.
#133, Courtney, I am not sure if I saw his true colors or not but I never really enjoyed Henry’s dancing. So I guess I am on your side of the unpopular opinion.
I am also so happy to see Sharna’s man supporting her.
This season is already starting off interesting and we have not even seen anyone dance yet.
I mentioned last season that I thought Sharna choreographed Maks contemporary routines, and I still believe that.
I think Maks definitely got help if not outright had Sharna do those routines.
Allison went to the same dance school as the Houghs, Schwimmers, Chelsie among others. That is a ballroom dance school so I am sure Allison is already a step above Tyne in terms of ballroom. Allison also has choreography experience as well and does terrific partner work.
In the end good to bring on new faces but why keep Tony. Unless they keep him for the more Nene types.
133 I’m with you Courtney. Paul is indeed the Hump Day Hottie. 🙂 He is so protective of Sharna.
I agree. It is a done deal if they treated her this way and she is most likely not coming back on the show. I don’t see her being on the troupe either. I’m intrigued by his tweets too. I can’t wait for an interview to show up with Sharna. Hopefully, that will shed some light on this shocking situation.
Hump Day Hottie!
Hahahaha……..the best. Yes, that’s a real man. he has my vote!
Oh Court! Interesting.
@ Rose1
I will say, and given her talent for choreography I absolutely believe, Paul said Sharna choreographed half of other pros routines besides her own. Nothing wrong with getting help from a talent like Sharna but I didn’t buy that all of a sudden Peta discovered new and better choreography that she hasn’t been able to do all of the seasons she’s been on. And I can see Sharna helping with Maks’ contemporary also. Doesn’t mean she did but just defies logic for me that they came up with it out of the blue. She’s a good friend and great choreographer with a great man in her life.
You owe me an email dish after that comment, Miss Courtney. 😀
Re: choreo for others, I’d guess Sharna choreographed some of the Maks/Meryl numbers, or at least assisted in some way — they were on the road together for a good part of the season on Stars on Ice.
I would guess Derek knows that being on the show will help him promote the book, and possibly another tour next year, so I’d guess he would continue this season, and possibly next, if he’s going to do another tour with Julianne in summer 2015.
I think Allison will be better than Tyne, but I’m sorry that Sharna won’t be there. I wonder if they’ll try to have Sharna in the troupe, or if she will flee to the UK/Aussie versions of the show like Kym and Tristan.
Ashley1, I didn’t consider Sharna helping Peta too, but they are good friends so it makes sense although there was much less opportunity to help Peta than there was to help Maks since she and Charlie traveled and practiced in the same location on the road as Maks and Meryl for the greater part of the season. When I watched several of the MnM dances I thought no way did he choreograph them. Also why I thought it was very interesting that people were clammoring for an Emmy nod for the freestyle. Would have been interesting.
I forgot about Sharna and Maks both on the road with Charlie and Maks. Makes sense and would explain a lot choreo wise for Maks though there was tons of the usual posing and wasting measures walking around. But the contemporary rumba is one that is not his style. Wouldn’t surprise me. That does add something regarding the Emmy noms. But if Sharna did help Maks, she would have submitted her name for Emmy consideration. Same thing when Nick and Wendy helped Cheryl for two of her dances that were nominated.
I am both happy and sad that Derek is back. I would miss seeing him each week. He has grown so much and his choreography is undeniably fabulous, unless you are a fam shipper. They just aren’t logical. In regards to Derek, I think he looks at all aspects of what he is doing and made the choice to dance based on his over-all vision. I have no doubt that he will give each season a lot of thought and one day will be the end, and all the guessing, reading between the lines, and just general others ways of trying to figure out what he is thinking and planning will suddenly make sense. I hope he will continue to work with Stars of Macy.
I too am heartbroken about Sharna. I think she shows much of individuality, and creative choreographing that imitates much of Derek in female form. I think she wore her feelings on her sleeve last season and that might have hurt her. I wish that she would have been on instead of Peta, who I view as doing the same thing season after season. I will say it will be interesting whose choreography (cough, cough Peta) takes a step backward this season, and maybe others as well. I think Sharna and Charlie stood by their convictions last season and expressed what many viewers were thinking. However, I hope she takes a look at what Derek does with the shippers, haters, and judges and perhaps makes that a part of her strategy should she come back to DWTS or in any future endeavor.
I know this is long, but I have one more comment well two actually. I will miss Sasha. Secondly, and unrelated I watched the After Buzz shows last season. Henry made some comments that I thought were not based on the facts and critical of a pro or pro’s that did not match with what we saw on TV. It seemed to me that he has become a part of “the fam” and his comments reflected that. Okay that is all I am going to say.
@Rose1
True. Yea, I don’t know how that would work or if you’d be able to submit for an Emmy for a routine you didn’t choreograph or had help with anyway without naming all involved. I’m sure there must be some rules somewhere.
Oh well. On to the new season. I’m excited to see who the celebs will be and meet this new Keo gentleman. I like new faces from new places!
Well, I brought this up before but Henry became a huge douchbag once he became a Pro last season. When I was rallying for him to be a Pro prior to last season, like two years ago, he followed me on Twitter, he’d reply back when I’d tweet him…etc. Noticed last season, he unfollowed me on Twitter and no longer responds to the ‘little people’. Nice huh? Kinda goes along with Courtney’s comment..and tbh,, it doesn’t surprise me. So no I’m not sad to see that he wasn’t made a Pro this season. Buh bye! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
Glad Derek is back, for my own selfish reasons. I like what he brings to the show. His choreo is top notch followed closely by Val and Mark. Wish Tony would’ve been left out..he’s boring.
Bummed about Sharna being left out. Major bummed! Wish Cheryl could’ve sat out a season…it’s time, I think. She’s been on since season 2. Looking forward to seeing Allison Holker!!! I adore her! Ever since Derek used her for that AT routine! Wowza! I admit, I don’t watch SYTYCD. I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do! I hope Witney is given a partner who is of legal age and not a teen heart throb again. She impressed me during Switch Week. Speaking of that, I think Tony didn’t like switch week because (as usual) he was shown up by Derek! 😮 Danica got the short end of the stick there with the subpar choreo from MC but I digress……
Anyway…I look forward to a great season! This is by far my favorite show currently on TV…..and I thank Courtney, Vogue, Heidi and the rest of the crew here for all their hard work. Even though us PureDWTS fans are called haters by fans of “the Fam”….gotta love that 😀
Court I am so with you on Paul and Henry!!! DITTO!!
Also, for those that need to express how you feel on Sharna and send her some love, see this post….
https://www.puredwts.com/2014/08/13/express-yourself-we-love-and-will-miss-sharna-burgess-on-dwts-and-heres-why/
There is a reason why some of the Pros are back, and one of the most likely is because after TPTB had their official list of Celebrate Stars, they had to match them up with the Pro Dancers. I actually think it weighs heavier on who the celebrate are than just choosing which Pro Dancers they want on the show. Granted they added a few new Pro faces, who evidently are a good fit for a few on the celebrate list. I too would have liked to see Gleb in Tony’s place, but you never know who is going to be his match.
I think the list of Pro Dancers is good and can’t wait to find out their partners are on Sept. 4th.
4 weeks and 2 days ’till SHOWTIME, getting more and more exited!!! 🙂
I’d love to hear the full scoop re who gets major help with choreographing. I think it makes sense that friends put their heads together and help each other out, through blocks etc. But if there are people who just don’t really have choreo as a strength, it would be nice to know about that. Give those who choreograph the credit and let the ones who aren’t so good at it just get the credit for being a good dancer or teacher or whatever it is that keeps them on the show.
Can I start by saying YES I AM SO EXCITED OR ALLISON TO BE ON THE SHOW! but again, they must have offered Derek something great ha
I’m also sad that Henry was demoted back to the troupe, I thought he was great as a pro for the celeb he had on his first season
Male Pros for Season 19
Derek – IN – They must have offered him something good
Val – IN – Happy for him, he’s a good choreographer
Tony -IN – Meh
Mark – IN – Hope we see fun Mark again
Keokantse Motsepe – IN – never heard of him b
Artem – IN – I’ve never seen him on SCD so I hope he’s great
Female Pros for Season 19
Cheryl – IN – Happy for her, I been loving her for the past few seasons
Peta – IN – Figured she would be
Karina – IN – LOVE LOVE LOVE. My favorite female pro
Emma – IN – Again, LOVE THIS! I love Emma
Witney – IN – I think she did great with Cody.
Allison Holker – IN – SO HAPPY! I’ve been wanting her on forever!
I’m guessing the Henry issue was when he mentioned a certain celebrity’s “feet” were automatically pointed vs. the ice dancer who trained in boots and, therefore, didn’t have that “advantage.”
I don’t know. That is stuff Henry said publicly. I have a feeling Courtney is referring to something much deeper and disturbing and was something said to someone either in private but certainly off-camera and maybe off-show which is why she can’t say what it is without exposing her highly regarded source.
Hi all, I’m dipping a toe back in after taking the Summer off, but I already fear I might regret it. There was precious little ballroom last season, and it looks like they’re going to keep driving the bus down that road. Not sure how much longer I’m willing to stay on the bus.
Sharna getting backhanded by TPTB has me spitting bullets. It’s becoming painfully obvious they only want pros they can control and manipulate, or who are willing to play along with their games. (Of course, they’ll take Derek any way they can get him — they know he’s the honey on their increasingly stale piece of toast.)
As for Derek coming back, I’m so torn. It’s always a treat to see him dance and watch him create magic with his celeb; but how can he continue to associate with the low-lifes who run this show?
Glad Emma and Karina are back.
Of the newbies, Keo interests me a lot. I hope they give him someone who has staying power. Allison is an amazing dancer, and I’ll give her a chance to show me her range. Artem makes my skin crawl (sadly, that makes him a perfect fit for DWTS these days).
The DVR will definitely get a workout this fall because I’m not sure how much of this show I can watch live anymore.
Ah Cidra, I have missed u. Hopefully we can find a special couple(or couples) to marvel at and pull for. (Last season left a bitter taste for such a long time.) I am hoping that this season offers some good surprises.
I am upset about Sharna not being one of the teaching pros. But, there must be more about that than we know.
So, I figure it is what it is. And I intend to watch Season 19 with as much enthusiasm as I did Season 1. I can’t wait for September 15th! Almost time to go through the ballroom door and see what will be inside. Surprises for sure, spectacles, and more!
Well, IF the problem with Sharna is some of the things she said last season….how do you explain Maks?? All the things he’s said over the years – don’t forget, he hasn’t just dissed Derek, but the show. He said all kinds of bad things about it at the end of S16 before S17. I’m sure someone with a better memory can list it, but he pretty much said it was a stupid show and he was over it. Then just recently he said that the show has run out of “real” celebrities. If Sharna got sat out…well, I guess you can say that perhaps that’s why we didn’t see Maks during Seasons 16 and 17. Maybe TPTB DO try to teach them a lesson.
Oh wow… Henry said something? I thought he was screwed over, but if something’s happened… who knows.
If I were Sharna, I wouldn’t come back after being pretty much dumped like how she has been.
I have a gut feeling that Sharna didn’t request sitting out based on the tweets that Paul made this morning (btw good for him for sticking up for her)
I knew that they were interviewing some past/present pros with the new producer coming in but I figured if anything, Cheryl would have been the one sitting out if they were to get a new female pro.
We don’t actually know who is in the troupe yet, FYI. Kristyn Burtt tweeted recently and said none of the troupe have been informed.
Henry’s comment on afterbuzz about Amy having perfectly pointed feet for her jive was a final nail on the coffin of my dislike for him. No, makes you sound worse than Julz and that is something. Thankfully Jake will be back per Kristyn on afterbuzz,
Maks said the show was a joke when he sat out and happy to be done with it. Not to mention all those obnoxious tweets whenever his familia lost. Just poor sports. Then he comes back with demands and gets handed a win.
What Paul has said is nothing compared to what Maks or what the DWM tweets in support of their fam.
Derek’s working in all aspects of Hollywood…he’s in contact with lowlifes on a daily basis, there’s no avoiding it. 🙂 After listening to him talk all summer, and reading his book, he just looks for the best in everyone. And the creative outlet out weighs (for now) the seedier sides of the biz, I think.
Am I reading Paul’s tweets correctly? Is he saying one reason Sharna wasn’t asked back is her lower number of twitter followers? Is he saying the show is relating twitter popularity with being a popular and/or talented pro?
I’m heartbroken to see Sharna won’t be part of S19! :’( She quickly became my fave female pro. Her creativity, her passion, her no-nonsense attitude, and that awesome hair…She’s irreplaceable imo. It makes me think, damn, did she piss of the producers that much last season when she & Charlie refused to give them drama? I hope she knows she did an incredible job and she should be proud of what she accomplished. Not everyone has her intelligence and vision. I hope this was her own decision that she needs a break from TPTB bullsh*t, but looking at her boyfriend’s tweets, it seems like the decision was a surprise and it stung 🙁 I can only hope we’ll still see her do a few bumpers. And she’s working with Charlie in Detroit right? Maybe she’ll find other choreographing opportunities during this season. She’ll be sorely missed. (Sidenote: I love seeing Sharna, Karina, & Cheryl as centerpieces for pro numbers, but now there’s too many blonde pros now. Meh. I hope Allison goes back to brunette)
I hate to think that one pro was chosen over another, but as for the question of “why Peta over Sharna?”, had me thinking. I don’t think one was chosen over another since they both had pro spots last season. I think Peta stays though because she’s willing to play the role as the bombshell of the ballroom. Sharna on the other hand isn’t about playing any roles. So keep the pro that’s easier to control.
I’m selfishly happy Derek is back, not only because of his choreographic genius, but because of the positive energy and attitude he brings to the show. I’d miss that so much. I wondered what celebrity could possibly lure him back after such an incredible season. But here’s something I just realized: Derek knows he’ll never have another Season like he did with Amy. But he doesn’t like to compare seasons/partners anyway, and he’s always open to a new, different experience. Every partnership for him is unique and special. So for season 19, despite what I assume to be a crazy busy schedule with all his opportunities he’s working out, he’ll still give his all to his partner and make something memorable happen.
It seriously bugs me that Allison was chosen to be a pro. She is an excellent contemporary dancer, but it seems insulting to pick her over true ballroom professionals who have trained their whole lives in the genre just because she happened to “pick up” ballroom Especially when many of those ballroom specialists have training in contemporary and jazz as well.
This
Allison Holker is a step above Tyne in many ways and I think she’ll be great. I think she has said before that she’s had experience in ballroom – obviously not as much as others but it’s there.
I wish Cheryl had sat out so Sharna could be in. She hasn’t had a break in a while.
I feel bad for Sasha but he’s boring. I think the new guys bring something different to the table. I also think Henry is boring but I really don’t feel sorry for him. I love when Courtney pulls out some behind the scenes dram….
I hope the troupe is Sharna, Jenna, Paul, and Gleb. And Lindsay thrown in there if they’ll let her. Based off Paul’s tweets – it sounds like they didn’t even directly tell them. So Sharna watched that pro announcement and was like “what the f just happened” like the rest of us did.That’s so freaking shady!! Hate on Nigel all you want but he’d never do that to his people lol.
Speaking of sytycd – we should totally just do a full swap of Sharna for Allison…, would love to see her over there again. And Allison will be on sytycd as an allstar so I’m also curious what mr lythgoe has to say about this.
I don’t know how he could know that, Karen. He might be speculating…or just lashing out in general.
Twitter is a “relative” indication of popularity, but it doesn’t indicate who will get *votes*. Problem with using it as a measure of popularity is that the number of followers is tied to the length of time you’ve actually been in the public eye OR on twitter. Can’t really compare Sharna to, say, Cheryl because Cheryl’s been on forever and has had more time to accumulate followers. Then there’s the fact that Cheryl and Karina certainly appear to have bought followers, unlike Derek, Maks, Mark and the other guys. People actually watch the followers pretty closely and lots noticed when Cheryl jumped by 50k followers in less than 2 days. Same for Karina. Compare that to Derek, Mark and Maks who seem to gain followers at a steady rate during the season and then level off in in the off season. So, you always have to keep that in mind as well.
I’m happy for Derek and sick about Sharna. She is my favorite female pro. That woman is an incredible choreographer and should be a permanent pro on the show.
Heidi, I absolutely agree with your assessment of last season’s dances… bring back the Paso!!!!
#162, 166
I feel like Paul just tweeted that in the heat of the moment. But I wouldn’t put it past the TPTB to have some ridiculous criteria to go by either. They seem to hold twitter in high regard when it comes to voting LOL.
PH I agree completely. I just wondered why Paul pulled out twitter to talk about and considered the possibility Sharna was told by someone today that twitter followers was something that was considered. Makes no sense to me if it did. Sharna is so creative. I can’t believe the show passed on her.
I don’t know anything about Artem’s abilities as a pro, but I do like his dancing. I’m guessing it’s the not-so-nice things about his past that have turned people off by him? All I can say is hopefully he’s a good teacher/choreograper.
Interested in Keo! He’s good looking, love the accent, and I’m really happy to see more diversity among the pros. I’ve been wondering why we don’t have any Black pros since Haitian ballroom dancers performed on a results show to “Hips Don’t Lie” shortly after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Just a tiny correction: he’s South African, not African-American, as he wasn’t born in America & neither were his parents.
I’m glad I’m not alone with being a bit meh on the direction the show is going. Paso is my favorite dance, and they only had ONE the whole season:( Sigh…But I have a thought: Sharna, Mark, and Derek (Emma too?) are the only pros consistently good at choreographing styles outside of ballroom. Perhaps the inclusion of Allison as a legit contemporary dancer is to heighten DWTS chances at winning another Emmy since the Academy is more inclined to favor contemporary/jazz pieces anyway.
I thought Sharna was cold. Only getting to the semi with CW was a failure I guess. She is a great choreographer but her packages were flat. Also if her BF is going around dissing Sharnas fellow pros by saying she does half of EVERYONES choreography EVERY week he is clearly getting this from somewhere. This might be an I site into what Sharna thinks of her fellow pros. In the end this might be why she hasn’t been called back. Also the British DWTS had a wild card entry last fall maybe we will have that. That way Sharna might still be in? Just a thought.
yay, I’m so happy that Derek is back! I’m also excited to see Allison! I would love to see some Derek-Allison pro dances! and unlike many people on this site, I really don’t mind to have dances like jazz and contemporary on the show, I actually really like to see them.
concerning Sharna…I’m really sorry for her. seems like she expected to be asked back as a pro…
Maks fans are all over twitter whining about him not being announced as a judge. I asked one if they’d be as understanding if Julliane was made a permanent judge. Apparently that wouldn’t be fair cause Derek already gets too much preferential treatment. However Maks is so fair that he’ll be impartial towards Val. Their double standard is incomprehensible.
I don’t want any relative in the judges panel.
As far as Sharna goes, I love her for her honesty. And her bf’s tweet confirms my belief that she definitely helped Maks with his choreo.
I am not a Sharna fan at all, so for her to be off the list is a good thing for me.
Is anyone can tell me what was wrong with Gleb, Sasha and Henry. Did they had enough exposure to judge them? TPTB does mad. How do you know that new pros will be better than pros you already know.
Few thoughts Derek is still the main draw in ABC thinking. Notice he once again was mentioned last when pro cast was announced. Listening to the George interview one can assume a tour next summer and then Kenny Ortega to broadway. I can easily see season 19 as the Derek good bye tour and he will get a good partner ( much like Max and Meryl)
I highly doubt that Sharna did half of derek’s choreography as Paul twitted however, but it was great for him to support Sharna.
We know Allison can design dances for trained dancers, not sure how she would be with celebs.
Now when Nikki Reed is assigned to Derek the vampire diaries haters can really have fun LOL
Leave it to level-headed Sharna to put out a forest fire.
She tweeted an hour ago: “Loves ur support is amazing! please know 2day wasnt a shock 2me! #dwts has been very respectful! Keep an eye out 4 me very soon
Don’t think Sharna’s boyfriend said she did Derek’s choreo. Obviously not considering their different but both creative styles. But think he meant several pros who wouldn’t surprise me if it included Maks. Sharna did a lot of choreo for the show like the troupe bumpers and probably helped Mandy who said she did because she doesn’t do ballroom
While some ballroom dancers like the Center Stage/Vibe alums on dwts have cross training, the familia, Cheryl and Karina do not. So them doing contemporary or jazz is no different than those upset about Allison. But she has ballroom background and even if she learned it later, sometimes learning later makes you a better teacher. Like Jonathan who was a great teacher and he even said he got into the ballroom world later in life than most pros.
I think Derek did this season for his own reasons and not to win. It is other pros and fans projecting he is selfish to win another. He is now also a best selling author, got the cover of People, etc. He has a lot going on and winning isn’t a priority. Maybe his fellow pros should read his book to see his approach. But I sense with female celebs winning like four seasons in a row, a male celeb will win. PETA was the last female pro to win. While not on purpose, it is possible especially if they cast for it. See Donny Osmond after a series of women winning,
MelissaC, I’m not a huge Sharna fan either….but I do like her. Amazing choreographer, but the only time she showed personality was with Andy. I looked forward to their packages! Maybe it was more Andy than Sharna. She comes across the TV as very bland to me…which is odd bc she is anything but.
HOWEVER, she still deserved a spot. My goodness she deserved a spot. Especially over Peta. I was hoping she’d get a partner with a big personality again.
melissa, 178 his tweet said Sharna did 1/2 of all other pros. I am sure he overreacted and did not mean everyone. he has since deleted tweet ( or at least I can not find it). think he realized that one must be careful with social media. I t is nice for him to back Sharna.
They knew they weren’t going to get a call. Why was Sharna’s BF upset? Whaa-Whaa.
I’ve noticed something. The veterans knew apparently, but newbies didn’t. Also, newbies seem to get switched up a lot, while the main core pros don’t.
@stoli, I didnt capture his tweets but first when tweeting like you that, you figure he is full of emotions and things will be said in haste. But I don’t think he implied Sharna did half of all the pros. If he did, I am sure Mark, Derek or Cheryl fans would wonder among others. But that’s besides the point. Clearly he felt Sharna deserved a spot over Allison based on sytycd dig. I will say based on Instagram, there is tons of support for Allison and smarter choice than Tyne already. Allison and Twitch are a dance power couple and if any sytycd alum can bring fans to dwts, it is Allison.
I have to say that I’m with the few who love Sharna, and think she’s probably the best choreographer outside of Derek, but I don’t feel anything when I watch her dance. I also think the brass is probably sending a message because she is outspoken and didn’t play along with their fun and games last season, and I don’t believe her bf helped on that front at all. I cringed when I read his tweets thinking Sharna doesn’t roll like that. Always count to 10.
Sharna is a very good choreographer and will always find something since she is talented. She just finished choreographing a dance for Meryl and Charlie which they are going to show shortly in one of their appearances.
Stoli, you need to watch your grammar and your assumptions. Paul never tweeted that Sharna did Derek’s choreo – that is YOUR assumption.
Every partner for Derek is a “good partner” to him and they don’t have to be an Olympic Gold winning ice dancer – the man took a woman with two prosthetic legs to the finale.
Stoli, in what universe does “half of all the other pros” equate to Derek, specifically? Why did YOU single Derek out of “half the other pros”?? That is a question you should ask yourself. It certainly makes ME wonder about you. Like if, perhaps, you’re trying to start something.
And what makes you so sure that he wasn’t exaggerating out of anger?? I certainly don’t think that Sharna choreographed for Derek, Mark, Val, Cheryl or Karina. Or Henry or Emma, for that matter.
#184
Ria- I find it awesome that Maks is glaringly missing except in shipper worlds LOL. I’m sure he would love to jump on any grain of publicity, if available. In past interviews with Sharna, she did say that she hopes to choreograph with skaters in future. It remains to be seen if she will be back on DWTS which seems very unlikely at this point, or if she meant to keep an eye out for her other projects from her tweet.
I find it glaring that Meryl and Charlie DID NOT ask Maks who according
to tabloids and shippers “is a very well known choreographer and dancer” to choreograph for them. Sharna also choreographed that bumper they did at the finale.
well, I think they are not blind and see that however great Maks and Meryl got along Sharna is years ahead of Maks in innovative coreo.
Plus I don’t think Maks could be bothered to do this, it seems like he is busy with… well doing everything else that exposes him without dancing, and he was sooo against going on the ice, I doubt he was really interested even if they would have asked him. I hope they didn’t 😀
IMO, I don’t think they did. Anyway, Maks is so busy now with his movies you know – he really, really would like to be an actor. And you all have seen his acting – sobbing before the finale, the showmance, the insecurities. Why I believe he would be in contention for an Oscar
come 2015!
BTW, Why was Lizzie on the set of GMA? Maks wasn’t there.
#188
We know how it will turn out if Maks was choreographing. Lots of posing and time wasting by skating around the rink LOL. Sharna could find a lot of work just in the Detroit area because it is such a skating capital, with a lot of great skaters. A lot of skaters are always looking for choreography from dancers, to name a few that I know of e.g. Benji Schwimmer, Derek Hough, Corky and Mark Ballas, Jean Marc Genereux, Allison Holker, Alex Wong have all worked with skaters. Maks doesn’t even want to step foot on the ice because it is beneath him.
#190 Ria
So true so true!
His whole s18 performance deserves oscar. He even had me fall for it :)) It was thge first showmance EVER, ANYWHERE that I actually believed for a while.
Was Lizzie actually there? Or just making it seem like she was there? As in, attention seeking?
Bad move, really, to get those Maks fans all believing the “announcement” was all about Maks when he was barely mentioned.
the Lizard was there, she posted a pic sitting on the lap of a very uncomfortable Val.
I think she is back to repping Val. Now she is just the publicist for Maks maybe she is working for Val. She certainly didn’t rep him for last season. Tbh, she has to be the worst pr ever.
#196
Or perhaps she is confused as to who she is repping LOL. It is amazing that she even knew that the announcement was going to be yesterday.
So bummed about Sharna not being on this season. She and Charlie were my favorite couple last season. And I’m still doubting the addition of Allison. She’s a great dancer, in her own style. But she’s not really a ballroom dancer. I mean, Benji Schwimmer (my all-time favorite from SYTYCD) was rejected as a pro for not having enough experience in Latin. And he’s a West Coast Swing dancer (not to mention his dad is Buddy Schwimmer). And yet now they’ve decided to add Allison, who’s got even less ballroom/Latin experience? Somehow that doesn’t make any sense. With that said I am, however, happy to see Derek, Karina and Val back.
I wonder if the lineup would have been different if Cheryl had sat out and Jenna was in. Kristyn Burtt is reporting that Cheryl was going to sit out. Is it possible that Cheryl coming back could have changed the whole female lineup? It would have been a lot of new pros with Allison as well as Jenna. Maybe Sharna might have been added instead of Allison. Just a thought that the ripple effect might have caused Sharna to be out.
It makes me wonder how likely it would be for Sharna to be called back for another season. Being only included in the troupe would be a tad bit insulting for someone of Sharna’s caliber. If they valued Sharna, they would have made accommodations to include her. By not having her as pro without any sound reasons(e.g. injury, other commitments etc) sends a message that they don’t want her on the show.
If Kristyn is right and Jenna was going to be in Cheryl’s place, I don’t really see how that impacts Sharna – or why it would.
I don’t really know either, PH. Just thought there might be a connection. Female lineup would have been much weaker without either Cheryl or Sharna, imo, so glad at least Cheryl decided to stay.
It really bothers me that they added Allison Holker to the pro lineup. She is an excellent contemporary dancer, but it seems insulting to choose her over professional ballroom dancers who have trained their whole career in the genre. The majority of the dances on DWTS will not be ones Allison specializes in, which will be a disadvantage for her celebrity.
And likewise, while we are at it, I think they should get rid of contemporary and jazz because our ballroom pros do not specialize in those genres either and we end up getting watered-down versions of those as well.
Dwts is different show from Benji tried. Actually Lacey who everyone was upset about is no different technique wise than Witney. The show is different but funny enough Lacey would be a perfect female pro for the show now. She is a superior dancer than Witney, Jenna etc and she can do different genres and she has that personality and quirky choreo too. She has experience teaching, etc. She is one of the best all around female dancers sytycd had. Funny now she is not a pro when Chelsie and Lacey would be perfect pros for what dwts is now.
#188 Ria, I find it shocking Maks wasn’t asked to choreograph since he’s supposedly been hanging around Michigan all week paying people not to mention on Twitter that they saw him! Or at least that’s my understanding as to why there have been lots of random pictures with Meryl posted this week in restaurants and Target without any sign of Maks.
#205 Donna, you mean he had to waste his mall appearance money on shutting up tweeters HAHAHA. Maks is such an elusive creature, second only to the Loch Ness monster.
I feel like a bit of a hypocrite because we should only have pros who are only ballroom based and yet…….I loved Lacey on the show. She wasn’t very proficient in Standard/Smooth when she started. I do think she studied the style and got better at it as she progressed in her seasons to the point where her Godfather Waltz with Steve O is one of my favorite Waltzes ever on the show.
She was and is a dancer who inspires an either/or way of thinking of her. You either love her or hate her. Even back in her SYTYCD days.
I find if I really love the dancer, than I can overlook certain deficiencies in ballroom knowledge and style while still staying on my ballroom purist high horse. I really loved Lacey. I didn’t love Tyne at all, therefore all I saw every-time she danced was her glaring lack of ballroom technique.
I do love Allison. I’m being cautiously optimistic that I’ll really like her on the show.
Regarding Lindsay, I think she was given a bit of a nightmare in Victor as her first partner. He seemed to have the attention span of a gnat and the temper of a cranky toddler. Unfortunately it only takes one bad apple to spoil a return trip as a pro. I’d like to see her have another shot, but it seems that ship has sailed.
Donna, I doubt that Maks was hanging around in Michigan. The delusions of the Maksyl shippers just astound me. I guess it fits with his
“secret love affair” with Meryl that the shippers are still hanging on inspite of Meryl’s positive declaration last week that there is NO relationship between them except for friendship.
@Ria – In the read world Maks would never date a girl like Meryl. It’s just plain ridiculous.
#206 Kate, if this keeps up he’s going to have to come back for Season 20 just so he has enough money to keep paying off the population of Michigan!
#208 Ria, I doubt he was hanging around in Michigan, mostly because he was photographed several times in LA this week. But those are apparently old pictures he’s paying people to post to throw off all the media who are clamoring to know about their secret relationship.
The level of delusion out there is really getting scary.
Sharna’s tweet that DWTS has been very respectful, that pro announcement was no shock & to keep an eye out for her has me very very intrigued. I don’t “feel” Sharna when she dances as others have said…though I for sure admire her admire her precision and choreo–inventive & interesting. Makes me want more of a chance to see what she can do on all fronts. Credit to her that she had an Olympic ice dancer to choreo for — and DIDN’T need to (shout intended) cry nor fall apart & beg him to help her. And re Allison: I can’t wait to see what she can do! If Derek were out, I’d watch just for Allison hands down.
This isn’t a true ballroom show, and some of my favorite routines of the past few years have been the contemporary and jazz numbers. That being said, I *personally* can tell the deficiencies in the pros that aren’t strong in the ballroom dances themselves – more in their own technique than in choreography. I loved many of Lacey’s routines, but I could see how sloppy she could be compared to the master technicians of someone like Karina or Anna. But for most viewers I don’t think Allison’s technique will be anything to note, and these cross-trained pros really do seem to add creativity and newness to the routines.
I am really upset that Sharna is not coming back as pro, all I can hope is that she will return somehow to the show. Regarding Allison, she is a brilliant dancer, so I’ll wait and see how she’ll do with ballroom and latin dances, but I have a feeling she’ll do fine.
I honestly hoped they would have given Sasha and Lindsay another chance; Sasha is amazing and Lindsay could have been a lot better given her experience from the troupe these past seasons. I loved her in sytycd.
You know that, Sandy…and I know that….but….
😀
These are the same people who said, yesterday, that Derek came back to DWTS because he had nowhere else to go.
Umm…you might be confusing Derek with *Maks*. And yes, they said this AFTER they found out about “Nashville” which they explained away as part of the deal to get him back on DWTS. :::rolls eyes::: That MIGHT be true if Derek wasn’t an actor and he was playing himself in a guest role on one show. But Derek is an actor, and it’s a multi-episode arc. Don’t think they would allow that if he couldn’t act. I would imagine he auditioned like everyone else.
You guys also have to remember that some people you think are “ballroom” dancers are really just experienced Latin dancers. I think Serge and Marcquet both fall into this category – Mary Murphy made a point of noting when both of them danced either a quickstep or V. Waltz that it had to be very hard for them because that is outside there experience and training.
Just making the note that not all “ballroom” dancers are really ballroom dancers, but *Latin* dancers. I wonder if Keo is all ballroom or if he’s a latin dancer. I think Derek called himself a latin dancer for a while, although he was trained in both – and really, he creates some of the most beautiful quicksteps and foxtrots…and waltzes around. I guess my point is that you just never know how one dancer is going to do until you throw them out there. Allison is an incredible dancer – Derek has called her his muse – and she has danced several styles with him.
Back in “the day” (when most of the pros from DWTS were kids), you trained in both Latin & ballroom – it wasn’t so much a choice, especially if your parents wanted you to be a well-rounded dancer. This seems like it was especially the case in most of the Russian/Eastern European pros – you didn’t get to pick & choose until you were a teenager, and then you picked a certain style to specialize in. Heck, even on my college ballroom dance team, you had to do all 4 styles (Latin, standard, rhythm, & smooth) for at least 2 years before they let you “specialize”.
That doesn’t seem to be quite the case anymore – seems like more dancers are becoming Latin-only or even salsa-only, and ballroom is kinda falling by the wayside. I can believe it with Marcquet – if I remember his story correctly, he started off as a hip-hop dancer, and then picked up Latin later on…and he’s still pretty young (18). I’m having a harder time believing that Serge is strictly “Latin-only”, since he’s a bit older, from Russia, and has taught at DWM – most dance schools require their teachers to know ALL styles; I’m finding it dubious that Serge gets away with just teaching Latin. He probably has at least a passing familiarity with ballroom, but is by no means an expert at it.
Kinda sucks that ballroom has become a bit of a redheaded stepchild on DWTS – there’s only been a scant few pros that actually specialize in it (Jonathan, Nick Kosovich, Charlotte Jorgensen, Anna Demidova, and Inna Brayer), and the rest of them have done various degrees of dabbling.
I could watch Jonathan waltz every day for the rest of my life. His technique really stood out even among the pros. He and Anna were so magical on the floor.
I’ve been on vacation, so I’m a little late reading this. But oh how I wish Tony wasn’t back. At the very least, he needs a break. And I don’t want to see Maks as a permanent judge.
#215 Heidi, So many delusional fans out there. How can anyone say Derek came back because he had nothing else to do? So funny 🙂 He is becoming the busiest man in show business.
I’m glad Cheryl decided to come back. The show wouldn’t have been the same without her.
BTW, Jenna’s dating Val
We know Jenna is dating Val. Question is – do we care or is it relevant?
Didn’t think much of Sharna as a TV personality so won’t miss her, think Alison will be a much better prospect. Just mega glad Karina and Emma are back. Don’t much care who else joins them
Think Jenna and Val split