PureDWTS Season 20, Week 3 – Power Rankings
Well, the warm fuzzies and pleasant surprises I had from the judging last week have left the building – and now we’ve moved on to the “completely inappropriate and actually rather offensive” stage of the competition, where every other thing out of the judges’ mouths seems to be insulting, irrelevant, or just plain mean. Even after last week’s spiel about bullying, Charlotte got told she was stupid, and it was implied that Riker danced like a girl and Allison danced like a dude. Oh, and Mike got nitpicked to death for the third week in a row. “Do as I say, not as I do”, huh judges?
Bittersweet seeing Charlotte go. I was glad she got to stick around for another week, and aside from the fact that her rumba didn’t have a whole lot of rumba, I still enjoyed it and thought it was her best dance yet; but I think Charlotte may have mentally checked out a bit after the nasty critiques she got in week 1, so it was probably time for her to go, anyway. If nothing else, she looked FANTASTIC tonight – loved that color on her, and love big, tousled Brigette Bardot-inspired hair 🙂
1.) Riker & Allison – Well, I already thought Riker was a contender after week 1 – but I think this week his real debut, because that salsa screamed “Yep, I’m here, and I’m hungry – take heed, Nastia & Rumer!” And despite Len hemming and hawing and trying to claim that Riker “isn’t the best dancer this season”, I daresay he’s certainly the best male contestant, and bested at least Nastia in terms of technique this week – so he’s quickly inching his way up to the top. He never missed a beat in this salsa, which was actually the first piece of choreography I’ve seen from Allison on this show that made me sit up and go “Ok, that was cool.” And good lord, that girl can spin fast! He sold it well, he made it his, and he kept time – if I had one complaint, it might be that he seemed a bit stiff in his hips and didn’t “flow” through the movements as fluidly as he could have, but I also partially blame Allison for that, simply because her choreography was a bit more staccato. Overall, he nailed it, though.
2.) Nastia & Derek – This samba had some standard Derek fare (samba rolls, crazy kicking-over-the-head trick, weird-whippy-around-spinning move) and some new stuff (neck drop, tribal arms). I thought Nastia handled it great for the most part – seemed to stay on-time, and seemed to have fun; but there were a couple weak moments where she seemed to “slip out” of the groove of the dance a bit, both in terms of how she executed the steps and the look on her face. God bless Nastia, but she still gets this blank “gymnastics stare” at times – and while I know she’s enjoying herself, it just doesn’t look like she is. In terms of showmanship, I actually think Rumer may have outdone her this week; but when you take into account running order and actual dance content, I think Nastia pulls out slightly ahead of Rumer this week in the rankings. I’m wondering if Nastia is just more well-suited to the elegance of the standard dances than the party atmosphere of the Latin dances…
3.) Rumer & Val – As I mentioned above, I actually think Rumer came across as more comfortable doing her dance than Nastia did doing hers, so I have to give her points for confidence and overall showmanship. But my problem with this one is that it was really more of a disco than a salsa (and please, spare me the lectures about how “the song dictated it!” – Val could have easily worked a few more arm wraps and cross-body leads into that routine at the expense of a few disco moves) – so in that sense, I have to give the overall advantage to Nastia, who had a samba chock full o’content. And while she nailed this dance (and looked fantastic doing it), I’m getting a bit tired of “smolder-y” Rumer – even though this was more “fun” than her cha-cha and foxtrot, it still felt sexy & serious – I’m ready to see the goofiness of the jive or the quickstep. She’s still a contender – but like Nastia, I think she’s got a few things she could improve upon.
4.) Willow & Mark – Once again, Mark manages to knock it out of the park with a dance that’s super-creative without being inappropriate for a 14-year-old 🙂 Sure, his costume may have been a tad ridiculous (hello, Jack Frost), but it was definitely something we’ve never seen before on the show; and Willow kept up and maintained the serious mood of the dance well. There were a few spots where she could have committed a bit more to the movement, but I have to give her props for her focus – she was able to commit and pay attention to the dance far better than Charlotte, who’s got some years on her. She’s kind of the dark horse for me, right now – I thought it would really be Michael or Noah, but as they’re currently contending with other issues…I think Willow is quietly working her way to the top of the pack.
5.) Noah & Sharna – Ok, sorry, going to start this one out with a minor rant: starting to get just a tad irked by those who love to poke holes in my happiness bubble after I watch this guy dance. I can be in awe of how he managed to hoist Sharna over his shoulder with ONE ARM, and somebody does a drive-by on Twitter and says “Yeah, but he’s still not really dancing” or “They’re just going easy on him because he’s an amputee”. One, I don’t care how much he is or isn’t dancing, because I think it’s absolutely miraculous that he’s even able to move at all when he’s up there, and I still find myself entertained by it; two, OF COURSE they’re going easy on him because he’s an amputee – because no matter how high-tech or advanced his prostheses might be, or how hard he works, Noah is NEVER going to have it as easy as someone with real arms and legs. To act like he should be treated the same as everyone that has all of their limbs is just delusional, IMO, and if you take a silly television dancing competition THAT seriously that you get severely bummed by the judges cutting this guy some slack due to his unique anatomy – perhaps you need to get a bit of a life. I love watching this guy dance, if only for the fact that I find it fascinating how he manages to use other parts of his body to compensate for the work of ones he no longer has. Keep on truckin’, Noah! You’re doing a great job 🙂
6.) Robert & Kym – Not going to address all the “wink wink, nudge nudge” comments I was seeing on Twitter about these two – they’re adults. They’re single. They’re having fun. Let ’em. 🙂 Very pleasant rumba to watch – not a ton of hip action from Robert, but he was there for Kym at every moment and there was chemistry to boot. Not a whole lot else to add – was a sweet rumba, but would like Kym to push Robert a bit harder with content in the coming weeks. Luckily, I think they’ve become the sweethearts of this season, and are gaining fans – so they could stick around for a while.
7.) Suzanne & Tony – Suzanne’s still not quite up to snuff with how well I think she COULD be doing, but she is improving each week – so I have to give her a lot of credit for that. She still seems rather timid in most of her moves, so I’m hoping she can continue to break through on that; also seems like she lost time quite a bit, so maybe Tony just needs to sit her down and count out music for awhile with her. But man, she always seems to have so much fun out on the floor – thought it was adorable how she wanted to wear her fruit hat 🙂 Thought she was a tad overscored with respect to Michael – I probably would have flipped their scores. Eager to see her do a ballroom dance, as I think that might suit her better. I think she’s still getting quite a few nostalgia votes – but part of me also wonders if she & Patti are catering to the same demographic, and are thus splitting votes. Guess we’ll see.
8.) Michael & Peta – Starting to feel really bad for this guy – sure, this was probably his weakest dance yet, but I still felt like he kept up and didn’t miss any steps; I watched it back 3 times to try and see where Bruno said he “went off-time” and couldn’t really find it. But the judges just seem to love nitpicking him to death – they don’t find anything to praise, and just kinda go on and on about his timing, his feet, his lift technique, yadda yadda yadda. It’s as if they can’t find a single redeeming quality about his dances, which is a load of bull when you see Patti getting praised for basically riding around on a luggage cart for a minute. I think he was underscored relative to Suzanne, who I felt didn’t have as much content in her dance; I probably would have given this at least a couple 7’s. My only issue with it was that it was a bit timid, and he just didn’t look like he was having fun. Kinda wish he’d either have a breakthrough week, or the judges would actually tell him he’s doing something right – he’s starting to look a little defeated. Not sure where his fanbase stands – I think he’s safer than Chris, but beyond that? No idea.
9.) Chris & Witney – This went a lot better than I thought it would, given that I heard he and Witney had some pretty major struggles in rehearsal last week. I think Witney may have phoned it in a bit on the choreo, because Chris didn’t seem to move around the floor a whole lot and she kept the intricate footwork scant (or just absent) on his part. Chris’ role in the dance was to primarily just be a a frame for Witney to dance around 🙂 The lifts looked great, though – but I’m not sure if that’s more of a credit to Witney or to Chris. I think the song and the stage set-up made this dance look better than it really was – some folks on Twitter seemed taken by the “drama” of it, but the dancing was just not there for me. Now I’m at a total loss as to where Chris lies in terms of fanbase – he managed to get past Charlotte last week, despite a deficit, but I wonder if he could be in trouble now that the two pieces of low-hanging fruit (Redfoo & Charlotte) have been picked off. I’m going to tentatively call him safe for another week, because I’m not sure how much Patti really has left in her, but if she doesn’t withdraw? All bets are off.
10.) Patti & Artem – Oh Patti, Patti, Patti – you are adorable, and even when you’re really not moving a whole lot (or doing a whole lot of whatever dance you’re supposed to be doing), you’re still very entertaining 😎 But I’m not sure that there’s a whole lot left for you to do in the coming weeks, especially if your foot continues to hurt the way it has. While I enjoyed this and was amused by it, it wasn’t as novel to me as it was last week with her salsa – and even though I knew going into tonight’s show that she hadn’t had much rehearsal time due to her injury (and had skipped out on the camera blocking) and my standards were low, I just found myself saying “Awwww, Patti…that’s it? Maybe it’s time to bow out, honey.” Here’s where I’m having a hard time: I think she likely has the VOTES to stay, but I’m not sure how much longer she’s going to be able to nurse that foot injury with simple, delicate dance steps. I also wonder if the schtick is wearing a bit thin with other viewers – so I’m going to verrrry tentatively predict that Patti bows out next week. If she doesn’t – both Chris & Mike could be in trouble, I think. Maybe even Suzanne, because I think the two of them might be sharing a fanbase. Ack…I don’t know.
What are your thoughts on last night’s dances?
Great post Courtney. I too really enjoyed Riker.
I actually thought Nastia was a.bit stiff–her legs seemed to be too straight at times. It reminded me of Evan’s samba in season 10 and from what I remember the judges did not like it.
I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Suzanne.
Runner was great and I thought Chris was ok too. Though I am starting to get distracted by some of th costumes on the female pros. Witney in particular last night.
Noah’s AT was amazing. That one armed lift was incredible on both his and Sharna’s parts. She is doing work too:)
I pretty much forgot everything else at this point. Seems like the producers want Michael out next?
EVERY thing you said about Noah: THANK YOU
And as for everything else, I always love reading your thoughts and critique.
My top 3, the ones I enjoyed the most were Noah, Nastia and Riker. Next for me were Robert and Rumer. Then Willow and Michael. I didn’t really enjoy the rest very much but I still applaud them all for doing the show.
My top 3
D man and nastia- fierce – hot blazin choreography- derek is on fire, nastia was an animal preying for her gold ball ha- loOOooOooOOoovee it
Riker and alli- he is defiantly dereks cuz – he was on fleek and Allis choreography was amazing
Willow and mark- mark is a different man this season – it’s like he did a 360 – he is looking mighty fine (love his hair) love his choreography, so creative and bold. Loved how he took care of willow, like she was his daughter when she got hurt- he will make a great father 1 day. Willow was furocious and an animal as well- great actress. Adore there relationship – my fav mark paso ever
Tidbits
Nastia and derek have more chemistry then val and rumour have ever
Rumour outfit was horrible
Val and rumours egos r ugly
For all those haters hating on derek for being perfection- ya’ll should be greatfull and bowing at him because without him dwts would of been canceled years ago.
And ya’ll should enjoy seeing him dance this season because with the success of the springspectacular he will have so many doors opening for him – it would be impossible for him to come back.
Noah for me isn’t dancing – he is more so walking and lifting -not really dancing
I don’t remeber any of the other dances last night -if I didn’t list them they were forgetable non memorable dances
You rock, Court, as always!! Thanks so much!
Ok, here are my rankings;
1. I can’t decide between Nastia & Derek, Willow & Mark, and Riker & Allison for #1, so I’ll tie them. This is the first time, I’ve ever tied 3 couples in all the while I’ve been doing this:
Derek and Nastia – Once again, they blew me away with their creativity. I loved all the bounce, flying positions, and tribal feel. They were flawless. Their energy left me just wanting MORE!!
Willow and Mark – My goodness. These two were insanely good. I am so proud of Willow for carrying through despite her injury and with the big boys too as Mark challenged her with lots of cool and strong choreography. Their Paso was on Fire and Ice! So creative and indeed one of Mark’s best dances imo.
Riker and Allison – If I loved them before, I love them even more now. They came out blazing and ready to own it. They are our cool cats this season. Like Julianne though, I’d like to see them even more passionate when they dance with each other.
2. Noah and Sharna – Wow!! This was just so beautiful!!! The beauty of the choreography just touched me so much!! Same with their costumes and their song. I also loved their breathtaking lifts. Everything and the stars came together for them tonight. They took my breath away! Their best dance yet!!
3. Rumer and Val – I don’t know? I think she’s going backwards instead of forwards. She may be able to dance, but she seemed less confident last night. She felt a little lost and out of her comfort zone. I agree with Julianne that she needs to let loose.
4. Chris and Witney – Much much much better. I knew right in the beginning this dance might give me a moment and it did. He was totally in character and in focus. The routine was a little simple, and yet they were powerful and precise. I want to see more of just what he brought tonight. I hope this is the beginning of him blossoming.
5. Robert and Kim – He seemed a little wooden through out, but, I loved all the romance, passion, and beauty. Just lovely.
6. Michael and Peta – I wasn’t feeling this dance. He didn’t seem as into it and ready. He was another one who went backwards tonight. I agree with Carrie Ann that it felt disconnected.
7. Suzanne and Tony – She didn’t have much bounce and there were some leg and footwork issues, but, she was so full of joy, brightness, and fun. I always love her and hope she stays.
8. Patti and Artem – I don’t what it is about her? The routine was so simple and she didn’t do much Cha Cha, and yet, she has such a powerful, unexplainable presence out there every week which over rides everything. What an entertainer. I loved the back up dancers with her too.
Great Rankings! I agree with pretty much all of your points!
I want to see Robert and Kym hopefully stick around until 7 or 6, I genuinely Like them, and that surprised me, as I didn’t think I would before the season started. I want to see a more challenging piece from them as well.
I think Patti is in trouble this week just looking at the points and margins she has to make up, and though I love Patti I think this is the week for her to bow out gracefully
Hi every one. I don’t comment a lot but I am a loyal fan for this website, my recap for the night is ( just the stands out ) :
rumer is a great dancer and even a better performer there is no doubt about that but so far I just didn’t see that wow moment from her ( but she will hopefully )although the lifts from her routine were great but the choreo didn’t click with me.I think val can do better than that ( I loved their chacha last week ) and their chemistry seems good .
Noah is noah he is a joy to behold and his chemistry with Sharna is insane and she is doing an amazing job with the choreo, Noah is not Amy but he is still amazing in his own terms (don’t count him out he might be in the finale).
willow and mark’s dance was somewhat under whelming giving the build up to it this week but it was still great, willow wasn’t as sharp as the paso may require but that’s mark’s fault as Emma said that he does the choreo and then force it up on his partners, pleaze don’t get me wrong his choreo is on fire this last tow seasons ( I won’t be shoked if he gets an Emmy nod).
Now may absolute favorites : Nastia and riker
First I don’t know what every body is having against Alison but she is killing it this season so far, the concept was amazing and the energy was off the hook I just wish that it was less impact-full I guess It felt like it was a lil bit in your face as for the dominating thing I guess that Riker’s costume has a part of the blame, if they gave him a tribal look like Val and keo last season from the salsa that dance would have been a home run (just think about it)and len that was a low comment describing riker as not the best dancer .
Now Nastia (again sorry Heidi and courtney for commenting about other people’s opinions),I just don’t see why are you saying she has no chemistry with Derek,I think It’s like inception over here when they plant that idea over your head in the package and suddenly that’s the only thing that you guys are watching,she improved a lot frome last week in that department and she seemed like she was having a ball and derek was grinding over her hips and she went down with him , her samba was bloody difficult and she pulled it out like a pro, yes she has to watch her extensions and work on her sexy face but again this is week 3 and by the way I’m not very fond of derek’s sambas but this week I was wow man and his musicality is just the best you think that the song (which was butchered by the band singer )was created for the dance rather than the other way around, I just wished the concept was more creative.
off topic comment : I hope rumer and Nastia gets snow white and Rapunzel for Disney week.
and as nastia having A.tango this early in the competition (next week) I think the producers are not plannig her as the winner and unless Derek pull the rug from underneath them this is going to be an all star season deja vue.
I feel the same way about Michael. I can see him getting past Chris and probably one of the older ladies, but other than that I don’t see him getting further. I would LOVE to be proven wrong (Tommy did go to top 5 BAHAHAHAHA), since I love the guy, but he’s completely off my radar now.
Speaking of my radar, Keo now can leave for good. Still yet to see a ballroom from him but at least I’ve seen a Rumba, and I’m not looking forward to see him again. Bring back Tristan, puhlease.
Still love Kym to death and I’m so hoping Robert will pull an Ingo and hold on until top 5 (because the top 4 with three of them being Mark, Val and Derek is SO inevitable, though I do see Riker has surprise elimination written over him). Hopefully no showmance though, nope.
Still not feeling any jazz from Noah. He hasn’t impressed me a bit in any of his dances so far, though he definitely didn’t bomb any of them. The same goes with Willow, her best dance for me is still her Cha-cha. But yes, Nastia, Rumer and Riker are all very good tonight.
Agreed on all points and ranking. Random thoughts:
I thought Chris and Witney’s AT was massively over-praised, and it made me think he might be going home last night because they wanted him leaving on a high note. The content was meh, it seemed VERY short, and the staging and lighting distracted from a dance that was just not good.
I think Peta’s choreography may have been a misstep this week. Too many lifts so even the good ones were a bit smooshed into the routine. I’m very sad to say that I think Michael could be in a lot of trouble. Hopefully they rebound with their next dance.
I also thought that Rumer’s dance was still too intense. It’s friggen disco man – lighten up, Val. I mean she looked wonderful and danced it well, but I would have liked it to be a little more salsa-y too.
I think Suzanne has a lot of potential. During some of her moves she looked positively fantastic – and then timid. Very uneven, but at moments impressive. I do think she may be overshadowed by Patti, but if that’s all I’m going to get out of Patti each week I think I’ve had my fill.
I loved Riker and Allison’s routine. I LIKE that she dances with a little more power – it’s so distinct from the others, and while I realize that may be for a lack of extensive ballroom, it is still captivating for dances like Salsa. I may feel very differently when they get to ballroom, though – like I was with Lacey. I also mentioned this in another post, but Riker’s dance face was more than reminiscent of a young Derek.
I do think Willow was a bit hesitant in some moves, but I still really enjoyed the dance. Not quite as much as their AT, and I almost wish that had been done later in the season as she grew in strength and confidence. But despite the fact that I liked their AT better, I think SHE is improving each week and her growth on the show will propel her to the finals.
I thought Noah and Sharna were friggen awesome – I loved the work around his disability because it creates such interesting possibilities for new shapes and holds. In jeopardy? Doubtful.
Although I liked her dance and it was very well-executed, I had a hard time really “enjoying” watching Nastia, even though she’s obviously a great dancer and Derek is awesome. But the faces she makes (again, I’m an RBF-sufferer too so I get it) takes me out of it a bit.
Kirami, you don’t get to apologize for commenting on other people’s opinions (which is against the rules) and then go ahead and do it anyway. This is your one warning; next time I’m just going to delete.
And I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on chemistry – I didn’t even mention it in my critique of Nastia this week. And honestly, my problem is more with Nastia than with Derek – I think she’s just got her steely gymnastics face permanently up and it creates a barrier between her and Derek. It’s JUST MY OPINION – nobody “planted it in my head”, Kirami, and I don’t appreciate you implying that I don’t have a mind of my own; not sure why so many of the Derek & Nastia fans take it as a personal insult that I’m just not sold on them. COPE.
Always love reading your critique, Courtney. Thank you so much for this!
I’m ranking the dances based on what appealed to me the most in terms of choreography, technicality (from what I’ve learned on this site), and entertainment value.
1. Nastia/Derek and Riker/Allison
2. Willow/Mark and Noah/Sharna
3. Robert/Kym
4. Rumer/Val
5. Michael/Peta and Charlotte/Keo (even if they got booted)
6. Patti/Artem
7. Suzanne/Tony
8. Chris/Witney
Every time I read “Noah
o Amy” I wonder if people realize that he’s…you know…a man. And they have different responsibilities to women in ballroom.
Sorry, I digress.
I wasn’t that wowed by anyone and this is probably my least favorite Latin Night ever. I wonder if it was because it was so early on in the season that it didn’t have the same wow factor in performance because some of them still aren’t comfortable with that aspect.
Noah and Sharna: First off I am so glad that Sharna is finally getting recognition for her choreography and I feel like this season has rejuvenated her in a way. Noah seems a lot smoother and more comfortable trusting his leg to do the work for him rather than worrying if it can or can’t. The arm was cool, but I can see wanting to get more used to it first. Maybe try it with a Foxtrot or something if they want. I read elsewhere that people were mad he threw a “temper tantrum” about the arm. This is where amputees have been misrepresented in the media. It’s not as easy as slapping it on and suddenly you’re back to “normal.” Sigh. I gotta stop reading those things.
I don’t get the Riker/Allison pairing. Maybe it’s because I would have liked to have seen Allison work with a dud and pay her dues before getting a contender. I’m just uncomfortable watching them the way I used to get uncomfortable watching Mark over dance. I am rooting for Allison to do better though, but I fear she may be Riker’s downfall.
Rumer/ Val and Nastia/Derek are kind of in the same boat with me that I expect them to be good, and they are. But, I’m in the minority that doesn’t watch DWTS for the perfect technicians.
Willow/Mark: I like them. I don’t have anything bad to say about them. But that also leaves me with nothing much to say about them either.
Suzanne/Tony and Patti/Artem: They’re fun. They make me smile and I’m glad they’re enjoying themselves.
Everyone else just blends in for me.
I was not talking about you courtney. I like your opinions they are very objectif and neutral and my comment is a reflexion of the live recap post. and yes I’m sorry I won’t do it again and I am not Nastia and derek fan I am a DWTS fan and there are moments where I dislike derek’s work and some times I love it just like every pro on the show. and I did not like his foxtrot the first week but I loved his samba this week which was a novelty for me. and again I’m sorry that was a mistake from my part.
Let me start by saying that I fully agree with you, Courtney!
Honestly, the thing that bothered me the most was Bruno. His comment toward Charlotte turned me off. I am getting more and more annoyed by the judges every week.
I do, however, appreciate the fact that the scores were fairly even. I like that there haven’t been 10’s, but I think the judges are being too nitpicky.
I am still holding firm on my top 4 – Nastia, Rumer, Riker and Willow. All four had excellent routines last night. Rumer did what she was given well, though she could have been given more. Riker was given great choreography, and he executed very well, IMO. Allison’s strongest to date. Nastia did great despite her injury, and I’m glad the show finally addressed the Henry thing. And Willow is such a fighter. I am so impressed with her, and I’m hoping that she gets better over the rest of the show.
My mom and I agreed on one thing about Suzanne – that costume was terrible. I think she tries her best, but I can’t connect to her nearly as much as Patti. While Patti does less dancing, she is more likable, IMO. I don’t think either of those two women will go too far.
I have such high hopes for Witney. I think this season could be a good learning experience for her – as much as Cody didn’t listen to her, he could dance. This is her first partner that really had no natural dance ability. I hope that she can pull it together, because I love Witney, but I’m thinking this might not be her season. It was hard for me to watch her get their scores, because I think she was disappointed.
I don’t like Noah. I think he’s such a nice guy, and he’s trying so hard, but he’s not really so natural of a dancer. Sharna is choreographing so well, and he’s trying so hard, but I really can’t deal with it. I’m sorry, but it’s so hard for me to watch him dance.
Michael is trying so hard, too! I think that, as long as he smiles better he’ll really improve. I’m just wondering if there’s any reason for all the nitpicking – his footwork is great, but he could be a bit more light on his feet. I hope things get better for him.
I haven’t commented on anything before but I have to say overall I agree with your rankings. I would also like to say I appreciate this site! Thank you for your posts <3
Is it just me, or do we comment on the timidity of Tony’s partner nearly every season?? Just sayin’ it may be a Tony thing.
Miss C = As always, you’re pretty much spot on! My favorites last night were Nastia & Derek, Riker & Allison (and I never thought I’d say that!), and Willow & Mark.
As for the “wink-wink-nudge-nuge” stuff with Robert & Kym – I’m seeing pretty good chemistry, but no romance. At least that’s what I got out of the package. Maybe I’m wrong, and missing the obvious, but it looks like they’ve got a strong partnership going, and it might take them pretty deep into the competition. But Robert has to get more into the flow of the dance, get it to feel more natural.
I agree with Vogues rankings. For me this was Nastia’s second best performance (the rumba to me was the first). I have rewatched the Samba in slow motion and for me she had wonderful facial expressions and great body movement and was really into the dance and Derek. Girl had her groove on.
My favorite dance was Willow and Mark. I thought Rumer and Val dance was fun. I love the joy that Patti brings to the dance floor. I also really liked Noah and Sharna dance. Sharna is a great choreographer and teacher.
I expected Riker to be good at the salsa, since he has competed in Latin Ballroom competitions. Maybe, Len just knows about this experience. I wish they would mention it on the show, because they have talked about other celebrities dance experience (i.e Alfonso, Mario, Elizabeth, and Danica). All of these mentioned on the show that they had dance experience, but Riker has not talked about having dance experience or competing in Latin Ballroom dance competitions. Riker acts like he has no dance experience at all.
I thuink very few of Tony’s numbers are memorable to the audience, he never really comes out with a bang and just shocks everybody with an innovative and risky number. His coreography is fine, safe, but also a bit boring.
* think * choreography sorry, typed too quickly.
PH, that’s one of the issues I have with Tony’s teaching style that even when he gets a great dancer, they aren’t as confident or strong in their movement when they should be – which is completely magnified when they aren’t a great dancer or a spring chicken.
Frankly, I don’t like the way Tony dances either – all of his moves seem to generate upwards from his crotch or something (can’t ever put my finger on it), but that itself is probably just my own personal aesthetic preference.
Well, so does Rumer, ExerciseFan. She’s done all this aerial work, which to me – well, if people are going to count ballet, the aerial stuff is a form of dance too.
As for Riker – has he competed in Latin Ballroom? REALLY?? Show me some evidence of this, not just speculation based on who his cousins are, because if he did then he’s outright lying about it.
The problem with people Riker’s, and a greater extent Willow’s, age is that they are likely to have some form of recent experience that just wouldn’t count as experience if they were in their 30’s. I’m just not inclined to hold dance lessons or even a competition against someone if it occurred when they were FIVE or TEN years old. I mean, come on. I was in a tap competition when I was 7 or 8, probably – but those competitions aren’t exactly blackpool, if you know what I mean.
@ExerciseFan – Small nitpick: they talked about Alfonso & Mario’s dance experience freely, briefly glazed over Elizabeth’s (but only after it kept getting brought up in interviews…then they tried to explain it away as “but I’ve only been trained in jazz & ballet!!!”), and tried to sweep Danica’s under the rug entirely (until Abby Lee Miller kinda outed her during the week she was a guest judge). I just get a tad irked when some contestants’ dance experience gets mentioned left and right, and others’ gets ignored entirely. But you’re right about Riker’s – I feel like it is getting severely downplayed. Dude is good, but he’s also likely had more experience with Latin & ballroom than any other contestant this season.
Thank you Courtney for your words on Noah. Well said.
@Heidi – Not trying to be obnoxious, but… http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/Ryker_Lynch_and_Rydel_Lynch_46955/Results I would have written it off, but he & sis were dancing at the open level – which only hardcore ballroom kids do at that age.
Fig #22, “all his moves seem to generate upwards from his crotch”. This made me giggle. Sorry, I guess I’ve got the mindset of a 10 year old boy.
Tony seems too afraid to really push his partners. Most of the time his partners dance like they’ve got a basket full of live Cobras on top of their head. Very timid and cautious.
Is it because he doesn’t teach them to use the floor for resistance?
DWTSGossip linked this – http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/Ryker_Lynch_and_Rydel_Lynch_46955/Details
About Ryker. BUT he was still a kid, I think. My daughter did a “jazz competition” when she was 12 and it’d be LAUGHABLE to think she had “experience”. That being said, it’s obvious that Riker does have some Latin background and I’d rather they just own up to it – but I do wonder if that’s more at the producer level than the contestant. It doesn’t change my enjoyment of his routines, because they have been some of my favorites of this young season. Own it.
Can’t really do a ranking because I don’t remember many dances. I thought Rumer, Nastia, Riker and Willow stood out. Everyone else is playing catch up. The only serious threat to those 4 being the finalists at the moment is Noah. Robert did a good job with a hard dance and should be around for a while yet. Chris improved but the choreo was basic. Patti’s dance was very basic but still managed to get some entertaining moves in there despite her injury, I thought the 5s were fair though. I like how she doesn’t make any excuses about her injury either. Suzanne dances solidly but her routines are just forgettable compared to Patti. I think the blame there lies with Tony rather than her because she could pull off something entertaining if it was given to her.
Michael Sam has gone from potential finalist to potential elimination in 2 weeks. I don’t know the specifics of his combine performance but heard a few journalists say he didn’t do that well. I think it’s effecting him and his mind might not be on DWTS as much as it needs to be to succeed on the show. Add that to a fairly forgettable dance, an early slot in the running order and he got lost in the shuffle once again. Will be interested to see PH’s numbers post. I get the impression Patti’s not ready to withdraw herself so like Courtney said above all bets are off! Patti, Michael, Suzanne and Chris all in the firing line and I can’t call it just yet.
Great post as usual Courtney! Always love this post on Tuesday mornings. I agree with your comments but wanted to add a few. First, Bruno really crossed a line with Charlotte last night and owes her an a public apology. Second, Len’s agenda this year “Val this could be your year” couldn’t have been clearer when he gave Riker a 7. Jeez how much do TPTB pay him to be their schill. Compared to other seasons, I find this one is totally underwhelming. Patti is a classy legend and I enjoy her love and embracing the experience but neither she or Suzanne have the Tommy Chong surprise appeal. Rumer is good but needs to lighten up, it’s not American Gladiators and combined with Val’s dour personality, zero fun and chemistry. Nastia and Derek, stop shoving the “are you tired” routine down our throats. Is it to make audience not vote to “give them a rest?” Nastia is a better dancer on three days rehearsal than Rumer is on 7 but we all know this season’s agenda “Get Val that matching MBT for Mama C!” Didn’t work last season either. Let us like the dancer without telling us who should win. The male/female insults to Riker and Allison were appalling. He’s good, very surprised and she’s better than last year. Chris was a pole for Witney to dance around, did he do anything, I only remember her dance. I like her but sorry Wit you don’t get an Alfonso every year. And that said, IMO Alfonso would’ve won with any of the other female pros too. Michael, something’s going on there. I get no chemistry with Peta, not even a friend vibe and he can do NOTHING right with the judges. To me he’s this year’s Jonathan Bennett. The night he gets good scores means bye bye. I supported Keo but after two seasons he might be a great dancer but I don’t think he’s meant to teach. Please bring back Tristan or I’d even take promoting Henry at this point (prefer Sasha but need very short pro.) On Willow and Mark, costuming was fun but she’s not memorable to me. She doesn’t stay with me after she dances like Sadie and even Bethany did after she opened up. So far Robert Kym are cute but the romance rumors will only carry them so far and I could care less about their private life. Two consenting adults but they’re sweet. Love having Kym back, TPTB please keep her And Noah, I’m just in awe of him and think Sharna is doing an incredible job.
Thanks for this post! I love to read what other people think of the dances!
Can someone explain me how do quantum physics relate to DWTS, or the Rumba, or the song, or anything at all!? Really rude comment from Bruno especially SO non related to anything from her performance.
As a non-fan of Samba in DWTS, because I think is too difficult a dance to teach a non-dancer, I thought D and Nastia were great. The start, where she was by herself really surprised me! I never imagined to see her so out-there and moving her hips! Go Nastia! I also think there was improvement on how she was really into the dance.
I remember thinking “Rumer is really good” while watching. Then when the show was over (and still right now) I can’t remember anything from the dance. I’m not sure if this is because they dances first, or because is just not that memorable.
LOVED Riker, love the fact that he is a young male singer and is giving it his all! Love his face expressions. I really think he is a contender.
Felt bad for Michael. I agree with you Courtney that I thought he would be the dark horse of the season, but is not really happening for him. This week I put many of the blame on Peta’s choreography (and I usually love her choreography). The lifts felt out of place and the whole dance was king of weird for me. I still think he has talent. Hoping the football fanbase helps him!
I’m not a fan of Tony and always feel his partners could do much better with any other pro. For 68 Suzanne is incredible and he is just not showing that the best way. Hope they make it to switch up to see what happens.
Robert and Kym are just adorable. And he really surprises me. Before the season I thought he would be one of the first to go. Now I feel like he will be here for a while. And I like that 🙂
Ditto to someone who said they loved Mark this season (I would add and last season). I think her injury might have affected her attack (or maybe her age) but fabulous. Couldn’t stop laughing at his “freezing stepping” or whatever that move was. He’s incredible and hilarious.
Question: I feel like most every season there is a clear “winner” that most of the time (not always) ends up taking the trophy. I feel like this season is not that clear. I would say Nastia, but maybe Rumer or even Riker? What do you think? I love that, it makes the show more interesting and puts more pressure in the pros to create memorable performances attract audiences and win votes. I can’t even agree with myself on the top 4! haha
@Fig – If he and Rydel were just dancing at bronze or silver, I wouldn’t call it a big deal – but it takes years of intense training to be able to dance at an open level in the youth or junior age group. It’s usually dominated by the Russians and the Mormons. Oddly enough, Riker actually competed against Lindsay and Jenna in the Junior & Youth Latin Championship division back in 2006: http://dancesportinfo.net/Competition/BYU_Dancesport_Championships_2630/Junior_Latin_Championship_14408/Results
Overall, last night seemed like a little bit of a step back from last week. I’m glad that the judges dont seem to be going crazy with the scoring and that they are leaving 9’s and 10’s for later.
1. Riker/Nastia/Rumer – I think all have cemented themselves as the top three and all have little things that they need to work on. I liked a straight samba from Derek, and agree that Nastia’s arms seems to be flailing in places. Rumer did a good job, but she does need to let loose. And, unpopular opinion maybe, but I think Riker is the most naturally gifted and his placement in the competition will come down to Allison. Again, i was pleasantly surprised by her choreo, but there is just a precision in her ballroom dancing that she lacks when compared to somebody like Sharna or Peta.
2. Noah/Sharna – Again, I was very impressed with her choreo and pretty wowed by his ability to perform those lifts. To me it felt like a standout, moreso than his past couple of performances, where I put him firmly in the middle.
3. Willow/Mark – I think she did well, but people are right about her need to work on her core strength. There are sometimes that I watch her where I just feel like she could topple at any moment, but she has kept it together and Mark has been smart with his costuming.
4. Robert/Kym – For me, this was all about commitment and chemistry. It looked like they were a believable couple and he may be middle of the pack, but I think they are working well enough as a pair to propel him far.
5. Suzanne/Tony – Aside from the missteps toward the end, I think she once again was hitting every step and doing a solid job. To me, it looked like she had solid bounce in her step. I think both Kym and Tony kind of choreograph old school DWTS, which may seem a little dated compared to the big production numbers we’ve been seeing in recent years.
6.Chris/Witney – Witney did a better job of choreographing to his strengths (which is basically creating a frame for her to dance on) and creating moments in the piece that were memorable, like the lift and the catch. This dance was designed to hide his lack of skill and I think it will get him through another week.
7. Michael/Peta – I think he clearly dances better than Chris, but this performance was off. When comparing the lifts in Noah’s piece to Michael’s, I felt like these lifts almost seemed to kill the momentum of the dance rather than aid it. He seemed a little tight as well.
8. Patti/Artem – They’ve played this card two weeks in a row now. Yes these performances are entertaining, but they are going to have to actually do the assigned dance next week, or I think the judges will start getting real. Either way, Patti seems fine with whatever score she gets.
Wow. With this info, Courtney, I think Riker really ought come out and say that he competed for a short while as a kid. He was what? 9 or 10? Pretty much like others who had ballet lessons at around that age, but then stopped doing it. Or else it could backfire ala Danica. That was very embarrassing and Danica really looked uncomfortable at that time.
P.S.
What happened to your emojis? I really love how you (and others) use them in your posts.
@nobleze – Yeah…the fact that Lindsay, Jenna, and Brittany were Riker’s competition back in the day doesn’t exactly bode well for the whole “Oh I don’t have much experience at all!” schtick. I actually couldn’t be bothered to look it up until just now…and now I’m kinda going “Yikes, dude…I would disclose this if I were you.”
EDIT: This one looks particularly damaging: http://dancesportinfo.net/Competition/Holiday_Dance_Classic_2006_2723/Junior_Pre-Championships_Latin_15330/Results
I don’t think you’re being obnoxious – I wanted to know. 🙂 I kept hearing reference to it, yet saw nothing about it. Plus, I have a hard time believing someone would straight up lie about something that is documented. Kinda dumb.
Er, Tom ASKED Derek and Nastia if they were tired. What exactly about that was shoving it down our throats?
Thanks for clearing that up, Court – I am not familiar with the levels, but competing against the very pros we see? Crazy! He should say he did that as a kid, just to be upfront. I’m still enjoying his performances, but yeah…yikes. But again, I wouldn’t be surprised if TPTB have a hand in this, too. So if they are listening – just play it straight, guys!
After checking out that link, I’m echoing your “Yikes,” Courtney. Boy needs to address that very soon, especially that he’s at the top of the leader board this week and threatening Len’s fave, Rumer. 😉
I did not believe he’d had that much training because of how he has denied it! He needs to come clear because this will backfire on him. Definitely! People who are now becoming his fans (like me) might get annoyed. Not at the experience (I don’t really care) but at the fact that he is lying about it.
Now that I think about it, maybe Len knows about this and that is why he is trying to make him look “not the best dancer”… to make the dancing experience less relevant?
RE: Patti and playing the same card two weeks in a row…I actually think Artem is doing the right thing. She’s an older lady and she’s injured, so he’s coming up with ways for her to dance – much like Sharna is for Noah, or Mark is for Willow. It’s up to the judges and the voters to decide when and if enough is enough.
Definitely not as warm and fuzzy as last week. “Most Memorable Week” usually prevents the judges from being TOO harsh so hoping for something better out of them next week.
My rankings:
1)Riker
2)Noah
3)Nastia
4)Willow
5)Rumer
6)Robert
7)Patti
8)Michael
9)Suzanne/Chris
I realize it isn’t the most realistic list putting Noah 2nd but I was just so impressed with him last night. There’s really no one I dislike honestly (even Chris) so even the people at the bottom of the list are still fun to watch.
I know Riker has competed before and I know people have issues with Allison whether it be her high energy personality (which is a lot to handle) or how frenetic her dances are (which I don’t disagree with) but I just really enjoy watching Riker perform. He just has that it factor and showmanship when performing that I think hasn’t sold me on Nastia or Rumer yet. I do fear he’ll be a surprise elimination before the finals though. As far as his experience goes I guess it boils down to preference. I like him so I don’t really care about his experience but when it was Danica, who I wasn’t a fan of, I cried foul. When you just don’t like someone you’ll find anything to harp on. It’s not fair but we like what we like.
I just can’t fully get into Nastia or Rumer. I acknowledge that they are both incredible dancers but something is holding me back from both of them. With Nastia I think it’s her gymnastic demeanor and sometimes her overextension throws off the visual. With Rumer it’s her arrogance and the show pimping them. I love how the show is trying to make her the underdog compared to Nastia by underscoring her.
My ideal final would be Riker, Noah, Nastia and Willow but no way Rumer doesn’t make it in and probably win. I am hoping Robert sticks around towards the end as I’m really enjoying him and Kym!
@DLT – I actually like Riker, and I still wish he would come clean about his dance experience. People harped non-stop on Alfonso’s “extensive professional dance experience” last season, and the dude did tap about 25 years ago; Riker competes at a high level in a youth Latin dance competition less than 10 years ago? Nobody bats an eye. Double standards drive me nuts.
DLT, you said what I was thinking about Riker. I like his dancing, his personality and so don’t care about his dance experience or not talking about it openly. Yet, Danica was a problem for me also. So goes to show we all have biases I guess!
Well, Court, that’s the way it seems to go on this show. Every partner Derek has ever had is a ringer to some, yet Val hasn’t had a good partner yet. It’s annoying as hell no matter who the subjects are.
I do think once Val’s fans get wind of this they will have a field day unfortunately. Riker is major competition for Rumer imo and this will be one way they can knock him out of the way of Val’s mirror ball. If Riker is voted off early, this imo, means it is Val’s year. I hope Riker does figure out a way to damage control this.
Really don’t want to have to make #rikernotadancer a thing…but duuuuude, you competed against current DWTS pros and held your own. It’s not exactly “oh you know, my 2nd cousin Julianne pulled me out onto the dance floor a few times to show me some stuff, but I couldn’t keep up!”
My rankings this week:
1. Nastia and Derek/Riker and Allison- Loved the choreography from both of these dances. Very memorable for me. I do agree about the surprise elimination with Riker.
2. Rumer and Val- There could have been more salsa content. Definitely felt more disco-like. But Rumer did well for the choreography she was given.
3. Willow and Mark/Noah and Sharna- Both were good, but not the greatest. Amazing lifts from Noah and powerful feel from Willow. She needs to strengthen her core though.
4. Robert and Kym- Loved the chemistry between these two!! Robert could have had more hip action but overall pretty good.
5. Chris and Witney- Now that’s how you comeback Chris!! So happy they weren’t eliminated. Thought this was a pleasant AT, but wish Chris would have done a little more. Witney needs to find a place where the choreography isn’t too difficult for him, but she’s also not just dancing around him the entire dance.
6. Michael and Peta- The choreography wasn’t all there tonight. The lifts felt out of place and Michael was off time in a few places. I really love this couple, but I’m not sure this salsa was enough.
7. Suzanne and Tony- This dance didn’t wow me. Suzanne needs to show a little more depth, like CAI said. Besides the fruit hat, nothing else stood out for me.
8. Patti and Artem- I’m sad I have to put them at the bottom. Patti is so much fun to watch, but the dancing isn’t all there.
I feel like it was right for Charlotte and Keo to be eliminated. Her heart just wasn’t all in it. A side note, Bruno’s comment was rude and uncalled for. I hope he publicly apologizes for that.
Next Week’s Elimination- Bottom 3 will probably be Suzanne, Michael and Patti. I think Patti will be heading home (I’m sad to be saying this.)
Can’t wait for My Most Memorable Year!! That’s always a great week.
@PH – I was just going to say a similar thing about Artem. We seem to be on the same wavelength a lot lately. 😉 This season he has really impressed me. I wasn’t sure what to make of him after last season, but I like Patti’s and his partnership. With Patti’s injury, she’s pretty limited, and his choreography is a great match for her.
I would still give Nastia and Derek the edge over Riker and Allison. Nastia does have some work to do on facial expressions. However, I think the edge that she has is having Derek for a partner. I love Allison, but I think she’s still figuring out some things about choreographing for this show.
Usually in a season I will have an attachment to one of the good dancers and an attachment (or two) to the personalities or compelling stories. This season I’m firmly in the personality camp. I can appreciate Riker, Nastia, Willow, and Rumer’s dancing, but I watch for primarily Noah and Miss Patti. I do also have an unexpected attachment to Chris. And I really love Robert and Kym’s partnership. But right now, all my votes are going to Noah. Don’t get me wrong…his dancing is really impressive and almost miraculous, and I don’t mean to insinuate he’s bad. But my attachment to him is his story, personality, and attitude.
Riker is fun to watch so honestly I don’t care if he had experience. He puts on a good show.
I think it’s obvious many on the show know about his experience, yet he’s never been directly asked about it. However, seeing how some of the comments are already comparing his dance to the pros’, it’s obvious why they don’t reveal he’s had experience as a kid. The appreciation level drops significantly and expectations become unrealistic, and if you want to stay in the competition you don’t want that.
Also he’s paired with the only pro with no ballroom experience.
Most importantly this is a TV show after all, and the moment they ask for audience to vote, there is nothing fair or just about it really! How many times have we watched people who deserved to stay get eliminated? Or how on earth is it fair to have 70 year olds competing against 20 year olds competing against amputees? So I agree with DLT that it all boils down to who you enjoy or like.
Actually, Sara, Riker has been directly asked about it my Erin – I think it was just last week. I’m sure someone else remembers better than me. He straight up denied it.
And you missed a fairly significant point – it’s not about the experience any more, it’s about the double standard. Why it’s never mentioned for some, and for others it’s harped upon.
@PH
I don’t disagree at all on the Artem/Patti thing. I think that Artem is doing the smart thing by playing to the viewers rather than the judges, because realistically, it’ll be viewer votes that get Patti further in the competition. My comment was more directed at what I anticipate they will inevitably hear from the judges, when they say “that was fun, but this is week X and we need to see more content.” Performance-wise, I think she is serving it and has had some of the more buzz-worthy performances despite her limited capability.
And I am very happy to see people taking to Artem. I think he was a fantastic choreographer on Strictly and I remember him on the first season of SYTYCD, so the more weeks he gets to build himself up as a pro, the happier I am. Having Patti is giving him the opportunity to have more fun with the whole thing, as opposed to last season, where something was definitely off about the pairing.
I enjoyed Riker, Nastia and Willow…. And Noah is jus extraordinary to watch.
Was adorable how Derek reacted to Rikers scores, he looked so happy, not so much about the 7 lol.
I generally dont care if the celebs have training, you can see why they paired Riker with The not ballroom dancer pro but I hope he adresses it soon he seems like a nice guy.
What I don’t like is when producers decide who is the best of the season and try to shove her/him down my throat. I like to decide who I like and so far I enjoy watching him dance. And tbh if Riker was a girl he would be dancing with Val.
Also he is part of the abc/disney/hollywood records family so I wouldnt be surprised if the producers are keeping him quiet. Dwts being a highly produced show they’ll find a way to keep him from getting in the top 5.
Riker has had training, and I don’t see a surprise elimination, The R5 fanbase is giant. They expand across many different types of social media. Not the entire fandom has Twitter, or Instagram or whatever. And most of the fanbase is old enough to legally date the band. I’m in the fandom myself! But Riker has done many forms of dance, he’s most likely lying about it cause he doesn’t want the hate Alfonso got last season, or he’s being told not to. Riker is a very upfront man and doesn’t like keeping secrets unless he’s told to.
And I do think Len is pimping up Ral alot, Rallison did amazing last night and Ral were good, Rallison should have gotten atleast an 8 from Len. He gave Willow a better score, tsk tsk.
Either Len is being hard on Riker to motivate him, or he’s just choosing favorites and Riker happens to not be on that list. I’ve known of Riker’s band for years and I’ve met him a ton of times and i’ve seen people calling him ‘fake’ But honestly he’s not. He’s laid back, sweet and funny. He knows when to work his ass off and when to relax and go with the flow.
I agree with the feminine hand and arm movements. It got much better this week. Allison must have caught that. I think Riker suffers from dancing with Rydel (His sister) And Allison. Mimicking their movements in their arms and hands. He picks things up easily which can be a good and bad thing because sometimes people tend to copy what their picking up and it won’t be his downfall. It will just be a nitpick with the judges.
And Cougar Ann Inabaaaah, put your breasts back into your dress! I swear to god she is just insane for Riker and it’s funny to watch her. Tom’s crack was amazing and Riker’s reaction was pretty adorable.
Oh and Riker is pretty sexy without a shirt on and his happy trail contained. It used to span everywhere O.O
To me, it was more a LAck of conTent NIght than a latin night, there were clearly the couples who did the dance they were supposed to and the others.
1. Ryker & Allison: finally a great salsa in DWTS, I didn’t get one since season 14, thank you to both of them.
2. Nastia & Derek: a great samba, Nastia is still not my favorite Derek’s partner but the two of them produce great dances. My favorite samba of the show is still Shawn/Derek/Mark.
3/4. Robert & Kym/Willow & Mark: I like their performances, good, solid and very cute for Robert & Kym
5. Michael & Peta: not a great performance but at least there was salsa in it.
6. Rumer & Val: well danced but not enough salsa
7/8. Noah & Sharna/Chris & Witney: I like these two men but it was supposed to be argentine tango not “lifts on a pole and dancing around” 🙁
9/10/11. Suzanne/Charlotte/Patti: if I haven’t known what they were supposed to dance, I’d probably haven’t guessed by watching then.
Of course I’m partial since I’m a salsa and AT dancer and not a ballroom dancer, but I didn’t like that much the show this week.
P.S. Courtney, it’s Brigitte Bardot not Brigette 😉
@ #Lotus Funny to mention Riker being a girl, His parents originally thought he was a girl and was going to name him Madison (He is the oldest sibling so the R name trend didn’t kick in until the 3rd child, Who 4 year old Riker named Rocky!)
And yes your Val and If Riker was a girl comment is very true, I think Val is retiring or going somewhere else and their trying to pump him up so he can win and then take his leave. Their trying to make sure he does incredibly well before he leaves but honestly I don’t really like that pair, It’s Riker and sooooometimes Willow, I’m getting sick of people saying shes better then Riker because she’s top 5! But not Top 3, She’s to young for those emotional dances and she will most likely struggle with quick step. And trust me I’m getting sick of “I’m only 14!! Cause I just turned 15 and I do competitive dancing at Open Floor level and the dance moves she’s doing are mediocre.
I think the producers are trying to shove Val, Willow and Patti down our throats. Cause I plainly hate Patti’s routines and find myself becoming extremely bored and pulling out my phone to keep myself awake. All she does is just shake her shoulders and shuffle her feet and she gets treated like a queen! And if I hear “Age is just a number!” Or “I’m only 14!” (I actually heard it in Willows voice when I read it, That’s how over used it is) I’m going to loose it and the first person I see when I do loose it! Won’t be seeing next weeks episode of DWTS.
Why do you guys think that Artem always looked so awkward last season? He always looked massively uncomfortable almost constipated lol. But he seems like such a sweetie this season. I kind of agree with whoever said that they almost wish derek didn’t do this season. Like, I thought henry only filled in with camera blocking, I didn’t know nastia practiced with him too. Imagine what nastia and dereks routines would have looked like if they practiced regular amount of hours. Even more beautiful!!! I just feel like derek unintentionally is doing a disservice to himself, nastia, and maybe its a a little unfair to the other pros too ( although maybe not since they get more practice time with their pros). I remember last season derek looked so tired when he first started out with bethany, and on his blog he said he only got one day off in months. I feel like because he’s so passionate about life, he forgets to take care of n himself. But he has to, he’s a human being. 🙂 lol but at the same time I love hes there, he has such a good natured personality.
I also feel like val and rumer don’t have a lot of chemistry.
I was sad about charlotte. She seemed like a lovely girl. Also, random, who is in the troupe? I thought I saw a new girl? Whos the new guy with sasha and Henry?
@Jenny #57: I didn’t catch who the new girl was, but the new boy is Paul Karmiryan, who was on tour with DWTS this past year. I’m not sure why he didn’t get the official troupe spot, but it doesn’t surprise me to see him on the show.
#Mia I do see Riker as the “surprise” elimination, I think him and Willow are sharing a demographic and Willows’s journey might be more appealing to the general dwts audience.Of course he is a pro latin dancer but when it comes to slow dances Willow will be better showcased than him. And honestly Noah might outlast him too.
I want to see more of Michael, I hope he is getting the votes so he can stay. This week his dance got lost in the mix for me, I don’t even remember it. Same for Suzzanne, and Patti.
Chris was better this week but I don’t think it was much of a “comeback” I can see Wit playing it safe from now on.
I wonder who was in the real bottom 2.
Yeah, we’ve heard the “he’s got a huge fanbase on social media” thing before – while it applies for ratings, it often doesn’t work for voting on DWTS.
Either he’s been told to keep quiet or he doesn’t want hate – either way, HE IS being dishonest. That’s pretty much all there is to it.
Great post Court. You pretty much said it all for me. My Power Rankings are almost identical except I’m doing a bit of hand wringing over Michael. (Sorry, I’ll try to get a grip.) I worry he could be in the #9 spot instead of Chris because the judges just keep hammering Michael and gave Chris the “comeback kid” tongue bath on Monday. It might be enough encouragement for his fans to stick with the voting.
I like that the judges are holding down the scores and handing out 5s, but as usual, they’re still low-balling and over-scoring. As for their comments, well I’ll just say, the Stooges need to quit trying to make this show about them.
Although I would have been happier to see Patti withdraw, I think Charlotte was ready to put dancing behind her and get on with her other opportunities. Nothing wrong with that; the shelf-life of a model is very short. It really bugs me that Redfoo got a nice going away package, generous scores and lots of praise whereas Charlotte gets an unflattering package, low score, and an insult.
Dances I really enjoyed:
Riker/Allison – fierce, fast and fun, with some sizzle.
Nastia/Derek – just a straight up Samba well danced.
Rumer/Val – Rumer owned it & it was fun to watch even though I loathe disco.
Noah/Sharna – beautifully spare but elegant and full of emotion.
Willow/Mark – well done, but dancing slightly overpowered by the costumes & make-up.
Dances I thought were OK:
Robert/Kym – surprisingly vulnerable performance from Robert.
Michael/Peta – much better than the judges gave them credit for.
Suzanne/Tony – nice try & Suzanne just has such a good time out there.
Dances that didn’t do it for me:
Charlotte/Keo – she looked gorgeous but the dance just didn’t come together for me.
Chris/Witney – mostly atmospheric with Witney doing 3/4 of the dancing.
Patti/Artem – just a show piece, not really a dance.
Derek is doing a disservice to Nastia, Jenny?? Did you watch the show last night? And how is it unfair to the other pros who, if they so choose, can practice for 8 hours a day and do nothing else?? I’m certainly not saying it’s unfair to Derek and Nastia, because they made the decision to go into the show knowing what it would take – but you’ll have to explain how it’s unfair to the other pros that they did. They’re plenty handicapped and still whipping the butts of the competition? Too freakin’ bad.
As for Henry – he blows himself up way too much. Nastia practiced with him on Saturday and did camera blocking/rehearsal on Sunday. Before this past weekend, she only rehearsed on Sunday and did Camera blocking with him. Oh noes, he’s doing all the work! Only, you know, not.
Paul toured with Derek and Julianne also, and I think he’s going back out with them again this summer.
I had no problem with the fact Riker has past dance experience just like I had no problem with Alfonso having past dance experience last season. My problem is that when asked he flat out lied about it and Allison backed him up saying he had no experience of couples dancing. It’s like he thinks the viewers are stupid. Well maybe his teenage fans are happy for him to be dishonest but sorry not for me. He won’t be getting any of my votes this season.
Yea, I wouldn’t say there’s a disservice to Nastia in any way. Before she signed up for this she knew what she was getting into. She knew his schedule and still agreed to do this. On Nastia and Dereks DWTS radio interview, they said that they actually think they’re better off with little time in NY because they actually get stuff done. If they were in LA they would take a lot of breaks to chat with others and since it’s just them in NY, they focus from the entire time they’re in the studio until they leave.
Glad to read these posts this morning, because it was a rough night in the ballroom. I needed some laughs like tap competitions at Blackpool, American Gladiator comparisons and Cougar Ann Inaba!
The highlights for me included Nastia and Derek – this may be my favorite samba in all seasons I’ve watched. So much content and Nastia is looking more comfortable, connected and happy. Rocking the hair too!
Also loved Riker & Allison – I think they look so good together and side-by-side, they can’t be beat! Not sure what to make of his prior experience – I recall him denying it too and agree there’s a double standard. Love his attitude though – make your work fun!
Noah/Sharna and Robert/Kym were both outstanding too. Noah and Sharna have such a genuine partnership, trust and chemistry. I felt that he had a bit of a breakthrough as a dancer in his movements and interpretation. Hope their being in jeopardy was just to gin up votes. And Sharna never looked more beautiful.
Robert had his own breakthrough – an emotional one. He’s giving this experience his all and showing vulnerability. That makes up for some lack of rumba style, tho I thought his placement and hips were good.
Though I still enjoyed their dances, I was disappointed with Rumer/Val, Michael/Peta and Willow/Mark. Rumer/Val were fun and entertaining (nostaligic for my disco days!), but not the salsa I think they were capable of. Willow and Mark’s paso doble felt off. The concept was not as strong compared to their AT and her movements lacked requisite power and purpose IMO. Michael/Peta need to find their groove. I so want him to have a great week!
Suzanne and Tony’s concept was too dated and she looked overwhelmed by that costume. Memorable in a bad way. She moves so well but gets lost in the production.
Patti/Artem – still love her/them. The dance started off well, but trailed off into the twinkle toes/luggage cart freestyle. She has a beautiful spirit and smile through it all though.
Charlotte/Keo – guess she checked out this week. She was capable of a better rumba and acknowledged as much to the judges. Keo got the short end again.
I find annoying how Henry is trying to take the a lot more credit than he has. Was very clear Derek and Nastia didn’t have a lot of time together this week and that samba was amazing, imagine what they would be able to create if the didn’t work with limited time?
Henry must be happy he made his way into the package and got some air time, at least he had his shirt on.
I’m sure Derek appreciates the help, but dude, she ain’t YOUR samba queen.
I agree PH. Even with a crazy schedule Derek is giving Nastia stellar choreography and coaching her strongly enough that she has placed 1st, 1st and 3rd for the first three weeks of the competition. The schedule issues are also not all on Derek. Nastia is taking a full course load at NYU which means Derek is also working around that. I fail to see how Derek is doing her a disservice. She’s topping the leader board and putting out amazing performances which means Derek is doing his job despite the craziness of his life and hers.
Bruno should be so embarrassed and ashamed with his comment to Charlotte. And thank you Tom for your comment back to him. TPTB should be all over Bruno for that behavior.
For the most part, the judges were extremely crabby and nitpicky last night. Len wants everything to go Val’s way, because this is all about Val winning, let’s not forget that. I might start muting the tv whenever it comes to their comments.
Whatever happened to the couples doing the dance by themselves without any extra troupe members joining them except when it came to the freestyle? I would like to see that no longer be an option to include them and everyone dances on their own.
I know everyone loves Patti LaBelle, but I’m sorry, she doesn’t dance. I don’t understand why the judges are all over her. She stood on a luggage rack and moved one arm with a bunch of the troupe dancing around her. I know her foot is hurting her and she’s 70, but maybe she should withdraw. Yes, she’s enjoying and she is happy with whatever scores she receives. I give a lot of credit, but that’s not what I want to see anymore. And Suzanne’s costume was so distracting to me. I get it with the song they had, but I don’t think that made her look good at all.
Rumor and Val did more disco than salsa and were praised for it. Anyone else would have heard “there wasn’t much salsa.” But this pair is apparently who will be pimped to win. But Riker, Nastia and Willow are not going to make it easy for them, and I think one of them will win rather than her. I would love to see Willow win. She’s improving every week, she is proving that just as being 68 isn’t a factor, neither is being 14. Mark is doing a great job with her.
Noah amazes me. If he can do lifts like that with one arm, I can only imagine what he could do if he had both. I felt bad for him when he was aggravated with the prothesis. He doesn’t need it. He’s doing great, Sharna is a good partner for him and I think he’s going farther than anyone thought he would.
Loved Nastia and Derek and Robert and Kym. Robert is having fun and if the “wink, wink” behavior is going on, so what? It’s not being shoved front and center and they are not hanging all over each and continuously staring at each other like we’ve seen from others in the past. Riker and Allison’s dance was good. That was the best dance Allison has choreographed since she’s joined the show.
The other couples are just meh to me. Next, it should be Patti going home. But it won’t be. It’s probably going to come down to Chris and Suzanne and it would probably be Chris.
I agree Courtney. Everyone was saying Alfonso was a professional dancer. I also like Riker’s personality.
Watching Sharna interviews, you can see she is truly great with her celebrities and cares about them.
Latin Night was fiery, red hot. So many hot performances, and lots of fun too. I’m really bummed to see Charlotte & Keo leave, but someone had to go.
1. Riker & Allison: Hot damn! These two were on fire last night and the dance was muy caliente. I think Riker is going to be in the finals if he keeps dancing like that for the rest of the competition.
2. Rumer & Val: I think these two were way underscored last night. I certainly agree with Len’s 9, but I think this performance should have been all 9’s. I love the mix of Salsa and Disco, it had fun written all over it. Rumer really knows how to work her assets, and she and Val have such great chemistry too.
3. Nastia & Derek: This week, I think Nastia was a tad overscored. She looked like she was throwing herself around a majority of the routine, which made her look jerky, and it was difficult to watch.
4. Willow & Mark: I don’t care if she’s the youngest ever contestant, she is a phenomenal dancer with so much maturity for a young girl at 14. This Paso Doble was on fire, and was as cool as ice.
5. Noah & Sharna: I was really hoping to see the prosthetic arm this week, but the dance itself was a work of art. For Sharna’s first Argentine Tango as a pro, this was top notch. Definitely worthy of 30 points.
6. Robert & Kym: I’m very blown away by their chemistry. Robert can definitely Rumba, and I really hope these two go far because they are very easy to watch.
7. Chris & Witney: I was a bit unsure about these two this week, mainly because of the music. Whenever I hear “Dangerous”, I also get some Samba vibes along with Argentine Tango, but this made for a fantastic comeback performance.
8. Michael & Peta: I feel like the judges are being way too harsh with them. Sure some of the moves were difficult to watch, and seemed disconnected at times, but they are entertaining, and so much fun to watch.
9. Suzanne & Tony: While she moved very well in the dance, it was still very messy in places. More props to Tony for bringing out the best in his partner this season, but I think it might be time for her to leave.
10. Patti & Artem: Despite the lack of content in the performance, the dance was still very fun to watch. I really hope these two make it couple more weeks.
See you guys next week for Most Memorable Year Week.
I wonder if the judges thought Chris was going home, Julianne even said “your RedFooed us”, like they overpraised him to send him off on a high note same as RedFoo and they set Charlotte up for next weeks elimination, when next week they would have overpraised her improvement…to send her off on a high note?
ExerciseFan I read an interview by Rumer and she said she does ballroom in her shows at the DBA Hollywood theater, and I don’t hear her mentioning it since the show started.
I agree with the ratings. I like Riker, Nastia and Willow the most. Rumer is good but I guess the disco ruined my concentration watching them 🙂 To me it’s more annoying listening to the judges saying “this is your season” at the very beginning and on every episode than having someone like Riker who is not really upfront about his dance background. I bet if Meryl didn’t win the Olympics that made her popular, they would probably hide her dance background too. Plus Len said Riker isn’t the best dancer 😉
*rankings…hate when I do that.
My Ranking –
1) Nastia-Derek -One of Derek’s best Samba ever! I loved the choreography. But i just can’t seem to connect to Nastia …i want to, cause i love Derek …but i just don’t feel her.
2) Rumer -Val -My most favorite dance of the night …so ENTERTAINING!
Rumer has a great stage presence which makes her performance a lot more fun to watch. It surely lacked Salsa content…but performance and entertainment wise -the best of the night!
3) Riker-Allison -He’s a TRAINED ballroom dancer ..so he’s expected to dance GREAT only ..and he did pretty awesome! But i expect more from him …
I liked his foxtrot better last week.
4) Willow-Mark -Love Mark’s creativity …but Willow needs to work more hard.
5) Noah-Sharna
6) Suzanne-Tony
7) Chris-Witney
8) Robert-Kym
9) Patti-Artem
10) Michael-Peta -EWW! He’s such a bore to watch ..hope he gets kicked out next week. I just don’t enjoy him AT ALL.
Lydia,
While she might have downplayed it, she discussed doing a ballroom number for her show on windycitylive. I think the video is one this site. It was an interview with Val. I think learning ballroom for a movie or performance is different from training and competing in ballroom competitions. For example, I would like Vanessa Williams to be on the show and she learned ballroom for a movie. Again, I like Riker as well as Rumer and hope all of the contestants do well on the show.
I rewatched Rumer, Willow, and Nastia – and I like all three performances even more upon further viewing. Love the “rewind” move in Nastia’s, Rumer is very commanding and it was more fun than I initially gave it credit for, and Willow’s was more intricate than I thought at first.
Since I have had time to ponder on all these things ha ha here’s some random thoughts:
Riker reminds me of Gumby. I agree. Gumby needs to come clean! Ms. Allison’s partner who is not a ‘ringer.’
Michael reminds me of The Incredible Hulk
Rumer reminds me of the 60s era Vidal Sassoon models
(elle.com) has an interview w/Rumer about For the Record–Baz Luhrmann–and yep she’s a dancin’ I would love to catch one of these shows next time I am in LA. You need to come clean too, Mr. Val’s partner who is not “a ringer.”
My buddy at work feels Robert is crossing into the “dirty old man” mode.
Noah amazes me too! I love how he made us understand that just because the technology is available, it doesn’t mean it’s always 100% a “go” relevant to a situation.
Nastia, this should be fun. You’ve got the skills. Bring the personality.
Willow–we know you are 14. Jack Frost might advise you to “Let it Go!”
Suzanne & Patti are great entertainers.
I’m ready for Michael or Chris to go. I forget about them before the show is over. For Chris–is that Witney’s fault? I have no idea?
Random thoughts over and out!
The more I think on it, the more I really believe that TPTB don’t want the public to know about Riker’s experience. That line about “What’s a Foxtrot?” seemed so disingenuous and awkward that even if I didn’t know better, I would think it was a producer-fed line.
#73. Really Lydia? I always suspect Rumer has some kind of dance training too (although she’s not on a competitive level). There’s no way you can dance like that without any dance background.
My favorite couple this week and of the season so far is Riker and Allison. I loved the dance and thought he was awesome. I also like his attitude more than anyone else. He seems so easygoing and like he’s having fun when he dances. Their dancing seems so “cool” to me.
Nastia, Rumer and Willlow danced really well too and are my favorites after Riker.
So Riker was in the novice competition December 8th, and in the “open” competition the 9th. Was it like the winner from the novice got to compete with the open? And then he didn’t compete again after that one month?
Also, if so many people at DWTS know (Derek, Jules, Britt, Linds) I doubt he thought to himself let me boldface lie. I’m sure it was encouraged for him to downplay his experience. As it is encouraged for others to showmance, etc.
I didn’t get to see all the performances as I had to leave for work at 9pm EST but thought Nastia and Derek’s Samba was stellar (I watched it online this am).
Sorry but I’m just NOT into Riker…or Rumer either for that matter and I did see their peformances live before I had to leave for work :/ I’m just tired of Len drooling all over Rumer and Val…it’s sickening, absolutely sickening, much like Bruno’s comment to Charlotte last night.
I think Suzanne or Chris will be most likely to leave next week.
@Becki – The three open levels of ballroom competition are novice, pre-championship, and championship. And although I’m rusty on my USABDA regs, I believe a couple is eligible to compete in their current age bracket, as well as the bracket right above them; they are also only eligible to compete in two consecutive skill levels. So back in 2006, Riker would be eligible to compete in the youth and junior age levels, and either the novice & prechamp or prechamp & champ skill levels. And unfortunately, it’s not as simple as “Win at this competition, and you compete at this level at the next competition” – each competition is a separate set of events, and there’s a point system in place that determines when one should advance to the next skill level. It’s actually a complex formula that takes into account how a couple placed in a certain event, how many couples were in the event, and several other factors. For example, while I was in college, I amassed enough points from placing high in certain events that I pointed out of novice and into pre-champ. This was actually a bad thing, because the difference in skill level and competition between the two levels was big – and I went from getting mostly 1st and 2nd place trophies in novice to just feeling lucky to have made it to the semifinal in prechamp.
As for how long he competed – dancesportinfo is good, but there are gaps. I know that not all of the comps report their final standings, and smaller ones get altogether omitted sometimes. He may have competed more – there’s no way to know for sure. But the fact that he was able to place in some open-level youth Latin events seems to indicate he had some degree of mastery.
Wow my eyes went wonky with everything. I agree with Vogue whose comments were just a bit different than Courtney who I agreed with 95%. Sorry Courtney I usually agree with you 100%. Are we positively sure it was Ryker and Rydel who competed because in an interview on Disney I thought Ryker’s brother who stars in Austin and Ally said it was he and Rydel who danced competitively. Maybe I got that wrong but it is worth checking and asking him. He and Allison need to get a heads up that DWTS fans hate that lying or lying by omission. Nastia and Derek practice three days a week. She flies to LA on Saturday and may go over the routine with Henry but he doesn’t choreograph it. He is just trying to make himself seem more important and we need to remember he is part of “the family” so his comments will always lean that direction.
Well that was a mixed bag sorta night for the show. Some did great. Some did ok. And two just left me wanting more…of anything to spice up the dance.
1)Nastia and Derek: The beginning slightly worried me becuase I kept wondering if she could have a blast with these types of dances but she was loving that dance and it showed from her head to her toes. Loved it.
2)Noah and Sharna: A dance that amazed me and I think will go down as one of the best Sharna dances ever.
3)Riker and Allison: Watching it back, I am still amazed he had that in him. Kudos to Allison as well becuase she was kinda loving it and this is really the first time I have seen her that happy after a dance.
4)Willow and Mark: She is a revelation out there. Best surprise on the show this season.
5)Suzanne and Tony: So I kinda understand where CAI was coming from: lose the gimicks and she might up your scores Tony. Saying that, Suzanne is having way too much fun out there to fault her for that so rock on Suzanne! Loved it though.
6)Rumor and ValL Loved it.
7)Robert and Kym: Upon second viewing, I have to say that it was better than I thought last night. Good work Kym! he really is becoming a dancer.
8)Michael and Peta: So I think the judges overdid it a bit and it wasnt as much of a mess as they thought. Watching it back, it was a solid dance but he didnt seem to have fun and I kept having flashbacks to Karina and Aaron’s lambada becuase the criticism was basically the same. This guy can’t win with the judges for some reason.
9)Chris and Witney: Comeback kid! Saying that, depsite the 110% effort, I feel like it wasn’t exactly memorable either. Sorta let me down.
10)Patti and Artem: Love her but that dance needed something. The little weird conga line thing was nice-ish and the use of the luggage carts was cool but I feel like it falls on Artem more than ever to choreograph something that brings the fun and the dance to it and he forgot the latter this week.
Okay, thanks Courtney! Guess that’s why we call y’all the experts 🙂 Just confusing to the naked eye to see him in novice one day and open the next.
I think Derek and Nastia are doing great dances but I just keep wondering why none of the entertainment shows even(or barely mention) them. I just saw ET who talked about Charlotte, Suzanne and Rumer–not one word on Nastias samba, and almost nothing last week either. Also just saw an Access H interview where Nastia said that she and Derek don’t practice on Tues and “lose”? part of Wednesday. Every week on twitter she has announced or been seen with others leaving NY on Fridays. And this week she left almost immediately after the DWTS, shared a plane to NY with Kristyn Burtt(insta on twitter) and Derek was seen all over LA last night (various pics etc) and is still in La today? while Nastias at school in NY. My point I guess is I don’t understand how they will practice for 2 dances a week ? It also seems she and Derek are doing a lot of the dances early in the competition that Dereks fans really like. I’m wondering if they are thinking they wont be around much past the midway point. I guess the show will be happy with having them around to draw in the audience to get the show past the mid-point but I will be really disappointed not to see beautiful dances they could do all the way to the end. Selfish, I know. But the most TV I watch and wait for is to watch Derek dance 2x a year.
Oh I meant to add Courtney that I agree I’d be OK if they would just be honest about the prior experience if a contestant has it and be consistent. but just like everything else with DWTS it is never consistant. I really LIKED Danica, had seen a lot about her ballroom experience, why she liked it so much etc., but her whole deal was handled SO badly, I had a reaction just like when Val speaks. Just turned me off completely. And sometimes I really think the show is TRYING but enough of it is scripted enough, or has enough of an agenda, that one of the judges ends up having to say something or score in a way that makes NO sense or the show throws some kind of curveball into the mix to get rid of people IMO
I’m not sure how Robert can be a “dirty old man” at 52 (ish) to Kym’s 38. Fourteen years ain’t jack in Hollywood. For most Hollywood men Robert’s age, Kym is probably way too old.
Where did you get the idea that Derek was still in LA today, Raine?? I haven’t seen anything to indicate that, although I’ve only been halfway paying attention all day.
I think you need to chill out on the whole Nastia thing. Someone told me the other day that they’ve NEVER practiced on Tuesdays and I didn’t believe that person because I didn’t see a reason for it. But, if she has a few classes, she may have blocked out that day to study as well – especially since, up to this week, Derek was likely very busy as well. If Derek is still in LA, well, why not if Nastia isn’t available. As for Fridays – Nastia and Derek rehearsed last friday morning before she went to LA. I remember seeing one of them tweet about it.
Seems to me you are putting a whole lotta carts before the horses – you have them eliminated midway through based on supposition. Derek says they are putting in the work – mainly because they aren’t in the “hang out” atmosphere at McCadden. Their dances have been stellar thus far. RELAX.
Thanks Heidi you have been spot on this week
The age difference between Robert and Kym is 13 years, which is nothing significant at all by Hollywood standards. They have been doing good work together so far, and they should be great next week with their Waltz, and his most memorable year story.
You also see clear evidence that Nastia and Derek are really taking into account their critiques from the judges and they are improving, they are definitely used to the time crunch and will be fine.
Just my 2 cents. It also seems to me that TPTB have backed off the ott pimping of Val & Rumer.(Except for Len) lol
I also wonder why Henry should be giving us chemistry advice when he has only had 1 partner and didn’t get very for.
Loved Riker’s dance, didn’t think I would care for the 2 of them, but they have grown on me. I also wish he would own his dance experience.
I really don’t think Henry is trying to make himself feel more important. Yes he is friends with the Fam, but in watching AB tonight where Mark was a guest commentar he said that Henry is first guy he goes to for group or trio dances. Mark said that Derek does all the choreo and then Henry practices with her and “cleans it up. ” Mark aslo said that he doesn’t think Henry gets enough credit for the work he is doing. You’ll have to watch it to get the full intention.
I think the Hough/Ballas vs The Fam rivalry seems mostly fan-based to me. (It is JMHO so please don’t bash me) That’s not to say that Maks isnt insecure and possibly envious, but I really don’t think anyone really dislikes anyone. They may not braid each other’s hair or text each other, but they seem to have a professional, courteous relationships. I am not going to hate a pro because of who he plays hoop with. It’s just like dating – it’s their own business.
The people I’ve heard from have more problem with Anna’s comments, as opposed to Mark’s. Anna trotted out the “Henry rehearses with her half the time” – I guess you could blame it on Anna being shitty at Math, but after so many digs at Derek, ya just gotta call a spade a spade.
We have personal experience here with Henry’s ego – and believe me it is sizable. As if the near daily shirtless selfie didn’t make that abundantly clear.
Very true, PJ. Sounds like a very sage guy, doesn’t he. Talking about Nastia…who’s partner has won 5 MBTs and an Emmy.
PH – well that’s Anna for you …she is harsh with everyone. I have heard to go off on Maks and Val too. I don’t think anyone has been spared, but she likes to poke a Derek for sure. Her other commentators have to hold onto the tables to brace themselves. lol!
Would she even know what’s going on anyway?
I loved Mark on AB. He is funny, positive, and gave such wonderful insights and background. I know we can’t have him evey week, but I hope we see him again . He was great!
In Henry’s defense, the one celeb he had was older, had no skills, and zero fan base.
PH, I watched Afterbuzz and completely agree that Anna’s comments were the ones that just made me roll my eyes. I don’t know what she’s got against Derek this season but every time she says anything about him, it’s just to make another dig. Jealous much?
I actually liked Henry and was even kind of defending him a bit when talking to someone about the show but seeing his comment about Nastia being “my samba queen” and watching the package again, my opinion is definitely changing. By his logic, he’s got even less chemistry with Nastia than Derek does as he’s spending less time with her than Derek is – yet, he’s calling her his queen. The ego is getting bigger by the day and it’s definitely not pretty.
Well, they haven’t given him another shot, Jill. One has to wonder why.
I do wish the pros would show as much support to Derek as they do Henry, instead of tearing him down. But success doesn’t typically breed friendships…only envy.
I should have stated yy co-worker is 28! Thus her age range for what constitutes a DoM, is much different than say, my generation!
After re-reading this thread, maybe Riker was brought in as Allison’s partner, to help her understand the nuances of Latin and Ballroom? JK I think Allison is an amazing athlete. Probably the best PRO body on the set this year. I’m waiting to see her become an amazing, ballroom dancer too!
I rewatched the show tonight without sound. Still not much into Riker, Michael or Chris. The ladies looked okay. Overall, just not impressed with this version of Latin Night.
Finally– @MichLee agree 100% with that last paragraph. Henry needs to be a full-time pro with a celeb that has a crazy-a** schedule. Then we’ll see how he weathers that load. Overall, I would prefer TRISTAN, TRISTAN, TRISTAN!
Mods–your research, insider info and patience with this crowd is appreciated!
PH I have only seen Henry with the Olympic swimmer. I’d hate to think he is one-and-done. Hell they gave Keo a second season! I’ll have to go back and watch Nastia’s package again…
I loved her “I’ve competed with a broken ankle ” remark. Those Olympians are a different breed!
PH…one also wonders why none of them emulate Derek’s path. Highly motivated, tuned-in people, who know where they want to go manage to find a way on how to get there. They may fall down on occasion, but as Fred & Ginger remind us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUsRGuZb6k
And FYI Val–you ain’t no Apolo Ohno.
My favourites right now are Riker and Nastia! I really loved all their performances so far! I would be more than happy to see one of them taking the mirrorball trophy! In terms of personality I like Riker even more, I think he is really likeable and has a great attitude!
My early prediction for the finals in no particular order: Riker, Nastia, Rumer and Willow. But then again, it’s only week 3 and Riker and Willow might have the general DWTS demo against them.
To my untrained eyes Riker really looks like a pro when he dances, so his experience proves successful lol! I guess everyone on the show knows about his ballroom training, how could they not when he competed against a few of the pros. Witney, Lindsay and Brit surely know him from back in the day?? Or are the competitors not really familiar with each other? How is the vibe in such competitions? –> asking mainly you, Courtney :D.
And another thing I would like to know just out of interest – what does the score mean, we can see listed for every couple on the dancesportinfo site?
I’m the same age as Kym (now knowing that, gonna hit the diet even harder cause holy smokes her body is banging) and while I wouldn’t consider Robert a DoM, he’s not exactly right in the ideal age range, either. But for some women, for every ten million dollars of personal wealth you can subtract at least five years from his gross age to make his net age right in their wheelhouse. 🙂
Yeah PH, Im not sure why but you are right its a combo of a weird vibe I feel about this ssn, whining and thinking out loud. Also really wondering how they’ll handle 2 dances. Yes shes good but with so much less practice and doing it with 2 diff trainers-Yikes!!
And the comments. It makes them look like a bunch of aging dance instructors kvetching about how they did so well and were really heading to a big career but then— fill in the blank — some kind of excuse. Mark is supposed to be Dereks bro. I have NEVER heard Derek say anything in anyway negative about Mark (yes he teases him about his hair, costumes but never in a putting him down way) and yet even Mark cant bring himself to JUST say “Yes Henry dances with Nastia one session b4 Derek gets to town and Henry is doing a great job.” and just leave it there. No he has to add that little extra few words that makes it sound like Derek just shows up and takes the credit and poor everyone else. SIGH ! And unfortunately Mark isn’t the only one who likes to throw shade. And Nastia I think has a lot of potential we won’t get to see and yes its her choice but I’m just sayin I think it would be great to see what she could do if she were able to give this a little more time.
Guess Im just projecting ahead to the time we will no longer see Dereks stellar dances, or have that great positive attitude and generosity that is Derek to watch anymore, not to mention I don’t think we will see him walking around LA or wherever every week shirtless working out or in the rags as much and on our tv for 2 hours weekly for 20 weeks. When I saw Nastia would be his partner I really got my hopes up because I thought they would just be working around HIS schedule, and that looked very do-able.
All that being said, Willow is kind of cute, Roberts enthusiasm is OK to a point, Suzannes honesty is refreshing, but shes about to be promoting a stint in Las Vegas so ?? I think I could enjoy Rumer a lot if she were with Derek or Val had a personality transplant or with Mark if he were taller and I couldn’t tell you much about the rest…sorry.
I am really bothered about the information that Riker participated in ballroom competitions. This in my opinion is no small issue, it is not like he took classes in jazz or hip hop, this is actual ballroom. Whitney and Lindsey competed against him, I wonder how they feel about Riker being on the show and stating that he does not have experience. Julianne is his cousin, does she know that he participated in ballroom competitions a few years ago and how does that affect her judging? Riker needs to address this and until he does I am not sure if I can vote for him again.
I just watched Erin`s interview with them after their week 1 jive asking Ryker about previous dancing experience and he denies it basically. It is also fun to see Witney`s facial expression in the background who he apparently competed against back in the day when he said that. 😀
Anyways, I do like his personality and enjoy his dancing, but would have liked him to be more forthcoming about his dance background.
Heidi, I haven’t watched Afterbuzz yet so I didn’t hear what Anna said exactly (or how she said it) but she may have just been parroting Nastia’s comments in the package where Nastia said “I only work with Derek 50% of the time in NY and the rest of the time I am with Henry in LA.” I just went back to rewatch to make sure she specifically said 50% and she did. I know with Anna it is often the way she says things rather than what she actually says that gives a more negative connotation but in this case she didn’t just pull 50% out of thin air – my guess is she was just using what she heard Nastia say herself.
Yeah, kc, which is why I said in an earlier comment that Nastia and Derek gave them the soundbytes for that package. Anna still has a thing against Derek regardless. Calling him lazy is unacceptable. As is implying that Henry is doing all the work.
And Nastia made the 50% comment before she knew that she and Derek were rehearsing on Monday. It was at least a bit closer to accurate at the time the comment was made.
Calling Derek lazy is like calling a corpse animated. Just ridiculous.
Or calling Val “humble”. 🙂
Appreciate your blog post, Courtney.
While Michael is not on my top fav list for the male contestants this season, there is a reason he looked not as good in this weeks dance and why Peta looked so upset at the judges table. The four beat count in to the start of their music was either inaudible or didn’t happen. They heard nothing until the music started, then had to scramble to catch up. Michael never did. Per their AfterBuzz interview w/ JC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlX-RNMFiU8
Appreciate your clarification of Riker’s Latin competitive background and just what ‘open’ means… IOW, not a few weekend classes and a ‘competition’ in name only. Didn’t know who he was, never heard of R5, but he seemed like a bright, well-mannered and wildly talented guy. He’s all of that still, but his talent isn’t that of a prodigy who just needed a bit of instruction, nor his his Pro partner the ‘dance whisperer’ who works miracles with a novice.
That he apparently lied in response to Erin, and then evaded the truth on today’s KLTV interview, when asked questions which would be a natural opening to ‘fess up, he didn’t. Instead, at one point indicating part of him getting the Glee gig was because he ‘had rhythm.’ Could be doing it at the behest/recommendation of production, or they’re all on board with the idea of hiding the background… To me, hiding this information is wrong… and when/if it continues to trickle out, is likely to hurt them worse than being honest about it from the start.
Willow and Mark are one of my favorites and apparently isn’t trying to force the 14 year old thing as much as they are trying to make it seem. On afterbuzz Mark said that she is really mature so saying that, I believe that she will do fine with a rumba or a salsa because at the end of the day she is still an actress so that shouldn’t be a hard pull. I also like Ryker and I don’t think he will be a surprise elimination. He will be 4th place at the least.
Top Dances:
Ryker and Alli
Nastia and Derek
Willow and Mark
Noah and Sharna
Rumer and Val