PureDWTS Season 20, Week 6 – Power Rankings
Let’s play a game 🙂 It’s called “Who can come up with the most ridiculous, subjective, and flimsy critique for a dance that’s nearly flawless???” I’ll start!!! “Nastia, your pupils were FAR too dilated while you were doing that tango – it made me feel like you were undressing me with your eyes!” Or how ’bout this? “Derek, the pleats on your pants weren’t sharp enough – and it really detracted from the dance for me.” YOUR TURN!!! I think you guys get the point I’m trying to make – some of the critiques have gotten so out of control that the judges really seem like they’re grasping at straws to appear superior and relevant. Or they’re just trying to make sure that Nastia doesn’t get too confident, even though she is every bit as good as Rumer & Riker. Whatever, guys – I guess just keep spinning the “Wheel O’ Excuses Why We Simply Can’t Just Tell Nastia She Did Well” back in your trailers to keep things colorful…and to keep the season’s agenda on-track.
Besides Nastia, I STILL feel like Robert is getting the short end of the stick from the judges and can’t do anything right in their eyes; and then there’s Chris, who looks downright miserable all the time, barely moves, and the judges just FAWN over him. Here’s a bit of a “behind the scenes” scoop for you guys, free of charge: CHRIS DOES NOT WANT TO BE THERE. Sure, it’s totally written all over his face whenever the camera pans to him, but just confirming it for you – the dude was legit disappointed that he didn’t get sent home last week. And can you really blame him? He’s struggling hardcore each week, he’s butting heads with Witney, and I’m pretty sure he just wants to get back to the farm to have some wild hayloft sex with his Whitney. Or something like that. While I think it was Patti’s time to go either this week or next week, I still would have rather kept her over Chris – at least she was having fun, even if she wasn’t really doing a whole lot. She was still entertaining.
1.) Riker & Allison – Praise Jeebus, Allison redeemed herself from the disastrous “Milkshake” samba she did last season. I still think Riker outdanced her (again), but I didn’t notice the disparity quite so much this time. I was really pleased that this had a respectable amount of samba content – she seemed to take a lot of hip-hoppy liberties with the last one. Aside from the fact that Riker’s thighs were so open that you could drive a boat show through them (close them thighs on each pass of the feet!!!), I thought he handled the technique pretty well – I just found myself giggling a bit at those long, skinny legs just moving so fast 😛 He’s definitely peaking at the right time – I just wonder how he’s doing with the votes.
2.) Nastia & Derek – As I watched this routine, I was stuck by how much Nastia reminded me of Katusha Demidova, the current international standard world champion. Katusha is known for having the same long-necked, upright carriage Nastia has when she’s doing tango – and it’s bloody gorgeous. I actually loved the speed and sharpness of this tango – reminds me more of what you would see at an actual ballroom competition in the showcase round. Plus – the song kinda dictated speed, and it wasn’t as if Derek had a whole lotta say in the song this time around. So yeah, the judges bitching & moaning about the speed and/or the sharpness? Kinda pointless. Ditto for the claims about “lack of connection” or “chemistry” – it’s just a bit of a cop-out at this point. I know there was enough body contact for Derek to effectively lead those super fast pivots – as someone who sucks at doing tango fast, I can tell you this: if you don’t have just the right connection through your frame, you will get stuck every. Single. TIME. It’s like a turtle trying to run through peanut butter – you just get stuck and can’t get around each other. So I commend them on that – it’s hard getting the right connection in order to move that fast. I thought this was one of the most technically-perfect tangos the show has ever seen – but I think the judges had already kinda made up their minds about it before they even danced, so whatever. It’s going to becoming increasingly obvious that they’re just nitpicking Nastia if they keep it up – so I guess they either completely risk their credibility, or suck it up and admit that Nastia’s a good dancer, period.
3.) Rumer & Val – I think now more than ever that Rumer NEEDS to have a dance that’s 100% goofy and carefree, and not the least bit sexy, serious, edgy, etc. Give the girl a jive to some Little Richard song. Or a fun, mod 60’s quickstep. Last night was the first time I thought Rumer actually looked a bit uncomfortable while dancing – I don’t know that the booty-shaking sexpot that Val wanted her to be was something she could really relate to. I actually found her far more believable as Ursula, as she really committed to that character. On top of that, I’m not sure Val really gave her cohesive choreography – like the judges, I found the whole thing to be a bit stop-and-go (a complaint I often have about Val’s choreography, along with “too much walking around”), and it rather lacked fluidity; it also seemed like Rumer wasn’t moving as “big” as she could, and there were a few moves where she could have extended her leg further or gotten more range of motion on her hips. But I did appreciate how gracious she was about the judges’ comments – I think she herself knew it wasn’t her best performance, and just managed to shrug it off an say “I’ll do better next time.”
4.) Willow & Mark – Unfortunately, Willow kinda faded into the woodwork for me last night – while this salsa wasn’t bad, I also don’t think it was her best dance. Loved the Whiplash theme, but the rest of the dance was just kinda lukewarm to me – I think Mark may have overdone the shimmying a bit, and there were a couple spots where Willow just looked kinda lost…she was still moving, but there wasn’t as much conviction behind her steps. Not a whole lot else to add – didn’t love it, didn’t hate it…hope she can improve next week.
5/6.) TIE: Robert & Kym and Noah & Sharna – When I think about next week’s double elim, I get the sinking feeling that we’re going to be saying goodbye to one of these two couples – and I love them BOTH. And the thing that really stinks is that I think both of them got a bit of a raw deal this week – Robert got nitpicked once more by the judges, and Noah seemed really bothered by the editing in he & Sharna’s package (and consequently, didn’t perform as well). I actually really enjoyed Robert’s jive – once again, he was having a ball, and actually kept up quite well (even if he was just slightly off-time). The dude just works SO HARD – and its this work ethic that has probably made him a very wealthy man. I thought the judges could have been a tad more complimentary of him – telling him it was “better than last week” was just kinda stupid; I would have also said “And it was better than Patti’s jivestep!” But of course, nobody ever really gave Patti a tough critique. As for Noah – I actually thought he had some really impressive hip action, and thought Sharna did a great job of translating a lot of the leads to right-hand leads, which is really tricky. And I agree with whatever judge said their rumba had a “conversational quality” – that’s ideally what rumba should be: a sort of “conversation” between the man and the woman. I do get the feeling, however, that Noah was kinda gut-checked by their package – he seems to be a pretty straight-shooter, so I’m guessing he probably found it to be a bit deceptive of the editors to hone in on one 5-minute moment of weakness he had last week and act as if that was the climate of their rehearsals the whole time. Consequently, he seemed like he wasn’t as present in the dance as he probably could have been. While I love both of these guys – I just don’t see how they can both survive next week’s double-ouster.
7.) Chris & Witney – I just find myself increasingly irked by Chris, simply because he can do a completely craptastic dance one week, and then he improves just a teeny, tiny bit the next week and the judges go crazy over “how much of a breakthrough” he’s had. As for his Viennese waltz this week – it was “better…ish” than last week, but it still wasn’t a great dance. Witney is still doing all the heavy lifting (and is keeping Chris as stationary as possible), and Chris’ footwork is still pretty sloppy & shuffle-y. I also notice she tends to keep him in the same small area of the dance floor, as if to draw attention away from the fact that he’s really not moving a whole lot. Overall – Chris has gotta go, and it’s blowing my mind that he’s now been able to outlast both Suzanne AND Patti. Then again, the judges going so easy on him likely doesn’t help matters. Let’s just say I will be one salty lady if he manages to survive the double elim next week, and I lose both Robert AND Noah…
Thoughts on the Team Dances:
Guess I’ll start off my usual compare/contrast of the two teams: I thought Team YOLO had the more complicated choreography and made better use of both the song and the space around the stage; I thought Team Trouble was more simple and had a cute concept, but likely suffered a bit from having Patti on their team, since she didn’t seem very able to participate in the group synchronization parts. Was SUPER impressed by Team YOLO’s synchronization – I think I let out an audible “Yikes!” when Deep Throat told me about the prop beach balls and towels, but man – THAT is how you utilize a prop. They had some really fast, really precise stuff going on, and I don’t think I saw anyone out of synch. I’m picking Robert as my MVP of Team YOLO, just because he looked like he was having the most fun and played off his partner the best 🙂 And as always – he was 100% invested. He was all about those fosse fists! I was pleasantly surprised by the creativity of Team Trouble – I think the high school theme was probably a good bet for them, since they had kind of a diverse group of personalities. Would have liked them to up the difficulty of their choreography a tad, as some of the stuff at the tables seemed a tad elementary; would also preferred to see a bit more of the group all dancing together (including Patti), although I actually loved the stepping section. If I had to pick an MVP, I would probably go with Riker, as the overall energy of the routine really seemed to pick up significantly (and it had been really languishing after Chris’ solo) once he & Allison jumped up on the table. I think when you take everything into account, a tie isn’t unrealistic – each dance had its pros and cons – I think YOLO came out a bit more ahead for me, simply based on their level of difficulty.
So who did well last night, and who bombed? And which team dance was your favorite?
I found last night underwhelming on all fronts. The team dances for me were the best part. I think the scoring on those was pretty good. I won’t argue with a tie. Val and Rumer for me this week was just “meh”. I agree that she needs a “fun” dance. I liked last week when she got into character of Ursula. Even though I like Val this one didn’t do it for me. I loved watching Patti dance and Robert. Robert keeps getting the short end of the stick scorewise. He improved this week that’s for sure. I don’t think Chris’ dance was “all that an a bag of chips”. It was just meh. Yes it was an improvement from last week but not that much of an improvement. Noah and Willow didn’t impress me either. Nastia and Riker’s were the best IMO. Patti’s was cute and sad that it didn’t work out just right. Sad to See Patti go. Wish it would have been Chris. Hopefully next week it will be Chris. I am afraid it might be Chris and Noah although I would like to see Noah stick around. Second choice would be Chris and Robert.
I still haven’t watched the whole show, so I won’t comment on your rankings, but I absolutely agree with you about wanting Chris to go over Patti. I don’t think Chris is that much better of a dancer than Patti. But Patti’s attitude, charisma, and charm is SOOOOO much better than Chris’s. No matter how much dancing Patti did (admittedly very little), I always had a huge smile on my face after her dances. I can’t really say that for any of Chris’s dances.
I agree with your rankings except I’d switch Nastia & Derek to the top spot. I still think Allison is a bit stacatto & spastic at times. Riker executed it very well and that’s where his ballroom experience comes into play 😉 Nastia & Derek’s Tango was wonderful. Now with Derek having a foot injury, I wonder what will happen 🙁
Rumer and Val’s dance was just god-awful. All the way around. THAT’s the best Val could come up with? A jazz routine to Bootylicious? Smh–c’mon Val…step it up. But then he likely doesn’t NEED to since he and Rumer are the chosen ones and it’s “Val’s Season”.
Willow and Mark kinda faded away for me..this is why a 14yr old shouldn’t be on the show. Because she’s limited in rehearsal time so therefore can’t get to the level she’d need to win but Mark’s choreo has been STELLAR!! I LOVE his longer hair too 😉
Chris? Lets PLEASE send him home…Double elim next week and I’m thinking it’ll be Chris and Robert….Robert still messes up steps but dang he has a blast dancing 😉
Team Dances? I think Yolo’s was better simply because there was more intricate choreo. And NO Val, you did not BEAT Derek…ya’ll TIED so Derek still remains undefeated in Team Dances 😉 😉 😉
I hate that Nastia has to be nitpicked to death. Homegirl can DANCE. So it’s really disappointing that she’s been treated that way. Am I surprised though? No. Derek did a nice job with that tango, I thought. It’s not my favorite dance of Nastia’s but it was still pretty darn good.
My favorite dance of the night was actually Willow’s. I just enjoy her so much that I don’t think (like Nastia) there will ever be a dance I don’t like from her.
Please everyone give Rumer the Ed Sheeran song in the America’s Choice. I think (fingers crossed) that would give us a chance to see a different side of Rumer. Because I want to see the goofy side of her so badly. I honestly really do like her. Val and the judges make it hard to do so sometimes. The only dance I’ve not really enjoyed was her samba last week. And that’s really because of the fact the song was just not a samba song. And yeah, I think I have to agree on the uncomfortableness of Rumer last night. I didn’t see it at first, but as everyone kept mentioning it, I realized it. And Julianne really dropped the hammer on her last night with that 7.
Robert is adorable as always and I’m pretty sure he’ll be axed next week. Which is a shame, but unfortunately not surprising. 🙁
Noah was PISSED at that package, oh my God. I’ve never seen someone so visibly upset and affected by a package. I actually really liked this rumba. He’s getting better every week, in my opinion. It was just a shame that he was angry throughout it…
I flat out don’t like Chris. He’s boring and now that I know for a fact he doesn’t want to be here makes me want him to get the boot even more next week. I honestly don’t see him making it out of the double elim next week.
Riker… I hate to say but I really cannot warm up to the guy. He dances really well. And I think last night showed some of his prior training kind of showed last night. His hands are still really weird to me, too. But I do have to applaud Allison for totally redeeming herself with that samba. Although again, the music didn’t quite match it to me either. But I guess I’m nitpicking him, as well… lol
I really liked both team dances. Though like Court, I liked YOLO just a bit more than Trouble.
First I just want to say that I hope we never, ever have a “Spring Break” week again if that’s the way they’re going to go about it – tangos, V. Waltz? Bad music? No thanks. I think one of the more disappointing themes I’ve ever seen, except for Sasha as a crab – again. <3
I thought Riker's samba was great, but I was kind of surprised by the tens. Still, he's a LOT of fun to watch, and I actually really appreciate Allison not trying to make him dance to "Work It". Good for the pros sticking up for the celebs – when it's appropriate.
Whereas I felt SUPREMELY let down by Rumer & Val's dance. I think it was a big mistake putting the troupe in there too, because she looked amateurish compared to them (at least to me). The choreography was boring, her outfit wasn't that flattering, and ugh. She didn't dance it terribly, but I thought the judges were actually spot on in their critiques. Leave it to Val to blame the song – what I would have given to see Mark or Derek choreograph to it with someone of Rumer's ability!
I think that Derek and Nastia were the ones that suffered the most from adhering to the theme – I get that he was probably going for Miami nightclub, which was smart – but I didn't LOVE the concept (again, not his fault). But Nastia's Russian lineage really showed in this dance – she looked like a freaking pro.
As I posted elsewhere, I think this was a BAD BAD week for Willow to fade into the woodwork. It was a solid dance, but not great, and I did think her legs looked heavy. With the double elimination and her in striking range, she may be in for a shocking elim – and I really hope that's not the case, because even though she isn't the best dancer on the show, I think I like her and Mark's partnership the most (alongside Sharna and Noah).
Chris's dance was NOT good. I can't believe how much the judges fawned all over him. NOT GOOD. It was a slight improvement over last week, but Witney did all the work. It was pretty, and well-designed, but man the show really gave him not only a favorable edit, but strong scores. Hopefully that makes his fanbase complacent.
Robert & Kym – ugh, please Erin, no more showmance kissy talk. I did see him off time, but Kym did choreograph a difficult dance, too. Again, not my favorite guy but I do think a lot of folks like him so he might have the juice to uproot Willow (which I'll be disappointed about).
Noah & Sharna – I thought he moved well, but yeah I could tell that he wasn't "in" the dance as much as he has been. I also don't think the package wasn't that bad – it showed them reconciling, which I think the general audience eats up – especially since he was upset about it after the dance. The masses probably ate it up because it was very sweet and endearing.
My MVP of the night: Sasha. Crab, poolboy, outdoor grill chef extraordinaire.
Oh yeah team dances: I think a tie was very, very fair. I liked a lot of Trouble's concept, but appreciated the synchronicity of the others (I won't use that damned acronym). Both had their positives and slight shortcomings, and I couldn't decide who was better so I think the scoring was fair.
Trying to figure out how to vote so we can save both Robert and Noah, so really looking forward to the dancing by the numbers post. I do hope bachelor fans let Chris go, it’s not fair to keep him there when he is obviously miserable. Anyone else get a vibe that Riker is not getting the votes? I could see him being a shocking elimination next week.
Also to the Mods – you guys rock.
I don’t have a ranking yet but just quickly on Rumer’s jazz routine…I’ve actually seen quite a few people saying they think Jenna and/or Lindsay may have had a hand in the choreography. I assume they think this because the way the package presented itself. I do think it’s possible. I could see Val deferring to them as they have more experience dancing jazz style routines than he has. If so hopefully he’s learned not to do that again. Not saying it’s their fault AT ALL as clearly Val isn’t able to step outside his comfort zone and think out of the box. There really wasn’t anything I liked about that routine though…
Willow really did fade into the show last night though. First time that’s happened probably since week 1.
Haha, Everyone but Riker and Nastia were a blur to me. Nastia was just backed up on, then the judges drove forward and backed up on her again. Her dance was stunning (EXCEPT FOR THOSE LASERS I WAS BLINDED ON MY COUCH)
Riker’s dance was fantastic. He can do fast and upbeat well. Don’t think he can’t do slow because we have his Week 2 Foxtrot that was good for the beginning of the season. And his movement was gorgeous, I often found myself in awe at how good looking he is while dancing 😉
And the reason why Riker was put into ‘jeopardy’ was to make sure that his fan base watched. Because apparently whenever Riker wasn’t in jeopardy. They would loose a lot of viewers the moment he finished. They always have someone who stands no chance in hell of leaving added to the “Your in trouble” pile to make for a nail biter.
LOL to your intro Court. Well said and great rankings again.
Ok, here are mine…
1. Riker and Allison – These two were on fire again tonight. For having a difficult start to the week, they worked it out. What’s more, they owned it out there!
2. Derek and Nastia – These two were like angels dancing on STEAM!!! What beautiful spins and gorgeous lines. The stage production and the costumes were so beautiful. “That’s how you attack a Tango”, says Bruno. Bruno said it all for me.
3. Willow & Mark – Once again, I just LOVED them. Willow’s legwork could have used a little more power, but, otherwise, what a fun fun dance. Mark’s choreography was off the hook again. I loved the ending backward spin.
4. Noah and Sharna – What a beautiful rumba…it was so touching and heartfelt. It felt like a journey of their whole week. I loved their matching splits. So cool.
5. Rumer and Val – These two went backwards last night. She needed more power in her leg work. And was this really a jazz? I don’t think so. I agree with Julianne and Carrie Ann as well….there was too much walking around. I hated their tennis shoes too. It would have been better if they all wore HEELS!
6. Chris and Witney – I liked them last night. They had such a fun package and it was so great to see a big improvement with Chris. He just relaxed, let loose, and had fun. He was enjoying every moment. He found a sweet spot. I just hope he can keep it up?
7. Robert and Kym – They were such a joy to watch again. I agree…there were some timing issues, but, they came out and had a blast!!! They have the adorable factor.
Team Dances: Both were fantastic, but, team Yolo hit it out of the ballpark imo!
I agree that Chris should’ve gone home rather than Patti but I’m hoping for that next week. The sad part is that it will probably be Robert or Noah and I really really like both of them. It really upset me to see Noah on the brink of tears (maybe he was just mad!) bc of the package. He’s not an actor so I think what you see is what you get with him and his reactions are very genuine. I’m a big Mark and Willow fan but I didn’t enjoy their dance as much as I have in the past. She did seem to get lost but kudos to her for hanging in there and staying in it until the very end! I thought Riker and Nastia did great too! As far as the other dances I liked Robert and Kym and Patti and Artem. I too felt like Rumer was uncomfortable and it was a little awkward to watch. I like her and would love to see something light and fun. Loved both team dances but YOLO was my favorite.
I disagree with some you posted. I think that Chris does want
To stay. Otherwise he would not be trying so hard each week to change what needs to be changed. I think it has always been an extra challenge for tall men on that show . He has good form and always has. He is a very honest person and will give you an honest answer. That’s why he was upset for his bad pkg last week. He showed improvement in his musicality. Sure he’s not the top but he has improved. I’m not sure with robert. He has two expressions when he dances . A smile and the O mouth. He made several mistakes in their dance. He doesn’t seem to keep up with the speed of the dance. I really like the positive atmosphere of this season. Maybe it’s the all access format but it doesn’t seem to have a lot of bickering. I just wish that the all access for the rehearsals were recorded so when you miss one you can watch later. I love watching the training that goes into this. And the 6 cameras are great. I did find out last night that if you are in the Midwest you can watch the 6 camera live feed again during the pacific time. Thanks for
Letting me post a book! Can’t wait to see who winds it all.
And the troupe gets mad props from me for doing all that dumb stuff (grilling,donut float, crab costume). They seem like such good sports…Sasha especially! Btw- where was Emma??
I want to play!!! “Nastia and Derek you are too blond for this routine- it took away from the performance.” 🙂
Agree with the rankings, overall not a super exiting night.
Surprised by Allison & Riker, although I think they were a bit over scored and he danced better than her :S
I’m ok with the tie for team dances. I really expected team trouble far worse than how it turned out. Liked them both.
For the double elimination I’m worried about Robert, Willow and Ryker.. I would love for all of them to stay but I guess this is not a possibility, I think we will see one the these people go. (assuming Chris is going home).
My very important question of the night…. where is Emma!!!???!?!?!?!
I thought there was poor choice of music for most dances. It was interesting that the high score went to the team that requested different music. I’m really tired of Val doing sexy and or love dances maybe dwts promotes it idk. Len hasn’t been good to Nastia all season,has yet to give a 10 and come on Len Tango supposed to be low and slow I would like to see him dance low and slow to that song. As Derek said he has never moved across the dance floor that fast. Happy to see that Derek kept his record of not losing a team dance would not have been fair to lose it when he couldn’t be there to take charge.
Team Dances: I expected YOLO to win hands down, but I was pleasantly surprised with TROUBLE, and I was more impressed with them. I loved their concept, it was pretty creative and they really played to their strengths. I loved the table choreography(That had Allison written all over it haha). YOLO was really tight and in sync but it was kinda predictable and didnt have enough depth for me. So IMO, Trouble won but both were great obviously.
As always, thanks for power rankings and thoughtful/informative commentary.
I’m with you on hoping that we don’t lose BOTH Robert and Noah next week.
I am surprised to hear that Chris apparently really does not want to be there anymore. He seemed to really enjoy himself, at least last night. My favourites last night were Ryker/Allsion and the Team Dances.
I have not been impressed with Val`s choreo at all this season, there is not one dance he did with Rumer that I would go and watch back.
In my opinion, Nastia and Ryker and even Willow are more deserving winners at this point.
I’m just DISGUSTED by the crap the judges slather over Nastia and Derek. I was breathless after watching their tango, thought it quite sophisticated, beautifully performed. For me, just looking at the constellation of 8’s given out last night, it is beyond ridiculous for Nastia to be in that group. I thought Willow had an off night last night, and for she and Nastia to be tied is insane.
Riker moves well, but something about his legs is very distracting. Also, doing some nit picking of my own, the relationship between Riker and Derek is not through the Hough’s. Their mothers are cousins, grandmothers are sisters, great grandmother is the same. So Riker has no “Hough genes.”
I was surprised, but quite pleased, by the judges’ reaction to Rumer’s performance. Honestly, I’m tired of looking at her since she always looks the same (save for the purple paint) and always moves the same. Have to say it was interesting seeing Demi respond to less than glowing critiques. I’m very interested to see if they can switch it up. It’s gotten B-O-R-I-N-G.
As for the team dances, my problem with Team Trouble is that it didn’t really have a Spring Break theme. Just saying it’s on the last day of school before the break doesn’t really do it. That’s what bothers me in the comparison between the two teams. YOLO made it truly Spring Break. Trouble made it whatever-you-want-to-do — but on the last school day before break. What YOLO did was more difficult because they stuck to the theme. I think Trouble should have had a point deducted because they didn’t follow the theme. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a theme? Not that I’m necessarily in favor of them, but if you’re going to have them make them mean something.
@Lisa C: While the tie for the team dances didn’t help Noah and Robert *much*, it does greatly increase the importance of audience voting (since the spread of judges’ votes is now about 10 points out of 80 instead of 10 points out of 40).
First, I have to say I do not like Julianne’s hair! Very distracting and it’s not a nice look for her.
For the dances, I didn’t care for Rumor and Val’s at all. I didn’t feel there was a lot of jazz in it, there was a lot of walking around and Val, Rumer’s been in black way too much. Why not try another color?
Thought Robert’s jive was so much better than his quickstep. I enjoy watching him with Kym, but unfortunately, I think his time is coming to an end.
Chris, meh. It was better than his Hercules last week, but he should be the next to go. It’s so very obvious he doesn’t want to be there and I don’t think it would bother Witney to be done with him either.
Nastia, Riker and Willow’s dances were my favorites of the evening. Willow is keeping up with the pace and could work her way there.
I felt really bad for Noah. TPTB seem to pick a couple each week and make it seem they don’t get along and can’t stand each other. I can understand how that must have made Noah feel. You could see it on his face that he wasn’t happy and I’m glad he and Sharna spoke up. Maybe the packages should be eliminated from the show completely.
Not sorry to see Patti go. Her basically standing around or moving a few steps while sliding her arms up and down doesn’t cut it.
I don’t understand how the team dances were tied. Team Yolo’s was more entertaining and more intricate in my opinion. Team Trouble was an ok dance. Once again, Rumer was in black. Why couldn’t they switch that up and have them play the nerds or jocks? I’m sure giving them a tie score had something to do with the overall manipulating going on, but Team Yolo was the winner.
With the double elimination coming, Chris has to be one of them. He’s becoming a Bristol and overstaying his welcome. The second one is probably going to come down to Robert and Noah. I enjoy both of them, but I would rather see Noah stay over Robert.
Those comments too Nastia sound like the comments made to Nicole on the samba.
I agree with everything you say and thank you for the excellent Power Ranking this week. It is really, really annoying me the way the judges keep picking on Nastia for the most stupid things. Her dance was so beautiful. I am a big fan of Riker this season. He should be in the semifinals and IMO the DWTS winner this season is between Nastia and Riker. I wish Robert would not go home next week. I like his enthusiasm and find him very entertaining. It is obvious to me that Chris does not want to be there; I could see it the way Witney acted on last week’s show. She looked very disheartened to me. I really like Witney and am sorry she was stuck with Chris this season. I hope he goes home next week. Team YOLO was better.
Sorry, I meant to, not too.
Thank you for the rankings, Courtney and thank you to the person who invented YouTube. I just have to get away from my TV last night. Yup, TPTB can scratch the idea of spring break theme next time or don’t do it right after Disney night. Nastia tango last night reminds me of Bethany Mota’s last season but Nastia’s was so much faster and complicated. I was as confused as Derek was “this suck, that suck but overall it’s fabulous” (courtesy of Len). I think TPTB wanted Chris to stay a bit longer because he’s a Bachelor and Melissa, who’s going on the tour, is an alum. Both of them was invited on All Access last night. The show needs Bachelor Nation to tune in, I guess. Now about Riker. I hope his fans are voting hard for him. I’ve been giving some of my votes for him in the past week except last night. I want to see him and Allison do their freestyle, contemporary and Jazz. I have no doubt Allison will create something amazing and entertaining. I don’t mind if she will include Twitch like last season. The Men in Black Jazz was awesome! My ideal top 3 couple I want to see, both because of entertainment value and choreography, are Nastia & Derek, Riker and Allison, Willow and Mark. But I know TPTB will insert Val.
I actually let out a great giant whoop of appreciation last night to hear the judges FINALLY call Drek and Nastia on their lack of connection – not physical connection between their bodies, for Pete’s sake! Connection between the two of them as a couple and, for sure(!) emotional involvement of Nastia in the dance – something Rumer and Val and Robert and Kym do extremely well. About time they finally acknowledged this lack in their pet couple.
Also interesting to see them rip Rumer and Val (again)when at least they presented something that looked somewhat like a jazz performance when they (the judges) had nothing but fawning praise last week for Derek and Nastia’s jazz that looked more like a broadway musical than anything! Oh well, when has there ever been fairness in DWTS judging when Derek’s involved!
Chris might just be more content to stay after last night. The team dance came at a perfect time for him after last week. A room full of positivity and a week of coaching from Val and Artem rather than Witney has obviously done him good. I’m sure he wanted to go home last week and at the start of this week but after last night I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s now happy to keep going.
Rankings in order of best to worst for me would be: Riker, Nastia, Rumer, Willow, Noah, Chris, Robert.
Team Dances: I thought a tie was a fair result. To be honest I don’t think the pros of Team Trouble are getting the credit I feel they deserve. They had to work with the 2 weakest dancers in the competition by far without Derek who is the master of covering up weak dancers and they made it work despite three of the pros having only done 2 team dances combined since they became pros. The concept was cool and they found a way to cover Patti’s limitations up while making it look great. Chris did his part and Riker freaking killed it. I never gave them a chance of getting near Team YOLO so props to them on getting a tie, I can’t blame them for being stoked afterwards.
Considering Team YOLO had to do without Derek for most of the time they also killed it. Robert was defo the MVP and the synchronisation sequence created even with Noah’s one arm was awesome. Derek has still never lost although I was waiting with baited breath after Team Trouble’s dance, not gonna lie part of me was expecting the 10 from Len.
Agree with you strongly, Photodaisy. To me, Chris does seem to be trying. In their live rehearsals, you see him get frusturated if he doesn’t do something wrong. That’s effort for me, he is trying to improve and get better. Now does he deserve to get past the double elimination? I don’t think so. But I think he is trying and applaud him for his improvement from last week.
M8 #24 I do think you are right that Chris probably got a huge boost in confidence and morale from the team dances, and probably another one after surviving the elimination and is therefore more invested now than he was last week – because he wanted to be GONE. That being said, I still hope he’s eliminated next.
I also agree with what you said about the team dances – the concept and execution was fun, and it was really good considering they had both Chris and Patti.
Riker/Allison – This was my favorite dance last night they are fun to watch. But I think Len’s comment about putting all in and hope for the best applies more to Allison’s choreo than Riker’s dancing. His long limbs are kinda distracting, if he was a muscular guy he would look more contained but being tall and thin is not his fault. Allison was smart by putting him in a muted costume.
(I still think the week he gets the quickstep they are going home I don’t think Allison can pull it off.)
Nastia/Derek – I am amazed by what they are able to create in such limited time. I wish the judges would tell them how to improve instead of wasting time rambling on stupid things. I guess there isn’t much to improve since they are pretty much a perfect team.
Willow/Mark – She looked unstable on her feet, like she was uncomfortable dancing fast on heels.
Noah/Sharna – Noah looked pissed, I bet he felt betrayed by the production with that misleading package. He has been doing such a great job.
Rumer/Val – They fell in the middle of the pack for me, I was expecting something more Beyonce-esque and big, it was very disappointing the girls looked like Val’s backup dancers. Val can’t do hiphop, even with a Zendaya (hiphop dancer) as partner his choreo was a little lame.
Robert/Kym – I want him to do well so bad! because I really like this couple but the judges keep being too harsh on Robert, there is no way he is worst than Chris.
Patti – I actually enjoyed her dance this week, she was fun, but I’m glad she is gone.
Chris/Witney – Overscored. He still looks lost, and Witney’s dress looked like Rumers week 1 dress. I wish his fans see that and allow him to go home.
Loved the team dances, they were having so much fun. I didn’t care for the packages, they are always overly fabricated.
With the double elim I Hope we can say goodbye to Chris, come on, its time! And I think the other could be Robert or Noah, Or both if they are going for a shocking elim. I find hard to believe Riker is really in jeopardy, IMO it would be unacceptable if he goes before Chris. But we never know.
Thanks so much for the updates on the 10 Anniversary guys, yo are the best!
Oh something else that bothered me about Rumer’s dance last night – it seems too much like dances that both Danica and Zendaya did – I’d have to look them up to be sure but I’m fairly positive the set and choreography was all too similar (there may be others too). Plus she didn’t wear heels, wtf!
Jillery, CALM DOWN.
I really hope Kym and Robert don’t leave during the double elimination. I’ve noticed over the past couple seasons, we have that one contestant that may not technically be the best dancer but becomes the most loved because they are the definition of what this show is about, learning how to dance and having fun!
Yes, there are amazing dancers like Nastia, Rumor & Riker but I find myself almost enjoying Robert more because you can tell he loves being there and he enjoys the entire journey that this show was built from.
Anyways, I agree with your rankings! I think Val had so much potential with a jazz routine & bootylicious but it was a bit of a letdown for me.
Team Trouble didn’t dance, they just stood on tables. Right Val fans?? :::snort:::
Nastia and Derek are the pet couple??
You go to the Val C school of crack smokin’ don’t ya.
I’m a little worried for Willow…she was a little under the radar this week (save for maybe the extra rib and Bruno calling her hot).
I hope the Willow/Mark supporters will vote hard this week!
Spring break is over and I’m over it as a DWTS theme. Maybe it should have just been the theme for the team dances which I enjoyed especially YOLO.
I’ve been watching a lot of YT videos lately (many suggested on this site’s Anniversary show post) and realized that more traditional music was used for many seasons. Since changing the band, it seems that the more contemporary and pop music often selected just doesn’t serve the dance styles. A dance to Bootylicious is going to be raunchy no matter how you slice it. Proud of Allison standing up for Riker over the initial song selected.
Interesting that both Nastia and Rumer appear very self aware about their dances last night and what was lacking. I enjoy them both. Really hope that Derek & Nastia get to continue and that Rumer gets to explore a different side.
I just love Noah. What a stand-up guy and so glad he called the producers out on the cheap shot. I definitely sensed the “conversation” in their rumba. (Did Len say that?) Please Dancing Gods, let him stay next week!
Robert was great IMO. He was off for one small section, but kept up with the music. He’s getting hosed by the judges. Hope the votes are there for him.
Riker’s legs are sharp but their shape is weird. I do look forward to his dance each week though.
Willow looked out of balance. Just not solid on her legs/feet – if that makes sense to anyone else.
Chris is trying and became discouraged. He’s only human and though his dance was pleasant, he doesn’t do much actual dancing. Witney dances around him.
I will miss Patti and her partnership with Artem. Their live streams were fun and sweet. I thought she did a fair amount of steps last night and went out on a high note.
Wow! didnt expect that from Team Trouble! They Killed it. It kinda looked like Allison’s choreography. Pleasantly suprised!
If Noah gets eliminated next week I will probably cry and possibly have a temper tantrum. Not sure which
Noah is so inspiring and a good role model for kids and other adults with disabilities. Sharna has been inspiring as a coach and has done stunning choreo. I am still not over thier contemporary. IMO that one arm lift was one of the most amazing moments in the history of the show. I WANT A SHARNA BURGESS FREESTYLE PPL!!!
The producers have just been waiting for a crack in the armor to exploit and I was sad for Noah but I still felt he did a good rumba. The arm interplay, hip action and intensity was good.
It’s getting to the point where there isn’t really any easy out except Chris. Not to be ugly because I like Chris and he seems kind but he is the weakest dancer to me. The trouble is who else? Robert probably should be the one to go with Chris but I do really like Robert. He and Kym are cute and you can’t argue with his work ethic. He just has less natural ability. I am a little worried for Willow too.
Love Nastia and Derek. That tango was amazing! I have no idea why the judges said what they said. I don’t see a lack of chemistry or connection. Derek did acknowledge that other people are seeing it though, so at least he knows that for their future dances.
I think Riker should’ve gotten Nastia’s scores and Nastia should’ve gotten Riker’s scores…but we all know that the couple in the “pimp” spot usually gets the more generous scores from the judges.
I thought Riker’s dance was fun, but all he’s ever had are fast dances and it’s all getting kind of…old. Sure, he can dance and they’re entertaining, but I want to see him do a slow dance. I want to see Allison step away from her one note choreography, which is always fast, choppy and intense. I want to see him do the waltz, rumba and quickstep. I’m not a big fan of her though. I just don’t like watching her dance. She seems too all over the place all the time and puts on so much attack that the moves look weird sometimes.
I need to see Rumer’s dance again. I personally didn’t think anything was too wrong with it, but that’s just me.
Team YOLO’s dance was the most Spring Break-y I saw on last night’s show. It was so fun! Go Team YOLO and Derek’s winning streak!
Speaking of Derek, I hope he’s okay!
Jillery, I’m sorry, but I’m sure I didn’t read your post right. The dance that Val and Rumer did looked like a jazz? Really? I mean, really? To me, it looked like a bad mix of hip hop (kind of, I guess) and undefined choreography with a lot of walking and that was Rumer’s worst dance in my opinion. Yes, the choreography was bad (I usually like what Val does), except for that one lift, which I really liked, but in my opinion she also didn’t deliver it.
My top: Riker (I love him more and more each and every week) and Nastia (I usually don’t care for tangos, but boy, that was really something else! I’m not even gonna start on the judges, they are not worth it. They were given the extremely fast song, Len, and you expected a slow dance?!).
Everyone else I was like: meh… Not my favorite week, for sure.
Team Dances: I actually liked Team Trouble more then Team YOLO. I liked their theme and the whole production was great. Except for the part where Patti was in front, doing something completely different then the rest of them, which was confusing and it didn’t look good. They should put her in the middle of the circle, where Rumer was and then it would made sense. That’s why I think that the tie was on point.
@Carla: FWIW, the choices for Riker & Allison for “America’s Choice” night are Cha-Cha and Viennese Waltz.
[And I dunno, but Sheppard’s Geronimo doesn’t strike me as a great choice for a tango, especially for Noah, but I could be wrong.]
@Sam: Yeah, but I think “America” will choose the Cha-Cha because it’s more fun… I’ll vote for the V. Waltz though!
I have no idea what got into the judges this week, I think the no – chemistry thing actually worked because of the Tango being fast – paced and powerful. That floor spin Nastia did was so perfect, it screamed 10! Their dance deserved AT LEAST 36!
Len’s bedroom comment was a little embarrassing, but seriously, this dance was too much. It was fine when they were all “Sexy Ursula” and “Incredible Body” but this was a bit too much. 32 was an okay score, but I wish it had been four 8s, Julianne’s 7 was too low.
Speaking of which, Julianne looked like she was channelling Katy Perry tonight and Bruno was weird. His “Raunchilious” and “Willow, you’re hot” made me and probably everyone else really uncomfortable.
I really appreciate Allison changing the song because of bad taste, so contrasting to Val. I actually loved the choreo, and her outfit! I also liked Willow’s performance but I wish it had less shimmying, but the extra ribs thing was very funny!
Actually Jillery, jazz as a genre has more in common with Broadway dancing than with hip-hop, so Derek and Nastia’s jazz last week was more on target.
What Val gave Rumer to do was hip-hop lite, some anemic pseudo twerking and posing. It was dead boring. Rumer can do so much more. He dropped the ball in my opinion.
I have to admit I was a little relieved that there is only going to be a single elim rather than a double elim next week b/c I felt pretty sure Willow & Mark could have been one of the two couples eliminated since their dance last night was (to me) underwhelming & forgettable. I would love for them to make it to the finals but I don’t think they have a strong enough fanbase compared to the others. I just hope Chris & Witney are the ones who go home next week, especially since he doesn’t even want to be here. I feel like it would be such a slap in the face to the other couples who want to be here & are enjoying the experience & then get eliminated over the one person who doesn’t even care.
Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed by all the dances last night. Usually, there’s a few dances I want to go back & re-watch on YouTube but there were none from last night that made me want to do that. I hope they never bring back the Spring Break theme ever again. Or rather, just stop w/ the theme weeks all together.
As for the team dances, Team YOLO’s dance was so fun! I was practically bouncing while watching them. Team Trouble was great but I only liked Riker and Allison’s part.
While I also appreciated that Allison changed songs to make Riker more comfortable (love her maternal instincts), is “Work It” really that inappropriate to dance to? In the music video, there were little kids dancing to it. Alyson Stoner did a Missy Elliott tribute a couple months ago & also had little kids dancing to the song. Even if the lyrics are a bit suggestive, I don’t think Allison had to choreograph a dance literally to the song.
@Jane I admit, I haven’t watched the video but I’ve heard the song. I guess she just didn’t want to come off as awkward, because during performance, the song is the only thing people have in mind. And after Rumer’s dance, it seemed even better she changed it!
Len’s expression though, when Julianne whipped out the 7 paddle was hilarious, wish someone would make a gif of that!
Okay, I finally got through the show…I just don’t get it! Derek snd Nastias’s tango was insane! What the heck is going on? I haven’t watched as long as others, but wasn’t Maks and Meryl’s tango fast? It was party anthem night! Now I loved M&M tango, so how was this one different, speed wise? Good grief!
Just my rankings:
1)Riker and Allison: LOVED this dance.
2)Natia and Derek: Loved this dance too. Judges be crazy.
3)Willow and Mark: LOVED this one too.
Now the ones That I have some stuff to just vent about:
4)Robert and Kym: Such a fun dance BUT after rewatching I honestly am very very very worried now. I finally saw what the judges saw and get why the scores were the way they were. Saying that, nobody (with the exception of Patti this season) seems to be having such a fun time and that really makes me happy to see from him.
5)Chris and Witney: He did good but I gotta wonder if he is happy or if he isnt. He seemed happy and everything with the group dance BUT the individual dance not as much.
6)Noah and Sharna: It kills me to put him this low in my rankings but after second viewing of the dance I didnt like it as much and you could just tell he was annoyed by that video package. Honestly, kudos to him for calling tptb out and kudos to Julianne too (I vaguely remember one in Chuck’s season that was bad for her but I’m sure there are more too).
7)Rumor and Val: They probably arent going to go home and I’m probably crazy to put them this low but I despise this dance. I want to find something nice to say but it just didnt work for me. Also, I literally laughed so hard that I almost choked on my chips when they had the three girls and the “Beyonce, Kelly, whatever the other ones name is” part becuase if anyone was a Beyonce in that group it sure wasnt Rumor lol. Rumor looked like she wasnt sure if she was giving sexy or bored. Anyways, Val got the desired result apparantly so whatever works I guess.
Team dances:
1)Team Trouble: I liked this one a tad bit more.
2)Team Yolo: Willow….You stole that dance in my opinion. Wowza.
Oh and props to the show for using the lobster suit again….poor Sasha.
This week didn’t have very interesting or memorable individual dances (I blame the lame ‘Spring Break’ theme and the bad music choices). Anyway…
1. Riker and Allison: I loved this dance! Also, after a ton of big production numbers, it was nice to see a dance that was relatively simple in the props/lighting/trope usage departments.
2. Nastia and Derek: That spin move Nastia did was gorgeous and the dance was solid, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I guess my expectations were just too high.
3. Willow and Mark: It was a cute little dance but rather bland compared to their previous numbers. Willow’s lucky the double elimination got postponed because I think she would’ve gotten lost in the shuffle and ultimately eliminated.
4. Rumer and Val: Yikes. I didn’t like this dance but Rumer performed the heck out of some meh choreography so I’ll rank her at #4.
5. Robert and Kym: This wasn’t his best performance. There was timing issues again, but fewer and less obvious. I didn’t enjoy the routine as much as his previous ones. I will say the dance was very Spring Break-y, so I guess that’s something.
6. Chris and Witney: Okay, so I was fully prepared for another cringing train wreck, but Chris actually gave a decent performance. For the first time, it looked like he was having fun and wanted to be there! He probably learned a lot from Artem and Val during the team dance rehersals.
7. Noah and Sharna: I admire what Noah’s doing and he seems like a great guy, but I just wasn’t feeling this dance. He definitely gets an A for effort though.
As for the Team Dances…
Team Trouble: I utterly adored Team Trouble. The premise was great and I loved how each couple was perfectly cast as their high school stereotype characters. Rumor and Riker’s solos were my favorite out of everyone. And for a team with the 2 weakest dancers and 2 of the arguably strongest, I thought they did a good job of balancing the choreography. Everyone was just having so much fun! It was my favorite dance of the night!
Team YOLO: They went the more obvious route with a beach party theme (then again, their song kinda demanded it) and it worked. Willow really shined and her solo was awesome. I also really liked the bit with the towels and beach balls. However, I do have one major thing that bothered me. I did not like how claustrophobic the dance felt. Everyone was too squished together on that stage!
I think it’s pretty clear that Chris is the worst dancer left and it’s his time to go.
However, with the double elim, we’re at the point of the season where good people are going to start getting voted out. I hate to say it…as fun as I think he is and as hard as he works, I do think that Robert is the next “worst” dancer. “Worst” is a relative term as I do not think he is bad at all, but I don’t think he’s as good as the rest.
I think the top 4 deserve to be Rumer, Willow, Nastia, and Riker, although I’m not yet convinced of what order in which I think they should finish. I can also see Noah bumping one of them out of the top 4. He’s a good dancer and possibly the most likeable contestant on the show.
It’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens!
Okay, now that I’ve been able to see most of the show, I have just a couple thoughts… About Rumer and Val.
During the show, either when they were going out to ad break or coming back from ad break, Rumer and I don’t remember who else were goofing around into the camera, and I LOVED seeing Rumer being goofy, and I screamed to myself that I WANT TO SEE THAT RUMER IN A DANCE! She was happy, she was carefree, she was pulling a face and didn’t care how she looked…. And I LOVED! it! I want to see more of THAT Rumer, and less of the Rumer that Val pushes her to be.
And another time, coming back from break, with Peta and the troupees dancing to the song Rumer and Val danced to this week, all I could think was HOW could he come up with what he came up with, when this bumper was SO much better?
And I have decided that I LIKE Rumer a lot, and don’t mind if she won, but I can’t get behind Val not being able to create choreography that varies from his intense personality.
Invictus – 1, WE KNOW when Afterbuzz is posted, and 2, Don’t post links in the comments!!
Love this post every week! I have a question for those who know ballroom dancing – is what Riker does with his wrists/hands correct? It’s all I can see now – the snap of the wrist and flat hands. I know they picked on Kurt for his man hands, these seem just as bad. Is it correct and I just don’t notice it on the male pro’s?
@PH… woah… those exclamation points… sorry?
Thought this week the judges were a bit different than even the usual, nitpicking more often and getting overexcited about generally ok dances. Top 2 faves are: Nastia and Willow!
@Lori: I didn’t see the goofing around that you saw, but I believe you. I might have to go watch the episode back somehow to see those moments. Because I want to see a different side of Rumer, too. Val is making it tough to make me want to vote for her. I know I shouldn’t let who the pro is cloud my judgement. It’s about the STAR after all, but Val is just seriously making some lackluster performances for her.
Off – topic, but am I the only person who thinks Nastia looks a lot like Kaley Cuoco?
@Anushka – I’ve actually thought she looked like several different folks, depending on how she’s made up. The two I see most often are Tracey Pollan and Carole Lombard (when she was in her Argentine tango makeup).
My bf and I were just saying last week that Nastia looks like a Russian Tracey Pollan.
OMG DWTS GET MICHAEL J FOX ON THE SHOW. TYVM.
Tired of people posting things in the comments that have been posted on the site for hours if they would just look, Invictus. It’s very rude to Vogue who spends a great deal of time updating the site with all the media.
Just finished re-watching Derek and Nastia’s tango. Definitely underscored. I thought it was at least a 37 or 38, I could see every once in a while the disconnect that Julianne mentioned. I wonder though if they would have gotten the same score if they had performed later in the night. I wish though that the scoring was more consistent. I still think that Nastia’s argentine tango should have been a 40 or worse case a 39. I also haven’t been loving Val’s choreography this season, I feel like this season its been sub-par to what I was expecting. It also bothers me that the judges always praise Noah to no end but only give him 7 or 8’s. They need to tell him what they want him to do so that he could get 9’s. Fluffing up the poor guy and then disappointing him with the scores you give him is ridiculous. I also wish that Michael was here instead of Chris, as I felt that Michael was a much better dancer although he did seem a bit distracted. Even Charlotte, I feel, was a better dancer than Chris is. He seems like a nice guy, but he can’t really keep up. Oh and very happy that robert stayed yay!
In the beginning of the season, I would’ve picked Rumer or Nastia to be the final two. But now, I really love Riker and Allison and wouldn’t mind it if he won!! Riker’s Pirates of the Caribbean is my favorite dance this season! Loved everything about it! Dancing, costumes, music, makeup, were perfect!!!
I like Rumer more than I thought I would. She is super sweet and cute and a great dancer!! I’m happy for her that the rest of America sees a different side of her! I wish I liked Val more.
I always look forward to Allison and Derek’s dances every week! This is probably the first season where I’ve actually liked Mark every week too!! This is a fun season!!
Allison has has pretty much shot straight up my list of favorite pros. I’ve heard that she always asks other pros for advice and you can tell that she really want to improve. I also love how down to earth she is and how she always looks out for her partner.
I’m rooting for Rumer and Riker as the final two. Is there any way these two dance together? I would pay crazy money just to see that 😀
Finally got caught up on Monday night’s show and Pure. Here’s my two cents on “Spring Break (Un)Spectacular”:
Riker seems to be making his move, and I’m loving these two. In my opinion, Riker has the “it” factor (unrefined “it” but still “it”). Hope Allison doesn’t have a massive choreography fail.
Nastia picked the wrong season to be on DWTS. If Len wasn’t a total Stooge and slavishly adhering to TPTB’s script that this is “Val’s Season”, he would love her. That Tango was breathtaking.
I want to be wrong, but I’m wondering if Willow might have plateaued. That Salsa was too jam-packed for me. The steps never got away from her, but it looked like she was struggling to stay on top of it.
For me what Rumer did wasn’t Jazz, it was a cheap hip-hopish “gentleman’s club” routine. *sigh* I really disliked the choreography. She did her best, but Rumer deserves better from Val in my opinion.
Robert is adorable and worked his butt off but I gues he doesn’t have fast feet. Still he gave it 110%. If he gets the shove next week, I’ll be really PO’d.
Noah’s Rumba had potential to be good until TPTB messed up his head with that package. He’s such an “honorable soldier” that he can’t handle the shennanigans of Reality-TV Land. He’ll never give up, but I think Hollywood is starting to get on his last nerve.
It’s past time for Chris to tell his fans (loudly) he needs to get back to the farm to look after his pigs and fiancee so they’ll stop voting for him! I’m sick of watching him do a few shuffle steps then pose while Witney dances around him.
The team dances were cute. I enjoyed Team Yolo a lot more, but Team Trouble managed to kind of work around having two non-movers on their team. I thought Robert and Kym knocked their little solo out of the park.
WB Cidra, even when you are gone just a few days your absence is noted!
I rewatched many of the routines and a few notes:
I actually liked Willow’s dance more the second time. She looked a little out of sorts in some of the transitions and lost a little steam, but the entertainment value was higher (for me) the second time around. I hope she gets a proper ballroom dance soon to stay in hold with Mark. I also wish she was able to practice as much as the other folks but nothing to be done about that. It’s still my favorite partnership this season.
I actually disliked Rumer’s even more upon rewatch. What a dumb, bad, choppy, stand there routine. I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure most of the posters here at Pure could choreograph rings around that routine.
Riker & Allison’s had some moves in their Samba that were a bit too similar to their salsa. The hands really bugged me. Overscored, but probably a product of going last. Still my favorite individual dance of the night, followed by Nastia and Derek.
I liked Nastia’s group dance a little more upon rewatch, whereas initially I thought they were of equal quality. Still, the scores were fair for those routines.
1. Nastia & Derek–I was overjoyed and in awe of Nastia’s and Derek’s Tango. The power and grace Nastia showed to keep up with Derek was mind boggling. I am getting tired of the no connection as a critique, find something she can work on and maybe a little praise wouldn’t hurt.
2. Riker & Allison–Very good Samba and choreography some times Allison is too hard, like to see softer side of both.
3. Noah & Sharna–Could have been higher even if not for his package prior. Maybe the stars should have more say in what is shown.
4. Willow & Mark–Cute concept can see lack of maturity in Willow showing at times.
5. Chris & Whitney–I don’t personally like Chris but this was a well done V Waltz by Whitney to cover up his weak points.
6. Robert & Kym–Was hoping for more but Robert’s outward joy is infectious.
7. Rumer & Val–I am with Len on this one not appropriate for a show aired when kids are watching. When will he show a different side and not be so dark. Tired of TPTB pipping them, the winner should be who does the best dances not who they decide they want to promote.
Team YOLO-captured the feel of the theme well and all couples performed well individually and in sync.
Team Trouble–cute idea when Derek had it back in S15 Val made it dark. Would have loved seeing Rumer as the nerd, however to show a different versatile side to Rumer.
Not impressed with Spring break theme.
I’m starting to wonder whether Nastia will even make the final if it’s only three couples the way things are going. If she continues to get this rough treatment from the judges, added the to the fact that Derek is injured I have to worry. I still think Riker’s previous experience will stop him winning but he’s coming off likeable on screen along with the fact that he still hasn’t done the dance styles in Allison’s ballpark. If Noah continues to kill it in the votes then he’s also got a chance. No way Rumer won’t be there IMO, can’t see TPTB letting a DWTS finale happen without the A-Listers and the golden boy pro. I think the fact that they were confident enough to give her a seven tells me that she’s getting the votes.
Thanks, Fig! 🙂
Riker’s hands bugged me too. I’m also with you in wanting a traditional in-hold ballroom dance from Willow and Mark, preferably Viennese Waltz, but I’ll accept Quickstep.
It’s true that rewatching the routines often adds perspective to our initial reaction to a dance. I suuppose that means I should cut the judges a bit of slack when they offer their assessment, since they don’t get to watch a second time. However, the fact that Len says whatever furthers TPTB’s agenda and CAI is a blithering idiot, makes me disinclined to do so. I don’t think Bruno and Julianne have an agenda so I’ll try to remember to go easier on them.
My gut tells me that if the finale was Monday, Riker would win. But there’s a few weeks left and plenty more opportunities for pimpage and for him to falter (or get unfairly berated by the judges at crunch time).
It’s true that the judges don’t have the same vantage points we do, with all the camera angles, DVR, and YouTube at their disposal, and I try to be empathetic to this. I also realize that it’s probably HARDER to judge a competition like this where so much of it is relative and subjective for each couple, while maintaining whatever narrative TPTB have put in place.
But I feel like sometimes you can tell – especially in CAI’s face – when they are purposely speaking out of their ass. She gets a look in her eyes that just gives it away. Len kind of does as well – he shifts his gaze downward. Little tells for when they aren’t necessarily judging with their hearts and brains, but their agendas.
Not necessarily, M8. They see ALL the votes and Chris only needed ONE to get past Patti. If Chris and Patti were way down in the vote totals, then it’s no big stretch to believe Rumer is safe for another week.
And honestly, most people watching the show at home recognized a 7 dance when they see one.
As for Nastia, if she makes it through this week, and Derek continues to choreograph for her and Sasha like he was today, I think the sympathy vote could be very strong. Especially if she kills it with Sasha as well as she did with Derek. No small accomplishment to switch pros at the mid point in the season.
@Cidra – I agree that Riker seems to be making a move at the right time. I think he capitalized on a sub-par night from most of the couples. Any other week I don’t know if his performance would have stood out to me as much as it did. Though I am worried about his votes. We won’t know if him being put into jeopardy a second time means anything until after the season but I do think he built up some good will this week. He was funny in the group package also and I think people are warming to him beyond his fan base. Still not sure if a teen star can win the whole thing but he has a good chance. If nothing else I think it will be close at the end. That is assuming Allison doesn’t blow it.
#Kelly K- Sadie and Zendaya had the same rehearsal limitations as Willow; it is not because she is 14, it is because she is under 18. I am so sick of people disregarding Willow as a competitor because she is young.
I just think Willow is fading into the woodwork at this point. I never saw any of the Hunger Games movies..not one, nor dd I read the books. I think it might also have to do with WIllow’s school schedule too. They also have to have so many hrs of school-time each day. I don’t remember them ever mentioning Sadie or Zendaya’s rehearsal time on the show before & I do think, given that Willow is only 14, while Zendaya was 16 & Sadie was 17, given those age differences. I think per the law, Willow is even MORE restricted on rehearsal time being that she’s only 14. 3 years is a big difference in age between Sadie and Willow 😉
Although I do think that Riker is peaking at the right time, I still feel that Nastia and Rumer are very obviously better dancers and better at their technique. 🙁 although I do love riker and allison’s dances, I think that the best dancer should win, lol. That’s why last season, even though alfonso was not my favorite I was happy that he won, because he is a better dancer than sadie and janel.
Jennylynn, I used to say “the best dancer should win”, but when I actually thought about it, I had to admit that (a) this isn’t strictly a dance competition, and (b) “best” is a very subjective term. Pure technique is just one element that makes a dance or a dancer “good”; the intangibles need to be factored in. So my recipe for determining “the best” isn’t necessarily going to be the same as what others use to define “the best”. Lately, for me, as long as one of the more capable, well-rounded celebs wins, I can accept it. This season, I would choose Nastia; however, I also see Riker, Willow, and Rumer as acceptable choices.
Oops, didn’t finish my thought (that’s been happening a lot lately)
What I can’t accept is when a celeb has been pimped to the win by TPTB. At that point, even if they qualify as “good enough to win” in my opinion, I’m ticked off. So I really hope that doesn’t happen this season.
I am so grateful I found this website, otherwise I’d have fallen to the Instagram and Facebook bullshit. Honestly, that Henry/Derek crap is so annoying and people are spreading rumours that it’s Derek’s fault.
Oh and also, can’t you guys see what is so obviously wrong with Nastia’s Tango? Carrie Ann didn’t get turned on by it! How could you have missed that?
First of all I do not agree that Chris does not want to be there. He always has the option of removing himself from the show. I feel that everyone has their favorites, and thus has negative comments about everyone who isn’t their favorite. Stop already. In reality this show is a popularity contest not a dance competition. Also how fair is it to put an olympic gold metalist against an amputee, a 14 year old against a 70 year old, a farmer against a musician with prior dance training…come on..none of it is evenly matched to say the least. Fairness would be people with similar backgrounds and experience and voters voting strictly on dance ability, but that will never happen. But it’s entertaining anyway. Good luck to all.
Judy, I suggest you go elsewhere to discuss DWTS if you don’t like how we’re doing it here. It’s not up to you to tell us to stop.
I will have to change my name. I have been posting under Judy for a couple of years but that last post is not mine.
Probably best to put a last initial, if you don’t want others to think you are shrill. 🙂 I know the difference between you but I can see the email addresses that are entered. No one else can.
Ok. Will be Judyl now. Cannot wait to see how the amazing combo of Nastia, Derek and Sasha do tomorrow night.
My name is also Judy 😛 Good job I don’t go by it. 🙂