PureDWTS Season 21, Week 2 – Who’s Dancing What…and When?
Court here, filling in for Heidi who is on holiday in New Orleans 🙂 There are two dances for the couples next week. Below is what we know so far. Stay tuned for updates and be sure to see week 1’s interviews in this post to get more hints for what’s coming up for Week 2!
ETA: Vogue here. Mark and Derek held a periscope today. Derek said he and Bindi have a Waltz & he thinks a Tango for next week. Mark has a Salsa and a Rumba with Alexa. Thanks to Cath for the heads up. You can watch the Periscope at this link.
ETA2: Sharna Burgess has revealed in her new blog that she and Nick have a Jive and a Foxtrot this week. ~ Vogue
ETA3: Tamar said on “The Real” today she and Val have a Salsa and Charleston next week.
ETA4: One of Andy and Allison’s dances is the Jive.
ETA5: Andy and Allison’s other dance is Contemporary.
ETA6: From @DWTS360, Alek and Lindsay have a Jazz and a Quickstep. ADDING: Also, Julz Tocker on Afterbuzz thought Keo and Chaka had a Salsa and a Foxtrot but, wasn’t sure.
ETA7: Per this pap video, Victor & Karina have jive (Monday) and rumba (Tuesday). Thank you to the many people on Twitter that tweeted it to me… – Court
ETA8: Vogue back! According to this Young Hollywood interview, one of Louis and Paula’s dances is a Rumba.
ETA9: There has been a change in dances since Tamar’s comment on The Real. She and Val are dancing a Cha Cha instead of a salsa.
ETA10: Apparently Bindi’s “Hometown Glory” dance is a tango (song below), per E!. A commenter says that Paula’s rumba is to “Midnight Train to Georgia”, and that Louis’ dance is a tango, but so far all I can find is people saying they vaguely remember her MAYBE saying it in a podcast, but nobody can remember exactly when or where…so take it with a grain of salt.
Alek and Lindsay – Jazz and Quickstep
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Alexa and Mark – Salsa and Rumba
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Andy and Allison – Jive and Contemporary
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Bindi and Derek – Tango (song: “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC) & Waltz (?)
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Carlos and Witney – Cha Cha and Fox Trot
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Chaka and Keo – Foxtrot? and Salsa?
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Gary and Anna –
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Hayes and Emma –
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Kim and Tony –
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Nick and Sharna – Jive and Foxtrot
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Paula and Louis – Rumba (song: “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips)? and Tango?
1-855-234-5611
Tamar and Val – Cha Cha and Charleston
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Victor and Karina – Jive and Rumba
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Wow, week 2 and they already have 2 dances? That’s cruel!
Agreed. 2 dances in week 2 is just too much, even with the songs being shorter. Especially for the celebs that are having trouble remembering just one.
Well, having them do two dances in week 2 is kind of a dick move. As I understand it, one couple will be eliminated Monday night, with another couple eliminated on Tuesdays show. So that means the couple sent home on Monday will have practiced the second night dance for nothing.
Why don’t they just do a double elimination on Tuesday?
Sometimes I swear this show is run by a jittery bunch of methheads. You could take ideas, pin them on a board and have a monkey throw a dart to see what sticks and it would make more sense than what they do now.
@ Susan2 I think the monkey would prob have better plan than these guys.
Even when they have a good idea, they don’t plan/execute it well.
Can’t wait to see the Foxtrot and Cha Cha from Carlos and Witney. I wonder if the others who did JIve will have those dances or not? Guess we will see.
So I think this two dance thing next week is doable but I’m thinking Paula, Chaka, and Gary are basically (and I say this becuase I actually like them) in big trouble next week. I can’t see any of those three remembering two dances. I actually have hope Kim can redeem herself next week somewhat.
Part of me wonders if the sudden double elim is an opportunity to get rid of couples that are just not working out or generating as much hype as TPTB think they should. A way to cut their losses early on…
Courtney,
Kind of like Dawinism of the Dance Floor…..
@Jill L – If I had to guess, I think Kim probably falls into that category – somebody that is just not pulling in a ton of viewers or holding existing viewers’ attention. Probably makes more sense to cut her loose and give more screen time to the more buzzworthy stars, like Nick, Paula, Alek, etc.
26 dances and the arguments whether they are dancing particular dances on Monday or Tuesday. Good luck Courtney
As Court said, I’d much rather TPTB cut their losses and get rid of 2 “no hopers” right off the bat so they don’t take up valuable screen time. So I think I’m actually in favor of the two-dance, double elimination next week. Of course, if the voters do something utterly stupid and I lose someone I actually like, I’ll be really PO’d. 😛 However, I’m cautiously optimistic that the bottom of the leader board is *so bad* that we’ll lose 2 from there.
I bet Kim is gone next Monsay night. She had a meltdown apparently at the Delta airport staff last night which was recorded on a cellphone abs now on the Daily Mail and TMZ. She seems completely out of her element. A bit like a train wreck last night for her and Chaka Khan imo.
If Kim really is that freaked out by this whole process, I hope she withdraws. There’s no point in her being miserable, making everyone else miserable, and taking a spot from another celeb who actually wants to stay on the show. However, it takes a certain amount of courage to do that, and not many people have it.
I imagine it must be awful to be the worst dancer on the show and yet have a big ego. People like Tommy Chong or Bill Engval seemed to embrace it for the fun of learning to dance even if they were not the best dancers but Kim seems to have Tony’s chip on the shoulder attitude. Not a good combo imo.
@Judyl – I’m getting a real Wendy Williams vibe from Kim – just can’t seem to handle the fact that they aren’t naturally good at dancing.
I can’t even imagine Chaka and Kym being able to handle two dances next week. And Court, Kim gives me a Wendy Williams vibe too.
As for cutting losses, I see shades of the Sean Avery elimination.
@Sam – Exactly what I thought as well – somebody has gotten a bit too big for their britches and they gots ta go. My money’s on Kim.
No I get Kate Gosselin vibes from Kim and I think the latter is better, colour me shocked
I said Kate at first too, Nathan, but Kate acted absolutely PAINED to be there – I didn’t that impression from Kim. She seems like she wants to be there, but is just so uncomfortable and out of her element that it’s awkward.
With regards to what we have here: Carlos has fairly standard early dances, I’m really looking forward to seeing Bindi do ballroom. Derek’s Waltzes are always lovely and I love Tango. Alexa hit the jackpot……or did she? I think Salsa could be her best dance, and Rumba gives her a chance to perform and Mark can go simple. But first, that means she’s lost Salsa early on and second, with last night’s Jive that’s 3 Latin dances in a row. She’s left with a LOT of ballroom to handle later
Figured I’d share this: my grandmother randomly goes “is voting for the dancing show free?” So I tell her the info and she goes “oh good I voted last night for the blonde that had the egypt dance.” So I guess Kim gained a fan last night lol.
Sharna did her first blog for hollywood life and said they have jive and foxtrot 🙂
Will Kylie come in and sing the unofficial national anthem of AU? Seriously can one Waltz to waltzing Miltilda?
@Stoli Haha. Best comment I have seen on Pure outside mods for a long time!
How exactly are these 2 dances working? One on Monday and an elimination, and the 2nd on Tuesday on another elimination? Seems dumb to do it like that – it makes more sense to one dance all week, and eliminate 2 on Tuesday. They just barely had enough time yesterday for everyone and there wasn’t an elimination.
Can’t recall who asked or on what thread, but Jimmy Kimmel picked Nick to win this season.
Be interested to see Nick’s Jive – Aaron Carter’s is in my opinion, one of the all-time best by a male celeb on the show. They are definitely different guys and different levels of energy – but just curious to see if he can eclipse that one for me.
@Courtney – It was me. Thanks. I kind of figured that his pick would be Nick Carter.
The best way I see this working out is they all dance once on monday, then on tues half of them go and someone gets eliminated, then the next half go and someone gets eliminated. Now, what’s the point of having hem dance so much early on? The routines end before we get much to enjoy out of them and making the celebs dance twice just increases their chances of being pressured, nervous, or lost. Rather they focus on one dance and at least be more confident on show night.
I assume it’ll be the same as usual. They call people safe during both shows and then eliminate someone at the end of both shows. Except instead of saying you’re safe for a week, it’s probably best that Tom says you’re safe…for 24 hours lol
With all that’s come out over the past 24 hours I’d be very surprised if Kim isn’t a goner on Monday. Tuesday I imagine will be either Chaka or unfortunately Victor. If Victor goes, I reckon Chaka and Paula will follow in week 3 or 4 in any order. I’m sticking to my prediction that mental Gary will be the one to get the “Tommy Chong” vote and stick around a lot longer than he should. Hayes looks like prime fodder to get booted around the same time as Cody Simpson (straight after the switchup)
While I don’t exactly mind two dances this early (yeah bite me), I wish they would do one Ballroom and one Latin, or at least one Ballroom/Latin and one of the irrelevant ones (Contemporary or Jazz or something). Idk, just kinda iffy seeing someone doing two dances and both are Ballroom/Latin, just like Nastia did last season. But Joanna Krupa still did four Latin in a row (even though two of which are not part of the five Latin styles), so… so be it then I guess.
Just thought i would share this: Derek and Bindi already have about 633.000 views of their jive on the DWTS youtube channel, significantly more than all the others! 😀
Fingers crossed that victor gets jazz next week…..I really want to see a karina jazz routine…..kinda selfish lol
Hit submit too early: nick has the jive 🙂 . Based solely on his week one dance I think he will nail it. I’m not really excited for a rumba in week 2 though. Just seems like a dance for week 3 and after.
Salsa & CHARLESTON?! They’re really just saying “f*ck it” this year with the dances, aren’t they? Getting shades of season 9…
Ahh Courtney we SCD lot see Charleston from Week2 onwards, but on DWTS yeah that is silly
Hopefully it’s a legit Charleston as opposed to the “modern” version from last season.
I think Kelly Osbourne is the only one who’s ever done a Charleston I actually enjoyed.
Totally in favor of the 2 dance decision. Nick and Sharna only had 5 days to create their routine and it was one of the best of the night (best one in my opinion) while the others had 2.5 weeks. This is going to demonstrate he’s the only one worthy of that mirror ball!!!!!
I was thinking the same about Joanna Krupa, but Alexa’s first three dances are all Latin, while Tamar has 3 of the fastest dances of all first (switch out Salsa for Jive and you’ve got the trifecta.) Joanna at least got the Foxtrot relay in Week 1, which she won. Season 9 I would say if anything got f’ed up because they were trying new things. This season they just seem to be messing with stuff for the sake of it. Surely the whole point of multiple dances before elimination is to allow the stars to show a range? Instead, it just all seems to be different for the sake of it. Do you know what would be a “fun twist” on previous seasons? SIMPLICITY!
Yes. Perhaps the most iconic dance ever from Strictly was a week 2 Charleston. Melissa Joan Hart’s Charleston from the same episode as Kelly O’s was pretty good.
I don’t know exactly where to post this question, but does anyone know anything about whether we will get to see the weekly rehearsals like last season? Thanks!
The Charleston is my favorite to watch when I watch SCD online. So upbeat and fun. @Courtney I completely agree with you though…they are just kind of winging it this season.
The last 2 seasons now (19 & 20) they have randomly thrown the Charleston in only once and Derek had it both times. If this week in season 21 is the only time they throw the Charleston in its kind of pointless. I think its more fun comparing how different couples handle each style of dance. I wish they would decide if they are going to make the Charleston a permanent addition and if not stop giving one couple each season the dance.
salsa and Charleston the same week!? Who thought that was a good idea?
I don’t think that pair of dances is fair to any couple.
I also wish they did a latin and ballroom dance.
There was one season where they had one week specifically fornthe “new/different” dance styles and then went back to normal (was it all stars?). If they want to do these dances I wish they would just do that: pick a week, get it over with and lets continued to focus on the latin and ballroom dances. I think that is more fair as all the couples would be competing with these “other” styles at the same time as opposed to a salsa/Charleston against a chacha/paso (just made that combination don’t know if anyone is doing that).
DWTS be singing ” Oh I’m a mess right now”
They used to do a bunch of different dances in earlier seasons. Charleston, West Coast Swing, Mambo, Jitterbug, etc. Why not bring some of those back? Do the younger pros not know them/how to teach them?
@susan1 u r so right they are also killing it in Facebook views 3.6 million views on the Jive and in long long long time I am seeing positive comments towards Derek’s partner on DWTS Facebook page.I totally avoid Facebook comments coz they are vile but I m pleasantly surprised tis time. On youtube views I thought Nick would be also having same or good amount of views but its no where close to Bindi this week.
@DW – As far as I know, the live streams of the rehearsals will not be happening again this season.
@Veronica – 5 days to create one routine (which is what the couples are going to have each week for the rest of the season, so not really that impressive), and 5 days to create 2 routines is a BIG difference. And I would also suggest you not to make glib statements like “he’s the only one worthy of the mirrorball” – you’ll become unpopular around here pretty quickly, and believe me…you will get called out on it the moment Nick makes a mistake.
Bindi is pure joy, I am not surprised 🙂
It’s true. Expecting maybe the final 6 couples, who’ve proven their skill, to do 2 or 3 dances in a week works, but all 13 couples, who are a VERY mixed ability group, is cruel and bound to be a trainwreck (which is clearly what tptb want.) One last Strictly comparison: We start with a 2 night, 2 dances each event, but that’s with 3-5 weeks of rehearsal time.
Considering that at least some of the partners didn’t meet until the gma announcement that was less than 2 weeks from opening nite, obviously not EVERYONE but Nick had two and half weeks. Also, we saw pics of Sharna with Nick prior to those last 5 days, perhaps he was busy with his movie but she spent some time with him so her creative juices had time to start flowing specifically to him. And given that he’s already a very good performer, there were lots of hurdles that didn’t need to be overcome. Also, as several of the pros who have had underage celebs, Haynes, hunger games girl I can’t recall her name right now, Sadie, Zendaya…the hours of practice are significantly reduced. Andy’s touring, Vic was still racing…I just don’t think 5 days is all that bad in the scheme of things, giving the talent of the pro and celeb in question.
you would have to think the couple’s would have already started work on their week 2 dances in the lead up to week 1. looking forward to seeing Nick’s foxtrot
sidenote: one of the bumpers was a jitterbug Sasha and Britt i think it was, makes me concerned we could see it make a comeback
Not to take anything away from Derek’s and Bindi’s jive, but the reason for the high view count might be that Bindi has a lot of fans in Australia, and YouTube and Facebook might be the only way or the earliest way for them to see her performance.
Derek’s tangos & AT are always my favorites in any given season! And wouldn’t it be cool to see Derek & Bindi waltz to the music from the Ball dance in the Cinderella movie? ?
IrisandLilies, or it could be that people loved their Jive so much, they have it on repeat like myself! And let’s not discount Derek’s big fanbase too and for a reason. 😀
I agree. I wouldn’t take too much stock in the number of views on Facebook or YouTube. Just now while watching a DWTS performance On YouTube, (by checking the videos in the side column), Kim Z., appears to have more views than Nick and Bindi.
Views mean nothing, Votes mean everything.
So true too, Sandy!
I think this season is going to be an all out fight to make the finals. The BSB fanbase spans generations and are international (even Australia, where they have just finished an Aussie tour earlier this year), and then there’s Bindi who is just down right precious, having Australian fanbase as well as here in the U.S.
I really think it’s going to be a close race to the finish line.
#48 Thanks very much Court for the update about no live stream rehearsals this season. I will miss them as I sure enjoyed them!
Lol 🙂 just saw that Kim Z has more views than Nick but not more than Bindi. Bindi is somewhere at 7lakh view. U r right that these views mean nothing but it is interesting to see and the producers do check on who is getting more views who is creating a buzz. Like I said before this is only for week one which I am sure will change drastically next week with celebs doing two dances that’s wen we will really know who has it in tem. Well it is not going to be easy for any one for sure.
Ok guys, I feel like we’re edging a bit into “we’re putting a bit too much emphasis on YouTube views” territory. I wouldn’t necessarily call Kim having more YouTube views than Nick “buzz” = remember, people tend to see more clips of the trainwrecks on shows like The Soup, ET, Extra, etc. than the good ones…makes sense that they would probably tune in to laugh at a dance like Kim’s. Hell, all I keep hearing about on the local news and radio is Gary Busey’s cha cha. To have a ton of YouTube views on a bad dance is not necessarily a good thing – and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re “getting buzz”. I doubt the number of YouTube views Kim is getting is going to somehow save her from elimination.
I know YouTube and Facebook views don’t mean much in terms of how the general audience votes but I was really surprised (in a good way) how much Bindi’s Jive got so many views. I really didn’t know how popular she would be on social media. Of course Derek being her partner helps too. 🙂 I really hope to see her and Nick in the finals. And I REALLY hope TPTB don’t pull their usual bullsh*t they always do to Derek’s partners.
I’m really hoping that TPTB stop bringing up the fact that Alexa and Carlos are married this week. I can see them making Carlos or Alexa make a comment about how Alexa dancing the Rumba with Mark is so weird since her and Carlos are married or something along those lines to create false drama. People who are married dance the Rumba all the time with their partner and their husband/wife are in the audience watching. Is it too cynical of me to expect that out of TPTB?
Good point. I mentioned in the Power Rankings that I woke up yesterday morning, checked what the scores had been and immediately went to watch Kim’s dance before streaming the entire show. I had to know what happened. Turns out, not very much at all.
The pimping of Val continues. Giving him the harder dances early when there’s still plenty of fodder, so when the competition gets tougher he’s just left with the easier ones.
I see you, producers. I see right through you.
Steve,
I would say outside of the freestyle round, the first few weeks of the show are the most vital. Its where you build your fanbase, because by midway through the season everyone already has their favorites.
So, I don’t think getting stuck with hard combinations of dances off the bat, when you’ve just started to learn, is the quite the advantage you say it is, fodder or not.
@Steve J I actually had the same thought and then wondered if I was being too cynical… lol. It’s hard not to wonder things like that given some of what they’ve pulled in the past.
@Iris I don’t disagree with you HOWEVER if you are right…I bet they are voting too! @Sandy I agree with you as well. People like the dances that are great and those that are a train wreck. Oops then I read your comment @Courtney and I am with you all the way. I don’t think these views mean actual votes necessarily. I don’t think I have seen a lot of pimping yet and in general the scores seemed closer to accurate than when the pimping is going on. If it is going to happen I think we will see it next week. We will just have to wait and see.
Eliza, I agree with Steve J, If you’re a celeb like Tamar with musicality, performance experience, and a decent fan base, it’s an advantage to get some of the tougher dances out of the way early while the no-hopers are still around. You’re not physically/emotionally worn out and if it’s Week 1 or 2, you’ll have more than 4 days to practice it. Even if you don’t do a hard dance as well in week 1 as you would in week 6, you’re still going to look way better than several others. The judges will give you props for tackling a difficult dance so early in the season which builds your cred with the viewers as a legitimate contender. That helps build your fan base because most people want to back a legitimate contender. To top it off, TPTB give your dance style to one of the older, less dance-talented celebs which makes you look even more amazing by comparison.
Cidra,
With that same train of hypothetical thought. If Tamar did decent with a hard dance week 1, then she probably would have killed an easier dance, with that extra time to learn it right? Would that not do just as much, if not more,for her garnering fans?
I just don’t see the conspiracy. Besides, Salsa & charleston aren’t even hard dances…heck salsa is probably the easiest one you can get. It’s the wacky combination of them that would make it hard to learn in 4 days. So it’s not like they are crossing off hard dances early, they’re getting rid of relatively easy ones.
What I find a little odd is Tamar getting Charleston the week after her Quickstep. Yes I know they are different dances but it looked to me like her QS had a twenties Charleston vibe to it. She even wore a flapper costume.
As for her getting Salsa as her other dance, Val’s Salsas have never really looked like the dance is supposed to look. Salsa, along with Contemporary and Jazz have become a sort of free pass on the show. Unless you really stink on ice, the judges usually hand out decent scores for those dances even if their is little technical content.
So based on the above, I’d say Tamar has two relatively easy dances next week.
@Susan2 – I did find it odd that she got Charleston the week after having a roarin’ 20’s-themed quickstep. Are they dead set on Tamar being a flapper this season? And yes, salsa’s a bit of a free pass – Val is not known for putting a ton of salsa content into his. Hell, he could probably get away with not putting a ton of Charleston in the Charleston…just weird that Tamar got two “extra” dances this week, as opposed to others, who have at least one “core” dance.
I agreed, Cidra #70. I think it’s all strategy by tptb. Even if Tamar gets all 7 next week, she won’t be eliminated. The way TPTB has been pulling the past 3 seasons, Tamar will be in the top 3 even without watching. Carrie Ann wrote on her blog “I’ll keep my eyes on her (Tamar)”…something like that. Unless people turned off by Tamar and her attitude, TPTB will make sure Val continues on at least to the top 4.
Let the manipulation begin, y’all. This is why I watch only Nick, Bindi, Alexa, Carlos and Alek on YouTube. Free of judges comments. 3 Seasons were enough. Btw, “Hometown” remind me of the Bachelor.
Thiana,
Now i could be mistsken, but weren’t you the one who specifically stating that Val never gets ‘challenged’ with a Charleston, and it always goes to derek? Well, Val’s got charleston
I’m actually not so sure that Val is gonna get much “propping up” this season – he’s got his MBT, and that seemed like the goal with a lot of the pimping in previous seasons; if they are looking for multiple MBT’s for him, this would be a really difficult season for them to try and do it in – too many other contenders, and with the overwhelmingly positive response I’ve seen to both Bindi and Alek in particular – a smear campaign against either one of them (aka “The Nastia Treatment”) is gonna fail MISERABLY (plus I daresay that they may lose Derek for good if they pull the same sh*t they did last season), and I think Nick & Sharna are going to be a tough combo to beat, with his fanbase, her choreography, and their combined performance skills. I think Tamar will make it to at least the quarterfinals, if she keeps dancing well, but I don’t see TPTB sticking their neck out very far to ensure that she makes it all the way to the finals – if anything, I think the designated pimpee this season might be Sharna, as she has already stated that she will be part of the winter tour…and of course, you just HAVE to have your most recent champs on tour. Wouldn’t be surprised if Nick was available for it as well, once his zombie movie is done taping. And here’s the thing: I’m not even sure that Nick & Sharna are going to need a whole lotta pimpin’. For the first time in a long time, we may see TPTB letting the chips fall where they may, for the most part.
Eliza & Thiana – ENOUGH. I don’t see this line of discussion/argument going anywhere productive.
Courtney, I agree completely re Val not being propped up again. There is no benefit to the producers at this point. I think they will want to promote any fireworks between them for fun but other than that I don’t think Tamar offers too much. Last seasons blatant pimpage of Val and constant promotion of Rumer’s family can’t be repeated. Imo it will be the couple dynamic between Alex and Carlos. I imagine the producers would love to exploit that right to the finals. Plus there are so many more interesting stories and the judges are definitely promoting that aspect this season.
I don’t see a problem with Carrie Ann’s comment. I also think Tamar is one to watch. She got the score she deserved, it was a very good Quickstep (for week 1) and she made a remarkably good flapper. I do think if the producers want to push anyone this season, it’s likely to be Sharna for various reasons, and giving her Nick may be enough. They may find they don’t have to push it any further. It’s interesting to me that people are already saying there is/isn’t pimping happening. While Rumer and Val were being pushed heavily from the word go last season, Janel and Val were a decent way down the leaderboard on their first dance, with Sadie and Alfonso firmly in the spotlight; and I remember that in PH’s Season 18 week 1 power rankings she commented that Meryl may have been underscored for her Cha-Cha. Pimpage might happen yet, or, God willing, it might not.
“Her partner Val Chmerkovskiy knows how to win so I’m going to keep my eyes on her” This comment by Carrie Ann is funny. aahhhhh sorry I dnt think a guy who just won with so much pimping and over scoring knws how to win if he knew he wud have already won before. He had a lot of good partners before but he could not cut it. Nothing against Tamar, but I don’t think Val is going to go Back to Back this time. Even he stopped saying Bcktobck win now
As an aside, it’ll be even more interesting to see how Alek copes with his dances (whatever they are) seeing as he’s in DC right now meeting with the President and getting a medal from the Pentagon. 🙂
@Sam – That is so cool! I hope that’s included in their rehearsal package.
@Sandy – I hope so, too. And I hope the footage includes him in his National Guard Uniform. Unlike J.R. and Noah, I think he could actually wear his uniform on the show since he is still a member. However, he doesn’t strike me as someone who would do that.
BTW, I’m predicting right now that Alek does the paso doble to “This Is My Fight Song” on the most memorable year episode and that he closes out the show.
@Iris—
IIRC, Noah’s issue wasn’t that he *couldn’t* wear a uniform, but rather that he couldn’t wear a “pseudo-uniform” or modified uniform; if he wore a uniform, it would have to be an actual regulation uniform. At least that’s what I remember from his Twitter during the “America’s choice” week.
Trying to consolidate this with the “hometowns” theme for next week, my guess would be that each dance is devoted to one of their hometowns. I’m thinking now Bindi and Derek actually do have “Waltzing Matilda” and then some kind of Amish Tango. I think given that Alexa is a Miami Latina she must have the Salsa, and Mark has a London Rumba, possibly to Adele, maybe Hometown Glory. Those are the ones that seem obvious to me, but I could be wrong. Maybe someone who knows more about the celebrities/ America (which must be most of you) can try to fill in the rest?
@Sam–
No, I don’t think Noah could have worn a uniform to dance on DWTS. See the regulation below:
Army Regulation 670-1 prescribes uniform wear by Army veterans and retirees:
Retirees. Paragraph 30-3 of the above listed regulation gives full details. Army retirees may wear the Army uniform only for the following circumstances:
(1) Personnel performing instructor duties at an educational institution conducting courses of instruction approved by the Armed Forces (such as JROTC).
(2) While attending military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurals, and other occasions of ceremony.
(3) Attending parades on national or state holidays, or other patriotic parades or ceremonies in which any active or reserve United States military unit is taking part.
You’re right about Noah choosing NOT to wear a pseudo-uniform, and that was absolutely the correct decision in my opinion.
Oh, just for clarification. I grabbed the paragraph that addresses retirees, but it’s pretty much the same for veterans.
@Mr A – I think you’re confusing Amish with Mormons, hehe. Utah has a lot of Mormons – Pennsylvania is where there’s lot of Amish 😛
Well here’s the list of where everyone is from – some of them are a bit murky, as they may have been born in one city but grew up in another.
Derek – Salt Lake City, Utah
Mark – born in Houston, Texas – but seems to claim London as his hometown
Val – Odessa, Ukraine
Tony – Pristina, Kosovo (but ethnically Albanian)
Keo – Pretoria, South Africa
Louis – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Karina – Kharkiev, Ukraine
Sharna – Wagga Wagga, Australia
Lindsay – Provo, Utah
Emma – Tamworth, England
Witney – American Fork, Utah
Anna – Chelyabinsk, Russia
Allison – born in Minnesota; grew up in Orem, Utah
Nick – Jamestown, NY – but will probably claim Orlando, Florida as his hometown
Carlos – born in Missouri; raised in Weston, Florida
Gary – born in Texas, but seemed to spend a lot of time in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was young
Victor – Tulancingo, Mexico
Alek – Roseburg, Oregon
Andy – Los Angeles, California
Hayes – Mooresville, North Carolina
Tamar – born in Maryland – but will probably choose Atlanta as her hometown
Paula – Albany, Georga
Bindi – Queensland, Australia
Chaka – Chicago, Illinois
Alexa – Miami, Florida
Kim – born in Pensacola, Florida; seemed to spend more time in Connecticut
are you going to put what songs they are dancing too
Yes I am, sorry, easy mistake to make I suppose :p I always knew Eastern Europe was a ballroom capital, slightly confused about why Utah features so much among the pros.
I bet Keo does some sort of “Royal” themed dance for his hometown story since, apparently, he’s a prince. Lol
Kinda worried about Andy having Contemporary. I hope Allison is smart enough to tone down her dancing so that it doesn’t overshadows Andy. Not only that, but she better not make the dance overly complicated caude he’s no Riker and it’s only Week 2.
Her Contemporary with Riker was amazing, but he was dance trained so he could handle choreography like that. But even he was, at times, outdanced by Allison.
Okay, now I really want to see an Amish Tango.
Wagga Wagga is a pretty cool sounding name for a hometown.
On the number of dances – Derek in some interview before the first show said that they were already working on the second dance. This makes sense since he told Mark they had a waltz and maybe a tango, but music had not cleared. This tells me the the couples could have spent time on 2 routines before the first show. That would mean there is only 1 new dance for week 2 or Tuesday show.
The eliminations make sense to me the couple that will be eliminated has already been determined as a result of week 1 Monday’s dance. All 13 couples will dance on Monday with the elimination announced at the end of the show. Voting will star over as a result of Monday’s dance and the second elimination will be determined
tuesday 12 couples will dance with 1 already eliminated. because there is no results show or Tuesday show this is a way to get back to the normal scheme. the week 3 monday show will have 11 people dancing but only 10 live celebs.
i think TPTB are doing this because the season is 10 or 11 weeks and there is 1 extra contestant than normal.
of course i could be wrong
@Mr A: To answer your question about why so many pros are from Utah, it was mentioned on afterbuzz once (I think Season 15 Week 2) that apparently Brigham Young University (a Mormon university in Utah) has a really good ballroom team and students will often open their own studios once they graduate to train the next generation of ballroom dancers. The person who was talking about it (I think it was Jaymz Tuaileva, who has been a frequent “guest” dancer who would hang out with the troupe) said that he and Derek had gone to the same studio as kids and their teacher had come out of that system.
@Sonic Thanks for answering. That’s interesting actually. 🙂
No problem Mr A :).
It’ll be so fake watching Mark do a dance based on London. He can try and ham it up as much as he wants but he’s not English in the slightest. Moving to a country and living there for a few years before moving back does not make you that nationality! He’s as American as they come no matter how much he tries to put on that fake British accent that he does from time to time.
I’ll be interested to see Emma’s one. I wouldn’t be surprised if TPTB get her to portray her hometown as Birmingham because that’s the biggest city she’s closest to plus I don’t think their really is anything special worth shouting about that’s come from Tamworth. But I do hope she does get portrayed as being from Tamworth. You should be proud of your roots and I’m sure Emma will find/know something interesting about it.
Don’t forget though Tamar wasn’t Val’s original partner. I’m sure Val’s original partner that backed out probably did have the personality and dance capability to make the final and/or win. Obviously TPTB were forced to throw Val in with Tamar last minute. I’ve seen enough from week one to know that Tamar won’t make the final, I can’t see her getting the votes. She was already getting negative comments about her attitude/how irritating she was. I’m confident Nick, Bindi and Alek are all getting more votes than her and probably the PenaVega’s as well. She’s got quarter final boot written all over her ala Danica/Elizabeth.
I don’t see Tamar getting past top 4without serious pimping – despite the fact that Val again got a near ringer. There’s too much actually good competition, and the buzz seems to be Bindi Nick, and Alek… although I’m not convinced he’s going to be a good dancer when he gets less than a week for a dance.
Mark’s mother is British and he spent most of his life living in London- he may have been born there. Don’t confuse mark with Derek, who didn’t move there until he was 10. My impression was that he did grow up there and lived there until he came here to do DWTS. If anyone on the show could claim dual nationality, it would be Mark.
We haven’t forgotten about Tamar’s original partner, M8. It was likely Artem…who got bumped in favor of Val, which should tell you something. Too bad they had to put him with only a minor ringer, instead of his usual trained dancer. I’m wondering when they are going to stop trying so hard with Val. I’ve yet to see evidence that he will ever approach the level Derek (or even his brother) is at.
@PH – Mark was born in Houston. I’ve heard it straight from Corky’s mouth. But I think he may have moved to London when he was young – maybe 4? – but then he did come back around age 16, I think…around the time that Corky & Shirley were divorcing.
I’d be so relieved to have a season where TPTB mostly stay on the sidelines and let the chips fall where they may. However, I don’t think they’ll be able to resist at least a little bit of nudging. It might not be a full court press like last season, but they always have an agenda.
I see where Court’s coming from with the notion that Sharna might be this season’s pro pimpee. I’ll be sad if that’s true because Sharna doesn’t need the heavy-handed assistance that the C-bros needed. As with any good pro, she has all the skills to win on her own. All she needed was a celeb with the right combination of dance talent and popularity in an ‘open’ season. (I feel she easily could have won with Charlie White but, of course, it was Maks’s season.)
Hey PH…go away..you are on vacation. And have a drink for me. Be careful on Bourbon Streets and enjoy the benets.
You know I reread that message and I forgot to say I was just kidding. I wasn’t trying to be ugly..lol. I’m sorry.
@Cidra – Oh totally agree that Sharna doesn’t need the pimping – hell, Nick really doesn’t, either. But in a season where we’ve got so many good dancers? It wouldn’t surprise me if we occasionally saw Nick & Sharna get a bit of a boost – an overly kind score here, a convenient avoidance of a crappy dance there, a better team for the team dance, etc. Why? One, because they need a current champ on the tour – and Sharna has already signed on; two, if they can get a Backstreet Boy signed on for the tour as well…suddenly, some of those empty seats might start filling up. Women still go gaga over boy band members – to the point where they’ll pay $400+ dollars to see them at meet & greets, and multiple stops on the tour. I’ve witnessed it…and shelled out some cash myself. Don’t judge me 😉 But from a financial standpoint, if they’re going to pimp anyone this season – it seems to me to make the most sense that it be Nick & Sharna. I don’t see the potential benefit in propping Tamar & Val up – Tamar’s not likely to be a huge draw on the tour, and Val already has an MBT. It probably doesn’t make a ton of sense to pimp Bindi & Derek either – Derek won’t do a tour, and Bindi, like Tamar, probably isn’t a big enough draw for the tour. Alek, while adorable, is likely a novelty – his name will likely fade from recognition within 6 months. Alexa? Not a big enough draw, and Mark not likely to do the tour. Carlos? A slight draw, but not as big as Nick, and Witney not going on tour. Everyone else? Fuggedaboudit. I think the reason the pimping of Rumer got so out-of-control was multifaceted: they needed Val to win, they needed a winning couple on the tour, and the longer Rumer stayed, the longer they had the star power of Demi & Bruce in the ballroom. This season? Not really anyone that gives all those same (metaphorical) wet dreams Rumer gave the producers, so likely a lot less incentive to encourage a certain outcome. But I would watch Bindi – if she gets too good or too popular, I would not be at all surprised if the judges suddenly got super tough on her around week 7, and started HEAPING praise on Nick.
That’s my point PH, Val’s original partner was probably a trained dancer or someone that TPTB were confident would be a very strong dancer with a likeable personality that would give them a good shot of winning, rather than Tamar who has a very spiky/marmite personality which gives her no hope of winning. It’s ultimately Tamar’s personality that will get her the boot before the final, it doesn’t matter how well she dances, she’s too marmite and when it comes down those crunch latter weeks I can’t see people voting for her ahead of dancers like Nick, Bindi and Alek. I’d fancy Alek to get past Tamar even with a serious points disadvantage. He might struggle as the competition goes on but he’s gonna bleed votes with his story and the fact that he’s an ordinary guy with no dance experience representing the average viewer.
The whole “hometown” thing has always been problemmatic for me. Since I was born in the US but grew up overseas, I guess I have a different attitude about it, and it kind of bugs me when people get niggly about who can call a place “home”. I think you can choose your hometown, especially in today’s mobile society. To me a “hometown” is where your heart is or the place where you feel the most connected and “at home”. That’s not necessarily where you were born. So if Mark feels connected to London because of the time he spent there as a child and young man and likes to think of that as his “hometown”, that’s fine by me.
@Court, I can’t argue with a single thing you’ve said, and if TPTB are determined to pimp a pro, I can deal with it being Sharna. She and Nick are legitimate contenders. [I thought it was kind of obvious of the show to make Derek say he’d won “5 times”. Can’t have the viewers forgetting that he’s had his ‘fair share’ of wins so it’s another pro’s turn. *gag*]
Of course I’d love to see a truly open competition, but I realize that’s just too much to ask for when there are other factors driving TPTB–namely, their tour.
Wouldn’t Bindi have some restrictions in regards to time,seeing that she’s only 17?
@Cidra: Thanks for the info. I remember reading it and thinking, “Huh?”
Seeing those regs, it makes a lot more sense, though. 🙂
@Rachel: It depends on whether she’s considered a minor. Given that she’s coming from Australia, I have no earthly idea how the various laws interact. That said, Hayes is only 15, so anything that applies to Bindi would likely apply to him as well (and the rules for Hayes might well be even stricter).
I don’t think the producers are thinking about the tour. The tour seem more for the pros than the stars anyway. It gives the pro dancers a job while off season. Especially the ones who are not a big draw like Derek who can get work on their own. Most of the stars already have other commitments prior to the show. Last season winner wasn’t even able to hold up through the tour. The producers probably separate the two The TV show and The tour.
@Courtney – I love your analogy above. It makes total sense.
I’m afraid Alek will do like Robert did last season. I would love to see do well in coming weeks though, he’s very likable.
I totally forgot Paula was from Albany. That is very close to my hometown in GA so it will be fun to see what they come up with.
Even though I see Mark’s accent get stronger at different times and with different words I don’t think he’s faking it. I find my southern accent does that too.
The producers definitely think about The Tour. Yes, it provides work for the dancers but if it wasn’t profitable it would not occur and the dancers would do their own thing off season. The Tour becomes much more saleable with a winner as a headliner. So, imo, as Courtney said, Sharna and Nick would be a great asset. Whether they are pimped or not, I do think that is the outcome tptb are hoping for.
Courtney, +1! There is no doubt about that I will be buying a ticket to the tour this time if my girl Sharna and Nick Carter do it. I just hope it comes to Denver!!
ADDING: I just hope there is no pimping of anyone. Win or not, I’d still pay (ultimate tickets) and to see them on the tour.
@Mandi
I don’t think Alek will be another Robert, and here’s why:
1. He may have had less practice time than most of the other couples for the first week dance. Alek was first approached about doing DWTS when he was interviewed on GMA on August 28. He told Access Hollywood that he met with Lindsay for the first time the night before the cast announcement on September 1st. My comment, of course, is based on the assumption that the other couples started practicing the Monday before the cast announcement.
2. He’s almost thirty years younger than Robert.
3. His technique was good on the first dance. I don’t think Robert’s technique, even on his best dances was on the same level as Alek’s first dance. (I’m no expert on ballroom dance technique, so I could be wrong on this point.)
4. Alek showed some sense of musicality. If I remember correctly, one of Robert’s problems was his lack of musicality.
5. The drive to succeed. An article in People magazine stated that Alek works at Costco and is going to community college. I would imagine that the money DWTS is offering him is a huge inducement to do well. If he’s lucky enough to make it to the finals, he could earn nearly $350,000. In short, it would mean a change in his economic situation. Robert’s economic situation wasn’t going to change one bit whether he made it to the finals.
6. Although Robert was in good physical condition, I think Alek might be in better shape. The article in People mentioned that he played lacrosse in high school and that he’s an avid kayaker, which would, I imagine, mean that he has strong core muscles.
Bit worried about Alek doing the Jazz. I have a feeling he is more comfortable with dances where he’s in hold with Lindsay, being that he probably feels more secure since she can guide him through the dance at any given moment. Jazz is more open so I am hoping he doesn’t struggle with that. The Quickstep I have a feeling he’s gonna do very well in. It’s all in hold and if he can manage to get his footwork right then that could be his best dance. His frame is already pretty solid so, just needs to work on his feet.
I hope the fact he did so well on week 1 motivates him to do better and better.
Interesting tidbit that Val was originally supposed to have a different partner. Anyone know who it was supposed to be? Too bad about Artem having to sit out this season because of that snafu.
Scan, if you don’t think the producers are thinking about the tour – then I have some Indiana tidal wave insurance to sell you. 🙂 Just like the bottom line of the tv show is the almighty dollar – so is the tour, especially when they’re up against MOVE, BWAT, Dance Pros, etc. It behooves them to have a strong lineup on the tour, because it means more butts in seats, and more money in their pockets. That’s just common sense. As for Rumer – they couldn’t have predicted her getting hurt, and as for “prior commitments” – have you actually SEEN this season’s stars? I’m gonna venture a guess that not all of them are as booked-up as you assume. Nick doesn’t have any BSB events on the books until May of next year…plenty of time to do the tour, if he so desires.
I know it is VERY early in the season, but I tend to agree with Jimmy Kimmel that this is Nick and Sharna’s season. With that said, Bindi and Derek vowed me in week one, so did Carlos. Alexa and Tamar were not that far behind, so a lot of good competition this season, I think.
Mercy, Victory doing a Jive and Rumba is probably not a good sign that he is going to stay past next week IMO.
Victor not Victory, sorry.
So that’s at least 2 couples doing 3 Latin dances in a row. What is wrong with these people?
Renee, I thought the same thing. Victor + Jive + Rumba = Elimination.
It’s a shame TPTB decided to shaft him with these two styles. Everyone knows he’s not a contender, the least they could do is give the guy a chance to not look foolish. Jive is bad, but Rumba is just cruel. I would have liked to see Victor and Karina do something in hold–like a waltz or foxtrot. Karina could back lead, and he’d have a nice dance to go out on (as well as that super fun/campy salsa from week 1).
@Iris all good points! I never thought about it that way
Just wondering, is it possible they’re trying to do Victor a favor by not giving him a dance where you have to remain in ballroom hold given the reversed height difference between him a Karina? Granted rumba is hard as is jive but I’d imagine Karina would rather have those dances for him which allows open work and side by sides.
Whatever it is, he seems like such a happy person and Karina is a phenomenal dancer so it’d be great to have them last a while.
Do we know which day is which for the two “hometown” dances? As in are the celebrities’ hometowns being talked about on Monday or Tuesday?
Sonic, According to the press release for Week 2: Celebrities’ “hometown” on Monday and Pros’ “hometown” on Tuesday.
Debbie, I don’t think TPTB are very worried about the height difference between Victor and Karina; in fact they seem to enjoy playing it up. Oh well, they have what they have, and I’m sure Karina will make the best of it.
Thanks Cidra!
In the Young Hollywood interviews Paula and Louis reference Rumba.
He couldn’t have come back at 16. Derek was there from 11 to age 20-21. If he came over here at 16 it was very short term. Derek and Mark were both living and working in London when they were asked to join DWTS.
My main point is – his mother is British. That likely means he is British AND American – that’s how it works here. Not sure why M8’s knickers are in a twist and acting like Mark is a poseur. Far from it.
I’m not in New Orleans any more, Lynne. Now I’m in New England. 🙂
EXACTLY, Cidra.
I thought the age restriction started at Under 17. I’m quite sure I wasn’t limited to what I worked when I was 17. Of course, that was a while ago.
They don’t do the tour to give the Pros a job, Scan, they do it to make MONEY. As much money as they can. Whatever will get them that, that’s what they’ll do.
@Iris: Thanks for the Robert/Alek comparison.
One interesting point, though: Alek noted somewhere that Lindsay could probably whoop him on the cardio aspect of dancing. 🙂
@Sam
You’re welcome.
Yeah, Lindsay did mention in their interview with Access Hollywood that she was whupping Alek with the cardio. The one fitness area that Alek clearly needs to work on, as least from what I could tell from their dance on Monday, is flexibility. Of course, that’s not unexpected, given his gender and current profession.
I think his past experience with lacrosse will definitely help with the quickstep this week. I’ve never played the sport, only watched it, but from what I gleaned on the internet, lacrosse players are among the best-conditioned of athletes involved in team sports.
It’s the jazz performance that I’m worried about. I just don’t see Alek’s persona melding well with that type of dance. Of course, based on past performances, you can pretty much do any kind of dance for jazz.
@Mandi
Thanks!
Any news on a tour happening this winter? All I have seen is some pros like Sharna and Mark saying they want to do it but no confirmation that there is one. And for the comment about Mark not being from London Mark said it himself he moved there at the age of 4 and yes there was alot of traveling in between but did not officially move back to the US till he was 21. That is huge but still there is a chance he will choose Houston just a larger chance it will be London.
oh, Hi Heidi 🙂 welcome to New England…..are you close to the state of Maine?
Cidra – #108 – thanks for that. I totally agree that “home is where the heart is” whether that’s where you were born, or spent time there, or living now. No one gets to decide that for you.
If Mark considers London his hometown, then have at it.
My daughter was born in Colorado Springs, but hasn’t been there since she was three. No doubt she considers Chicago home more than a place she can’t even remember. My boyfriend grew up in Wisconsin, but has lived in Chicago for 17 years. Either choice would make sense to me.
It’ll be interesting to see the choices – will they be songs about the places they lived – or artists from the area – most likely a combination of both. 🙂
Paula has the rumba……well that’s one that’s going to be interesting. First quickstep then that and now I’m thinking they just like to see her struggle.
According to dancingabc’s instagram, Tamar and Val have the Cha Cha, not Salsa.
New England PH…I bet it is beautiful there right now. Aren’t the leaves changing color? So, you have a week to go..what’s next a surprise stop in CA to see DWTS on Monday or Tuesday???? It would be a great triangular vacation…lol.
Hi Lynne #147…..our weather has been so warm that the leaves have not started changing yet. I am loving the longer summer for a change 🙂
Courtney(#106)I have been really busy so sorry Im late to this discussion or if you answered this already. Do you know for sure if they are having a winter tour or is it just speculation they will most likely have one?
Kelly, they haven’t announced it officially yet, but, Sharna has said she’s dancing in it.
Since your new to the site, do some searches on your questions and check out the side categories, etc. You’ll find your answers.
Currently in New Bedford, Carolyn. So, not that close, but closer than I was. ?
So… Tamar struggling with the Salsa, so they let her change to the easier Cha-Cha. Right…
I’m willing to bet we be seeing a Salsa at all from Tamar and Val, no matter how far they get.
Sorry for double-posting, but bottom line should read:
I’m willing to bet we *won’t* be seeing a Salsa at all from Tamar and Val, no matter how far they get.
Sorry again. 🙂
Did that same thing happen last season with Rumer and Val?
@Sandy Sort of. Val realised halfway into Disney week that an Ursula Tango wasn’t going to endear the public, so they switched to Samba, and Tango never resurfaced in either form (ballroom or Argentine) as an assigned style for them. They did do a Salsa though. It was…. Let’s kindly say it wasn’t her forte.
Yeah, Rumer’s Salsa was horrible to watch. And it was also done in Week 3 so yet another example of allowing Val to get the harder dances out of the way first.
If they’d had done it later in the competition it would’ve no doubt shown her up to be the inferior dancer to Nastia, Riker, and Willow that she was.
I think the thinking is that it’s better to have the difficult dances when there are 13 couples and the dances are under 1 minute. As the comp goes on the dances get longer so better to have chacha for 1 1/2 mins rather than rumba, the dance of celebrity death!!!!
Midnight train to Georgia rumba
Tango to get ready
Paula Deen
I still think it comes down to teaching technique and choreography cause Joanna and Derek had Salsa in Week 1 and pulled it off quite well even though she definitely had way less natural ability than Tamar or Rumer. Also, not having Tago/Argentine Tango as an assigned dance (unlike anyone of the rest of the final 7) gave Val the opportunity to use it as a Freestyle.
The girl who handled one of the hardest ballroom dance -Quickstep in week-1 so good don’t think will have a problem with Salsa ..
And Rumer’s disco salsa was innovate, fun and amazing and also became a fan favorite! I would love to see a sassy Salsa from Tamar as well 🙂
I rewatched that Salsa again in case I was misremembering something, but Disco Salsa is nothing I haven’t seen before, the choreography looked like someone who didn’t know what disco was and it might have been fun but Rumer insisted on smouldering like she always did, which made the whole thing look super serious. I think if I can make an analogy they had all the ingredients but overcooked the pie.
I’m not an expert, but for me, Salsa is one of Val’s least successful dances to choreograph. Very little actual technique and a lot of smoke and mirrors.
The average viewer doesn’t know Salsa steps from tripping in a rabbit hole while mowing. The way Salsas are judged on the show, apparently neither do the judges.
I think Cha Cha, along with Paso are two of Val’s better dances.
Do we know for sure that the switched dances happened because of Tamar struggling too much with it? If true, that’s not right. You do the dance assigned, unless their’s a valid reason no major reasons not to like injuries or song clearance issues.
Let me re-type that last sentence! ?
You do the dance assigned unless their’s a valid reason not to like injuries or song clearance issues.
Need a source, lvanamstel5.
@Susan2 – Agreed – unless there’s some sort of issue with clearing a song, or you’re like Noah and physically cannot do the hopping/jumping associated with the jive & quickstep, there is no reason to “switch dances”. You do the best you can with the dance you’re given, PERIOD.
Truth be told, I hate that salsa is even a dance on DWTS (I would prefer mambo, which is much more structured), and I have noticed that some pros reeeeeealllly seem to bend the rules when it comes to salsa, to the point where you get that “disco” salsa Rumer did last season which was a salsa only in name. Wish the judges would tighten up the definition of what is and isn’t salsa, or just eliminate it as a dance altogether.
@Edwina: Thanks for the LOLs on “dance of celebrity death.”
I have to admit, though, that to this day I still have no idea what the heck a rumba is “supposed to be” (as opposed to say a Tango/Quickstep/Cha-cha, where I do have a pretty good idea of what’s supposed to be in there).
True. Val needs a slap when it comes to this stuff. I was hoping when they stopped pushing him so hard he’d be told to buck the f up and live with what he’s given. That’s life. Especially with the Tango-that-became-a-Samba. I thought that was a fun, different and exciting idea that Rumer had and Val just gave it up and went boring. I agree that Val’s Paso Dobles tend to be excellent, while his Salsas suck completely. I was rooting for both Elizabeth Berkeley-Lauren and Danica McKellar, but Danica’s Salsa just plain sucked and Elizabeth’s was not worth the perfect score it got.
Not to be a kill joy, but I have heart palpitations, not over excitement for tonight but out of FEAR that our with our LeAD blogger on the blog done DurING the show might be out for tonight. Say it won’t be true. Say there is some other sucker….ummm I mean mod willing to take it on, or maybe PH is going to come out of hiding for the evening…lol. Hand on forehead in dramatic faint mode…don’t think the old ticker can take it if we don’t have the live blog…lol.
How do we know this is the reason for the switch? Was it said in an interview with them? Just wondering where the info came from.
According to Emma’s twitter, she and Hayes have a foxtrot dedicated to Hayes’ hometown.
Oh hell yeah! ACDC for Bindi’s song is genius. An Aussie girl dancing to an iconic Aussie rock band. I am sooooo down for that.
YAY! i was hoping for “You Shook Me All Night Long!” I bet it will be sassy and funny!
I think Bindi’s tango is going to be phenomenal. She more than ever will be animated by the energy of her dad and the memory of him rocking out at the zoo. I am insanely excited to see this dance.
Okay, I absolutely love the AC/DC song Bindi and Derek are dancing to, but aren’t the words to it a little inappropriate for a 17-year old girl to dance to?
She was a fast machine she kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman that I ever seen
She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies
Knocking me out with those American thighs
Taking more than her share
Had me fighting for air
She told me to come but I was already there
Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quaking
My mind was aching
And we were making it
And you shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me all night long
I’m working double time on the seduction line
She’s one of a kind she’s just mine all mine
Wanted no applause it’s just another course
Made a meal outta me
And come back for more
Had to cool me down to take another round
Now I’m back in the ring to take another swing
Cause the walls were shaking the earth was quaking
My mind was aching
And we were making it
And you shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me all night long
Knocked me out I said you
Shook me all night long
You had me shaking and you
Shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me
When you took me
You really took me and you
Shook me all night long
You shook me all night long
Yeah, yeah, you shook me all night long
You really got me and you
Shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me
Yeah you shook me
All night long
@Lynne – I’ll be manning the live blog – as long as I can find a decent live stream. Colts are playing Monday Night Football so ABC is preempting DWTS where I live 🙁 But I’m gonna do my best to keep up!
Iris, I disagree. The song will be great for her!
Iris, it’s the song to which she danced with her father at the Australia Zoo. Lyrics or anything else notwithstanding, that makes it perfect.
@JD – It’s just speculation, but given what we know about Val’s track record of switching dances if something isn’t working out, I don’t think it’s out of line to wonder if the same thing didn’t happen here.
I agree. Bindi has probably chosen the song herself in memory of her dad, and the fact the lyrics refer to sex isn’t that important. If Mark can do an age-appropriate dance originally based on prostitutes with 14-year-old Willow last season, Derek can make this work.
Mr A, I remember the ‘Hunter’ dance like it was yesterday and it’s one of my all time favorites. I agree…. I have no doubt Derek will make it work just Mark did!
I agree with Vogue and Mr A. I don’t get wound up about the lyrics of a song vs. the age of the dancers. Especially for an up-tempo number, they’ll be using the beat of the music to dance to; they’re not going to be acting out the words.
Exactly! I was talking about Willow’s Argentine Tango, but Sadie’s Samba, Shawn’s Tango/Paso fusion, there are loads of examples between Derek and Mark, and I never really worry about Derek anyway.
@Courtney-I can definitely see that. It just seemed to be stated as fact (not by you) so I thought I missed something. Thanks for clarifying!
Looking forward to Bindi’s dance. I hope she kills it!
Yes, Geri, but Val using that particular tango as a freestyle was not only extremely lacking in creative thought, but a total cop out and, most of all…SAFE. It’s idiot proof for a ballroom pro and a ringer to do a tango.
Courtney thank you so much for stepping in. The “old ticker” will make it another week. I suspect you will do great. PH has us all trained pretty well. Can’t wait for tonight!
Court, text me if you have trouble-I may be around for the show if tonight’s anything like last night. Exhausted by 8 from being outside and eating and drinking too much. Plus, we’re not interested in tonight’s entertainment. Might just be a bit late.
I agree that I almost wish salsa wasn’t a dance. It isn’t a standard ballroom dance, and it isn’t as structured as mambo is. Salsa is the only dance that I have a LOT of experience with, seeing it danced by natives and professionals my whole life, and the pros take such creative liberty with it that it’s almost unrecognizable. Like, for example, karina’s salsa last week, no offense, but did they do the basic step even once? I would prefer mambo as well. Shawn and derek’s mambo was pretty good.
I remember rocking out (on a 33 record player) to that AC/DC song at 13yrs old. I got the premise didn’t read a whole lot into the words seems to me it is pretty PG rated and fine for a 17yr old who has grown up in a generation with songs that have A LOT more explicit lyrics. AC/DC’s song implied more than it actually says 🙂
Some of the salsas performed on DWTS have been among my favorite routines – Gilles and Cheryl’s, Riker and Allison’s, and Rumer and Val’s was one of the only routines of their season that I actually really liked. I don’t mind that it’s not always pure salsa, but I kind of like that there’s a bit more freedom in the interpretation. Wasn’t Bethany and Derek’s Lucille dance a salsa too? That was definitely one of her better ones.
As far as mambo goes, Shawn and Derek’s was superb – but I’ve heard there’s just not a whole lot of potential variation in the routines because of the limited syllabus. I don’t know if that’s accurate, so feel free to correct me.
I can’t wait for Bindi’s Tango! I love that song and was actually listening to it on constant repeat yesterday in the car. 🙂 Did not know AC/DC was an Aussie band until today. I always learn something new from Pure every day. 🙂
I would also love to see Mambo back as well. I generally like Salsa but would like to see Mambo more in the usual mix of assigned dances. I loved Apolo and Julianne’s, Adam Carolla and Julianne’s, Lance and Lacey’s, and of course Shawn and Derek’s – one of my all-time favorite dances from the show. Although I remember Elena Grinenko (I think it was her) saying that Shawn and Derek’s Mambo was really a Salsa because Shawn was stepping on the wrong count or something like that. Sorry, clearly I’m not a dancer nor have any knowledge in ballroom but I’ve always wondered if that was true?
Alek reminds me a little of Apolo Ohno. Athletic, good looking and super sweet and surprises everyone with how well he can dance! The only difference is that Julianne and Apolo had serious flirtatious chemistry between them and Lindsay just got married.
I am hoping that Alek does as well as Apolo because he’s my favorite guy at the moment. Nick is good but I was an NSYNC fan back in the day! Plus I have always thought Nick was a bit cocky back then.