PureDWTS Season 21, Week 5 – Who’s Dancing What…and When? And With WHO?
It’s switch up week!! I didn’t vote much…mainly because I think Derek will do amazing regardless of who he’s with. And I don’t believe our votes actually count for anything. 🙂 Sad but true. Them’s my thoughts on the matter.
Anyway, we’ll be trying to figure out the couples and the dances and the songs as the week goes on. If you hear or read something, please remember that we need a LINK. Also remember that we have twitter – if you see it and the post hasn’t been updated 20 minutes later, by all means, let us know. Original pro is in parenthesis.
ETA: The sound you are hearing is Heidi screaming in rage from the golf course she’s currently on. And me swearing under my breath at my desk. I don’t believe for one minute that Val got Bindi fair and square, and that Mark really got Paula fair and square. Also hearing a bit of vacillation on who got Alek – and implications that who got him may have changed between last night and this morning. And the bulk of these pairings just bore me to tears. For more discussion, you can check out my switch-up prediction post. -Court-
ETA2: Hearing that the pairs will be officially announced on GMA tomorrow morning. No, I don’t know what time (although I’m guessing around 8:15 AM EST, if they do what they usually do); no, I don’t know if any of the couples will be there (though I doubt it). We will be live blogging it – most likely over at my switch-up post. -Court-
ETA3: No announcement on GMA (surprise, surprise) but People did just post the list.
ETA4: A couple dances…no offense to whoever posted that Alek & Emma have rumba in the comments, but it almost seems too good to be true since that’s what I was tweeting @DancingABC all last week 😛 -Court-
ETA5: Updated with Louis & Tamar’s dance…
ETA6: According to Derek’s blog, Bindi has cha-cha and Alexa has tango. Guess if Derek had to miss out on doing one dance with Bindi, he’d pick cha-cha or samba, which he has said in the past are his two least favorite dances. -Court-
ETA7: Vogue here. The official press release from ABC has been posted. The rest of the dances are filled in below.
ETA8: I GOTS TWO SONGS, HEY HEY HEY HEY!!! And I’m already swooning over Alek & Emma’s…even if it’s not “Holding Out for A Hero”… 😉 -Court-
ETA9: So…we have Alexa and Derek’s song, but since it’s Derek’s, I put it over at PDH. 😉
ETA10: Well, lookie here. A little birdie told us a few more songs. We know the song by Hayes name is being used…but I’m not sure if we’re sure it belongs to Hayes.
Alexa and Derek (Mark) – Tango (See PureDerekhough)
1-855-234-5602
Hayes and Allison (Emma) – Viennese Waltz (Song: “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Meghan Trainor)
1-855-234-5608
Alek and Emma (Lindsay) – Rumba (Song: “Let it Go” by James Bay)
1-855-234-5601
Andy and Sharna (Allison) – Argentine Tango (Song: “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weekend)
1-855-234-5603
Carlos and Lindsay (Witney) – Quickstep (Song: “Bossa Nova Baby” by Elvis)
1-855-234-5605
Nick and Witney (Sharna) – Paso Doble (Song: “Don’t Look Down” by Martin Garrix)
1-855-234-5610
Paula and Mark (Louis) – Jive (Song: “Shake” by Otis Redding)
1-855-234-5611
Tamar and Louis (Val) – Samba
1-855-234-5612
Bindi and Val (Derek) – Cha-Cha (See PureDerekHough)
1-855-234-5604
PH, You’re such an optimist. 🙂 Bless ’em but some of our friends get so excited when they see something on Twitter there’s no way they’re going to be able to wait 20 minutes for one of the MODS to update the post.
I don’t think our votes account for much either and that’s why I didn’t partake. I will say that I would love to see Emma with Alek and I hope I get my wish!
Am I allowed to curse here? I feel so bad for Bindi and Mark. This season I tweeted maybe 5 or 6 times, compared to hundreds of times in season 18 for switch up. It’s becoming blatantly obvious they don’t give a shit about the public’s opinion.
Why the heck did Val post that tweet then? Everone LOVES Bindi and she is coming off of doing an amazing dance. I would understand posting that tweet if he got Paula, but Bindi? She’s amazing!
Doesn’t look that way Carrie. I doubt Bindi got Val fair & square..not one bit. I voted BindiMark MANY times…didn’t see much for Bindi Val…oh well. Hope he does something decent for Bindi, like he did with Meryl for switch-up in S18.
I didn’t think TPTB could top the debauchery of switch up week like they did in Season 18 with Meryl Davis … but somehow, this tops it for me. While I’m not excited about any of these pairings, right now I’m most interested to see who Allison ends up with. If somehow, someway she ends up with Nick … my inner fan girl will totally riot.
I’m a mid-40s mom of two teens who don’t use Twitter, so I have a limited understanding of it, I admit. I thought you could search for certain hashtags and see how popular they are. So isn’t the vote public, then? I’m not arguing with you guys; I always believe that when y’all are suspicious of something, you have good reason. I just thought it was possible to check how many votes went to each possible switchup partnership. Please delete my comment if I just completely don’t understand the methodology. Thanks!
Yes I agree what’s up with Val’s tweet? Or maybe he’s purposely trying to shake it off so people won’t guess. Ugh I’m so mad I feel Heidi’s pain. I didn’t even see a bindiVal hashtag we all a big amount voted for Mark and her!! whyyyyyy
I wanna cry, as if Mark hasn’t had one hell of a season already, he´s partnered with Paula. I wanted to see Bindi and Mark together so bad. On top of that Val and Bindi just doesn´t sound like a killer performance and Maks is a judge and I’m very angry. That´s it.
I think Val might be referring to who Tamar got. Isn’t it more important to their winning who she has? If he is pissed it is because of that imo. Hopefully he will give Bindi a good routine.
Honestly can we just finally use this as evidence producers pick practically everything themselves and nothing we do counts ?!
I agree Ritz. It is if the producers aren’t even trying to look legit. I agree with those not watching next week. Might be my plan too.
Seriously, why even bother making people vote? If they want to switch it up however they want, then do it. Stop trying to make people believe that it’s a voted thing. Also, i’m not too sure if Emma is with Andy because he tweeted that he would meet his partner at the airport at 4:45am and Emma posted a picture of her at brunch with the other dancers in LA….
This is a bit off the topic of this post, but has there been any hint of a tour happening this season? Emma posted a pic that had me curious of what it might mean lol
@Haley – Was told that there seemed to be some flip-flopping on who got Andy. As in “one name was on the list last night, but was scribbled out this morning”. At this point, I have no idea whether it’s Sharna or Emma
I think Val is referring to the angry fans who did not want him with Bindi. I also think they are trying to help Alexa by putting her with Derek.
Lets call this years DWTS the “Wacky Emotional Year”. Way over the top with the crying and the judging is horrible.
The producers are coming up with weird ideas. Why not have them dance regarding their best years of their lives instead of their worst. What a drag for these contestants.
There is no doubt that Bindi is going to win because that is the way it is planned. Way to much emotional crying and way to much over dramatizing her personality which I will call acting.
Very disappointed with the entire show this year and I have never commented before and have watched for a very long time.
Luck Andy’s going to get an “upgrade” this week no matter which pro he gets. Nothing against Allison as a dancer, but she’s just wrong for him.
I have my fingers crossed that TPTB don’t give Allison to Nick. I think she’d stress the heck out of him. He’s just starting to come out of his head, and her warp 8 choreography and lack of experience teaching ballroom/Latin will give him major anxiety. I think she’s a much better fit for Carlos. Of course I expect TPTB to do exactly the opposite of what I think is in the best interests of all parties involved.
The pairings between the male pros/female celebs is not how I wanted to end up at all. It’s hard for me to believe that Mark didn’t end up with Bindi and ended up with Paula instead. Conspiracy theory: I think Val threw a temper tantrum and got TPTB to switch around the pairs because 1) he doesn’t want Derek with Tamar because he’s afraid Derek will choreograph a great routine/have great chemistry with his partner; and 2) Val didn’t want to be stuck with Paula because he’s insecure about his abilities as a pro teaching non-dancers.
I’m crossing my fingers Nick doesn’t end up with Allison but the way things are turning out so far, I think that’s how it’s going to end up. 🙁
I’m probably in the minority but I’d LOVE to see Mark with Paula. Has he ever had a partner over the age of 60? I’ll be very interested to see what he can do with her.
Yeah I am not believing for a sec that most of these pairings were voted by the fans. I only voted once for who I wanted with who but didn’t really bother voting much because part of me felt like it would be votes gone down the toilet.
I am actually not too worried or upset that Bindi got Val. He did pretty well with Zendaya and I liked his partnership with her – he was always very caring towards her and treated her well so I know he’ll do the same with Bindi. Just hope he choreographs something good for her – would love to see them do a cute little Foxtrot or a fun Charleston.
Gonna be VERY interesting to see how Mark is gonna work with Paula. I think he’ll be good with her. Hope they do a Waltz or Foxtrot..
The other pairings aren’t all that exciting but I guess I’ll just wait and see how it all comes together on Monday night. Back on Season 18, I wasn’t all that crazy about the partnerships for Switch Up but it ended up being fun and most of them, I liked.
PS: I think someone else commented this on another post but I’ll also say that I hope we don’t have all these random dances (Burlesque, Disco, Jitterbug, Bollywood… etc) for Switch Up Week. Let’s stick to basic ballroom/latin dances, please and thank you DWTS.
Courtney you are right. Cause if you type in DWTSPaulaMark. You can count on your hands who voted for them Val didnt get Bindi fair and square. Someone had a hand in this.
I really hope they get some good dance styles this week since they probably will have to do the same style in the finale like last time. I’m hoping that Paula gets to paso charleston or waltz this week becuase all I keep thinking is that it’s going to be her last week most likely I want to see her go out on a high.
@ CC NY: I actually wouldn’t mind to see a Derek version of a disco, lindyhop or a hip hop dance. would rather not see the rest though….especially the burlesque….what a mess that dance was lol pretty sure artem was the only one that enjoyed his lap dance.
I’m not upset about Bindi getting Val; she is fresh of an amazing week and that would push him to give her his best if not he will never heard the end of it from derek’s fans , funny he got Lea right after she was having a great week which led to a big step back for her after she was a front runner ( it messed with her confident big time ) , I hope that wont be the case for Bindi ( I really love this girl ).
I feel sorry for mark that’s all what I’m gonna say
Alexia ( she was may fav at the beginning of the season ) getting Derek is gonna help her to get the confidence she’s lacking and hopefully reach her full potential.
Alek and sharna is interesting and boring at the same time hmmm
Tamar and Louis, oh boy this could go either way ( why they swich her right after she start connecting to Val )
I think I agree with courtney this swich up is such a bore fest.
Why don’t TPTB just play pin the tail on the donkey to make the match ups. It might make more sense than what they’re doing. Twitter votes my ass!
Very curious to see who really got Paula. Because no way in hell did Mark actually get her due to Twitter voting.
@ Courtney, I kind of thought that there might be some difficulties regarding Andy’s partner due to his busy schedule and maybe if they can’t travel with him?
I’m also interested in the Paula/Mark pairing, should be entertaining at least!
@ BJ. I agree. This season is just weird.
Len gone
2 dances week 2
One contestant has a stoke – literally
Tom’s dad is dying
Alek’s school get shot up
Switch up week 5
Last night with the crying and sad stories was just too much. Even though Nick has some emotional moments you just felt that his wasn’t sad enough, as bizarre as that sounds. Plus no one was going to have a more emotional night than Bindi. I know the story isn’t the contest, but good grief……why does almost every memorable year have to be about death?
I didn’t vote because it’s pointless. It’s fixed. TPTB should be ashamed of pulling this scam again on their viewers. Paula and Mark, no way do I believe it. Same for Bindi and Prince Val.
Pull the names out of a hat, spin a wheel, I don’t care how it done just as long as the process transparent to the public.
Oh no, I don’t want to see Val get Bindi. If this happens, he just better be nice to her.
Add me to the non-believers of the Val/Bindi pairing. Could someone let me know what Val tweeted. I don’t have twitter. Thanks.
Just curious Vogue, why wouldn’t he be nice to her?
PJ is was 3 happy crying emojis and something like, “it’s switch up. Lol ya’ll voted so….”
Well, personally, I’m heartsick that Val got Bindi, and no, the fans did not vote for this. Paula with Mark? He’s one of the top pros on the show and deserves better than that. Obviously, it was all decided by the producers. I didn’t vote a lot, but what I voted for was Mark to have Bindi. I don’t think even Val’s fans were pushing for Bindi. He BETTER be good to her that’s all I’ll say. The only good thing out of it is they didn’t pair Derek with Paula.
For those wondering why TPTB tell viewers to tweet when they are just going to do what they want anyway
1- Social media trends also counts for in the entertainment field today as well as number of viewers and the age of those viewers. It all goes back to what advertisers are looking at and paying for. So DWTS wants tweets, instagram and facebook posts, YouTube hits, ect as well as estimated viewers.
2- And as our mods have pointed out, TPTB probably tried to take what was tweeted into consideration along with what they want or need for reasons. I’d been doubtful all along that current champ Val would be given older contestant Paula Deen, who is probably on her way out anyway. That might be part of the reason she’s not paired with Derek, who would cheerfully work with her anyway. They appear to want to hang onto Alexa for a bit longer so TPTB fired a warning shot by placing her in jeopardy this week. And there is no one better than Derek to place her with to ensure good scores for her next week.
Louis might be a PIA but Tamar will be able to handle to handle technique like he’ll give her and this pairing won’t show up Val.
#Colleen Alexa wasn’t in jeopardy this week. Carlos was.
Thanks Suzy! As you can tell, I haven’t warmed up to either.
So there goes my theory as to why they are pairing Alexa up with Derek. Unless, that’s the one tweet vote they feel they can actually honor…….
Am I the only one who wants to see Val with Bindi? C’mon, let’s keep it interesting. Mark and Derek switch partners every time…. and seeing Val with sweet Bindi will be different for sure
Val and his producer friend, Deena Katz, know exactly Bindi is a fan favorite. I can just see one of the judges saying “Val, you did an aaamazingg job with Bindi. Best dance of the night.” (All credits goes to Val, of course. The producers can’t bruised his ego). Wonder why they didn’t give Rumer to Derek last season.
I actually don’t mind val getting bindi. I think they have the potential to be a really great pairing and hopefully they will do as well as val did with zendaya, they were wonderful together! Hopefully I’m not disappointed.
I’m happy derek got alexa, would love to see the choreography he will be able to come up for her.
Definitely not into louis and tamar, seems boring. And ewwww, paula and mark. 🙁 Guessing mark disappointed too.
i think sharna and alek seems boring though :/
I hope for Bindi’s sake Val will choreograph a great routine for her. However, I don’t think it’s going to be particularly easy for him because this is the first time since Elisabetta (George Clooney’s ex) that Val has a partner with zero dance experience. He’s lucky though that Bindi is a natural mover, is a great student and is completely fearless.
@Danielle, Derek had Nene which was Tony’s partner and then he had Sadie so now this time it may be Alexa. I believe this is only the third time for the switch up. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
I don’t understand why they keep trying to do the switch up challenge – it just stunts the growth of the actual partnerships and it seems to be so stressful for everyone involved. I’m not upset about Bindi and Val but I do think she and Mark would have made more sense together. Hope she still has a wonderful week – I think she’s my favorite contestant ever!
Geez, Alek and Sharna? It wouldn’t be as bad as Bindi and Val for me, but I was hoping, and voted for, Alek to be paired with Emma. Anyway, I was wrong about Haley and Emma being paired, (they blew me away last night) so maybe I’m wrong about the pairing of Val and Bindi.
I’m not surprised Val got Bindi. Am I happy about it? Not really…I personally would have LOVED Mark to get Bindi. But that being said, Val did some really great routines with Zendaya from a few seasons ago, so I’m sure he’ll think of something.
I just hopes he treats her well. I think he would, but he just seems very aggressive in some aspects. I’m sure Derek wouldn’t let him get off easily if something were to transpire. Ha.
The switch up doesn’t always stunt the growth of the relationships the teams have with each other. Look at Mark and Sadie. I feel like they grew closer AFTER week 5 last year.
I like the switch up because it makes me think of what could have been, lol. And some beautiful routines came out of it, like meryl and val’s AT. But I didn’t enjoy it as much the second time they did it. This time around will help me make up my mind whether or not I like it or not.
Oh gee Jill L, I don’t know why I would think such a thing about Val. 🙄
I find it interesting and pathetic how quickly perception becomes reality. Now in addition to “Derek always gets the good dancers”, the sheeple beleive “Derek and Mark *always* switch partners.”
Talk about hyperbole! In 21 seasons of DWTS this will be only the 3rd partner switch-up. That hardly warrants an “always”.
S18
Maks got Danica — Val’s partner
Val got Meryl — Maks’s partner
Derek got NeNe — Tony’s partner
Mark got Amy — Derek’s partner
Tony got Candace — Mark’s partner
S19
Mark got Bethany — Derek’s partner
Derek got Sadie — Mark’s partner
Artem got Janel — Val’s partner
Val got Lea — Artem’s partner
That doesn’t qualify as “always” and a sample size of 2 doesn’t make for very good science. In any case, if it’s a problem that Derek and Mark have swapped partners, then it should also be a problem that The Family have a tendency to swap partners. It was a straight Chmerkovskiy swap in S18 and a straight “Family” swap between Val and Artem in S19.
If we had any Family members besides Val left standing, we’d probably have a Family swap this season. Since that’s not possible, it sure looks like Val went whining to his producer friend and they shuffled the deck so he could get Bindi. Definite case of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.
Not sure the comparisons to how Val was with Zendaya hold up. That was his partner. That’s the person with whom he was trying to win. This is Bindi. He can’t win with her.
Vogue’s emoji in #48…best one ever LOL 😉
LOL Lex! THANKS! I like yours too!!
I believe Val will make sure that Bindi dances her best ever. Receive all 10’s and which will be indirectly rubbing into Dereks face that he’s a better teacher. Just Saying.
Does Paula train in Georgia?
Wow this is truly a switch up most bizarre pairings. I get that if they go with the top twitter votes the math doesn’t necessarily work for all the voted pairs to emerge but you would think at least one or 2 would. The #ing for Alek/Emma was pretty solid so if that doesn’t emerge clearing the fix is in. Who in the world would have voted for Tamar/Louis. Why not just be transparent put together whoever they want (which apparently they did) and get rid of the twitter vote nonsense.
@ Kenya as you noted Mark is a top pro but why does that make him “not deserving” of being with Paula. Being a Top Pro wouldn’t that qualify him as being able to handle a more “challenged” dancer. Saying a Top Pro deserves only good partners is like saying a Top Pro deserves a MBT. Plus I’m sure Corky will be able to give him very helpful tips and strategies.
I wish Gary had stayed just so Nick could have been with Anna. I think she would have been good with him. Allison will get him right back in his head and don’t see Whitney or Lindsay being strong enough with him. Holding out for Emma but still hoping she gets Alek. 🙂
Hmmm, you’re right Suzy. I hate to assume the worst. Is Val the kind of person who wouldn’t give it his all just because Bindi’s not his partner? Certainly he was raised better than that.
Nevertheless, Bindi may not be able to tell if he half-asses it (excuse my language), but Derek will, and I’m sure if Derek has a problem with it, he’ll say something.
I’m more than sure that if Val mistreats or loses his patience Bindi in any way, Derek will NOT put with it !!
Kim, I just think these pairings should be better matched. I know I wouldn’t have liked it if Derek had been paired with Paula either. After all, this is still a competition.
@ Suzy my remark about Zendaya had to do with a post about being grateful that Bindi’s mother being there for rehearsals,. (btw which she is for every rehersal per Sasha today on AB).
So my reference to Zendaya, being a young girl, was that she safe with Val. I don ‘t think that Val, or any other pro, would hurt another pros partner on purpose or do anythig to sabotage them. Nor would I think anyone of them would be mean to another pro’ partner.
When Val had Meryl she said he was stickler for details, but she learned more technique from him. The judges have said Bindi needs to bring it down and bit and not be so bouncy. Maybe Val can help her reign it in a bit. It could actually be a good thing. Im sure she’ll be fine and live to tell the tale!
Maybe I’m naive, but I’d like to think that every pro can bring some new spark to their partner for the week. Maybe Bindi can even get Val to crack a smile and have a little fun.
I’m actually excited to see them dance tower (if the Intel holds out!)
“Screaming with Rage” is a fun overstatement. 🙂 I was on the golf course…I said a very quiet “fuck me, that’s not legit” and continued handing out beer to very hot and sweaty men. Including one Tennessee Titan who was GORG.
suzy well i was comparing zendaya and val with bindi and val because i thought it may show that Val has the potential to do well with someone who is very young and needs nurturing. But obviously zendaya and bindi have totally different personalities, so we will have to wait and see how things turn out.
BJ is full of BS.
Gee, Jill, because the death of one’s parent is memorable and has a lasting impact on ones life, especially at such a young age.
Are you people really this callous?? Emotionally shallow?
I don’t think Val will do anything bad to Bindi. I just have a feeling that Val has the mentality of “what’s mine is mine. What’s yours is mine. What you have is mine.” Why can’t tptb switch Tamar with Derek? Nene posted a picture of her and Derek on IG not long ago saying “me and my dance partner”…Maybe Val is afraid something like that will happen? Gahh, I only watch the show last night because of the theme and this happen. I was really hoping to see Emma & Alek, Lindsay& Hayes too. I should’ve stick to YouTube 🙂
Jesus god NO, MARK AND DEREK DO NOT “SWITCH PARTNERS EVERY TIME”. How about we try for a hyperbole free day tomorrow, eh?? This ain’t Fox News.
Thiana, I would agree if he had tighter bond with Tamar. If it were Rumer then I’d say yes, there could be insecurity there.
Except, MP, most thinking people know that Val isn’t a better teacher. Including, I imagine, Derek.
Didn’t Val kinda half ass it with Candace? Seriously asking, because I seem to recall conversations at the time about that.
No I’m not callous or emotionally shallow. In fact I cried through her entire package and performance. My point wasn’t meant for her specifically, but it’s a wreck of a night to talk about death, and death, and illness, and then shooting, and then death.
Rock groups forming, getting mariried, find Christ or getting your big break in a movie seems to just go unnoticed and maybe a little unimportant by comparison. My point was that the whole night is a downer and the bad stuff takes over the night.
Not a good comparison, Jill. Meryl was Maks’ partner – so she’s fam like Maks is fam and Val had to kill himself to give her a great dance. Interestingly, that was one of the best dances Val has ever done and he hasn’t matched it since. Very disappointing.
Did Val dance with Candace? I though she got Tony and he got Lea? Wasn’t thst when Artem got Janel and they did that awful burlesque?
That’s why I was asking, Jill. Maybe it was Lea that he half assed.
If you found the whole night a downer – poor you. And tough crap. I didn’t find it a downer at all – I like hearing people’s stories, even when they lost someone. I can RELATE to that and them.
Death is memorable and significant – it affects people very deeply and forever. And yes, those other things are unimportant by comparison. Again – too bad. Perhaps those people should be grateful (and probably ARE grateful) that they don’t have a similar story.
Maks “phoned it in ” with Danika. Candace was with Tony
@Kenya agreed a competition for the celeb and I’m sure Mark will do nothing but do good things for her competition.
Lea I think got her highest scores with Val but she was never the same again after that it sort of was the beginning of her end on DWTS after she danced with him.. 🙁
Have you guys seen Val’s tweet? He’s already being disrespectful.
@CC NY: That was me who said “Please, no Jitterbug/Burlesque/etc.” 🙂
If it turns out to be Alek/Sharna, that’ll be interesting IMO b/c she just worked with Noah last season, and, in terms of demeanor, Alek and Noah seem to have a lot in common (neither had experience coming in, both are hard-working, self-effacing, a bit reserved, and so on).
In the grand scheme of things, if it happens, I think he’ll benefit a lot from it, even if it’s not as “cute” as being with Emma would be.
What is this Alek-Emma showmance? Isn’t she with Sasha? That said, I think she would be a fun match with him.
I kind of wish that Derek had gotten Tamar so we could see what he could do with her abilities — I suspect a lot. But I also think Louis will be a good match — he’s serious and will give Tamar good technique. I could see her relaxing and having a breakthrough with him, and whatever his tics, I’d like to see Louis get props for his skills as a teacher — especially drilling basic techniques.
I am sure Val will do fine with Bindi, but I think it will be hard for them to establish an emotional connection — she and Derek have such a bond, and that isn’t easy to generate fast. I don’t expect it to be the dance of the night, but I also don’t think Val could or would sabotage Bindi.
I’ll be curious to see how Derek does with Alexa. I think he may be able to bring out more commitment from her — I bet he will figure out how to use her commitment to Carlos in a positive way rather than fighting against it, as the storyline has gone all season.
I’m excited to see Andy with a new partner. I bet he will improve if they don’t add any of the non-Latin/ballroom dances.
Mark and Paula — I think he will do ok but I can see a bad package coming out of it. I hope not, but….
I loved Monday night, and hearing everyone’s memorable year. I also love hearing people’s stories, as to me they are so inspiring and I can relate to many and understand.
I didn’t vote because they never match the couples the way I vote anyway. Anyone who gets Bindi, is one blessed person to spent a week with that sweet, infectious personality. If it’s true that Val’s is her partner, then as the so called “reigning champ” he will do his best with her to keep up his image ( 🙂 ). And, if he doesn’t treat her right, then that’s on him and any friendship he has with Derek could be tarnished. Besides, I think Bindi could tame the wildest Lion with that infectious loving personality.
While I have never been a big fan of “switch up” I still look forward to Monday night, mainly because I enjoy these celebs this year.
Wow, reading all this irritated me, so if I cross the line mods I am sorry. First off, there is a huge difference between Zendaya and Bindi. Bindi had not one ounce of dance experience. She had never been in a pair of heels. Now let’s compare that to Zendaya. Does anyone really want to say she had NO dance experience. In addition, Zendaya was a musician which in terms of musicality had to have helped her even though it is different. Third, let’s move on to the pro’s. Derek has been and always is with his partners all light and positivity. Val on the other hand is dark and reserved. They both are intense but present it very differently. I am glad Bindi’s mom is going to be there because she can protect Bindi. Secondly, Mark is not my favorite pro but he up there at the top. The thought he would mistreat Paula or phone it in is just not true. He will work hard with her and give her a dance tailored to her ability. I think he can inspire confidence and fun with her as well. Maks will be in a difficult position because what is he going to do. He either scores his brother well and in that case has to score Bindi high. That won’t go along with his desire to raise Val above Derek. However, the one who could pay the price with this judging is Alexa. It will be interesting to see what Maks does with that. The one thing you can not say about Julianne is that she is easier on Derek than the other pro’s. Okay I am done.
Lynne, I agree with everything you said! Sounds very logical to me!
I usually like the switch up but the only person I’m looking forward to switching is Andy – I believe he’ll be better off with any other pro that is current one.
And I suppose Tamar – I want to see if she can have a connection with a different pro or if she just doesn’t like Val
Could someone please tell me what Val tweeted re: the switch up? Sorry for the short posts! Will retreat to my hole after this! 😉
#83 Meggie, Val’s tweet was “Switch up lol y’all voted so…” (then two laughing-til-you’re crying smiley face emojis).
He had also retweeted Witney Carson’s tweet about “the switch up is happening whether we like it or not!”…
Lynne, I like what you said and how you said it. ?
Mark, like Derek, seems to do well with a challenge. He also has a mom he adores. Just speculating on my part, but I think he’ll treat Paula, as an older woman, with respect and kindness.
I think Val will be alright with Bindi. Not because of Val, but because of her. Bindi is such a positive life force that I think her light will banish any of Val’s douchy tendencies. At least I hope so. Because if Val isn’t respectful, kind and patient with Bindi, he’ll have an army of pissed off women coming after him with pitchforks.
My only problem with having the switch this week is that she’s coming off a very emotional week and switching to a different partner is kind of cruel in my opinion. Really that goes for all the contestants. They should of stuck to their original plan and kept the switch up 2 weeks after most memorable year week.
All I can say is from sitting outside the studio all day yesterday… It was interesting to see who came and who didn’t. And I don’t think Emma has Andy only because he was in Tulsa. But I do know whomever Emma has they are dancing a rumba. Heard her telling whomever on the phone last night. And I got Paula Deen to slip who her partner was. Derek in pretty sure has Alexa and Louis and Tamar are together. Val and Bindi left around the same time (bindi) exited out the front. Then Witney and Alek arrived around the same time and left around the same time. Then came back around the same time to only leave around the same time again. Was interesting. Emma was there all day. Didn’t see Hayes (he may have gone through the front) didn’t see Sharna or Allison. Along with Andy and Nick all day. Just some observations and what not.
Bindi is beloved by Those watching DWTS. What exactly is Val going to do to her? Not give her his best so America thinks his awful? No. He’s been so mellow this season with Tamar and gives it back to him in spades. I doubt he is suddenly going to go off on the shining light that is Bindi. He has the pressure to continue or at least maintain her up word trend. Anything less and he’s going to get crucified.
As far as the Lea thing, she went downhill due to the Janel/Artem sexy dance and vibe that they had. She started comparing herself to Janel and things got weird with the lip licking and squinty eyes at the judges table.
My biggest problem with Bindi getting Val is that she probably doesn’t really know him at all and has to start from scratch. From pictures and tweets I’ve seen she seems to have bonded with basically everyone behind the scenes, but I’ve never seen her with Val, Tamar (or Louis). When Sadie got Derek she was very relieved because she already knew him as Mark’s brother and they are simmilar goofy personalities, so she could relax and only adjust to a diffrent teaching/dancing style but with someone she already knew and trusted. I really wanted that for Bindi too.
I just cant believe Val got Bindi. I smell something fishy with this pairing. Hope that Maks will overscore them. Hahaha. *evil laugh* Just kidding. Hoping that Val would give his best.
Is there any intel about the dances? I hope it would be latin or ballroom. Please no burlesque, jitterbug and other crazy dances like bollywood and bhangra! Im fine with a charleston from Derek and praying that Nick would get contemporary with Allison. (I think that would be awesome.)
And the manipulation continues!
Alek and Emma: While I wanted Almma to happen, I wanted to see them do a sweet waltz. Instead TPTB decided they needed a jolt of romance so they’ve shoved Alek and Emma together and gave them rumba (per Jo #86). If these two really are interested in one another that could be awkward for them. There better not be any production assistants hiding in dark corners with stealth cameras a la Kym/Robert.
Hayes and Allison? Now there’s an odd couple. Give the 15-year-old to the pregnant lady.
Andy and Sharna: Well, I expect Andy’s technique will be a whole lot better by Monday.
Selfishly, I’m just happy to see that Alek ended up with Emma and that all my voting paid (or didn’t, but TPTB intervened) off.
Aside from Alek, I think both Alexa & Carlos have the most to benefit with this switchup as it could shake them both out of this rut they’ve been finding themselves in.
#84 – Thanks, Jillo! I suppose it could be anything, as in “I don’t like the switch-up or lol, I know you all voted, but this (Bindi) happened anyway!” Who knows!
I suspect Val would have gotten Bindi regardless of how he felt about it – I can’t see TPTB giving their beloved reigning champ anyone other than the clear front running female.
Kind of surprised to see Hayes with Allison. That’s gonna be interesting, especially since he is coming off of a high note. I wonder if she will put him in real shoes. 🙂
I’m actually pleased to see Mark got Paula. I expect he will be respectful and sweet with her, and maybe her crazy outgoing personality will break the exterior he seems to have built up this season. Or, if nothing else, make him thankful to get Alexa back and improve their connection post-switch up.
I think Nick and Witney will be a good energy match – and hopefully she can loosen him up a little – but there is a 9 inch height difference between them! I think she is a good 3 inches shorter than Sharna. Hopefully that doesn’t get awkward!
Wouldn’t it be funny if Tamar totally bonded with Louis and had connection and her best dance. Glad Alek got Emma after all. Her personality will be good for him this week.
Does anyone know were I can see the DWTS All Access from last Monday. Like the Red Room, Sky Box, Host etc ? Thanks
I think Val will do good with Bindi. He seems to work well with younger girls. Sadie was intimidated by him at first but after she got to know him they became friends. A lot of Vals fans are young people he has met thru school and hospital visits. He just seems to relate well with young people.
Hi MP – you might see if StormViking posted it on her tumbler…I know she’s managed to post some of the All Access there: http://stormviking.tumblr.com/ If it’s not there, you might try tweeting her @stormviking010 and asking if she has them posted elsewhere. I know she had issues with YouTube & Dailymotion taking down her videos last season.
Well I predicted that Val would get Bindi and of course he did. He must have it written in his contract that he never gets a challenged celeb. I am glad that Emma got Alek. I love Alek and Lindsay as partners, but Emma and Alek are just icing on the cake. And talk about stomach churning, Maks is gonna be a judge. Someone better tell him that the show is about the contestants journey and not himself. Still can’t get over him saying that DWTS was HIS show. He said in an interview that he has moved on from DWTS….yeah, I see how well that is working. I am gonna predict that Maks will give Val a 10. Of course that would be good for Bindi, so I won’t be that upset. And expect some kind of snide remark about Derek from Maks just like the last time he judged. Should be interesting in how he gets along with Julianne since he hasn’t hidden his dislike of her and felt that Julianne stole that judging position from him. She didn’t of course, but that is how Maks is. As you can tell, I can’t stand the pompous, self-absorbed guy.
Alexa will benefit the most from this switch, she needs a good dance and a good score. Hayes will benefit the least perhaps.
I’m worried for hayes. It can either go incredibly bad or decent . Depends if he can keep up with allison like riker did.
I am so irritate by these switch ups. Val and Bindi? Come on. Bindi should have had Mark and not just because he and Derek are friends. The one thing I believe about that pairing though, if Val doesn’t give Bindi good choreography, Tamar will be all over him. I think she’ll call him out on it. No matter what happens, Bindi isn’t going anywhere, it’s just a shame that TPTB are playing their little games again.
And they’re trying to figure out how to do Alexa and Derek? Wow, Alexa must not be doing well at all and they want the marriage thing to last as long as possible.
I like Alek with Emma, but poor Hayes. He’s going to be lost with Allison.
I’m excited for Andy & sharna. I am not a fan of his but I think that he will do well with Sharna because she has & knows technique & can choreograph to his skill set which Allison doesn’t do in my opinion. Her dances always come off like an energizer bunny commercial.
Hayes & Allison? Hope she doesn’t overwhelm him. afraid she will.
My thinking with Paula & Mark is that at this point there aren’t many males left. The male pros they normally vomit on (Keo, Tony & Artem) aren’t available so they chose Mark. I think it may be cute actually. He may help her tremendously. Louis can be harsh
Speaking of Louis. Tamar? Isn’t she going to tower over him? I think that this paring was so that she couldn’t dance with Derek or Mark who would choreograph to her strengths and make Val look bad.
Looking forward to Nick & Wit. sharna is my fav but if he has to switch I like Wit & would’ve liked Enma. Wit can choreograph for a male who can move (exhibit 1-Alphonso)
Really hoping to see score improvement with Alexa &Carlos.
Not going there with Bindi & Val.
Hayes got screwed. No way in HELL he should have gotten stuck with Allison – people were tweeting Hayes/Lindsay left and right. Hardly anybody was voting for Allison and anyone, and Carlos was raking in the least votes of the male celebs. She should have ended up with him – not Hayes. Only upside I can think of in Lindsay getting Carlos is that she might be able to correct some of his technique issues. You’re welcome, Witney. As for Hayes – Allison will probably throw the kitchen sink into the routine like she has every single one with Andy, Hayes will struggle to keep up, and he’ll probably get hosed. Thankfully, I still think he’s got a lot of voters pulling for him, and his score from this week ought to insulate him a bit.
One more thing, Maks as a guest judge again? Why? So he can be his normal biased self? He’s “moved on” from DWTS. So why does he keeping coming back? I’d rather have Kevin Hart back.
@Courtney – do you think Hayes Allison was motivated by his huge (and rabid) fan base? When I saw that pairing my first thought was they are trying to mitigate some of his voting power (if he doesn’t fit their season agenda).
My point about Zendaya vs Bindi was not about dance ability. I have read on this thread and another that Bindi needs “protection” from Val, that he “better not hurt her” or ” be mean”‘. I’m just curious what people think he is going to do to her? Beat her? Steal her virtue?
So my point is that he has danced with a young celeb and nothing horrible happened . You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his mother. Those C brother adore their mother and grandmother. They have other flaws, but those are mamas boys.
So relieved Nick got Witney. Thought Lindsay would be better because Witney is so short, but anyone other than Allison.
Val did really well with Zendaya so we’ll see how he does with Bindi. I’m also really interested to see how Andy does this week with Sharna, hope they get a latin dance coz Andy hasn’t done well in those and that may be partly because of Allison.
Sara, please read all the comments before posting – this comparison is getting old and other people have already expressed why they think the comparison doesn’t hold water.
I’m getting very tired of seeing the exact same comments over and over by people who clearly didn’t read all the comments that came before them. It’s just rude.
If ithis switch up has been as manipulated as suggested, the only reason to give Bindi to Val is to further promote his profile on the show. What better way to highlight the chosen one than to give him the celeb who had the most emotional dance this week. It is all kinds of wrong imo and I wonder if he and Maks will try to get her to promote Sway!! Seriously, this is all to promote Val and nothing to do with who would be best for Bindi.
@Mermaid28 – Hayes fans were either voting Hayes/Lindsay or Hayes/Witney, so I know they weren’t directly responsible for Hayes/Allison. Anything is certainly possible, though, with regards to the motives of TPTB in pairing him with Allison – maybe they were doing it to make Allison look better, maybe they were doing it to make Hayes look worse. Not really sure – or it could have been a POE thing. Part of me wonders if they saddled Lindsay with Carlos because she’s really good with drilling technique, and Carlos’ has been kinda sloppy…and all that was left after they did that was Allison & Hayes.
Excited to see Andy and Sharna. Allison has just not done well with him at all! She has either no technique in a dance (their cha cha) or throws every move she knows into a dance (their jive). Adding the traveling doesn’t help. So hopefully Sharna can work on technique with him.
Excited for Bindi/Val, Alexa/Derek, and Nick/Witney. The only people I don’t really see the switch up helping, but not necessarily hurting, are Hayes, Paula, and Tamar. Although Louie’s technique may help Tamar out a bit. Mark has been so out of it this season and I don’t really see him investing a lot into a one week switch.
Thank You Courtney !!!!!!
Mr ‘Full of himself’ Maks has said numerous times in interviews that he doesn’t watch DWTS anymore (i guess he has more important things to do) and if he does it’s ONLY when Val dances. So lets see how he judges because if he doesn’t watch he can’t say someone improved or not.
Jill L (#106) Not sure about the need for sarcasm (“steal her virtue”), but to answer your question, I think many people consider Val’s teaching style harsh and impatient.
Val also returned Meryl to Maks with a broken toe and Artem’s partner with a rib fracture if I am not mistaken. Hopefully Bindi will fare better than his other switch up partners.
I’m excited for several of these pairs and expect that their partner for this week might bring something different out for a lot of these celebrities with a couple of exceptions.
Hayes and Allison is the most glaring. Sorry, I don’t really like Allison on this show. All of her dances (save contemporary, jazz, etc) strike me as imitation dances. That is they are trying to be like *insert dance here* but not really. Also, her frenetic energy doesn’t always work. I’m worried because I think going from Emma to Allison will be a huge switch for Hayes, and I’m not sure how it will go.
Not 100% sure about either Tamar and Louis or Bindi and Val. While I’ve liked Louis this season, I haven’t always liked him in the past, and I just would be curious how that partnership will go. With Bindi and Val, I think Bindi’s and Val’s personalities COULD potentially work in a way that would make a great dance, but it kind of depends on how Val is like this week. But if they work together well, I think this could be a really good dance.
Obviously, love Alek and Emma together. Also excited for Alexa and Derek and Carlos and Lindsay as I have been disappointed with these 2 and maybe the switch-up will be a game-changer. Excited for Andy and Sharna because I think he has a lot of potential that hasn’t been utilized by Allison. I think Paula and Mark will be an interesting pairing. I’ll be curious to see if Mark does all of his staging/theme/props/creativity this week and how that helps or hurts Paula. I think Nick and Witney will be fine. Witney did amazing with Alfonso, so I think she can do well with Nick’s abilities. Just don’t think they’ll be my fave pairing of the night.
Well, that’s my novel on what I think of all these pairings. 🙂
I can’t believe I’m ambivalent about Alek being paired with Emma for the rumba. The romantic in me loves it, but the pessimist in me thinks it could backfire. Alek has great chemistry with Lindsay, but his chemistry with Emma on the rumba could be even better, so that all subsequent dances with Lindsay may seem to fall a little flat emotionally in comparison.
However, after the week Alek had last week, Emma personality-wise is the best partner for him. Plus, Emma has some Latin American dance titles, so she should be great at teaching Alek the hip movements.
What I can’t figure out is WHY they continue to promote Val so heavily, if that is indeed the case (and if he did throw a hissy, why give in to him?). If he were going to be the big star of the show it would have already happened. And IF he were all that, he wouldn’t need all the promotion. It’s nonsensical. I wonder if they are just picking the pairs that they know will cause the most drama, while NOT revealing that Val ain’t all that – cuz let’s face it, it would be BAD if Tamar came back to Val in much the same way that NeNe went back to Tony. While they probably loved that Drama with Tony, they probably can’t afford it with Val.
Also Jill, Val is super competitive and focused on winning.
Derek is focused on pulling a good dancer out of a celeb and making it a positive experience for them.
Judyl both Bethany and Bindi have had ankle injuries, Willow had rib issues, Kelly broke a toe, Alfonso hurt his back, Amy hurt her back…not sure if injuries are just limited to Val’s partners.
Cidra – saying that a celeb needs protection from a pro is just a tad of exaggeration. Protection from what then?
Jill, let it go please. Accept that some people just feel that Val is an ass with a less than nurturing teaching style and that perhaps they would rather not see Bindi deal with him, even when on his best behavior.
None of you are going to agree with each other. They are entitled to how they feel without your continued badgering.
If Alek is able to master the Cuban hip motion and his personal chemistry with Emma translates to the dance floor, I predict that this will be the final dance of the show next week.
@PH #118 – I keep thinking it’s still due to trying to make Val ‘happen’ as the new Derek for when Derek inevitably leaves. Which is so ridiculous… lightning don’t strike twice 🙂 I think they’d be much better targeting someone like Peta or Witney whose fan base has grown significantly in recent years as the new so-called face of the show. Although then we’d probably have more agenda pushing for one of them to win their second MBT.
#109 Judyl
I totally agree with you with everything you said.
I think its awful that after such an emotional week and fantastic performance with Derek – She(Bindi goes straight to rehearsal with a different partner(Val – No celebration for her and Derek on camera. I say that for everyone. However, Bindi is killing it viewing wise on Social media.. Not only are fans sharing this dance so are the stars. Isn’t it ironic though that DWTS has NOT posted this dance on their Facebook page. TPTB are so full of manipulations and agendas its past ridiculous.
Debating as to whether or not I’ll watch. I know I probably will but that doesn’t mean I’m less irritated by the whole manipulation of the switchup.
The only reason I can see them pushing Val to be the star so much, is because they know he’s a company guy at this point. He does every tour and doesn’t seem to have a lot going on as far as side projects go. There is real no threat of him leaving anytime soon. Derek and Mark are committed to the show while they are in-season but I think they also have one foot out the door in a way. They could go at anytime (theoretically speaking…contracts and all that).
Dee, I thought I saw Bindi’s dance on facebook last night – I was shocked to see that it had over 1.2 million views already. But it’s entirely possible that it wasn’t DWTS’s facebook. I was tired when I got home last night.
@gaby: He’s 15. A Mountain Dew or two and he should be fine on energy. And it’s not like that contemporary was just him and Emma staring at one another, so if Allison doesn’t go bonkers on the choreo, he should be OK.
Call me naive but I do think Val is going to do right by Bindi. I’m not sure his tweet was directed to her but either the fans who allegedly “voted” or was a dig at TPTB putting them together. After all the pairing is raising a lot of comments. Bindi’s mom is there, she came off a terrific dance with Derek, the world is watching so I think he’ll at least do well by her. Also he is so competitive that he knows coming right after 9,9,10 he has to look like he can do as well or better than Derek. And let’s not forget Julianne’s phone it in comment to Maks, I’m sure she’ll use it again on any one. Maks will not give a 10 to benefit Derek but can’t see him not giving a 9 or towing the party line. My biggest concern is his teaching style and dour personality but Bindi is a ray of sunshine that everyone seems to love so I’m hoping that will include Val. His teaching style scares me, it was good for analytical Danica but I think Bindi flourished under Derek’s style of love. Who knows, Bindi seems to roll with the punches as they say so I’m hoping for the best. Bindi aside, I don’t think he wants a week by week comparison with Derek that doesn’t make him look good.
Heidi,
There were two sites on Facebook, one being from Australia Wildlife both have about 2mil views alone. I also noticed that the stars like Marie Osmond and others shared the video as well. As of last night on youtube Bindi/Derek’s video had close to 3mil views. I’m sure it reached that today. 🙂
DWTS had not posted it to their Facebook page as of last night. Why am I not surprised though-lol It may go up today depending on the agenda of TPTB.:) Sad but true…
Heidi, I think u saw the video posted on the Auetralia zoo page they posted it on their facebook page it has about 2.8million views on Derek n Bindi s video and on youtube they r at 3.2million.
Coming to Val even tou i cant stand that man i dnt think he is dumb enuf to risk being mean 2 her or sabottage their dance that will only show Derek is the better person which i am sure his ego cant take. I wud have liked the Val Bindi pairing more if Derek had Tamar but now Val can’t have tat is it not his boring chemistry with Tamar wud be up on display. Just hoping the best outcome Derek will be as usual good with Alexa 🙂
Dee, I can see TPTB putting it on their Facebook page as a way to continue promoting Val — “Look, here is the switch-up partner you, the fans, (yeah right) chose for our reigning champ.”
I searched YouTube, and I think this may be the first time that Emma has danced a rumba with a contestant on DWTS. I’m not surprised, since three of her four former partners were older, and she was eliminated in Week 2 when she was paired with Redfoo. My guess is that she wasn’t going to be doing a rumba with Hayes this season anyway, given his age.
Carlos doing quickstep…that should be fun! Hopefully this can be a fresh new week for him and he brings the energy and fun back!
I am also really surprised the dance has not been posted to the DWTS facebook page it already has so many views on other platforms!
I cannot believe they paired Bindi with Val he better take good care of her and her ankle! If Val cannot be nice to Bindi I just wont be able to understand that because she is always so positive.
If they do the switch up again I will not waste my time voting and its even more annoying how they posted on Instagram that our votes paired Carlos and Lindsay thats total BS.
If Bindi can handle crocodiles, snakes and spiders, I’m sure she can handle Val. lol
Linz, I hadn’t thought of it that way before. lol Seriously (and I was just posting this at PDH), I just hope he’s nice to her and gives it all he’s got like he did with Meryl. If he’s smart and he wants more respect as a person, a teacher, and a dancer, he will do just that. I was also thinking how I bet he feels a lot of pressure right now trying to fill Derek’s shoes and in the choreo department too.
Well, I for one have always been irked by the whole switchup concept. I like watching my fav partnerships progress and do each dance style. I feel it’s a wasted week, in the past either I’ve only half watched it or skipped it altogether. I wish it could be permanently retired as a theme week.
So far this season I’ve enjoyed all the themes and personal story night is always my favorite. Switch up just sucks the life out of the momentum of the show and the partnerships for me. Not a fan.
Only thing I’m interested to see is how much better Andy comes across with a diff partner who knows how to choreograph to their partners ability and strengths and to avoid their weaker points.
My concern about Val with Bindi is that he isn’t accustomed to dancing with someone with no previous dance experience, and I also think of him throwing Rumer back without supporting her neck (that’s how she hurt her neck) and dropping Julianne during that pro number (during rehearsal and almost during the live performance). But my impression is that the pros and cast all love Bindi, so he will make himself really unpopular if it doesn’t go well.
Yeah Linz ITA, it would amazing if she decided to bring in a croc for Val to cement their one week partnership! 🙂 jk
Hope they have a Cha Cha as she is nursing her foot still.
Wishing all the partners good luck this week.
IrisandLilies, Emma and Michael Waltrip did rumba in Season 19, but it was as the second dance in one of TPTB’s “WTF dance-offs”. They were up against Tommy and Peta. So it wasn’t the primary focus of their week, and needless to say it was pretty cringeworthy. So if she and Alek do have rumba, this will be her first real rumba. I’m sure Emma will be beyond gorgeous. I just hope Alek isn’t shy about PDAs.
I don’t think we have to worry about Alek being shy with PDA… 😉
It really makes you wonder, that video not being posted. That evidence is really starting to pile up.
– blatantly missed camera blocking one week
– song not clearing then magically clearing later
– bindi is the only one nailed for a lift in a so far lift filled season
– now not loading their video to Facebook
What next? Val and Tamar’s video playing after we voted for bindi similar to all of season 18??
@Cidra — Thanks for the info. That’s probably why it didn’t show up among the top videos when I searched.
@Courtney — Oooh, I hope so!
I don’t like the rumba normally, probably because the emotions portrayed by the dancers always seem exaggerated and forced. But this rumba has the potential to be one of my all-time favorite dances.
By the way, I was trying to think of instances on the show where the couples performing the rumba together were dating each other at the same time. Julianne and Chuck were the first that came to mind. Other possibilities that I thought of were Karina and Mario and Robert and Kym.
The video is up on dancing with the stars facebook as of an hour ago
To me the worry of Val with Bindi is not that he’ll sabotage her or treat her disrespectfully, rather that he will suck all the fun out of the week for her by his insecure need to prove himself. But I think they’ll turn out a good performance. And she’ll be fine.
I worry more about Hayes, not that Allison will be anything other than very very nice to him, just that as others have stated, he’s on the verge of busting out of the middle of the pack and I think this will set him back since she doesn’t seem to be able to teach the basics. Ha ha, liked the idea of giving him a couple mountain dews…
Have to say, I think Emma and Alek will give us a stunning rumba. Just keep the hidden cameras AWAY from them, let them do their job and leave any budding friendship/relationship they might be having to themselves. Let us use our imagination producers, no need to spy.
I was interested in seeing Derek with Tamar but I know he’ll do great with anyone, and I look forward to seeing what he and Alexa do.
So nearly two full days afterward?
Court, That is sweet. Hope Alek has this same level of comfort on the dance floor when he has to get all romantic in the rumba in front of a live audience and millions of people watching on national TV. However, he’s done a good job of showing chemistry with Lindsay so I’ll stop worrying. 🙂
TPTB are shameless! I can’t believe they actually gave Emma and Alek rumba. I can see the package now, complete with hidden camera’s all over the place like when they aired that Robert and Kym makeout session on the show.
Lea’s confidence took a nosedive after switch up in s19. I worry about that
It seems to have been posted to both twitter and facebook about an hour ago with no connection to the switch up.
SO excited to see Emma with Alek!
when it comes to Bindi and Val, I think or I hope, Val will put on his best behaviour because if he’s too harsh with her, I doubt Derek would be happy with that
IrisandLilies, another example of a couple doing a rumba while they were also in a (budding) romantic relationship was Shannon and Derek in season 6.
@M8 – FWIW, a bunch of people (myself included) tweeted @DancingABC asking for Alek & Emma to do a rumba – and it’s not like Alek & Emma have been super subtle about their mutual fondness. Whereas Robert & Kym seemed like they were always trying to downplay it – I’d say Alek & Emma have been pretty open about it. Alek admitted he liked her on All Access, and Emma was pretty open about wanting him for switch. If TPTB air any “hidden camera” footage of these two being smoochy – I’d put money on it that Alek & Emma are in on it themselves.
@IrisandLilies & sonic – Sabrina & Mark?
I just remember Maks recently saying that he thought Val and Peta are the new faces of DWTS and that the older, longer lasting pros are on the way out. Interesting to see how he will promote these wishes judging Val and Tamar with different partners this week.
I do feel that the everyone will try to do a good dance for their partner this week. It just doesn’t seem beneficial for them not to in the long run. It does seem they placed Mark with Paula for some reason though I can’t seem to find a logical reason. I am guessing it may have something to do with the travel that we don’t know about. From just what I was seeing I was sure Mark would be with Bindi. I didn’t vote much b/c it never seems to matter. I actually liked when Derek danced with Nene so he would have been fine with Paula. Derek and Mark both always seem to just kind of go with the flow so I was shocked to hear that Mark was upset by getting Paula to dance one week with. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s dances.
Food for thought: do you think that, rather than Paula requesting Mark/TPTB trying to screw Mark…maybe Paula just stipulated that she DIDN’T want Val?
Ananya, Bindi is made of far stronger stuff than Lea. I have no doubt Bindi will emerge unscathed from the challenge of working with Intense Val for a week.
Interesting idea Court. I can definitely see Paula laying down the law to the producers. I’m just not sure why TPTB would want to pander to Paula. Could she be raking in that many votes that they think she’s a serious ratings draw?
Ananya you don’t need to worry about Bindi doing a Lea. Like Cidra said Lea was obviously not made of very strong stuff, she came of jealous and filled herself with negativity for the rest of the process which ruined any chance she had of making the final. Bindi is extremely positive (in Derek’s words the most positive person he’s ever worked with). I’m pretty sure no matter what Val tries to do Bindi will handle it and come out smiling.
Court, I get the feeling Alek is a very shy (certainly comes off shy on camera), this is his first experience of live television, I don’t think he and his family will be very happy with hidden camera’s filming anything he wants to do with Emma in private let only airing it to millions. A few subtle tweets doesn’t make someone happy for their kissing techniques to be displayed on the air for millions to watch. TPTB should have the decency to at least let him know that they’ll be filming his every move (literally) so he can decide himself how far he wants to take things in front of the cameras.
😉
Heidi, I guess TPTB PRs at DWTS did their weekly check over here at puredwts & probably throughout social media as they recently posted Bindi/Derek’s performance from Monday night. They are so predictable! 🙂 🙂
alek and emma rumba, squeeee 😀 but I’m kind of scared to be happy about it. What if it ends up being a big disappoitment? 🙁 And I’ll be SO disgusted if TPTB are all icky about it, but I feel like they might because there are no showmances so far this season. But I love rumba, I love alek, and I love emma, so I’m excited so far….
I can see Paula not wanting Mark because based on her package last week, she seems like she doesn’t trust herself and she needs a pro more nurturing that Val and she probably felt like she couldn’t learn with Val and told TPTB that in no way in hell is she dancing with him which is why the partnered her with Mark.
I think these is a no win situation for Val. Like in Zendaya’s freestyle came after KP. Any dance done is going to be compared to Bindi’s contemporary. Also if he does well he will be reinforcing the popularity of Bendi, if he does average his street cred will be blown.
Do you know that Emma and Sasha are a couple, live together and have been for a couple of years? They have mentioned on Afterbuzz when they were on the show together and Emma also said how she followed Sasha here when he got the DWTS gig. So all this talking about Alek and Emma getting together is both dis-respectful to Sasha and their relationship. Sorry If I sound rude but I just wanted to stick up for Emma and Sasha’s relationship.
I love Rumba, it’s my favorite Latin dance. I love Emma. I love Alek. I love Emma and Alek together. Emma, Alek and Rumba might just make me explode like an over filled balloon with love for it all.
Jill, I do believe Emma and Sasha broke up last year.
No Jill, you are wrong. Emma and Sasha use to date. They broke up last season (or was it the last, can’t remember for sure), but they remained living in the same house. Now they are just the best of friends.
Jessica: If Paula did say something to TPTB about not wanting Val, it wouldn’t surprise me if they obliged her. Didn’t Sadie parents have a word on their daughters behalf when Derek was supposed to be with Lea in S19, which left Sadie with Val who she openly said she didn’t want to be with because he scared her.
If Paula didn’t want Val (and vice-versa), then why was Mark the only other option? Why not give her to Derek, who’s the complete opposite of Val? Then the pairings could have gone: Paula/Derek, Bindi/Mark, Alexa/Val, Tamar/Louis.
Anyways, I’m happy Nick got Witney and Alek got Emma. I feel bad for Hayes because he just came off a really good week and I think being paired with Allison, he’s going to regress.
I hope Mark will bring a good attitude and his A-game with Paula. I’m disappointed in the way he’s been acting on the show – it does come off a bit immature in my opinion. While I do sympathize with him, I also do not think his own actions are completely blameless here. It will also be interesting to see how Derek does with Alexa. If they end up having a great dance and great connection, then I think it could be possible that Mark’s attitude has been a major factor in why he and Alexa aren’t doing so well together.
Well Jill, do YOU know that they broke up quite awhile ago? Yeah boo, that ship sailed like a year and a half ago…and give me ten minutes and I’ll find you the Instagram post that proves it. So like I told the other social justice warrior that came strutting in here and started piously chastising me for calling Joey Fatone “Joey Fat One” yesterday – maybe do your homework before stomping in here and making an ass of yourself.
Don’t fool yourself – you’re not defending Sasha & Emma’s honor, you’re not “respecting their relationship”, you’re not setting some virtuous example – you’re just being a buzzkill.
EDIT: Oh, looky: https://instagram.com/p/s3k78yhdD_/?taken-by=emmaslaterdance
+1 Court!!
Ok so I love a good quickstep but couldn’t they have given him Carlos something different since lindsay just did a quickstep a couple of weeks ago with alek. Speaking of alek, I’m really hoping he does well but saying that I can just see the video package now with them asking both him and Emma really uncomfortable questions.
I’m excited for this switch up week. I’m really glad Nick got Witney, I think that that’ll be a really good pair for both of them.
I am a bit nervous about Bindi and Val, I don’t know maybe because of their personality difference but who knows? Val’s best dance this past year or two has probably been S18’s switch up week with Meryl, and frankly, I think it will be a very long time until we see a switch up pair that will get even remotely close to as good as they were. In the past switch ups, we’ve rarely seen any 10s let alone an almost perfect. I know BIndi’s really fun and awesome but maybe Val can teach a thing or two to her about technicality a bit more? I think that’ll be useful later in the competition.
Anvi #173 Bindi doesn’t need to learn dancing from Val. She already learned it from the best. Maybe she’ll be one to teach Val to be genuine and act like an adult because it’s obvious Bindi is more mature considering she’s only 17. He’s needs to learn to calm down on twitter 🙂
Derek said that Bindi influences beings in her presence, so maybe she will have a salutary effect on Val. Tony was on All Access when Bindi danced, and was not only effusive with his praise, but was also insanely frustrated that she didn’t get all 10’s. So I can’t imagine that Maks will be anything but wildly complimentary towards Bindi. I’ve no doubt that both Derek and Bindi are looking for clues about how this is happening “for” them and not “to” them. Bindi will be more than fine.
As for Alek and Emma, they are adults and they know what they’re letting themselves in for. Regardless of what production does or doesn’t do, I think they will have an absolute blast. Especially considering where Alek’s life has been lately, I can’t imagine him being at all concerned about how he might be portrayed by a slightly adolescent production team on Dancing with the Stars. No guns involved? It’s all good.:-)
Interesting and plausible theory, Court. I know my mom would. 🙂 She says “he’s mean.”
@PH – Paula’s been pretty fragile so far this season – Louis has really had to handle her with kid gloves. Maybe Paula has seen the rehearsal videos of Meryl getting drilled by Val during the first switch up? And I maintain that from what we heard, that rehearsal video was KIND to Val – he was an absolute drill sergeant with Meryl.
Yes, he was a drill sergeant with Meryl, Courtney, and he was absolutely relentless with Rumer. I remember watching the livestream of their rehearsals and he would almost drive that girl into the ground in his intense repetitions.
Well everyone jumped on me for that “derek and mark always switch partners” comment, which i took from another superfan without really fact checking. That wasn’t even the point of my comment though. the point is Val and Bindi will be interesting and less obvious. So I’m excited. And we’ve never seen Mark with anyone like Paula.
ohhh….. Val’s latest Instagram Post. I seriously think this man has ‘Issues’ and I’m not joking !
# MP yeah I saw that…. he’s always been a character
MP so agree wit you I despise it when a person has to explain what he has done in his life to others i feel the value of it degrades. I think ur should speak for itself and not that you have to explain what you did and what kind of a person are u if can’t handle little harsh talk. If ppl think he is all DWTS he has given them the reason for that last one year he has only been doing DWTS so ppl r questioning it SS19, DWTS tour, SSN20 nd again DWTS tour SSN21 nd again he is going on tour he seems to b doing nothing apart from DWTS.
Why is Val so insecure? He took the time out to write all that out on instagram? Dude, just let your work speak for itself.
For those of us(all 2 of us) not on instagram, please share with the class what Val wrote.
PJ, Val has removed the Instagram post. He was stating that his brother started a dance school at 17 and he and Maks taught all age groups and that DWTS wasn’t his first start at teaching. It was a long post and I can’t remember it all. Maybe someone else might remember.
He seems to be catching heat over his possible mistreatment of Bindi?!?
Bindi has posted about Val on Instagram too. She is saying positive things about Val.
Well, he took it down. It was a bit of a rant, the focus of which was apparently to rebut someone’s assertion that the only thing he’s ever had in his life is DWTS. He starts back when Maks was 17, he was 11 (I think) and lists all the dance classes he taught, including to people older than he was, year after year, etc. etc. I stopped reading after a couple when I realized what it was. I don’t think he mentioned any of his titles, just all his experience teaching. At least that’s what I remember of it. In the comments people said he shouldn’t waste his time trying to explain himself to haters — which actually is very good advice. They also said he was as good as Derek, which is just wrong.
I don’t think “a character” is how I’d ever describe Val Chmerkovskiy. While I don’t subscribe to the opinion that Val’s the devil incarnate, I think his Instagram rantings and ongoing Twitter wars with all the perceived “haters” shows us someone a little more troubled. He’s a thin-skinned, intense, introverted, insular, hyper-sensitive perfectionist with a boat-load of insecurity and self-doubt. He definitely could benefit from counseling.
However, that said, I do think the whole Val/Bindi drama is getting blown out of proportion. Thank heaven we have Bindi trying to calm things down. That young woman impresses me more every day.
# Cidra I don’t put much meaning behind my words. I said “character” just to say it. My household overuses that word.
People really pick apart everything you say on here… just an observation. I’m a newb to this site
And that, Cidra, pretty much sums it up.
I think, intellectually and maturity-wise, Bindi is about four times Val’s age. She’s a very impressive young woman.
Danielle, as a “newb” to this site, I will give you this friendly advice ONE time. Don’t talk about “people” on this site. It goes wrong every time and we frown upon it. And yes, we pick things apart – especially when people have a tendency to hyperbole and the repetition of myths. Just FYI.
# Princess Heidi Please don’t misunderstand my tone. I’m not trying to say anything bad. I’m saying I’M going to have to be better with my words if I wanted to continue to comment on here; not a “you guys” thing. Sorry kind of not sorry I didn’t show up 100% politically correct first thing, but they were just casual comments based on immediate feelings. If i were /really/ trying to argue something on here, that would be different. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Wow Cidra, you described Val exactly. Anyway, I saw where Bindi posted that she was “super excited” to be working with him and that she was having “a blast” learning from Val, so I was pretty happy to hear that. Hope it continues.
@Cidra..
I also agree that you summed it up alright!
@ Kenya Smith…
And I am happy to read that Bindi is enjoying working with Val. She could bring out the sweet pussy cat of any Lion. She is used to working with wild animals…whoops! Did I say that??? 🙂
FWIW, Emma and Alek both posted the same photo of them on Instagram. They’re headed up to Roseburg together.
At least that’ll make it harder for ABC to hide the cameras ahead of time. 🙂
Hello guys!!!
According to Louis Van Amstel’s twitter profile, he & Tamar are doing the Samba.
I think the producers gave Tamar to Louis as a gift for coming back this season and putting up with Paula. He’ll have a highlight moment this season.
@Cidra – I always love learning new words..
“insular” – ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.
“a stubbornly insular farming people”
synonyms: narrow-minded, small-minded, inward-looking, parochial, provincial, small-town, shortsighted, hidebound, blinkered; set in one’s ways, inflexible, rigid, entrenched;
illiberal, intolerant, prejudiced, bigoted, biased, partisan, xenophobic;
informalredneck
“insular attitudes”
Yup, that’s Val!!!
Ooh I’m missing a lot! I know the pairings already via twitter but I have lots of things to say now. Sorry in advance, I tried to keep up with the comments but I couldn’t, so sorry if some of my ramblings are already discussed.
First of all, the pairings. I, for one, am incredibly glad Mark got Paula. No, not because I hate him, but simply because with Paula he’ll finally partner a 40+ woman. I’ve been quite vocal that he kept getting the celebs under the age of 40, so I’m ready to see what he’ll bring with her, either stick to the maximum creativity or strip it down to the simplicity. Maybe he’ll pull a simple routine with touches of creativity? Hehe I can’t wait.
I’m tired of Val and how the heck he got Bindi, I’ll never know. Literally everyone I see voted for him with Paula or Alexa. Alek and Emma should work, and although I’d rather see him doing a Party Latin already (ugh I’m dreading a sexy Salsa from Emma!), at least it’s not Ballroom. I haven’t pay much attention to Alexa lately so pairing her with Derek could probably raise my interest on her a bit. The same with Carlos and Linds. Hayes murdered his Contemporary last week so let’s see how he’ll fare with Allison.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but out of everyone now I’m the least interested with Nick. His BSB routine impressed me, but it didn’t last long.
Seeing the rumours of Samba, Quickstep and Rumba being danced next, I’m SO relieved we won’t likely to see the return of freaking Burlesque soon. Throw me any Mambo, Jitterbug or Charleston any time, but just no to Burlesque (and Disco, and Broadway).
Off topic, but seeing some comments about the dance Rumba makes me wonder what is everyone’s ranking of preference for the dances actually lol. For me Rumba is one of the highlights of the Latin dances, there are plenty of party ones and the Paso is pretty intense, so a romantic and slow one like the Rumba always stood out for me, and (especially when being danced right) I always enjoy it. On the contrary, as the supposed ultimate party dance Samba is sometimes the one that bores me, although I can appreciate it more lately after knowing that it’s probably the hardest out of the ten styles.
As long as Val isn’t doing rumba, argentine tango or paso with Bindi I think I’ll be okay – those are the three dances I really want her to do with Derek
If my favorite couples dance something with their switch up partners that I wanted to see them dance with their original partners, I hope they stay on long enough to get another chance to do that style in the semi-finals or finals. I know Meryl and Maks got to dance the Argentine Tango at the end.
I’m really excited to see Alexa and Derek. I love her with Mark too, but she can dance anything with Derek and I’ll be happy. I hope he helps her improve her arms and hips
@Daniel — As much as I am looking forward to the rumba between Alek and Emma, I would have to agree that I don’t want it to be the “sexy” version she danced with Michael Waltrip in the danceoff. I would much prefer that it be along the lines of the “romantic” version that Peta danced with Tommy.
Danielle (#188) At the risk of receiving a reprimand from the Mods for making a comment on the style instead of the content of a comment, I’m sorry you feel we pick apart everything that’s said here. However, on a blog where the written word is the way you present yourself and your opinions, it’s probably a good idea to put some thought into the meaning behind those words and choose them carefully.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me to re-watch some of the dances that Louis has done really well at in the past on the show? I didn’t start watching regularly until the all-stars season. Thanks, in advance!
Sandy (#196) — Glad I was able to provide an opportunity for you to indulge your love of learning! Sometimes I get carried away with the adjectives.
Thanks for the info on Val’s rant. Cidra you are truly a wordsmith. Sounds like Val was having a little temper tantrum. Poor widdle Val.
# Cidra thanks, I’ve figured that out now….kinda what I just said in #190. I followed a link from twitter and didn’t know this was a moderated forum until after I commented. No hard feelings.
Jillo (202) – Louis had a great samba with Cheryl to a Barry Manilow song S2, his Cha Cha with Sabrina Bryan S15, his rumba with Sabrina Bryan S15. He had a few good ones with Kelly Osbourne as well. He’s taught a lot of pros on the show, he has great technique.
This is what blows my mind, as I was discussing with a friend on Twitter last night…
The general opinion in society is that women are these crazy, emotional, insecure creatures capable of holding a ridiculous grudge, and men are the sane, rational, confident ones that just let things roll off their backs.
Last night, I watched Val go on a colossal rant on Instagram because of an obviously pointed remark from a fan. I watched Mark get one bitchy tweet from a follower and launch into a 20 minute fight, even encouraging his followers to jump in. And we watched Maks publicly and dramatically drag Karina’s name through the mud for YEARS after their breakup.
Karina never said a word in response to Maks’ antics. And the other day, Emma got a legit death threat from a Hayes fan on Instagram and just responded with “<3 you" before moving on.
Remind me again why it's women that are the "crazy" ones?
#Jillo 202 – I still remember really liking some of his early work with Lisa Rinna and Monique Coleman (Quickstep for Lisa and Jive for Monique if my mind doesn’t trick me). And some of the stuff he pull for Kelly Osbourne was pretty neat considering she is, I still remember their Argentine Tango was fierce and shocked it didn’t garner one 10. And of course with Sabrina he choreographed that gorgeous Rumba.
@Courtney PREACH girl! How do you make the ‘hands in the air in appreciation’ emoji in a forum lol.
Can’t WAIT to see how intense Val reacts to sunny Bindi! I actually sort of liked Val in the beginning (and TBH it was always more the shipping of him by TPTB and lackluster choreo that bugged me about him more so than his attitude) but the longer he is on the show the more I can’t bring myself to root for him. I like that Tamar stands up to him and calls him out on some things but I wish he’d get an exuberant, go with the flow partner for a whole season. Or, in that case, would he just end up totally crushing their vibe? Haha.
Daniel, I’m with you all the way on keeping styles like burlesque and “Broadway” off the list of dances the celebs perform. As you say, there are plenty of unused social dances they can choose from if they want to make switch-up week stand out as sort of an interlude to the season.
A strict ranking of my preference for dance styles would be very hard to do. For me so much depends on the quality of the dance. I enjoy them all if they’re well done. Rumba and Paso Doble are two of my favorites when they’re danced well, but that’s hard to come by on DWTS/SCD.
Generally speaking, here’s how I rank my favorites to least favorites of the dances generally done on DWTS/SCD
Viennese Waltz
American Smooth (SCD)
Argentine Tango
Charleston (SCD)
Tango
Waltz
Salsa
Foxtrot
Quickstep
Jive
Rumba
Paso Doble
Samba
Cha-Cha
Danielle (#205), Agreed. No hard feelings.
Bindi posted an Instagram with her and Val and it looks like she is bringing a a giant slitterly friend! She says they are having fun – for me snakes and fun don’t go together! It’s huge!
Izabel & Daniel, thank you! Exactly what I was looking for. I have always heard that he was a good one, but just wanted specific dances to check out on youtube so I didn’t have to keep looking at all of his.
Courtney, I agree with your take on some men. I am around a lot of men where I work and they can be even worse than women on a bad pms day with no chocolate, being bloated, ill-fitting clothes (if you can even find something to wear) and with bad hair to top it off. And that’s their ” normal behavior”. At least we have an excuse lol.
” French train attack hero Spencer Stone was repeatedly stabbed last night, is in critical condition, @CBSNews has learned ” oh poor Alek
Cids #210 ooh I see you’re favoring the Ballroom side quite a lot there, no? Not that I’m complaining though, not at all 😉
For me, my favourite style is the Argentine Tango. Not just because lifts are allowed, but because it’s usually always a crowd pleaser dance, though some of the recent ATs performed on DWTS kinda let me down since it relied a little too much on the lifts and poses and not enough on actual dancing. A Samba, Cha-cha anc especially Foxtrot can be perfectly performed and I could very well be bored by it, though.
My mind changed all the time, but as of now the order is:
Argentine Tango
American Smooth (especially the Viennese Waltz-based)
Viennese Waltz
Jive
Quickstep
Waltz
Rumba
Salsa
Tango
Paso Doble
Foxtrot
Charleston (now that anyone can dance this on any week in SCD really hurt this dance for me)
Samba
Cha-cha-cha
Good lord, could anything else go wrong for poor Alek? 🙁 Sending love…
Although NBC is reporting that Spencer is in “stable” condition…
I really hope so courtney and I wish him a speed recovery the poor guy , I thought I’m going to have a blast next week with Alek and emma.
can Alek catch a break. it’s been a tough 2 weeks.
Aleks friend Spencer just got stabbed multiple times!!
@Courtney — Because men have named most things in this world. Until fairly recently women were property and had no say whatever in anything. By the time women had any involvement, everything was named, all standards were set, and all were (and remain) imbued with the biases of men.
The one that really burns me is when someone says, “That’s just human nature.” I guarantee you that whatever is being referenced has been observed regarding men ONLY. (Reminds me of the big medical “D-uh” from several years ago when it was discovered that just because a woman isn’t experiencing the prototypical [i.e. male] symptom of pain shooting down the left arm doesn’t mean she isn’t having a heart attack!!) It’s so destructive, because the implication is kind of, “Well, this is as good as it gets,” when there is fully more than half of the rest of humanity who have not weighed in. The possibilities are far from having been exhausted, but the language makes it sound like the survey is complete and here’s what is.
Sorry guys I panicked and posted before realizing you guys already did. Do you guys think that alek and his friends will have to go into witness protection?
Guys, there is a new post on Alek and his friend if you want to talk on it there.
https://www.puredwts.com/2015/10/08/alek-skalatos-friend-and-fellow-train-hero-spencer-stone-stabbed-and-in-critical-condition/
Did anybody watch Val on access Hollywood live? Let’s just say that he’s doing himself no favors with these interviews. he’s just so hard to listen to without cringing.
Yeesh. Poor Alek. His life has just become a whirlwind in the past two and a half months. Praying for his friend and his friend’s family.
One another note – I’m sure it’s been said up above but I just want to say I’m thrilled they’re doing dances from the roster for this switch up. All those extraneous styles from Season 19 were unnecessary and for a few, hard to watch.
Was Val with Tamar or bindi? Why was he on? As a spokesperson for DWTS? (Boo!) What did he say?
@Heart he was supposed to be on with Tamar but she didn’t show up… What’d he speak about? Well you know typical Val sh*t, like how his partner is his “subordinate” and they have to respect “authority” and a whole bunch of other gems. The guy has diarrhea mouth, he can’t help it…
Yes Courtney!!! I agree 100%!!! Seems like most of the women on DWTS are less emotional than the men!
@ shim I haven’t seen the interview yet but from what I’m reading on social media , a lot of his Fans aren’t pleased with Tamar at all , some even said that they are happy to see him with someone who take instructions and listen ( BINDI ) rather than someone who argue all the time ( they compare her to rumer janel zendaya and kelly and how she doesn’t have a chemistry or warmth with val ) , so maybe he was trying to calm the war that’s going on in his instagram page ( but according to you he just made it worst ).
the funny thing is that when I googled Tamar’s song king from last week I came across a live performance and she seem to have the same plank eyes and she doesn’t seem to know how to express emotions properly .
#Shim
LOL, typical Val sh*t!! 🙂 I’m just glad he didn’t bring Bindi there-thank goodness.
Is it Monday, yet? Wishing everyone the best for Monday’s show… Should be a doozy! 🙂
Hi. I just wanna say that i like Paula and mar paring (don’t hate me) but i think that her energy is more positive than Alexa’s. In past two season i was all about Mark every dance that came i was just wondering what Mark will do with both Saide and Wllow (i’ll never regret that Willow was not in finale). This season i feel like it’s Christina Millian season Mark does not mentally there. And please don’t hate me for next thing i’ll write just my point of view, but i blame Alexa for his luck of creativity, she can dance 100 times better but i kinda think she care more about Carlos then about her own dance and that is kinda slap for Mark. It’s ok she loves him and that is normal but Carlos does compete against her (not just like separate paring but for real like if they would be put against one and another he would fight to win) and she does not i did not like her reaction on Alfonso’s comment because he did tell her truth, maybe Derek can move her on a bit. I don’t dislike her i use to pretend that i’m her Carmen back when i was little, but tho i try to find something in her her like in week 2 i was like “woow” and then this week i was like borred her energy does not work for me. So i’m for Alek and Bindi, Alek because it’s brave young man and Bindi because she is great dancer but she has so good attitude i lost my mother same year as she lost her father, and tho i’m 4 years older than her she inspire me to celebrate my mothers life not just thinking about her death 🙂
Tamar has dead fish eyes and I think probably a little botox hindering her facial expressions (but she looks great, otherwise). I’m not sure Val will be able to do much about that.
As far as switchups, I really wanted Mark with Bindi, but I don’t think it’s terrible that she’s with Val – it’s one week and she’s a trooper, and maybe this will be a fun side of Val that we don’t get to see (if it exists).
I have already said elsewhere how much I dislike Paula, but I do think it could have possibly been a disaster putting her with Val. I’m actually kind of looking forward to seeing how she and Mark fares.
Derek will be the best thing that happens to Alexa. She is in serious elimination danger, and needs a very strong showing, and I think she’s in the best possible scenario for that to happen. Would love if she has a breakthrough and then she and Mark can last a little longer than Paula/Carlos (my personal preference for next eliminations).
Hayes and Allison might be quite fun, and could be a very telling week for both of them.
If anyone is interested, Val’s rant is up on his Facebook page.
Thanks Suzy, hilarious!
Shim, what did Val say?
Mods, do I have permission to post link to the Val interview?
No, as Vogue just posted it on the main page.
Val’s interview with Access Hollywood is posted here:
https://www.puredwts.com/2015/10/08/dancing-with-the-stars-val-chmerkovskiy-visits-with-access-hollywood-video/
Oh ok didn’t see it
According to Derek’s blog bindi has the cha cha, Alexa has the tango
@Court I wonder if what you said about Derek passing off a less-favoured dance for the switch-up is also true for Mark? It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen a Tango from Mark in a few seasons, so I looked at his show records and he’s only done an individual ballroom Tango with 2 of his partners, Kristi and Bristol; and as a team dance with Katherine. Bearing in mind he’s done 17 seasons now, and made it all the way to the finals 8 times, that seems like a very low number. Maybe he dislikes or struggles with the Tango?
I can’t recall a ChaChaCha Val has choreographed that made me go “wow!”. I think his best one was the one with Tamar a few weeks ago and even that one wasn’t all that amazing. I feel like his ChaCha’s are always so vanilla.. they never really stand out. Really hope he takes Bindi’s energy and spunky personality to create a fun dance.
@Mr A – I hadn’t realized it’s been ages since Mark choreographed and dance a Tango.. Wow. I actually really enjoyed his Tango with Bristol and Katherine (in the team dance). Would be nice to see him do another one sometime soon..
Have to say I’m a bit bummed that Bindi got the cha cha for switch up week,I would have loved to see her perform this dance with Derek! If you guys say Derek doesn’t like the cha cha that much, it’s probably in favour of him, but I just think that Bindi will do very, very good with this fun dance (remember her Jive and cha cha is a lot easier) and now Val will take all the credit…I hope Bindi gets another fun and fast dance in the upcoming weeks like Jazz or Charleston, I just think she would kill these dances!
Generally I’m pretty impressed with Bindi! Her two most popular dances so far seem to be Jive and Contemporary, they have like almost 4 million (Jive) and over 5 million views on YouTube already which is insane!
Can’t wait to see what all the switch up couples will bring to the dancefloor!
Mark with someone older will be interesting, he is the one who always had the young contestants (and not Derek which many people claim). But I have to agree that he was voted with Bindi, so kinda fishy that he ended up with Paula…
And sending love to Alek and his friends, poor Spencer is not less a hero than Alek and I hope he’ll recover quickly!
I’ve only been watching since Season 13, so I’ve never really seen him do an individual Tango. I would like him to, but I can see how it might not suit his character.
@Mr A – I didn’t mean to imply that Derek ASKED to pass off a cha-cha/samba off on another pro just because he’s not terribly fond of it – I was just remarking that it was probably not very disappointing for him if he happened to not get to do a cha-cha with Bindi. Just want to make that clear – I know how things tend to get the “telephone” treatment in the comments sections here, and “Derek lucked out of not having to do cha-cha” can very easily get morphed into “Derek asked the producers to not make him do cha-cha with Bindi and told them to give it to Val instead” by people that can’t be bothered to read carefully 😉
ChaCha is one of my least favorite dances to watch so I’m delighted Bindi will get it out of the way with Val (and Derek doesn’t have to be bothered with it either). Val is a definite technician and his drill ’til you drop style of teaching might work for ChaCha since it’s quite a technical dance. I’m hoping we’ll see a very good ChaCha from them on Monday.
Can’t wait to see the Tango Derek puts together for Alexa. This could easily be her best dance.
I’m not a Louis fan, but he’s an experienced teacher. So he should be able to get some decent Samba technique into Tamar and she has enough natural talent to allow him to put in a reasonable amount of content. Could be a good dance.
No, I completely get that. It’s more Mark’s number of Tangos that I ended up finding interesting. I had written the first comment I made completely differently, barely mentioning Derek, then my computer died and I had to redo it. It was just that what you said about Derek being happy to avoid Cha-Cha got me thinking about the fact I couldn’t recall a Mark Tango. It is a curiously low number, 3 dances with 17 partners, it does make me wonder. Even Contemporary, only introduced in Season 16, he’s done 6 times already.
The first post has been updated with all the dances now.
Yikes…I’m afraid Paula is going to have a really hard time.
Ohh poor Mark he just cant catch a beak, can he ? the jive !!! are they serious ,I’m starting to think that the producers really want to kick Paula out
Hopefully they do want to kick Paula out. She’s the weakest dancer by far and well past her sell by date. Cloris had to do the jive and so should she.
Kind of makes me wonder if Paula is really getting a lot of votes to make her have the hardest dances for a woman her age so they can give her a low score.
I m excited for Nick and Witney! I think he’ll perform the heck out of the Paso. Derek sndAlexa with a tango should be good too! At least Cha Cha is a fun dance for Bindi – it could have been a rumba…..
Paula and the jive could be just unfortunate.
Yikes! Was Charleston not available for Paula or something? Getting a dance likely to be that far out of her comfort zone while away from her regular partner. That’s tough! I just hope Mark’s able to craft something that she can do, because his Jives can get pretty full-on.
Thanks, guys! do you know when the songs will be revealed?
I like Witney but I wish she didn’t get the paso with Nick because I would have loved to see Sharna do this dance with him.
@ Sara actually seeing nick having the paso this early in the competition makes me wonder if he really as popular as we think he came from a BSB themed dance just to be given another crowd favorite dance , I’m not saying he is not having the votes I’m saying is he having enough votes to make it all the way to the end.
and Whitney did a killer paso with Alfonso.
@kirami do you think that nick will be eliminated soon? Or are you just saying they are pushing the more favorable dances on him to help boost his voting numbers
This is true. If Nick has to get another pro for one dance, getting Witney for Paso is a good way to go.
People may just be getting to know a Nick they’d vote for beyond boy band. Attitude is winning, but Foxtrot and Waltz not usual vote getters. Alex has been getting an emotional outpouring with resulting votes. Hope Nick can stay, as much for Sharna.
I generally like Cha-Chas on the show but I’m not a fan of Val’s. I’m just relieved that they didn’t get Paso – for me, that’s Derek’s best dance and I literally cannot wait until he and Bindi get that style (maybe for Halloween?). I just hope TPTB don’t screw them over with a weird song.
I’m excited to see Nick and Witney’s Paso. I loved her Paso with Alfonso so I think Nick is in good hands.
I think Alexa will have a great night with her Tango. But then again, I think anyone paired with Derek is in good hands. I hope he’ll fix her frame issues – that really bothered me in her Foxtrot.
Hayes, Allison and Viennese Waltz – I’m predicting a lot of open work but I think (I hope) their dance will be alright.
After my initial disappointment with how the switch-up went down, I’m excited for Monday’s show and can’t wait to see how all the couples will do.
@ ashley what I’m saying is that the producers are pulling all the stops for him to help him secure a fan base outside the BSB fandom because I think Alek and Bindi are killing him in that area.
hell even Tamar and Hayes are having more buzz than him.
so far he never lived up to his full potential, he is good for sure but he never had that moment when we just stood there and said that’s the future season 21 winner (Alfonso’s jive week 1) not even with the premature freestyle from last week (IMO at least).
Mr A, Charleston isn’t a staple on DWTS (more’s the pity) and I’m with M8 as far as Paula’s concerned. Someone tell The Fat Lady it’s time for her to sing Paula off the show.
I’m all for giving Paula dances, like Jive, that show what a weak link she is. Load her up with Jive this week and something equally taxing next week. In addition to being a poor dancer, she’s a whiner which I find worse than being a bad dancer. However, my guess is she’s raking in quite a number of votes and could be hard to get rid of without some serious shoving. My dislike for her will increase if she stays over Andy is the next elimination.
Yeah, I know, they just pull it out when they feel like using it. I just couldn’t think of another dance that would be as ill-suited to Paula. I think the weakest dancer should go but Andy’s not exactly exciting me.
I wouldn’t mind her being there if she was enjoyable to watch ala Bill, Tommy or Patti but she’s not to me. She whines, moans, talks to much is a boring weak dancer and uses every trick in the book to get votes on show night (bring the grandkids on stage etc). Time to go!
I think Nick will have his stand-out dance with Witney next week. I like her choreo (although I haven’t like it so far this season with Carlos) and I like the “freshness” she brings to the ballroom. Although if Nick has his best and most buzz-worthy dance with Witney and not Sharna, I’m not sure how that’s going to fare with him and Sharna down the road.
But I do think ultimately Nick will make it to the finals. As far as winning the MBT… I don’t know. As someone who’s rooting for him to win, I hope so – but I wouldn’t be mad if Bindi, Hayes or Alek wins. The thing for me though is that I’m not super wild about Sharna’s choreography. Sometimes I love what she puts together (like Andy’s Alice in Wonderland Jazz) but most times, I’m just like, “meh”. So far, I really liked their Downton Abbey Waltz but all their other dances have been so-so for me. Also, I’m getting a little tired of the put-your-hand-under-my-chin and put-your-hand-on-my-cheek moves. She’s put those in almost all their dances so far – please stop or I’m going to have to make a drinking game out of it!
@ Jane having a similar experience. I think I had such a high expectation for last week that it naturally was a let down. Although it still was a great dance. I have noticed the finger under the chin thing too…it was nice in the cha cha now I’m sick of it…LOL
I immediately thought of Witney and Alfonso’s Paso when I heard they had it–hoping for the best
@Kirami- what exactly are “all the stops” the producers have pulled out for Nick? There have been Paso’s already in this season so not sure how much a strategic move that is
I don’t know who got screwed over more here – Paula or Mark. Yikes… :/ I hope she at least does somewhat ok and it isn’t a total trainwreck. Fingers crossed!
First Argentine Tango of the season and it goes to Andy? Hmm… I can see this being his best dance. He’s got an “Argentine Tango” body 😛 (that makes sense in my head lol)
I’m excited to see Nick do a Paso Doble.. I have a feeling it’s gonna suit him very well. Same goes for Alexa and the Tango and Carlos and Quickstep. Lindsay seems to really work on technique and Carlos really needs that.
How much taller than Louis is Tamar? Hehehe. I think this is gonna be a very fun dance – it reallt suits Tamar’s personality so I’m excited for this one.
I have high hopes for Val and Bindi, if there’s anything good to say about Val is that he, kinda like Lindsay, seems to be very particular about their partners knowing the technique of the dance. Just hope he doesn’t drill Bindi too much.. She isn’t Meryl Davis.
Hayes has nice arms and lines (well, for the most part) so I think that’s gonna be a pretty dance.
And Alek & Emma doing the Rumba to that beautiful song?!? Ahh that’s gonna be a dream to watch 🙂
I think paso is good for Nick and Witney, too. Her paso with Alfonso was one of my all time favorites, hopefully she choreographs something just as good this week. @Kirami #260 funny you call last week’s dance a premature freestyle because I had the same thought – though I actually think it’s better he got that out of the way now. It was great, but not necessarily WOW freestyle (though I think camera blocking and the crowd almost in the way didn’t help). Also – am I the only one who thought that for once a jazz dance on DWTS it actually did have jazz content? I’m no expert, but it had the low hips/center of gravity, a lot of rhythmic movements, and a sort of ‘flow’ with the music that are usually considered elements of jazz.
I love Nick, I am rooting for him, but I absolutely think Bindi is getting more votes (understandably so!). He needs that breakout moment, and he also needs to let his true self come through in rehearsal footage. Did anyone watch his reality show last year on VH1? The sweet, goofy, playful guy is what BSB fans are used to seeing and I don’t think they’ve really shown that on the show yet. To be completely honest, I see him coming in second place at this point in time. The ‘backstreet army’ as they call themselves is huge, but Bindi has more generic appeal to the casual voter with no loyalty to any one contestant.
Also, relieved Hayes got the waltz lol. I was so worried for the poor kid that he’d get samba or something with disaster potential, given Allison’s kitchen sink warp speed methods!
If you want to see what Louis can really do, you should probably watch the argentine tango he choreographed for SYTYCD a couple years ago. It was Emmy worthy – and you know I rarely say that for DWTS pros other than Derek or Mark.
Heidi, thanks! I will definitely look for the dance Louis did on SYTYCD. High praise indeed to put it up against Derek and Mark!
Yay, I like both Alek/Emma and Alexa/Derek’s music. I think both songs will work well for their dance styles.
Like M&M switch, both Val and Maks did AT. Hoping both Sharna and Wit do Paso with Nick.
I have to say, I’m excited Bindi is getting to do the Cha Cha with Val. I loved the Cha Cha he did with Elizabeth Berkley in season 17, week 6 I believe. Also Zendaya’s in season 16. It should be a really fun one, Bindi is really really good and is such a happy person so it’ll be good.
I’m also excited for Nick and Witney’s Paso. I like Witney’s paso’s usually. I am upset he isn’t doing it with Sharna but it will still be a good one!
I’m predicting (hoping) that aleka will really flourish with Derek (in his post it really sounds like they are working great together and he is bringing a lot out of her-one of his best talents in my opinion 🙂
I think that Andy is also going to learn proper technique from Sharna, and I’m excited for her choreography-I love her and Noah’s AT. If Andy doesn’t screw up his execution of the moves, etc., I feel like it MAY be his best dance. Really enjoyed Alfonso’s paso, so hoping Nick’s paso will likewise be good! I’m assuming the height difference between witney and nick will be fine as other big height differences have turned out fine, like Maks and Meryl. Really excited about alek and emmas rumba! and although I really liked allison and riker’s waltz, i do feel a tad iffy about how it will come out. Has Hayes not done much latin so far in the competition? Or maybe its just me. Either way, can’t wait. 😀 thanks guys for the goodies
I hope Sharna will be able to do a paso with Nick as well! It’s one of my favorite styles and I was looking forward to them doing it together.
I’m happy Andy got the Argentine Tango. I really like Andy. I think he has a great personality but I don’t think he has that many weeks left on the show if we don’t see great improvement. Kinda worried about his stability because you need that in the Tango. His back also tends to be a bit stiff and hunched. Hoping Sharna can improve his technique. Not doubting she has great teaching skills but they’re on tour so…
Oh boy. Viennese Waltz with Allison. This dance is supposed to be graceful and flowy. Not really her forte.
I had never heard Alek’s and Emma’s song. I just listened to it, and it is absolutely perfect for them to dance the rumba to. I liked it so much that I think I’m going to download it.
Mmmhh the backstreet army is world wide. And I do believe the only two who have a worldwide fan base are Bindi and Nick. So I do believe those two are gonna be in the final. Both couples are honestly the best IMO.
MrsKT, question is….are those worldwide fans VOTING? I hope so!
@MrsKT and @Voguerista I know I am;) Voting on facebook from Amsterdam for Nick and Bindi!
Good job, Leandra! 😉
I am. =)
But I don’t think worldwide votes really make the difference…
I’m guessing the final three will be Nick, Bindi and Alek.
I’m voting too, for Bindi and Derek as much as I can, which means on all of my FB profiles 😉
I know my mother has watched this show since it’s inception and she has NEVER once picked up a phone to vote. So the only fans that matter are the ones that actually vote.
I’m being to wonder if we are underestimating the “Takedown Team” fanbase. When we talk about worldwide fans I’m thinking that Alek should be included in that category as well. There is a possibility that Alek could win that MBT this season.
I hope they are voting! It’s so hard to tell… Bindi could be getting a ton of votes due to broad appeal and all of Austrailia lol, but Nick could be getting just as many from places like Europe and Brzail where the BSB fans are still rabid enough to shut down entire streets when they visit. It wouldn’t surprise me either way. Guess we just have to wait and see and enjoy the dancing in the mean time. 🙂 Regardless of outcome, I love that two of the top contenders have been enjoyable to watch (at least for me) and there hasn’t been much agenda pushing yet.
@Carlos – I agree with your top 3 of Bindi, Nick and Alek.
It will be interesting to see what happens. I’m not sure that Bindi or Alek would bring big $$$ for the tour. I think Nick is the one of those 3 that could make fans get out their wallets and “Sell out” the tour.
I don’t live in America and to be honest only started voting last season 🙂 Me and my family vote now since its so easy on Facebook 🙂
I hope your are right Carlos! Bindi, Alek and Nick being the final three. Because the train they saved going to Paris from Amsterdam, they are huge here too. We heard also about Spencers stabbing also here on the national news. So if there are more people voting from the Netherlands like me. Alek will probably receive a lot of votes too.
Those backstreet fans are voting and that I am sure. And they might be voting from their grandmas account too. I also agree Alek, Bindi and Nick.
@MrsKT – And this grandma right her is voting from her own account. 🙂 My and daughter and I love the BSB.
Double elimination the week after the switch up. I have a feeling Paula will go might not sure on who else
I’m voting from South Africa on Facebook as well!
Yeah!!! *claps* I’m also voting, I made my hubby vote and my mom and my workmate. Hahaha
A newbie to posting, I’ve been reading for a long time.
I think few are giving Bindi enough credit, yes she is a lovely, sweet young woman but I think she’s also a strong personality that will stand up well to Val’s forcefulness.
Trying to say that between Derek and Val one is or is not a better teacher depends on many factors. The personality of the partner assigned and the chemistry involved. And while one is instructive the other may be detailed and technical, that doesn’t make one worse than the other just different and different for different partners.
I would agree that votes had no play in the final pairings, drama, schedules and geography were likely more important to TPTB. Better to do two spinning wheels or a bag drawing for fairness.
I also wish that TPTB would allow a few weeks of proper ballroom for each Pro to acclimate and bond with their partners before swinging into all the ‘themed’ weeks, it would allow the celebrity to become a little bit comfortable with dance moves and techniques before they have to ‘switch up’ or play the drama role/My Most Memorable, or music themed (ballroom to a totally inappropriate piece of music), two dances in one week. It would also give the viewers time to see any dancing talent from the celebrity, kinda hard to dance when you are still figuring out what the heck this stranger wants you to do (switch up)
a small Info : I went to DWTS Youtube page to rewatch some dances and they shut down the international fans , why would they do something like that , now I have to use proxy to get through .
JazzDiva, while I agree with you that Bindi is more than capable of handling neanderthal Val, that doesn’t mean she should have to. There is no need for “forcefulness” with a very young, totally inexperienced dancer. None. It’s counter productive, as his teaching style often is with celebrities.
Er, Derek is by far the better teacher – no contest. Your description of how to determine a good teacher works between Derek and Mark – but not with Val and Derek. How would anyone know if Val is a good teacher for DWTS? He’s never had anyone without dancing and or performing experience?
Totally agree with your last paragraph – but I would take it a step farther and limit the “themes” to two or less weeks of the season. I miss like hell the DWTS of old.
I agree. Derek is a MUCH better teacher than either Val or Mark. Look at the talent that Mark had in Christina Millian…and they were out, what, 5th that season. He had to have known that her personality wasn’t winning over the fans of the show so somehow he should’ve gotten her to work on that.
Christina reminds me of Tamar in a way..TON of dancing talent but really not connecting with the audience. Sure you’ve got your C-bro fans saying oh, Tamar is just sassy but I read a lot more comments on Social Media saying Tamar is rude and disrespectful to Val and they don’t care for her.
Derek taught Maria ‘Bambi on Ice’ how to dance. He taught Kellie Pickler who’d never danced in her life and I’m sorry but cheering in 11th grade 10 years ago in high school hardly counts.
People say ALL the time that Derek needs to have an old lady for once.I retort well, how about Val? With the exception of his 1st ever Partner Elisabetta, who was only known in the US for being the ex-GF of George Clooney, he’s pretty much had one ringer after another with a LOT of dancing background (that never gets mentioned in packages on the show). And if Val is a drill sergeant as has been reported with Meryl and now with Bindi…well it’s no WONDER Bindi got flustered. This is a reality show NOT the Army. LIghten up Dude!
Kirami, yes I have heard some people complain about international fans not being able to watch the videos anymore. I always go to DWTS YT page, then click on the “videos” tab. Today in the afternoon I noticed they removed all of the videos from there and put them in playlists, which international fans can’t view. BIndi was consistently getting the most views each week, maybe it hurt some egos.
Andy and Sharna might be the dance I most excited for on Monday now. Carlos has my favorite Elvis song…..kinda hoping it’s good becuase of that alone lol.
Hit submit too quickly: Paula has the jive….well in expecting it to be fun but definately going to be a tough one for her. Mark must be happy though since he seems to love the jive….he always seems super excited when he gets to do one.
Ok, I will concede that Val can be (is often) abrasive, but I don’t think he’s a complete jerk, and will probably be generally nice to Bindi.
“well it’s no WONDER Bindi got flustered”, I’m not familiar with this incident as I don’t follow all the sites relating to DWTS. I’m sad if Val did or said something negative to her.
Actually I do agree that Derek is one of the best teachers in the industry. Just saying that communication, teaching style & chemistry play a lot into how a person reacts to a teacher.
“I miss like hell the DWTS of old” Oh my so do I. Yes, Yes, Yes.
Oh and when people mention Tweets, I get very strange links to ugly horror movies.
I have to disagree with u kelly on one thing. I do think tamar is connecting to the audience its a just a different kinda audience than dwts. She is not going ot be everybody’s cup of tea and that is ok. As many people who cant stand her, there as many who love her. Noone should underestimate this womans fanbase.
JazzDiva, As has been mentioned on this site many times before, but bears repeating, the best teachers are the ones who not only know their craft but are able to adapt their teaching style to fit the personality and learning style of their student. Derek has that ability in spades, and Val fails miserably in that department. He has zero adaptability. With Val, it’s his way or the highway. He only knows one way to teach and it’s harsh, impatient, and demeaning to his students. To me that shows a woeful lack of mental flexibility, and the fact that he won’t acknowledge that it’s something he needs to work on shows his narrow-mindedness and arrogance. Val is a world champion dancer, but he’s a hit-and-miss choreographer and a lousy teacher. It’s a shame TPTB continue to employ him when there are a host of better-qualified teachers who are much nicer people and would love to have an opportunity to be on DWTS.
Valerie, I’m sure Tamar has a fan base, but are they actually voting for her in significant numbers? Even if they are, you said yourself they’re a different kind of audience than the DWTS audience and Tamar isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. I doubt Tamar’s audience outnumbers the DWTS audience, and it’s the general DWTS audience who (I feel) determines the eventual winner. Ma and Pa on the couch don’t have a pre-determined favorite going into the season. They’ll pick their favorite based on what they see week-to-week on the show, and I’m not sure what they see from Tamar is going to convince them to vote for her especially when there are several other celebs on this season who are much more conventionally likable–namely, Bindi and Alek and perhaps even Hayes.
#valerie Tamar didn’t show up for an interview with Val at Access Hollywood Live. She didn’t notify anyone that she wasn’t going to be there. I plead ignorance with regard to Tamar’s persona so I’m curious if her supporters would see this as part of her sass, or that it’s just unimportant, or what.
@ Cidra #302, Actually I don’t disagree with you either. Derek is a phenomenal talent and he seems to be a very nice young man, someone it would be a pleasure to know. And I also agree that Val is fairly (quite) rigid in his approach, it’s just that some students do respond to that style, many/most don’t.
JazzDiva, I think the only students who might handle (tolerate) Val’s teaching style are those who are or hope to be competitive ballroom/Latin dancers. I feel Val’s limited teaching toolbox is completely incompatible with a celebrity dance-entertainment show. Since he seems neither willing nor able to adapt to fit the situation, it’s a pity the producers on the show haven’t released him from his contract. Instead season after season they subject unsuspecting celebs to his impatience and harsh methods.
Just checked You tube Dancing with the Stars video of Bindi from Monday 10/5/15 and the count is up to 6,875.300 after only 3 days. I am rooting for her to break the all time high of 7.3 million.
She’s well over 10 million when you combine the youtube and facebook versions.
Doesn’t surprise me…it was high the last time I went back and watched the “heart moving” Contemporary. I think I will go over too youtube and jack the # of views up higher. 🙂
You are absolutely correct PH. I am only counting this one video vs Alphonso’ all time high video of 7.320,000 plus after one year. I am hoping for Bindi’s count to surpass it in one week.
Don’t think you have to worry about that, GinnyD – she’s well on the road.
Val is heating up with his tweet
Do not underestimate the power of the Backstreet Army. We have been voting like crazy with multiple phone lines, email addresses, & fb accounts. International fans are def voting online as well. Very dedicated fans who are determined to see him win.
Wow, the bias on this board for the C bros versus Derek hough is insane. I honesly believe val is a better teacher than maks. He has the patience that maks never had. Yes, he is tough and can be very vocal about how he feels and what he wants but that makes the best successors in life. I personally have no issue with val nor derek both talented and have totally different ways of teaching and choreographing. Derek is more about intricate of a dance whereas val concentrates more on the passion/connection of a dance that is why he has been so hard on tamar getting their connection going because that is what he is known for.
I must say to all the ones that were saying he better not be abrusive to bindi or treat her badly, I mean really. This is dude that goes visiting the children hospital twice a year, who loves children and does alot of charity work dealing with kids all over the world. I seriously doubt val would do anything to hurt bindi, he is not that kinda person. Some of u all make him out to be satan or something. No he is not blonde with blue eyes and got that boy next door look like derek but he seems to be a really good person with a big heart who happens to be very outspoken and dont take crap. I can appreciate that about him.
This is what I particularly do not understand: “Val concentrates more on the passion/connection of a dance that is why he has been so hard on Tamar getting their connection going ..” How does a connection develop between two people when one person is being hard on the other to get it going? This makes no sense to me. I can’t see myself wanting to develop a connection with a person being hard on me, about anything.
I also don’t think your comparison is apt. There is a big difference between visiting children in a hospital where he is treated like a superstar, and getting frustrated in a dance studio when his student is not responding to his greatness the way he thinks she should. It means nothing.
Your reference to “blonde with blue eyes” is pathetic yet strangely insulting at the same time, and serves only to denigrate your own argument. Highly recommend leaving it out next go.
What does Ballroom dancing have to do with not “taking crap?” Bindi is an “angel of light and love” and I can’t see her giving Val any crap. Actually, I was hoping that her persona could lighten Val up a bit and actually make him likable. I think he is a great dancer and a great teacher/choreographer is one who can adapt their self to different types of people when it comes to working with a person in teaching dancing. In my opinion, both Maks & Val are slightly lacking in this area.
Just saw those Tweets by Val… wow. and at the end I’m pretty sure he implies that Derek told him his Val hating fans are delusional and stalkers? Or maybe I read that wrong?
KreativeKat, what are u talking about? I never said bindi was giving val crap, my God. I was referring to val doesnt take crap from people. He is the type person that is not going to let anyone run over him and he is very honest and direct. Maks and Val are the two people that have had the most experience taking on different personalities along with tony when it comes to their partners. They dont always get the bubbly ray of sunshine like u called bindi. If its any pros that can take on diversity when it comes to their partners its C bro, especially val. I think a good bit of u all are so far up derek’s behind that u refuse to see others pros that are just as talented and patient. Derek is brillant but so is val too. I dont see why we have to tear down one pro to uplift one.
I don’t understand how u can say Val has the most experience taking on different personalities when it comes to their partners. ALL of his partners have been of the same mold, young in shape and experienced performers. He even had a professional dancer for a partner.
As for being “honest and direct”, u can be both of those things without being an a**hole.
I wouldnt exactly call sherry shephard young and in shape, now would I. U say all val’s partners have been young and in shape, so has derek’s, even his oldest partner jennifer grey was in incredible shape. I mean they both have had their fair share of great partners so u cant complain about one without the other.
You’re right, there is no need to tear down one pro to lift up another. But I don’t see why we have to say that they’re equal when they’re not. There is something delusional about insisting on equating them when by any measure you choose, they are not equal. That’s just fact. Sorry if you feel insulted by that, but the fact itself is neutral.
And I don’t understand your need to include vulgarity in your posts.
No but Sherri Shepherd took dance lessons with Val at his dance studios before the season started. Jennifer Grey had screws in her neck, Rikki Lake was not young or in shape.
However this is an old and boring argument. Derek doesn’t have anything to prove, he has won with many different and varied partners.
Those are all your words, not mine. Never said one word of what you’re attributing to me. I have said a lot of other words, including questions, which you’ve chosen to ignore in favor of arguing against things I’ve never said.
If you think it’s just silly to “putting down and assuming things that aren’t even true,” then I suggest, by all means, that you stop doing it.
Meow.
The irony is that the only reason Val’s feed looks the way it does is because of his rants. I’m sure tptb will sweeten the rehearsal package so he would have been smarter to let it go IMO.
Valerie…
I think you need to calm down and take a deep breath. Everyone has a right to their opinion here, and I happen to adore Bindi Erwin and the wonderful role model and example for other girls her age, not to mention her natural talent in dancing. And, if I think Derek is the “Master” of dance & choreography, that’s okay, too. And, if I don’t especially like Val’s disposition, well that’s okay, too.
I hope you enjoy the show Monday night as you watch your favorite. I’m looking forward to enjoying it, also.
@Kirami I just read your comment about YouTube blocking, now Nick’s video is blocked for me too. The news articles have the dead links to it in them now.
What.is.that.about. I’m wondering if they are trying to filter out which videos are watched by Americans only.
I can’t watch any of the videos on the dwts page now 🙁
cam #329, just checked youtube dancing with the stars for all the videos and none are blocked for me in the usa.
Just checked on the reported tweets from val and all our chatter here too. ABC and DWTS have got to be overjoyed at the traffic on all sights. I have fallen into their trap for controversial ratings. I feel so used…..
@ GinnyD It’s blocked for the international fans only ( I’m not from the usa ) , Why ; Bindi’s and Nick’s fan bases are the most to get effected by such an act even though that their fans are gonna find another way around.
but it’s still annoying .
Valerie, I don’t like your tone for other posters. Stop telling everyone how to feel and what the truth is and what it isn’t. You don’t know what the Pros think either. If you can’t deal with a disagreeing opinion, then move on.
Mine just also got blocked (not in USA) 🙁 You can find it elsewhere on youtube but not with the same quality. I hope they don’t start blocking Facebook voting too
I can only see Tamar’s all access video. I’m thinking maybe they blocked all their videos that were on their page but they didn’t put that restriction on new videos they upload so hopefully we’ll be able to see next weeks dances once they get uploaded.
Grr, and I don’t appreciate this comment to our posters either. When you are deleted or put on moderation, you will know why. 😡
So, are you all saying the videos at the official You Tube site weren’t blocked Internationally before and now they are?
yes vogue it happened just yesterday out of no where. save a new video of tamar at all access with her husband.
Re: the geoblocking on the official youtube channel, I live in Canada and I could always (or at least since late Season 20) see some, but not all videos on that channel. Some videos from S19, week one of S20, and some but not all of the videos from the S20 finale were visible without a proxy (I forget which ones, but Elastic Heart was not visible), as were all of the dances from S21. But then yesterday afternoon I went to watch something and everything was gone. Now all I can see is Tamar on All Access, which was added after they had blocked everything else.
yep vogue. just happened around 4 pm Friday. my cousin told me, and when I checked, I saw all the videos were removed from the “videos” section. The playlists section was always blocked for internation viewers, but not the videos section.
Wow, that is sad. You’d think they’d be happy so many people from around the world would want to watch the videos.
You would think. It’s not even like they can’t get add revenue from international fans watching youtube videos since the adds I see are only ever for Canadian products, etc.
It’s especially funny when they block the videos for Canadians because when I watch the show live I usually watch it on ABC (which is included in the most basic of cable packages offered to the vast majority of the people here) and it’s also simulcasted on a Canadian channel. That being said, the geoblocking happens A LOT in general, so the weird part is the sudden change.
sonic, i also find it fishy. I initially thought it had something to do with Bindi getting so many views, maybe from Australia.
Is anyone on here from Australia and can you see the videos on youtube? It’s weird because on all access Dominic said that they had made it available internationally in Aus for the first time for Bindi’s viewers
Sonic and Ananya, I wonder the same. Very fishy.
I don’t get why a lot of people think that people who dislike Val do so because they love Derek. A lot of people here love Gleb, so this doesn’t really have anything to do with Derek.
I only see one video in the official youtube channel, and that’s Tamar’s all access. TOTAL BUMMER!
Geri, I think it’s because a lot of people who love Val hate Derek. So they automatically assume the reverse applies for people who love Derek. It’s the simplistic reasoning that The Fam and a large portion of their fans applies to pretty much everything.
:::rolls eyes::: I see one of Val’s mindless drones has made her way over here. valerie, dearie, just FYI – Sherri Shepherd took ballroom classes at DWM before the show started. Vogue saw the photos before they were very guiltily pulled down from their site. As for Derek? Proven wrong countless times. Move on.
Suzy, she will never understand all those big sentences you used. I mean, come on. 😉
@GinnyD – Alfonso doesn’t have the record for highest video views. Tom announced last season that the video of Noah’s contemporary dance with Sharna broke Alfonso’s record.. I think the view count was at least 30 million, possiby 40 million. For some reason, the video with all the view counts is no longer available, perhaps due to copyright infringement claims. l
Amanda, this is Val we’re talking about – the one with reading comprehension problems, who incites his fans to violence and misuses words on a regular basis. Are you going to believe anything he says about Derek? I can see Derek saying the situation is insane, sure. But the problem with Derek is that he will not research anything Val tells him. He will nod and go – that’s insane. :::shrug::: Odds are, that what Val tells him will be insane. Oh well, I can’t worry about what Derek thinks about everything I say, and I’m certainly not going to tailor what I do to please him – that WOULD make me a sycophant. And that’s so not me. 🙂
It is his guilty conscience speaking. The more the guilt, the longer the incomprehensible rants LOL.
@ IrisandLilies you’re talking about the Face book views , that dance went viral all over face book , Alfonso still hold the record for the you tube views ( so far ).
For those using the Chrome browser, there is an extension called Hola which can bypass most geoblocking. I’ve used it successfully to access videos in other countries. I’ve never had to use it on Youtube before. There is also a site called unblock youtube. I’m sure there are several others which can be found with a quick google search.
So excited for Monday’s episode because I know it’ll be interesting! It’s hard for me to have a favorite pro. I appreciate all the different things they bring to the show. No doubt Derek is AMAZING. But I have a huge appreciation for him, Val, Mark, Louis .. and any other pro. it’s the celebs and their pre-existing fanbases I have a problem with most of the time haha. I didn’t like Hayes at first but he’s finally starting to grow on me
It’s not a big deal for me that they blocked all YT videos since I’ve learned to use proxys and I’m sure many others did as well. I just wonder why they even did it, in the middle of the season. I don’t think it has anything to do with Bindi getting so many views because it’s actually not the first time they did it. Like I said, I just don’t get the purpose of this whole sudden geoblocking thing.
@Kirami You could be right. However, I know there was a video of Noah’s and Sharna’s contemporary dance on YouTube that had gotten numerous views (in the millions) because it was the one I would watch again and again, and then all of a sudden it disappeared.
Kate(1): That was my thought too. Someone doth protest too much.
Ginny D, I’m in Europe. It takes a few days, our gossip mags and stuff usually come out at the end of the week, so I’m reading the articles just coming out now about Nick’s dance, and they all link to a “This video is not available in your country” message. So originally when it was written it seems like it worked, but when it was published right away the complaints start in the comment sections that the vid isn’t working. So, no clue what happened?!
@IrisandLilies: IIRC, the video of Noah and Sharna that Tom was talking about was actually on Facebook, not YouTube.
Oh, BTW, for all the people rooting/hoping for Alek/Emma, check out their Instagram pages. 🙂
Could the song in Val’s recent IG post be their song? sounds like Hall and Oats “You make my dreams come true”?
No I think he’s trying to do some damage control
It amazes me that people get so upset because some folks here like Derek’s teaching style better than Val. One of the great things about this site is we can say what we want, discuss it, perhaps change our views, agree to disagree and move on. You know we don’t just talk about Val and Derek. We talk about other pro’s as well. Some folks have been very hard on Allison. Some have been disappointed in Sharna. Some praise Witney for what she is doing. In past seasons some folks have been hard on Louis, but this season he is doing so much better. Every season is usually different, however some folks like me I think see a consistent pattern with Val. He wants his celebs to learn from the way he teaches. As someone who has taught, you can’t put a square peg in a round hole. Some celebs won’t learn from high pressure tactics. Some won’t learn from a soft approach. Everyone is going to have different opinions. That is why I love this site so much. So here is a toast to the mods. Sometimes the truth hurts Val. Learn from it and move on.
I don’t think Val needs to do damage control. The people that don’t like him aren’t going to like him no matter what and the people that do aren’t going to believe something that some mysterious source said “apparently” happened. At the end of the day, its not gonna affect him at all and I’m pretty sure he realizes that.
#JMJ If he realizes that, why does he spend so much time and effort with all this?
@Sam — Emma’s Instagram page in particular has been great. My favorite is the picture with Shiloh. I was actually surprised at how limber Alek looked in that picture, though the knee band gave me some concern. Looks like he might be in a better frame of mind this coming Monday.
agree the damage control was very obvious was just trying to see beyond his nonsense/drama to find something more tangible in the clip… note to self hall and oats for cha-cha not a bad combo…lol
I’m interested to see the Argentine tango to that song
Bindi’s song is so good I’m really excited to see her cha cha and I believe that’s her first Latin dance It should be intresting to see how she will do I hope it will turn out great .
same thing goes for Nick and andy especially Nick paso I think he will do very good this week.
I’m curious about Tamar’s Samba so far she’s been great ( technically at least )
Alexia posted a photo of her and derek , her pose is insane , I’m really hyped now.
Kirami, Bindi also did the jive,so not her 1st Latin Dance. I love her song too. I loved the pic Alexa posted of her and Derek doing the Tango. Also excited for Sharna and Andy’s dance. Of course there’s Alma’s rumba to look forward to.
@ Ananya I know , I meant a rhythmical Latin dance , you know like a samba or a salsa and I’ve never understood why the jive is a Latin dance . but yeah, there are a lot of good or decent dancers left , save Paula of course and if she got eliminated in the double elimination ( I hope so ) , the team dances this season are going to be really interesting to watch the least to be said .
any way the songs selections for Monday so far are really good .
People who have a strong sense of self don’t really care what other people think of them. Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business. He obviously cared enough to go on that little tirade, yet not once were the allegations denied :/
My mantra is, if you don’t like me well then don’t join my fan club. It REALLY is that simple 🙂
Me too, Sara lol
I’m pretty sure he doesn’t, JMJ. If it was that simple he never would have responded. That he responded so strongly to a blog that he feels is nothing – well, his response belies his claims. Clearly it DOES affect him. If it didn’t, he would ignore us like a mature adult. His response says EVERYTHING.
He’s in the public eye – you’re not. He needs to learn to deal. And that you assume it’s false? LOL. Right. Nice try.
And a big thank you to Courtney, Heidi, Vogue,John and Lori here at Pure. SO many of us appreciate all you do keeping us informed regarding this beloved TV Reality show.
Thanks, Kelly. 🙂
It’s funny cause some of the people who were bashing Pure were the first to retweet the song reveal. I mean they claim Pure is bullshit yet when it’s info they WANT it’s legit.
Of course. 😀
What is the deal with the Meghan Trainor songs every season?
I’m loving that the weeknd is being used but I’m hoping the band does it justice.
I just want to throw it out here. I want to thank everyone Courtney Heidi Vogue John and who ever helps runs this site. You guys are the best and are great getting things out there, Thank you guys,
I may be out of the loop here but what did Val do? I saw his rant on twitter but what did he do with Bindi that caused his negative reaction
Thanks, Jennifer!! We’ve been getting lots of love today, and we really appreciate it.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what Mark has come up with for Paula. Otis Redding’s Shake is such an infectious, shake your tail feather song.
Let me add my thanks to the mods here who tirelessly give us info about the show–from the celebs to the pros to the songs, including Tom, etc.! You guys go beyond to help us enjoy the show and bear with it when necessary. THANK YOU!
I want to second what Jennifer said! The mods are fantastic here! Thank you Courtney, PH, Vogue and John for all you do! I probably don’t say that often enough, but I definitely want to say it and “stand along side of you” when the going gets tough – all because you’re providing the best information to us!!!! Hugs to you all!
The mods here are amazing. Not only for this site and letting us discuss this show but for their expertise and analysis. Thank you!!
The silent majority really love this site. Season after season of dwts drew me to the characteristics of the mods closer. Sort of like charlies angels original series. P/s: my fave mods is Vogue. Please other mods dont be jelly of Vogue!
Reading all these comments, I just want to thank all the people on this and PDH site as well. You all do a great job finding and posting all the news here, I just can’t imagine watching the show without you guys. Please, don’t ever get discouraged by some of those “fans” who come here just to complain and argue.
metrojj – my favorite mod is Vogue as well. 😉 Just kidding – I love them all equally.
Thanks for all the kind comments, guys, we all appreciate it.
Also a huge hug from me to the mods and fellow members. Love this site for being the one stop source for my favorite show. You guys don’t have anything to prove, there’s enough evidence of the accurate you provided over the years. Thanks again.
Me too…I just wanted to add that I “Purely” love this site and mods Miss Heidi, Courtney, Vogue, John and Lori because they vastly increase my enjoyment of the show through their intelligent, creative and enjoyable commentary. I also enjoy comments of all the posters and appreciate that I can count on the mods for keeping the comments relevant to the topic and free of nastiness & hatefulness. Thank you mods for all you do to make this a fun site to participate in and visit over and over!
Without our incredible mods, Heidi, Vogue, Courtney, John and Lori, Dancing with the Stars, would not be nearly as exciting, intriguing, and the fun experience it has become for millions of people around the world. They do an amazing job, keeping us up on everything going on with the show by providing us with an incalculable amount of videos, pics, and articles, to satisfy the fan of every pro/celebrity in the competition. They graciously allow me to use their blog to comment and share my opinions with others, and they only ask that I do so respectfully and truthfully. I join my fellow posters here and give my sincere appreciation to them for all of the hard work they put in for us fans. 🙂
One of the funniest things I’ve read over this last little drama was someone saying they would start their own blog. Go right ahead, no one is trying to stop anyone else, just people forget how much depth there is here, the variety of content, how the mods all compliment the others, the sum even better than all the great individual parts.
By all means, start your own blog. LOL – please do.
TO ALL MODERATORS & JOHN….
Here’s some more love and appreciation for all you do and contribute to make us members who love DWTS dancing show a much more exciting way to enjoy this show. I try to thank the moderators when they post something new and fresh each week for us; but in the times that I hurry through my post and forget….
((((((HUGS)))))) TO YOU ALL!!!!
Kind of WAY off topic but…. so I’m not from the US and I watch the performance vids via Youtube. However since of yesterday they’ve changed to settings and the videos are no longer available to intentional viewers. Anyone know a good youtube channel that has all the vids in good quality?
Huge “hug” to the ALL Mods here at puredwts from me as well. Y’all always go the extra mile & that keeps the fans excited and anticipate the show even more!! 🙂
Bravo!!!
@fictiongirl
Look up in the comments people were offering different things that work.
Well, I guess there’s just one thing left to do …
(Just imagine kicks and leaps in all the appropriate spots)
2,4,6,8, Who do we appreciate?
MODS, MODS, Yayyyyyyyyyyy MODS!!!
I just love people who think they can admonish you because you DARE to have a differing opinion. I just had to block someone on Facebook because she sent me a nasty message that went into my Other folder on FB . She didn’t like how I’d said Val always gets ringers! LOL Teh stoopid, it hurts. Sorry but if you’re gonna be an idiot to me, you’re gonna get blocked. Blocked a bunch of people on Twitter too. Like with you PH, these people butted into conversations I was having with another person. BLOCKED!
PH (#396). I love it when some petulant a$$hat says “I don’t like what you’re saying so I’m gonna start my own blog.” If they had even half the brains they think they have, they’d realize just how friggin’ hard it is to run a blog! Lucky for them, they don’t have enough initiative to even get started.
Thank you to all our MODs and Charlie for putting in all the endless hours to bring us the best and most reliable information and for putting up with all the endless crap that thrown at you every season! You’re the best.
Suzy, You go girl!!! (just don’t hurt yourself doing those split-jumps 😀 )
Terribly late to the party, but after reading through the comments I decided to stop lurking. Sorry if this has been uttered before! Hard to keep track.
I admit I had some apprehension about the Bindi/Val pairing, but then remembered that Val connects very well with young people. Zendaya is the partner he’s closest to, and despite his “drill till you drop” approach, she charmed the heck outta him and brought out his softer side. I anticipate a similar calming effect with Bindi. Honestly if anyone needs a ray of sunshine in their life like Bindi, then it’s Val.
Derek expressed positivity regarding their pairing, Bindi herself has thanked Val for being kind to her, and considering Val’s track record with partners, the worst he will do is tire Bindi out. Since Derek is such a warm spirit and flexible teacher, compare that to Val’s rigidity and there might have been a bit of mood whiplash. But Bindi is a tough girl. I think she’ll do really well Monday. Plus I tend to really like Val’s cha cha choreography.
@Kate(1) (#354) THANK YOU! Hola worked for me 🙂
I have a very strange feeling that something has shifted in Alexa. Maybe spending time with Derek came along at just the right time. It’s kind of like this week took place outside the norm and so was not burdened with everything usually in that dynamic. Maybe being in the context of DWTS with Carlos has allowed her to see him differently, maybe see herself differently as well. She has been “promoting” her dance with Derek more than she “promoted” all of her other dances to date combined. And nary a word about Carlos’s dance. This is very different for her.
I noticed that Suzy. She’s tweeted like three pictures of their dance just today alone I think. It’s very interesting.
I think it’s pretty obvious TPTB chose Mark for Alexa because he’s the pro closest in looks to Carlos. And while Alexa was excited about that at the beginning (with the hair comment), it’s probably making her think of Carlos more, while with Derek (who looks nothing like Carlos) it’s like she’s stepped away from a trio and into a duo for the first time this season…
Dropping from the top to second from the bottom of the leaderboard combined with having things being shaken up this week with the partner switch really seems to have been a wake-up call for Alexa. She’s lucky to have Derek because he is a great teacher and since she’s had Mark up to this point the foundation that has been laid going into this round will probably nicely compliment what she’ll learn this week as their styles seem to match pretty well as opposed to how another pro’s (no one specific just in general) teaching style might have meshed with it. Does that make sense? 😛
Also I’m really enjoying a lot of these switch-up pairings way more than I expected to, some even more than the actual pairings this season. 😛
@Julia – I find that I’m ESPECIALLY liking the more odd switch pairings – besides my beloved #AlMa, I’m really liking Tamar & Louis and Mark & Paula, and I feel like Alexa has done a complete 180. The switch may be stressful for the couples – but I feel like it’s also gotten a few of them out of some ruts they had been in with their original partners.
I think Derek is just want Alexa needs at this point, and if she excels tonight it will hopefully save her to help propel her a bit further in the season.
I have not liked Paula at all this season, but she and Mark really seemed to hit it off – and this is exactly what I wanted out of her all season. I wonder if she views Louis as too much of a therapist and crutch, and Mark as a son-type figure.
Also looking forward to Tamar and Louis tonight.
Woops, meant to add that Paula might view Mark as one of her sons (a nice level of comfort for her), but also maybe he can view her as a mothery-type figure, and we all know how close he is to Shirley.
A little late to the mod-appreciation/love fest, but that’s only in the open expression of said appreciation/love. It’s always been felt 🙂
You are all the best! (((Thank you)))
@Fig – Mama Spence and I had this conversation yesterday, and this may be a bit of a controversial opinion, but I think because Mark grew up in a conservative-leaning, southern family…he tends to relate better to individuals who are from that background than some of the other pros. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he ended up with Bristol & Sadie, and that’s he’s connecting well with Paula and really “gets” her sense of humor. I think it’s probably more of a struggle for Louis, who I’m assuming has far more liberal leanings and had a European upbringing – I’ve had several friends from over the pond tell me that of all the accents/subcultures in the U.S., the American South is the most alien and puzzling to them.
Thanks LurkerB5 and everyone else for all the love 😉 Right back at ya!
I think that’s definitely a huge part of it Court, and no coincidence that he is the best fit for celebs like Candace, Bristol, and Sadie. I also read somewhere that while Mark is not a religious as those ladies or Carlos/Alexa, he is Christian and shares their faith which gives them a common bond and comfort level.
Plus Mark benefits not only from his family’s influence, but also has the added exposure of growing up in London, too – which I think gives him an ability to adapt and empathize with a lot of different types, but is still better equipped to mesh with a conservative personality than most others would be.
That may be the case, but Mark was raised mainly in London and lived there until he was 21. I have a hard time believing he’s got that much “southern” in him. What he does have, he likely picked up from Corky.
Quick question. Was there call-in voting for the Switch-up? I’ve got a C-bro fan trying to tell me that you could also call in to vote for the pairs. I thought Twitter was the only way to vote?
@kelly – No, definitely not. Only two methods to vote were to use Twitter directly (just tweeting out the hashtags from your account), or going to the website to have them generate the tweet for you, and then tweeting it out. There was no way other than Twitter to vote for the switch. How the hell would you do it by phone, anyway? They’d have to have a separate number for each possible pairing…
Nevermind, I found my answer on ABC.com under the rules and I was right! I just LOVE putting the smack down on sacntimonious C-bro fans. 😀
CAN’T argue what ABC puts on the official website regarding voting rules! 😉
That’s what I thought! Thanks Court 🙂 Just goes to show how illogical certain pros fans are 😉
So does anyone know the dancing order tonight? Like, who has the pimp spot and all that.
I see you’ve changed your name, valerie. Pick one and stick with it.