PureDWTS Season 21, Week 5 – Checking in with the Switch Couples & POLL
I figured since the old switch post was getting a tad lengthy and redundant, I’d start a new one 🙂 Plus, we now have some adorable pix and banter of switch couples interacting to oogle 😉
I don’t know about you guys, but I am beyond thrilled that Emma got Alek 😀 And they both posted this pic of them catching a flight to Roseburg together last night – both seem pretty stoked to be paired together, and Alek even hashtagged his post with “#sexy” 😉 *raises eyebrows suggestively*
And Carlos posted this little mashup photo while announcing he & Lindsay’s dance:
The switch up week is here!!! Excited to be doing the quick step with @lindsarnold !!! @dancingabc #linds&los A photo posted by Carlos PenaVega (@therealcarlospena) on
And @DancingABC gave us this silly shot of Alexa & Bindi fighting over Derek:
And Louis posted a cute pic of he & Tamar at the studio:
Are you guys excited for next week!? @TamarBraxtonHer and I have something special planned for you 😉 @dancingabc #DWTS #DWTS21 #dancingwiththestars A photo posted by Louis van Amstel (@louisvanamstel) on
And Nick & Witney bantered back & forth on Twitter…
And Mark got a cooking lesson from Paula down in Savannah:
We got our first picture of Hayes & Allison last night…
Switch up week @hayesgrier @dancingabc #dwts rehearsals have begun !! A photo posted by Allison Holker (@allisonholker) on
And Bindi posted this pic, which looks like it at the promo taping, of Val petting a snake she was holding:
And not to try and turn this into the #AlMa thread, but these two are giving me some serious feels…look at this romantic-looking picture Emma posted last night 😉 :
A photo posted by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on
Haven’t heard much from the other couples yet, but I will continue to update as they post new pix 🙂
But before you – be sure to tell us who your favorite switch-up couple is, and who you think will be the most successful this week! 😀
I love love this post! I voted….but, it was hard. I voted for Derek and Alexa in both Polls, but, I wanted to vote for Alek and Emma, Sharna and Andy, and Witney and Nick too. Also, it made me think how close they all might be on Monday night. Also, how I’d love to see Mark and Paula ending up with a show stopper dance and surprise everyone.
I think Alexa will have a breakthrough with Derek. Nothing really to base it on except he is a great choreographer but I think it will be a great pairing.
I love your positivity re: Mark and Paula, Vogue! We can always count on you for that! 🙂
I voted for Emma and Alek as my fav couple and Alexa and Derek as the team who will be the most successful in the switch up. I think Alexa has no where to go but up, so any increase in scores will be a win. I’m confident in Derek’s ability to do that.
Mark is such a creative genius, especially in a situation like this. He could put a spin on it and choreograph a dance for Paula that will surprise everyone.
Thanks Meggie!! And I hope so Leannc!
I voted for Alek and Emma as my favorite couple, because I just think they’re cute. For most successful I voted for Alexa and Derek. I just think he can bring something out of her that she hasn’t done yet.
I’m excited to see what Bindi and Val will produce.
I think Alexa is going to be the most successful, because she is coming of her worst dance/week yet, so there is nowhere to go but up. At least I hope so. I am really hoping or at least wanting for Paula to come out and just do her best dance yet and kill it. That would be so much fun. I think I’m looking most forward to Paula/Mark because that´s the oddest switch-up pairing for me this time around. Don’t know if I’m excited or scared to see them dance together.
I voted Alek and Emma for the switch I’m most excited about. I adore them both and soooo glad they got what the partners they wanted. As for the most successful, I took that to mean in terms of high scores so I voted for Tamar and Louis considering their strengths, TPTB’s possible/ probable agendas and Maks as guest “judge.”
Of course my favorite switch-up couple is Alek and Emma, and after much (over)thinking, I also went with Alek and Emma as the most successful.
How do you really define success? Normally in a competition most successful=highest score, but this is DWTS we’re talking about. Lately, judges scores seem to have very little to do with how well you actually danced. So I decided to define “success” as having the best overall experience with switch-up week.
I just hope everyone relaxes and has a good time with their switch-up partners.
I voted for Alek & Emma for favorite but I put Andy and Sharna for most successful because I think that she might be able to choreograph something great but calmer than what Alison has done and maybe it will be more fun for him. I think the switch-up will be nice for many of the couples. I think that besides their cuteness together, Emma is so sweet and down-to-earth that I think she may be able to help Alek through this really difficult personal time. She seems to me to be the least “Hollywood-ish” and so very down to earth. I also agree that Derek will be great for Alexa and I hope to see some of Mark’s innovative choreo.
Alek and Emma will be my favorite and I can’t wait to see them dance and watch the video package! I hope it’s super cute and full of happiness!
I hope Andy and Sharna will be successful because I feel like he needs the votes more out of my favorites.
I am also looking forward to what Derek and Val do with their new partners.
I hope it’s a fun night!
My favorite was Alek & Emma but I said that Nick & Witney might be the most successful on Monday. Not sure why I felt compelled to vote that way. Derek does do a fantastic job with tangos, so I do hope that Alexa will see a boost in her scores this week.
I’m also hoping that Derek might be able to talk some sense into her about being in this competition just as much for herself as she is for Carlos. Or at least more than Mark can/has.
There’s an IG pic of Bindi with a very large yellow snake and Val is petting it!
I’m really looking forward to Alek/Emma! They seem very happy to be together and I think they are going to do well.
I think Alexa/Derek is going to be most successful. He is a great teacher and she’s a good dancer (which I think some fans forgot after this week, she did great in weeks 2 and 3-she was on top of the leaderboard last week!) and seems more determined than ever to do well after her slip up this week. And his style is similar to Mark’s so it won’t be a whole different ball game for her like if might’ve been if she were with Val or Louis.
I’m most worried for Hayes with Allison especially with the style they have.
Love this post. I am happy to see Alek and Emma b/c they are just so darn cute and he has done so well in his dances.
I think the most successful pairing will be Alexa and Derek. Like others have said with her coming in with a down week I think she will work really hard. Plus, Derek choreographing the Tango is always success. I bet she is top of the leader board Monday night. Just a feeling I have.
So happy for Mark!!!!!! Once again, something happening “for” you, not “to” you, although it might not look like it at the time. I’m just so happy he’s had a good time, found an interesting perspective, and thinks Monday will be a blast. YES!!!!!!!!
Emma and Alek are the switch-up couple I’m most excited to see. As to which couple will be the most successful, if by “most successful” you mean “most improved”, I would have to go with Andy and Sharna. Sharna will do what Allyson has yet to do – teach Andy the proper technique and tailor the choreography to his skill level. If by “most successful” you mean who will have the best dance, I would have to go with Alek and Emma, assuming Alek can get himself into the right emotional frame of mind.
From her recent tweets, it sounds like Emma is finding the visit to Roseburg and the events over the past few days to be emotional as well. She mentioned watching videos of Whitney’s engagement and Lindsay’s wedding because she hadn’t cried in SIX hours, and she also mentioned missing her sister and Brittany. By the way, her two photos of Roseburg on Instagram are gorgeous, and one, dare I say it, is very romantic.
I voted for Alek and Emma for my favorite switch up couple because DUH!
It’s a complete no brainer for me.
I voted for Tamar and Louis for the second one. I think I might be the only one! I like Louis’ sambas and I just get a feeling these two are clicking.
After the initial frustratuon with the pairings, I gotta say I am feeling tons better 🙂 One because, almost all the couples look happy(ish) with their switch up partners and two because none did anything to spark unnecessary controversy or rumors, which in this day and age is a lot to say about DWTS. I actually feel great about the Val and Bindi pairing – because Maks going to be the guest judge! Their couldn’t have been a better safety net for her than being partnered with Val 😉 If there is hidden agenda, I am more worried about Derek and Alexa, but having seen Derek’s tangos – I highly doubt there would be room for any criticism. He is very very good with tango – I loved what he did with Bethany and then with Nastia and even in earlier seasons with Amber. I am excited for Mark! Think he has taken it in his stride so so well – and with him creativity knows no bounds. I felt a little uncomfortable with how personal some of our comments about Mark and his desire to feel needed were, as lovers of the show and the community we are building here, I really think we need to give people a little more personal space without meaning to pull apart every aspect of their being. Remember, we only see them behind screens, a few weeks every year 🙂
I think Louis will be good for Tamar too, Susan2. I am looking forward to seeing what his strong teaching skills can bring to their dance. Also, I bet he is really enjoying having a week where he can really dance!
THANK YOU….Courtney
I loved seeing the “switch up” couples. I want them all to just have a good time on Monday and take whatever they learn from this switch and use it to their advantage for the rest of the season.
Mark kills me in the kitchen with Paula!! I think Alek will enjoy being with a single gal and live it up!!! (just kidding) But, I do think he is having fun!
Okay, I’ll admit it, I am now officially a shipper! lol I’m thrilled that Alek and Emma are together for the Switch-Up too I voted for them as the couple I’m most looking forward to seeing. I love them both for obvious reasons, and I think it would be wonderful if they found love together and are able to bring their mutual affection into their dance. I chose Derek and Alexa’s dance as the most sucessful, because Derek is the best teacher and choreographer on the planet. Alexa is already a good dancer and has a flexible body that Derek is going to be able to fine tune and showcase in a great way. I’m really looking forward to seeing them as well, but I could only choose one couple, and my sweet Emma has a little edge on Alexa for me. Anyway, regardless of how well these couples do Monday night, all of my votes are going to Bindi, no splitting the votes. Thanks for this fun post, Courtney!
Well Aditi, as it is your first time posting here, I will give you a bit of a warning on the rules: this is a blog, meaning we express opinions here. You may not always agree with them, but you don’t get to tell everyone to “give them a little more personal space without meaning to pull apart every aspect of their being”. Not only are you exaggerating, but you’re being preachy and judgmental. Now please keep your posts about your own opinions, without passing judgement on others. You’ve been warned.
Another note: I actually might have preferred some of these pairings from the get-go like Sharna/Andy and Alexa/Derek. Though I love Sharna with Nick as well so idk! And I see why they might have wanted to give Derek Bindi and not Alexa.
Hey just a housekeeping bit: the picture of Bindi and the snake (and the one around her neck) is posted twice – I think one is meant to be a pic of Emma and Alek?
Thanks for the heads up Courtney. The intent wasnt to be either – you may have noticed I didn’t pick up any one person in my comment. I have been reading the blog for a while and usually really enjoy the conversations – just like you said everyone is entitled to their opinions – and mine was that I felt we went a little far on that one count. Someone’s mental state is complex and I feel we all can sometimes trivialize a sensitive theme like that. Brain is complicated, even for the best of us and that’s really where I was coming from, with no intent to offend. Hope we could put this little chat behind us and get back to the excitement of week 5 🙂
Awwww….good for Mark!! Glad he’s making the most of this. And I call it an opportunity.
If Maks tries to torpedo Derek and Alexa, he’ll have TWO pros and one celeb mad at him. And both of those pros are pretty successful. You really shouldn’t screw over people that may be in a position some day to give you a job. Like Derek.
BTW, in case anyone else is a bit slow on the uptake, in the photo Paula is giving Mark a ’10’
Aditi, I let your comment go through, but you didn’t heed Courtney’s warning at all. None of us are stupid. Please don’t preach like you do in your most recent post. You are not affecting change, you’re just annoying the crap out of me. You’re entitled to your opinion here only as long as you express it within the rules of this site. And you’re breaking them, even if you didn’t intend to offend. So, now you move on.
I found the results of the first poll very interesting. Perhaps it was only me, but my logic when I voted for ‘my favourite switch up couple’ was based on the celebrity I am most interested in seeing dance, no matter who the partner, essentially who I would want to vote for. When I see the results of the vote so far, I am intrigued that so few people (relatively speaking) have voted for Tamar, whereas most of the other celebrities are in what I would consider a close to natural order based on entertainment value/dance ability/popularity. Especially since I would guess that most people who are voting for Alexa (although definitely not all) are voting for Derek, in the sense that they want to see what Derek can teach her given her natural abilities. So, with Alexa removed from the top of the ‘statistics’, it would leave the top 3 positions as Alek, Bindi and Nick, although not necessarily in that order. I guess I am just wondering if this somehow reflects the general viewing audiences interest level in the celebs and therefore potentially their voting potential.
Just things that make me go hmmm.
These pictures are all so good.
I’m really not minding Louis this season. Thanks Paula!
Everyone looks happy and embracing this experience. So that’s good.
I wonder why no current photo of Bindi and Val.
You should post, if you can, Emma’s Instagram from yesterday (October 9) with Alek and Shiloh. That is one of the cutest pictures ever.
@Suzy. Their is new Val and Bindi video on his IG as if an hour ago or so.