Dancing with the Stars Season 22 – Confirmation on Jodie Sweetin’s Participation
I’ll take this as confirmation. I had my doubts when Candace was talking like she was going to be on the show, but this kinda settles it for me. We first reported on her wanting to dance back in Season *12*, if you can believe it! Back then she wanted to dance with either Derek or Maks. Latest report from us was just a few weeks ago. DWTSGossip found this little tidbit first. Guess we know who Val’s dancing with. Our article from Season 12 indicated that she’s been dancing since she was three.
ETA: Need to read my own notes better. As I said back then, she’s a ringer if she continued dance lessons into adulthood. Dancing as a child isn’t enough to get the ringer tag. But dancing with Val may be telling enough. 🙂
Try and look surprised by it all
Gee, So it looks like Val gets Jodie…what a shock!
Yep. Shocking. Although back in the day she really wanted Derek – and Maks, but she talked about Derek more. But she knows Val now…who knows, maybe he was already giving her lessons on the set of Fuller House.
I am simultaneously excited yet dreading this pairing to be honest. She seems great and Has a fun personality but I think Val could make this pairing difficult to watch for me. Plus I wondering if he will turn this into Elizabeth Berkeley 2.0
Yay! I’m so happy and excited about this! 😀 Thanks for the confirmation, Lori. 😉 I have a feeling she’ll do well. She has dance experience, seems very enthusiastic about being on the show, and between being a nostalgic figure for a lot of people and her struggle to overcome her drug problem she will most likely get a lot of votes.
I do think it’s likely she’ll be with Val, especially since it’s great cross-promotion for Fuller House, I think someone said in the comments regarding the rumors about this, there is a chance the person who was supposed to be with Val for S21 might be on and be with him so Jodie might end up with someone else. If that is the case wonder who her partner might be?
If you’re allowed to ask for a partner, you’d think the celebrity would think long and hard about what teaching style fits them best. Maks, Tony and Val definitely have an autocratic style of teaching. I remember how crappy Tony was to Stacey and she was a gem of a partner. Although to be fair, he has loosened up from Marissa on. Kate was a nightmare but she was correct in telling Tony his style didn’t work with the way she learns. If you’re smart, you’ll try to adjust your teaching to whatever maximizes the student’s results. I’m not sure anyone learns well with the “keep your mouth shut and do what I say” kind of teaching. I would want a structured, positive learning experience but to each his own.
I dont think Val has an autocratic style of teaching at all..he’s very strict as in a stickler for detail, but never ‘keep your mouth shut and do what i say’ kind of teaching. Maks? yes
I think that difference was pretty clear when Danica did switch up week. The first thing she said was that Val was very open and receptive to alot of questions & input and really took the time to explain the reason/motivation behind each move…whereas Maks was kind of ‘just do it, and talk less’
Tony really has loosened up the way he teaches which is good and bad since it works for some bit not all partners but boy am I glad nobody has the maks teaching mentality of “just do it and listen to me and I’m taking all the fun out of this for you!….just remeber to fake smile” attitude that he had for a good amount of his partners (I think he looses up with Mel b, Meryl, and Kirstie). Val……..I’m not sure how to desrive it other than perfectionist. Not a bad way to be (I’m the same way) but coming from experience I can tell its one trait I wish I didn’t have if that makes sense.
sidenote: does anyone else get the feeling we might get Jodie appearing on good morning America like they did with bindi and I forgot who else was announced on gma ahead of time? I’m guessing the powers that be might be annoyed it leaked like this lol.
Being not as bad as Maks isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Frankly, there are only two men who have the ability to adapt to their partner and that is Derek and (possibly to a lesser extent – I can’t tell) mark. Jury is out on Artem and Keo – Artem there is hope for because he certainly made Miss Patty look good. Tony has his moments.
The thing about Val is – he’s never been tested. Maks was tested and failed rather spectacularly at times (and I say this as someone who desperately wishes Maks would come back and take Val’s place). Val has never been tested with a truly bad or challenging partner. So who the hell knows if he is a good teacher or not. You can’t compare Val and Maks on DWTS because Maks had a mix of partners (like Derek did) – Val has not. Nearly all of val’s partners have had experience of some kind – this lead to him doing ONE thing, not particularly well, and no need to THINK and strategize and create. He doesn’t have to do the whole “my way or the highway” thing, because his partners are strikingly similar and all accustomed to training.
I think it’s pretty much a given that she’s Val’s partner because of the possible cross-promotion with Fuller House, where Val plays her love interest in an episode (while Maks is with Candace). And Len is back who just loves Val’s choreography…
If Derek in fact does another season I would love him to be partnered with Colbie Caillat or Kelsea Bellerini. Doing his last season with a friend would be nice for him I think.
IMO, Maks sucked.. his choreography was so tedious & boring that even with mega ringers like Meryl/Mel B he failed to churn out any memorable dances like Derek did with Shawn/Nicole S. Also he played the same ”bad boy” shit every season..& with Hope i started hating him to core the way he horrendously treated her!! Val is definitely a better choreographer in my opinion than his bro Maks & also a better looker. Val has never been given a mega ringer like Nicole S, Meryl, Shawn, Mel B etc with a lot of dance training.. & when he had one -Meryl during the switch-up.. he choreographed one of the best dance of that season with her, imo.
& talking of Derek doing his last season with a friend..then i’d like Nina Dobrev! but i wonder if she’ll EVER do DWTS? She’s doing pretty great for herself.
PDS, Elisabeth Birkley Lauren is a trained dancer, she even took part in a couple of Ballet productions and Musicals. And what about Zendaya, also a trained dancer, she’s definetely way more of a ringer than Shawn.
Derek proved that he’s a great choreographer when he helped Brooke win and got Joanna to the Semis. That’s why Nicole and Jennifer requested him as a partner.
I remember that Candace was SUPER popular among the DWTS audience & it will probably be the same with Jodie…and this time around with Fuller House ready to air she will even have a current show that people are talking about…so she has the nostalgia factor which so many people love & is kinda relevant at the same time…and IF she has indeed significant dance experience – what a ringer!
Hope they have some other good celebs lined up! Can’t wait to see the new cast! The cast reveal has to be very soon, so I hope we’ll get some leaks in the next couple of days 😉
I’m not sure Jodie well be as popular as Candace. Sure She has the nostalgia factor,
but Candace also had the conservative Christian vote which I think played a big role in her vote getting also.
As a dance teacher myself, anyone who can project confidence can get by on this show. Once that goes, the fake till you make it vibe for pretty much anyone who’s has never danced ballroom goes too. In the case of Val I remember very well Elisabetta Canalis who had a disastrous first dance, but she came back and did a beautiful second dance. The editing, her lack of English, the fish out of water not understanding American cultural norms made the editing too easy for her to come off looking terrible, so no one voted for her. She had potential, even though she didn’t have a bit of dance experience,and no core strength to help herself
Steamboat, this is from Elisabetta Canalis Wikipedia Page: “…she started to work as a dancer for Canale 5 at the age of 21.” So no dance experience is definitely not right…
Eliza, The Christian vote played a big role in Candace getting votes even though she wasn’t a good dancer. But Jodie actually has the potential to be a great dancer so that should get her additional votes if she has a nice personality. She had a couple of very good dance numbers including a Broadway number on Full House (because Stefanie wanted to be a dancer) so that seems promising.
PDS, you really need to get your act together. At some point, I’m going to get really tired of you repeating the same revisionist history over and over and just ban you from the site.
I’m not a Maks fan, but he’s a better man than his brother is – I realize that bar is set rather low, but there it is. Neither is a particularly good or inventive choreographer – which is disappointing because I had high hopes (since shattered) for Val. Perhaps it’s because he’s NEVER been challenged. When you have dancers with experience every season, there is no need to rise to the occasion and get creative. Hell, even though he had partners who could have been amazing, he copped out. Like his freestyle with Rumer for example. No guts, no creativity. When Derek had a similar partner to Rumer, in Nicole, he blew the roof off the place with the dances they did – and yes, Rumer is a similar partner to Nicole. She had dance training AND was more well known. People love to blow Nicole up into a “mega ringer” when in fact, she was no bigger a ringer than Sabrina or Mel B – all three women are just like Rumer, on paper. Hate to break it to you, dearie. Being a great dancer doesn’t mean you are a “mega ringer” – it takes more factors than that. I know it hurts for you to think about it though.
So, it’s okay if Val has a ringer EVERY season (but one) and is never challenged because he’s never had a “mega ringer” (in your definition)?? You keep moving those goal posts, sweetie, eventually you’ll be exhausted. Putting it simply – Derek has had FEWER ringers (4 or 5, depending) than Val (8), yet has been on the show twice as long and won 6 times. You’re going to have to find a better way to explain it away, honey, because a sensible person looking at the lists of partners and their stats can come to no other conclusion but that Val just can’t get it done without a lot of help.
Give it up, Geri – every partner that Val has had came with some sort of dance training. Even his non-ringer, Sherri, took lessons at DWM before the season started. PDS will never see this or admit it.
Geri’s right – I didn’t realize it until much later, myself, but Elizabetta most certainly had dance experience. Just like all his other partners, sans Sherri – if you’re not counting her lessons at DWM, that is.
How was Rumer similar to Nicole?
Rumers whole ‘dance experience’ consisted of a few Aeriel classes she took for a summer as a hobby and those FTR plays which are 99% singing/acting with a couple of ‘step left&right&clap’ thrown in. She said her self she’s never trained in dance.
Nicole competed in dance competitions growing up, minorEd in it in college, and was the lead singer of a burlesque dance group.
This is not about Vals history of partners with experience, but I don’t see that much of a similarity between rumer & nicole.
I don’t think someone’s extent of previous dance experience is the point though when it comes to being a great choreographer. Derek has been nominated for an Emmy with 6 of his choreographies for non-pros and 1 of them was for Joanna and 2 were for Amy so half of them were for complete non-dancers. In season 18, with the presence of Meryl and Charlie, the ringiest ringers that ever rang, Derek was still the only one nominated for an Emmy for his choreography for Amy.
For me Meryl and Charlie are the epitome of ringers because they’ve had pro level Ballroom and Latin experience for their Compulsory Dances/Short Programs cause those are Ballroom/Latin dances adapted for the Ice. The program Derek choreographed for them was a
Quickstep/Foxtrot Fusion.
I’ve never heard of Nicole competing in “dance competitions” while growing up, unless it’s when she was a child and then it doesn’t count (just like it doesn’t for anyone else). Nicole ALSO said she wasn’t trained in dance beyond what she had to do for Pussycat Dolls, so there you go. Classes in college is pretty similar to what Rumer had – which was classes and plays. Nicole’s focus was SINGING. BOTH women went to a performing arts school where both were likely required to take dance classes, in addition to their singing and acting. Rumer’s plays which “are 99% singing/acting” – same things for Nicole. Nicole had a bit more experience, but not a ton. My point was that people blow Nicole up into this massive ringer BECAUSE she was a great dancer on DWTS – probably the best ever female on the show. But so were Brooke Burke, Kellie Pickler and Bindi Irwin – all of whom had NO dance experience. Nicole, in actuality, is less a ringer than Mya, Donny Osmond, Liz Berkley and quite a few others I could name (and when you throw in fandom, Zendaya and Meryl). She’s on par with Sabrina and Mel B. Rumer isn’t as big a ringer, but she’s not far off that group. Making her “similar” – not the SAME, but “similar”.
Rumer dropped out of performing arts school after 1 yr in 9th grade,and didn’t train in dance before, after, and not even sure during that… so still don’t see how that is similar to nicole who trained in dance as a child, teenager,in college, and as a PCD.
So I guess we will just agree to disagree.
Although Nicole was a big dance ringer, I do agree with you that she wasn’t the biggest. I think Maya topped her and my all time biggest dance ringers are meryl and charlie.
Val’s biggest drawback is his lack of creativity. Derek & Mark have him beat by miles, and secondly Val’s needs to show more humbleness than so much gruff and intense. He was the best I have seen him when he had Bindi one week and taught her that deliciously cute dance number. And, Bindi came into DWTS with no dance performing previously. She was a one in a rare time “natural.”
And, I agree with, PHeidi, that Val can’t grow if he isn’t challenged. He will stay at the level he has been; because he doesn’t see his weaknesses so he can put forth a bigger effort to tweak them up.
As far as Maks & Val, I have always enjoyed their dancing. They are excellent with other pro dancers. It’s their teaching and wanting to challenge themselves that they lack enthusiasm. Teaching in their dance studios is far different than on DWTS. They are taking a song and creating a theme and working a dance routine into that song (along w/ costumes choice/props). It’s a performance much different that teaching dance steps in a studio. It takes much more involvement of oneself as a pro dancer/teacher on the show. Remember what Mark did with Paula Dean on “Switch-up” week? And the affect that Derek had on Alexa’s insecurities and getting her to focus just on herself. There are a number of areas that a pro dancer has to cover to make the celebs dance out on the floor unique and putting them all together is was makes a masterpiece. Well, this is my thoughts, anyway.
Nicole was as much of a ringer as Sabrina, Mel B, Zendaya and Christina Milian. Mya, Meryl, Charlie, Corbin and Alfonso were bigger dance ringers.
And Nicole wasn’t “given” to Derek, she requested Derek as her partner because she loved the Futuristic Paso and what he was able to do with Joanna.
And I forgot Melissa (a Pro Cheerleader with ballet background) and Monique Coleman.
The show that Elizabeta Canalis danced on was a parody show in Italy. There is little chance, in my eye as a teacher that she has had much if any formal training. It would be more like comparing Goldie Hawns go go dancing on Laugh In as formal training.
Rumer dropped out of *college* after one year, not performing arts high school, I don’t believe. Not according to Wiki. Performing arts schools are a big deal – you learn everything. But yeah, we’ll agree to disagree. Nicole just wasn’t that big of a ringer, in reality, besides what rumer was.
And don’t forget Evan Lysack and Kristi Yamaguchi who both had dance training – way bigger than Nicole. So, we’ve named at least FIVE ringers that were bigger than Nicole – and there were probably more, including Donny Osmond who trained in BALLROOM before starting the show, in addition to his massive fanbase. All these huge ringers who didn’t have Derek as a partner. Gee. Even if you call Ricki, Amber and and Jennifer ringers (and all three had far less “training” than most of Val’s partners), and include Shawn as a ringer (and EVERYONE had a ringer that season, so I tend not to count it at all), Derek had about 5.5 ringers over the course of SIXTEEN seasons. That’s about one third of all his partners – and on par with what other pros had, except VAL who is at about 95% ringers (7 out of 8 partners).
Thanks, Geri – that SEVEN ringers who were bigger than Nicole. When you start discussing the partners like a human, suddenly Derek is a great teacher and not just handed ringers all the time.
Well, Steamboat, that’s not what I was told – and I don’t put a lot of stock in your eye, since she was only on the show two weeks, which means you saw her for all of 5 minutes. An edited 5 minutes. I had her listed as non-ringer until someone informed me otherwise.
PH, if you don’t mind my asking, who are you counting in Derek’s 5.5 ringers?
Also, while we’re listing people who were bigger ringers than Nicole, we should probably add Danica and Riker based on their past ballroom-specific dance experience.
It was high school. She dropped out of the performing arts high school- Interlochen to attend a regular one after a yr.
Totally agree with Princess Heidi. Besides Joanna, Derek had Maria Menounos (never danced/4th place) and Bethany Noel who also never danced except allegedly a few ballet kid classes. Again 4th place. Look at Mark with Sadie who never danced and came in second. It’s about adjusting your teaching style and choreo to fit the celeb. You can’t always fit a square peg in a round hole. Hence the Kate G comment to Tony (not that she wasn’t awful.) Look at NeNe’s experience with Derek v Tony. He adjusted to her and she did well and enjoyed it. Also wasn’t Val a jerk to Bindi and they never showed it? Let’s be honest and it’s very clear Val has had more ringers and less challenges than anyone on the show.
Hell yeah! I count Maria Menounos as probably the single most improved dancer in the show’s history. She came in pretty terrible and was realistically as good as Katherine Jenkins by the end, who clearly had massive natural talent. Derek changed her completely. Not to take away from her own hard work but I have my doubts about her success with any other partner. Derek has had several weak partners to begin with, and yet has never had what I’d call a bad series. Never eliminated in the first half of a season, one 6th place, one 5th and over a dozen top 4 finishes. One stupid, ridiculous thing I never realised before: Derek has never had a season without a 10. That to me is insane. I have to say, even if we say Val doesn’t usually or even often get ringers, his early seasons were pretty atrocious, out second with the controversial possible ringer Elisabetta and third with Sherri. Val has never achieved the type of transformation Derek had with Maria, Joanna, Bindi and I could go on with that list.
Sonic, I’m counting Nicole, Jennifer, Amber, Ricki, Shawn and half of Nastia – but that’s the most strict interpretation. I would really count Nicole, half Jennifer, half Amber, Half Ricki, Shawn and half Nastia. I don’t actually think Amber is a ringer at all, in terms of dancing, but I’m throwing the nuts a bone. What they don’t realize is if Ricki and Amber are ringers – so are a whole bunch of other people. Jennifer was 50+ with screws in her neck – she’s a case of ancient historical experience being outweighed by physical limitations. And if you call her a full blown ringer then Florence Henderson is one as well. 🙂 And Brandy absolutely is – she exactly the same as Jennifer on paper only 20 years younger. Same for Ricki – learning a club dance for a movie?? Hell, half the women who’ve ever been on the show would be ringers. But this is what the fanatics do when screaming hysterically about Derek’s many “ringers”.
Thanks PH. That all makes a lot of sense. I’m with you on Nicole and Shawn being Derek’s only full ringers and the other four being half ringers (if that).
I would love to see Jodie on the show. Not only because of Fuller House but because she has had such an interesting life and career with drug and marriage troubles.
A few other names I’ve been thinking of lately who I could see doing the show: Drew & Jonathan Scott (Property Brothers), Keke Palmer, Jessie J, Carly Rae Jepsen (If they’re recruiting people from Grease Live)
I will just say that most dance teachers can tell in the first couple of minutes if someone has had training, and there is really no way Elisabetta has had anything formal. To me it looked like she got a job offer due to her model body and looks. She dropped out of University studying languages to do modelling and show business, but there is no arts school in her background. An old clip from that tv show in Italy shows the type of dancing she did, if she was trained at least it would be polished. This is nothing more than a kid keeping time to music, rather awkwardly http://www.video.mediaset.it/video/striscialanotizia/vintage/450062/stacchetto-story-1999-2000.html?$p=autoplay$i=1$n=1$ck=YXV0b3N3aXRjaCwxLDAsMTAsMjAwLDQ1MjkxOSxzdHJpc2NpYWxhbm90aXppYSws
Derek had Nicole, his first big ringer, in his 6th season.
Many pros have had as big or bigger ringers earlier like Louis/Monique Coleman (watch their Rumba), Maks/Mel B, Mark/Sabrina (his 1st season), Mark/Kristi (his 2nd season), Sharna/Charlie (her 3rd season), Witney/Alfonso(her 2nd season) etc.
Nicole requested Derek after his sucessful season with Joanna and by that point he had built a reputation that led to him getting other good partners.
And he’s had Shannon Elisabeth, Joanna, Maria, Amy, Bethany and Bindi – all with minimal or no dance experience. (I’m not sure about Brooke)
If Ricki is a ringer then so is Marissa Jaret Winokur. I doubt Tony’s fans see her as a ringer.
Derek’s ringers:
1) Nicole
2) Jennifer
3) Ricki
4) Shawn
5) Amber
6) Nastia
Val’s ringers:
1) Kelly
2) Zendaya
3) Elizabeth
4) Danica
5) Rumer
Mark’s ringers:
1) Sabrina
2) Kristi
3) Shawn
4) Chelsie
5) Aly
6) Christina
So Val actually dint have ringers every season.. unless you consider model Elisabetta comedian/host Sherri (couple of DWM classes doesn’t make 1 a ringer!!) actress Janel or singer Tamar as *ringers* too! If you do, then so are the models Joanna, Shannon host Maria & singers Li’l Kim & Kellie.. 🙂
But i’m not denying Derek’s talent at all..i’ve admitted it numerous times that Derek, by far is the best pro on the show. Some of his dances with Nicole/Shawn are unforgettable. I still watch them on youtube. He is indeed the most accomplished pro/teacher on DWTS & i give him that. I admire & appreciate what he has done all over the years 🙂
Ok PDS, so if Derek and Mark had 6 ringers each and Val had 5, Mark still did 17 and Derek 16 seasons on the show and Val only 9. So 5 out of 9 is a lot.
Previous dance experience isn’t going to get you anywhere on the show unless you are able to:
1. Make a positive connection to the viewers that’s real and not just for “show”.
2. Have a genuine, non-producer manipulated connection with your partner that’s based on respect, fun and generally just liking each other.
3. Embrace the fun, silly cheesiness of the show and ride the goofy wave of glitter and sequins with humility and openness.
4. Dance well.
I truly think dancing well or being a ringer is way overrated and I can’t believe that some people still harp on the “Derek always gets ringers” nonsense. If he’s been successful with so many of his partners, it’s because he’s an amazing teacher who takes great care to guide his ladies through the process with attention to detail, intricate, personalized choreography, and an almost zen like understanding of what the audience likes to see.
A contestant on the show can be the ringiest ringer that ever rang and I still won’t vote for them if they’re not likable or I’m not transported to my happy dance place by them and their pro partner’s dancing. I like to think a lot of us are like that.
Even if you are right, PDS (and I’m thinking hell will freeze first), lets look at how ringy the ringers are, eh? Derek’s don’t even come close to touching Val’s – his have ACTUAL dance training. At least FOUR of Derek’s barely have any training at all. YOU claim that Val has had one less ringer than Derek – even if that count is correct, Derek has been on the show TWICE as long as Val. TWICE. Only a fool would not be able to do that math and realize what it means. BTW, Janel, ON HER OWN PAGE, says that she had training in jazz, tap and several other kinds of dance. ON HER web page!! I even screen capped it at the time in case she edited it. So yes, she is actually one of his biggest ringers – a bigger ringer than Ricki, Shawn, Amber or Nastia. All of Val’s partners are bigger ringers than those ladies. That’s SIX ringers out of 8 partners (and his other two partners DO have some experience, but I’m cutting you a break here). In comparison, Derek and Mark had 6 ringers over 16 and 17 partners, respectively. Do the math, honey – even calling all ringers equal (which they aren’t), Val has had more ringers than anyone else in the history of the show. Only a total idiot can really attempt to claim that Derek and Mark have had it just as good as Val.
Exactly Geri.
Brooke had no dance experience at all, Geri. Derek was well on his way to being the guy who got older (than him), sometimes married mommies until Nicole came along. Jennie (15 years-ish), Shannon (12 years), Brooke (15 years-ish), Lil kim- all women who were 12 or more years his senior. Joanna was only 6 or so years older than him, but she came with a ton of baggage and the typical model movement ability. Which was little to none. We were starting to worry that he was pigeonholed into a type, actually. Of course, after Nicole he DID go back to type with Jennifer and Ricki, and to a lesser extent, Maria. I think it was Derek himself that asked to be seriously challenged.
I remember hearing Jake and Kristyn comment the Val often gets good partners but there’s usually a “but” about them. (too intense, too insecure, not so likable…I think they were alluding to), and a couple of Marks have had “but”s about them ie Christina, Alexa so they don’t do as well as maybe could be expected, also say for Tony someone like Chyna…
One reason I think Derek is successful is that he’s somehow able to eliminate the “but” factor so many times. He helps them be more secure, more likeable, less desperate…by making them look good, by making the outcome of the dance be HIS responsibility, and their challenges not be his excuse…
That’s true jess, I think it was particularly obvious with Joanna.
Her season had the biggest cast ever (16 celebs) and included Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne, Aaron Carter and Mya. Joanna was an unknown and could’ve easily been perceived as an unrelatable self-absorbed pretty girl but Derek always made fun of the sexy factor and talked about how much of a hard worker she is. That and his choreography made her look good and she always had so much fun with Derek which radiated from her. In a recent interview she said that Derek made her experience amazing.
And Nicole had some serious desperate intensity and perfectionism about her like Nick but Derek always reminded her to relax and have fun and explained to the audience that she is just struggling with the expectations everyone has of her (see Samba package).
PDS #44 — Then what is the point of all this discussion? I agree that Derek’s talent is what makes the difference, is really the reason that he’s been able to take 6 contestants, ringers and non-ringers alike, to win the MBT. Conversely, it’s been Val’s lack of something that has kept his partners from winning, except for the one time TPTB heavy-lifted him and Rumer to a win. What proposition is supported by finding, say, that Derek, over 16 seasons, had 1 more ringer than Val did in 9 seasons? Derek would have had to have had 9 ringers over 16 seasons to match Val’s 5 over 9 seasons percentage. And even that wouldn’t have given Derek an advantage, it would just equal out the odds. So I ask again, what is the point?
Suzy, the whole discussion started because for some reason people think that Val and Mark deserve another ringer (like Jodie) but Derek doesn’t…
Most of Derek’s good partners have had “but”s as well, but as Jess says he is good at hiding them. And he takes responsibility – which is huge.
You’ll notice, in addition to what Jess and Geri both say, that Derek is a little different with every partner. He adapts to THEM and their personality – with Joanna he sure looked like a guy with a big crush, with Bindi he was the loving big brother, with Maria he was the extremely flirtatious but totally not serious guy, with Nicole he was the “work hard like Nicole needed, but get her to relax and remember the camera is always on” guy, he made Amber laugh a lot…he very clearly adapts to them and their needs instead of expecting them to conform to him and his “style” – which is clearly a chmerkovskiy trait.
One of the funniest and SMARTEST things Derek ever did was create a little song for Nicole and sing it with her all the time, “the camera’s really on me now”. If that’s not extremely telling about how smart Derek is about that show and how he informs his partners, nothing is.
Thank you Geri.
I don’t think either Derek or Mark cares one bit about getting a ringer. I think Mark actually said what matters is that his partner be open to the whole experience and willing to put in the work. A ringer is not necessarily either of those things. And Derek just had maybe the biggest and most meaningful win of all with a complete non-ringer. As for Val, there doesn’t seem to be any good reason to anticipate a result with the next ringer that is different from the results with all the ringers who went before — except, of course, the one where TPTB had their finger on the scale. Now getting another one of those for Val — THAT would be a game changer.
One of the most glaring examples of a ringer with a good pro vs. the wrong pro was Gilles. Everyone expected he would shine with Peta the way he did with Cheryl, but she didn’t know how to rein him in. I always saw Cheryl as the most savvy female pro (with Kym a close second), but that brought it home for me. I see Derek and Val in that same vein. Val is an exquisite dancer, but has a long way to go before he can walk in Derek’s shoes as a DWTS pro. He and his fam have whined so much that their fans have bought the sob story that Derek gets all the good partners. The truth is he knows how to win.
Except that Gilles wasn’t a ringer at all, as I recall. The second time you could call him one because of his first season – but everyone that season you could call a ringer. But your point is well taken, beside that. 🙂
Funny how last season Val quickly said “I got a good one yo” (something in that line) pertaining to his partner, Tamar. He knew she CAN dance. While Derek said zero and instead focusing on training Bindi how to dance and told her to practice wearing heels because the girl only wear sneakers. And look how it turn out to be. You don’t have to be smart to know why Val could only win when tptb had their hands on it even after he’s been handed really good partners previously. Isn’t it so obvious that he’s NEVER been challenged? Has he ever been with someone like Amy? If the answer is no, then there shouldn’t be any arguments how many times Derek gets ringer.
This is what I just read from a student at OSU where Derek came to talk and teach (found out from PDH, btw), she wrote, “He was so easy to talk to and from that moment on I knew I was going to kill it on on the dance floor.” Derek know how to approach people with different dance background. He has compassion and passion in what he does. That’s why he’s so successful. When other pro/s doubted Amy, he proved them wrong. In a big way. I think one of his best choreo came out during that season.
Mark said in Switch up S18 that working with Amy was one of the biggest challenges he’s ever faced on the show. I don’t think anyone else but him could have handled Amy in Switch up because he didn’t hesitate to go to Derek for advise on how to teach her. Derek basically invented teaching technique for her. If Val had gotten her in Switch up he would have never asked Derek for advise and it probably would have ended up being a disaster and crashing her confidence. Like he crashed Danica’s confidence by week 2 because he was pushing her too hard to be competitive.