Pure Dancing With The Stars 2016 Emmy Nomination Predictions
Coming up on Thursday, July 14th, is the nominations for the 2016 Emmy Awards. Question: Which dances or performances from Dancing With The Stars do you think should be nominated? Keep in mind that ALL of Dancing With The Stars Season 21 and Season 22 are eligible for an Emmy Award (May 2nd was the deadline, but, we think there are exceptions to the rule for shows and performances that take place until May 31st). So, we’re assuming all of season 22 is eligible, but we could be wrong?). If you’d like to read the rules and procedures for the 2016 Emmy Awards, you can do so at Emmys.com. So, with all that said, let us know in comments for which dances you think should be nominated. You can also include dances and performances from other TV shows or specials if you like. Below are our predictions:
Vogue:
1.) The Trio dance with Derek, Bindi Irwin, and Mark Ballas – I thought this dance was off the hook. It was so creative, unique and original. Derek and Mark were masterful with their choreography. As for Bindi, it was like she was a Pro with them. Just excellent.
2.) The Halloween Argentine Tango with Bindi Irwin and Derek – This dance left my jaw on the floor. It was full of unstoppable fierceness and creativity. The costumes and their facial expressions were so haunting. They out their all into and then some. Watching this over again, I still can’t believe what I saw out there. Unbelievable.
3.) The Fox Trot with Bindi and Derek – Once again, I was amazed. I loved the sleek and cool moves. I loved the classy and elegant fashion with Fedoras. Once more, Derek found this way to incorporate Michael Jackson moves and feel to it all. Just magnificent.
4. Mark Ballas and Paige VanZant’s Paso Doble – How awesome was this? Leave it to Mark to come up with a fighting scene for a Paso Doble. There was so much power and they told her story so well. Such cool costumes too.
5.) Lindsey Arnold and Alek Skarlatos Contemporary – What a beauty this was and told in such a “heroic” way. I loved all the amazing lifts. Lindsey just amazes me with what she comes up with.
6.) Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess “Downton Abbey” Waltz – I thought this dance was their very best last season. I loved how theatrical it was. They were so into their parts. So lovely…
7.) Peta Murgatroyd and Nyle DiMarco’s Freestyle – I’m not sure on the choreographer for this dance, but, wow, I was mystified with the complete performance. I hadn’t been this moved since Derek Hough was on Dancing With The Stars the season before.
Heidi: I love how kind Vogue is. 🙂 I think, at MOST, two nominations will come out of DWTS. While I would love to see Derek get a solo nomination this time around (and several of his dances with Bindi are worthy, IMO), I don’t think it will happen. As much as I love the Foxtrot, Quickstep and the Charleston, the Academy doesn’t like ballroom very much. Ever since SYTYCD has been around, Derek, Mark and Julianne (and one for Witney) are the only ones to get nominations, and half of those are contemporary/Jazz dances. I think that Derek and Mark will get a nomination for the Jazz Trio that Vogue listed above. IF Derek snags a solo nomination, the week 4 contemporary, foxtrot and quickstep are the three in his package that I would guess. But I don’t think it’s going to happen. 🙂
I also agree that whoever choreographed Peta and Nyle’s dance may get the second nomination. The only question for me is if they’ll include Peta. That decision was likely made by the producers and I would guess yes.
BUT, as per usual, DWTS has to compete with the totally sans ballroom SYTYCD. And they are still competition. I would be shocked if Travis Wall and Mandy Moore aren’t up there for their contemporary routines, but I think the Emmy just might go to Phoenix and Pharside for routines like this one:
Since this is a DWTS site – and I couldn’t begin to guess what else they might have in their three dance package, I’ll leave it at that. I will also add that after watching Mandy Moore’s contemporary for Gaby and Robert, I’m no longer so sure that Nyle and Peta’s will gain a nomination (or Derek/Mark won’t, but I can’t believe they would go that Contemporary heavy). This is certainly a harder dance:
Then there’s Travis Wall. He did a good contemporary with Jenna Dewan Tatum last season. And that was just one dance. Every year there is one nomination from outside either DWTS or SYTYCD and this year I have to wonder if Travis will get one for the Disneyland 60 work he did. Very possible. It’s also very possible that it could be a Derek/Travis nomination for this:
There was no one credited for the choreography for that dance in the show credits – believe me I looked. The only choreo credit I saw was for Travis in an earlier part of the show. Weird. But someone choreographed this and it was awesome. If anything from that show gets a nom, it should be this one.
Courtney: Admittedly, I did not watch SYTYCD last season (or the season before…and I think I checked out pretty early in the season before that, too), so I have really little to no clue what the climate is for possible Emmy noms for DWTS this season – but I’m going to be optimistic and say that we might eke out two, like we did last year. More likely, we’ll get one (as has usually been the pattern), but for the sake of this post, I’m gonna operate under the assumption that we COULD get two. So based on that, I think our best shot lies with Bindi, Derek, & Mark’s jazz trio – that’s the only dance from the past two seasons that I think might be able to hang with some of the contemporary & jazz routines that are bound to get nominated from SYTYCD. I don’t know that it has a hope & a prayer of winning, but it could get a nom for Derek & Mark. My other “outside chance” picks? Some of Mark’s routines for Paige this season – remember how we’ve explained that it’s really, really hard to get nominated on DWTS for a dance that is not done with a fantastic dancer? I think Paige is the only other contestant (besides Bindi) in the past two seasons that had a high enough level of technically-skilled choreography and performance quality to make the Academy sit up and take notice. If I had to guess, I think Paige’s paso, Viennese waltz, and Argentine tango are probably the strongest, choreography-wise and performance-wise – but whether or not they actually get a nod will depend on how many spots are realistically left after SYTYCD gets their usual 4-5 noms. And as for my “outside-outside-only-might-happen-if-SYTYCD’s-submissions-are-particularly-weak-and-the-Academy-is-in-a-generous-mood” pick – I’m actually going to go with Lindsay’s quickstep for Carlos in season 21 and possibly her Charleston for Wanya this past season. She’s not at Derek and Mark’s level – yet – but I think she’s on her way there. Both routines were pretty solid – maybe a tad safe for an Emmy nod, but certainly progress. Problem is, I’m not sure how much of those two routines was actually her choreography – Lindsay’s been pretty open about using an outside choreographer. I doubt anyone wants a repeat of last summer’s Emmygate surrounding Witney’s nomination…so we may see that becoming a bigger and bigger obstacle for DWTS nominations in the coming years. As for any routines with Nyle – I actually think the chances for any of those getting nominated are slim to none, for a lot of the same reasons I explained about Sharna’s routines for Noah in the post I linked to: the appeal of most of Nyle’s routines was that it was incredible that he was able to do them so well, despite his disability – but if you take that away, the routines are not particularly innovative or ground-breaking, and the Academy is able to remove the emotional aspect of Nyle’s deafness from their decision when picking Emmy-worthy routines. And that’s fine – not every routine we see on DWTS needs to be Emmy-worthy. A routine can absolutely be enjoyable and worthwhile to watch and not necessarily be Emmy material. His freestyle? Eh, maybe – but I’ve got an inkling that the routine may have had multiple choreographers that could muddy the water a bit, and I don’t think it could stand up to most of the contemporary routines we’ve seen from Travis Wall or Mia Michaels in the past. Once again, I’m left using the “if he wasn’t deaf, would I still be as wowed by the routine?” litmus test here – and the bulk of his routines just aren’t holding up. And just as one more “food for thought” side note – is it possible that we may see a nomination out of Grease: Live? I actually didn’t watch, so I don’t know how good (or bad) the choreography was, but that production just seemed so buzzed-about that I wouldn’t be terribly shocked to see one of the dance numbers from it on the list of nominees.
Hello, everyone!
I agree with all the dances you mentioned, even with the slight chance of Lindsey betting for a nod.
I want to add one more dance to the conversation: how about the tango that Derek did with Alexa during the switch up week. I thought it was amazing, with a lot of content and, as a performance, it was mesmerizing. I think that could be another chance for a solo nod for Derek.
I agree with all the dances you all mentioned. If it were up to me, Derek would get a solo nomination for his Contemporary, Foxtrot and Quickstep with Bindi, and Derek and Mark would get a nomination for their Jazz with Bindi and their Charleston with Alexa and Bindi. In my wildest dreams, Mark would get a nomination for his Paso and Argentine Tango with Paige as well.
Court- I’m not sure how everyone else feels about it, but I’m pretty certain that Zach Woodlee will get a nomination for Grease Live. If you haven’t seen it, I’m pretty sure it’s on Netflix if you want to watch and decide for yourself!
hmmmmm I’ve been thinking about his: for Dwts I would say:
Derek hough: Bindi’s contempo, foxtrot,(VW;AT or Free style)
Mark ballas: Paige’s Paso, VW, (freestyle,salsa redo or Quiquestep) I would add alexia’s contempo but he might get it with alan salazar.
Mark and derek: Bindi’s jazz and the chicago number duo (maybe)
Sharna: Nick’s contempo, quickstep(I love it) and jazz I guess(long shot for her though IMO)
I would add Nyle’s Free Style but it was a “Meh” for me besides the choreographer had a better dance with SYTYCD (edson and megz’s contemporary was breathtaking and really creative with the shirts)
speaking of SYTYCD :
Travis wall: A team stage ghost number was out of this world and he had other numbers as well like the one he was part of
Mandy moore: the arms of an angel and another two routines( I didn’t care for but she might win, this would be her 5th nom if…)
sonya tayeh:team’s stage contempo(insane), team’s stage jazz (earth intruders) and Yorelis and Jim’s jazz( I think she has a strong chance, a lot thought she was robbed last year this would be her 3rd nom)
tessandra chavez:alzheimer’s dance and team stage give me love number.
phoenix and pharside : Virgil and Hailee’s robot dance, Gaby & Joshua’s geisha dance and the carnaval dance.
there are others like Christopher Scott’s lyrical hip hop and some Broadway routines but I’m tired of typing 😛
that’s my guess 😀
Totally forgot about Grease Live. I didn’t think the choreo was all that, although the production itself was great. I do wonder if he will get a nom based on that more than the choreo.
Ivan, if the Tango with Alexa is included by Derek, it would bump out one of the dances with Bindi – if that’s the case I would substitute it for the quickstep, leaving him with Tango, Foxtrot and Contemporary.
That said, I don’t think any ballroom dances from DWTS are going to make the cut.
These are just my personal thoughts, not having any real idea what the emmys looks for. You guys noted their aversion to ballroom, so a lot of these probably would be too ballroom heavy.
IMO, if there was only one nomination from DWTS, I would pick Paige and Mark. The VW, Paso, and A. Tango would be my picks. Overall, that partnership had my favorite dances in the last two seasons and Paige was a really strong dancer.
Other contenders:
1. Mark, Derek, and Bindi (like everyone else has said this dance was incredible)
2. Derek and Bindi- the VW and her first Contemporary (and Alexa’s tango)
3. Lindsay and Wanya- Samba, Foxtrot, maybe the Charleston (I have no idea if she choreographed these herself)
I can also see Nyle’s freestyle getting in
I really, really wish they still did the pro numbers so we would have those to consider.
Thanks Vogue, Heidi, and Court for this! I wrote out a long post, but the website seems to have eaten it (it’s not listed as awaiting moderation) so I’ll just try to summarize it now.
For DWTS: I think it will be Derek/Mark for Bindi’s Trio, and possibly Derek or Mark with a 2nd nomination (and I generally agree with the dances Heidi and Court said would be included in their submissions).
For SYTYCD: I think the most likely nominees are Phoenix/Pharside (only question is “for which dances?”), Mandy Moore, Tessandra Chavez (for the two dances they each did last season, one each of which was especially high quality Emmy-bait), and Travis Wall (I’m sure his “Ghost Light” routine for Team Stage in Top 16 Week is in his submission, less sure of which other dances are in there).
For Disneyland 60: I discovered from poking around instagram at the time that Nick Florez and RJ Durell choreographed “Step in Time” (no idea why that wasn’t listed in the end-credits), so I would imagine that they would get the nomination for that.
For Grease: Live: FWIW, Kristyn Burtt thinks it’s going to WIN the choreography Emmy, and she discussed her reasoning in a post on her new(ish) website a few weeks ago, if anyone is interested. I think it could get nominated, and IMO, the most impressive dances from Grease: Live were “Grease Lightning” and “Hand Jive” (the later of which was described as a “giant math problem” that Julianne said she was glad she had no part in having to choreograph).
Here’s the DWTS routines I actually watched that I think deserve a nod:
1. The Trio dance AKA the lightbulb dance
with Derek, Bindi Irwin, and Mark Ballas
2. Mark Ballas and Paige VanZant’s “Cage Match”Paso Doble
3. Nyle and Peta’s Sound of Silence” Freestyle
and the Mary Poppins Step in Time routine
from the Disney 60th Anniversary show
I think Grease has a better shot in other categories and while I didn’t see SYTYCD the two clips above lead me to believe it will at least get a nod.
As much as I’d like to see Lindsay be nominated, I’m still positive that she’s not quite as good as Derek or Mark, give her another year, and I might say otherwise. Even so, I would like her to get a small nod. As for the outside choreography thing, I checked on Alan Salazar’s Instagram, he claimed that he helped Lindsay with the Jazz number, and the Charlestown, but I’m not sure about any of the others. Last year’s ‘Emmy-gate’ really made me annoyed with this Alan Salazar dude, don’t do the same thing this year. I think Mark and Derek are going to get a nod, and I’m really up in the air for the second one, its really between Lindsay, Mark, and Derek.
I agree with all the dances listed. I believe Travis will get a nomination. Probably for his dance with Jenna but maybe that is because I liked it so much. 🙂
If Nyle and Peta’s freestyle is nominated I think DWTS will absolutely make sure that Peta is on the ballot. They’ll get more mileage publicity out of it if she is on it.
On a personal note (and this is just my opinion), I hope Mandy Moore isn’t nominated this year. I find most of her work boring. I’d love to see her replaced on DWTS.
Kristyn Burtt pointed out that Nyle and Petas freestyle is not eligible for a nomination this year because the cut off date was before the finale (think it was the 18th of May) so that won’t be happening this year.
Only two dances I’m pretty sure will get a nomination is Mandy Moore’s angel and Derek/Mark trio. I wish Mandy Moore would get to choreograph contemporaries on the show for pro numbers with the SYTYCD alums, she excels at that.
Sarah, as we wrote, there are exceptions for shows that run until May 31st. So, Nyle and Peta’s Freestyle would be eligible.
Oh ok sorry didn’t see that part, was just going off what Kristyn tweeted. Would be interesting then that if Peta got nominated also how she would handle that if Talia indeed did do most of the choreo.
I hate to break it to you, but Kristyn is no more an authority on all things dance than we are. In fact ANYONE can read the Emmy rules as they are posted on the Emmy website – that’s where I read them every single year. IF Kristyn were indeed correct on this issue, Derek and Julianne would not have been eligible for their last Emmy – which was performed on May 19th of LAST year – AFTER the cutoff date for last year.
We were of the belief that the last two episodes for the spring seasons were likely not eligible also, although we were aware of some work arounds. The work arounds include submitting a dance that is in the planning stages then withdrawing if it doesn’t work out like you expect, Peta (for example) could submit three OTHER dances and then substitute in the finale dance if she liked it better, OR just petitioning the academy for a performance on a live show that falls before May 31st, but after the submission deadlines. The rules very clearly say that you can do these things – clearly, Derek and Julianne did just that.
Kind of insulting to come to a site where we’ve been discussing these things for YEARS, and that has sources as good as other people’s sources, and tout someone else as more of an expert. Just sayin’.
Mandy’s work on DWTS IS boring, edee, I agree. But her work on SYTYCD is much better – at times anyway.
This is the hard & fast rule about “co-choreographer” credits: unless there was a formal contract signed between the show and the outside choreographer, the outside choreographer’s name may NOT appear on the nomination – that’s an Academy rule. So if Talia had a written contract to help Peta choreograph Nyle’s freestyle, both Peta & Talia’s name would appear on the nomination; if there was no formal contract (Talia was “ghosting”, even if Peta openly stated she got help from her), only Peta’s name goes on the nomination.
Alan Salazar’s little tantrum last year during Emmygate really kinda changed the ghosting game at DWTS – it was called “ghosting” because it was confidential; you came in, you choreographed something off-site for a couple, you collected your fee, you went on your way, and you kept your mouth shut. Now, given that Alan announces loud & clear for all to hear whenever he’s helping a couple, it’s basically a misnomer – because I doubt DWTS is writing up weekly contracts for him to help couples 1, 2, 3, etc. with their routines and also footing the bill (which is what would need to happen in order for his name to appear on the nomination). He’s a noisy ghost…he’s a poltergeist 😛 I hereby move to enter the term “poltergeist” into the PureDWTS Lexicon: a choreographer that is hired to “ghost” choreograph a routine, but won’t shut up about it on social media.
The rules also stated that to be part of a team there had to be a “significant contribution” – in this case to the choreography. If someone else did Peta’s entire routine for her and Nyle, she can’t be included. Now, odds are good that she DID have a significant contribution – she’s Nyle’s partner after all. Not to mention that “significant” in this case is undefined. Even if Alan were paid, it would be up to the producers (or Witney) to determine if his contribution met the criteria of “significant”. With all the noise he’s made, I would bet the odds of him getting a contract with the show (and tying their hands when it comes to nominations by being a loud mouth) are slim and none.
Another rule that I noticed yesterday when I was reading them for the 500th time is that in order to be eligible for an Emmy you have to be CREDITED in the show credits. It made me wonder about Disneyland 60 and if Travis is the only one eligible. Perhaps there is a longer list of credits that what are shown on screen?
From past experiences I think they look for uniqueness Something different than anything else I agree with most all dances mentioned but I think Bindi, Derek and Mark’s trio dance is exactly what they are looking for. Possibly Paige and Mark’s Viennesse Waltz
I really think Derek is the one the will get the nod for DWTS this yr esp for his dancing with Bindi. Also possible for that Disney 60th number.We will see Thursday I will admit also think that robert number from sytycd will get the nod. That was a really good number from that other show. I also feel that Grease and Wiz musical will be in the spots for Emmy choreo nods as well.
I would love to see Grease get something. Though not sure if it will be for choreo. Instead, I think it will be for Production, Set Design, music production, and maybe something for acting or casting.
@Heidi – Re: Disneyland 60, FWIW Nick and RJ are credited as choreographers on its imdb page.
That’s cool sonic – I’d like to see it get a nom either way. FWIW, teams are limited to two members so if Derek and Travis (he also danced in it) even tweaked it, it would still be just the two main guys.
I wonder if IMDB counts?
I’m personally hoping that Paige and marks waltz, bindi and the guys trio, and wanya and Lindsay’s charleston are nominated as well. The one dance that I had on my short list that probably doesn’t have a shot but I’m going to pray for this one to happen too: Paige and marks jive.
@Heidi #22 – Aren’t the teams capped at three people, not two? Elastic Heart had Derek, Julianne, and Tessandra; and the nomination from when Shaping Sound performed on DWTS in Season 14 also had three people (Travis and two of the other co-founders). Either way, Derek and Travis couldn’t BOTH be on the nomination, and I suspect neither of them will be. I’m pretty sure Nick and RJ also choreographed at least one other dance on Disneyland 60, but I can’t remember which one it was. I do hope that “Step in Time” gets a nomination, regardless of who’s name is on it. 🙂
Definitely all of Derek’s and Bindi’s should be nominated and Mark and Paige’s
The only dance I could envision getting a nod was Bindi’s trio with Derek and Mark. That was so out of the box and packed a punch. With Nyles, remove the burning piano and I think his routine was pretty basic. If his personal challenge was the Emmy draw then I’d say it might be nominated. In reference to the choreo, I recall Peta said contemporary is a style she’s not familiar with so a nod in her favor would indeed be an interesting twist. As for Mark, I would be pleasantly surprised if he got a nod for his work with Alexa or Paige. He put out some really good work, but I didn’t think it was unique enough for a top prize.
Derek, Julianne, AND Tessandra were all credited and they ALL won an Emmy last year for the same dance, so, unless the rules have changed, the ‘teams’ are not limited to 2 choreographers. And Peta said, in the package before her/Nyle’s freestyle, that she doesn’t do contemporary so she had someone else choreograph it. Wouldn’t it be odd for her to submit that dance for nomination since she said, on TV, in public, that she didn’t do it…?
No Laurie, it wouldn’t be odd. Just the fact that Peta and Nyle danced in it and if the dance won would be a great honor and make them visible and give them exposure, etc. Plus, the fact that she and Nyle danced in it and helped the show win an Emmy for something would be a credit to her/them.
I think Mark has a good shot at getting a well deserved Emmy nod.
I do agree that the nomination committee doesn’t value ballroom choreography as much as they do other styles. Ignorant twits.
Just because a dance is contemporary doesn’t automatically make it good. I’ve seen some absolutely awful, derivative, going through the motions contemporaries on SYTYCD. Speaking of which, for the first time in all it’s seasons, I’m not watching this summer.
In my opinion, DWTS hiring Mandy Moore was a pretty awful decision. There are plenty of fantastic choreographers out there that can create dances that both reference and respect ballroom while fusing other dance styles seamlessly.
Her constant tarting up the female pros choreography annoys the crap out of me. It’s like she has no idea how to showcase these wonderful ballroom females, so she defaults to bump and grind, hair flinging moves constantly.
Grease Live will probably get a nod. My favorite dance sequence was the school dance in the gym. That was a masterful, exciting sequence that although the dancing and choreography was great, owed more to the downright amazing directing and staging. The way the camera seemed to swoop around the floor spotlighting couples then moved seamlessly onto the next couple was incredible. It was like the camera was a dancer too.
Just a bit of a PSA: some of you are coming across a bit snooty in some of your responses. Not sure if that’s your intention, but maybe try to avoid sounding like a complete know-it-all that’s here to correct everyone’s errors…you’ll tend to get a much kinder response if you don’t waltz in and act like you are the authority on all things Emmy.
Laurie, I HIGHLY doubt that Peta didn’t choreograph ANY of Nyle’s freestyle – I recommend you read this post I did about outside choreographers and how, despite how black and white some viewers seem to think it is, just because a pro uses an outside choreographer does NOT mean that they had no hand in choreographing their celeb’s routine. They are still very much a part of the process, and it would be silly for them to completely hand the reigns over to an outside choreographer who does not know their partner’s strengths and weaknesses as well as they themselves do. Pretty sure Heidi said this very clearly already.
Maybe they’ve changed it, Sonic – I just read the other day the cap was two. Of course, the rules also say you can petition the academy for another member to be included if their contribution was significant. There are ways around every rule. As there should be, when talking about creative stuff, I think.
Geez, Laurie, no need to be such a bitch. The rules say two people – you can go read them for yourself instead of being a bitch here and having them spoonfed to you.
As for Peta, that dance was very likely submitted for an Emmy with the actual choreographer AND Peta. Just because she had help doesn’t mean she didnt’ have a contribution. She knows Nyle, what he can and can’t do and so on. I would call her contribution significant – and so would the academy, I imagine.
Gee…I didn’t know that Derek and Julianne won an Emmy with Tessandra Chavez. Thanks for clearing that up for me. :::rolls eyes:::
I have to go with Courtney – but harsher, and say that some of you are acting like assholes.
WHO SAID that just because a dance was contemporary that it was automatically good, Hmmm? Point to the post where that was said, please.
Also explain to me how saying Mandy did some good work on SYTYCD equates to her being a good choice for DWTS. Now please.
@Heidi #31 – Thanks for the clarification. I haven’t read the rules in enough detail to know, so I was just going off what I knew of past nominations. Either possibility (rule change or petitioning) sounds plausible to me.
I’m not sure if I’m one of the people Heidi and Court were referring to in the “comment nicer/less know-it-all-ish” comments, but if I am, I’m sorry. That was not my intention at all.
You’re not, sonic. You’ve been nothing but polite.
Glad to hear it. 🙂 Thank you Mods for all your hard work keeping the comments section enjoyable for everyone.
I’m not sure if my comment about “just because it’s a contemporary doesn’t mean it’s good” caused problems?
I was referring to the Emmy people falling over themselves to nominate medium to below par work from SYTYCD contemporary choreographers over lovely ballroom choreography from DWTS.
Sorry for any confusion.
Sometimes it kind of feels like The Emmy’s think ballroom choreography is the red headed stepchild that no one wants to sit next to at the holiday dinner table so they move him to the kiddie table in the other room.
Derek winning two choreography Emmys has more to do with him having a better understanding of other dance styles besides just ballroom and him being able to utilize that knowledge and incorporate it into his work. Also, he’s just so good even award shows can’t deny it.
I think Derek could get a solo nomination for Bindi’s Foxtrot (since it was more Broadway than Ballroom) and Bindi’s Contemporary (since he was nominated for Amy’s). And I’m really, really hoping for a shared nomination with Mark for Bindi’s Jazz.
It will be most interesting to see what happens once SYTYCD is inevitably cancelled. There is no requirement to nominate ANYTHING for choreography. I suspect that the number of dances nominated will just go down, severely. Unless Derek finds his way back to DWTS…which I doubt.
When SYTYCD finally kicks the bucket (and it may be sooner rather than later – it looks like the ratings so far this season are about the same as last season, which were dismal), I think we all better hope and pray that Mark continues to churn out good choreography and Lindsay continues to improve, because they seem to be the only choreographic hope for DWTS anymore. I don’t see Val suddenly abandoning the patented Chmerkovskiy method of wasting time walking from place to place (and why would he – he’s been praised for it time and again), and Sharna seems to have lost some of her sparkle since splitting from Paul. Allison might be able to get a nom for something more jazz/contemporary-ish, but if this past season was any indicator, the choreographic talent pool dried up significantly with Derek’s departure.
I don’t see SYTYCD lasting another season. It appears to me that this season was a last ditch effort to salvage it.
Maybe the Hairspray Live will have something to offer up for next year? I’m really looking forward to it. Derek Hough and Kristen Chenoweth on the same show. Can’t wait.
It’s kinda like Derek was a motivating force, not to mention serious competition. Without him around, Mark and Lindsay are the only two who still feel motivated to turn out some seriously creative dances.
As much as I love Mark, I’d like for them to kind of clean house and bring in a bunch more new pros. They’d be hungry to prove themselves and maybe give the audience something they haven’t seen (at least in a while).
They probably would never do that because the older pros are the ones who keep the viewers coming back. There are some die hard fans out there.
I finally caught an episode of sytycd this season last night and to be honest I’m very fifty fifty on it. These kids are amazing but I’m not sold on the dance with your all star thing. Maddie seems nice. sidenote, where have I seen ruby before becuase she looks so familiar.
Hit submit too early: I feel bad for saying it but I kinda wish they didn’t go the kid route. As great as they are I miss the way it used to be in the earlier seasons.
I couldn’t agree more about Mark and Lindsay. Sometimes I worry on DWTS! They seriously need to find a way to get Derek back atleast as a creative director to do pro numbers. I still can’t believe they didn’t have him do atleast one pro dance last season.
And Molly, I’d like to see some new pros too. After seeing Edyta’s show (which included International dancers from all over), DWTSRussia, and SCD, I was floored with the other talent out there that makes some of the Pros we have now look lame in comparison.
@Heidi – Out of curiosity, are you predicting that Derek would have submitted Bindi’s Week 4 Contemporary instead of her Freestyle (or both)? When the season ended I was thinking that the Freestyle would be the more likely submission because it packs a similar emotional punch (I actually cried more from it than the Week 4 Contemporary) and is a more technically difficult dance.
Sorry, my comment should say “why are you predicting…”
Be a bit more optimistic, yeah, season 22 was a bit of a disaster with the choreography, but I thought Sasha had a lot of potential, I’m just hoping he gets a good partner to show it, same with Karina, she gave great choreography for Doug, he just wasn’t the best dancer. If TPTB decide to give them good partners, I think there still may be hope for DWTS. As for the others, if they take the time to think about what they’re doing wrong, and try to fix it, and put serious thought into choreography, they all could improve drastically.
Like Alison, I’m trying to be optimistic on choreo. I agree with everyone about Mark and Lindsay killing the game, although I’m holding out hope for Sharna that she comes back to form with someone more committed than Antonio. Maybe her boyfriend did have a lot to do with it, but I hope not because I have loved her choreo in previous seasons. Karina is another pro who’s choreo I’ve enjoyed alot, she just really hasn’t had a partner make it far in a while. I would also love to see Kym back- she usually got it right for her partners, IMO.
I’m also really interested in what Sasha does. I don’t feel like he’s been around enough as a pro for me to get a full view of his ability, but I really liked some of his dances with Kim. He also seems like a guy with no ego who’s willing to learn, adapt, and grow- which is a big plus in my books.
Chayse, I agree on Sasha. We haven’t seen enough of him yet to really see what he can do. And I agree that he doesn’t have an ego. I love that.
Same, I love Sasha’s personality, and I think he has a lot of potential.
I just thought the Week 4 Contemporary had more to it than the Finale one did. Either one would be great, I guess. I liked the feel of the first one, with the hopping and the lighting.
“Thought” is the exact opposite of what you need to be a great choreographer, IMO. You need to be creative and inspired…something that I’ve only really seen from Derek, Mark, Lindsay and Allison (in her genre, particularly). Derek and Mark both have given great, Emmy worthy choreography to NOT great partners – Joanna Krupa for one. When you can do THAT, then you’ll be a great choreographer.
Fair enough. Both are amazing dances. I hope he gets a solo nomination (although I’m not holding my breath) and we get to find out what he submitted.
Another dance that I would love to see included is Bindi’s VW. I understand that it likely wasn’t submitted due to its stylistic simplicity and the known anti-ballroom Emmy bias, but it might be my favourite dance he’s ever choreographed (it’s possible that part of my love of the dance is everything that happened around it with the song).
I’d freak out if Nick and Sharna’s VW was nominated. IMO their Contemporary could have a chance of snagging a nomination too.
@Vin – You probably recognize Ruby from America’s Got Talent – she & her partner, Jonas, made it to the live shows about 3 seasons ago, and the season prior to that, she was part of that salsa group The Untouchables. Her older brother is D’Angelo of D’Angelo & Amanda, who also made it to the live shows the same season Ruby & Jonas were on, and they were both in the Miami All-Stars (with D’Angelo’s parents, Manny & Laurie) two seasons before that, and they ended up winning that short-lived Paula Abdul dance show several years ago. So she actually has a lot of on-screen experience, which is unusual for her only being 11. I’d love to see her win SYTYCD. What I wanna know is why Joshua Allen pulled out of being an all-star at the last minute…anyone know the story there?
@Molly – The issue I have with a whole new crop of pros is that there seems to be such an entitlement mentality amongst so many of the newer pros on DWTS these days that none of them seem to want to actually put in the work, and yet expect to win MBT’s, get nominated for Emmy’s, get acting gigs, etc. simply because they’re on DWTS. Mark, Derek, & Julianne joined the show back when it was more of a grind, and I think their work ethic is what really got them places – they paid their dues and got rewarded for it. Very few, if any, of the newer pros (and I would consider a “newer” pro anyone that became a pro after season 5 – there was very little turnover amongst the pros from seasons 5-12, and season 13 was the first influx of “new” pros we got in several seasons) seem willing to put in the effort to achieve what Derek, Mark, & Julianne have – it’s as if some of them just think they deserve all the same perks that those three have earned, simply because they’re pros. So my argument against “cleaning house” is that there wouldn’t be any OG’s left to up the level of competition or show the newbs how it’s REALLY done. Just a bunch of hotshots that all embody millenial entitlement.
@Chayse & Alison – Sasha has potential, yes – but I find that Sasha tends to play it far too safe with his choreo, which is problematic. He could improve, sure – or he could turn into the next Tony. Time will tell, I guess. And I absolutely agree with Heidi – you can’t sit around waiting for the perfect partner to materialize before whipping out your Emmy-worthy choreo, or use the excuse “I haven’t gotten the right partner yet” as an explanation. Derek managed to get nominated with a double amputee that everyone thought was going to be terrible and would FINALLY prevent him from making it to the finale. If you’re truly good at what you do, you will find a way. Blaming the show runners for “not giving [insert pro here] a good partner” just seems like a big cop-out.
@Bia – I find that most theme-week dances don’t get nominated – maybe because they aren’t terribly unique – so that would probably rule out Nick’s VW. The contemporary choreography was good, but Nick was pretty heavy on his feet in that one – not sure it could realistically compete with contemporary routines danced on SYTYCD by professional dancers.
It IS a cop out, Courtney – a huge one. Hell, certain pros HAVE been given great partners time after time and yet can do nothing with them. Derek takes Joanna Krupa – a model who moved so badly when he first got her that he told his dad they wouldn’t last two weeks – and gives her choreography that was so different and unique that it got him an Emmy nomination AND lead to some of his best partners asking for him (Nicole, Jennifer, among others). It is my personal opinion that it was that ONE dance – the futuristic paso – that started Derek on his path to having an amazing body of work. Combine that creative spark with a very solid work ethic, drive, charisma and talent and the rest is history. But it wasn’t handed to him. He slogged it out with Jennie who had horrible stage fright and Shannon who had no rhythm or natural talent. Then he got Brooke who had a lot of natural ability but who wasn’t without issues – not to mention that a model hadn’t won up to that point. But even after he won with her it was back to questionable partners with Lil’ Kim and Joanna. He has NEVER phoned it in, regardless of the talent of his partner. He did his best for THEM and everything else came from that. Hell, I think part of the reason why he’s been so successful is BECAUSE he had to find a way to survive and make his partners stand out.
That’s cool! Ruby is pretty awesome I wouldn’t be surprised if she is a front runner. The only one I don’t like is one Jenna is mentoring. He is fun but i keep forgetting about him.
@Court – Re: the Joshua/Marko swap on SYTYCD, Nigel told Kristyn Burtt that Joshua couldn’t commit to the whole season “for personal reasons” and so rather than having him for only a few weeks, they let him out of his contract and brought in Marko. Marko said he’s known he would be an all-star for about a month.
I’m just getting more nervous and excited, they’re announcing the nominations tomorrow, and I know that it’s probably too much to hope that Lindsay gets a nomination, but a girl can dream.
I get what everyone’s saying about not “waiting for the perfect partner” but in Sasha’s case, I’m actually just waiting for him to settle in. I think he has the right attitude about the show, which is half the battle. And, for me, I really don’t feel like I get a feel for a pro for a few seasons (obviously I don’t have a dance background, so I’m not looking at the technical angle you guys can).
For instance, some of my early favs (Witney, Allison, Val) have turned out to be super disappointing whereas some people I had written off (Lindsay, Peta) ended up really growing on me later on. Even Keo, who I had written off completely and wanted gone, was a lot better this season then his previous three.
With Sharna,I’m just praying to God she comes back to form and her bf wasn’t the main reason for her awesome choreo. I actually really enjoyed her dance with Nyle this season, and she has consistently found ways to create great routines with talented (Charlie) and not so talented (Andy) dancers. Her attitude concerns me a lot, but I remember Mark had some weirdly off seasons IMO.
Maybe I’m being way too optimistic, but there still are a handful of pros that I’m hoping can create some magic next season. Feel free to throw out a big “I told you so” if they all crash and burn 🙂
Bottom line for tomorrow? I would love to see Derek, Mark, and Lindsay get some recognition.
Tara Healy, I doubt Derek will be back for the fall since he is doing Hairspray Live and getting ready for Singing in the Rain. I expect Artem will be back though.
Even if Derek wanted to, and I doubt he would risk it again after what happened in S20 when he tried to do 2 projects at the same time, I doubt that his contract with NBC for Hairspray Live on Dec 7th would allow him to do DWTS in the Fall which goes till November 24th. Rehearsals for Hairspray Live probably start in October so he’s contractually bound to another network for that time… From what I remember her NBC contract didn’t allow Cheryl to do the DWTS 10th Anniversary Special.
First off, I’d like to thank Vogue, Princess Heidi and Courtney for your commentary/opinions and for linking those dances, particularly the dances for SYTYCD. I don’t watch that show; and would have had no idea where to start to get a bead on what might be nominated from it. It was also nice to see Bindi’s dances again, as I haven’t seen them since the end of Season 21. It was good to refresh my memory as to just how great she and Derek’s dances for her were.
Though I’m new(ish) in commenting here, I have done extensive reading of the site archives, including the prior Emmy related posts and discussions. That said, the following consists of what I hope for/would like to see happen; and not necessarily what I believe will happen.
I, too, would like to see a nomination for Derek and Mark for Bindi’s Trio and Charleston. I’d also like to see a solo nomination for Derek for Bindi’s Quickstep, Foxtrot and either the Week 4 Contemporary or her Freestyle.
I agree with Courtney regarding Lindsay; and also Nyle’s routines.
In addition, I agree with Courtney’s thoughts regarding Paige being the only other contestant (besides Bindi) in the past two seasons that had a high enough level of technically skilled choreography and performance quality to (hopefully) make the Academy sit up and take notice. As such, I would really like to see Mark get a nomination for some of Paige’s routines…definitely her Viennese Waltz, Paso and either the Argentine Tango or her Jive, Redemption Salsa or Freestyle. In my opinion, the VW and the three latter dances were a good blend of low production, technically skilled choreography and performance quality.
I’m also keeping in mind Grease: Live and the Disney Anniversary Special, but I didn’t see those, other than the “Step in Time” clip here.
Hi Vogue. What is this Edtya’s show tat u mentioned?Is it a documentary? Which channel¿ I’m so out of loop about it coz i had a great summer and rarely browse internet.
P/s: kind Vogue is the best!
Hi Hi Metrojj, good to see you again. As for your question: it was her dance tour called “Dancing Pros Live”. Sorry I didn’t clarify better. Thanks and I’m so glad you’ve had a great summer.
U so lucky watched her live! Ok, got it