Private Members Area – DWTS Season 23 Season Premiere Discussion
Summer is over and Dancing with the Stars is back! It’s time to get the private member area back in full gear. If you’re not a Pure DWTS Insider yet, you can do so here. If you are, then I look forward to the discussion in the comments.
I always love the DWTS premieres. It’s like a fresh start with so much to discover. Who will surprise us with their dance skills? Who will be a dumpster fire on stage? How about the returning pros? Oh, the intrigue.
Anyway, if you’re a regular, you know what to do. Share your thoughts on tonight’s episode. If you’re new, this is the friendly private member area where we often get off topic. That’s just fine as long as you keep it friendly and respectful.
What do you think of DWTS Season 23? Any early predictions?
Predictions: After last night Rick’s probably not going to last long I like him but yeah he’s a bit challenged in the dance arena. Good for a beginner but not good enough when up against this competition. Maureen looked pretty good and might last awhile if she gets over the nerves Artem actually seems like he will be a good teacher and Maureen actually likes and respects him which has to help.
Lastly after the craziness surrounding Cheryl and Ryan I doubt he’ll be going anywhere for awhile Big Kudos to security Derek Tom the judges and the DWTS cast for rallying around and supporting them after what was surely a traumatic experience for them all.
Question: Some of you have been to the live show what if any security precautions are there for audience members? Is it possible they will have security escorts for Ryan and Cheryl while he is on the show?
Oh and I predict Jake or Rick will be first out but Rick has more personality.
Oh and I was not impressed with Jake and already discussed Rick.
I’m going to rewatch the show via the ABC website which I think has different camera angles but couldn’t really see Derek and Marilu’s routine well with the fans gathered around the stage. So NOT a fan of that small stage.
Calvin and Lindsay, Sharna and Hinch, Jana and Gleb, and yup Ryan and Cheryl stood out for me. I liked Babyface but as much as I love Allison she’s still not quite there on the ballroom though it was not quite as hectic as she’s been in the past. Terra I’m not sure about. It was good dance just not WOW I am guessing Sasha is still figuring out what she can and can’t do.
Laurie looked great but I am so over Val’s cat that swallowed the canary expressions. I DO want Laurie to do well but so over Val and his cockiness.
All in all a great show despite the Lochte incident.
My quick thoughts on the show. First, I still hate that the judges score them so high so early. I still wish they’d subtract 3-4 points off everyone’s score. There is literally nowhere for some of these dancers to go because the scoring is so high. Ugh!
Now the couples:
Jake & Jenna – I love that Jenna watched him growing up. I’m sure Jenna’s faces are still annoying people, but I like them.
Babyface & Allison – Smooth
Marilu & Derek – I loved her passion for being on the show, but I think it’s going to annoy a lot of people. Bad sign for her. I’m waiting for the segment where they feature Marilu’s memory. I hope it’s early and then she’s randomly asked to remember things in every package. Can’t you just see Derek asking her what day he was born and what she was doing? Seriously, it’s such an amazing talent. Will be funny if she forgets a step though!
Laurie & Val – Better than I could have imagined. I knew I’d love her smile and positivity, but she has some latin blood in her. Plus, she doesn’t seem to suffer like many of the gymnasts with being too short or having weird lines. Laurie’s going to kill it this season.
James & Sharna – His package is going to be one to watch. Should have us laughing each time.
Vanilla Ice & Witney – “I was in the womb.” I’m sure she danced to this at high school dances in school. It’s a mormon favorite. Smart move by Whit to piss off Len with very little content and catering to Vanilla Ice’s dance skills. He’s still touring? Is it international?
Calvin & Lindsay – Wow. He was surprisingly smooth and far less awkward than the other tall lanky wide receivers on the show before. I just hope he can continue to improve.
Terra & Sasha – This is a hard one for me. The lines are just off. Sasha’s going to have to turn up the creative juices for this season. Turn the challenge into creative genius.
Jana & Gleb – Yep. I’ll like watching this couple. I must admit that I didn’t remember Gleb and why all the ladies were always swooning over him. Even as a guy, I get it. He’s a fine looking man. Jana’s beautiful too though. Luckily they can both move or it would be a disappointing exit early.
Ryan & Cheryl – I’m glad he got Cheryl. She’ll take good care of him. I’m still amazed by the outrage. There are so many other problems in this life to spend energy on. Spending energy hating on Lochte won’t change anything.
Maureen & Artem – I’d hoped for a lot more with this pair. Maureen disappointed.
Rick & Emma – Emma is a saint. This would be a long season if I wasn’t sure he was going to be gone soon.
Amber & Maks – I thought I’d dislike Amber like I did some past contestants with her background, but I actually liked her quite a bit. I’ll be interested to see how the producers paint her in future packages. Seems like there’s a lot more to her than I knew before.
My 2 cents. Figured I’d kick off the season right.
SO, I’m reading this morning that not only does Ryan have an ankle injury from the protestor incident but that Jana has a back injury! 😮 Week 2 and people are already getting HURT!
I don’t see any connection between Jake and Jenna so I think he’s gone on Tuesday.
The only problem I have with Laurie is that she’s gotten Val as her partner. Given his history, I think he’ll let her down with his choreo. She would’ve been better served with Derek. Now THAT would’ve been some AMAZING routines!! Val just isn’t that creative. Sorry.
Jana and Gleb are good but I thought their sexy VW was just that…VW isn’t a sexy dance so I’m not sure why they went that route.
James and Sharna are funny. I predict finals for them.
Terra and Sasha…I think she’ll be an early exit, like 3rd or 4th out.
Amber and Maks–definitely potential there but she needs to chillax.
Rick and Emma–He’s not a dancer. I LOVE Emma but I don’t see him making it to midway in this competition.
Calvin and LIndsay. Also good. I see them in the finals as well.
Marilu and Derek–the platform did them a great disservice. I didn’t see the kicks and flicks of the Jive. Bad idea. I’m thinking that wasn’t Derek’s idea though. Since Tom was standing on said platform once they panned into the ballroom after the prerecorded Intro.
Babyface and Allison—just ok to me. not memorable
Maureen and Artem–it was good but not memorable. I hope she can redeem herself in week 2.
Vanilla Ice and Witney–boy can move. Now choreograph the proper dance this week Wit! You get a pass as you only got 10-ish days of rehearsal with him so I can see resorting to what he knows.
Ryan and Cheryl–I thought he did well. I think he’s got potential and could be a dark horse.
What do you have against sexy KellyK? lol
I thought it was a bit odd for a VW to be sexy like that and Len commented as such, but when he did I thought that the music dictated the slow VW. If they had different music, then it wouldn’t have been as slow or sexy.
Since Len commented on the sexy in Mark and Paige’s Argentine Tango, it was probably a no-brainier that this VW would be outside the strike zone. I think it’s a shame because for me, adding an unexpected tone or mood enhances the dance, doesn’t besmirch its purity.
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. How I loved the show Monday night. I thought it was one of the best shows put together. The opener was just outstanding. I hope we see more pro numbers like that this season. The couples were all so good too. My faves Monday night were Gleb and Jana, Derek and Marilu, and James & Sharna. I was watching all the dances over again yesterday and I’m really liking Calvin and Lindsay too.
I’m not against sexy per se but VW is not generally a sexy dance. Plus Gleb’s a married man and I don’t think it’s a good idea to push a Showmance given that little detail.
KellyK,
Agreed on the VW. It was an interesting choice, but I still stand by it fitting with the song quite well. So, I understand the choice and loved the dance.
Agreed with the showmance crap, but I often miss that agenda. I guess I’m ok with dancing sexy and it not being a showmance. It was just a great performance. I know others like to look at it other ways. So, it’s a fair point.
OK, I’ll chime in on the sexy VW discussion. I didn’t mind that it was sexy. It wasn’t smutty, like some of the crap Val throws out there; and it wasn’t the bump and grind advertising that Mandy Moore thinks we want to see in the female pro numbers.
My concern was the lack of VW content. The balance was off. I hope it was a conscious decision on Gleb’s part because he wanted to make sure they stood out from the crowd. If that’s the case, then he’ll be able to adjust the balance in the coming weeks.
If they pander to the shippers, I’ll be very disappointed. Married or single isn’t the issue for me (that’s between Gleb, Elena, and Jana). Showmancing just cheapens a partnership, and it smacks of desperation to me. In Jana’s case, it’s completely unnecessary.