Apolo Ohno | Pure Dancing with the Stars

PureDWTS “Seriously Ridiculous Choreography” In Karina Smirnoff’s And Apolo Ohno’s Fusion Dance

Apolo Ohno has penned a new blog at People.com. He says if he can dance every dance as if it’s his very last and do it successfully, he thinks he and Karina can make it to the finals. He also gives us a little hint of what he and Karina’s fusion dance might be like for tonight. More below and at the link!

I told Karina that night that no matter what happens, if we make to the following week, let’s take every single dance for the rest of the competition and treat it like it’s our very last of the whole season. I know that if I’m able to do that and do it successfully, I will make it all the way to finals. And obviously I’ll try to leave a little left in the tank for that.

The judges decided to change it up on us this week and give us a little fusion dance, which is a combination of the cha cha and the paso doble, which are totally different. The cha cha is fun and “let’s party,” while the paso doble is a really aggressive, proud – almost angry – but a powerful and strong dance. It’s one of my favorites. Karina’s been bringing out some seriously ridiculous choreography. The song we have is amazing. It’s Usher’s “Scream.” And our wardrobe halfway through gets pretty interesting.

I think Karina and I are stronger than ever. At the end of the day, I want to give my best to this thing. I know if I can do that, there’s nothing I can be ashamed of and I can hold my head high. I’ve got to give my all on the dance floor, and to my relationship with my dance partner. I’ve got to try to mend things when I don’t always want to. I have to bend and turn and curve a lot more than I’m used to, but it works.

Good luck Apolo. You can do it!!!!

DWTS Season 15, Week 6 – A Dancing by the Numbers Retrospective on Sabrina Bryan

So, what happened to Sabrina is pretty easy to explain. Everyone covered the spread. Period. She was at the top of the leaderboard and didn’t need to get MORE votes than anyone else, she just needed to get enough votes to prevent them from catching up to her.

The table below shows Sabrina versus each of the other dancers, the percentage between them and then the number of votes per million votes cast that that individual needs to bypass Sabrina and stay safe.

Ultimately, every single dancer got at least one more than that number of votes per million votes cast than Sabrina and Sabrina was, therefore, eliminated. Looking at the numbers, above, you can see that it wouldn’t be really hard for anyone other than Kelly to get the votes. Those are small damn numbers. And if Sabrina isn’t getting many votes, just how hard is it for Kelly? Spare me the “Power of the soap fan” spiel. That’s nuts – if ya’ll were that powerful Soap’s audiences wouldn’t be shrinking and they wouldn’t be getting cancelled left and right. And Kelly wasn’t the only person who beat Sabrina – EVERYONE did. Which means she just wasn’t getting the votes. This says nothing, really, about Kelly and everything about Sabrina. Read more..

DWTS 15 – What’s Left to Dance?

So obviously, this season is beyond wacky – double eliminations, no eliminations, new dance styles, guest judges, the whole shebang. And there have been quite a few questions about what dances are being done each week…while I don’t pretend to have a super-clear picture of how the rest of the season is going to unfold, I do have a little bit of info, and I think the bulk of our readers are smart enough to deduce a lot of things So here’s my best (educated) guess at how the rest of the season will unfold – and keep in mind that, like other things this season, some of the stuff in this post has the potential to change. The double elim’s were scheduled for weeks 4 & 6, and then were moved to weeks 3 & 8 without explanation. It’s kind of a crap shoot, kids.

First things first: the question I’ve been seeing the most is “Will the couples be able to get through all of the 10 regular ballroom & Latin dances by the finale?” While I can’t say for sure, in all likelihood I doubt they will, given how many other extraneous dances they seem to be trying to fit into the schedule – unless they try and double or even triple up dances in some weeks, which I think is just asking for trouble. So it’s entirely possible that you may not see Gilles doing a quickstep, or Shawn doing a samba, or Apolo doing a tango, etc. Sorry kids – don’t shoot the messenger. So every couple has 5 regular dances still remaining - here they are, in no particular order.

ETA1: That’ll teach me not to look more carefully before hitting “post” I see now that Shawn & Derek ALSO have a fusion dance comprised of 2 dances they have yet to do, just like Gilles & Peta…while everyone else has done one of the dances in their fusion this season. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a bit of pre-planning in who picked what…but I can’t imagine any way they could do that, judging from how sloppy & disorganized the selection process seemed to be. Guess it’s all just a coincidence.

ETA2: Since this seems to be just too difficult for some to process on their own, let me spell this out loud and clear: THERE ARE TWO DANCES NEXT WEEK. TWOOOOO. NOT THREE. I know you saw Apolo’s tweet about 3 dances – the dude is referring to the fusion dance (which is ONE DANCE) as two dances, since it is two dances mashed together into one routine. Then there is the swing marathon. 1 fusion dance + 1 marathon dance = 2 dances. I can assure you, there is not some 3rd “secret dance” that the powers that be are going to spring on us at the last minute. Got it? Good, cause I’m done spoon feeding information to anyone that can’t be bothered to read this post.

ETA3: Small update – there will be one more dance this season (in week 9) that is a “new” style that the couples will pick for one another. No, I don’t have the list. Still not a peep about the Argentine tango – so at this point, I’m assuming we aren’t going to see it.

ETA4: Looks like they scrapped the idea of having celebs as the 3rd member of the trio dances, and we’re back to using pros (and troupe members) - phew! Also looks like salsa has been thrown into the mix as a possible trio dance, and it’s been confirmed: back-to-back double elims in weeks 8 AND 9 Start making those extra verified accounts, kids…

Gilles & Peta – remaining dances: samba, paso doble, waltz, quickstep, Viennese waltz

Ruh-roh! Gilles only has 2 “sexy” dances left for him to get overscored on, based solely on his sex appeal. Then he’s got three of the pretty staunch ballroom dances to contend with – any bets on which of the 3 (or more) that he miraculously won’t get to this season? I could see him somehow dodging the waltz, since that seems to be a dance that has to be amazing in order for a couples to get votes. If there’s any dance I’d say Peta might struggle with choreographing, it’s the quickstep – for the simple reason that she’s only choreographed one so far on the show (for Donald) and I recall thinking it was a tad weak.

Shawn & Derek – remaining dances: samba, paso doble, waltz, tango, Viennese waltz

I think the fact that these two still have paso doble left bodes well for them – it’s a dance for which Derek almost always comes up with stellar choreography. Viennese waltz will probably be a good one as well. I do worry about the samba a bit, though, because it’s a dance that Derek has said is one of his least favorite to choreograph, and if I recall, it was one that Shawn got mixed reviews for on her original season. I wonder if it would benefit them to use it as their trio dance. Read more..

SPOILERS!! DWTS Season 15, Week 6 – Who Got the Boot??

Heh. Funny story. Courtney and I were TOTALLY convinced that the Berge was lying and no one was going home tonight. We both thought of it and tweeted it at about the same time. The Berge was just acting too funny and there was too much inconsistent stuff being said. His explanation for no elimination next week totally doesn’t fly – makes no sense at all. We were seeing lots of discomfort from him and Brooke both. We were both in denial up until Tommy said someone had the lowest combined total. I was in denial even after that…forgetting that it wasn’t April Fools.

Guess that was just because Sabrina was getting eliminated this season the same week she was the first time around. Yep, Sabrina has hit the road. Which kinda makes me irritated – I said at the beginning of the season that there was no reason for her to go farther this season than she did originally with Mark - not in an all star season. But, I took comfort in her high score EVEN THOUGH the spread was not large AT ALL. I bought into the same crap that I get annoyed with some of you for spouting. That is – the spread means zilch if you aren’t getting the votes. It does NOT mean that Kelly was getting a ton of votes – it could easily mean that Sabrina doesn’t have a fanbase at all, to speak of. Since this is the second time this has happened to Sabrina, I think that’s the safer bet.

So how did we do?? Well, we all sucked. I could leave it at that and call it a night, but….nah.

Heidi: Predicted Kelly, second choice Kirstie

Courtney: Kelly, Second choice Kirstie

Vogue: Gilles, Emmitt as the second choice

Why the hell couldn’t Vogue have been right. Then most of us on this blog would be happy as little clams.

NOTE: Tom clearly stated that Apolo was “not necessarily the bottom two”. Which means that he probably wasn’t but isn’t getting the votes they want him to. I’m going to slap the crap out of the first person who asks if Apolo was the bottom two.

DWTS Season 15, Week 5 – Dancing by the Numbers

Well, tonight just pissed me off – even before we got to the word “frippery”. Ahem. Melissa had a bench and a campfire and a whole bunch of leg lifts. Kelly had a stage coach and the standard Chmerkovskiy run up the stairs…and Shawn has frippery. In what f&*king universe does Len give Shawn and Kirstie Alley the same score – two weeks in a row. This show has jumped the shark, totally.

Okay, the truly hilarious part about “frippery” is watching Derek mouth the word silently – you could almost see him wonder what the hell that word means. LOL. :-)

Gilles? I have this urge to punch him. Repeatedly.

My favorite dance of the night was Apolo’s – finally scored him appropriately. I do wonder if Shawn’s turn is next or if she’s running away with the votes. But I have to say – I didn’t see much difference in quality between Sabrina, Melissa and Shawn. Shawn had a tad bit of stiffness due to her knee (think she could stop screwing around with Sabrina?? Love that all those CMM girls are bffs, but come on) but still. I didn’t see a two point difference between the two of them. Instead, over the course of two weeks there is a four point difference. Total bull. But this is all about protecting Sabrina and Melissa for a week or two.

I could go on all night. I’ll stop. I should be used to the storyboarding of this show by now.

The Judges Scores and Percentages

Well, I think Kelly might just be toast. Perhaps they want Kirstie around so she can be the easy elimination next week when the judges pull the trigger. It’s a theory Courtney and I discussed a bit. It wouldn’t surprise me at all. But ya know, there were so many points handed out that there are pretty small margins between all the dancers. You think Sabrina is safe?? I wouldn’t be so sure. She probably is, but I don’t know I would put any serious cash on it. Kelly likely protects Sabrina…but we’ll see. What does Kelly need in order to be safe?? She needs ONE of the following:

- Kelly needs 5,210 more votes per million votes cast than Kirstie, OR;

- Kelly needs 5,950 more votes per million votes cast than Emmitt, OR;

- Kelly needs 8,180 more votes per million votes cast than Gilles, OR;

- Kelly needs 8,950 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, OR;

- Kelly needs 11,200 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa, OR;

- Kelly needs 11,900 more votes per million votes cast than Apolo, OR;

- Kelly needs 14,900 more votes per million votes cast than Sabrina.

As you can see, those are some pretty small numbers at the bottom half of the leaderboard. Unfortunately for Kelly, those lower people are Kirstie and Emmitt. That said, Kirstie has been in the bottom two and Kelly has never been tested up to this point. Can she get the votes?? I honestly don’t know. My gut says no and that they over played their showmance. Or, are they petting Kirstie a lot because they know she’s going home and they want her to go out on a high?? Dare we hope for a Shocking Gilles elimination?? Unfortunately, probably not.

But back to Kirstie. What does she need to do to stick around? She needs ONE of the following in order to stay tomorrow:

- Kirstie needs Kelly to not cover the spread, OR

- Kirstie needs 750 more votes per million votes cast than Emmitt, OR;

- Kirstie needs 2,980 more votes per million votes cast than Gilles, OR;

- Kirstie needs 3,720 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, OR;

- Kirstie needs 5,950 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa, OR;

- Kirstie needs 6,700 more votes per million votes cast than Apolo, OR;

- Kirstie needs 9,700 more votes per million votes cast than Sabrina.

Now, if the shippers are out of control, then Emmitt could actually be the one in trouble here. Is Kirstie getting those kind of votes over someone like Emmitt?? Well, Emmitt has been fading into the woodwork – but I don’t know. I have a hard time seeing Kelly cover that spread, so it may be irrelevant. I have no idea what’s going to happen.

Oh Emmitt, are you getting votes? I keep forgetting you’re on the show, but that could just be me. What does Emmitt need to stick around?? ONE of the following:

- Emmitt needs Kelly and Kirstie to not cover the spread.

- Emmitt needs 2,230 more votes per million votes cast than Gilles, OR;

- Emmitt needs 2,980 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, OR;

- Emmitt needs 5,210 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa, OR;

- Emmitt needs 6,700 more votes per million votes cast than Apolo, OR;

- Emmitt needs 8,950 more votes per million votes cast than Sabrina.

As you can see, the spreads are too small. I don’t think that Shawn or Gilles are in any danger, but that the bottom two is two out of Kelly, Kirstie and Emmitt. Based on the scoring, I’m thinking that they have Kelly down as the next boot, possibly because ratings are involved and she’s not getting votes anyway. They are at the point in the show where just about everyone is popular for one reason or another and they not only want to have the best dancers in the final six, but they want to have a guilt free elimination next week when they (the judges) have to make the call. They will be somewhat backlash free if that person is Kirstie. That would leave them with a final six of Shawn, Apolo, Melissa, Gilles, Sabrina and possibly Emmitt. That’s pretty damn good. But it’s an all star season – it should be.

So, I think that the bottom two are going to be Kelly and Kirstie with Kelly going home. Could be Kirstie going home, but I’m betting Kelly. I would not be surprised to be wrong. If it’s a big surprise, I’ll do a numbers wrap up. Cuz I gotta wrap THIS up.

DWTS 15, Week 6 – Power Rankings

Well, that was interesting I guess that’s with the overall feeling I’m left with after country week – there were some good dances, some not-so-good dances, and just some general weirdness. I feel like we saw, quite possibly, the messiest group dance in the history of the show – as some of you saw me say on Twitter, I thought this looked like it was just thrown together this morning, and that no one really & truly knew the choreography. The solos were an interesting mix of desperate, messy, ambitious, and silly…and at the end of it all, I’m left with the same theory that Heidi & I kicked around earlier today upon hearing about the “judges’ score only” elimination next week: that they’re trying to subtly nudge Kelly out this week so that they can send Kirstie packing next week with a clear conscience and without a ton of backlash. But let’s get on with the rankings, shall we?

1.) Sabrina & Louis – I’ll admit, I really enjoyed this rumba. Sabrina is really starting to grow on me, and maybe a part of me empathized with her struggles with a drug-addicted ex-boyfriend – I myself am still reeling from uncle’s passing earlier this year, due to a drug overdose. I guess I just understand how she could feel so hopeless and agonized in that situation – and I think it reflected in her dancing. Loved the solo, which was a nice combination of hurt and joy. I actually thought Sabrina’s legs looked pretty damn good in this dance, and she seemed to handle all the passes & turns with finesse. There also seemed to be a nice balance of light & shade – the dramatic, fast passes & turns contrasted nicely with the slow portions where she took the time to finish her lines. If I had to pick one flaw, though – I think there was a trick midway through the routine that didn’t seem to come off quite right, and it looked like Louis was just struggling to lift her butt off the floor. For that reason, I would have probably given it a 29 – but overall, I liked it I think she’s got a pretty decent cushion from elimination this week – at the top of the leaderboard, she’s a full 10 points ahead of Kelly.

2.) Apolo & Karina – FINALLY!!! A breakthrough performance that the judges finally recognize just how GOOD these two are. Admittedly, I was skeptical (and rather pessimistic) heading into this week, because I hated the song they picked and I was prepared for the judges to just kinda nitpick them to death again. But man – Apolo seems to really handle the ballroom dances with incredible ease, and I love the way he extends his arms. And while I was worried the emotion in this one would be kind of over-the-top, I actually thought it had a good degree of restraint, and was more celebratory than sad. Just a lovely dance And if we’re going to split hairs about the two extra points from the group dance (which I don’t really feel like complaining about too much, because it literally only makes about a .33% difference…basically peanuts), I think Apolo & Karina were the only two that really seemed hungry for the extra points and seemed to cram as many cool tricks into their solo as humanly possible – for that reason alone, I probably would have given them the points, but again…it really doesn’t matter a whole lot this week. I feel like these two finally have a good dance (and the 2nd highest point total) to keep them relevant – it’s nice to know they’re most likely safe tomorrow night

3.) Shawn & Derek – Very cute & Western-y, just as I was told it would be And it was fun watching Shawn cut loose and play a sassy little Daisy Duke character in her solo. But here’s the thing: I actually agree with Len that there was a little too much country, and I could have done with a bit more regular cha-cha steps. However, I feel like if they were going to call Shawn & Derek out for “too much country western”, then they should have also called Melissa & Tony out for what felt like a TON of ballet in their Viennese waltz…and at the end of the night, it was still country night, so I felt like they did have an obligation to put a certain amount of country steps into that cha-cha. So at the end, I guess I feel kind of ambivalent about the whole thing – not really Shawn’s best dance, but not her worst, and her song was wonky, and she was kind of injured. I’m sure she’ll be ok this week, though - and for a few weeks to come. Thought their solo in the country group dance could have been better and a bit more ambitious, but in the end, like I said – it really doesn’t matter a whole lot. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Derek comes up with for this mysterious “dance fusion” we’ve been hearing about – it sounds like something that’s definitely in his wheelhouse. Read more..

Dancing With The Stars Apolo Ohno Writes Of Getting Back On Track And Finding New Inspiration

Apolo Ohno has written a new blog at People.com. He says he and Karina have had some issues, but, they’ve cleared the air and feel even closer now. They are also going to treat every dance as if it’s their last. Lots more below on this past week’s struggles, their new dance and how much it means to him and Karina.

Going into this week’s competition, I told Karina, “Let’s clear the air. Let’s get back on track and find new inspiration.” We went out, we talked, we had a good time. I told her we should treat every week like it’s our last. I want to just forget about the scores and the comments, and use the criticism as constructive. I know for me, that means emotionally showing a different side that perhaps people haven’t seen.

This song is about cancer. This song has a personal connection to both Karina and me. I have to go into a very different place, all while trying to perform this dance. It’s really beautiful and really smooth. I really like it, but it’s really emotional. I’m inviting kids from the City of Hope who have gone through or are going through cancer treatments, so I hope they enjoy it.

We just have this whole new approach and we’ve been kicking each other’s ass in the studio. It’s awesome. We’ve been hitting it hard every single day. I’m happy with the dance. We’re just continuing to keep polishing.

Be sure to read the full blog at People.com. It’s a good one! I hope he and Karina give new meaning to the word “connection” and make all the nay sayers eat their words.

DWTS Season 15, Week 5 – Dancing by the Numbers

This week, this particular post doesn’t mean a hill of beans because, as I’m sure you’ve all figured out by now, there was no elimination. But I’ve had a few requests for it so you can see how your favorites are doing. EVERYTHING could change on Monday night and I have some confidence that it will. I predict Sabrina stays in first place to get her past this particular week – and maybe past the following week. I think that Kirstie and Kelly – and maybe Melissa – are the next designated people who are considered disposable by the producers/judges.

Yes. Heidi is having a very cynical week.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the numbers for this week:

The Judges Scores and Percentages

Oh dear, everyone favorite over the top showmance which gets more forced by the day is in serious trouble. At least, this week. You’ll notice that everyone but Kirstie has at least a percentage point lead on her. That translates to more votes than I would be comfortable with if I were them – roughly 10,000. What does Kelly have to do to stick around beyond this pretend elimination week? ONE of the following:

- Kelly needs to get 2,250 more votes per million votes cast than Kirstie, OR;

- Kelly needs to get 10,150 more votes per million votes cast than Emmitt, OR;

- Kelly needs to get 11,250 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, Apolo, Melissa or Gilles, OR;

- Kelly needs to get 15,750 more votes per million votes cast than Sabrina.

Kelly has been relatively protected up to now by people with either much lower scores or fanbase issues of their own. But that protection is largely gone this week. Lots of people would be tempted to say that Kirstie is going to go because she was in the bottom two last week with Bristol. But Kirstie beat the spread on Bristol that was about three times the spread between her and Kelly. This is the part of the all star season where it gets really hard, cuz I’m really not sure if Kelly’s got juice or not. I’m inclined to say “not” – when compared to Kirstie. And I don’t think there is anyone else she can catch. Don’t give me crap about Soap fanbases – soaps are being cancelled left and right. Not to mention that it’s all relative – someone has to go, so you have to consider if other fanbases are bigger or more passionate.

But let’s assume that Kelly finds a miraculous way to safety. What does Kirstie needs need in order to stick around?? She needs ONE of the following:

- Kirstie needs to get 7,900 more votes per million votes cast than Emmitt, OR;

- Kirstie needs to get 11,250 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, Apolo, Melissa or Gilles, OR;

- Kirstie needs to get 13,500 more votes per million votes cast than Sabrina.

Based on those numbers, if there was an elimination this week I think it easily comes down to Kelly and Kirstie. I think the only other two people in potential danger would be Melissa and Sabrina – but the margins are too great this week. I think. We won’t really know until it happens. The path forward from here is really not clear. Emmitt has been fading into the woodwork lately, so it’s possible he’s in the lower tier as well.

But, when asked to make a guess, my guess is that Kelly would go home. If not her, Kirstie. Next week, we add a ton of points and everything can change. In any case, you can be sure the margins get smaller.

DWTS Judge Carrie Anne Inaba Talks Of Chemistry Some More On KTLA (Video)

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba went on KTLA today to discuss the fall from her chair on Dancing With The Stars this past week. She also discussed some of the contestants “chemistry”. She says Gilles and Peta could win the competition because of their chemistry, sexiness, etc.. She also says Derek and Shawn have a “chemistry” in a different “electrifying” and “magical” way. She also goes on again about Karina and Apolo and how they lack chemistry and how they haven’t found their “common point” yet. She ends the interview talking about her pet causes and how she’s auctioning two tickets for the Dancing With The Stars finale. More in detail below.
Read more..

The Costumes And Make-up: Who had the best look for DWTS 15 Week 5?

The Dancing With The Stars Make-up Team has released some behind the scenes photos of the cast getting ready for the shows this past week. Above is Shawn Johnson, Karina Smirnoff, and Peta Murgatroyd. To see more pics of the cast, see Dancing With The Stars Make-up’s official facebook page. I always enjoy the close-up of their EYES and how they do their make-up.

As for the costumes, who did you think had the prettiest or coolest costumes this week? I think I loved Kirstie’s long black flowing dress the most. But, what about Shawn and Derek? They looked stunning. I also liked Kelly’s 80′s vibe black corset dress and jewelry. I loved Karina’s red dress as well. She talked of how she designed it at Instyle.

“When I designed the costume, I wanted it to look like a silk nightgown,” Smirnoff told InStyle.com. “I wanted to match the dress, the hair and the makeup to what the song and dance make you feel—fun and sexy with some funk and sass! It was such a great, soft and seductive look—I loved it!”

It was perfect and I liked the red with Apolo’s leopard shirt. Let us know what you think in comments.

PureDWTS “Seriously Ridiculous Choreography” In Karina Smirnoff’s And Apolo Ohno’s Fusion Dance

DWTS Season 15, Week 6 – A Dancing by the Numbers Retrospective on Sabrina Bryan

DWTS 15 – What’s Left to Dance?

SPOILERS!! DWTS Season 15, Week 6 – Who Got the Boot??

DWTS Season 15, Week 5 – Dancing by the Numbers

Dancing With The Stars Apolo Ohno Writes Of Getting Back On Track And Finding New Inspiration

DWTS Season 15, Week 5 – Dancing by the Numbers

DWTS Judge Carrie Anne Inaba Talks Of Chemistry Some More On KTLA (Video)

The Costumes And Make-up: Who had the best look for DWTS 15 Week 5?

Top Posts & Pages

Calendar

Recent Posts

Pure Dancing with the Stars

Recent Comments

Categories

TV Links

May 2013
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Apr
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31