The Pros and Cons of the DWTS Pros – The Tony and Dmitry Edition
This is a part of the Pros and Cons of the DWTS pros Series. You can check out all the posts in this series here.
Tony Dovolani
Marianya: When Tony has a partner with some measure of talent he really pushes them (Stacy Keibler and Melissa Rycroft) but on the other side of the coin when it’s a partner that doesn’t have natural talent he doesn’t challenge them nearly as much, choosing to work around them… which honestly a lot of pros do but I like to see my stars challenged… now if you have someone like Kate that simply isn’t trying, ok I get it. I do like Tony, but he’s not necessarily a favorite… though last season put a bad taste in my mouth. I’m hoping he changes his M.O. and pushes his star this season.
Heidi: Tony has an amazing smile. 🙂 And when he’s in good humor, he seems like a nice guy. But….and this is a big but….he can be pretty shitty too. Here’s my problem – because of working on this website I see a huge majority of the media surrounding the show and that, like it or not, impacts my opinion of the various pros – which is why I’m not crazy about either Tony or Louis right now. Tony can be good, but he can also find one great attribute, like Melissa’s ability to kick her leg high over her head, and then repeat it so often that you can make a drinking game of it.
Courtney: For me Tony’s best quality (and also one of his biggest problems) is his ability to actually use legit syllabus steps in his choreography – as I’ve mentioned before, sometimes some of the pros venture so far out of the realm of “meat & potatoes” steps in some of their routines that we’re left watching something that barely resembles a samba or a waltz. And that’s when Len gets pissy! Tony, for me, is the male pro that most often seems to take strides to stay true to the dances; we see New Yorkers in his cha-chas, we see bota fogos in his sambas, we see quarter turns in his quicksteps. But in the same token, sometimes these “true to form” routines are just that – lifeless, robotic collections of steps without a whole lot of creativity…Susan’s hustle in season 7 comes to mind. It almost reminds me of the syllabus tests we used to have to take in my ballroom lessons – very mundane execution of the steps we’d learned in front of a judge so that we could graduate to the next level. And echoing Heidi’s sentiments, Tony’s personality can be a study in contrasts at times: extremely charming in the media one minute, a total diva the next. Makes it hard to figure out which is closer to the real him…
John: Tony is like a girl on PMS (excuse the comparison for those girls who don’t do this). Seriously though, he’s this up and down emotional roller coaster. You don’t know if you’re going to get the good Tony or the bad Tony. I guess that keeps things interesting and I think that deep down he is a really sincere guy. The problem seems that he’s just a really emotional guy and he often let’s that emotion spill out. I’d think he was Italian, but maybe Albanian’s have some of those same characteristics. Very passionate about everything (good and bad). As far as his dancing, I agree he’s just to standard and textbook. It’s enjoyable to watch, but compared to a dozen other dances on the same night it gets forgotten easily. That said, I really think he’s a great teacher of those standard moves.
Dmitry Chaplin
Marianya: Ok I admit it, I’m a SYTYCD junkie, blame my auditioning moons ago… but that’s a different story. I loved Dmitry on SYTYCD and was literally squealing in my seat when I heard he was going to be on DWTS. His choreography on SYTYCD is fantastic, but I can’t figure out why it’s not shining nearly as much on DWTS. I really want TPTB to give him another chance and for Dmitry to take that chance and fly with it. He’s such a wonderful calming presense on the show and quite honestly that’s a breath a fresh air considering all the personalities on the show >.<
Heidi: I really like Dmitry as a person but as a choreographer/dancer he seems kinda dull to me. I was also screaming at the TV when he had that 10 zillion bars of Mya dusting the judges desk — “Dude! Have you never watched this show? Len is going to KILL YOU!!” I felt bad, but I also thought that he had to have heard that Len didn’t like that stuff. And especially not with a dancer like Mya. But then, how do you explain Maks doing the same thing with Erin more than once? It boggles the mind that the pro gets angry when they get yelled at for that because Len has *always* hated that stuff. If you’re going to break the rules – the rules that are very clear – don’t get mad when called on it or, in Dmitry’s case, act like you don’t understand what the problem was. I don’t mind breaking the rules, obviously, because sometimes it works in your favor. It’s a strategy. But the anger or cluelessness after? That’s just silly.
Courtney: Dmitry is a real toss-up to me. Definitely one of the best Latin guys they’ve ever had on SYTYCD, and that has carried over to DWTS. I like that he tries to make his routines very “now” by playing into certain trends in music & theme (Mya’s Hairspray freestyle, his “Hip Hip, Chin Chin” routine for Lacey & Danny on SYTYCD), but in the same token, I feel like it tends to make his dances feel a bit…cliche. Don’t get me wrong, I love his choreography; but when he opted to use “You Can’t Stop the Beat” as Mya’s freestyle after it had been used twice on SYTYCD (with better results, I might add) and just as the Hairspray resurgence was dying down, I couldn’t help but think “been there, done that”. Ditto for the samba he choreographed for Lauren & Robert this season on SYTYCD – I could damn near scream if I have to hear Debi Nova’s “Drummer Boy” one more time. Great choreo, completely overdone song. If he could just take that same routine and set it to something a bit more unexpected, I think he would blow a lot of the other male pros on the show out of the water.
John: I agree that Dmitry has been a DUD on DWTS. Even his shirt taking off hasn’t taken off the same way that it did on SYTYCD. Maybe that’s because Tom Bergeron is the host and not Cat Deeley. Unfortunately, the only dances of Dmitry’s that come to mind are the “Hip Hip, Chin Chin” routine and the “Calle Ocho” routine he did on SYTYCD. I can’t think of any memorable ones on DWTS. Plus, the “Calle Ocho” he did with Nappytabs. Not to mention Dmitry’s personality is missing. Maybe it’s a language problem that he can’t get out what he wants to say, but I love when a pro’s personality entertains. For example, we can always expect the unexpected comment or face from Karina. Dmitry has none of that.
Heidi: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think calling him a “dud” is a bit harsh. And taking off your shirt gets old after a while – I’d prefer he leave it on, because it seems desperate on DWTS. Anyway, I think that Dmitry suffered from Mya more than Mya suffered from him, if that makes any sense. We have comments from a couple of you regarding Derek and an occasional “I’m the Pro” attitude, but it’s THIS attitude that Dmitry needed to have with Mya. Derek is the most successful pro on the show and this might just be one of the reasons. It’s kind of a shame that he didn’t have a chance to learn like the other pros have had – the show is at the point that if you’re a new pro you best make your mark.
Marianya: In some ways I agree with you, Heidi. But there are other pros that put the “I am the Pro” attitude and it backfires in one way or another. You might be right that Dmitry should stand his ground more when dealing with his celebs. Whatever the case may be, I still believe he needs more time on the show to prove his meddle, because he’s a lot better and more as a dancer than people think of him as.
Courtney: There’s definitely a fine line between a pro letting their celeb have some input, and the pro asserting their authority. In the case of Dmitry and Mya, given her extensive background in dance, I don’t think it was a terrible idea to let her have SOME input…after all, she knows her strengths and weaknesses, and could offer up some fresh ideas (granted, he doesn’t necessarily have to TAKE those ideas). It worked when he let her throw out some ideas for her ’70s samba – it got a 30, and was one of their more memorable performances for me that season (and not just because of Dmitry’s porn ‘stache, hehe). And I know we’ll never know for sure, but I have always wondered if their disastrous freestyle could have been salvaged if they had gone with Mya’s idea instead of Dmitry’s – because clearly the latter’s did not work at all. But on the other hand, there are certain times when a pro just needs to buckle down and tell his/her celeb to just trust them – the best example I can think of is Tony with Kate. I know I caught a lot of flak from some of you when I ranted about how Kate just needed to shut up and listen to Tony instead of complaining about the steps he was giving her. But seriously – what makes Kate, somebody with ZERO dance background, think that her ideas are going to be any better than the ones that Tony, a seasoned pro, is giving her? Tony was right to put his foot down. Then there’s the case of Maks and Erin and her freestyle – not a bad idea to let Erin tap into some of her dance experience, but I think Maks should have reigned her in a bit when the routine got too far out of their comfort zone. It’s a delicate balance, the whole “let your celeb have input” vs. “I’m the pro!” debate.
John: Heidi, I think it’s funny that you think calling him a dud is harsh, but then you go on to say all negative things about him. Seems to prove the point. Imagine if he wasn’t lucky enough to get Mya who is a great dancer? Would Dmitry have any other memorable dances on DWTS? I still love him on SYTYCD, but he’s done nothing for me on DWTS (much to my disappointment).
Round Up:
Tony Dovolani
Marianya: Used to like, but doesn’t really give a crap about anymore. Meh
Heidi: Double Meh
Courtney: Hit or miss, depending on both his choreography & his mood
John: Like a wave on an ocean, lots of ups and downs.
Dmitry Chaplin
Marianya: Oh hell yeah! 😀 Give me some of that hunka burnin’ love.
Heidi: In the words of Randy Jackson, “He’s a’ight, but I’m not feelin’ it dawg.”
Courtney: I like what he has to offer, I just wish he’d step up his game a bit!
John: Must be the rules, or the fear of Len which hampers him.
Love this first post!
I agree that Dimitry’s choreography on DWTS was sooo disappointing. However, I’ve seen him perform off the show and he’s fantastic, so I hope they have him back at least one more season to see if he can salvage something, because I think he has promise. Tony, on the other hand, has had lots of opportunities and he misses them each time. He just can’t carry off choreography when it comes to the finals and I wish they’d get some new blood. I dunno, maybe someone younger would bring something fresher. Maybe it’s not an age thing, but both Tony and Maks seem so stale to me.
Anyway, thanks for this feature. No two people will ever agree on everything, but it will be interesting to read the posts AND the ensuing disccusions! 🙂
I agree. Tony seems to have his ups and downs. Though I think with the right person we could see some bigger things. We saw some of that with Jane Seymour. I’m hoping Audrina is that person this year where we can really see him take off like he does with the pro dancers when they dance together.
Dimitri is a livin’ doll and I love his dancing! 😀 But, I didn’t like him with Mya. I was always bored with those two.
Great first edition Guys! Loved it!!
Here’s an interesting fact/rumor: Audrina was rumored to have been Dmitry’s partner last season. This season she’s with Tony. Interesting!
I never liked Dmitry and didn’t watch SYYCD. So, enough said.
I love the love/hate realitionship Tony has with CIA. Does anyone know what’s that about? I’ve heard they dated or something.
P.S. Maybe I’ve been reading this blog 4 too long coz I knew exaclty what y’all write…and wasn’t disapointed. 🙂
Guest, did you mean Carrie Ann?? CAI?? If so, Tony and Carrie used to date, I believe. Once upon a time. Or I could be horribly misinformed from listening to gossip. 🙂
WOW! Am I dyslexic or what? LOL Yes, Carrie Ann Inaba is what I meant.
Yep, I heard the same thing. LOL again.
I know Carrie Ann dated and was briefly engaged to Artem Ch-however-you-spell-his-name from SYTYCD at one time, but it fizzled. Didn’t know about Tony though…hmm. Must’ve been quite awhile ago, because Tony’s been married since before he joined the cast of DWTS.
I also agree that Tony sure has his ups and downs. Never sure what to expect from him. Not sure if I agree with you Vogerista if Tony would have the right person that we would see some bigger things from him. As much as Tony is “hungry” for the win, he has made it to the finals twice now (Stacey and Melissa) and blew it in the freestyle round (same as Maks). I feel he would do another underwhelming freestyle if the viewers/voting respond positively to Audrina if she is good (which is a big if since we have not seen her dance yet).
I am not fan of Dimitry and I think you all nailed as to why. He has not done anything memorable in my book to stand out as some of the other Pros have. I felt bored when he was on. He is good looking and a great dancer. Maybe he will have another chance one day.
Great first edition!
Whoa! You guys are brutal! I really like Tony! His season with Melissa remains my all time favorite pairing ever on DWTS! After Melissa I think he got stuck with a couple of dud partners, not his fault. Dmitry to me has always seemed too cool for the room. Like he knows he did good on SYTYCD and his off beat choreography should be accepted on DWTS. Hey, different show, different rules and judges. He could use a dose of Tony’s classic respect for dances and Dmitry would probably do well.
LOVED this post and can’t wait for more! Great job to all!!!
My feeling on both of these gentlemen is that they are very likable and talented. However, seems to me that Tony has never choreographed a dance that I’ve been really impressed with or even remembered. And he always seems to choke the few times he’s gotten to the finals. My main complaint here (don’t mind the soapbox…) is that IF you are not a Hough or a Ballas and don’t find a true strength in your hip hop capabilities when you’re faced with a Freestyle go back to your contestants strenghts; did anyone see Lauren’s final Cha Cha on SYTYCD this season?! IF ONLY we could see something that hot on our show?!!!! And that’s something all our Pro’s are capable of choreographing, right?!
Dmitry seems oddly timid when it comes to this show, it’s as if he’s afraid to pull out the stops. I loved his Jive with Mya and found it really surprising so early in the competition I wish he would have found the positive response to that number more inspirational and trusted the audience a little more and not been so “safe,” especially when they got to the freestyle, in my opinion he runs a close 2nd to Cheryl’s ultimate mess up with Gilles.
Thanks for the great commentary, I am eagerly awaiting more!
I’m not a big fan of Tony, I think he did some good choregraphies with Melissa but I was more a fan of her than a fan of him.
But I love Dmitry, he’s one of my favorite male pro, I think he did amazing choregraphies with Mya (I don’t watch SYTYCD so I can’t compare), except that crappy freestyle of course. He should have listened Mya this time. I loved their salsa and their mambo (better than Derek & Johanna who did more a salsa than a mambo), as a salsa dancer I’ve often been disappointed in DWTS because the pros, with their ballroom background, are not that good in salsa.
I don’t know if they could have win though, as a foreigner, I can’t evaluate Donny’s popularity.
I’d like to see him paired with some “intermediate level” celebrity, neither a crappy one like Holly or a ringer as Mya, to see what he can do. No I’m lying to myself, I want only to see him paired with wonderful dancers so he can grab that mirrorball trophy. 🙂
I agree with you 100 % Joan. You nailed as to why the Hough’s and Mark Ballas have been so successful on the show and why they have won twice. When they face the freestyle, they incorporate their partner’s strength. I like Tony and Maks, but they could learn a thing or two when it comes to freestyles. In regards to Cheryl’s freestyle with Gilles. I think she could have won that season, but the freestyle was a miss. Not sure what Cheryl was thinking when she was choreographing since she has done some memorable freestyles and has won. I just feel we can’t put all the blame on her. The song choice did not suit or showcase Gilles and he may have picked it.
Whoops! That posted before I was ready to post. 🙂 Sorry.
Just wanted to say @ Lisa that I agree 100% about Mark, Derek, and Julianne showcasing their partners’ strengths. The pros who do that really have to be ego-less. I remember Carrie Ann chastising Cheryl for choosing a song that showcased her, not her partner. With Emmitt, Cheryl had showcased him, which made all the difference in the world.
i agree with most of the post! i’m not a huge fan of theese two pros,u can add them to alec mazo and we’ll have my less favorite dancers, becoz they lack in personality in my opinion! Dmitry is just cold, has no fun or spirit! as for Tony i can’t remember any of his choreography and it has not to do with his partener ( i still remember all Cloris leachman dances, and she was in her 80s, plus she was baaaad!!) even with Melissa who had a dance background, still can’t find a waw dance of his!
i used to like Dmitry on SYTYCD as a dancer and choreographer, but here we’re talking DWTS I’m not saying that he’s a bad but lacks in personality so there is nothing that draws the audience to watch him and waiiiiiiiiit for him! but still i think it was a little unfair to bring Tony two seasons in arow and cut Dmitry, i think they should have brought him this season unstaid of Tony, so he’ll get the chance to get used to the show relax and show us what he’s made of, coz i still think he’s a talented choreographer.
Love this blog, have I told you guys lately? Anyway, my ong winded two cents…
Tony had one helluva great season with Stacey Kiebler, except when she sustained a pretty major injury and fell apart for the finale with a lacklustre Quickstep, and a bad freestyle. Tony should just stay the hell away from anything Disco. Exacting choreography never works in hustle type of dancing, it has to have some freeflow and I never feel like he’s really letting that go with his partners. Tony leaves little room for a partner to bring their own flavor. Stacey was able to do that in only limited sense, whereas another decent dancer Melissa stayed pretty much a cheerleader. With Tony I find many of the celebrities personalities tend to take a back seat to the rudimentary steps. When he allows more freedom they tend to do a little better. But, I never felt he never fully recovered from season 2.
Dmitry- sweet boy. Was “the” eyecandy when he competed on SYTYCD, he could be shirtless and not look gay shirtless. That’s a major coup, because let’s face it a majority of contemporary dancers bat for the other team, and when you get a masculine ballroom dancer like Dmitry it’s hot, no matter which batter’s box you’re into. On DWTS he is competing in the masculine dance pool, with shirtless men, the hetros outnumber the gays. So he’s not the big kahuna anymore. Take that aspect away from his dancing, and he’s just a “good” Ballroom dancer, and a better Latin dancer, but he’s not a “great” dancer or choreographer, he’s merely a good one. And, like ALL Eastern Block countries who produce great dancers, they tend to suffer from classical dance itis…it’s the country that makes dancers do 15 pirouettes instead of 10…so if there’s a good move, put it in 3 times instead of one..don’t worry so much about how un-creative it is.
He does not have the range of exposure to modern dance forms that Derek or Mark has, and so in a ‘showdance’ competition like DWTS he’s at a distinct disadvantage. Maks is the same. I had to LOL when he was all proud about putting a mask on Erin, a move that’s been done many times, but for a classically trained guy like Maks he’s astounded by creativity, but can’t really pull it off because he’s not immersed in it from an early age.
Thanks for the post! I can already tell these are going to be so much fun!
Just my two cents: I’m one of those people that loves Dmitry. I hate that they haven’t had him on for two seasons, and I really hope he’ll be able to come back one day. I think he’s had some bad luck in the partner department. I actually think he did pretty well with Holly Madison, considering that he was originally with Jewel and Holly was her last minute-ish replacement. (She stayed in longer than the more-famous Denise Richards, at least.) And I know that Mya was this big ringer with all this dance background, but man, I found her just completely unlikable, not only in their rehearsal packages, but also in outside interviews. She just came off like a really cold and controlling person. When you put that up against lovable ol’ Donny Osmond, I really question whether the most superb dancing and most interesting choreography in the world could have brought them the win. (Although I was also WTF-ing at that freestyle.)
Dmitry seems really sweet and with way less of an ego than most of the other male pros, which was a breath of fresh air for me. Also, whoah, I think he’s so good-looking, and that’s always a good thing too.
@Angela
I can’t help but wonder if our thoughts about Dmitry would have been much different had he come out of the gate with the popular and sweet Jewel. I think that would have really changed it up for him.
I’m really glad to hear that you guys like this post. Especially since we have a half dozen others like it. So, if you didn’t like it, that would have sucked.
All said, it’s pretty interesting to see how we all have different opinions about the pros. Except for Dmitry’s freestyle. We seem to all agree it sucked;-)
Wow, Paula – you really have that view of Dmitry?? I never got that vibe from him, but maybe you’re right.
Good points, Andie – what I don’t understand is why pros besides Mark and Derek would even attempt a contemporary (read: hip hop) routine for a freestyle. I believe I’ve read that Derek actually taught hip hop at Italia Conti when he was there, and Mark is well versed in it as well – are ANY of the other pros? Besides Lacey? Yet Derek’s done hip hop neither time he made the finals while others have. Heck, in the last part of the MJ tribute, there were clearly several pros they should have kept the camera off – Alec springs immediately to mind. 🙂
I think Chelsie has had hip hop training as well. On SYTYCD if no where else, but I’ve seen videos of her going to all sorts of other dance classes. Plus, she could pull in someone like Nappytabs to come and help her do a killer hip hop routine if she wanted.
Although, it just makes sense to do a killer ballroom that breaks the rules on occasion (ie. hip hop elements, lifts, etc).
Hip Hop interestingly enough can break you. Even if you’re a good dancer and it’s a decent routine, hip hop is a style with many genres and some dances will “click” with an audience while others will fall flat. If you’re gonna do hip hop, you gotta know the audience. Remember Lacey and Lance’s complete mess of a freestyle? She can dance hip hop well, and on paper he SHOULD have been able to pull it off. It didn’t happen.
Even Apolo and Julianne with their hip hop, while they were adorable and people really just wanted them to win, but their freestyle wasn’t executed nearly as well as Joey and Kym’s finale dance.
I totally agree that ballroom dancers should not steer too far away from their comfort zone, but make something fresh within ballroom so you can be a showstopper. There are some amazingly creative routines out there, like a Dracula Paso Doble which the entrance is like some macabre black veiled ghoul that turns into a beautiful couple dancing, or a Tango to Nirvana, complete with mosh pit jumping
All the elements of good dance is there, but with crazy twists that make them simply amazing. Derek and Nicole almost pulled off the best freestyle in the history of the show, but I with the bauble, I give the nod to Joey and Kym who put elements of good hustle, strong lifts and a little nod to Nsync for fun.
I am going to totally agree with Angela in saying that Dmitry is a very sweet guy and appears to have less of an ego than some of the other dancers. And he’s a doll. But that is perhaps part of the reason why he’s not got the airtime. If he’s too sweet perhaps he’s not commanding and demanding enough of his students. Moreover, if the student is calling the shots the end result will not be satisfactory.
I think Dmitry suffers from Alec Mazo syndrome, he lacks in the personality department, although he does seem to show a little bit more than Alec. I also think there are times he can be impatient, but that may be due to how Holly was as a person, but I don’t really know. Some of his choreography is great, and sometimes it just fails miserably. He just gets lost amongst all the male pros because he lacks a personality and doesn’t really stand out.
For Tony, I just find no matter how good or bad his partner is, I just find everything about his choreography really dull. Nothing really stands out and I appreciate the syllabus steps, but everything still just seems to careful. He did well with Stacy but I really only liked her samba and jive, the rest wasn’t bad, just blah. Melissa had great potential, but by the end of the competition, I still felt like she never got over the balletic part of her in her routines. She was still like a ballet dancer trying to do ballroom. Looked pretty, but she still didn’t seem as grounded and sometimes lacked the intensity require for some of the dances. All this might be because I personally find Tony’s dancing a bit dull too. Might be why I’m not a big fan of rhythm, but his dancing, even with professionals, doesn’t excite me at all.
I love Tony. I agree that Tony can be totally chill one minutes, and Primetime Diva the next. He is, however, the best teacher they have. He’s been able to pull something from any of his partners, including Kate (her tango) I can watch his and Melissa Lindyhop and AT over and over again, perfection. Let’s not forget Stacy’s jive and Samba are still the best.
BTW, Tony was a breakdancer before he became a Ballroom dancer.
And @Steve don’t get me started how good he is with Elena.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJkYZVRYYmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HFfVdiouwc
One more thing! What distinguish Derek, Mark, Julianne from the rest of them is that they actually studied Art in London. None of the other pros have studied performing art. They all have studied ballroom and taken classes/coaching on other genres of dance and so forth, but never studied it. The difference between Ballroom and the other types of dance is that Ballroom is a sport. Ballroom dancers dance and choreograph to the beat not to music. Music is almost irrelevant in Ballroom. They can dance to any kind of music as long as the music has the required beat. It’s about the rhythm, strength, beat, and so forth. Derek, Julianne, and Mark choreograph around the music and not so much abound the beat…which works for DWTS.
Ok I will say I like Tony when he does mambo, but I also really like Elena. Could be that I like Elena over Tony. I don’t really care for his robotic pop/lock stuff though.
@Steve
How about before Elena?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enWX04AmmLQ
LOL!
This is a great post – thank you so much! I mostly agree with everything said about these 2 pros. Tony was a favorite back in season 2 when he was with Stacy but Andie makes a very good point about Tony not getting over his loss that season. (I think that was also the season where there was some sniping between CAI and Tony?? Perhaps affected his attitude a bit). But he’s been mostly sorta bleh since. I think, like Edyta, he needs a break from DWTS – a season or two where he can do other things without hindrance and then come back refreshed and rarin’ to go. He had a good run in season 8 with Melissa but totally flubbed the freestyle.
Dmitry I would like to see back sooner rather than later. I agree with Heidi that Mya was more his problem rather than the other way around. There’s getting input from your celeb, then there’s letting your celeb run the show. She was a good dancer, no argument there, but there was no spark. Not between them, and not really in her dancing. When he finally put his foot down, it was too late – we’ll never know how things would have gone had they chosen her freestyle …. or if she had been committed to the freestyle they finally chose. Maybe this is just the meoooow coming out in me … I never could warm up to her, but I definitely got the feeling she was not a happy camper – there was no love lost between her and Dmitry (did she ask for someone else and was so disappointed that she took it out on her partner?); she certainly wanted to direct the choreography – I can personally relate to control issues, and with her dance/choreo background probably very difficult to let someone else call all the shots – and she did have good ideas, I’m not saying she didn’t, but Dmitry should have been driving the train. It’s a fine line between incorporating a celebs personality into the routines, it’s another to let them have too much say-so. I think Dmitry was too timid – maybe too intimidated ??? – to put his foot early on, and when he did finally for the freestyle, I think she was miffed and not really commited to the dance – along the lines of “whatever, we’ll do what he says, I guess.”
Can’t wait for the subsequent posts – this is excellent stuff, especially all the comments from everyone.
meh, I have seen that video with Tony and Tatiana, it’s like the only proof that he did international Latin. For some reason, I thought I saw a glimpse of Anna in that video. I also realized that back in the day, Elena didn’t look as bad with Andrei. I still feel just okay with his dancing, nothing really wows me. Maybe he’ll change my mind later on, but I did like him best with Stacy. Their jive is probably one of my favorite jives on the show. He has the ability, but he just hasn’t really shown it since his season with Stacy. Although I will say the show humbled him a bit, because he was supposedly a real D-bag in his competition days to other couples. He didn’t get the “bad boy of ballroom” rep for nothing.
I thikn Kate was trying last season! She just had so much going on in her life! I couldnt of done it! I respect her for trying and i think she could of done better. 🙂
Man yall are harsh on po Tony!!!!! Hes awesome! Gawsh!
Dmitry was and is the worst Pro Dancer in DWTS History!!!!
@Steve – You are correct – Tony was a pretty big jerk back in his competition days! A definite trash-talker and just generally kind of a bully to fellow competitors. And I couldn’t agree more about his dancing – even as a pro, with both Elena & Inna, I was generally just bored with his dancing…and that seems to be a widely-held opinion about his professional days. Even my boyfriend, a rhythm pro, was always perplexed as to how he was always winning with such boring, robotic routines – politics, I guess. But I daresay the politics of the “real” ballroom world haven’t translated to DWTS – because it seems like many of us are in agreement that his routines are mundane, and likely part of the reason he has yet to secure a win on the show.
Yeah, politics play a huge role in it. Not saying he’s a bad guy, since I think he is probably a nice guy outside of the competition world, but his dancing compared to other pros is not that memorable. I also hate to say it, but a part of me thinks he actually became world rhythm champion mainly because he was partnered with Elena. She just finished doing International Latin and placed very well in that, so Rhythm wouldn’t be difficult for her. it’s rare to see someone go from rhythm to latin, since it means the field gets more difficult, but it can be done (ie Kristina Rihanoff). I also lied, I like rhythm when it is done well. I loooooove LIana Churilova right now and her and Emmanuel are great! Had the opportunity to see them live when they were just first starting the partnership. She surprises me a lot because of how young she is. I also liked Kristina Rihanoff when she was with Brian Jolly, definitely over Tony and Inna.
@Steve – Yah, I’m sure Tony’s actually a really nice guy – he was probably just so wrapped up in the bravado back then that a lot of male Latin/rhythm pros are unfortunately prone to. I daresay he’s mellowed a lot since retiring from competition! And I think you may be onto something with your theory about Elena – I always thought the transition from Latin to rhythm was a bit of a step down for her, so it makes sense that she’d do well at it. And I absolutely adore Emmanuel & Liana – I feel like she’s the first partner he’s had in a long time that’s really been a good fit for him. I liked him with Alexandra Gregoire & the brief time he was with Julia Gorchakova, didn’t think Joanna Zacharewicz was a good fit for him (then again, I just don’t really care for Joanna), but I LOVE him with Liana. We actually featured the lovely Liana in Who Wore it Better? Part II, since she wore Susan Lucci’s cha-cha dress when she performed in the Haiti “Stars of Dance” performance. Excited to see them more often at competitions! 😀
Can I ask a question?
Why did you start this thread with Tony since you obviously HATE him so much. Why didn’t you start with Derek. I can’t waitto see what you have in store for him. I’ll try to bahs him as much as I can just because….
However, I know you’re gonna delete that.
Here’s an article about Tony…
http://www.mofflypub.com/Moffly-Publications/Stamford-Magazine/March-2010/Steppin-039-Out-with-Tony-Dovolani/
SHAME ON YOU ALL FOR TURNING THIS INTO BASH FEST.
Triple MEHHHH for writing this post.
@Guest – I’m beginning to think you are selectively literate, because I’m pretty sure all 4 of us said some nice stuff about Tony – I myself PRAISED his ability to stay true to the dances. None of us HATE Tony; none of us even used the word to describe our feelings for him. I like the guy – when he’s not making snide remarks in the media (see Did He REALLY Say That?! The Tony Dovolani Edition) or failing to give his partners good choreography to showcase their skills. You’re (incorrectly) inferring things at this point – if you bother to read through the post again, as well as the comments, you’ll see that this isn’t a “bash fest” – people are intelligently discussing how they feel about both Tony and Dmitry. I can only hope you do the same once we post the Derek edition – from the sound of it, you’re already planning on blasting him. And just FYI – we only start deleting comments when people start spamming or slinging insults/obscenities. We aren’t totalitarians who refuse to acknowledge opinions other than their own. We will, however, discuss and defend our own opinions…feel free to do the same. But do it respectfully.
“Heidi: Tony has an amazing smile. ”
Sorry! How generous of Heidi.. Who can say she doesn’t play nice???
As for his choreo. He has 2 Emmy nominations. One for Stacy…and another Emmy for Breakthrough Perfomance with Melissa for their week 1 Waltz.
Guest – If you can point out five different reasons that we have pointed out that puts Tony in a poor light, and we there are no five reasons to balance that out, then yes, we would be bashing. But as it stands it’s evenly distributed between pros and cons.
I, myself, do like Tony, but there are flaws as well. Nothing is black and white, and nothing ever will be. And to think that it’s pure black and white… well… then I feel sorry for those that do think that way.
@ guest. Not to put you on the defense in regards to Tony, but he has only been nominated once for an Emmy. It was in 2006 when he was partnered with Stacy. Tony was never nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for his waltz with Melissa. If I recall, Julianne Hough received one in 2008 then in 2009 with Derek for their Jive.
Lisa – I think Guest refers to the fan nominated Emmy for Breakthrough Performance. It’s not referred to in the usual way on the website, but there are mentions of it if you do a Google search for “Breakthrough Performance Emmy” w/o quotes. I just haven’t found any info as to whom the final three were in the years that it was available.
Well, that’s the difference between you and us, Guest. We actually present reasons why we don’t care for someone or their behavior. You will “bahs” Derek “just because”. Now really, who’s mature?
Er, that second nomination – wasn’t it actually more for Melissa? And it wasn’t for choreo by any means – it was for performance. A category that no longer exists, I don’t think.
I think all the pros have their strengths and their weak points. For me, Tony’s weakness is his choreography. He doesn’t really explore the possibilities or chemistry. That’s why he had such a good season with Stacey. He allowed the choreography to play up the hottness factor between them, and they almost got there. For me he hasn’t done it since. Even with Melissa, there was really only one dance the Argentine Tango that I recall as really tapping into the sexual energy. The rest was cotton candy in comparison to Stacey.
He’s high on Audrina this season so maybe he’s found that spark again.
I have to sort of disagree with Marianya – bashing is baseless hate in my book. If every criticism is bashing – well, that’s just immature. Len has said far worse than most of us and he’s on crack half the time. 🙂
And there are lots of people who get upset with what we write on this site – they DO see everything in black and white. I’ve NEVER been that simple. 🙂
Isn’t the breakthrough performance Emmy a fan voted thing? Of course Melissa won – her fans are INSANE when it comes to that crap.
Derek’s been nominated 3 times, Julianne twice and, I think, Cheryl twice. Have I left anyone out, besides Tony’s one from several years ago?? Oh, Chelsie was with Derek on one of his.
Heidi – The nominations are as follows..
2006
Cheryl Burke
Tony Dovolani
Cheryl Burke & Nick Kosovich
2007
Louis van Amstel
2008
Julianne Hough
2009
Derek Hough/Julianne Hough
2010
Derek Hough
Chelsie Hightower/Derek Hough
I don’t recall DWTS actually winning though.
That breakthrough performance thing was a gimmick for that particular Emmy broadcast. It is not a nomination. The producer decided to do that for that particular broadcast. Probably as a way to get viewers involved, get hits on their website. One year the Emmys did a broadcast of the most memorable tv moments and that was fan votes too. No big deal.
I’m just gonna add that to Steve and Courtney’s discussion. Tony was a champion before Elena came along. He wanted to dance with Elena since the first time he saw her and brought her to the U.S. Elena had just broken up with Maks and Tony was free from Inna, perfect timing.
Yeah, I have nothing against Tony, just don’t like his dancing as much as some of the other pros. I’m sure he’s a gentleman though. I will also so, coming from the ballroom world, it is a lot to do with politics, so sometimes the best isn’t always first. I do like Elena and I read an interesting article/interview with her. Tony had asked her to dance with him after him and Inna separated and she initially thought he wanted to do International Latin. When he clarified and told her he wanted her to dance rhythm, she was very hesitant. She said she didn’t want to sound arrogant or anything, but she said she could put one foot on the floor and win the competition without having to do anything. She basically said she finally agreed to do it because it would be more fun for her as opposed to work, which what she had to do a lot of when competing in Latin. So I hate to say it, but if you go from latin to rhythm, you’re probably usually frowned upon in ballroom politics and it wouldn’t be great to go back to latin. So if you make the decision to go from latin to rhythm, you can’t really turn back. That’s my opinion, I like Tony as a person though, dancing wise, not as engaging as the others.
I love Dmitry and his choreography was memorable and technically sound. He was dinged a few times for the gimmicks but frankly Mr. Gimmick himself Derek Hough is seen as such a great choreographer. The 70s Samba and Salsa with Mya are still two of the best dances ever on the show. Nobody was going to beat Donny Osmond that year. He didn’t even have to dance. Dmitry overperformed with Holly b/c frankly she was TERRIBLE. If Jewel was not hurt that season, he probably would have made it to the semis b/c I heard she was pretty good. The producers have made it the Derek Hough show so why have anyone else show up.