DWTS12 Week 7 Power Rankings
*yawn* Well, I guess that about sums up “ballroom greats” night for me. Which is unfortunate, because I was kinda excited about seeing some of my favorites, like Arunas & Katusha and Riccardo & Yulia. Not sure what it was (maybe Donnie’s bad jokes, maybe some ugly costumes, maybe some lackluster performances), but overall I’m just left feeling a little blase about tonight. And even less enthused about the scoring, which leaves the door WIDE open for a surprise elim. Yeah, those team scores? All they serve to do is make the points spread EVEN CLOSER…which means literally ANYONE could go home this week. Even those at the top of the leaderboard. Are you scared yet? You probably should be. Pick up that phone while I break it down…
My take on the team dances: Overall, a big disappointment for me, from both teams. Not too surprised that they tied – although it puts the couples in kind of a bad position, since it only serves to lessen the gap in points between them. I thought Team Chelsea had the more difficult choreography & more interesting pattern changes, but they were out of sync at several points; I thought Team Hines’ choreo was a bit elementary and not quite as exciting, but they did have the cleaner, more synced-up execution of the two teams. Neither team really “thrilled” me. Overall, I doubt the team dances are really going to make a huge impact on voters this week, other than the fact that it might spur them to vote, period. And vote they should – because this funky points spread this week is a breeding ground for a shock elimination!
1./2.) TIE: Ralph & Karina and Hines & Kym – They’re both tied for the highest score, and I bet they’re both gonna get a lot of votes this week. Ralph had a comeback week (just like I said he would ;-)) with his quickstep, which I thought was pretty damn cute – entertaining concept, the right choreography, and pretty good execution…I say “pretty good” because Ralph did seem a bit tired to me tonight, or maybe he was just dancing carefully to avoid injuring himself. Either way, I don’t think it was 10-worthy, but at this point the judges seem to be doling out 10’s so randomly these days that I can’t bring myself to care very much. Hines is Mr. Consistent, so I imagine he’s consistently getting votes – even though this tango had the same not-100%-there feeling that I got from his Viennese waltz last week. For me, he kinda alternated between moving crisply & confidently and kinda looking lost and unsure. And for the first time, his frame kinda looked a little limp to me – not usually a problem Hines seems to have. As for the team dances – valiant effort by Ralph, and he did better than I thought he would, but was still kinda awkward; Hines did about as well as he did for his first cha-cha, although he seems to have lost a bit of the sparkle that he had the first one – or maybe the novelty has just worn off for me. Who knows. I’m gonna cautiously call these two safe, because I think they’ve got the fanbase to stick around despite being in shock elim territory.
3.) Kirstie & Maks – Eh, this jive could have been worse – she could have both fouled up footwork and been just completely boring to watch (you listening, Bristol? :-)). Thankfully, she and Maks somehow managed to make what could have been an absolute disaster of a jive halfway entertaining. Sure, they futzed around without doing any jive for far too long at the beginning, Kirstie completely lost track of her footwork in the side-by-side sections, and overall, there really wasn’t a whole lot of jive here. Normally, I’d rip this routine a new one – but tonight was a wacky night, and I’m feeling forgiving, since they still managed to entertain me. I would liken this routine to Niecy & Louis’ Argentine tango in season 10 – not a lot of technique or choreography, so they relied on comedy, and it worked. Probably the weakest link on Team Hines, which isn’t saying a whole lot when Kendra wasn’t much better. And really – Kirstie is the master of PR, and seems to be making more people fall in love with her each week, whether she does great or terrible. Being that they’re tied with Romeo & Chelsie for the lowest score, I think fans are going to be spurred to vote even harder…so I’m gonna call these two safe as well.
4.) Chelsea & Mark – As terrible as this sounds, a part of me ALMOST wants to see these two get sent home, just so Chelsea doesn’t have to deal with Mark’s seemingly volatile moods and in order to give Mark a chance to cool off. Mark’s behavior has definitely raised my eyebrows this season, but man, I was downright appalled at his behavior tonight. Chelsea looked mortified as he rather defiantly rattled off the list of paso steps he used in their routine, and I could have sworn he made an obscene gesture as he & Chelsea walked to the celebraquarium. But it’s Chelsea who’s getting scored, not Mark, so I’m going to try to focus on her. Like pretty much everyone else tonight, I don’t think she was 100% in the pocket of her routine – like I predicted, she seemed to have trouble with the “aggressive” feel of the paso, and like Hines, I feel like she was more in her head than in the dance, and ended up looking more like she was counting steps rather than getting into character. And choreography-wise, I don’t think the judges were so much upset with the lack of paso steps in the routine – because I actually saw plenty – but just the overall “feel” of the dance, since it was once again Mark being “edgy” and he should know by now that “edgy” and “modern” don’t usually sit well with the judges. And on top of that – the dancing was just ok. Definitely not Chelsea’s best, but she did look like she was really trying. I would say she was probably the MVP of Team Chelsea, but I felt like Mark was once again outdancing her and seemed to be powering her through the moves – which is unfortunate, since I think she’s good enough on her own that she doesn’t really NEED to be powered through them. Now when it comes down to it – I think these two are a possible “shock elim” tomorrow – possibly moreso than Romeo & Chelsie, since the latter at least has the boon of being tied for the lowest score, which may spur voters more. I think fans may falsely assume that Chelsea’s ok based on her 4-point lead – and normally they would probably be right, but because of those damn team scores, that 4 point lead is basically peanuts. These two getting eliminated would not shock me at all, based on the numbers.
5.) Romeo & Chelsie – I think Heidi & I simultaneously tweeted something along the lines of “Romeo got the pimp spot? Iiiiiinteresting.” So it makes me wonder if he’s starting to gain momentum in the votes – if so, he could be safer than we think. But based on this performance alone? Oy…he could be in trouble. This was a non-event of a samba, just like I had feared – no hip action, low energy (save for a few portions of side-by-side gyrating), and basically Chelsie dancing circles around Romeo. And it stinks, because I’ve really, really enjoyed Romeo’s performances the past few weeks. Really & truly, I think they deserved their score – hell, I would even say they were a bit OVERSCORED. The judges were being a bit kind tonight, IMO. Had this been a regular week, I don’t think it would have gotten more than a 21. As for the team dance – meh. Just not very memorable for me, really. Anywho, he’s tied for the bottom score, but I quickly did the numbers, and without giving too much away (saving it for Heidi’s post) – he doesn’t have to do much in order to catch up to Kendra. He could EASILY surpass her in order to stay – as long as he has the votes. Hell, if he’s really doing well, he could even surpass Chelsea. He’s tied with Kirstie for the lowest score, but since she’s such a favorite, I don’t think she has anything to really worry about. So the most likely scenario? It’ll come down to Romeo &…
6.) Kendra & Louis – You’ll have to forgive me – my DVR froze at the beginning of this routine, and I only caught the last 15 seconds or so of it. What I saw wasn’t necessarily terrible – but it wasn’t necessarily good, either. Just…odd. Awkward & uncomfortable, but somehow still going through the motions. I dunno…I’m not gonna really rely on my opinion of it too much, because I think this week will all come down to who’s got more fans. A 1-point difference during a regular week? Meh, doesn’t mean much. A 1-point difference during a 2-dance week? May as well be NOTHING. I think she’s at a big disadvantage this week, because she’s got 2 people below her in scores (and less of a sense of urgency for people to vote hard for her), and probably doesn’t have enough votes to surpass the next person up (in this case, Chelsea). And do I need to mention the gigantic target on her back from the past, oh, 3 weeks? 🙂 I’m wondering just how many Sugar & Spice, Dmitra, & Chericho fans are bitter and are giving their votes to other couples now – other couples that aren’t Kendra & Louis. In general, I think the viewers may be getting tired of her as well – she’s reigned in the verbal diarrhea, which very well may have been part of her appeal, and is getting a bit…boring. I wouldn’t say she’s for sure going home tomorrow (I’m bracing for a shock elim, myself)…but I would say she’s definitely in danger. Hopefully….lord knows I cannot handle another “Bristol”!
Ok gang, how did you guys feel about “ballroom greats” week? Did you feel as apathetic about everything as I did, or were you thrilled? 🙂 Is Kendra’s number FINALLY up this week???? SOUND OFF!!!
I agree Courtney. What a strange night. I’m not sure I liked Donny, but, I did like the added help from Shirley and Luca. I hope they will come back to help again in the future.
Anyway, here are my rankings this week in this order which are almost like Courtney’s;
1. Ralph and Karina -this was the dance of the night imo. He was smooth, elegant, fun, and entertaining. 9+
2. Kym and Hines – I loved these two. The only thing I wished is that we could see more intensity in his facial expressions. Otherwise, the footwork (which was his best of the season) was there and everything else.
3. Mark and Chelsea – This might have been a “10” dance if Mark wasn’t a “Hells Angel” versus a Bull fighter. It was strange for me like their other dances. She seemed a little slow or worn out in spots. But, I did love the theatrical part of it all. 8+
4. Kirstie and Maks – As always, these two are so fun. Yes, she had a hard time keeping up at times, but, she made up for in her fast footwork (which she did with ease and with the best of them) and the entertainment factor. 8
5. Kendra and Louis – I felt like Kendra was lost again through out the dance. She struggled with her feet and keeping up with Louis. If she would have had a couple of more days to practice this dance, she might have nailed it better. There were parts of her (when she bended back) that I just loved. 7+
6. Romeo and Chelsea – This was disappointing. What happened to Romeo? He didn’t seem as into it tonight? His hips didn’t shake. His feet were slow. This was not a Samba which was sad because I know he can do it. But, what happened? I pray these two don’t go home, but they could. This is scary. 7-
As for the team dances, I think they were equally matched in different ways. Team one pulled out the creativity and theatrics which I loved. Team Two was entertaining and full of sex appeal. I loved it when Maks kissed Kirstie’s hand. I think I’d give Team Two the edge only because it seemed like Mark overpowered his team. I felt this negative vibe as soon as he hit the floor which brought the team down. He does the same to Chelsea.
Boy, this is so confusing and close!
Thanks for the recap. I agree it was a lackluster night. I actually loved both team cha chas, but liked Team Two a bit better. i was SO impressed with how Kirstie kept up.
Speaking of Kirstie, so sad about her jive. Yes, she’s entertaining, but I know she could have done so much better.
Thought it looked like Kendra was being carried or dragged for most of her dance. it was difficult, I guess….
I was looking forward to Romeo, figuring he must have impressed the producers to go last. But, it was really, really not good. I felt bad for him.
I’m worried that Ralph might be in a bit of danger if people think he’s safe. Chelsea, Romeo and Kendra have real support on twitter, FB, etc., but not Ralph. Hope he gets enough votes to overcome any increased voting by Kendra and Romeo fans.
I liked Donnie a lot! I really loved the first two pro dancers who danced tonight – Ricardo and ______? They sure put the Dance Troupe to shame. Just proved to me that it’s not because I don’t know them that I don’t like them, cuz I didn’t know these two either.
Loved Ralph tonight! I love Kirstie and don’t care for Kendra, but I can’t see Kirstie ahead of her tonight with the mess Kirstie made of her dance. Acting only takes you so far. I missed Chelsea and Mark’s dance and judges’ comments – satellite went on the blink. What did Mark say??? I think I agree more with Vogue than Courtney this week re: rankings, but I do think we might have a surprise elimination. Team dances were blah. Thank guys!
I’m pretty much in agreement with Courtney and Vogue as far as their comments go. I’d just rank them a little differently. Although I am very worried for Kirstie. But I knew the Jive was going to give her trouble and sure enough, it did. But man, she’s 60 and you gotta give her props.
I wish Mark wouldn’t get so frustrated with the judges. He should know by now that they don’t like the edgy avant-garde stuff he goes for. I know, I hear people going on about how Derek pushes the envelope too, but you know what? He doesn’t do it with that dark, edgy side Mark seems to enjoy. And honestly, he didn’t have to give in to the frustration and call the judges wankers with his hand gesture on his way into the celbriquarium. Just not good juju, dude.
I think that Romeo and Chelsea probably have the smallest fan bases, but God only knows, really. Like Courtney, I’m bracing for a shock elimination tomorrow and I’m just praying it’s not Kistie and Maks.
So…
1. Ralph & Karina (and you KNOW that just kills me)
2. Hines & Kym (although he seemed rather mushy to me)
3/4. Chelsea & Mark or Kirstie & Maks (I can’t decide.)
5/6. Kendra & Louis or Kendra & Louis – (I can’t like Kendra, I just can’t, but I thought Romeo kinda stank.)
And who the hell knows what’s going to happen tomorrow!
I feel like I say this a lot, but what the heck is up with Mark lately? I used to think he was one of the nicest guys on the show, but now he has an attitude. I do like Chelsea and think she’s a good dancer, but it’s hard to pay attention to her with Mark around.
I THINK Romeo may be safe, just because he’s been pretty likeable lately and dancing well. Tonight wasn’t so great for him, but he could get the sympathy vote.
I’d love Mark to be eliminated and eat some humble pie. It’s sad because Chelsea is a great dancer but her pro is too much of an attention seeker.
Wasn’t too thrilled about the dances tonight. Ralph was the only one that improved and Hines still remains consistent.
Agree with Evaine about Mark’s hand gesture. Very childish especially for a pro. He also didn’t look too good during the team dance package. Wonder if these things will turn off voters who aren’t avid fans.
“I say “pretty good” because Ralph did seem a bit tired to me tonight, or maybe he was just dancing carefully to avoid injuring himself. ” I said it before and I’ll say it again. As in recent seasons, everyone is working too many days, too many hours, over-training. Even great sports teams, even the Apollo astronauts took days off. I would lock the doors on that training studio at least one day per week. More hours in the studio don’t necessarily translate into better performances.
Hm. Not power rankings, just comments:
Karina/Ralph: He wasn’t doing as much for me, well, maybe in the rehearsal footage a little bit. The dancing was fun but I felt it was low on content and high on running around. The judges always seem to forgive the running around during the quickstep, so that’s fine I guess.
Kym/Hines: Once again I had trouble paying attention to hines because of Kym’s gorgeous dress. Reminds me of that Tango dress she wore with Donny.
Mark/Chelsea: I didn’t think that Paso was as “out there” as the judges seem to think, but that’s probably because I don’t know anything about dancing. If anything, I wish they’d gone even further out there like they did with their Jive.
Louis/Kendra: I used to like her but now I’m just bored. Nobody should have to go home but since someone has to it should be her.
Romeo/Chelsie: The judges were right to be hard on this Samba, the Samba seems like one of the harder dances to get right but I didn’t feel any energy, much content, or anything else. I do feel that Romeo is the most improved star this season, and I’ll definitely put some votes his way in the hope that he makes it to the final four.
Maks/Kirstie: I’m pretty bored with her too, although the line about having such a good time she forgot about the dancing was cute. My husband commented that he forgot to even watch Kirstie because he was so impressed with Maks.
I will be voting for Ralph, Romeo, and Chelsea tonight. Hopefully two of them will make the top three along with Hines.
Mark may have done himself in with this attitude he’s been showing lately. The happy go-lucky Mark that we knew in the past is long gone, ladies and gents. In his place is this snarky, arrogant prick (pardon my language). It’s sort of unnecessary. It isn’t like he’s been picked over in terms of partners and mirror ball trophies. In fact, he’s been quite lucky. So this attitude? Leave it at the door, Mark.
That being said, I don’t think Kirstie’s in any danger of elimination tomorrow night. I just have a feeling in my gut that she’ll be fine. She’s a crowd favorite, and she can afford to have a bad dance simply because she has the following and the fans to back it up. The one who is most likely is danger is..I hate to say it…Romeo. He was an utter disappointment tonight compared to what we know he is capable of. If it’s not him to go home, then I think it could very well be Kendra.
For me the highlights of the show were Yulia & Ricardo and Katusha & Arunas. WOW. You can see why they are the best in the world…Happy that Hines and Ralph did well but overall the show was a bit lackluster. I guess I’m just missing Derek and his brilliant choreography and dancing skills…I must of missed Mark’s hand gesture. What did he do?
I missed the hand gesture too but I agree that Chelsea must have been embarrassed when Mark got defensive about the Paso moves. I *did* notice at the end of the night when Chelsie spoke to Tom and he shook his head no — what was that about? I mean, obviously it was about the scoring mix-up, but what did she say?
I am glad that I am not the only feeling this way about Mark. Let me preface this by saying that I really enjoyed his partnerships with Kristi and Shawn. However, it seems this season he has taken Maks’ bad attitude from the past, Lacey’s need to be recognized as the ballroom rebel and combined them with his uncanny ability to always out dance his partners and his strange spastic movements that have been a trademark of practically every one of his dances this season. I know that I should be focusing on Chelsea, but everything he does constantly overshadows her and it’s not just the dancing. He’s become just so annoying to me.
Anyways, Donnie’s scoring was strange tonight (giving Kirstie a 9??), but I liked his comments and white teeth overall! I liked the addition of Luca and Shirley, as well. It was fun to see them teach. My favorite was definitely Hines and Ralph! Ralph is soooo awesome and you could see step his game up. Hines is just consistent and I’ve liked him from day 1. The rest are all forgettable to me, eventhough I love Kirstie and Romeo. But because they were on the bottom, I gave them a few extra votes…. 😉
Kirste – I thought parts of Kirstie’s dance were cute but technically her weakest performance. I don’t want her to go though. 2 dances in 1 night, one being the jive…I was holding my breath. It wasn’t pretty but she got through it. Mainly I think her and Maks doing either the paso or tango could potentially be amazing. I really want to see that. If she makes it past this week she could really excel with the dances she has left.
Ralph was the best of the night. No spatula hands.
Chelsea – was technically strong but I wasn’t buying the dark/angry side of her. My general vibe of that performance has been tainted by Mark. He needs to relax. Especially since this contradicts the cheesy happy guy performing and pulling faces.
Hines – I think he’s good…but the performance doesn’t really jump out at me…kinda forgetable.
Romeo- stop trying to put the swagger in everything and learn the basic technique. Last couple of weeks he’s been told to work on that and it doesn’t seem like he has.
Kendra – was being dragged all over the floor by Louie. If she left I dont’ think I would notice that much.
Wow, scoring was ridiculous tonight.
I just wanted to start off by saying I hated the Bin Laden coverage during the telecast – it really took me outta the moment and I thought it was poorly timed. We can go two hours without an update. He’s still dead. Carry on. Oh well, nothing to do about that now!
I liked Team Chelsea’s dance better – yeah there were a few moments where it wasn’t synced up, but the formations were more interesting, as were the solos. I thought Chelsea did great in this dance. Team Hines was so basic, and while it was well-executed I was bored to tears – so while both weren’t great, I’d say the second was more disappointing (especially in terms of what I’d expect).
Overall there was a huge dip in quality this evening. I dunno if it was the two dances or the music or everyone being tired or what, but I doubt I’ll ever look at another of these routines again.
I liked Ralph and Karina a lot tonight. It wasn’t the best quickstep ever (my fave is Karina and Aaron’s) but it was good enough to be the best for tonight and maybe one of the best this season. Good song choice, making up for his samba, I hope – although his paso song wasn’t bad. For me, he and Karina are the full package – entertaining, nice, technique and interesting choreography.
I liked Chelsea and Mark’s paso, but I didn’t love it. But on a night of meh dances, it was probably my second favorite. She emoted better than I expected, but there were a few weird moments with Mark’s choreography that I thought were missed opportunities. I did see his jerking off hand gesture, but only on rewatch. I think unless the Disney crowd goes crazy she could be in danger, which I hope isn’t the case because I think she deserves to be there at the end, even if Mark has been a bit weird. I can just see it now if they get eliminated before the finals – the Bristol fans so happy cause they prove that Mark only got to the finals last year cause of Bristol’s amazing presence, technique and huge fanbase . But yeah, I think SHE is good – Mark just needs to take a season off or something.
Hines and Kym were again good, not great. There were moments where he looked like a noodle and his expressions suck. I liked the choreography a lot, and Kym was great in this dance, but Hines merely pretty good. Liked the song, but I don’t think Hines “felt” it.
Kendra did look like she was being yanked around the dance floor. She got the benefit one of the most suitable songs of the night, just like last week. Her expressions are bad and I just don’t like watching her dance. Once again, I hope she’s gone this week – but the past few weeks make me doubt that 🙁 Here’s hoping though!
Romeo did take a huge step back tonight. This looked like it belonged in week 2 or 3. I think he tried, and I hope that he could do better in subsequent dances with the proper training week. I hope he makes the final four, but I fear for him.
Kirstie got a nine. Seriously? Wtf. I like Kirstie and I love Maks and all, but that deserved maybe six’s – if that. Entertainment value was high, but almost no content and she lost it so badly. As much as I’d like for her to be in the finals, and even more so for Maks to be there – at this point I’m okay if they got eliminated instead of the others (except Kendra). She has lasted way longer than people would have expected, entertained us all and done some good and some decent and a little bit of bad dancing. But she seems so tired. I feel bad saying this cause part of me IS totally rooting for them, but I just don’t know how much more we are gonna squeeze outta her. That being said, I don’t think she’s in much danger cause of her and Maks’ popularity.
Also I wanted to add that I think it was a smart move by the producers to give Kirstie the jive NOW instead a little bit later – while there were a couple of other dancers to lose. She’s at the bottom, but she can easily be saved to dance another day and a more suitable dances that she will do well in. But if she was to do THAT jive in two weeks? I’d have a much more difficult time imagining her advancing.
I agree that the show was dull. I don’t care for the celebrity dances. All they do is upstage the amateurs and kill time. I didn’t mind the celebrity coaches because they don’t really make the pre-dance montages any longer. The celebrity judge doesn’t usually make much of a difference, either. Donny was OK.
The team dance was super boring and, since it was scored dead even, it turned out to be a total waste of time. It took 40 minutes before the first couple actually danced. Ugh!
I think the rest of you are being pretty hard on Kendra, perhaps because you are already sick of her antics from earlier in the season. In my opinion, she is one of the most improved dancers in the competition and her attitude has done a total 180. She actually seems to be “getting it” and enjoying herself, finally. She has gained an appreciation of dance that makes me want to support her even more. She also seemed to be the one who got the most out of the celebrity coaching.
Aside from that, I liked Ralph a lot. He isn’t perfect but he, obviously, works hard and the routine was awfully cute.
I thought that Hines was way off at the beginning of his routine and was way overscored, so much that I wondered what dance the judges were looking at. I liked him in the earlier weeks but, each week, he seems to regress.
Kirstie was Kirstie. A fun routine with sloppy footwork. We cut her a lot of slack for her weight and her age because we like her. I don’t know how long that will hold out but, I think she is still safe.
I agree that Romeo was terrible this week. A shame, because I was cheering on this kid for the same reason I like Kendra. He was transforming into a dancer before our eyes – until this week. It was lackluster. No hip action – for a Samba??? Very disappointing. I predict this will be the week he gets voted off.
I agree, Chelsea might be in danger, too. Very nice kid. Very athletic and capable. Unfortunately, Mark’s routines and attitude suck. I wouldn’t be shocked if she goes too.
On a musical note, I was pretty impressed to see a couple of the dancers being given real tango music, instead of the often forced sounding Rock tunes they get stuck with. Kirstie’s Jive and Ralph’s Quick Step were paired with authentic sounding music as well. I can’t tell you how much I hate the incongruous garbage they usually have to dance to.
I have to say it: I loved Chelsea and Marks Paso. 🙂 The artistic side of it was just…great! I didn’t get such a biker feel from it due to the Deadmau5 music, and I actually got kind of a Depeche Mode feel from it, and it distracted me from any of Chelseas mistakes. But MARKY MARK omg!!! Someone needs to turn a firehose on that kid. Ralph and Karina were cute, I liked the choreography, as I usually do with K’s dances. Ralph is coming back, man!!! Hines wasn’t too bad in my opinion, I just didn’t feel all too invested in it because of a lack of…attack I guess. I feel like Romeo and achelseas dance must have been good in theory but it just…no… 🙂
There wasn’t any one dance that really stood out and excited me. I felt bored midway. I like Team Chelsea better than Team Hines because theirs were more showy and intricate. Also love that Chelsea was really, really into it for her and Mark’s solo, so that amped me up too. Probably the only time throughout the show. Team Hines was more in synch but it was soooo ordinary, so a bit disappointing. (In conclusion Derek is needed for a great team performance)
Loved the tango musics tonight, though neither Hines nor Kendra was perfect. I was really amazed at how a world class teacher instruction could transform Kendra. I wish Hines were still the guy who moved with total ease like he did in the early weeks, but the competition is a lot tougher now.
I got worried watching Ralph package, Karina really needs to think about his being 49. But thank goodness nothing will be as taxing as the quickstep. The quickstep was charming, but I was more wowed by last week paso. (loved the music and choreo)
Chelsea’s paso, I think it was good, but really, Mark better stay on the traditional route. About him, someone else mentioned it too, but in the team package, he seemed so bossy and harsh >.< Just go back to the goofy guy you were Mark.
Kirstie, that was very little jive, still entertaining as always, but my oh my. It's great that she got it out of the way.
Romeo, ugh. I really like Chelsie, so I'm rooting for them. He's been really cute and improving much too. Being put at the last spot, I was expecting he'd do great. But I guess it's only because it was samba? Which wasn't samba at all. So he got one day less of training, and there was the team dance, couldn't he mastersomthing? It was like a week 1 technique. So stiff! Shirley Ballas did work on his hip? I wonder why she didn't work on his feet at all. Maybe she could've done something on that aspect?
The world champions performances were wonderful. So glad being able to watch in HD instead of youtube quality 😀 The Latin couple, zomg, such ease and smoothness; the Ballroom couple wow, what speed and such elegance across the floor. Katusha Demidova, is she related to Anna Demidova?
Katusha and Anna Demidova are sisters.
Damn, what a boring night !!!
If I had too choose between the two team I would choose team Chelsea, it was more entertaining than team Hines whose choreography was really simple
Regarding the couples performances
1. Ralph & Karina: cute but a little boring (like you Figamentation, my favorite quickstep is Aaron & Karina’s one)
2. Hines & Kym: boring
3. Chelsea & Mark: boring and even on Chelsea and with a skirt this Lacey’s outfit is horrible, the worst of all seasons I’ve seen
4. Romeo & Chelsie: I’m so disappointed ! He was my favorite the last 2 weeks, but this wasn’t good at all. Hope he’s gonna stay !
5. Kendra & Louis: akward & uncomfortable, that’s exactly what I thought too, that’s a pity because I think she improved a lot and Louis’ choreography was really good (too bad he doesn’t have Chelsea as a partner, it would have been amazing with her)
6. Kirstie & Maks: it was not boring but it wasn’t good at all. Like Figamentation, if she leaves tonight (which is quite unlikely) instead of Kendra, it will be OK with me.
I’m praying for Romeo to leave.
Here are my rankings,
Ralph and Karina were the best of the night, these two really do work well together and the incident last week I felt has made them even stronger as a team, but we will see if they can keep up this momentum,
Hines and Kym another favorite of mine, I thought they were good, but last few weeks have been tame, I still am swept away with his dancing, Hines and Ralph just take me to another place, and after that boring show I needed to be somewhere else….
Romeo gets my third spot granted, he pretty much sucked this week, but he has been one of my favorites the past few weeks so…
Kirstie and Maks are in this spot only or entertainment purposes only, her dancing was quite awful, are they really grooming her for the finals with this level of dancing each week, I would hope not. Her stick on the dance floor is getting old.
Kendra has moved up only because of Mark.
Chelsea and Mark need to go. Mark is an embarrasment, he is disrespectful and arrogant and he needs to leave my tv ASAP.
I haven’t read the comments yet, so I may be back with comments later, once I have a chance.
My thoughts on last night. It seemed to me that both Mark and Karina were outdancing their partners during the team dance. Ralph and Karina’s solo really bugged me, because it seemed like he stood still, while she danced. I know it was a new dance for him, but couldn’t she teach him some cha cha content? There was definitely something that felt ODD/OFF on Team 1. Maybe it was the tension we heard about, but they seemed to leave it out of the package, or maybe it was Chelsea saying (more than once?) we were COMPETITORS, and now we’re teammates… as if she was still amazed… The other team had a much better TEAM feel…. They were more cohesive, and didn’t feel like they were still competitors pretending to be a team. They WERE a team.
I LOVED Luca as a coach, much more than Shirley. He just seemed SOFTER. Maybe it was that she was coaching the Latin while he was coaching the ballroom, but I really think he did better, because it seemed that he was using THE CELEBRITIES and nailing their personalities, and using that to teach what he wanted to bring out, and I didn’t feel the same from Shirley’s coaching. I do like how Donnie was judging, not sure if I could stand watching him each week on the judges panel.
I am puzzled about Mark…. That’s all I will say, and will leave it at that.
I like watching Maks while Brooke is talking to Kirstie…. He is so puzzled sometimes, and he is just so expressive about it…. Kirstie has a way of taking the stupid comments and questions that Brooke gives, and twisting and wringing every ounce of comedy, in only a few words…. And often, she has Maks looking at the camera and mouthing, “WHAT???”
my rankings are:
1) ralph: best dance of then ight. I expected more than one ten though.
2) Hines: awesome job but it wasn ot 100% from him.
3) Kirstie: loved it even though it wasn’t great. The scoring was kinda funny though to me. When does one see a 6, 7, 8, 9 as a score on this show lol.
4) C and Mark: liked it but his behavior annoyed me.
5) Kendra: I Liked it a lot actually.
6) Romeo and Chelsie: He can do way better.
The group dances were good but I liked the one with Kirstie and crew better than Ralph, Chelsea, and Romeos.
Hmmm. Where to start?
Normally at this point in the season, people are brining their A-game, but I didn’t see that at all last night. Everyone seems to be, I don’t know, tired or over it. Very strange.
Ralph: Meh. It was OK, but I was expecting more.
Hines: Meh. This is the first dance of his that I didn’t love. I think the thing with this dance, and maybe the last one too a little bit, is that he doesn’t seem to be enjoying it as much as he did in the beginning.
Chelsea: I just can’t stand Mark and his freakin guyliner. And his attitude! I definitely think that was an obscene gesture he made as he was leaving the floor. I like Chelsea, I think she can dance, but he sucks up all the attention and it’s really annoying. I did not like their paso, but I thought she did a fairly good job in spite of her jerk-partner.
Kendra: She is starting to grow on me and I have no idea why. Maybe because of her shift in attitude? I thought Louis did her no favors with his choreo, and I absolutely hated the shimmys that he put in there. And even though she messed up several times, I thought she did better than the two below. (?!?!?! What is going on? I like Kendra?)
Romeo: What was that? He just stood there much of the time while Chelsea danced around him. But then when he did dance, I found myself wishing he would just stand there again so I wouldn’t have to see it. Yuck.
Kirstie: I had really low expectations for her jive – I didn’t think she would be able to do it, but I thought she would at least try. There was so little dance in their dance and then when they got around to the jive, her feet barely left the floor. They were so much worse than I expected them to be. If I didn’t love the two of them so much together, I would be ready for her to go after that performance.
And I did not care for Donnie – I didn’t think he added much to the judging. You know, I hate to be so negative, but for me there wasn’t a whole lot to like last night.
Except Luca! Luca was a bright, smoldering, beautifully accented spot. 🙂
Stars: feel free to tell me where to get off…but, like Laurie says, “Where’s the A game?” Total meh for me last night. I almost burst out laughing when Mark and Chelsea’s number began. Is he a diva’s diva or what? Now I know what it is about her – she can’t act. Which is odd because she’s supposed to be an actor. Anyway, Kendra is proof positive that Louis will do whatever he wants in spite of what’s best for his star. When judges say the choreography would be tough for a pro, you know poor Kendra is hanging on for dear life. Who’s the bigger jerk? Mark or Louis?
For those of you who think I’m being “too hard” on Kendra – go back and read my power rankings from previous weeks. I was being kind this week 🙂 And while I admit that Kendra’s dancing and attitude have improved, I still think she’s the weakest dancer at this point in the competition – and as we’re heading into the quarterfinals, I want the best dancers in there, and for me, she isn’t one of them. I like that she finally seems to be taking things seriously, but it doesn’t necessarily mean her dancing is up-to-par with the other couples that are left. I think it’s her time to go…period.
@Laurie – Louis put shimmies in their tango???! Of course I missed it, due to a malfunctioning DVR. But shimmies have no place in the tango. What was he thinking???
And really, as much as Mark has kinda pissed me off this season – his behavior just kinda makes me sad more than anything else. He was actually my favorite pro when he first started out on the show – I thought he was the best at showcasing his partner’s strengths while still creating memorable routines. And he was a nice, polite guy! The Mark I’ve seen the past few seasons is no more like the Mark from the early days than the man in the moon. He’s done a complete 180 – he argumentative, arrogant, and has a complete disregard for his partner’s needs. I don’t know if it was the whole Bristol mess that pushed him over the edge or what – but I don’t like it. I think now more than ever, he needs to take a break from the show…because he seems to be suffering from burnout of the worst kind.
Mark set his tone for the night right off the bat when they were coming down the stairs in the opening – he pretty much demanded applause from the audience, which turned me off in a big way. It was not the light hearted “let’s see which side of the room I can make scream louder” exuberance that we’ve seen from Derek after he and his partner pull off a great dance, but it seemed…aggressive. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sure did make me go, “WTF??” I guess he’s acting like he’s being treated badly by the show and the audience or something. It started last season with Bristol and it doesn’t seem to have subsided at all.
And yes, I know psychoanalysis at a distance is not a good thing, but I think the change in him is pretty apparent. 🙂
Bin Laden coverage during the show?? I was saying on twitter that they didn’t have enough crap to fill a whole two hours so they corralled Diane to show how relevant, timely and LIVE the show is. But, I’m a cynic, as you all know. 🙂
You know, so many people are commenting on Mark’s behavior that it’s quite something – and I’m glad it’s not just me. But I do find it very, very strange – why is he acting this way, like he’s so put upon? It occurred to me just now that his BFF has three trophies – one more than he does. Remember when Derek was partnering Brooke and how intense he was, how presured he felt to win because both Mark and Julianne had? He’s made comments about it, he and Brooke both struggled (which is why they are such great friends now – he talks glowingly about her at appearances, calling her his “good luck charm”) with the pressure of feeling like they HAD to win. Do you suppose Mark’s attitude and behavior is coming from the same place, he just doesn’t handle it as well as Derek apparently did? I’m seriously wondering. I minored in psych. 🙂
I agree about Mark…. He never was my favorite, but he was in my top 3… You’re right…. Angry. That’s the feel I get from him, and over the last few seasons, he’s gone down, down, down on my list of favorite pros.
I keep thinking that if Chelsea is eliminated before the finals, it’ll be Mark’s fault, because he’s not winning people over…. He seems to be alienating people. Chelsea does have great technique, and a good dancer, and seems to catch onto the choreography well, and I’d love to see what she could have done with other pros. Honestly, I don’t remember much of Chelsea’s dancing, after she’s done. I’m more distracted by Mark out dancing her and his theatrics, or the outrageous costuming. I did read the reviews from last night at both tv guide and ew.com, and I think both women nailed the thoughts about Mark….
But about them being eliminated… I am almost afraid of that happening. As angry and entitled as it feels he is right now, I’m almost afraid of what he is going to say after he is gone.
Yep, we’re all on the same page – last night was pretty much one big *yawn*. What lackluster performances.
I think all the competitors were suffering from the stress (both physical and mental) of doing 2 dances for the first time. As we’ve said, this isn’t the best crop of celeb dancers, and having to learn and perform 2 dances for the first time really took it out of them. I’m hoping they’ll get adjusted to their new 2-dance reality and do better next week.
Ralph – Ralph and Karina’s Quickstep was my favorite dance of the night, but that’s kind of faint praise since I wasn’t thrilled with any of them. Enjoyed the speakeasy storyline; it was a cute number.
Hines – Don’t know if they’re taking the right approach – their goal is to stay consistent, be in the top 3, and make the finals, but I think this tactic is causing Hines to stagnate a bit. He’s starting to dance a bit carefully instead of just going out there and having fun. Loved Kym’s costume!
Chelsea – that poor child. I’m so sorry she has to put up with Mark. He’s completely forgotten what his role is on this show. Memo to Mark: Dude, it’s about teaching Chelsea to dance, not about *you*. So get over yourself!” If only Derek were on the show this season and she’d gotten him; he’d have her polished like a fine diamond by now and would display her beautifully. If Chelsea goes home tonight, it’s all on Mark. I’d love to see him get the slap he deserves but not at Chelsea’s expense.
Romeo – Loved Laurie’s comment, “He just stood there…But then when he did dance, I found myself wishing he would just stand there again.” ROFL! That was perfect!!! Seriously, very disappointed in Romeo this week. He just can’t (or won’t) get into the right frame of mind for Latin.
Kirstie – When they began their Jive by killing time, I knew they were in trouble. What was the strategy? Did Maks know there was no way she could do 90 seconds of Jive so he tried for 30 seconds of *good* Jive and hoped comedy would carry them the rest of the time? If so, it didn’t quite work out. I really enjoy Kirstie and adore Maks, but this was disappointing – way too much schtick. I’d rather they’d played it straight even if she’d tired at the end. Still, as others have said, getting the Jive out of the way now was a clever move. TPTB are working hard to get her into the finals.
Kendra – Well, she’s not as annoying these last 2 weeks, but I still would rather she left now. I was amazed in the rehearsal vid at how well she responded to Luca’s training. Kind of confirms my opinion that Louis wasn’t a good choice for her. That’s not meant as a slam to either Louis or Kendra. Some pairings just don’t work.
Kind of looking forward to seeing how it’s going to play out tonight.
@Fig — Ha-ha, you are right on about the Bin Laden coverage – I halfway expected Chevy Chase to be peering into the camera saying “An SNL News Update: Osama Bin Laden is STILL DEAD!”… Don’t know why anyone at ABC thought that was something to interrupt a dance show for.
Ralph – I LOVED his dance! I’m worried though. If the quickstep was that hard on his body, what about the Jive? Anyway, this is my pick for the encore!
Hines – To paraphrase Evaine, I’m just not getting the Hines love, especially the last couple of weeks. I agree that this was a little “meh”… I could take it or leave it.
Kirstie – That jive made me laugh and almost cry at the same time. Like the judges said, she is always spot-on in character for the dance. But the footwork looked more like Mike Catherwood’s… 🙁 That, with the video package bit about her and Maks not working on the team Cha-cha solo until the last second has me really worried about Kirstie. I hope it was just a case of the Jive being really tough, and them running out of time.
Kendra – This actually was pretty good for Kendra. Seems like her attitude is improving, and her technique is better. And as Courtney said, she’s controlling her mouth more, so it’s not painful to watch. But while I’m on this topic – TPTB, can we pleeease get rid of the “flatulence humor”? I know, it happens. It was funny the first time, not so much anymore.
Chelsea – OMG! Mark SERIOUSLY needs to get his meds adjusted. Either that, or someone needs to take him into the parking lot and beat the crap out of him with one of those posture bars. By now, he knows the judges don’t go for edgy choreo – so why get bent out of shape and act like a petulant 11 year-old when you get thwacked for it? Geeze…
Romeo – Ouch. Just. ouch. Didn’t enjoy this one at all. And then he talks about missing a day of rehearsals. Dude, you picked a bad week to take a day off. I know the celebs sometimes have wacky schedules (reference Warren Sapp), but the ones that want to win step up and do what they have to do.
All in all, I’m thinking that it’ll either be Kenda or Romeo going home tonight, but with the judges wacky scores, who knows…..
Yeah, Kendra looked like a different person the moment she was told to touch, and then touched, Luca. Wow.
@Sally, Thanks for giving me some great chuckles.
Loved your comment on the Bin Laden coverage, “I halfway expected Chevy Chase to be peering into the camera saying “An SNL News Update: Osama Bin Laden is STILL DEAD!”… ” Spot on!
But the showstopper for me was your suggestion about Mark, “…someone needs to take him into the parking lot and beat the crap out of him with one of those posture bars.” I think people would be lining up for the privilege.
I think all of the teams struggled with two dances for the first time. I think it was just a bit difficult for them to juggle–with that said, I think they all did a serviceable job. I’m not a Ralph fan at all, but he did pretty good on his quickstep (though was the weakest link in his group dance), and I thought Romeo KILLED the group dance and was really weak in his samba. I really like Mark’s choreography, but I think Heidi’s right about him letting the pressure get to him. He knows that Chelsea is capable and wants it so bad that it’s not as fun for him anymore. And it shows.
Kendra, on the other hand–wow! So impressed!! The sickling of her feet bothers me as a dancer, but that’s a hard thing to learn. Her arms and footwork were so much better. (and the shimmies were in the cha-cha group dance, not the tango, lol).
Kirstie–my lovely Kirstie! So bummed. But the pro that she is, she pulled it out of nothingness. Hope she doesn’t go home. Hines–well, he’s so not memorable to me! And I usually love the athletes. But I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by his dancing this season (though his personality is fabulous).
In other words. It was a week of me being very torn. 🙂 But ultimately, I’m thinking that Chelsea and Romeo might be in the bottom this week, to be honest with you. And the possibility of losing Romeo makes me sad.
Heidi, I think I might be agreeing with you about Mark. (No, no, the world hasn’t ended, it’s not Armageddon. *LOL*) I think he IS feeling the pressure of having to hold up the “young stud dancer” role on the show and after years of being compared to and in competition with Derek he knows all eyes are on him to do really, really well. Let’s not forget they grew up together in the very pressure-filled ballroom world. One dark, one light… I could go on. And Mark IS an only child – I am an only child – and sometimes we don’t handle these things with the aplomb that others do. I mean, I wonder how many people have said, “Derek’s gone so it’s a clear road for Mark to the 3rd MBT.” That’s a lot of pressure. Especially when he’s been given a partner that has the talent to take him there. And from my lofty age I can say this… he’s young and artistic and has more growing to do.
I think last season, with Bristol, bruised him, his psyche. I think he got a rude awakening at how awful people – even his own fans – can be. There was SO much vituperation being thrown his way when he was only trying to do his best with what he was given.
Personally, I think Mark is just as good a choreographer and performer as Derek is. They have different styles and honestly? I prefer the edgier style to Mark as opposed to the bombastic (in a good way) style of Derek.
And let’s try not to forget that often it’s his choreo that’s being called into question. He DOES put all the stuff in there, he just tries to present it in a new, fresh way and he keeps getting smacked for it. Often it’s like the judges are scoring his choreo and not his partner’s dancing. That’s got to be frustrating.
All in all, I still love Mark to bits and I would just like to sit him down and give him a mom to boy talk. His frustration and ‘acting out’ reminds me of my son (who is also a Taurus and exactly Mark’s age) so often.
Okay… shutting up now. 🙂
Mark doesn’t realize that the “gesture” he made with his hand may cost Chelsie big time. That really was uncalled for.
Next week is the semi finals, I think, hard to believe, already!
This episode pretty much summed up the season for me…meh. Nothing about the show really interested me and as has been said in other comments, this is when the dancers need to start bringing their A game and I’m not sure anyone did. I know there are good things about there not being a supposed ‘ringer’ and that the field is even, but for me, evenly blah and sorta bad. I’m not sure who said it in the comments, but they mentioned that they’d never watch any of these dances again – that says a lot – I love finding and rewatching some of the past season’s dances – and none of these will even come across my playlist.
A few quick comments (most have been already covered by the interesting previous comments…):
Scoring was really strange. To have such wide scores (6 to a 10) in one dance was odd – and new judge white teeth wasn’t consistent at all – in some cases he was ‘technique, technique), but then his score on Kirstie, which was a HORRIBLE dance with too much ‘messing about’ at the beginning, middle and end was crazy high.
Mark, Mark, Mark. It’s too bad, as Chelsea is pretty good, but he’s keeping her from being as good as she can be. Out-dances her, his attitude is turning off lots of the non-chelsea fans that might vote for a good dance and for the love of god, please stop making those faces. In the clip of his mom and dad dancing, you can see where he gets it (Corky, I’m talking to you), but Mark, go back and watch the tape – it’s horrible.
Kendra. Haven’t been a lover of her all season, but have to say, she looked so pretty and appropriate tonight in her dance. That said, Louis is not doing her any favors. As I’ve said before, he makes the choreography way too hard for her and she spends so much time trying to remember it (not the brightest bulb in the chandelier) that she doesn’t actually get to “let the dance happen” (to quote CAI from last season). if they go home, I put the blame on Louis, not on Kendra and her body function sharing issues.
Thanks for the post, love the insight and the discussion it creates…..
The problem is, Evaine, that he KNOWS that this will happen. Derek has been called time and again for going outside the boundaries that the judges like – far more than Mark has, frankly – and Derek just rolls with it, because he expects to get yelled at. Hell, he was hiding behind Joanna after taking his shirt off in the Lambada because he expected Len to yell at him. In fact, I think half the time Derek is playing THEM, doing it on purpose to make sure the fans don’t get complacent. Derek knows how the game is played – it’s like Mark doesn’t know and he resents the hell out of it. But, like with Maks in the past, I have to call bullshit on that. You have been on this show for EIGHT seasons and have seen your BFF take a beating for being “creative” (Lil’ Kim’s jives, Nicole’s QS…there are more I’m sure) and you still act like a petulant brat when you take a beating for going with something Len won’t like? It’s crazy. DEAL, dude!!
I do think that Bristol’s presence had a negative impact on him for all the reasons you mention. But he’s got to pull it together. Unlike your son, he’s on national TV every week and Chelsea is relying on him.
@SueB – It’s amazing how different Corky & Mark’s style of choreography is from Shirley’s, isn’t it? I’ve had the privilege of taking lessons with both Corky & Shirley (separately, mind you), and sometimes I wonder how they ever managed to make their partnership work, with as different as their styles are. Corky is definitely the “wacky” one, and is more apt to waste time on a lesson doing goofy stuff like jumping over his partners’ shoulders (legend has it that he used to do that to Shirley at the beginning of every practice in order to get fired up), but he does give some very entertaining choreography. Shirley is more the “no-nonsense” type, and will give you great, proper choreograpy – and then beat it into you until it’s perfect 🙂 Mark definitely takes after Corky more…like I said last season, Shirley must not really be Mark’s mom. Mark resulted from Corky splitting down the middle like an amoeba 😉
On an unrelated note – I’m surprised no one has mentioned anything about the Donnie “paddlegate” scandal that seems to be getting some attention this morning on Twitter. Y’know, Donnie forgetting what score he submitted and then Carrie Ann telling him to give Romeo an 8? Apparently some are interpreting it as some sort of collusion on the judges’ part in order to manipulate scores – as in them agreeing upon scores beforehand as a group. Not sure I believe that, but it was definitely an embarassing snafu, nonetheless.
Oh, Heidi, I agree. Mark DOES need to pull it together. I just understand some of where it comes from. 🙂 I think.
Yes, I’m sorry! Shimmys in Kendra’s cha-cha group dance – not in their tango. Thanks Beth.
I hope Mark goes home. Kinda unfair for Chelsea, considering she’s the best dancer left but Mark’s doucheness is annoying. Almost like he’s tired of the show and wants to get it over with.
Hines & Kim(‘s awesome boobage) for the win!
Mark got what he wanted with the choreography and the hand gesture – attention – and that is what it is all about. TPTB also showed the beautiful Pia in the audience, which gave him more attention.
Well last night left me cold. I gotta say, That Donny dude, I forgot his last name, is about has entertaining as watching water boil ( Unless your some freaky aquatic entushiast 🙂 ) I’m glad that he gave Ralph and Karina a 10 but other than that, see ya, Donny. I thought everyone was off their game with the exception of Karina and Ralph ( Well Chelsea and Mark’s dance wasnt bad but his attidude was a HUGE problem, maybe it was aggresion left over from the 2 pack of Red Bull left over from before the show he drank aggresiveness in the Paso/Hells Angels tribal dance. 🙂 Hines and Kym werent bad but not as good as I expected or have prooved that they can be. Kendra did better than I expected but could of been better. Romeo. Bleck. I really think he’s a great dancer but he needs to get it together and just give it his all if he makes to next week and use that in the finale/semi-finale. On with my rankings!
1. Ralph and Karina
2. Hines and Kym
3. Kirstie and Maks
4. Romeo abd Chelsie
5. Chelsie and Mark
6. Kendra and Louis
Really I would swap Kendra and Chelsie but I have to go with whats more likely…I think everyone is in danger as alot of you guys have said even though I feel pretty dang confident Hines and Ralph are good but im prepared for anyone,
I agree that this all started with Bristol. I don’t like her at all, but people were so over the top crazy mean OR insanely devoted to her that I think it kind of disallusioned his view of the show and the fans. I know he would never admit it, because he does seem to be friends with her, but I felt that he was both checked out and frustrated with her in many ways. There was a video of her talking about hating the jive so much, and you can see the look on his face like “well what the hell did I just spend 60 hours of my life on it for then?”.
I also think he is frustrated with his music career and it’s obvious that is where he sees himself long term – but the music industry SUCKS right now, and it isn’t getting any better. I’d rather be an actor trying to break into the biz than a musician nowadays. Maybe he can use his facial contortions to his advantage and try his hand at acting. I know, I know – MUSIC IS HIS LIFE /yawn.
I like Mark, and I tend to defend him around here when he is being (in my opinion) overly or unfairly targeted because of what he does or who he is. But he does deserve a lot of the critical comments when it comes to his attitude for the past couple of seasons, and for his sake and his partners – I wish he’d take some time off or leave the show altogether (but he seems to know that is where he NEEDS to be, and somewhat resents it).
Poor Chelsea. She deserves a spot in the finals. It really might not happen.
I was grateful they didn’t shoehorn the show into another theme night, but agree the performances were a bit lackluster. I think it is exhaustion. I’m now very worried about Kirstie being able to handle two dances a night.
My votes went to Ralph (hope he’s the encore) and Hines. Ralph was the best of the night. Hines wasn’t memorable or at his best but it was the second best of the night for me.
I’m very sad about Romeo since I’m guessing he’s the one to go tonight. I kept thinking it’s too bad guys can’t wear fringe because that was the only way to cover up the lack of hip action. Unfortunately Chelsie went the other way and obviously over danced him.
Kirstie’s comedy couldn’t make up for the lack of Jive content. I hope she makes it through tonight but I couldn’t vote for this routine.
Kendra was improved and nearly likeable. As others have said, Louis should back off the technique a bit and give her some choreography that simply showcases what ability she does have.
I couldn’t believe Mark wore white on his feet during the team dance. Everyone else is receding with black and he draws attention to his feet in a team dance! Mark is definitely in major burn-out and needs to take a season or two off. He used to be a sweet guy that was fun to watch. It is very unfortunate for Chelsea because she can dance but Mark is showcasing himself and leaving Chelsea in the dust.
I think the pressure for Mark is not only from the show, but the pressure he’s put on himself to succeed in his solo singing career. I’m not sure he thinks he’s getting the recognition he thinks he deserves from either. I don’t imagine it helps that both Derek and Julianne are out there succeeding in other creative ways too, and I think the “only child” pressure plays into that as well. (Yes, another “only” here. 🙂 ) I think Mark is burnt-out from trying too hard all the way around and needs a break to figure it out!
As much as I get mad at Mark from week to week, I do feel sorry for the guy – he really was the sacrificial lamb of season 11, and the pressure of being with the most controversial contestant had to be hard to handle. But I guess I’m of the school of thought that life is 10% what is thrown our way and 90% how we react to it – and I don’t think he is reacting in a healthy way. I think of other pros that have gotten called out for inappropriate choreo – Karina got it just the other week for that country western samba – and they seem to let it roll off their backs more easily than Mark. Or maybe they just hold it in until they’re safely off-camera and then go scream. Either way, they generally manage to keep composed on camera, politely grin & bear it as the judges rip into them, and generally give a very PC response when asked about it…something like “Yeah, sometimes the judges just don’t really feel your choreography, but that’s ok, we’re all different, and we’ll do better next week!” And I think it’s a good attitude to have, as it’s not detrimental to one’s partner in any way. Mark tends to act on the spot – spouting whatever thoughts come into his head – rather than taking a breather and thinking about what he wants to say first. And he’s not the only one that’s ever done it – Maks used to be the worst offender, and Lacey & Louis are known to be a bit mouthy as well. Even Derek has had a bit of a meltdown – remember his tyrade post-rumba with Shannon? I think all of the pros have had verbal diarrhea at one time or another – it’s just a matter of reigning it in the next time. I really wish Mark could (and would), because I think he’s doing it to Chelsea’s detriment…people may love her, but their annoyance with him could outweigh that.
Maybe it’s time for Maks to take Mark aside for a big brother, “Boy, this is what I’ve learned.” talk?
I agree Courtney. I remember not that long ago that Karina would get quite “pouty” if she was called out by the judges. I think it’s a combination of maturity and how happy you are with your life at the time.
Mark seems to have a lot of anger. Maybe it is a reaction to all the furor over Bristol last season – he was so protective and defensive of her. This season he just seems pissed off all the time.
Poor Chelsea. I really hope he pulls himself together before it’s too late for her.
If I was being really, really charitable, I could interpret Mark’s hand gesture as rolling dice – as if he was feeling that the judges were just making comments at random. But I don’t believe that’s what he actually meant…
My issue with the Paso wasn’t the content or the choreography or the costumes or any of that stuff. It was that Chelsea concentrated so hard on the character she forgot to dance. She was just marching across the floor without any fluidity or musicality.
Ralph’s was the only routine I really like tonight. Hines was OK. Kendra was Most Improved, to be sure, but I don’t think it’s enough at this stage of the competition. Romeo was a train wreck. Technically, so was Kirstie, but I can’t help loving her anyway. 🙂
I think it’ll be between Kendra and Romeo, with possibly Chelsea as a surprise elimination.
@Cidra – Thank you! As far as whacking Mark with the posture bar, maybe Chelsea could set up one of those raffles like Hines did? 😉 😉 😉 I know I’d buy a few tickets!
@Johan–Rolling dice hand gesture….LOL I actually went back this morning and rewatched some of the dances. And Marks behavior is worse than I originally thought. That hand gesture was….well we all know what it meant. Shame on him…His mama the professional should have jumped up and smacked him right then and there. Now that would have been must see tv. Unfortunately, I think its too late for Mark the damage for this season has already been done. They may be hanging up their dancing shoes sooner rather than later.
Just watched a couple of the performances again. Kirstie 2nd viewing – when they actually get into the jive…if you just focus on Maks he was really good. Yeah I know it’s about the celebrity but that was hard to watch. She actually was holding up okay until the 2nd half where she had to really kick out and do that leg swoosh thing that Maks did. She really lost timing and was kinda flutzing the footwork. Even though it was pretty bad…I STILL found parts of it amusing (the non-jive parts!).
I think Maks could choregraph a sick Argentine tango. I love his paso and tango with Erin and Mel B. epic! If they make it past this week I want Kirstie to BRING IT!
Also Romeo – I though he had more hip action in the package than he did on the dance floor. Maybe because he was more relaxed.
My 2 cents on Mark. This is my first season watching the show (and not just months later on youtube). I saw Kirstie do the cha-cha in week 1 and I was hooked. As the competition went on I couldn’t put my finger on what irked me about Mark. The American week was ridiculous with how hard he was trying to outdance Chelsea. I feel like in practice he’s probably pretty normal but on the dance floor he takes it to another level. The face mugging was rolling on the floor funny. Me and my sister were like…dude take it down a notch. Chelsea is a great dancer so I’m sure she’ll make it through but he just annoys me now.
Courtney, I agree with you 100 % except for I dont think Kym has ever had a verbal diarrhea or has ever had anthing at all negative to say about anybody or anything. Thats why I think shes so great…and hot! 😀
@Johan – I’m loving some of the excuses I’m seeing concocted on Twitter by Mark’s fans to try an explain the hand gesture – “rolling the dice”, “sideways Jersey Shore fist pumping”, “impersonating Michael Jackson”, etc. Anything to absolve Mark from any sort of fault that doing the jerking-off gesture on national television would afford him. I mean, I guess I can’t blame them – they’re just going to bat to defend their favorite pro – but seriously? “Sideways fist pumping”? Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but there’s not many disambiguations for that gesture 😛
Yup. Mark fan here. He was definitely calling the judges wankers. *nodnod* Pretty it up if you will try, but it ain’t gonna fly. Boy was being rude and uncool, it pains me to say.
@Toni, glad to have you watching! It is definitely easy to get hooked on this show!
As for Maks, go to you tube and google him with Joanna Krupa…. He wasn’t her partner that season, he was was early elimination, but her partner was quite sick with the flu, and he filled in, and put that dance together in a day or so… It was an awesome dance, and awesom choreography!!!
Derek and Karina….and Maks too….seem to have LEARNED from their experiences. You can see a progression over the seasons in how they react – they’ve matured. Maks is great this season, as is Karina. Derek, of course, took it too far and is now Mr. PC, which can also be frustrating. I think his own meltdown kinda freaked him out. Mark, for some reason, seems to be moving in the opposite direction – he’s devolving into a child. It’s actually kinda weird.
I’m wondering how the team scores will factor into the percentage calculations for tonight – do they just add up everyone’s total scores for the overall number of points? Or, do the team scores just count once?
Lori, I really think that Maks worked very well with Joanna – possibly BECAUSE of the serious pressure they were both under with Derek being sick. I think the fear is that you don’t want to be responsible for someone else’s partner going home. And Joanna looked AMAZING that week, too, but I think Derek gets most of the credit for that, since the concept of the dress is done on tuesday night.
Sally, everyone gets a 30 added to their individual score, so it makes little difference other than making the spread a little smaller due to the higher number of points awarded.
@Courtney—You are absolutely right there is NO question thats the gesture that Mark displayed. In rewatching it this morning before he walks away from the judges table he says something to Donnie, you can tell Mark is not happy…So that was his response to their critique…Marks behavior was not befitting that of a professional, me thinks its time for him to take a break from dancing.
I loved Maks with Joanna their dance was amazing.
Thanks, Heidi. I better understand Courtney’s comment now – a 1-point spread percentage-wise, with that many overall points, is nothing.
BTW, a HUGE thanks to all of you moderators. YOU DO FANTASTIC WORK!!!!!!! 😀
Maybe it’s just me, but I think Mark’s attitude started to change back in season 10, when he was with Shannen Doherty and left first. I really want him gone, but hate to see Chelsea pay for his bad attitude, so I came up with a solution: Suspend him for inappropriate gesturing and give Chelsea a replacement. namely Tony. That way Mark’s attitude goes bye-bye but Chelsea doesn’t pay for it.
Holy Cow, I didn’t catch Mark’s gesture last night but re-watched it after seeing what everyone was saying here. I cannot believe how blatant that gesture was and how long he did it for! There is absolutely no excuse for behavior like that. And even if he didn’t realize he was on camera (which is silly because they always have at least one camera pointed at them) he still was in the ballroom with the entire studio audience watching him. Really feel bad for Chelsea, sure she might be a little annoying but she is a good dancer and doesn’t deserve to be dragged down by Mark’s extreme immaturity.
Maybe Mark was just blowing off steam? Hold on, let me go puke out some bs. Boy something was off with Mark that’s for sure. In that group cha cha cha, I thought I was watching those cartoons that go in fast forward mode. He was going so fast and poor Chelsea looked like a cartoon character hurrying up to clean house. I feel horrible for her, I’m surprised he hasn’t blown up on her yet…At least DWTS hasn’t let us see the footage of it.
Oooh! That’s an interesting thought, @Lisa C. I don’t think it will happen, but I like the idea.
I think the idea of suspending Mark for a week is a wonderful idea! Why should Chelsea suffer just because he can’t seem to get it together? Bring in one of the sweeter, more “in control” pros like Tony or Jonathan to work with her for a week while Mark sits in the “penalty box”, so to say.
Oh, on a random, non-Mark related (and a sort of DWTS related) note, did anyone see what Blake Lively – from Gossip Girl – was wearing at the MET Costume Institute Gala last night. I saw her dress and the first thing I thought was “She’s wearing a rumba dress…”. Make the skirt a little shorter, and it could work (and with her red hair now, it could be perfect for our Anna T.).
http://thestylistsite.com/2011/05/02/met-costume-institute-gala-2011-blake-lively/
I love the idea of suspending Mark too. He’s worse than Maks ever was. Or atleast with Maks, he had a lovable side. I hope they make him sit out next year if nothing else.
I’ll be posting the numbers shortly, but essentially, by giving everyone a 30 on the second dance….by HAVING a second dance, they took the percentage spread between the top and the bottom of the leader board from about 3% to 1.5%…roughly. That greatly lessens the number of votes that the bottom couples need to stay over someone with a higher score. It’s a rip off, essentially.
Do you suppose there is an FCC fine for an obscene gesture??
I think they all were under a lot of pressure with the addition of all the Ballroom greats. I loved Hines and Kym tonight. I thought they coped so well under the pressure of international dance judges, and they having to maintain a high score. They did that. Kym never gives Hines the easy way out, it was full on Ballroom. For a guy so new to dance in general this is something. I am so impressed that he really takes control and leads. Most of the celebs are content to be back-led.
It was make or break it time for Ralph, and while I liked the theatrics at the beginning, his upper body was still sort of stiff, but he did fine. If this was supposed to be a full out Ballroom dance, they could have dispensed with the side by side Charleston, even though it was very cute and entertaining for the masses.
Mark and Chelsea’s dance I totally agree with Donnie and Len, very disjointed, I really didn’t like it. Mark and Chelsea could be in trouble, they have already stood up there once.
Kirstie blew her dance big time, I didn’t get the 9, but I assume the fans will save her. More inclined to see a 7 for that.
Kendra looked beautiful, that dress was gorgeous and she has improved. She has posture issues, but that was tough choreo and she was able to cope reasonably well. I think she maybe safe, but I do think Romeo is in trouble. He did maybe 5% actual Samba.
LOVED Ralph and Karina’s quickstep, and I thought it was the best dance of the night. I agree with all of you about Mark, and I would not be sad if he and Chelsea were eliminated tonight.
Loved, loved LOVED seeing Riccardo and Yulia and also Katusha and Arunas dance. Kendra DID do much better after Luca got a hold of her. And I still really do feel that Louis is waaaay over choreographing her dances. Except that one week when he over simplified it. If he would just go somewhere in between, she would have never been so frustrated and she would have done alot of the dances so much better. Been there, done that. If its so hard you dont have any time to work on making it look good and you are just trying to hang on and keep up, that is 1. very frustrating and 2. never looks very good. I’m not sure what his reasoning is behind what he’s doing but its definitely not right for her and I am NOT happy with him at all. Same about Mark. WTF! I actually kind of like Chelsea and think she does a really good job, but he sours them as a couple for me. Maybe he really does need to take a break and get back in the right frame of mind before he does another season. Seriously. Favorites? I didnt have any. My favorite part was watching R&Y and K&A dance. lol!
I completely agree with what everyone’s saying regarding Mark. His attitude is majorly sucking. He’s supposed the be the pro, who takes the criticism professionally and not like a ignorant child. He’s actually HURTING Chelsea more than helping her. The poor girl looks terrified everytime he acts up. Ya know I will not be surprised at all if they go home anytime soon, because Mark’s attitude is turning almost everyone off. I used to love Mark, but for the past few seasons, he turned…well…the opposite of what he was. His partnership with Shawn, Kristi, and Sabrina were all great and I enjoyed them, but somewhere between them he has took a bad turn. Mark needs to get his act together and just let the judges comment slide off of him, take hints from the well loved pros like Derek, Kym, and others because they take criticism with maturity. Part of me wants this all to end and they go home, but I adore Chelsea (she’s my favorite this season) and she’s a great dancer, so I also think it sucks that she could easily suffer the worst fate on the show due to Mark’s behavior.
Did everyone else already see that DWTS is great for Kendra’s sex life? TMI…
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/kendra-wilkinson-dwts-has-been-great-for-my-sex-life/62009
I do think you can see the similar digusting way Mark Bales acts as Bristol Palin displayed each week, She had the idea she did not have to dance but SHE WAS GOING TO WIN NO MATTER WHAT SCORES WERE GIVEN.
If you recall she was going to give America the Middle Finger, Well Mark is this your way of giving us the Middle finger,
Bristol had that smug look and respnses of dead fish when asked quesitons, Mark has that same ego flame, Gosh I am good look at me.
Love you guys, so glad I stopped by, I was beginning to think I had a hang over from last season. No its the same only the dancers have changed. Egos will always drown one
OT: Look for Ralph and Karina on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this Thursday per Ralphs Twitter.