DWTS 16, Week 6 – Power Rankings
Well, guess tonight didn’t end up too bad after all – team samba pulled out a win (despite being at a clear disadvantage from the get-go), Len got taken to task by the audience for basically being a douchebag, and perhaps best of all: I made it through the show without committing a felony, due to my asthma medication-induced ‘roid rage 🙂 But that’s not to say everything was hunky dory. There was definite overscoring (duh, Zendaya; and to a lesser degree, Ingo & Sean), definite underscoring (Jacoby), and out-and-out cruelty (which left Andy in tears…inexcusable, IMO). Let’s get right to it…
1.) Kellie & Derek – I think I was prepared for both their quickstep and the team samba to be a trainwreck, after hearing how poorly their rehearsals were going this week…but I was very pleasantly surprised at how well Kellie kept up in this quickstep, and didn’t miss a beat. She also seemed to correct a lot of the issues I saw with her posture last week, which was an added bonus. Maybe not the most exciting quickstep Derek has ever choreographed, but when you’re struggling, going for simplicity (and meat-and-potatoes steps to please Len) is your best bet. I honestly don’t remember a whole lot of their solo from the team samba, but besides a few minor stutters from Kellie, I think they handled it well. Obviously a front-runner; now let’s hope they resist the urge to low-ball next week…
2.) Zendaya & Val – First of all, if you are not mature (or literate) enough to understand the difference between being mad at TPTB for pimping someone and being mad at the person themselves, then consider this an invitation to stop reading and come back when you’ve educated yourself. Ok, now that we’ve got that off the table – I really think Val let her down this week, because I found his choreography in both the cha-cha and the team paso to be a bit dumbed down. The cha-cha was good, and she danced it very well, but I’m starting to notice a lot of stop-and-go in Val’s choreography – parts where they suddenly stop and Zendaya kinda stands still while Val does…I don’t know, something. A spin, a flourish, whatever. And it doesn’t do her justice – the girl can handle tough choreography, so she shouldn’t need all these little pauses. Pauses are for couples who can’t dance 🙂 I also think that, while she’s great at doing spin after spin after spin (and Val has actually taught her how to spot her turns – something he never really got Kelly to master), he has GOT to do something about her legs. I could have driven a boat show in between them in that cha-cha – you have to close your thighs to get the right hip & leg action. And here they were complaining about Kellie & Derek having some space in between them while in hold…psssh. Again, I reiterate: Val, you have got to figure out what you’re going to do with those legs…because Len will cease to be dazzled by her showmanship before too long, and he will start to get nitpicky. She did well in their team paso…but her solo choreography felt a bit blah. Like she could have handled something more. I think her cha-cha was overscored, and the team paso was about right-on, but there’s no doubt she’s safe this week…and that bland team paso will probably get the encore tomorrow night.
3.) Jacoby & Karina – I think my only explanation for these two getting hosed by Len tonight is because Jacoby must be getting a TON of votes…because a lot of the criticism I was hearing from the judges seemed to come out of left field. I actually think Jacoby improved quite a bit from his foxtrot, and the dude does seem to really be trying to fix his pigeon toes. He stayed on time, it was cute, it was creative, and he looked like he was having fun – and his frame wasn’t THAT bad, Len. Team Paso? I think they did alright, and were probably the most memorable couple – but everything just felt so…ordinary. But like I’ve said before: I still think he’s going to be the last one standing this season, and I think he may already be running away with a ton of votes…which may be why they’re kinda lowballing him.
4.) Aly & Mark – I still think Aly’s a bit of a non-event, but for whatever reason…I actually found myself liking her this week. Her foxtrot wasn’t necessarily perfect, but I feel like she finally let loose and really went for it – I get the feeling that Mark was trying to go for more of a Derek-esque, broadway foxtrot with very cute, jazzy open work, and while Aly didn’t necessarily nail it, I thought she gave it a valiant effort, and the end result was…cute 🙂 And oddly enough – I think she may have been the MVP of team samba for me. Or maybe Mark’s mustache was. Who knows! But she seemed like she had the most fun of anyone out there, and really attacked it 100%. I still don’t know that I think she’s a contender for the MBT (and I still think there’s a chance that she could get bumped out of the finale, if she’s not careful)…but I do think she’s finally letting down her guard and starting to connect with the audience, which is good.
5.) Andy & Sharna – This man makes me want to throw out my technique rulebook and just smile, each and every week 🙂 Do I care that his samba didn’t have a lot of samba in it? No. Do I care that the little samba that was in it, maybe wasn’t executed all that well? No. But he made me smile, he entertained me, and I thoroughly enjoyed that cute little mailman samba 😀 Loved the little funk moves Sharna threw in to fit the Stevie theme. And dear god, Len – do you have a soul? Like, fer reals – is there a heart in that chest? Or a sense of propriety and compassion? Because you (and the two other knuckleheads on either side of you) were downright cruel to Andy tonight. Do you feel threatened by his popularity or something? Because this is starting to feel…personal. I get it – you’re the “tough” judge. But there was no reason for you to be that harsh, and there was absolutely no good professional reason for you to even bring Andy’s name up when critiquing another couple. Sit & spin, asshole. But anyway – thought he & Sharna had fun in the team dance, and were probably wise to focus more on the character of the dance than the steps themselves. I’m hoping the 3 point cushion Andy got over Victor was enough to keep him out of the bottom 2 – and think he might just have the juice to stay safe again this week. Remember, kids: #ifanyleavesweriot 😉
6.) Sean & Peta – Ooh wee – samba just really isn’t Sean’s dance, is it? His individual one was pretty painful to watch – mainly because he was awkwardly bouncing & stomping around like…something that awkwardly bounces & stomps around. 😛 And then to add insult to injury – he doffs his shirt and proceeds to wiggle about furiously, I’m guessing to distract from the fact that he can’t samba for sh*t! Shame on both of you for thinking that was a good distraction – and yet they still managed to pull out a 21, while Andy does something adorable and gets an 18. Psssh. Gotta protect the family, I guess. I don’t really remember their solo in the team samba, but then again, I don’t really remember even seeing them in the team samba, so they must not have been very good or very bad. I think there’s a good chance that Sean could wind up in the bottom 2 tomorrow, especially if Andy is getting as many sympathy votes as I think he is – but my gut is telling me that Ingo is probably in more danger. Man, and I was even starting to like him after his bromance with Tristan…
7.) Ingo & Kym – I’ve been saying he’s awkward for the past few weeks…and he’s still awkward. While his tango was an improvement, it still felt stilted and stompy to me – and god bless Kym, because she was very craftily trying to conceal how out-of-control Ingo’s frame was. The judges may have gushed and given him a 24 for his birthday – but I think that tango might very well fade into the woodwork in viewer’s minds, because I can’t really remember much more about it other than it being stompy & awkward. And then there was the team paso – yes, Ingo really went for it, but it was just kinda weird…the slide on the floor, the awkward faces getting pulled, etc. I just don’t think paso is his dance, bless his heart 😛 Now Ingo did end up in jeopardy last week – which we think might be a bit of an implicit warning to fans “Ok, he’s safe FOR NOW, but he’s slipping. Send some more votes his way!” Now while that can spur fans to vote and keep someone out of the bottom 2 for another week, I’m not sure Ingo’s got the juice – I’ve heard a lot of complaints about his Negative Nancy attitude, and I personally just find him…forgettable. So I’m fully expecting to see him in the bottom 2 tomorrow night.
8.) Victor & Lindsay – Ohhhhh boy – I daresay Victor is probably toast tomorrow night. Just too many appearances in the bottom 2 already, a very lackluster dance, and a complete lack of chemistry with his partner. Maybe my opinion of him has been colored a bit by that interview Vogue posted earlier today, but Victor just seemed all-around apathetic tonight…as if he had already resigned himself to the fact that he was going to get sent home this week, and figured he may as well just wing it. That rumba was pretty kindergarten – step left, step right, walk, point with you left arm, dip, point with your right arm, repeat. Did I mention that you have to do those steps with a complete lack of attraction to your partner? 😛 And like his individual paso we saw a few weeks back – his solo in the team paso was a non-event. Sorry to say it, but Victor needs to go – I just don’t think his heart is in it anymore. And it’s starting to get hard to watch Lindsay stare blankly and just sort of groan whenever Victor doesn’t do what she wants…
Thoughts on the team dances:
I pretty much agree with a lot of what the judges said, and thought the scores were appropriate. I don’t think either team dance was as astoundingly-executed or had the impressive choreography of some of the past team dances we’ve seen, but I don’t think either one was the worst we’ve seen either. Felt kind of let down by team paso – they had the easier dance from the get-go, and I felt like the ease of the dance itself should have given them the freedom to really do a fun theme or come up with some really cool formations or flashy steps to really up the ante. Instead…they seemed to go for something rather ordinary. None of it was really bad, per se; it just felt so…bland. As if instead of grabbing the bull by the horns, they just…patted it on the head. That’s one caveat of getting an “easy” dance – you have to do more with it or else it ends up looking boring. There also seemed to be some synchronization issues, which I’m finding seems to be the big problem whenever a paso team opts to do cape work. I think team samba, while not the best technically, probably had the better strategy: if you can’t wow them with technique, wow them with showmanship 😛 And actually, I think they did a really good job of taking samba steps and doing creative things with them – the voltas in a circle around the disco ball at the beginning was genius, as were the samba walks in formation. I think they were wise to pick really simple steps that everyone could do easily in sync – and then they threw in enough disco steps to fill everything out, and they ended up with a pretty fun dance overall 🙂 Definitely not the best technically, but very fun to watch…and when the other team is about as much fun as watching paint dry, fun can trump technique 😛
So what did you guys think of tonight? And how do you think the team dances turned out?
Agree with you! Val put Zendaya in that flapper dress to hide her hips! C’mon now, really? Deserved a 27!
TeamSamba killed it & Derek’s record remains intact! They did a great job!!
Victor was horrid! He just stood there! Time to go v!
All I have to say is if I can pick out a very small stumble by Kellie then judges were looking at I don’t know what. Definitely not the best dance of the season.
I 100% agree with your thoughts and rankings this week. I don’t care what the judges say about Andy because he is SO entertaining and I actually can’t wait to see what hes going do each week and can I just mention how I love the choreography and entertainment Sharna is putting into her dances with Andy each week, I love it!
Sean, Ingo.. Blah
Victor.. it was more or less him standing there and sometimes waved his arm around with Lindsay dancing around him, I suspect hes the one going home tomorrow night
I LOVED Kellie’s look tonight and I actually enjoyed her quickstep, like you said not the best choreography Derek’s done but nonetheless I still liked it.
Zendaya, the girl can dance, she has great technique but again, like you said, it was a little boring but still my top 3
Jacoby, I loved his dance but then again I love him because he is so entertaining and he can dance. He does need to work on the feet a little bit BUT it’s definitely improved but overall I liked their performance even though it may not have been his best dance.
and Aly, I think shes definitely loosing up and her dance was good, shes getting alot better.
The group dances, I wasn’t too overall impressed with either of them but meh. I think Paso will get the encore due to twitter voting.
Excellent again Court! I agree for how whacky the judges were tonight. LOL to making it through the show without committing a felony. You were cracking me up at twitter.
Ok, here are my rankings…
Kellie and Derek – Wow, I just loved loved these two again. They were fun, smooth, and elegant. I loved their footwork and glides. I loved Kellie in red and her long hair was pretty too. Loved the old Hollywood feel. Derek was dashing as ever. Just beautiful! 29
Karina and Jacoby – I just loved these too again tonight. I didn’t think his feet were that off like the judges said. This dance was fun, entertaining, and full of charm. He’s such a natural and so entertaining. I loved his splits and jumps. “I’m going to just dance” <<< loved when he said that during their package. You can tell too that he really loves to dance. 29 Aly and Mark - For the first time this season, I liked Aly and Mark tonight. I thought her technique was better. She seemed to relax more and just let loose. It was smooth and elegant. Very lovely. Much much better and the Aly I'd love to see more of! 27 Val and Zendaya - I love Zendaya and Val, but, this dance was weak and my least favorite from all of their dances. I thought Zendaya's legs were slow and kind of messy. She could have worked the whole performance a little more and gave it more power. It wasn't all that for what the judges raved about and certainly not worth 10's Imo. 24 or a 25 at best Kym and Ingo - This dance was missing a lot of Tango passion, but, I blame it on the song. I would have hated to dance a tango to a non tango song, but, Ingo was better tonight. Not totally convincing, but, better. As always I enjoy his charm and he and Kym's connection. 23 Andy and Sharna - Andy lost some of his footing in the beginning and the spins were a little off, but, then he picked it up for the rest of the dance. As always, I love him. He is so entertaining and likable! I loved all the personality in this dance too and Sharna was so pretty! I also liked the hip moves and thrusts. 20 Sean and Peta - This was a fun dance, but, Sean's legs were weak. I also agree with the judges that his musicality was off. ...same with the technique. Taking his shirt off seemed a little desperate. Though come on, Len...I hate when you have to ridicule people. 20 Victor and Lindsay - He was charming and I loved them in their white costumes, but, for the most part, I felt like they were just doing anything they could to just get through it. I felt like Lindsay was the only one dancing and doing all the work. I thought he was stiff and just standing there (much like DL last week) so much of the time. I think these two are going home. 17 Team Paso - It was weak in a lot of areas and it didn't wow me with an exception for Jacoby! I loved when he flew over Karina! Wowza! Team Samba - Awww, I just loved them! They just had fun and got out there and entertained and danced. I agree with Carrie Ann how they had unity. I loved their fun costumes! A hoot!! WINNER FOR THE TEAM DANCE!
Courtney spot on as usual.
I felt so bad for Andy – Len inexcusable.
I also felt CAI was too picky for Kellie & Derek-imo they deserved a 30 – but was happy Len released the 10 paddle for them.
I agree the team dances were both just okay and definitely team samba the better one.
I loved Kellie and Derek’s quickstep, but that was in NO way the best dance of the entire season. Is he serious? Anyway, I agree. I thought Val could have given Zendaya much tougher choreography! I was almost shocked at how simple their cha cha was. And it’s funny because earlier this week he tweeted something like, “pray for Zendaya this week, I’m stepping up the choreo” or something to that effect. Ironically enough I thought this was pretty simple for them.
I think your rankings are pretty accurate this week, other than Jacoby and Aly needing to be swapped. Out of all the solos in the Team Dances, Aly’s was the best. She was on the beat, throwing herself into the choreography and dancing her a** off. Jacoby’s quickstep was super bland and his personality is seriously irritating. If at all his scores were off tonight it was because he deserved a “21”. Also, if Jacoby is indeed “running-off” with the votes and he manages to win this season then we’ll definitely have another Donny Osmond-sized disappointment on our hands and this season will rank as one of the 3 worst in the history of the show. My guess though is that Victor is going tomorrow.
I kind hated the two team dances, Kellie did great but not for two 10 or best dance ever (Len was cray cray). Zendaya did good but the choreo was just boring, not 10 worthy for sure.
I hope Victor goes home; bu then again I’ve wanted it since week 1.
I think Len inadvertently got Andy more votes with his comments tonight. Andy was crying? I didn’t see that. Poor guy. 🙁 🙁 🙁
Zendaya was a bit over scored. She is still a good dancer. However, she is not the immaculate ballroom star tptb want us to believe she is.
Kellie and Derek’s quickstep was incredible. I bet these two will be in the finals.
Gotta love Andy! He’s like a cute and cuddly little teddy bear.
Team Samba definitely was the better dance, entertaining and so much fun.
I think Victor is going home.
team paso will get the encore so we get to see more shirtless val 🙂 I didnt like either of the team dances so i could care less and hopefully this is the last of the twitter stuff.
Victor better be leaving. He and Lindsay have officially been demoted from “forgettable” to “please leave now.”
*but then again, I’ve wanted it since week one.*
Sorry, it has been a long night.
Really, if you just had Samba last week, your solo SHOULD be the best. Just sayin’.
Len said that the quickstep was the best this season… um, no.
Team dances were both kind of a let down. It’s obvious who had to cover for the weak links.
I’ve actually started to notice Aly now, which is kind of a good thing?
Victor…I think it hit me this weak that he’s not an OK dancer, he’s bad. Easily should be him tomorrow.
Aly was overscored, Zendaya’s dance wasn’t 10-worthy. And I agree the choreography was boring or something was off there. I love Kellie but her dance wasn’t 10-worthy either. It was great, but not quite 10-worthy. Meanwhile, they grossly low-balled Jacoby. I think they are trying to separate him in the viewers’ minds from their top three girls early before it’s too late to stop his momentum. I expect the same thing next week as well.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by Jacoby’s frame, and his feet weren’t as pidgeon-toed in the actual dance as they had been in rehearsal. He moved more smoothly than I was expecting. I’m not saying I thought he deserved a 10 or anything, it’s not his best style of dance, but a 7 from Len? Especially given the scores others were getting in comparison, that 7 was complete BS.
I think Karina made a mistake letting the rehearsal theme be all about his feet. You don’t do things that showcase your partner’s weakness. Yes, she doesn’t control the video they chose to present, but if you don’t give them video of you both talking a lot about his feet they don’t have that video to air. Up until now they’ve been very smart about their rehearsal themes, they need to get it back on track next week.
Please, please let Victor go home and put him and his poor partner out of their misery. It’s not enjoyable watching someone who isn’t enjoying it and doesn’t want to be there.
The team paso was a mess, but I must be in the minority in not thinking the samba was that much better. Yes, Kellie and Aly were good, but Andy did almost no actual dancing at all, he was down on his knees most of his solo, Sean was off and goofy, and the group section at the end was very simple. I would give them a point more, not 3 points more. I don’t want to see either dance again.
Poor Andy. Len was so mean. Andy is trying hard and he gets put down by the judges. On the other hand, Victor is unwilling to try to do anything, yet he doesn’t receive the harsh treatment that Andy got. It’s time for Victor to go. All his packages and interviews are pity parties for himself. He was just so awkward when talking to Brooke afterwards. I can imagine it must be hard for Lindsay to choreograph a dance for someone of Victor’s caliber, but I thought the choreo was awful.
Overall, I thought all the dances tonight were okay. Nothing really stood out to me. Team Samba was fun to watch.
@REK I don’t understand why you think Jacoby’s personality is irritating? I mean it’s better he has personality than none at all (like other contestants I will not mention) but I feel like hes just having fun and not taking it too seriously (but still taking it seriously enough to work hard)
I was worried about the team dances when Derek was making comments that he had concerns. But TeamSamba was great. TeamPaso was a total mess. I loved Val’s reaction to the judges comments, you could see he thought they were all crazy. And you could tell Zendaya wasn’t happy either. Guess when you’re used to getting the high scores, reality just doesn’t sit well. But really, it was a disaster and they didn’t deserve to win.
I really enjoyed Aly’s dance this week. It went well with the song and the choreography was good. I think she’s turning a corner and will start to show that she has what’s needed to be an honest contender.
Andy made me smile. He has such a wonderful attitude and is truly having fun each week. No, he isn’t going to win, but he deserves to be there right now because there are others that are worse than him.
Like Sean. So awkward and the bouncing was crazy. When he wasn’t bouncing, he was clomping around. He’s not entertaining. Taking off his shirt didn’t make me like it, in fact, it made me roll my eyes. I cannot understand how he has a higher score than Andy. Oh wait, he’s family, that’s why.
Another one is Ingo. I keep forgetting he’s on the show until he dances. And then I’m bored. Still being forgettable at the halfway point isn’t a good thing.
And Victor. Oh boy. I didn’t see any dancing, I saw him standing still, throwing out his arms every so often, and Lindsey dancing around him. Not good at all.
Kellie’s dance was great. Carrie Ann had to find something to pick on to keep them from getting a perfect score, but you know what made me the happiest? She got a 10 from Len before Zendaya and I bet that has Val going nuts.
It was nice to see Zendaya have to dance first. Yes, her dance was good, but I still can’t get behind her. It’s too much of her. I didn’t like the comment Carrie Ann made during the team dance that she was trying to be the glue that held it all together. Just another way of saying, look at her, isn’t she great? Give her all of your votes. Not working with me. I agree with past posts, I think she would do just fine without all the pimping and manipulation and I believe it’s going to blow up in their faces. I thought it was bad with William Levy, but this is worst.
I liked Jacoby’s dance too. Kind of feel bad for him that they keep calling him out for his feet. It’s not like he can fix the problem and he does his best. I still don’t get all the excitement around him though.
And what was Len’s problem tonight? He was being outright nasty when there was no need for it. I just don’t get it. Some of his comments were so unnecessary and rude.
So with that said, it’s obvious that TeamSamba should have the encore, but it’s also obvious Team Paso will because of Zendaya’s teen twitter followers. So we’re probably going to have to sit through that mess again.
I’m thinking the bottom two this week are Sean and Victor, if not them, then Ingo and Victor with Victor going home either way. I think he knows it’s time to leave and is ok with it.
@Jessica, I hope I didn’t come across as being too harsh on the guy but there is a silliness that bothers me a little bit and it might come down to what you were saying about him not taking it too seriously. I agree with you that he is but he comes across as being insincere and also I have notice (like some others) that he doesn’t seem to clap and support his fellow contestants. I think it might be a gentleman-type thing which just doesn’t come across on television but I am sure he is nice in real life. I still think he is hands down the best male dancer there.
Zendaya is spamming the crap out of twitter right now, trying to win that team dance. You go right ahead, sweetheart – most of the audience is on to this game, I think.
I wish I could like your comment #Princess Heidi.
@REK yeah, I’ve noticed that too but hey! from what Victor was saying on AfterbuzzTV last week, Jacoby and (I believe) Ingo (or maybe Andy) are two of the pranksters on the show but I do get where you’re coming from 🙂 I guess I can see how people might take him too literal and it may come across that way but I just love the guy personally 🙂
“out-and-out cruelty (which left Andy in tears…inexcusable, IMO” Are we seeing Ralph II here?
Grrr! This twitter voting is getting way out of hand. I like it when the judges picked the encore.
The average viewer doesn’t have a clue to what’s going on with this show, they are being misled to think that with this twitter voting that Zendaya is the *ONE* contestant that everyone wants to see.
Okay, Somebody please tell the girls on Team Samba that I want my “go-go boots” back. I remember how much I pested my parents for a pair of them back in the day. 🙂
I just wanted to add that I think I enjoyed this episode the least of any episode so far this season. No dance really wowed me,not even Kellie’s, even though I thought it was the best of the night. I hated the team dances. Both of them. If we could vote #pleasenoencore I might have stayed up all night tweeting.
Here’s my rankings
1. Kellie & Derek- Although i’m a Zendaya fan! I can’t hate that this was Kellie’s best dance! I love her attitude.
2. Zendaya & Val- Gotta admit her cha-cha deserved a 27 at best. I guess everyone has that off week.
3. Aly & Mark- She’s letting her guard down at the right time. She could possibly come out and sneak into the finals
4. Jacoby & Karina- Another entertaining dance. The frame wasn’t the best but however he brings entertainment.
5. Andy & Sharna- We all know that Andy can’t dance. I have a soft spot for the stars that have fun and let the chips fall where they may. I’m hoping that Andy doesn’t get eliminated this week.
6. Ingo & Kym- Boring and forgettable tonight. He’ll be toasted by week 8 (assuming a double elimination is looming)
7.
8.
Team Dances (Note to producers: Please keep the teams to the final 6 where most of the fat has been trimmed. Good god there’s a lot of sucky dancers this season lol)
Team Paso: A hot ass mess! The paso is usually a strong dance for athletes and the fact that Ingo, Jacoby and Victor failed at that is surprising mainly for Jacoby. Zendaya and Val looked over it lol.
Team Samba: Derek knows how to masks the sucky dancers lol. Sean and Andy better enjoy that 9 because that’s the only one they will ever get! I’m excited to see Kellie’s individual Samba routine (I know that will be hot)
My other complaint is that I had a feeling that we will hear Stevie sing all the songs! Those damn singers sucked with the vocals and made the show drag.
Bottom 3: Ingo, Andy & Victor
Eliminated: Victor (from my understanding, since the inception of the team dances that the star eliminated was from the losing team. Please correct me if I’m wrong).
Oops I forgot to include Sean and Victor into my rankings. Guess to show how much I forgot about them already!
I think it was Jimmy Kimmel who joked that a baby goat could stumble onto the stage at DWTS and get a score of 18, which tells you how bad a couple of the dances were.
Kind of random but was anybody else thrown off by all of the yelling some of the pros were aiming towards their partners, like Val and Zendaya? At least when Derek yells at Kellie, she says something back or he apologizes but Val kind of through me off since he’s always so nice….hem must of been a stressful week I guess.
@Carrie Jane – I’d like to see Jimmy Baa-Baa Kimmel stumble his hoofs into the dancefloor.
I must be in Twitter jail now as I can’t send anymore Tweets! Lol team Samba for the encore! No one wants to see that Hot Mess of a dance again!
I was kind of underwhelmed tonight. I enjoy Stevie Wonder but I’m not sure his music is the greatest to dance to. For me, it just seemed like the WOW factor was missing from the dances.
I enjoyed Andy’s dance–he always makes me smile. I completely agree with Courtney– #ifandyleavesweroit! I definitely preferred his Samba to Sean’s overscored one.
I’m a Zendaya & Val fan but it seemed like she didn’t quite bring the performance as much as she has in the other weeks. Val seemed pretty surprised at the scores (watch his face at the first one). I don’t think he was expecting 10s.
I enjoyed Kellie, Jacoby, & surprisingly Ally’s dances but again the WOW factor was missing for me. I liked Ingo better this week. It’s time for Victor to throw in the towel & hang up his dancing shoes.
Team Paso–It was pretty much what I expected after seeing the intro. Zendaya put the guys to shame with her work ethic.
Team Samba–It turned out to be cheesy & enjoyable. I wouldn’t mind seeing it as the encore.
1.) Kellie & Derek – I loved the look on Kellie! Loved the dress (pantsuit?) And Derek in a simple suit was the most perfect sight *_* (Especially right before that Gatsby commercial!) But I was stunned with the simplicity of the dance and how effortlessly Kellie executed it. And yes Cindy, she got a 10 before Z did and Val must be going nuts…I THOUGHT THE SAME THING. ;))))))) Though I didn’t think that it should have gotten two 10s, one would have been fine. But yeah, CAI was definitely BSing. Good for Len and Bruno for telling her to STFU.
2.) Zendaya & Val – all I could see this whole time was limbs flying, and it drove me catshit. Definitely didn’t deserve a 29. She’s a beautiful dancer and Val’s a great teacher, but now I involuntarily resent her because of the way they’re shoving her down my throat. I felt the same way about Melissa last season, started hating her but not knowing why. Now I know what it is. Pimpage. I’m actually insulted.
3.) Jacoby & Karina – Len needs to STFU, Jacoby was MUCH improved, smoother than anyone expected considering his height difference with his partner, and he definitely worked on his feet. Wtf is these peoples’ problem? Underscored. Oh, and Karina’s dress!!! To die for.
4.) Aly & Mark – I liked her this week, seeing her personality. But that dress was awful on her! But she did her dance nicely and I loved that she was starting to connect.
5.) Andy & Sharna – I thought he was improved and that Len was just cruel. It was awful listening to him. And yeah – mentioning his name in the critique of another couple was plain wrong. Love this partnership but hate the way they treat him. Sharna will be able to handle anything after this.
6.) Sean & Peta – cop-out Peta strikes again. He jumps up and down the whole dance, but they laud him for idk what the hell, and then his shirt goes. Essentially sickened me. Predictable much? And CAI and Brooke drooling over it grossed me out (especially when the same night, you see Derek in a simple suit, and that was just so much sexier!). Peta’s dress was kind of cute though.
7.) Ingo & Kym – all I remember is I liked Kym’s dress. But I keep forgetting he’s there.
8.) Victor & Lindsay – that was just painful to watch. He didn’t move at all, and you could see it even more in the shots of him by himself, when his hips stayed in exactly the same place the whole time. But Lindsay’s dress was GORGEOUS, reminded me of a more glamorous version of Jennifer Grey’s.
Team dances – they were both awful to watch. All the costumes were slaughter on my eyes (well, except MAYBE team samba’s ladies’ costumes, those were kind of cute) and no one stayed in sync, and Team Paso was acting like they had it all locked up – except it had no impressive choreo and NO theme. The theme of the dance and the execution is what I think what tipped it to Team Samba. And Mark acting like Mark Ballas again was a hoot. But I wouldn’t want to see either dance again.
And is it wrong that I wanted to laugh a little bit at the 5 ladies dancing around Stevie Wonder? Guess they needed to fill up the show. But what I was laughing at was that all five of the girls’ costumes were recycled – are the show’s designers suddenly on a budget?
It’s official I dislike Len in so many ways. Clear the judges panel, please. We need judges for weeks 1-3, 4-6 and then 7 thru whatever. In that way, we might actually get some balance on this show. But hey, that’s just one of my many pipe dreams.
On another note, was it just me, or did it appear Brooke just got the notice it’s “Prom Week”, that dress reminded me of prom several years ago, or maybe she’s letting Disney know that Zendaya ain’t the only Princess in the ballroom. UGH
I was petrified watching twitter this week regarding team Samba and ended up just loving it. No, it wasn’t perfect or as good as some of Derek’s previous wins but once again he concentrated on the right things instead of getting too flashy. And they genuinely looked like they had fun.Worked much better and tighter as a team than TPaso, also.And as someone said earlier Kellies QS, a classic classy fast standard QS. Again, of course that was what Derek would go for this week, missed rehearsal and travel, an extra dance to learn and the slamming in scores he got last season for Shawns “rulebreaking” QS. He knew with the ability of everyone in Team Dance they couldn’t take any chances and had to score very high. Deserved a 30. CAI, NUTZ. If they’d been any closer in hold there would have been baby making!! And as Len said, when you get that kind of speed, even in pro competitions there is occasional “space”. I hope Vic and Ingo at least go home b4 Andy. He is working improving and really participating and doing it with the right frame of mind. Horrid remarks from the judges, unnecessary.
I’m not a fan of Andy Dick, but even I was yelling, “Give him a 7!” when he was getting his scores. Len didn’t have to straight up insult him. Just like how Bruno didn’t have to throw in a dig at him when he was judging the team dance. Plus, you had Sean, Ingo, and Victor singling him out tonight. Is Andy the next target now?
Those team dances were both messes, but Team Samba was better. It was more entertaining and it was more fun. It looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. Mark most definitely was. Team Paso was just dreadful. It was like, everyone was just depressed and didn’t want to do it or something. All of them were terrible. Too bad that’s going to be the encore. Nobody wants to see that again. Except for the Zendaya fans and Maks. I heard he was whining on Twitter tonight.
Aly may be in the game with the big boys and girls now, and it’s great having the old Mark back. She’s really the only one showing week-to-week improvement imo. I’m seeing a “Tony-like” influence in the costume designs though. She needs a costume intervention, badly. I think Val had a hard time choreographing a cha cha for Zendaya’s long limbs and it showed. Several people here predicted that would happen at some point. Karina did a good job of hiding Jacoby’s feet both with the choreography and the flowing neon dress. I think perhaps the preoccupation with footwork dampened his showmanship though and tonight it seemed as though a catch was a catch, not a lift. The top three imo are all pretty much where they started, steady, with Zendaya perhaps a small step above. I agree with Cindy, I think Victor is ready to go. Andy is still showing a lot of desire which I think will see him through a while longer.
For those complaining about Len declaring Kellie’s QS the best of season 16, he did preface that comment with “FOR ME….” it was his opinion. My opinion? If they are handing out 10s to Zendaya for less than perfect dances, then I am all for Kellie getting 10s because for me she is just as great a dancer as Zen. Len does tend to reward couples in comments and scores when they get super technical and traditional … and they deliver. Derek said last season that he knows EXACTLY what Len wants to get high scores from him …. Sooo, good strategy, IMO.
Anyways, this was a rather ho-hum show for me. I always love my favorites (Kellie, Jacoby, Andy). Poor Victor… bad night for him and he looked like he was gonna cry after they got the scores for Team Paso. I think it’s his time to go.
Have to admit.. was thinking Team Samba was going to be a hot mess, but it turned out the hot mess was Team Paso. While Team Samba’s may have only been technically better by a bit, they were definitely more enjoyable to watch and I love that Derek got to keep his team dance winning record! Woo-hoo! No wonder he was talking about building shelves and all that nonsense! lol..
Actually, my fave dance of the night was prob Anna and Tony’s rumba! hhehe.. also, love stevie wonder!
My favorite dance tonight was Aly’s. I thought she danced with a lot more emotions than before and I like it. I felt like she might bump one of the top 3 (Zen, Kellie and Jacoby) into the finals.
I think the 10s tonight were not deserved. Kellie was great, I’m pretty sure, sorry I was drooling over Derek in the suit most of the dance ;-), I saw the little stumble too. And there is something not right with Zendaya’s legs throughout the dance and I didn’t notice it much before, but tonight her legs look so bent!
I think Jacoby’s running away with votes too since that dance should get all 8s, at least. Probably Len was pissed that they danced in the audience and he couldn’t see his feet there. I’m not too worried about him though.
The team dance were pretty even to me. I agree with Team Samba as the better team overall, but it should be 1 or 2 points difference, based on past team scores. I mean, Gangnam got only 2.5 less than Call Me Maybe!
Victor, please go home. I felt sorry for Lindsay, whom I think look hot tonight. 🙂
My rankings are the same as Vogue so don’t need to repeat them. I don’t know why Len for the second week in a row gave Jacoby and Sean the exact score. While I thought Sean did improve last week there is no way I thought they deserved the same score tonight by Len. Overall, Jacoby was only one point higher on his Quickstep, but Sean moved ahead of him because of the Team Samba dance. Watching Sean tonight was painful. I have said from the beginning he has no musicality and CAI did stress that to him, but no way do I rank Sean higher than Jacoby. I thought Andy deserved higher marks than Sean as well. I knew Peta would pull the shirt as soon as they came down the stairs at the beginning of the show. Victor’s scores were correct.
Kellie looked beautiful and she was imo the best of the night, but didn’t agree with Len saying this was the best dance of the season.
I felt so bad for Andy and I must have missed seeing him cry, but tonight I couldn’t stand these judges for many reasons. Their treatment of Andy being one of them. I would have switched scores with Sean and Andy giving Andy the 21 and Sean the 18. Hated how CAI made that comment calling out Zandaya as the glue that was trying to hold Team Paso together. No, I didn’t like the dance and did expect more after Val did do a great Paso last season with Kelly. He has never been my favorite choreographer, but thought that particular dance from last season and what he did so far this season for Zandaya has made me respect him more. I was not crazy at all for what he did for Zandaya’s regular dance tonight. I thought Karina and Kym would also have some ideas to make it better. Maybe it’s different for team dances and I don’t think of Stevie Wonder songs being the regular Paso type music.
Team Samba was better, but truthfully neither did that much for me and was disappointed in both.
I know some have commented on Jacoby up in the skybox not clapping tonight, but in his defense I have seen other celebs doing the very same thing. On the other hand I have seen Jacoby be the first one there congratulating the couple as they make their way up the stairs. I know some people are put off by him, and it’s no secret that he and Kellie are my favorites, but I just feel that sometimes he is the first to be criticized for things and people fail to notice the kind things he does. jmho
Victor should go. I think he is ready to.
Stevie Wonder is probably my favorite living solo artist, but even I was a little tired of hearing his songs tonight. Not the actual music, but shoehorning some of the dances to the songs (like tango, oy) was just a bit blah. Plus his voice didn’t sound as beautiful as it once did. Anyway, just like most of the genre theme weeks (rock, country, etc) some of the dances really just were not done any favors by the song selection.
I thought Kellie and Derek were very good, but not 10-worthy, even though I think their song was one of the better choices and they did have the best individual dance of the night.
Jacoby was underscored – again. He must be getting a crapload of votes. I thought his feet looked pretty good, considering.
That was Zendaya’s worst dance of the season, how underwhelming. I can’t believe it got that high of a score. I like her and up until tonight I’ve really liked Val’s choreo for her, but that overscoring is gross.
It was definitely Aly’s best night, and Mark’s too. Even though she had the Samba last week it actually seemed that her solo in the team dance was an improvement. She and Mark were the highlight of the team for me. Hope she continues this upward trajectory and that Mark keeps the spark he had tonight.
And the other four were pretty much par for how I feel about them – Loved Andy, groaned at Sean, nothing’d Ingo, and want Victor’s awkwardness off my television. That rumba tonight was terrible and his hatred of practice really showed.
Team Paso really blew a chance tonight, but their costumes, formations, solos, all of it was dull. Samba was better and more fun, but it still shows that there are too many weak dancers left this season for them to put together a real quality group number.
Pretty sure Victor is going home, with Ingo as a possible bottom two. Wouldn’t mind if it were Sean, though. I am guessing the next three weeks will be some combination of the three of them leaving, unless Andy isn’t getting as many votes as I think he is. But I will hand it to Victor – he was my pick for first to leave so he’s stuck around longer than I expected.
I pretty agree with all of you on the dances.
I’m kinda of worried for Zendaya as from now they have to learn at least 2 dances a week. With only 4 hours a day she’s allowed to rehearse, I think it’s just impossible to keep the level, far less to step it up. Maybe it already showed this week.
No “wows” last night. Not my favorite week of dancing. Maybe next week will be better.
loved Derek and kellie’s quickstep. it was beautiful. and i loved their package as well.
Zendaya’s faces during her dance are just too much for me. waaaaay too exaggerated.
loved Kym dancing the tango. always do. Oh, Ingo was there too? 😉
As much as It pains me to say this it’s time for VICTOR and Linds to go! I am tired of watching Lindsay try and get victor to emote and really give her something because she can’t help but choreograph for herself and make her look good with a partner that doesn’t want to be there! Can’t wait to see Linds in pro dances!
I agree with a lot of the above. This week in general was just BLAH. There’s not a single dance I’d want to go back and re-watch, and usually there is at least one. The team dances were sorta lame. I like Stevie Wonder, but honestly i feel like the music was the hindrance this week. There was definite shoe-horning of songs to fit dances. At least when they do rock/country weeks, they have a whole genre to pull from for the music. The packages were more entertaining than anything else. My bet is on a victor and ingo/sean bottom two, with victor getting the boot.
This week was very blah for me. There wasn’t anything that I really LOVED.
1. Kellie and Derek- Definitely the best of the night for me.
2. Jacoby and Karina- Definitely under scored. You could tell that he really improved and he was on point with the fast footwork.
3. Aly and Mark- I thought this was her best dance of the season. I think her personality is coming out much more and I like that I can see her improving every week
4. Zendaya and Val- I like her. I think she’s good. But I want to see more. I feel like I’m watching similar dances every week. And I completely agree with Courtney about her legs.
5. Ingo and Kym- Still forgettable in my mind. He looked like he was enjoying it more but I still don’t see them getting much further.
6. Andy and Sharna- Little Samba content, but he looked like he wasn’t nervous at all for the first time in a while. I just love him.
7. Sean and Peta- Samba is not his dance. I still really like him though and he tries really hard so I’d like to see him outlast Ingo and Victor.
8. Victor and Lindsay- He just didn’t look like he was getting the rumba and didn’t want to look like an idiot moving his hips. I’ve liked them in past weeks, but I think it’s their time to go.
Team Paso- Thought this should have been better based on the fact that Ingo and Victor have done this style before (thats not saying much though). Just a general hot mess all around.
Team Samaba- Very fun. I think they were good at hiding weaknesses and like Courtney said, simple steps that made everybody look together and good.
I missed Len’s comment to Andy due to a phone call, and Miss Spence was kind enough to repeat it for me on twitter. Len has been downright cruel this season and it’s not funny anymore.
I’m not even going to comment on individual dances. This season has been a huge disappointment for me, from Len’s cruelty, to the blatant pimping of Zendaya through the use of twitter votes.
And what’s with everyone picking on Andy this week? Are they starting to see him as some sort of threat? So much for the “family feel” of this cast.
I will say that Victor needs to go home. That was just painful to watch. Lyndsay is definitely not ready to be a pro.
My preferred order of people leaving the ballroom in the next few weeks would be Victor, Sean, Ingo. I’m pretty tired of Zendaya, but she’s not going anywhere, unfortunately.
Week 6 is usually the week when everything starts to “fall apart,” so to speak… They are usually at the midpoint, and things are picking up, and they’re starting to feel that they just don’t have what it takes to get to the end….. They’ve not found their “second wind” yet…. And I do think that is part of the reason why so many of the dances were kind of “blah…” Exhaustion.
As for Zendaya and Kellie, and those 10s…. Yes, I do think Zen was overscored. Yes, Kellie did have a better dance… It was much cleaner, it was nicer for me to look at, and I do think better executed. Did she get through the dance with absolutely perfect technique and execution and everything? Many have pointed out that she stumbled once so no 10s were deserved. Well, what do you expect? The judges started by overscoring Zen, and giving her 2 10s, probably not expecting anyone to have a better dance…. But there was, and what do they do? They’d already given 10s for a dance that WASN’T technically perfect, and that did have errors….
So my question is, why was it okay for Zendaya to get 10s for a dance that wasn’t technically perfect, but it wasn’t okay for Kellie to get 10s for a dance that had fewer technical errors?
Could this be the week that everything changes for the viewers if Team Paso wins the twitter encore vote? We are midway as you say, but I am hoping that the viewers may have played along up to now and maybe this week they realize that, “Wait a minute clearly the Team Samba was much more entertaining, what’s going on here”.
Most definitely I think the judges would have picked Team Samba for the encore. I think Len likes to pick the encore and probably doesn’t like the twitter vote for the encore.
@ Grant #46
You said exactly what I was thinking – really the time for Victor to go.
Based on what Courtney shared about pay, Lindsay has made about $50K this year, plus will get the finale week and some pro dances. Not bad for a first year, and to get Victor this far is an achievement, IMO.
It’s definitely time for Victor to go, if for no other reason than to avoid a post-dance Brooke interview as awkward as last night.
Andy was treated horribly. Threw all my votes to him.
maybe i’m old fashioned because i’ve been a ballroom dance teacher for so long but it’s hard for me to imagine dancing to the music that doesn’t fit the dance.e.g. tango and chacha.still i understand that they have to keep up with modern times. great show overall!
Some weird scoring last night.
I loved the very traditional quickstep that Kellie and Derek danced. I admit it, I hate to see couples break hold during quickstep or tango, I’m like Len that way. I think that’s why Len gave them a ten, as way to say “now that’s a quickstep!”. I think it was more 9 worthy myself, however I give a ten to Kellie’s Halston style 70’s pantsuit. Not all fashion from the 70’s was sucky!
I also thought Zendaya was over scored as well. A nine was more appropriate. The energy was off a bit.
Aly is showing improvement every week. The foxtrot had a nice jazzy feel. She looked happy and relaxed dancing it.
Jacoby’s quickstep was great. High energy and I thought a good hold.
Ingo looked better this week as well, despite a non tango song. Kim always choreographs great tangos.
I loved Andy’s mailman dance. My dad is a retired mailman so that made me smile to see him come out in that costume. No technique but great energy and lovely little funk touches here and there.
Crikey! Sean’s dancing just assaults my eyeballs! Boy has no rhythm what so ever. So freaking awkward. I can not believe the judges scored him higher than Andy.
Peta at least this week looked much better.
I’m ready for Victor to go. I’ve been ready for a couple of weeks now. Let’s hope it actually happens.
Team Samba was fun. Not great, but fun. You gotta love a dance with a giant hovering disco ball, pornstaches and Starsky and Hutch style costuming.
Team Paso was a bit blah. It lacked a cohesive theme. The costumes were cool.
I can’t remember a time when both team dances were scored so low. Usually at least one team gets a ten(s).
Honestly I don’t think anyone deserved a ten last night and I don’t want to see either of the team dances again. They both deserved 21s in my opinion- whoever said team dances need to be reserved for final 6 was exactly correct – victor, Sean, and as much as I like him Andy really all dd not need to participate. Hopefully next week will be good again like the pro challenge last week! Also, I’m thinking if Aly continues this adorable, lettibg loose upward swing her and mark could break into the top 3- I feel like she has brought out a really sweet side of mark and I think her attitude is exactly right for this competition!
I thought it was interesting that they didn’t show how teams were picked this season, something they have several times in the past. Maybe it was just a time thing, maybe there was some shenanigans to it… who knows.
I think between the bonus points added from the team dance, the lack of fan base, the crappy attitude and the fact that Andy has gotten a lot of positive support, its safe to say that Victor’s time on the show expires tonight.
Team Samba was so fun, it worked in a fun quirky way as a group and I agree with Bruno that Aly and Kellie were awesome in their solos. #teampaso was trending forever last night with #teamsamba trending for like 20 minutes. Unfortunately Aly, Kellie, Sean and Andy’s twitter followers combined are less than Zendaya’s. The only positive is at least there are no points on the line.
@Fancy – I noticed the exact same thing you did: suddenly everyone seems to feel the need to “be better than Andy” or “beat Andy” or whatever else…I don’t know why they all have his name in their mouths, all of a sudden. Len’s the worst offender, but I was really put off by Ingo saying it, too – dude, since when is Andy your big competition? It was almost as if he was bitter that he was in jeopardy last week and Andy wasn’t. I just don’t even see the need to mention Andy’s name if you’re talking about your own dancing – and that goes for judges, too. And for those asking – yes, Andy did cry. Go look at his eyes after he got his scores…poor guy broke my heart. And I doubt he felt better after hearing both Sean & Ingo ganging up on him in their packages…I find it interesting that we didn’t see Andy for quite awhile in the celebraquarium after his dance. Notice that Zendaya changed costumes pretty quickly and was hanging around almost immediately after her dance. Andy didn’t show up till later…I’m guessing because he was so upset.
As for team paso – after a good night’s sleep and shaking off the jitters and roid rage from my new asthma script, I’m thinking they were just the victims of complacency: they thought they had it in the bag after the first rehearsal, and maybe didn’t spend as much time really hashing out the choreography or practicing as they should have. I think they were probably banking on team samba being a complete hot mess, and thus didn’t see the need to really slave over their team dance. I haven’t seen them for myself, but a lot of people were saying that Kym had kind of an incredulous look on her face when they got their scores – and if she was shocked, I’d say she REALLY has lost touch with the show, and needs to recalibrate her barometer, because that was not even CLOSE to the kind of work I’d expect from her. Karina & Val should know better, too. I’ll cut Lindsay some slack, since she’s new, but the others? No excuse. And if they do get the encore tonight (and I’m pretty sure they will), I think they should all feel a bit silly – because they looked downright foolish up against the other team. I’d be ashamed to do that team paso again, if I were them.
Mods, A question please… If jacoby was underscored and that would infer that he is getting a ton of votes, does it follow that if zendaya was over scored (as some have mentioned),is she maybe not getting the votes that she needs? Love this site and thank you for all your hard work. Thank you.
Liked Team Samba or Team Paso but you know that team paso will bethe encore. Would like to know what the original entrance was that Derek and Mark had planned that TPTB nixed although I did like the ring around the mirror (disco) ball.
Glad to see Anna T back for a couple of dances. Loved her dance with Tony.
I wish they’d just skip the team dance encore and have Kellie and Derek dance their Quickstep again. That’s the only dance I would want to watch again from last night.
The Ring Around the Mirror Ball worked well for Team Samba, they made the most of their initial 19 seconds. I know it was quite a bit shorter (11 seconds) but the group beginning didn’t seem as short to me, as Team Paso, even though I know the timings were the same for both teams. I think that Team Samba made the most of the short times they had, so it made the sections seem longer to me….
I mean, Team Paso started with Zendaya and a few of the men, and they carried her down to the middle, and just as the rest of them joined them, they had to go into solos. And it seemed to me as if as soon as one solo started, it ended and the next began. I just kept asking myself throughout, “Wait, WHAT??” because it felt a bit disjointed.
And Karina, I think, knew they blew it…. In the celebriquarium, when Brooke asked her what Team Paso’s strength was, and why people should tweet that they should have the encore, she said, “we have hot guys…” Nothing about the routine, but “hot guys” who are shirtless.
I’m trying to get it through my head that I will be watching Team Paso again…. I do think that Team Samba should have the encore, because it just seemed to flow better, and the whole team worked together better, I think. Honestly, I was having trouble placing which couple was dancing which solo, the costumes really threw me… Sean and Peta started their solo, and I thought it was strange that they had Kellie starting, because teams usually keep their strongest dancer last… But it was Sean, Aly, Andy, Kellie, right???
Well, there’s always you tube to see the team dance I want to see!
Don’t know if I’ve commented before about Andy and I know DL really rubbed a lot of people the wrong way but the “persoanl” comments are a bit much, bordering on bullying IMO. Andy is trying and at least wants to be there and giving it his all. Unlike 2 or 3 others, Vic, Sean and evn Ingo at times IMO Comparing yourself to other dancers, NOT cool.
Yes the pushing of Zen really boxed the judges in last night but I do think Kellie deserved her score. It was a traditional QS, I didn’t see a bobble, but if there was one I guess the 9 was deserved but compared to what the judges let slip by I just keep thinking WTF. Again because she has rhythm and musicality they are going to hold her to a higher standard than a trained actress and dancer? And Jacoby, yes, he has personality,he’s fast, has some moves and a lot of votes and Len sometimes deserves boos, but Jacobys footwork is mostly fast but bad and his posture is often not good(just like zen’s and being tall is no excuse)If it doesn’t improve I hope they cont. to score him accordingly and not fall into the “giving everyone a turn to be on top”mode.
As far as the Teams, both had bad movers to deal with, but Derek did an amazing job at keeping them tight and not getting too complicated w/the choreo. He knows judges generally look for synchronicity and Fun in those dances. The other team started off looking promising but then it just fell apart IMO. I wonder if Val listened very much to Karina? She and Derek work together well and I was surprised to see such bad things on a team she is on. Team samba didn’t take is so seriously and I think it was the first time all season that even Peta looked like she had fun. I hope Andy felt better after his participation in the team dance, and knowing Derek (and Mark’s) past history I bet they gave him some kudos after the performance.
Sorry…didn’t mean to double post. It wouldn’t submit first couple of times ??
Lori, you can watch the team dance you really want to see at PureDerekHough. I’ve been watching it over and over again! Such fun!
I thought both team dances were train wrecks and the scores reflected it.
No way did Ingo deserve one point better than Jacoby. I would switch them around. Aly was over-scored to a degree, but I figure she got the Boston sympathy score. Aly is just not wowing me at all, but she could be the one to come in at the end and win it all.
I figure Victor will go home. Andy just wasn’t “fun” last night so it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if he went home. Same with Sean. They are my bottom three.
Meggie, I know…. I just haven’t been able to get over there yet today….
Overall, not the most spectacular night – I think whoever said that the dancers are tired and haven’t gotten their second wind yet is exactly right. They haven’t figured out yet how to cope with two full routines – but they will (at least some of them will).
Kellie and Derek took the night, I think. While it wasn’t the most show-stopping quickstep, it was fun and well executed. And having already given Zendaya tens, I think that they had to give Kellie tens, because the dance quality was obviously better (or they had to find something to nitpick, like CAI).
I also enjoyed Aly’s dance this week. She’s getting more personality through on the dance floor, and she’s feeling less “rehearsed” in her interviews and comments. I’m finally starting to enjoy her performances.
Andy and Sharna just make me smile. Every time, without fail. While it wasn’t the best technically, it was the most entertaining individual dance of the night.
Jacoby was also good. It wasn’t my favorite quickstep from Karina, but good entertainment.
Zendaya – I feel like I should like her, and I should enjoy her dances…and I don’t. I don’t know if it’s the pimping, or the overscoring, or what, but she doesn’t grab me. She and Val remind me a bit of Dmitri and Mya – technically good, but only on rare occasions really enjoyable for me to watch. She doesn’t make me smile, and I’m not excited to see her dance. She feels a bit lackluster. I agree that she was overscored last night. Given the post-show interviews, Val may think so as well.
Sean and Ingo – they’re kind of at the same place for me. Ingo’s dance was better than Sean’s last night, but Sean’s attitude right now is better than Ingo’s, so I think he was a little more enjoyable to watch. But what was with the shirtlessness? That samba didn’t *need* that, and it didn’t help anything. If going shirtless made Sean more graceful or more musical, I would be totally fine with it – but it didn’t. Ingo’s attitude was better than last week, though, so maybe he’ll stay a little more upbeat. And I don’t understand why either Sean or Ingo had to be all about beating Andy this week – maybe they feel he’s the only person they *can* beat?
I think it’s time for Victor to go. He didn’t dance well, he didn’t even seem to *try* to get any hip movement in, and his interactions with Lindsay are just getting more awkward.
As far as the team dances, team samba was just a lot of fun, and they were also (surprisingly) technically better and more in sync than team paso. And team samba made me smile, even the second time around (watching at PDH).
Right now, I’d like the finals to be Kellie, Jacoby, Aly and Andy. In the AH interview, Sharna said she truly believes that she could get Andy a ten in the freestyle – and I would *love* to see what she would come up with. And Aly’s starting to bring more personality and joy to her dancing, so she takes Zendaya’s spot.
I think the judges only want what is a good balance between what is most entertaining and good dancing mimi. Your assessment of Derek is right on though; he’s really the best dance coach. If I didn’t have to work at my job at DISH so early in the morning, I would watch the show at night, but it works out to watch in the morning when I’m getting ready. I love it because I can start watching in the bedroom, then switch to the kitchen and pick up right where I left off with my DISH Hopper DVR. I finish in the living room while I’m drinking my coffee and waking up so it really helps me watch more TV than I have time otherwise.
Oh, where to start…..ha, ha…..I don’t think any dance deserved 10’s tonight….but Kellie’s was definitely the best…..Z’s was fine….but I don’t know….something is looking off there to me….???…..not sure what it is……Aly?….gosh after reading all these comments I feel like I need to go back and re-watch everything….cause Aly still doesn’t do it for me…at all….when she speaks, I think she is so fake…everything just comes across as practiced and I’m saying the correct answer, right?….the dance I thought was cute but I just don’t buy her…and I’m sorry…cause I thought I would….but not at all….and that dress???…she has a funky shape….and I don’t think Mark has any idea how to dress her……that same dress on Kellie or Zendaya would have been gorgeous, on Aly?…not so much……Andy?…love him….I used every vote I had last night for him…….Sean?…well, I’m a big Bachelor fan…..but I WAS DISGUSTED AND EMBARRASSED last night….the boy has no musicality at all…..he needs to be gone……Jacoby?…the boy was born pigeon toed….God’s gift, so to speak…..at his age, that ain’t leaving…….I thought he did well during the performance to minimize it….???….I think he is goofy and funny…..and a good dancer…not every going to be technically perfect but he has fun every single time….any of the others?…nope, it’s over……as far as the team dances….both weren’t the best….but considering there is a lot of drop off in talent this year…..wasn’t surprised….team samba was better……BUT this stupid twitter stuff is ridiculous….we will see team paso….so what?…….means nothing….TPTB need to get a grip…..I find myself flipping the channel during the show…????….and that’a a first for me……not sure I’ll even start up with the next season….just don’t like how the show is going….last season how hard they were on Shawn and Derek….when those were the best routines, most memorable……and the pimping of Melissa….and this year the pimping of Z….and the down right cruelty of the judges….I’m thinking I have better things to do with my time…..
Errr…JimmyMackey, was this feedback for the power rankings, or a shameless plug for DISH Hopper DVR???
I didn’t think it was an awesome night of dancing overall. I hope next week is better….since it is simply Latin night, maybe we’ll get more good dancing without gimmicks and really appropriate music for each dance? One can hope….
I did also enjoy Aly much more tonight than usual. Her technique improved and her performance is improving too. It was also good choreography from Mark.
Len’s comment on Kellie’s dance being the best for him this season really shouldn’t surprise too many people. It had everything Len likes: good technique, class, no gimmicks, no rule-breaking, a lot of good basic content. It’s not my favorite dance of the season either, but it was a well-done classic quickstep, right up Len’s alley.
The team dances were underwhelming. But, like some people said I think it was because the samba isn’t a great team dance, and Team Paso thought they had it in the bag and that hot men were going to be enough too. Also, there are still many weak dancers left in the competition and that somewhat limits what the pros can do to really wow us with the choreography. I think some of the super fans also remember how great Team Call Me Maybe was last season….but that was a freestyle and with arguably 4 of the best dancers to ever do this show. So, obviously the potential for greatness in dancing and creativity is greater there. I didn’t love either dance last night but I think Team Samba had the best combination of the two of being in-sync, creative and flashy. I thought scores were completely appropriate. And these were not 9 and 10 worthy dances- and the scores were not majority 9s and 10s like in season’s past. I would have done 3 7’s for Team Paso and 3 8’s for Team Samba, and that is pretty much what happened.
This ‘immunity dance’ for next week sounds like trouble to me….I have a feeling many of us are not going to like this!
Zendaya’s little Children of the Corn want to see that dance again, Kelly. 😀 And see it again they will. Malekai…
C, no the eliminated person hasn’t always come from the losing team. Pam was eliminated after being on one of Derek’s winning teams.
Yeah, Len, it was the best dance of the season for me too. Seriously, you want Len to say that, then choreograph a dance with every single bit of traditional content you can fit in and then execute it nearly flawlessly. Derek knows how to get a ten from Len, it’s just not that often that he CARES about a ten from Len. 🙂
55.#Susan, your comments are almost identical to mine, hah! I put them in this order: Kellie keeps getting better and I loved this QS, Aly is improving in performance and seemed to enjoy this dance and it showed, Jacoby is fun to watch and improving, Zendaya can dance but seems to be staying at the same level and her issues (flailing arms and bend legs) remain, Ingo is improving and was much better last night, Andy is working hard, having fun and I enjoy him, Sean – I couldn’t say it better – hurts my eyeballs and I just can’t understand his inability to hear the beat, Victor seems ready to go – the joy is gone. Team Samba over Team Paso – scores about right for me but tweeting tweens will decide the encore. Tweet this!
Last night was the most blatant over-scoring of Zendaya. This was her weakest dance, and she got 10s. She is a great dancer – she really doesn’t need to be propped up by the judges. It will just make the audience dislike her eventually. She did pout during the team dance scoring.
I think that the team dance will save Sean from the bottom two. Ingo should have scored higher than Sean. I think Victor will go home, regardless.
I figured Zendaya was wearing the flapper outfit because she’s only 16 and they didn’t want her to be overly exposed… ?
“I’m starting to notice a lot of stop-and-go in Val’s choreography – parts where they suddenly stop and Zendaya kinda stands still while Val does…I don’t know, something.” <– That's IT! Something about her dancing has bothered me from day one and I hadn't been able to put a finger on it til now. THIS is it! That and there's something about the way she moves her legs that seems… I don't know, off somehow? She's going to be SO good as an adult, but I feel like at least some of the awkwardness there is from being a kid.
Oh, forgot to say it, but that team paso was SO BAD. If it wins, it should send a signal to TPTB that Twitter voting is a complete joke. (As if they didn’t already know, of course.)
I went back and re-watched both Andy and Sean’s sambas from last night, and I don’t think Andy’s technique is really worse than Sean’s, but because of their body types/physique, the impression is different – Sean *seems* more solid, and Andy more all over the place, just because of their bodies. And both of them have better technique than Victor, so I’m not sure where the low-balling of Andy came from.
Also, after watching the post-show interviews and re-watching both the package and the team dances, I think part of why team samba was more fun, and why Derek consistently wins, is the way the teams worked together (or didn’t).
There was a definite vibe from Val (and Zendaya) that they were in a different class than the other couples. Even watching the rehearsal, Ingo, Jacoby and Victor all obviously bonded, but they were separate from the pros/Zendaya (and I don’t mean waiting while the pros choreographed it – both teams had that), and then the interaction between them all was just awkward up in the sky box. They really felt like two distinct groups – Zendaya/pros, and the three guys. Watch the the women’s (and Val’s) faces after the dance. And Val (and Z) seemed to be putting the difficulty onto the other celebs – that their dance standard wasn’t as good as was needed. And Val just let the dance go.
On the other hand, team samba really seemed to work as a unit (once the choreo was together), and were very encouraging to each other, especially to those who were struggling, and really trying to build them up. And Derek was apologizing to the celebs for not getting something put together, instead of implying that if they were all great dancers, then they could put something amazing together. And then the interaction in the sky box was one tight group – very cohesive. And they just seemed to enjoy themselves more.
And I think that team mentality and bolstering up the weak links is why Derek manages to pull off team win after team win, despite the players on his team. I was watching some of the other team dances on YouTube, and once Derek had Pam Anderson, and he also had Hope Solo on another team – neither people you would expect to have great synchro, or to be on the winning team, yet Derek pulls the best out.
Since the team dance doesn’t effect outcome, in hindsight l’m surprised Val picked Karina over Mark who I consider to be more creative. Maybe he was banking on the judges’ love for Jacoby, but strategically I think he made a mistake. I think both dances were on the blah side, but Samba looked a little more cohesive, although not nines worthy. I felt like Len was reading from a script last night, but then what else is new.
Love your clever, and insightful commentary COurtney, especially “As if instead of grabbing the bull by the horns, they just…patted it on the head.” Hilarious!!
Team Paso was,for me, a big uncoordinated snore, punctuated by non-synchronized cape-work. Team Samba’s choreo was clever, and matched the song perfectly, imo. They were tight, synchronized and really fun to watch, thanks to the wizard of choreography, Derek. Clever costuming as well. It wasn’t the best team dance choreo Derek has ever done, but definitely good enough!
Kellie and Derek’s QS won the night, for me. Any time I get to see Derek dance a “meat and potatoes” beautiful ballroom dance, it is sublime. The clean simplicity of this QS just worked, and Kellie really did well, imo. And Derek in that suit…Wowza!! They both looked gorgeous.
Zendaya’s dancing is too coltish for me to enjoy, and the pauses in the choreo where Val did something or other, were distracting. I agree she could handle more difficult choreo.
Andy is funny and endearing and always makes me laugh, but his dancing is kinda painful to watch, as is the dancing of Sean, Ingo, and…hot mess train wreck Victor. Time for him to go.
Jacoby entertains me even though I don’t think he can dance much either, but I’d like him to stick around so I can watch those fast feet and those leaps over Karina.
Aly’s dancing still bores me to tears, even though she seems to be connecting more with the audience. But, what’s the story with her costumes? Is that the best Mark can do?
Sorry, I meant since twitter voting didn’t affect outcome if the team dance….
I agree…Mark dresses Aly like she’s Bea McArthur on The Golden Girls? She looked the best in the Tea Samba outfit as did Peta! lol
ButterflyWhirl I agree with you about the vibe from Val about being on a higher level and complaining that everyone is on totally different levels. The fact is though that that is the reality of a group dance with 8 couples. This isnt All-Star season anymore. Derek/Mark and co. choreographed a routine that was smart for the members of it. Its a lot easier to stay in synch when your holding hands around a disco ball. They were able to showcase the strength of Aly and Kellie’s flexibility among the female pros and bring the performance aspect that Andy does well. I assumed they’d stick Aly and Kellie first and last during the solos but they surrounded Andy’s solo with Aly and Kellie’s and somehow rather then making it look weaker it played into the fun. It was interesting when they were all standing there together as a long shot Kellie looked like a mini Peta and Aly looked like a mini Sharna. (Maybe it was just the hair.)
Val also said something in his Access Hollywood interview that was a major “really?” moment. He said he was trying to really push Zendaya “as opposed to the other pros simple clean choreography.” It just seemed like he was throwing the other pros under the bus a bit there.
Hey Guys,
I love all the posts and evaluations of the dances here. I check after I’ve seen every episode. Thanks!
Aren’t you getting the sense from the packages that Derek has been really mean to Kelly the last few weeks? He seems to get angry on a personal level if she’s having trouble, which isn’t really fair, but I know how hard it is to be patient.
I also thought it was odd when Mark said to do the foxtrot for the people in Boston dealing with the bombings…like they care? Maybe that was supposed to make Ally feel better about practicing in LA away from the suffering? I don’t know; it was odd. And then Carrie Ann said something about “Boston elegance”? I’ve lived in Boston — don’t know about that…
I thought Karina was clever because whenever Jacoby had the steps where you jump around (I am not a dancer, I have no idea what anything is called), she was facing the camera and obscuring Jacoby’s pigeon-toed feet! Good move.
I love Andy Dick; I vote for him on Facebook each week. I hope he stays past Victor, Ingo, and Sean. Sean is getting increasingly lame, and his fiancée seems embarrassed about the whole thing…don’t blame her.
Out of curiosity, where are you getting evidence for Ingo’s “negative” attitude? He seems to be giving it his all to me. Is there something I haven’t read?
@ButterflyWhirl- Totally agree with you about everything (your post about the dancers first and then the team dances). I rewatched the dances and in the team pre-package it seemed like Val and Zendaya were saying they were on another level. I like the way Samba seemed to be rooting each other on.
@Tumbles- Also noticed that comment from val in the AH interview. Kind of off putting to me. He has a way of saying things to put people down but act as if he’s not putting them down.
@Rooster, Derek couldn’t be really mean even if he tried! Did you think it was really mean when Kellie expressed her happiness when Derek made some mistakes in rehearsals? I think they get along just fine. If Derek was so mean, she wouldn’t react like that.
I watched the Team Samba again (and again)! When they were in the skybox awaiting their scores, Kellie and then Derek really seemed to be supporting Andy. Kellie went right over and stood beside him and gave him a hug. Derek seemed to seek him out when the judges mentioned how well they worked as a group. Did anyone else notice that??? I think they knew how nervous he was. The judges’ comments about his individual dance probably didn’t help him any!
@Rooster
To be honest, I’m pretty sure Derek gets tough on his partners every season. They just don’t show those segments usually. If I remember correctly, Jennifer Grey talked a lot about how Derek would push her in rehearsals, but hey, ultimately, it worked to her benefit.
(Also, I rarely ever get the “mean” vibe from pros to celebs, not just with Kellie and Derek. That’s not to say there haven’t been moments of genuine dislike, but for the most part, I’ve gotten moments of frustration emphasized by DWTS with unnecessary dramatic music.)
Tumbles and Kaitlyn- In the ORTC interviews, Val also said he wants to create movement and feeling in dance and not just ‘pictures’. Again, another possible dig at other pros but then….maybe not a dig? Those Chmerkovskiy brothers are really good at those kinds of quotes!
Rooster- I think some of the negative attitude vibes from Ingo are evident just in his packages before he dances on the show. But the after show interviews, and I think this week’s OTRC in particular, and the confessionals are where it really comes out. If you don’t watch any of those things, you might not notice as much.
@Meggie – I noticed that too! Kellie and Derek seem very supportive of Andy. I think Andy has pulled at everyones heartstrings this season.
I didn’t think Jacoby was under-scored. He admitted that he couldn’t do the footwork right. And then Karina had him dancing up in the audience where his feet & legs were hidden from view. And they filled up time with him doing a jump, a split & catching Karina jumping off the stage, which has nothing to do with Quickstep.
@Rooster
I don’t think Derek has been mean to Kellie, I think Derek just gets intense and frustrated. Kellie wouldn’t be making fun of him if she was angry. I think with both the pro and celeb that are certainly times that they get angry or frustrated, which is very natural.
I didn’t think it was odd at all about Mark telling Aly to do the dance for the people of Boston. All of her family and friends are there and watching her dance each week may be distraction for what is going on there. I have always heard, make your hometown proud and that is what she is doing. It was very sweet of Mark to comfort her and say that to her especially when she said she would have been at the marathon if she wasn’t on the show.
I do love that Andy is getting a lot of support from the cast. He is definitely having fun and working hard.
Oy vey. Zendaya’s my favorite and even I’m getting tired of the pimping and spamming on Twitter…
Zendaya & Val: Well, it is what it is I guess. I mean, the dance was good, but… something about it didn’t seem Cha-Cha-y to me. It seemed more like a funk routine with a little bit of Cha-Cha thrown in more than anything. I love this girl, but she was over scored last night. It should have been a 27 in my opinion.
Andy & Sharna: God bless this man. He is trying his hardest, and it is showing. Unfortunately for me, I got caught up watching Castle right after DWTS that I forgot to vote for him. ;( I hope that three point buffer over Victor, like Court said, is enough to keep him safe. He doesn’t deserve to go home tonight. He may be in jeopardy, or heck, the bottom two even, but I don’t want him to go.
Sean & Peta: And the Award for DWTS’ Most Awkward Samba goes too… SEAN! Seriously, this guy is one big bowl of awkward soup. Like, I don’t even know what to say about this Samba, really. And I disagree with the judges, there should have been a 6 somewhere in those scores. No way was that better than Andy’s Samba.
Aly & Mark: Okay, she’s kind of been skating by, and I like her, but I think last night, I finally thought to myself “Okay, I’m actually loving this girl.” I thought this Foxtrot was super cute and right up Aly’s alley. 😉 Aside from the dress she was wearing, I didn’t think there was a whole lot wrong with this dance! I think this was my favorite dance of Aly’s so far.
Ingo & Kym: If this was over scored, then I don’t think it was over scored by much. I think this was, without doubt, Ingo’s best dance. I’m still not crazy about the guy because he just doesn’t believe himself, but he definitely improved this week, I thought. Like with Sean last week, I’m glad he’s not going to end up winning, otherwise I’d probably be more disagreeable with the scores than I am.
Kellie & Derek: There were a couple moments in this dance where I was thinking “Omg, did I just see a stumble?” But I’m glad those were just me being crazy and not actually happening! I think Kellie’s Foxtrot from last week is still my favorite, but I think this Quickstep was definitely her best, and the best Quickstep of the season. No, not Derek’s most innovative routine, but it looked like it had a lot of the basics in it that were executed properly, so I’m happy with this one. 🙂
Victor & Lindsay: I feel so bad for Lindsay right now. She was pulling Victor around the floor, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to have anything. Victor, we get that you’re kind of “done” with this season, but it’s inexcusable to not even TRY. Like seriously, I could have sworn he was just marking through the routine! Please let these two be eliminated so Lindsay doesn’t have to suffer any more. And TPTB, you really should have put her on the Troupe first. But that’s only been the, what, 2394823423rd time that’s been said, right?
Jacoby & Karina: First things first: THANK THE LORD JESUS SIR DUKE WASN’T USED. I’m about tired of that song. It’s not even a great sounding song to me to begin with, and the fact that it’s been used too many times on this show makes me hate it even more. /rant. I thought the dance was actually really, really fun. I like Jacoby’s attitude about the competition. I mean, really, he was just like “I’m gonna work on my pigeon toes, but Lord knows that I’m just gonna dance if I can’t.” Which may or may not be the right attitude, but at least he knows they’re a problem. I thought Karina was kind of clever to have him run all the way into the crowd to hide some of his feet, but that’s just me. lol
Team Paso: Oh, Lord. Well, my timeline was nothing but “#encorePaso” retweets from Zendaya, so we know which team dance we’ll be seeing tonight. But yeah, it was bad. I kind of agree with CAI; I thought Zendaya was really trying hard to kind of keep it together, but it was really all in vain. And homegirl was NOT happy after she got those scores. They shouldn’t have the encore because it’s a mess, but they do. I guess we can only really hope it’s better tonight than it was last night.
Team Samba: I never believed for a second that Derek was going to lose this challenge. I had confidence in him as a choreographer to get something done, and get it done the right way. I actually thought Team Samba was a tad under scored. I felt like it maybe should have had at least one point higher than what it got. Also, is it just me or did Aly almost fall on her side AGAIN in her solo? I mean, she’s got the technique, but damn, she looked like she was trying so hard to not fall over. Overall, it was clearly the better team dance, but I can only hope that Samba is NEVER used for the team dances again.
ugh..i didn’t see val’s access interview but this is where i get annoyed by the C brothers. Can’t they discuss their dance without talking about other dancers/pros? He has even trained Zendaya to talk like that- on her OTRC interview she said that they basically don’t use production that is is just them dancing. Well i hate to break it to Val, but this isn’t a real ballroom competition…its a freaking reality dance show and people want to see good dancing with good production. I don’t understand why they can’t just speak regarding themselves only!!! The one thing that stands out to me week after week is that this show causes Val stress…every interview after monday night he can’t even think about the next dance.
Well I am watching Team Samba do the encore tonight regardless. If they lose the twitter vote then I will have my television on another channel during their dance, and I will enjoy my own encore dance performed by Team Samba right here on PureDerekHough.
Gawd, I feel liberated, ….. I don’t have to burn my bra, do I?
Actually, Val would have benefited from giving a little more thought to production last night. i thought the dance was too rudimentary and exposed Zendaya’s weak points.
@Sanday – LOL!
Sorry about the misspelling and the double post!
Then get out, Carrie Jane. It’s not like we wait for baited breath for your comments about how much you dislike Derek, how much Kellie turns you off, how much you love to see Val with his shirt off, etc.
Anyone who has been a victim of the double posting – don’t feel bad, because we’re thinking it’s a glitch in the Matrix. Hopefully we can get it fixed soon, but until then, we’ll just continue to delete the duplicates 🙂
#96 .. and yet, @Carrie Jane, you continue to come back??? I believe that was an innocent mistake in #95!
No, Sandy, no bra burning necessary! 😉
I like seeing the Pro make the dance a production and not just a dance. Like how Derek used the fog on the ground and the low lights and the glow stick in the Jazz routine! It’s a reality show not a professional Ballroom dance competition! I can’t WAIT to see their contemporary routine!!! It’s gonna be AH-MAY-ZING!!
Honestly, I wouldn’t think TPTB would want that messy awful Team Paso encored tonight! If it is, I hope the general public takes notice!
Am I wrong, or have Zendaya and Jacoby repeated many of the same moves from dance to dance. For example, Zendaya has done body rolls in every Latin dance so far (Jive, Samba and Cha Cha) and Jacoby seems to do jumps whenever he can. That may be why I find their dances to be somewhat lackluster.
Throwing others under the bus is a chmerkovskiy trademark.
I finally figured out who Sean reminds me of – Williard in “Footloose”, but not as endearing.
I really expected more from team paso. Apart from the jumps and the shirtless men, there really wasn’t any great choreo that stood out for me. I will be very disappointed if they get the encore. I also can’t believe Len telling Kellie and Derek that quickstep was the best dance this season! Yes, it was very good, but the best? Really? It really looks like he said that and gave them the 10 only to knock Zendaya off the top spot for this week, and shake up the leader board so it doesn’t appear Zendaya is a clear shoe in for the MBT. I didn’t think I could be more disappointed in this show after that all-star joke of a season, but I really can’t believe some of the things they are saying and doing.
@IrisandLilies- Not just you at all. I think I might have said the same thing many comments above about Zendaya. I feel like I’m watching the same dance each week. I want to see creativity in the choreography. Maybe I’m trying to think that Val can be better than his brother and I’m expecting more from him.
well i just checked the DWTS facebook page (well their post pulled up in my feed) and they asked which dance you want to see as the encore and legit every response was Samba- there were close to 200 comments in just a few minutes and they all said samba….who knows if the producers even listen to the twitter stuff. Last week we thought it was going to be Zendaya for the encore and it ended up Jacoby (although was that twitter related?!) As for people who keep commenting about Len’s comment about best dance of the season…he started off his comment that it was “his” best dance- and you know why? Because it was a classy, basic, full on QS…no production, no flippery, just classic QS. He hates anything that that is modern so alot of Zendaya’s dancing might not appeal to him since Val is making it fun and youthful. It was his cup of tea….people need to chillax. I prefer Kellie’s jazz and foxtrot to that QS, but he likes classic stuff.
I slightly agree about Zendaya’s dances feeling similar, not Jacoby…yet. He did the jump in the jive and the paso, and he did the splits in the jive and the quickstep. The jump fit the paso…but I didn’t really like the splits in the quickstep. But, it really didn’t bother me. If I see either of them next week THEN I’ll have a problem! LOL!
I love Zendaya… i want her to win honestly but her cha cha didn’t hold a candle to her previous dances, i was thinking maybe a strategy to underwhelm this week and overwhelm next week… but that is me just over analyzing. i still didn’t hate their cha cha and i’m not totally disappointed cause this girl sells whatever you give her but i feel it could have been much… more. Cha cha is a hard one i’ve noticed because of its stripped down technique and its speed. the samba IS the hardest technically but the samba also has its disguises in a show like this. the cha cha walks for instance are a big part of the cha cha cha and they are very hard to master and they are fast and they usually can look very awkward very easily
NOW Kellie… i gotta say i just watched the dance without any footage. it was simple which for me was so satisfying. I LOVE derek’s choreography both the elaborated crazy imaginative ones and the simple ones… i usually enjoy his foxtrots the most because of their themes… but the quicksteps are also amazing… was it a navy quickstep or foxtort that he did with Nicole…. one of my favorites ever!!! with that said i don’t think that was HER best dance… her JAZZ NUMBER come on (unless they are not counting those non ballroom ones) and i definitely don’t think it was the best of the season… her Jazz and … Zendaya contemporary and jive
Did Len fight with his wife last night before the show? Geez… Some of his comments were totally unnecessary especially his jab at Andy during Sean’s critique.
Anyways, can’t say I was really wowed by any of the dances, but there were some I did like. I liked Zendaya’s cha cha, but it was kind of forgettable so I don’t think it deserved 10’s. I thought Kellie did a great job with the Quickstep and I feel like Aly might finally be standing out because I thought her foxtrot was lovely. I also liked Andy’s samba because even though it was not technically the best, it was a lot of fun to watch.
As far as the team dances go, I thought Team Samba was the best and they should get the encore tonight.
As far as who’s going home tonight, I think it will be Victor. His rumba was basically him standing there while Lindsay danced around him. He doesn’t seem to be into the show anymore.
Team Jacoby and Karina all the way!!!
This’ll probably sound stupid, but what were Team Paso’s advantages? Other than having the easier dance, of course..
Can someone please answer this for me?
You say “easier dance” like it’s no big thing when it’s actually quite huge. Especially when compared to samba which is notoriously difficult to do in a team dance. Paso is syncopated while samba is not – that makes a tremendous difference and then adding that team samba had Andy and there you go.
I just meant that one of them had to. get the easier dance of the two, so it’s not really fair to be upset about it.
And it doesn’t make sense to me that you count having Andy as a disadvantage, considering the other team had Victor, who was obviously the worse dancer of the two. At least what Andy lacked in skill he made up for in showmanship. Victor didn’t have either one.
Besides, Team Samba had Derek, who’s already won multiple team dances. Val didn’t have the experience going in that Derek did.
Since this happened weeks ago, Courtney, it sounds to me like YOU are the one that’s upset about it. Don’t be projecting your emotions on to what people are saying. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.
PH, may we make a request to the poster named “Court…” to make a small adjustment to her screen name? We know she’s not our Court just by virtue of her comments now showing up in the gray Mod box, but I still find it disconcerting. Of course, this assumes she’s going to stick around, which I kind of doubt.
I’m actually not upset. I was just trying to understand why so many people seemed to think that Team Paso had every advantage when, from my perspective at least, they each had their own problems to overcome.
Believe me, I’m not upset about this. Just curious is all. Thank you for responding calmly.
Yeah, I doubt it too, Cidra. Although she might be back in two weeks to ask why everyone cares about the twitter voting. 🙂
Some folks are just slow. We ought to try to be more understanding. 😉
I already established that it was a stupid question, but I appreciate you calling me slow. It’s good to know I can post an honest question here without being bashed for it.
Thank you for your understanding that not everyone is as familiar with the logistics of the show and site as everyone else.
Really, what do you expect when you come in here TWO weeks after the comments were originally made and start questioning them?? We’ve moved on, I suggest you do the same.
Courtney, I answered your question very well – if you don’t like that answer, that would be YOUR problem. If you don’t understand why the samba is a problem or why Paso was easier and why that is significant after the MANY times it was discussed here, then again – your problem. Now MOVE ON or I will block you. I don’t have time to waste on your games. You want to be a part of the community, join a CURRENT conversation.