Private Members Area – DWTS Season 17 Week 4 Discussion
The next episode of Dancing with the Stars Season 17 is in the books. What did you think of Julianne Hough as a judge?
How about who was eliminated (spoiler free question)? Let us know in the comments what you thought of tonight’s episode.
The first half of the show was almost a complete wash. Yawn!
Elizabeth is too big, broad, and tall for Val. During their dance she looked like she was swallowing him, and I don’t know what the judges were looking at but I thought she looked bent over the entire time.
How awful was the package with Jack and Cheryl, man, things must not be going well for these two. Maybe he should be put out of his misery.
Leah is always overscored,
Christina and Mark just aren’t clicking, no chemistry with each other or the audience. And Mark knows it.
Snooki and Sasha are cute as a button together, I am enjoying both of them this season. Sasha has been another pleasant surprise to join this seasons cast.
Amber and Derek, WHAT!! Practicing since Friday and Injured. Never would have know it, she was incredible.
Corbin and karina, Where can I start? I don’t know what it is, but something is just not clicking with me as far as these two go.
Valerie and Tristan, How special are these two? Perfect song choice to out on. Perfect couple. But I do agree, it was time for her to go this week.
Brant and Peta – I almost forgot to include these two in my list. Brant is so forgettable and I don’t think he has the fans to keep him in the competition. Too many times already in the bottom (but not necessarily the bottom, hehe!), He’s my pick for next weeks elimination.
Last but least Bill and Emma. Their samba was not that great, but in my opinion these two are the stars of the show (at least for right now). These two go together like bread and butter and I couldn’t imagine either one of them being paired with anyone else. Hope to see Emma again next season as a pro.
Julianne did a great job last night. Didn’t care for her going on about Mark sensed a little friction going on between the two of them. Just my opinion though.
Since we’re in the private area, I can tell you that things between Julianne and the Ballas family are not all rosey like they are between them and Derek. Remember how Julianne came out a a while ago with her story of being abused as a child?? Yeah, that didn’t go over well, I’m sure. And I seem to recall Mark making some comments about it. Of course, it wasn’t just that they were partners, they dated and Julianne got really homesick and left for home, pretty much leaving Mark sans partner. Courtney might remember better than I do. I’ve heard other stories. There’s a lot more history there than what was alluded to last night.
The thing that strikes me about it is how Derek so carefully (skillfully?) rides the middle between the two families. He’s clearly the lynch pin – and the mature adult. 🙂 Derek’s dad gets along very well with Mark and Shirley too. I find the whole thing rather odd and fascinating.
Just adding one more note – I’m more inclined to think that the Ballas’ themselves were not the ones abusing Julianne. I do, however, think they may have conveniently turned their heads when it was happening – and it may have been ballroom politics. Some very well-respected male ballroom coaches seem to have rather…predatory tendencies toward young female rising stars in the ballroom circuit. They definitely like their younger women…ask Donnie Burns.
I’ve HEARD that Julianne’s “split” with the Ballas’ wasn’t exactly a copacetic one, and it may or may not have involved the theft of a substantial sum of cash from the Ballas residence. Consequently, Shirley may or may not speak rather ill of Julianne behind closed doors…while at the same time praising her publicly.
Wow! Thanks ladies.
The “theft” had a pretty decent explanation behind it, especially since we’re talking a 15 year old. No excuse, but the reasoning – if all the other facts re: abuse are true, regardless of the perpetrator – was hard to fault. Plus I’m willing to bet it was very temporary, considering all the other relationships that are still very solid.
Sandy…I agree with you about Elizabeth and Val. I thought she was bending over too. The issue with Julianne and the Ballas’ was very interesting. I have never hears Mrs. Ballas publicly say anything ugly about Julianne in public. However, Julianne was pretty straight forward about what she said. Two issues, somebody took advantage of her at the gym when she was in the care of the Ballas’. Second, was how the Ballas’ treated her based on their culture and customs. Apparently the boys could run free by Shirley expected Julianne to help with the chores and stuff in the house. You know I can understand why that would make a kid mad. I think you are right about the hard feelings. But, while she was perhaps a little harsh, she sure said what many of us have thought at different time. I don’t think she will say anything more, because she knows Mark and Derek are friends and she doesn’t seem like the type to be “hell bent” on revenge for a long time. Just my opinion of course. I hope it is true though because anger like that can eat you alive.
Julianne also said that Mark and Derek were given all kinds of music lessons while she wasn’t. Of course, we don’t know the whole story on that one, but she’s said since then that Derek can pick up any instrument and learn to play it very quickly. Like freakishly. So maybe someone spotted that and stuck him in all those lessons, whereas Julianne didn’t have that. Who knows – but she was a bit bent that Mark and Derek got guitars and she didn’t.
I will say this: from the stories I’ve heard about Corky & Shirley’s marriage, Shirley seems to be of the old-fashioned, “the man comes first and we women are here to take care of them” mentality. Or at least she was, until she & Corky’s marriage hit the skids 😛 So the thing about her letting Mark & Derek do basically whatever they wanted while making Julianne do chores, etc. kind of makes sense to me.
The funny thing about Corky & Shirley’s professional partnership is that Corky actually started out as Shirley’s student – she was the pro and he was the beginner, and she was married to Sammy Stopford, her professional partner at the time. As Corky got better and more experienced, I think a romance started brewing, and it all came to a head at some comp overseas (Latin world championship, maybe?) – Sammy & Shirley won, and as they were accepting their medals, Corky allegedly strutted out onto the floor with a huge diamond ring and a fur coat, told Shirley he had a helicopter waiting outside, and asked her to run away with him – IN FRONT OF HER HUSBAND. Far-fetched, I know, but I’ve actually heard the same story repeated by several OG’s in the ballroom community – and given the Ballas proclivity for grand, attention-grabbing gestures (and the forture of George Ballas at Corky’s disposal), I tend to actually believe that one. And then once Corky & Shirley started dancing together professionally, he was kinda the one driving the bus – the one deciding on the choreography, the one doing all the talking in interviews, the one dominating out on the floor. Shirley always came across to me as the quiet, submissive one in that partnership. Totally weird to me, considering she was the more experienced dancer.
You know what Courtney that makes perfect sense to me as a therapist. I wish I could think of a better term because I don’t want anyone to think I’m preaching religion, but it is always important to be “equally yoked”. Couples need to have a balance. Men and women are used to the man tipping the scales in a marriage. However when the woman does, it is a totally different story and has been the cause of many divorces (mine included…lol). Anyhow, I can see how she would have perhaps tried to be in a relationship where she turned over power to Corky and if she was the better dancer and the teacher….woosh what a recipe for a mess. Bet you nailed it Courtney.
My other question it to Heidi…may I steal your whambulance words for my blog…gotta say I love that word…want me to give you credit…I would be happy too. You always RT my blog which I so appreciate…thanks!
I wish I could say I invented the word “whaamulance” but alas I did not. I stole it from some tv show or another. 🙂
From my own experience … It may be that in
Shirley’s eyes she was in “competition” with Julianne for the affection/adoration of “her boys” and even her husband. She may well relinquish authority because she prefers to be the one adored, not the one in charge. No threat to that, perceived or real, will go unanswered.
Thanks PH…guess I need to work on my “vocabulary” skills..lol. I have a snarky comment to make…fair warning…I don’t mind these “most memorable moment”, but I do hate when the singers “butcher” the song…I mean really “Roar” and “Work it Bitch”…sheesh, Okay snarky moment over…lol