PureDWTS Season 17, Week 7 – Power Rankings
Kind of a strange, low-energy night for me – I feel like everyone, across the board, had kind of a so-so night, and I think it’s due in part to the fact that two dances a week are really starting to wear on some of the couples. I think I notice it more this season than any other season – some are dealing with injuries, some are dealing with strained partnerships, some are dealing with illnesses, and everyone seems to be feeling the pressure.
I think most of us can agree that it was not Nicole’s time to go home – however, I’m appalled at some of the sources of blame I’m seeing from those who are upset about it, and I place a lot of blame on the shoulders of TPTB for some really sh*tty scoring decisions. Nicole got a very kind score for her samba – while it wasn’t bad, I certainly don’t think it was 27-worthy, as she seemed to struggle with timing and there was very little hip action. So you can’t blame scores for her exit…although the judges likely screwed her over by overscoring just about everyone except Bill – it only served to make the margins smaller, which meant that someone below her needed even fewer votes to surpass her. And this was ON TOP of the big points dump from last week, so the margins were itty bitty. And sorry, but those of you upset about her going home – you were actually voting for her, right? Cause I’m finding that the biggest complainers about Nicole’s exit were people that didn’t bother to throw a single vote her way all season. If you didn’t vote, you don’t get to bitch & moan, and you are part of the problem. Snookole needed VOTES…and she didn’t get them. Kinda how this show works…this isn’t really a revelation, kids.
And fair warning: I’m going to be prone to bouts of rantining this week, after some of the wanton idiocy and deductive reasoning leaps I witnessed after last night’s elimination. I’m allergic to stupid, y’know 😉
1/2.) TIE: Corbin & Karina and Amber & Derek – Just kind of an odd night from both of these couples – I don’t feel like either one was operating at peak performance levels. I think Corbin & Karina coped as well as they could with a rather odd cha-cha song – seemed like there was a lot of what Len would call “frippery”, though…lotta side-by-side hip-hop sections, but I kinda blame the rhythm changes in the song for that. Someone on Twitter remarked that Karina seemed stressed – and yes, I have to agree, and wonder if the constant pressure to make their routines better and better is beginning to wear on she & Corbin’s partnership. Then there was Amber & Derek, who both had injuries to contend with – while I think they handled their paso doble well, I think Derek did kinda take the safe route on it; seemed like it wasn’t as daring or impactful as some of the other paso dobles we’ve seen from him. Pleasant to watch, yes; super-innovative and exciting? Not really. Let’s hope they can get back into good physical form so they can tackle more daring stuff.
3.) Liz & Val – I noticed the height difference between these two more than ever last night, and I think Liz’s odd posture is partially to blame. She was doing something really funky with her neck, and the end result was a rather stiff, awkward-looking quickstep, where she seemed to move kinda small. I think Liz is at her best when she’s moving big, throwing all her energy into a dance like she did last week; this week she almost seemed more timid, and I think it just made her quickstep seem rather mundane and sedate. Thought 27 was a pretty kind score, but on a night where just about everyone except Bill got overscored, I guess it doesn’t really matter much. I think the judges are gunning hard to ensure Lizzy makes the finale, but I daresay both Corbin & Amber are probably going to dance circles around her. That is, unless someone else suddenly wiggles their way into the finale…more on that later.
4.) Brant & Peta – Brant did okay-ish on this jive – I think Peta made the mistake of overdancing, so Brant looked a bit sluggish and slow in comparison. Would have liked his knees to come up a bit higher, and I would have nixed the tearaway skirt that Brant nearly wiped out on towards the end of their dance. That, kids, is why you don’t do crazy props/crazy costumes requiring removal – they have a tendency to come back and bite you in the ass. 🙂 27? A bit high, but again – just about everyone got overscored last night. I think Brant is getting more votes than he initially was, but I’m still not sure that he’s 100% in-the-clear…especially if the judges continue to overscore a certain other couple. Could he make the finale? Perhaps. Do I think he’ll make the finale? Not if the judges have any say in the matter.
5.) Jack & Cheryl – I actually think Jack’s jive was technically better than Brant’s – he seemed to pick his knees up more and kept up with the music better. I could have done without the long bit with the stairs at the end, but eh – like I said earlier, just about everyone had an off-night last night, and there seemed to be an awful lot of “frippery” that didn’t really get called out (cause it wasn’t by Derek, y’know). Some were complaining that Carrie Ann gave him a 10 – I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass, because at the end of the day, he still got the same total score as Brant, even though he was technically better. I’m done splitting hairs over individual scores, because it just drives me crazy after a certain point. Does it really matter whether someone gets a 9,9,9 or a 10,8,9? It adds up to the same thing, and carries the same weight when it comes to who gets eliminated. Still not sure where Jack stands in terms of votes – I think he’s getting a decent number, based on Sharon’s campaigning; but I still feel like he’s fading into the woodwork right now, and that he could find himself in the bottom 2 in the coming weeks.
6.) Leah & Tony – It’s another earmuffs week for the Leah & Tony fans – cause I’m about to spit some truth in your face. That was a low-energy, kindergarten salsa – there was nothing particularly unique, exciting, difficult, or special about it. She handled what she was given, sure; but what she was given was about as exciting as watching paint dry. Once again, she was heavy going into and coming out of the lifts, and seemed to move small & timid in the side-by-side sections. THIS WAS NOT A 26-WORTHY SALSA. And once again, Leah cons another celebrifriend into coming to the show to support her – last week it was J-Lo. This week it was Chelsea Handler. Who’s next, P-Diddy? If you don’t think TPTB see a reason to keep Leah around after seeing who she brings to the show, you are smoking crack. Why do you think they make a point to show all of Leah’s famous friends on camera each week? And let said friends announce that they’re there to support Leah? If this overscoring continues – what’s to say that Leah doesn’t bump a better dancer (i.e. Elizabeth) out of the finale? I see Bill taking a lot of blame for Snooki’s exit (*eye roll*), since he’s “sent home two better dancers” (untrue), but none of those naysayers seems to be taking into consideration that Leah has been heavily overscored these past few weeks, despite not being much better than Bill…and I see a lot of you complaining about how unpleasant she is to watch. Bill hasn’t been overscored – Leah has. And Bill seems to be more fun to watch than Leah for many of you. Anyone care to reconsider their stance on who should be the next to go? Because like I said last week, I’m over this cranky bitch that “isn’t a dancer”, and her entourage of famous friends.
7.) Bill & Emma – I still love these two, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that he gets to stick around another week. I think he handled the quickstep as best he could – love that they threw in the Elvis theme, although I thought the music felt a little odd for a quickstep, and almost too slow. But Bill stayed on-time, and didn’t seem to miss any steps. Could the frame use some work? Sure. But once again, I enjoyed the dance for the entertainment and joy that it brought me. I think he got a fair score – but when everyone else is getting overscored, I think they could have stood to give him another point or two. This is what pisses me off – the judges made it abundantly clear who they wanted to stay and who they wanted to go, and they scored accordingly; yet everyone still wants to blame Bill for Snooki’s exit. Do you guys realize that Bill & Emma and Nicole & Sasha were not necessarily the real bottom 2? That we can’t state with confidence that, if Snooki just got a few more votes, or Bill got even fewer points, it would be Bill going home? It very well might have been Nicole and someone else (Brant? Jack?) in the bottom 2. Bill got the votes; Nicole did not. Not sure how that translates to it being Bill’s fault that Nicole went home. But hey, complainers – don’t worry, with the way they’ve got next week sent up, Bill is sure to get sent packing, and you can stop losing sleep about “better dancers getting sent home”. Jeez-ass.
Thoughts on the team dances:
I think this was the first season where I didn’t particularly care for either of the team dances – thought both of the songs were ridiculous, and that kinda set the tone for both dances. While I agree with most that Team Foxing Awesome had the better, more complex choreography, I’m having a hard time really remembering any hard-hitting, memorable moments…all I can really recall is a bunch of smoke and lasers and silly prancing movements. I actually remember Team Spooky Bom Bom better, because I feel like Bill & Snooki were the MVP’s of that team and really sold the story well. Sure, their choreography was more simplistic and easy, but I felt like they told more of a story than Foxing Awesome. Leah was a total non-event – couldn’t even remember one move she did, or what she wore.
So what did you guys think of last night?
ugh so much over scoring!!
Corbin/amber- both best of night- should be 27-28
Liz- meh i thought it was sloppy- should be 25
Brant and Peta- thought his kicks were low and he was sluggish – 25
Jack- I still don’t get how he got a 10- should be a 24
Leah- though she had more content her technique was poor- should be a 24
Bill- Always funny- his scores were appropriate
didn’t care for team dance but honestly both were equal in my eyes and should have received a 27 each
I am still upset Snooki went home.. Sigh.. Anywho, just a small insight on everyone;
Elizabeth & Val: Such a long beginning for no reason. The dance was just OK. Nothing special. The height difference was way too noticeable here..
Brant & Peta: Also just an OK dance. Didn’t really excite me all that much.
Leah & Tony: I am done with this two. I don’t even want to acknowledge them anymore. Just done. Want them out ASAP.
Bill & Emma: Bless his heart.. This wasn’t his best.. Happy he is still around because he really is a breath of fresh air.
Amber & Derek: I loved this one. One of my favorites of her. With Nicole being out, my votes will likely be going to her (and perhaps some for Bill)..
Corbin & Karina: That was as good as a Cha Cha gets.. The way he moved his hips was really good. I would root for him if his attitude wasn’t so off-putting. Something about him makes me not like him.. Part of it being that he always says how hard a time he is having and then he comes out and nails it and he’s all like “omg I thought I was gonna suck”… no dude, you know you were gonna kill it. Just shush…
Team Dances: I didn’t feel that one team dance was better than the other. They were both equally good for different reasons. The story for Spooky BomBom was a lot more fun for me as opposed to FoxingAwesome who just danced in fox suits. However, FoxingAwesome did have actual dance as opposed to BomBom who just had like a choreography of random movements. Overall, they both deserved the same scores, imo.
Totally forgot about Jack and Cheryl (isn’t that telling of something, hah..)
I thought they were slightly better than Brant but it wasn’t all that great either as CAI made it out to be.
I agree that last night was just kinda meh. Not sure they should have started the show with Liz as her quickstep was pretty forgettable and just kinda set the stage for the rest of the night.
Also agree that the contestants seem more stressed this season than any other season before when it comes to two dances. Makes me wonder when they add in two full individual routines if we will see some surprises. Honestly? It’s not just the contestants this year for me but the pros also seem “off”. I don’t know if it just because there were new pros, old pros irritating me (Tony), or pros seeming stressed (Karina, Val, and sometimes even Derek) but something isn’t right (maybe everyone is still adjusting to the one night format).
I think the wrong person went home but not much we can do about it now except vote vote vote for our favorites. I also can’t believe we are going into week 8 and there are 7 contestants left….even though it’s one extra person it just feels jumbled to me.
8)Leah Remini- Dancing the salsa this week. Leah pulling out all the stops calling in favours from celebrities to attend as Chelsea Handler in the audience. YAWN. An all-around pretty good effort for Leah despite a few missteps. Lifts were questionable at best but this might be enough to keep her around. Score 26 (8)
7)Bill Engvall- Dancing the quickstep to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas”. Will be a challenge for old man Bill. Definitely not his strong suit, but I’m not sure what is. A few missteps on the floor and not as entertaining as usual. Billy might be in jeopardy zone. He obviously has a superb fan base that refuses to let him hit the road. (6) Score 23
6) Jack Osbourne- Jack very fatigued during training this week. But judging by his and Cheryl’s tweets I know he’s working very hard. Dancing the Jive, Jack earns his first 10 of the season. A very entertaining Jive with near perfect sync and character. Jack also seems at one with the music which no doubt he inherited from his father. Jack continues to thrive in the ballroom. Score 27 (4)
5)Brant Daugherty- After his impressively intense showing last week, Brant is dancing the Jive this week to Jerry Lew Lewis’ “Tooty Fruity”. He carried the energy over from last week. I really like his “compete” level the last few weeks. No gimmicks, just flat out excellent dancing. He is not the most talented dancer I’ve ever seen but he will be a tough out if he keeps up this level of focus. The strength of his “Pretty Little Liars” fan base also should not be taken lightly. Score 27 (7)
4)Snooki- She seemed a bit sluggish to start and the dance was a little bit too repetitive for my liking towards the end. But she did battle hard and the judges were overall impressed with her effort. I think she could do better and the judges were very generous in her scoring. I would expect Snooki to have excellent fan support, but ABC is a family friendly network. The same trash who watched the Shore (no offense to my readers) may not be the calling in every week to vote. Score 29 (3)
3) Elizabeth Berkley- Really awkward looking Jive. End of the world theme. Fast paced, Elizabeth had a creepy looking face the whole time. It might be too harsh but Elizabeth just doesn’t do PG13 very well. No striper pole, no thirty. Sorry Elizabeth. Score 27 (5)
2) Corbin Blue- Looking for a rebound performance with the Cha Cha this week. Quick pace with much better timing, focus and structure this week. Flawless performance including a sensational pelvic thrust in the middle of the routine. Creativity at its finest. He also turned in a dynamite performance in the team dance. Score 29 (1)
1)Amber Riley- Dancing the Paso Doble. My Favourite dance of course. Amber’s knees are not holding up very well this late into the competition, but you wouldn’t know during this dance. Through the roof electricity during this routine. Timing excellent, technique flawless I suspect a 30. Score 29… Whaaat? Her partner Derek is also battling injuries. If he were to exit, Amber’s chances would be seriously hindered as his choreography each week is second to none.(2)
The final elimination comes down to Bill Engvall and Snooki. How Leah Remini wasn’t involved is beyond me!! And SNOOKI is eliminated. WOW. Bill must have a lot of fan support. But also Leah had more support then Snooki incredible.
For once… I actually really enjoyed both team dances. Thought they were both amazing in their own way.
I loved Amber and Derek’s dance. It may have not been his best impact hitting choreography, but it still left me like wow. Wonder what it may have looked if both were up to par in health.
Last night was shocking and probably my least favorite so far.
Leah needed to go home a long time ago and yet she’s still around and passed snooki! I don’t know who is voting for Ms.Robot but they need to stop. Her movements are stiff looking and not flowing well with the music. I really hope that she goes home next week, if she doesn’t im going to Riot.
I felt so bad for Snooki, poor thing.
Corbin and Karina were alright. but I also think just like Amber and Derek, they did what they could with what they were given. That was a good paso for Amber even with the injuries they both had! I appauld both for not giving up and going on with it.
Bill and Emma were fun to watch but when are they gonna start giving them the right music for their dances!! this is the second time they gave them a song that didnt match to the dance style. They seem to manage anyway and glad they are safe.
I don’t like Elizabeth’s dancing at all her and val just seem very awkward and i dont mind if she goes home either, but the judges are always showing her some love so that won’t happen for a while. Then again you never know, last night is a good example.
Brant and peta, I give him props for trying his best with that dance and i thought they did alright.
I thought Jack did well and came through with this dance
Hopefully all couples will feel better next week and we’ll see stronger better dances.
Overall, I didn’t hate most of the dancing which says a lot.
1- Amber & Derek- Holy cow this dance was amazing. I loved the passion and the fire that Amber had. And since these two had an extremely tough week, it was nice to see them come out on top. And the choreography was spectacular.
2- Corbin & Karina- This dance was great. I know it took Karina a while, but I really liked the choreography for this. It was a dance where I could just see Corbin smiling and enjoying himself and I think it’s exactly what I needed from them.
3- Elizabeth & Val- I’m definitely more impressed with them this week. I thought they lost a bit of body contact at times, but overall it was good. And holy intensity, Val. I get that you want to push pressure on Elizabeth to do well after a 30 last week, but isn’t this show supposed to be for fun?
4- Brant & Peta: I <3 Brant. My goodness he has come a long way. Sure it wasn't their best, but it wasn't half bad. I just felt so sad when he slipped. And I mentioned it last week, but I’m really not minding Peta this season! I think the partnership fits her well.
5- Jack & Cheryl: I just love Jack. He’s so adorable. I love how much he’s trying and putting into this competition.
6- Leah & Tony: My goodness I’m beyond ready for this pair to go. I liked their dance better than most dances recently but it was still very simple in comparison to others. Not deserving of 9’s at all.
7- Bill & Emma: Sorry Bill fans, I just really didn't care for them this week. I wasn’t a huge fan of their quickstep and found myself getting bored with it. Also didn't really like the comment from Bill about the other teams costumes. It just seemed like a dig and I didn't expect it from him.
Team Dances: I didn't LOVE either but I also didn't think either was bad. Spooky Bom Bom was a lot more put together and clean than I expected, but the music and concept lent itself a bit more towards a slower paced routine. Foxing Awesome was a little bit nuts, but I don’t think there was much else you could really do with the music. Overall, I liked Foxing Awesome more.
You rock Court! Good job again and here are my rankings and thoughts…
1. Amber and Derek – Once again, they made me want to stand up and cheer! These two came out with so much intensity and fire. All of their moves were so clean, precise, and full of power and passion. I loved them during their team dance too. Come rain or come shine, they fight harder and are truly in an element all of their own with every week. A-MAZING!!
2. Corbin and Karina – You know…they were good, but, I wasn’t as impressed with their individual dance as many were. I thought he needed more hip action and his legs needed to bend more. However, the team dance was a different story. They absolutely killed it and then some out there.
3. Brant and Peta – And up they come again. Yes, he slipped at the end and a couple of his steps were a little off, but, hey, overall, what a powerful dance full of attack and fun fun fun. I loved the jump and their faces again too!
4. Jack and Cheryl – And up the ladder these two come as well. I didn’t think he could pull off a Jive, but, he did and with a lot of heart and spirit. He didn’t miss a beat. I thought Cheryl’s choreography was perfect and she looked beautiful again. I love how they just relax, have fun out there, and just enjoy the moment for however long they have. Their smiles are infectious.
5. Val and Elizabeth – They were just ok. Their framing needed a lot of work. She seemed to need more power in her movement as a whole. Sometimes her legs were messy and it looked as if Val was just yanking and dragging her around trying to dance for her. Maybe if they had a few more days of practice with it, it might have been better?
6. Bill and Emma – This pains me. I don’t know what to say? I love these two so much, but, their dance was so slow for what the speed should have been and he seemed lost in so much of it. It also lacked in technique. But hey…he brought it during their team dance. I give him huge props for taking control and figuring out what they were going to do and it worked.
7. Leah and Tony – I kind of liked how this dance started with the hip movements. Though, like always, as soon as the dance sets in, Leah’s legs and foot work gets messy, she has moments of stiffness, and seems lost. I also thought she looked awful during the team dance. I wish Tony would stop lifting her. It brings their dances down even more.
As for the Team dances, I would have scored them the same as the judges!! I enjoyed them both a lot with Team Foxy being the best of the two. I loved both songs. So entertaining!
I pretty much agree with you about everything this week. None of the dances blew me away, although I do think Amber’s & Derek’s Paso was the best of the night for the individual dances.
I really enjoyed Team SpookyBomBom’s dance. I thought the concept was really good and it felt more like a team dance to me. I love that it was Bill who threw the Halloween theme idea out there and the pros ran with it.
I’m sad that Snooki went home and think Leah is the one who should have gone instead. I’m just not feeling her. I know Bill isn’t the best dancer but I just want him to stay. I’d much rather watch him dance and see/feel his enthusiasm & joy versus the negative vibe I get from Leah.
I noticed Liz’s posture immediately. She was hunched over almost the entire dance (and her feet looked odd as well) and I don’t recall her getting called on it. But yet Amber got called on her shoulders by Bruno. Go figure.
Done with Leah…she just sucks the life out of everything with her negative attitude. Maybe that is why this season seems so-so.
I actually thought Liz danced better in the Team Dance than her Quickstep. Enjoyed both team dances for different reasons. But none stood out as great.
I know I’ve shouted it maybe a bit too much (the whole – shouldn’t Bill leave? stuff), but I couldn’t help but think he’s being screwed over with some of the Ballroom song choices.
As far as I remember, his Foxtrot, Quickstep and Tango have all had… bizarre songs. Although I did love his contribution to Spooky Bom Bom. I was completely shocked about Snooki leaving and I actually thought she’d be the one person in her team who was definite to stay – I know it’s not an accurate example really but her and Corbin were far and away picking up the most YT hits each week. Saying that, so was Bill Nye.
Also, shoutout to Henry for a great intro to Elizabeth’s dance. 😀
Last night was a bit iffy with the team dances, and with some of the couples doing the same dance, it was a bit easy to tell who was stronger. I’m pretty upset that Nicole left, but it happens. Seemed more shocking than Christina’s elimination.
1. Amber & Derek: I loved everything that was put into this performance, and Paso Doble is a difficult, intricate dance to perfect. It didn’t look like they were injured at all through the dance either. Also, leave it to Bruno to ruin a perfect score.
2. Corbin & Karina: Best comeback of the night. With Len I understood why he docked them for the gyrating in the middle (he was probably upset that the gyrating wasn’t happening on him. Haha), but his dance was still energetic and fun to watch.
3. Brant & Peta: He is really coming along in his dancing. The way he was dressed, he looked like an exact replica of Darren Criss on “Glee”. They were dressed cute, and the dance itself was super cute. The only mistake I saw was him slipping on the fabric that he ripped off Peta. It also looked like they kissed at the end. SHOW-MANCE ALERT!!!
4. Elizabeth & Val: Eizabeth + Val + Quickstep + “Dance Apocalyptic” + story-line + cute costumes = ONE HELL OF A PERFORMANCE!!! The beginning of the routine definitely suited the song. Plus, Val looks super adorable in pink converse shoes.
5. Jack & Cheryl: At this stage of the game, he is a dark horse. I think Carrie Ann over-scored just a bit. It wasn’t sharp all the way through, but I applaud him for trying.
6. Leah & Tony: I think Leah has overstayed her welcome. This Salsa was a mess. She looked like she was going to fall, and looked pretty sloppy. It looked more like a 23 than a 26. I think she might be next to go.
7. Bill & Emma: His Quickstep was entertaining, and fun to watch; however, at this stage of the competition, he needs to step it up if he wants those 9’s. I think it might be his time to go as well.
Team Spooky Bom Bom: I never heard the song before. The dance itself worked in an odd way. It was pretty creative on Bill’s part to do a Halloween themed Team Freestyle.
Team Foxing Awesome: Hands down, the best team dance in the history of DWTS. Who would’ve thought that a Freestyle to a viral YouTube hit would result in a perfect score for a team.
Next week, bring on Cher!!!
Oh, the song “Bom Bom” which they danced to went to number 1 here in the UK.
Sympathize for us.
I think Bill being called safe last the past two weeks was on purpose to push him out and lay the blame on him and not other couples.
I think if you didn’t vote for Snicole and Sasha you have no room.
I think if you did vote for Snicole and Sasha you should be and have the right to rioting.
I think the hate I have read over the past 12+ hours for someone that was very much loved this time yesterday is utter BS.
I think everyone is playing right into what the show wants. Blame Bill.
I think it is very amazing how in two minutes the same people can go from Snooki is not that great a dancer to she was the best dancer. (if you don’t believe me get on Twitter)
I think Bill may not be the best dancer this season but he is up there in entertainment, unlike others.
I Think I am a very proud Rioter for him and Emma making it this far.
I Think they do the best they can with the music they have been getting. (Seriously Viva Las Vegas for a Quickstep? Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Satisfaction yes. I guess we better be glad they didn’t give them Love Me Tender)
I think there won’t be Bill to blame when Leah pushes out Corbin, Liz or heaven help the producers of this show Amber after the BS they pulled on her with scoring unless the judges give Leah and Tony a reality check real soon. Think Kelly Monaco AllStar season if you don’t think so. Remember Apollo?
I think you better hope and pray Courtney or Heidi gets to you before I do.
It is on like Donkey Kong.
I am sad Nicole left. But I am not really that surprised. I am glad she lasted this long, I didn’t expect her fan base to be very high in the demographic of this show. Plus, I think many of the ‘unexpected surprise of the competition’ votes are going to Bill not her. I did vote for her some in the beginning because I wanted to see her continue, but I admit I did not the past few weeks.
I am glad that first time pros Sasha and Emma have lasted a good way into the competition! That isn’t easy to do your first season.
I can’t even comment on the scoring. It’s been more crazy this season than ever and probably won’t change. I find myself getting more annoyed at the so-called reasons behind their scores (like Len’s reasonings last week) than the actual scores themselves.
I thought Corbin and Karina and Amber & Derek REALLY stood out from the pack last night. I really enjoyed their individual dances. Karina did say in their Afterbuzz interview that she had trouble because the song isn’t a cha cha rhythm like you said Courtney. And I didn’t mind myself that Amber & Derek went the traditional route since he rarely does with the paso since he rarely gets traditional paso music. I thought it was wonderful choreography with great musicality displayed by them both and great performance quality, especially with their injuries. It was cool to see the two best dancers (Corbin and Amber) both do traditional pasos to traditional music this season; they are some of my favorite dances of this season.
I enjoyed Nicole & Sasha’s samba, for their tough week I think they did a really nice job. She is a really natural ballroom talent. Brant was ok, I do enjoy his attitude and commitment to the dances. Jack was pleasant but not particularly exciting. Didn’t care for Elizabeth, the height difference was really distracting in this dance. I love Bill, but this wasn’t his most memorable either. And Leah, as all Tony’s partners do, just moves way to small so the impact she makes as a performer is small. I don’t care for her personality either, but at least her dances would come off better if she moved bigger. She has performance quality in her face, why can’t that translate to her body? And what is Tony doing or saying that makes all of his partners (even Melissa to some degree!) move so small? I don’t get it.
I guess TPTB were hoping for a youtube hit like the Gangnam style team dance was? That is why they went for songs like these? I didn’t love them either but I think both teams did the best they could with those songs. The right team won but I do agree that Bom Bom wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. For the solos, I thought Corbin and Karina really stood out in their solo part above all the couples.
We still haven’t heard if it is a 3 or 4 person finale right? That would let us know if there will be a double elim coming or not. I am now hoping for an Amber/Corbin/Bill/Brant finale if it is. But unfortunately I think Elizabeth will be there instead and I HOPE not Leah too! My choice is definitely Leah to go home next week but I feel like it will be a guy – Bill, Jack or Brant depending on fan bases.
WORD, CHER!!! 😀
Amber & Derek – I barely even looked at Amber (though when I did, she was incredible) because I am always so mesmerized by Derek and the power in his movements – and the QUALITY. I loooooove when pasos have flamenco in them! But I digress – that girl can MOVE! And where did Bruno come from bitching about her shoulders and where did he go during Elizabeth’s dance?
Corbin & Karina – I didn’t love this cha cha, but I blame the song. Corbin did amazing considering that K changed the choreo 178 times. I knew Len would bitch about/dock for the gyrations just because.
I’m having a really hard time remembering anyone else on the show.
Brant & Peta – this jive was NOT as good as they said it was. What drove me nuts was that Brant had those horrible sickled feet that Jacoby got lit up for all last season, but they didn’t mention it at all. But of course they wouldn’t.
Nicole & Sasha – poor thing, I saw her talking about being tired and was hoping she would have gotten some sleep, but no dice. Homegirl was literally a zombie on the floor in both dances. But I didn’t want to see her go and my heart broke for her.
Jack & Cheryl – I dig him. And Cheryl’s dress was cute!
Val & Elizabeth – I didn’t even want to watch it, and only saw like 10 seconds of it, but it looked awkward and stiff. On the upside, her dress was absolutely gorgeous and VAL KEPT HIS CLOTHES ON!
Bill & Emma – um, I love him. The song was really slow, but it’s okay because I’ve noticed they slow tempo for older contestants sometimes. I thought he did well and, as always, was underscored.
Leah & Tony – this is easy. This dance was not worth the scores for one reason – Tony’s choreo is Dancing by the Numbers – 1, arm out, 2, arm in, 3, lift. This dance is literally the salsa you do when you’re in the club and dancing with somebody for the first time. How come he doesn’t get called out for not challenging his partners? And aside from that, she didn’t look like she was having fun at all – and if there’s ANY dance you’re supposed to let go and have a blast, it’s the salsa. Get rid of her already.
Team dances – Bill & Nicole. Bill was literally the glue that held the team together, if they hadn’t had him, things would have gone left. It was cute though, and Nicole’s solo was when you saw why she and Sasha are perfect partners. Team Foxing Awesome – first of all, the rehearsal package was hilarious. I was like, Derek totally didn’t realize he called Amber a fat black woman until it was already out of his mouth and he couldn’t take it back, funniest thing ever. But Foxing Awesome was…foxing awesome. Great dance. I didn’t even know that song was real LOL
All in all…a pretty mundane night of dance. But eh. Go Amber and Corbin.
Next week along with P. Diddy, Leah will have Vladimir Putin and Oprah!
Excellent Rankings.
I had no idea people were blaming Bill for Nicole’s leaving last night.
@susan2 – Unfortunately, yes – and I blame the show for setting it up that way. Put Bill & Emma and Nicole & Sasha as the last two couples standing, and everyone automatically assumes that it’s Bill’s fault that Nicole went home. And Cher’s right – it’s sickening how so many people went from being #TeamBill to being “Bill needs to go, he’s sent two better dancers home!” in the span of about 5 minutes. BILL DID NOT SEND TWO BETTER DANCERS HOME – the voters did. But TPTB got exactly what they wanted – if they couldn’t send Bill home from scores, they created an atmosphere whereby Bill looks like the bad guy and probably doesn’t get the votes to stay next week. And I think TPTB are also playing with fire in the way they seem to be propping Leah up – I think there’s a very real chance that she could bump a “much better dancer” out of the finale. If that happens, it’ll be interesting to see who’s upset then…I’m sure the same people will be whining, and Cher & I will be tweeting “Told ya so!”
Next week, Leah will be bringing Kim Jong Un, Honey Boo Boo, and Miley Cyrus as her celebrity support system. 😉
I know Bill has a huge margin to make up next week. But last night was the First Monday night that I had busy signals and had to keep trying to vote for Bill and Emma.
Great Rankings Courtney.
I can’t believe people are blaming Bill. Don’t they know that he doesn’t control how others votes/score/dance?
Did I really enjoy Bill this week? No. But I couldn’t imagine actually BLAMING him for this. Am I said to see Nicole go? Yes. I liked her a lot, but my votes went to Amber every week so I’m not terribly upset. I feel that she probably had a lot of people who really enjoyed her, but she wasn’t on the top of peoples lists.
Bill was so gracious about staying over Nicole, that kind of heart is why he’s still there and why he still gets my votes. IBLWR! I very much appreciate the way CS spelled it out, Nicole was getting generous scores, Bill was getting not generous scores, thus Bill was getting the votes relative to Nicole. Sure, I was a bit sad to see her go but only because she’s on my longish list of people I also like, but not on my short list of who I’m voting for.
If it was only about the best dancers, then after the first week it would have been apparent that with Corbin, Christina, and Liz’s dance backgrounds, and Amber’s off the charts charisma/performance ability, that those were the 4 who would for sure make it to semi’s and that everyone else could just play around a little until their time to leave but weren’t ever going to have a chance to make it all the way.
But this show is about who makes people want to vote for them. (Including who makes the judges want to give them high scores since they obviously don’t judge it straight up ballroom, everyone judged by the same criteria).
@Courtney: This quote: “Next week, Leah will be bringing Kim Jong Un, Honey Boo Boo, and Miley Cyrus as her celebrity support system. 😉 ” made my day cuz I got the visual in my head instantaneously and could not stop laughing. Thank you!
At this point, I would ALMOST rather see Honey Boo Boo dance than watch another week of Leah & Tony. lol
I had a feeling Snooki wasn’t getting votes – most people liked her but not enough to vote for her over their favorites. That’s a tough spot to be in and I feel bad for her since she was trying so hard. I did find her Samba to be quite overscored (but so were many others last night and all season). Still she did great in the team dance and I had hoped she’d at least make the semi-finals.
Corbin had a really tough song for cha-cha but I think Karina did an amazing job with it and he executed well. Even if it wasn’t a traditional cha-cha (due to music) it was so superior to Elizabeth’s 30 one last week. He also was the big stand-out in the team dance – WOW they looked amazing in their solo and it was the highlight of the night for me.
I really enjoyed Amber’s paso but it did seem less wow-y than normal for Derek, probably of course due to injury but still they looked great.
I did find Jack’s jive to be superior – he really does move well – no it wasn’t 10-worthy but it did deserve to be at least as high as Brant’s. I fear though that he’s towards the bottom in terms of voter’s attention due to others locking into their favorites, and that he may be in danger in the next week or two. Regardless, I think he’s done a great job and I’m so glad we have THIS Cheryl and not OTHER Cheryl this season.
I know that Elizabeth is a trained dancer and I know that she’s good, but I just don’t enjoy her dances that much. I agree with CAI that she’s not good at partnering, but I think that’s still the case and it showed last night (maybe there’s a slight improvement). That quickstep was a bit of a snore to be honest, and I find most of her dances to be that way. I have nothing against her but I just don’t care about her dancing, either. I would feel bad if she was eliminated soon but I wouldn’t miss her, either.
On the other hand, I do enjoy Brant despite his pro being one of my least favorites, as I think he tries hard and has pretty good movement – not amazing, but for a non-dancer he’s doing well. I would have loved to have seen him and another pro, but honestly Peta hasn’t been terrible this season and I thank god they abandoned that attempt at a showmance right away. There’s no sexual chemistry there (I have my own theories about that…) but at least she’s not trying to create the illusion of any. I also agree with the judges that Peta is pushing him, which I appreciate more than her just dancing sexy around him. I have to think HE is the positive influence in this partnership (as Donald was) and I like him more for it.
Bill is a cool guy and I think he dances better than people give him credit for – he’s not awful and Emma gives him true dances with a good deal of content, and he does seem to be beloved on the set. I’m fine with him sticking around and I’m glad someone that genuinely wants to be there and is trying so hard is getting such positive attention, but I do hope he starts getting better songs for his dances.
And then there’s Leah. Can celebs pay people to power vote for them? Cause that’s where I’m at in regards to her. Is she a god-awful person? Probably not. Is she the worst dancer ever? No, of course not. But I enjoy her dances less than I have any other this season, and I can’t believe people are voting for her. Those lifts, ugh TONY can’t you friggen learn that bad lifts are much much much worse than no lifts? I do hope she leaves soon but the overscoring – blergh.
Team dances – I enjoyed both and I commend Val and company for working with their strengths. It could have been a disaster but I was pleasantly surprised that they pulled it together (mostly thanks to Bill and Snooki, no thanks whatsoever to Leah). This shows where Val>Maks in terms of team choreography and knowing what you are working with. That being said, the quality of dance in Foxing Awesome was so superior – as expected – but I didn’t LOVE LOVE LOVE it (except for Corbin’s solo). I think I would have given them a 28 over Val’s 27.
Short and sweet
1. Corbin and Karina- best of the night hands down!
2. Amber and Derek
3. Liz and Val
4. Brant and Peta
5. Bill and Emma
6. Jack and Cheryl – OVERSCORED
7. BITCH AND BITCH – OVERSCORED and NEED TO GO! (Sorry for my French but I’m done with these two!)
Loved both team dances!
I just realized who Elizabeth reminds me of — Alice in Wonderland after she eats the cake that makes her really tall. I found two illustrations:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28885/28885-h/images/p0015-image.png
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/alice-in-wonderland/1book4.jpg
She seems like a nice enough person, her son is really cute, but I just don’t like her dancing and am annoyed on a regular basis at the blatant overscoring.
Elizabeth & Val- I know she is a good dancer, but the judges’ over the top raving isn’t going to make it happen for me. (I wanted to reach through my TV & put a choke hold on CAI to get her to shut up). Even when she is in hold, I don’t feel that she is dancing with a partner.
Brant & Peta – I could have enjoyed the dance more if it hadn’t felt so frantic.
Leah & Tony – didn’t watch the individual dance, but the woman never moved during the team dance. Just needs to be gone already – ugh.
Jack & Cheryl – I also preferred this Jive.
Amber & Derek – great dance & performance.
Corbin & Karina – I always expect a really good dance from them. This kind of leads to no surprises or Wow moments for me.
Nicole and Sasha – enjoyed the dance & this partnership. Went into this season not expecting much (have never watched JS), & was very pleasantly surprised by both her & Sasha. Wish she could have stayed over Ms. Sour Attitude.
Bill & Emma – Just love these two. They just run with what they are given and have a blast while doing it, & with all the other crap that is flying around courtesy of the judges & TPTB, I’m going to continue to support the pair that puts the biggest smile on my face & whose song stays in my head the rest of the week.
Team dances – Foxing Awesome had the better dancing, but I enjoyed Spooky Bom Bom more because of Bill and Nicole.
I’m feel strongly that if Bill & Emma had been in the bottom two, there would have been a double elimination this week. TPTB continue to protect the one that just sucks the joy out of the show.
If Bill leaves We Riot now offers the Dancing with The Stars Riot Squad Now available on Facebook!
Yup
I
AM
THAT
ANNOYED
Yes the judges have been overscoring Leah, but I don’t agree that they’re “protecting” her. I mean, she was second lowest based on judges’ scores only – so it’s the voters protecting her if anything.
Thanks for the recap Court.
I no longer see this season in terms of even a “quasi competition”, for me it’s entirely scripted entertainment. TPTB need to just have a guy with a clipboard stand next to the judges, methodically ticking off the boxes on the show’s very carefully crafted agenda. My new name for the show is “Dancing to the Agenda”. It’s a shame because in the grand scheme of things all the couples are busting their behinds, getting physically and emotionally worn out, and stressed out for bupkis.
Just focusing on the performances, I enjoyed last night.
Team Dances: I couldn’t agree more with Court that the music for both sucked massively, but I was entertained by both dances.
Amber/Derek’s Paso was beautifully performed. They both looked fierce and fantastic and danced with such passion and commitment. I cringe in pain, though, every time I see Amber’s poor knees wrapped in those braces. Bless her.
Corbin/Karina’s Cha-Cha was delightful. Karina’s dress just came alive as soon as she started moving. It pains me to even appear to agree with Len, but I could have lived without the inclusion of the side-by-side gyrations. Still, I loved this performance.
Bill/Emma were such fun to watch, as always. Love their warmth, heart, and joy. I look forward to seeing them one more time next Monday.
Nicole/Sasha — I’m going to miss this unexpectedly cute pairing. She was a neat-footed little dancer and if it weren’t for “The Agenda”, I believe she’d still be on my TV next week.
I enjoyed all the other couples to one degree or another. I can honestly say that since I FF through Leah the Whiner and Tony the Snot. I’ve taken matters into my own hands; they’re off my TV. 😉
I love Bill as much as anyone, but I’m thinking of starting my own support group: #leahgoesnextorIdo
Honest to Pete, her dances are painful to watch – Tony looks like he’s hefting a sack of concrete in every lift, and she moves like she’s encased in the stuff. Plus, I now realize that the snotty attitude her character had in King of Queens (one of the reasons I never got interested in the show) was actually typecasting.
She may have star-magnet quality, but that’s it. Can’t wait to see Kim Jong Un, Mylie and Honey BooBoo, though…
For me without a doubt Corbin and Karina led the night for me with both their individual dances and team dance. I knew Len would not give Corbin a 10. He used the excuse he didn’t like the gyration part and yet gave other couples a 9 that were not on the same par imo. I actually enjoyed both team dances, but thought each couple in Team Foxing Awesome did an amazing job with the dancing. Corbin was absolutely outstanding in the dance and Amber really kept up with the pro women in their part.
Just as I loved the traditional route that Corbin and Karina had done with their Paso I felt the same with Amber and Derek’s last night. Len finally gave them their 10, but Bruno was the hold out. For me Corbin/Karina and Amber/Derek are the best dancers this season. I like both of them a whole lot. I like both of their personalities as well. Both always have smiles on their faces and just appear to love dancing and it shows.
I was so hoping that Leah would be the one to go, but have been hoping that for a long time now. Besides bringing in the arsenal of entertainers that she does I just get the feeling that there are people who do like her. Why, I have no idea because I don’t care for her dancing and I don’t care for her personality. Some of the comments she makes each week makes me roll my eyes. When Tom just had to let us know that she has an injury as well, I just felt it was the perfect set up for her to say she didn’t want the sympathy vote. Was that done on purpose to make those that are truly injured to not look as strong as herself? Maybe it was just me, but that whole thing didn’t sit right with me. I just get the feeling that she is being protected somehow, but I still want her to go.
I agree with those that have mentioned Elizabeth’s posture and I noticed it as well. I didn’t care for their dance and I admit Elizabeth is not one of my favorites. I feel that the judges let things slide in regards to Elizabeth and yet call both Corbin and Amber out for each and every little thing. Just in general I think she is given more leeway.
I had no idea that Bill was being blamed for Nicole’s leaving. I’m not on Twitter and guessing that was where it was being said. I liked Nicole and the pairing of her with Sasha. It was sad to see her leave especially over Leah. I would never blame Bill for that. The two of them are what made their team dance enjoyable. Of all those left Leah is the one I want gone.
The rest of my rankings are just about the same as Courtney so won’t repeat it again. Thanks Courtney as well as all the people at Pure. 🙂
Okay I have been a pseudo defender of Leah….but even I am like 3 strikes and you are out. I always think the good Coaches are ones who throw a little counseling in and work with some of the negative beliefs…and Tony just doesn’t know how to do it. So for that reason….I am now part of the “Listen Up Leah” brigade….it only exists in my head…”Stop the Pout, or Vote Her Out”….lol and while I am on it..Val, let go of the smirk, it is just as stinky as the twerk!! I just can’t stand his attitude…he needs to change it in my opinion. This is turning out to be more like a bureaucracy…when people who know little about the means to getting to an end product…they try to stir the pot and disaster ensues. Other than that I agree with PH
I pretty much agree with Courtney that everyone seemed off in one way or another. Considering just about everyone other than Bill was at least a bit overscored, I’m not going to make a big hissy fit about “this person was overscored” because…really I’d do that to everyone.
Corbin/Karina- Technically I thought this cha cha was pretty darn great other than lacking some hip action at times. It was pretty fun performance wise too, but at times it started getting a teeny bit vanilla. Overall, though, very strong cha cha. I would’ve given it a 27.
Amber/Derek- This was actually my favorite dance last night. I do agree Amber and Derek did both hold back and play things a little safe, but overall I still think it worked out pretty well. Simplicity worked in this situation. Even though most of Derek’s past Paso Dobles were more intense and full on, I still saw a lot of beautiful things going on in this one and it REALLY captured the spirit of the Paso and Spain beautifully. She needs to work on her shoulders a bit and I think elongating her neck some more would make her top frame look more elegant, but I think they did a nice job. 27 worthy I think.
Liz/Val- I thought this was a nice quickstep and Liz looked very pretty, but it wasn’t her best. The beginning was too long and drawn out with that whole newscast bit, but once they got into it I did think it was decent. Her feet were pretty good for the most part and she stayed on time really well, but I agree that her frame just didn’t seem to catch up with the rest of her. It looked very gangly and awkward, and it made the overall look of her dancing look awkward. I think it was worthy of 25.
Brant/Peta- They did a decent job as well. Brant was having fun and really giving it a good go, but Peta did overdance and it made Brant seem slow and sluggish in comparison. I think Brant’s feet themselves were pretty nice, but he needed to pick his knees up way more and the kicks were just way too low and a bit soft. I do give these two props for good effort at some tough choreography though. I give them a 24.
Jack/Cheryl- I thought this was one of Jack’s better dances to be totally honest. From what I can remember anyways. Were his feet a bit funky? Yes. But he actually managed to pick up his knees a bit more than Brant, got the impact of the jive quite well, and stayed on time nicely. I was impressed. I think it was 25 worthy.
Leah/Tony- This salsa wasn’t bad but it wasn’t that good either. When Leah was complaining about Tony giving her “hard” choreography I couldn’t help but laugh. Honey, Tony actually gives out the EASIEST choreography on the show. Compared to some of the stuff Derek, Mark, Karina, Sasha, Val and even Maks give, you get kindergarten difficulty. The dance lacked hip action and she looked sluggish in a good majority of it. She did her steps right and pulled off some impressive tricks, yes, but I would only give this a 23.
Bill/Emma- I think Bill did well in this. He seemed to have a little trouble holding up his frame, yes, but his feet were actually pretty nice and kept a nice clarity in a lot of sections. There were some mistakes in footwork still, and I think he may have lost timing once, but I think this was still a totally respectable quickstep. 23 or 24.
As for Nicole & Sasha…well, if you read my timeline on twitter you know how I feel about that. I definitely feel that Nicole was more worthy to keep than Leah, and I really wonder if everyone had actually been scored appropriately, how things would have went. Nicole may have had some issues in her samba tonight, but I think she is a good dancer and was a total surprise for many people. Sweet woman and she’s changed so much. I wish her all the best. Sasha also surprised me. I wasn’t feeling him being a pro at first, but I’ve really come to like him, hope he comes back next season!
Oh yeah, the team dances: I actually think these two were just about equal. Different strengths, different weaknesses. I think SpookyBomBom was a bit more fun and I liked their interpretation and theme a lot more. But I found the choreography and execution better on FoxingAwesome. Didn’t think either was particularly amazing, but I enjoyed both.
1. Corbin and Karina – I loved it and I loved the music. I loved that he looked to be having fun and smiling the entire dance which was a joy to see instead being over-serious. It was my favourite solo dance of the night.
2. Amber and Derek – Can I just say how amazing she is considering she has a knee injury. I love that even though she has an injury she continues to press through. Her and Corbin are two – out of my three favourite people this season.
3. Elizabeth and Val – I skipped through this dance on my DVR so I had to re-watch it on youtube a view minutes ago but.. dang, you can really tell their height difference in this dance, particularly near they end when they were side by side. Elizabeth is a good technical dancer but I feel bored by them in all honestly.
4. Brant and Peta – the more I watch Brant, the more I like him but maybe it has to do with Peta not “sexing up” her choreography as much as she was during the first couple weeks. He’s very, very charming and improving each week. This dance was good but there were a few parts that were off (when he slipped on her skirt) but when I hear this music I automatically think of JR & Karina’s instant Jive in season 13 so I wish they didn’t recycle jive music.
5. Snooki and Sasha – I am sad to see her go, she was one of my favourites this season (I even gave her a couple of my votes which is split between Corbin, Amber, and Bill). But at least she left on a high note even though I think she struggled with the samba a bit, her and Bill were the two that made their team dance more fun to watch.
6. Jack and Cheryl – it’s nice to see Jack improve every week and he’s just so dang adorable. I don’t think this dance was a 10 but maybe as the ladies on afterbuzz say, it’s an encouragement score.
7. Bill and Emma – Bill is hands down one of my favourites this season and I did not expect to go this far at all. He did reasonably well in his quickstep (better than Leah’s last week IMO) but I’m glad he’s still here.
—-
Team Dances – overall I think the music sucked but maybe they were going for Gangnam style like songs?
Foxing Awesome -I mean what really could they do with “What does the fox say?” other they did? I wish they gave teams music that you could choreograph something diverse but I guess. I thought this dance was hilarious to be honest and I thought Jack looked adorable as a fox. Karina and Corbin killed it which by the way, I laughed so hard during their lift with Karina’s face. I had to re-watch it a couple times.
BomBom – it was way better than I expected but I felt that Bill held the team together (like Carrie-Ann said) and Snooki was awesome with her lift at the end! Leah looked as she was getting pulled along by Tony and Elizabeth was just there but again, the music sucked but I liked the theme.
Oh I forgot to mention how I love the pro dances at the beginning of the show, especially when it’s choreographed by Mandy Moore. Her choreography have been my favourite thus far in terms of opening numbers.
Hmm, Cher being a guest judge. I have my doubts about that. I didn’t realize she had experience in ballroom dancing. Len must have taken his happy pills this week because he wasn’t as bad as last week. Hated Brooke’s dress.
Elizabeth/Val – Took way too long for the dance to start and Len didn’t say a thing. Derek would have been put over hot coals if he had done it. They always seem mismatched to me. She appears to tower over him all the time. It was just ok for me. I’m over them, and over the gushing they get from the judges. At least it wasn’t a 30. Still want her gone.
Brant/Peta – I have to say that was my favorite dance from them this season. They’re usually meh to me, but I liked it.
Leah/Tony – Why is there a celebrity popping up every week to support her? It’s old and needs to stop. I can’t say anything nice about these two, so I’m not going to say anything other than I will not watch another dance of theirs and hope they just go away.
Jack/Cheryl – His dance made me feel good. I really liked it. He should be so proud of himself. He was so happy with the 10 from Carrie Ann (even though that was an over score). Cheryl seems to be enjoying herself this season which is nice to see too. I just hope he starts to stand out more so he isn’t lost in the crowd.
Amber/Derek – What more can be said about these two? That was terrific! I was so glad to hear Derek say he was done trying to please Len. And what happens? Len gives him a 10. So not trying to please Len is apparently the way to go. Derek did seem in pain when they finished but you never saw it in the dance. And Amber was great. Barring something major happening, they will be in the finals.
Bill/Emma – I was smiling as soon as they started, but I have to say he seemed very tense during the dance until the end. There are still others that should leave before him and I don’t want him to leave.
Nicole/Sasha – I liked this partnership and I enjoyed watching them dance. It’s a shame she had to leave, I was shocked and upset by it. I’m hoping Bill isn’t blaming himself because bottom line is she wasn’t getting the votes. I was voting for her, I was hoping to see her make it to the finals and see what kind of free style she would do, but I also knew it was a long shot. Judges have their favorites, TPTB have their own agenda, so it wouldn’t have happened. She should be proud of what she did and how she handled herself on the show.
Corbin/Karina – These two are losing some appeal with me. Karine seems very stressed this season and needs to relax. Doesn’t matter, he’s not going anywhere.
Team Spooky Bom Bom – When Tom announced the couple going home would be from this team, I immediately was concerned about Bill. But then I remembered Leah was on the team too. And I remembered her crap attitude the past two weeks and walking out of rehearsal because she didn’t like it and I began to hope. But I didn’t hope enough. How is she staying?
It wasn’t the hot mess Gangnum style was and that I expected it to be. Nicole and Sasha were the best, Leah and Tony the weakest.
Team FoxingAwesome – Derek continues his winning streak although it wasn’t as good as past ones. It wouldn’t bother me if they got rid of the team dances.
Next week, I’m sure Bill will be one of the last two standing, probably with Brant or Jack. I can’t even predict or hope for it to be Leah and that she finally takes her attitude and Tony’s boring dances and leaves because she’s the Bristol of the season.
Susan, #28, that made me laugh! And it’s so true!
Cidra, #32, I agree with the title change to the show. TPTB have made it so obvious as to what they are doing. With them knowing how viewers vote before the show airs, they can have their clipboard filled out as soon as voting is closed. It’s truly a shame, and if they’re not careful, it will come back to bite them.
And I love the names Leah the Whiner and Tony the Snot. I watch the show live, so I can’t fast forward, but I do leave the room or switch channels. There is nothing appealing or entertaining about these two and I can’t watch them anymore.
Question: Does every on here have the same opinion? Because honestly the majority are saying the same thing over and over again. It’s always nice to have some varying opinions so that there can be a discussion.
In my views, I find Elizabeth to be both entertaining and a wonderful dancer. Val is truly an amazing teacher. This rhetoric that she is being over scored is weird, especially since I find her dances to be the most consistent. Besides Corbin, I think the remainder of the couples are receiving inflated scores.
Corbin was my next favourite. Absolutely loved his cha cha. Well timed and placed.
Didn’t enjoy much of anyone else!
Racheal must be a good cook because she knows how to stir a pot…or at least have a good try at it.
While there’s some truth to the old addage, “birds of a feather flock together”, if you truly take the time to read the comments at PureDWTS, you’ll see that there are plenty of different opinions. You just need a bit of discernment and sophistication to recognize it.
PureDWTS…Rock On!!!!!
Errrr, do you want someone to pretend they don’t feel the same way to make you feel better, Rachael? Cause I think we were having a great discussion here, before you came in and decided that in a good discussion, there must be disagreement. Did it occur to you that maybe like-minded individuals read this site? Regardless, I’ve heard plenty of dissenting opinions, even though you can’t be bothered to read them.
Hi Racheal #42 I am in the minority most weeks with my opinions, but it’s cool. I’m always focusing on the dancing first, everything else is second and so forth.
I like Elizabeth, as I still don’t feel she’s getting proper credit for how hard it is to Ballroom dance at 5’10. I think she’s really good. Val has a strong way of tapping in to his partner’s strengths and it shows each season.
Corbin is the one of the best dancers they’ve had on this show. He always hits his marks. Even with last week’s Viennese waltz, if he would have added more content it would’ve probably been the best of the night.
I was on Team Nicole as she was my dark horse pick. (And yes, I did vote for her every week)
Bottom 3: Leah, Bill, Jack (dance-wise)
Middle: Nicole, Brant
Top 3: (in this order) Corbin, Amber and Elizabeth.
Well Brant, my new dark horse, may be able to pull a Rob Kardashian this season. He’s getting better each week, he has a positive attitude and he’s charming. I don’t see him winning but he’s on track to make an impressive showing.
As for who gets the votes, it comes down to who is watching the show. I suspect the younger generation are tuned into The Voice, while the older folks remember Leah from her stint on that TV show and like Bill because he is like one of them. So, since Christina and Snooki have been voted off….could someone young be next to be voted off? Jack, Amber and Brant could fall into that category? Leah could be the Kirstie Alley of this season. No matter how bad she dances, it might be hard to get rid of her.
Hi! Since when is 30, “The Older folks?”
…and if this was all Bill’s fault, why would he ask the producers to let him go and nto Snicole. Really people. I hated to see her go. Yep, I voted for her some but Bill mostly.
…and Rachel…birds of feather flock together and sometimes they feed on road kill. Dissent all you want. But don’t criticize the other birds in the aviary. Maybe you’re moulting. IDK.
I hated the group songs but really enjoyed the actual dances. Particularly loved Corbin and Amber on the one team and Bill and Nicole on the other.
Given Karina’s struggle with the choreography, I was worried about their solo, but it was surprisingly good. Most surprising was how much Corbin was smiling and clearly really enjoying the dance. However stressful the creative process was, they were clearly enjoying the actual performance.
It always makes it better when you can tell the celeb is really enjoying themselves. It’s a big part of what makes Bill so enjoyable. And why Leah is so unenjoyable to watch.
A lot of couples were really stressed this week, I think this is when everyone gets really tired and injured. Even Bill was getting frustrated.
I was worried about Derek and Amber after their package, but they killed it too. Most people were again overscored but I enjoyed Corbin and Amber the most.
When, when, WHEN will Leah get off my screen? And what the hell was CAI on? Cause she was one something, that’s for sure!
Racheal, are you reading? Because here comes a “different opinion.”
I don’t agree with the idea that Liz should get credit for how hard it is to ballroom dance at 5’10”. If you’re going to give her a handicap, then you need to give everyone a handicap. Remember Valerie, when the judges were critiquing her she insisted that they evaluate her the same as everyone else — and I think her age and her brain tumor would otherwise make her eligible for her own handicap. What about Jack and M.S.? Marlee Matlin? Heather McCartney? It’s a can of worms. The dances are the dances, and the show is the show, and Liz knew that she was 5’10” when she agreed to be on it. Furthermore, that whole mind set reminds me of “Tony should win because he’s never won before.” Don’t get me started.
I do want to add an observation about Leah, who I agree (sorry Racheal) should have been gone weeks ago. One of the things I’ve always liked about DWTS is how both the pros and the stars leave vanity at the door when they rehearse. I find it refreshing to see female faces without make-up. There they are, candid and bare to the world. Leah is always, always, always 1000 percent made up, I would say heavily made up. So even though she’s being watched by millions on television, I feel like she’s still hiding, still keeping everyone at (at least) arm’s length, leading with a “made up” version of herself rather than the genuine article. Very sad. Still want her gone, but very sad.
Thoughts about last night –
Carrie Ann said she had an espresso before the show – well, apparently she shouldn’t, because she was more spastic than usual. The judge’s scores were (in general) rather inflated, though a couple felt real or a bit low.
The dancing:
Amber/Derek – I thought they *killed* it with this paso. During the dance, I was thinking, “This is a thirty” – and then it wasn’t, due to Bruno. Certainly I think it was more thirty-worthy than Elizabeth’s cha cha last week. While it wasn’t the flashiest of Derek’s pasos, I could feel the intensity and the drama. I loved it!
Corbin/Karina – This was a really good cha cha; it felt a little strange in places, but I think it’s because the music didn’t really fit the dance. But it was lots of fun. I thought the score was fairly accurate.
Jack/Cheryl – I thought this was the better of the two jives, given everything. I really enjoy Jack, and hope he sticks around (or at least outlasts Leah). However, I thought the ten was overkill – that wasn’t really a ten dance…but the final score was probably (given all the other scores out there) on target.
Bill/Emma – No, this wasn’t his best dance, but it was a lot of fun. He just makes me smile every time he dances – I can’t help it. They’ve been getting pretty funky music, and they’ve coped very well. I’ve been impressed with Emma’s choreography and teaching. Given the scores everyone else was getting, I think this was underscored. Honestly, if Leah’s quickstep last week was 27 worthy, then this was too. If the 23 was accurate for this, then Leah’s should have gotten a 23 as well, because the dancing was about equal, and at least Bill and Emma stayed in hold!
Brant/Peta – I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Peta these last few weeks. Her choreography has been pretty good, and she’s not sexing everything up. Brant is doing a good job, and I am liking this couple more and more. The jive was a little flat in places, but fun. Probably overscored.
Elizabeth/Val – If Derek had spent all that time with that “acting intro”, he would have gotten creamed (even though the music hadn’t started yet). I don’t get these really long openings that Elizabeth and Val are doing – they’re unnecessary and feel off. I don’t think the acting (from either of them) in these sketches is that great. The dance was fine – I agree that the height difference wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, and that it was really noticeable in this dance. I feel like she’s getting high marks for dances that, if Amber or Corbin did them, they’d get torn apart.
Leah/Tony – Overscored. Lifts were better than during her contemporary, but not good. I have a hard time watching her and Tony – the packages and the dancing. Please leave.
Nicole/Sasha – I thought she made a valiant effort, given how tired she was, and how little sleep she was getting. It was fun, but I thought it was also overscored. But I didn’t want her to leave.
Team dances: I really liked them both (but kind of disliked the music for both). Team Foxing Awesome obviously had the better dancing, but Team Spooky was *much* better than I was expecting. I’m going to give credit to Bill and Nicole for that, because the theme was Bill’s idea, and he and Nicole (and partners) were the standouts in that dance. And CAI was correct when she said that Bill held that dance together. But I have to say that overall, I prefer Team Foxing Awesome, despite the ridiculousness of the whole thing. But what else could you do with that music? I thought it fit it *perfectly*.
I’m so ready for Leah to go. Bill is getting all my votes right now, because he needs to outlast Leah. I know TPTB are doing everything in their power to send him home next, and I’m doing my bit to say “over my dead body!” One of the comments above said that if Bill had been the real bottom two, they probably would have had a double elimination – I think that’s correct. I’m so *hoping* that Leah is doing poorly in the votes, and I’m guessing that Jack, Brant, and Elizabeth might be doing poorly. Given that they’ve never announced the bottom two this season, it’s hard to guess how people are doing.
So (as should be obvious), I want Leah to leave next, with a passion. Then I’d like Elizabeth to go; while I don’t *dislike* her, I don’t like her either. She and Val are just rather vanilla, in a very awkward way. After that, as long as Amber makes the final, I would be able to handle any of the four remaining guys making the finals, because I like them all, for different reasons. Corbin is the best dancer, Bill has the most heart (and is just the most fun), and I’m really enjoying Jack and Brant, and have found both Cheryl and Peta more enjoyable this season (and both have stepped up with their choreography). But Bill is the one I’m voting for. 🙂
I know what I want probably won’t happen, but I can hope.
Hi Susan #50, I’m Reagan 🙂
Actually it was my comment about Liz’s height. I wasn’t referring to her getting preferential points on scoring, I was pointing out that given her height it would not be as easy for her as it usually is for people who are shorter. It was more like “give the girl a break!”
With the female contestants and pro dancers, the longer the legs, the greater degree of difficulty. I said the same thing about Zendaya last season.
This wasn’t to take away from Jack or anyone else that’s done the show, but dancing with a partner that’s shorter than you is a challenge which may also cause a dancer to hunch over a bit. I think the judges are considering that when they judge her performance as they know she didn’t pick her partner.
Val’s doing a great job with her and I feel like she often gets ganged up on because of perception. Her face and range of motion could really be how she is.
She’s not a perfect dancer, but neither is anyone that I’ve seen on this show. Everyone’s had their off nights this season some more than others.
That being said, however, based on who’s left, I’m really hoping Corbin will win this season, and I would also like to see her have a good showing in the finals.
I wanted to add re: the team dances – one of the things that made Team Foxing Awesome’s dance so good was how unified everything (including the solos) felt. All of the solos meshed well with the main part of the dance, and used choreography within the solo that matched or echoed things that were done as a group. Usually the solos in a group dance look like they’re thrown together and they all feel a bit disjointed, but I would have thought that one person choreographed the entire dance here, including all the solos. The only other team dance that had that same feel was Team Call Me Maybe.
Amber implied that Derek choreographed the ENTIRE dance, not just the group parts and his parts with Amber. I’m sure he didn’t do it alone, though.
Her dances might be consistent – and she’s consistently overscored. You can have one and still have the other. That should be obvious.
I’ve finally figured out what is holding me back from being completely pro Liz.
It was seeing her dance in the Bom Bom team dance, especially in her and Val’s solo. Girl was fierce! She danced like a high velocity switch had been flipped on. Nothing was held back.
That’s what’s been missing for me from all her dances so far. I think she’s so in her head and striving for perfection that the soul of the dance gets lost. If she could let go and let the fierce dance beast out to play more often she’d be really phenomenal.
She has been over scored from the beginning. As has Leah and Brant. Corbin, Amber and at times Bill have been underscored. I guess the judges got the company memo and are sticking to it to the letter.
My problem with overscoring in general (not only in this competition) is that it gives the person being judged a wrong idea of their level of performance. If a dance deserves an 8, it means that there is room for improvement. And if you get a 10 for that same dance, you may believe you really have nothing to improve. If, for example, Leah (not being a trained dancer) receives a score of 27 for a mediocre dance, how can we expect her to realize that she is not performing really well? She may feel entitled to think that, as the scores are really good, so must be her dance. And the reverse situation arises with underscoring. People with a much superior level of performance may get similar scores and feel disoriented, thinking that they have to improve a lot when they really don’t. I know scoring in this show has to do with creating drama, but it bothers me.
susan2 – I agree with you regarding #56. I was watching Spooky Bom Bom again & thought that Elizabeth needs to be more Black Swan and less White Swan for her remaining dances.
I think if you’re reading hate for Bill elsewhere, you shouldn’t bring it HERE. If the people here aren’t hating on Bill, why make it sound like they are?? (And if it’s ONE person, make it clear you’re talking about ONE person) I haven’t seen any “hate” towards him – just disappointment that Nicole when home and comments that she was a better dancer. That is not hate, that’s actually a fact, IMO. Even if it’s not “fact” – it’s still not “hate”.
I think it’s also VERY easy to assume that those who are disappointed weren’t actually voting for Nicole – but you know what happens when you ASSume.
Loved the team dances, I thought both were good. I preferred Foxing Awesome, I thought the choreography was so cohesive. It appeared to me that Derek and Amber, Corbin and Karina had the solos that matched the faster tempo. Brant and Peta, Jack and Cheryl had the slower tempo for their solos, Derek’s teams always match the music and the abilities of each couple so perfectly.
I also liked Spooky Bom Bom, good job by that team also.
I am not a huge Derek fan, but am pulling for Amber and Derek, that’s where my votes are going. Bill is ok, but I didn’t care for his comment about Foxing Awesome and their grade school costumes. I certainly don’t blame him for Nicole leaving. I don’t think she was getting the votes and I thought her foxtrot was boring. That said I was surprised by her and thought she did a good job overall. I wasn’t moved enough to power vote either she or Bill. Unlike others I am ok with Bill leaving.
I love this site and the way you can express an opinion even if the mods may feel differently. I appreciate the time the mods take to stop rude and mean comments, I see disagreement and differing opinions on this site all the time, I particularly like the way commenters are asked to explain a position, not just say I love whatever. Keep up the good work!
Given the immunity and the dance-off challenge, I think Bill will go next week. I find it hard to believe he’ll be able to survive that.
The week after that, Brant will go. I can’t see him surpassing Leah and/or Jack’s viewers vote.
4th place , it will be a battle between, Leah and Jack. It will depends on how they’ll do that week.
Top 3, Amber, Corbin, Elisabeth. Amber for the win, unless something unpredictable happens.
This is how I see this season shaping.
@Lynette- I don’t think Bill meant any harm by that comment. He is by no means a smack-talker, I think he was just making a joke. The producers love to try and pit everyone against each other on these team dances, but you can really feel the comradery amongst the group of celebrities that are left.
Speaking of comradery, I’ve got to say that I REALLY miss the longer packages before the couple’s dances. I think the viewers miss out on so much of what goes on during rehearsals and the bonding experience between pro and partner. I’m not feeling this new format because it doesn’t give us a look into that. I also hate that there is no time at the end of the show for the celeb to have a proper goodbye interview! Poor Nicole was so upset to the point where she couldn’t talk, and she didn’t really get to say anything about her journey. Sasha couldn’t get anything in, either! It looked like Nicole really wanted to say something after they announced the voting numbers. Tom held the mic down to her and she took a breath to speak but quickly gave up because she realized that she didn’t have any time.
I don’t recall Tom or Brooke ever mentioning that Bill and Nicole were the “Bottom 2”, for all we know this was all done for drama. The assumption if you will. The other actual “Bottom 2” could have been on the other team. Probably not, but I’m just stating another possibility.
So why would anyone be mad at Bill. Obviously, anyone that fals in that category hasn’t watched the show for very long. Everyone knows that’s how the show rolls sometimes. The “BEST” dancer doesn’t always make it through… or even win for that matter.
I’m honestly surprised that Jack has made it this far in the competition or Leah for that matter. Let’s all be mad at them.
I have enjoyed the commentary here. Here is my “two cents worth.”
In no particular order…
Amber/Derek- very impressive dance. I am still marveling at how well someone her size with knee problems can dance so well! She has a lot of personality on the dance floor, too. Derek is a beast who can dance through pain!
Corbin/Karina- he is an amazing dancer. Karina’s nerves and stress level are annoying me a bit, though.
Snooki/Sasha- sorry to see her go. She was a much better dancer than I expected.
Brant/Peta – he is still one of my favorites. His dance was fun and entertaining. I like his attitude, too.
Jack/Cheryl- he is surprising me on the dance floor. He is a pretty good dancer, but he doesn’t excite me much.
Bill/Emma – what a lovely man he is. He is always entertaining. Not a bad dancer at all, but he is the weakest of the bunch now. I love how supportive he is of the other dancers.
Elizabeth/Val- she is a good dancer who probably deserves to go to the finals. Something about her just doesn’t win me over, though. Her personality? The look in her eyes? I can’t figure it out.
Leah/Tony- why is she still there? She keeps getting overscored, and I am tired of her attitude and her “friend of the week.” I hope she goes next.
Team Dances – well, silly songs equal silly dances, I guess. My husband was cringing in horror at the Foxing Awesome dance. I admit that it was hard to see past the costumes. I felt sorry for the guys having to do that choreography. Still, it was the better dance due to the choreography and the synchronization. My hat’s off to the Spooky Bom Bom team for the entertaining concept, and wow, Snooki flew really high there at the end.
Cher as a guest judge- It is great that they are featuring her music and getting her to perform, but as a guest judge??? How can she possibly judge ballroom dancing?
My thoughts on Cher as a guest judge…she can’t do any worse than Len has the past three weeks.
No, Sandy, Bill did NOT have a huge margin to make up this past week. On the contrary, he only needed 10k votes to beat Leah and 15k to beat Nicole. By this show’s standards, these are NOT huge numbers. And the margins between Leah and Nicole were less that 5k votes. So no, the only evidence we have from this past Monday is that Nicole wasn’t getting the votes she needed. We have nothing to indicate that Bill was beating anyone other than Nicole. The bottom two could have easily been Bill and Nicole or Leah and Nicole. Or Jack and Nicole. I would not get overly confident that Bill is going to stick around. And I wouldn’t be so sure he’s going to leave next week. Hard to say. I think that Jack is disappearing, so he might have one more week in him.
Poor Derek – he’s set his own bar too high. From anyone else that would have been a great Paso. It was for me.
Both dances he had a hand in the other night struck me for their pure musicality. I think Derek is one of the few, if not the only, pro capable of using every note of music.
Re: Derek and Amber’s paso – Anna on AfterBuzz said she thought it might be better than Nicole S’s 50’s paso. I don’t know Anna’s opinion of that dance, but it sounded like she thought it was pretty good…and that this one might be better.
I thought this was a *great* dance – while it wasn’t the flashiest, there was a lot of intensity and feeling to it. I truly thought it was going to get a 30, and was really surprised that Bruno didn’t love it.
Although I love Derek’s innovative choreo, I do like it when he mixes it up a bit with straight up traditional dances. It’s a good balance, IMO. I thought the paso was great and exciting.
@Heidi – I am prepared and would not be surprised if Bill leaves the ballroom this week.
Monday night is disco night for Bill and Emma, I expect it will be a fun and probably hilarious dance, and if they are eliminated that night I think it will be okay because I really can’t see Bill wanting to leave any other way but FUN!! He has had an incredible run and Bill and Emma should be very proud of what they have accomplished. And if they manage to stay then….
Love everybody’s comments. Here are mine:
Amber/Derek- Genius Derek once again choreographed to Amber’s strengths (which are his as well): intensity, precision, passion, personality and musicality. What a fabulous routine and so exciting, especially in how they mirrored each other when not in hold, and used up the entire dance floor. Derek’s performance was burning hot, and so sexy. He is indeed a beast and a warrior. I also loved the music. Fantastic, fabulous routine, imho!
Corbin/Karina- I think he is a talented dancer and Karina is a warrior princess but a bit too intense for me. They still seem a little frenetic as a team.
Snooki/Sasha- Also sorry to see Snooki go. Wish it had been Leah.
Brant/Peta – Cute, fun couple and I love watching Brant dance. I wouldn’t mind them in a final four including Amber, Corbin and Elizabeth.
Jack/Cheryl- Jack seems like a sweetie, and is very musical, and seems to be coming into his own as a dancer and surprising even himself on the dance floor. However, his dancing is too boring for me, although I am really enjoying the new and improved Cheryl this season.
Bill/Emma – Another sweet couple, but he and Leah are the weakest links at this point, imo, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes soon.
Elizabeth/Val- If she worked more on her upper back and frame, Elizabeth might look better in hold. But she did well in the team dance. As for Val, I’m just tired of him, not sure why.
Leah/Tony- Please, enough of this team. Tedious, boring, and annoying, so I just FF on the DVR.
Team Dances – I thought the music, costumes and concepts were wacky, but both teams did a pretty good job, I thought. I really enjoy watching the rehearsal packages a lot and wish we could see more of that, especially watching Derek create a dance. Derek’s team, of course, was the best imo, and he hasn’t lost his winning streak.
Cher as guest judge? Well, if they put her in several seasons ago when I thought Len was still making valid judging decisions, then I would say Cher would be a poor choice. But now, when the judges marks don’t make much sense to me any more, it might be interesting to see what this entertainment icon has to say about things. I’m kind of looking forward to it.:)
PRETTY PLEASE, May I jump on the LEAH-LEAVING-THIS-WEEK Bandwagon!!!!
UGhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! What a sourpuss she is! I also feel Tony has more than a bit of an attitude this (and last) season … what’s up with that? His ‘polite’ applause for fellow competitors doesn’t look at all sincere!
Enjoyed everyone’s comments … thanks!