PureDWTS Season 19, Week 4 – Power Rankings
Color me NOT surprised that the “Raise Your Paddle!” thingie was a total clusterf*ck 😛 I gave up after trying and failing to score both Janel & Jonathan…and having my internet spin its wheels nonstop. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat. Funny how almost all of the viewer scores basically echoed what the judges gave – kinda have to wonder if they just deferred to that when the server was so overloaded that hardly anybody was able to vote. Hmmm. How did you guys fare with the “Raise Your Paddle” voting? I would love to know if everybody had such as easy time as I had 😉
So the partner switch is next week. Wondering who got who? Go check out Heidi & I’s prediction post. Sort-of (but not really) spoiler: nobody’s getting sent home next week, and the person that gets sent home in week 6 will be calculated based on the scores and votes from weeks 4 & 5; so this ranking is kind of moot, and could totally change based on what happens next week. But I’m gonna do it anyway 😛
Overall, feeling a bit let down by “most memorable year” week this season – not necessarily by the dances themselves (although there were some real stinkers), but just generally by how cold the judges came off. Maybe it’s just me, but they seemed a bit more heartless than usual…in tears one minute, then just kinda beating up on the couples the next. No me gusta. But god bless Betsey for going out on the high note with such an adorable dedication to her daughter, and being the classy, easygoing gal that she is and thanking everyone for a great run. You will be missed, you cutie you 🙂
1.) Alfonso & Witney – *sighing as I cross yet another item off my DWTS Bucket List* So glad I get to rhapsodize about how fantastic Alfonso is and how nights like tonight are exactly WHY I HAVE WANTED HIM ON THIS SHOW FOR YEARS 😀 Alfonso, if you’re reading this, I hope you realize just how much joy you brought to this frigid, jaded blogger’s heart tonight, as well as to the hearts of millions of Carlton Banks fans across America – and even if it might not have been your favorite or most memorable year, I can’t tell you how much it mean to us to see that dance 🙂 I had a craptacular day – woke up with a migraine, struggled to do office work from home, fumbled with blog stuff, and just generally felt defeated – but this dance brought TEARS to my eyes, with how happy it made me 🙂 As always, the musicality was there – he didn’t waste a single beat, and made me appreciate accents in the music that I hadn’t even noticed before; and then the synchronicity – the way he was just locked in with Witney on some of that side-by-side work with a thing to behold – reminded me of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers doing a big dance number. And man, just the EASE with which he tackles every movement – he doesn’t just “do” the moves; he LIVES AND BREATHES them. Just…aggggghh. I can’t. To quote Mini Alfonso from last week “Tens across the board.” 😎 Couldn’t have asked for a better dance.
2/3.) TIE: Sadie & Mark and Lea & Artem – The two pleasant surprises of the evening for me 🙂 First of all, I will reiterate: I am SO GLAD that Sadie got Mark as her partner this season – I don’t know that any of the other male pros would have thrown caution to the wind and donned the Uncle Si beard and hunting gear with as much gusto as Mark, and his quirky choreography seems to suit Sadie well. They just WORK together. Thought their routine was both samba-appropriate and Sadie appropriate, and she handled the technique of the samba well – and it was just FUN to watch, and was a good use of Uncle Si, Willy, & Jase as props 😉 As for Lea – WOW. That’s literally all I had written in my notes about her contemporary. I think her performance was a turning point in the evening where everything went from “meh”, to “ok, NOW you have my attention!” Given her background, it makes sense that she would excel at contemporary; but given some rather subpar performances we’ve seen from her the past two weeks, I guess I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. But she managed to handle the technique flawlessly, as well as connecting to the dance emotionally. And seeing what I’ve seen of her possible fanbase in the switch-up voting – I now see her as a possible contender 🙂 Just hoping she can hold onto her momentum from this week and handle her next dance as handily and she did this one…
4.) Bethany & Derek – Could there have been more rumba content in this? Sure. But do I think that they ever really set out to do a perfect, Len-pleasing rumba? No. I think they achieved what they aimed for: to tell an inspirational story about overcoming bullying, and in that respect, they hit a bullseye. I’m thinking going the more contemporary/rumba fusion route was a calculated risk, and while some of you might be moaning & groaning about “lack of content”, I doubt anyone can really argue that she was completely connected to the message & emotion of her routine, and for the first time so far this season, I feel like we really “saw” Bethany. And ultimately, when it comes down to what we take away from this week and what we forget – I’m willing to bet a lot of viewers remember this routine over some with more content, but less emotion.
5.) Janel & Val – Basically the polar opposite of Bethany’s rumba: lots of content, but little emotional connection for me. Sure, she did a lot of rumba, and she handled it pretty well (although I almost think there was a tad too much content – could have used a bit more light & shade), but I didn’t feel as emotionally shaken by her routine as some of the others we saw tonight. Unfortunately not a whole lot else to say – other than go read Heidi & I’s partnership prediction post, because there’s some interesting revelations in it about who may and may not be getting the votes…and Janel falls in the latter category. Possible “surprise elim” fodder in the coming weeks?
6.) Tommy & Peta – Oh, Tommy 😛 Even when you’re screwing up, you’re still making me smile. This was the first week I think we saw a few cracks forming in an otherwise pretty flawless run Tommy’s had so far – jive is unfortunately not a very laid-back dance, and so I guess I’m not totally surprised that Tommy seemed to get a bit off-time and winded. But even when he was off-time and losing steam – it was still somehow fun to watch and kept me entertained. Thought the choreography with the handcuffs was pretty clever, and as always, Tommy seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly…and that’s all I can really ask for from him 🙂
7.) Antonio & Cheryl – I think this samba was the most unintentionally hilarious dance of the evening 😛 Mama Spence and I were DYING watching the “look at me, I’m trying to be sexy but it’s really coming across as dorky” bopping down the stairs, the “ooh look at mah sexy body” rubbing on his own chest, and the “teehee, gymnastics r smexy” botched somersault. Oh wow…somebody get me a cold shower…cause I’ve overheated m’self cracking up! He handled the samba very slightly better than Jonathan, but that’s unfortunately not saying much – still a lot of stiffness and not much of a feel for the rhythm. And worst of all – I still feel like I’m not connecting to him AT ALL. He’s just not coming across as super-personable or relatable – he’s just kinda…there. But people seem to be voting for this guy, so I’m not sure that we’re getting rid of him anytime soon…but hey, if we get more unintentionally hilarious performances like this out of him, I might be able to tolerate him awhile longer 😛
8.) Michael & Emma – He may not be the best dancer, but dammit – I like him…and I think America does, too, because he’s still here. Actually thought the judges were a tad harsh on what I would consider to be one of his stronger dances – it actually started off quite strong, and aside from a few fumbles in the middle, he kept up with it and didn’t do terribly. Thought he had one of the more heart-rending stories of the night – you could definitely tell how much he misses Dale, and how his win at Daytona was a bit tarnished by the fact that Dale wasn’t able to share the thrill of victory with him. And dammit, Emma must be doing something right – because he IS improving, even if it’s not by leaps & bounds. Still think our buddy Mike has a few more weeks left in him…
9.) Jonathan & Allison – Hate to say it, but I think Allison may have screwed her partner on this one a bit, as well – and now that we’re in week 4 and I feel as though I’ve given Allison a fair shake to prove her worth as a ballroom choreographer, I feel as though I can say this: I don’t think this whole “Let’s take a contemporary dancer and let them teach ballroom!” philosophy is really working out on DWTS. Because not only did I see Jonathan’s weaknesses in the samba tonight – I saw Allison’s, too. Her technique was reminiscent of Lacey’s ballroom technique – it just kinda made me go “yikes”. Not only that, but I agree with the judges that the dance was pretty repetitive and one-dimensional – lots of the same steps, repeated over and over, with a bunch of non-samba (hip-hop) peppered in. No, Jonathan did not master the technique, and he was really, really stiff; but after looking at Allison – I have to wonder: could she even teach him the proper technique? I love Allison as a contemporary dancer; I love her when she’s collaborating with Derek; I love her as a person – but I’m not loving her as a pro on DWTS. And unfortunately, I’m not sure that Jonathan could really afford to have another weak dance like his week 2 cha-cha. It’s hard telling how this week’s votes/scores and next week’s are going to cobble together, but I do think there’s potential for a (slightly) shocking elim come week 6…and I think Jonathan might be a primo candidate.
Ok, so what are your thoughts on “most memorable year” week? And what couples are you hoping to see in the switch next week? 🙂
I agree that Alfonso, Sadie and Lea were the best dances of the evening. I thought that Janel’s rumba was beautiful. Bethany’s rumba was more of a contemporary and if it was to be a contemporary it would have likely earned 40. But because of the lack of content that’s why the lower scores. Lea’s story was probably the most touching to me, followed by Janel’s. Bethany was very inspirational to women of all ages and I loved the special effects in their dance. And Alfonso bringing out the Carlton. Brought me back to the Fresh Prince days. Jonathan and Alison need to step it up to avoid future elimination. Michael, though not an excellent dancer is way more entertaining than Jonathan. One week as I was trying to recall who was left to dance I even forgot Jonathan was on the show. He hasn’t really “wowed” me whereas I loved Michael’s waltz last week. Tommy always brings the fun and even though his jive was imperfect it was fun. That’s why he’s still around. Antonio is another “meh” dancer for me. Seeing him shirtless did nothing for me and did nothing to improve his dance. Poor Betsey. She was improving so well and was a lot of fun! So sad to see her and Tony leave. My power rankings are similar to the ones above except I would switch Bethany and Janel around simply based on the lack of content in Bethany’s. If Bethany’s dance would have been a contemporary it would have been near perfect. It was very emotional and there was a lot of feeling. Her story was inspiring to girls and women everywhere.
Courtney I hope you’re feeling better. Just take two Carltons with a class of water.
Love it as always courtney
Alfonso was the highlight for me
I loved it so much and i love him with witney
I liked sadie bethany and janel
The rest didnt make an impression on me
I think the raise the paddle is a good idea on paper but they didnt seem to make it work at all
I’m actually sorry to see Betsey go. I thought her jive was one of her better ones. Loved Sadie’s dance. Thought it was one of the best of night (with Alfonso and Lea).
Kind of dis sapinoted in Allison as a pro. I wonder what Jonathan could do if he had Cheryl or Karina. Looking forward to the switch up! Just keep the drama out of it.
I agree, Alfonso and Witney made me so happy. That was so much fun and a nice change for me, because I was crying a lot lol
Bethany had me tearing up the second she had tears in her eyes during the package and crying when she wrote the words at the end of the routine. I thought it lacked content (but I don’t know anything about dance), but at the same time I didn’t really care. I thought the connection between Derek and Beth was lovely 🙂 Oh and Derek (who already seemed like he was tearing up before) almost outright crying when Jules was – oh dear Lord, don’t do that to me.
I loved Lea and Artem’s contemporary. The story about how they celebrated a different thing every day with her dad was so touching, it had me just sobbing. They danced beautifully too.
I swear, I didn’t recognize Mark at first ha! The dance was great, too.
Michael story was tragic and had me thinking about how quickly things can turn, sometimes before you even really comprehend what is going on.
I have only watched the other dances briefly, so I don’t really want to comment on them.
All in all I though the night was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know the celebs and see them show their feelings more than they did in past weeks.
Don’t know about the judges. Julianne could hardly speak after Bethany and Derek’s rumba, but apart from that the judges seemed pretty reserved. I don’t really know, it was kinda weird …
The only time the “raise your paddle” thing was futzy on me was when Jonathan and Allison were dancing. I was able to score Janel, then it froze on me, and I was able to score from Betsey on.
But I have no doubt there were people that couldn’t score AT ALL, like you, Court.
It was a good idea… maybe on paper, but I don’t think they anticipated the tech problems. Actually, it seems like TPTB NEVER anticipate the tech problems.
(sorry about the split posts)
Betsey’s elimination made me sad, but I was happy with how she left – gracious, and on such a high note.
I almost wish the switch up wouldn’t be next week, because I think it would be interesting to see whether the couples grew closer after this week and the stories they shared. Oh well.
As disappointed as I am that Allison (or rather her ballroom choreography) isn’t quite up to par I still feel a bit sorry for her. I’m sure things aren’t going quite the way that she had maybe imagined them to be (e.g. negativity from the fans).
She’s still got the chance to prove herself, but I think she needs to do it fast, otherwise the majority of the fans will have made their minds up about her. 🙁 I love her, she’s such a beast, but a season in the troupe might have been better looking back at it now…?
I think that Bethany and Derek had the most emotional chemistry not only with each other but to the dance and the message of the dance. I thought it had enough rumba content because we knew it was not going to be a “sexual” rumba like Janel/Val. I felt like one judge should of given Beth/Derek a 9. Derek’s choreography to an emotional dance and telling a story compares to no other pro, they are just breathtaking to watch. I did not feel that Janel/Val had any emotional chemistry in that dance – it was just a dance and like the other dances they have done, always seems so hurried. To me Sadie’s Samba was the same as her cha cha – same leg, arm, hip action – I am tired of the cutsie dances and want to see some depth from her. Lea’s was ok to me, did not feel it desered 10’s more like all 9’s. Artem like Val to me always hurries his dances and puts so much in you do not get to enjoy the beautiful movement. I did not feel it like other’s did. The other’s were ok. Just glad the Carlton dance is done so that I can quit hearing about it.
Alfonso was it for me. I had a smile throughout!!! Witney is killing it. Sadie and Mark were fabulous also. Their outfits? Well, I appreciate the fact that they had a theme and went with it but I found myself distracted somewhat by the outfits during the dance, ha, ha. Bethany’s was very moving. I understand not enough rumba content but I don’t think Derek or Bethany cared about that. Janel is just not doing it for me. Jonathan? I feel for him. I wish he had gotten a different pro because I feel like he has real potential. Allison should have gotten help with a ballroom dance but that being said I have felt like so far this season, a lot of the dances have been about her, instead of showcasing her partner. She talked to Mark. ???? I am loving Mark this season but let’s be honest he has struggled some seasons to showcase his partner. She should have talked to Derek. So while I thought I would love her as a pro, and maybe I will in the future, out of the gate she is struggling.
Forgot to add on the Raise Your Paddle. It didn’t pop up the voting box for Val and Janel until after their America score was already given. It NEVER gave me a box for Jonathan and Allison. But, I will say, after that, I had the right screen at the right time and was able to vote for each couple in the appropriate time frame. But I just don’t really believe the scores of America were so close to the judges? Really? Seems odd!!!!
Count me among the people who weren’t that upset to see Betsey go. The only person I would’ve preferred to lose was Antonio but like it was pointed out here, he seems to be getting votes.
Janel was fine. I love Sam’s cover and I love Val, and Janel did a decent enough job that I enjoyed it but it wasn’t anything special to me. It’s hard to describe but I feel like it was a little too hard for me, if that makes sense. Not as in difficult, but more like it didn’t flow as well as I wanted it too, not smooth enough. Idk moving on…
I really love Jonathan as a person but the dancing just isn’t there. I assumed he just didn’t have it in him but you make a good point that maybe Allison just isn’t the most capable teacher herself. This switch up week will be really telling for him.
I thought the intro to the dance with Betsey’s daughter was super sweet but other than that I don’t really remember much about it. I think it was her time.
Starting with Julianne when it comes to Bethany because in case anyone was still wants to whine about the unfairness of Julianne judging Derek/inability to be impartial, HELLO!! She could eaaasily have gotten away with not commenting on the content given her emotional response to the dance itself (not to mention that she was forgiving to Peta and Charlie’s rumba last season which was criticized on similar grounds) but nope. She gave it to him straight. And obviously Derek doesn’t care, as he’s said a million times he really wants to create memorable dances and he did that. I was so moved even though I did agree about the content. I really connected to Bethany for the first time and it was sweet to see Derek get emotional as well.
I loved Leas song and it was a beautiful dance (although I didnt love it as much as the judges) but I’m not connecting to her. Do love Artem though.
Michaels sweet and the package was really touching but his novelty has worn off for me. After Antonio I’d like to see him go next.
Antonio – this was dance was not sexy to me I thought it was awkward and forced. I know voting and fanbases are as much a part of this show as the dancing but I’m gonna be irritated if he lasts much longer.
So I actually was watching the judges table on the feeds for this dance and based on their reactions I was expecting 5s haha they did not look impressed. (Also from that angle when Peta kind of threw Tommy across the floor at the end it looked like he’d actually fallen, but anyway.) I love Tommy and Peta and this was once again super fun but a little overscored. Does anyone else get the feeling that TPTB are actively trying to keep Tommy around for a while? Nothing too drastic but I think he’s danced within the last three people every week so far if memory serves and I think there’s no way he was anywhere near the bottom three last night given his scores last week but mayve they knew he’d struggle with the jive and wanted to encourage votes for him?? Idk I’m not complaining because I’d love to see tommy in the finals (imagine the freestyle) but it was just something I’d been wondering.
Obsessed with Mark and Sadie as partners and with that dance. Id like to see them win to be honest.
Alfonso and Witney were everything. Jazz obviously is perfect for Alfonso he looked like he was having so much fun and Witney killed it. She’s really great. I’m ready to see Alfonso with some ballroom though.
Looking forward to switch up. Especially excited to see how Jonathan, Artem, Allison, and Janel fare with new partners.
Great comments Courtney and as usual you are articulate about what you write and I agree with all.
My emotional, tear jerking dance goes to Bethany, whether it be a rhumba filled with content or not is in the eyes of the beholder and these eyes with filled with tears and heartbreak when you think of how people of all ages are bullied, cyberbullied etc. It has to stop and Bethany & Derek’s message resonated with me and I hope people all over. Thank you both for this.
Excellent again, Court, and I’m with you on much of my rankings this time….
1. Alfonso and Witney – These two broke the bank. They were completely off the hook. Just perfect! A huge 10!!
2. Bethany and Derek – Just Breathtaking and so heart touching! I love how Derek always know how to story tell. I especially loved the end with the words on the screen. Visually just beautiful. It made me cry. I loved it so much. A total “awww” moment.
3. Sadie and Mark – What can I say? I just loved these two. They brought it. They let loose and just had fun. Mark’s choreo was spot on and so creative. I loved their moves to all the beats and the lyrics. He looked so funny too and she was a beautiful duckling. Her costume was my favorite of the night!! So much detail was put into it. Anyway, just fantastic…and thanks to them and TPTB for making one of my song wishes come to life!
4. Lea and Artem – Just absolutely stunning!! Magical and so touching. Their best dance to date. Another total moment.
5. Tommy and Peta – The loveable factor has taken over. It can’t be helped. I LOVED these two again. Yes, there were some mis-steps, but, they let loose and brought it out there. I also love how he’s never afraid to laugh at himself. He had fun and makes the best of it no matter what. Go Tommy and Peta!
6. Val and Janel – Like Bruno, I thought the spins needed work. I wasn’t feeling this dance or them like last week’s dance. I was expecting great choreo and it just wasn’t there. They were just “ok”.
7. Allison and Jonathan – I like them so much, but, they went backwards tonight. I don’t understand what’s wrong with them? Their expressions, attack, and heart are all into it and the talent is there, but, it’s like they are trying too hard. He also needed more bounce and foot action. I hope they really can start relaxing, let everything go, and come out with a break out next week or the end could be near. Come on Guys, you can do this.
8. Antonio and Cheryl – This dance felt uncomfortable for some reason (adding: defer to what Courtney wrote. She hit the nail on the head with it). Again, I love them, but, a lot of it was stiff and slow. I’m getting really worried on these two.
9. Michael and Emma – I agree with the judges. There were good parts and some bad parts. He had great carraige and then lost it. It was also too stiff and too slow in spots. They also seemed nervous and sad like they thought they’d be eliminated from the get go. But, I still love them and hope they stick around. Like Jonathan and Allison, they just need to let all of their worries go and just go for it.
Alfonso and Witney were just so entertaining. They deserve the 10’sunlike last week.
But UI have to say I love Sadie and Mark. Julianne was right. The concept and content were amazing and they both sold it. I was kinda meh on Sadie but now I want her to get to the finals.I think she has it in her and I love,love Mark this season.
Also as if I didn’t already say enough (sorry I had no idea I’d written that much) I’m wondering how they can keep the raise your paddle votes when it’s obvious that they weren’t working at all for Jonathan and to some extent for Janel. Wondering if they announce at the top of next week that they’re gonna throw those out and just use the three scores. Not holding my breath but it seems like that’s definitely the most fair way to handle it.
I only got to vote/provide a score for the first three then this little bar thing popped up and that ended that. Anyways, my rankings are:
1)Alfonso and Witney: Perfection in every sense of the word. He had fun. She had fun. Didn’t miss a step. Audience had fun. The Carlton was done. Perfection. Plus, he had everyone watching with me (all 7 of my cousins) doing the Carlton so yay 🙂
2)Lea and Artem: Honestly, I was in tears with this one (as were my cousins) because it was that great. She was beyond perfect in my opinion and I think deserved a perfect score. Definitely hit a chord because I lost my grandfather at the age of 5 and without going into too much detail I’ll just say that there isn’t a day where I wish my biggest fan/confidante/best friend was still around.
3)Janel and Val: Yeah, again she does a great dance that makes it really difficult for me not to like. Kudos to Val as well for not turning that into the get a room dance of the season.
4)Sadie and Mark: So I saw the fake beard Mark was rocking and immediately thought “Duck Dynasty Moses” (even the real duck dynasty guys had shorter beards lol) but that was such a fun dance. I kinda agreed with the 9s. Now, Sadie might have just opened up Pandora’s box too though. She alluded to the whole scandal regarding what her grandfather said but I hope people don’t hold it against her because she and the family supported him. To quote “The Middle”, you always do for family…plain and simple.
5)Bethany and Derek: I have pretty much realized that she is this quiet person naturally but after that dance I now know why. Having been the bully victim for a number of years because I was a nerd and really dedicated to just succeeding academically and just attempting to ignore it and internalizing it, I definitely struggled to figure out what to do with my life and her whole situation hit home. Was it a little similar to a contemporary dance…..a little at times but I really loved this dance.
6)Tommy and Peta: This was a fun dance but it wasn’t really his best either. The thing is though, he is just so much fun that I really didn’t care.
7)Antonio and Cheryl: This was an odd dance. He is definitely getting better. Saying that, he kinda reminded me of the little engine that could because he puts his all into the dances and has the whole I think I can attitude but dancing doesn’t seem to be natural for him. I remember Ingo had the same issue but had more of a personality to cover things up a bit. Ironically, I was kinda shocked to like this dance a little because Cheryl seemed to be having a blast more than him. Oh and Cheryl’s costume was my fav 🙂
8)Jonathan and Allison: To use an analogy, this dance was like a movie that looks good on paper or in the trailer and then turns out to be a complete mess. The beginning was cute. Then Milkshake came in and that started off well then it went all kinds of wrong. You hit the nail on the head about Allison because all I kept thinking was “If someone like Peta, Anna, or any of the female pros past or present had him as a partner instead would he have learned more technique?”. She clearly taught him that for his tango but seemed to bypass that step entirely for the samba.
9)Michael and Emma: Emma is a miracle worker. He is getting better and better as the show goes on. Does he have that natural ability to dance like Bill did. No. Saying that, he seems to really listen to the critiques and work on what the judges and Emma tell him. So he is an A+ student and it’s showing. He chose a quickstep, which in my opinion is probably the toughest dance on the show besides argentine tango so he clearly was up for a challenge and fearless though. Overall, his best dance yet in my opinion.
Now just a little thing I had to say about Betsey. She had a solid jive and incorporating her daughter into the dance was adorable. More importantly, she has been having fun on her journey on the show. Age is just a number and the mere fact that (and this is just my opinion) she is the best older female celebrity the show has had in terms of movement and technical aspects since the legendary Gladys Knight hands down. She was pure joy and energy on the dance floor and she should be very proud of herself. And Tony really seems to like her and had fun as well.
I loved last night! Now my rankings:
Lea & Artem: For me it was the best dance of the night. I just re-watched it this morning and it made me cry all over again. This woman is amazing and that dance was perfection in my eyes.
Bethany & Derek: What this dance lacked in Rumba content it made up for in emotion, heart and an overall beautiful message. I didn’t expect to see a full-on Rumba from them but I loved it anyways.
Alfonso & Witney: Confession: I may or may not have gotten up and danced the Carlton when he was teaching Erin how to do it 😛 I overall really enjoyed this dance. As I said in another post, what I liked more about wasn’t even the Carlton itself but the other side-by-sde Jazz steps that he did with Witney. My God those were incredible. Why is this guy not on Broadway? And why is Witney not on Broadway for that matter. Her choreography was INCREDIBLE.
Sadie & Mark: I wasn’t a fan of the costumes (mainly Mark.. though it made chuckle) but the dance itself was pretty incredible. This girl moves like she’s been doing Latin dancing all her life. Her arms, her legs.. they move so beautifully and I was just in awe! I really, really enjoyed it and I would definitely not mind seeing her in the finals (and I think we may very well get to).
Tommy & Peta: I had a feeling this was gonna be a step back for him but even with that I still think he handled this Jive WAY better than I thought he was going to. He did some decent looking kicks here and there and he kept up with Peta quite well, I thought. It was just so much fun! I’m glad he is safe and that now he got the Jive out of the way which I think is probably the hardest dance he’ll have to do this season.
Janel & Val: I actually liked the dance a lot in terms of her technique. However I wasn’t really moved by it. I was moved by the story of her mentor/grandmother but the dance didn’t really reflect on that story. To me it was more like “here’s my story about my mentor passing away. and now this is a rumba that has nothing to do with it”. Maybe I’m being a bit too harsh? :X I did enjoy the dance more than I thought I would though.
Betsey & Tony: Aw I’m so sad to see her go 🙁 I didn’t want her to leave… ever. She was just always so cute and so classy about everything. I’ll definitely miss her. Her Jive was very messy though. I was surprised at CAI comment on how she “missed nothing” during the dance when I saw LOTS of mistakes. Maybe CAI already knew she was going home so she gave her a pity score? :\ I was VERY surprised though by that freeze! Holy cow!
Jonathan & Allison: Really not much to say about this other than it was just fun to watch but it was also, at the same time, kinda awkward. He looked like he was having fun though so I’ll give him that… But I fear his time is running out FAST.
Michael & Emma (tied with Jonathan): It started out very promising and then it kinda went downhill for me. I very much LOVED the package and I shed a tear. Can’t imagine how Michael must have felt at that moment… But anyways, sadly, this dance just didn’t do it for me :\
Antonio & Cheryl: How badly I was hoping he would go home today. Ugh. I just feel ZERO connection to this guy and I do not find his dances enjoyable at all. As I expected it, it was a really awkward Samba and then he tried being all sexy with his shirt off and rubbing his body and it just made it even MORE awkward. *cringe* I loved what Tom said after the dance though: “that had ‘to my mom’ written all over it”. I died! Hahahaha. I honestly didn’t really find his “most memorable year” story interesting, or moving or anything of the sort. He seems to be getting votes though so sadly, I think he might outlast Jonathan and even Michael (possibly).
As for the switch up, this is how I would want them paired with:
Sadie & Val / Bethany & Mark / Lea & Derek / Janel & Artem
Alfonso & Emma / Antonio & Peta / Tommy & Allison / Jonathan & Cheryl (she’ll whip him into shape lol) / Michael & Witney.
As for the switchup, I hope it ends up like this:
Sadie and Artem
Janel and Mark
lea and Derek
Bethany and Val
Alfonso and Cheryl
Antonio and Peta
Tommy and Allison
Jonathan and Emma
Michael and Witney
These rankings are spot on! To be honest, I wish Jonathan and Allison had been in jeopardy and gone home tonight, at least based on what will probably happen in the switch up. I’m going to be so sad if it ends up Michael, who is already struggling but improving, does end up with Allison. I worry that would be the nail in his coffin.
@Amie I totally agree with you. I wish Allison had been in the troupe this season and Jenna was a pro. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
I’m not sure which pairing’s chemistry I love more — Mark & Sadie or Witney & Alfonse. TPTB hit those nails on the head. Both couples were definitely the ones to beat last night.
I might have said it before but I really enjoy and always look forward to your power rankings. Thanks Coutney. I wish it was Antonio who got eliminated instead of Betsy. I don’t connect with him at all. The stage setup during Alfonso’s performance reminded me of the living room on Fresh Prince. He and Whitney killed it last night. It was a well deserved 10. Yes, I don’t feel any connection with Janel and Val. Bethany/Derek, Lea/Artem made me cry. For those who keep complaining about Julianne being a judge better stop their whining. If they do, they must have closed their eyes and ears when she was judging Derek and Bethany. I really enjoy Mark and Sadie partnership this season.
You are spot on with the comments and rankings. I’d rather see Antonio go before any of the other men though. I love Allison too and want to love her as a pro but she’s not doing Jonathan any favors and that kills me. He loves the show so much and is such a cheerleader for the other celebs that I’d hate to see him go next. I hope he gets Peta in the switch up. He needs a strong partner to show him proper technique. I don’t connect with Janel at all and wouldn’t be surprised if she’s not getting the votes. She’s a good dancer but Val doesn’t seem to be interested in giving her quality dances, just a lot of moves that she doesn’t always do cleanly. Of course loved Bethany and Derek and their message about bullying which trumps the rumba content. And Sadie really is a surprise this season. She can entertain!
Loved Sadie & Mark(costumes & all) just made me want to get up and dance.
Thought Lea’s dance was her best so far.
Alfonso & Whitney were perfection.
Loved Bethany’s & Derek’s rumba. Thought it was danced beautifully and so full of emotion. It got me teary eyed.
Now what bothered me was the judges. (The mute button was again my best friend.) I seem to remember last season when Meryl did her contemporary rumba they all thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Hmm double standard much.
I know I might be the only one but I thought it was all a cringefest, enough with the overly emotional stories, glad to be moving away from that, glad I can stop hearing about the freaking carlton dance. Now I can’t wait for next week. It’s gonna be much more exciting.
I caugh a case of the giggles when I saw Mark in full costume. Loved every minute of Sadie and Mark’s dance. Loved seeing her Uncles Si(who looked like he was having a good time in the audience) Jase and Jep. Of course Willie was a proud dad. I hope Grandpa Phil got to see this one. I thought for sure this dance would’ve gotten two 10s.
Lea was just simply beautiful. Both me and my mom were crying during her story. Bethany’s story got me too.
Courtney said it best about Alfonso. Loved everything about it.
At this point, I have to wonder if/why Allison isn’t seeking help with the choreography. She’s got some of them down fine (her jive was great, and her tango had a lot of tango in it, even if it was a bit too staccato, to use Len’s term), but this one wasn’t very good.
And Annie wins the “Betty Buzzkill” award for the day…must be so hard for you to hear about the Carlton dance OVER and OVER again. :::roll:::
Court, hope you’re feeling better. Power Rankings were spot on, as always!
Glad to have most memorable year behind us for another season. Never my favorite week. This one was OK.
Since I have no quibbles with the power rankings, I’ll just throw out some random thoughts:
Favorite Dance: Sadie and Mark’s Samba.
Most Moving Performance: Lea and Artem’s Contemporary.
Most Fun to Watch: Tommy and Peta’s Jive.
Worst of the Night: Jonathan and Allison.
Most Uncomfortable to Watch: Antonio and Cheryl.
Best of the Night: Alfonso and Witney. They were fantastic.
Didn’t even bother with the Paddle thing; knew it would be a cluster*
A few random thoughts on Allison….just because I’m really sad for her and Jonathan. By her lack of presence on Twitter, I’m imagining that she might be feeling down. Their body language last night definitely made me think it’s starting to wear on them too. I agree this little DWTS experiment isn’t working out so well. And I hate that it is at her expense.
It’s funny to me because I look a the contemporary routines that the ballroom dancers do, and they are to me lackluster (Well, except for Derek’s :)) Sweet, touching, beautifully executed….yes. But nowhere compared to the caliber of contemporary I see from the likes of Travis Wall, or Allison–in her element.
I also wish they would have given her a contemporary or jazz (or hip-hop! :)) in these first few weeks. Probably would have been unfair too, but I still wish 🙂 I don’t imagine they would have given Keo contemporary his first week….so I justified it in my head. 🙂
Ahhh. Just sucks.
One of my favorite Rumbas of all time is Andre and Natalie dancing to Autumn Leaves at the Ohio Star Ball 4 or 5 years ago. It was romantic and moving and I respond better to those types of Rumbas than I do to an overtly sexual herky jerky type of Rumba.
Which is probably why I liked Bethany and Derek’s Rumba over Val and Janel’s. Rumba is my least favorite Val dance. So frantic and one level. I did think Janel danced it well though, just not my cup of tea.
I liked Sadie’s costume a lot too. I loved the colors and styling. I’m a sucker for feathers! Mark’s costume on the other hand! Oh well, at least he wasn’t wearing a gorilla suit.
My favorites of the night were Alfonso, Lea and Janel. Just did not see the point in “America Votes”, seriously so America agreed totally with the judges.
I probably could have enjoyed Sadie and Mark but I was so distracted by Mark that it was impossible for me to see anything else.
Sorry to see Betsy go.
My favorites were Alphonso, Lea, Sadie, Tommy and Bethany. I could have done without Mark’s beard but the dance was so much fun, spot on and age appropriate.
My favorite comment was Tommy’s when Erin asked him if he would dance with Tony for the switch-up and he said, “Why not, I have been in prison.” Got to love that man.
Becki (#29) — I agree that this DWTS experiment isn’t working out, and while I’m sorry for Allison, I’m even more sorry for Jonathan. This is supposed to be about *him*. I’m sure he’s enjoying working with Allison, she seems like a great person; but he’d be a better dancer with one of the other pros.
Loved Alfonso and Bethany this week. I went on another DWTS forum yesterday and it made me really sad to see that people were making fun of Beth’s story about being bullied, especially after she encouraged her fans to tweet #ILoveWhoIAmBecause followed by things that they love about themselves. As for the dance, I agree that there could’ve been more rumba content, but I personally thought it was the perfect balance of dancing and emotion. As far as Alfonso is concerned, he’s my winner! I hope to see him with the MB in a few weeks time.
Alfonso and Whitney were the best of the night! I waited to see that dance, was glad they danced last and it was so worth the wait. They nailed that dance and anything other than a perfect score would have been so very wrong. As a pair, they are a joy to watch. I had a huge smile on my face watching him do the Carlton, and like Courtney, it made a rotten day so much better!
Bethany’s dance was wonderful. Julianne was right, she sent a message out with that dance that no more matter how bad things are, you can turn them around for the better. I loved the words in the background changing as they danced. She should be proud of that dance.
I also like Sadie and Mark. Mark looked ridiculous but it worked. And using her family at the start worked. I think Sadie is adorable and Mark is working really well with her. I see her in the finals.
Michael seems like a nice guy and he’s truly having fun and taking everything he can from this experience. But he can’t dance. I love Emma, and she’s proving again that she can work with anyone, but I would like to see her with someone younger that has the chance to go far. Michael’s time has come to an end and should be the next to leave.
Lea’s dance was beautiful. I’m sure her dad was watching and she made him proud.
Tommy just makes me smile. The jive was hard for him, but it was still fun to watch. He’ll probably go home soon, but I will enjoy watching him until he does.
Antonio and Cheryl, eh. He’s the one that is forgettable to me this year and I don’t know why. His dances aren’t bad, but they just don’t stand out for me.
Jonathan and Alison are sort of like that too. I don’t know if it’s because I expected more from her, but then when she tried something different, she got nailed for it. He’ll be around for a few more weeks, but right now I don’t see him making even the semi finals.
I’ve tried to find something about Janel that I like, but can’t. She just rubs me the wrong way. She can dance, but then we know she’s had experience that she won’t admit to. Maybe that’s the reason. Would love to see her a surprise elimination.
I didn’t even bother trying the paddle voting. I knew it would be mess when it was announced, I knew there would be a massive amount of problems getting through and actually voting, so I decided to watch the show and enjoy it instead of getting frustrated over that.
Not surprised Betsey left, I knew it would be her or Michael. But she went out with some nice dances and with class.
Most Memorable Year Night always tugs on my heart strings because of how much much each star has been through prior to joining the show, and this night was no exception.
1. Alfonso & Witney: Best dance of the night in my opinion. I’m still gobsmacked that it took four weeks for them to break out the Carlton. I was getting so many nostalgic feels during the dance that I literally got up and danced.
2. Lea & Artem: Call me crazy, but I think Lea could potentially make the finals. I was so moved by the performance that I started to cry because it was so beautiful. I’m still pissed that America gave her a 9, that should’ve been all 10’s.
3. Sadie & Mark: I absolutely adore these two. Not only did the dance entertain, it also brought out Sadie’s personality and charm and I loved it. I also now have a new love for feathers and beards. Haha
4. Janel & Val: This was one of those dances that tugged on my heart strings because I can relate to Janel’s story of not being able to say goodbye. I was absolutely moved by the performance, and I can feel something special happening between her and Val.
5. Bethany & Derek: Unfortunately, these two took a huge step back from last week. The performance and story didn’t really come together, and it felt like a huge miss.
6. Tommy & Peta: While he may not be the best dancer, he is defintely the most entertaining and fun to watch. I was worried that Jive was going to be his downfall, and it did show a bit. Having said that, I think he brought the entertainment factor to the dance (along with motorboating Peta) and it makes me wonder what will happen during the switch up next week.
7. Antonio & Cheryl: I’m always left ambivalent about these two. I think this Samba was very lackluster, and it didn’t really go anywhere. I’m not sure how much longer they’ll last in this competition.
8. Michael & Emma: I think he may be this season’s Bill Engvall, only worse. It’s really hard to watch these two dance because of the height difference. Their Quickstep I thought was too slow and it had a couple of mistakes. I’m not sure he’ll last much longer.
9. Jonathan & Allison: As a Mean Girls fan, I was delighted by the tribute; as a DWTS fan, I was disappointed. All their Samba really did was disappoint me, but it made me laugh at the same time. Maybe next week for the switch up, he’ll get somebody who will have him whipped.
Elimination: I was very surprised to see Betsey leave. I was hoping to see what she had in store for next week.
Those are my rankings. See you guys next week for the Switch Up!!!
Very curious to see how Jonathan does with a pro with ballroom experience…or just with a different partner…to see what they bring out of him.
Surprisingly, I was able to score every couple except Jonathan & Allison (had some freeze-up/buffering action going on during their entire segment). I don’t doubt that scoring was much more problematic for others. Oh the joy of technical difficulties! (as well as the TPTB’s inability to plan accordingly for them).
My favorite dance of the night goes to Sadie and Mark. I love this pairing so very much, and I have re-watched this dance more times than I should admit…it just makes me happy!
Yes, Cidra. Totally feel bad for him too. As a teacher, my first thought is that Allison must feel awful that she is letting him down (and yes, I am a long time fan of hers so probably a little defensive.)
But I did yell at me TV last night to focus on Jonathan! 🙂 And deal with Allison behind the scenes maybe? Extra support? Mentoring? Something!
i don’t know what the rest of you think but I don’t know how long Janel can stay propped up by the judges. In almost all the rankings, she is not garnering any attention really. Even the majority of Val’s fans don’t seem to warm up to her. Are there any other celebs that had great dance ability that just did not connect to the viewer? I think I am in the show’s major demo so, if I am not interested in their dances, I don’t think I am alone. The thing about charisma is it is hard to describe- you either have it or you don’t and she does not have it imo. So how far does she go? Can she still win the thing?
I think Janel gives off bitchy vibes and that’s why the public doesn’t like her, at least that’s what it seems like to me even though I don’t know anything about her. She just doesn’t seem like a nice person.
Bethany or Sadie on the other hand seem really nice.
My favorite dance of the night was again Sadie and Mark. It’s just so fun to watch these unexpected moves and the costumes and choreography and technique all had me laughing and appreciating their enjoyment and Mark’s commitment to it.
Obviously Alfonso an Witney were fantastic, and his musicality is probably the best we’ve ever seen on the show. Such detail and precision add depth and take their movement quality to unseen heights, at least in terms of a male celeb.
Bethany and Derek made me tear up for my own daughter, who has been bullied in the past. I agree that it was more contemporary than rumba, but I didn’t want to see a rumba to that song and message anyway.
I was surprised that Janel and Val’s rumba wasn’t as raunchy as it could have been. Good technique, but almost too much content. Still don’t care for her otherwise, but she is a good dancer.
Lea looked beautiful and graceful. Still not a fan of Artem’s.
I SOOOO want Jonathan and Allison to succeed but his technique was terrible, and for a pro I noticed hers wasn’t amazing either. I think she could do amazing things with someone that had more experience, and he could be better with someone that is more equipped to handle a beginner. However, I love their partnership otherwise, so I’m torn.
I thought Betsey’s Jive was actually pretty darn okay. I was hoping Antonio was going to leave. That whole samba was so awkward.
Michael is getting better, but he’s still my second-least favorite at this point, although still miles ahead of Antonio.
Alfonso & Witney – Song, styling and choreography = perfection. Pure joy and ease!
Sadie & Mark – despite the package being a turn-off for me and the costumes a bit over the top, this samba was super fun and well done!
Lea & Artem – definitely feel like Lea had a breakthrough. Her technique and emotions were beautiful. Love to see her with Derek next week.
Bethany & Derek – wish this had been a contemporary dance. Dancing was good but lacked same punch as her compelling story. Sure that more people connecting with her though.
Janel & Val – the rumba itself was very good, but too sensual and did not connect to the package or the emotion.
Betsey & Tony – full of joy and she did a decent jive with energy and some technique. I hate that she’s gone!
Now the rest . . . the dancing was just not very good and disappointing.
Tommy & Peta – he’s having fun, but not trying too hard and the entertainment/surprise factor has worn off for me.
Antonio & Cheryl – Wrong in so many ways – not to mention the package featuring his Mom.
Michael & Emma – compelling story and I genuinely enjoyed the performance, but Courtney’s saying he “didn’t do terribly” says it all!
Jonathan & Allison – at least he’s trying and seems to be having fun, but he’s so stiff and seems uncomfortable.
Really think Antonio or Jonathan or even Tommy should have been eliminated.
#34. Really Emma? That’s why I don’t go to such places anymore ie ABC forum. Sometimes I wonder where the heck are the moderators. People there are so toxic and nobody seems to do anything. And the funny thing is they accused the moderators here as being rude. I guess they don’t like if someone’s telling them the logic or truth.
Loved Alfonso. Witney is doing a great job. He was so much fun on my least favorite week each season. Sadly the rest of the night was a major let down to me.
I felt for Bethany and her story, but when I think back on her dance, I mostly remember her pointing at words. I get the feeling Derek just doesn’t have much to work with this season.
Bethany and Janel are pretty interchangeable for me. Probably just too young to have developed much of who they are, so their personalities while dancing come across as flat to me.
I enjoy Sadie’s dancing but as long as the show keeps shoving the “Ducks” on me, I won’t be able to judge her without that baggage. I know the show is trying to keep her family’s demo tuning in by featuring them but I hate their show sponsored intrusion.
I feel so bad for Jonathan. Last night he looked so sad all night after his scores. I don’t think Allison has a clue what to do to make things better. I feel bad for Allison because I think the show sold her a bill of goods about being cutting edge beyond ballroom and now she’s there trying to teach a basic samba.
Unfortunately last night wasn’t Tommy’s best and I want him around for awhile. His dancing has spirit and he’s so much fun. Did the show cut away twice last night during the opening because of something he did?
Antonio and Michael…the show just isn’t working for either of them.
Lea I keep forgetting.
Betsey went out a class act. I wish she had gotten a couple of more weeks.
Becki, I’m thinkin’ it’s probably too late for Jonathan at this point, unless he really impresses with his temporary pro during switch-up week, and that would still be a short-term “fix”. As for Allison, if she wants to try to make it work on DWTS, she first has to acknowledge she’s lacking the ballroom teaching skills and find a way to get some remedial education. If it was me, I’d go to Karina or Sharna for the help, advice, mentoring you suggested. Of course, Derek would be a great resource but he’s got to devote his energy to Bethany (while juggling all his other projects).
Judy, A name that comes to mind for me in answer to your question is Chelsea Kane. She was a very good dancer who didn’t resonate with viewers and had to be constantly pimped and propped up by TPTB.
You are correct, PJ. Very big double standard – no surprise there. Once again, Derek gets castigated for something that got 10’s when Meryl did it last season.
Well, many of the other forums are where the people who DO the bullying reside. Especially if you go to abc.com which is an utter cesspool. Troll den.
I couldn’t have loved Alfonso and Whitney’s dance more. So fun and I really liked Whitney last year but had no idea she was such a great choreographer. All of her rountines with Alfonso have been so great. And their dancing is so evenly matched I don’t want to take my eyes of either of them. They really are dancing as a pair.
To that, I loved Sadie and Mark just as much. They would tie in top spot for me. This is my favorite partnership ever for Mark. Love the dances, love the way she just goes for it with no self-consciousness or inhibitions in her movements, and I can’t believe she doesn’t have a dance background because she is such a natural and looks amazing doing it.
Following those I really enjoyed all of Lea, Bethany, Tommy and Janel also, though my heart belongs to Tommy in this group for just how cute he is and how he is making Peta seem softer and more fun.
For me, I’d have Michael, Jonathan and Antonio be the next 3 to go (in that order). Just not as entertaining or skilled as the rest.
Overall, really enjoying the season, and despite what some others see, I’m not feeling like I’m being beaten over the head by the show with any major pimping or showmances, which is refreshing. Only thing that bugs is I think the judges trying to downplay Alfonso a bit because he’s just so good.
What a fun night!
Judy, the names that come to mind for me are Elizabeth Berkley and Christina Milian (though Elizabeth at least had a bet of SBTB nostalgia to help her along).
I felt like Derek and Bethany’s rhumba was great, but it seemed short? It made me cry like a baby. Alfonso and Witney-the joy and beautiful dancing are so fun to watch! Sadie and Mark rocked it, to me.
Lea’s dancing was beautiful, but for some reason I felt the reaching out and non-crying crying she did at the end of the dance were forced (not genuine)and overly dramatic-just my opinion.
Michael is cute, but I’m ready for him to go. I think Cheryl is doing her best to get Antonio to ‘let go,’ but it doesn’t seem to be happening.
As to the ‘raise your paddle,’ I thought it was a great way to get folks to watch the show live vs. recording it to watch later (though that didn’t work at my house-the kids prefer The Voice).
The top three for me last night were Alfonso, Sadie and Lea. Overall for the season, I would choose the same three.
I am okay with Betsey going, but wish it had been Tommy. He just has a creep factor about him. And what is it with DWTS and jail birds?? Are there not any other people out there to choose from?
1. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Alfonso and Witney’s Jazz! #1 Dance of the night for me!
2. Bethany and Derek’s Rumnba. Funny how Meryl and Maks’ ContempoRumba was OK last season but not ok this one? HATE the double standards!!! Thought it was beautifully done. Derek did a wonderful job with the production. LOVED that Colbie Caillat was there to sing it live!!
3. Lea and Artem’s Contemporary. Well done and it made me cry.
4. Sadie and Mark’s Samba. She did the best Samba of the night. Just not connecting with her but that’s my reason.
5. Janel and Val–don’t like how TPTB are pushing the showmance between these two AT ALL! It was a nice Rumba but she’s a dancer so she OUGHT to be good.
6. Tommy & Peta-these two are just FUN to watch!
7. Antonio and Cheryl-still not as good as I thought they were gonna be. He can go home ANY time.
8. Jonathan and Allison–I SO wanted this dance to be better. Allison should’ve asked for help if she didn’t know how to choreo a Samba. I’m sure Derek would’ve helped her 😉
9. Michael and Emma–sad that he got a bit worse from the week before but for me it was a horse a piece between him and Betsey as to whom should’ve gone home.
Well from Courtney and Heidi’s post, it looks like Bethany will be with Mark, which will be good. Mark is a good choreographer. Derek will get Lea and will do well by her. As for the rest, I don’t really care.
10.
@Karen T I enjoy Sadie’s dancing but as long as the show keeps shoving the “Ducks” on me, I won’t be able to judge her without that baggage. I know the show is trying to keep her family’s demo tuning in by featuring them but I hate their show sponsored intrusion.
I say: But it’s okay for Alfonso to pimp the Carlton? For Antonio to pimp Janet Jackson? For Michael to pimp NASCAR?
It was personal story night. Sadie is 17. Her personal story is her family. They own a business that is ‘duck’ centric. What else would one expect from her on personal story night?
I loved all the stories. This year’s personal stories actually seemed real and very personal compared to some of the other junk we have seen since DWTS instituted Personal Story Night!
I feel really bad for Allison – and this is the same thing we saw with Tyne. Both were beautiful dancers, but neither had great ballroom choreo. The thing with Allison is, if she has one or two seasons in troupe, she could get SO much better. It’s just a rough first season, like Lindsay had. And I think it’s pretty clear that when you have a season in the troupe first, you do better. I don’t know if I would have wanted Jenna as a pro, though – I think the pairings this season were great without Jenna.
RE Raise Your Paddle: I was able to vote for everyone except Jonathan and Allison, which contributes to their being screwed. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go home this week!
#28 Cidra- Great descriptions for all of the dances. That’s exactly how I felt.
I was watching a show tonight with DWTS review from yesterday. From what I caught from it, they were talking about how the producers told Tommy that they would remove the footage every time he makes the smoking gesture. I could be mistaken in what I heard, but it explains that giant DWTS sign that appeared out of nowhere at the start of the show. I love Tommy and Peta and I hope he doesn’t cause too much trouble LOL.
Well said dancewithyou! I’m not a Duck Dynasty fan, but these people are Sadie’s family members. Of course they’re going to be in the audience every week to support her especially since she’s only 17.
The Kardashians were also out in force when their family members were dancing on the show. I don’t like them either, and in my opinion, they were a lot more obnoxious and intrusive audience members than the Robertsons have been.
The Osborne family was front and center when Kelly and Jack danced.
Whenever you have these well known families in the audience, the camera is going to be drawn to them. It’s just the way Hollywood works.
I feel there are times to evaluate people based on the company they keep, and other times when it’s better to tune that out and focus on the individual.
Finally got to see all of the dances on YouTube (though I skipped most of the packages). Some thoughts:
Alfonso is freaking AMAZING. That jazz was beyond fantastic. And I’m afraid I’m going to have to eat crow on my opinion about Witney — she’s really proving to be an excellent choreographer and their partnership is wonderful. Alfonso is such a showman, and although he’s obviously a fantastic dancer, I think his ability to bring the performances to life with his facial expressions and musicality will be his strongest assets in the competition. I came a bit after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, bit watching Alfonso makes me want to see the show!
Echoing Courtney, I’m really loving the Mark and Sadie partnership too. They’re so alike and so fun and are putting out great dances without trying too hard, getting worked up, showmancing or having too live up to overly high expectations (my one concern for Alfonso). LOVED their funky samba, and loved that she could handle both the samba parts and the hip-hop/jazz parts with ease. I’d really love to see her do Hip hop sometime, if they bring it back.
The two things for me that separated Bethany’s rumba from Meryl’s were: a) Derek straight up said in his blog that it wasn’t going to be chock-full of rumba, and b) there was a purpose to its lack of content: the message of the song and dance didn’t fit with the sensual tone of the rumba. I loved their performance, and I think it was really special for Bethany, which I’m glad for, especially after having a week where most of the dance was about Derek.
I’m really getting tired of Allison; her choreo always seems to feature more of her than it does Jonathan, and her technique is visibly poor. When she and Jonathan were doing those side by side sweeping arm movements, all I could think about was how poorly she appeared to be doing them, much less Jonathan. I say, put her in the troupe next season, if they must keep her on the show at all.
I didn’t bother with the score voting because I knew it would be a mess, like so many of the other ways TPTB try to make the show “fresh” and “hip”. The only good move in that direction that they’ve made (imo) is casting Bethany.
Thanks Kate(1). 🙂
I noticed the quick drop-ins of the DWTS sign and thought, “what? how can we have a wardrobe malfunction when nobody is dancing?” I should have realized the PC police were being over-zealous about something ridiculous. Never occurred to me they’d be bothered by Tommy’s “mary jane salute”.
#56 Thanks Cidra. You wrapped it up much better than I did. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t mind not watching the Kardashians. But that’s my personal choice.
Watched Afterbuzz last night. Corky Ballas is one tough dude and gave excellent commmentary like the mods do here. He was quite brutal re Val and Janel and Allison. I was most interested in what he said about Janel as I have not heard anyone say the things about her dancing that he did. He should be a judge on the show.
Thanks Judy. For those interested in watching and commenting on the new Afterbuzz TV show, you can see it at this link. Corky didn’t hold back. Check it out…
https://www.puredwts.com/2014/10/08/afterbuzz-tv-and-corky-ballas-review-dwts19-week-4-see-if-you-agree/
While I agree that Allison is in trouble on DWTS – I feel compelled to point out that having extensive ballroom *training* does not make one a great ballroom choreographer. Cases in point – Tony and Maks. I don’t think either is a particularly strong choreographer, but certainly both are great dancers. One only has to look at Meryl’s dances with Maks (Ho hum unless you’re a shipper) and compare it to the one with Val (wow). And being in the troupe?? I don’t know if that would work – Lindsay and Jenna both “majored” in ballroom, while Allison has had ballroom training, but has “majored” in contemporary. AND, even though Allison is a BEAST contemporary dancer – amazingly into the dance and emotive – is she a great contemporary choreographer?? I don’t think we even know that for sure – nearly all of her work has been in combination with Derek – a proven master.
I just don’t think the two ideas (ballroom training and ballroom choreography) should be so casually intertwined. You can be great at one and still suck at the other.
True, Cidra – and you don’t get to choose your family. AKA “the company you keep”.
And complaining about the Duck people in the audience?? Gotta go with dancewithyou – it was personal story week and Sadie is a 17 year old girl. Not even legal.
I thought it was very nice that the whole family is supporting Sadie and that Sadie is very much into family and her Christian belief(although unlike Candance she really does not throw it into anybody’s face.
I do feel sorry for Jonathan because he is doing so badly and I think Allison might not be a very good teacher. You can be talented in dancing but not everybody can teach. When I was in college I found out that the most of the professors who had all these degrees, masters etc etc were not that great in teaching while the ordinary ones were and I learned more from them while I had a disconnect to the others.
I really like Sadie, but her bringing up her grandfather’s comments prevented me from enjoying her performance
I am about as liberal as they come, not religious at all, nor will I ever watch Duck Dynasty because it doesn’t interest me at all. However, I do enjoy Sadie and Mark together, and that’s why I’m rooting for them to keep entertaining me. Her family is important to her, which I understand, and even as a non-fan of their show I didn’t find it at all intrusive into the dance, especially since they held so much of my attention throughout.
Maybe if I knew more about DD show I would feel negatively about Sadie, but even though I know about the controversy of her grandfather and I abhor that bigotry, when I was her age I was like her (minus the legs that go on forever, the natural performer…and the in/famous family ha), very sheltered, naive and a product of the conservative born again religion I grew up with. She’s 17! If, after a few years of experiencing the world she holds/spews bigoted ideas, or if I observe her acting disrespectful to someone of color or of different sexuality or gender identity, then I’ll dislike her. For now, I’m with those who’ve been able to enjoy her for her charm, performance, partnership…
I think Bethany and Derek’s performance was remarkable in many ways. I have no argument with the scores. What I find more impressive is that both Bethany and Derek decided that there was something more important that could be accomplished than achieving 10’s, a kind of selflessness I find quite admirable. I thought it interesting that the issue being addressed has also been a part of Derek’s life, so in a way it was as much his dance as it was hers. Julianne acquitted herself well from the charges that she would favor Derek. And finally, the dance created for Bethany and Derek, and many other people, the kind of moment Derek believes dance is particularly well-suited to inspire. So well done. A 10+ on some whole other scale.
PH #62: Go onto YouTube and search “allison and fik-shun”. She choreographed that dance solo, and it’s amazing! I just feel bad because now everyone thinks badly about her because she’s not amazing at ballroom.
Really? My impression is that she’s not choreographed anything on SYTYCD, at least not without someone else.
I don’t think badly about Allison at all. I love Allison. But every person is not going to be good at everything. Not even Derek. 🙂
PH, sorry to keep being so “pushy”, but I’m like a sytycd trivia nerd. She actually choreographed on a week where all former all-stars choreographed. It was awesome! Not as good as Derek, but definitely good.
Wow, @Susan. Took the words right out of my mouth. Yep, the dance was incredible and the story touched so many people. Those are the types of dances that just captures your heart and soul, and who cares if it didn’t get 10s from the judges.. getting the message and word out there is so much more important. They both spread awareness and helped so many people overcome their fears and insecurities with that dance.
But it wasn’t ballroom, correct?
Correct.
Oh, so THAT’S the point you were driving at. Sorry, I misunderstood you.
Allison is a talent but I am wondering if she needed to be in the troupe before being a pro. Look at Witney. She was a troupe member and learned what works and what doesn’t from watching the others and it shows. Same for Sharna, Sasha and Artem (but he has experience from SCD as well). I would include Henry but I am not sure if he really learned anything from watching the competing pros before he was given a celeb (still feel that Diana could have gone farther given to another male pro or even Artem for that matter but that’s another story). I think they will keep her around as a pro next season but this season definitely has been rough on her in particular.
Since the troupe began, the only new pro who did not start out in the troupe who got a second partner was Val. Gleb and Lindsay were demoted, while Tyne was dropped completely. It seems like it’s very bad luck to become a pro without being a trouper first.
YOu’re comparing Allison to pros who are all extensively ballroom trained, Vin. While Allison does have some training, it’s not her stock and trade.
Mark and Sadie were the best I’ve ever seen on the show. I was floored by Mark’s dancing. He taught Sadie step for step and they were flawless. The song was great and went perfect with it. The whole performance was fantastic. What I don’t get is why did the judges give glowing reviews and then Carrianne and Bruno give her a 9? She clearly deserved 10’s. Maybe they have something against Duck Dynasty. A suggestion for the show…. It is for non- pros right? Well you should have a show for 45 and up. It’s not fair to see these older people compete with such young ones. And there should not be any pro dancers or people who have danced before or had lessons. It is just not fair. Here you have two girls the only danced in their bedroom. That’s what it’s all about. Thank you,
Best you’ve ever seen on the show? What, you just started watching last week? Hyperbole alert.
I adore Sadie, and I’m enjoying Mark a lot the past couple seasons…but let’s not get carried away.
I want alfonso and lea to be final two but we all know that derek is going to go to the finals and probably win it even though the other dance will be better.
Bobby, I don’t think that is necessarily the case this year.Derek has an uphill climb with Bethany because people don’t seem to be connecting to her and unlike Janel, tptb don’t seem to be pimping her. I agree that it would be great to have Alfonso and Lea in the final two but I think that the producers are pimping Val and pimping Janel to such an extent that they will probably be in the finale. I thought it would be a male celeb year but now I am not so sure. This burlesque thing has thrown me because it such obvious pimpage for Janel. Even Val has an easy go of it this week with Lea and Broadway so both the pro and the celeb have got easy draws this week imo.
Val has been obviously pimped before (Elizabeth, Sherri and Zendaya) and only one of those times did he make the finale. And Janel ain’t no Zendaya.
PH, that is true about Zendaya. I also wonder about the whole reasoning for Burlesque. I think some viewers will like it but just as many could find it too sexy for a family show. Some of the opening numbers and bumpers are sexy enough IMO. Looking forward to seeing what the other couples bring to the table.
I’m sure its just luck that Derek and mark got each other partners…it wasn’t planned at all the only switch up pairing that I can’t wait to see is Alfonso and cheryl
Probably the same luck that Val & Artem got each other’s partners too, huh Noah? Or when Val & Maks got each other’s partners last season?