Judge Len Goodman Talks With People After Dancing With The Stars
People interview Dancing With The Stars judge Len Goodman last night after the show. He talks of why he judges the way he does and why he likes tradition. More below and at the link.
“The show is becoming performance-driven. It’s all about the performance,” Goodman told PEOPLE exclusively after the show. “For me, that’s not what ballroom dancing is about. The waltz, next to the Viennese waltz, is the oldest dance of all. There is a tradition. When you think of the waltz, you think of elegance, sophistication, fluidity of movement. Sometimes I look at a dance and I have to check what dance it is, because it doesn’t look like what I think it should be.”
“It makes me chuckle,” he told PEOPLE. “If I was sitting in the audience and someone else was me, I would be booing along with them. It’s all a part of the fun.”
“Two things I try to be … I try to be myself and I try to be honest,” he added. “The bottom line is it’s got to be entertaining. I also try to enlighten the viewers as to what I want to see, and I try to educate the couples on where I want to see improvement. I got it right tonight, whether people booed or not.”
Well, I do agree with Len that DWTS has become performance driven. There needs to be a balance, and for me, the balance has shifted a bit too much toward the performance side. Unfortunately, I think the average viewer likes it that way.
As for Len’s claim of “getting it right”…well if that means furthering TPTB’s agenda, then I guess he did get it right.
It sure seems to me that Len doesn’t really enjoy DWTS anymore. So I wish he would have the courtesy to say farewell. Ten years is a nice number to end on.
Fabulous, professional, spiritual, artistic expression of unbelivable beauty in motion from two highly gifted loving souls. Derek and Nastia’s AT was the best ever on DWTS. Beyond human words to express appropriate gratefulness for their fabulous, focused, very inspired dancing. Len just does not get inspiration in motion that touches the wholeness of mankind. Thank you N and D for your humbleness and giftedness. So awesome beyond belief.
I just don’t know why he has to sound so disgusted when he gives his critique. The celebs work so hard and to be summarily dismissed by Len because he doesn’t approve of the pro’s choreography is a bit too haughty for me. Furthermore, is it “tradition” to announce on the very first show whose season he thinks it is, making it ALL about the pro?
Len’s full of s#$t. His comments on Derek and Nastia’s dance was about the performance (ie character) not being “right” – yet it was ANOTHER dance that was jam packed full of AT content. So, does he want more ballroom content?? Then why lowball a dance that was loaded with content but didn’t have the performance style/character that he wanted? He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth. Then he gives a 9 to Willow and Mark, who were ALL about production value.
I’m so with you all. I wish he’d just retire. I’m sick of his constant and unfair picking at Derek.
Well, Len, I have news for you…..Nastia & Derek’s A.T. was very entertaining and OTT in content and done with perfection. While, you let crybaby, who has never won the shiny ball, choreograph anything he feels like in a dance, no matter what dance they are assigned. Like the very first week, Foxtrot was 80% Contemporary. Week three their Salsa turned out to be a Disco Salsa which was not assigned, and it looked awkward at times. And, last night, yet again, Val was to choreograph a simple Ballroom Waltz, but intead they danced more of a Contemporary/Rumba with just a smidgen of Waltz in the content. Surprise! Surprise! Len, you finally called Val on this kind of choreographing. And, non of you judges caught Rumer’s little slip of the foot when Val was turning her.
I think it’s time for your to get in your rocking chair, grab a pipe, and a good dance novel to read, and let DWTS bring in a younger, fresher, dance esperienced person to fill your place at the judge’s table.
I love Len. And while I understood his comments about the sexual tension of the Tango, I think what Derek and Nastia were doing was using the Tango to represent the Olympics. And I think they achieved that brilliantly. But, I’d love to see ’em come back and do a real ‘street Tango’. That would be droolworthy!!
I think that the judges low-balled Derek and Nastia because they were the first ones out of the gate. The first dance seems to consistently get low-balled. It would be interesting to know during what seasons and which week the first 10s were handed out to the couple that danced first. I think the judges like to leave room until we get close to the final, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it would be another interesting topic for discussion.
Lowballing the first couple beyond in week 1 is a relatively new thing – like the last three seasons. Don’t know why this is suddenly the case either.
Derek kinda whined a bit – in Derek’s way, which isn’t whining at all compared to some – that it was torture to go last because he had a hell of a time keeping the energy up enough to dance. And it was obvious, he was constant motion for the last hour of the show in the red room the week before. I think they probably had them go first so he could nap or something. Of course, there’s now a trade off for going first.
I think Len’s SYTYCD comment is somewhat off base. The show has definitely evolved, but it was out of necessity. The current DWTS and the one just a handful of seasons ago are like night and day. It seemed tired to me. The pro dances are cleaner, the production is more engaging, and the show has a much more up-to-date feel. There are only so many times plain, syllabus ballroom is going to entertain the general public. The show slowly started moving this way with Derek, Lacey, Mark, etc. I remember Lacey’s first season and how refreshing her take on some (not all) of the choreography was (i.e. the contemporary-ish rumba, etc.) It was new and refreshing (Len hated it). I think most of the changes the show went through allowed it to open up to more opportunities.
Side note: I think Nigel’s tweet “defending” Len is just an opportunity to be shady. DWTS used to be a ballroom competition show? Sounds to me like someone doesn’t like not being the only name in the game for performance. This last season of SYTYCD was probably one of the most boring.
Yeah, Daniel, Nigel was once again throwing shade. He can’t help himself. He’s just mad that his show is on the bubble for cancellation every season (and came REALLY close this last time) while DWTS is not.
Nigel always damns with faint praise. It’s one of his worst and most annoying habits. Terribly passive aggressive as well. Maybe it’s a British thing.
#7 Marilyn: I agree with you that “what Derek and Nastia were doing was using the Tango to represent the Olympics” and they did it brilliantly, imo, incorporating intricate & difficult gymnastic moves within the structure of the dance as an homage to her Olympic performance, for Pete’s sake. This wasn’t Derek’s usual smoldering AT like with Jennifer Grey, but I don’t think it was supposed to be. Did Len miss this point, or what? If he did, then he seriously needs to retire. If he didn’t miss the point, then there is no excuse for his low-balling them with an 8, other than feeding the agenda of TPTB in making this “Val’s year”. Gag. I also feel that as soon as Julianne came on board as a judge, Len’s snarkiness ratcheted up. I watch the judges’ panel during the All Acesss live feed during the show, and he appears to completely ignore her, but schmoozes with CAI. He has got a bone up his butt, and I have really lost respect for him, when I used to have a lot in previous seasons. Time for him to kiss DWTS goodbye because he is clearly unhappy, and take his sour grapes with him.
Sorry, if I wasn’t clear: …”incorporating intricate & difficult gymnastic moves within the structure of the dance as an homage to her Olympic performance, for Pete’s sake” was directed toward Len, in case that wasn’t clear.