PureDWTS Season 25, Week 1 – Power Rankings
So we end the season premiere of DWTS’ 25th season (and my 17th season blogging!) and I’m left feeling possibly the most vague and uncertain I’ve ever felt about a season before – about the only thing I feel fairly confident in saying is that Lindsey & Jordan will likely be the last two standing, as I’ve already expressed. But the rest of them? None of them suck terribly, per se, but not many of them really sparkle, either…at least not yet. I think we’ll get a clearer picture of where the audience’s heads are at next week, after eliminations 1 & 2, and after the celebs have had a few more dances and another week to let everything marinate.
I had to chuckle a bit when Tom announced that only (1) judge would be critiquing each couple – I think I may have said out loud “Yeah, good luck with that!”, as we all know that the judges just LOVE hearing themselves talk. And sure enough, whichever two judges didn’t get to give a full critique to a specific couple gave a quick one before throwing up their scoring paddle – Carrie Ann in particular looked like she was about to implode if she didn’t get to offer her opinion of a dance. Why they did this, I’m not sure – could have just been a time-saving measure, could have been an attempt to appease an audience that seems to grow increasingly bored of the judges’ pious soap-boxing – but I’m glad they did it, because probably 80% of what the judges say anymore seems like scripted filler. Less talky. More dance-y. Me likey 🙂
Wish I could say I was as pleased with the scoring, which on the whole seemed to error on the conservative side, and wasn’t always what I would consider congruent with the quality of dance we were seeing. There may be an agenda in play – particularly with regards to our married couple(s) and possibly Jordan – but like so many other things, I don’t think it will become fully clear until we’ve gotten a few weeks under our belts and can identify some patterns. The score distribution is pretty dense, though – seems like a good chunk ended up in the 17-19 point range. And having scores bunched up so closely can often lead to some unexpected eliminations…
…other observations? I thought Erin looked stunning last night – for once, her dress was on-point. The whole “married couple vs. married couple!” schtick has already worn thin and has reached the point of beating a dead horse…and we’re only in week 1! Unfortunately, I don’t see it ending until one of them goes home – and that could be awhile. Opener was cute and fun, but not really all that different from the past few seasons’ openers we’ve seen – not sure there’s a whole lot else they can do to keep things fresh.
Just a reminder for those of you that have been here before, and a crash course for those that haven’t: the power rankings are NOT just a ranking of who danced the best, or who is the most popular, or who has the most fans, etc. It’s a comprehensive ranking, where I try to take into account scores, memorability, popularity, running order, technique, etc. – basically anything and everything that could affect whether a couple stays or goes. Top of the list are the couples I think are the LEAST likely to get eliminated; bottom of the list are the ones I think are most in danger of getting eliminated. So please – don’t be “that guy/girl” that shows up in the comments and starts in with “Your rankings are wrong, [insert couple here] scored better than [insert another couple here], so they should be higher in your rankings!” It’s not all about the scores, folks – we appreciate nuance around here 🙂 Shall we begin?
1.) Lindsey & Mark – Great way to end the show, and I love Lindsey’s energy – she just seems really good-natured and down-to-earth, and like she’s going to really embrace the experience of being on the show; part of me thinks she’s almost a hybrid of Kellie Pickler & Paige Van Zant. She does have some great musicality, and I think Mark’s slightly-quirky choreographic style suits her style of movement well – she has this sort of “boppy” quality to her movement that plays well with the kind of steps Mark seems to gravitate towards. But that movement quality is also my concern moving forward in the competition – she moves well, but she has somewhat of a distinct style to her steps; I could see this becoming a point of contention with the judges (particularly Len) further down the line when they really start to hone in on technique, especially since I think Mark sees the value in sometimes sacrificing technique in favor of creative vision (see he & Chelsea’s jive from season 12). I still see her as one of the last two standing on finale night, but no idea whether she or Jordan comes out on top.
2.) Jordan & Lindsay – Probably the most technically flawless performance of the evening, and likely only suffered in terms of memorability because they were the last couple in the first half of the show – and they were also the ones that popped the cork on strong performances this evening after a ho-hum first half. Also sucks that they got handed a more stoic dance like tango in week one, when other couples are having fun with cha-cha and salsa, or getting whimsical with foxtrot. But MAN – Jordan handled this tango like a pro. His musicality is impeccable, and I feel like he really GETS the technique of ballroom – his frame looked fantastic, and he was doing the most beautiful little extensions with his arms and hands. So smooth, so confident – I was getting serious Alfonso vibes. I’m just eager for him to get a more upbeat dance, because the only area I think Lindsey got the best of him in last night was showmanship – which he probably couldn’t have done much about, since he had more of a stone-faced dance while she had a fun one. Thought he was far underscored at 22 points, but I do wonder if they’re pulling a bit of an Alfonso where Jordan’s concern, and are trying to start him off low and keep underscoring him for awhile so it doesn’t appear as though he’s running away with the whole thing.
3.) Victoria & Val – As I said on Twitter – what Victoria lacked in technique, she made up for in sheer joy. I loved her expression the whole time – something like “I can’t feel my legs, but what the hell – I’m gonna have fun with this!” She reminds me a lot of Bethany Mota, both in terms of appearance and just general demeanor. I think she has the right attitude about DWTS – she’s just here to give it her best shot and enjoy the ride. Which is good, because seeing how limited she is in her leg action is probably going to be problematic as the competition advances – Val is going to have to get creative, a la Derek with Amy, to work around it. And I will applaud him for already getting a bit creative with her cha-cha – I saw that he threw in a little prancing section, which worked well with Victoria’s natural gait, and saw that he tried to stick with on-the-spot actions, rather than moving about the floor a whole lot. Hide your partner’s flaws, while showcasing their strengths – I think that’s the biggest lesson a pro can gather from dancing with a partner that has limitations, be they physical or just skill-related. And I think Val may very well end up learning more from working with Victoria than he would working with another able-bodied partner with dance experience 🙂
4.) Vanessa & Maks – Vanessa’s got more natural skill than I expected – technique wasn’t bad, and she actually seemed really comfortable out on the floor, and like she was having fun. She’s definitely better than Nick, and I find her to be more personable, too – but I just cannot shake the feeling that it’s gonna be Nick that gets pimped a bit more, and makes it further than his wife. And I think part of the blame is likely to land on Maks, because his choreography anymore is just…bland. It was a cute cha-cha, but not a particularly memorable one…and his choreography the past two seasons does not give me hope for anything show-stopping. I myself am actually sick to death already of the “married couple” gambit they are shoving down our throats (and I know I’m not alone), but I can’t decide yet if it’s going to be a boon for the Lachey’s, or a curse – I think TPTB are rapidly reaching the point of oversaturation with the whole schtick, and run the risk of viewers rebelling against it if they aren’t careful. I think for now, the exposure is beneficial – but that could change as the weeks wear on.
5.) Nikki & Artem – Part of me thinks that those who got dealt ballroom in week 1 – particularly the two couples that got tango – had a bit tougher row to hoe (Catherine, are you lurking? 😉 ) than those that got cha-cha or salsa. And Nikki unfortunately had to deal with comparisons to Jordan, who absolutely KILLED his tango – so in the grand scheme of things, I actually thought she did pretty well, and only suffered by comparison to Jordan. I’m thinking they wanted to give her a “tough” dance so they could remind us all that she’s a wrestler – and really, she wasn’t bad. She stayed on time, she was moving confidently – she just has issues with looking down 😛 I’m hoping she gets a more fun, sexy dance next week so she can let loose and show off her personality a bit more – because she actually does seem to have some natural skill, and could be one to watch. She just needs the right vehicle to do it 🙂 Score was probably about right, in the grand scheme of things – but I don’t think she’s within a two-point striking distance of Jordan, realistically, and he should have been scored higher…at least a 24.
6.) Nick & Peta – Nick isn’t a terrible dancer, per se – but man, Nick is AWKWARD. He was doing the steps, and he was trying…but I just found myself cringing – a lot – and going “Oof, you are definitely not a natural.” I can’t remember Drew being this awkward…or were the standards just a lot lower back then? I think a lot of the awkwardness stems from each step just feeling so deliberate on his part – like Nick has to very consciously think about each step and make his body execute it, and it doesn’t leave many spare brain cells for him to think about showmanship or express any sort of comfort with the steps. I think he may have some issues with memorizing choreography, for the simple reason that it takes up so much of his conscious thought process to do – I don’t know that he’s going to be a great showman. At least not right away. Thought 18 was a bit generous relative to some other couples, but given that he’s part of the married couple gambit this season, I’m not surprised that he’s been scored a bit kinder.
7.) Derek & Sharna – I keep hearing people say “Basketball players have always done bad on this show!” (Sharna included) and I just can’t help but go “Did y’all forget about Rick Fox?” He made it all the way to 6th place, and he was actually halfway-decent. But I digress. Derek was actually the biggest pleasant surprise of the night for me – I was not expecting him to be very good, and he actually came out and gave us a pretty impressive salsa, with decent movement quality (judges’ comments notwithstanding) and a good amount of showmanship. I was afraid he was gonna be a bit timid and lackadaisical, a la Clyde Drexler, but he actually moved big, stayed on time, and seemed to be having a lot of fun – I appreciate that 🙂 Sure, there’s definite room for improvement, but that was a solid outing for week one. Love that Derek’s mom is a big fan of the show – and that she actually pays attention, because she totally clocked that Len was gonna call him out on footwork. Will be fun to see her in the audience at some point 😛 Looking forward to what we see from these two – they might be the dark horse of the season.
8.) Drew & Emma – Hmmmm…for me, this one was kinda equal parts “grin” and “cringe” – on the “grin” side, Drew seems like a natural showman, and was having a ball out there; he was actually pretty good in the side-by-side sections, too, and has a good chemistry on the floor with Emma. On the cringe side – oof, those FEET, and that frame. For as comfortable and light on his feet as he seemed dancing alone, Drew was pretty wooden and uncomfortable-looking while in frame…Emma’s got her work cut out for her there. As for the feet – like T.O. (and all tall guys, really), it’s probably going to be a constant struggle that he never really gets perfect, so I guess he’s just gonna have to do the best he can. Truth be told, while the song choice was cute, I feel like they may have been a bit screwed by it, as the chorus seemed to move a bit fast and necessitate some frantic-looking transitions. But overall, these two are fun to watch together, and I think they’ve got some staying power this season.
9.) Terrell & Cheryl – Terrell strikes me as a bit more comfortable and with better rhythm that a week 1 Calvin Johnson, but is maybe not quite as polished as a week 1 Rashad. Overall, not a terrible first outing for him – he looked like he was having fun, he seemed to stay on-time, and he didn’t seem to forget any steps. Granted, his feet were atrocious (as are most tall guys’ feet), and the technique was pretty iffy at times, but at the very least, Cheryl’s got something to work with. I go back and forth on whether or not I think he was underscored – scoring was kinda all over the place last night, but I think I probably would have given him at least two sixes, given that I think Nick was only marginally better than Terrell and got an 18. Not quite sure what to make of Terrell as a person yet – I’ve heard murmurings (only from fans, not from anyone behind-the-scenes whose opinion I trust) that he has been a bit of a diva on-set, but I have a hard time believing that right off the bat, because seriously…TERRELL NEEDS THIS MONEY AND THIS EXPOSURE, and I can’t imagine he’d sh*t all over an opportunity he really, really needs, and has wanted for awhile. My bigger concern is him talking back to the judges – he looked like he was thisclose to giving Len a piece of his mind last night. My advice to T.O. is to just keep his head down, keep his mouth shut, stay in his lane, and listen to and obey everything Cheryl says – because that’s his best shot on this show.
10.) Barbara & Keo – I don’t care what anyone says – I love Barbara and I wanna be like her when I grow up 😛 I love the way she salivates over Keo – contrary to societal beliefs, women can be sexual beings that experience attraction, regardless of their age, race, or sexual identity. And really, I don’t get the impression that Keo is too upset by it – the minute he says it makes him uncomfortable, I’ll change my stance, but until then…drool on, Barbara. I think last night, Chong’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” weed cha-cha may have gotten some serious competition as my favorite ridiculous dance on DWTS – because Barbara’s “Shake Your Moneymaker” salsa was the first routine that really left entertained last night. Really and truly, I don’t think she was as bad as the score she was given – she was moving, she stayed (mostly) on time, and there was showmanship for DAYS. I saw one step where she slipped on one of those dollar bills (not her fault), and she got a bit bungled on the side-by-side stuff, but still – I was grinning at the end, while certain other couples that got better scores left me bored. I tossed a few votes their way, simply because I was so entertained. I’m under no delusions that Barbara is gonna win this season, but at the very least, I think she deserves to stick around a little bit longer and keep us entertained.
11.) Frankie & Witney – I actually really love Frankie’s personality – he came across as really down-to-earth and genuine in his package, and seems like he really wants to be on this show and do his best. But I go back to my original concern about Frankie: has he been out of the spotlight too long, and will he be able to get the viewers to care about him? I think he can, but I think he’s going to need to come out of his shell a bit more. Foxtrot was pretty good – I think he got a bit nervous and stiff a few times, but overall, he stayed on-time, he was there for Witney, and he does seem to be starting to grasp the foundation of ballroom technique. And Witney seems to really get along well with him – and genuinely connect with him, in a way I don’t think she has since she was paired with Alfonso. I’m thinking he needs to have a fun, high-energy dance next week to show everyone what he can do, because while this foxtrot was good, it was a tad sedate and maybe not super-memorable. Looking forward to seeing what else he can show us.
12.) Sasha & Gleb – I caught hell from multiple PLL fans for expressing concern about Sasha’s longevity on the show in the preliminary power rankings – had several people tweet me telling me “You’re underestimating Sasha!” And yet, last night, exactly what I predicted would happen, happened – Sasha gave a pretty forgettable performance, and I think she may be in genuine danger of elimination as a result. She already had a pretty lousy running order position – 2nd is the worst, but 3rd & 4th ain’t much better, either – and while she appeared to be doing the steps correctly and had some definite potential, she moved timidly…and small movers seem to fade into the woodwork and get forgotten pretty quickly on this show. Sasha seems like a cool, chill girl – and like I said, I thought she looked like she had some good technique, but was just moving small. But given that there’s 13 other couples this season, and at least 9 or 10 of them were more memorable than Sasha…I’m not sure what she did last night was enough.
13.) Debbie & Alan – *sigh* I feel a little bit sad putting these two this low, but unfortunately, two people have to go home next week, and I’m not sure what Debbie did this week is enough, in the grand scheme of things, to keep her safe. She got saddled with the running order position of death (2nd), and got stuck with a slower, less-memorable dance, wedged between two much more upbeat ones. She wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t great, either – she’s unfortunately got the perfect storm of circumstances to get completely lost in the shuffle and eliminated. Which sucks, because I actually really liked her story, and saw shades of potential in her musicality and extension – but she does seem like she tires pretty easily, so I’m not sure this competition is going to suit her…especially as the weeks wear on and she has to do more dances. Maybe bowing out early would be a blessing…?
So those are my thoughts after week 1 – what are yours? Who is your favorite? Who do you think are the ones to watch? Who do you think could be in trouble next week? SHARE 🙂
Ok so after last night this season looks so promising. Here are my top 5 in no particular order, just the 5 that stood out to me & I most definitely remembered
Jordan & Lindsay
So I had VERY high expectations for Jordan, because I already know he can move, dance & has musicality from singing.. let’s just say he absolutely delivered! He came out with such confidence and led Lindsay throughout the entire tango. Definitely a front runner and a potential mirrorball winner.
Lindsey & Mark
Ok so here was another couple that I had very high expectations coming into the premier & she crushed it. Talk about legs for days and her cha cha was SO much fun and full of energy.. her and Jordan are going to be front runners this entire season, only thing I worry about is the high expectations from the judges with the 2, but I think they will deliver.
Derek & Sharna
Well here goes my SHOCKER of the night. Salsa week one is in my opinion, a hard first dance, and Sharna definitely didn’t take it easy on him. Although his scores didn’t show it, he most definitely has major potential. They went out there and made a statement when no one saw that coming. Also, can we just talk about those lifts! This is only week 1 and he nailed it. I see a whole new Sharna this season (less stressed, more fun), I think this is a couple to watch.
Victoria & Val
Talk about inspiration, and let’s be real she can move!! I was expecting her to come out with her story, have a decent week 1 with some potential showing, but she exceeded that. She was positive, confident & having fun, good for her, excited to see her journey on the show.
Nikki & Artem
I’ve said this a million times already but FINALLY Artem has a partner who can potentially take him to the finals. She was very nervous & it showed, but she definitely showed she’s going to be one of the top competitions this season. Plus she has a pretty big fan base that I believe will vote.
Honorable mention: Frankie & Witney
Did not see this one coming! He was super nervous, but his elegance over shadowed it. He had a solid week 1. I just worry about fast dances or Latin style with him. The ballroom dance suited him, but it may be easier than a salsa or cha cha for him.. well soon find out, but definitely rooting for him.
Who do I think is in jeopardy of going home? .. I say Barbara and Debbie 🙁
I think it’s Barbara leaving on Monday….seems like a lot of the audience sees her as Charo. 2.0 and didn’t take to her well. 🙁 I would guess Sasha would be the one leaving if she didn’t have 4 points over her. I think Debbie did just enough to scrape by Monday’s elimination and Frankie seems to have made a pretty good impression so I think he’ll stick around for a bit. 🙂 Pretty much agreed on the rest of them.
Sasha didn’t blow me away, her energy was good but she seemed tentative, she will improve and she has lots of fans probably more than janel, don’t think she’s in danger next week.
I love Victoria’s attitude! That attitude probably played a huge part in getting her to where she is today after what she went through. You need that attitude and determination to accomplish that and I applaud her for it. I liked watching her, she’s enjoying it and will have fun while she’s there. I just wish she had a different partner.
Lindsey/Mark were a lot of fun. They appear to be a good pairing. Like Courtney said, she’s a bit quirky like Mark (and that’s what we love about Mark) and I see them making the finals.
Jordan/Lindsay ugh another Disney kid. It’s been nice not having one on for awhile. He is talented, I give him that, but what do you expect. You land a show on Disney, you’re talented and then to be in a very successful broadway play just adds to it. I’m holding an opinion on him for a few weeks.
Drew/Emma I love the Property Brothers and was thrilled one of them would be on the show. I think they’re a good pair even with the height difference. Drew is a showman and I think once he settles down and relaxes he will do very well.
Barbara/Keo Sorry, I found Barbara irritating and annoying. But it’s ok, because she won’t be around long.
The married couples schtick is already old and it didn’t take the full 2 hours to make it that way. Every opportunity that came up where they could mention it, they did. And the who will get the better score was annoying when the Pena-Vegas were on. And it’s going to be done again. Vanessa is much more fun to watch and she dances better than Nick. But I think Courtney is right in saying that she will probably go before Nick because I think they’re going to try to keep Nick as long as possible because his brother won Season 2. But in my opinion, Vanessa should stay longer based on the one dance.
Debbie/Alan Again, I give her a lot of credit for dancing with the pain she must be in. But out of all the couples last night, she was one of the forgettable pairs and with 2 leaving she will probably be one of them.
Derek/Sharna Good for week one. It actually surprised me. Sharna’s hair is big distraction to me. Every season it seems to be a brighter red. I would like to know what that color is actually called.
Nikki/Artem I think Artem is happy with who he has and she wants to do well. Artem could go farther with her than he has with anyone before her. At least I hope so because I like Artem, but he needs to go back to his normal hair color. This look isn’t a good one.
Frankie/Witney Like Drew, I think once he gets over the nerves and relaxes he could do better than expected. Witney seems happy with him and she has not appeared that way for a few seasons. Looking forward to what he does next week.
Sasha/Gleb Eh. Not very memorable and I don’t know if she’ll be able to improve enough to stay.
Terrell/Cheryl If the rumors are true and he’s a diva, Cheryl will not hesitate to put him in his place. She’s strict, but if her partner listens to her, they will learn and they will improve week to week. It’s a wait and see if the diva shows up every week or not.
My top four couples are Lindsey/Mark, Jordan/Lindsay, Drew/Emma and Nikki/Artem. I do see Lindsey/Mark and Jordan/LIndsay as the last 2 standing.
Courtney, you are on fire as always!!
Ok, here’s mine, but, I’m still not sure on the bottom 5 and where to put them.
1. Mark and Lindsey – What a super dance. They were perfection out there. She knew how to work the stage and crowd. I loved her fun expressions. Just fantastic.
2. Jordon and Lindsay – Well, we knew they’d be good and omg, were they EVER!! LOVED them.
3. Vanessa and Maks – Wow. I wasn’t expecting to like her so much, but, I did. Her lines and steps were strong. I loved her expressions, personality and passion.
4. Frankie and Witney – This was a real surprise of the night for me. I didn’t think he’d be that good. But, he was great out there….charming, smooth and beautiful lines and you felt their emotion.
5. Derek and Sharna – Another surprise duo. I loved the intro and all the tricks. Such clever choreo by Sharna. Loved them!!
6. Victoria and Val – She is so sweet. I love her attitude and fighting spirit. She did so great too.
7. Cheryl and Terrell – Another great first dance. He’s already got the entertainment factor down. I loved his charisma and style. His smile lights up the room. I’m really looking forward to watching these two. I made sure to throw them some votes from my Dad. I know he would be rooting them all the way.
8. Nikki and Artem – I loved how she got straight into character. I thought she could have given the dance more power. I’m also always wishing for better choreo by Artem, but, she was great for the first night out.
9. Alan and Debbie – I’m already loving her story and not letting herself be in hibernation anymore and getting busy. She had trouble with her footwork, but, overall she was so graceful and pretty out there. Alan was full of charm. I loved their smiles and how they just had fun.
10. Gleb and Sasha – This girl is going to be a little go getter. I loved her spice. And I especially loved the dip and how she worked her hair.
11. Keo and Barbara – I loved these two. She is so funny. I loved her attitude and how she makes Keo smile. I’m looking forward to her making me laugh some more.
12. Peta and Nick – This was really awkward through out, stiff, and messy. I hope we see some improvement soon or he could be out early.
13. Drew and Emma – He had a lot of stiffness and he’s going to need a lot of work, but, I loved all the fun they were having.
Thank you for these! Always enjoy reading everyone’s comments on the subject. Here are my thoughts:
Two Clear Frontrunners: Lindsey and Jordan
Most Pleasant Surprises of the Night: Vanessa, Frankie and Derek
Most Interesting Journey to Watch: Victoria (such an inspiration and a lovely girl, but not really a celebrity with a voting powerhouse and I see the limitations with her legs)
Two people at the bottom of my rankings: Barbara (did not like either her package or her dancing) and Drew (loved him as a person but his dance was one of the weakest)
Random thoughts: I like Sasha but her legs action was lazy and am worried she was forgettable; thought Debbie’s dance was actually pretty good for week 1
Lindsay and Mark were my favorite followed closely by Jordan and Lindsay. I was surprised but ended up really liking Vanessa. I didn’t like her costume though.
Derek was a welcome surprise also.
I hope Sasha is the first one out. She just looked unnatural to me when she was dancing and I’m not sure Gleb can do an entire season without sexing it up.
I wouldn’t be mad if Nick or Debbie went out Tuesday. Neither one did a thing for me.
I can say last night I was thoroughly impressed by 3 couples that I did not expect to be impressed by. Well 2 of them I didn’t expect it. The one that I expected might be a dark horse was Frankie. And oh my lord was I right. I was literally in awe watching him perform. He reminded me SO much of James, definitely has some natural ability he was a little bit small in his movements but man was I impressed. On top of that his package with Witney was adorable definitely the first partnership of hers that I have loved since Alfonso. I had originally guessed that Frankie would be an earlyish out (maybe make it to week 3-4) but now.. I think he could go alot further than that. I’m keeping my eyes on him.
The two that blew me away that I was not expecting was Derek and Vanessa. Derek especially when Sharna made the comparison of her partnership to him being like James I was like yeahhh right Sharna..I get it now. He did really well. Me and my mom both were we were like wooohooo go Derek. Even though he has that potential I don’t know if he’ll be able to stay around as long as he should since there could be other partnerships that the show pushes harder for. Which leads me into Vanessa.. I agree with what everyone says about her being the more impressive of the Lachey’s. I HATED the first 20 seconds with the baby (Maks and his usual time wasting) but once they started dancing I think behind Jordan and Lindsey she was the next best technically speaking of the night. I hope she can surpass the odds and stay around longer than Nick because I was not impressed with him he did better than I thought he would but not great. It seems like across the board she seemed to resonate well with the audience too (from Facebook and Twitter comments I’ve seen) so maybe they’ll not sacrifice her in order to keep around Nick.
I of course loved Lindsey, Jordan, and Nikki. Lindsey.. I agree with Len she was all around the best of the night. I love that she was doing the facials and was very clean and just.. it was a great routine. It was really refreshing to see a Mark Cha cha after not seeing one since his season with Alexa. Jordan.. I was so mesmerized by how fantastic his frame was.. I couldn’t look away.. I did notice him being smiley a few times through out (which I totally get I would be smiling like an idiot if I was nailing my dance too) but outside of that and his butt sticking out just a smidge in the beginning I saw nothing else in that dance that he could have improved on. Nikki.. I just love her. I am so glad that Artem got her and I’m excited to see them bring it every week.
Sasha was the only one I was super underwhelmed by because in BTS footage she looked great. I think nerves got the best of her. I feel like as the show progresses she’ll be less and less stiff and more powerful in her movements and not as timid.
I don’t care what anyone says I tossed votes Barbara’s way. I love her zaniness. I’m with Courtney I’m going to enjoy her for as long as we have her. I think she’s a way more likeable cooky then Charo was. Debbie was also to me a highlight I was thoroughly impressed with what she was able to do. Terrell.. after what I am now dubbing rehearsal gate video I’m not a huge fan. He was very awkward as most tall guys are but I don’t want Cheryl to have to deal with his crap every week. She doesn’t need the Antonio of this season or lord forbid another Ocho Cino type in terms of attitude.
Drew while the parts in hold were really awkward the side by side stuff was great. And he looked like he was having a blast. His appeal with the main demo he’s staying around for awhile. Victoria.. while I love her in terms of her perseverance, her great attitude I was not impressed with her dance at all and I’m really wondering how Val is going to handle doing more foot work heavy dances like AT or jive with her not being able to feel her legs at all. I think it’s really going to challenge Val and I think at the cost of Victoria being a midseason out.
I have no clue who goes next week. A lot of things I’m seeing people think it’s going to be Debbie and Barbara. I don’t necessarily think so. Debbie is a nostalgia icon for the demo, yeah she got crap running order but I think she’s got several more weeks in her. She reminds me a lot of Maureen. Barbara, she’s ABC, and the demo lines up with those that watch Shark Tank so there is some crossover there. I feel like TO is at the biggest disadvantage by having gone first. I watched the show live by myself and rewatched it with my mom and I had totally forgotten about his dance by the time I started watching with my mom. Him having Cheryl is a plus in his favor but idk.. The only thing that I felt confident about walking away from last night is that Lindsey and Jordan will be the final 2 and that Nikki, Frankie have potential to be there too.
Easily the best opener I’ve seen on the show in a very long time. My rankings are:
1)Jordan & Lindsay
2)Lindsey & Mark
3)Vanessa & Maks
4)Nikki & Artem
5)Sasha & Gleb
6)Frankie & Witney
7)Nick & Peta
8)Derek & Sharna
9)Victoria & Val
10)Drew & Emma
11)Debbie & Alan
12)Terrell & Cheryl
13)Barbara & Keo
I just hope that Barbara and Terrell bounce back after this week big time.
I’m curious — why do you say that Terrell Owens needs this really bad? Is he in debt? I don’t really follow football players.
Thanks for such an insightful recap as always!
Loved Jordan. I got Derek Hough vibes from him! So good. Loved Lindsey. She was phenomenal as well. I totally thought Frankie was adorable with his blushing at Whitney’s compliments. And he did great! I liked Vanessa too. Well– I didn’t dislike anyone! I enjoyed every single dance. This is going to be a hard season.
Overall, I was less impressed with the dancing then I expected, but this is one of the most likable casts in awhile. I liked the lower scoring and nobody totally blew it, so with the scores being so close the elimination could be very interesting.
1. Favorites:
* Lindsey/Mark- Confession: I’ve watched this at least a dozen times- My favorite of the night. Exceeded my expectations and she and Mark have insane chemistry.
*Jordan/Lindsay- Damn- I wasn’t expecting his ballroom to be THAT good, and I’m excited to see him in a dance with more freedom. Also, on a shallow note, he is hot as hell and really gives good face.
2. Pleasant Surprises
*Derek/Sharna-. I had him as an early exit, but this was one of my favorites. It played to his strengths and was memorable, and he was really charming and seems like a hard worker..
*Vanessa/Maks- I was surprised how much I loved this dance and her. She was hilarious, I loved her personality, and her relationship with Nick was sweet (for the time being).
*Victoria/Val- I hope they delve into how she dances, since she can’t feel anything. Honestly, she was not as good of a technical dancer as I hoped and I hope she’s not as limited as she appeared, but she was so joyful and inspiring to watch. I was so impressed by her.
*Frankie/Witney- I thought he’d be the first out, but he and Witney put a lovely piece together. I think he’ll struggle with Latin, but I love how invested he is.
3. Underwhelming
*Drew/Emma- So many mixed feelings on this. It was a lot worse technically than I expected, but they have some of the best chemistry and the dance was a lot more fun to watch than others.
*Terrell/Cheryl- I actually thought this was underscored. He’s got rhythm and I liked the choreo, but I just don’t know how I feel about him and this partnership. Not sure he’ll stick around long.
*Nikki/Artem- They are actually one of my favorite couples but my expectations were too high. I think they would have benefited from a Latin dance week 1.
*Nick/Peta- He’s not the most natural mover and, in a sea of big personalities, his personality didn’t grab me last night. The dance was just ok, but I enjoyed some of the hip action.
4. People I legitimately forgot about
*Debbie/Alan- The dance was fine and I like her, but nothing really stood out for me. With the bad running order and subdued performance, she might be my early pick for the first out.
*Barbara/Keo- Clearly in the minority but this didn’t stick with me at all. She has a fun personality and she was clearly giving it her all, but I just wasn’t into it.
*Sasha/Gleb- She has good technique and potential, but she had no personality. I honestly had to check Wikipedia to figure out who I was forgetting- I had no memory of the dance.
@ #10 Ace of Anxiety: Could be the money. Terrell is long retired after bouncing around from NFL team to NFL team. He was on Dr. Phil a few years ago with several of the mothers of his children to explain why he couldn’t pay their child support, or why hasn’t seen some of the kids ever, like at all.
Could be that he needs to make America love him, due to the above and how he acted cocky when he was an NFL star. Like he was signed up to play football for my home team in 2012 and got cut a couple weeks later. Terrell was famous for his diva attitude but he dropped more passes then he caught. Sucks for him because that team went on to Superbowl without him. I’d imagine Terrell may be somewhat bitter about it since every game he played against us after that, he would go out of his way to punk us during the game.
So yes, TO needs redemption. Probably more than just the financial kind.
Overall very excited about this season, there’s a lot of potential, and many possible dark horses.
1. Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas- Great way to end a premiere, a little surprised how traditional this cha cha looked, but for her definitely not bad route to go week 1. Keep it safe and fun for the first week then bust out the bells an whistles next week.
2. Vanessa Lachey and Maks Chmerkovskiy- Truthfully I rank Vanessa in second because she stood out quite nicely. If Maks will actually get off his high horse, and realize he’s got a contender in Vanessa I wouldn’t mind Maks being the last Chmerkovskiy standing.
3. Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold- I’m just gonna say this now: I’m very indifferent towards Jordan, I don’t hate him but I think he might have be been a little overhyped pre-season, and thus didn’t really blow me away as anticipated. He came off to me as non event/Sabrina Bryan-esqe, I like this partnership, but I don’t personally see myself voting for him.
4. Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvingtsev- Once again idk if it was a case of her being overhyped as well, but I did enjoy her tango vs Jordan’s. She’s got a hurdle this week though with her fan base not lining up so well with DWTS, but she deserves to stay so I’m hoping her fan base coupled with some voters from the general audience can keep her afloat.
5. Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson- So gotta say I was pleasantly surprised by Frankie AND Witney. This couple is like strangely perfect, rather in terms of partnership and overall energy that they put forth, and Witney isn’t in a comatose state anymore lol. I do agree that he might have a tough first week, but I see them lasting quite a while.
6. Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy- Ughh… it’s hard to say this, but I really couldn’t get into their dance, and before someone asks, no it is because of her dancing, I think it was her, but also Val. I guess the best way to explain myself is that this couple reminds me of Laurie and Val. Val is so outspoken and often outshines his partners, but in this case it’s because Victoria is kinda one note at the moment like Lauire. It was always sweet, soft Laurie, and i think Victoria might be round 2, but she wont win.
7. Drew Scott and Emma Slater- Okay so this was a bit of a fun hot mess, but I’m very pro property brother’s, so it was an entertaining Foxtrot. Drew is definitely the tallest celebrity Emma’s had, so now is a good time to do research to see what works well for their height difference… so the next time he has a ballroom dance it won’t highlight the issues of that foot difference in height.
8. TIE Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess/Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke- Honestly to say one did better or worse is impossible, what Terrell lacked in his feet he made it up in showmanship (albeit Cheryl should sit down and work on softening some facial expressions of his). Derek on the other hand it was good, but I think his movements made this salsa come off wonky. I think they are both back next week though.
9. Debbie Gibson and Alan Beaten- First off I can identify with Debbie having Lyme disease. It sucks! The worst part is that even if the disease is out of your system you still have residual feelings of tiredness, lethargy, and some days it feels like it all came back and puts your head into a fog. Now contrary to popular belief if you engage yourself in a regiment of exercise or just remain active you can get rid of the Lyme’s quicker. Thats how i beat it in three weeks, but if you let yourself succumb to the Lyme’s disease youll have it for quite a long time. Afterwards you’ll also feel more prone to tiredness more frequently. So I think Debbie is doing the right thing by throwing herself into this. It’ll help a lot for her recovery and post-disease symptoms.
10. Barbara Corcoran and Keo Motsepe- Not the best dancer of the bunch, but man is she entertaining to watch. She’s so uninhibited and I love that about her. I really hope she can stick around for a while because she’s reminding me a lot of Cloris Leechman who was always a fan favorite of mine. Side note: Let’s have a fan favorite all stars season, like get Cloris, Niecy Nash, Carson Kressely, Warren Sapp, and a few other nostalgic fan favorites all on one season!
11. Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko- If I would’ve forgotten any dances it would’ve been Sarah’s, but I daresay it’s stuck in my head pretty well. I like how she’s following in her parents footsteps, and she’s got some natural rhythm. Just define the steps a bit more, and hit the step with more gusto girl!
12. Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd- Wtf DWTS!? Seriously though, you can see the uncomfortableness on Nick’s face while dancing, and during the interviews…the guy is trying his best, and you just want to keep shoving the whole Drew won/and Vanessa is also competing thing in his face. Also Peta doesn’t seem all back together yet, which is a shame because if they do decide to pimp Nick and Peta it’ll only add more anxieties on for this couple. And I think someone mentioned this earlier, but he does seem to focus all his mental ability on remembering the steps.
Loved Whitney and Frankie…
surprise of the night for me
I think barbara and sasha will have to leave next week
sasha because she was underwhelming
barbara because I don’t think the majority of viewers liked her that much
I agree with many people that we have our top two, unfortunately it is not who they wanted in this year of featuring young married with children focus. Jordon and Lindsay have indirect dancing backgrounds – every thing but official ballroom training. I think a telling difference will be their partners. Will Mark go over the top with his choreography and what will the judges (actually Len) say. But, I think Mark knows he is a contender so he may tone it down a little. Lindsay is also a great choreographer. It will be a good battle. Third will go to most improved dancer and fourth goes to best attitude. I’m not sure on either of those places. But, best guess is Vanessa and Maks will be the last standing of the couple focus (3rd) and the nice guy will be Drew or Frankie.
Gunny, WHAT? I am not following what you’re saying…are you saying Vanessa, Nick, and Frankie/Drew will be in the finals???
I believe Gunny is saying the show may have been hoping for the married couple to be at the top, but it looks to be the top 2 being Jordan and Lindsey, and could be followed by Vanessa in 3rd, and Frankie/Drew in 4th.
Overall great night; best opening night since S21. Everyone was remarkable but they’re were two couples who just took my breath away. They weren’t necessarily the best technically but they were so genuine and you could literally feel their hearts through the screen. That is Frankie and Victoria. I didn’t have high expectations for Frankie but he delivered such a heartfelt performance even if he didn’t mean to. His package with Witney was so adorable I just wanted to hug him and his dance wasnt perfect by a long shot but his humbleness and joy made up for it. I think im not alone in this as I’ve seen a lot of support for him on Facebook. I can see him making it very far like at top 5 or top 4 I love this show thanks this type of contestant. Also I adored Victoria’s performance she exhuberated so much joy she reminded me of Bindi. And I think out of all the contestant she most likely has the most silent supporters by that I mean it’s those people that don’t go online commenting but actually vote and she’s perfect for the demographic of the show. I got winner vibes from her I don’t know why it wasn’t just her story but her attitude towards life that inspired me. I see a lot of talk about Lindsay and Jordan being the clear top 2 but I’m not so sure. Jordan is a bit cocky in my opinion I can tell he has a lot of media training just from the way he talks he’s obviously not new to showbiz and I can see that he has been trained in singing dancing acting so that’s a bit of a turnoff. He seems fake I don’t know why. I don’t think he’s a shoe in for the finale like most people think I feel like he’s gonna pull a Sabrina Bryan. I did love Lindsey and I can see her making it far possibly top 2 with Victoria. My dream finale would be Victoria Lindsey Frankie and Vanessa. I love Vanessa’s personality she reminds me of Mel B and Broooke Burke I hope she makes it farther than dull nick. Great show. The rest were a bit inmemorable in my opinion. Those are the only ones that I absolutely loved.
Like Debbie, I’m not sure Victoria is going to be able to make it physically through the season. She seems like such a sweetheart, Im sure however long she stays will be a victory for her. Not being able to feel your legs is so much like Amy except it was obvious Amy couldn’t feel them. However, how is she going to know if she’s hurt? So many scenarios and concerns running through my head.
I was shocked at how well everyone did last night. I know I have already said this in another post, but I see Nikki, Lindsey, Victoria, and Jordan in the finals. I’m happy that Lindsey and Jordan are tied at the top. I hope they don’t get eliminated next week. No offense Gunny (#16), but I hope Mark does not tone it down and he stays super creative. At the same time, I’m sure he can take it down a peek but have some of that artistic flavor in each dance and you’re right. He is definitely a contender.
Favorites:
1. Lindsey & Mark: Usually they put the real contenders or a contestant that draws in a big audience at the very end of the show which i believe they did with Alfonso back in Season 19. She seems excited to be on the show and is willing to try anything Mark throws at her. She has a nice demeanor to her and I think that will make her go far. I definitely see them being similar to Shawn & Derek that really push the boundaries on dances. Favorite dance of the night and look forward to seeing them in the future weeks.
2. Jordan & Lindsay: Lindsay in my opinion is one of the best female pro dancers on the show and I’ve been rooting for her to get a mirrorball! He seems laid back but committed. They seem to be a good match and will have exiting dances each week. Past Disney actors usually do well but he seems like he can win it all if he can get the audience behind him.
Likes:
3. Vanessa & Maks: I was not expecting for this pair to do as well as they did. It was one of the more entertaining dances of the night. I see that she has potential and will probably last longer in the competition than her husband. As long as Maks puts in the work, I think she will too. I can see her coming in 4/5th place possibly.
4. Nikki & Artem: They are a very fierce couple. I have a feeling she will be good on latin night similar to how Paige was good at latin. I can see them coming in 3rd place or close to the finals/semi-finals. Nice to see Artem with a contender. He’ll give her some good traditional choreography.
5. Victoria & Val: She seems nice and positive. she is sort of a mix of bethany and ginger. Val’s choreography can be good if he wants it to be good. He just needs to be motivated for him to put the work in. The question is if she can get the audience to support her and get in the votes. She is very inspirational which usually brings in support from viewers.
6. Drew & Emma: He had not had the best dance technically but he doesn’t seem afraid to just go for it and have a good time. And sometimes just going for it works out like it did for david. He seems to have some following. He is very tall which gives Emma some challenges and did appear kind of stiff. I also don’t know how well he will do in latin. But he doesn’t seem to be caught up in nerves or the scores but really just to have fun.
7. Frankie & Witney: I think Witney may be getting back into her old groove. She seemed happy and excited about having Frankie. I was surprised with this pairing as well. Again, don’t know how well he will do in latin but he had a great first dance. It was elegant and refreshing and was done to a good song. I can see him making it further then first expected. If Witney is up to it she can make some great routines.
Neutral About:
8. Derek & Sharna: I was also somewhat surprised with this pairing as well. Sharna does well with athletes and they do some great lifts. I am unsure how big his fanbase is but usually Sharna goes decently far into the competition no matter who her partner is.
9. Nick & Peta: He appeared to be thinking about the steps a lot rather than just feeling it out. He kind of reminds me of Chris Soules from a few seasons ago. Just kind of stiff and doesn’t seem to be having a lot of fun. Maybe in the coming weeks he’ll let loose a little more. But between him and Vanessa, I see Vanessa making it further.
10. Sasha & Gleb: I was initially very excited to see her on the show, as I’ve watched pretty little liars and knew who she was. I agree she seemed nervous and moved small. I hope she can make it through the first eliminations but it is hard to tell. She seems nice and committed but there is a lot of tough competition from already great dancers and big personalities.
11. Terrell & Cheryl: I agree he was underscored compared to other couples. I think all 6’s would’ve been fair. I am not that excited about this pairing but they might surprise us next week. I think he’ll work hard but he may have a tough time keeping up with the frontrunners.
Meh About:
12. Debbie & Alan: I think in another season with less contenders she may have had a better chance but this season is tough and most of the cast is on the younger side. I hope she can at least get a few weeks into the competition. But newer pros are usually given the boot early in the competition.
13. Barbara & Keo: I watch shark tank and she is pretty entertaining but she was a little over the top, maybe because she is just so excited. She was as i expected her to be. The other sharks that have been on the show made it decently far so we will see how she does.
Overall this is a very impressive cast and it’s going to be much harder to predict who will be eliminated or even win the whole thing. I think Lindsey and Jordan will be at the finals along with either Vanessa/Victoria/Nikki
Courtney, Derek said his mom will be in the ballroom on Monday. Should be great!!
Having Mark back is everything!!! He and Lindsey did a great job. I’m excited for what’s to come, this girl is quirky as hell, so is Mark, so she won’t have any trouble going along with Mark’s choreo. Nice attitude and excellent dance.
The much desired, much talked about moment for Val has finally come. I’ve read the “when he finally gets a challenging partner…” line so many times here, I don’t know if we ever thought it would actually happen and it did. He did a great job, the girl did a fantastic job too. So inspiring and crazy to watch. As with Nyle, Amy and Noah, the “I don’t know how she does it” feeling is there. I mentioned before that her disability wasn’t as visible and she might be “hurt” in the voting department compared to other contestants, but it’s clearly a challenge. All the best to them and if Val really wants to, they can get far.
I looove Vanessa. And I’m happy she did this good. Can we just get rid of Nick (surprisingly lame) and Maks and pair her with Peta? Maks is not getting this girl a win, and she showed a lot of promise here, but as usual, I’m underwhelmed by Maks’ work.
I liked Nikki, Jordan (clear frontrunner obviously, yeah Lindsay!) and Derek.
I didn’t feel Debbie was as bad, at least Alan doesn’t look like the usual new guy who gets voted out first. I can also imagine he has his fans (no?).
As many predicted, Terrell, Frankie, Barbara (and Drew, not necessarily predicted) were a complete mess. I suppose Barbara goes first, deservingly so. Funny lady, but just no.
I don’t think Mark will tone it down and I hope he doesn’t either. With a cast this likable, he can’t afford to “tone it down.” He needs to take the Derek route and just blow it out of the water ever week. The slow build to the finale has been out since season 15.
It’s week 1, MF – let’s not get carried away and proclaim Val a success story. He has a LOOOONG way to go.
I love reading your Power Rankings post, Courtney! Had to chuckle at ‘CAI almost imploding if she couldn’t comment on a dance’.
I rather liked having only one judge comment for each dance–it seemed to foster less grandstanding & more constructive criticism. And It was a pleasure to have less of CAI ‘s tittering/inane remarks…
I am most excited about Mark & Lindsey & the possibility of them incorporating a performance on guitar & violin along with their choreography.
Lindsay & Jordan also impressed me & I’m 100% hoping for a Hamilton tie-in!
My wife and I watched SYTYCD live last night, and DWTS tonight (Tuesday), so only a couple of comments:
Most people are handling the spellings of Lindsey (as with Mark)and Lindsay (Jordan’s pro)correctly. That’s good because we hopefully will be doing that all season! They were head and shoulders above the rest, IMO.
TO got hosed on his score. A 15 would be ok if all those that followed who were worse than him got a lower score, but they didn’t.
Lets’ have a good contest between Lindsey and Jordan, with Mark and Lindsay providing outstanding and competitive choreograph!
No offense to Gunny #16 but reading your comment was like me trying to google translate a bio from German to English and in the end I was like what the hell is going on? ????????. Anyway, I read some comments on YouTube about Jordan and Lindsey and you all won’t believe how some of them trying to compare them with Heather from last season. Yes, a pro dancer vs performers like Jordan and Lindsey. Maybe Jordan and Lindsey can now try out as Beyoncé backup dancers ????
Who surprised me last night was Frankie Muniz and Derek Fisher. That song by Harry Styles helped. Nikki has potential but to me she’s just too hyper maybe because I’m not a fan of WWE.
I agree with PH. Mark (and also Lindsay) cannot tone it down this season. There are some potential celebs lurking in the background. They need to go all out with choreography. I think Bindi won not only because of her personality but Derek was smart with his choreo from day one.
I found Barbaras groping of Keo disgusting and she should be ashamed of herself. She is an old biddy old enough to be his grandmother. What the heck is wrong with her??? I totally felt bad for Keo. Why does he always get the garbage???
I agree that Mark shouldn’t tone it down. He should push it to the limits and show us what Linsdey can do! It could even get him another Emmy nom!! He and Lindsay are probably the best bets DWTS has….I’m not a Mandy Moore fan. So I’ll pull for Mark to knock it out of the park!
The thing I LOVE most about Mark is even when his partner might need simpler choreography he NEVER takes the easy route. He continually challenges himself his partner AND the other pros to give us their best.
Continued… So heck yeah I don’t want Mark or anyone else to “tone it down”
I want then to BRING IT ON!!
Wow, that doesn’t sound ageist at all, Judy. I assume you ceased to be a sexual being after menopause?
Ageist, sexist…I found Judy’s comment to be disgusting, actually. Do we need to list the much older men dating/married to much younger women? Or don’t we care about that?
Y’know what? I’m actually kinda glad Barbara is causing a stir…
…it’s becoming easier to suss out the closet racists and misogynists.
Jordan is about the same level ringer as….Chelsea Kane, Romeo, Roshon, James – all people who have a some amount of experience in a variety of areas (music, acting, dance). Kind of all around schooled Disney types. These are NOT high level ringers. They’re about as low level as it gets. Now, like Chelsea, Jordan has a high degree of natural talent to go with his various experience. He would not be the success he is without it. If Ringers were ranked from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, Jordan would be a 2 or 3 whereas Heather would be a 15. There is NO comparison and if you equate the two, you are either a moron, or a desperate C-bro fan. Or are those two things equal?? 😉
And the above isn’t even taking into account the relative LACK of a fanbase that makes some ringers successful. You’ll note that most of the people I listed didn’t get past 4th place.
Werd. I bet some of them didn’t even realize they were doing it. Maybe this will be good for them. 🙂
So many people want to equate ANYONE havING ANY level of dance experience (no matter how small) to Heather’s level of ringerdom – which is HILARIOUS. Heather, to my knowledge, is the ONLY contestant we’ve ever had that has made their living solely on their dance skills – until Glee basically threw her into acting & singing (and she got autotuned, HEAVILY), Heather’s sole source of income was her dancing. That can’t be said of ANY of the people Heidi just listed.
I’ve kind of split the couples into three tiers. The top tier being the best dancers, the middle tier the good dancers or dancers who surprised me and came off well on the night and the bottom tier everyone who was either a bad dancer, unmemorable or didn’t come off that great on the night. All in no particular ranking order.
Top Tier:
Lindsey and Mark
Jordan and Lindsay
Middle Tier:
Victoria and Val
Frankie and Witney
Nikki and Artem
Derek and Sharna
Vanessa and Maks
Bottom Tier:
Drew and Emma
Nick and Peta
TO and Cheryl
Debbie and Alan
Sasha and Gleb
Barbara and Keo
I expect everyone in that bottom tier bar Drew and Nick to be on the block come Monday. I see a lot assuming Barbara will go but I would not underestimate that Shark Tank DWTS viewership overlap. As of now if you told me to predict an elimination, I’d go for TO. Forgettable, hardly made the greatest impression attitude wise and I’m not sure their are hoards of sports fans who will come out and vote for him. Debbie better hope her week one nostalgia factor was enough to keep her safe and Sasha better hope her tween internet mob voted their fingers off for her.
Lindsey/Mark – I liked her dance pants and how her top looked like the cut-outs on a violin. I hope they “break out of the box” more, as Lindsey always puts it. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her and Mark,
Frankie/Witney – Adorable, charismatic partnership. Witney’s choreography (was that her’s?) was well-suited to Frankie’s skill level so far. Loved his Buddy Holly-style suit,
Derek/Sharna – A complete surprise and I liked the Freestyle-ness of it all. You could tell he was paying attention to what mom said about the feet,
Jordan/Lindsay – Super talented but something about Jordan seems canned and doesn’t click with me. His Val impersonation was pretty funny though,
Victoria/Val – Liked her fringed pants and the story about why she loves neon pink. I think pants can highlight flaws that a skirt might hide but Victoria’s steps were on point. Her legs looked like those neon Post-it arrows that are placed next to signature lines on paperwork,
Nikki/Artem – I loved Nikki’s energetic intro, also the very end when she body slammed and pinned Artem for the win. Everything in between fell flat for me though,
Barbara/Keo – I liked the bling theme and the throne that looked like it came from Rihanna’s “Pour It Up” video. The “look at how rich I am” routine was on par with what Robert did during his season, but we’ve also seen how it bites female Stars in the butt (like Erika Jayne). I hope Barbara finds her groove on DWTS. I loved it when Barbara mentioned she’d always competed with men and is looking forward to this new challenge of competing against women. I wonder how much different she will find it to be?
Debbie/Alan – This is the Star that I feel the most personal “pull” towards, but I can’t get my votes behind them. They’re not rehearsing as much as other couples due to Debbie’s current tour and her Lyme disease, and I just don’t see them getting far. Alan looks like a great teacher and they seem to be enjoying the ride,
Terrell/Cheryl – Liked how much fun TO was having out there with Cheryl and his mime dance,
Drew/Emma – I think the height difference is just way too much. Emma looked like a blonde wig getting tossed around in a windstorm when she wasn’t yelling at him what to do next,
Vanessa/Maks – A lot of “mucking about” as Len would usually put it, and was Vanessa just standing there doing nothing the whole time when Maks made the babydoll “dance”?
Sasha/Gleb – I’ve rewatched this a few times and still can’t remember anything about it,
Nick/Peta – I liked the Pharrell song and the trendy teal outfits. It looked like Peta was dragging him around the dance floor. I have a feeling that no matter how bad Nick is he will “win” this married contest that nobody cares about – his competition is just that bad!
About the Lacheys,
Vanessa is a good dancer
Nick not so much
Vanessa wanted to do the show
Nick not so much
Nick has name recognition & some fans
Vanessa not so much
Does anyone else believe it’s possible that Nick joined the show not for the MBT/$/exposure, but to create a little drama & fall on his sword to boost Vanessa’s chances?
1. Vanessa & Maks-surprisingly were my favorite! Vanessa can work the camera, facials were on point, she was grounded in her chacha and had the best technique of the night. She is one to watch. I went back and watched her dance 5x, which doesn’t usually happen. So to me that’s a good thing.
2. Derek Fisher & Sharna -loved the dance and homage to the lakers. Watch out for them. Clever dance.
3. Lindsey & Mark-soooooo happy Mark is
Back. I’m looking forward to what he comes up with and her growth. She needs to be more grounded in her feet.
4. Jordan & Lindsay- not sure I’m that interested in him as a celebrity, but I think he’ll do well. Love Lindsay and what she comes up with. She also has great technique.
5. Frankie & Witney-I liked how real Frankie was. I hope Witney can step up her technique and choreography for him.
6. Nikki & Artem-I liked her. Interested to watch her journey.
7. Nick & Peta-the hand going up her leg at the beginning was awkward and uncomfortable. Wasn’t memorable for me. I like Peta though so we’ll see how it goes.
Don’t have much to say about these couples because I pretty much fast forwarded their dances or went and did the dishes. So they didn’t make me watch to watch them. ????
1. Emma & Drew
2. Barbara & Keo- though Barbara is a lot more out spoken than I thought.
3. Debbie Gibson & Alan-she seems like a sweetheart and I like her music.
4. Terrel & Cheryl-happy Cheryl is back!
5. Sasha & Gleb
6. Victoria & Val-seems really sweet and I love her positivity.
Not my cup of tea, but why do people have to take everything so seriously? Dwts is an entertainment show, not how to deal with discrimination in the workplace. Barbara was joking, Keo seemed fine with it. These dancers rub up on each other 24/7 in all sorts of ways. (Anyone catch Petas IG vid where Max is feeling up her boobs during the show?) She’s loving the cougar moniker and she’s brash. Barbara didn’t get to be a multimillionaire playing with the big boys by being timid.
I feel like Mark definitely will push boundaries with Lindsey but I think because of maturity and growth in his choreography he knows how far to push to not cross over the line like he sometimes did with Chelsea back in season 12. I think what Mark did for week 1 was great, he even said in an interview about how he wanted to do something not too crazy out of the gate. I see whenever they do AT as being one of the dances where he steps out of the box, I’m thinking something like this AT with Sadie where he incorporates his playing of the guitar with Lindsey’s violin playing.
I can’t seem to figure out the people that say that Jordan and Lindsey are these high class ringers all because they have some background. As has been said above when it comes to ringerness Jordan is maybe a 2/3 on the scare when it comes to background. Lindsey maybe is a 4/5. I don’t get how it is people will complain about Lindsey and Jordan now but a lot of these same people didn’t say anything with Heather last season. I feel like it’s more so who they are partnered with not so much their background. Had Lindsey been with Val/Maks or Jordan with Peta I don’t think there would be any complaints from these same people. It’s an annoying double standard. I personally am fine with contestants with background as long as they are honest about it and don’t try and hide it.. like Ginger did.. like Heather tried to brush off. Like PH said above Heather made a living off of dancing before she ever was an actor, she did SYTYCD and did some ballroom during the academy. Out of anyone to ever do this show she had the most unfair advantage.
I saw a facebook comment of a girl saying that Lindsey had an “unfair” advantage because she trained with “Hough”.. good to know that 2 days rehearsing with Derek is that much of an advantage. Lindsey just has great natural ability, it’s how she was able to pull off topping the night with Jordan when she had I think 6 less days of rehearsal than everyone else because of wrapping up her tour.
You have it backwards, Brittany. I think Jordan actually has more experience than Lindsey does. AFAIK, Lindsey is self taught in nearly everything, besides having one dance with Derek. Jordan has done more actual dancing.
I really loved the show on Monday! There was lots of good dancing. My favorites were Lindsey, Jordan, and surprisingly Frankie! I’m looking forward to the season.
My only rant I’d like to go on is MAKS vs MARK! does anyone remember when Maks came back the last 2 times? It was a big “to-do” and Maks is back, Maks is back, blah, blah, blah, and a whole lot of TV time. On Monday, after Mark and Lindsey went….none of the judges said anything to acknowledge Mark, and Tom, as they were running to get the score, was like “oh, yeah, Welcome Back Mark!” I mean, come on!!! Maybe Mark doesn’t want all the hoopla and I love him for not being that person but he deserves it way more than anyone else. The show was definitely missing his creativity the last 2 seasons. In one dance on Monday, I remember why.
Then the other Maks vs Mark….their cha-chas on Monday which was a 1 point difference. Which is BS. I liked Vanessa’s dance and thought she did good but if you’re going to score that all 7’s then Lindsey deserved all 8’s. Maks wasted about half the dance on stage doing the whole stroller & baby leg kick thing. It took them forever to even do a cha cha move. Mark and Lindsay wasted ZERO seconds and their first move was cha-cha and it never let up. They were winded after doing that dance. It was high energy and they did fantastic!!
I’m seeing much more support for Lindsey than I do complaining about her dance ability, but I knew fans of other celebrities or pros would bring up the Hough connection. Lindsey just needs to keep stressing that she trained as a violinist and not a dancer just as Victoria keeps bringing up her own story. Do we really think Vanessa has never taken a dance class?
I think people familiar with Barbara beforehand knew she would come on strong. Unfortunately, I think she may have turned off women who make up the mainstream audience. I’m seeing so many negative comments about her and how sorry they feel for Keo. And, yes, I did see the IG video Peta posted of Maks feeling her up and how she was blowing kisses at the camera while he was doing so. Their fans attribute it to them just being themselves. A lot of hypocrisy going on for sure.
My three favorites Monday were Lindsey, Jordan and Frankie in that order, not just for the dances but also their personalities and partnerships with their pros. I was disheartened that Drew did so poorly. Hope he’s not out Tuesday because he and Emma are one of my overall favorites this season. I saw on his IG this morning that his book tour is over and done with so if they make it through perhaps more rehearsal time will help them.
I didn’t watch the brothers and their celebs Monday. I just can’t with them anymore, which is too bad for me because they both have good celebrities. I did watch Nick and I actually thought he was the most awkward of all the celebrities Monday night. He’s very lucky he is a boy band singer with a decent following. I saw several of his fans comment that he did the best dance of the night lol.
Here’s my theory as to why so many people are being annoying and saying Jordan is this seasons celeb with “dance experience.” Everyone defines dance experience differently, and although it’s a ballroom competition, if a celeb has any type of dance background fans get upset. This season is specifically tough, because there was no actual “ringer” like there was last season. Simone, Heather and a few others for example. Did Jordan know how to dance coming into this competition? Yes. Does Jordan know how to ballroom dance? Nope. So for me I don’t really have a problem with it, but I guess I understand and somewhat expected people to. Crazy thing is the celebs with dance experience haven’t won that often in the past, many even knocked out with a shocking elimination. I’m not going to sit here and say Jordan already won the mirrorball just by his week one dance, he has to earn it week by week for fans to make that happen for him. Do I think he has a good shot at it.. 100% but I could see other dark horses in the competition also coming into their own and growing into great dancers this season, and fans love that. So looks like this season Jordan is unfortunately going to be the one that gets labeled a “dancer” already (it happens every season) but I don’t think that’s going to stop his drive or chance at the mirrorball. There is a lot of competition and once it gets to the final 5 it’s usually anyone’s game anyways.
I liked everyone
Frankie & Witney and Derek & Sharna suprised me
Lindsey and Jordan being at the top was predictable , but personally i think Jordan was better , Lindsey was a little bit jumby and too excited .. Jordan and Lindsay dance was the dance of the night for me ????
Jordan is the definition of a “ringer” he’s literally a younger version of Alfonso. Anyone coming off a broadway show has to be an amazing dancer. Even his jokes and the way he acts reminds so much of Alfonso and he can come off a tad fake and maybe too confident. I don’t know he’s just so showy and similar to Alfonso and Donny Osmond but the thing is that they’re household names so I can stand them but Jordan not so much. Simply my opinion. There’s something there that disconnects with me. I like celebrities who are more real and down to earth like Frankie and Victoria and Lindsey. Jordan tries too hard to be perfect. That didn’t look like a week 1 to me.
There’s been a ton of words written on the subject of what is a ringer on this site, both by posters and by the writers of this blog.
In fact recently thier were several very good, informative and well thought out special posts about what a ringer is and how it’s more than just dance or performing experience, especially on this show, which is a combination of several different factors OTHER than just dance or performing ability. DWTS is as much about a likable personality as it is about dance experience. You may dance like a dream but if you can’t get the core viewing public behind you, then say bye bye to the Mirrorball or even the making the finals.
Geordie, how is Jordan “showy”? You can tell this with just a single one minute and ten second performance?
And anyway, isn’t it important to……. oh I don’t know, actually make a strong, impactful first dance?
????????
Well, there are really only two factors – both measurable to an extent – that go into making a ringer. Dance training/experience and fanbase. Period. If you include likeabilty, that every winner ever would be a ringer. But yes, without many other factors besides what make a ringer, you can’t win.
Mark did okay in the acknowledgement department, Elle. Tom mentioned that he was on BROADWAY. Yeah, Maks seems to get more of that sort…but he begs for it. It also seems like more because you’ll have seen him all over the media for weeks beforehand thanks to his (probably bored) publicist.
Geordie, it’s really a shame you don’t know what you’re talking about. Have you ever been to a Broadway show?? I can name MANY musicals I’ve been to (in just the last two years) where the principals DON’T DANCE AT ALL. Now, I haven’t seen all of Hamilton, but I’ve seen quite a few numbers and it’s no different. The principal actors just don’t dance to any great degree. That’s what the company is for. Jordan wasn’t in the Company, he play Phillip Hamilton and John Laurens – a principal role.
He is NOT a younger version of Alfonso – Alfonso actually had tap training AND A MASSIVE FANBASE. I have yet to see anyone provide a link that indicates that Jordan has had that level of training. Or that he has an actual large fanbase.
I’m not saying that Jordan is not a ringer. He is – but a very small one, to the point that it will likely be inconsequential.
And when are people in this country going to learn that there are “opinions” and actual facts??
Ok, yes Jordon is trying hard but so is everyone else. It’s the first week, he is young and he wants people to like him. Give him a break. That said, I really enjoyed the show for the first time in quite a few seasons (I’ve been you tubing instead). Wanted Drew to do well and sad he didn’t. Liked Lindsey, Jordon, and Nicki at this point.
Also Vanessa.
Finally watched a few of the performances on You Tube- was vacationing and TV and Internet were the last things I wanted to spend any time on. Absolutely loved Jordan and Lindsay as well as Mark and Lindsey. Barbara did not offend me in any way….she is playing a role, I’m sure. Of the others I watched, I enjoyed Artem and his partner but was disappointed in Drew- he looked overly energetic and out of control at times.
In regard to all the “ringer” discussions above, some things just never change no matter what season it is. A good portion of those instigating the ringer discussions, I’m sure, are Fam supporters. Wouldn’t put it past the Bros. themselves or their publicists to be instigators of the whole thing.
On another topic, wish Sharna would go back to being a dark-haired brunette.
WOW reading some of the comments about Jordan and I just don’t get that ‘showy’ vibe from him. For me, he is at the top of the totem pole, coming out of week one, along with Lindsey but I wouldn’t exactly consider neither one of them big ringers. I think this season lacks the big ‘ringeriness’ of some past seasons which might be a good thing….
Next up, I’d place, Frankie, Vanessa, Terrell, Derek, Sasha and Victoria. Frankie did, surprisingly, well his first week out the gate and I kinda like his partnership with Witney. Vanessa surprised me as well. In my opinion, she’s a better dancer than her husband. I do agree that, for whatever reason, there might be more pimpage of her husband-I suppose for the ladies’ in the demographic who watch the show? ???????????????? I, also, agree that Maks has a habit of phoning it in with his choreography so we’ll see how far she makes it….I kinda see some healthy competition possibly going on between Terrell and Derek and I like it! And to tell you the truth, I think Cheryl is out for blood this season so Sharna better step it up. Cheryl knows how to win and has one-she might be older but she knows how to push her partners well. Sasha, for me, is an underdog this season-I really like her! I do hope she doesn’t already go home this week! She’s got the moves-she just needs the self-confidence to show it on the dance floor so Gleb really needs to partner her well! Fingers crossed for their partnership! I loved Victoria! Not exactly her dancing however-I recognize how difficult it must be, for her, to take on a sport such as this when you still can’t feel your legs. You can see how she’s going to have to try learn how to ground her feet/legs or maintain her footing but that will have to come in time and that might be hard for her. I do agree that Val seems to, definitely, be individualizing her routines/dancing for her which is a good thing but, for me, the question is, what happens as the season gets harder? What happens when she has to learn 2 or 3 dances? Harder dances? What I LOVED about Victoria is I think what everybody loves about her-her personality. She just shined on that dance floor! She had such a fun-loving attitude about it that you just wanted to get up and dance with her and that makes it worth watching her and hoping she kinda sticks around-not for Val’s sake-hell no! But for Victoria’s sake ????
Next up on the totem pole, for me, is Nick, Nikki, Drew and Barbara. Peta does seem to have stepped up her game this season but I do agree that he lacks rythym where as his brother did not his first week out. Something tells me that Peta is gonna go the sexy route with Nick and we’re going to see his shirt open/off and the muscles out more often than not this season ???? I’m also SOOOO DONE with the whole damn marriage plot line!!! UGH!! ???????????????????????? I was over and done with it before the season started! Give it a rest already! Anywho-Drew-poor Drew lol-I absolutely agree that you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his routine. For me, he was just going a mile a minute. I do think that the judges were too harsh on him though-not so much with the scoring but I think it was Len?-with his criticism of Drew. Cut him some slack. It’s week one. The guy tried really hard and he looked like he truly had a blast out there. Barbara was just too funny! She and Keo are hysterical together-and God bless her, for her age, she’s in awesome shape! She can actually move man LOL Problem is-in my opinion, if she lasts, funny sometimes lasts only so long and then it starts to get annoying. For me, I could see her start to get on my nerves a bit by like week 4 TBH lol. We’ll see if she makes it past this coming week-haven’t looked at her fan base. She’s a ‘shark’-she might have a big following….
For me, last but not exactly least, would be Debbie-tell you the truth I hate to even put anybody in a last category right now though. Nobody was truly that bad week one. Debbie was ok-I think she did better than she, herself, expected. I, honestly, had no idea about her Lyme disease. I just hope, physically, she can keep up her endurance and strength if she lasts this season. I applaud Alan-I think he’s done a nice job partnering her thus far for a young pro. Certainly better than Jenna her first time out as pro that’s for sure.
Drew made a mistake that cost him at least 1 or 2 point per judge. Without this mistake he could have been in the top 3 or 4. Based on this people are writing the guy off? Cut him some slack the guy never danced before
Or, Jamie, y’know, don’t tell people how to think, feel, and act. There’s that.
My boyfriend won’t stop dwelling on Nick’s dance and keeps asking me, “Why did he look like he was shifting a tractor at the end?”
I think people are calling Jordan fake because of the tone of his video package. He seemed very hyper and up, which people are calling fake. Those packages make all the difference (like the edit done to Nastia). To me he just seems like he’s an excited guy with an outgoing personality. Maybe next week with 2 nights he’ll even out more.
I do wonder if Victoria’s legs will cause problems. Like how Noah and Amy were missing limbs. They did great, but they physically couldn’t move the way the dance required. The judges were adamant about judging based on the dance, not giving consideration to the obstacles they were overcoming. I wonder how that will affect Victoria as the season progresses. She seems like a wonderful person and comes across extremely inspiring and likeable, but she will physically be unable to do some of the standard technical moves in the dances.
I was surprised by how much personality Vanessa had. I had only ever seen her on MTV and she was more serious. If she had a different partner I think she could have done really well, but Maks does seem tired and uninterested.
It didn’t seem like there were any super obvious bad dancers this season (like Chris Kattan or Mike Catherwood in previous years.)
Overall it was a pretty good first show I thouht.
Whenever I see Jordan, on DWTS or elsewhere, I feel like I’m watching him audition too hard for a show I don’t want to watch anyways. He’s got tons of talent and looks great with Lindsay but I just can’t get past that showbiz veneer.
@Nukegrrrl you hit it right on the nail! Exactly the vibe I get from him. He seems like he’s on for the cameras all the freaking time. I always liked Lindsay’s partners because they’re humble and down to earth but this is the first time I don’t fancy her partner at all. I don’t think he’s gonna win or be one of the fan favorites because he’s not extremely known and his not as likeable as other people. I think he’ll make it far because of his high scores but will not receive massive votes like I could see Victoria and Lindsey or even Frankie getting.
I got the same feeling with Jordan, right from their early interviews. I thought it was just me and felt bad for being such a cynic. I love Lindsay though and there’s no denying that tango was amazing so I want them to do well and hopefully I’ll change my mind.
I definitely felt more for Frankie – he won me over with his awkwardness and sincerity in the package and then the commitment and joy in the dance. I can’t vote (being outside US) but I would have given them votes as I already feel invested in their journey. I’ve even started following Witney again on IG, which I never usually do as her posts are mainly ads.
Loved Victoria – not ashamed how much I cried. Hope Val can keep her from getting injured though. He hasn’t been sensitive to his partners in the past so I hope he can have more awareness of how she’d be feeling, especially if she can’t feel it herself. I’m even happy to let Jenna be helping him on that. Don’t necessarily want them in the finals but want it to be a wonderful experience for her.
Also loved Vanessa, Nikki, Lindsey and Derek.
From social media I learned that Jordan is friends with a lot of SYTYCD people. I guess he knows a lot of them from the Teen Beach movies, which are pretty dance-heavy. I wanted to see how he dances so I looked it up and he does dance in a lot of their numbers.
I know we’re not supposed to post links so I’ll try spacing the URL out for copy and pasting, but if it’s not okay I understand if you have to remove it. Here’s a clip from Teen Beach 2 (he’s the one with the long curly hair and red hat):
https://www . youtube . com/watch?v=WU2QMdYnUfY
He spots his turns too well to not have had some dance training. (He danced to the same song on Dancing with the Stars a couple years ago, which is also on Youtube.) He probably has more training than the likes of James and Romeo. That being said, it’s possible that people are sensationalizing Jordan’s dance experience because it’s less common that male celebs have dance experience so the ones that do stand out. It shouldn’t be a problem for Jordan because he still probably doesn’t have more experience that Riker and Corbin, and people seemed fine with them since they got to 2nd. Charlie would probably be a bigger ringer than Jordan too because he had done partner dancing before.
I don’t mind that he has dance experience. I know a lot of viewers want the cast to have no dance experience whatsoever, but they have to have a range in their cast to appeal to more viewers. Personally I wouldn’t watch the show if the cast had a dozen Davids (even though he has a great personality). Jordan’s dance experience just makes me excited for what Lindsay can do with him.
I thought I was the only one who felt that way about Jordan! he seems sweet enough and his charisma is through the roof, but I don’t feel like I know much about who he is as a person.
I think keo and his partner is going home on mon night
and I thought Jordan and Lindsay and mark and Lindsey and sharna and derek and val and Victoria did great on mon night
[…] have a lot fewer problems in his life if he could simply SHUT THE F*CK UP. Which is more or less what I recommended last week – if he just learned to bite his tongue and nod politely instead of launching into a tirade, […]