Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week EIGHT – LIVE BLOG!

For my thoughts on who might go home and how, see the DBTN Retrospective….and for Courtney’s thoughts you can see the power rankings for this week.

Wow. Alexis looks smokin’. Hell, all the women do, although not crazy about Cheryl’s outfit – that fringe is…weird.

Bobby up first with his tribute dance. :::rolls eyes:::  To his fans. Not rolling his eyes at his fans, but at this theme. Using dances from week 1, how can it really be a tribute??

Way too many people. Whose idea was this?  Oddly, Bobby does better rolling his pelvis than he does walking on time. That wasn’t horrid, but it still had some weird spots. Read more..

Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week SEVEN – LIVE BLOG!

Thanks to Monday night football, I’m watching on a stream tonight – one that could go out at any time. So…fingers crossed. 🙂

T-minus 15 minutes to Country night!!

Great. My stream has an out of sync audio…

Oh lord, I just saw where the showmance gets even worse tonight. There’s kissing involved. :::rolls eyes:::

Liking all the costumes so far, although I did look and Jenna’s and try to figure out what was going on there. 🙂

Is that five live performances?? Geez.

Tonight’s a double elimination – no surprise there. You knew one was coming, if you’ve been paying attention at all.

John up first! Dancing to “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”. He’s in TN…which is looking as lovely as usual. 🙂 He’s making me misty talking about his kids.

I think he’s doing a great job, he’s keeping up with the pros….or they’re doing a good job of marking him. Probably both. Emma keeps the choreo relatively simple, and he handles it very well. I like it! Read more..

Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week SIX – LIVE BLOG!

So, will they do a double tonight to make up for the lack of an elimination last week?? That would be a trick…or a treat, depending on who it is that goes home. 🙂

T-minus 15 minutes.

This is a pretty cute opening number, I must say. Very long though – wonder how many takes it took. 🙂

Going right into the show with Milo and Witney…he’s cute. Is Witney’s hair gray?   Looks like it in spots. Looks good though.

Funny story about ghost hunter shows.  Me and my sis watched a couple a couple christmases ago. We spent the next several days going “Did ya hear that??” every time we saw each other 🙂

Milo looks creepy. Wasn’t sure about the choreo at first, too frantic, but it improved after he broke her back.  All in all, an excellent dance. Read more..

Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week FIVE – LIVE BLOG!

Well, I have to say that I’ve never been a huge fan of Disney night – or theme nights in general. Always seems like we end up with dance styles which are no where close to the music handed out. For a current example, look at Sophia’s samba last night on DWTS Juniors. That was the most egregious dance/song combo in quite some time. Poor kid.

T-minus 15 minutes…

So, I guess CAI said on IG stories that five couples will go into finale night and there will be a double elimination, sending three couples to night two?? If she’s correct, that means no double before finale night. If my math is good. And it HAS been a long day at work….

Cute opening with some DWTS Jr kids along with Jordan. Nice dance…hey Val, you’re in Derek’s spot front and center! That spot has to be earned! 🙂

Jordan is a pretty good singer. The pros are looking nice and sharp. Oh, there’s all the kids!! Cute. Okay, we’re getting a little busy now…

Alexis up first and she looks beautiful, as per usual. Oh boy, shipper bait. I want Minnie ears….oh geez, going right to the question about feelings. :::rolls eyes:::

Lovely dance, although her feet came off the floor. If she makes it though without tripping on the too long skirt it will be a miracle…Gorgeous dress, gorgeous dance. Didn’t see too much wrong with it. We’ll see what the judges have to say.

Len says No stressing no messing…and he comments on their chemistry, then says the footwork could have been cleaner but that she’s above her plateau. Bruno says Disney magic stronger than ever…and more shipper commentary. These people know their audience and the rabidity of shippers…so why not feed them. CAI says Disney can be challenging and that her dance made her believe in fairy tales. Agreed.

Again, that dress is stunning. Love it! Scores: 10, 9, 10.  Hmmm…I sure hope she’s not going home. Don’t know if that was a 10 dance – nines for sure.

Up next is JP and Cheryl with a V. Waltz.  He wanted to be a disney animator? That’s interesting. I don’t buy that Beauty and the Beast is his favorite though. I smell a script. With the pony tail too. And wasn’t Gaston a bad guy?? Another reason not to like theme weeks – way too much group and extra dancers. Hard to focus on the dancing. Looks pretty good, though. I predict he grabs the…oh, too late. He already did it.

All in all I think that was a very good dance but there was too much troupe and production. And Tom says it’s one of his favorites?? Getting in on the producer manipulation?? Bruno says he was spot on on every level. CAI asks whose hair is longer, says he has flair and he leads cheryl, every detail is perfect. I smell 10s – again, unearned. Len says he was full of gusto and zest, he’s fantastic. Says he would have liked a fleckle. 🙂  He’ll tie with Alexis.

DeMarcus in the 3rd position?? Not good. Of course he got totally hosed last week. So they’re doing a charleston to Hercules.  Don’t go too lift heavy, Lindsay.

Like the staging. Oh boy, not moving his feet in that first section. Great lift and flip!He’s having some foot problems – he doesn’t need to give them an excuse. About half way through the dance he really got it together and I love the windmills. I’m afraid that they talk him down so much that it will start to become reality.

CAI is cheering him and really talking him up. Now I’m confused – I think this was his least good dance and she’s raving. Are they going to give everyone tens to try and get rid of Joe?? Len says it was a wonderful job. Not a lot of charleston going on. Bruno says he’s becoming a theater man, charleston was pretty good, light-footed, didn’t miss a beat (disagree). Yeah, He was way better than this the last few weeks and people wonder why the celebs get confused.

Scores: 9, 8 and 9 for a 26.  That’s pretty good. I would have handed out all 8s (and would have given them this at least last week).

Well, hell. They’ve got Evanna in historically one of the worst running order positions for this point in the season. :::sigh:::

Heh. I like the bumpers with the little kids and the big kids.

Evanna up next! With a Tangled Jazz.  I think Luna Lovegood is like a disney princess. 🙂 Keo scared of rollercoasters? That wasn’t even a big one!

Again I love the staging. Cute. She is too cute. This dance suits her. And she’s executing very well. She looks like a natural. Not crazy about the song, actually.  She might actually be expecting better than Keo…okay, loved it. Very cute.

Len liked the light and shade, lovely feel to it. Says it wasn’t spectacular but it was well danced and well done. He’s on crack. Bruno thinks she has found her stride, confident and self assured. Says her impetus says she chases the music a bit. He might be right on that. CAI says she did the Disney name proud.  Keep her chest open. She says she has the talent.

Scores: 8, 8, 8 for a 24.  Not good. I hope they didn’t hose her.

That bumper with all the men was just soooo frantic.

Oh joe. You think that was better than before?? You’re wrong. And you’re not growing. A jive might kill me.

Neither Joe nor Jenna are good at reading lines. 🙂

I love this little kid.  Oh my, Joe had a few steps that weren’t half bad there, and then he got all off time. Are they allowed to do a lift in the dance?? He’s not totally sucking so far. But he doesn’t have much rhythm. That whole bridge? He didn’t move.  He was pretty stationary for the last half of the dance. Let’s see if it worked.

Bruno – I can sense a very faint glimmer of hope. The timing is slightly better, but still in three different time zones, but at least you tried. He says he needs to work on the quality. CAI says Go Joe! Says it was a vast improvement, he didn’t miss a step and it was loaded. Okay – no one is going home tonight. They’re being too kind.  Len says he liked and admires that he gets knocked but he gets back up and give it his all. Len’s advice – there wasn’t enough Jive in the Jive (true). He wants him to come back, get in there and give it some welly.

Jason is a little star, for sure – but is he in every shot because he’s so freakin’ cute?

Scores for Joe and Jenna: 6, 5, 6 – a bit better than last week.

Numbers UPDATE:  So far, Joe still has a long row to hoe to stick around, compared to those who have already dances. He needs 28.4k more votes per million votes cast to beat Evanna, 36.5k more votes per million votes cast to beat DeMarcus, and 48.6k more votes per million votes cast to beat either JP or Alexis.  I don’t think he’s beating Evanna or DeMarcus. I think JP beats Alexis (not with me) which would make him safe. Alexis could be at risk, but for her to be eliminated, Joe would have to clear a bigger margin than last week.

Mary lou is up next and she’s kinda fading into the woodwork for me. I wonder if they will continue to pump her up. She’s doing contemporary so she should do very well. This is right in her well house.

I find the beginning of this dance to be very awkward, stilted. She needs Sasha there, IMO. And still she has some hesitation.  It’s pretty, but nothing really special, I don’t think.  But she cried so she’ll get tens. I think she seems kinda fake. Maybe that’s mean, but I’m not feeling her.

CAI says the show lives for this moment, but she got a little tight and then something happened, she opened and the tears flowed. Len liked that it was gentle and fluid, the musicality was good, didn’t like Sasha’s rolly poly. Says it was competent. Bruno loves her determination, believes in what she does, she’s getting stronger and her performance is getting better.

Why is Tom editorializing so much? Is the show running short?

Scores: 9, 8, 8 for a 25 out of 30.  I think Evanna was better but Mary Lou may not be getting the votes.

My Keurig appears to be dying. :::sob:::

I think that was a great dance from John and Emma. The choreo was clever as per usual and he did a really good job!!

Len says it was full of content, and full energy but he lost  a bit toward the end but it is his best dance yet. Bruno says he brought sparkle to the jungle and it was a recognizable content. CAI says it was his best performance over all, despite a few snafus. Yeah, I saw his weird legs in one spot so I can’t get too mad at that.

I love that song too, John!  And he gets a 24! A high for them.

Numbers UPDATE!  Joe needs the following votes per million votes cast in order to stay:

John/Evanna – 31.4k
Mary Lou – 35.9k
DeMarcus – 40.4k
Alexis/JP – 53.9k

Bobby Bones up next! Sharna finally gets to be little mermaid.  She wants elegance. Good luck.

Ever notice when a pro has someone who really can’t dance they stress growth? And then, when they have a ringer they tell a whole different story.

Sharna looks amazing, although the weave is a bit harsh. Bobby is a bit stilted in his movements to begin with . But he’s not horrendous and he’s certainly trying very hard. As the dance goes along he get into and gets a lot better.  This might be my favorite dance from him. It’s the first time he’s seemed genuine to me.

Bruno says he got the catch of the day, it was a bit slippery at times but he got back on it, it was a brave effort. CAI says he’s still holding the pose and she noticed it the most, he’s got the posture down.  He’s got so much joy, she says. Len says he was outside his comfort zone and he’s doing a Waltz, Len likes that he played it straight and it was pretty well done.

Scores: 7, 7, 7 for a 21. I might have given him one 8. Maybe. 🙂

Lin Manuel Miranda!!!!  :::swoon::: Dick Van Dyke! My heart….google Dick Van Dyke, Derek Hough and Travis Wall to see a dance I watched literally 50 times.

NUMBERS: There are only 17.9k votes between Joe and Bobby.

Milo up next with a quickstep!

Love Tom in jail! Are his legs too far apart in spots?  And I think he missed a step there at one point. But he recovered quickly. He did great when the tempo kicked up.  Not his best dance but he did very, very well. I’d give him three nines probably.

Running out of time?? CAI loved it. Len says it had plenty of Zippidy doo dah – he doesn’t want to be a party pooper but there wasn’t enough body contact. Agreed. Bruno doesn’t have any complaints, it was a blockbuster.

Scores: 27 with a 10 from Bruno after an 8 from Len – Bruno, the great equalizer. 🙂

Jeopardy: DeMarcus and Lindsay

Jeopardy: Alexis and Alan

Everyone else is safe.

Elimination: No one is going home.  So, were those the real jeopardy or were they the people who needed votes?? Or the people they wanted to give more votes to?

Next week it will be two weeks of votes, this weeks scores and next weeks scores.

Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week FOUR – LIVE BLOG!

Hi all!! You’ll note that I didn’t do a “dancing by the numbers” this week, mainly because they’re using this weeks scores with last weeks votes and that means the DBTN post doesn’t reflect any large changes in scores. So, I’ll be keeping an eye on the numbers during the show and let you know where I think it’s going. Then, I’ll do a retrospective post as it’s needed if any weirdness happens. Cool?

That said, I think it could be any of Courtney’s bottom three to go home this week – I’m leaning more toward Mary Lou, but it’s really critical to see how badly Joe scores. If he’s low enough relative to everyone else, it could be him. All three of them will depend heavily on the scoring differences between them. We’ll see!

Ugh. Too much Val. Love how they introduced the couples with their trio partner. Very good to see some of them again…Nastia, Amy and Rashad….and Riker, to name a few.

Juan Pablo is up first. Will they horrendously over score him once again?? Is it him or is it Cheryl?? I seem to recall this is not the first time they ridiculously shoved one of her partners down our throat….he was a latino as well, I recall. Read more..

Dancing with the Stars Season 27, Week THREE – LIVE BLOG!

So, who’s it going to be?? Both Court and I have had our say in the Power Rankings and DBTN…are we in for a surprise??

Sorry folks, got to drinking wine and chatting with the neighbors so I’m running a bit behind. Hopefully I’ll catch up!!

Mary Lou chooses 1984 – no shock there! She apparently had knee surgery 6 weeks before. Wow.

I actually see a lot of improvement in Mary Lou, but I wish she would point her toes…it’s kinda distracting.

Should I skip the judges to catch up?? Perhaps….

She gets a 24 which seems about right to me.

Milo is next with 2018, because of his movie, etc.  This is concerning because he’s so young. Viewers are suckers…including me. But he’s so good that hopefully it won’t matter.

“Wittles”. LOL.  That’s good. Oh he has a lot to live up to with this song. So far, so good. Like the opening choreo. I also like that it’s a jive . This kid can really move and that backflip off the desk was terrifying. The only thing that gives him away as a non-pro is his hands. They are not bad, but they look like Witney’s instead of, say, Artem’s. 🙂

Oh, CAI….okay I agree about the arm. Otherwise, the judges are raving, as they should.

You know, if Erin would STFU, the kid could talk. Milo scores a 27 – well deserved.

So far, Marylou has the same score and Milo has gone up by a point – no impact,  most likely.

Nancy is up next with Lucas Graham singing and her year is 2006 the “year her family was complete”. She moved to a ranch and have great kids. That’s refreshing that it’s not about the TV show with her. She’s doing a rumba…and it annoys me how the live singers distract from the dance.

Her dress is beautiful. She’s making some pretty shapes, but it seems Val always makes his rumbas too hard.  He mistakes “slow” for “soft” and I don’t find the to be the same. But…that was a very lovely dance. I liked it!! But then, I like Nancy.

CAI loved it, and she gets the “hips” critique…and Val gets some Tea from Bruno which I love. 🙂

Trios next week!! Hold the phone – they “Make” the contestants watch the video. That seems like bullshit. This is one of those times that I wonder if Derek would have been there talking in his partners ear to distract or focus them.

Val, shut it.  Nancy scores a 22, which is two points higher than last week. This is a significant change – one that could save her if Joe stays the same. Stay tuned.

Oh goodie, Maddie Ziegler. :::rolls eyes:::  She’s announcing that she’s dancing in Alexis’ trio next week if they make it through. How great. :::sarcasm::: It’s pimp the Ziegler’s week.

Alexis’s MMY is 2014 when her mom got cancer and passed. Devastating. Why do they “make” them watch this? Despicable.  Alan is a good boy.

This is a beautiful dance with a great throw. Contemporary really suits her. Wow That actually made me cry. Beautiful. Great job, Allen.

Len giving her some great compliments, likes the lifts. Bruno raving, CAI talking legacies and elegance. She scores a 26 which should insulate her from the Joe’s and Bobby’s of the world.

This is a nice touch, all the pros talking about their most memorable years.

Next up is Evanna with Harry Potter.  2006 is when she booked it – can’t believe it’s been that long. Pen pals with J.K. Rowling. Jesus.  Saved her from an eating disorder.   Come on, Keo – live up to this music.

This music still gives me chills. I like how her dress reminds me of the Hogwarts robes. She’s having fun and she’s doing very well. She seems like she’s feeling the music. Well done!!

Damn, Bruno is up on his HP lingo!! He seems to like the dance a lot. He raves. CAI notes her performance has grown a lot – agreed. She hit all the notes on this one. Len calls it powerful but with the elegance. He says it was a magic performance. Yay!!

Scores: a 27!! And that should insulate her as well!! Excellent!  Three points higher than last week.

Okay, I think I’m caught up. Everything pretty much hinges on Bobby and Joe’s scores. Stay tuned!!

Here we go…Joe is up next. His MMY is this year, I guess obviously. Kendall is involved, of course. Being a long time bachelor watcher, I wonder how long after DWTS she dumps him. Or vice versa.

Oh, it’s not distracting at all to have those two singers standing up there next to you. Joe is actually sowing some improvement, but there’s still a problem that I can’t put my finger one. Maybe he’s thinking too hard. But it is better than it has been, and he’s moving more than he has in the past. If I was Jenna I’d be pissed about Leona’s dress being large and gorgeous.

CAI being very kind…and accurate. Len says he sees a more confident Joe (true) but he would like more VW. Bruno notes he got moving and he just needs to work on the quality of movement. Tom notes that he’s reached a level of comfort and ease and Joe says he feels better.

He gets an 18 which might seal his fate…or that of someone near him on the leader board.

Juan Pablo is up next, but first a mini numbers update. If Bobby gets the same score as last week, there is less than 4k votes between him and Joe. Nancy is now 15,500 votes ahead of Bobby. Safe? Hard to say.

Juan Pablo is dancing Samba and of corse he’s handling it very well, including the Samba rolls…but he still does nothing for me. No, I don’t know why. He’s just not connecting.

Judges over the top rave. Yeah, he did a great job. So what? A perfect score?? Yep, and all it does is make me wonder if he was in trouble with the voters. Hmmmm…..

Bwahahahahahah….sorry Jenna.

Oh, John – this is a sad story. I hate moms dying. I remember how it felt to lose my dad. Pain. No matter how old you are.

Lovely waltz, Emma once again shines making her partner look good. Seems to me that John is looking much better than he has in the past as well, and he’s putting a lot of emotion into it, although he rushed and raised his shoulders there for a moment.

Bruno calls it very moving, talks about his good touch, but wonderful. CAI is very touched as well…is she talking about a lift? No, his posture – this I noticed as well. Len likes the sentiment, and the elegance…and notes the music was tricky. Says he needs to polish.

I kinda love him, I think. 🙂  He scores a 21, which is only one point above last week.

NUMBERS UPDATE!

Joe needs the following to be safe….currently:

11.4k more than John
15.2k more than Nancy
22.8 more than Mary Lou

Everything kinda hinges on Bobby right now. And he’s up next talking about his high school years. Before his mom died she got her GED because he graduated from High School.

The kid singer is a nice touch. He’s dancing contemporary which is a lucky break. He blows the sync a bit. I’m not getting a lot of emotion from the dance like I did from the package. Maybe I’m jaded? Why am I thinking about “Dear Evan Hansen”???

CAI is raving…Joe is in trouble. Len talks about the “little guy” singing and not liking a bed in the dance, but he’s saying it’s Bobby’s best dance. Bruno calls it honest, real and that contemporary suits his body. They all like it.

He scores 23 which might take him out of reach of Joe. Let’s see….here we are.

Now, provided that I haven’t made any errors in my haste to do this, it’s not looking good for Joe. When only DeMarcus and Tinashe are left, it’s likely decided.  It could still be Nancy, but it just got a lot harder. Possible that it’s John, since Val has a somewhat bigger fanbase than Emma. We’ll see!

Dang, Tinashe is a prodigy! A celebratory rumba?? This is a new idea, I think. Her parents are gorgeous, I can see where she got it from.

This is a lovely dance, although she might get the “more hips” critique from Len. She’s not extending it all the way out. But this was a beautiful dance, regardless.

Len saw lots of recognizable rumba and says it was her best dance. Bruno liked the tonality, elegance and the liquid movement. CAI gets the sense she is unstoppable – agreed.

She gets a 27 which I think may be a crime, that she’s three points below JP – makes me wonder all the more if he’s not getting the votes. Curious.

Anyway, that’s the same score Tinashe got last week so that has no impact on the numbers. Unless DeMarcus craters, I think the writing may be on the wall for Joe. If Joe is called safe, I would be worried for Nancy or John. Bobby is an outside shot.

DeMarcus and Lindsay doing a AT based on 2016…and there isn’t much time left so it’s going to be “wham bam thank you ma’am” once again at the end of the show.

Pregnancy troubles, adoption, they get pregnant (Yay!) and then he goes to the Super Bowl. Lovely story. They’re his driving force. Love it.

Wow. Powerful opening picture for this dance, and the lift was amazing!!!  Jesus. This dance is quite intense. Lindsay once again cements her states on this show. Best choreographer currently on the show. HOLY CRAP!! That was fantastic!! If that’s not a 30, I riot.

Bruno says that was super human and mind blowing, but he says he was stalking like a panther. CAI says it’s not typical, but she likes the interpretation. Len says the lifts were amazing, he’s never going to have a fight with him (good thing), but they were so great. He loves this whole evening, great dancing. He’s going to screw him over on the score.

And he scores….BULLSHIT!!! An 8!!!!! Len, are you kidding me?? The other two are no better with their 9’s. I see we’ve reached the bullshit portion of the season where Che…I mean JP needs to be protected. Give me a break.

Nancy and Val in Jeopardy.

Tinashe and Brandon in Jeopardy.

Everyone else is safe? Shit.

Eliminated: Nancy and Val.

I’m so unbelievably pissed at DeMarcus’ score that I almost can’t see straight. You??