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Dancing with the Stars Season 30 – The FINALE LIVE BLOG!!

Well, it’s almost that time – the finale. And at this moment I’m just hoping my ABC affiliate survives. Their broadcast has been sputtering for the last half hour. It’s 2021, people -FIX IT.

Totally bummed that Derek won’t be on the show tonight, especially the dancing part. 🙂 Julianne is okay, but I far prefer Derek. Both his judging AND his dancing.

T-minus ten minutes!

Wow! Great opening and all sans Tyra. Despise how they all line up to honor her though.

No way do they let Alan choose what fusion dance they’re doing. I call BS on that one. Anyway, Amanda is up first. 🙂

She’s dancing beautifully. Nice transition to the Paso.  Okay that jump was awkward. Like her back is stiff or something. She really had to concentrate to get that foot pointed. 🙂

Julianne is talking…too much. 😉  Says Amanda’s journey has been beautiful. Consistent. Says she found the balance between the two styles (I didn’t recognize much Paso). Bruno is raving about sizzling and passion (?).  CAI says we always get quality but said she was tentative during VW and noted a stumble at the end. Len says she’s like a total eclipse.

Scores: 9, 10, 9, 10 for 38 out of 40.  I would have given her a 9.  And Alan an 8 for not  a ton of recognizable Paso. 🙂

So, Cody is doing a Paso/Cha Cha fusion and Cheryl didn’t try to take credit for the idea. She also shows she a far better choreographer than Alan is – more seasoned. Cheryl’s choreography is more exciting – could be the song helps a lot. He’s dancing it quite well.  He’s not my favorite, but those comparing him to Bobby Bones are way off base. This man can dance, I just don’t think he’s as good as he should be or as good as the other finalists.

Bruno is raving – I suspect he will for everyone. CAI talks about far he’s come, how he’s proven himself. Len says it had vim, vigor  and vitality. He would have liked more shaping. Jules notes he worked on his feet since last week.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36.  I liked it better than Amanda’s so I would trade their scores.

JoJo and Jenna up next. I’m so shocked that she and Iman are my favorites – totally not what I expected at the beginning of the season. I thought I would probably be for Mel C and Amanda. Nope. 🙂 JoJo is so much more than I expected. Anyway, they’re doing a….Tango/ChaCha Fusion.

I’m constantly impressed by how totally in sync these two are, it’s fun to watch. You can train people to dance, but you can’t make them so perfectly in sync. Stunning. And yes, Jenna is the best choreographer on this show, followed closely by Daniella.

CAI sees a woman transformed. Len says she proved it doesn’t matter the gender mixture, if the dancing is great magic happens. Jules says she’s all things. Bruno says she’s freaking awesome. Perfection.

She’s freaking inspiring, yet so young.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a perfect 40.  I do wonder if they are dancing in the reverse order of how they’ll finish. DWTS used to have a sneaky way of doing that. Of course, it’s probably not as obvious as it’s been in the past.

Derek might be the handsomest covid patient I’ve ever seen. See – a vaccine will make it so you’re only mildly sick and still FINE. 😉

I do agree that Iman is the most improved and he’s tied with JoJo in sheer entertainment factor. He’s just FUN. Kill it, Iman!! Their fusion is ChaCha/Foxtrot Fusion.

He’s actually doing incredibly well on the cha cha portion. Excellent even. The foxtrot portion is a little tougher for him, although much better in hold. Daniella is putting Cha Cha and Foxtrot all the way through.  Loved the ending.

Len is going to low ball him. Says underdogs bite back. Says he loves how he dances cool. Jules never thought he was an underdog and right points out what the show is about – integrating the dances with who you are. Bruno says the eagle has risen to new heights. I missed CAI’s blathering because I was noting Len’s body language.

They’re raving like he might win this thing. It’s in Len’s body language – he doesn’t want to praise him (hand to forehead), but he does anyway, because he likes to be right.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 40.  Yep, Iman is very likely winning after that score. I say that because while I loved it, I don’t think it was a 40. He’s had better dances that were scored lower. That said, I did like him better than Amanda or Cody.

Cue the obligatory season retrospective with a slow song.  Mel C – love her as a Spice Girl, but I’m not sure about her as a solo artist.

I sure hope it’s JoJo or Iman – this retrospective is reminding me of their iconic dances. I don’t think Amanda or Cody had anything nearly as memorable.  Both perfectly nice people, I’m sure, but not my picks to win.

Freestyles coming up next!!

Gleb screwing up the pro dance as per usual. That dude always sticks out like a sore thumb.  Always behind or ahead of the other guys. Did Val miss the cue to take off his shirt? Usually he’s the first one to go, although Gleb is trying to steal that thunder. Not impressed. The women were fantastic as per usual.

Cody’s freestyle is first – wonder why they changed the order.  Staging?  Cody is extra?  Yeah, I’d agree with Cheryl. 🙂

This is just weird.  Once they got down on the floor it improved vastly. Was starting to think Cheryl lost her touch. And now it’s back to weird again.  I don’t know what to think about all that. I don’t think it showed a lot of skill or dance ability.

Jules says he gave everyone permission to be themselves. Bruno compares him to JLo in hustler and Gina from Showgirls. CAI says it was most flamboyant freestyle ever. Len doing the hand motions is too much for me. Wild, wacky and wonderful.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a 40. Everyone will get a 40 on this round unless they take a crap on the floor. And maybe even then.

Amanda up next with their freestyle. Very curious to see what direction they will go.

Ooooo….I like the start.  Of course contemporary. It’s where she lives. Of course, I don’t think Alan is cross trained to the extent Jenna and some of the others are, so it’s contemporary with a whole lot of ballroom moves.  I saw VW and AT, to name two. But it was a fun, well executed dance.

Bruno calls her a star reborn. CAI says she’s hope and resilience personified – agreed. She’s been through a lot. Len would give her the win if he could. 🙂 Straight, white blonde? He’s all over it. Jules says the whole universe is open to her.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 40.

Jojo and Jenna are looking cute and they’re up next.

Jenna has done wonderful things with Jojo, but I think JoJo is responsible for her own growth and maturity. She’s not at all what I expected, so happy to say. And oooo… they’re dancing to Gaga’s Born this way.

That double backbend was amazing. They’re doing what they do best.  Staying in sync. While that was a great dance it wasn’t hugely impactful. Very well done, and fun – but ALL of their dances are like that. JoJo set her own bar so high. That was excellent, but she’s always excellent.

CAI is insane. Len mentions all the ballroom stuff mixed in. Says she’s a stand out. Jules is being profound about making change. Bruno raves.

Scores:  Of course it’s a 40.

Iman and Danielle are up next…and I have to wonder after JoJo’s freestyle if Danielle is going to take the freestyle crown for the night. Alan and Cheryl were not impressive. Jenna’s was great, but not her best dance this season. I do wonder what crazy Daniella is going to whip out. 🙂

Iman is hilarious with his short comments. 🙂  Iman isn’t the only one fearless, girl.

Holy crap. That was full out, non-stop. Crazy lifts. the all male part was awesome. Daniella has skills! That was AMAZING!! Wow! So fast!

Len talks about how it’s been like a fantastic book – doesn’t say a word about the dance. Bruno is so excited that he skipped Julianne. 🙂  Jules says it’s her favorite freestyle ever.  CAI says it was sick. What’s so special is that he showcased his partner.

Scores: of course it’s a 40.

Well, I think Iman cinched it.  It’s either Jojo or Iman in my book.  I’d be happy with either one. If anyone else wins, something went horribly wrong.

Hehehe….this eliminated litigators bit is pretty good.

Jimmy singing – I like it. OSHA probably isn’t a fan of all that fog combined with all those steps though. 🙂  Amanda and Jimmy both going on tour, btw.

Here we go! Very much doubt there was a record number of votes when the ratings are lower than ever. I guess it depends on what record we’re talking about. Like this bit with all fate family members. Is it my imagination or does everyone in Amanda’s family look so much alike? Jojo got gyped on the family.

Fourth Place: Amanda and Alan

Third Place: Cody and Cheryl.

The Winner of DWTS Season 30 is….Iman and Daniella!!  Well deserved. I loved both of the top two and would have been happy with either one. Iman I think touched something in everyone’s hearts – there’s something sweet and genuine about him and Daniella just killed the choreography.  Jenna and Jojo have nothing to be ashamed of – their dancing was stellar every single week. This was a good result, IMO.

I”m sorry, but Tyra that was the fakest thing I’ve ever seen. Her “Oh My God!” Lord help us. Derek’s reaction actually got cut off on my broadcast. But the blue eyes!! Greatly prefer him to Julianne…actually I prefer him to all of them. 🙂

November 22, 2021 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

PureDWTS Season 30, Semi-Finals – Power Rankings

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest author for the Pure Dancing with the Stars Power Rankings.  As Court shared, she’s taking a “hopefully temporary” break from the power rankings and reader Tei offered to step in while she’s enjoying a well deserved break.

Last week of season 30! This last couple of weeks have gone by fast! Overall, I think this season was fun and had some great dancing. After week 2-3 there really were no terrible dancers. I particularly loved the men. They had no dance experience but committed every week give it their all. They were fun to watch and had great personalities. I was also surprised by Olivia and how well she did with the dancing. I would have loved to see more of Mel C, unfortunately I don’t think she was given a chance to have a breakthrough.

Monday’s elimination went just as I had predicted. Melora did not have a great night (unlike the week before) and the judges did not provide her any cushion with the scores. Both her dances were ok but nothing impressive. That sealed her faith. And as I said, (except for Iman) I thought that the judges would save everyone over Suni (unfortunately). I really enjoyed watching Suni and was glad she made it this far.

So, except for Jimmie, the last 4 finalist are who I’ve expected them to be for the last couple of weeks. How will they rank on Monday? I really can’t decide 100%. At this moment, the only two contestants left that have never been in the bottom are Cody and Iman. Interestingly enough, they are also the two remaining with the lowest cumulative score (and I haven’t done the math but I’m quite sure that must be the case). Although we don’t know to what extent, I tend to believe that their fanbases are more consistent than that of the ladies remaining. Therefore, the final order will likely depend on how the judges decide to separate the couples with the scores and how memorable each couple manages to make their dances (especially the freestyle). Considering this, I will the rank the couples taking into consideration: (1) the chances that the pro will choreograph—and the celebrity will execute—a memorable routine, (2) the possible scoring of the judges, (3) how the voting has sort of gone in the previous weeks.

That being said:

Fourth Place:

Amanda and Allan: Last Monday I though Amanda had a good night but did not stand out when compared to the rest of the dancers. The Tango had something weird. Her face expressions were simply confusing and distracting. At times (specially towards the end) I felt that she was losing the frame. I also felt that the sections of the dance needed to be better connected. The contemporary was emotional and well performed. However, Jojo’s contemporary overshadowed all the others. I have this couple in fourth place because when considering the 3 points I mentioned: I believe the 3 remaining girl pros will choreograph better and more memorable dances. Although the judges might give her great scores (that I assume will be similar to Jojo’s), without a routine that stands out I don’t think she will gather the votes to pass Iman or Cody. Last week she was 4-points ahead of Iman and 8-points ahead of Cody and ended up in the bottom.

Third Place:

Cody and Cheryl: I personally did not think that Cody had a great night and still managed to avoid the bottom 3, again. The salsa was stiff when on hold, his hands on the side by side were weird and when watching I wrote on my notes that it appeared under rehearsed. The AT was good. The problem is that the majority of what he did was stand strong while Cheryl performed some great footwork around him. That being said, he ended at the bottom of the leaderboard but avoided the bottom 3. I always had doubts of who was getting the votes between him and Amanda, I guess we now know. Still, I have them third because I truly believe that Jenna and Daniella will probably be the pros that produce the best and most memorable dances for their celebrities. Jojo will probably end with a higher score than Cody that will help her. As for Iman, I have a feeling that he is probably the higher vote getter (this is just a feeling based on no respectable source or analysis) and will get the votes to pass Cody. However, I must admit that this is the couple I’m most confused about and wouldn’t be surprised to see the voters get them farther.

Finalists:

Iman and Daniella: Again (and I must sound like a broken record) Daniella is doing a perfect job choreographing to Iman’s strengths. Also, I must say that Derek’s tips with the frame really helped him. The Tango was great improved, especially the frame. Was there a lot of content? Nope. But it was great and showed tons of improvement. The jazz, well it was more a freestyle than jazz but again, eye catching, memorable, incredible lifts and Iman performed 100%. Like I said before, I believe Iman is getting tons of votes. I also believe that Daniella will choreograph probably the best (or second best) freestyle of the night. Because it is a freestyle, if Daniella avoids any dance/steps that require detailed ballroom technique, Iman might even get scores as high as the remaining couples. If that happens, I don’t see him getting anything lower than second. I must admit, I even considered putting him first. But usually in the finals the worst dancer remaining doesn’t win (Bobby being the great exception to this norm, obviously). Is Iman capable of doing this? I think he might be: he seems to be getting the votes, he’s getting respectable scores from the judges, is performing much better that Bobby ever did, and has a personality that makes viewers fall in love with him. We’ll see.

Winners:

Jojo and Jenna: So, I settled for going back to my first Power Rankings where I had Jojo first. Monday night was really Jojo’s night. The AT was good and felt very mature. I’ve been wanting them to switch the hold in the middle of a dance, and they finally did it in this dance (at one-point Jojo was doing the female hold). But the contemporary was the dance of the night. Yes, I know she is a trained dancer in that specific style. But however fair/unfair anyone thinks this is, that was a great dance. Cudos to Jenna with the choreography and the use of the stage. And it was that Contemporary that made me go back to put Jojo first. If Jojo and Jenna create a dance that is as visually mesmerizing and memorable as they did last week, I think she might be able to win it all. I’m also assuming she will be at the top of the leaderboard and being the last week maybe her infinite number of followers will rally to vote for her. If by some reason the judges end up scoring all the couples the same, all bets are off.

Thank you all for reading and specially thanks to the mods for allowing us to continue this conversation! It was a pleasure sharing a bit of my thoughts with other fellow fans. See you next season (hopefully there will be one!). Tei. 😊

November 18, 2021 I Written By

Dancing with the Stars Season 30 WEEK 9!! LIVE BLOG!!

Wow! I can’t believe we’re at the semi-finals already! And I believe one of the celebs or pros said that tonight is another double elimination, which will very likely suck.  If I were in charge, my final four would be Jojo, Iman, Melora and Suni.  And JoJo/Iman would be the top 2.  But that’s just me and it’s based mainly on my feelings when watching them dance. MY final two make me happy. Suni really improved last week. Melora I just like better than either Amanda or Cody.

I doubt I’ll get my way. 🙂 I know a few people have complained about people with dance experience, but back when this show was in it’s heyday, I would regularly point out that LOTS of people have extreme advantages that have nothing to do with dance. Examples:

  1. Donny Osmond – he has a massive, passionate fanbase who ARE the DWTS demographic. Was he the best dancer that season? No.
  2. Bobby Bones – see number one and he was a horrible dancer.
  3. Most Olympians – have massive fanbases and often their sport lends itself to dancing (see Meryl Davis, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Luikin, Charlie White). Suni is actually an exception to the rule – I don’t think she’s well known and she’s taken a while to cut loose.

There are many more examples. You going to tell me that those folks are less egregious than someone who has dance experience but has to fight for every vote? Not in my world. There are all kinds of “ringers” besides those with dance experience. Amanda is one I think of who has the dance advantage, but I’m not sure if she’s getting votes or not.

T-minus 1 hour….

Hehe…almost missed the opening. Glad I didn’t. 🙂

I see the camera work is still crap…but it was just Tyra, so that’s okay. 😉

Cody is up first in the redemption round, redoing his salsa with help from Bruno. Or is that Cha Cha?? Had it right the first time.

Still putting in that extra little step. Every week.  He’s just weird as a dancer. I can’t put my finger on it.  He’s thinking too hard there towards the end.

Bruno goes first and he’s raving, but he did advise them. Hips were better?? Not IMO. Points out that he messed up a couple passes. CAI is raving – but wasn’t his last time really bad? Len says it was action packed and full on. Says he was a bit flat footed. Derek says there was a few arm misses etc. but it generally positive.

Scores: 9, 9, 8, 8 for a total of 35.  I agree with Derek.  I’d have only given him ONE 9.

Melora is up next with her rumba as a redemption – and she gets Len. “Yum Yum Pig’s Bum.”  Okay. 🙂

Those shoes aren’t going to help. Half a beat behind Artem there for a moment. And she got Amanda’s thrown away leg in one spot. But overall she’s doing a lovely job.

Len says Mission Accomplished. And another rhyme. He loves it. Derek talks about how hard rumba is – refreshing to see a pure rumba. Bruno says she got the right motion. They’re going to give her a high score, but they aren’t screaming like they are likely to do with people they want to save. CAI calls out a lift – and she’s right, I saw the lift as well, It was pretty obvious.

Melora really needs to STOP TALKING ALL THE TIME.  Jaysus.

Score: 8, 10, 9, 9 for a total of 36.  That’s about right actually – CAI and Len were both ridiculous but together they average out. 🙂

Suni is up next! CAI is their judge and her redemption dance is the foxtrot. Will be interesting to see her redo this one.

Oh boy….this is Nicole and Derek’s foxtrot song and my favorite dance of all time. I’ll be biased. Suni is doing a beautiful job. And Sasha doing that exact run that Derek put in his dance. Exactly, only not as well performed.  Great job, over all.

CAI talks about her growth – I agree. Len loved it as well, but comments on the footwork. Derek is loving Suni 2.0 – notes the frame was dropping a bit. Bruno being Bruno and raving, but also notes the frame.  They comment on the speed – go watch Nicole and Derek’s foxtrot to that song. Perfection.

Scores: 10, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 37.  That’s about right.

JoJo is up next with an AT redemption – I thought it was great the first time. Len is their coach. Forgot Derek was in Vegas all week so he might not have a couple.

Another thing I say every week is how incredibly in sync these two are. The lifts are more effortless than they have been before. This was a fantastic dance. Excellent. I loved the first one and I didn’t think I would like this one even more.

Len says that was bloody brilliant. Derek loves seeing the two women dancing it. Very clean, very strong. Beautiful. Bruno’s fuses are blown. As per usual.  Outstanding. CAI – so much passion, like one being.  Agreed.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 – perfect score! Well done. Agreed.

Iman is up next with Derek – which must have happened early on tuesday since Vegas. The Michael Jordan of ballroom. Iman, you are now my favorite. And this coaching is why Derek has 6 mirrorball and three emmys.

Daniella is so stunning. Very hot opening. I did see his shoulder creep up. Damn, I love watching him dance. He’s not perfect, but he’s a complete novice, he tries extremely hard and he’s entertaining to watch.

Derek is raving about the frame, fantastic. Notes that no other b-baller has come as far. Bruno loves the top line as well, but says to be careful about squatting. CAI raves for the frame. Len says there’s been a vast improvement from week three, brilliant.

Scores: 9, 9, 10, 9 for a 37 out of 40. I ain’t mad at it. 🙂

Numbers Update: There isn’t much to say at this point other than Melora and Cody are the low people on the totem pole, but with a second dance coming up everything could change.  Melora needs to hope she got a voting bump from being in the bottom last week, and even then it might not be enough.

Amanda dancing last and she, too, has Len as the judge-coach. She’s also doing a tango, which I”m not sure is good for her considering how many tango/ATs we have tonight.

She’s got the little extra stutter in her step that Cody usually does. Only saw it once but dang. And damn there she goes with that non-pointed foot. It’s glaring. Other that those two issues, that was a pretty damn good dance.

Len says she got the body contact, raves. Derek says she’s most consistent. Bruno says she’s platinum, very polished. CAI calls her a boss, but she had a lift. They were going to give her an undeserved perfect score so I’m glad for CAI doing her lift police routine.

Scores: 9, 10, 10 10 for a 39.  Yeah, considering she’s a pro, that is overscored. I can’t believe they keep ignoring her foot every week. No way is she only a point behind Jojo. And frankly, I think Suni danced better than her and is two points lower.

I missed the opening of this pro dance – is this Lin Manuel’s Encanto??  No, Sing 2?? The hell?

Melora’s second dance is contemporary – figures she gets the no rules dance to get into the finale. Melora seems like a wonderful woman, even though she’s not my favorite dancer.

Most of the time, I hate how the pros do contemporary on this show. It’s usually contemporary by the numbers. This dance is no different, but she’s dancing it very well.  She seems like she got tired at the end and it started to show. That last lift was a bit messy.

Len like how they mirrored the music. Derek says you can see and feel her love of dance…oooo, that sounded like a goodbye. Bruno’s waving his arms he loved it. CAI says she’s very lyrical and she left it all on the floor.

OMG she’s still talking.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a 36. Total of 72 for the night.

Cody is up next and they’re doing AT.

Beautiful and dramatic opening pose.  Again with the stutter – he always does it right at the beginning of the dance. And his legs are weird. Lot of movement from Cheryl, not so much fro Cody. Nice ending.

Derek loved the opening image, also noted Cheryl doing a lot of the work. Bruno says it was red hot (really??). CAI says he brought the drama – and she notes something happened at the beginning (finally). Len says he’s come so far.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36. Eh, all right.  Seems a tad high, but okay.

Suni up next. Ugh another contemporary. Sorry, Derek, Lindsay, Witney and Jenna are really the only pros who can do an interesting contemporary on this show. Oh, if they put that double jump in there that would be good.

Typical overwrought opening and she stumbled a bit. Yep, that double jump was good. Relying on her gymnastics. A lot. but she’s doing a beautiful job. That spin looks dangerous and it went on too long. You’ll note most of my comments are on choreography, not how she’s moving.

Bruno says Gravity doesn’t apply, she’s weightless. He loved it. CAI says she only gives tens unless there is something extraordinary. Len says it was dramatic and pasionate – but it got a bit samey (agreed). Derek loves that she had a realization and she stopped seeking outward validation.  I think she’s really come a long way – my only critiques are on the choreography.

Scores: 10, 9, 10, 9 for a total of 38.  That works for me I guess.

Tyra’s outfit is actually flattering.

JoJo and Jenna up next – also dancing contemporary. Come on, Jenna – I just called you out as one of the only pros who can do a good contemporary on this show. Don’t let me down. JoJo’s grandma is so cute. 🙂

Love the opening. That floor move was brilliant. There was a bunch of really interesting stuff in there. A little flailing but I loved it.

CAI loved it, perfection, in sync. Len says she mixes artistry with athleticism. Talks about his underpants. Derek loves grandma. Says that was the best contemporary ever on the show (except his own 🙂 ). Bruno says it was perfection, two angels out there.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 40.  As it should be. She better be safe tonight.

Iman ALSO doing a contemporary…..did I miss an announcement? Oh sorry – JAZZ.

Jazz which is really contemporary. 🙂 Lord Daniella is so freakin’ brave – that lift/carry was amazing.  Now it’s looking a bit more jazzy. Holy shit, throwing her around like it’s nothing. He is performing the hell out of this. Fantastic. Amazing.

Len – more lifts than Uber. It was lyrical. Derek – plank queen, amazing lifts, great choreography. Bruno has body envy. Thrilling the lifts were heart stopping. Bruno also noted a tiny stumble. I missed it – I think they don’t want to give him a 40.  CAI – what you bring is spectacular and raves.

Scores: 10, 9, 10, 9 for a total of 38.  He should be safe, I’m thinking.

Amanda up next.

Numbers Update: Here’s the leaderboard sans Amanda:

Jojo 80
Iman/Suni 75
Melora 72
Cody 71

Assuming Amanda gets another 39 or 40, I’m thinking Melora and Cody in the bottom but we could get a surprise Suni or Amanda – I don’t think Iman will be there but you never know at this stage when we’re getting to the end.

And she’s doing a contemporary. 🙂 She’s dancing to Nick’s song – that will be a tear jerker. I just hope that Alan can handle the choreography. He starred in one of my favorite musicals – Waitress. See it, if you have the chance.

She’s already crying. Okay, this is good choreography – it conveys coma very well. Sometimes simple is best. Nice lift. That was beautiful.

Derek says there are moments when you do things for you. Bruno was mesmerized, he lived it. CAI says something happened halfway through and she went into the dance. Len says she did two different dances, but both fantastic. Weird comment. I feel for her.  Her story was so shocking at the time because of how young he was.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 – I thought that was well deserved. She’s not my pick to win, but she should certainly go on to next week.

I think it should be Cody and Melora – any other result will just piss me off. Well not really, because that would mean that I care more than I actually do….but you know what I mean. 🙂

SAFE: JoJo and Jenna

SAFE: Iman and Daniella

SAFE: Cody and Cheryl

Lowest combined total is….Melora and Artem.

Amanda should be safe – but it sucks that Cody is. Damn. Sucks.

CAI saves Amanda

Derek saves Amanda

Bruno saves Amanda

Suni is eliminated. Len also would have saved Amanda. That’s the right call from these last two, but my preference would have been Cody being eliminated. But my top two are there so I’m not too mad.  ATTENTION: Derek is dancing next week. 🙂

November 15, 2021 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

PureDWTS Season 30, Week 8 – Power Rankings

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest author for the Pure Dancing with the Stars Power Rankings.  As Court shared, she’s taking a “hopefully temporary” break from the power rankings and reader Tei offered to step in while she’s enjoying a well deserved break.

What a crazy week! Can the judges be more obvious on their intentions to get rid of the guys? I’m still processing the fact that Jimmie left. He was not my personal favorite, but he definitely embodies what this show is about. I’m willing to bet that, had the judges not despicably underscored him, he would still be in the competition. By no means his cha-cha was an 8. I agree that it wasn’t his best dance. It was also not his worst. Neither was it so bad when compared to all the other contestants that got 9s and 10s. This week we got a glimpse of the voting, and it appears that the votes are quite even among the majority of the contestants (with the exception of Iman, probably). Putting Jimmie so far below everyone else made avoiding the bottom 3 very difficult. In a night where the judges were throwing out that 10 paddle in almost every other dance, their plan with Jimmie was obvious. And it worked. I still believe that, had he survived, he had a real chance to win.

As for Olivia, I have mentioned how surprised I was with how good of a dancer she became. I also think she brought out the best in Val and this season was one of the best for him choreographically. Not Monday though. The AT was far from her best dance and not was impressive or eye catching as her dances the previous weeks. As soon as this dance ended, I wrote on my notes: she will be in the bottom. I have mentioned that no one can afford to have a not-so-good week and unfortunately this was that for Olivia. This week she also mentioned her father and their (good) relationship for the first time. Could this have detracted some voters from voting for her (maybe it brought back the college admission scandal to the surface)? Don’t know. However, I think she left with a great experience and surprised many people with her dancing and journey.

Now more than ever I believe that the remaining couples need to focus on having memorable dances to catch the more votes possible. I will rank the couples depending on how capable I believe they are to create a memorable dance and who the judges seem to always protect with the scores. However, it will all depend on what they do on Monday night.

Amanda and Allan: I thought this jazz was fun and well performed. Neither the best nor worst dance of the night. I saw issues with the lifts. Also, Amanda seems to forget to point her feet which looks weird. I was truly shocked to see the judges giving her a perfect score as I thought this was definitely not perfect. I have moved her to the top because (i) she has never been in the bottom and (ii) the judges seem convinced on saving her no matter what. At this point I think that even if she lands in the bottom 2 the judges will save her. Therefore, I believe she is definitely in the finals.

Iman and Daniella: Iman is the only contestant remaining that has proven to be getting a large number of votes. This is in great part due to Daniella being just the best pro at creating memorable performances. Iman did not have the best cha cha technique nor was there a ton of cha cha content. However, Iman performed the hell out of this number. There was improvement in his lines and posture. He kept himself up with the dance troupe. Really (again) the most memorable dance of the night. I’ve been ranking and mentioning every week the couples considering how memorable they are, and on Monday Derek himself mentioned this about this couple. Because we have seen how this guy is getting the votes, I considered putting him first (even though I know he is probably the worst dancer remaining). However, as we have mentioned, the judges have a lot of power, and I don’t trust that they won’t lowball him.

Cody and Cheryl: This was Cody’s best dance of the season. His posture improved and he managed to tuck that bum for the majority of the dance. By now I think you know this is not my favorite couple, but I have to say that if they keep going this route he can fight for a spot in the finals. Also, he is the only celebrity (other than Iman) who has managed to avoid the bottom two (or three) without the judges overscoring (protecting) him every week. Which might say something about his votes. I thought this was a breakthrough week for Cody and I hope he can keep going in that direction next week. Maybe more “serious” dances favor him.

Jojo and Jenna: Let me just say that Salsas in DWTS are not salsa (have I said this before?). It just really bothers me. Salsa is like jazz, just another chance to do a freestyle. So how good a salsa was this number: I’m not sure. But it was an awesome performance. Jenna is doing a really good job this season. I thought some of the lifts felt a bit out of character with the dance, but they performed them very well.  This week Jojo was near the top of the leaderboard, so we don’t know if she really is getting many votes. And that’s why I have her this low. I’m worried that her faith will depend on who the judges decide to overscore and if they prefer to protect some other girls (Amanda or Melora) over her. I really hope they get to the finals!

Suni and Sasha: This samba was good, but it was another number that was not a 40 for me (like Amanda). Although she did not miss a step, there was no bounce and therefore lacked samba character. Also, I think I saw Suni have some trouble with her turns. However, this was a fun dance and I love to see her enjoying the experience more every week. Considering how the other dancers are doing, I think this couple is one of the less likely to have a super memorable breakthrough dance next Monday and therefore I’m afraid they might be in trouble. Also, if they land in the bottom two I don’t see the judges saving anyone else over Suni (except Iman, but he will probably not be in the bottom). I really hope they prove me wrong.

Melora and Artem: Last week I said that I thought the only reason Melora had not been in the bottom was because the judges are insistent in protecting her with the overscoring. Well, I guess the judge’s power to protect her is nearing the end. She was the higher scorer of the night. Also, I thought this was her best dance. I was very surprised by the strength with which she performed this Paso. Her acting experience is really paying off. IMO this was her first truly memorable dance. The problem? She was still in the bottom three after the highest score and her most memorable performance. Basically, she had the best week she could have asked for but still it was not enough. Because of this, I believe that is very possible she will visit the bottom 2 this week. If that happens it will be up to the judges who they prefer and I still believe they would safe her over Suni, Cody or Iman.

Finally, (sorry for the rant) why in the world was Melora paired with Iman and Amanda with Cody for the dance off? I haven’t added the votes to see who are the seasons top scorers (in total) but Melora must be near the top probably with Amanda. How is it fair that two of the lowest scorers (Cody and Iman) are paired with two of the highest scorers. Even worst, Melora and Iman get a dance on hold which is obviously a huge disadvantage for Iman and Daniella. Wouldn’t it have been fairer to pair Cody with Iman and the ladies against each other? Could they be more obvious with their intentions?

November 11, 2021 I Written By

Dancing with the Stars Season 30 WEEK 8!! LIVE BLOG!!

Because we have the (arguably) best dancer in the bottom two last week, I thought I would do a mini-DWTS by the Numbers post to start off this weeks live blog. Just to show what the judges did to JoJo last week – theoretically, anyway. 🙂

Here is how the Miz stacked up against all the other dancers – the middle column is the percentage difference between the Miz and others. The far right column is the number of votes The Miz needed above those received by the dancers with another score

The Miz vs. Amanda/Iman/Suni 0.61% 6,116
The Miz vs. Cody 1.22% 12,232
The Miz vs. Jimmy/Melora 1.83% 18,349
The Miz vs. Jojo 2.14% 21,407
The Miz vs. Olivia 3.06% 30,581

So, the Miz needed 6,116 more votes per million votes cast to “beat” Amanda, Iman or Suni. He obviously didn’t do that. Conversely, he needed more than 21k more than JoJo in order to be safe over her (in the old days). I doubt very much that happened, meaning the judges made the right call for a number of reasons.

What about Jojo?? Well, look at the rest of the dancers up against each other in the table below. Read more..

November 8, 2021 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

PureDWTS Season 30, Week 7 – Power Rankings

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest author for the Pure Dancing with the Stars Power Rankings.  As Court shared, she’s taking a “hopefully temporary” break from the power rankings and reader Tei offered to step in while she’s enjoying a well deserved break.

General thoughts about Queen night:

I really believe we haven’t had a season with this level of dancing in a while. At this point there is not a bad dancer left. I was sad to see the Miz go. This elimination makes very clear that everything can change weekly. The Miz was consistently in the middle of the pack and at least one of the couples in the bottom had always had a lower score than him (I believe Grease night was the only night he was at the bottom—with Iman—and both were saved). This was the fist time he was the sole bottom scorer. To be honest, I was surprised he did not get the votes over Cody and maybe Suni, but both of those dancers had “emotional weeks” that might have helped them get some votes. Also, I thought this was not his best night. I was not a fan of his foxtrot. The frame was stiff (Derek explained perfectly) and the choreo felt weird. Maybe the tricks?

As I said last week, I don’t think anyone can afford to have an okay dance at this stage or they might get into trouble. Other couples that have avoided being in the bottom after being saved by the judges have come back with strong performances (example: Olivia’s Paso). At this point its on the pros to create impactful dances because clearly, almost everyone is in danger. I do think they should have gotten at least one of Cody’s points in the relay.

Jimmie and Emma: Great dance again. It had this effortless feeling to it. Sometimes the shoulders came up which affected the frame. But in general, great performance. Jimmie is the most consistent of the guys left and he is really becoming a dancer. I was a bit confused by the end, was there a lift? Did the judges mention it? Not sure. The relay was also great. I believe this was the most even relay so I would have given each at least one point. But I don’t think Jimmie needed it. I will keep him at the top since he has everything to take him to the finals: personality, commitment, the hard work is coming through and we see improvement. With the Miz gone, now he is fully owning the title of best male non-dancer contestant.

Iman and Daniella: Love this guy’s commitment! Love the knee pads in the rehearsal package. He really is enjoying this competition and working his butt off. The posture was not great, but he did not miss a step. Needed a bit more upper body shaping for the Paso Doble. However, Iman keeps proving that he is killing it with the votes. He was saved over Jojo who had the second highest score of the night (after the judges made Olivia the top scorer). I’m really bad with math but this must be a ton of votes. I believe this is due to a mix between his personality and Daniella creating performances that stick out among the rest. Not surprised to see the judges so divided in the scores. He is not technically perfect, but he is really performing full out, enjoying it and getting better. The result is always a great performance that stands out. Viewers love this. Same with the relay dance, I would definitely agree with Derek and Carrie Ann. Did he have the best technique? Nope. Was he the most entertaining? By far.

Amanda and Alan: Don’t know what the judges were looking at. For me this jive was fast, fun and they managed to stay in sync. The kicks could have been a bit sharper, but it was definitely not terrible. Around the middle I thought she was losing energy but then she picked up the energy right back up. I though she was a tad underscored when compared to the scores given to Suni, Cody or even Melora. However, she managed to be saved after being quite low in the overall score. The truth is that we don’t know if this means she is getting the votes or if Jojo was simply not getting any votes. I tend to think she is very aligned with the show’s demographics and is probably getting a decent number of votes.

Cody and Cheryl: This dance was an improvement from previous weeks. His bum is still sticking out. Cheryl needs to focus more on that. For me this couple is not very interesting, and I don’t get exited to see them each week. The best way I can describe it is that I don’t see any depth into Cody’s dancing. Is just steps performed fairly okey. I believe their emotional story this week might have resonated with many viewers. Unfortunately, addiction is a disease that affects too many people and families. I moved them up this high because they have avoided the bottom two even after being near the bottom of the leaderboard almost every week and without ever having a very impressive dance. Of the contestants who have never been in the bottom two, this is the only one that has consistently been a lower scorer and has survived on votes.

Jojo and Jenna: I guess that regardless how much this show tries, they keep failing to bring a younger audience. Even when the celebrity has millions of followers in social media. Honestly was shocked to see this couple in the bottom two. I think this dance was brilliant, the choreography by Jenna was incredible. Even the hairography worked. They had great body contact, great footwork and frame. I guess the only problem with Jojo is the age range of her followers. Her visit to the bottom two will probably fire up her followers to help her next week but, can she win without the regular viewers of the show? Not sure. The relay was very good, and I would have given them at least one point. They had the second highest score of the night which means they must not be getting almost any votes. That’s why I put them so low. I really do hope Jojo manages to get some of her million followers to vote since they are one of the most interesting couples to watch each week and I would hate to see them go.

Olivia and Val: She has now managed to be two weeks out of the bottom two. Last week I understood. This week I believe the over-scoring really helped her. Her quickstep was good. Was it better than her Paso last week? I don’t think so. I had a feeling the judges wanted to protect her (a tad obvious in the relay?). She is becoming a beautiful dancer, but this dance was not so much better than Amanda or Melora. There were times were the frame and body contact were impressive. But this was not their best dance. In the relay she really maintained a great frame. However, so did Jojo and Jimmie. I don’t understand why the points weren’t better distributed. I am worried that if the judges do not give her a huge lead with the scores, she might be in trouble next week.

Melora and Artem: Nothing bad with this dance. I agree with the judges though, it was not a 10. I’m not sure if there is much more we can get from this couple. They have never been close to the bottom of the leaderboard; therefore, (unlike Iman and maybe Cody) their vote-getting ability has never been tested. If they end up close to the bottom of the leaderboard next week, I would worry.

Suni and Sasha: How she got through that performance can only be attributed to the athlete in her. Without knowing she was sick, I thought she performed it very well. This week I thought she committed to the performance a bit more than previous weeks. Maybe using the skirt helped her? Avoiding the bottom two after finishing in the bottom is another indicator of how the votes are shifting every week (last week she had higher scores than the Miz but finished in the bottom 2). The health struggles this week could have helped her in the voting department as well. However, unless she has a big breakthrough performance, I don’t think she will be able to avoid a bottom 3 finish next week (with the double elimination).

Would love to hear what you guys think.

November 5, 2021 I Written By

Dancing with the Stars Season 30 WEEK 7!! LIVE BLOG!!

So, things heard on the internets….

1) Tonight’s a double elimination – that always makes things exciting and possibly tragic.
2) Derek wears a fishnet tank and at least one person doesn’t get the Freddie Mercury reference and makes reference to Bruno. :::rolls eyes:::
3) Daniella does her own choreography…why do some people automatically believe that she has a ghost and why don’t they ever say that about the men??
4) The horrific “Fashion Night” has been replaced by Janet Jackson Night??? Vast improvement, but why don’t we just have a night of dancing??

Starting the night with my favorite guy…then it’s ruined by Tyra. Ugh.

Amanda is up first, with a Jive. Why does her kicking foot always look so bad? No point? Other than that, that was a good dance!

Len calling out a lift? I must have looked away because I didn’t see it. Then he’s picking on the kicking or something. Nothing special, he says. Derek kind of agrees with Len, talks about how she set a high standard. Bruno disagrees with Len and Derek and raves, then notes a slight mistake. CAI talks about metronomic? I think I know what she’s saying. I don’t disagree with the criticism, although I don’t think she was worse this week than previously. She’s not really growing, I think.

Scores: 8, 8, 8, 9 for a total of 33.

Oliva and Val dancing Quickstep to Fat Bottom Girls. She’s looking good although there is very little body contact. They had a little trouble after the bridge. Not sure what happened there.

Judges are raving, including Len…who mentions the body contact. 🙂

Scores: 10, 8, 10, 10 for a total of 38. That is a tad overscored, but I’m not mad at it.

Iman is up next with a Paso Doble, which he should do well at, but I’m not expecting another perfect score. We can hope though. 🙂

Cool opening. Love Daniella’s outfit. That leap had an issue of some sort – not sure what. Len is going to hate that little jazzy bit she threw in there but I loved it. 🙂

Bruno says he’s now an accomplished dancer. Tricky Paso – he incorporated his own style but not too much. Commenting on posture and frame. CAI says there is some kind of spiritual thing going on, brings DWTS into a new era. Len says it had attack and attitude – he likes the lightening of the ballroom. But Paso didn’t suit him. Derek kind of agrees on the posture, but he oozes joy.

Scores: 9, 7, 8, 8 for a total of 32 – that’s kinda low, IMO. Not as technically proficient as Amanda but there is something to be said for entertainment value.

Jimmy up next dancing to Somebody to Love. V Waltz? Yes. Love the cheesy smile. Wow, he looks really good. This is a lovely dance, although something looked weird there in the middle.

CAI is standing up, she must be thrilled. She comments on the beautiful lines (agreed). Len says it’s not how you start but how you finish and says he’s finishing strong. Derek loved it because it had power. Bruno says he’s a true leading man. Says he was on it.

Okay, I missed the Miz and I”m going to have to rewind to catch Jojo. Hang on a second…

Love the outfits, the boots are insane. Doing fantastic as usual, although there was a weird turn in the middle – stiff back? Love the move with the hair – rarely is hairography acceptable, but in this case it worked. She is always interesting and exciting to watch, unlike Amanda – you never know what you’re going to get with her. Love it.

Derek loved it, Bruno says it was a super model tango. Tyra, STFU when the judges are talking. CAI says “people need to grow and you are growing” – Zendaya is a good comparison here, although I like Jojo better. Len didn’t see the slow part – but the song doesn’t allow that, IMO.

Scores: 10, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 39. I ain’t mad at it.

Never believe people on the internet – the double is next week. I should know better – some of those people think Derek is trying to imitate Bruno and find something wrong with that. Idiots.

Suni up next. Girl, you gotta break it loose!!

She’s dancing it mostly very well, but she is uncertain in some of her movements – you can see her hesitate a bit and she executes softly, which implies hesitance.

Wow, she must not be feeling well if she took off that quick. Bruno says she did well, but there was a little slip. CAI says not to be not confident. Len notes she was hesitant and ties it to the ill feeling (which makes sense). Derek agrees.

Scores: 8, 8, 8, 9 for a total of 33. I actually thought it was a little bit better than that. Maybe by a point.

Cody up next with his foxtrot. Love Cheryl’s skirt. He’s missing a few steps here in the middle, although it started pretty good. Not sure what happened there towards the end. Looks like something got messed up and he covered?? Not sure.

CAI says it’s the first time she saw true joy and it made her happy. Len says it was joyful but his bum stuck out, but overall but not his worst but not his best. Derek thinks it was his best dance, frame was wider, smoother. Bruno says it was glowing, saw his true self, moved very well.

Score: 8, 8, 9, 9 for a total of 34. That sounds about right to me. Not really a fan of this partnership for some reason I can’t explain.

Melora up last – for her fans on the Internet who still think going last is a good thing. Not anymore – used to be true, but now with voting only happening during the show, it’s better to go earlier to pick up those people who vote for whoever is best every week.

God I love this song. This dance is right in her wheelhouse, I think. She’s dancing it beautifully. Seems to have a few balance issues there towards the end.

Len is very complimentary. Derek loves the costume and the content, and all of it. Bruno is raving as well. CAI “saw” her, saw all the intensity….notes the balance issue at the end. It wasn’t just me. 🙂 They must have time because they’re letting her talk and now talking to Artem. She’s another one who I like a person but she doesn’t usually excite me as a dancer – although this week was better. 🙂

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36 out of 40. That works for me.

Numbers update: I don’t really have one except to say – with the Miz and Iman in the bottom score wise, it will be illuminating to see who actually ends up in the bottom two.

Looks like there is a JoJo/Olivia/Jimmy Foxtrot relay. And that was the wrong package. So it’s a Jive relay between Miz/Iman/Cody. This is an interesting trio – was it a random draw?? I’m hoping Iman wins.

The Miz doesn’t suck, for sure, but he may have plateaued. Iman has so much swag, yo can tell he’s having a great time. Cody kinda blew that first move and he seems lower energy than Iman. But he might have been better technically. But I liked Iman better.

Len liked them all. Derek comments on Iman’s swag. I can’t understand Bruno. CAI says they were all incredible, two had issues, one stood out.

So Iman got two points (Derek and CAI) and Cody got two points also – each judge gave away one point. That works, I think. I preferred Iman, but I think Cody was technically better.

Jojo and Jenna look amazing…dancing beautifully, of corse. Olivia picks up the tempo – also looking great. She got the better part of the music I think. Val, get off the floor. Jimmy holds his own, I think – love him in pink. I think they split the points between Olivia and Jojo.

Derek is babbling. 🙂 Bruno loves everyone. CAI says they’ve all grown and made progress. They all blew her away. Len says they all performed beautifully. Love Olivia’s dress.

CAI – Olivia
Len – Olivia
Derek – Olivia
Bruno – Olivia

Gee, I wonder if Olivia needs the help…and I wonder why they are helping her so much? She deserved a couple points for sure, but all four just makes me suspicious.

LOL – that was the best Tyra has ever been on this show. 😀 For those just reading, her mic was turned off.

This is the Amanda/Melora/Suni V. Waltz relay. Amanda will likely win. Amanda’s dress was amazing. Sasha has Suni do one move for far too long, and all those spins are likely not helping. Melora is killing this dance as well – she looks great. I’d give it to Melora and Amanda. Mostly Melora.

Bruno loved them all. CAI is going to hurt herself getting on the desk. Definitely not as graceful as Derek, who did it in one leap. Derek loves them all. After helping CAI down from the desk. There’s a rule – if you can’t get yourself down, don’t get up. 🙂

Everyone gets a point, Melora gets TWO. That seems fair to me.

SAFE: Suni and Sasha
SAFE: Olivia and Val (it worked)
SAFE: Cody and Cheryl
SAFE: Iman and Daniella
SAFE: Melora and Artem
SAFE: Jimmy and Emma
SAFE: Amanda and Alan

Wow…best dancer in the competition are in the bottom. I think we know why she’s there, sadly.

Bruno: Jojo
CAI: Jojo
Derek: Jojo

Damn, I’m gonna have to start voting next week. Sadly, we know what the typical audience person is like for this show and they probably can’t handle two women dancing together. Olivia would likely be there too, if not for those four points. I’m thinking that Jimmy and Iman might be winning this season – although the typical viewer isn’t likely to vote for them either. Betcha Amanda and Melora are right in their wheelhouse.

November 1, 2021 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

PureDWTS Season 30, Week 6 – Power Rankings

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest author for the Pure Dancing with the Stars Power Rankings.  As Court shared, she’s taking a “hopefully temporary” break from the power rankings and reader Tei offered to step in while she’s enjoying a well deserved break.  Sorry this was a little later than usual, but it’s a nice preview of the next episode.

Hi all, and thanks for reading and commenting. Also thanks to the mods for having me back!

General thoughts on horror night: I have to start by saying that I am not a fan of the big theme nights. I’m especially not a fan of the over-the-top makeup and costumes that make the celebrities unrecognizable. I believe this takes away from their ability to connect with viewers through the dance. It makes us forget that we are watching a person work very hard to learn a new skill and focuses the attention only on the performance aspect of the show. As we all know, the dance is not everything in DWTS. That being said, I was glad that the crazy costumes/makeup were limited to a small number of dances.

Since the show changed to the one night format, the new format for voting really changes everything. Although we are ranking based on last week’s performances, whatever they do on Monday night is going to change this significantly. Especially this season, where we have so many good dancers that are basically even on ability, who manages to stay out of the bottom two is going to depend more and more on who manages to create the more memorable dance on Monday (and how their personalities come through). Therefore, after the first 3-4 on this list, I believe the rest are all somewhat in danger and depend mostly on what they manage to do on Monday.

Jimmie and Emma: In a night where costumes and makeup where exaggerated, this couple stood out in part because their dance was the opposite. The simplicity made them memorable among the big costumes. Also, Jimmie performed this contemporary excellently and the story was clear as water. I don’t think you need to have seen the film to get a good idea of what it is about just from this dance. Emma definitely did a good job with the choreography. Jimmie did great and, as always, gave 100% to the performance. Love his commitment. This week I believe they took the top spot since they had a great score and definitely a memorable performance.

Jojo and Jenna: I still believe this couple can take it all the way. However, I believe this was not their most effective performance. I partially blame the huge makeup production. I believe one of Jojo’s greatest attributes in this competition is us getting to know her (without the over the top craziness that is her influencer persona). I believe the more we get of the stripped down Jojo personality is better. At this point we can count on her dancing being great and this jazz was not the exception (she is highly trained in this style). The dance itself was performed very good. Maybe some sync issues, nothing huge. But DWTS is not all about the dance. Personality and each celebrity’s journey matters as much (if not more). This dance was a 10 in how it was performed. However, I missed seeing Jojo being herself and the growth we have seen every week. This is not her fault whatsoever, the theme of the night lend itself to the big costumes. Maybe I would have switched the characters and have Jenna play It in order for us to see Jojo during the performance. I really hope we are done with this big costumes theme nights and we can continue to see this girl evolving in the competition.

Iman and Daniella: Without doubt the dance of the night! I will take a moment to praise Daniella as a pro! She is doing everything to highlight Iman’s strengths and create memorable dances. Why did this show took so long to make this girl a pro? Ok now, Iman. Again, doing everything Daniella is asking of him with commitment and full-out. Even the acting was right on point. This couple are the most consistently memorable. Iman actually did good with the contemporary not shying away of a big arm reach or very low squats. The synchronization at the begging of the dance right on point. The lifts were impeccable and perfectly matched the theme and music. As I mentioned in the beginning, I believe this season the rankings are going to depend greatly in who makes an impact each Monday night. There is too much talent and that does not guarantee anyone a safe spot. This week I think Iman definitely earned to be this high on the list. I’m hoping they can keep this up but, the ballroom and latin dances left for him to perform might be tougher for him to master (although I’ve learned not to underestimate Daniella as a teacher/choreographer). Regardless, this couple is definitely safe for now.

The Miz and Witney: The Miz did a great job with this Paso. During most of the dance his frame and posture were there. They took advantage of the characters to make the Paso work. Even if it was a bit staccato at times, it matched the whole theme. Again, the Miz number one compliment is the commitment he puts into each and every dance and his personality. I personally don’t think this was their most memorable dance. It was also not their worst or the worst of the night. Still, I believe they are definitely getting the votes and as long as they manage continue highlighting the Miz’s personality and hard work in the performances, they should be safe for at least a couple of weeks.

Amanda and Alan: Just as with Jojo, this dance was a victim of the over the top makeup/costumes. Don’t get me wrong, the makeup department are incredible. However, I believe that when you loose the personal connection with the celebrity to the costuming, it does not benefit them. In this show the audience needs to relate with the celebrity and its harder to do that when you can’t recognize the celebrity. I thought this case was worse than Jojo’s because jazz is a dance you can fit to any theme. Argentine tango has its own flavor and I thought the Billy makeup distracted more than it helped. This is unfortunate because when not distracted by the makeup , the dance was terrific. There were tons of AT content and Amanda did not miss a beat. Her legs were moving fast but controlled. At times her shoulders seemed “weird” but again, I don’t know if it had to do with the makeup. I believe that if this dance was performed any other night, with a more “normal” costume, and we could see the facial expressions, it could have been a much more effective performance.

Cody and Cheryl: I have to be honest, I was surprised not to see Cody in the bottom two. I have definitely underestimated the amount of votes he is getting. This dance was good and probably his best dance. You could see the hard work he put in to get the technique right. I still see something weird with is posture. However, this week I noticed it much less than the previous weeks. The thing with Cody is that at the end of the night I have nothing great nor terrible to say about him. Because of that, although he has not been in the bottom two, I can’t move him much higher in the rankings.

Olivia and Val: again, I only have this couple this low since we have seen they might not be getting tons of votes. However, with the last 4 couples I believe everything is going to depend on how memorable their performance is on Monday. I believe Olivia is one that has a higher probability (and has been the most consistent to) perform memorable routines. Are we sure this girl does not have dance training?  She just keeps improving every week. This dance was strong and fast. It could have easily turned into Val throwing her around the ballroom. However, Olivia maintained the control and strength all through the routine and prevented that to happen. I also noticed all the effort put into the posture. The posture of the Paso can be very though for women. For me (I’m 5’2’’) one of the more surprisingly tough things about Paso is to portray the strength that the posture and style requires while keeping the movements in control. Olivia is quite a small lady and I’m sure that was a challenge. She did great with that. After Jojo, I believe Olivia is doing the best job of the ladies remaining. I was glad to see her leave the bottom two. Hopefully after the scare, more people are voting for her. She represents much of what this show is about, seeing someone work hand to learn a new skill.

Melora and Artem: Calling this couple safe last seemed like a warning to the fans. This is the toughest couple for me to write about. Melora performs everything very good. However, it usually ends up not being super memorable at the end of the night when compared to the other numbers. This jive was extremely safe for Melora. I believe she has proven to be a much more capable dancer than what Artem choreographed for her. The result: it was forgettable. Especially after Jimmie and Olivia and followed by Iman. Very limited in kicks and flicks and just too slow. With so many contestants that are clearly working very hard to do challenging performances, playing it safe wont work. Specially with such a talented celebrity.

Suni and Sasha: I love Suni and she is dancing beautifully. Why are many people not surprised to see her in the bottom? Her personality is not coming through and time is running out for her to have a breakthrough. The thing is that I believe she has a great personality, it just doesn’t come through. (It is common for the young gymnasts on the show to be very shy). This tango was very good. I actually though it was one of her best dances (once it got started). Her frame was very good. Unfortunately if she is in the bottom two again, I don’t see the judges saving her over any other celebrity remaining (maybe Iman, but I highly doubt he will be in the bottom two). Because of that they need a breakthrough performance on Monday to avoid having to face the judges save. Hopefully they manage to do it.

What do you all think?

 

October 31, 2021 I Written By

Dancing with the Stars Season 30 WEEK 6!! LIVE BLOG!!

Happy Halloween episode!! And guess what scary-good choreographer/dancer is opening the show?? Don’t be late!! It looks like it will be great.

T-minus ten minutes….

Holy crap. Makeup went all out. And CAI always scares me.

Tyra, you are NOT all that. Get out of Derek’s way.

Okay the online intel (that came from Derek’s dancers) was wrong or they changed up the order.

Witney and the Miz are up first with a Paso Doble related to Hell Raiser. Witney’s little boy is the cutest.

Great start to this dance. Actually, other than being a bit too far forward, he’s doing quite well all the way through. He’s having fun too. Did Witney just get stuck on the floor?? Vinyl and wood probably don’t mix. 🙂

Len says he “nailed it” and then laughed at his own joke. Len notes the posture as well. Derek – Hell Raiser would have danced it just like that. Bruno is bruno. I don’t get CAI’s “looooooved it”. She loved it. 🙂

Scores: 9, 8, 9, 8 for a total 34. That seems about right.

Kenya up next with an AT that is “spidery”. Okay…I hope she kills it like she killed that rumba last week. Arachnophobia – now I get it. I love the bit with the spider and how she laughs at it.

Not quite as on target as her rumba, but still doing a quite good job. I like the AT to have sharper movements and some times they are and sometimes they aren’t. Brandon should have worked a bit more on the exit from the lifts. All in all, though, I think she did very well.

Derek noted a few wobbles, but says she’s very elegant (agree). Bruno notes the transitions need work (agreed). LOVE her earrings. CAI says she has power that others don’t have. Len says she captured the flavor.

Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 32 – another score I’m not to upset or surprised about. I might have thrown one 9 in there, but 32 is fine.

They saved the real acting for Melora…legit scared of Len. 🙂 That was cute.

Jojo up next as Pennywise from IT – that’s just terrifying. Derek might have a nervous breakdown. 🙂 Is it just me or does Jojo’s mom sound exactly like her? Dancing Jazz by the way.

I was getting ready to complain that DWTS pros always turn jazz into whatever style they want, when they busted out something closer to legit jazz with some contemporary thrown in. They weren’t as perfectly in sync as usual, but it was still excellent. Well done.

Bruno says it was brilliant – and he noted my combo of styles. CAI has thoughts – brilliant dancer, but she loved how she pushed herself farther than usual. Len says it was scary and he’s glad he wore his rubber underpants. Ewww…and Len knows it started with a book. Derek is terrified – but says phenomenal.

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for total of 40. Hell, I might have to start voting so this girl doesn’t go anywhere.

Cody up next with American Psycho. They’re dancing cha cha. “Gay years” – LOL. This is kind of a crap combo they got handed – Psycho cha cha??

First move with Cheryl was…fumbled a bit? He seems to take an extra step to get into position. I think I noted this last week as well. I don’t get Cheryl’s outfit either. Weird. That was okay, I guess.

CAI says he was amazing tonight. Really? Len says hallelujah – says he’s finally shown his potential. Derek says it was his best dance (which isn’t that good?), he could see the work. Bruno says it was great and I think they are all on some kinda drugs. But let’s see the scores.

Scorers….does Tyra think she’s funny?? Well, it won’t be the last time she’s wrong tonight I’m sure.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36 – which I think is overscored by a solid 2 or 3 points. I thought Kenya was better.

Jimmy is up next – love him. They’re paying homage to A Quiet Place – excellent movie, by the way. They’re doing contemporary, by the way.

Wow, he’s doing a beautiful job with this. I think he feels his dances, which makes me like him. I don’t know what Emma’s doing, but he’s excellent. I won’t spoil the movie for you all – but that worked on so many levels.

Len loved it, loved the emotion. Derek’s getting all emotional and he spoiled the movie. 🙂 Says he’s authentic – agreed. Bruno says it was so involving. He was being the character. CAI says he understood the power of dance.

Scores: 10, 9, 10, 9 for a total of 38. Should have been perfect all the way, IMO.

Derek up next!! The Miz in a face mask. LOL.

WOW!! That was excellent!! And Hayley’s legs were just out of this world with that AT flavor. Just great. The staging was nice and creepy too.

Olivia up next. I missed what they’re dancing…I’m guessing Paso based on her rehearsal skirt. I was too busy thinking about how great Derek and Hayley were. Derek really showcased her tonight, IMO.

Yep, a Paso to The Purge. She’s doing fine on the attack now. She has a tendency to soften up at times, but really an overall good job!!

Derek says she did a great job. Bruno is…Bruno. He comments on her shoulders – that might have been the softness I saw. CAI raves and notes that Val yanked her around but then says she held her own. I don’t think both can be true. I don’t think her being in the bottom two is a personality thing, she’s just not that well known.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36 – that’s about right.

Mulder!!! Oh. Sorry. Got distracted. Melora’s dad was in the X-Files eons ago. She’s doing Jive with a Cujo theme. Very curious to see how she does with Jive since they’ve raved over her ballroom. She is so lucky to have both her parents still.

She does great getting into character. She’s not doing badly, but this song is really too low energy for a good Jive. Not big on the kicks and flicks. She really lost a lot of energy there at the end or maybe she was saving it for the cartwheel.

Bruno talking strictly about the acting, not the dancing. CAI says she needs to give us more, talking about the acting again, but says it was a little safe. Len says there was quantity and quality – says it was a proper jive. Derek loves her but he agrees with CAI. Me too.

Scores: 8, 9, 8, 9 for a total of 34 – I think that was still overscored, but Len (in particular) consistently over scores her, especially compared to some of the men who I think are not only better dancers, but more entertaining. See Jimmy. There should be more than four points between them, IMO. She’s tied with the Miz who I think had the much better dance tonight.

Numbers Update: Well, here’s the leaderboard

Jojo 40
Jimmy 38
Cody, Olivia 36
The Miz, Melora 34
Kenya 32

Right now, I think we’ll see some combo of Kenya, Olivia and maybe Melora in the bottom two – mainly because two of them have been there before and the third (Melora) is fading into the background, for me anyway.

Next up is Iman with a tribute to Us.  Did I hear that right? That was a seriously freaking scary ass movie. So good. But so scary.  They’re doing contemporary.  Love Daniella – she’s doing quite well with Iman.

Another iconic move!! Wow! And that bit where it looks like he picks her up by the neck. She’s rivaling Jenna right now, as a choreographer and Iman is doing fantastically well handling this dance. The dance is almost as scary as the movie. Damn, that was good.

CAI is raving…as am I. Len compliments Daniella’s choreo, says it was terrific. Derek is on the desk, speechless. People will watch it over and over. Bruno was totally transfixed. Masterpiece.

Iman taking no responsibility for some of those crazy assed moves. 🙂

Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a perfect 40. Well earned!!

Suni is doing a Tango, inspired by Vampire Diaries. She might have messed up trying to scare him. He even got Derek. 🙂

Took them a while to get into the Tango, wish Sasha doing a bit of dancing around her. But once they get into it, she’s doing an excellent job. Especially like the part after the (too many) spins.

Len liked it although the foot work was hit and miss. Derek thought the frame was beautiful, too gentle stepping. Bruno says she has bite (rolls eyes). CAI says there was a tiny lift. (rolls eyes).

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for total of 36. Yeah, that works.

Last dance of the night – Amanda. Commercial for the DWTS tour – having seen Daniella dance in person full out as a pro, the other ladies (and men) need to up their game. That woman is the best I’ve ever seen.

Amanda is not a halloween fan?? They’re doing an AT paying homage to Saw. Alan says it’s the hardest dance he’s choreographed. Wonder if he uses a ghost (that’s for you Court 🙂 )

She walks oddly. The lifts were cool, but something is missing from the other part. Not sure what it is. I don’t think she’s pointing her foot when she swings it up. Something looks odd.

Derek had asked that she challenge herself, that was a very challenging routine, says it was a 10. Bruno says it was so sharp, so much real AT. Great. CAI says she does not disappoint. Then mentioned her period (dear god). Talks about too much tension. Len says the character was good, but it lacked the AT feel. Don’t know what crack Derek was on but I agree with CAI and Len.

Scores: 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 38. I would have given straight 9s, since she’s a pro and should have been better.

Numbers Update: I think I still stick with my previous prediction. Here’s the leaderboard

Jojo, Iman 40
Jimmy , Amanda 38
Cody, Olivia, Suni 36
The Miz, Melora 34
Kenya 32

Here we go!!

SAFE: Iman and Dani
SAFE: Olivia and Val
SAFE: Jojo and Jenna
SAFE: Cody and Cheryl
SAFE: The Miz and Witney
SAFE: Amanda and Alan
SAFE: Jimmy and Emma
SAFE: Melora and Artem

Fired a warning shot at Melora calling her safe last.

CAI: Suni and Sasha
Derek: Suni and Sasha
Bruno: Suni and Sasha

Len would have made it unanimous.

Not surprising, since this is Kenya’s third time in the bottom. I know I didn’t predict her in the bottom, but I’m not surprised Suni is there. Sasha is not giving her great chore and it’s taking her too long to make an impact – she just has a quiet personality.

October 25, 2021 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

PureDWTS Season 30, Week 5 – Power Rankings

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest author for the Pure Dancing with the Stars Power Rankings.  As Court shared, she’s taking a “hopefully temporary” break from the power rankings and reader Tei offered to step in while she’s enjoying a well deserved break.  Let us know what you think of Tei’s Power Rankings and if we should have her continue doing them.  Plus, we know you’ll share where you agree and disagree in the comments.  Welcome Tei!

My name is Tei and I have been a fan of DWTS since late on season 2. I have watched every season since. Sometime around all those years I found Pure (thanks to a series called who wore it better? that I loved) and have been a reader (all the way from Puerto Rico) since. Growing up I was trained in jazz and hip hop and danced professionally until my mid 20s when I decided to quit and go to college. As a result of being a fan of DWTS a couple of years ago I started taking latin and ballroom classes, but just for fun. By no means am I a pro, but I am familiar with the dance styles.

I love to have a space where I can share my passion for dance and this show specially since the content is always full of insight, actual dance knowledge and passion. Since Court is taking a more than deserved break, I suggested the mods that some of the readers do a substitute post. Although I don’t claim to have all of Court’s knowledge as to how all the aspects of the show (dance, scores, votes, dance order, popularity, publicity, demographics, etc) work to possibly “predict” how the couples are doing, after many years I think I feel comfortable giving it a try. Also, I think it would be fun reading how other people see the rankings and compare the different ways that the show/couples impact each viewer. So here I leave you with my try:

General thoughts on Grease night. Well, I though this could go terrible and must admit that most of the numbers were better than I expected. I thought the night went very well. I was not surprised to see Mel C go. Last week I though she was “forgettable” and that is very bad in DWTS. Is it her fault? Not really, she is a great performer and really was doing great with the dances. But at the end of the night, I had to go back and search what dance she did because it was not memorable. I thought maybe the Spice Girls fan would keep her in a while longer, but not surprised to see her in the bottom two either. I was much more surprised to see Olivia there, but more on that later. In the end, I agree with the choice of keeping Olivia over Mel C.

Jojo and Jenna: Definitely Jenna was a great choice to be the pro of the first same sex couple since her choreo and creativity are one of the best of the current pros. I really did not know what to expect and the result has been that I keep getting surprised each week. This Foxtrot was the best dance of the night and the season so far. Granted, Jojo is a trained dancer and the song and style lent itself for a more interpretative dance that is right up her wheelhouse (Contemporary). But I don’t mind this “ringer” status when we get dances like this one. Midway though the dance I wrote on my notes “definitely a 10”. Jojo obviously has great dancing, but this is the first time when I saw 100% the character of the dance, the control, and the passion. I love to see her tone down her personality for these dances. In a weird way the striping down of her “over the top” persona has allowed the viewers to relate and appreciate what she is doing more each week. I believe she must be connecting with the audience. We are seeing a personal transformation on her, and audiences love that. Also, she has probably the biggest fan base of the celebrities. At this point, regardless of what dances they do, I think they are definitely on their way to the finals.

The Miz and Whitney: As we all know, DWTS is not primarily a dance competition and personality matters just as much (if not more) than the actual dance. And that is why The Miz is this high in my rankings. I believe he is the perfect mix of personality and dance ability. Also, the fact that the judges have stated lowballing him (together with some of the other male celebrities) tells me that he might be killing it in the votes department. Regardless of what Cheryl believes to be the most popular song in Grease, I would argue that Grease Lightning takes that title. And that was great for the Miz since this dance was destined to be remembered (good or bad). Thankfully, this jive was more good than bad. It was fun, and I liked that there was almost no crap at the beginning and went straight to the dance. As always, the technique can be improved (feet need work) but he was on time and did not miss a beat. Even more important IMO is his compromise to the performance. There is something impressive about seeing male celebrities go all out with the performance and enjoy the experience. The audience loves that. If they manage to keep doing memorable performances, I see this couple getting far.

Jimmie and Emma: I have Jimmy this high in the rankings for similar reasons to The Miz. They have a perfect mixture of dance ability with personality. In Jimmy’s case (opposite to the Miz) I think that the dance ability helps him more than the personality. Also, Emma has proven herself as a coach that creates great partnerships and when she has a celebrity with good personality or talent (or both), she gets them far. Unfortunately, this was not Jimmie’s best dance. I believe the slippery floor might have something to do with it. It started beautifully but once they got on hold his shoulders were up and I felt the dance was “choppy” (that’s the word I have in my notes) specially by the end. He did perform all though the dance, regardless of the floor issues and finished that performance giving it 100%. You can see he is working hard and taking this seriously. Also, the Country music fans usually are a huge group, so I believe he is safe.

Suni & Sasha: This week we saw a new Suni. And I love it. She is coming out of the shell and that is great for the competition. She can obviously dance and when the performance matches that, I believe she will continue to move up the leaderboard. Charleston is one of those dances that in DWTS is almost a freestyle but she did great with it. I was worried that they made her Cha Cha since that character has tons of personality in the film. But I really think being Cha Cha brought the best out of Suni. I did not have her this high at the beginning of the competition, but they are definitely moving in the right direction. Also, her sweet and honest personality, her coming right of the Olympics with a gold medal and the fact that the judges seem to be desperately trying to help the ladies with the score department makes me think she is safe for now.

Iman & Daniella: Us fans know that some seasons have a celebrity that does not dance all that well but manages to get into the top 5 or even the finale thanks to their personality and great job of their pro choreographing to their strengths (Nellie, David Ross, Bill, to name a few). Well, if Daniella keeps doing what she is doing with Iman, this is that couple for this season. There is something mesmerizing when you see this huge dude dance as big and committed as he does. The VW was a though dance for them. Regardless of the technique (which was not very good) just the height difference was going to make this dance a huge challenge. (the Quickstep might be a similar challenge for them). However, Daniella did a great job dealing with that situation. But regardless of how technically well (or bad) the dances are, this guy must be killing in votes. Monday night my husband (who tries to find every excuse not to watch DWTS with me) watched and Iman was one of only two dances where he was vocally surprised and said something to the effect of “wow that guy looks great doing that dance” (the other was The Miz). And for most of the audience that knows nothing of ballroom, that is their impression. And that is why they were save after being the lowest scoring couple (for a significant amount). He is clearly getting the votes. I hope the judges stop lowballing the males (specially Iman) with the scores and just appreciate his effort and the fact that they are doing memorable performances. I don’t expect 10s, but he—with absolutely no dance training—is not that behind some of the others.

Melora & Artem: This dance was performed great, and I thought it was one of Artem’s better choreography. Unlike last week, I don’t think she was over scored. She really shines in the ballroom. I really can’t find anything specific to critique other than she is not one of the most memorable in the competition. Since there are still many couples, I think her fans can still carry her. However, when more couples leave, I believe the competition is going to depend on each performance and (similar to Amanda) Melora while great, has to start doing more memorable dances.

Amanda & Alan: Amanda is a great dancer. And these slow dances really suit her. I wonder, did that beginning count to their time? Not a fan of live singers since I think it’s an unfair advantage. That being said, this dance was beautiful. There was nothing wrong with this dance to point out. Also, there was nothing that made it stick out or memorable. There are too many good/ok dancers this season. The pros have to start choreographing more memorable dances to stand out (take a page out of Derek’s book) because anyone can go home any week. I keep putting Amanda quite low in the rankings because I have doubts as to her fan base (specially when apparently the guys are stealing so many votes). But I hope we get a couple of more dances from her.

Olivia & Val: Disclaimer: The last 3 couples were tough to rank since I believe the votes can go in any direction and will depend a lot on what they do next Monday. I was/am one of those who was not happy with the announcement of Olivia as a celebrity and feel that she was rewarded for her privilege. However, I have tried to see her objectively when in DWTS. That being said, she is the biggest surprise of this season IMO. I personally have this belief that young, Caucasian women who have no performance background usually don’t do that well with the dances, especially Latin. Well Olivia definitely shatters that theory. She has done great dances (I was specially surprised by her Samba which is one of the toughest latin dances). This Foxtrot was very very good. I especially liked the end when she did the section with the other girls. It was obvious they have been working in technique, and she was committed to the performance. Her frame and arms during turns sometimes look a bit robotic. But in general, great performance. I only have Olivia this low because of her visit to the bottom two. Last week I would have put much higher up. But apparently, she is not getting the votes. Why? Could the college admission scandal be hurting her still? Possibly. Probably the visit to the bottom two will help her a little next week. But how much longer than that is a bid question mark.

Kenya & Brandon: So, hello Kenya! That performance was impressive (apparently impressive enough to keep her out of the bottom 2). I really though she embodied Rizzo to perfection. She even included little details in the steps that just reminded you of Rizzo. Really impressed. Her performance was so captivating that I never looked at Brandon through the whole dance (had to rewatch to actually watch him). Also, great choreo from Brandon. As I said with Melora and Amanda, the pros need to start choreographing memorable dances if they want to stay in this competition. This is an example of that. I still have her this low because we know that her vote getting ability is not consistent. However, if they manage to do a performance like this again, I would not be surprised to see her stay another week in the competition.

Cody & Cheryl: I am very conflicted as to where to put this couple since they haven’t been in the bottom two. However, I have tons of doubts as to their vote-getting ability. Cody is supposed to be a ringer with dance training, but I don’t think this has come through in the dances. I guess that since he is a ringer I expect more and are harder on him than the others. But I thought this quickstep was lacking in technique. His frame was inconsistent and at times I felt we was even scrunched froward. Footwork was not very good and the fact that Cheryl was not wearing a skirt highlighted this. I guess that his alleged “ringer” status has hurt him more than it has helped since the expectations were so high. Also, I have my doubts as to his fan base. Now that they are though with Covid (which might have gotten them some pity votes) I am unsure as to their ability to get votes. Finally, Cody can be the most affected by the overscoring of the females (if that continues) as I believe the remaining male celebrities have the fan bases to carry them through.

So, what do you think? Would love to see if you think I’m crazy or agree with my rankings.

 

October 21, 2021 I Written By