kitcloudkicker

I've liked this about what I've seen from Lacey's critiques from the behind the scenes show too. She's able to point out things like, for example, "the footwork here is impressively precise for the level of difficulty in the dance, but her skirt is doing all the work on the hip movement, and she's really not moving them the way she should be," and points out things like awkward frames and why it looks awkward, which is interesting for me as a nondancer to hear. She also tends to break things down into, "Well on technique it'd be a 9 but the performance level is at a 10, so it's a tossup which the judge decides to score on." (Honestly, I can see how that'd be a hard decision, and quickly feel inconsistent.) I liked hearing Mandy's perspective on the contemporary too, because I feel like from the ballroom dancers there's this attitude that it's a bit of a "freebie" dance where you get away with whatever on technique. When no, to someone trained in it, there's a lot of it and it's not easy to get right.

I did like her breaking down some of the production/directoral decisions and considerations - what looks good in a dance vs what looks good on camera. That's a part of the show that I think is really interesting (and why I like that it's not a straight dance competition and more a total package competition - the entire process and presentation, camera angles and story, makes it more interesting for me.) But anyway I think that's probably why she's hired - she's good breaking that stuff down, and good at getting it from stage to screen. That said, I do wish she'd mix it up a bit and let some other people take a crack. Maybe even as a collaboration.

I don't know, I kind of get where Suri is coming from, and I liked Mandy Moore's comments on the Janel v Bethany connection that Suri brought up - how Derek trains his stars in a style that's very sharp and precise, and Val tends to go for passion and high difficulty, but maybe slightly less sharp. And thats something I feel like I've seen, Bethany's footwork has become very sharp, and Janel's legs sometimes feel to me a little more...I don't know, spongy almost? Not always fully extended? Which is not to say I don't like Janel's dances, or that Bethany is flawless (she can sometimes give a little more, and Lacey brought up in one of her critiques, she doesn't move her hips as much as she should) but it might break down into which style you prefer. Combined with which personality you like best, because as we all know, it's not just about the dance. If we're judging on that, I don't know if we've seen true vulnerability from Janel. She always seems a little "on" for me. Which I would say is a somewhat subjective call, because I'm sure some people are the reverse and still feel that way about Bethany. That's why I honestly can't tell where they'll actually shake out in the votes, they have different strengths and both have weaknesses. My initial gut was that it would finish with Alfonso on top, Sadie in second, Janel/Bethany fighting for 3rd and 4th. (That reflects a view about how I feel like they're doing with the audience, not my ranking of dance ability, by the way.) But the fact that Alfonso is injured and Sadie seems to have lost some of her sparkle makes me wonder a bit if that's actually going to be the way it finishes.

Some assorted pro thoughts from this episode: I found it a little self indulgent for Mark and Val to incorporate their instruments into their dances - and I'm saying that as someone who loves that duel they did a few seasons back. (Val's sexy Romanian thing usually doesn't do it for me but with a violin, suddenly yes.) But that was an exhibition featuring them and for this they should be featuring their star. Watching back it bugged me how long Janel had to stand around before Val came over to start the dance, and the guitar tango was awkward. Derek. Dude. Take a vacation. As a person in a different creative field, if I don't get away at a decently periodic interval, there's no way I can continue to do my job. Creativity happens when you take outside inspiration and mix it together and it's impossible if you never get away. It's not surprising to me that he's feeling uninspired. (I was listening to some comedian talking about advice he had gotten in his career and it was basically, do things that are not hanging out in comedy clubs, or else you're never going to get new material.)

This is cute - the full "jam session" (Yay, Alfonso!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxuwpGERR2g

I mentioned I was surprised Janel didn't get called out for it last week, but it made sense choreographically for me in the dance. Bethany's did for me too this week - they were both very cute moments. So I hope the same is true for people who loved the beginning of the quickstep. I will mention, Bethany/Derek got called out for it by the judges, and Janel didn't. No, I don't think it's a conspiracy, I think it's the whims of the judges week to week. I liked almost all the dances this week, but I wasn't necessarily blown away by any of them. The Janel/Val paso was awesome, but it bugged me that their intro was the same as Maks and Meryl's hand holding dance from last season. It threw my mind into an unnecessary comparison, which took me a second to snap out of, which is unfortunate, because the dance was super strong. I wish I didn't still get Rachel Berry vibes from her because I want to like her. Alfonso impressed with his dedication, I think he's winning people over with that big time. Sadie is still likeable and cute, but her dancing has sort of plateaued for me. And I can't explain it, but something just makes me really root for Bethany, I really like her. I'm still standing by my Alfonso win prediction though, but it's closer than maybe I thought before the injury. I can't tell which way it's going to break for the three girls though, they all have different things I can see as weaknesses, but also different voting blocks that might push them through - I really can't predict which is going to pull out on top.

Alfonso's camera blocking - he looks alright, hopeful signs towards it being a go for tomorrow http://instagram.com/p/vetv8Aj0Y1/

Aw maaan. Sounds like what happened with Amy last season - hopefully he can similarly pull through.

Yeah, they want you to start engaging through lots of platforms, but the idea behind transmedia is that you don't need to to enjoy the main show, but it adds layers to the experience. They've implemented it kind of clunkily, like calling out things in the show but not making it clear where you go to get the extra content, but I would be they have a plan they're experimenting with. I would guess that it's hard to keep all the balls in the air. If you're interested, this is a good summary of the strategy. (I get kind of nerdy about this stuff - it's also why I find a YouTube star like Bethany's existence on the show interesting, the future of media/broadcasting is kind of up in the air right now and everyone's kind of stumbling through figuring it out.)

It's maybe a little disjointed feeling - but I'd bet almost anything it's not half-assed, but part a of transmedia storytelling/social media strategy. It's very much all the rage right now - the stars/dancer's social media postings are definitely being guided/nudged by producers. (ie. the Mark/Bethany, Sadie/Derek switchup week social media "jealousy" storyline in their packages). By the way, I'm not necessarily anti-transmedia, I think it's an interesting way to keep fans engaged throughout the week, but it can be a little hard to get it into the sweet spot so viewers don't feel manipulated or that the entire experience doesn't feel disjointed. I'm glad they didn't take all of their suggestions literally though, because by far the most popular theme Bethany's young fans wanted seemed to be a "The Fault in Our Stars" themed Viennese Waltz which I can't see as anything other than horrifyingly schmaltzy. (And I say that as both a fan of The Fault in Our Stars and Derek and Bethany.)

I wish they would make the Lacey videos available to watch later - I've seen a few that fans have recorded and posted and I like her critiques - she gives good insights into why things get scored the way they do and points out technique issues to look out for that I appreciate. I'm not about to watch them while I'm watching the show though. And the cohost they've saddled her with is a real idiot. (Though he does have a cute New Zealand accent.)

This 'un? I had forgotten this one started with powder clapping as well.

I am unsurprised at the exit of Leah, and I was ready for her to go. I must be 30-going-on-Len's-age because I also really really hated "Turn Down For What" as a paso song. Alfonso rocked it but that song was awful. Loved Bethany/Tony/Derek and Mark/Sadie/Emma. Though I did notice Sadie mess up at the end, and if I noticed it I would think the judges might. Maybe not from their angle. But she was so adorable in beating herself up about it I'm glad they got their 10's. Janel's trio had moments I thought looked really great and moments that seemed awkward - mostly transitions into and out of lifts. And I don't even mean her head between Val's legs, they just seemed to take slightly too long to set up and get out of. I thought the Sadie/Mark jive critiques and scores were fair. Not a good jive from Sadie, and Mark didn't help by dancing full out to overshadow her. Alfonso and Bethany were my favorite of the first round. The Janel/Val screwup seemed to be on Val, so I'm okay with them not marking her for it - though I did think they'd be called out for taking too long to get into the dance. Tommy just is. I don't mind him staying over Leah - people like to see a 76 year old still in it, so I don't mind him being scored on a curve. It's fun to see him hang in there though. His dances don't really interest me though.

Yeah, there were only four male pros/troupe members up for grabs - who else would you have Derek choose? Any of the lower scoring pairs from last week could have chosen Tony if they wanted - that includes Artem, Mark, and Peta, if she had wanted a male pro for some reason. Tom was so cute with Sadie, putting the mic down and whispering, "They might not have noticed." (Turns out they didn't.)

That was part of the problem with it for me though - Mark outdanced Sadie, and it was really obvious when they were side by side. Maybe it was emphasized because her legs are longer and ganglier than his. That said, I liked the straight dancing rather than doing a crazy theme. I actually like crazy themes sometimes, but it's like how music sounds better when there's variation in it - I like a mix of high production and stripped down production.

I very much doubt they had never gone over the cha cha throughout all of last week - last minute rehearsing doesn't equal teaching it at the last second. Also, immunity came with the bonus points - Val and Janel finished with a score of 43. (It'd be pretty dumb if it didn't, with the way they have scores set up going into next week - they'd basically have been punished for being the best if they didn't get the bonus 3.) They did say in a post show interview that they had "received immunity" in dress rehearsal and didn't get to run it through - which left them with one less practice opportunity than the rest of them. I can see Derek seizing that time when Mark and Sadie were out there to have that one last run through. She wouldn't have been able to do it at all if he taught her the entire dance in 30 seconds. (And if he did - well then he really is an AMAZING teacher.)

Oh totally, I'm joking. I absolutely think he doesn't care or really pay attention at all, I just find it hilarious that that staging is epically the most amount chairs you could ever pack onto the dance floor. (It also looks amazing.)

I've really warmed to her too - she's opening up and peaking at the right time. Her and Derek seemed to have clicked into a good partnership in the last few weeks too - they started out a little awkward and stilted and she's getting a lot more comfortable with him. In other news, she's on the current cover of AdWeek - looking very pretty. http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/how-youtubes-hottest-personalities-are-becoming-offline-superstars-161307

Spoiler image for tonight: I like to think Derek is epically trolling people who complain about chairs in his performances http://instagram.com/p/vMuyLPD0T3 (If so - amazing.) My opinion: This looks like it's going to be awesome & gorgeous. I love Derek's Argentine Tangos, and Tony is great at them as well. Viennese Walzes are also some of my favorites, and I love the song they have. Per Derek's blog they're going simple with the waltz, which sounds like a good balance if they have more of a production with the tango.

They ran some of them last week, so I don't know that they'll show more on Monday, but I love the longer version. Bethany & Derek and Alfonso & Witney are particularly cute in this.

There was some interview where Alfonso made a point to say Will would not be in the audience on a MONDAY, because it went up against Jada's show. He kinda went out of his way to emphasize MONDAY, which gives my little Apache-loving heart hope for a Tuesday finale appearance. I don't want it promoted by ABC at all though, that would ruin it completely for me. I want it to be a surprise sneak attack return from commercial. And then I want one of the troupe dancers (Sasha?) to react by running through the studio in an homage to this:

Link should go to this http://instagram.com/p/u6fg4VSzhP - it's from Peta's instagram (You had to delete the "?modal=true" business at the end)

Right but if it went in the orders of lowest to highest scores from this week, Mark should have picked before Derek and Val. I guess if he honored the "dibs" Val and Derek had on Tony and Keo, he was left with only poor unwanted Sasha as the too short one. "Too tall" might just be his excuse for not having to explain to reporters the dibs system?

Why worried about too tall though? If Janel can dance with Keo, Sadie damn well could - she's taller than Janel and I think Bethany as well. By picking from lowest scores to highest, if they include the bonus points from the dance off, that puts Mark picking before Keo and Tony were taken. Is it because MARK would have an issue dancing next to a taller pro? Because if so - hahahahaha.

The stuff that stuck in my head was Henry dropping trio spoilers for next week, which included that Derek and Bethany are dancing with Tony - that got a reaction of "Whaaa, Derek wanted Tony? In what world do those two work together?" Which I like, because I like when things get shaken up, the pros act professional and work together, and fans who have been facing off with pitchforks have to deal with that reality. Other trios were Whitney, Alfonso and Lindsey (SYTYCD trio the redux) Janel, Val, and Keo Peta, Tommy and Sharna Artem, Lea and Henry Mark, Sadie and Emma