Glaadrial
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Posts posted by Glaadrial
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The show has done the Fusion before.
This is true, but unless Amy doesn't make into the final three, the show runners will have to make adjustments to how the dances are assigned. It's been my understanding that certain dances require a specific prosthetic in order for Amy to perform the required movement for the dance.
Possibly, it will be restricted to the classic Ballroom/Latin dances, but then, because Amy has done all the "lifts allowed" dances, she's left with a very narrow choice of dances because she's only done Waltz and Quickstep from the Standard Ballroom list. Since Quickstep is the only dance where they utilized the running blades, that, presumably, eliminates Quickstep as a possibility for Fusion. If they include the "special" dances that allow lifts, how will they determine what other dance is sufficiently in contrast? Contemporary/AT? Jazz/Salsa?
There is the possibility that all three finalists will have to do the exact same mash-up, but that leaves out all the Standard Ballroom because only Amy has done Waltz and Meryl hasn't done Quickstep (Really!? Have we ever had a Finalist who has not done a Quickstep all season?).
In this scenario:
M/A/J could only do Salsa + (Rumba/Cha-cha/Jive)
M/A/C could only do AT + (Rumba/Cha-cha/Jive)
A/J/C could only do Contemporary + (Rumba/Cha-cha/Jive)
M/J/C could do any combination of Rumba/Cha-cha/Jive/Foxtrot/VW (there's no overlap with any of the dances that allow lifts)
It's gonna be a hot mess, regardless of how they deal with this particular problem. So far it seems like the judges' scores haven't been too big of a factor for determining who goes forward. However, it is possible that Facebook voting may be a better indicator of who is going home, rather than who is getting the votes to stay and win the trophy. I do vote, but I don't tweet, so perhaps the contest to tweet for Freestyle encore will not affect the outcome too much but I doubt it (e.g., James has notoriously good skills for making the most of his presence on Twitter but maybe not sufficiently enough to overcome the main demographic who may not be such avid Tweeters but do vote).
The contest may be very much closer than what is currently being predicted. If it is, then the final judges' scores will matter and fusion dance assignment could make the difference. I wish that this situation had been avoided by asking the pros to choreograph the Fusion routine as part of their preparation for the Finals, especially since the producers knew that they were going to ask Meryl/Charlie to prepare a routine. It's a two night event, let these people rest between shows! I see no real value in watching a dance that has been slapped together overnight, or their other favorite piece of nonsense, the Instant Dance, blech!
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So I went to what I think is the V&M Secret Baby site, because insomnia is a hard taskmistress and everyone but I is probably sleeping. I'm not quite sure if this belongs in the Meryl topic or the Amy topic, but since I'm scared to post anything about Amy, I'll quote it here since their post is mostly about Meryl even if it's negative.
Meryl Davis fans might protest that Derek is stealing Meryl Davis's lift entrance, but I have a suspicion this is Derek's lift. I suspect he's the one who taught the counter-motion entrance to Davis White while working with them on whatever his contribution might have been to their short dance. Derek is prolific, and no doubt not everything they tried made it into the short dance. Something they got from Derek might have made it into the free.
Amazing a 34 year old woman with no feet can get this counter-motion awesomeness in - what? A day. Didn't it take Davis White three years?
ETA: Sure it's a chore to wade through all the vitriol, but it's still a fascinating exercise to read about the DWTS content presented from the point of view of someone who follows Ice Dancing.
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The first thing I noticed were her pointed toes! I'm excited for their programs, but surprisingly more nervous than I thought I would be.
That video did a great job of building up the anticipation even more. That pose was actually quite nice! It kind of reminded me a little of one of Meryl and Charlie's moves from their Polovetsian Dances routine from their first senior season.
Meryl has done Foxtrot and Charlie has done both FT & Quickstep, I wonder if there's a possibility of getting to see their Short Dance on the floor. (That was a Foxtrot at the beginning of their SD, right?)
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Link from the Finale thread re: Monday show.
On MONDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-9:30 p.m., ET), the four remaining couples will compete in two rounds of dance. In the first round, each couple will take on the "Judges Pick" and repeat the same dance style they did the week of the "Switch-Up." In the second round, one of the biggest competitive dances of the season, the couples take on a supersized Freestyle featuring special effects, additional dancers and unexpected surprises. At the end of night, one couple will be eliminated based on the previous weeks' viewer votes, combined with the judges' scores from the previous Monday night.Also from the blurb about Tuesday lineup.
In the last element of competition, the couples will perform a new routine as part of a "24 Hour Fusion Challenge." The remaining couples will Fuse two contrasting dance styles that they've performed this season and they'll have less than 24 hours to prepare that dance for judges' points.It'll be interesting to see how they decide which two dances to fuse together; also what they mean by "contrasting." There's Ballroom, Latin and each of the special dances. Meryl is the only one who hasn't done Contemporary or Jazz. Interestingly, she also hasn't done Standard Waltz or Quickstep. Those are probably the dances with the most WOW factor as far as Meryl's strengths go. That leaves Salsa, Swing and Argentine Tango as the only possible dances that would allow lifts.
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Surprisingly, I couldn't find a thread for her so I had to come up with a title. According to Wiki, her first dance on DWTS in Season 2 was a Cha-cha-cha to She Bangs. I promise not to be insulted if a better title comes along. Anyway, I brought this over from General Gabbery.
On 5/16/2014 at 10:53 PM, Glaadrial said:I agree that Karina would have been able to get Charlie to the finals; possibly even more so than Cheryl. Karina can't always dance full out but when she's been able to work with partners who can keep up, it's been magical. The glimpses into her into her creative process that we've been given in the past, I remember to have been really impressive and more importantly interesting enough to include in packages. Plus, she's a Latin specialist and I think she would have been able to pick the right approach to make Charlie really shine.
On 5/17/2014 at 12:38 AM, Toonces464 said:Cheryl isn't my favorite pro but she's done fabulous work with Rob Kardashian and Jack Osbourne. I think either one of them would have gotten Charlie to the finals because they know how to play the DWTS game better than Sharna. And they have huge fan bases of their own that rival Maks's.
That's fair enough. Being a back-to-back winner is impressive and making it so deep into so many seasons is also a credit to her ability to play the DWTS game. I saw on Wiki that she has some Latin Champion Awards from 2005 under her belt, but I'm really having trouble remembering her traditional Latin routines.
The one standard Latin dance that she's choreographed that's the most memorable to me is Emmitt's Samba to the song Cha-cha which was wonderfully entertaining but seemed to emphasize the bounce and the party more than what we're now getting for Samba technique. I don't think she'd get away with it these days. I'm no expert, so, of course, I could be wrong on this point. It was definitely a fun dance.
It's also possible that Cheryl may have been able to finesse a better schedule of dances for Charlie by coming up with a compelling through-line for the season.
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Plus he would have had a much bigger pro fan base if he had been paired with Karina or Cheryl. That's one huge advantage Meryl had from the start over him - Maks's fan base is much bigger (and much more devoted) than Sharna's.
I agree that Karina would have been able to get Charlie to the finals; possibly even more so than Cheryl. Karina can't always dance full out but when she's been able to work with partners who can keep up, it's been magical. The glimpses into her into her creative process that we've been given in the past, I remember to have been really impressive and more importantly interesting enough to include in packages. Plus, she's a Latin specialist and I think she would have been able to pick the right approach to make Charlie really shine.
Nevertheless, I'm rooting for Sharna to stick around and refine her strategy for playing the DWTS game since there was little to fault about her choreography. I definitely prefer her over Peta, but they do different things well so I doubt that they're competing with each other for a place on the show.
Speaking of places in the show, losing both Derek and Maks may leave a void among the male ranks (especially if Tony ages out of the line-up). Then again, we've heard the "he's not coming back" rumor before of both; yet here they still are. Mark and Val are both solid but less than in all departments to Derek and Maks respectively. That sounds worse than I intend because I'm not talking about anything really specific about their choreography, just the general buzz-worthiness of their contributions.
Tristan can easily slip into Tony's role. Perhaps Artem can fill the larger than life male pro. I'm not familiar with his work but he's played the Strictly Come Dancing game (and won?) and has been a standout in much of the work he's done for the bumpers.
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From Maks on Instagram, seems like the happiness high and spreading the love continued beyond the show.:
Being able to REALLY create and REALLY dance is very rare....especially on @dancingabc That's why I have so much respect for ANY PRO WHO HAS EVER DONE THIS SHOW...even for one week! I've always been passionate about story-telling and I want to thank @meryledavis for embracing my insanity and making me a better choreographer AND a better dancer... Today was a gift...And now this from today, he looks exhausted:
Woke up in LA... Rehearsed with @meryledavis in Wenatchee... Had lunch in Seattle... Going to sleep in Portland! Waiting for my plane to park...LOLEverything Maks does Meryl does only backwards and on skates! M&M ftw!
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Tony, Henry, Karina, Cheryl. I have no doubt Maks has called in everyone he can possibly think of to help. No way on this earth is he going to risk blowing this freestyle.
Can we blame Maks for the introduction of Contemporary to the show? I know that he called Mandy Moore for Erin's freestyle, but I don't know if it had been done as a style before that season.
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(I do, also, find it a little funny that before the show I saw nothing but praise for Kenny Ortega as finally someone well respected for his knowledge about dance - until he compliments Derek, and then - what does he know?!)
I find it perfectly natural to look forward to hearing what a dance professional with a respectable body of work has to offer and then changing my mind when his commentary adds nothing too insightful. The compliment for Derek was somewhat over the top but the more egregious compliment that made me go "huh?" was comparing what Candace and Mark did to Ann Reinking (and to a lesser extent Shirley Maclaine). I've seen Ann Reinking doing Fossesque and what we saw was no where near or even evocative of that. Even professional dancers today cannot move the way they did when they were dancing for Fosse. I'll give KO props, however, for not bringing up Gwen Verdon & Chita Rivera.
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truthaboutluv wrote in another thread:
IMO, most of the people who think Amy's time on the show has been all about Derek are the people who make everything about Derek. The ones who every week talk about how the entire show from the producers down to the sound guys is manipulated and catered for him, how he's the Golden Boy, how the entire universe is up his ass, etc. It's the same with Maks. Some have complained about Maks' shenanigans overshadowing what Meryl is doing on the show and part of that is that Maks is polarizing and yes, for the last number of seasons he's been on the show, his personality and some of his antics have overshadowed his celebrity.I don't know why but it took me to a very strange place of pondering the season with Meryl/Derek and Maks/Amy as partners. I think the internet might have exploded.
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It just seems like pointless time filler since they'll already know the winner.
I used to be invested in the winner but after so many seasons where my favorite dancers didn't win and vowing never to watch again, I've decided that I like watching the dancing. Also, I miss the pro dances that were pointless filler in the results show, but then I'm inching my way into the demographic that is not preferred by advertisers.
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I wonder if balance would not have been an issue if she had worn the Pistorius blades all season? They must balance well since he raced in them.
I believe that it was pointed out either upthread or elsewhere that the running blades are only effective for forward movement. From that I surmised that using them for dances that require swiveling movements or actual turns would make them ineffective.
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And therein lies the problem. She needs to package herself and Charlie and their journey and be a part of that process, she needs to give the producers something to focus on, she needs to help create the narrative in her little sit down interviews. She needs to study the successful packaging of other contestants and partnerships and try to start doing that herself. (To be clear, I am NOT talking about showmances and manufactured drama, I am talking about just finding more interesting things and angles to their week together and thinking about this like a story she is telling because that's what it is once the editors get ahold of their week and package it into a minute and thirty seconds (or forty seconds, sometimes, in Charlie's case.) She can't control how they are packaged but she can focus the producers on certain aspects of their week or their partnership, she can try and thread a narrative that is more than just "ice skating is different" and "we're working on his hip movement."
And yeah, I actually do remember her rehearsals with Cody more than most of her rehearsals with Charlie, probably because she had that little existential crisis about feeling old when she found out he was born in 1997 and was telling him to pull his pants up and being firm with him and stuff.
This is an excellent point. What I remember most of her package with Cody was the drill sergeant/taskmaster approach she took to his training--no poopypants and the like. Also her approach to teaching him proper technique was very effective. This may have come from them both being Aussie's, so she knew how to frame her expectations in a way that was familiar to him. It worked really well.
I agree that it was absolutely the right decision not to go the showmance route, the relationship they had and was highlighted was perfect for the two of them. I think with a bit more experience Sharna should be able to find what resonates well for her as a pro. I think the package with Cody is a good starting point for her to begin shaping her image going forward.
Part of the problem is that they were given Contemporary on week 1. Had they given him a cha-cha-cha, it would have given them the opportunity to spend a lot of quality time on Latin movement. Latin movement was always going to be a struggle for him not only physically because of the way he has trained his body for skating on the ice, but also psychologically because the movement is perceived as effeminate in this country and, let's be frank, he's been facing that particular issue for as long as he's been a Figure Skater.
Had he been given any of the Latin dances in the first round, Sharna could have built a narrative around his struggle with the movement. Since the movement is connected to the movement of the foot, it might have been a good way to focus on the challenge of transitioning from skates to dance shoes. Seeing his progress through the various Latin dances over the weeks culminating in the Samba (Which according to the pros on Afterbuzz incorporates three different kinds of movement within one style of dance), would have made for some really interesting rehearsal packages, especially if Sharna brought out the drill sergeant/taskmaster that she used while working with Cody.
It's unfortunate that Peta had Charlie for Rumba. I read that she wrote on/deleted from her blog that working with Charlie was so easy because she didn't have to teach him anything, he already knew what he was doing. I don't fault the actual choreography of what she produced with Charlie so much as I fault her for not taking the opportunity to teach him proper Rumba technique. Peta's Rumba with James (which I wasn't overly impressed by) was not called out for being not a Rumba so I'm assuming she knows how to teach the man's part. I would have been interested in seeing Charlie progress on this journey to master Latin movement with another teacher. Sharna brought in Maks to help with bring the Latin character to a Tango, which I think was good, but then they ignored what Maks had to offer. I think a through-line would have been very helpful in getting him to the finals.
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Seriously. She gives off such a "mature" vibe - mature in terms of outlook, but also in terms of coming across as older than she is - and she's got a neck tattoo! I'd love to know more about her.
I learned the most about Sharna from her interaction with Cody.
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Ah yes, the haters card. Am I just jealous, too? ;-)
OMG! I am mortified that you thought that my comment was directed at you. I sincerely apologize. I didn't get that you were a hater at all from your message. My comment was intended as a modernization of "You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself" with regard to how Maks has chosen to go about creating what I believe are beautiful pieces of choreography on this show, at this point of his career with his current partner.
I think it's really pretty easy not to start a debate over whether you are abusive, actually. No one else on the show seems to have had the slightest trouble avoiding one.
I'd rather not comment about this point outside of the context of the show and Maks, in particular. In this context, I don't see how it could be easy to avoid such a debate because Maks doesn't control the narrative and there's a cultural difference in the way his actions are interpreted. Until the ALM comment, Maks had done a remarkable job of avoiding the kind of drama that had plagued him in packages in seasons past, and it really didn't make any difference.
It's clear to me that the producers have an agenda to present compelling "reality" in their packages and that they pick an choose which moments they want to highlight and in what context. Contrasting the images of Derek/Mark with Maks/Tony, for example, makes for an interesting theme that can deliver across multiple seasons.
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Her dances have consistently been among the most liked on Facebook and most viewed on YouTube too, which I think is an endorsement of their quality. Her dance with Val was still the most viewed, though, last I saw! It's probably my favorite too, just for sheer wow factor. I'm sad she hasn't got to do more dances with lifts as they are her forte!
I don't know how to look up the most viewed information from YouTube. Are there different postings of dances that have different numbers what I see are:
M&M Foxtrot 144,769
M&V AT 50,622
M&M Tango 180,783
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Clearly people have differing standards for what is acceptable. Regardless, I think when your behavior starts debates over whether or not you are abusive and violent, it's time to dial it back.
Not really, I don't think. The debates are never gonna go away regardless of what one does or doesn't do. It's always the best choice for an artist to be true to himself and not worry about trying to be something he's not. Haters gonna hate and all that.
I like what I'm interpreting as a personal quote from his Twitter Homepage: You know EXACTLY who I am! And I know EXACTLY who im not! Everywhere!
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I need a season from Maks where he just shows up and does what needs to be done - no ridiculous showmance, no throwing passive aggressive shade at the judges and no temperamental tantrums. Of course if he does that, all that may be left to talk about is his choreography and yeah...
My mileage, indeed, does vary. I need many more seasons of Maks being exactly who he is with every ringer being put under his tutelage so that I get to see what exciting routines he can come up with; ones that showcase their talents and help them to grow as artists within the context of solid ballroom dances. That he is able to bring the Latin expression and sensibility to more traditional ballroom routines is infinitely more captivating for me than anything anyone else has done on the show choreographically (with the exception of Karina who has done some stunningly gorgeous work when she has been able to dance with complete abandon).
Sadly, I get the impression that Maks may not wish to continue given the choices that the producers have made this season (i.e., Disney week assignment and their insistence on putting his personal and turbulent process on display).
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However, I do think that cultural awareness is needed on his part too. A lot of people aren't used to that type of personality, and since he's working with different partners so often, I think he really should try to tone it down a bit and ensure that his partner is comfortable. If he felt like he needed to have an outburst like that, I think it would have been more appropriate for him to at least go into the hall or bathroom so that he didn't risk frightening his partner.
His partner has promised to keep him on the straight and narrow and has agreed to help him avoid throwing things . She's a doll, love her!
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On Good Morning America yesterday (I recorded it to see Charlie) they said Meryl had over 50% of the total vote. For me that says this is a runaway. If it can't be Charlie, I'm good with Meryl.
Yowsers! Facebook had her at 34% of Favorite Dance of the non-Duel dances and I thought that was a runaway. 50% is just mind-boggling. I'm definitely okay with a no contest win for her, but I'll still be on edge until it actually happens...if it happens.
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This isn't quite up to the level of that wacky blogger, but I still giggled at this forum title on OhNoTheyDidn't (topped by a gif of Tessa and Scott celebrating.)
Which Olympic champion was defeated by Jesus, Oprah and a table on Dancing with the Stars?
Not this one.
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Maks, Maks, Maks.... Sweetie, you have GOT to calm the (as Meryl would say) frick down. The last thing I want to see is you sabotaging your (by your own admission) "perfect partner" because of your temper tantrums. I know you're frustrated and you want everything to be perfect, but sometimes you just have to let things happen. The greatest strength you have this season is not your choreography but the chemistry you have with your partner. Don't torpedo that.
The artistic process can be intense and the glimpses we get of real moments is what makes Maks so special. His most turbulent outbursts are not directed at Meryl and I loved seeing him bring her into the process of creating a dance from scratch when he was blocked creatively. I'd hazard to guess that working on the AT with Val might have been a more grueling experience for Meryl than putting these two dances together this week, but that's not the story that the show runners wanted to tell.
I am skeptical that Maks is keen on the "Tame the Wild Beast," storyline that TPTB are insistent on telling because of his "You'd never know it from the package" comment but he pulled a fast one on them by showering the love on everyone this week even before the scores were announced. That particular out-pour of happiness and satisfaction seemed to come genuinely from the appreciation of performing the dance as well as intended. If his creative process takes real emotion and expresses it through dance, then that's just his process and, unfortunately for him and his image, it's being filmed and put on display.
My take on the frustration expressed in the package is that he's not fearful of not winning; he's been there done that. I think that the frustration stems from a fear of not presenting Meryl in the best possible light on the dancefloor. The lack of turbulence in their relationship may actually be the cause of the block when the music inspires him to go in a turbulent direction.
Incidentally, it looked like the outbursts made it into the VW, but instead of all the emotion coming from Maks, it came from Meryl and it appeared to be genuine and unforced. Although the theme was similar to what they did last week in the Rumba, in the VW it was more nuanced which is much harder to achieve and a sign of true artistic growth. Last week, the slap was a tool to get them into the story of the dance, this week the expression came from within Meryl and it set up a lovely dance that soared despite a dress made from Puffs (some athletes can take sponsorship too far!) and clunky boots.
For what it's worth, for as long as Maks has been on the show, he's able to do this kind of expression through dance. The growth arc we are witnessing for them as dance partners is Meryl's maturation as an artist. She's very much coming into her own in this department. It's much less obvious than the growth that is getting Candace so much deserved praise. They both came into this competition with opposite strengths, in that Meryl brought a mastery of demanding extraordinary things from her body and Candace brought a mastery of artistically expressing emotion (her Contemporary Dance week 1 was excellent).
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My problem with the use of the table or the stool used to the extent that they have been in a competition like DWTS is that any other celebrity would've been penalized for "messing about" or not showing a diverse range of movement. The DWTS pros are often called out for content whereas the SYTYCD choreographers never are. (Not that I think Neil/Sabra table dance was lacking in content) The pros do it to disguise weakness or get the crowd on their side and I like that Len is a stickler for it because then every week would turn into freestyle week. Amy has proved that she is capable. I understand that she presents unique challenges to traditional routines but she's not being judged on a level playing field.
There's also the issue that this is the first "travelling" dance that they've had to do all season and they're the only couple who has been assigned all of the "special" dances that allow lifts. I was really impressed with the Quickstep. I wish they had brought the blades out earlier in the season, most especially for the waltz where they struggled to achieve the rise and fall required for the dance.
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Another place we differ. I've seen no journey at all for Meryl. This entire season has been about Maks.
Maks has a commanding presence that makes it easy to focus attention on him. Sure his affect on his partners and theirs on him, whether one loves it or hates it, is noticed. Beyond the obvious there is other stuff going on that Meryl has been able to incorporate into the dances that takes the performance to a higher level.
I've been aware of Meryl since before the previous Olympic cycle and I've been on my own journey of appreciation for what D/W bring to the ice. Perhaps the growth that appears obvious to me, is too subtle or easy to miss because it hasn't always been about learning dance steps. I've definitely seen her continued growth as a performer.
I'm not sure that she would have been able to deliver the performance of the Rumba on week one. I have zero doubt that she would have mastered the steps, but the intensity that they achieved was possible because of building blocks they put into place most obviously in the Foxtrot which matured with the Tango. The weeks, in between, felt like interruptions with the switch up and the triviality of their Disney assignment, but even though the strides were smaller, the development continued.
S25: Maksim Chmerkovskiy
in Dancing With The Stars
I agree re: the shipping front, that it could end on Tuesday night for all I care. I do hope, however, that can find/create opportunities to work together in the future. They both seem open to the idea, but I'm sure it all depends on what Meryl and Charlie decide about continuing as a skating partnership in whatever form that takes. From a Glamour article:
Zendaya is involved in a the Sway project with Val/Maks/Tony, along with other unnamed "special guests." Maybe talk of a future project is not just an end of the season "let's keep in touch" kind of thing.