S30.E07: Horror Night

[TVMovieBuff]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Seriously, the song choices tonight are very odd. 

ETA: Case in point..."Hound Dog"? For Cujo? Really? 

This wasn't Melora's night. A Jive with no flicks & kicks, not her dance either. I thought she might be Bottom 2 tonight. Artem was really dumbing down his own dancing, to match.

[TVMovieBuff]

11 hours ago, irisheyes said:

Iman and Daniella’s dance had me gasping in amazement. It was impossibly good. 

Daniella is terrific. She is now my favorite female pro, a spot not given since Karina Smirnoff hasn't been on the show in so long.

It wasn't Amanda's night either. There was something about the way she held herself during the dance, that ruined it. A stiffness. The Argentine Tango should be restrained; what they are restraining though is intense passion. 

[luvbadtv]

7 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

I also look forward to Olivia/Val each week. For someone who has no dance background, Olivia's confidence and refinement in her dancing have been impressive to me. Val's been doing a wonderful job teaching and choreographing for her.

Do we know that she has no dance background?  I know she was busy rowing, but it seems like she may have taken dance along the way.

[Lady Calypso]

It was to be expected that Kenya would be gone at some point either this week or next week. She's quite a good dancer, but two things hindered her from doing better: a) Brandon's choreography, which felt super safe and pulled back from her potential; and b) the fact that this season has a stacked cast and Kenya faded into the background compared to others. Everyone left is so good, or improving SO much that Kenya was the best choice to go this week, unfortunately for her. In a previous season, she may have gone farther. Alas, she did as well as she could and her dance last week was her best.

10 minutes ago, TVMovieBuff said:

This wasn't Melora's night. A Jive with no flicks & kicks, not her dance either. I thought she might be Bottom 2 tonight. Artem was really dumbing down his own dancing, to match.

I think the issue with this was, at least from my perspective, that the choreography had to match the theme in SOME way. And a jive? That dance is probably the complete opposite to a horror themed night. So having a jive be horror themed meant Artem had to adjust the choreography to match. Which is why horror night shouldn't be having these fast paced dances. Melora was hindered because of the theme and the style she had to dance to. She did very well with what she was given, but the producers shouldn't have given her a jive.

It's a shame Amanda/Alan's dance didn't deliver, because you could see Alan really tried to put in as much content as he possibly could to showcase Amanda's talent, but something made it not stand  out in the way that they wanted it to. I give them props for trying, because it was a technically great dance, but like all of Amanda's dances, something was missing.

I actually am of the unpopular opinion that JoJo's jazz was NOT her best dance, not to warrant another perfect score. Again, I think it was more Jenna who was the issue in the dance, not JoJo. I just thought it was great, for a trained jazz dancer, but not a perfect score good. Then again, jazz dances aren't usually THAT interesting or great to begin with. I just thought it was 9 worthy. 

I like Cody, he seems like a great guy, but that dance? Not worthy of 9s either. He was so sloppy and his partnership with Cheryl clearly isn't working. I thought it was COVID-related, but they're back full-time in the studio and they're still not doing well. Luckily, he's not Bobby Bones level of bad, BUT it's a shame he's likely going to knock other, better celebs out of the competition before he likely goes at semis or worse, gets to finals. Good thing that I don't see him winning because his fanbase isn't going to be the biggest. 

Iman and Daniella's dance? Absolutely amazing. And not just for those incredible lifts that Daniella did. You can clearly see the progression in Iman. Daniella did give him content in between the lifts, but he also had to catch her and hold her and make sure that she could trust him with them, and he delivered. And his facial expressions were phenomenal. You could tell he was getting into character AND having fun AND putting everything into this. I remember the first few weeks, he looked more nervous, more unsure. This week, he definitely didn't. And Daniella is getting rightfully praised for this dance. Phenomenal, and probably the stand-out dance of the season. I don't see another dance beating this.

Oh, Olivia. I think she was being sarcastic when she was wondering why she wasn't getting the votes; I think she knows exactly why she's not getting the votes. Sorry your parents pretty much tanked your career here. Even if she does make it to the finale (which I think she will), she won't win AND I don't see this being a huge resurgence for her influencer career. She might gain SOME people, but she's not going to become a star overnight.

That being said, she IS doing a good job. I just find it hard to reward someone who helped cheat her way into school. It's such a privileged thing to be able to jump right back into the spotlight, as her mother is doing. I don't think Olivia is the worst in her family, and if her mother can get her job back so soon after her stint in prison, then I guess Olivia can use this show to boost her career. But still, it's frustrating that her parents bought her way into school and she came out, fairly unscathed. Oh no, so she lost some sponsors for her Youtube channel. That's a very privileged consequence.

Jimmie's dance was actually very well done. I'm a bit disappointed his scores weren't higher, and it's a shame he went much earlier in the night, because his dance was also a highlight.

As for Derek and Haley's dance, it was very well done, a stand-out and a reminder to how good Derek is...but the dance was second to Iman/Daniella's. But I think I blame a lot of the camera work to that. Too much camera switching, especially to weird high angles.

[boyznkatz]

How didn't Amanda get all 10s?

[realdancemom]

52 minutes ago, TVMovieBuff said:

This wasn't Melora's night. A Jive with no flicks & kicks, not her dance either. I thought she might be Bottom 2 tonight. Artem was really dumbing down his own dancing, to match.

I agreed with CAI that Artem is not pushing her enough.  He's relying too much on her acting ability.  She's technically better than that. 

[boyznkatz]

40 minutes ago, luvbadtv said:

Do we know that she has no dance background?  I know she was busy rowing, but it seems like she may have taken dance along the way.

I don't believe for a minute that she has no dance background. They must be using that narrative to try to make her interesting. I mean, she's a rich brat with no real job except making You Tube videos about makeup. What else can they talk about?

[calipiano81]

1 hour ago, luvbadtv said:

Do we know that she has no dance background?  I know she was busy rowing, but it seems like she may have taken dance along the way.

Well, as far as I have seen, no reports or evidence have surfaced yet. So until they do, we can't say that she does.

Edited October 26, 2021 by calipiano81

[calipiano81]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

How didn't Amanda get all 10s?

I felt like Amanda needed to straighten her legs more when she wasn't doing intricate legwork - which was odd to me since she normally has great extensions. Her posture was also a little too hunched IMO - maybe because in heels she is taller than Alan? I did like the dance overall and the choreography.

[calipiano81]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

I don't believe for a minute that she has no dance background. They must be using that narrative to try to make her interesting. I mean, she's a rich brat with no real job except making You Tube videos about makeup. What else can they talk about?

Have they been talking about it? I thought her partnership with Val has been more of a narrative.

[iMonrey]

Some of these people were so overly costumed you couldn't tell who they were (Miz/Witney, JoJo/Jenna) and then some of them were barely costumed at all (Cody/Cheryl, Olivia/Val). And then of course Len had to be a sourpuss and not wear any costume at all. Cranky old man.

What is the bloody point of showing us the "leaderboard" after only four dances?? "Look! Kenya and Brandon are at the bottom . . . of the four that have danced so far." How is that relevant? 

Kenya grew up Jehovah's Witness? I bet there's an interesting story there. 

I agree that Jimmie and Emma should have danced to silence instead of any music. That would have been ten times more powerful. I also think the judges were overly influenced by his tears at the end.

Maybe Olivia should actually address why people aren't voting for her if this is supposed to be some sort of redemption arc, instead of coyly suggesting "it's personal." Come right out and say it and explain why she did what she did. That might go a long way towards forgiveness. Instead she just ends up looking like she either doesn't get it, or she gets it and she doesn't care.

I actually thought Melora and Artem dancing to "Hound Dog" was kind of a cute idea for Cujo, especially if they got a jive. But I had to agree with Carrie Ann and Derek, there wasn't really enough content there.

Contemporary is a good style for Iman because there are no rules to follow and he can just do a bunch of lifts and tricks. I admit it was good and he's improving, but let's see if he's as good in a Waltz or a Foxtrot. 

Can't believe Suni is the bottom 2 and I don't get why the judges are nitpicking her to death. 

Does JoJo have gymnastic training on top of everything else?

[boyznkatz]

28 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Can't believe Suni is the bottom 2 and I don't get why the judges are nitpicking her to death. 

 

I didn't get that either. She just won a gold medal for the country and she's a damn good dancer. What else do people want?

This show was already a joke to begin with, but it's really getting ridiculous now.

That dance by Iman was legendary, though.

Edited October 26, 2021 by boyznkatz

[boyznkatz]

1 hour ago, calipiano81 said:

Well, as far as I have seen, no reports or evidence have surfaced yet. So until they do, we can't say that she does.

I really don't care if she does or not. She just looks like she does. I also suspect that Jimmie, Kenya, and Christine have dance experience. They aren't ringers like Amanda, but they definitely aren't novices either.

What I don't get is why some people readily admit it and some don't.

[Quickbeam]

17 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

Cody’s posture is weird? Like he’s hunching his shoulders? There’s really no “connection” with Cheryle.

My husband keeps asking why “the gay guy” isn’t dancing with another man. Because yeah, not a good fit with Cheryl. 

[Bliss]

Had to rewatch most of them... JoJo/Jenna, Emma/Jimmie, Olivia/Val, Melora/Artem, and of course, Iman/Daniella. Wow. That was Emmy-worthy IMO.

Sasha/Suni brought a flashback memory of Maks/Meryl... Amanda (those legs!) and Alan both overwhelmed and underwhelmed me this week? Perhaps I'm expecting too much from them.

Derek and Hailey were their usual awesome. That drop/split was even more amazing than Derek's tattoo work (I'm assuming it's temporary). I wonder if this routine is part of their Vegas show?

Don't care about Cheryl/Cody one way or t'other. Cheryl seems stuck on repeat. (from years past... nothing new)

Do wish they'd just keep the remaining couples until the end. I don't want anyone to go home!

[Zuleikha]

I agree that Jimmie and Emma should have danced to silence instead of any music.

That would be really hard! I don't think that would be a fair thing to ask an untrained dancer in a competition to do. I liked their music choice a lot, though. It still had the feel of silence to me with the weather sounds.

If Olivia had a strong dance background, couldn't she have used that to get into college honestly? I really just think Val's a good instructor; Olivia has natural dance ability; and she's working hard. Her first dance did not look like a trained dancer at all.

Does JoJo have gymnastic training on top of everything else?

High-level competition dancers like JoJo was typically have tumbling skills. I don't know if she has gymanstics specifically on top of that, but nothing she did in her routine was unusual for someone with her dance background.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Cody’s posture is weird? Like he’s hunching his shoulders? There’s really no “connection” with Cheryl.

I don't think he dances very well in hold. When they were doing side by side moves, they had great synchro and energy and everything looked fine. But in hold it does look awkward.

Quote

My husband keeps asking why “the gay guy” isn’t dancing with another man. Because yeah, not a good fit with Cheryl. 

An interview with him just came out and he said he would have requested it if he'd thought of it. He didn't know about JoJo and Jenna. I wondered if that would make things awkward with Cheryl, kind of like saying he wished he'd had another partner. 

[treeofdreams]

5 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

As for Derek and Haley's dance, it was very well done, a stand-out and a reminder to how good Derek is...but the dance was second to Iman/Daniella's. But I think I blame a lot of the camera work to that. Too much camera switching, especially to weird high angles.

This!!! I feel like I hardly saw any of Derek's dance because it was so far away.

They are doing this too much for everyone, but it was especially bad for Derek's dance.

[FilmTVGeek80]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

 And then of course Len had to be a sourpuss and not wear any costume at all. Cranky old man.

What is the bloody point of showing us the "leaderboard" after only four dances?? "Look! Kenya and Brandon are at the bottom . . . of the four that have danced so far." How is that relevant? 

Kenya grew up Jehovah's Witness? I bet there's an interesting story there. 

I agree that Jimmie and Emma should have danced to silence instead of any music. That would have been ten times more powerful. I also think the judges were overly influenced by his tears at the end.

Maybe Olivia should actually address why people aren't voting for her if this is supposed to be some sort of redemption arc, instead of coyly suggesting "it's personal." Come right out and say it and explain why she did what she did. That might go a long way towards forgiveness. Instead she just ends up looking like she either doesn't get it, or she gets it and she doesn't care.

I actually thought Melora and Artem dancing to "Hound Dog" was kind of a cute idea for Cujo, especially if they got a jive. But I had to agree with Carrie Ann and Derek, there wasn't really enough content there.

Contemporary is a good style for Iman because there are no rules to follow and he can just do a bunch of lifts and tricks. I admit it was good and he's improving, but let's see if he's as good in a Waltz or a Foxtrot. 

Can't believe Suni is the bottom 2 and I don't get why the judges are nitpicking her to death. 

I'm fine with Len not wanting to wear a costume. He shouldn't be forced to wear one if he doesn't want to. Dressing up is not everyone's bag.

LOL, yeah, the premature display of the leaderboard doesn't make a lot of sense, it's probably one of Tyra's ideas. I think they used to do one update of the leaderboard, but it was usually about halfway through the dances not after a couple of dances.

I grew up a JW as well, so I related to her not celebrating Halloween until adulthood.

After they booted Vanderbeek, the same weekend his wife had a miscarriage, I'm not sure the judges are that won over by tears anymore. As Jimmie said, he's already cried a lot this season, too.

I think Olivia should address it head on, but other than the first week, it seems the show doesn't want to mention what happened at all, even if it is obvious some people can't get over it and it's costing them votes. 

Yeah, "Hound Dog" did seem appropriate considering the movie, but the dance just didn't work overall.

Agree about Iman.

I don't think the judges are nitpicking her. She isn't technically perfect and her expressiveness still needs work.

49 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

I didn't get that either. She just won a gold medal for the country and she's a damn good dancer. What else do people want?

This show was already a joke to begin with, but it's really getting ridiculous now.

How is it a joke just because a gold medal winner isn't automatically destined to win? I actually think it's an improvement. Laurie was a great dancer, but I felt her win was predestined and I'm glad people aren't just voting for someone because they won a gold medal. Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever and she couldn't win - for the same reason Suni is struggling. Their personalities didn't shine and they couldn't break out of their gymnastics training. I get it. I'm a shy/introvert, too. As someone else said recently, I think it's a triumph that she can do this at all, but for me, her dances are never as enjoyable as many of the others still left in the competition.

45 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

I really don't care if she does or not. She just looks like she does. I also suspect that Jimmie, Kenya, and Christine have dance experience. They aren't ringers like Amanda, but they definitely aren't novices either.

What I don't get is why some people readily admit it and some don't.

Just because someone looks like they have training, doesn't mean they do. Some people just have natural abilities. As much as I hated that she won, Bindi was a good dancer without training. James Hinchcliffe was phenomenal even though he didn't have training, either. 

I think with Olivia, if she had any natural ability - or talent - with dancing her parents would probably have exploited that instead of faking rowing shots.

Those who do have some training, and don't admit, probably don't because there are a lot of viewers - myself included (this season has some many ringers, I just don't care as much) - who have a thing against most ringers and they don't want to deal with the backlash. 

[LexieLily]

7 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

LOL, yeah, the premature display of the leaderboard doesn't make a lot of sense, it's probably one of Tyra's ideas. I think they used to do one update of the leaderboard, but it was usually about halfway through the dances not after a couple of dances.

I swear last week or the week before they did the leaderboard-update after only the third dance, and like @iMonrey said what is the point? Especially when they still have ten or more contestants. Tyra's making a lot of decisions for this show that don't make sense.

[LexieLily]

12 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I think Olivia should address it head on, but other than the first week, it seems the show doesn't want to mention what happened at all, even if it is obvious some people can't get over it and it's costing them votes. 

If this week was Olivia's version of addressing it head-on, she's not doing a good job at it. Begging for votes isn't going to get her anywhere. At least Val's truth-telling line in the rehearsal package was honest.

[edie3]

I wonder if being in the bottom 2 might "scare" Sumi a little, and make her be more expressive in her dances.

[calipiano81]

20 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

Cody’s posture is weird? Like he’s hunching his shoulders? There’s really no “connection” with Cheryl.

 

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't think he dances very well in hold. When they were doing side by side moves, they had great synchro and energy and everything looked fine. But in hold it does look awkward.

For me, I think the awkwardness comes from him not closing/bringing his legs together. He's almost in a constant squat in all of his dances, especially when in hold.

[babyhouseman]

18 hours ago, scarlettudor said:

I dont even know what the second was supposed to be, except for fake blood.

 

I thought it was Carrie's bloody prom dress.

Of course, Olivia has dance experience. There's a picture of her dancing with Baryshnikov. That was a backup photo for her college application. lol

[iMonrey]

Quote

I wonder if being in the bottom 2 might "scare" Suni a little, and make her be more expressive in her dances.

I don't understand what that criticism means. How is she supposed to be "more expressive?" I don't see anything in her movements or facial expressions that seem unexpressive, or robotic, or unemotional. It seems like a lot of people have bought into this idea that because gymnasts are trained not to show emotion she is incapable of doing so, but she looks to me like she's smiling and enjoying herself and expressing herself, so what the hell more is she supposed to do?

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't understand what that criticism means. How is she (Suni) supposed to be "more expressive?" I don't see anything in her movements or facial expressions that seem unexpressive, or robotic, or unemotional. It seems like a lot of people have bought into this idea that because gymnasts are trained not to show emotion she is incapable of doing so, but she looks to me like she's smiling and enjoying herself and expressing herself, so what the hell more is she supposed to do?

Gymnastics is a sport, not a dance contest. And a tough one as well.  Just because young women compete doesn't mean it's artsy (although it's called artistic gymnastics).  My girls were competitive gymnasts (although not elite like Suni or Laurie or Simone).  If they smiled during their floor routines, it was because they were happy because they landed a skill without falling on their faces or stepping out of bounds.  We don't ask the women's soccer team to smile while they are running up and down the field. We don't expect Iman to smile while he's running up and down the court.  IMHO, Suni seems to have a more reserved personality (which may be because of her family dynamics).  

Daniella is a brilliant choreographer and her dance with Iman was just a standout. She's also fearless.  I was holding my breath when she did that drop (although maybe she did competitive cheerleading in the past lol). I have rewatched that dance several times. 

Olivia Jade is just clueless.  She needs to hop back on that redemption train and act way more humble.  I wonder if anybody has explained to her WHY people don't vote for her. 

[40Love]

23 hours ago, jette said:

Tyra! Shut.up. Let the booted celebrity thank their partner. It’s.not.all.about.chu!

Right??!! She rushes the judges during their critiques so she can ask stupid questions and pat herself on the back for knowing "IT" was a book before  it was a movie.🙄

[Emily-D]

It still annoys me that Cody was not pulled when he should have been after testing positive. He should be the next to go at this stage, but he won't be and now over the next couple of weeks we're going to lose couples that deserve to stay in over him because of his nutty fanbase.

At this point, you could toss a coin in terms of predicting who goes home week to week. It all comes down to which combination of bottom two goes to the judges vote. However, it does feel like the men are getting a lot more votes than the women (bar Jojo) and that the women are now getting picked off. Mel and Olivia in bottom two last week, Suni this week. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Melora and Amanda land there next week. To be honest, I thought Melora was bottom two bound after getting saddled with the dreaded hound dog Jive that I can never take seriously since Michael Bolton's attempt years back. I was encouraged that she was saved. The middle aged woman ain't out of this thing yet!

Iman's dance was excellent, so so good and probably the dance of the season no matter what happens from here on it. However, Contemporary is right down his street with the lifts and tricks you are allowed to do, so I'm expecting him to get bumped right back down in scores next week when he's doing a ballroom dance.

[shoregirl]

17 minutes ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

 

Daniella is a brilliant choreographer and her dance with Iman was just a standout. She's also fearless.  I was holding my breath when she did that drop (although maybe she did competitive cheerleading in the past lol). I have rewatched that dance several times. 

Daniella has been awesome. I want them to make the finals because I want to see what kind of insane tricks they pull off in their freestyle.

Also

 

[edie3]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't understand what that criticism means.

I guess I did not word that very well. She seems reserved, and I want her to have fun. She is young, smart, incredibly talented and has won Olympic medals. I just want her to happy. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by edie3

[Electruck]

I gasped when Iman whipped Daniella into that move where he grabbed her feet and spun her around. I think he made weather with that move! I couldn’t imagine how he’d be able to set her down gently. She is fearless.

[realdancemom]

22 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

I felt like Amanda needed to straighten her legs more when she wasn't doing intricate legwork - which was odd to me since she normally has great extensions. Her posture was also a little too hunched IMO - maybe because in heels she is taller than Alan? I did like the dance overall and the choreography.

I agree with you.  I was surprised at the beginning of her dance that she didn't have great extensions like she normally does.  She seemed tentative and unsure.  I did like the part where they were walking across and she had bent repetitive robotic moves.

With Iman and Daniella, I did love their contemporary and AT.  There were great lifts and Daniella has such a strong core.  However, when it comes to ballroom, he is technically weaker than others.  Some of that is because of their size difference.  He does portray emotions well which all the men do.  Also if he was going to receive a perfect score, then I felt Jimmie should have too.  If it was based on dance overall, I wouldn't want Iman in the finals.  Since DWTS was never about just dance then I'm fine with him being there and even winning.  I'll honestly can say that about any of the contestants.  There isn't somebody like Bobby Bones that complained about his scores.

Jojo and Jenna were great!!  That was a really difficult routine and Jojo also performed it well.

[kitcloudkicker]

1 hour ago, realdancemom said:

I agree with you.  I was surprised at the beginning of her dance that she didn't have great extensions like she normally does.  She seemed tentative and unsure.  I did like the part where they were walking across and she had bent repetitive robotic moves.

I've called Amanda "pageant-y" before and I still think that's why she may have struggled in this dance, she wasn't being "pretty." It makes sense when her background is The Rockettes, but I feel like she only really portrays this traditional, kick-line, USO Show, golden age musical, baton twirling, smiling vibe in her dances, and there's disconnect when the dance is asking for her to find another gear. (I feel like this quality I might usually find annoying, but for some reason in Amanda I like her anyway, and I'm curious if she's able to find that gear. I don't know if it comes off on the show, but her and Alan have a fun vibe on social media, and I like the partnership.) Though that makeup did her no favors this week, hard to have a sexy Argentine tango with those weird prosthetics on. 

I do think the final four is kinda hard to predict at this point, as no one is truly terrible. I think my personal final would consist of: 

JoJo
Iman
Jimmie
Amanda

Though I could easily swap Amanda for Suni, and I wouldn't hate it if Melora got in there, she's just slightly less interesting to me. I know there'll be uproar if Olivia manages to hang on in there, but I don't really care enough to be annoyed by her. There's only two finals outcomes I think that would really annoy me, and that's

1. If it's Jojo (I think she's a lock) and then three guys, over a more talented woman. I think there's a legitimate preference argument you can make between people who like to watch non-dancers "grow" over people who have training coming in (and vice versa) but I think it's interesting that the people who are allowed to be "not perfect but with personality" tend to be men, and the people who tend to get the critique "their dancing is great I just don't connect to their personality" tends to be women. And I like Jimmy, Iman, and Mike (as the three who get this "personality" compliment) but as a trend, it's worth unpacking. And I'll be annoyed if all three of them end up in the finals. Two of 'em, yes, three of them, too much.
2. If Cody sneaks his way in by having a too rabid fanbase. And I like Cody! I've taken his spin classes and they are good, but he's not living up to the dance quality for me, and the exposure I've gotten to his fans just casually in comment sections makes me start to feel some sort of Bobby Bones way about him. But I can't tell how big of a group they are, or if they are just vocal, so I don't know if they can take him into the final. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

[Suni] seems reserved, and I want her to have fun. She is young, smart, incredibly talented and has won Olympic medals. I just want her to happy. 

She looks like she's having fun to me. She said she loved The Vampire Diaries. Do people want this kid to burst into tears every week like Jimmie? Is that what she has to do to "come out of her shell?" She's a fantastic dancer with fantastic technique, as far as I can tell. I honestly don't see what more she could do. I think she was boxed into a narrative on Day 1 when she talked about gymnasts being trained not to show emotion and now whatever she does people react like she's not expressive enough. I just don't see it.

I also think she suffers from comparisons to JoJo who's in the same age group. There isn't any room in that spotlight for anyone else.

Edited October 27, 2021 by iMonrey

[boyznkatz]

I think the four most fun freestyles would be Iman, Cody, Jimmie, and JoJo. Although Amanda, Suni, and Melora are good, their pros haven't done anything memorable IMO. I wouldn't be upset if they were there though.

[Zuleikha]

. I think she was boxed into a narrative on Day 1 when she talked about gymnasts being trained not to show emotion and now whatever she does people react like she's not expressive enough.

There is always a bit of subjectivity to responding to performance. If her expressions work for you, the critiques she's getting will feel weird. 

But what I've seen when I've watched her previous dances is someone who looks nervous and going through the motions rather than someone who looks like she is feeling connected to the emotions of the dance. There are techniques that help with this. Performance quality is a skill like every other aspect of dance.

I did think this was her best week by far. I don't know if tango was an easier dance for her to connect to; if Vampire Diaries was a more comfortable character or theme; or if she has been working on performance skills. But this was the first dance where I thought she had both movement and performance. I am hoping this represents a breakthrough for her.

[LexieLily]

I wouldn't be surprised if Olivia was back in the bottom two next week. Her cutesy begging for votes/"I don't know why people aren't voting for us" didn't do her any favors AND she/Val were called safe second overall this week so there might not be the urgency to vote hard. Suni, presumably, will get a bump from being in the bottom this week. Melora got screwed by dance style AND song choice so she might get a few "gotta protect her" votes. Iman got the perfect score. Jimmie is Jimmie. I suppose The Miz could slip through the cracks and fall in the bottom; same with Amanda. I feel like the judges would definitely save Olivia Jade over The Miz which is a shame. Not certain what they'd do with an Olivia Jade/Amanda bottom two. I don't know how Cody has the fanbase he does but didn't he end up at the bottom of the leaderboard, score-wise?   

[realdancemom]

1 hour ago, LexieLily said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Olivia was back in the bottom two next week. Her cutesy begging for votes/"I don't know why people aren't voting for us" didn't do her any favors AND she/Val were called safe second overall this week so there might not be the urgency to vote hard. Suni, presumably, will get a bump from being in the bottom this week. Melora got screwed by dance style AND song choice so she might get a few "gotta protect her" votes. Iman got the perfect score. Jimmie is Jimmie. I suppose The Miz could slip through the cracks and fall in the bottom; same with Amanda. I feel like the judges would definitely save Olivia Jade over The Miz which is a shame. Not certain what they'd do with an Olivia Jade/Amanda bottom two. I don't know how Cody has the fanbase he does but didn't he end up at the bottom of the leaderboard, score-wise?   

I also think that the judges would save Olivia over The Miz.  I do think that they would save Amanda over Olivia or at least I would hope they do.  Amanda is better technically.

[kitcloudkicker]

Did anyone else notice the bizarre faces Cody makes throughout his dances? I find it so distracting, he does it throughout the dance, like he’s holding his breath and then blowing it out from his bottom jaw? 
 

Is he still out of breath from COVID? What is that? Definitely if Suni is getting comments about being expressive someone should address his weird breathing?

Edited October 28, 2021 by kitcloudkicker

[anonymiss]

I think Daniella inspired the other pros with that routine and put a couple to shame with their tired routines. She made lemonade out of lemons with Nelly and is doing it again with Iman who has a lot more work ethic and athletic ability.

[RedbirdNelly]

I started watching this show years ago and then stopped paying close attention. I've paid more attention to this season and I've rewound my tv to rewatch a dance 2 times--both of those Iman/Daniella. I know he's not the best ballroom guy but I love their performances and his attitude and warmth. I hope he makes it to the final. Daniella is killing it with her coaching and choreo.

[Josh371982]

Id love for Obvious Judge and Production Chosen One Jojo to be a shock boot but it won't happen. They instilled that Save so they can save their Chosen one or get rid of one that could beat the Chosen one. Like 2 seasons ago sending James home so Hannah could have a easier path. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:43 PM, iMonrey said:

She looks like she's having fun to me. She said she loved The Vampire Diaries. Do people want this kid to burst into tears every week like Jimmie? Is that what she has to do to "come out of her shell?" She's a fantastic dancer with fantastic technique, as far as I can tell. I honestly don't see what more she could do. I think she was boxed into a narrative on Day 1 when she talked about gymnasts being trained not to show emotion and now whatever she does people react like she's not expressive enough. I just don't see it.

I also think she suffers from comparisons to JoJo who's in the same age group. There isn't any room in that spotlight for anyone else.

 

On 10/27/2021 at 1:48 PM, Zuleikha said:

 

There is always a bit of subjectivity to responding to performance. If her expressions work for you, the critiques she's getting will feel weird. 

But what I've seen when I've watched her previous dances is someone who looks nervous and going through the motions rather than someone who looks like she is feeling connected to the emotions of the dance. There are techniques that help with this. Performance quality is a skill like every other aspect of dance.

I did think this was her best week by far. I don't know if tango was an easier dance for her to connect to; if Vampire Diaries was a more comfortable character or theme; or if she has been working on performance skills. But this was the first dance where I thought she had both movement and performance. I am hoping this represents a breakthrough for her.

Yes, it's all subjective. Just because someone may think Suni is technically great and expressive doesn't mean those that don't are weird or have "put her in a box." I don't need her to burst into tears. Far from it. It's certainly not going to help her out on the dance floor. And, I know, I certainly don't compare her to JoJo even if they are in the same age group. 

It's not really all about the gymnast thing. There have been many gymnasts throughout the years. Laurie and Shawn didn't get these kind of criticisms, but Simone and now Suni have. It's not entirely about being a gymnast, but their personalities. Some actors have said they have crippling anxiety, but are able to rise above it as performers. Some can't. Suni has struggled with that. Dancing isn't just about being technically good, but being a good performer (facial expressions, exuding a certain energy in their dance) and Suni isn't great IMO as a performer.