S19.E05: Week 3: Movie Night

[Dancingjaneway]

Val was really channeling his inner Derek during his rehearsal and after while he talked with Erin. Not once did he talk about how well Janel handled learning a new dance or how well she handled dealing with his frustration and attitude. 

Edited September 30, 2014 by Dancingjaneway

[KLovestoShop]

Julianne as a judge is an epic fail, IMHO. Her scoring makes no sense a lot of the times, and her critiques seem more like sour grapes. She's very obvious that she has her favorites.

[truthaboutluv]

Um, did the audience boo the band after Derek and Bethany's dance? I just re-watched the dance to get a second look at it and after they're heading up the stairs Tom mentions giving a hand to the band and that's booing I heard. I'm even more positive it was because Tom makes a comment that it's getting ugly down there and Erin says something about that being terrible. Wow...as sucktastic as the singing of Harold Wheeler's band was at times, I'm pretty sure they never got booed. 

 

So speaking of Derek and Bethany's dance (and I also rewatched Val and Janel's), again one of my main issues is that it just felt so short. Like I felt like just as I was really starting to get into it, it was over. What they did, they did well, particularly their synchronicity which I think was really good and impressive on Bethany's part with the fact that she was handling the umbrella at the same time. But it was just so short that I felt like it never really took off. It also felt a bit slow to me which I guess was because of the song. Ultimately I feel like it was a cute, well-danced and performed dance but cute should not be getting perfect scores. 

 

Val and Janel I do think were a bit better and definitely a bit longer. I think the biggest factor with the two dances is that Janel outperformed Bethany which to be fair, she's an actress and a theatre kid but I think that made the big difference in my opinion, with the two dances. And okay, I absolutely love the America number from West Side Story so I may be a tad biased on that score. Still not perfect score worthy though. But like I said, maybe one 10 based on performance level.

Edited September 30, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[kelnic86]

Wow. The scores were just crazy tonight. Janel and Bethany getting perfect scores already? I didn't think either of those dances deserved 10s across the board.

 

Alfonso and Sadie were underscored, imo. I thought both of their dances deserved at a 9.

 

I'm trying not to think that the show is purposefully underscoring Alfonso to dampen his momentum and keep him from winning or reaching the finals. Because I really want him to be there. Maybe this will all work out in the long run. He can get a nice redemption arc as the season progresses and get those 10s when it really matters. I hope.

 

I'm really impressed with Tommy and what Peta has been able to bring out of him. I don't think the show expected him to be so good. I know I didn't. It makes me wonder how many votes he's getting. I want him to stick around for a long time, even make the finals if he can, but I'm already preparing myself for the judges to start lowballing his scores. I think they like him but they probably don't want him in the finals.

 

Heck, even Michael was okay tonight. I knew he wasn't really in the bottom last week. I wonder how big his NASCAR fanbase is, because I wonder how long he's gonna stick around. He didn't bother me tonight at all though.

Edited September 30, 2014 by kelnic86

[kitcloudkicker]

Forgot to note that I loved the opening number and so knew immediately that Mandy Moore didn't choreograph it. So apparently the show CAN use someone else to choreograph the group numbers.

 

It was very Marilyn: The Musical! I was having SMASH flashbacks. (SMASHbacks?) 

[jackjill89]

I don't think Bethany deserves the scores she's getting. There is so much filler in the dances. Agree that it just seemed like they were getting into it and the dance was over. Same with last week.

 

Janel was wonderful, but it wasn't perfect. 

 

Michael bugs the crap out of me. He looked like Will Ferrell in Elf with that Robin Hood hat on. His dance was fine, but I just don't like him at all. 

 

Loved the "Up" dance. Sadie is adorable. 

[Dancingjaneway]

Sadie to me was much much better than Bethany tonight. Her dance was flawless and there was actual content. Tommy is ok but the fog totally hid that his footwork was not good. But I will take him over Michael or Antonio. Tom B did a wonderful job tonight keeping things moving and making sure that Kevin was where he was supposed to be. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

The rest have no excuse though - no way would Len have given a 10 to either dance this week.

 

I'm not so sure about that. I think Derek might be Len's favorite. Sometimes that results in him being extra hard on him if he does something he doesn't like. But sometimes I think Len licks Derek's butt just as much as the rest of them. I don't think he would have given Janel and Val a 10, but he might have given one to Derek and Bethany.

 

 

I feel like Alphonso getting lowish scores will help him out in the long run, because not only will it help him not look like a ringer, but it'll also give him a nice "redemption" arc with some room to grow.

 

I don't know. I'm starting to get worried that Alfonso is getting the Charlie treatment from last season. After a great first week performance, I think Charlie very rarely got his proper due from the judges.  I can see them doing the same thing to Alfonso so they can prop their pets like Janel and Bethany.

 

As much as I thought Alfonso was low-balled once again, I thought at first that the judges' might realize that giving out tens and nine like candy was a bad idea so early in the season, and then, Bam, they lose their shit at overscore horribly both Janel and Bethany. I can kind of give them a pass on Janel because it was an entertaining routine, but that prop-fest that Bethany and Derek did was ridiculous. Seriously, Derek has become the prop king. Other than his first week performance with Bethany, most of his recent dances have been prop-fests where he and his partner spend 80% of their dance seated and/or using some kind of prop, with very little dancing, and still the judges are beside themselves and do everything short of throwing their panties/underwear at him, and declare him the new King of Dance. It's sickening. I am beyond ready for Derek to do what he said he was going to do years ago and quit the show.

 

Tommy is such a delight! As fun as his week one performance was, part of the reason I enjoyed it was because I thought the parts where he actually danced, he did really well and he's continued to be a fun performer and a good performer. 

[Ann Mack]

I just watched the 2 performances that got perfect scores and I believe both were over-scored. I had already called it on Twitter that Derek was going to get a perfect score tonight. I mean after Gene Kelly's wife giving him the portrait and then personally visiting him at the studio the hype was already set and no way was the network going to let them receive anything other than perfection. Be interesting to see how she does next week. In all honesty Bethany bores the crap out of me I watch Derek more than her because for me she's just there and forgettable once she's done

 

 As for Val and Janal nope didn't see a perfect score there either. Strangely if they were going to be just handing out 10's tonight than Betsey surely should have gotten one. Her dance was the best of the night for me. This woman is 72 years old and for me she is way better than Bethany who is getting by on dimples and Derek. Poor Alfonso I think they are low balling his scores and giving him crappy ass music to perform his routines too. No way was that music right for a quick step but props to Witney for pulling it off. Hope they stay contenders but seems like the judges are head strong on seeing him depart sooner rather than make it to the finals.

 

I am done with DWTS for this season at least live. I will catch the performances on YouTube. This was a night of gross generosity for some with the scores and gross negligence for others with the low scores. Really hated to see Randy go while Michael is still there. But someone has to go.

 

Also thought Mark did a great job with Sadie I think in terms of actually dancing they may have done more than Janal and Bethany combined. 

 

Tommy once again continued to shine for a 76 year old man. It was nicely done and it left a smile on my face.

 

Also whats with all the props and extra dancers this season. I thought Derek was using to hide some of the weaknesses of Bethany (she is not his strongest partner) but damn everyone is doing. I just want to see the dance everything is a major production now. Oh well until next week.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Ann Mack

[crowceilidh]

Tommy is handsome as hell, but there were a couple of weak-ish connections.

 

I thought Sadie looked like her legs were weirdly bowed when she was dancing - almost like she was compensating for being taller than Mark.  Is she?

 

Alison and Jonathan's tango wasn't as sharp as it could have been. It didn't do anything for me.

 

That Erol Flynn style Robin Hood hat with that dance was the opposite of romantic.  It seemed like a clunker idea to me.

 

Betsy's dance was contemporary?  Really?

 

I'm sorry Couture didn't last longer than Sabato because I find one hot and the other not, but Sabato's movement is slightly improving, while I'm not sure Couture's was at all.

 

That package about Derek was annoying as fuck.

 

Lea was forgettable.

And, excuse my ignorance (I hope it's not gross), but what was the velvet suit stuff about?

[vibeology]

It was very Marilyn: The Musical! I was having SMASH flashbacks. (SMASHbacks?) 

 

It really was. Witney isn't my favourite pro (I like her but Sharna, Karina, Emma) but she's the most Marilyn-y and really shone in that number. She was fierce. 

 

SYTYCD fun tonight. Alex Wong was sitting next to Twitch tonight, right? Its a shame that Carrie Ann's big head was obstructing my view of Twitch the week he gets front row seats. Also, the clock graphic and benches in the WSS number looked so much like the set for the Top 10 and All-Star number from this year's finale. 

 

When Julianne was talking about Jonathan and Allison's tango and she was going on about difficult tango songs, I was sure she was going to bring up Jesse's Girl. I'm still annoyed about that years later, so I can only imagine how she feels. 

[superdeluxe]

Um, did the audience boo the band after Derek and Bethany's dance? I just re-watched the dance to get a second look at it and after they're heading up the stairs Tom mentions giving a hand to the band and that's booing I heard. I'm even more positive it was because Tom makes a comment that it's getting ugly down there and Erin says something about that being terrible. Wow...as sucktastic as the singing of Harold Wheeler's band was at times, I'm pretty sure they never got booed.

 

I think they were booing because Bruno didn't get to speak.

[truthaboutluv]

I think they were booing because Bruno didn't get to speak.

 

 

But it didn't start until after Tom asked them to have some applause for the band. If they were booing because Bruno didn't get to speak, it certainly did not come off that way and the whole thing was really awkward.

[MarkHB]

I think they were booing because Bruno didn't get to speak.

If that's the case then I'm getting to Confession because the end of civilization is obviously upon us.

 

eta: Had a feeling it would be Randy. Man, poor Karina. Two seasons in a row. And she's so gorgeous to watch too. Oh well. Btw, did anyone else see Tommy telling Peta after sniffing her that she smelt like Maks? That's gonna piss off some people. Tommy all up in Peta's business.

I have a feeling that Tommy burnt out the last of his "give a crap what anyone else thinks" brain cells sometime during the Gerald Ford administration.

 

So is this the first-ever Surprise Retroactive Double-Secret Double Elimination? Because that's what it effectively was. I suppose it's nominally fair, but it still sucks.  At the same time, Randy seemed to be going downhill from Week 1.

 

There's a new app?  Funny it wasn't mentioned during the show.  It sounds like they are borrowing some of the tech from Rising Star to put it together.

[stonehaven]

I love Tommy Chong...I never thought I;d utter that phrase in my life but I did tonight...my dream final would be Alfonso Leah..and Tommy..with Tommy taking it all..

Asfor Derek's umbrella fetish, I noticed he covered his partner with the umbrella right in front of the judges tables..so how could they tell that dance was perfection?

Yeah..huh...I think we all know by now...

[blaase]

I am done with this season. None of the "stars" are endearing  and the judges are more unbearable than ever.

[sinkwriter]

 

I thought Sadie looked like her legs were weirdly bowed when she was dancing - almost like she was compensating for being taller than Mark.  Is she?

 

That's how I felt watching her tonight too. It was a sweet dance and had some terrific parts, but at times it seemed like she was all gangly limbs and a bit like she was bowed or squatting a bit. It threw me off, watching them.

 

I don't understand the comment about Val and Janel not being allowed to use the choreography from West Side Story, because I sure saw some elements from the choreography anyway. Maybe not as much as they had originally planned, but I recognized some moves.

 

I cannot believe Michael was safe tonight. I thought he should at least be in jeopardy. That he wasn't really pissed me off. He's not good, and he can't seem to feel the music or the beat or move gracefully at all. He must have some fan base to keep him out of jeopardy. I have no other explanation for it.

 

Sorry to see Randy go before Michael. I think that's bullshit. He's not a strong dancer either, but Michael and Antonio seem just as stiff and awkward if not more so.

 

And I can't believe Julianne gave Betsey a 6! That was an insult. She might not have deserved Kevin's very generous 9, but a 6 was way too low. Especially when she's then heaping praise on Michael when he had barely a sliver of Betsey's grace and smoothness. Such bullshit.

[Zuleikha]

I normally see where the judges are coming from with overscoring, but I didn't see it with Janel or Bethany. Janel had gangly, soft legs at points where they needed to be crisp and Bethany's dance was just pedestrian (probably due to her ankle, but still). I would have given them both a mix of 8s and 9s. 

If I were to give anyone 10s, it would have been Alfonso. I thought he executed challenging choreography well and sold the performance aspect. Witney also did a great job with a very challenging assignment. 

 

Wardrobe should have given Sadie a mid-calf length skirt instead of the above-the-knee length. Even when done 100% properly, Standard/Smooth legs can look awkward, and I don't think Sadie did them 100% properly. She was light and sweet, and the choreography was light and sweet so a little help from her skirt would have been nice.

Betsey Johnson is impressing the heck out of me. I've loved her as a tulle-and-neon quirky fashion icon, but I am blown away by how elegant she can be (and how flexible!). I don't think she can make it to the finals, but I hope she gets close. Likewise, Tommy Chong blew me away with his elegance in the Argentine Tango. He had a debonair air that I would not have guessed the stoner comic would pull off.

[aradia22]

I was super bored today. Three episodes in and I'm already thinking of quitting. They need to step up the choreography and put together more interesting clips if there's going to be so much filler. I've given up on the judges contributing anything and I don't need gimmicks but I need the dancing to be at least somewhat impressive.

[spanana]

I normally see where the judges are coming from with overscoring, but I didn't see it with Janel or Bethany. Janel had gangly, soft legs at points where they needed to be crisp and Bethany's dance was just pedestrian (probably due to her ankle, but still). I would have given them both a mix of 8s and 9s. 

If I were to give anyone 10s, it would have been Alfonso. I thought he executed challenging choreography well and sold the performance aspect. Witney also did a great job with a very challenging assignment. 

 

Betsey Johnson is impressing the heck out of me. I've loved her as a tulle-and-neon quirky fashion icon, but I am blown away by how elegant she can be (and how flexible!). I don't think she can make it to the finals, but I hope she gets close. Likewise, Tommy Chong blew me away with his elegance in the Argentine Tango. He had a debonair air that I would not have guessed the stoner comic would pull off.

 

Agree with all of this, except I would have been fine with Janel getting 9's.  I think the thing with Janel is a she put on a fabulous performance, which helped distract from her actual dancing.  She's not a bad dancer, but there are still some very obvious technical flaws there.  But it's easy to overlook I guess when she's such a good performer.  Which is what she has over Bethany, who isn't a fabulous dancer (ankle issues aside), but she doesn't really have the performance factor either.  I expect Janel to backslide a little bit when she's forced back into some form of ballroom next week and has to actually pay attention to some sort of technique.

 

At this point I wouldn't mind seeing both Betsey and Tommy in the finals along with Alfonso and Sadie.

[iMonrey]

This is the point in the season where I start getting the impression that the judges are deliberately propping the weaker dancers that are running away with the votes in order to justify their sticking around so long, while nitpicking at the better dancers to justify their eventual eliminations.

 

Michael was just as bad as ever, IMO, clomping around like a buffalo. Granted, since he was in hold most of the time his partner was better able to steer him but his actual technique was no better than ever. Yet the judges just gushed over him like he'd improved by leaps and bounds. He must be getting the Bill Engval votes. Meanwhile Lea did a wonderful job and the judges wanted to pick apart her performance and call out some mistake I couldn't identify even after watching it twice. What BS is that? You don't gush all over Michael for clomp, clomp, clomping around and then nit-pick, pick, pick at Lea for such a wonderfully upbeat and lively dance.

 

Kevin Hart wasn't as bad as I had feared, although I'm still at a loss to explain what the hell he was doing there. If they're just going to pull random comics in to guest judge let's get Adam Corolla or someone else who's actually been on the show and has some kind of insight into what they're doing.

 

I adored Mark and Sadie's dance but Up just makes me sad. She dies, people!

 

Bethany deservesd high scores just for the umbrella work, but that dance was seriously lacking in actual dance content when you break it down. I'm really tired of Derek getting 10s for sitting around and moving his feet.

[SteveAC10]

 

I don't understand the comment about Val and Janel not being allowed to use the choreography from West Side Story, because I sure saw some elements from the choreography anyway. Maybe not as much as they had originally planned, but I recognized some moves.

From what they aired they changed the number completely. The Robbins estate is extremely protective of his work, Staging America as a dance between and man and a woman would put them at bay because in the show it's an ensemble number for Anita and the female chorus/dancers. The only element I saw that could be clocked from the original was some skirt tossing. That's really just a stereotypical "fiery latina" move and not Robbins.

[sinkwriter]

I was in a production of West Side Story, and we did some of the exact same moves and if not from the Broadway production they were at least from the film. Not just the skirt tossing part, but certain leg kicks, foot steps, and arm movements.

[LotusFlower]

I was in a production of West Side Story, and we did some of the exact same moves and if not from the Broadway production they were at least from the film. Not just the skirt tossing part, but certain leg kicks, foot steps, and arm movements.

I'm no dancer, but instead a huge WSS fan, and even I recognized a lot of the steps. That's why I don't get the intro package at all. Did Val initially do a complete copy or something? It was weird.

As for Singing in the Rain, I couldn't believe Mrs. Kelly said something to the effect of "Derek is a young Gene Kelly." Dancing with the Houghs indeed.

[buttersister]

I'm afraid to ask, but do you think Derek drove Mrs. Kelly home? Ugh. His tribute had the Kelly moves, but not Gene's magic (if you haven't watched the full routine in the film, get busy). Mr. Hough, I was a fan of Gene Kelly. I know Gene Kelly's work. And you are no Gene Kelly. He got a 10 for dancing with two props (umbrella and Bethany).

 

Loving Tommy. Missing Len. Not giving much of a crap about this season.

[spanana]

I'm no dancer, but instead a huge WSS fan, and even I recognized a lot of the steps. That's why I don't get the intro package at all. Did Val initially do a complete copy or something? It was weird.

As for Singing in the Rain, I couldn't believe Mrs. Kelly said something to the effect of "Derek is a young Gene Kelly." Dancing with the Houghs indeed.

Janel and Val were originally supposed to dance to "I Feel Pretty", so I think the dance that got scrapped was for that song.  Or at least that is what I was led to believe.

[Electruck]

I didn't think it was possible for Julianne's hair to look worse than last week, but I stand corrected. She looked like Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies!

I thought she looked like Jessica, the future Mrs Claus, in Year Without a Santa Claus:

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111224030001/christmasspecials/images/1/18/Jessica_Claus.jpg

[HappyDancex2]

I thought I was going to hate Kevin Hart as a judge but he was a breath of fresh air.

What an unfortunate choppy arrangement of Por Una Cabeza. The song alone conjures 8's.

Gene Kelly got 10's!

I want to see Michael Waltrip dance with Derek. Tweeps make this happen please.

[RedheadZombie]

I found it interesting that last week, Derek told Sadie not to be upset about being in danger, because "that's what they want".   Since I personally believe Sadie was falsely in the bottom three, "they" is the show.  It made me wonder if Derek was criticizing the show, and the show was too dumb to notice.

 

Julianne's hair was hideous, and she needs to keep her ass planted in her seat during her critiques.  It's irritating enough when Bruno does it.

 

What happened to Randy's ear?  My mom wondered if Mike Tyson had a go at it.

 

I don't know how the show justifies the preferential treatment that Derek receives.   They actually arranged Gene Kelly's widow to show up.   I couldn't believe it.  And if anyone takes the advice above to watch Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, keep in mind that he was very ill with a high fever while filming that scene.

 

Tommy is making me start to like Peta again.  At least a little.

 

I can't believe I missed Twitch in the audience.  Can anyone tell me approximately when he was shown?

[chocolatine]

I cannot believe Michael was safe tonight. I thought he should at least be in jeopardy.

 

 

Erin said that Jonathan/Allison and Randy/Karina were "not necessarily the bottom two", so Michael/Emma may actually have been in jeopardy. At least I hope so, so that Michael can leave next week. Even sweet, patient Emma seems to be over him.

 

Julianne's hair was hideous, and she needs to keep her ass planted in her seat during her critiques.

 

 

Especially since tonight she wore those hideous pants that showed every wrinkle when she stood up.

 

Can anyone's explain Kevin Hart's velvet suit thing? 

[shok]

NOW it's obvious that someone spiked the water. Seriously? All 10s for Bethany? 

 

Those 10s weren't for Bethany. They were for the Golden Boy. She could have stayed seated on that bench behind her umbrella while he flitted and preened around the stage and they still would have gotten 10s. And they wonder why they're losing viewers.

[aradia22]

 

Kevin Hart wasn't as bad as I had feared, although I'm still at a loss to explain what the hell he was doing there. If they're just going to pull random comics in to guest judge let's get Adam Corolla or someone else who's actually been on the show and has some kind of insight into what they're doing.

I thought the same thing. He brought some energy but as the performances went on I was beyond caring. I'm too lazy to look it up but he's got a new movie coming out with Josh Gad and my guess is that it's somehow under the ABC/Disney corporate umbrella. Also, one of the guys from LMFAO was a judge so in comparison Kevin Hart's not that bad. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

It is now official:  All pretense of the dance is out.  It's been coming for awhile.  

 

10s for any of those "dances" are a travesty.

 

If they want to ever do a true homage to GK?   They'll decide Xanadu was the essence of his art.  Do NOT take that as a shot at the marvelous GK - he was remarkably good in the signature Whenever I'm Away From You with Olivia Newton John (who was ridiculously good considering her background).  You Tube it and smile.  Guaranteed.  

 

There are moments when it is undeniable that TPTB have it in for a contestant.  This year it is Jonathon.  My goodness, the jidges all decided to get hyper technical on him and him alone.  That atrocious music for Tango?  All-time toilet material.  Who did he piss off?  Seriously?  Was his agent a dick to BBC Worldwide?  

 

Randy and Waltrip were a toss-up last week for being nullities.  I'd rather Waltrip have been launched, but Randy did merit such.

[crocosmia]

Alfonso was underscored. His number was challenging, and he handled it with his usual upbeat and charming attitude.   It doesn't seem right that his scores were lower than the two interchangeable girls partnered with Derek and Val.  I hope what happened to Charlie last season doesn't happen to Alfonso.  I felt robbed of seeing a Charlie/Sharna freestyle last time, and I'll feel the same way if I don't get to see Alfonso dance through to the end.

 

Tony has always been one of my favorites of the pros, and it's sweet to see Betsey blossoming under his care.  He's encouraged a more refined, feminine side in her, and you can tell she's loving it.  

 

Not Lea's best week, but I still like her. 

 

Michael. Can't. Dance.

 

Antonio looks like he's trying too hard, and it sucks the fun out of his dancing.

 

Sadie's dance was adorable and sweet and underscored, given the bloated scores of the Derek and Val twins.

 

Jonathan is not half bad as a dancer, but it's all about Allison.  She looked more like the contestant than he did in the pre-dance clip, and during the dance itself, she dominated. 

 

I really like Val and I love musical theatre, so I enjoyed his number with Janel, but I don't think she's perfection as a dancer.   It was the big production number that got those scores, not just her.  She was overscored, especially given that it's only Week 3.   

 

I'm not a Peta fan, and Tommy is kind of creepy sometimes, but I have to hand it to him.  He looks better now than he did when he was young.  He seems to be enjoying himself, and unlike some of the other older contestants in past seasons, he obviously doesn't feel a need to prove anything to anybody.    And that's entertaining. 

 

I'm tired of Derek.  I don't enjoy watching him anymore, even though there's no denying his talent.  He's technically brilliant as a dancer and adept at using clever props, smoke, hand-action, and various other distractions to cover his partners' weaknesses.   But to me his dancing seems all mechanical perfection without a lot of personal feeling.  His sexy dances aren't sexy and his emotional dances don't emote.   It may be a "perfect" performance, but it's served cold.  That being said, tonight's number didn't seem 10-worthy.  The choreography wasn't Derek's best, and Bethany's footwork was mostly just a lot of twirling around.   

 

Too bad for Randy.  I wish it had been Michael.

 

Would love to see Alfonso and Sadie as the final 2, but it's obvious the show has other plans.

Edited September 30, 2014 by crocosmia

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love that Kevin Hart was like fuck it, I'm giving Betsey Johnson a 9!

 

I had a soft spot for Jonathan Bennett because he was in Mean Girls and on Veronica Mars so I was already interested in seeing him before the season started, but his personality has really endeared him to me. He and Betsey seem the most genuinely enthusiastic about being on the show and learning as much as they can and really enjoying the experience. Every week he seems so excited and happy to be there, which I really love to see. That's not to say anyone is unhappy about being there, but he reminds me of a little kid who gets super excited every time you show him his favorite toy. It's just written all over his face that he is really excited.

 

As a former dancer who doesn't know jack about ballroom, I really liked the Gatsby tango. I thought it was a smart choice because he has that classic old timey leading man look and he looks great in a tuxedo. There was one spot where his footwork got a little sloppy, but overall I liked the choreography and thought there was a lot of tango content so that the judges couldn't ding Allison for that this week. Ugh, Erin Andrews is so awful at interviewing but why the hell would she ask Jonathan a question and then tell him she didn't have time for his answer? But we later had time to watch footage of Derek dancing when he was a little kid?

 

I felt so bad for Janel and Val having to scrap their routine after two days of rehearsal. They are already on a really tight schedule in order to learn these dances in a week, but poor Val having to come up with new choreography right away and poor Janel having to forget everything they had worked on in the original version and learn brand new material. It's an interesting situation because people are familiar with music copyrights but copying choreography is a complicated issue. People now know that they are supposed to pay to use music, but a lot of people take choreography without permission or paying the original choreographer.

 

Good lord, the singers were TERRIBLE during the West Side Story number. Janel did a great job, but a perfect 40? It was sweet to see her get teary eyed about it though.

 

Speaking of overscored, I couldn't believe the judges were so enthusiastic about Michael's waltz this week. He does get bonus points for using (Everything I Do) I Do It for You though. The opening chords always make me sentimental. But he is just such an awkward dancer. He always looks like he is on the verge of tripping and falling. His arms and his hands are always so clumsy and awkward too.

 

I didn't think Betsey's routine was very contemporary, but Tony was smart to put so many lifts because the audience always loves lifts. He also took advantage of her flexibility, which people also love. Doing so many lifts also meant she got to do less actual dancing. I agree that she really needs to make an effort to point her toes because it's really noticeable when she's holding poses.

 

I liked the choreography for Sadie's routine, but it looks like she is better at cute high energy dances rather than graceful choreography. Her hands and arms were so distracting to me. They were almost as bad as Michael's.

 

Bethany did well in her Singin' in the Rain routine, but I thought it was too much of a prop dance and not enough of a dance. Don't get me wrong - prop dances have a high amount of risk and they require skill, but I wanted less umbrella and more dancing. Another perfect 40? Dude, it's only the third week! Calm down, judges!

 

I liked Alfonso's quickstep but I was surprised that he got all 8s from the judges. Do they want to temper the ringer accusations by making it seem like he's not doing as well?

 

I also thought that Lea's cha cha was underscored (especially compared to some of the other scores). Heh, you know if she had been paired with Mark, he would have tried to convince her to do a Howard the Duck dance complete with duck suits.

 

Antonio did better this week. His footwork looked much cleaner and he had more dancing to do this week (as opposed to standing around and posing last week) but I don't think is dancing is good enough for him to last much longer.

I was really hoping that last week was a fluke and that Randy would bounce back, but his paso was not good. That is exactly the kind of dancing I expect from most male contestants - kind of stompy, kind of awkward. He is still better than Michael, so I am sad to see Randy go first.

 

I don't know why the WSS people would bother giving their okay in the first place and then create all this issue after and the producers themselves should have had a better handle on this. As for Derek and Bethany, well apparent;y any of Gene Kelly's work is especially hard to get rights to but his widow specifically gave her okay so that's why they were able to do the full homage.

Getting permission to use a song is different from getting permission to use choreography. Even though they are from the same Broadway musical/movie, the music permission is separate from the choreography. It sounds like they only got permission to use the song and then found out that Val was also using some of the choreography.

 

I was in a production of West Side Story, and we did some of the exact same moves and if not from the Broadway production they were at least from the film. Not just the skirt tossing part, but certain leg kicks, foot steps, and arm movements.

It's possible that whoever arranged for the rights for your production (because you always have to get permission for any sort of plays - for example, Our Town costs a minimum of $100 per performance and costs more per performance date depending on the size of the theater - but musicals cost a lot more to license) either obtained choreography licensing for an additional fee or did not obtain any rights for choreography but used the original choreography anyway. FYI - choreography is not just one or two moves. It is an exact sequence of steps. Just using arm movements and leg kicks would not necessarily be considered using the original choreography without permission.

 

Ugh, vote on Twitter to force people to change partners? I hate everything about that.

Edited September 30, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Serendi]

 

Erin Andrews is so awful at interviewing but why the hell would she ask Jonathan a question and then tell him she didn't have time for his answer? 

 

Almost certainly producer voices in her earpiece. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I can't stand the lame comments she makes to the pros or the contestants so I haven't liked her all season (she seems like such a try hard), but interrupting a contestant, producers in her ear or not, was rude. She's no Tom Bergeron, that's for sure!

[vibeology]

I can't believe I missed Twitch in the audience.  Can anyone tell me approximately when he was shown?

 

Twitch was sitting directly behind Carrie Ann so mostly you could see just a sliver of him if she bobbed her head around or he leaned over to talk to Alex or Weslie. He did stand after Allison's dance and you can see him clearly then. 

[ari333]

Given what happened on this eppy of the show,  who was the other in the bottom two last week? But "not necessarily the bottom two" or what the hell? I can't even remember, but I don't recall that it was Randy. (Was it?) But it seems confusing to me with one vote and judges' scores (last week) sending two home (Tavis last week and one this week). (?)  Or maybe I should pay closer attention. :)

 

Hate that they announce someone in jeopardy and then, "You're dancing NOW!" But that's not new. And how is it fair that Randy danced first two weeks in a row? Or maybe they already knew he was toast, so it wouldn't matter. 

 

I'd like to see Lea stick around, but she seems to be in the middle of the pack and easy to forget.  Lea and Betsey have great legs, not only for their ages, but in general, imo. Good for them.

 

Agreed, Betsey and Tommy are killing it, especially for their ages. Amazing. Betsey falls to the floor (on purpose)... a lot. It seems to make Tony uncomfy. Loved that she jumped on his pelvis when she was announced safe.  

 

I've enjoyed Alfonzo every week. so far.  

 

Flove Tommy Chong!

[Gardencrown]

 

Erin said that Jonathan/Allison and Randy/Karina were "not necessarily the bottom two", so Michael/Emma may actually have been in jeopardy. At least I hope so, so that Michael can leave next week. Even sweet, patient Emma seems to be over him.

Yeah, when Emma was talking about the need for waltz content, I thought that she was about ready to punch Michael in the throat. I strongly suspect that she is not enjoying her season with him. Gah, can you imagine being in a studio with him for eight hours a day? Poor girl is going to start spiking her water bottles with vodka!

 

The Jonathan/Allison tango was pretty good and pretty traditional, and it was clear that she was trying to stick to the rules. I also think that she tried to make the package more about Jonathan at the end when Erin was asking her questions. But I don't think all the focus on her (even Jonathan's) is going to endear her to fans...I fear that they will be out within the next few weeks. Logically, that makes sense as I think that Tommy and Betsey are probably holding their own in votes, though I could definitely see Antonio out before Johnathan (except possibly Cheryl's fanbase?) -- dude is SO gracious and pleasant, but he is also SO visibly uncomfortable. Bless his heart.

 

Lea is going to get lost in the shuffle, and that's a damn shame because I think she's a great dancer. Someone tell me what she doesn't have that Jennifer Grey did? (Oh, wait, um, DEREK) I think that Artem is a great partner, but he doesn't come to the US with a built-in fanbase, and I think he can come across a little arrogant and aloof, which also doesn't help Lea.

 

Score Alfonso better, judges. I can't believe I'm a convert, but I really really like Witney as a pro (NOT a fan on SYTYCD). They seem to have a great rapport, and I think her comment about his "fat ass" showed that. He took no offense, I don't think -- she was frustrated, and he owned that. Like them both so much.

 

I cannot communicate the meh-ness I have for Janel and Bethany.

[kayma]

I thought Alfonso's dance was really cute. They did they best they could with the music. I think Witney is really good as a pro and brings a lot out in her partners.

 

They seem to have a great rapport, and I think her comment about his "fat ass" showed that. He took no offense, I don't think -- she was frustrated, and he owned that. Like them both so much.

I really liked that he just admitted it was true so he couldn't be mad. I hope he sticks around for a while if he doesn't win the whole thing.

 

I'm actually liking Janel now. I thought she was cute at the encore dance last week and seems to be loosening up and showing some personality. I don't get her Kevin Hart love (I don't even know who Kevin Hart is outside of this appearance) but thought it was sweet that she was fangirling him. I think her dance could have been closer to perfect if she'd had another day or two of rehearsal but am ok with the 10s. They really sold the dance even if it wasn't perfect. I liked how surprised Val seemed about the scores. He knows how they really did, but he'll take it.

 

I thought Sadie and Mark were adorable. She does seem awkward at times, but it was such a sweet dance. Mark is so good with her. I think their scores were about right. She has room for improvement in technique and showmanship but isn't out of the running. I also enjoyed seeing how the other pros tried to keep her spirits up last week when she was in the bottom. It feels like there's more camaraderie this season than last season among all the pros.

 

I keep forgetting Lea is on. I like her and Artem when they're dancing but completely forget about them after. Tony is great with Betsy and Tommy can stay longer. I actually like Julianne this week. She gave good criticism to most people and seemed fair about most of the scores. She seems to be a fan of the dancing and isn't as obnoxious as the other two.

 

Antonio skeeves me out. Michael, too. I'd like both to be gone ASAP.

 

This is only my second season of the show, so I don't know much about Derek. He just always seems so bland. I like a lot of the dances he choreographs, but he just seems to be void of personality. Because of that, I was glad he actually seemed to feel the pressure this week and laughed at his dancing video. I liked the concept of his dance more than the execution - love Singing in the Rain - and thought that it was kind of cold. There wasn't anything there - no charm, charisma, or fun. It might be because Bethany's not a performer, but it was missing something.

 

Finally, I'm buying whatever Val is selling. He's just so charming this season, and I'm loving it. If Alfonso doesn't win, I won't be upset at Val and Janel taking it.

[ari333]

I have a big ole meh for Bethany and Janel as well. 

 

Julianne needs to sit the eff down already. And what the heck is up with her clothes, hair, and makeup? There's no middle ground? She either looks like someone's grandma or like a stripper who just finished the late shift.

 

I like Kevin as a judge more than I thought I would. However, if every judge doesn't get to speak, then maybe there are too many. Although Bruno not speaking may be a good thing, heh.

 

I would have enjoyed seeing Randy stick around for a bit longer.

 

Free Emma.

Edited September 30, 2014 by ari333

[ElectricBoogaloo]

They seem to have a great rapport, and I think her comment about his "fat ass" showed that. He took no offense, I don't think -- she was frustrated, and he owned that. Like them both so much.

One thing I really like about Alfonso is that he lets everything roll off him like water off a duck's back, whether it's Witney telling him that she carried his fat ass through the entire routine during rehearsal or the judges giving him constructive criticism. He doesn't get angry or defensive. He listens, acknowledges it, and takes it in. You can tell he's listening, not just nodding and saying okay to shut them up.

 

Usually I have no use for Bruno as a judge, but I liked when he explained to Antonio that he should turn his upper body independently from his lower body and then used Julianne to demonstrate. That is much more useful and specific criticism than most of the judges usually give.

[drmka9]

 

I'm tired of Derek.  I don't enjoy watching him anymore, even though there's no denying his talent.  He's technically brilliant as a dancer and adept at using clever props, smoke, hand-action, and various other distractions to cover his partners' weaknesses.   But to me his dancing seems all mechanical perfection without a lot of personal feeling.  His sexy dances aren't sexy and his emotional dances don't emote.   It may be a "perfect" performance, but it's served cold.  That being said, tonight's number didn't seem 10-worthy.  The choreography wasn't Derek's best, and Bethany's footwork was mostly just a lot of twirling around.

 

At some point in time, I just started mentally calling Derek "Stuart," after the old MadTV character who screamed "Look what I can do!" before flailing around. He's proficient with both choreography and staging, but it all seems to be about showing off instead of actually emoting. 

[msburg]

 

What happened to Randy's ear?  My mom wondered if Mike Tyson had a go at it.

It's called cabbage  ear.  Many who have wrestled for a long stretch get it.  I'm not quite sure how it happens -- maybe the constant tugging on the cartilage? -- but no teeth were involved.

 

ETA: Second guessing myself -- maybe cauliflower ear?  That's what it resembles the most.  Some vegetable, anyway...

Edited September 30, 2014 by msburg

[Dancingjaneway]

I personally wasn't impressed by Dereks number at all and I also don't see why people call him the best. To me he lacks so much charisma, charm, effervescence, humor. Sure technically he's good but his ideas are uninspired and he does a horrible job at keeping in the dance. His mugging is obnoxious and not charming. He will never come close to Kelly, Astaire or any of the other great dancers of that time. I also think the reason why he stays with this show is because he knows that if he ever went out and tried to get a job somewhere else they would call him on his crap and he probably wouldn't be the star he is now. This show has catered to his ego and he better hope this show never gets cancelled. If I was Bethany I would have been pissed because the dance is supposed to be about the celeb and she didn't even look like she was happy to be there. I also don't get why the judges talked about how amazing it was that Jonathan danced so well with the song he had. Wasn't it his choice? I thought the stars got to pick the songs and the movies? If so it's all on them for picking a song that didn't fit. Allison also better watch herself because her attitude towards the judges is going to ensure that she isn't asked back next season. It's also not going to do her partner any favors.

[dangwoodchucks]

 Btw, lmao at Kevin's giving Tommy that 10. Tommy has 34 points people. That's so awesome and that's why the random fourth celebrity judges are always amusing. They don't give a crap about technique and stuff and just score what they like. Calling it right now, the old folks are gonna knock out a bunch of folks.

This is the point in the season where I start getting the impression that the judges are deliberately propping the weaker dancers that are running away with the votes in order to justify their sticking around so long, while nitpicking at the better dancers to justify their eventual eliminations.

This stuff is why I'm not bothering to vote this season. Has the show ever been about the best dancer winning, because it seems like it's more about the one TPTB want to win. It is part popularity contest so I can understand the votes being involved, but the judges will score to counter a large amount of votes or to rally fans to vote. As a viewer I don't want to be manipulated like that, or have my time wasted by voting when it doesn't matter.

 

I haven't watched last night's show, but I see it was another Derekfest so I'll probably just Youtube the dances I want to see. Perhaps one day when all Houghs and CAI have been expunged from the show I might be interested in watching live.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

My goodness, Tommy Chong is a delight, as is Betsey Johnson. I want those two to last for as long as possible.

Whoda thunk Tommy Chong would have turned out to be so delightful? And I totally understood the Yoda comment that Carrie Ann made. Betsey also looked great - I get so tickled when she does well and she gets so excited. 

[ali59]

What happened to Randy's ear?  My mom wondered if Mike Tyson had a go at it.

 

I've heard it called cauliflower ear.  It's from repeatedly being pulled, punched and torn.  Blood clots form and blood and puss fill the spaces of twisted cartilage.  Someone once asked Randy how it felt and he said it felt like hell.

[mtlchick]

 

Btw, did anyone else see Tommy telling Peta after sniffing her that she smelt like Maks?

 

Her face when he said that had me in tears.  (Clearly I'm a horrible person.)

 

  I'm catching up on the DVR (sorry show, Gotham and Sleepy Hollw are shows I'm watching live) so I only saw a few of the dances so far.  Sorry about Randy, but I think his time was going to be short anyway.  He seems to stomp around a bit too much and lacked something in the arms.

 

Aside fanwalking that Goldmember was set in 1975, this part:

 

 

One thing I really like about Alfonso is that he lets everything roll off him like water off a duck's back, whether it's Witney telling him that she carried his fat ass through the entire routine during rehearsal or the judges giving him constructive criticism.

 

I think it's his extensive dance background kicking in.  I'm not worried about him picking up the moves and his footwork, but I do see his shoulders being off from time to time.

Edited September 30, 2014 by mtlchick