S19.E06: Week 4: Most Memorable Year

[spanana]

I liked Janel's rumba better than last week's jazz mostly because I felt like she was given more to do and was at least dancing.  I enjoyed it, but she still has really awkward manic moments for me.  I don't think she's very strong in her own movement when she's away from Val.  I'd like to see her do a samba or a cha cha or something like that.  But this was a step in the right direction and she's still one of the better dancers.  Also just a pet peeve, but in terms of her facial expressions Janel tends to always do this weird pouty thing when she dances.   I don't know if it's supposed to be her sexy face or her cute face, but it doesn't come off remotely natural.

 

Alfonso was by far my fave of the night and the fact that I've already rewatched the routine about 50 times backs up my claim.  I give great kudos to Witney for putting that routine together.   They are a great pairing and I echo the sentiment that I hope they get good music/dance pairings from here on out.  I also sincerely hope that Alfonso gets anyone but Allison this week.

 

Sadie was my second fave.  I had my doubts when I saw the costumes and everything else, but it was a lot of fun.  I can't really speak to the technique and how good it was from that aspect, but there is something very natural and appealing about her when she performs and Mark has done a really good job with her so far.

 

Lea's was probably my third fave of the night and the story got to me, but that's because I think it's a story that millions of people can relate to unfortunately.  So in a weird way I think I was more moved by her story than the actual dance, even though she executed the dance extremely well.  I figured contemporary should be in her wheelhouse though since it's one of the few dances where she could make good use of her balletic experience.  I do enjoy Lea and Artem together though and I'll be interested to see what Derek does with her next week.

 

Was there anybody else worth mentioning?  I do love Tommy, but he didn't do it for me tonight.  I was sad to see Betsey go.  

 

Somebody needs to free Jonathan from Allison's clutches.   I expect Michael to continue to outlast better dancers.   Can we petition to swap Allison and Emma permanently?  Kidding, but not really.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Holy moley!  A proper rendition of one of my all-time favorite nightclub songs, and the dance made to be danced to it: The Carlton!  In all honesty, that was the most fun I have ever had watching this show!!!!!!  What a joyful moment.  Where's my 100 paddle?!  Seriously, my Grinch heart grew several sizes in those 75 seconds.

 

Well, they went after Jonathan with hyper-technicalities again.  You'll never, ever, convince me that the 6's were justified, given the customary standards of this show.  Same score for Waltrip's hot mess?  Worse than Chong's virtually unrecognizable style?  Puh-leaze.

 

I do not for a moment doubt Lea's deep feelings she displayed tonight.  But, that was nowhere close to a 10 dance.  A 10 backstory and TV "moment?"   Sure.

 

I am pretty sure that was the real B2 and I am fine with the result.

 

While they both worked, I just hate that "Jazz"  and "Contemporary" won the night.  It only encourages the monkeyweasels at BBC America.

[vibeology]

Well, they went after Jonathan with hyper-technicalities again.  You'll never, ever, convince me that the 6's were justified, given the customary standards of this show.  Same score for Waltrip's hot mess?  Worse than Chong's virtually unrecognizable style?  Puh-leaze.

 

Actually, yes. That was unrecognizable as a samba. There was no bounce, very few basic samba steps and Jonathan seemed lost several times throughout the dance. It was bad. I don't think its his fault, but when you look at what was done, it was bad and deserved a low score. And if you believe the Raise Your Paddles thing (not sure I do since the scores were all so close the the judges) it says something about this pairing that it was the lowest score America gave of the night. Alison is not a likeable person. And she's not a good ballroom dancer. Being at the point where you can do a dance that someone choreographs for you and being at the point where you can create choreography and teach it to someone with less experience are very different things and poor Jonathan is the victim of this. This show should never cast a pro without real ballroom training again. 

[alexa]

I dislike Alison so much on this show that I hope she and Jonathon go before even Michael (sorry Jonathon, not your fault but I can't watch anymore of Alison making this all about her!).  I thought it was great that America scored them a 6, and didn't overinflate scores.  I agree with the above that says a lot about how people are perceiving this pair.  

 

Although Betsy is better than Michael, I don't mind that she is leaving....I think she brings a lot for her age, but she is still limited so her time was coming soon anyway.  

 

I loved Lea, Sadie, and Alfonso...all very good.  And yes, Mark has been so much better the last 2 seasons...I no longer dislike him :-)  I think Derek has chilled out some too...he has learned to bring his creativity without disrespecting the type of dance he is supposed to do.  

[kayma]

I really liked Janel's rumba. It was understated and lovely.

 

I always like Lea when she's dancing but then promptly forget she's even there. It was a beautiful package and dance, but I forgot all about it until I started reading here again. I don't know what that says about her or my enjoyment of her.

 

I want to like Bethany. She's cute and has built a business all her own as a teenager, but I get nothing from her. She just doesn't project any personality for me. Combined with Derek, they're just so bland. It probably doesn't help that it seemed like she only danced for 20 seconds total. This was the only score I really disagreed with. I didn't think there was enough dancing to even score it properly.

 

I don't mind Tommy. He can stick around longer than Jonathan and Michael. They are just painful to watch.

 

I think Jonathan's problem is Allison, unfortunately. It's too bad this is what his experience on the show is when he could have been better. I can't fault him for any annoyance he might show while watching others. It must really suck to know that you got the short end of the stick when it comes to the experience.

 

I loved the duck dance. It was fun and Mark and Sadie sold it. Loved how the other pros and contestants got in on the fun.

 

I'll miss Betsey for how everyone else reacted to her. She seemed to be at the center of the show with the pros and contestants loving having her around. The crush on Val was adorable.

 

Finally, loved the Carlton. Witney did a fantastic job with that choreography. They both shone and paid tribute to the Carlton without making it gimmicky. Loved how none of the pros could pull it off and how Witney was so taken aback by Alfonso's compliment on her Carlton technique. They deserved their 10s.

 

I'd like to see a final of Alfonso, Janel, and Sadie. 

[knightingal]

lol loved how Tom was reading out some of America's scores 

[magpye29]

I loved Mark and Sadie and how some of the other pros and cons got in on the action--too, too funny!

 

Poor Jonathan is this year's sacrificial lamb, stuck with the wrong pro and getting savaged by the judges because of it.

 

I had expected to like Lea because of Back to the Future and Some Kind of Wonderful, but for some reason, I couldn't warm up to her.  I really liked her tonight, though--she seemed much more approachable and vulnerable, and I thought her dance was beautiful.

 

Peta looked ridiculous.  That costume was revolting, and the garters made her legs look stumpy.  I didn't like when Tommy had his face buried in her boobs, either--definitely NOT a family viewing experience.

 

I want to like Janel, but her face just looks so artificial to me--the parts don't add up to the whole, and she does weird things with her expressions that kind of creep me out.  I don't think she's as good as the judges are trying to convince us she is.

 

I am beginning to love Bethany, which is totally unexpected.  It doesn't hurt that she reminds me of a dear friend, but the Badie video helped a lot, too.  I wish Derek would shave his loathsome facial hair--it makes him look skeevy, like a B-list actor in a 40s noir flick.  He needs to be clean-shaven.

 

Michael won me over tonight, too.  He still can't dance, but it was nice to see a genuine moment from him instead of that pervy persona he keeps projecting.  Also, there's something really touching about the way he tips his head toward Emma while they're waiting for the verdict.

 

Alfonso and Witney killed it.  Witney looked adorable, too.

 

Sorry that Betsey went--we were rooting for her because my daughter actually met her on a New York City fashion tour--but someone's got to go every week, and she probably wasn't going to make it to the finals. 

 

I actually like everyone who's left, so it's going to be a bit sad at every elimination now.

 

I'm hoping for a Bethany, Sadie, and Alfonso final (yes I know that means Golden Boy will be there, but I actually like what he's been doing with Bethany, so he deserves it).

[ChrisMcGraan]

Who cares about anything else last night....Alfonso did the CARLTON!!!! Loved their performance! When he gets a dance in his wheelhouse there is no one better and he steals the show (even when he's doing ballroom though he's still damn good). I also loved Sadie. I'm really coming to love her partnership with Mark, he is the perfect male pro for her. More and more I think they'll be the final two.

 

As for the rest of the performance I think Lea FINALLY stood out against the pack. I hope people are voting for her as I would love to see her at the end. Even though Tommy didn't have his best dance I still just love watching the guy. I'm really hoping he's this seasons Bill E though I'm starting to think Mike will be around longer than most of us here want. I'm ready to see Antonio go and unfortunately I think Jonathan's time is running out quickly. Sorry bud (though I do like his enthusiasm).

 

Seems like people are either team Janel or team Bethany. Both get a lot of the same comments (can't connect, something "off" with them, not as good as the judges say they are) so it's just which side you fall on. I don't really care that much about either but I don't connect with Janel more than Bethany I guess. Think the relationship vibe with Val is forced and her performances just leave me feeling cold. Think she's also a little sloppy in her movements. One of them will make the finals though.

[Primetimer]

The stars recall their most memorable years, and luckily for the audience, Alfonso's involves doing The Carlton Dance.

Read the story

[Princess Sparkle]

I have to give Witney a TON of credit - she made the Carlton dance seem completely organic within the piece, rather than something shoehorned in.  And only being 20 and being this great at choreography?  She'll be a force to be reckoned with in future seasons (or in whatever dancing endeavor she wants to do outside of the show).

 

I feel terrible for Jonathon.  I loved Alison on SYTYCD, but she is just not cut out for this show, and Jonathon is suffering for it.  And what's a shame is that he clearly is a fan of the show, was enthusiastic about doing the show, and now doesn't look like he's having a whole lot of fun.  

 

Even though he's not the best dancer, I want Tommy Chong in the finals.  Even if he did motoboat Peta, he is still a delight.  I hope I can move like that when I'm 76.  Hell, I wish I could do the splits like Betsey, and I'm at least 40 years younger than her.  

 

I thought Sadie was going to drive me nuts when the season started, but I have to say, she's really growing on me.  All I really ask on a show like this is the celebrity has a good attitude and tries, which she is doing in spades.  Out of all the sambas last night, I thought hers was the best, costumes and all.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[DancingD]

Funny how all of us seem to forget Antonio in our comments. Yes, he's still there, but I'm not sure how. One thing I do remember, he can't dance. And he's not exactly a bubbly personality.

I'm a proud Lea voter. Have been from the beginning, I think she needs it. Also threw a couple votes to Sadie and Bethany. "Badie". Was Bethadie taken?

Grandpa Robertson seems like a pretty awful guy, but I can't put that on Sadie. They've had her tamped down pretty tight, doesn't she even go to a conservative Christian high school? When she breaks out, it's going to be spectacular.

[ChrisMcGraan]

Funny how all of us seem to forget Antonio in our comments. Yes, he's still there, but I'm not sure how. One thing I do remember, he can't dance. And he's not exactly a bubbly personality.

 

While people here don't like Mike I understand why he's still there because NASCAR fans are crazy intense and obsessed and will vote for him until the wheels come off (no pun intended). Now Antonio I have NO Idea who is voting for him. Sure he might get some of the older women voting because he's cute and Cheryl has a decent fan base but he's so forgettable and not that likable. I really hope he goes next.

[MortysCleaningLady]

While people here don't like Mike I understand why he's still there because NASCAR fans are crazy intense and obsessed and will vote for him until the wheels come off (no pun intended). Now Antonio I have NO Idea who is voting for him. Sure he might get some of the older women voting because he's cute and Cheryl has a decent fan base but he's so forgettable and not that likable. I really hope he goes next.

I have (obviously incorrectly) been speculating that for weeks.  Are the General Hospital viewers still that strong a voting block?  They don't have a cross-over with Lea, Alfonso, or Janel?  (And personally, I'd much rather see Tony shirtless than Antonio.)

[OakGoblinFly]

Alfonso and Whitney owned the night; I was impressed with the choreography and thought that Whitney inserted"the Carlton" well and I really appreciated her use of the music.  She and Alfonso had great musicality and the entire routine was light and airy. I can easily envision a number like that appearing on Broadway.

 

I adored Lea's contemporary number.  I also appreciated her "memorable year" - not so much for the sadness of her father's death (which was heartbreaking to hear) but for the joy and life lessons that sadness imparted on her.  The dance was lovely, lyrical and mixed with just the right amount of sadness and joyfulness.  It was beautifully dance and it was the routine that resonated (emotionally) with me the most.

 

Also hitting all right emotional notes was Bethany's dance; yes it was super light on rumba content it was (for me) one of the best of the night.

 

The samba danced by Sadie and Mark (ridiculous costume and all) was great fun though I thought at times she looked gangly and awkward. 

 

I will miss Betsy and the joy she brought to the dance floor.  It's a shame she was eliminated because I would have loved to seen her with Val.  I know Janel thought she was being "funny" when she "challenged" Betsy after Erin mentioned that the Val-Betsy pairing was leading the votes - something about that entire sequence just rubbed me the wrong way; from her jumping into the middle of Betsy/Tony's interview to her grabbing and pulling Val away, to hanging on to him with a death grip for the rest of the show.

 

Speaking of Janel - she looked quite lovely (I think the softer make-up helped) but I didn't like her rumba. At. All.  It was entirely too frantic and devoid of any of the change of tempo and fluidity of a rumba; also the vacillation between competition grin and blank stare was odd.  I don't know if it's because Janel simply isn't able to handle the slower/more fluid dances or if Val just gave her crap choreography.  All I know is that the dance didn't work for me.

 

Tommy is a delight and is clearly having a great time.  I liked his "I've been in prison" response to Erin's "What if Tony is your partner?"  Kudos to Tom for his witty "At least Tony's dressed for prison" retort.

 

Antonio was forgettable and I refuse to acknowledge Michael. 

 

Poor Jonathan, he has so much potential and it is being wasted by being paired with Alison.  Nothing against her because when she's in her element she's quite wonderful.  However, she's not in her element here.  While she may have studied ballroom in the ensuing years since her So You Think You Can Dance season, the simple fact is that I don't think she's good enough to actually "teach" ballroom - her samba lacked rhythm, bounce, and basic technique.

 

ETA: Because apparently Antonio was so forgettable that I called him by the wrong name.  =)

Edited October 7, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[Fliz]

 

Watching that pro bumper with Karina and Keo was such a tease I thought, heh, they looked amazing together. Even though it was only a few seconds long it looked so sensual and intimate and connected. The lifts and those holds...just exquisite I thought, really good stuff. I would love to see them do a whole routine.

 

After her crotch ended up in his face, I loved Tom calling it a "getting to know you" dance.

[MortysCleaningLady]

I have been excited all season by the concept of The Carlton being performed.  Goodness, I was not disappointed.  I even voted for Alfonso!

 

I thought Lea's performance was lovely as well.  Sadie's duck hunting samba was a lot of fun.

 

I'm ready to be rid of Allison.  This makes me feel so badly for Johnathan, but she's just not doing him any favors.  Throwing a ton of back up dancers up there with him hides what he can do, should he be taught something.

 

Finally, who was on stage with Antonio and Cheryl?  One of the ladies was built more like a 'normal' person than a troupe member, so I wondered if it was family.  I mean the costume and 'sexy' rumba was for Mom, so why not dirty dance with Sis on stage too?

[Woodrose]

I'm sad, but not surprised, to see Betsey leave.  She was in the real bottom 2 in week one, so it seems clear she didn't have a huge fanbase to carry her through, so it's not surprising she went home.  Sad, though, because she was enjoying the experience so much.  I'd always prefer to keep the stars who are loving the experience rather than a grumpy celeb who is only there because his agent signed him up to revive a flagging career.  Betsey and Tony had such a sweet partnership, I'll miss them.

 

If I ignore the family members and Grandpa-talk, I really liked Mark and Sadie's samba.  Very creative and fun.  I won't be voting for her, though, because I'm an anti-fan of the duck dumdums.  Mark is doing a great job with Sadie.

 

Stoner Nation is voting for their man!  At this rate, I'm expecting Tommy to be the fourth person in the finals.  Probably like Bill Engvall he will finish in fourth place.

 

I'm still flummoxed by Bethany.  I don't understand why she is popular, I don't see the appeal.  She seems kind of low energy and above it all.  I don't look forward to their dances as I normally do with Derek and his partners; they can leave any time, as far as I'm concerned.

 

Lea and Artem are a delightful partnership.  I'm liking her a lot, I have lots of nostalgia for Lorraine McFly.  Fingers are crossed they make the finals.  I'd like to see what Artem creates for a freestyle with Lea.

 

Alfonso and Witney for the mirror ball!  I hope they keep up the fun and high quality dancing -- they are in a great position to take it all.  I've enjoyed all the dances they have done this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing more.  I echo the admiration for the great job Witney is doing.

[ChicksDigScars]

Golden Boy may have been called out for his content, but his fans don't seem to give a shit, giving him a 9 while the judging panel gave them 8's across the board. As much as I like the ability to enter scores (once they got the glitches out of the system), dancers with overly rabid fanbases (cough, cough, Derek) will over score their favorite, while intentionally low balling the "competition." Lea got 10's from the judges and a 9 from fans.

But when it came to Alfonzo, they're screwed. He's the clear front runner. If they keep this fan voting as part of the show, I can see Derek's fanbase them low balling him, as well.

Here's to a final four of Alfonzo-Leah-Sadie-Janell, with Golden Boy limited to troupe dances.

[spanana]

Golden Boy may have been called out for his content, but his fans don't seem to give a shit, giving him a 9 while the judging panel gave them 8's across the board. As much as I like the ability to enter scores (once they got the glitches out of the system), dancers with overly rabid fanbases (cough, cough, Derek) will over score their favorite, while intentionally low balling the "competition." Lea got 10's from the judges and a 9 from fans.

 

Bethany would have gotten a fan voted 9 IMO, Derek or not.  Whether or not it was deserved, I doubt most at home cared if there wasn't enough rumba.  On top of that her story alone would have gotten her some goodwill from fans even if the dance wasn't all that.   It was a topic that is relatable to many.

 

Plus the window to vote on the Raise The Paddle thing was so small that I doubt the haters/stans could do too much damage.   The bigger issue I'm hearing is that it didn't even work for most people and so it was a failure in that way. 

 

I think honestly it's nearly impossible to get a fan voted 10.  You would have to get an average of 9.5 or higher from fans to get it rounded up (I assume).  So IMO it makes sense that most of them got 9's or lower.

[jmt111]

Again, the people I never thought I'd like, Sadie & Alfonso are my favorites, giving Alfonso the edge. I also really like Whitney-her character was perfect.

[jaycee]

Lea has not grown on me yet and then her package about her father was very emotional and her dance with his pictures showing got me teary eyed and then her sobbing in the end and you felt almost like she should have. Then she took her hands away from her sobbing face and her make-up was perfect and not a wet spot anywhere to be seen. And then quick to smile at the judges like it was any other week of dancing. Talk about putting on the act! She lost me again as a fan after that.

[ElsieH]

I just have to say, watching Alfonso (and Witney, I guess) just made me happy. Is anyone else a little bummed that Len wasn't there though? I would have loved to hear what he would have said about it.

[truthaboutluv]

I would never want to accuse someone of faking tears over something so emotional and I will give Lea the benefit of the doubt but I was a bit baffled when she lifted her head and there didn't seem to be any tears in her eyes or streaks on her cheek because I'd been certain she was pretty much bawling with the way she acting. So it was strange, I'll admit but still, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and say in my low definition screen I just didn't see her tears.

[sunnyheart]

I haven't been watching this season except for the occasional clip and I have to hand it to Witney. She's doing an amazing job with Alfonso - that choreography was fantastic and she let him shine.  She's a pro that they need to keep.

 

Allison on the other hand...ugh.  I hope this is the last time they hire a contemporary dancer to be a pro.  I don't give a crap how much ballroom they studied later in life - it ain't gonna fly. 

[MarkHB]

lol loved how Tom was reading out some of America's scores 

"I'm the voice of America tonight. Expect an international incident."  LMAO.

 

Peta rocked the Naughty Cop Halloween costume.

[BoogieBurns]

I hope celebs take note in future seasons: Do something uplifting during "Memorable Year" week. We watch this show to escape, so this is a great chance to entertain. I wish the producers would limit the sob stories to 2 celebs per season. 

 

Why would anyone's most memorable year be the year that their loved ones died? I would call those the years I most want to forget. Also, some of them were happy stories, wrapped in a blanket of sad. Jonathan was reminiscing about Mean Girls, and they still made it a tear jerker. Alfonso was remembering a silly dance he did on a 90's sitcom, and they made sure to add that it ruined his acting career once the show ended. I think Lea/Michael should have been the only sob stories this week. Everyone else could have made theirs a happy story. 

[sinkwriter]

 

On top of that her story alone would have gotten her some goodwill from fans even if the dance wasn't all that.   It was a topic that is relatable to many.

 

If I had voted, that would have been my reason for giving her a high score. Maybe it's not a valid enough reason because the focus should be on the quality of the dance itself (though I did think she did a lovely job) but for me her story hit hard and the way they presented a positive voice about it, especially with the final statement "I love who I am now" -- that got to me, big time.

[Stella MD]

I've resigned myself that she and Michael will be in the finale no matter what, just because of who they are. I guess it's good that she can dance, because we're stuck with her. Add Golden Boy to the requisite third slot in the finale and everyone else may as well just pack up now.

Edited October 7, 2014 by radishcake
For Content - Off Topic

[sinkwriter]

 

I would never want to accuse someone of faking tears over something so emotional and I will give Lea the benefit of the doubt but I was a bit baffled when she lifted her head and there didn't seem to be any tears in her eyes or streaks on her cheek because I'd been certain she was pretty much bawling with the way she acting. So it was strange, I'll admit but still, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and say in my low definition screen I just didn't see her tears.

 

Maybe because she was wearing waterproof mascara? (I imagine they'd use that, so that the contestants don't cry or sweat their makeup into a huge mess.)

 

I don't know... I think her emotions were real. And I'd have to watch it again but I thought I saw her wipe away some real tears with her hands before she lifted her head. Her story was powerful, especially how they created a week of holidays to celebrate before her dad died. I really do think it hit her harder than she expected.

[spanana]

I hope celebs take note in future seasons: Do something uplifting during "Memorable Year" week. We watch this show to escape, so this is a great chance to entertain. I wish the producers would limit the sob stories to 2 celebs per season. 

 

Why would anyone's most memorable year be the year that their loved ones died? I would call those the years I most want to forget. Also, some of them were happy stories, wrapped in a blanket of sad. Jonathan was reminiscing about Mean Girls, and they still made it a tear jerker. Alfonso was remembering a silly dance he did on a 90's sitcom, and they made sure to add that it ruined his acting career once the show ended. I think Lea/Michael should have been the only sob stories this week. Everyone else could have made theirs a happy story. 

 

While I get your point and I don't like the overreliance on sob stories, how would the producers decide who gets to tell what story?  That would be blatantly unfair if it was left up to the producers as to which celebs get to trot out sob stories.

 

Also I didn't really think Alfonso's story was sad at all.  He pointed out the pitfalls that any actor who becomes iconic for a certain role goes through.   But it wasn't sad in the sense that nothing really bad happened.  The guy has always worked, both in front of the screen and behind it.  It was just harder for him for awhile and "Carlton" probably did cost him some roles and closed some doors for him.  But he wasn't crying over it nor do I think he was expecting the audience to either.  I think that was just Alfonso being honest.  It's a story I've heard time and time again from tv actors who become so known for one iconic role.

[CynicalGirl]

All I can say about the Lea situation is that the first thing I thought was "boy she sure pulled herself together quickly."

[iMonrey]

Too many Rumba tributes to dead people. I mean, really? "My grandma died, so - here's a rumba!" I'd prefer they not do this gimmick at all, but if they're going to, let them at least pick a style that's more or less appropriate to the message, even if they're limited to dances they haven't done yet. Although really, only a Contemporary is suitable for that sort of thing. And I wonder if Lea would have gotten a high a score without pictures of dead pappy behind her. Too manipulative.

 

I'll admit I have never seen a single episode of Fresh Prince so I had no idea which part of that dance was "The Carlton" until it was pointed out after the fact, but that dance was incredibly fun from start of finish. Alfonso is head and shoulders above anyone else, he's a born Broadway performer.

 

I'm so torn on Sadie because her into package was somewhat off-putting, but that dance was a lot of fun and she's cute as a button. My favorite of the night after Alfonso.

 

Poor Jonathan. I'm nervous how long Michael is going to stick around and outlast much better dancers. He doesn't have near the personality Bill Engvall had and isn't improving either.

[emma675]

I noticed that both Lea and Bethany seemed to cry without actual tears--I was totally wrapped up in their stories until I noticed it. I'm sure that they were both emotional and it was difficult, but my cold, black heart picked up on the lack of tears.

 

Random thoughts:

Michael should have been gone last week.

 

Tommy's son is cute!

 

Betsey's daughter is beautiful.

 

Johnathon's eyebrows scare me.

 

I forgot about Antonio about 5 seconds after his dance ended.

 

I couldn't understand half of what Sadie said in her package (she's got serious marble mouth), but her dance was adorable.

 

Alfonso won the night for me. Fun, light, adorable and natural--I rewatched his dance at least 3 times directly afterwards.

[BoogieBurns]

I hope celebs take note in future seasons: Do something uplifting during "Memorable Year" week. We watch this show to escape, so this is a great chance to entertain. I wish the producers would limit the sob stories to 2 celebs per season.

 

Quoting myself just so I can correct what I meant to say. I think the celebs should embrace the happy stories. I don't think the producers would actually exclude anyone from telling the truth. 

[radishcake]

OK, so I am currently editing some posts for content. If your post is missing that would be why OR it could be that you went right to the spot that we asked everyone not to go to and called everyone names. SO to recap: while I know last nights episode touched on the inflammatory content of another TV show this is NOT the place to get into a conversation about that show.

Please PM me if you have questions.

 

ETA: A few posts were deleted and other posts edited to remove the deleted post. If you have an issue please PM me.

[truthaboutluv]

Too many Rumba tributes to dead people. I mean, really? "My grandma died, so - here's a rumba!" I'd prefer they not do this gimmick at all, but if they're going to, let them at least pick a style that's more or less appropriate to the message, even if they're limited to dances they haven't done yet.

 

 

I think only Janel and Bethany had rumba right? But I do agree that I found Janel's sexy rumba tribute to How Will I Know for her dead teacher/mentor as odd as Antonio's shirtless samba tribute to his mom. Although I think Janel and the producers tried to frame it as she was going to give a showstopping performance in tribute to her teacher for all she taught her or something like that. It was just weird to go from her emotional blubbering in the package to "sexy face...sexy pose". But this show is notorious for that. 

 

I also agree about contemporary being more appropriate and thought Bethany's dance especially could have been a lot better had it been a contemporary. Not that being assigned the rumba stopped Derek from making it contemporary-lite but still. Of course that would have stopped the Producers from giving her and Janel the same dance for the fourth week in the row so they could feed into the online fandom's made up Hough vs. Chmerkovskiy war.

Edited October 7, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[realdancemom]

Love Alfonso and Witney's dance.  If the TPTB wanted some fresh and new choreography, they didn't need to hire Allison.  Witney can do it.  Last year, I even thought she did unique choreography for Cody.  It was Cody that didn't want to learn proper ballroom technique.  He just wanted to do hip-hop.  If they wanted more choreographers like Witney, they could have looked at their troupe.  Like Witney, Lindsay came from the Vibe.  Their big production numbers combine jazz. ballroom, and hip-hop.  That's why Witney is great at fusioning different styles.  I hope that after the SYTYCD tour, Tanisha will get hired for at least the troupe.

 

Jenna is from Center Stage.  DelGrossos, Houghs, and Chelsie Hightower are some of the alumni.  Like the Vibe, Center Stage does jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballroom.  Not all the dancers take all the styles but you can tell that Jenna is great at ballroom, jazz, and contemporary.  Allison is from the Dance Club.  They are great with jazz and contemporary.  They also do hip-hop.  But they don't have any ballroom.  I was hoping that Allison learned a lot of ballroom since Season 2 of SYTYCD.  I love her on that show and wished the best for her.  After last night, I had to admit that she can't do DWTS.  Her samba looked awkward so of course, she can't teach Jonathan.

 

I agree with a lot of the comments.  Derek choreographed a contemporary not a rumba.  Lea was lovely which I expected her to be.  Bethany and Janel are o.k. but not favorites.  Mark is great with Sadie.  I think Val would be great with her since he was great with Zendaya.  I bet Jonathan has a great week during switch-up week.  I wished Michael left before Betsy.

Edited October 7, 2014 by realdancemom

[JenLily]

I really liked Janel's rumba.  It definitely had more content than Bethany's dance and I thought she performed well.  I can see where some people think she's overselling her act on the floor, but I thought she did a really beautiful job.  Especially on a dance that I usually hate.

 

Jonathan, poor Jonathan.  I really wish he didn't have Allison as a partner.  He seems to have a lot of potential and he genuinely seems enthusiastic about being there and learning and performing.  It's really a disservice to him that she was given to him as a teacher.  I hope DWTS learns its lesson and starts choosing pros based on their ballroom dance history and not on who they think could bring more viewers on.  I've never watched SYTYCD so I had no prior experience with her, but I just don't think DWTS is a good fit for her. Not only was Jonathan not good in this samba, but she wasn't either.  And that shouldn't happen with the pros.

 

I was so very glad the judges called Derek out on his lack of rumba content.  It was a beautiful dance with a beautiful message, but a rumba it was not.  He should have just gone with contemporary and called it a day.

 

Michael showed slight improvement this week but alas, I don't think he's long for this show.  He really should have been voted out before Betsey in my opinion.  I don't see him getting much better than this at all.

 

Count me in with the people who like Lea while she's dancing and then forget about her when she's done.  I have no idea why that happens but it does.  Every.  Week.  I thought her dance was absolutely beautiful and I'll admit it brought tears to my eyes but once she got her scores I didn't think about her again until they did their recap at the end and then I went, "Oh, yeah."

 

Antonio. . . eh.  I think he's trying but it's not going to be enough.

 

God love Tommy Chong.  He is so much fun to watch.  Yes, he's not technically proficient but he always looks like he's having an absolute ball out there.  The jive's hard, too, so kudos to him for making it through without too many horrible missteps.

 

I thought Sadie's dance was cute but it wasn't a great samba to me.  The "bounce" was lacking, it was a little too choppy and forced, and she didn't have much hip action.  Don't get me wrong, I think she has a lot of potential and she performed the hell out of that number.  But that samba just emphasized how gangly and "baby deer"-ish she still is.  Mark has a lot to work with though and I think she'll do very well as the weeks go by.

 

What can I say about Alfonso that hasn't already been said?  That dance was *amazing*.  I smiled and laughed and clapped all the way through it, and then I promptly rewound it and watched it again.  And I've watched it three more times since.  Witney did such a great job with the choreography, it was absolutely pitch perfect.  I adore how she fit The Carlton in seemlessly, it didn't seem like it was shoved in there just for the sake of using it.  Alfonso is such a joy to watch.

 

I was sad to see Betsey go.  It was such a pleasure to watch her dance and see how happy she was just to be there.

[sinkwriter]

 

And I wonder if Lea would have gotten a high a score without pictures of dead pappy behind her.

 

I think she would have. The story before the dance was beautiful, and her dance itself was beautiful. While she was dancing, I wasn't even watching the pictures of her father on the screen. I was totally focused on Lea and Artem. I thought they did a terrific job.

[spanana]

Love Alfonso and Witney's dance.  If the TPTB wanted some fresh and new choreography, they didn't need to hire Allison.  Witney can do it.  Last year, I even thought she did unique choreography for Cody.  It was Cody that didn't want to learn proper ballroom technique.  He just wanted to do hip-hop.  If they wanted more choreographers like Witney, they could have looked at their troupe.  Like Witney, Lindsay came from the Vibe.  Their big production numbers combine jazz. ballroom, and hip-hop.  That's why Witney is great at fusioning different styles.  I hope that after the SYTYCD tour, Tanisha will get hired for at least the troupe.

 

Jenna is from Center Stage.  DelGrossos, Houghs, and Chelsie Hightower are some of the alumni.  Like the Vibe, Center Stage does jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballroom.  Not all the dancers take all the styles but you can tell that Jenna is great at ballroom, jazz, and contemporary.  Allison is from the Dance Club.  They are great with jazz and contemporary.  They also do hip-hop.  But they don't have any ballroom.  I was hoping that Allison learned a lot of ballroom since Season 2 of SYTYCD.  I love her on that show and wished the best for her.  After last night, I had to admit that she can't do DWTS.  Her samba looked awkward so of course, she can't teach Jonathan.

 

While I agree with your sentiment about only wanting trained ballroom dancers as pros, please no to looking at the female half of the troupe.  Lindsay had a shot at pro and didn't do a very good job.  Mind you I don't think Victor Ortiz would have been an easy student for anyone, but she herself wasn't very good and she wasn't near as strict with him as she needed to be.  Though that was a few years ago already so it's possible Lindsay's learned a lot during her time in the troupe and would do a better job the second time around.  However I don't think Lindsay has the it factor that Witney does. As for Jenna, I think she will undoubtably be a pro next season, but she has a bad habit of overdancing and she's yet to meet a camera she doesn't like.  Since we need some new female pros (with Cheryl leaving and Allison indoubtably not being asked back), I vote for new blood.   Though I'm open to giving Tanisha a shot.

[radishcake]

OK, apparently I'm wrong and we do NOT have a DD topic here on PTV. If you have posts to talk about Sadie, including last nights performance, please take them over to the Sadie topic HERE. I'm going to allow limited discussion of this issue over there but the name calling and vitriol needs to be left at the door.

[smiley13]

Perhaps I am cynical, but Bethany's sob story rang false with me.  The vast majority of girls go through that in middle school.  Is it fun, no, but it's a regular thing for girls as well as boys.  It seems like friendships change in middle school.  And the Hough favoritism continues because she got to have the artist come and perform her song.  No one else got that.  Also, her "emotion" seemed fake.  She seems bland and boring.

[sinkwriter]

 

The vast majority of girls go through that in middle school.

 

Just because lots of girls go through it doesn't mean it isn't painful. And it sounds like it was not just friendships changing, but people being vicious to her, calling her terrible things and making her feel bad about herself, her body, everything. That's not minor, and as silly as it may seem to the objective person outside of it, those experiences can impact how you feel about yourself for the rest of your life. I may not have had the same experiences as Bethany, but I'm still in therapy trying to undo some of the messages I absorbed when I was a kid. I thought she was genuine, and though the dance may not have had enough rumba, it was still a beautifully done presentation about finding the good in yourself, no matter what people throw at you.

[truthaboutluv]

YMMV but I thought Bethany's emotion was genuine because it wasn't overdone and over played and I'm a little uncomfortable with this attitude of "well everyone goes through that stuff so whatever."  Yes bullying and catty, mean behavior in middle school and high school is common but that's also why school shootings are such a prevalent thing and also why teen suicide is such a high rate because so many times it is ignored because "well that's just high school, that's just kids." Yes some people are lucky enough to move on and eventually be okay and many others aren't. And I don't think there was anything wrong in  Bethany, who has a young tween/teen following sending a message of self-acceptance and love.

 

As for the notion that she made this up or played it up just for the show and it was some contrived set up, long before DWTS came calling, Bethany talked about being bullied and talked about it being the thing that led to her making videos because I believe she started being home schooled when things got very bad. And honestly, the short clip of her first video was not the look of some super confident and sassy girl, in my opinion. She looked and sounded timid in the video. I get that people have their feelings about Derek- that they're tired of seeing him win, he's the Golden Child, he's the devil's spawn, the producers' favor him, he's evil, etc. etc. but I have never understood the need to extend that onto the celebrity that gets paired with him. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Princess Sparkle]

You know, part of the reason I usually hate the "My Most Memorable Year" week is that when you have younger contestants, they're just going to struggle to come up with something, especially now that it seems like everyone is trying to one-up each other with a sob story.  Unless you're a Shawn Johnson and going to the Olympics as a teenager, most likely, the most memorable thing in your life at the age of 16/17 will be something "normal kids" do - like, becoming Captain of your the team you play for, getting your first car, something like that (I'm trying to think of things that excited me when I was that age).  Most aren't going to have something major, and honestly, that's alright!  But I feel for them, because it's like their dance won't have the same emotional weight as some of the other dancers, and they usually suffer for it, because then they either:

1.  Struggle to come up with something meaningful or

2. Their story looks silly compared to everyone elses.  

 

They really end up in a no-win situation.

 

And you know, I was actually surprised Jonathon didn't pick his most memorable year as the year he came out - not that coming out has to inherently be the most memorable year or your life, but I would have thought it'd make for a better story/dance than pining away for Mean Girls(much as I love the movie).  Maybe it just didn't work with a samba?  I did appreciate that he said his father would have wanted him to do something joyful, so he picked something upbeat.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[truthaboutluv]

And you know, I was actually surprised Jonathon didn't pick his most memorable year as the year he came out

 

 

Is he really fully out though? I ask this and let me be clear that I support Jonathan living his life as he wants to and don't think he owes people a public declaration of his sexuality but I just wonder if his situation is like what people call the "living in a glass closet". That is, where he doesn't really hide it but doesn't really publicly talk about it. Kind of like how Zachary Quinto and Anderson Cooper were for years. Because that's kind of the impression I've gotten from things I've read and observed. That it's fairly known because he dated a few people who were out but he's never actually publicly stated he is. And if that's the case then yeah there's no way he would have made his dance about that.

[fishcakes]

Perhaps I am cynical, but Bethany's sob story rang false with me.  The vast majority of girls go through that in middle school.  Is it fun, no, but it's a regular thing for girls as well as boys.  It seems like friendships change in middle school.  And the Hough favoritism continues because she got to have the artist come and perform her song.  No one else got that.  Also, her "emotion" seemed fake.  She seems bland and boring.

 

The word "bully" has been so overused that my eyes often glaze over when I hear it, and last night when Bethany started talking about the things her friends said about her, it made me think of how that was standard behavior when I was in junior high and high school and "kids these days need to toughen up we walked uphill in the snow ate dirt and liked it blah blah blah." But then I remembered the rest of her story, which is that what her friends did is they made a MySpace page, made it look like Bethany made it, and filled it with unflattering pictures of her, captioned with things like, "look at me I'm a fat ugly dork LOL!" The internet makes a huge difference in my opinion for a lot of reasons: anonymity of the bullies, seeing photos of yourself not at your best with people adding the most specific and degrading of insults, the tendency of trolls who don't even know the target to jump in and add things like, "why don't you kill yourself?" and just the fact that even if you can get the page taken down, stuff on the internet lives forever. You never know when it could pop up again.  (I only know all this about Bethany because she's on the cover of Seventeen magazine, so I read it surreptitiously at the dentist's office about a week ago. I would have read it proudly except the last time I read a Seventeen at the dentist, some other patient told me I was too old to be reading it, which partially illustrates my point: people are the worst.) So I don't think her emotion about it was false at all; I don't think every kid would react to the situation the way she did, by taking herself out of school and asking to be homeschooled, but I don't think her reaction was unreasonable either.

 

Nevertheless, they should really change it from "Most Memorable Year" to "Celebrating Death and Other Trauma through Dance!" Good lord, what a maudlin bunch of stories. I don't think it was this much of a tear-fest before JR and Karina's rumba made everyone cry and helped to turn into them fan favorites. Since then, everyone seems to think sobbing = victory. Thank God for Alfonso and Witney. I can't remember a dance on this show that I enjoyed more. Great choreography and just pure joy in dancing it. More of that please, show.

[Mbeaker]

Is he really fully out though?

Other people have outed him, most recently Julianne Hough, but he has never publicly stated that he's gay. And that's a notable difference. So, no, he's not out.

[magpye29]

I knew he was out before he was on this show.  Read it somewhere, don't remember where.  I didn't pay much attention because it didn't matter one way or the other.  I liked him in that movie (Mean Girls) and that was all I cared to know.

[tarotx]

I figured Allison and Johnathon chose the Mean girls song because this week was October 3rd which is often used as "Mean girls" day and week, but then they didn't even mention it :p

 

And Bethany's issue has been Bullying her whole Youtube career so it really is her issue and nothing new. She has a lot of young fans who look up to her and she supports them and motivates them. And her life is a lot different now  that when she was 13 so the emotion isn't as strong even though it was a deciding factor in what changed her life and that was the whole point of the week wasn't it? Any way Beth was shy, didn't have a lot of real life friends and then the ones she did have weren't her friends any long because of not just teenage drama but actual Cyber bullying. And even if this wasn't that long of span in her life. Just 7th -9th grade maybe. But she got to the point that she lost all her interest, was depressed with high Anxiety. The online Beauty community gave her a place to find her voice. If she didn't find support who knows what would have happened. Beth's a strong girl so she probably would have been ok but I think having someone like Beth out there as a Motivator can really help some.

 

And Sadie's most memorable year was her family getting the Duck Dynasty show. Her family is a huge factor in her life both as a 17 year old but her "celebrity" as well. And people do judge her because of her family but she loves and supports them like most of us do. That was the point of her story and dance this week.

Edited October 7, 2014 by tarotx