S19.E06: Week 4: Most Memorable Year

[Squirrely]

I amazed Tommy could remember his most memorable year! But seriously, I liked seeing him be more serious and not "on." I love him, I vote for him, I've seen "Up in Smoke" many times while munching Doritos and ice cream, but the nonstop stoner jokes have been getting old.

It was also nice to not have to put up with Duck Daddy inspecting Sadie's costume. I don't want her there because I can't stand her phony family, but she's earning her right to be there. It's not Bristol 2.0 and Mark is doing a fabulous job with her. She's had the most content in her dances, along with Alfonso.

I was a little worried that The Carlton was making an appearance before the freestyle dance, but they nailed it! He makes me so happy. I never voted for the ringer before him. I really hope he takes it all. And I hope it opens all kinds of doors for Whitney.

[SnarkyTart]

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.

Oh, lord have mercy, do I ever agree with you.  Some of what used to be my favorite reality competition shows have been so trashed and twisted by this tired gimmick.  I'm about ready to give up on The Voice because of exactly this thing.  It used to be the anti-American Idol because of its elevation of actual singers, rather than contrived sob stories. 

 

I don't mind if a celebretestant cries on a show - if it's from a place of authenticity and not as a cynical ploy to get votes...or an implied demand from the producers to get ratings.   Your example of JR and Katrina's dance is perfect.   Its beauty arose from its authenticity, and viewers responded to that.

 

I also agree that Alfonso and Witney showed once again (as JR did in his rumba) that viewers respond to that which is real.  Alfonso's joy is real, his dance and Witney's choreography were congruent with who he is.  Yes, more of that please, show.

[sunnyheart]

(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.) 

fishcakes, off topic but I have to say it -  YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT.  You can't help it that other people are shriveled up and dead inside.  You can tell them that too the next time.

 

On topic - I'm just surprised Allison didn't make Jonathan's Most Memorable Year about the first time he met her and how impressed he was..

[Princess Sparkle]

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.

Oh geez, my mistake - I honestly thought he's been out for awhile now. Guess that answers my question about why he didn't use that as his most memorable year....

[Tippi]

I am surprised how much I am enjoying Peta this season.  She and Tommy always look like they are having a blast.  Instead of "I got stuck with the old guy" she has come up with some wildly entertaining routines.  She seems more natural and real with him.  Tommy so far has been major fun and I look forward to watching what he and Peta come up with.

 

Witney is also a revelation this year.  She has come up with some really good concepts and choreography and is doing a great job of pairing with Alfonso instead of trying to outdance him.  Alfonso is just dynamite.  His natural ease of movement and showmanship is so thrilling to watch. 

 

I hate what has happened with Jonathan and Allison.  I had never seen either of them before and this is just cringeworthy.  He seems so nice and I don't like to see the nice people get crushed.  He may have been a middle of the pack guy no matter what, but to get these types of critiques and have to try and stand by your pro when you know you've been hosed is a lot to endure.  Under circumstances like this, I feel for him having to be on camera in the Celebriquarium or whatever they call it. 

[anonymiss]

Janel and Val did an awesome rumba! I didn't care about Janel before despite her solid performances. I fell for her in the rumba. She was smouldering like softcore porn is how convincing she was! :p

 

I love watching Jonathan. His joy to be there in honour of his dad's memory is pure, palpable, and a pleasure to see.

 

Whitney looked so darned cute doing the Carlton.

 

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

"Gangly" (and busy and sloppy) is what I thought the whole time. She was bringing me back to Zendaya and Val, although Zendaya hid it a bit better, I think. I always enjoy Sadie and Mark but hated this from start to finish. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by anonymiss

[Linderhill]

 

That Duck Samba was a hot mess I was shocked that anyone could think that was in anyway good. Even beginners know that it was hurky jerky, not smooth,  terrible feet, weird legs, just ass shaking not Samba hip action.  There was no proper Samba bounce because her feet were so wide apart a tractor could drive through.

This.  I'm not a fan of the Duck chick but watching this dance, there was something that really bugged me.  Knock me over with a feather that everyone is gushing over it.  Really?  Over scored big time.  

 

As for Alfonso, I too, never watched the Fresh Prince so I had no idea what this to do was with "the Carlton."  I only knew Alfonso from his Michael Jackson Pepsi commercials so I knew he'd be great on a lot of the dances and I'm waiting to see how he is on the more strict ballroom dances.  I did enjoy last night's performance and thought Whitney is doing a great job.  Better than I guessed she'd do after her time with Cody.  

[fishcakes]

Just curious, but when Alfonso was explaining how you do The Carlton ("lead with the hands and bring it over") and all the pros and celebs started doing it, how many of you got up and tried it? Because I did and I have to say, much harder than it looks.

Edited October 8, 2014 by fishcakes

[crowceilidh]

I think any choreographed dancing is harder than it looks.  I often laugh at myself putting down these celebrities for the stiffness or whatnot - I've tried to learn these dances (granted not from pros) and I have never approached looking comfortable and smooth even once and I was just doing the barebones basics.  And when I took baroque dance, after years and years, I could practice a minute-long dance for  12 hours and still forget the choreo partway through the dance (esp solo of course).  And it was over 10 years of that type of dance before I could add facial expression to arms, posture and feet.  I love dancing, but I am no dancer.  Really what the celebs do is amazing -- even Michael.

[Dancingjaneway]

On topic - I'm just surprised Allison didn't make Jonathan's Most Memorable Year about the first time he met her and how impressed he was..

*Slow Claps* This is brilliant! 

[BoogieBurns]

when Alfonso was explaining how you do The Carlton ("lead with the hands and bring it over") and all the pros and celebs started doing it, how many of you got up and tried it?

 

I tried it! Everyone behind them was trying to do it, and they were all doing it wrong. Then I tried, and I was so much worse. 

[LizBug]

Bummed that Betsey left last night.  But, on Good Morning America, she mentioned that she hurt her ribs last week.  She didn't say anything about it on DWTS but she was having problems with pain this morning.  So ... wouldn't be surprised if she went to the producers and asked to be the one to leave this week.  

 

Miss you, Betsey!!

 

Go, Tommy!!  You're the only one in the geezer group left! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have to be honest - when I heard that this week's theme was each celebrity's most memorable year, the first thing I thought was "How memorable a year can these teenagers have had at this point?" I don't mean to sound age-ist because I know that some people deal with a lot of hardship before they are out of high school, but for the average 16 or 18 year old girl, what is there really to pull from? I don't want to see them overexaggerate a small incident but conversely I don't want their dance theme to be "I studied super hard for the SATs!" or "The boy I liked didn't ask me to the prom - boo hoo!" Well, Sadie answered that question with "not a whole lot."

 

I don't know a lot about the rumba but I thought that Janel's was pretty and well performed. I NEVER agree with Bruno, but he had a great comment about how she had the perfect balance of motion and emotion. I think she had some honest emotion in her dance (as opposed to performance emotion, which I find no fault with either) and Val gave her some lovely choreography (except for that squatting twist which I thought didn't look very pretty).

 

Erin Andrews can STFU though. We just saw you being super emotional about someone you love dying. How do you feel now? Gah! Stop asking such idiotic questions! Or at least find a better way to phrase them that doesn't make you seem like a complete moron.

 

I totally cracked up at the disembodied arm showing America's vote.

 

Jonathan was an adorable kid. I thought the beginning of his package was so sweet. He clearly had loving supportive parents and I think it takes a lot for a parent to say, "Okay, honey. I fully support you wanting a career that has such a high failure rate." I actually forgot that he mentioned in the first episode that his dad passed away recently so during the first half of his package, I just thought awwww, what a sweet kid. When he said that both his parents died in the last year, I really felt for him. A friend of mine lost his parents over two years and that was rough. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for Jonathan to lose both of his less than a year apart.

 

While I understand how annoying it must be to forever be identified with one character, it irks me when celebrities are so touchy about it (see: Dustin Diamond before he decided to cash in with his book). I love that Jonathan totally embraces his role as Aaron Samuels and they went with the Mean Girls intro. It started to go a little long and I was afraid that they would get dinged for too much arsing around. I will always love Allison because of S2 of SYTYCD but I really wish she would choreograph more for Aaron and less for herself. For the first half of their samba, he just stood there while she danced around him. Later when she gave him some stuff to do, he was perfectly capable of moving his arms, feet, and the rest of his body. What annoys me about the judges is how they decide to nitpick at some contestants and not others. While I agree that it would be nice to see elegance, technique, and stylization from Jonathan, why haven't they said that to Michael or Betsey or Tommy? He takes their criticism well though without coming off defensive or angry. Heh, I loved Tom telling Bruno to shut it because he already had his turn. I also love seeing Jonathan behind the scenes hugging everyone after their dances. He seems like such a nice guy.

 

Ha, loved the picture of Val and Maks with their parents. The hair! The outfits! Val gets bonus points for knowing that the apostrophe goes before the year. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people write things like Class of 15' and I had to restrain myself from taking a red marker to correct it.

 

In theory I am happy for Jenna that she is getting so many opportunities to dance on the show but as an audience member, I am SO SICK of her mugging.

 

Very sweet that both Betsey and Allison chose the years that their daughters were born as the most memorable. Betsey got some demerits for saying "the relationship of her father and I." Yeah, I'm a grammar nazi in case you hadn't already noticed. Loved seeing all the old pictures of Betsey and Lulu. I also liked the two seconds of rehearsal we got to watch with Val calling out the names of the steps (I feel like too often we see the pros resorting to making noises during rehearsal, maybe because they think it's easier for the celebs to follow along that way or maybe because the producers don't want the audience to hear too much technical stuff).

 

Her jive was not very good though. Her footwork was really sloppy and not sharp enough. I know she's 82 and she is remarkably spry for her age but the jive is a high energy dance and she just didn't have enough to make that a passable jive for me. I love her spirit and her energy but her dance skill is not high enough.

 

I totally empathize with being bullied but Bethany's story did not move me at all, which made me feel guilty. I like Colbie Caillat and I like the message of this song (and the video) but the melody itself is one of my least favorite of hers (I prefer

which has a similar message but a prettier melody). I found it kind of hilarious to listen to Julianne critique Derek's choreography while crying. I agree that her hip action was not good. I can't believe I just agreed with Bruno twice in the same episode.

 

Michale was definitely better this week but he is still not very good. Instead of looking light and skimming across the floor, he looked like a little kid trying to skip across the playground. Ha, I loved Tom telling Carrie to use her words.

 

Man, Lea's story had me crying. Having that last year with her dad was a gift. A friend of mine had a similar experience - her mom was diagnosed with cancer but when they went to operate, they found it had already spread too much to be treated so all they could do was enjoy the time they had left. I feel like such a bitch for saying this, but I LOATHE that song. I haven't watched every season (I usually get fed up with the show and have to skip a season or two before I can come back) so I haven't seen every contemporary routine since they added that style to DWTS but this is the best contemporary I remember seeing. Even without the back story, her actual dancing was really good. I know it sounds shallow, but just pointing your toes consistently makes a huge difference to me (as great as Betsey's flexibility is, I find her unpointed toes very distracting).

 

Heh, loved the reminder of young hot Antonio in Janet Jackson's video. I agree with Julianne that he is getting more comfortable but it's not enough. He is still not comfortable enough. There is still an awkwardness and hesitation with his dancing. Like Jonathan and Allison's samba, there wasn't as much dance content for the male celeb. I don't know if that's unavoidable for samba, but there was too much standing around while Cheryl danced around him.

 

Ugh, did Peta really not know Tommy was in jail? Doesn't it seem like googling your celebrity is a good idea? Just read his wikipedia page? We never got any further explanation so I really want to hear more about the tango classes offered in federal prison. Peta's costume looked like the typical skanky Halloween costumes that are all too common. I'm sure it was custom made by their costume department so I expected a little more. Tommy's jive was on the same level as Betsey's - I give him credit for his effort but his skill level was not high enough. His footwork was sloppy, his knees didn't get high enough, and overall it wasn't good enough.

 

OMG did we call it or what?! Mark put Sadie in a duck outfit! Still disappointed that Mark didn't use Disco Duck or the Duck Tales theme. During her video package, I noticed how sloppy and mush mouthed her enunciation is. Girl, no, we are not waiting for you to mess up just because you are on television but when you defend someone for making offensive remarks then you put yourself in a position to be criticized. Interesting that her video package made sure not to mention exactly what her grandfather said. I did not like the choreography. All that bird stuff was so tacky but that's all on Mark. Honesty I wouldn't have known it was a samba if I hadn't seen it on the screen.

 

I liked that Alfonso said that he had many memorable years but that being on the show was the most significant because it shows that he knows that being on the Fresh Prince is not the be-all end all but that he understands the impact it had. I also liked that he acknowledged that being Carlton pigeon holed him but that he can still appreciate the experience and that people still love the Carlton dance so he wants to please the fans and their nostalgia. Even without the Carlton dance itself, it was so fun to watch him dance. He has the dance skill as well as the performance skill. I am glad that we got to see everyone else attempting the Carlton dance because so most of them were terrible at it, which just highlights how awesome Alfonso is.

 

I am so disappointed that Betsey was eliminated and Michael got to stay. Boooooooo!

[spanana]

For anyone that likes Afterbuzz, this week's is up:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyyN41KpoxI#t=667  

 

Corky Ballas was the guest.  It's interesting, but they were harsh on everyone except Lea, Sadie and Alfonso.  Except even with Alfonso, Corky was trying to claim that his jazz choreography was too similar to his jive choreography (I disagree) and that they wanted more.  Also while I fully enjoyed Sadie's dance, of course her dance was about the only one Corky didn't criticize.   I prefer when Shirley is on honestly because she's a little better with not exposing her biases.

 

Lots of talk about Allison being in over her head and how they all expect Jonathan to improve this week no matter who he gets partnered with since he will have an actual ballroom teacher for once.   Lots of talk about both rumbas being greatly overscored.  While Bethany's was obviously not a rumba, they also thought Janel's was mostly smoke and mirrors and didn't have much rumba content either.  Basically it boils down to they think almost everyone was overscored.

Edited October 8, 2014 by spanana

[superdeluxe]

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.

 

I agree about Bethany.  I don't understand why she's popular; I don't understand how she got popular.  I don't see the appeal.  She's just "meh" to me.  I can't connect with her.  I watch her dances with Derek and imagine how they would be with someone better.  Like the whole "Singin' in the Rain" thing last week.  That dance would've been better with a more dynamic partner. 

 

They can leave any time.  Maybe then Derek would be able to get some rest.

 

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.

 

Derek asked for Colbie Caillat to perform the song on the show.  The others could've done that but they didn't.  Don't accuse the show of favoritism or blame Derek for getting an idea.

 

 

That Duck Samba was a hot mess I was shocked that anyone could think that was in anyway good. Even beginners know that it was hurky jerky, not smooth,  terrible feet, weird legs, just ass shaking not Samba hip action.  There was no proper Samba bounce because her feet were so wide apart a tractor could drive through.

 

 

This.  I'm not a fan of the Duck chick but watching this dance, there was something that really bugged me.  Knock me over with a feather that everyone is gushing over it.  Really?  Over scored big time.

 

Yes.  I do not understand the gushing over that girl and that dance.  She just looked awkward and weird and her shoes were really throwing me off.  I didn't even know it was a samba until the end.  It didn't look like one.  Overscored and overpraised.

Edited October 8, 2014 by superdeluxe

[missysays]

Wow! So I was looking at the YT videos up on the Dancing with the Stars channel (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOIoa2aEGcM-z1hJx4vy4w) and of course Alfonso's Carlton Jazz is going through the roof in terms of views-- 1.16 views and counting. But Sadie's Duck Samba is also at a not too shabby 709K. That's pretty heavy viewing after just one night.

[Uke]

I really dislike this personal story week.  It seems to be all about the tears and who can dramatize a  personal tragedy for entertainment purposes - and really doesn't tell me much about the star.   And I really don't like "rumba for the deceased".

 

Opener: Much prefer when the pros do the opener, like this one by Sharna.

 

Janel: Was she sniffing back tears at the beginning? Too staccato, no flowing moves. I just didn't like it. Overscored. 8s would be ok.

 

Jonathan:  This was a samba?  Massively overdanced by Allison, again.  She seems to put all the training on herself and doesn't seem to be teaching him.  I feel so bad for Jonathan.  He will benefit greatly from the switch - I really feel he's capable of so much better.  I want him to have a good week. I also didn't understand the Christmas beginning - I guess that's a Mean Girls thing. Sadly, 6s were fair.

 

Betsey:  The woman is a marvel. Yes, she lost her way a few times, but gosh! It was cute. Good job.  Scored a little high, but what the heck - she went out on a high note.

 

Bethany: Sorry but the story just didn't come through as sincere. Certainly bullying, especially among pre-teen/early teen girls is a problem and it can be pretty rough to endure.  It just looked like whoever was conducting the interview was trying to make her cry or Bethany was told she should cry or she was trying to cry but couldn't or was trying not to cry.  I don't know. She just has such a wall up behind her smile, I can't connect to her.  There's just no emotion in her eyes. Not happy, not sad, nothing. Anyway, I couldn't see any rumba in it.  Also from when they actually started dancing to the last move and Derek walked off, it was only 55 secs. then 15 secs of pointing to the words on the screen. Overscored. 7s would be fair for not being a rumba.   I did love Colbie and the song though.

 

Michael:  Well, it wasn't THAT bad...I guess. He's clompy, awkward, stiff, but he's really trying. He seems to be having fun. Viewer vote was a 7? The 6s were fair.

 

Lea: Just beautiful. And a beautiful tribute to her Dad. Should have been 4 10s. This one deserved it - the ONLY one last week and this week that deserved a perfect 40.

 

Antonio:  Better than his previous dances. Less stiff. Still boring. Disagree with CAI-he's not that hotty hot hot. Scores were ok.

 

Tommy:   A bunch of missteps + tangled arms but somehow he's just enjoyable to watch. What's with those strange necklaces he wears? Scored a bit high.

 

Sadie:  I already commented on her story in her thread. Very creative and fun. This girl is a performer. She really got that difficult samba bounce down. Underscored. I think it could have gotten another 10 and CAI in her blog said she regrets not giving it a 10.

 

Alfonso: I confess, I never watched Fresh Prince and just don't get the whoohaa over "The Carlton" with all the flailing arms. Regardless, very entertaining. Kudos to Witney for just the right touch of sentimentality with fun in her choreography.  I don't think it was deserving of a perfect 40 but I get it that this was a dance alot of Alfonso fans were waiting for. 9s would have been fine, leaving the near perfect score for Lea's stunning dance (which should have been 40).

 

What was the point of the "viewer score"? Viewers register their likes every week with votes.  The app kept hanging and wouldn't let me vote for about half the dances.  And then it wouldn't disengage after I disallowed the connection to Facebook so I had trouble voting. I won't bother if they do it again.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Uke

[howmanywords]

Wow those numbers really are huge for Sadie.  Especially when you look at the other videos, even the more popular ones from that last few weeks and what they average. The only one thats up there is Bethany and Derek's Jive from 3 weeks ago at 739,000.  That Carlton/Jazz video is being posted EVERYWHERE so I'm not shocked at the insane numbers. Even CNN showed earlier tonight!

[OakGoblinFly]

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.

 

 

I am not ever going to call anyone out on whether or not they have tears streaming down their face  or question their motives if I don't see tear streaks and ruined make-up.  No matter how hard I cry, I never, ever have falling tears (some people don't) -- my eyes will well up and my nose might turn red, but that's about it.

 

I didn't see Lea "cry" as much as I saw her get choked up and need a few seconds to recompose herself - same for Artem.  I thought her emotion/reaction was perfectly reasonable.  She saw the photo of her father at the end of the dance, kind of gasped, put her head in her hands, took a few deep breaths to compose herself,  and moved on.

 

Derek was the same after his dance with Bethany. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[OakGoblinFly]

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. 

 

 

Perhaps because the death had a major impact on their lives?  Just because the event is "sad" doesn't mean it is devoid of impact and has a lasting effect on how you live the rest of your life.

 

Lea's father's death was sad, but I didn't get a sad message/feeling from her regarding the death - through her father's death and the year of celebrations in a week she learned a wonderful lesson about cherishing and enjoying life.

 

Johnathan mentioned his parents' deaths because he was using the show as a tribute to them; a way to remember the good times with his parents (who watched the show).

[OakGoblinFly]

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.

 

 

Bethany wasn't talking about "changing friendships" she was talking about bullying - vastly different colored horses.

 

I think Bethany's emotions are genuine; she seems to be an intelligent, quiet, reserved, and quite shy young lady - not every one is a bouncing ball of energy who speaks before thinking.

 

I appreciated how she took a negative situation and turned it around; she turned her YouTube channel into a successful business (as Erin so aptly pointed out).  I loved her positive message - her story (to me) felt very real, relateable, and resonated quite strongly with me.

 

As far as having Colbie Caillat there to sing "Do You Like You" - I don't think it was "favoritism" as much as it was perfect timing.   The song was an absolutely beautiful fit for Bethany's theme and Caillat is promoting her new album.  Besides, I don't think any other contestant had/picked a current song.  Also, I think you might be a disadvantage to have the singer/artist performing the song live as people might be more interested in watching Ciaillat than the dancers (and I think other than the very beginning and end of the dance we never got to see her).

[truthaboutluv]

I am not ever going to call anyone out on whether or not they have tears streaming down their face  or question their motives if I don't see tear streaks and ruined make-up.  No matter how hard I cry, I never, ever have falling tears (some people don't) -- my eyes will well up and my nose might turn red, but that's about it.

 

 

Just to be clear, I did not want or expect to see mascara/soap opera type crying make up running down her face. As I noted, I think it was because she took such a long time with her head buried in her hands and it looked like her shoulders were shaking that I thought she was full on sobbing rather than just being choked up like many other people got at points in their dance.

 

And so that's what threw me when she lifted her head and it didn't seem like she had tears in her eyes and honestly seemed kind of composed. Again I am not accusing Lea of faking anything, it just threw me because I actually was emotional for her when I assumed she was full out bawling at the end but I guess now that she had her head buried because she was trying to compose herself before listening to the judges.

Edited October 8, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[kitcloudkicker]

Bethany: Sorry but the story just didn't come through as sincere. Certainly bullying, especially among pre-teen/early teen girls is a problem and it can be pretty rough to endure.  It just looked like whoever was conducting the interview was trying to make her cry or Bethany was told she should cry or she was trying to cry but couldn't or was trying not to cry.  I don't know. She just has such a wall up behind her smile, I can't connect to her.  

 

It's this "wall" that Bethany has up that makes her story seem especially true to me - she's still in protection mode, and she's not completely able to connect out for fear of being hurt again. Corky on Afterbuzz called it a "fog" that he wanted to wipe away to see her true self. 

 

As a fellow shy kid who went through something similar at the same age, that's absolutely how I reacted - I shut down. And at 18, that's the emotional state I was in - mostly fine, but still not able to let people completely in, prone to having it completely break me down if I started talking about it (like in her interview when she stops talking, screws up her face in pain for several seconds) and on top of that feeling ashamed like I should be "over it by now." If, at the age when you're trying to figure out who you are, someone manages to convince you, really convince you, that you're worthless? That's the sort of thing that cuts deep, and sticks around for a long time. 

 

So I totally get why people are having trouble connecting to Bethany, but it's that wall that makes me really feel for her. 

[crowceilidh]

Another point about Bethany is that if she has a successful online presence, she will have been exposed to massive bullying and hate by trolls and women-haters.  I don't think I've ever heard of any woman who hasn't been excessively and cruelly tormented online in those circumstances.  It takes quite a bit of maturity to stop reading and stop worrying about that kind of vitriol.  Mind you, I don't know this to be true of her, but as I've heard it from so many online women, I'd be pretty gobsmacked if it weren't true of her too.

[ari333]

Just curious, but when Alfonso was explaining how you do The Carlton ("lead with the hands and bring it over") and all the pros and celebs started doing it, how many of you got up and tried it? Because I did and I have to say, much harder than it looks.

 

Hee. Also, when Alfonso was giving the key points to Erin - "lead with the hands" and "go up and over" with the arm ...I did notice that during the actual dance neither Witney nor Alfonso went up and over. Ok i'm an ass. But I'll be damned if Alfonso is not making me like Witney. And I'll also be damned if Chong is not making me almost like Peta. So there's that.

 

I am not enjoying Allison and I don't even know why.

[sunnyheart]

I am not enjoying Allison and I don't even know why.

Because DWTS should be about having fun and laughing a lot even if you aren't doing well.  And Allison looks mad and Jonathan looks miserable.  There's no reason that Jonathan shouldn't be doing a LOT better except that Allison is a) missing the point of the show and b) a terrible ballroom teacher.

 

I agree that her partnership with Tommy has won me over to Peta.  And I can admit that I was totally wrong about Witney.  She's no Lindsey and she's doing a bang-up job as a pro.  All 3 of the dances with Alfonso have been absolute winners and based on her choreography skill, Alfonso's mind-blowing showmanship and likability, and their great chemistry, they should win this thing easily. Unless of course, the producers decide otherwise and proceed to screw it all up.

[ari333]

I will miss Betsey; and her daughter, Lulu, is hot imo too.

 

Cannot stand Sadie. Can't stand her dancing or that stupid (imo) flapping elbows/ arms thing she does every time the camera's on her. I hope she goes soon. Sooner the better.

 

Conversely I'm not disliking Mark  this season. That's a first.

[crowceilidh]

Ari333 - I'm not hating Mark and I'm not hating Peta and I'm not hating Witney either.  Either we're getting more tolerant in our old age, or something funny is going on.  If I go whole-hog and start liking Derek, pigs may fly. (<--- see what I did there?)

[Thadeeeyus]

For anyone that likes Afterbuzz, this week's is up:

 

https://www.youtube....yN41KpoxI#t=667

 

Thanks for the link, spanana.  This was very interesting.   I'm in agreement with most everything Corky and Anna said. The exception is that I can't manage to find anything positive to say about Michael, and they were able to, even if it wasn't about his dancing.  Wow, they really were not holding back expressing their feelings about Allison!  Have to agree with them - I'm curious about how Jonathan will do with a new partner.  I also agree with the comments about certain dancers not being open and giving themselves to the routiines, and others who are open to anything.  And those are the ones who are the most enjoyable to watch. 

 

I loved Sadie and Alfonso's dance on Monday.  They were just fun routines that were well danced.  I was particularly impressed with Mark's choreography. As someone on Afterbuzz said, it was a perfect fulfillment of the concept.... or something like that.  And Sadie's arms/hands were beautiful.

[Guest]

I don't find Alfonso that lovable.   He seems to have a chip on his shoulder.  

[Uke]

For anyone that likes Afterbuzz, this week's is up:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyyN41KpoxI#t=667  

 

Corky Ballas was the guest.  It's interesting, but they were harsh on everyone except Lea, Sadie and Alfonso.  Except even with Alfonso, Corky was trying to claim that his jazz choreography was too similar to his jive choreography (I disagree) and that they wanted more.  Also while I fully enjoyed Sadie's dance, of course her dance was about the only one Corky didn't criticize.   I prefer when Shirley is on honestly because she's a little better with not exposing her biases.

 

Thanks for the link. I watched it this morning. The AfterBuzz crew annoys me sometimes with how they tend to slobber over this pro or that couple, but this week they really stuck to critiques. 

 

I was surprised at how hard they went on Allison. They usually couch the criticisms with a few compliments but they said it like they saw it - she's not teaching him to dance and there was not a single samba step in the dance.  She can't teach what she doesn't know and her learning some basic choreography is far, far different than being able to teach it. I agree, btw.

 

I actually agreed about Alfonso. I've felt like I keep seeing essentially the same dance from him each week and Corky kind of confirmed my feeling.  He said the choreography this week was basically the same as week 1 but with The Carlton moves added in. Now I'll have to go watch both dances side-by-side.

 

I respectfully disagree with you about Shirley. I find her to be extraordinarily biased towards Derek. I've seen it when she's on AB but it also comes through on twitter and FB.  She's very tough on Mark but practically swoons over Derek.  No question that she dearly loves them both, but in discussions I've had elsewhere, we've theorized that Derek may have required an extra dose of TLC growing up (possibly in response to the bullying he says he experienced before moving to London) and it's become her habit.

 

Anyway, I thought Corky did very well and would like to see him return. I also think that now Jake is back, he somehow changes the dynamic and they are doing more critiquing and less fangirling.

[spanana]

I don't think I've seen Alfonso do the same dance every week at all and I especially didn't see any real similarities between the jive and jazz other than they obviously both started on the stage and then they came down on to the dance floor.  I guess it just took me by surprise in the sense that up until that point I hadn't really heard any criticism of Alfonso's dance or performance and the week before the Afterbuzz group was gushing over Alfonso.  Though of course that didn't include Corky. Toni Basil was the guest last week.

 

I also agree Jake being back makes a difference.  He tends to be more balance in his critiques.

 

But I agreed with most of what they said otherwise.  Yes, they went hard on Allison but it was deserved and I thought Anna did a good job of laying out why having non ballroom experts just doesn't work on this show and also I think they are echoing a lot of what has been said here that it's a shame because none of this is really Jonathan's fault. 

 

I also thought their observations on Bethany and why she isn't connecting on the dance floor were particularly astute and probably true.  Personally I also think the pros that had lack of content this week were also pushing the boundaries knowing that Len was still going to be gone and they were less likely to be called on things.

 

I was a little surprised they called Janel's rumba on lack of content, but I dont know enough about ballroom to have an insight into that.  I did agree with their performance critiques of her though.

[ari333]

Ari333 - I'm not hating Mark and I'm not hating Peta and I'm not hating Witney either.  Either we're getting more tolerant in our old age, or something funny is going on.  If I go whole-hog and start liking Derek, pigs may fly. (<--- see what I did there?)

 

Hee. I've always liked Derek (donning protective headgear.)

 

I like most of the pros, especially this episode. (Ok Allison didn't wow me.) It's the "celebrities" aka "stars" with whom I'm having the problem.

 

I would have rather seen Betsey stay and Sadie go, but I can't have everything. The way Betsey was grabbing the mic for her goodbye speech was kind of cute.

 

I thought it was also cute that Witney let Alfonso have the first few bars of the Carlton by himself before she joined in.

Edited October 8, 2014 by ari333

[Morgan of Hed]

But I agreed with most of what they said otherwise. Yes, they went hard on Allison but it was deserved and I thought Anna did a good job of laying out why having non ballroom experts just doesn't work on this show and also I think they are echoing a lot of what has been said here that it's a shame because none of this is really Jonathan's fault.

Which begs the question, why the heck would the producers hire her, knowing she's not ballroom, and then hamstring her by forcing her to choreo ballroom (as evidenced by the tongue-lashing she took first week). She's in a tough position.

[Stella MD]

Which begs the question, why the heck would the producers hire her, knowing she's not ballroom, and then hamstring her by forcing her to choreo ballroom (as evidenced by the tongue-lashing she took first week). She's in a tough position.

Given that it's a ballroom dancing show, I'd argue that it's more a matter of being 'forced' to do what the show hired her to do. Now, why they hired someone with no ballroom background is a legitimate question (as is why she took the job, although I assume from her general demeanor that it was pure hubris).

[Uke]

I'm not so sure it was hubris as it was naivete. She's learned so many different dance styles, she probably thought ballroom is just one more.  Most of the pros have had years of hard core training and were competition champions before joining DWTS. Other than SYTYCD where she's been lauded for her excellence in contemporary, I don't think she's even experienced the competition circuit for any dance style.

[SnarkyTart]

For anyone that likes Afterbuzz, this week's is up:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyyN41KpoxI#t=667  

 

Corky Ballas was the guest.  

Why did I never notice before how very much Mark B looks like his father.  Hmmm...maybe because I was always so grossed out by Corky's inappropriate choreography that I only peeked at him between my fingers. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by SnarkyTart

[Woodrose]

I think Bethany's emotions are genuine; she seems to be an intelligent, quiet, reserved, and quite shy young lady - not every one is a bouncing ball of energy who speaks before thinking.

 

 

True, not everyone is a bouncing ball of energy -- but most of the people on my TV attempting to entertain me are.

 

I want to make it clear that I have nothing against Bethany as a person.  I can't fathom why millions of people are watching her 'What's in my Purse?' videos, but good for her that they are and she is so successful. It's just that as an entertainer on my favorite cheesy TV show, she's a dud, so I'm ready for her to be eliminated.  Not that I expect it to happen anytime soon.

[Woodrose]

I hate what has happened with Jonathan and Allison.  I had never seen either of them before and this is just cringeworthy.  He seems so nice and I don't like to see the nice people get crushed.  He may have been a middle of the pack guy no matter what, but to get these types of critiques and have to try and stand by your pro when you know you've been hosed is a lot to endure.  Under circumstances like this, I feel for him having to be on camera in the Celebriquarium or whatever they call it.

 

 

I totally agree with this.  Jonathan could have had a fun experience on this show with Lacey, Chelsie, or Ashly Costa as his partner.  Instead, he is being critiqued for the miscasting of his pro partner.  Very tough public situation for both Jonathan and Allison.  

 

So absurd that Lacey is sitting up in the balcony chatting while her dancing/teaching skills are so obviously needed on the floor.

[realdancemom]

I'm not so sure it was hubris as it was naivete. She's learned so many different dance styles, she probably thought ballroom is just one more.  Most of the pros have had years of hard core training and were competition champions before joining DWTS. Other than SYTYCD where she's been lauded for her excellence in contemporary, I don't think she's even experienced the competition circuit for any dance style.

She hasn't competed in ballroom.  But Dance Club is a competition studio and she has competed in jazz and contemporary.  She was an Outstanding Senior at NYCDA which is one of the big convention competitions.  I still think that she should have at least started in the troupe if they really wanted to hire her. 

[sunnyheart]

She hasn't competed in ballroom.  But Dance Club is a competition studio and she has competed in jazz and contemporary.  She was an Outstanding Senior at NYCDA which is one of the big convention competitions.  I still think that she should have at least started in the troupe if they really wanted to hire her. 

I'm not sure that starting in the troupe would have helped her either. From what I can tell, she lacks the ability to teach a beginner. I wonder if that's because she was already a highly trained contemporary dancer when she began studying ballroom. She didn't start from the ground up so she's never had a teacher drill the basics in her head and had that innate knowledge for later use with her own students. And that's the other thing - I think most of the pros have actually taught ballroom/latin outside of DWTS including running their own studios. Has Allison ever taught a class for amateurs that want to compete at a higher level? 

 

Her second problem is one I saw on SYTYCD which is she does not have a TV friendly personality. I think people either have that ability to connect or they don't and she just doesn't.

[sinkwriter]

 

I thought it was also cute that Witney let Alfonso have the first few bars of the Carlton by himself before she joined in.

 

I think it was fun choreography on her part. I've watched the routine a few times (because it's so fun!), and in that moment before he does The Carlton, she kisses him on the cheek. So "Carlton" is like, "Yay! The girl I like kissed me! I'm so excited, I've gotta dance!" And then he breaks out into his Carlton dance, and after a few seconds she joins in. It's adorable, and really fitting for the "story" of the dance. So fun. I love it more each time I watch it.

[crossover]

I hate it for Allison as well.  But I think she took the job for the usual reasons--money and exposure.  She's such an aggressive dancer.  And DWTS fans don't go for aggressiveness in the female pros.  They want to see the learning curve of the celeb and nurturing from the female pro.  Why the show hired her to be different and then critique like they do is the question I have?  Lacey had a similar problem when she started.  But I think the show likes Lacey (I know Tom does).  She just doesn't fit the body type that they are looking for. 

 

I loved Witney's choreography as well.  I saw the little kiss as making Alphonso so happy that he broke out into the Carlton.  Witney was still playing shy and finally decided he was the one by joining him in the Carlton and finally snuggling on the couch at the end.  I love the routine. 

 

I like celebs who are competent dancers,  great performers and happy contestants.  Very seldom is the best technical dancer my favorite.  Alphonso just looks natural.  Sadie and Tommy look natural as well.  Janel and Lea look like they are playing a role, which is fine.  Bethany just isn't a performer.  And like someone said she's just not the bubbly type.  But for this cheesy show you just about have to be.  However, it looks like Bethany had enough support coming into the competition to make a run.  I believe Sadie does as well.  Then it's among Alphonso, Lea and Janel for the other 2 of the final 4.  The show will get Tommy out before it gets too tough.  Just like they found a way to let Betsy go (rib problems).  Hopefully the other guys will be voted off one after the other, starting next week.

[gik910]

I liked Mark's choreo for that dance.  That feels weird to type.  I would actually like to see someone like Lacey do it along with him.  I will say that Mark always does really well with these types of "stars."  He has the perfect process for those younger, naturally rhythmic gals.  I just wish her family wasn't her family.  For the most part she is everything I expect a teenage girl to be.

 

Which brings me to Bethany- one of the 3 "stars" that I had no clue who they were this season (the other 2 were Michael because I abhor NASCAR & Sadie for similar reasons).  She is also about what I expect of a teenage girl- just on the other side of the spectrum from Sadie. Not as outgoing, so not as fun to watch on tv (from my point of view.)  I'm not going to weight in on the "bullying" thing-  that is a different debate.  I just don't enjoy watching her dance, for whatever reason I don't connect.  Having said that, because of this weeks theme I was prepared to be annoyed by a lot of the dances- but the whole thing with her parting the mean words away like some sort of internet lady Moses was a bit much (even by this shows standards).

 

Alfonso's dance was pitch perfect.  That dance illustrated how this theme can work.  Witney is doing a wonderful job this season, I am glad she is mellowing out and learning and growing as a tv dancer.  For me, this is where the nostalgia factor lies.  I still sing the theme song at the drop of a hat, I hear Tom Jones- I think the Carlton dance.  Loved it.  I want this from the show.

 

Sad to see Betsy go.  

[tribbles]

I was so distracted by Mark's fake beard that I didn't pay much attention to Sadie.  

 

I enjoyed Alphonso's and Lea's dances - they both were excellent.

 

I will miss Betsy.

[luvthepros]

 

..........  All 3 of the dances with Alfonso have been absolute winners and based on her choreography skill, Alfonso's mind-blowing showmanship and likability, and their great chemistry, they should win this thing easily. Unless of course, the producers decide otherwise and proceed to screw it all up.

 

 

I'm getting the impression TPTB are in Alfonso's corner at this point. He was assigned Flamenco as his dance this week. If anything is in his wheelhouse, Flamenco must be the closest. It's all about the syncopation of the feet and Alfonso is a tapper. How perfect is that? I can not wait for this dance. Glad Alfonso was teamed with Cheryl for this week. He can't miss.

Edited October 9, 2014 by luvthepros

[luvthepros]

I don't find Alfonso that lovable.   He seems to have a chip on his shoulder.  

 

WOW, really? I don't see that in him at all. He seems genuinely nice to me. What do I know?

[sunnyheart]

 

 

I'm getting the impression TPTB are in Alfonso's corner at this point. He was assigned Flamenco as his dance this week. If anything is in his wheelhouse, Flamenco must be the closest. It's all about the syncopation of the feet and Alfonso is a tapper. How perfect is that? I can not wait for this dance. Glad Alfonso was teamed with Cheryl for this week. He can't miss.

 

Oh YEAH! I totally forgot that he can tap - the flamenco should be awesome! 

 

WOW, really? I don't see that in him at all. He seems genuinely nice to me. What do I know?

Me either. He seems like a sweetheart and I was not a fan before this.

[howmanywords]

The YouTube of Alfonso and Witney's Jazz is now over 2 million views, in under 3 days.  No  DWTS dance has ever, ever gotten views like that.  The only ones that have got that kind of viewing, or a million views or surpassed that are dances that have been on YT for 3-5 years.  TPTB have to be thrilled it got that kind of response. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia!

[Thadeeeyus]

The YouTube of Alfonso and Witney's Jazz is now over 2 million views, in under 3 days.  No  DWTS dance has ever, ever gotten views like that.  The only ones that have got that kind of viewing, or a million views or surpassed that are dances that have been on YT for 3-5 years.  TPTB have to be thrilled it got that kind of response. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia!

 

 

Or the power of promotion.  Video of that dance was all over the morning talk shows the next day.  There was no mention of any other dancers, except for Betsy, and that's because she was there.