S19.E07: Week 5: The Switch-Up

[tripsy]

Tonight was a weird night for me. I know nothing about dance and have two left feet, so normally I would never feel qualified to judge anything technical about a dance or its authenticity, but flamenco is the one style of dance I've been exposed to over and over. A close friend is a professional flamenco dancer, so I've kind of been dragged to everything  from rehearsals, to student productions, to dinner shows for tourists, to professional theater shows and the real  deal in Spain. I'm not pretending to be an expert, but I flamenco is the one dance that I feel I know what's it's supposed to look like, and to me Alfonso's flamenco just looked so, so wrong. I mean, to the point where I was cringing through a lot of it because it felt like an unintended parody of the dance. 

 

The most cringe-worthy dance of the night does go to Michael.  That's no contest.  Jonathan's was second most cringe-worthy (or perhaps wince-worthy), since half the time I was expecting Peta to hit the floor.  But I have to say that for me Alfonso's flamenco was the third most cringe-worthy for me, and that makes me sad.

[Dancingjaneway]

I could see Jonathan going because of the pro factor. Allison doesn't have a strong fanbase and that combined with his scores pretty much means certain death. Antonio may survive this week thanks to Cheryls fanbase. As for Micahel he has a solid fanbase and doesn't need a popular pro to keep him in longer than he should be. 

[sinkwriter]

Stuff I liked: Bethany's dance with Mark and Alfonso's dance with Cheryl. Lea's was decent, but I felt like Val could have done more with her. Maybe he didn't need to go the "over the top raunchy sexy" route that Artem did with Janel, but the comedy routine seemed a little lacking for me. Especially when he said he was going to kiss her. I thought it would be a better kiss than a quick peck amidst fast choreography. No fun, Val! If you're going to kiss Lea, give her a good one! *GRIN*

 

I liked Sadie's dance but I was a little thrown by the high scores. Maybe I'm just wrong about it, but I felt like oftentimes when she kicked out or kicked up, her feet were completely flexed. Are they supposed to be like that for the Charleston?

[RedheadZombie]

With Emma's rat nest hair, I repeatedly mistook her for Julainne.

So tired of seeing the duck dynasty people.

[mbaywife123]

Dumb dumb just called Alfonso, Antonio in the after dance.

[A.Ham]

I remember people having issues with last season’s pro opener to Jason Derulo’s “talk dirty”, but it really did not bother me, not the moves , not the costumes, not the song—I probably would have felt uncomfortable if the “lyrics” from 2 Chainz had been included (gosh, that feels like it was ages ago). This is to say that I don’t usually feel prudish about the numbers on this show, but tonight I did with the opening pro number. The outfits made the female pros look rather skeevy (which is a high bar given that we are used to seeing them in little clothing). I ended up having to fast forward through it. Anyways, I’m gonna try to limit my pearl clutching for now.

 

Speaking of skeevy… oh, Michael…

By the way, tonight was the first night he actually creeped me out. When he said, in regards to Witney, "All my friends are going to be looking at you and thinking" he was totally going somewhere else with that, but thankfully thought better of it.

Here’s my theory: Michael took one look at Witney’s face and decided he needed to dial the creep factor about 10 notches right there. I am glad he did, but he still came across as a creepster.

What did Emma have on under that skirt-thing?  A thong, or at least a thong over very-tight tights?  Considering that a few weeks ago she was talking about not wearing a lot of bikinis on the show, she was definitely showing off a plethora of curves tonight.

I could be wrong, but I feel like Emma does not feel comfortable around Michael, but does with Tommy. And that was her not-so-subtle way of letting America know. 

I was with Jonathan when he started laughing and Erin was all, Why are you laughing, and he said, “I guess I’m really good at getting 6’s!”

Yes, and then Erin had to go in and throw a little shade saying “I got good at getting 7’s” or some such or other (like she was low but still a point higher than him). I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and think she was trying to be helpful and it just sounded kind of wrong when it came out of her mouth. Having said that, I feel Jonathan was done a disservice by getting an overly ambitious routine, which lead to him not being really ready for it and for me to be really concerned for Peta in that routine. I certainly hope he survives next week.

 

I really like Sadie's dancing in general (even though I could take or leave her family), but tonight for me was probably her worst dance. She looked really gangly, her legs were a bit too separate, and the routine was frantic. She'll come back and kill it next week for sure.

 

Hmmm.. who did I like? Alfonso, but I agree that looked much more like a Paso than a Flamenco. I liked Lea, but probably not as much as I was expecting.  On the contrary, Antonio was not the trainwreck I was expecting, but he did not have a high bar to meet. Tommy's mambo had its issues but I still prefer him over others (ahem, Michael). The rest were forgettable for me.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Usernamefatigued

[Andiethewestie]

Loved Janel and Artem tonight. The rest missed the mark.

[GraceTX]

I feel bad for Jonathan because the routine started out good and I think it fell apart when he started doing the lifts.  It was just too much.  I was really wanting him to do well, too.  While I love Allison on SYTYCD, I absolutely hate that they've brought her on DWTS.  

[HappyDancex2]

Jesse J useless rambling. Kept hammering that she was watching everyone for the first time....got it...you haven't seen the show, aren't watching and can't dance...thanks for coming.

Lebron James would have appreciated Alfonso's flamenco. I really liked his opening heel flutter ode to tap.

Bethany has swag if swag is a free logo tshirt. Mark's choreo wasn't horrible for her but he should have put her in some loose pants to add some glide to her otherwise awkward movement and transitions.

Artem has such a low and sexy voice. That's my dancing observation. Snicker.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Nobody was asked to do more than Alfonso and Sadie tonight and they each delivered better than all the others who were not made to do as much.   On the customary DWTS scale, those were, at a minimum, 36s.  AR got shafted.

 

Sadie's dance was by far the most intricate.  She had to overcome her naturally gangly posture and maintain a frenetic pace with very specific foot, knee, and hand movement throughout.  I was stunned at how well she held up.  

 

In any other year, the jidges would have gushed over the fact that Alfonso went solo under a spotlight for a significant open with actual ballroom content.  Not. A. Word.  Cheryl went too far with her act, though.  I love that she is an earthy gal but it is beginning to come across as desperation on the show, in my opinion.  I think Len would have been nearly rapturous with the content she gave AR.  It may have been a hybrid as a previous poster outlined, but it was well in the spirit of the dance and there was not a smidgen of gimmickry.  Oh - per usual - a proper rendition of traditional music makes alllllll the difference in the world.  Good on TPTB in this instance.

 

For once, the safety issue that is almost always invoked much too lightly was entirely appropriate in Jonathan's routine.  Wow.  Where was TPTB ordering Peta, for her own damn good, to dial it way back?  That really was difficult to watch.  Truly.

 

I can't believe I am going to type this:  Great, great, great on Julianne for being consistent and truthful with Michael and Tommy.  Her 5s for each were well earned.  More, please.

 

Any of Michael, Jonathan, or Tommy can go next week.  These should be the next three out under all circumstances, save injury.  Then Antonio.  What a nothing he has proven to be.

[anonymiss]

I was amazed and cackling when Jessie J threw out the '6' to set the tone for the night, but winced at how she unrelentingly ripped into Peta. And I disliked how she rambled and tried to make it about her as much as possible. I was wearing the same tight fake-smile as Julianne when Jesse J cut into her time with her self-importance.

 

I also appreciated Julianne's accurate comments about burlesque. That was not burlesque, nor was it sexy.

 

Mark managed to make Bethenny interesting for the first time, and hip hop blend in on this show rather than stick out as cartoony and cliched. Len would have genuinely enjoyed it I think. Mark is great at bringing out the best in somewhat reserved female partners who have the potential and work ethic.

 

Val is a better actor (and choreographer) than Maks. He's the one who should go into acting after this.

Edited October 14, 2014 by anonymiss

[ari333]

What is up with the wardrobe and the high-waisted mom shorts/pants? These women are gorgeous, but that look is not flattering imo.

 

Wow, I thought Allison was going to be airborne; she was out-dancing her partner how high the moon. Jesus. And she put herself in front of the dude for most of the dance. Is that part of the dance style? I get it that she has to be in front, as the shorter person, for those front to back hand movements things, but the rest of the dance too? Also, I thought I saw a big ole schadenfreude from Allison when Peta and Jon were getting ripped new ones.  

 

I liked Jessie's opening more than I thought I would. Bang. I thought she was annoying as a judge though. As mentioned above, "thanks for coming" after not having watched the show at all and not being a dancer heh. Agreed!

 

Julianne looked better than usual imo.

 

So apparently CarrieAnn doesn't know the meaning of the word swag. Interesting.

Tonight was a weird night for me. I know nothing about dance and have two left feet, so normally I would never feel qualified to judge anything technical about a dance or its authenticity, but flamenco is the one style of dance I've been exposed to over and over. A close friend is a professional flamenco dancer, so I've kind of been dragged to everything  from rehearsals, to student productions, to dinner shows for tourists, to professional theater shows and the real  deal in Spain. I'm not pretending to be an expert, but I flamenco is the one dance that I feel I know what's it's supposed to look like, and to me Alfonso's flamenco just looked so, so wrong. I mean, to the point where I was cringing through a lot of it because it felt like an unintended parody of the dance. 

 

The most cringe-worthy dance of the night does go to Michael.  That's no contest.  Jonathan's was second most cringe-worthy (or perhaps wince-worthy), since half the time I was expecting Peta to hit the floor.  But I have to say that for me Alfonso's flamenco was the third most cringe-worthy for me, and that makes me sad.

 

I see your point about Alfonso, but in his defense I don't think flamenco lends itself to learning it in a week. It's  like trying to teach someone to dance ballet en pointe in a week or something. IDK.

 

Tony's audition tape made me laugh out loud for real. The moves, the "blouse" hee.

Edited October 14, 2014 by ari333

[tobysmom]

Didn't enjoy last night as much as I thought I would.  I think there were a lot of missteps.   I enjoyed Bethany's and Lea's dances; but there seemed to be places where they both got a little lost. 

 

I didn't think I was a prude either - but Artem's hand placement during the lifts with Janel made me go - eeeek.  How old is she???

 

I enjoyed Alfonso's a lot.  I thought the music was too loud though and you couldn't hear the stepping?  Yes, maybe not a typical flamenco.  But, Flamenco is such a highly stylized dance that I don't think too many professionals do it.  I don't know professional dance at all so maybe I'm wrong.  But, in any event, I give Cheryl a pass on the choreography.  I did think, compared with the other scores, that there should have been straight 9's.

Edited October 14, 2014 by tobysmom

[ari333]

Dumb dumb just called Alfonso, Antonio in the after dance.

 

Wow and yikes and it was during the "vote for..." plea from Erin with the phone number and what have you. The number had his correct name on the screen, so there's that. I'm sure most folks know the difference between the two men, but wow.  I could maybe understand the slip if it were "Katie" and "Kalin" or "Carolyn" and "Caroline." Tom normally catches those things, but maybe he didn't hear it. 

[magpye29]

I didn't think I was a prude either - but Artem's hand placement during the lifts with Janel made me go - eeeek.  How old is she???

 

This!  It was really disconcerting, to say the least.  That was not family-friendly in any way, and Janel seemed to have noticed, with all the apologies she was throwing out after the routine.  I don't think she objected to the routine, but noticed afterward how skeeved out everyone else was.  Yikes!

 

Seems like Derek actually gave Sadie a lot to do.  Well played!  I was wondering if Bethany's scores would get a bump because of her song being released yesterday--morning drive chat was all about it (if your morning drive is at 7 AM like mine is).  Next week should prove interesting.

 

After all that buildup about Val kissing Lea, they practically missed it.  What a waste of such a "big" moment!  Something about that routine made Lea look really old.  It would have been funnier (and cuter) with a younger star--Lea and Val looked the same age out there.

 

I agree with everyone else who said it was the wrong week for the judges to break out the reality paddles.  That should have happened next week.  I thought the switch was supposed to be more about having fun and learning from someone else.  Julianne should be ashamed of herself, and Jessie J should just stick to singing.  It's no fun when a guest judge is not a fan of the show.

[Stella MD]

 

Also, I thought I saw a big ole schadenfreude from Allison when Peta and Jon were getting ripped new ones.

I think there's no love lost between Allison and Jonathan. Not only was she smiling during his scores, but he looked incredibly pissed (and then caught himself and turned off camera) when Allison and Antonio got reasonable feedback from the judges. I was blaming Allison for their miserable performances this whole time, but now I don't know what to think. That bollywood dance wasn't terrible (not wonderful, but not terrible), and most notably Allison smiled and seemed to enjoy herself.

 

I wish Jonathan had gotten Witney (good teacher, knows how to choreograph to her partner's ability) and Peta had gotten Michael, who probably would have enjoyed his pervy demeanor.   

 

 

Something about that routine made Lea look really old.  It would have been funnier (and cuter) with a younger star--Lea and Val looked the same age out there.

I agree - I think part of it was the costume. That old-school nursing outfit is so entrenched in our collective minds as either a Halloween/porn staple for buxom young women that it overemphasized her middle-age. Plus Lea did miss a few steps at the beginning and the routine didn't look polished.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Stella MD

[ChrisMcGraan]

Didn't really like the episode at all last night. No one really blew me away but if I had to pick a top three it was Alfonso, Sadie, and Lea. I'll also admit that Bethany surprised me and did better with the dance than I thought she would. Hard to compare Alfonso's Flamenco to the other dances like Disco and Burlesque though. So much technique goes into his dance.

 

I think what it is with Janel as I haven't really seen any progression. She really doesn't look much different to me than she did week 1. A lot fluff surrounding her routines it seems like. I'll be glad to see her do a ballroom dance again.

[Dancingjaneway]

Last night I think showed that Janel isn't the dancer that Val has made us believe she is. When I look at her Broadway number compared to Leas theres a big diference. Leas had a ton more dancing content and not just cutsey movements or cheeky looks. Also the pacing was much quicker than Janels Broadway number. Val is a good Broadway choreographer and should consider it as a future career move. Also I know a lot of people saw jive in his dance last night but I don't think that made it less of a Broadway dance. Broadway is open to interpretation and really is just movement to music.

[kayma]

I thought that was Bethany's best dance so far. I think the scores were right. It was better than what she's done before, in my opinion, but she just doesn't sell the dances like some of the others. It also seemed like she actually danced the whole time for once.

 

Sadie looked so gangly, and I don't agree that she had perfect lines. But, she sold that dance like she sells all her others. Didn't she also do a bunch of those moves in her dance last week, too, especially the one where she stands with her arms back and moves her hips back and forth? Her dance seemed very deja vu to me for some reason. Given the weird judging, I think her scores were too high. She should have had a couple 8s in there too. She wasn't, in my opinion, better than Lea or Alfonso. If Lea or Bethany could figure out how to sell it like Sadie, I'd like them both more.

 

I thought Alfonso sold it the best. I've seen flamenco before (by no means an expert), and there's no way he could get it right in a week. I thought he did a great job with a flamenco-ish dance. I'm still pulling for Alfonso to win.

 

The bollywood dance was awful. I thought it was easily the worst of the night. The choreography seemed like a parody, and Allison just doesn't know how to make the celeb look good.

 

I remember people having issues with last season’s pro opener to Jason Derulo’s “talk dirty”, but it really did not bother me, not the moves , not the costumes, not the song—I probably would have felt uncomfortable if the “lyrics” from 2 Chainz had been included (gosh, that feels like it was ages ago). This is to say that I don’t usually feel prudish about the numbers on this show, but tonight I did with the opening pro number.

 

That shirtless body roll thing Val did - I enjoyed it. But, count me as prudish, too. I thought the whole dance was a bit much. Not as bad as the face to crotch, crotch to face lift in Janel's burlesque, though. That dance assignment was just a no win for her and Artem.

 

I liked Lea's dance more than her execution. It was cute and fun, but she just didn't seem to enjoy it. She never seems to fully lose herself in the dance. I thought it was weird the judges - Carrie Ann maybe - asked Val about the concept instead of focusing on Lea. I thought the concept was pretty self explanatory. Of course, maybe they forgot about Lea like I tend to right after she's done.

 

I felt bad for Peta and Witney. They both looked to be trying so hard to do right by their switch up celebs and their normal pros but got excoriated. It can't be an easy job, and I thought they did it as well as they could with what they were given. I agreed with most of what the judges said and thought Michael and Jonathan both took the criticisms well. Michael can go any time now though. He just oozes creep factor.

 

Why do all the male pros get the so jealous edit, but the female pros get the trying to do their best and helping each other out edit? It's a nice role reversal that the women got the better edits, but the men all came off so silly.

 

Val and Peta's dance was my favorite of the night. Not much competition from the celebs for favorite dance this week.

[Gardencrown]

 

I was blaming Allison for their miserable performances this whole time, but now I don't know what to think.

Caveat: I am a true Allison fangirl, all the way back from SYTYCD Season 2. And even I can see that she's had some problems with choreography. That samba last week was pretty awful -- I mean, she didn't look good doing it, so how was she going to make Jonathan look good? But last night did beg the question a bit if Jonathan really is that bad. Aside from the hugely terrifying lifts (which, Witney, to her credit did not allow Michael to lift her much more than two feet off the floor -- I mean, would you?:), Jonathan was just bad, bad, bad in that dance -- timing, musicality, connections,etc. He simply wasn't there. I would have expected Peta to get more out of him if all the problem has been Allison.

 

Michael did look pervy, especially with that mustache, and it was clear that Witney gave him a super simple cheese-tastic disco, which I think was the right decision. And poor Emma with Tommy -- I thought that her consultation with Peta was a scream, way funnier than Val's supposed "jealousy" over Janel/Artem. The music was awful for a mambo -- even I can see that. Since we don't see much mambo -- is there any expert here who could give me a sense of what to look for in a mambo vs. say, a samba or salsa? That dance last night looked like "generic Latin-ish dance," which I'm pretty sure mambo is not supposed to look like!

 

It was an odd night all-around. No waltzes or foxtrots -- but hip hop, burlesque, mambo, jitterbug, and Charleston? Huh. At least I didn't immediately want to send Julianne to the shower to wash her hair, so there's that. But I can't say that I enjoyed anyone's dance particularly -- I guess Derek's and Sadie's if I had to choose...I didn't like Alfonso's dance -- it did seem a bit like a parody of a flamenco to me, as someone upthread mentioned.

 

I think Jonathan is toast next week. Antonio has ended up a decent bit higher in the scores, and I think that Michael and Tommy still have fanbases to keep them in.

[Dancingjaneway]

I think with the fact that Michael got a 5s for his dance is going to motivate his fans. Antonio was in the bottom last week if I remember correctly so I could see his fans working to save him because he had another off week. I think it's going to come down to Tommy and Jonathan. Tommys dance wasn't as memorable and the scores weren't great Jonathan didn't do well enough and even though the judges hated it I don't think he has the fanbse (nor does Peta) to save him.  One thing that is going to also screw with the votes is the fact that I have a feeling some people voted for the wrong couples last night. If you want your pro to stay in place you have to vote using the celebrities number (ie: if you want Val to stay vote for Janel, if you want Cheryl to stay you vote for Antonio). I wouldn't be surprised if people voted for Sadie wanting Derek to stay in only to find out that they didn't help Derek at all they helped Mark.

[Primetimer]

The judges have a case of the Mondays as they trot out low score after low score during partner-swap week.

Read the story

[peachmangosteen]

I feel like I am losing my mind because never would I have though that Mark was the better partner and choreographer when it came down to him and Derek. I wish that Mark and Bethany were partners not only because I think she shined tonight with Mark but because I actually think they have better dance chemistry. 

 

I agree. I enjoyed Bethany so much tonight. She seemed so much more energized and happy with Mark. And she actually danced the entire time! Mark really is a better partner/choreographer than Derek IMO. But then I have literally never liked Derek or basically any dance he's ever done so.

 

Sadie looked so gangly, and I don't agree that she had perfect lines... Didn't she also do a bunch of those moves in her dance last week, too, especially the one where she stands with her arms back and moves her hips back and forth? Her dance seemed very deja vu to me for some reason...

 

Sadie looked super awkward throughout that dance. And I honestly thought that it was almost the exact same dance as she did last week. It was so strange.

 

Lea looked SO lost at least twice in her dance. However, I actually liked her personality for the first time during the rehearsal package. Her "OK" after Val said they were gonna kiss was hysterical. I watched it like 3 times in a row. 

 

This is not really on-topic, but is anyone else not able to navigate through the pages on this thread? It gives me an error message and I have to go to the main board to get to the next page. It's happened on this board for me many times, but never anywhere else.

Edited October 14, 2014 by peachmangosteen

[vibeology]

Well that was a whole lot of bad dancing. I hate when the show pulls out the random style week because its never good. These ballroom (and Alison) pros are good at ballroom/Latin (not Alison) not jitterbug, burlesque, Hip Hop or disco. Sure, they have a passing familiarity with the dances and maybe have taken a few classes, but its not the same as having proper training. With proper training, you know the physical language of a dance, can choreograph it and can teach it to someone with even less experience. Basically, nights like this we get a whole cast of Alisons.

 

Alfonso and Cheryl were pretty good. He's a strong enough dancer that he can fake it better than most. Some parts of it were really exciting, but other parts were awkward, slow and ugly. Still, I thought it was the best of the night.

 

Sadie and Derek were also pretty good. She had energy, clearly feeds off the live audience to bring it in her face, her feet and arms were sometimes sharp and sometimes awkward but overall, she had a good performance.

 

Bethany and Mark were okay. It was like watching high school kids dance to a Bieber song. Swag was overselling it, but she was cute and danced to the level of the choreography and music. It wasn't special or memorable. She didn't dance anything resembling real hip hop but she did dance what she was given well. 

 

After that, it devolves into various levels of hot mess. Lea was frantic. I always think she's frantic and desperate both in dancing and in her packages. Janel was screwed with that style, but she certainly didn't bring anything to the performance to improve the situation. Point your toes girl! Antonio was lost, Jonathan/Peta did scare the crap out of me, Tommy was slow and lethargic, Michael just has no rhythm. It doesn't matter what pro he's with, he has no rhythm and will never be a good dancer. 

[Dancingjaneway]

If the show was trying to help further their finale agenda last night they did a horrible job at it. You don't lay into the weaker dancers on the week they are without their partner you save that for the week when they are back with their partner. People are going to feel moreseo for those that had a harder time and their fans are going to vote double time. I understand wanting to start seperating the wheat from the chaff but this is not the time. Then to hand out just ok comments to the better dancers you stand a chance of losing  someone you didn't want to lose or someone you were going to use along the way to prop another couple up. Also the judging panel looks ridiculous seriously judging dances that they truly know nothing about. Just because Julianne was in a movie titled burlesque doesn't mean she knows all it entails. Carrie Ann and Bruno may know about hip hop but they sure as hell know nothing about Bollywood dancing or Flamenco.

[ari333]

Maybe I'm a perv, but I liked Janel for the first time. I still get her confused with Bethany heh.

 

The hook part of Jessie's opening "Burning" song has the same, or super close to the same, chord changes as "Free Your Mind" from whatever yester-year. I wonder who claims they wrote that? Because... well... it's too similar for co-inky dinky imo. Jus sayin.

 

I usually love Bollywood, but Allison made me not enjoy this. I did like the music. I wish they'd give the title of the song on the screen. I know it's on Wiki or whatever, but then I'd have to go look it up as opposed to just seeing it on the screen which would be too easy.

 

I love Chong and he got hosed on the song choice, as mentioned. I think TPTB or whoever chose it, picked it strictly for the lyrics of "Dutchie" unless I misheard. OK we get it. Jesus. Give it a rest for 2 seconds.

[ari333]

Maybe I'm a perv, but I liked Janel for the first time. I still get her confused with Bethany heh.

 

The hook part of Jessie's opening "Burning" song has the same, or super close to the same, chord changes as "Free Your Mind" from whatever yester-year. I wonder who claims they wrote that? Because... well... it's too similar for co-inky dinky imo. Jus sayin.

 

I usually love Bollywood, but Allison made me not enjoy this. I did like the music. I wish they'd give the title of the song on the screen. I know it's on Wiki or whatever, but then I'd have to go look it up as opposed to just seeing it on the screen which would be too easy.

 

I love Chong and he got hosed on the song choice, as mentioned. I think TPTB or whoever chose it, picked it strictly for the lyrics of "Dutchie" unless I misheard. OK we get it. Jesus. Give it a rest for 2 seconds.

[Andiethewestie]

Carrie Ann Inaba danced topless in Madonna's GIRLIE show, it was raunchy and pretty ugly with her bald head, so I just don't get the Burlesque has to be funny/cheeky comments, Inaba's Burlesque was just WTF.  

 

The fun comes from how you feel when you watch the dance, and there were moments on Janel's dance that you just had to have a sly giggle at Artem and her. This girl is incredibly beautiful, and curvy, the way Burlesque dancers are supposed to look, not like Asian boys, Carrie Ann. I thought this one was great for Janel and we all enjoyed it at our house.  I loved Artem's nod to both Bob Fosse and Baz Lurhman, except Bob and Baz would have been raunchier.Oh well it is PG 13  

Edited October 14, 2014 by Andiethewestie

[kelnic86]

 

If someone like Tommy or Michael deserved their critiques, then fine.  Fair enough.  But I don't like this pattern of the judges building up and supporting contestants like these leading up to the inevitable smack down when the show decides it's time for them to leave.  Maybe they could cut down on the false praise leading up to the smack down and then it wouldn't seem like such a turn around.

This is how I feel. There were weeks when Tommy made obvious mistakes in his dances, but the judges hand-waved them and gave him 8s and 7s because they liked his charisma. Same with Micheal. The judges would brush off all of his flaws and non-dancing and give him 7s because they liked his attitude and humor. I didn't feel like they danced any worse or better this week than some of their previous dances that they got higher scores in. But now they critique the very same things they praised them for in the beginning. They build them up and make them feel like they're getting better, then shoot them down. They're agenda was loud and clear; it's time for them to leave. But it wouldn't have came off so obvious if they had been honest with them from the beginning.

Edited October 14, 2014 by kelnic86

[ari333]

Carrie Ann Inaba danced topless in Madonna's GIRLIE show, it was raunchy and pretty ugly with her bald head, so I just don't get the Burlesque has to be funny/cheeky comments, Inaba's Burlesque was just WTF.  

 

The fun comes from how you feel when you watch the dance, and there were moments on Janel's dance that you just had to have a sly giggle at Artem and her. This girl is incredibly beautiful, and curvy, the way Burlesque dancers are supposed to look, not like Asian boys, Carrie Ann. I thought this one was great for Janel and we all enjoyed it at our house.  I loved Artem's nod to both Bob Fosse and Baz Lurhman, except Bob and Baz would have been raunchier.Oh well it is PG 13  

 

 

THIS. Was about it say it and you beat me to it. CAI on that pole - not "campy and humorous" or whatever she said to Janel. That is all.

 

Tom is always cute and clever, but I do think even teens know who Madonna is.

 

IDK what the hell with "Mikey" regarding whatever it was that he said about Witney's beauty of whatever was implied. "Now all my friends will be watching you." Emma is super hot too. Anyway, when he grabbed Witney's tushie coming out of that rehearsal lift, I did laugh out loud at her reaction.

Edited October 14, 2014 by ari333

[spanana]

 The fun comes from how you feel when you watch the dance, and there were moments on Janel's dance that you just had to have a sly giggle at Artem and her. This girl is incredibly beautiful, and curvy, the way Burlesque dancers are supposed to look, not like Asian boys, Carrie Ann. I thought this one was great for Janel and we all enjoyed it at our house.  I loved Artem's nod to both Bob Fosse and Baz Lurhman, except Bob and Baz would have been raunchier.Oh well it is PG 13  

 

What does Janel and Carrie Anne's body types have to do with Janel's routine?  Is there only one appropriate way for a woman to look?  Janel might have been in a no win situation this week, but nobody was scoring Janel on her body type nor were any comments made about her body.  Was Janel supposed to be given a score solely based on the having the supposed right body type for that genre?

Edited October 14, 2014 by spanana

[Dancingjaneway]

One big thing Carrie Ann missed in her critique of Bethanys hip hop was that it was missing the snap/pop that hip hop routines have. When you hit a move you HIT it. You throw all your intensity into every position every pose. It was amazing to see how many times Julianne either referred to Carrie Anns comments or used the same phrases as Carrie Ann. I mean I just don't understand it she knows how to dance so why the hell is she using the critique of a judge who judges like crap. Also the two of them shouting "it's week 5"  got on my nerves real fast. My mom was semi watching the show while talking with my grandmother and afterwards she also commented about how creepy Michael was.

[missysays]

One small thing that stood out for me last night was Witney's response to Michael's scores. She came across as completely centered, mature, and encouraging and just lifted him back up and swatted down the judges' harsh scores in the most thoughtful way possible. No, he's not a good dancer but that was certainly better than some of his other efforts this season.

 

You tell 'em Witney!!!

[truthaboutluv]

I feel like I am losing my mind because never would I have though that Mark was the better partner and choreographer when it came down to him and Derek.

 

 

Answering in Mark's thread...

 

One big thing Carrie Ann missed in her critique of Bethanys hip hop was that it was missing the snap/pop that hip hop routines have. When you hit a move you HIT it. You throw all your intensity into every position every pose.

 

 

I don't think she missed it because based on her comments I think Carrie Ann did think Bethany had snap/pop of hip hop. As she stated, she thought Bethany had complete attack during the dance and hit everything and instead where she faltered were the brief ballroom moments in the dance. So I didn't think she missed that, so much as she didn't seem to see it that way.

 

It was amazing to see how many times Julianne either referred to Carrie Anns comments or used the same phrases as Carrie Ann.

 

 

This is the second time I've read this and I feel like I might have to rewatch the episode because I don't remember their comments being that way at all. I thought they evenly agreed with each other depending on who spoke when. And Julianne was the one who first said she didn't think Janel's dance was Burlesque and said why and Carrie Ann agreed with her, just like she mentioned first that Sadie was a little ahead of the music at times and Carrie Ann came after and said that Sadie gets too excited sometimes and her timing goes wrong. And other times while they would both have criticisms of a dance, the criticisms weren't necessarily the same. 

 

What does Janel and Carrie Anne's body types have to do with Janel's routine?  Is there only one appropriate way for a woman to look?

 

 

Agreed. Feels a little too "Mean Girls" for my liking...as in "Janel is hot so whatever, she looked hot doing the dance and how dare that Carrie Ann criticize her". And well, while I agree she is an attractive girl, where some saw hot, I saw desperation and I have always been a firms believer in the notion that desperation is never a good look on anyone. 

Edited October 14, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[ari333]

I thought burlesque is supposed to be sexy and provocative.. not "comedy." [/CAI] Maybe it was a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation.

 

I thought Erin was a little creepy though with her comments to Janel, "were you thinking of .... fluffy ...furry ... puppies... when you were facing Artem... sitting down." heh. Ok then.

 

If all the judges can't speak, then maybe they have too many.

 

Did not need to see Michael's leg behind his head. Now I can't unsee it.

Edited October 14, 2014 by ari333

[Dancingjaneway]

I'm hoping that there was enough of a drop in viewers that they decide they won't ever try these dance styles on switch night (or maybe any other night) again. By the way if you want to know what some of the couples are dancing next week you can find out in the media thread.

[ari333]

The fun comes from how you feel when you watch the dance, and there were moments on Janel's dance that you just had to have a sly giggle at Artem and her. This girl is incredibly beautiful, and curvy, the way Burlesque dancers are supposed to look, not like Asian boys, Carrie Ann. I thought this one was great for Janel and we all enjoyed it at our house.  I loved Artem's nod to both Bob Fosse and Baz Lurhman, except Bob and Baz would have been raunchier.Oh well it is PG 13

 

What does Janel and Carrie Anne's body types have to do with Janel's routine?  Is there only one appropriate way for a woman to look?  Janel might have been in a no win situation this week, but nobody was scoring Janel on her body type nor were any comments made about her body.  Was Janel supposed to be given a score solely based on the having the supposed right body type for that genre?

 

Don't want to stray off topic, but as this relates to the comments made by CarrieAnne in her critique of Janel ("not enough comedy" or whatever) and the subsequent comment by the fellow poster, I think he/she was maybe referring to the notion that the original idea for the Girlie Tour in which CAI appeared  was described in the media as the intent being deliberately androgynous (as opposed to traditional burlesque.)  

 

Anyway, not sure if it was a bit of an advantage to dance to a Jessie J song on the week she was a judge; but as mentioned, the dancers and pros don't chose the song, so it's not on them.

 

Did not enjoy Sadie. Maybe I just don't like the Charleston or I don't like her ..or both. IDK.

Edited October 14, 2014 by ari333

[sinkwriter]

 

That bollywood dance wasn't terrible (not wonderful, but not terrible), and most notably Allison smiled and seemed to enjoy herself.

 

Sure, she enjoyed herself. She put herself front and center and showed off what she can do rather than giving Antonio anything substantial to do. Of course, Antonio doesn't seem to be capable of doing more than what she gave him, so there's that to consider, but I still think the dance was more about her abilities. Antonio needs to be done on this show. He doesn't have any rhythm!

[LadyMustang65]

I had such low expectations for this night, so I was actually pleasantly surprised and found it generally quite enjoyable. 

 

Antonio/Allison – Bollywood done well can be very exciting and entertaining.  This wasn’t great Bollywood, and Allison danced rings around Antonio, but I thought this was the most relaxed we’ve seen him, and he seemed to be having fun.  Not great, but not bad.  I thought Jessie’s score was a bit low.

 

Bethany/Mark – this was the first week she’s really seemed to have a personality.  I thought she did a nice job with the dance.  I don’t know how much “hip hop” it actually was, but it was nice choreography, and I thought it was the first time she’s actually attempted to really ‘sell’ a performance. 

 

Jonathan/Peta – okay, this was a hot mess all the way through, but Jonathan had energy and enthusiasm, and he was really selling this performance.  So for me it proved that Allison is the problem.  Jonathan didn’t have enough real dance training under his belt to be able to show any real improvement in technique, but we now know definitively that he can move.  I didn’t see any “fear” on Peta’s face at all, and there was only one moment when I kind of stopped breathing for a second, so I don’t know what the judges were seeing from their perspective.  Anyway, I sort of wish that Peta had tried a less ambitious routine and spent a bit more time teaching him technique, because I think he has the ability to be much better than he is, and he would have benefitted from some real training from Peta because he won’t get it from Allison.  I thought the judges’ scores were a bit low.  I would have given him 7s just for successfully (if not elegantly) completing those lifts at the end.   I’ll be bummed if he leaves next week.

 

Alfonso/Cheryl – I loved this dance.  Definitely the standout of the night for me.  I don’t know if it was ‘true’ flamenco or not, but it certainly had the look and feel of it.  I liked this one much better than either Val/Kelly’s or Derek/Kellie’s flamencos.  The only thing that was weird was having a ‘silent’ flamenco.  If they had those studs on their shoes, I couldn’t hear them at all.  Not even when Alfonso was alone at the beginning.  I always think of flamenco as being similar to tapping so that you should hear the different rhythms as well as see the dancers moving.

 

Janel/Artem – another one I really enjoyed.  I disagreed with Julianne about burlesque being all comedy.  That is simply not true.  Burlesque is very loosely defined, and while it had its roots in comedy, that is certainly not all that it is.  It is also very much about the sex.  So I thought they did a great job of combining both aspects.  Janel was a little shaky on some of the lifts, but not egregiously so, and I thought the choreography was fun and entertaining.  One of my favorites of the night.

 

Michael/Witney – I actually thought this was one of Michael’s better dances, but that’s really not saying much.  He just is not good.  His campiness went well with the type of dance, but overall, I just don’t enjoy watching him dance.  He has not progressed at all, imho, since the beginning.  I’m hoping he leaves next week.

 

Tommy/Emma – I have thoroughly enjoyed Tommy on the show, but I think his time is up.  The song was horrible for a mambo, but I don’t think different music would have helped.  He’s got some natural rhythm and some moves for a guy his age, and he’s personable as all get out, but he was barely moving I that dance, and as the judges mentioned, by this time in the show, I want to see more than the same old same old every week.  If he lasts more than a couple more weeks, he’ll be in danger of knocking out much better dancers, and that would be bad.

 

Sadie/Derek – After having not cared much for her last three dances, I found I really enjoyed this one.  Like Bethany’s hip hop, I don’t know how much Charleston was really in that dance, but I thought it was fun to watch – energetic and entertaining.  The dress really suited her, and I think the length was good for that dance.  That pink lipstick they used was so much better for her than the red they usually use.  I thought she looked very pretty.  I did think it was awkward in a couple of parts, but overall she looked like she was having fun, and so was I.  I wouldn’t have given it all 9s, though.  Not when Alfonso got 2 9s and 2 8s, and I thought his was better.  I guess this was Sadie’s turn to be on top of the leaderboard.  But I truly am more than over Duck Dad.  Sadie said he flew in from Louisiana to meet Derek.  Really?  With all the time he’s spent at the studio, do you really expect us to believe that he hasn’t already met Derek?  And since they spent most of the week at the family home, why couldn’t he just meet him then?  That just really seemed to insult my intelligence. 

 

Lea/Val – this was another one of my favorites of the evening.  Lea and Val had a great partnership, I think.  They worked well together, the dance was fun and entertaining, the choreography was good.  I thought Lea did a nice job with it.  Not her best dance, but one I would watch again for fun. 

 

At this point I am hoping for Michael to leave next week.  After that Tommy and Antonio can go in either order.  As far as guest judges go, Jessie was the worst.  She kept saying she’d never seen any of them dance, so why bother to go on the show if you don’t even watch it occasionally?  She knew nothing about dance, nothing about the dancers.  Absolutely useless.  And it seemed like Bruno got cut off several times and didn’t get to give his comments.  That’s not right.  So that annoyed me.  They really don’t need a 4th judge.  As for Julianne herself, I go back and forth on her.  Sometimes she’s okay; other times she really bugs.  Last night was one of those nights when she bugged.  She looked the nicest she’s looked all season but acted the worst, I thought.  Oh well.  Mostly, I enjoyed the evening.  That said, I will be glad to get back to regular partners and 'normal' dancing next week.

[sinkwriter]

 

I feel bad for Jonathan because the routine started out good and I think it fell apart when he started doing the lifts.  It was just too much.

 

Agreed. I just don't understand the producers or whoever decides who will dance together. Jonathan was already getting crucified by the judges each week, even when he showed more substance than Michael or Antonio. So why would they put him with Peta, who is talented but goes way over the top? He needed to be put with Witney or Emma or someone calmer and more structured in their teaching. Then I think we really would have seen that he can do more. But to go from Allison, who doesn't seem to be a strong teacher, to Peta, who went way overboard with her choreography, it just doesn't give Jonathan any middle ground whatsoever. I wish we'd gotten to see him with someone else. Even Cheryl might have been amazing, given how strict she is with her teaching and getting the form down. Look what she did in developing Jack Osbourne's skills -- they were terrific!

 

Jonathan/Peta – okay, this was a hot mess all the way through, but Jonathan had energy and enthusiasm, and he was really selling this performance.  So for me it proved that Allison is the problem.  Jonathan didn’t have enough real dance training under his belt to be able to show any real improvement in technique, but we now know definitively that he can move.

 

Agreed! And like Kim said in the recap: if Peta had taken out just a little bit of the extra content, he would have nailed it. I wish she had taken it down a notch or two. That would have benefitted Jonathan greatly.

[iMonrey]

I think a big part of Jonathan's problem is that he keeps getting the same kind of bouncy, party dances like Jive, Samba and Jitterbug and what he needs to work on is control. He needs a waltz or a Paso, not something where he's jumping around and kicking, because that's really his problem. He looks a little too wild and uncontrolled.

 

That said, he's still miles ahead of Michael, so it's going to really annoy me if Michael outlasts him. Michael couldn't even do a simple turn without looking awkward and clumsy. He's terrible.

 

The judges were just looking for things to criticize this week, and I thought they had an especially difficult time finding something wrong with Lea's dancing because she had a great solo part and kept up with all the pros around her. And then what did Julianne say, something about her looking hesitant? B.S. Same with Alphonso, there was really nothing wrong with that dance but they were determined not to give out 10s or even a lot of 9s this week.

 

I think the thing with Sadie's legs is that they look bowed sometimes. And I was surprised at how little Hip-Hop there was in Mark and Bethany's Hip-Hop routine.

 

Never heard of Jessie J in my entire life, I don't care how old that makes me seem, don't think I'm missing anything.

[Dancingjaneway]

It's funny that I thought the cutaway from after Lea and Vals dance was just poor camera work when it turns out that Val was motorboating Lea at the end of the dance. I cannot believe the show wouldn't air that but they had no problem airing the burlesque dance earlier that night. This show is just so wierd and makes no sense.

[kitcloudkicker]

On Burlesque - it does traditionally come from comedy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque (Literally. "The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which, in turn, is derived from the Italian burla – a joke, ridicule or mockery.") 

 

I thought it was a fair critique, it was missing a little of the slow, teasing, wink wink stuff. And I don't have anything against risque either, (and don't really see any hypocrisy in Julliane & Carrie Anne's critique.) I just think it was stuffed with too many lifts and not enough downbeats, Janel literally couldn't get her feet back under under her, there were a few moments when Artem looked like he was dragging her through a turn or into another lift. I think Janel has potential, but the critique that she doesn't finish her movements is spot on. I'd like to see her more grounded. And Artem didn't necessarily help out there with the choreography in this one. 

[sinkwriter]

 

The judges were just looking for things to criticize this week, and I thought they had an especially difficult time finding something wrong with Lea's dancing because she had a great solo part and kept up with all the pros around her. And then what did Julianne say, something about her looking hesitant? B.S. Same with Alphonso, there was really nothing wrong with that dance but they were determined not to give out 10s or even a lot of 9s this week.

 

I think that's a really interesting point, about how they seemed determined not to give out 10's or even 9's this week. Last night when the judges kept dishing out 5's and 6's and even giving lower scores to talented dancers like Alfonso and Lea, I got to wondering if the producers had a talk with the judges beforehand and told them to take the scores down a notch this week because they were throwing out the 10's too soon and too often, making the impact of getting a 10 less powerful. Otherwise I have no idea why they were being so harsh to Alfonso. 8's, seriously?? I could see not giving him 10's because he needed to keep his shoulders down and chest up, but that routine was well synchronized all throughout and they did a terrific job. They should have at least gotten 9's across the board. You cannot give an 8 to Alfonso and Antonio. There's just no way. There is a VAST difference in performance level between the two men, and Carrie Anne is clearly on crack for scoring them the same. Put your hormones away, Carrie Anne. This competition should not be about how you want to see Antonio without his shirt every week.

 

 

I think a big part of Jonathan's problem is that he keeps getting the same kind of bouncy, party dances like Jive, Samba and Jitterbug and what he needs to work on is control. He needs a waltz or a Paso, not something where he's jumping around and kicking, because that's really his problem. He looks a little too wild and uncontrolled.

 

I think this is a great point as well. You're right - every week it seems he's got the same bouncy kind of dances, as if the producers are trying to recapture how wonderfully he did in that first week. But we haven't seen him get to try anything more controlled, slower, quieter, more graceful, something where his teacher should focus on his form rather than on jumping, kicking, throwing or flipping. If he goes next week, before Michael or Antonio, without ever doing any dance that's less manic, I'm going to be very disappointed. He shouldn't be going home yet, not over those who have no rhythm or sense of dance at all, but it seems like they're doing everything in their power to get him gone. It's ridiculous, and given how much this means to Jonathan to be here in memory of watching this show with his dad, it's breaks my heart a little to think he'll be sent packing before some of the others.

[Julie23]

Not much good tonight, specially the judges. I hope to never, ever see that guest judge Jessie J again. She should stick to singing. .

Alfonso - I liked his dance, he was in character and I thought did his steps well.

Bethany - She continues to impress. I thought her dancing was very good tonight and she looked relaxed for once.

Lea - Broadway was a good dance for her, since her acting experience really sold it.

Sadie - the dance was ok, scored too high in my opinion. She just looked gangly and awkward. Maybe I just find it hard to root for her because I am so sick of her family showing up to promote their show every week. Ugh!

Jonathan - thought his dance was better than his scores showed.

Antonio - Wasn't impressed by his dance, but it wasn't awful

Janel - Not a lot of actual dancing and I'm tired of her pouty face

Michael and Tommy - I like them as non-dancers, but they really can't dance worth a fig.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Julie23

[Andiethewestie]

What does Janel and Carrie Anne's body types have to do with Janel's routine?  Is there only one appropriate way for a woman to look?  Janel might have been in a no win situation this week, but nobody was scoring Janel on her body type nor were any comments made about her body.  Was Janel supposed to be given a score solely based on the having the supposed right body type for that genre?

Traditional Burlesque has always been about curvy ladies, show a little leg, sling it over a guy, tease him with a boa, wear pasties when you swing your bosom, that's where the tease and the fun comes from. Of course it's tamed down for tv and we get a cute bustier and garter...fosse and lurhman were all about that. Whatever Inaba did dangling her tiny boy boobs and her bald head on that pole was about, it wasn't about the curvy ladies of traditional Burlesque. There was no cheeky wink at the audience, it was just full on weird and yet it was a GIRLIE show, so it references Burlesque in the fact that she's half naked.  

Edited October 14, 2014 by Andiethewestie

[Dancingjaneway]

I'm really hoping Len will be back next week I am really tired of all this as he would put it "mucking about" with the judges. I think this show fails miserably when they don't have a knowledgable judge because the viewers don't know what to look for so they need someone to point it out. I know Julianne is a ballroom dancer but she has yet to show that she's anything other than Carrie Annes parrot.

[sinkwriter]

 

I'm really hoping Len will be back next week I am really tired of all this as he would put it "mucking about" with the judges.

 

Sadly, I don't think he'll be there. It sounds like they're going to have Pitbull as a guest judge, which means they'll already have 4 judges. If Len comes back next week, they'll have 5 (!) judges. Unless Carrie Anne, Bruno or Julianne are taking a week off, I don't think Len will be back yet. Plus I think Tom would have said something to promote it. 

[mtlchick]

Jessie isn't that good of a judge, but I cackled at her comment to Michael "It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it was consistent." But I think when the Len is away, the dancing mice will play fast and loose with the dances.  I like Pitbull and all but I need our grumpy Brit back asap. 

[SnarkyTart]

My expectations were low going into this episode, and still my expectations weren't met.  As a viewer, there wasn't much fun to be had last night.  I hate almost all of the fake dance genres that don't belong on this show.   Something like Bollywood is rarely even done well by professional dancers on SYTYCD.  Disco and Broadway aren't fan pleasers on that show either, and those who get saddled with either are often in danger of being voted off.  The charleston and burlesque?  WTF. 

 

Partner switch-up should at least be an interesting episode...to see how well a celebretestant can do in a traditional dance with an unfamiliar partner.   Last season, didn't they have the regular partners do a reprise of the same genre to see how well they could do in comparison with their own actual partners?   If they do that again and I have to see burlesque, Bollywood and charleston again, it might be the first time I deliberately take a pass on an episode of DWTS in all of its 19 seasons.   

 

I bet Len is so relieved not to have been a part of this.  BTW, I was watching that online thingy with Lacey and Dominic last night for the first time.  Wow, does it suck and contribute less than nothing!  But, one interesting thing I heard Lacey say was this:  "Len will be back before the end of the season."   Judging by that, we're not going to be seeing Len Goodman for a while.  I think the show is the worse for that. 

 

The few things that interested me last night were:  how much better and seemingly happy both Bethany and Sadie are when dancing with Mark B rather than Derek.  It was good to see Alfonso dance a more dramatic style, requiring hitting poses and making shapes, as opposed to the mostly up-tempo bouncy styles he's been given to date.  Poor Tommy's memory struggles are going to be awful if he advances to the point of having to learn two dances.  I would also like to see Peta return to actually teaching him to perform a traditional dance without relying on the stoner gimmick every time.   His Argentine Tango proved that he can actually dance without making everything a joke....unlike creepy Uncle Waltripping who just needs to get off my TV, but probably won't.   

 

This episode was a trainwreck in every aspect.