Afterbuzz Show: DWTS

[Uke]

I don't see anywhere on twitter, events, bts pics, anything where Anna is still closely connecting with any of the pros or production on DWTS. Her only real interaction with the other pros seems to be mainly those on the touring dance shows she's doing.  For that reason I don't see her as having any insider knowledge of Mark's or Val's or Derek's feelings.  Just because she's in the audience doesn't mean she's having heart-to-heart conversations with anyone. What she interpretes as "pissed" maybe was just disappointment. 

 

I think Derek knew all along that he wasn't going to win with Bethany. She just didn't have the sparkle or outgoing personality to really grab attention. Even in the interviews I've seen of Derek + Betheny which are supposedly for her, she would tend to stand quietly while Derek would do all the talking and eventually the interview would turn to being about him. Even on GMA's afterparty, I forget who it was but 1 of the hosts kept wanting to talk about his appearance in Nashville.

 

When Val + Janel were announced 3rd, Val had a disappointed facial expression. I didn't see any anger or "pissed" attitude. It seemed more like he was kicking himself a bit.

 

Both Mark + Derek have mentioned that they get a vibe about their fates each week.  Something in the air I guess gives them a sense if they're probably safe or probably going home. Same with the final results. They pick up on the vibe if they're going to win or not. Mark was sad. It was a beautiful season for him and it was ending.  Watching the emotional ending vids brings up the emotions.  He's a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Very similar to Katherine's season. Apparently right after the show he grabbed a quick shower to shake it off and then resumed all the post show interviews. I didn't see anything resembling "pissed". Disappointed, sure. Sad it was over, yes. But I didn't see any hint of anger from Mark or Val or Derek.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Uke

[spanana]

I don't know if Val was angry, but if you watch any post show interview with him from the finale he was giving almost curt one word answers to just about every question  A few of the media people, including that Glamour lady who I don't particularly love, said that Janel/Val seemed to be having the toughest time post show based on their body language/behavior in the press line.  Nobody said they were acting badly, and from what I saw Janel seemed to be handling it well enough.  She was handling herself better in the interviews than Val.  The People lady tweeted that Janel and Val were "downright morose" after the show.  Now morose isn't necessarily angry, but Anna was most certainly not the only one commenting on their post-show behavior.  Even in all the pics of Val outside GMA the next morning, he still looks pissed off to some degree.

 

https://twitter.com/Lynetterice/status/537466115845144576

 

The biggest thing I saw with Val is I thought he was very curt when he sort of gave a half assed congrats to Alfonso during the celebration.  You see him kind of walk into the circle, stone faced, hit Alfonso on the shoulder or something along those lines.  He doesn't even make any sort of eye contact with Alfonso or wait for Alfonso to even see him before turning on his heels and booking it out of there.   There was also a post show photo of the entire cast and judges and everyone and Janel/Val were the only two that were missing.

 

Though to Val's credit he has since acknowledged Alfonso/Witney's win and been gracious about it, so I don't think it was tragic behavior.  I mean, compared to S16, this was nothing.  If anything I think Val just tends to be hard on himself and he's sort of at a loss in terms of figuring out what he needs to do to win.

Edited November 28, 2014 by spanana

[howmanywords]

In one of the many articles thats out there about Alfonso's win there was one with a comment from Val and I was shocked at how gracious he was.  He said he admitted he was disappointed but that if he had to lose he was glad it was to someone who is such a talent and great guy.  No comment from Mark, who IMO looked rather annoyed the whole evening.  And the fact that he didnt even do the whole press line and went to go take a shower makes me wonder if indeed was pretty angry. Which surprises me because a) Mark has won twice and b) you would think he would feel pretty proud that Witney was one of his students.  

[realdancemom]

Janel and Sadie looked like they were happy enough with the announcement.  Janel probably prepared herself for a loss.  Sadie mentioned that she never thought she would make it that far.  Both of them interviewed well.  It's kind of sad when a 17 year old acts more mature than an adult.  Val looked disappointed when I rewatched the finale.  I think he was trying for the Maks/Meryl route and hoping for the same result.  Mark was not happy.  I don't know if he was pissed or disappointed.  But his face was definitely not happy through the whole announcement.  As others have mentioned, I would think that he would be proud since Witney was one of his students. 

 

Maybe, he thought he would win because in his mind, he had the most creative freestyle.  Freestyles usually determine the winner.  He also knew Sadie had the Duck Dynasty and conservative vote.

Edited November 28, 2014 by realdancemom

[crowceilidh]

Thanks for all the Afterbuzz talk so that I don't have to watch it.

 

I think that the pros and dancers live in such a bubble because they are so busy that they are generally mostly surrounded by their team.  Also, in a world where Helio Castraneves won, Sadie or Janel ought to be able to take it (although I can't imagine Janel being likeable enough to).  I don't think it's outrageous that people who have devoted so much energy to pushing their pro towards victory should be emotionally deflated.  I think Derek's outburst in the Shannon season was super instructive for him and helped him to become teflon - but many people take many years to be able to shrug off defeat when they're trying so hard for a goal.  Derek's life (Emmy, tv, GINORMOUS fan club, headlining his own dance tour ) in some ways allows him this luxury more than most of the pros.

Edited December 1, 2014 by crowceilidh

[PBGamer89]

I personally can't stand Suri. She brings nothing to the panel and she doesn't even have that much insider gossip. She often hates a dance for the dumbest reasons or just using the oldest "didn't feel it, I don't know why" excuse.

 

At least Kristyn, Jake, and Anna have their own opinions and are likeable. If I have to hear Suri say once more "as a dancer, turned gymnast....." or "as a gymnast I can relate because I didn't go off counts", etc.

[realdancemom]

I watched the GMA after show on youtube.  Even if Mark and Val were disappointed or unhappy on finale night, they were gracious on GMA.  It's understandable that the pros would be disappointed during the finale since they worked so hard.  The celebrities did too but as I previously mentioned, it looked like Janel and Sadie accepted the results during the finale. 

[katha]

Since it doesn't seem like Anna has any inside scoop on Val, Mark, Derek and their feelings, this all just strikes me as speculation on her part. I thought Val looked disappointed. Mark was an emotional mess for the last few minutes of the show, even before the results were announced he couldn't stop crying. So he took a shower to take himself out of the situation and regroup. When he did come back, he was somber but composed. No one threw a hissyfit, Mario-Lopez-style, so it's all right with me. (-; And yes, they were gracious on GMA the morning after.

 

It also makes sense that the celebs have an easier time with this IMO. Yeah, they all work hard etc. But the pressure on the pros is insane: They're responsible for teaching, choreography, staging, costumes, providing emotional support for the celeb (which I think Mark had to do quite a bit, that also strikes me as draining), dealing with their celeb's various foibles, working around injuries (their own and the celeb's), then also do the pro numbers. The celebs get to walk away from this afterwards, for the pros it's their day job.

[Serendi]

Was glad to see Anna was there despite doing the All-Access hosting (which turns out to be a work in progress this season - different pros as the season goes on).

As always, love to see what Real Dancers have to say. I didn't think Riker was that good or Redfoo that bad; I think I need to rewatch.

There was a weird moment where Kristin was gesturing a lot. I scrolled back, and it was right after Anna, while talking, quietly moved her phone off the table. I think Kristin was trying to get Suri to do the same.

Still want to see Anna back as a pro.

They have a new set. Seems smaller, but it also seems better for the camera angles.

[truthaboutluv]

Good first show. There wasn't a lot of wasting time so they were able to give a decent amount of time to all the pairings. As usual, my favorites were Anna and Jake who I thought both provided specific criticisms and comments about many of the dances which I love. Whether or not I agree, I like when they can articulate what they loved or didn't love about the dances. Suri as usual was pointless. I can't believe she was serious about Charlotte not going first because people won't want to do that to Keo. 

 

Um Suri does realize that people vote for who they like on this show right, not who they want to see go home? I say that because it is not about whether some will be sad about Keo going home first two years in a row or not but rather other couples will have more fans and more support. And the fact is, with Charlotte performing in the middle of the show, not being very good, likely not having the fanbase with the people who actually watch this show, it is more than likely that others will get more votes than her. It's not about people wanting to send her home but that others were more memorable to them and therefore got their vote.

 

I agreed with a lot of Jake's comments - notably that Robert was overscored (absolutely agree), that Riker and Alison would have done better with a larger space and that Willow may get lost in the mix. While I appreciated most of Anna's comments, some bothered me. I'm not going to "bash" her like she seemed to expect with regards to her comments about Nastia but I didn't fully agree with her. I get what Kristyn is saying about holding her to a higher standard but where does the line between holding to a higher standard and being unfair get crossed?

 

Because I disagreed with Anna that there wasn't Foxtrot content or enough to the point that she could say she didn't really see Nastia doing a Foxtrot. My issue with the dance was that it felt a bit manic, particularly when the weird rhythm change happened in the song. It felt like at that point that both Nastia and Derek were rushing a bit to keep up with the beat. However I definitely saw the Foxtrot. That said, what bothered me is that while Anna nitpicked that to death, she only in passing says Rumer's Foxtrot was a bit waltzy but "I forgive it."

 

I just don't want a season of Nastia being held to some unfair standard while others aren't. Not to mention Anna was as in love with Riker's Jive as the others which I'm sorry, I did not see a lot of Jive content in that dance. Sure there were a couple of kicks and flicks but that dance was the definition of flash and trash she described Nastia's Foxtrot as. 

 

Finally, I definitely felt there was a little too much talking about how amazing or awesome a celebrity is versus the actual content and technique of their dance. They did it with Patti which sure, I get that she's a legend but I'd still like to hear more about the quality and content of her dance and they definitely did it with Noah. Let me say this about Noah, I have so much respect for him and the strength he exhibits.

 

That said, I imagine Noah does not want people to condescend to him and I feel like not only were the judges guilty of it on Monday but the panel on Afterbuzz was as well. Yes, he's a moving and powerful story and yes Sharna has her work cut out for her and she did an admirable job with what she came up with but I'm sorry, there was just not a lot of dancing happening in that performance. 

 

eta: I did agree with Jake and Anna about the cliche performances and as Anna said, too "on the nose" performance - Suzanne with the whole thighmaster thing, Chris and the whole farmer schtick, Robert and the money, etc.

Edited March 18, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[moni]

Suri as usual was pointless. I can't believe she was serious about Charlotte not going first because people won't want to do that to Keo. 

 

Finally, I definitely felt there was a little too much talking about how amazing or awesome a celebrity is versus the actual content and technique of their dance and they definitely did it with Noah. Let me say this about Noah, I have so much respect for him and the strength he exhibits.

That said, I imagine Noah does not want people to condescend to him and I feel like not only were the judges guilty of it on Monday but the panel on Afterbuzz was as well. Yes, he's a moving and powerful story and yes Sharna has her work cut out for her and she did an admirable job with what she came up with but I'm sorry, there was just not a lot of dancing happening in that performance. 

 

 

I agree with you on both points here..about Suri, Keo was on afterbuzz for S19 after he was eliminated and my god I thought she was about to jump on him the way they were flirting like seriously just do the show and flirt privetly if you want..Sorry Keo but you got another bad dancer and she's got to go.

 

As for Noah..yeah I admore him and his curage but his performance was NOT dancing sorry

Edited March 19, 2015 by moni

[Barbara Manatee]

I enjoy watching AfterBuzz because they have insights into dancing and the show that I don't. But I also get a kick out of predicting the comments that will set the various fanbases off.

[truthaboutluv]

Video of this week's show.

 

[PBGamer89]

Amy set a very high bar for amputees and she had real dance skill and has both of her knees which is so crucial to dancing.

 

With Noah's arm and leg amputations, it's going to be hard for him and I can't see him pulling off an actual decently danced routine because of the physical challenges. I hope the Afterbuzz crew along with the judges don't continue to pass on  his dance and just give him credit points for his physical challenges.

[Andiethewestie]

For me, there were issues with both front runner's Foxtrots.

 

 In the case of Nastia and Derek, while the costumes were more in keeping with American Smooth, her dress did hide the footwork and leg extensions which are fantastic, she did finishes as a gymnast, which is imho a result of rather hoppy, hectic instead of 'smooth' choreography that we are used to seeing from Derek.   

In the case of Rumer and Val, I was disappointed that Val chose casual.more latin clothing attire for himself because he dressed Rumer impeccably. Even if the song was unusual for Foxtrot I prefer that standard dress is part of the picture.  While Derek's choreo was a little manic, Vals was too staccato for smooth.  But having said all that, Rumer comes out slightly ahead because of the gracefulness of the line, and that was achieved not only through hard work as I know Nastia put in the work as well, but the overall presentation of Rumer was really the focus of the routine. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[truthaboutluv]

I've seen many mentions about Nastia's costume hiding her footwork, but after watching the dance again, I didn't really see that. Yes it had the old Hollywood glamour look with the ruffles and sparkles but the skirt's length stopped just above her ankles, so you could still see her feet. And there was a fairly high slit on the side of the skirt that showed off her leg quite a bit I thought. I actually don't feel like I never really saw her feet and her lines. YMMV of course. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[missysays]

I also thought Val and Rumer's foxtrot was staccato. It could have been a tango in terms of feeling. Some of it had to do with the song but some of it had to do with Val's propensities as a choreographer and dancer. He is naturally a sharp, clipped mover. You can tell in any dance he has to choreograph that is supposed to smoother, slower, or more liquid. Even his rumbas tend to have a sharper quality to them. It's not a critique more an observation.

[Mbeaker]

missysays, accurate observation and Val himself talked about his dancing preference, stylistically, being staccato in the latest All Access rehearsal.

[Andiethewestie]

TBH both Derek and Val as latin dancers aren't really keen on smooth and tend to be more angular in presentation.  Val in particular, and that has a lot to do with how long he's been in the competition circles as a latin champ.. If for example we had  on the show  Luca Barrichi, or  when we had Johnathan Roberts, the style is distinctive, and frankly I miss standard dances. They get short changed on this show for flash instead of substantive flow.. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[Andiethewestie]

You can tell in any dance he has to choreograph that is supposed to smoother, slower, or more liquid. Even his rumbas tend to have a sharper quality to them. It's not a critique more an observation.

 

The one time that I really loved Val's standard was when he did VWaltz with Zendaya. It wasn't her best, but it did show that even with one of the better contestants how difficult a really good VWaltz is at tempo. So many times on this show the music is a cop-out. It's mostly 3/4 time, but it slows way down the bpm.  So I applaud Val for a willingness on his part to really extend the line and flow as a VWaltz should. 

 

 I understand where Anna thought it was a bit "waltzy" Rumer's aerial yoga has afforded her  some beautiful shapes when she spins, so just as Derek puts in a lift to show Nastia's athleticism, Val put in a spin, not really a waltz spin but the feeling of a waltz spin to show Rumer's  ability.  On that I hope he goes full out with the spins on the VWaltz when it comes up.  

 

This is an exciting season because I feel the frontrunners; Rumer Nastia and Rikker are fairly evenly matched in terms of ability.  I can definitely see it go back and forth on the leader board week over week. This week will be a test since Rumer does have a great feel for standard dances,  Rikker can jive very well and Nastia was excellent as expected.  It will be interesting to see if they do as well on other styles. However it ends up I see Nastia and Rumer as the top 2.   

Edited March 20, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[truthaboutluv]

This week's show:

Good show this week. They weren't very critical of anyone but Kristyn did say she loved the entire show and I don't think anyone was truly awful, so it makes sense that the comments were mostly positive. The guest was cute. She was fairly positive and nice about everyone but still gave a few criticisms or two. I was a bit divided on their opinion about Chris' scores. While I get what they were saying that in comparison to some of the other scores, his was really low, I feel like Chris' problems were really bad compared to others.

While some other celebrities may have had slight posture issues, feet not moving the right way, etc. no one was really hideously out of time and off beat, if I remember correctly. Except for Chris, that is. Charlotte had a few timing issues but not as badly and as overtly as Chris in my opinion. Chris was barely on time once throughout that dance. His legs were always like a whole beat behind Witney's and with the whole hip hop breakdown that was incredibly awkward, it sort of became a mess, which is exactly why Julianne mentioned simplifying the routine. Because I do think with a more basic routine, he might have done a lot better.

I absolutely agreed with their comments about Redfoo's scores and said as much in the episode thread this week. Once he got eliminated, I felt his way too high scores suddenly made a lot of sense. Because before that, right as it happened, I was completely baffled by those 8's. I thought the comments about Nastia were interesting, particularly that some people want to see the journey and so it may be a disadvantage to her being so good.

However, I think you could say the same about Rumer and even Riker who have all come out of the gate killing it. That said, the last two seasons have shown that voters have no problem voting for the frontrunners - neither Meryl and Alfonso were ever bad in any way. They had small things they needed to work on and had a week or two that wasn't great but in the end they mostly dominated and they won.

Edited March 25, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Thadeeeyus]

Thanks for the update. When I saw that Anna wasn't on last night, I decided not to watch.  I like this show because there are usually former pros or someone with ballroom dance experience giving their perspective.  Without Anna I feel like I'm just listening to more fan comments.  They should get Louis on the show.  ;)

[Serendi]

The guest, Darvina Plante, was trained in London with Mark (her "bestie") and the Houghs. She's also roommates with Keo and with Julz Tocker (who was supposed to be guest and canceled at the last minute). I remember liking her input, just don't remember how much was technical ballroom stuff. 

[Linderhill]

Darvina was a nice guest and very obviously a big Mark fan.  I did find it intersting that she never commented on Julianne.

[truthaboutluv]

I feel like her saying she was really just close to Mark was her way of saying essentially that she was not really close to Derek or Julianne. 

[vibeology]

This week's episode really made me love Mark Ballas. His comments were so insightful. He managed to give some really good critiques without really getting mean at any point. Suri does little for me and I think Darvina didn't have too many chances to talk, but Mark and Anna were so interesting. Mark is free to come back whenever he'd like in my eyes.

[crowceilidh]

Even though I love listening to Anna talk, even when I disagree with her, I have mostly stopped watching Afterbuzz because of the general sycophancy, so thanks for the heads up about Mark.  I am always interested when a current pro is on.  I enjoyed his commentary.  I wish Anna were there in person.  I generally like this Darvina character whom I have never seen before (certainly prefer her to Jake).  Suri's face has hardened a lot - has she had work done or been doing face exercise?  Oh no, I see she's "contouring" - curse you, Kim Kardashian.

 

I enjoyed the general impatience with the Tony/CAI sideshow.

 

I would certainly listen to Mark again.  I'm a bit horrified to see that he's trying to make his hair look like Riker's.

Edited April 1, 2015 by crowceilidh

[kitcloudkicker]

Haha, I had heard Mark's accent go in and out before, but hearing him speak for that long made it clear how frequently it actually happens and it's kind of adorable. Though I bet having Darvina around from his childhood throws him "off wack" and muddles his accent even more. Also liked his commentary, as well as the stories about Willow and her snacks and Shawn and her chest pounding. 

Edited April 1, 2015 by kitcloudkicker

[truthaboutluv]

Video for people like me who don't listen to the podcast

 

 

Mark was great. He did that thing that's one of my biggest pet peeves - interrupting and talking over someone. That drives me nuts. I like hearing what everyone has to say without interruptions. I know it's just because he would get really excited about a point or something someone said but it was a little annoying at times. And poor Anna was who he kept interrupting.

 

I was glad when they talked about Chris he mentioned agreeing with Julianne last week and thought the choreography last week was too difficult. Because there were a few comments about Julianne maybe being jealous of Witney and throwing shade just for saying that and I thought she was right last week. I also thought he made a good point about Suzanne and her just wanting to have a good time and learn some steps. But I liked that Anna agreed with and understood what Carrie Ann was saying. 

 

It was also really great getting such a direct behind the scenes perspective of the show. I loved that he quickly blamed the producers with all the "I'm 14" that Willow was saying in the packages. I'm sure most realize the producers create those narratives and edit to fit it but it was nice to have that confirmation. And he almost sounded a little irritated about it and that sucks because some were ragging on her in the comments because of that. 

 

I actually disagreed with them about Rumer being underscored. Yes, it was danced well, yes it was fun, yes it was memorable but sorry, I just didn't feel like it had enough salsa content. The disco was awesome and if it was a disco they were assigned then I'd say they deserved higher scores but it was supposed to be a salsa and I didn't see much salsa. That said, I think Riker was overscored. The choreography was great and there was definitely more salsa but his feet was bugging me so much and definitely didn't think it three 9's worthy. I wonder if that's why Len threw in the 7.

 

eta: I also loved Mark's stories about working with the gymnasts. The story about Shawn pumping herself up before they had their first dance was hilarious. 

Edited April 1, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Andiethewestie]

I agreed with Mark's assessment of Rumer. Disco Salsa was what the music called for, it was finally a dance where the music matched the dance performed. 

[Thadeeeyus]

So glad I watched this week's show. You were right about Mark. He really was a good guest and did a great job talking about the different topics.  So funny about his accent coming and going.  

 

Loved his story about Willow's dad forcing her to take a break when she didn't want to.  The only breaks they take are for snacks.  It was also good to have a reminder that Willow has to take a day off from rehearsal due to being underage, like with Shawn.  And he mentioned he hears from Sadie almost every day, and she encourages him.  He also hears from her family.  

When talking about Charlotte and and phone and how a contestant has to put everything into the rehearsal time because it's everyone's time, not just theirs, Mark mentions that Willow has no phone.  

 

Mark really wants Henry to come back as a pro.  

 

I enjoyed Anna's description of how Michael was dressed on Monday and how wearing white is not a good idea and that it actually made people look at him and not Peta,  And Nastia's "cricket legs"?   Curious way to describe them but then she went on to explain about the flexibility and how she should keep some of it in reserve and not go as far as she can.  

 

Good job, Mark.  Thoroughly enjoyable.  I found Suri less annoying as the host than she usually is as a commentator.  

 

[katha]

Yeah, it was great! What often happens when they have dancers currently involved in the show is that they are relentlessly upbeat about everything to do with it and seem to hold back when it comes to criticizing the dances. Didn't happen with Mark at all. He managed to be positive and encouraging about everybody while still getting in lots of constructive criticism. The behind the scenes stuff was also really interesting. As was him talking about his various partners and about the way he creates dances. The Shawn Johnson stuff was hilarious. And I think he was a good counterpoint to Anna, who's also really interesting and obviously knows her stuff but is a bit on the harsher side. He's a bit frindlier about some things or sees different aspects but still manages to give technical insights and critiques. It wasn't "everybody gets a gold star for trying!" that's sometimes the risk when people involved with the show are on.

[luvthepros]

Jules Toker didn't make it to the show two weeks in a row. Anyway.....Mark Ballas more than made up for anyone else as guest this week. I'm not a huge Markie fan but.....holy cow.....Mark was an excellent guest. Loved the behind the scenes tid bits and truly appreciated his candor and honest comments on the couples. Great job, Mark. Hope Kristen has Mark on the show again.

[SnarkyTart]

Jules Toker didn't make it to the show two weeks in a row. Anyway.....Mark Ballas more than made up for anyone else as guest this week. I'm not a huge Markie fan but.....holy cow.....Mark was an excellent guest. Loved the behind the scenes tid bits and truly appreciated his candor and honest comments on the couples. Great job, Mark. Hope Kristen has Mark on the show again.

I agree with all your comments, including that I'm not a big fan of Mark's on the show.   That being said, I've never seen anyone whose insights and attitude I've enjoyed as much as Mark's on the Afterbuzz show.  More of this, please! 

[Abra]

I admit to being really worried about what was to come when I saw that it was Suri hosting, and then heard that Shirley and Anna were on the phone; I thought it was going to be another Shirley Ballas bitchfest like the last time was on. Boy was I wrong - this was a great show.

 

The only thing I didn't like about Mark was his tendency to talk over Anna; other than that, I loved him and really hope he comes back. He had such great comments and stories, and gave the kind of insider information that I think we've all been wanting.

 

Somehow I'm reminded that I know they've been trying to get Karina Smirnoff on the show forever. Wouldn't it be amazing if it was just a guest panel of seasoned pros? One can dream...

[A.Ham]

Well that was thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks for posting, I usually have some difficulty finding the latest YouTube video, too many clips on the afterbuzz site. Mark was awesome. Such great insight on his part and very constructive feedback, great to see that side of him. He struck me as being very genuinely caring and committed to the show. t loved Anna's feedback as well. And I feared what Suri would do as the host, but she did a great job moderating.

[Electruck]

Here's the one for Most Memorable Year (Season 20 Ep/Week 4)

Edited April 8, 2015 by Electruck

[Serendi]

I get the impression they've decided to make Darvina a part of the regular crew. I like that, as long as she doesn't preempt Anna. She seems to know her stuff and express it well. Keo doesn't seem to have experience in color commentary, but I admit I laughed my head off at some of his reactions.

[howmanywords]

I too laughed at some of Keo's reactions. Thought he gave some good comments too.

 

I usually really love Anna but it continues to annoy me that "Miss Patti" keeps getting a pass.Why should everyone else get criticized for lack of content but Patti could do whatever the hell she wants where she looks like she barely breaks a sweat and get away with it. Anna even said "doesnt matter, I could watch Patti all day" when her lack of content was brought up. Ridiculous.

[truthaboutluv]

Good show. I don't think Darvina's presence threatens Anna. It sounds like Jake is working again, which is great for him because life as a dancer can be so hard but sucks for the show because he can't be there. And I always like hearing his comments. He and Anna are my favorites but Darvina is okay. Pity Suri never seems to take any time off. 

 

Although speaking of her, shock of all shock, I actually agreed with her on something. I actually think she was right about Chris and that the problem wasn't his being uncomfortable dancing with Witney with his fiance there but rather that he gets too in his head about the dance. Because he's looked plenty comfortable with Witney I think, in their Jive and the Argentine Tango. The Cha Cha was him just being overwhelmed by and completely forgetting the choreography and this week he just didn't have the rumba technique down at all. It wasn't about the connection, like say with Nastia, but his hips was not great, his arms not good and it really was like just watching Witney dance around a pole.

 

Keo may be a very lovely man but he makes for a very boring guest in my opinion. For a professional dancer who competes on the show (albeit his time in each season has been very brief) he surprisingly has very little to say on technique and the performances in general. It's basically just "I liked it", "it was okay", "yeah I love her/him."

 

That's so odd and especially noticeable coming on the heels of Mark being there who had so much to say and even Anna whose comments are so specific. I just don't think he adds much to the discussion. That said, I did find his Final 4 pick interesting and I can see it shaping up that way. I definitely get a possible Sabrina Bryant surprise boot vibe from Riker but I'm still not sure about Willow's voting base.

 

Speaking of Willow, I agreed with the panel on how visually stunning the number was and that was never my issue with it. Sure as a performance piece it was great and maybe a great Emmy submission for Mark. I just think that the show is about the celebrity competing and their Pro guiding and helping them to get to that ugly mirrorball trophy. And so when I lose the celebrity for half of the dance and I feel like the power of the performance is more the troop and the Pro, then I don't think it's a great number and that's what bothered me about this contemporary. Visually great and I imagine it might have been gorgeous in studio but there was a part in the dance where I really and truly could not find Willow. 

 

I found a lot of Anna's comments interesting, particularly her saying that Robert's technique may be better than Riker's. I mentioned in the episode thread that this may be a reason I can see some not being too bothered by Riker's past ballroom history, because I too don't think his technique has been that perfect or clean. He has flair and attack for days but there are things about his feet and posture that drives me crazy. Anna's reaction to finding out about the competing in ballroom was funny though.

 

I also completely agreed with her about Rumer's Waltz basically looking like a redux of their first week Foxtrot because that's exactly how I felt watching it. Yes the music sucked for a Waltz but it is what it is and I just thought the performance was slightly disappointing. And I thought she was surprisingly positive about Nastia. I liked that she said she got what Len was saying about the character of the dance but that it was still a pure and gorgeous Argentine Tango. 

 

I usually really love Anna but it continues to annoy me that "Miss Patti" keeps getting a pass.Why should everyone else get criticized for lack of content but Patti could do whatever the hell she wants where she looks like she barely breaks a sweat and get away with it. Anna even said "doesnt matter, I could watch Patti all day" when her lack of content was brought up. Ridiculous.

 

 

Agreed. The only thing I can think is that they maybe all don't think she'll have a run like Tommy Chong for example and so they figure it's great for what it is because she'll be voted off soon. Of course with this show that's not always a wise assumption to make.

Edited April 8, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Thadeeeyus]

I'm fine with Darvina on the show but I found myself disagreeing with a couple of the things she said tonight.  I doubt Chris was bothered dancing the Rumba with Whitney in the audience, and I agree with Anna that Suzanne is already showing some good technique in her dances and doesn't necessarily need to step it up with the technique.  Maybe drop some of the shtick and focus on the dance.  

 

I thought Anna's comments about Riker interesting.  CA had said that Riker and Alison seemed to be fighting each other and Anna thought Riker's previous ballroom experience with leading may be the cause of this. She said they are both used to being strong and independent, and this journey of working with a partner is something they are sharing.  They are both learning.  

 

I need to watch Nastia's dance again to check out the foot sickling. Anna was sure her foot was sickled a couple of times and Suri was adamant that Nastia never sickles her feet.  lol.  

 

I did enjoy Anna's comments about Willow and what a work horse she is and her fierceness. That she never complains and definitely does not act like a 14-year-old. 

 

Poor Chris. Those comments were pretty negative.  Keo: "not great".  Anna:  "unfortunate".  

 

Pity Suri never seems to take any time off.

 

Pretty please. 

 

[Andiethewestie]

This week's Afterbuzz is up

[truthaboutluv]

Thank goodness for Anna, because she saved this week's show from being a complete dud. That guest, can't even remember her name, was completely pointless. Darvina and Suri, surprisingly, had a few decent comments but I thought there was way too much emphasis on production at times and diddly about the actual dancing.

Like I get the production and performance of some of the numbers were amazing but I don't think that means couples deserve 10's because the hair and makeup people and crew did an amazing job pulling all the stuff together. It's like what about the actual dancing?

Edited April 15, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Thadeeeyus]

This episode was pretty blah.  They really need to have someone good in studio.  Anna calling in is better than nothing, but it's not enough. 

[truthaboutluv]

I have to add that while I sort of got what Anna and Suri were saying about Derek and Nastia's dance (though I love how Suri kept saying "and I swear she is sweet and I'm not saying she's not nice" all while they harp on how cold Nastia is) I disagreed with Anna's comment that it was gimmicky. In my opinion, EVERY single dance on Monday was gimmicky - well maybe save for Patti Labelle's. They were all gimmicky with the costumes, set, etc. It's ridiculous to me to call Derek and Nastia's dance gimmicky while there was all this praise for Mark and Willow for example, where Mark was running around in a rabbit's head and there was Noah with that horrible hair piece and super fake tan "riding a magic carpet."

 

The point is every dance was specific to the movie and song it was taken from. And listen, I didn't love the dance because I hate Frozen and I hated the song. But I felt like Anna and Suri were really hammering on Nastia while in my opinion, all the top dances - Riker, Rumer and Nastia - were all overscored. Yes, there was the "we don't connect to Nastia" narrative again. But while Nastia may not be showing enough "vulnerability" or "personality" for some, I've at least seen variety in her dancing. She's been soft, graceful, sexy, strong and playful. Rumer has only shown me dramatic and intense and yet only Kristen mentioned wanting to see something different from her. 

[Abra]

Brooklyn Fullmer needs to never be invited back to the show again. I kept wondering if she was still in high school.

 

Everyone seemed to absolutely love Riker's paso (Suri even said it was one of the best dances of all the seasons??). I at least thought Anna would critique the choreography or the technique, but no. And it's possible I haven't been paying the best attention in past shows, but Anna did not seem to be Allison's biggest fan, but her attitude tonight took a 180. I resign myself to being baffled by everyone else's high opinion of this dance, and them in general.

 

Kristyn mentioned there's no elimination next week. Now I have to deal with Chris, Noah, and Patti with no hope of elimination for two whole weeks.

 

On the plus side, the anniversary special is coming up. I could have sworn she said it was April 21st, but I checked ABC's schedule and it appears to be a normal Tuesday night. Hmm.

 

The results show will also be back starting April 28th through the rest of the season. I'm happy about that. Hopefully they'll bring back the confessional and the recorded interactions between the partners during performance night - I love those moments.

 

Kristyn asked Anna to name some of her favorite performances throughout all seasons, either with other pros or celebrity partner. In case anyone's interested, I thought I'd link to them: Anna mentioned dancing to a Stevie Wonder performance, and the all female pro number in Season 14 choreographed by JaQuel Knight.

[Mbeaker]

Well, that was the worst episode of AfterBuzz I've ever watched. Were the words "footwork" "frame" "technique" ever uttered!? This is rhetorical.

Anna is the only one that saves this show for me, and because of her technical problems connecting via phone, she wasn't able to speak on many of the dances. When she did get a chance to speak, she didn't offer her usual insight save for maybe commenting on the time signature of Riker's dance, hating Chris' outfit, and critiquing Nastia's dance as something that looked pieced together. Still love her, of course, but I wish she was in-studio. She's at her best then.

Brooklyn was even worse of a guest than Keo was last time. I don't think she offered any substantive critique. I hope she's never invited back. Even Suri, who is generally awful, brought more insight to the table (and I actually agreed with her about Nastia).

The anniversary special is airing May 14th per Carrie Ann's blog (a read I recommend for some of the behind-the-scenes she spills, including that the judges meet with producers to discuss a couple's "storyline.")

Kelly's soap star castmate tweeted that Kelly and Val are dancing April 21st and Kristyn Burtt ran with it. But it sounds like Kelly and Val's dance will be filmed in advance and not Liiiive.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Mbeaker

[kitcloudkicker]

I'm putting this here because Darvina seems to have become a semi-permanent fixture on the Afterbuzz show, but I've been enjoying her little behind the scenes interviews with the dancers. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJL81cfHpCOVeBgWdP9QuVQ

 

She did one with Derek this week, and Val last week, and with both of them I feel like they were a little more relaxed in the interviews than they usually are. She's got a nice rapport with everyone. 

[truthaboutluv]

This week's show. 

 

[RemoteControl88]

They need Anna back STAT!!! I appreciate that she isn't afraid to be critical of everyone.  Hearing how sweet, and lovely and wonderful everyone is....is sweet.  But since the purpose of Afterbuzz is to critique each dance I think they should actually do that.  When Suri is the main one giving critiques then your panel is too nice.  Episode was meh for me.