S20.E03: Latin Night

[sinkwriter]

 

Dancesportinfo.net keeps records of competitions. Riker and Rydel danced Junior Latin together in 2006.

 

Wow. That was almost 10 years ago -- if he was that young at the time (and hasn't kept up with that kind of dance), he might have forgotten how to do it. I don't see a problem here.

Edited March 31, 2015 by sinkwriter

[katha]

Well, the judges went in a bit this week. (-; Can't say I disagreed too much with the scores, though. Bruno's comment about Charlotte was uncalled for, glad that Tom threw that right back at him.

 

Liked Noah for the first time, no he can't do as much as the others, but what he did today he did well and Sharna choreographed a great work-around. Liked Riker, but he still seems frantic. Or is that the Allison influence? Rumer was fierce as always and it was cool, but very disco. Not much else Val could do here, though, I guess. Nastia was good as well, but I can see that "connection" might become a bit of a problem for her. And I don't necessarily think that's only on Derek's schedule, she just seems not very open as a person. There's nothing wrong with that, but on a popularity contest it's not ideal. She's got great abilities though and perhaps that aspect can be improved. Thought choreography and music for the paso were great, concept was cool, Mark's costume was borderline. (-; She does lack strengh a bit and it shows in intense dances and I thought it also looked a bit careful due to her injury perhaps? But thought it was pretty well-controlled and precise, no flailing around like it can easily happen in pasos, and she got the performance aspect of it right for the most part. Steadily improving, that one.

 

Michael seems to be getting a bit lost in the shuffle, doesn't he? I thought he did really well in the first week and has been kind of unremarkable this week and the last one as well. Suzanne falls into that category for me as well. Patti again didn't do much. I'm okay with contestants like that staying on as long as the judges don't overscore them. The score for her was right IMO and if the public wants to keep her on they just have to keep voting for her.

Edited March 31, 2015 by katha

[superdeluxe]

Mark's always spoken with a weird British/American accent. He's been hanging out with Emma a lot lately and mentioned on the livestream that he and Willow's camera person is British too. Mark can be a poser when he wants to be but the accent is probably a proximity thing rather than an affectation.

I missed tonight's show so will catch up via YouTube. I love that this board is almost devoid of the raving Stan's prevalent on some other sites - so much easier to get a balanced synopsis.

 

Really?  A balanced synopsis?  I don't agree with that, but whatever.

Edited March 31, 2015 by superdeluxe

[Padma]

I didn't blame Tony for being annoyed with Carrie Ann. What does it mean, "I want you to go to deeper emotions when you dance"? It was a fun samba.  Why does it have to be emotionally "deep" (i.e. probably sad)? That little "tiff" will probably hurt her.

 

If it's true Riker has latin training, then I like him even less. But if he does, then I think he was -really- overscored tonight. He always -looks- good moving, but I thought there was very little actual footwork from him tonight. Definitely, definitely not worth three 9s. I was with Len--7's and 8's, at best.

[sinkwriter]

 

I didn't blame Tony for being annoyed with Carrie Ann. What does it mean, "I want you to go to deeper emotions when you dance"? It was a fun samba.  Why does it have to be emotionally "deep" (i.e. probably sad)? That little "tiff" will probably hurt her.

 

I really thought Tony was overreacting (or completely misunderstanding her) in the moment. Carrie Ann seemed to be saying that they've done three weeks of "fun" routines, so next week she wants to see something different from them, probably something more emotional and more dramatic instead of silly. I mean, week 1 was Tony and Suzanne in leotards, doing a goofy Physical spoof; week 2 was fun dancing on top of a piano, and this week Suzanne was wearing a fruit hat. They've all been entertaining performances, but it would be nice to see her do a dramatic Paso next week, or maybe something with intensity or with flowing grace and sweetness instead of silliness. That was what I took from what Carrie Ann said, anyway. I really didn't understand why no one (Tom, Erin, Tony, etc.) seemed to get what Carrie Ann was saying. Why wouldn't she want to see them mix it up a bit and present different performance moods/tones each week? I wouldn't want them to do the same kinds of things every week. It gets boring. 

 

it's why I wish Alison would tone it down a bit in her routines. Every week her choreography seems pretty manic. Entertaining, definitely, but also very hyper. So it was nice when she slowed it down a tiny bit with the Fox Trot they did last week. But even then she seemed to throw in some of her manic moves, so I felt like she took it over the top where she didn't need to. It's nice to mix it up and show different levels of emotion and mood.

[PBGamer89]

Allison is a very "on" personality in the sense that her personality has her energy level  turned up 10 notches all the time and her choreo reflects that and that's part of why I can't latch onto her as a pro or a choreographer.

 

I feel like in addition to Riker's general unknown status, Allison's choreo will result in this season's shocker elimination.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Len's comment to Charlotte was absolutely appropriate in view of the clip: "we are all busy with emails and other jobs" to point out how she would be better if she focused, you get what you sweat, etc.. Bruno's comment about quantum physics was not only insulting, it also made no sense related to her dancing.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Wow.  I have never, not on any show, seen a package so hellbent on destroying a contestant.  They didn't turn a machine gun.  Not a bazooka.  Not even a tank, on Charlotte.  They came with the freaking Howitzers!  The only thing missing was the Coroner of Munchkin Land averring that she was not just "merely dead," but "most sincerely dead."

[katha]

Yeah, I get that she was cast as canon fodder and wasn't particularly talented and perhaps also a complainer. She was surely no fave of mine. But if you watched the live rehearsals you saw that Keo's lack of teaching experience also played some part in her struggles and his packaging for her IMO also could have been better. So it did feel like they were throwing her under the bus this week. Hard. Just like the first week package was certainly something the producers put together and sure, Charlotte could have refused to play along, but  I think she's aware that she's not well known and doesn't have much standing so perhaps she was going along with it to make nice. Oh well, it's the usual manpulative BS from TPTB. It does smart more when these edits take a mean-spirited turn, though. They all signed up for this nonsense of course, but I personally don't enjoy it that much if they start railroading them.

Edited March 31, 2015 by katha

[Sile]

Riker having had professional training doesn't bother me, and his having competed briefly in juniors not much more, it's the lying about it that has him losing me.  It's one thing to just avoid mentioning it, but outright lying to a direct question?  No.

 

I don't think Carrie Ann's comment was reason for outrage, but she is being a bit premature.  So far they've danced to Physical, Whole Lotta Shakin', and Copacabana.  Not  a lot of room for deep thoughts and profound introspection there...

 

I actually kind of got where Bruno was going and I think it wouldn't have sounded so bad if he'd finished his sentence before the pearl clutching started.  I thought it was sort of a pep talk along the lines of "You're never going to win the Nobel, but you are capable of being a good dancer".  Maybe it would have been better if he'd said, "You'll never be dancing with the NYC Ballet, but you can certainly do a better job on a dumb reality show if you put down your damned phone."

 

But I have no sympathy for Charlotte and her excuses.  I'm dyslexic and have a hard time with right and left ("your other right" is an oft-heard comment) so when I have to do something where it matters, even something as basic as following a workout instructor, I wear a hair scrunchie on my left ankle and left wrist.  When I hear "left", I think "scrunchie".  Problem solved!

 

Patti did more cha cha on the way to the staircase than in her routine.  I really do think she could have done more.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Sile

[RetailTherapy]

Well, they managed to make it all the way to week 3 before starting the tongue bathing of Derek.  Boo-hoo.  Poor pitiful baby.  He travels allllll the time, ya'll.  He's so darned busy that he can't possibly devote more than a day or so, but he comes jitterbugging in as some sort of conquering hero.  Please.  Sure, Nastia knows the dance.  She's well versed on choreography and she's had plenty of practice during the week.  I heard the strands of a million tiny vioilins, playing just for him.

 

Rumer - underscored. 

 

Riker - overscored.

 

The rest were passable, even bachelor dude.  Michael is getting lost in the shuffle and I hate that.

 

Bruno was absolutely out of line with what he said to Charlotte.  Yeah, we all know she's not the brightest bulb in the light fixture, but no need for that pot to be calling the kettle black on national tv.

[vibeology]

I don't care for Charlotte. At the same time, Bruno's comments to her were inappropriate and cruel. It should be enough to get him suspended at the least from the show, as well he should be offering her an in-person apology.

 

Snaps to Tom Bergeron for putting Bruno in his place as well.

 

It's one of the worst moments I've seen on this show. Really, really, REALLY uncalled for.

 

I wish Tom hadn't said anything. He turned that disgusting moment into a joke and it wasn't a joke. Carrie Ann or Julianne had made the comment that Bruno was out of line and it should have been left at that. Tom's job is to keep the show running, so I get why he did it, but he didn't defend Charlotte when he said "neither will you." He agreed with Bruno's premise. Bruno has made some nasty comments before, but this one really bugs me. I hope there is some sort of response from the show.

 

I didn't blame Tony for being annoyed with Carrie Ann. What does it mean, "I want you to go to deeper emotions when you dance"? It was a fun samba.  Why does it have to be emotionally "deep" (i.e. probably sad)? That little "tiff" will probably hurt her.

 

If they had turned a rumba into something fun, I'd get Carrie Ann's point, but all they've been assigned for three weeks is silly fun dances with very little depth. I can't blame Tony or Suzanne for staying true to the character of their assigned dances. If CAI had said "Next week you have a tango, lets see some depth" the comment would have made more sense and maybe that's what she meant, but she wasn't clear and in the moment I could see how Tony didn't understand. Then Erin kept pushing making the situation worse. I'm so over the CIA/Tony feud and I thought the show had moved on long ago.

[Wings]

 

I really thought Tony was overreacting (or completely misunderstanding her) in the moment. Carrie Ann seemed to be saying that they've done three weeks of "fun" routines, so next week she wants to see something different from them, probably something more emotional and more dramatic instead of silly. I mean, week 1 was Tony and Suzanne in leotards, doing a goofy Physical spoof; week 2 was fun dancing on top of a piano, and this week Suzanne was wearing a fruit hat. They've all been entertaining performances, but it would be nice to see her do a dramatic Paso next week, or maybe something with intensity or with flowing grace and sweetness instead of silliness. That was what I took from what Carrie Ann said, anyway. I really didn't understand why no one (Tom, Erin, Tony, etc.) seemed to get what Carrie Ann was saying. Why wouldn't she want to see them mix it up a bit and present different performance moods/tones each week? I wouldn't want them to do the same kinds of things every week. It gets boring.

 

 

ITA, sinkwater.   She made herself clear from where I sat.  

[spanana]

I feel like in addition to Riker's general unknown status, Allison's choreo will result in this season's shocker elimination.

 

I'd argue that Riker isn't really an unknown.  He's unknown to the major DWTS demo, but dude has a solid kid/teen following behind him.  That won't be enough to win, but unlike say Cody's fans a few seasons back, his fans seem to be engaged and are taking Riker's inclusion here seriously.  Probably because he's taking it seriously and is pretty decent to boot.  But his following is on par with past Disney stars and they usually make it to at least the semis or the finals.  Background or not, if he keeps dancing like he has so far I don't think he will have any problem making the semis.

[RescueMom]

It doesn't bother me that they cast a 14 year old girl, but last night was ridiculous with the constant litany of  "I'm only 14!" in her package.  It's tempting to go back and count how many times she said it.  Shut. Up. Willow.  Gymnasts hit their prime around, what, 16?  Youth should actually be an asset in this competition as far as physical stamina goes.

 

I can't get on the love train for Patti or Noah.  I'm just meh about most of this season, and that is disappointing.  There have only been a couple of seasons that has happened to me.  Maybe TPTB's push to try to force this to be a young, edgy show* has finally forced it so far away from what I fell in love has finally hit the point of disconnect for me.  But maybe not - I loved last season.

 

*I know I'm not the demographic they want, anyway.  But you would think someone at the show would figure out sooner or later that, like it or not, I'm the demographic they have.

[Wings]

I tried to find this post to give credit but it eluded me on my second pass. 

 

"Mark looked like a character in a claymation xmas special." 

 

This is hysterical! 

[alexa]

I really thought Tony was overreacting (or completely misunderstanding her) in the moment. Carrie Ann seemed to be saying that they've done three weeks of "fun" routines, so next week she wants to see something different from them, probably something more emotional and more dramatic instead of silly. I mean, week 1 was Tony and Suzanne in leotards, doing a goofy Physical spoof; week 2 was fun dancing on top of a piano, and this week Suzanne was wearing a fruit hat. They've all been entertaining performances, but it would be nice to see her do a dramatic Paso next week, or maybe something with intensity or with flowing grace and sweetness instead of silliness. That was what I took from what Carrie Ann said, anyway. I really didn't understand why no one (Tom, Erin, Tony, etc.) seemed to get what Carrie Ann was saying. Why wouldn't she want to see them mix it up a bit and present different performance moods/tones each week? I wouldn't want them to do the same kinds of things every week. It gets boring.

 

This.  And didn't he have Betsy last year, and they did the same kind of things?  It is like he thinks every older lady he gets has to have some sort of ridiculous costume on.  Betsy was much more well received when they started doing more serious dances.  Forgive me if Tony wasn't with Betsy, as I lose track of previous seasons, but I think it was those two.  

 

I just think Suzanne is going that route of not being taken seriously, and I totally got what Carrie Ann was saying.  Tony annoys me when he gets all defensive.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Having a week where lifts are allowed can be fun, but I'm glad that more than one celeb mentioned that lifts are harder than they look. To be honest, part of dancing is making it look easy but the flip side of that is that people think things like the big lift in Dirty Dancing is so easy because it looks simple but lifts require a lot of timing, teamwork, and engaging your entire body.

 

Rumer seemed very unpolished this week. From the very beginning of the routine when she walked out, she looked like she was marking. I am not a disco fan so

 

Charlotte's rumba was better than I thought it would be (which doesn't say much because I have the bar set pretty low for her). I think a lot of it was due to Keo's choreography which camouflaged her lack of dance skills. He was smart to take advantage of her flexibility but it doesn't hide her bent legs and the way she moves her feet. I usually ignore what Bruno says because he has a tendency to blather and his hyperbole annoys me, but he was right about her. She strikes these beautiful poses and then she just clomps off.

 

Michael's salsa had too many lifts and not enough dancing from him. On the one hand, i feel like fine, Peta should take advantage of Latin week since she has a young strong partner and they're allowed to do lifts but it reminded me of the disco routines on SYTYCD in that most of the routine was getting into the lifts, doing the lifts, and getting out of the lifts. The rest of the routine felt like token filler before transitioning to the next lift.

 

In contrast, even though Riker's salsa had a lot of lifts, it felt like there was a lot more dance content in the routine. Ugh, his hair was back in the rehearsal footage which I did not like but thankfully he had his hair under control for his performance.

 

Suzanne's samba had way too much arsing around at the beginning. There was only about 30 seconds of her dancing with Tony. When the guys pulled her huge headdress off, I was hoping they would pull all those feather boas off her ass too. Her footwork is not great though. It's not precise enough and it's too timid so it ends up looking like she's kind of shuffling along instead of intentionally dancing.

 

Ha, the smartest thing about Chris's Argentine Tango was putting him in all black so he faded into the background and it wasn't as obvious that he did almost no dancing in that routine. Again too much arsing around at the beginning. From the time they went into hold until the end of the routine was about 20 seconds. There were several times when he was just standing still as Witney danced around him.

 

Robert's rumba was too much posing and not enough dancing and way too much of his pancake hands. I agree with Carrie's assessment - he needs to learn how to continue his movements instead of hitting a pose and stopping there.

 

Ha, I loved that Patti's chyron said, "MUSIC LEGEND." And I loved that Artem knew he could pick her up. He seems like such a great partner but I agree that the routine needed more cha cha content.

 

Mark was smart to put Willow in that long skirt for their paso because I noticed she didn't completely straighten her legs last week and that skirt hid it. I have not been crazy about Mark in past seasons but he was able to choreograph an intense paso without making it too sexual for a 14 year old girl to do.

 

There was way too much of Noah just standing during his Argentine tango.

 

Heh, I laughed when Henry asked if Nastia could move her swollen thumb and she said no, but that she had competed with a broken ankle so no big deal. She also got bonus points from me tonight because she was the celeb who pointed her feet the most. It was also nice to see her be more expressive with her face. I am so used to her stoic gymnastics game face that it was like a whole new world to see her smiling and making faces while she danced tonight.

 

I love when the show gets short on time and they have to do an abbreviated results section at the end. I would have been fine with any of the bottom three going home. Noah, Chris, and Charlotte are among the weakest and should go home soon. Witney and Chris were both clearly pissed they were in the bottom two. Charlotte didn't look surprised but she obviously doesn't take criticism well. She was making the same pouty face during the judges' critiques earlier.

 

Mark's always spoken with a weird British/American accent. He's been hanging out with Emma a lot lately and mentioned on the livestream that he and Willow's camera person is British too. Mark can be a poser when he wants to be but the accent is probably a proximity thing rather than an affectation.

I went to school with a girl who grew up in Australia and then moved to the United States as a teenager. Most of the time she sounded American but then her Australian accent would randomly come back (especially when she she had to read aloud in class). She didn't even realize when her accent crept back in that she was doing it. Proximity to a similar accent can definitely cause a dormant accent to pop back up to. I have a friend from the South who has almost no southern accent but when she is around her family or other people with southern accents it is much more pronounced.

[StatMom]

Allison is a very "on" personality in the sense that her personality has her energy level  turned up 10 notches all the time and her choreo reflects that and that's part of why I can't latch onto her as a pro or a choreographer.

Yep, and she doesn't seem to know how to "tone it down" a bit, so that her partner doesn't suffer by comparison. 

 

But I have no sympathy for Charlotte and her excuses.  I'm dyslexic and have a hard time with right and left ("your other right" is an oft-heard comment) so when I have to do something where it matters, even something as basic as following a workout instructor, I wear a hair scrunchie on my left ankle and left wrist.  When I hear "left", I think "scrunchie".  Problem solved!

I was also wondering about this: it's not like the choreo is written instructions that she has to interpret. She watches what he does, and follows it. Isn't that visual? Which she said was her strength? But following left/right instructions can throw people, that I get.

[MsPH]

Wow. That was almost 10 years ago -- if he was that young at the time (and hasn't kept up with that kind of dance), he might have forgotten how to do it. I don't see a problem here.

 

You don't really forget dance, especially if you were a kid when you learned it. It stays in your muscle memory and is pretty easily tapped into later, even if it's been a while. It's very different than learning it from scratch. Any dance experience helps with learning new styles and choreography, but dance experience in the same style is a huge advantage. Not that I mind personally, I'm happy to see some decent dancing on this show every once in a while. I hardly ever watch DWTS for the simple reason that bad dancing annoys me. I guess they evened out the playing field a bit by giving him a non-ballroom pro.

[truthaboutluv]

I don't think Carrie Ann's comment was reason for outrage, but she is being a bit premature.  So far they've danced to Physical, Whole Lotta Shakin', and Copacabana.  Not  a lot of room for deep thoughts and profound introspection there...

 

 

But I don't think she was talking about those. She was talking about upcoming dances and saying she wanted to see something else. It's just like the judges will say to someone, "okay that was good but next week is Standard, so I want better frame or I want to see something slower and more finesse, etc."  So  I think that's all Carrie Ann was saying, that all that Suzanne has done is good enough but moving forward she wants to see more than this cutesy/Hollywood facade and some more depth and emotion. How Tony took that as some knock against their work ethic I have no idea. Tony's continued hate for Carrie Ann all these years and seasons later is just ridiculous. 

 

Forgive me if Tony wasn't with Betsy, as I lose track of previous seasons, but I think it was those two.

 

 

You're right, it was Betsy and you're also right that she was much better received - both by the judges and viewers when they peeled away the crazy costumes and gimmicks and she showed vulnerability and just danced beautifully.

 

I have not been crazy about Mark in past seasons but he was able to choreograph an intense paso without making it too sexual for a 14 year old girl to do.

 

 

Are Paso's really sexual though? They're intense and dramatic for sure but I've never really considered them sexual. I wasn't surprised Mark could pull this off because he pulled off the Argentine Tango last week and I find AT's can be far more sexual than Paso's. 

 

Riker having had professional training doesn't bother me, and his having competed briefly in juniors not much more, it's the lying about it that has him losing me.  It's one thing to just avoid mentioning it, but outright lying to a direct question?  No.

 

 

Yeah I've always noted that ringers don't bother me on this show, albeit even some of the biggest didn't have actual ballroom training which is different. And since I don't vote anyway I don't really care that much about Riker's past. But lying about something that can easily be discovered and/or proven is silly on his part because it's just going to turn people off and convince them that he's trying to downplay his skills to not make it so obvious he's more experienced than others.

 

I've always said the celebrities should just own their background, whatever capacity of dance it is. I've found that people will vote how they want no matter what. Some people vote on the performances, some vote for the celebrity's "journey" and there are always those who yes will say "it's supposed to be about people who can't dance" and vote for some celebrity who's not the greatest dancer because they feel "they represent what the show is about", etc. 

 

So it was nice when she slowed it down a tiny bit with the Fox Trot they did last week. But even then she seemed to throw in some of her manic moves, so I felt like she took it over the top where she didn't need to.

 

 

I always say that I make a point of looking solely at the celebrity when they are dancing because I don't need to see what the Pro is doing and essentially it is the celebrity being judged. So I didn't really look at Alison the first time I watched her and Riker's Foxtrot last week but I did a re-watch and wow, it's a good thing I didn't watch her at first because holy over the top faces. She was incredibly distracting with the dramatic faces, over the top emoting - honestly it was just weird at times. And it especially pulled focus from Riker who while doing the steps wasn't emoting like that even a little bit. So the contrast between them was distracting. 

 

And I don't necessarily think that's only on Derek's schedule, she just seems not very open as a person. There's nothing wrong with that, but on a popularity contest it's not ideal. She's got great abilities though and perhaps that aspect can be improved.

 

 

You know I've seen people mention many times that those producer packages before the couple dances can not so subtly affect how some viewers view the pairing. I know many Charlie fans felt that's how he got screwed during his season because even the packages were dismissive of him and Sharna. And not accusing you of this but I re-watched Nastia's Samba and I realize I may have had that happen to me.

 

Because on re-watch I think there was a much better connection than some are noting but that's clearly becoming their storyline and arc for the season. And I get it. Because let's face it, it's not going to be an issue of technique with Nastia. And yes, she will never be Ms. Suzie Sunshine, let's be realistic. But I watched the performance again and I really think did sell it and was in pretty good performance mode. More than that, that choreography was pretty damn good and intricate and I think that got lost a bit. Just how difficult the dance was probably because again of how good she is. So it seemed more simple than it really was.

 

And I can definitely see that narrative if you will possibly hurting her, except according to my friend paying more attention to online talk this season than me, Nastia seems to have just about everyone stumping for her - from the U.S. Gymnastics official social media, U.S. Olympic Committee, Subway, etc. 

 

What the hell was that bizarro dancing by Mark??? He looked like a leprechaun on crack. Great concept, but when you look too ridiculous to pull it off, Mark, it's not good.

 

 

LMAO!!! I swear, I had to rewatch that dance right after it was over to see what Willow did because I was so distracted by Mark. The costume and hair was bad enough but yeah when he broke into the jig, I thought "wait, what's happening here, is he doing an Irish jig in the middle of a Paso?" I admire Mark's determination to always fully commit to his crazy ideas.

[Kendra143]

I really wish Derek would keep his shirt on. Being half naked added nothing to the dance and I couldn't stand watching his shiny chest strut around the floor. So I missed watching Nastia! Bring Henrt on to dance with her!! And thank you CAI for telling Willow to quit talking about being 14. We got it the first 50 times we heard it on opening night. I feel like a curmudgeon but she is one annoying teenager. Loving Rumer (who'd thought??), Riker ( crazy) and even Chris who clearly does not want to fail!

[Linderhill]

I have a feeling that Mark is trying for his own dance Emmy with all of the over-the-top costuming and styling he's been doing the past couple of seasons.  His buddy Derek has one so now he has to have one.  This week's costume, make-up and especially that hair...yeesh. As soon as I saw him in the opening sequence i was shaking my head.

[kayma]

Allison is a very "on" personality in the sense that her personality has her energy level  turned up 10 notches all the time and her choreo reflects that and that's part of why I can't latch onto her as a pro or a choreographer.

Riker and Allison just aren't clicking for me, and I think this is it now that the hair has been tamed. I want them to bring it down from 11 all the time and show a little nuance or something. It's so frenetic that I can't enjoy it.

 

I liked the disco salsa. I thought it was fun and had a different vibe than everyone else, which is what I like in this show. I though Rumer did well and was a really good sport about the slow motion, looped showing of their injury since that's not really what I'd want slowed down and shown over and over again on tv. It's one thing to do it at normal speed. I'm still really surprised at how much I'm liking Rumer. She's personable and hard working and seems to really be trying to enjoy the experience. She's the biggest surprise for me this season.

 

I admire Mark's determination to always fully commit to his crazy ideas.

Yes! Even when it's over the top, he always tries his best to sell it. I wasn't a fan of the dance - thought it was a good idea but Willow seemed slow and didn't attack anything - but I have to give Mark props for being willing to go over the top. Even though Mark does do the big concept and crazy dances, he still manages to give his partners a chance to shine and build in some tempo changes and nuance. I think that's what Allison still needs to figure out.

 

I thought Witney looked great, again. The lifts she did in their dance were great. I wish Chris had danced a little to go along with it but maybe they figured out how to keep him on time this way.

 

I like Noah and Sharna. There are a few more who can go before I'd be looking for him to leave. I take it they aren't getting the votes TPTB expected since they put them in jeopardy this week. I think they are solidly middle of the pack.

 

Robert and Kym are adorable. I loved the song and thought it was a beautiful dance. I think their rumba, for me, was better than Nastia's last week because the connection and joy overtake Robert's issues. I don't know what good technique is anyway so (as long as the final product looks good) I like to see the couples enjoy the dance.

 

Oh, Michael. I didn't love the dance. I thought he was so worried about the lifts that it slowed everything down and threw him off. However, I think there's a way to critique him without crushing his (or anyone's) spirit, especially when he started out as such a fan of the show. I thought the judges - except for Len oddly - were all kind of negative and bordered on mean for most couples. I don't think it's too difficult to find something positive to throw out about someone. Just a little you can work on x and y but z was good.

 

I'm still underwhelmed by Nastia, and I don't think the package did her, Derek, or Henry even any favors. I'm not sure what the producers were going for with that. She came off as lacking a personality to me, oddly detached. It made Henry look kind of second rate, which I don't agree with at all, and Derek didn't come off well either. It looked like she did a lot of dancing and most of it looked good to me. I just don't think she's standing out as much as I expected given the rest of the field. I don't think she would have competed with Meryl or Charlie or Alfonso (my frame of reference for this show is pretty short). I'm hoping they get their rhythm down and get things smoothed out. She's not my horse in this race, but I really want to see the great dancing she should be capable of.

[katha]

I have a feeling that Mark is trying for his own dance Emmy with all of the over-the-top costuming and styling he's been doing the past couple of seasons.  His buddy Derek has one so now he has to have one.  This week's costume, make-up and especially that hair...yeesh. As soon as I saw him in the opening sequence i was shaking my head.

Nah. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Mark would love to have an Emmy. But his commitment to batshit crazy is completely his own and has always been there. (-; Look back even to his first seasons with Sabrina Bryan or Kristi Yamaguchi. He was a baby pro and the dances on the show were much more traditional. But even then it was already loud costuming, aggressive dancing, throwing in other dance styles, playing around with concepts. Len was calling him out on that stuff right from the beginning. It got more pronounced later on as he found his "voice" as a choreographer, but the stylistic tendencies were always there. He has very specific aesthetic preferences and they veer towards extremism. I like it, I'm a fan of it (most of the time), but I can understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

[truthaboutluv]

But his commitment to batshit crazy is completely his own and has always been there.

 

 

Absolutely agree. I blame Corky and his cheesiness - Mark never stood a chance. Seriously, I glanced at Mark's Instagram once and he posted an old picture of him and his parents and his nanny when he was 5 and they were all dressed up in Michael Jackson style outfits circa Bad era. Complete with the leather and gloves. And no, it wasn't Halloween. The funniest part was the poor nanny being forced into this. When I saw the picture I thought, "well it all makes so much sense."

[OakGoblinFly]

Julianne, you’re such a pretty girl – please tell the make-up and wardrobe people to just stop with the horrible choices, there’s no need to look that frumpy.  That being said, I do like the fact that she was giving solid critiques and advice that can be beneficial to the dancers (move your arms like your pushing water, step with intention, tapping your foot doesn’t allow for proper hip action) – I quite like this version of Julianne.

 

I finally figured out what bugs about Allison’s dancing – it was very obvious during the group routine.  Allison’s ballroom style is a bit to frantic and out-of-control feeling and it stood out (in a bad way).  She still oversells the dance (perhaps an attempt to over compensate for her lack of ballroom experience) and I’ve not been impressed with any of her choreography.  I want to see her create a routine that is just ballroom dancing; no costume changes, no fog, no bridges to hide the steps --- a simple, clean, dance.  I do not like her partnership with Riker – I don’t feel any connection between the two or investment in the dance piece (odd because Allison was known for incredible connections/emotional investment during her contemporary routines). 

 

It still bugs me that she and not Jenna (or to a lesser extent Lindsey) was given the opportunity to be a full time pro.  Allison should have started in the troupe – this way she could have learned/practiced more ballroom technique (which I think is severely lacking).

 

I know that pre-dance package was supposed to make me root for Rumer – but it didn’t work.  It’s not that I find her unlikeable, it’s that I don’t like watching someone dance who cannot find the joy in it.  As technically good as she is, I don’t think she’s enjoying herself (of if she is she’s doing a dang good job of hiding it) – and I can’t watch dancers who aren’t enjoying themselves.  I just hope that Rumer can pick up some of Robert’s enthusiasm/joy of the dance/process then I might find her rootable; until then she’s someone who’s technically proficient but detached.

 

Speaking of detached – I thought that Nastia was a bit more connected to Derek and that she showed something other than “performance face” – she still has a way to go, but I did see an improvement.  The dance quality was lovely and I thought she really captured the Samba bounce.  I thought her dress was pretty and I really liked the HUGE hair – it worked for that routine.

 

I’m not sure what I thought of Noah’s Argentine Tango.  I was impressed with the creative choreography and thought the lifts were stunning – the movements between the lifts were really lacking and he and Sharna were quite visibly out of synch at times (glad that Carrie Anne pointed that out).  Still, it was nice to see a dance that really played off of Noah’s physical strength.

 

I’ve never watched The Bachelor so I have had no exposure to Chris prior to the show; other than the first episode, I find his partnership with Witney kind of endearing.  I think he’s finally bought into the process and is starting to come out of his shell.  I thought is Argentine Tango was lovely and I too noticed some improvement in the quality of his movement (with the exception of the clunking turns) and his posture.

 

Speaking of endearing, how adorable and lovely are Kym and Robert?

 

I continue to be impressed by Willow; it is amazing how much growth she’s shown in a few weeks.  Julianne is correct in that Willow’s improvement started with how she moved and placed her feet and is progressing to her leg and arm movement.  Once she stabilizes her core and feels comfortable in the movement, I think her performance quality will skyrocket.

 

I think Peta did a disservice to Michael by adding all the lifts to the Salsa.  When she noticed him be tentative (because he was afraid he’d hurt her) she should have dialed back the lifts and allowed Michael to dance.  He has a natural grace and charm about him, Peta really needs to focus on that and not the “tricks.”

 

I completely understood what Carrie Anne meant when she said Suzanne needed more “depth” to her routines.  So far everything she’s performed as been a fun, flirty, quirky number – it would nice to see Suzanne perform an emotional or graceful piece.  I hope she gets a Waltz next week.

 

As someone who taught children with various learning disabilities (including dyslexia) I complete empathize with Charlotte’s difficulty with left versus right.  Her dance was odd; she struck some beautiful poses and had some lovely lines – the in between movements were just thrown away.  I thought Bruno’s comment was extremely mean-spirited (and good on Tom for giving it right back to Bruno).  I think her lack of focus did her in (which is not uncommon in people with learning disabilities).

 

I will never, ever say a bad thing about Ms. Patti.

Edited March 31, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[Guest]

Dancesportinfo.net keeps records of competitions. Riker and Rydel danced Junior Latin together in 2006.

Thanks.  It looks like they did it for 2 months (Oct.-Dec.)

http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/Ryker_Lynch_and_Rydel_Lynch_46955/Details

[Quickbeam]

OakGoblinFly, I agree with you about Julianne. I find her advice very specific and helpful. She knows that Nastia is an athlete but she has been consistently trying to help her convert her movement sense to dance. Her suggestions in terms of posture and upper thoracic spine have been very constructive. 

[LadyMustang65]

Ok - quick thoughts.  My favorite dance of the night was Rumer's disco/salsa.  I thought that was fun and energetic and totally enjoyable.  It's honestly one of the few routines I actually even remember from last night. 

 

I wasn't impressed with either AT, although I thought Noah did a great job with the lifts.  I was a bit worried at the end, though, as Noah's prosthetic leg kept coming higher and higher off the ground.  I seriously expected them to fall and was so happy they didn't.  Chris needs to go next.  JMHO.  But I'm not enjoying him at all, even though I have come to adore Witney.

 

I also wasn't impressed with either rumba.  Charlotte hit some beautiful lines but was clunky in between.  I had wanted Chris to be the one to leave last night but after watching Charlotte's package, I was okay with her leaving instead since I wanted her gone next anyway.  Did not care for her attitude at all.  I don't care how busy you are - wait for a scheduled break to check your messages.  Don't wander off when Keo's trying to teach or rehearse.  I wasn't as put off by Bruno's comment as many seem to have been because I really don't think he meant it as a diss.  Very few people in this world are ever going to win a Nobel Prize in quantum physics - it struck me more as a statement of fact than a dig at her intelligence, and he did seem genuinely surprised that people took it that way.  His point seemed to me to be that she did have a chance to be good as a dancer if she applied herself.  Now if he'd said she'd never win an Academy Award, that would have been mean since she's an actress.  Honestly, his comment was tactless, but I didn't think it was meant as an insult.  I took it as more of a 'know your strengths and work those' comment.  But I can see why people were annoyed with it, and I don't think they're wrong.  I just thought I'd put in my two cents' worth on the subject. :)   Robert did a decent job with the rumba - it just didn't seem to be as smooth as it should have been.  It was good but not great or really memorable for me.

 

Riker did a great job with the salsa, but I was glad Carrie Anne told Allison to dial back the testosterone a bit.  Allison, like Peta, is a more in-your-face dancer, although Peta has really toned it down recently, probably because of the partners she's had.  But it's been good for her (or at least for my enjoyment of her anyway ).  Michael struggled with the salsa - it wasn't good but it wasn't horrible either.  I still like him and hope he stays around for a while.

 

Suzanne Somers did a nice job with the samba.  Probably could have been more "something," but I liked it.  :)  I'm honestly still not feeling Nastia.  I don't know what it is about her.  Maybe it's partly because she doesn't seem to have much of a personality?  I watch her dance, and it looks beautiful, but at the end, I'm still like . . . meh.  And I have to admit that I am more annoyed with Derek than ever now knowing that he's basically sharing duties with Henry.  I had thought Henry just did the camera blocking and a little practice.  How many times have we complained about a celeb who agrees to do the show and then doesn't really have/make the time for it?  Derek should not have agreed to do this season if he wasn't able to give more attention to it than that.  Ugh.  Go away, Derek.  Let Henry take over since he can do it full time.

 

I love the paso but Willow still dances 'immature' to me (which is as it should be) so it was kind of lacking for me in attitude.  She seems to do the steps well, though, but her dancing never really touches or excites me the way some of the others do.  When they first showed them, I couldn't figure out who she was with until they did a close-up, and I realized it was Mark.  Love the concept, but some of it was just strange.  Patti LaBelle is still a force.  That cha cha didn't seem to have a lot of content in it, and that shimmy thing she did on the cart was kind of weird, but I love her attitude, I love the way she goes for it, and she entertains.  Good for her!

 

In the end, only Rumer and Riker really got my full attention, and I'm on the fence about Riker.  Despite him saying that he had no dance background, someone found records from one of the dance entities showing that he did indeed compete with his sister for a while.  It didn't appear that they were top tier but if I recall they placed several times in competitions.  It was years ago, and it seemed like they only competed for maybe one season, so it's not like he was world junior champion or anything, but I think that probably does qualify him as the first true 'ringer.'  Not by much, though.  But my own personal conspiracy theory is that they gave Riker to Allison because they figured out last season that she doesn't know enough herself to be able to teach someone who knows nothing, so Riker already knows the basics.  That way they could justify keeping her around after she did so poorly with Jonathan.  <shrug>  Anyway, so far I'm liking him, and I'm enjoying his dances.

 

I'm kind of surprised that this week seemed to me like it was the weakest so far, and Latin night is usually pretty good, I think.  But it was still fun, and I'm not going anywhere on Monday nights.  :)

Edited March 31, 2015 by LadyMustang65

[designing1]

 

I swear, I had to rewatch that dance right after it was over to see what Willow did because I was so distracted by Mark. The costume and hair was bad enough but yeah when he broke into the jig, I thought "wait, what's happening here, is he doing an Irish jig in the middle of a Paso?"

 

Awww...Mark misses Tristan, too.

 

Seriously, I just watched that on YouTube and when he broke into that jig on crack I said "What the hell?!?!?" out loud. I think I'm finally coming around to Mark's own personal brand of batshit crazy; at the very least, he's never boring (we've got Tony for that.)

[Andiethewestie]

Danica did some ballroom for a tv movie and then kept up the lessons.  There was piece about Danica on 20/20 where they talked about her love of ballroom and showed some clips of her dancing, which was long before she did DWTS.  I forget the names of the people she trained with, but they were floating around here back when she did the show.  Here is the piece on 20/20.  Sure she didn't compete, but she wasn't exactly a novice either.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImDgkk542Os

 

So at the end of the day, I don't think it matters all that much.  Many fans were up in arms about Danica's fairly extensive ballroom training pre-season, but yet it didn't help get Danica anywhere near the finals.  She was still beat by people like Candace and Amy, who had no dance experience.    

 

And while I'm not doubting Riker's background, if he were truly that trained in ballroom then his technique should be better here than it actually is, no?  At this point I think Riker is standing out more do to his performance flair than his actual technique.   Hence Len's 7, which was fairly ridiculous.

But  I thought the question was about Danica's  Mom who is not a ballroom dancer. It's great to keep taking lessons, to me it looks like Danica did it for the fun of it.  Having lessons for a one off show, similar to what Rumer has been exposed to and actually Training for Dancesport are two entirely different enties. When I took Ballroom dance, going through all the levels the question became, do I train for competition or become a teacher?  That was when I was 14.  The teacher won out because the training was far too expensive for my family. The downside is by not training for competition you don't make the money a prestigious title brings.  Riker does not need to learn the basics anymore, he needs to polish, which is why Len is understandably tough on him. There is rigour to the training for Dancesport, even if the the competition is brief. The judges know his background, the audience doesn't.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[majormama]

I don't usually comment on the judging. I did think Bruno was a bit insulting to Charlotte, but really, how many of us understand quantum physics? It's not like he said she'd never pass 8th grade math. 

 

Carrie Anne prefaced her comments to Tony with that weird smile and, "Tony, you know I love you," which set up the whole awkwardness. I know he tends to go for the goofy with his older stars, at least with Suzanne so far and Betsy last year. But how much control does he have over the music choice and dance style? I always thought they just got assigned something and had to make the best of it. It's not Tony's fault they've been given cheesy, lighthearted songs.

[Andiethewestie]

Dancesportinfo.net keeps records of competitions. Riker and Rydel danced Junior Latin together in 2006.

 

Actually you only need to click on results.  They got a first in the Novice division, and top 12 in the Junior division, then in the Championship they made top 20 - they got to the quarter finals. They actually competed against some familiar names, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson and Britany Cherry  http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/Ryker_Lynch_and_Rydel_Lynch_46955/Results

Edited March 31, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[spanana]

I guess I'm not entirely getting the hubub.  Didn't Riker compete in latin when he was a child for like 1-2 months?  That doesn't really equate years and years of ballroom training.  His only competition results fall within a 1 month timespan.  I'm not doubting he has some experience, but I think it's quite overblown.  He's not even the best technical dancer on this season, let alone in DWTS history.  What he has that some of the others are lacking this season is a high performance quality, which has nothing to do with technical expertise.

Edited March 31, 2015 by spanana

[Thadeeeyus]

Carrie Anne prefaced her comments to Tony with that weird smile and, "Tony, you know I love you," which set up the whole awkwardness. I know he tends to go for the goofy with his older stars, at least with Suzanne so far and Betsy last year. But how much control does he have over the music choice and dance style? I always thought they just got assigned something and had to make the best of it. It's not Tony's fault they've been given cheesy, lighthearted songs.

 

That's the impression I've always had, that the pros are told to go in a certain direction. Which is why you get some of the eye rolls from them in the face of judges' comments about the music, style, etc.  I feel that Suzanne is capable of doing more actual dancing than she has been given.  She seems to be moving well in the heels.  I hope we get a chance to see if she can. 

 

From last night's show, I enjoyed Rumer and Val the most.  The choreo was interesting, well done, and it was danced very well.  After that, Sharna's choreo made the biggest impression. I can't say that I'm enjoying Noah's dancing, but I'm always curious what Sharna will come up with. 

 

I think Charlotte's departure is a week overdue.  Her first-week dance was one of the worst I've ever seen and I wasn't going to be able to get over that, and last night's dance was pretty shaky.   But I'm curious about the treatment she got last night.  They knew she was going home so they could have been kinder like they were with Redfoo. 

 

[truthaboutluv]

I'm kind of surprised that this week seemed to me like it was the weakest so far, and Latin night is usually pretty good, I think.

 

 

Funny because I feel like once they started hyping Latin Week and going on and on about it being the sexiest night on television, it's always turned out to be a let down. So this week was no different.

[Wings]

OakGoblinFly great post and I agree with all of it other than your comment about Patti.  She is not above reproach because she is a good singer and famous for that.  :>)  I come in peace.  

[tarotx]

Ricker also danced in the Jump competition ciruit and Sung as well as danced on Glee. He has been dancing since he was a child. He has almost the same background as Allison Herself. Which us what I have an issue with. I feel they gifted her with a star who is basically herself a few years ago. So it's not me against him cause he had actual dance and Latin dance competition experience, I feel it's more them pushing Allison on to me. And I'm a Allison fan but it's annoying and I don't even get why she was given a second shot let alone gifted someone who is versed in a similar dance language as herself.

Edited March 31, 2015 by tarotx

[LadyMustang65]

Funny because I feel like once they started hyping Latin Week and going on and on about it being the sexiest night on television, it's always turned out to be a let down. So this week was no different.

 

Maybe because it comes too early in the competition?  My memory is not what it used to be (and to be honest it was never that good <lol>) abut didn't Latin Week use to come more like Week 5 or 6 in the beginning?  That would make more sense to me because with "the sexy," familiarity and comfortability (is that a word?) with your partner makes it easier to do that.

[Andiethewestie]

I guess I'm not entirely getting the hubub.  Didn't Riker compete in latin when he was a child for like 1-2 months?  That doesn't really equate years and years of ballroom training.  His only competition results fall within a 1 month timespan.  I'm not doubting he has some experience, but I think it's quite overblown.  He's not even the best technical dancer on this season, let alone in DWTS history.  What he has that some of the others are lacking this season is a high performance quality, which has nothing to do with technical expertise.

 

For me, the hubub is the lying about it. He couldn't very well say, oh yes, I know Lindsay, Witney and Britany from the competition circuit, so instead he pretends he has no background whatsoever. 

[Primetimer]

Latin night brings successful sambas and ridiculous rumbas as the amount of rehearsal starts to show in the final product.

Read the story

[Guest]

I don't usually comment on the judging. I did think Bruno was a bit insulting to Charlotte, but really, how many of us understand quantum physics? It's not like he said she'd never pass 8th grade math. 

 

I think what was offensive about it is he's judging her intellect by a couple minutes of packaged footage and a couple minutes of dancing.  And probably her appearance.  

 

Actually you only need to click on results.  They got a first in the Novice division, and top 12 in the Junior division, then in the Championship they made top 20 - they got to the quarter finals. They actually competed against some familiar names, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson and Britany Cherry  http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/Ryker_Lynch_and_Rydel_Lynch_46955/Results

Wow, all that in two months?  He must be quite the prodigy. 

 

I never mind the people who've danced professionally-- Jennifer Grey, Nicole Sherzinger, Amber Riley, Corbin Bleu, Mel B, Alfonso, Meryl, Charlie, Kristie, Melissa, Mya, Lance, Evan, Sabrina...  It's reality tv, not the Olympics.  I don't want to see a bunch of Charlottes.  The show always seems to underplay their dance backgrounds.  

[Padma]

Julianne, you’re such a pretty girl – please tell the make-up and wardrobe people to just stop with the horrible choices, there’s no need to look that frumpy.  That being said, I do like the fact that she was giving solid critiques and advice that can be beneficial to the dancers (move your arms like your pushing water, step with intention, tapping your foot doesn’t allow for proper hip action) – I quite like this version of Julianne.

 

I finally figured out what bugs about Allison’s dancing – it was very obvious during the group routine.  Allison’s ballroom style is a bit to frantic and out-of-control feeling and it stood out (in a bad way).  She still oversells the dance (perhaps an attempt to over compensate for her lack of ballroom experience) and I’ve not been impressed with any of her choreography.  I want to see her create a routine that is just ballroom dancing; no costume changes, no fog, no bridges to hide the steps --- a simple, clean, dance.  I do not like her partnership with Riker – I don’t feel any connection between the two or investment in the dance piece (odd because Allison was known for incredible connections/emotional investment during her contemporary routines). 

 

It still bugs me that she and not Jenna (or to a lesser extent Lindsey) was given the opportunity to be a full time pro.  Allison should have started in the troupe – this way she could have learned/practiced more ballroom technique (which I think is severely lacking).

 

I know that pre-dance package was supposed to make me root for Rumer – but it didn’t work.  It’s not that I find her unlikeable, it’s that I don’t like watching someone dance who cannot find the joy in it.  As technically good as she is, I don’t think she’s enjoying herself (of if she is she’s doing a dang good job of hiding it) – and I can’t watch dancers who aren’t enjoying themselves.  I just hope that Rumer can pick up some of Robert’s enthusiasm/joy of the dance/process then I might find her rootable; until then she’s someone who’s technically proficient but detached.

 

Speaking of detached – I thought that Nastia was a bit more connected to Derek and that she showed something other than “performance face” – she still has a way to go, but I did see an improvement.  The dance quality was lovely and I thought she really captured the Samba bounce.  I thought her dress was pretty and I really liked the HUGE hair – it worked for that routine.

 

I’m not sure what I thought of Noah’s Argentine Tango.  I was impressed with the creative choreography and thought the lifts were stunning – the movements between the lifts were really lacking and he and Sharna were quite visibly out of synch at times (glad that Carrie Anne pointed that out).  Still, it was nice to see a dance that really played off of Noah’s physical strength.

 

I’ve never watched The Bachelor so I have had no exposure to Chris prior to the show; other than the first episode, I find his partnership with Witney kind of endearing.  I think he’s finally bought into the process and is starting to come out of his shell.  I thought is Argentine Tango was lovely and I too noticed some improvement in the quality of his movement (with the exception of the clunking turns) and his posture.

 

Speaking of endearing, how adorable and lovely are Kym and Robert?

 

I continue to be impressed by Willow; it is amazing how much growth she’s shown in a few weeks.  Julianne is correct in that Willow’s improvement started with how she moved and placed her feet and is progressing to her leg and arm movement.  Once she stabilizes her core and feels comfortable in the movement, I think her performance quality will skyrocket.

 

I think Peta did a disservice to Michael by adding all the lifts to the Salsa.  When she noticed him be tentative (because he was afraid he’d hurt her) she should have dialed back the lifts and allowed Michael to dance.  He has a natural grace and charm about him, Peta really needs to focus on that and not the “tricks.”

 

I completely understood what Carrie Anne meant when she said Suzanne needed more “depth” to her routines.  So far everything she’s performed as been a fun, flirty, quirky number – it would nice to see Suzanne perform an emotional or graceful piece.  I hope she gets a Waltz next week.

 

As someone who taught children with various learning disabilities (including dyslexia) I complete empathize with Charlotte’s difficulty with left versus right.  Her dance was odd; she struck some beautiful poses and had some lovely lines – the in between movements were just thrown away.  I thought Bruno’s comment was extremely mean-spirited (and good on Tom for giving it right back to Bruno).  I think her lack of focus did her in (which is not uncommon in people with learning disabilities).

 

I will never, ever say a bad thing about Ms. Patti.

I think the problem was that its hard to know if it was inattention due to learning disability or inattention due to a lousy work ethic and overinflated sense of importance ("I have to keep checking email! I have a carreeeerrr to think about!!!") It seemed the producers decided she simply hadn't shown enough commitment and hadn't worked hard enough that week. Which, learning problems or not, her dancing seemed to confirm. Plus, if you have a disadvantage like that, you have to be prepared to make -extra- effort with new challenges, not less.

 

That said, we've seen lousy dancers before, even lousy work habits, and Bruno has never insulted their intelligence. (Would he have told Master P, "You'll never get a Nobel prize in physics, so..."?)  I don't know how he will apologize, but hopefully it will be very public and very heartfelt.

[saber5055]

It's always been a gripe of mine that this show puts on "ringers" with past dance experience, public or private, and those are the "stars" who go on to finish at the top. Last night it dawned on me that viewers tune in to see good dances, not people stumbling around and unable to follow the music much less do a halfway decent dance step.

 

So, Rumer, Riker, Nastia and others are there to keep people watching and to be the favorites. Others are stuck in to be voted off early so the favs can continue on another week. So, bye Redfoo, Charlotte and soon Chris, Noah, Suzanne, Patti. Whatever week those four get sent home doesn't matter because those top three will still be there.

 

Robert is the dark horse as he is becoming a favorite and really is improving and learning to dance.

 

And I TOTALLY loved seeing Kevin and Lori in the audience loudly cheering for Robert. Odd that Mark Cuban wasn't there. Ha ha! I believe he left either first or second in his season. So, take THAT, Cuban!

 

I did like Noah's dance, however. Really enjoyed it. And yes to Chris in all black. Great move, costumer.

[truthaboutluv]

Odd that Mark Cuban wasn't there. Ha ha! I believe he left either first or second in his season. So, take THAT, Cuban!

 

 

Nope, Mark made it to Week 5 I believe. What's more interesting is that Mark was also paired up with Kym. 

[OakGoblinFly]

Robert is the dark horse as he is becoming a favorite and really is improving and learning to dance.

 

And I TOTALLY loved seeing Kevin and Lori in the audience loudly cheering for Robert. Odd that Mark Cuban wasn't there. Ha ha! I believe he left either first or second in his season. So, take THAT, Cuban!

 

 

Mark Cuban was there last week (or was it week one?)

OakGoblinFly great post and I agree with all of it other than your comment about Patti.  She is not above reproach because she is a good singer and famous for that.  :>)  I come in peace.  

 

 

No worries ....... I admire Ms. Patti for being out there and really embracing the process - sure her dancing needs to, well have more dancing, however I can't be mad because she's still there when she is clearly enjoying herself (and it looks like Artem enjoys the partnership too --- I haven't seen him smile this much in a while).

[majormama]

Just rewatched all the dances. One thing I noticed last night but had forgotten was the number of costume bits that fell off. Charlotte lost something, Suzanne had feathers everywhere, and Allison flung a bracelet. I was so worried someone would step on something and fall. Wardrobe needs to tack those things down better.

[Archery]

If Bruno had said, "You'll never win a Nobel Prize for quantum physics, but those shapes you're making defy gravity," then it would not have been so offensive.  But her intellect had nothing to do with his point.  It was unnecessary, and only served the stereotype of big boobs, must be dumb. 

 

I love me some LaBelle, but I cannot watch her dance.  Noah's dancing makes me tense, and I can only watch it after the fact. 

 

Please keep constructive-criticism-Julianne.  Her comments, like the one about placing your foot so you can move your hips, made so much sense, even to me. 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

I don't care for Charlotte. At the same time, Bruno's comments to her were inappropriate and cruel. It should be enough to get him suspended at the least from the show, as well he should be offering her an in-person apology.

 

Snaps to Tom Bergeron for putting Bruno in his place as well.

 

It's one of the worst moments I've seen on this show. Really, really, REALLY uncalled for.

 

        That was awful and quite mean spirited.