S21: Alek Skarlatos: American Hero

[mamatude]

it is still a dance contest, isn't it?

 

It is only partially a dance contest. It is also a popularity contest and an entertainment product. Mastery of any two of those elements can get you pretty far. Not sure dance has to be one of them, though it usually has been for the final winner. Obviously Alek is crushing the popularity portion, and I think on the other two he has done far better than the producers had any right to expect when they ripped him from the headlines.

 

Lifts are a major part of contemporary dance, as well as Argentine tango.  This was just a freestyle, not particularly contemporary, but lifts do count as dance.  And a large part of the male role in dance is to "present" his female partner, which is what the lifts are about.

Totally agree with this. Lifts are not nothing. I don't think it's a small feat to do them gracefully or even just in a way that does not look painful or dangerous. Some of the lifts other male contestants have done this season look like they're heaving a side of beef onto their shoulders. Strength is clearly Alek's strength, and Lindsay has wisely played into it, and in return he's done a good job of "presenting" her both as a dancer and a choreographer. I'd be just fine with them winning.

[howmanywords]

Last season Noah beat not only bigger stars but better dancers (and that's only a quick example off the top of my head). And lord knows I can go on about all the not so great dancers making it farther than they should. The DWTS audience has a type they will vote for and I could have predicted weeks ago Alek would end up an audience fave. Far worst dancers than him have got to this point.

Edited November 25, 2015 by howmanywords

[Artymouse]

I thought Alek's freestyle was very good. Lindsay did some really creative choreography. He had a couple of off weeks but he has come back much stronger than I expected.

Those lifts were pretty impressive. I'm glad he beat out Carlos to make it to the finals, and even gladder that he's given Lindsay a chance to shine. They seem to have a nice partnership.

[Andie1]

I'm sorry but Alex is no draw for the DWTS tour.  I'm sure there will be patriots that have to go, but I'll pass. It's like when Marie Osmond was the headliner for the tour back in 2007.  Yeah.  Not a fan of two left feet and movement that's more Tinman than ballroom.

 

Frankly I don't want to be entertained by a guy who is uncomfortable, and that's all I got from him.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Andie1

[DollEyes]

  I totally disagree. Alek may have been "uncomfortable" at first, but he improved considerably in the last two weeks, as proven by his Semi-Final & Freestyle routines. I'm glad that Alek's going on the tour because IMO he's not only doing it for the money, he's admitted that he loves dancing now & given what he's done/been through, when it comes to taking advantage of any positive opportunity that comes his way, I think that Alek, Spencer & Anthony should strike while the iron's hot.

[treeofdreams]

I wonder if Alek's career plans have changed since all this has happened.  I know he was planning on going back to college, and with DWTS his college fund is growing.  I don't know what he was planning on majoring in before, but I would think new possibilities have opened up for him now.

[Andie1]

He can't dance and he's not that great looking, so yeah he should strike while the iron is hot, because Grandmas won't be going to dance shows forever.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I've wondered about Alek from his initial casting, how it might turn his life on it's ear. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would go the desperate Celebreality route...but I could see him maybe get into hosting like Colby Donaldson from Survivor did with Top Shot, or the Asian American guy from Survivor (blanking on his name) who hosted a PBS series a couple years ago. Particularly if the project focused on some aspect of the Military/Law Enforcement.

Edited because I looked it up, and Yul Kwon was the name I blanked on.

Edited November 28, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[treeofdreams]

I do not get the sense from him that he will turn to show business.  In his family video package his father said he always wanted to be of service, and thought he would either go into the police force or the military.  I would think he would be more likely to get involved in something like a cause, or some other way to be of service.  I think that while he enjoyed being on DWTS he never took it that seriously or as a career move.  And he seems much too modest to want the show business spotlight.

 

I remember him saying that he did not see himself as a hero, just a regular guy.  But I think his unique experience has given him a voice that people will listen to, if he chooses to use it.

[Andie1]

 DWTS tours took a nose dive when they brought also rans onto the tour instead of the winner or runner up. Then there was the Vegas show and DWTS cruises that were sustained by Shawn Johnson, and Sabrina Bryan, and Kyle Massey, not winners but real entertainers.  The tour idea came back when they have people like Alfonso and Rumer who the audience actually wants to see because of their talent as dancers, and they won. They stopped the tour for years after Marie Osmond was the third place headliner, at least she had some singing to offer, and now you have even less talent in Alex. There is that Hayes guy who could dance some, but this is not going to sustain a tour, much less a career.   Even the Chmerkovskiy brothers only bring in excellent dancers into their Sway show. Meryl and Rumer are getting even more choreography this time because that show wants to attract people interested in dancing.  I think that Move show that the Houghs do has no amateur dancers at all. It's all about pro dancing.  Bottom line, they don't need Alex to sell tickets. He doesn't dance, he is no singer, he can not banter like Tom or even Alfonso or Carson Cressley.. So he's a guy who will stop an attacker, good for him. But to have to suffer through pedantic stomping is a turn off for people who enjoy dance. If the show is smart, they will keep his dancing to an absolute minimum and use him as a forklift. 

Edited November 29, 2015 by Andie1

[Uke]

Voters got him to 3rd place so I'd say there are plenty of people who would like to go to the show and meet him...and maybe even say "thank you for your service".  A real live hero!

[Andie1]

LOL if I want to say "thank you for your service"  I'll say it at the Centophe on Veterans Day, or if I see him at the grocery store, but certainly not while watching him as a laughable dancing forklift.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Andie1

[birkenstock]

How many dances would a celebrity headliner actually do? I would think that Alek could do his patriotic waltz, freestyle, and then the Don't Stop Believin' dance fairly well. It would be very much military-centric and tap into rah rah USA, but he pulled off those dances (IMO). Or do they create new choreography for the show?  I think that it makes sense for him to do it since he was so popular and he has the free time to think through his next move.  I agree that his presence on a tour date would motivate some to see the show who would be wavering.  He really is a hero.  Plus, he has more time to learn and perfect the dance(s).

 

ETA: He wasn't the best dancer this season, but people continued to vote because they like him as a person.  There was a time after Andy left that I wouldn't have been sad to have Alek leave, but wasn't upset that he was third place. It gave us the Alek/Carlos bromance clip and for that I am thankful.

 

I do hope that he continues his education and enters law enforcement, if that's what he still wants to do. No Chris Soules going to every reality tv show route, though I think Alek has a better head on his shoulders than farmer Chris. 

Edited November 30, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[Uke]

How many dances would a celebrity headliner actually do? I would think that Alek could do his patriotic waltz, freestyle, and then the Don't Stop Believin' dance fairly well. It would be very much military-centric and tap into rah rah USA, but he pulled off those dances (IMO). Or do they create new choreography for the show?  I think that it makes sense for him to do it since he was so popular and he has the free time to think through his next move.  I agree that his presence on a tour date would motivate some to see the show who would be wavering.  He really is a hero.  Plus, he has more time to learn and perfect the dance(s).

 

ETA: He wasn't the best dancer this season, but people continued to vote because they like him as a person.  There was a time after Andy left that I wouldn't have been sad to have Alek leave, but wasn't upset that he was third place. It gave us the Alek/Carlos bromance clip and for that I am thankful.

 

I do hope that he continues his education and enters law enforcement, if that's what he still wants to do. No Chris Soules going to every reality tv show route, though I think Alek has a better head on his shoulders than farmer Chris. 

 

I think the stars just re-do their dances from the show. But since Alek is viewed as cute and available by many younger ladies, I could see them choreographing something that plays up some sexiness for him to get a reaction from those ladies in the audience.

 

I also think Alek is a bit more grounded than Chris Soules .  I just hope Alek doesn't get pulled into the Bachelor/ette franchise.

[boyznkatz]

He can't dance and he's not that great looking, so yeah he should strike while the iron is hot, because Grandmas won't be going to dance shows forever.

 

He would be a fool to turn down any money ABC throws at him. Like you said, he really doesn't have much talent to build a show biz career on. Are Alek and Hayes really the headliners for this show? I guess Bindi, Nick and the Pena Vegas must all have been unavailable?

Edited November 30, 2015 by boyznkatz

[AdorkableSars]

 

He can't dance and he's not that great looking, so yeah he should strike while the iron is hot, because Grandmas won't be going to dance shows forever.

 

He would be a fool to turn down any money ABC throws at him. Like you said, he really doesn't have much talent to build a show biz career on. Are Alek and Hayes really the headliners for this show? I guess Bindi, Nick and the Pena Vegas must all have been unavailable?

 

Everyone is all aghast that Alek ended up in third place and that he is going on this tour, but obviously he was getting a lot of viewer votes, to have never been in jeopardy (or announced in jeopardy- which may have propelled his fans to vote more) once. If I lived in the states, this would certainly be motivation for me to get a ticket to a show on on the tour. Definitely more so than the PenaVegas. Alek wasn't the best dancer, but I enjoyed so many of his dances, and do think he is a good dancer. And I do think he is charismatic, and handsome, and funny. He proved that on the show. (To each their own.) I certainly don't think he's trying to "build a show biz career". If he has a chance to travel the country to go on tour and make some money doing it, why would he turn that down? 

[kitcloudkicker]

? Alek (and his two friends) has been tapped to star in a Clint Eastwood movie about themselves 

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-clint-eastwood-film-20170712-story.html