General Gabbery: DWTS

[St. Claire]

That would make me sad. I like Tristan. Well, barring Tristan coming back, I also wouldn't mind Gleb or Artem as well as giving Henry another chance.

[RetailTherapy]

Oh, I hope Tristan wasn't ditched for good!  Who is going to push the old and infirm around on the dance floor with Tony?  (I kid, I kid!) 

 

The difference between Derek and Maks is that Maks said he was going to take some time off and he did.  Derek says it, but his pasty faced mug is right back there, dashing our hopes of a Derek-free season, time and time again.  I enjoy seeing some variety, especially in the ranks of the winning pros.  If the same one wins over and over again, regardless of the talent level (or lack thereof) of the partner, the fun factor begins to diminish and then evaporate completely.  It has for me, and that makes me sad because I feel like I'm losing my favorite show. 

 

I'll admit it.  I want M&M to win.  But I also think that celebs like James (yes, I know.  He's about as exciting as drying paint) or Candace, who've come on the show and managed to learn a few dance steps, represent what DWTS used to be about.  If either of them managed to pull off the unexpected win, it would be far less off-putting to me than an Amy win. 

[Dots And Stripes]

Great interview with Executive Producer Conrad Green. He's fairly candid and he talks up all four of the finalists a little. He also denies that they rig the show. That's not surprising, although the way he responds to that question is not what I expected. I believe the show isn't rigged, but I also think he's being foolish if he doesn't realize the narratives they use each season help golden boy Derek. Mostly he reinforces what I've thought for a while: it's a tv show first and a competition second.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Dots And Stripes

[COESpiral]

My feeling is that if any pros have won the mirrorball more than once, they have to sit out a season or two.  That gets rid of Derek, Mark, Cheryl, and Kym, although Kym may already be gone for good.  And yes, I know Cheryl's wins were in the very early seasons but still... 

[superdeluxe]

Great interview with Executive Producer Conrad Green. He's fairly candid and he talks up all four of the finalists a little. He also denies that they rig the show. That's not surprising, although the way he responds to that question is not what I expected. I believe the show isn't rigged, but I also think he's being foolish if he doesn't realize the narratives they use each season help golden boy Derek. Mostly he reinforces what I've thought for a while: it's a tv show first and a competition second.

 

That interview proved what I always thought -- Conrad Green is in love with Maks.  That mirror ball that Maks will be getting tomorrow is just a little going away present from him.  Seriously, this interview is straight up biased with Conrad Green and Annie Barrett just gushing over Maks.

[Toonces464]

That interview proved what I always thought -- Conrad Green is in love with Maks.  That mirror ball that Maks will be getting tomorrow is just a little going away present from him.  Seriously, this interview is straight up biased with Conrad Green and Annie Barrett just gushing over Maks.

 

 

Thank you for saving my typing fingers. What crap. Other than tossing out Karina and Cheryl's name once with theirs, it was all about Maks and Derek.

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah I have to say I was a little baffled by the comment that the interview talked up all four couples. My first thought was a genuinely confused "where..."

Conrad gives James a passing mention after Annie basically suggests no one mattered but Meryl and Amy and poor Candace was barely acknowledged. And Amy was brought up only so Annie could passive aggressively continue the "Amy is not dancing and sitting on props" meme.

I've been aware of Annie from her EW days and she's never hidden her Maks love and it was even a little cute at times. But this was just borderline embarrassing. What exactly did she call this season - his personal awakening or whatever? Like is she for real with this?

[Toonces464]

I've been aware of Annie from her EW days and she's never hidden her Maks love and it was even a little cute at times. But this was just borderline embarrassing. What exactly did she call this season - his personal awakening or whatever? Like is she for real with this?

 

 

And not even a mention of Tony or Anna or Louis or Kym who were all big parts of Conrad's run on the show, which is what I thought this interview was supposed to be about. 

[Dots And Stripes]

That interview proved what I always thought -- Conrad Green is in love with Maks.  That mirror ball that Maks will be getting tomorrow is just a little going away present from him.  Seriously, this interview is straight up biased with Conrad Green and Annie Barrett just gushing over Maks.

Conrad's point was that he doesn't care who wins. Why suddenly become more personally invested as he's heading out the door? Conrad also hints that Maks didn't trust the producers in the past. I can understand why.

 

He does say some nice things about Maks, but he was specifically asked about Maks. It's hard to ignore that Meryl and Maks have been a huge part of this season. Also, he says the sheer quality of James' dancing is amazing. For all his candor in that interview, Conrad is still wearing some rose colored glasses. James is so the William Levi of this season. I don't get him.

[Glaadrial]

Maksim, Maksim, Maksim!

Edited May 20, 2014 by Glaadrial

[superdeluxe]

And not even a mention of Tony or Anna or Louis or Kym who were all big parts of Conrad's run on the show, which is what I thought this interview was supposed to be about. 

 

This interview was all about Maks.  Just like how this entire season has been all about Maks.  Maks, Maks, Maks!

 

Conrad's point was that he doesn't care who wins. Why suddenly become more personally invested as he's heading out the door? Conrad also hints that Maks didn't trust the producers in the past. I can understand why.

 

He does say some nice things about Maks, but he was specifically asked about Maks. It's hard to ignore that Meryl and Maks have been a huge part of this season. Also, he says the sheer quality of James' dancing is amazing. For all his candor in that interview, Conrad is still wearing some rose colored glasses. James is so the William Levi of this season. I don't get him.

 

Conrad Green is a liar.  He cares about who wins.  Especially this season.  I would say that Maks and Meryl are the William Levi of the season.  You know, pimped to high heaven?

[Corazi]

Both Maks and Meryl as well as Derek and Amy have been pushed as the pair who should win all season. In some ways I've seen it more with Amy since the judges have given her their support as who should be the winner and the multiple times we've heard "When you win." I don't think Conrad cares who wins as long as people are watching and talking about his show, which we are. 

 

Honestly, if you're looking at the show to see if there's manipulation in favor of any couple, you will find it. It's all subjective. As far as the interview is concerned, the annoying amount of time spent talking about Maks is all on the interviewer. Those were her questions, Conrad was just answering them.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Corazi

[Buggin]

 

I'll be surprised if either of them is back next season. I saw Derek and Amy on Access Hollywood last week and Derek said he wasn't supposed to be on this season until he found out about Amy. That matches up with the initial pro list DWTSGossip had posted on Twitter which had Tristan on instead of Derek. 

 

All these weeks later and this still makes my blood boil as much as it did the week of the cast announcement. I missed Tristan so much this season.

[tarotx]

Imo this season was about getting Maks the win but still kissing Derek's ass.

[smiley13]

After Candace making the finals, I now feel that the times they put her in the "not necessarily" the bottom two, that they were just messing with her.  She obviously has been garnering a lot of votes all season long.

 

I think TPTB have seen this and that's why they lowballed her scores tonight.

[MarySNJ]

 

After Candace making the finals, I now feel that the times they put her in the "not necessarily" the bottom two, that they were just messing with her.  She obviously has been garnering a lot of votes all season long.

 

I think TPTB have seen this and that's why they lowballed her scores tonight.

I really enjoy Candace and didn't think I would early on. She's plucky and positive. But I think the judges scores on the freestyle reflect the fact that it was out of synch and not as cohesive as the other performances. She's got people though, so who knows?

[crowceilidh]

I thought Candace's disco was horrendous in nearly every way.  It actually made me appreciate that vile liftomatic harpy, Doriana Sanchez.

 

Even though the dance deserved those scores -- I think she was scored low to create backlash from her supporters who already managed to get her to outdistance James (not that that hurts my feelings, Danica belongs there, not either of them).

[St. Claire]

I don't really care for disco, hip hop and contemporary as the freestyle, finals dances. One of the reasons I liked Drew and Cheryl's freestyle waaaay back in the day was because they took elements of various Latin and ballroom styles and put them into a new routine. I am also not a fan of having jazz, contemporary and salsa as regular dances through the competition. I liked the old dances, with their clear rules and less of the flailing about.

 

Also, get off my lawn.

[COESpiral]

I don't object to those dances for the freestyle, but I do object to them during the regular run of the show.  I want to see them learning ballroom and latin dances.  I don't need this to be SYTYCD: Celebrity Edition.  The freestyle is supposed to be a 'whatever the crap you've ever wanted to do' kind of dance so it's fun seeing what people come up with. 

[Woodrose]

Joining the old farts on the rocking chairs, too. 

 

Ugh. Contemporary.  Don't like angsty flailing on SYTYCD, don't like it on DWTS.  It's one of the reasons I used to like DWTS so much better than SYTYCD.  It's a real bummer for me that it's become one of the regular dances on DWTS.

 

Jazz, Salsa, Swing, and AT can be very enjoyable as regular dances, but I really think by including them they have upped the number of injuries.  They are all dances that include lifts, and people get hurt pushing amateurs to do crazy lifts. I really don't like seeing people get injured in their quest to entertain me.

 

Sidenote: With so many of the dances including lifts, it is beyond absurd for Carrie Ann to be playing 'lift police' for a foot an inch off the floor in the other dances. Newbies to the show are always confused at seeing wild lifts in a salsa followed by CAI deducting a point for a foot barely off the floor in a waltz 10 minutes later.

 

I don't object to the couples doing any kind of crazy stuff in the freestyle, that's kind of the point. But if they want my votes, they'll choose something other than contemporary. I know mmv on that.

 

As Season 18 draws to a close, I find that I'm a little disappointed at the lack of dances I'll rewatch created this time around.  For all the talent in this celeb cast, I've been a little let down at the actual results.

 

I know that a lot of people love the M/M chemistry and passion, but that's not really my thing, I guess.  Standing still for 15 seconds almost kissing didn't make a good foxtrot I want to rewatch.  And, in many of Meryl's routines I see a tiny woman running at full tilt to keep up with a big guy taking giant steps. Their size disparity kind of lessens the appeal of their dances for me. So I'm sure my list is shorter than others.

 

The performances that go into my pantheon of dances to watch again are Amy and Derek's quickstep and AT, Charlie and Sharna's jive and foxtrot, Charlie's bumper dance with the penguins, Meryl and Maks's Elvis jive and swing, and James and Peta's cha-cha.  Meryl and Val's AT would have made the list, but I didn't like the clangy music.

 

The music.  The music choices foisted onto the couples just keep getting worse and worse, as they try to get younger and more hip, I guess.  If the music doesn't have the correct beat and tone for the dance style, it's pretty much hopeless.  The couple is going to have a very hard time creating a memorable routine. So many of the dances are sabotaged from the first moment by the awful music selection by TPTB.

 

I like the fun, over the top, cheesy, creative interpretations of the classic dance styles, like the 50s paso with Nicole.  But the couples need the right music selections to be able to make these things happen.  After 18 seasons, still wishing that the pros had much more say in the music assignments. A lot of the themes and music just didn't work for me this time around.

 

And get the troupe out of the regular dances!  The dances are so short, the least we can do is focus on the celeb/pro pair for the entire routine.

 

Don't you dare pick the flowers as you're leaving my lawn. :)

[OakGoblinFly]

I don't object to those dances for the freestyle, but I do object to them during the regular run of the show.  I want to see them learning ballroom and latin dances.  I don't need this to be SYTYCD: Celebrity Edition.  The freestyle is supposed to be a 'whatever the crap you've ever wanted to do' kind of dance so it's fun seeing what people come up with. 

 

 

I don't know why the powers-that-be started adding dances other than ballroom/Latin but (for me) that's when the show lost a lot of it's magic.  If the powers-that-be want to add variety and expand the season (therefore creating the need for more dance styles) why not add "social partner" dances like the Lindy-Hop, West Coast Swing, Disco/Hustle, East Coast Swing, and so on.

 

I rather like the idea of fusing dances - as long as they are both ballroom dances.  I do like the team dance, just make them for fun and don't score them anymore.  

 

And please bring back the big group numbers with all the contestants and pros.

 

With the direction this show is going I fear it won't be too long before we see a Bollywood or Russian Folk Dance routine.

[jennifer6973]

They have, plus there have been some Bollywood inspired dances.

[ari333]

I like Bollywood.

 

Ok I'll see myself out.

[galax-arena]

I like Bollywood when it's done properly. I don't like seeing DWTS do "Bollywood-inspired" dances that amount to sticking bindis on their foreheads and waving their arms around. 

[Bella]

Speaking of Bollywood and DWTS, we have this from 4 years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56_Zs10qQhQ

 

It would have been interesting (to me, at least) to see either Charlie or Meryl do a non-skating Bollywood.

[Flick]

Speaking of Bollywood and DWTS, we have this from 4 years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56_Zs10qQhQ

 

It would have been interesting (to me, at least) to see either Charlie or Meryl do a non-skating Bollywood.

Ah, yes... The infamous "Country/Folk" OD. That theme was a trainwreck and there were some things put together that ranged from just not very good to being in very poor taste. What saved this from being the latter was that D/W dedicated themselves to learning about the culture and bringing in a Bollywood specialist to make sure they were doing it right. Unlike say the Australian Aboriginal inspired dance.

[bearcatfan]

Ah, yes... The infamous "Country/Folk" OD. That theme was a trainwreck and there were some things put together that ranged from just not very good to being in very poor taste. What saved this from being the latter was that D/W dedicated themselves to learning about the culture and bringing in a Bollywood specialist to make sure they were doing it right. Unlike say the Australian Aboriginal inspired dance.

Yes, Meryl and Charlie did it right. How many country/western themed ODs were there that year? Most teams decided to put on cowboy hats and skate to country music. The Aboriginal still makes me retch. How they didn't realize it was offensive is unexplainable. The Bollywood was the highlight and is my all time favorite OD.

[gigi1701]

I have to agree with Len about Meryl being in a class of her own. Charlie and Meryl on on ice are astounding, but to translate the flow of movement you have on ice to a dance floor is super hard. I tried to do that in the dances I did on the floor, translate the feeling, the execution, the freedom, I loved the ice, but it is crazy hard to do that on a daily basis unless you have a financial backer because you are going somewhere with it, (i.e. Olympics) it is soooo expensive. And I do think Meryl was more successful and she had the perfect partner. I watched the Mary Poppins number again, Charlie is great but Sharna made a few mistakes, first the over use of canes/umbrellas, the over repeat of steps, and that horrible plunging neckline, so not in the spirit of the character. Maks has been through this so many times, he has figured out how to make it work, the best dancing I have seen  from him ever and he made great decisions on the dances.

 

All in all a lovely season, I thank all competitors and Pros for a lovely time.

[babyhouseman]

 

there have been some Bollywood inspired dances.

Derek and Shawn Johnson did a Knight Rider bhangra during All Stars. It sound silly, but since D and S were such great dancers, they did a good job.

[legaleagle53]

Derek and Shawn Johnson did a Knight Rider bhangra during All Stars. It sound silly, but since D and S were such great dancers, they did a good job.

 

I don't know about that.  That same year, there was a Bollywood-infused Salsa done on the Australian DWTS that I felt was light-years better than Derek and Shawn's number.  To me, it was the perfect example of a Bollywood-inspired dance done right.

 

Edited May 22, 2014 by legaleagle53

[Bella]

My all-time favorite reality TV show Bollywood was on So You Think You Can Dance:

 

SYTYCD starts up soon, so if you go through DWTS withdrawal, come on over and join us!  http://forums.previously.tv/forum/270-so-you-think-you-can-dance/

[sunnyheart]

Derek and Shawn Johnson did a Knight Rider bhangra during All Stars. It sound silly, but since D and S were such great dancers, they did a good job.

 

The Bhangra!  I loved that dance!  There will never be another DWTS star who has the endurance and flexibility to get through that dance!  Shawn killed it.  Shawn and Derek were amazing, but the best part was Derek being flummoxed over how to do it.  How often do we see Derek lost at sea?

 

I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but what the hell.  I loved Shawn and Derek and I'm still bummed that they didn't win the All-Star Season.  I was never a Derek fan before, but their pairing brought me over to the Dark Side.  She's the only star he's had that I really wanted to win.  The rest of them...meh. 

[COESpiral]

No flames from me--I agree with you.  I've always thought Shawn should have won the All-Star season but I think people were voting to give Tony his first win so that's just the way things worked out.  (And that said, originally I was happy Shawn won her season, but going back and looking at videos I've changed my mind on that.  Gilles Marini should have won.)

[LadyMustang65]

I wasn't voting so much to give Tony his first win as I was because Derek's attitude that season seriously bugged me.  So many of his dances were criticized by the judges for not really being the assigned dance (and when even I can tell it's light on content, you know it's seriously light on content), and his response always seemed to be that you couldn't do a "true" dance and still be entertaining, which was just garbage.  I always felt like he just wanted to really break the rules that year and see how much he could get away with, so I didn't enjoy much about their partnership.  And the Val/Kelly Monaco showmance made me ill, so I wasn't going to vote that way.  So that left Tony and Melissa, and I really liked Melissa and thought Tony was doing a nice job with her, so that's where my votes went.

 

Looking forward to SYTYCD, but I'll have to respectfully assert that the best Bollywood done on that show was Joshua and Katee.  ;0

[sunnyheart]

I wasn't voting so much to give Tony his first win as I was because Derek's attitude that season seriously bugged me.  So many of his dances were criticized by the judges for not really being the assigned dance

It's really interesting to me how viewers can see the same thing in such different ways.  I took it more like he was so inspired by Shawn's abilities and can-do attitude (athletes have amazing attitudes) that he created all these amazing routines.  He just didn't care what the scores were - he knew that the viewers would be wowed and he counted on the popular votes.  Which worked until the end.  Oh well.  We all have our favorites that were cruelly cheated (to us!) at the end. 

 

originally I was happy Shawn won her season, but going back and looking at videos I've changed my mind on that.  Gilles Marini should have won

 

Ha!  That's exactly what I thought too.  I was 100% on the Shawn and Mark train, but in hindsight I realize that Giles and Cheryl should have definitely won.  And what happend to him in the All-star season was just too painful for words.

 

Looking forward to SYTYCD, but I'll have to respectfully assert that the best Bollywood done on that show was Joshua and Katee.  ;0

 

Agree 100%.  They will always be the masters.

[whatsatool]

I like Bollywood.

 

Ok I'll see myself out.

Well maybe once I'd like to see bachata and other dances.  So very sick of contemporary, but yes Amy was awesome up there in the Ringling Brothers dance.

Edited May 22, 2014 by whatsatool

[Jobo05]

No flames from me--I agree with you.  I've always thought Shawn should have won the All-Star season but I think people were voting to give Tony his first win so that's just the way things worked out.  (And that said, originally I was happy Shawn won her season, but going back and looking at videos I've changed my mind on that.  Gilles Marini should have won.)

 

 

I wasn't voting so much to give Tony his first win as I was because Derek's attitude that season seriously bugged me.  So many of his dances were criticized by the judges for not really being the assigned dance (and when even I can tell it's light on content, you know it's seriously light on content), and his response always seemed to be that you couldn't do a "true" dance and still be entertaining, which was just garbage.  I always felt like he just wanted to really break the rules that year and see how much he could get away with, so I didn't enjoy much about their partnership.  And the Val/Kelly Monaco showmance made me ill, so I wasn't going to vote that way.  So that left Tony and Melissa, and I really liked Melissa and thought Tony was doing a nice job with her, so that's where my votes went.

 

Looking forward to SYTYCD, but I'll have to respectfully assert that the best Bollywood done on that show was Joshua and Katee.  ;0

I'm one who gave Melissa and Tony all my votes that season. I didn't do it so Tony could get his win, but because I liked the partnership. That said, I wasn't over the moon about the aftermath of M/T's win, because I felt like it was all about Tony and not both of them. He didn't win it alone, but it almost felt that way following the finale. I'm also not a fan of Derek or Shawn. I am a fan of Val, but that only happened during his season with Zendaya. His showmance with Kelly on All-Stars turned me off. That said, I'm thrilled with this year's result. Loved the MnM pairing and their routines were amazing!

[babyhouseman]

My mother is still mad Derek lost the All Stars season. I liked Tony and Melissa too so it didn't matter to me.

[Dots And Stripes]

Speaking of Bollywood and DWTS, we have this from 4 years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56_Zs10qQhQ

 

It would have been interesting (to me, at least) to see either Charlie or Meryl do a non-skating Bollywood.

Maybe SYTYCD can do a celebrity edition with people like Meryl and Charlie. Take a bunch of DWTS ringer types and put them on the show.

 

My distaste for styles like Bollywood on DWTS comes in part from the fact that Meryl and Charlie would be more familiar with the style than their pro partners. It starts to blur the lines between pro and star even further. 

[radishcake]

Just a mod note, you may notice that I put S18: in front of all topics for the contestants AND pros this season. I'll change the season number for any/all pros who return for season 19. :D

[realdancemom]

I wasn't voting so much to give Tony his first win as I was because Derek's attitude that season seriously bugged me.  So many of his dances were criticized by the judges for not really being the assigned dance (and when even I can tell it's light on content, you know it's seriously light on content), and his response always seemed to be that you couldn't do a "true" dance and still be entertaining, which was just garbage.  I always felt like he just wanted to really break the rules that year and see how much he could get away with, so I didn't enjoy much about their partnership.  And the Val/Kelly Monaco showmance made me ill, so I wasn't going to vote that way.  So that left Tony and Melissa, and I really liked Melissa and thought Tony was doing a nice job with her, so that's where my votes went.

 

Looking forward to SYTYCD, but I'll have to respectfully assert that the best Bollywood done on that show was Joshua and Katee.  ;0

I was voting for Derek and Shawn all season.  I even let Derek's rule breaking slide the first few times.  But by the finale, I felt that he could have made a proper quickstep so I didn't vote for anybody since I did like D & S more than M & T but hated Derek's rulebreaking.  Loved Val with Zendaya but did enjoy Kellie's freestyle more so I didn't vote in that finale either.  However, my votes definitely went to M & M this season because they were just magic together.

 

I agree with best Bollywood was Joshua and Katee.  I'm looking forward to SYTYCD tonight!!

[cali1981]

 

Looking forward to SYTYCD, but I'll have to respectfully assert that the best Bollywood done on that show was Joshua and Katee.

Completely agree with this and Katee (best SYTYCD dancer ever, IMHO) and Joshua had a lot of "best routines" during that incredible season. 

 

Thanks Bella for posting Meryl and Charlie's Bollywood routine.  Great stuff!

[ceebee]

Hi there - new poster here!

 

Strictly Come Dancing has announced it's pros for the coming season and Artem is definitely NOT in the line-up (so will be on DwtS???) ..... and Tristan is joining the UK show! 

[legaleagle53]

So, how many on here are going to move to London to follow Tristan?  :-)

 

Actually, the BBC puts the Strictly dance clips up on YouTube, so you can save the airfare.  But does this mean that we're trading Tristan for Artem as a pro?  I could live with that.

[Buggin]

As much as I love Tristan I think I will be okay with Artem as a pro if we can't have our lovely Irishman. I'm just happy SCD scooped him up so his talents and charm aren't wasted.

[legaleagle53]

As much as I love Tristan I think I will be okay with Artem as a pro if we can't have our lovely Irishman. I'm just happy SCD scooped him up so his talents and charm aren't wasted.

The really weird thing being that Tristan originally auditioned for SCD but was rejected, which is why he ended up doing our show in the first place.

[jennifer6973]

Maybe our show is an audition track for the mothership.

[PBGamer89]

I'm glad Tristan is gonna be partnering someone on either show. I think he'll be comfortable.

 

I'll be happy to get Artem as a pro. He has amazing choreography. His dances for Kara and Natalie are still amazing to watch.

[tarotx]

I love Artem so I hope he has a partner next season :)

 

Hi to all the TWOP people :) I was soulkissage over there if anyone remembers me :p I didn't do a lot of posting over there but some and I read a lot. I hope everybody comes over here!

[raingirlnw]

Another TWoP signing up.  Hope the whole DWTS group makes it over here.  Been on that board for years.