General Gabbery: DWTS

[dwtsgueststars]

Lol! This is hilarious.

https://instagram.com/p/2_lIhBpc-a/

[crowceilidh]

When the board turns into a dead zone after the spring season, I feel bereft.  Usually SYTYCD starts up fast enough that I get over it quickly, but for some reason, they've changed its start-up date (often the same week as the DWTS finale in the past IIRC).

Edited May 25, 2015 by crowceilidh

[Lonesome Rhodes]

OK.  What's with all these ABCDanceBattle tweets by Maria Menounos?   Is there now gonna be a show for folks to send in videos of dance for the Houghs and Maria to judge?  

[Uke]

OK.  What's with all these ABCDanceBattle tweets by Maria Menounos?   Is there now gonna be a show for folks to send in videos of dance for the Houghs and Maria to judge?  

 

Apparently so https://instagram.com/p/3FvnwwTPJf/

http://www.dancebattleamericacasting.com/

 

I notice they're only mentioning Julianne and Maria and then Kate Hudson and Amber Riley joining in.  I guess Mark and Derek aren't joining in. 

[realdancemom]

When the board turns into a dead zone after the spring season, I feel bereft.  Usually SYTYCD starts up fast enough that I get over it quickly, but for some reason, they've changed it's start-up date (often the same week as the DWTS finale in the past IIRC).

I can't wait for SYTYCD to start.  It's my favorite show in the summer.  I don't like the changes but it's better than it being cancelled.  I also like going to this board during shows and now it's dead since DWTS and The Voice are done.

[Glaadrial]

Bringing this over from the Season 20 Finale thread because the discussion I'm interested in furthering encompasses many seasons and several pros past and present, and the impact their legacies may have on future shows and dance in general.

Does the show want different pros to win?  Absolutely.  The executive director even said in an interview that if they could control the outcome, they wouldn't have had Derek win 5 times.  But I don't think it's fair to say that Val only won because the show rigged it somehow.  Val may not be everyone's cup of tea, just as Derek isn't, but he's a beautiful dancer, a talented choreographer, and he works very hard for his partners.  And Rumer was every bit as good as Nastia technique-wise by the end, and lots of people liked her a lot.  She worked really hard all season, didn't complain, got better as the weeks progressed, and is deserving of the win. 

 

Firstly, I wholeheartedly agree with what's been written above in regards to producer manipulation. I'm particularly interested, however, in the part in bold.  I'm not a dancer (although I've taken Jazz and Ballet classes as part of my performance training), so I'm curious about whether the folks around here, with more experience with ballroom technique, concur with the part that I've highlighted in bold. There was a really terrific breakdown by someone in another thread that explained perfectly what I and others saw as "sloppiness" in Riker's dancing by pointing to specific examples of some issues with his footwork that could read as sloppy. For the record, I don't lay the sloppy or frantic choreography at Allison's feet because I think that Sharna, who has the Ballroom credentials, to my eyes produced similar results with Charlie and was less successful in a similarly competitive season (but that's a digression).

 

Anyway, I'm of the opinion that, because she's an athlete, Nastia may have actually been more accomplished with her technique than Rumer who admitted she doesn't even work out (core strength and endurance, I think, play a huge role in performing complex choreography). Considering Val's AT choreography for Meryl, for example, that dance seemed infinitely more advanced than what he designed for Rumer. Ironically, although in hindsight, not surprisingly, I guess, his connection with Rumer in their AT/Contemporary made for a much more compelling and, IMO, successful performance than the brilliantly intricate choreography he designed for Meryl who brought to the competition a similar skillset as Nastia (although Meryl did have the advantage of having to connect with music and an audience in her discipline, although that didn't seem to help Charlie who came in with the same skillset). Val said he had to find his own voice when choosing what to present as a freestyle for Rumer; that voice, not surprisingly, seemed to be speaking with the vocabulary of his big brother.

 

Which brings me to another point brought up in another post from the same thread:

If having the so-called 'ringers' means having Mark, Derek or Val come up with interesting  and entertaining choreo, I'm fine with that. Some waste the ringers they are given and have to be basically 'handed' a win like Maksim, Val's brother. Good dancers after good dancers were generally wasted on him ( Laila, Mel B, Brandy) until he began to be saddled with the difficult cases. 

I don't agree that Maks wasted ringers or was handed a win. I think there were many factors that went in to him coming close yet not being able to cross the finish line. Maks had to find his own way to the Mirrorball, just as Val did. Maks had to trial and error his way into finding out that he was never going to win the trophy by looking to what was successful for Derek (since Derek is the 5-time DWTS Champion, I've singled him out, although, obviously, there are/were other pros in contention throughout the years). It was a personal journey that made for compelling television. I saw season 18 as a perfect storm that paved the way for what was to come. Even Len giving his last 10 to Max/Meryl and taking his own leave fit perfectly into the narrative. Although Len was convinced later to stick around longer, as we all know, he still managed to give his last 10 to Maks' younger brother who's been passed the baton, so to speak (unless that changes, too). 

 

I've yet to see a more exciting lead on DWTS than what we've seen from Maks as a ballroom dancer during his tenure on the show. I suspect, however, that Val is likely a more talented choreographer and I'm excited to see if he will be able to carry the torch in future seasons now that he's "found his own voice," as he described it. Given that his foundation was built using the tools available from working with his brother, it's not surprising that what worked for Maks also worked for him. The challenge, I think, will be to keep exploring and creating new things until his, like Derek's, will also be an important voice in shaping the future of DWTS or even of dance, in general. One of the most interesting things that came out of season 20 was that in the "People's Choice" challenge, Val was asked by his fans to create traditional, no messing about, dances for his partnership with Rumer. Personally, I'd like to see him continue to explore the boundaries of ballroom dance, but always maintaining a healthy respect for his foundation steeped in tradition. If he does it right, by reaching into his bag of ballroom tricks, it won't matter what crazy style he's given, the result should always be fun to watch.

[Andie1]

Rather than compare seasons, I am reminded of my favorite dances this season: 

 

10.  Patti Labelle and Artem -  In Da Club Salsa..so cool so fun,everyone wanted to be VIP, she deserved a higher score! 

 9    Willow Shields and Mark -  Alice in Wonderland Foxtrot... I thought it was even better the second time around

 8    Noah and Sharna - Freestyle- The guy's strength is unbelievable and there was a lot of heart in that dance

 7    Nastia and Derek and Len - Viennese Waltz, beautiful and touching. 

 6.   Rumer and Val - DiscoSalsa if you're going to use Gloria Estefan music for Salsa, it better be Disco, and this one delivered! 

 5    Nastia and Sasha - Quickstep - great dancing, and a great connection  

 4.   Ryker and Allison - Pirate Paso - it was at the speed of light, but it was a great impersonation of Johnny Depp

 3.   Rumer and Val -  Rumba/ Paso night... both dances were beautiful and a great tribute to Strictly Ballroom

 2.   Rumer and Val - Swan Lake - I don't think I'll soon forget that incredible lift, effortlessly done. She's not a ballerina, but boy if she had the training. 

 1.   Rumer and Val - Freestyle  - Give me an Argentine Tango with powerful contemporary movement, and I'm all in.  

[MerBearHou]

Are Kim and Robert still dating? Anyone know?

[Buggin]

Are Kim and Robert still dating? Anyone know?

 

She's posted photos with him on Instagram recently (he was with her in Australia), so I'm assuming they are.

[legaleagle53]

She also said in a recent magazine interview that they are very much a couple and she's been glad to have him by her side in Australia while she's been working on that country's DWTS as a judge.

[BW Manilowe]

Two of the "team" names for the couples have been mentioned in the media. Bindi & Derek are "Team Crikey"; Paula & Louis are "Team Buttercup".

Edited September 7, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[treeofdreams]

In Anna's thread it was mentioned that Billy Dee Williams was kicked off the show.  I don't remember that- what happened?

[McManda]

In Anna's thread it was mentioned that Billy Dee Williams was kicked off the show.  I don't remember that- what happened?

 

He wasn't kicked off, he voluntarily withdrew in week 3 because of a back injury. As a result, no one was eliminated that week, but the insinuation on Anna's thread was that if they had gone ahead with the elimination it he and Emma were the ones that were going to be eliminated anyway.

 

In the end it makes sense ... he wasn't the greatest dancer; he scored a 15 (out of a possible 30) for each of the dances he completed.

[treeofdreams]

Thanks for the info - from the context I had gotten the impression he was kicked off.  My bad!

[chocolatine]

Does anyone know if there are going to be results shows all season long, or just for a few weeks at the beginning?

[boyznkatz]

Who do you guys want to see in the finals? I'd like any combination of Nick/Sharna, Bindi/Derek, Tamar/Val or Carlos/Witney. And Alexa/Mark would be okay, too. 

[vibeology]

Alexa/Mark, Lindsay/Alec, Nick/Sharna and Carlos/Witney. I'd really love a break from both Derek and Val. I feel like I already know what their freestyles would look like and it would be nice to see a few different pros take a go at it. I know they're not all freestyle virgins but I still want good dancers to go deep in the competition.

[majormama]

I would be happy with any combination of Tamar/Val, Alec/Lindsay, Nick/Sharna, Bindi/Derek, and Alexa/Mark. At this point, I'm not super committed to any of them, but those are the five I most enjoy and want to see more of. Gary and Paula cannot get off my screen soon enough, and Hayes, Andy, and Carlos in any order would be my mid-season boots.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I'm more indifferent this season than just about any.  The only ones I like at all are Alec and Alexa.  I see Nick as a longtime stage performer.  Not a ringer, but still a significant advantage over, say, an Alec.  

 

Les not being there has definitely taken something out of the energy of it all.  It seems like Tom misses having him as a foil and perhaps, a contemporary.  

[crowceilidh]

So far Alek is the only one who really interests me.  I'm pretty uninvested in all of them.  

 

I thought I would enjoy Gary Busey (not knowing about the accident), but I do not.  I loathe Paula and Tamar (and Kim).  Carlo, Nick, Alexa are boring and Bindi is too much.  I don't even know if I'm missing somebody.

 

I hope I begin to enjoy these people more soon.

[BW Manilowe]

So far Alek is the only one who really interests me. I'm pretty uninvested in all of them.

I thought I would enjoy Gary Busey (not knowing about the accident), but I do not. I loathe Paula and Tamar (and Kim). Carlo, Nick, Alexa are boring and Bindi is too much. I don't even know if I'm missing somebody.

I hope I begin to enjoy these people more soon.

You missed Hayes & Andy. And Alexa's married to Carlos, not Carlo.

[AdorkableSars]

Who do you guys want to see in the finals? I'd like any combination of Nick/Sharna, Bindi/Derek, Tamar/Val or Carlos/Witney. And Alexa/Mark would be okay, too. 

I'd like and combination Nick/Sharna, Alek/Lindsay, Carlos/Witney, Binda/Derek, Alexa/Mark. But the first two are the ones I most want to see there. Been a Nick fangirl since I was like 12, and 18 years later, nothing has changed! And he has quite impressed me so far, especailly his last two dances. Also, I adore Sharna. And Alek has been INCREDIBLE. What a great student, and Lindsay's teaching/choreography is fantastic. And I adore her as well.

 

I wanted to include Tamar/Val in there, but something about her just bugs...she's an amazing dancer, but the disconnect with Val is pretty glaring with me. And the way they are editing her is not funny or cute to me. Just aggravating.

[BW Manilowe]

British Classical Singer Katherine Jenkins, who was on the Anniversary Show & a previous season, gave birth to her first child, daughter Aaliyah Reign, apparently on Wednesday (September 30th).

http://m.eonline.com/news/701572/katherine-jenkins-gives-birth-to-a-baby-girl-named-aaliyah-reign-levitas-get-the-details

[Andie1]

I just really love Rumer Willis, not only was she a great contestant last season she's still dancing,  Ann Reinking, the love and muse of Bob Fosse was her choreographer for Chicago and Rumer said Ann used a lot of what she learned on DWTS to incorporate into the broadway show. That's pretty cool,  Ann re-choreographed  for Rumer more ballroom than the other Roxie's have done, and that's a direct result of her dwts experience.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f82bd5a17e654073bb091fcbe91ba5a2/dancing-star-rumer-willis-talks-chicago-dad-broadway

 

And lately Rumer and her bestie Tye Blue are taking ballroom classes at the NY Dance With Me studios and she says she'll be doing the next Sway Show as well.  That's a girl who really embraced dance.  All the other good things about her is just gravy. 

 

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Rumer-Willis-on-Broadway-Debut_New-York-333079201.html

[PTVjones]

So I just read the dances for Monday's episode and it's an interesting concept but a few things have me going "hmmmm..." 

 

I don't know if the songs and dances have been revealed yet on the boards so I'll put it in as a spoiler.

 

Hmmmmm #1: Paula and Louis doing "Vogue" by Madonna. I love this song, I love the choreography. This is truly an iconic everything. The fact that Paula is dancing it ... there's just no way she can do it any justice.

 

Carlos and Whitney dancing Ginuwine's "Pony". That song is super sexual, hence why it was in Magic Mike. Plus wasn't Channing Tatum alone during that scene? I can't remember what he danced to w/ Twitch at the end but I wonder how and if they're going to tone down the choreography for the show.

 

Alexa and Mark doing I'm A Slave for You, specifically Britney's VMA snake performance. I actually think Alexa can rock this I'm excited to see how this looks. I wonder if Mark will be dancing with her or he'll be more like a background dancer

 

Tamar and Val doing Janet's Rhythm Nation. This can be good for Tamar since the choreo in this video is very militant. The facial expressions should be fairly stern. Val's jazz choreo has been inconsistent in the past (Rumer's Bootylicious) but I think the vibe of Rhythm Nation is more his speed. 

Edited October 16, 2015 by PTVjones

[treeofdreams]

Re Alexa and Mark's dance:

 

 

 

"Alexa and Mark doing I'm A Slave for You, specifically Britney's VMA snake
performance. I actually think Alexa can rock this I'm excited to see how this
looks. I wonder if Mark will be dancing with her or he'll be more like a
background dancer"

 

Maybe Mark will be the snake  :)

 

 

Hope I got the spoilers right.

Edited October 16, 2015 by treeofdreams

[PBGamer89]

There's a theory that has held up about every season, and that's how the eventual winner of each season dances last at least once during the first 4 weeks of their season:

 

1: Kelly Monaco- her season was only 6 weeks long but she did dance last 2 of the 6 weeks. (theory doesn't count here)

2: Drew Lachey- his season also short (8 weeks), but he danced last 3 of the 8 weeks. (theory doesn't count here)

3: Emmitt Smith- danced last Week 2.

4: Apolo Ohno: danced last Week 1

5: Helio Castroneves: danced last Week 4.

6: Kristi Yamaguchi: danced last Week 3.

7: Brooke Burke: danced last Week 3.

8: Shawn Johnson: danced last Week 4

9: Donny Osmond: danced last Week 2

10: Nicole Scherzinger: danced last Week 3

11: Jennifer Grey: danced last Week 5 (theory doesn't apply)

12: Hines Ward: danced last Week 2

13: JR Martinez: danced last Week 2 and Week 4

14: Donald Driver: danced last Week 3

15: Melissa Rycroft: danced last Week 8 (theory doesn't apply)

16: Kellie Pickler: danced last Week 2

17: Amber Riley: danced last Week 2

18: Meryl Davis: danced last Week 4

19: Alfonso Ribeiro: danced last Week 1 and Week 4

20: Rumer Willis: danced last Week 1

 

So out of 18 seasons of normal 10/11 weeks, the eventual winner danced last within the first 4 weeks 16 of the 18 normal week seasons. (88%)

 

If this theory holds true this season, the winner will be Nick, Bindi (Week 2a and 4), Tamar, or Hayes. If Bindi wins, she will be the only winner next to JR and Alfonso to get the pimp spot twice in the first 4 weeks.

Edited October 22, 2015 by PBGamer89

[Andie1]

Interesting summation. The show is always cognizant of ratings, and the showrunners will put in the "pimp spots" those that they think will boost the ratings.  But it's not limited to the very last performance. Oftentimes really outrageous or weird stunt casting boosts the ratings but they aren't going to win the trophy. Those people - like a Gary Busey for example are a curiosity and are used to boost ratings for the first night but they usually don't progress far into the competition. 

 

 

Ratings are measured on the quarter hour. The top of the hour and the bottom of the hour are the most important because that's when the show is competing with other shows that are starting at those times.  DWTS, I think this season has started with pro dances?  No contestant has been leading off the show these last couple of seasons as they have done in the past.  That says to me that pro dancing is a significant ratings booster and competes against shows like the Voice. However, the contestants going first after the big opener are at a disadvantage in that ratings are expected to spike at the top of the show, so the first ones don't get that lead off spike, and they are usually the bar setters and are marked lower.

 

If the show sees a spike at the quarter hour that lead off couple could see a pimp spot the following week, but that's rare.  Probably someone like Hines Ward, who went 3rd the first night, which would probably put him after the first half hour, kind of a grave yard for those with no fan base and decent but not the best scores -  must have heavily spiked in ratings because he went to the pimp spot in week 2 and still had okay but not top of the leaderboard scores. Hines' season was one of the most watched shows in the history of DWTS.   

 

If your contestant is going at 8:30 or 9:00 or 9:30 or the penultimate dance before the pimp spot they are somehow affecting the ratings. And adjustments are made after the season opener to respond and reflect the ratings the contestants are getting when they dance. This means they either have a storyline the showrunners want to exploit, or more importantly they are affecting the ratings in that more people are tuning in to watch them.  If you have a favorite this season, track when they are dancing.  The more they appear at those half hour time periods and the final two spots of the night,  the more they probably are getting a lot of viewers, which may translate into votes.  If they continue to see an 8:40,  or 9:40 timeslot, chances are the vote isn't that strong because they are in a spot where ratings may dip.   Certainly the showrunners may juggle if a set is complex, they may have to put a certain couple at another time, or if the show goes long there may have to be other adjustments, but the show will want to hit those ratings measurements where ever possible. 

Edited October 23, 2015 by Andie1

[Uke]

There's a theory that has held up about every season, and that's how the eventual winner of each season dances last at least once during the first 4 weeks of their season:

 

 

 Very interesting. I'd never heard this theory before but your listing certainly shows a possible correlation.

[Uke]

Danseur said in Halloween Week:

"According to Paywizard:

Dancing With the Stars Contestants Salaries..."

 

That's from Season 8 (Spring 2009) when Shawn Johnson's contract was located (by TMZ I think) and posted online.  I think it would surprise me if the amounts haven't increased in the past 6 years.  Supposedly all stars receive the same pay but I'd guess the perks are different depending on how much TPTB want to sign someone. 

I've seen those estimates for pro pay before but I've never seen the source.  I'd assume the pro pay varies according to popularity.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Uke

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I would be utterly gobsmacked if Derek did not have the sweetest deal of them all.  I do know it expires after this current season.  I'd also be surprised if any of the established Pros did not have guaranteed money, regardless how long they get in any given season.  Tony, for example, has not been shy about bitching about things he does not like and he has had clunker after clunker for a partner.  If that were costing him tens of thousands each year, I am pretty certain we would have heard about it.  I think Cheryl would have similarly screamed bloody murder.

[Uke]

I would be utterly gobsmacked if Derek did not have the sweetest deal of them all.  I do know it expires after this current season.  I'd also be surprised if any of the established Pros did not have guaranteed money, regardless how long they get in any given season.  Tony, for example, has not been shy about bitching about things he does not like and he has had clunker after clunker for a partner.  If that were costing him tens of thousands each year, I am pretty certain we would have heard about it.  I think Cheryl would have similarly screamed bloody murder.

They'd have to compensate the pros for remaining available for the remainder of the season (besides appearance fees for pro dances, bumpers, etc.) aka a retainer .  Otherwise, as soon as a pro was eliminated, they'd go off to do something else that paid better.  There's also dancer's union minimums that have to be met.

[Mbeaker]

I'd also be surprised if any of the established Pros did not have guaranteed money, regardless how long they get in any given season.

Karina has said, as recently as this season, that the pros get paid only for as long as they are in the competition. Though I'm sure they receive some compensation for things like bumpers.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Mbeaker

[Dejana]

Danseur said in Halloween Week:

"According to Paywizard:

Dancing With the Stars Contestants Salaries..."

That's from Season 8 (Spring 2009) when Shawn Johnson's contract was located (by TMZ I think) and posted online. I think it would surprise me if the amounts haven't increased in the past 6 years. Supposedly all stars receive the same pay but I'd guess the perks are different depending on how much TPTB want to sign someone.

I've seen those estimates for pro pay before but I've never seen the source. I'd assume the pro pay varies according to popularity.

The show used to have two episodes a week, all season, so contestants in the DWTS glory days probably made more money than this year's stars. Still, much higher than a typical salary, of course.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Dejana

[Andie1]

I'm interested to see who they are paired up with for the dance off. I wouldn't be surprised if Bindi the wonder face is going to be immune  I hear two of the dance off styles are Jive and Cha Cha , good if you already have those styles, not so good if you don't. I'm going to guess they will put the married couple against each other and Cha Cha, while Alex and Andy get to do a crummy jive.   I think the last style might be Samba. And the only 2  left who have had this style is Nick who had the watered down Disco Samba to great reviews and little content,  and Tamar had the hard core Samba that she got slammed for.  So if they end up against each other then Nick wins before we even have to dance, and the show will think they're doing Tamar a solid by being so freaking nasty to her right to the end.  

Edited October 30, 2015 by Andie1

[Andie1]

When the pros go to the dance off they never give their contestant a style they haven't danced previously.  So Nick has an advantage in that he's danced all styles if we include Samba.  None of the others have that advantage, if Samba is in the mix so the dance offs have to be strategic. I also think the pros try to match up abilities.  So that's why I think it may go the married couple,  the two guys with similar ability,  and Nick and Tamar.   If Nick wins immunity they'll put Bindi against Tamar maybe in a Foxtrot, and Bindi wins because again Tamar got slammed for no reason other than she's not what this show wants. i would love to know the third style, it has to be either Foxtrot or Samba.  Foxtrot everyone has had except Bindi and she'll be doing it this week so it will be fresh. The only way Tamar might have a chance is if she  dances Foxtrot against Nick but even then I could hear the narrative that Nick's improved so much while Tamar can't do anything right. If Tamar wins immunity then the hate against her will be worse than it is now and  It is highly unlikely a fourth place contestant will get immunity. It has always been the first or second place dancer at this point in the competition. If Carlos wins immunity I could see them putting Alexa against Tamar in a cha cha and Tamar loses to rougher technique.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Andie1

[boyznkatz]

I don't see Nick getting it, since he isn't a favorite of the judges, either. I would be extremely surprised if Bindi didn't win immunity. I'm starting to wonder if maybe she isn't getting that many votes, which is why she needs to be propped every week. The only reason I've heard of her is because I love Animal Planet. I wouldn't know who she is if I didn't watch her dad's show. Nothing against her, but the constant shoving of her down our throats is getting downright ridiculous.

[boyznkatz]

Hopefully, the young guys like Alek and Hayes will use the money to further their education instead of trying to extend their fifteen minutes of fame like Bristol Palin did. What exactly is she doing now?

[BW Manilowe]

Hopefully, the young guys like Alek and Hayes will use the money to further their education instead of trying to extend their fifteen minutes of fame like Bristol Palin did. What exactly is she doing now?

About to have her 2nd child as a young, single mother. Sigh...

[legaleagle53]

About to have her 2nd child as a young, single mother. Sigh...

 

And apparently involved in some sort of custody issue regarding the first one.  Double sigh.

[Andie1]

There is a rumor going around that Nick will be on the DWTS tour. If he is, then this immunity thing makes a lot of sense for him. 

[Andie1]

Uh oh. That's what I was afraid of. I know they want their winner to go on the tour. I so hope they didn't throw this together at the last minute to make sure that happens. I don't like getting into conspiracy theory territory but these little stunts they pull make it hard not to trust anything they do. Have they ever given immunity to a couple for the Semifinals? I can't remember, but it seems so wrong. If it would mean immunity for week 8 only, I would like it a little better. Maybe.

I've assumed Bindi is getting lots of votes because she has had so much positive response from the audience, on social media, video views, etc. It's an interesting question though about the possibility of her being propped up because of fewer votes. It's still a little hard for me to think she isn't getting them, although both Tamar and Nick have far bigger fan bases.

I do wish they would make the dance-off be between equals or as close to equal as possible. I don't think Nick would beat Tamar in a dance off if they dance Samba or Jive. She kills in those dances.

I think I read that the season is 11 weeks this year, so even tho the dance off is pretty blatant, it's not directly affecting the semi finals, which would be 2 weeks away instead of one. So it's like a week 7 any other season.    I totally agree that Tamar can dance the pants off of Nick, but they aren't going to let it happen. They've already put the idea in people's heads that she can't dance Samba.  Also, Tamar hasn't had Jive... she's had Charleston with Lindy elements, but not Jive.

The vote will be on the ABC website? Just like we vote every week online? I don't need a twitter or Facebook account to vote for the dance off?

Interesting. I think the show is getting too many questions about Twitter and Facebook.  International viewers can only vote via facebook.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Andie1

[Andie1]

I thought the teams (by the order of their scores) get to choose who they dance off. I remember Val saying he prefers to compete against the best as that is the only way there is competition for him. Am I confused and thinking of another "gimmick"?

No that will probably happen again. It's the on-going gimmick.  If you're assuming the ranking isn't pre-determined, then it should just flow, but the pros all talk ahead of time to determine who dances when. They will want to avoid that big error Mark made back in Season 16 when he put Ali up against Andy Dick and it felt like a big ol stick to beat down Andy who can t dance against someone who was miles better.  That prompted Val's " Pick on your own size" comment, meaning at least pit a contestant against a contestant that has similar ability. In hindsight Mark's idea is just being a good competitor, but the backlash was pretty strong. Dick could have had a better chance against Sean Lowe or Ingo but being the poorest dancer he probably still would have lost.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Andie1

[Uke]

No that will probably happen again. It's the on-going gimmick.  If you're assuming the ranking isn't pre-determined, then it should just flow, but the pros all talk ahead of time to determine who dances when. They will want to avoid that big error Mark made back in Season 16 when he put Ali up against Andy Dick and it felt like a big ol stick to beat down Andy who can t dance against someone who was miles better.  That prompted Val's " Pick on your own size" comment, meaning at least pit a contestant against a contestant that has similar ability. In hindsight Mark's idea is just being a good competitor, but the backlash was pretty strong. Dick could have had a better chance against Sean Lowe or Ingo but being the poorest dancer he probably still would have lost.

It was not a "big error Mark made".

 

As you said, the pros had worked it out amongst themselves ahead of time. 

Aly had already learned cha cha, hadn't learned jive or rumba.

Andy wanted cha cha.

Ingo + Sean did the rumba the same night + wanted to repeat it.

Zendaya did not want rumba, had already learned the cha cha + jive.

Jacoby had already learned all 3 dances.

So it worked out: Aly/Andy, Ingo/Sean, Zendaya/Jacoby.

 

It was not a "big ol stick to beat down Andy".

 

Some of the other pros confirmed it was pre-planned in interviews and on twitter. Val's "pick on your own size" was just his own puffery.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Uke

[Andie1]

From another perspective that was actually discussed at the time:  It was an error in judgement on Mark's part, he got in that back room and had his dibs before anyone could have a say..He didn't want to go up against Zendaya, but by picking on Andy Dick he looked small and the audience boo'd . One thing that an audience knows, it's inequity when they see it.. Mark's mother's comment? "Mark is a very competitive person, they're all competitive, and Mark does what he thinks is best for his partner"   

 

Dick could have still cha cha'd vs. Sean or Ingo. Or he could have Rumba'd vs. Ingo, he was still closer to the 5th and 6th place dancers in scores so the dance off wouldn't have felt so pathetic.

 

Then you could have had Ali vs Zendaya on the Cha Cha   and  Sean vs Jacoby on the Jive.   Even Zendaya was practicing the Rumba,and she looked good in practice, obviously the show didnt want her to dance it because of the relentless hens that kept clucking "she's too young" Those same hens have mysteriously stopped now that Mark had a 14 year old, and this year's 17 year old is white enough.

 

No, the problem was Mark. He didn't want his partner to be shown up by a better female contestant, even though that's what should have happened. Putting up 3rd place Ali against 7th place Andy was bullshit, regardless if Mark wants people to think that it was "everyone" who decided. It wasn't, and Val's little comment ensures that.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Andie1

[calipiano81]

The Season 16 Aly/Andy thing has been argued many times in the past. People can speculate all they want, but based on what has been stated in print in the media about the Season 16 dance off, Aly and Andy were the only ones that wanted cha cha.

Here's a link to Derek's blog from that week: http://www.tvguide.com/news/dancing-derek-hough-1064945/

ETA: Here are Andy and Sharna's tweets from that night:

https://mobile.twitter.com/andydick/status/329138866160291840

https://mobile.twitter.com/SharnaBurgess/status/329114803572449280

Edited October 31, 2015 by calipiano81

[katha]

This has been done three million times, but once again: Yeah, it was arranged like that. Just as Rumer/Val weren't mean-spirited bullies going for the super-weak Chris last season. That's how the dance-offs work: The pairs talk beforehand which dance they want to do. Why Val wanted to be a jerk in season 16 though he knew better? Beats me.

 

ETA: All the dance-offs in season 20 were arranged beforehand, just as the dance-offs in season 16 were arranged beforehand. Allison admitted as much in an All Access interview. It had nothing to do with Riker wanting to pick on poor Willow or Rumer wanting to pick on poor Chris or anything. Every contestant got the dance they felt most comfortable with. It's not a real competition, just like many other aspects are BS, so the dance-off is total BS as well. Next week you'll have the same pre-arranged stuff going on, where celebs will pick each other because they agreed about certain pairings and dance-styles beforehand. It's the usual MO on DWTS. They barely even conceal that this is what they are doing. Except for Val, who wants to pretend it's real.

Edited October 31, 2015 by katha

[calipiano81]

Yawn. I've seen it all before, and I don't believe it, why? because it's unfair. Andy Dick was pretty vulnerable at that time. The tweets are damage control because Mark got boo'd.. I remember the afterbuzz show. There is no defending what Mark did.

But why would Andy and Sharna tweet in support if they thought it was unfair? And if they didn't mind, why should we?

And if Andy was the worst of the 7 dancers that season, as you say, he would have lost against anyone. So why not let Andy do the dance he was most comfortable with (cha cha) against the other person who was also most comfortable doing cha cha?

Edited October 31, 2015 by calipiano81

[McManda]

I'm not sure where this should go because it's across seasons and contestants, but ...
 

Even Zendaya was practicing the Rumba,and she looked good in practice, obviously the show didnt want her to dance it because of the relentless hens that kept clucking "she's too young" Those same hens have mysteriously stopped now that Mark had a 14 year old, and this year's 17 year old is white enough.

 

Can we drop the insinuations that DWTS has it out for POC or female POC? Then tend to pick who they're going to give a bad edit based on personality, not skin color.

 

As for that comment, it's true Zendaya didn't get a rumba. But neither did 14-year old Willow, and Bindi's rumba was anything but sex on a stage. And Hayes didn't get one, either, so let's not argue that they're sexist, either. Seems to me the "relentless hens" (or ABC) are still trying to shield the youngest contestants from being too overtly sexy, or at least from the rumba, at least after having to deal with the backlash they got from the original kid-dancing-rumba they got from making Shawn Johnson do one in her original season.

[birkenstock]

Yeah, I don't want to see young celebs do the rumba.  It puts the pros in an awkward situation and brings out the people that do say "he/she's too young." Plus the celebs usually end up skipping dances so it's not necessarily unfair. Or did they start having celebs skip dances because of too young celebs? We even had a discussion about how calling Hayes a stud is inappropriate and weren't people upset with something Bruno said to Willow?  

 

Having Zendaya do a rumba would have opened a whole other can of worms because many feel that the media, and society in general, present a hyper-sexualized image of young black women.  Zendaya was a phenomenal dancer and would have excelled in any dance given.  Val did everything in his power to make sure he didn't create dances that could be construed as sexual. The rumba had the potential to skew that dynamic for the public. 

 

Since Willow's elimination, I would prefer that they not have stars under 17 compete.  Willow's elimination was brutal to watch. She was invested in the show and did the dances well, but her breaking down made me realize how young she was.  I was wary about Hayes being on the show because he's also really young and only had his Vine as celebrity experience. He handled the pressure really well.  I didn't worry about Bindi since she literally grew up on camera and knows how to handle high-pressure situations. IDK if it is more of a maturity situation or I'm a hen, but I did have a "think of the children" moment with Willow being on the show.        

Edited October 31, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont