S22.E04: Week 4

[90PercentGravity]

I want a Nyle of my own.

[ocelot]

I don't think Antonio was overscored at all. If anyone deserved high scores it was him imo.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I love, love, love, love Disney night each time.  it is very difficult to screw up that classic music and choreo.  It is the ONE time all season guaranteed to not have some "out there" avant garde mess.  Tonight was wonderful.

 

Wanya was a revelation.  Just a perfect mix of talent and presentation with TLK music.  I wanted that number to go on and on.  I'll go whole season's without feeling that way.   

 

I'd bet anything that Doug was in the bottom 2.

 

Zendaya was perfect for this ep.  She was eminently relatable and she was specific a few times as to her experience on the show and she was real when she did that.  If only Red Foo were available...:)

 

The best non-performance moment of the night for me, by faaaaar, was Len and Grumpy on the jidges dais.  I laughed.

 

I totally loved the open, which was executed very well and was very complicated.  It was also entirely true to Disney.  

 

I will say that to this point, this nothing cast (to me) has exceeded plan and is much better than last season's nobody cast.  We may yet have a pretty good season.  Here's hoping.  

[anonymiss]

Re: Paige being a better dancer than fighter--it's said because Paige the fighter has all the conditioning and all the heart but not nearly the technique (yet). She even admits as much after facing her first actual contender and being completely outmatched. As a dancer, though, she has all 3.

 

Paige and Mark easily have my "best dance of the season" so far if I had to choose that. Definitely not Ginger who is giving me shades of Bindi with the way they overpraise her. Her special snowflake phoniness contributes to that, too. (What's so remarkable about taking taekwondo?)

 

Favorite dance of the night was Wanya and Lindsay's but that had more to do with Lindsay than Wanya for me. He kept up well but I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. Same thing for the very different in mood but just as riveting Witney, gliding and spinning in that mesmerizing gown.

Edited April 12, 2016 by anonymiss

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have mixed feelings about Disney week because I love a certain segment of Disney movies so first I get excited about the Disney theme in theory. Then I usually realize that I have no interest in seeing bastardized versions of characters/songs/movies that I like. I also hate that everyone gets so swept up in the Disney spectacle that people end up getting overscored.

 

I understand that the pros/troupe want to participate in Disney week but the first number showed why I don't want them in the celeb dances. There is no reason why we should have four pros dancing during Antonio and Sharna's entire Aladdin routine.

 

I love "Part of Your World" so I loathe hearing non-Jodi Benson versions of that song. My favorite part of Marla's routine was her costume and that's not a small thing. I just went to a Little Mermaid singalong a few weeks ago so I started looking for an easy costume and 99% of the ones I found were bikini/shell tops with skin tight skirts. I thought that Marla's costume was very reminiscent of Ariel but great for dancing and without showing too much skin. I felt like there was too much arsing around at the beginning of the dance before they got into hold and actually started waltzing. I actually like that Marla's method of dealing with stress during rehearsal is cartwheels and handstands. It's better than having a tamper tantrum!

 

Nyle and Peta's Tarzan routine was fun to watch (and I can't say no to a shirtless Nyle). He looked like he was having a lot of fun, which is always a plus. Being barefoot revealed that his feet are a little bit lazy, and his hip action wasn't isolated enough. It was like he had to twist most of his body instead of just his hips.

 

In contrast with Marla's cartwheels, we had Doug breaking his cane during rehearsal. Sorry, Doug, that's not a good look. I understand being frustrated but I don't like when people express their frustration by purposely breaking things or hitting things. Heh, I was glad that Karina told him, "It's just dancing." Karina tried to disguise Doug's lack of dance skill by putting in a lot of lifts. The cane section clearly showed that his dance abiliity is the lowest of the remaining celebs.

 

Kim and Sasha's Jungle Book was a more acceptable use of the troupe at the beginning  and staying in the background until the very end when they all danced together. Quickstep is one of the toughest dances they have on this show and I was really annoyed that the camera zoomed in so that we couldn't see Kim's feet. Come on, show! Bruno mentioning jungle fever made me cringe.

 

I feel like Jody has been underscored and that she has the dance ability but I think that part of the reason is that Keo hasn't given her flashy choreography. This was the first week that there were noticeable mistakes but she took it in stride and managed to keep a smile on her face, which I really appreciate. I think she is coordinated and has the potential to excel so I hope that she gets the opportunity to break out during switch up week.

 

Von and Witney's Cinderella Viennese waltz was pretty but those black boots really highlighted how sloppy his footwork was. I felt like instead of seeing rise and fall, he was just shuffling his feet. He had a great attitude though. He worked hard, gave Witney credit for being a good coach, and said that repetition helped him improve.

 

Ginger and Val's Beauty and the Beast foxtrot had way too many backup dancers. Just, no. The other big problem for me was all the arsing around. The first 40 seconds was just walking around and other people in costumes. Then there was less than 30 seconds of actual foxtrot before we got back to more arsing around. And that's my problem with Disney week (as well as other theme weeks) - they get so caught up in recreating the movie instead of the actual dance. As far as I'm concerned, having only 1/3 of the routine time dedicated to the dance style that was assigned doesn't deserve one of the highest scores of the night or the accolade of best dance of the season. That's not Ginger's fault, but I still hate that stuff like that gets rewarded by the judges. My favorite thing about this dance was that they used the original version from the movie. FINALLY!

 

Wanya and Lindsay's Lion King samba . I really appreciate how determined Wanya is to get it right. When he said he wanted what he was doing to look like what Lindsay was doing and then he would feel comfortable made me respect his focus and drive. And as both an audience member and a teacher, I'd rather have too much intensity than not enough. I understood his costume but it was just so big and bulky and cumbersome for this dance.

 

Mark took good advantage of Paige's flexibility, which I loved. I was once in a performance group and it wasn't until a few months later that I found out that three of us could do russians (like the first jump Paige did at the beginning of their routine) and I was like dude, we need to use this to our advantage! I felt like we had wasted so many opportunities for us to do russians together. Anyway, I was afraid Mark would have another giant group dance situation when I saw a bunch of extra dancers during rehearsal. I was glad to see that it wasn't overly distracting. If we're going strictly on dance ability, Paige is my pick to win the season.

 

I'm not sad about Marla leaving because she wasn't the best dancer and she wasn't going to win, but I think that Doug should have gone before her based on dance ability. I know he managed to eke out another week because he got the sentimental vote last week because of his sad tale (which I understand).

Edited April 12, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[vibeology]

Why are the judges so hard on Jodie? I mean honestly... why? I don't get it. I had no idea it was that bad... 

 

She visibly messed up four times so I can't say the judges were too hard on her. It seemed to me that she did not know where she was for pretty much the whole dance. 

 

My bigger worry with Jodie is that Keo needs to change how he's choreographing his numbers. With his past partners, there wasn't much to work with so he could choreo a solid steady number and if they got through it that was a victory. With Jodie, she is capable of more so he needs to think more about having highlight moments and giving her opportunities to play to the camera and connect with the audience. Her back was to the camera for most of that dance. If voters can't see her face, they're not going to fall in love with her. 

 

The fuck? Ginger and Val's dance was the best dance of the season? WHAT IS GOING ON? 

 

What was that? It was barely dancing. It was walking with a bit of style for half the dance and when they finally got into hold, it was so brief. It was an impressive production, but the dancing was not great.

 

Wayna was amazing. He's really the top of the class for me from the guys. That was a great number and he really putting the work in to get the dances right. Nyle is pretty good too. I'm not going to fangirl though. There were timing issues. If you're going to put those bongo movies in, they've got to be perfect. I also think being barefoot hurt his dancing, but I don't know costume-wise what else you would do.

 

Paige and Mark were the best of the night for me. Mark is so creative and Paige is a partner who can actually match him. He was amazing, the dance was amazing. I really want her to stick around so I can see more.

[Buggin]

I threw all my (and my husband's) votes to Jodie because I felt she did well considering her issues hearing the music. I just feel like Keo is not a great pro and I am curious to see how she does during Switch Up week with a different pro.

Wanya remains my favorite to watch. I missed Nyle's so will have to watch it on Hulu later. I really do like pretty much all the couples this season which is nice. Kim and Sasha are so fun! He seems to bring out the best in his partners so I'm glad he got another shot as pro.

[stillbored]

She visibly messed up four times so I can't say the judges were too hard on her. It seemed to me that she did not know where she was for pretty much the whole dance. 

 

My bigger worry with Jodie is that Keo needs to change how he's choreographing his numbers. With his past partners, there wasn't much to work with so he could choreo a solid steady number and if they got through it that was a victory. With Jodie, she is capable of more so he needs to think more about having highlight moments and giving her opportunities to play to the camera and connect with the audience. Her back was to the camera for most of that dance. If voters can't see her face, they're not going to fall in love with her. 

 

I agree that she was appropriately scored in this one because i did see her make mistake, but this was the first dance that she's made obvious mistakes - and yet her scores were really no different from other nights.

I think jodie has the potential to go far if Keo would just up his game a bit.

[OakGoblinFly]

What a fun, fun night. Mark is a great choreographer and that was a great dance to end on. Paige did a good job.

 

And yet there's something about her that is keeping me from completely enjoying her performances. 

 

A lot of her dancing (while technically proficient) is a bit too frantic for my taste (though a great deal of that blame lies with Mark) – this is the first dance where (to me) it felt like Paige didn’t do three Red Bulls before performing (just two).   I think the adrenaline rush is getting the better of her and she tends to rush her movements.

 

There’s something just a little off-putting about Paige – it’s not that she’s unlikeable or horrible, I think she gets lost in a season where there are so many likeable contestants – I know that quite a bit of the pre-dance packages are scripted, still, a lot of the “I’m a fighter but I’m really a girly-girl” seems forced/faked.

[boyznkatz]

Did Jodie pee in Len's cornflakes? He really seems to have it out for the poor girl. She got the same score as Doug Flutie??? Seriously???

 

Marla totally deserved to stay over Doug, but I would have picked her to leave next anyway. She danced pretty well, but was forgettable.

 

Everyone else was really good, but the pimping of Ginger is really starting to reach Bindi Irwin levels.

[penbrat]

am not usually a fan of Disney night – too cheesy for me – but I actually enjoyed several of the dances last night – much more than I thought I would.

 

LOVED:  Wanya.  Loved his dance, his attitude and his partnership with Lindsey.   He just dances with such joy – I really hope these two make it to the end.

 

REALLY LIKED:

Nyle – not his best dance but enjoyable none the less.   He tries so hard and makes no excuses – he literally leaves it all out there on the floor.   I really like his partnership with Peta – my respect for her has gone up a few notches the way she is working with him.

Kim – I thought it was great and underscored.   She should have had a couple of 9’s the way the judges were handing them out, IMO.   I love her joy and how much fun she is having and her partnership with Sasha.  I would really like to see her sneak her way into the end

Von – His dance with Whitney was lovely and sweet and she looked amazing – loved the dress.   Of the three football players this season, he is the only one I like and seems to have the best attitude of the three.

 

LIKED:

Paige – not my favorite dance of her’s but I continue to like she and Mark as a couple and she is growing on me bit by bit.

The Rest:

 

MEH and underwhelming and forgettable.  And that includes Ginger and Val.  I don’t know why I cannot get on board with her.  She seems like a nice enough lady and she and Val seem to be a good match but I am just not feeling her as a dancer – but then I never felt Bindi Irwin either.     She was overscored IMO and she seems to be the Judge’s darling.  Perhaps that’s why I don’t like her.

 

Will be interested to see how Jodi does with the switch up.   We will see if she is just in her own head or if it is Keo.

 

Sorry to see Marla leave – lovely lady and I always enjoy Tony on my screen.  I wish Doug would have left – I don’t care for him or his attitude.

[Vinyasa]

The fuck? Ginger and Val's dance was the best dance of the season? WHAT IS GOING ON?

 

Ginger did NOT deserve 9s. Period.

 

There were too many back up dancers. That place is so congested. Seems like they have 50,000 people in a place built for 10,000. Why is it so crowded?

 

I swear each dance seems more and more like a freestyle!

[kayma]

I like everyone except Wanya because I really like him. It seems like everyone is working hardish to hard and all are trying to enjoy themselves. The next elimination is going to be hard since I don't think it was shaping up to be Doug.

I think the producers are restraining themselves with the packages. No one is getting bad edits or ridiculously good edits. They all seem pretty normal.

I really liked Ginger's dance. It was my favorite of the season so far, too. I do think it was heavy on production, but it was Disney night and they haven't overdone production so far.

I also really liked Paige and Wanya. I think Wanya's packages are just charming, and I love him with Lindsay.

I wish Peta would let Nyle's dances breathe a little. He's so capable, but I feel like it's all too hectic almost to the point of sloppy. I'm getting Riker vibes.

I wish I liked Paige more than I do. She's a good dancer and fun to watch. I like what Mark is doing. Something's just not clicking for me.

I think I'm hoping for a Wanya win, but I'd take just about any of them winning at this point. Probably not the football players, but I could make a case for the rest.

[Primetimer]

Also, Nyle wears only a loincloth.

Read the story

[Thadeeeyus]

I LOVED Mark and Paige's Toy Story dance!  Fantastic choreography.  I'd like to see it again without her goucho pants because they made it hard to see what her legs were doing.

Ginger reminds me of an over-enthusiastic high-school theater kid.  I can't take her seriously.  I wanted to like the routine last night because what little dancing they did was done well, but overall, there was too much other stuff getting in the way.

I'm enjoying Jodie so much more than Ginger because her vulnerability shows and I feel like we're seeing a real person.  I noticed mistakes in Jodie's dance last night and might have noticed more if it weren't for the craptastic camera work in order to include the animation in the shot and that distracting background and lights.  This was the first week I was really pulling for Jodie.

I wouldn't have minded Marla staying longer.  She made a good impression and if it weren't for the Trump thing, I could have easily been pulling for her.

Kim is getting lost in the mix.

 

Overall, there was too much extra stuff associated with these dances for me to say I enjoyed the night.  I just want to see the dancing.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Thadeeeyus

[Vinyasa]

Overall, there was too much extra stuff associated with these dances for me to say I enjoyed the night.  I just want to see the dancing.

 

Exactly!

 

It is all giving me a headache and I have to struggle to even see the contestants.

[sekay87]

I personally disagree with your ranking of Nyle and thought he was underscored. I thought he did better than Jodie and Marla, at the very least.

I also feel as though Keo is not doing Jodie's dance ability justice. I do love Keo though. I think he's a great partner and pro who seems to really have Jodie's back. But with that being said, this is the first season he's been on as a pro where he didn't leave in weeks 1 or 2 so I think he's still getting his legs and trying to figure it out as he goes.

I'm glad Marla went, simply because I love Doug and even though he's not good, he tries hard and has a great attitude. I like when contestants know their limits but still give it their all and want to nail it. I see that in Doug, and it's appreciated.

[vibeology]

I'm enjoying Jodie so much more than Ginger because her vulnerability shows and I feel like we're seeing a real person.  I noticed mistakes in Jodie's dance last night and might have noticed more if it weren't for the craptastic camera work in order to include the animation in the shot and that distracting background and lights.  This was the first week I was really pulling for Jodie.

 

The camera work was awful. Like I said above, I think Keo needs to be stronger with the production team in highlighting Jodie with the camera. I get that Gizelle needed to be in some of the shots, but she shouldn't be included at the expense of the audience seeing Jodie. I have no doubt in my mind that Derek (back in the day), Mark, Val and Sharna in particular have a specific vision of how they want the dance to be shot and argue during camera blocking to get some of the big moments on camera. Keo needs to push for Jodie and make sure we can see her. She isn't Lolo who needs hiding (despite some screw ups last night); I want to see her dance!

[Steph619]

I gave all of my votes to Jodie this time around because although she had noticeable mistakes in her dance, she continued on and plus, I really like her. She's one of my favorites along with Nyle and Wanya. I honestly don't think she'll win this season of DWTS, but I definitely want her to stay around longer. I'm interested to see who she gets as a partner next week for the switch-up, but I'm hoping it's Val.

 

My favorite dance of the night belonged to Lindsay and Wanya. Lindsay has really impressed me with her choreography and I think that she has come a long way since her first season as a pro.

[spanana]

Maybe it's too soon to judge, but to me Lindsay has become one of the strongest female pros on the show in a very short time.  I know it helps to have a partner like Wanya who is not only a natural, but wants to learn and do well, but even with Alek she showed that she is a very good teacher and partner who can deliver some fun choreography.  From her debut back in S16 with Victor Ortiz, I would never have expected this.  I also love watching her dance.  She's an example to me of a pro who always shines on their own when they dance, but it's never in a showboat-y way.  The more Lindsay delivers, the more I think she's locking up her pro spot for future seasons.

 

I also want to give Sasha a shout out, since I also think he's doing a fabulous job this season.  Not only in his partnership with Kim, but creating fun choreography for her.

 

I think Mark is killing it with the choreography so far too, but that isn't exactly news.  Sometimes he can go too far left of center with his wacky ideas, but so far this season I think he's been pretty pitch perfect.

[operalover]

ITA. Zendaya is a talented performer who made it to the Finals on her season of DWTS, plus she's an ex Disney star, so if anyone is qualified to judge Disney week, she is. Better her than Miley Cyrus. 

That is only because she was a professional dancer before the show began. She was a professional dancer for 12 years before coming on DWTS. Not really the purpose of the show to have professional dancers compete. Thank God she lost to Kelly Pickler. 

[katha]

There’s something just a little off-putting about Paige – it’s not that she’s unlikeable or horrible, I think she gets lost in a season where there are so many likeable contestants – I know that quite a bit of the pre-dance packages are scripted, still, a lot of the “I’m a fighter but I’m really a girly-girl” seems forced/faked.

I think what's happening is that Paige is happy and works hard and is a good dancer, she doesn't have any sob stories or juicy revelations. She and Mark get on well and their dances are great IMO. But this is reality TV, so the show needs to push some sort of narrative for her. So it's "I want to be girly" whatever, because that is apparently her "journey" this season. When most likely she doesn't care about all that, is doing the show for exposure, seems to have fun doing it and that's that. But with TPTB it can never be only about the dancing.

 

Since I ignore the packages at this point anyway, I don't care. Mark has been murdering it this season IMO and seems very enthusiastic about working with her, so that's cool to see. Wanya and LIndsay were awesome as well again. Ginger is getting pimped because she's this season's ABC gal, it might be slightly more noticeable this time around because there are many pretty strong dancers and even though she's not the best and not a standout they have to pretend she is. Keo is showing his inexperience a bit with Jodie, agreed.

[cali1981]

Overall, there was too much extra stuff associated with these dances for me to say I enjoyed the night.  I just want to see the dancing.

After a couple of minutes, I took a pass on this episode and watched Gotham and Ken Burn's Jackie Robinson instead. Skipping the Disney Night show has become a habit now.  There's too much nonsense and crass shilling for Disney going on to really just focus on and enjoy the dancing. I wish that they would just do away with this bloated drek.

[RedFiat]

I love Zendaya. She's a beautiful, bright, young woman with so much going for her.  It seems to me that the show long ago brought people in with lots of dance experience, so to beat down on a kid is pretty nasty.  She was only 16 and so mature in her dancing.  She was a joy to watch.

 

Paige is by far the best dancer on the show. There's simply no comparison in her ability to be in proper hold and do some very intricate work.  That was as good as anything I've seen from Shawn Johnson for example who put a lot of athleticism into her dancing.  Unfortunately she probably doesn't have the fans to sustain her but she is a great dancer.  

 

Wanya was great - but he does have an issue I think with extension, it's probably in how he's built - but he's a lovely dancer and that Samba was exceptionally good, his timing is super. 

 

I like these two and would love to see them in the finals.  Doubtful it will happen.   

[spanana]

That is only because she was a professional dancer before the show began. She was a professional dancer for 12 years before coming on DWTS. Not really the purpose of the show to have professional dancers compete. Thank God she lost to Kelly Pickler. 

 

That is not even remotely true.  Zendaya did not start dancing at 4 years old, nor did she really ever take any legit dance lessons besides hip hop classes for a handful of years as a child.  Yes, she had some dance experience as do many of the celebs that compete on this show.  I'm pretty sure the girl hopped around in the background of one Selena Gomez commercial when she was like 9 or 10 and somehow that equated to her being a working professional dancer in the eyes of many.  Also I'd urge anyone to watch her early Disney show and see the bad dancing before claiming that as hardcore professional experience. If we are going by that definition we should also disqualify Paige, Jodie, Meryl, Nicole S., Alfonso, Riker, Mya, Charlie, Liz Berkley, Danica, Corbin and the list could go on and on...

Edited April 12, 2016 by spanana

[kitcloudkicker]

There was a lot of re-hash of that Disneyland special ABC did this winter with Derek and Witney. I guess if you have the costumes, use 'em? Definitely same costumes (and song) for the opening number, and Doug looked like he was in one of the "Step-in-time" outfits from that show. 

 

 

I get that even with the Disney/ABC synergy, it can be hard to clear songs, but I wish they could mix it up a bit so they don't end repeating songs ("Friend Like Me")

 

I didn't mind the extras in Val & Ginger's dance, I don't know how you would do that song without whirling townspeople (whirling townspeople make that song). Something about Val and Beauty and the Beast just works, he also did a great job with Danica on "Be Our Guest." 

 

I read about Jodie's screw up in her dance before I watched it...and was expecting it to be a lot worse than it was. I barely noticed. I do think they need to kill the dancing with animation - it never looks good.

[snowdogs]

 

Ginger Zee -- no. It took them 15+ seconds to start dancing.

 

I actually said out loud "Len is going to call foul on all that 'mucking about' before they started dancing." And not only did he not, he claimed that competent-but-not-spectacular dance the best of the season? Seriously? I get that there's a symbiotic relationship among ABC shows, but when it's so obvious it can backfire.

 

[scenicbyway]

I thought it was interesting that Ginger said she didn't want to be a middle of the road dancer and suddenly they're on top of the leader board.  Has Val been holding out on her?  She can clearly handle choreography, perhaps it took a few weeks to get her schedule worked out where it appears that her husband and baby travel with her. 

 

Paige is the best female contestant, but she and Mark really don't seem to get along.  I think that could hurt her chances.  Perhaps he was hoping to get eliminated early in the season?

 

I feel sorry for Jodie, something's off with Keo.  I'm sure that when he joined the show he was touted as the recent winner of Australia's DWTS.  Not being able to hear the music isn't really the best excuse this season when there's literally a fellow competitor who can't ever hear the music.  Jodie's a natural dancer and it should be easy to choreograph a routine.  Keo does seem to feature himself a lot and perhaps that's because his last 3 partners haven't had the ability, but Jodie clearly does.  I'll be interested to see what her scores are like with the changeup.  I barely noticed her slip up and actually rewatched the dance after the judges were so hard on her, she was all in for most of it.

Whoever thought to give Doug "step in time" was just mean.  We've seen it two other seasons with amazing dancers and they purposely gave it to the weakest dancer in the bunch?  It was just sad.

[truthaboutluv]

Maybe it's too soon to judge, but to me Lindsay has become one of the strongest female pros on the show in a very short time.  I know it helps to have a partner like Wanya who is not only a natural, but wants to learn and do well, but even with Alek she showed that she is a very good teacher and partner who can deliver some fun choreography.  From her debut back in S16 with Victor Ortiz, I would never have expected this.

 

 

I think Lindsay is a strong example why doing one's time in the troupe can be a good thing. I don't think she was really ready when she was first made a Pro (yes I know Victor wasn't the greatest dancer but neither was Alek) and while it had to have sucked being booted back into troupe, I think she learned a lot during that time, working with some of the other Pros, seeing how it all works and really studying how you win and do well on this show. That's the thing I think many don't get when they're all in a hurry to think this person should be a Pro and that one and think it's just about how well that person can dance.

 

I see so many annoying comments online (seriously, avoid the DWTS Instagram account) about this troupe member being such a great dancer and of course he/she should be a Pro. What so many of these people don't realize is that it is so much more than the Pro's dance ability because let's face it, DWTS doesn't hire people who aren't professional dancers and so they're all more than capable and talented. But this show is about taking a celebrity who may not have the most natural talent and even the ones that do and turn them into something resembling a ballroom dancer. It's about figuring what works best for the celebrity and doesn't. It's about coming up with dances that will showcase them in the best light, from the costume to the production to lighting, etc. It all matters.

 

Things like props for example. If a Pro doesn't know how to incorporate the prop properly in the dance then you sometimes end up with a mess on the dance floor. There is so much that goes into this than just, "well this person is a gorgeous dancer." And I've always said that's exactly what happened with Alison. I maintain that because of her popularity, there was probably the sense that Alison was too good for the troupe but I definitely think she is one who would have benefitted tremendously from spending some time there before just being thrust into the role of Pro. 

 

As for the rest of last night's dances, I agree that Von did a lot better and for the first time this season, I saw some really good choreography from Witney. Speaking of the troupe, based on the first few weeks of this season, I was getting ready to declare that they should boot her butt back to troupe as a demotion because I felt like Witney's work was coming across lazy so far. Like she knows her Pro status is secure at this point, she has a mirrorball after all and so she was just coasting. A demotion down to troupe would make her come correct. Won't happen of course because I think the producers actually believe Witney is popular. And again she and Von did do much better last night and she did look very beautiful. 

 

I agree with others about Ginger and Val being ridiculously overscored and I don't know what the hell CAI was going on about Ginger having the best hold and frame. Ginger's frame looked very weak to me. The dance was to me the embodiment of a good performance but dance/technique wise, there wasn't really that much amazing about it. I think I would have given it all 8's. 

 

I totally agreed with Wanya on loving The Lion King because how can you freaking not? Like I have never gotten the Frozen love and think it's totally overrated. IMO, The Lion King is probably Disney's best and that opening note of that song always gets me. But I digress, this is about the dance. Well, it's like up and down with CAI because I actually agreed with her here. I felt the dance got a little away from Wanya at points and I'm not sure the costume showcased his lines very well. I actually thought Nyle did a better job with the Samba technique. Still some nice choreography work from Lindsay and I do enjoy watching Wanya dance. He might want to temper that intensity a little bit because he may psych himself out of the competition. As I always say, it's just a cheesy dance show for an ugly trophy. It's not that serious.

 

I really enjoyed Mark and Paige and of course Mark was all in his element. I can't remember which judge said it but what is most impressive about Paige I feel, is that she doesn't just nail the technique of the dance, she actually goes out there and performs. Which is why it's interesting to me that so many have mentioned not connecting with her and don't get me wrong, I sort of understand what people are saying. She reminds me a little of Bethany Mota in that sense - in the rehearsal, behind the scenes, etc. there's just something not connecting with people but then Mark will give her a character and she'll get on the dance floor and just nail it. As good as she is though, I can't see her winning if that sentiment many have shared here is a common one with viewers. You have to connect with viewers, especially the casual ones, to win this show. 

Edited April 12, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[blackwing]

I was flipping around channels, and I assume that Ginger was the Beauty and the Beast dance?  There was like 20 seconds of "acting" in the beginning while she tried to "be" Belle.  Then the dance itself was fairly forgettable.  Not sure why she got praised so much.  I also found it interesting that she seemed to get the movie soundtrack version of that song (I think), while others had to get atrocious renderings of their songs.  I'm talking about "Friend Like Me" in particular.  Maybe I'm too spoiled by the singer from the Aladdin Broadway soundtrack, but whoever sang this last night was simply the pits.

[DollEyes]

While Ginger & Val had their best dance this week, it's not the "best dance of the season" by a long shot, contrary to Len's opinion because for one thing the season is only four weeks old, plus Ginger & Val spent half the time "messing about." I'm just thankful Len didn't give it a 10, since he loved it so much. Now that Val has done two Beauty & the Beast-inspired routines in which he has played the Beast & Gaston, my question is, who's he gonna play next-Chip the teacup?

 

 

I love Nyle, but the undressed gimmick is just that.

 

  I respectfully disagree. This was the first time that Nyle has ever danced totally shirtless on the show and while his & Peta's Samba wasn't "perfect," at least it was fun to watch. Wanya's Samba was good, but IMO Nyle's was better. Nyle in a loincloth was a plus. His homage to Tarzan was better than Alexander Skarsgard's at the MTV Movie Awards because while ASkars is very sexy and has great legs, when it comes to Tarzan, the more nudity, the better, I say.

 

spanana: ITA re Zendaya. She may have had hip-hop training but hip-hop isn't ballroom, by a long shot. Nor is high-school cheerleading, which was what that season's winner Kellie Pickler did back in the day. Zendaya wasn't the first to compete on the show with any dance training and she won't be the last. As for her judging, I thought she did a great job. I didn't always agree with her, but at least her judging didn't make me roll my eyes to the point of blindness, unlike Abby Lee Miller did several seasons ago.

[Saylii]

Antonio & Sharna: Antonio really benefitted from having the troupe with him. They matched a lot of his movements and timing, making it look cleaner then it was. Antonio also danced most of the dance out of hold, which helped. It was his best dance of the season, but was maybe deserving of one 9 from Zendaya and 8's from everyone else. I think he's going to fall apart when he has to dance the more technical dances again alone with Sharna.

Marla & Tony: Her dancing is still not memorable. She's a very delicate dancer, but that doesn't really translate to softness. Her movement through her arms and legs seemed weak and there was little attack when she hit her marks. I think she would have benefitted from a better partner. Tony didn't really seem to help her grow. I was surprised they didn't throw her one or two 8's since she was leaving, but her scores were correct. Low energy performance, sloppy technique, no pizzazz.

Nyle & Peta: There were a few times when he was slightly faster then the music. When I watched it a second time, Peta had some very visible cues to keep him on the music. I also thought he lost control of his feet a few times in the intensity. He got stompy in the parts where he was crossing the dance floor. I thought it was one of the best dances of the night on the content and performance value. Nyle really should have gotten Antonio's scores.

Doug & Karina: This was the worst dance of the night. In a way, Karina failed Doug. She was overdancing him in the cane part. She could have saved it some if she matched his movements better. Her precision was something Doug was never going to have. Then Doug had his hat problems and got visibly mad at himself during the dance. He should absolutely be next week's elimination.

Kim & Sasha: Kim is suffering from the same problem that Marla had. She is probably the most unmemorable dancer now left. She is a better dancer then Marla and can hit her spots better. Kim really needs to focus on her technique from here on out to make sure that she stays high on the leaderboard. One bad week will send her home.

Jodie & Keo: After a rewatch, I think there was a problem in production with the show. Von and Witney were standing on stage going into the commercial break before J&K's package and they seemed genuinely confused when the announcer said Jodie and Keo were going next. I wonder if the order got screwed up which played into Jodie blanking on the routine. Outside of the mistakes, I thought the choreography was very basic. Jodie shimmied left, then Jodie shimmied right, and she twirled a few times. I also thought Keo was dancing faster then the beat which played into the mistakes. At one point when they were turning Keo was twirling away while Jodie was just bopping there. Keo always showcases Keo when he dances and it translates into forgetting his partner sometimes. He did get her back on beat in the end while they were in hold, so I give him credit for that. I am ready for Keo to go back to the troupe after this season. Luckily Jodie should make it past the next two weeks easily, so they have some time to adjust. Switch up week will be good for her.

Von & Witney: This was the first week where I felt like Von was dancing to his size. If he has a few weeks of ballroom dances, he'll go far. He's much better at ballroom dances then Latin dances. I think that's because he lets the hip-hop take over too much in the Latin dances. He's the best of the football players this season. He needs to work on his technique and his performance ability since he's not a natural actor.

Ginger & Val: Sigh. This was Val's best choreography this season. This was Ginger's best performance of the season. But the dance did not really deserve all the tongue wagging that the judges gave. There was a way to incorporate all the "townspeople" without standing around for half the song. There was a lift at the end and one questionable "jump". I'm just thrilled that Zendaya didn't bring out the 10 paddle. The big problem with the scores was that the danced portions were better then Kim, Von, and Antonio but the scores were already too high.

Wanya & Lindsay: First of all, I hated the composition of the music. I would have preferred they were dancing the score from the movie. It also wasn't quite as good as Nyle's samba. Both Wanya & Lindsay were ahead of the beat, but I can't tell who started it. A simpler costume would have helped the dance feel lighter. Wanya was also way too stompy for that dance which added to the heaviness. The performance level was off the charts which justified the 9's.

Paige & Mark: The Quickstep is usually my favorite dance, but this one was off. It felt way too slow. Part of that was the pants where you couldn't see the flicks in hold. Then the middle part where they laid on the ground took me out of it even more. The technique was the best of the night though. It was annoying that Paige had to tie with Ginger for the top score of the night.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Saylii

[boyznkatz]

Zendaya was nice and harmless enough, but guest judges add nothing to the show. In fact, they take up time where people could be dancing. I'd still take her over loudmouth Maks any day though. Why, oh why, won't he just go away? I fully expect one of the Houghs to be back sometime this season as well.

[Alapaki]

Is it just me, or do the singers in the live band just really suck this season?

[truthaboutluv]

Is it just me, or do the singers in the live band just really suck this season?

 

THIS SEASON? They've always sucked even when it was a completely different band. 

[ari333]

I like Zendaya, but 70ish% of her comments somehow were about herself in a roundabout way.

. 

 

THIS ^^^

Edited April 12, 2016 by ari333

[vibeology]

THIS SEASON? They've always sucked even when it was a completely different band. 

 

Normally I feel like Tom chooses to highlight them right after an especially horrible performance just for laughs, but I know with rehearsals and camera blocking that's not actually how that works. But yes, both bands were awful. This one might be a little worse in terms of vocal skills, but it doesn't have that woman with a ridiculous necklace on her head every week so its a wash for me.

[Thadeeeyus]

Zendaya was nice and harmless enough, but guest judges add nothing to the show. In fact, they take up time where people could be dancing. I'd still take her over loudmouth Maks any day though. Why, oh why, won't he just go away? I fully expect one of the Houghs to be back sometime this season as well.

 

I actually had the feeling last night that they were struggling to fill the time.  Erin just kept those questions going and going... So maybe the 4th judge was there last night partially for that reason.   I loved Zendaya as a dancer - one of my favorite contestants ever,  and she actually had me liking Val for the first time.  I thought she was fine as a guest judge, if you have to have one, but as others said, didn't add anything. 

[RedFiat]

Paige & Mark: The Quickstep is usually my favorite dance, but this one was off. It felt way too slow. Part of that was the pants where you couldn't see the flicks in hold. Then the middle part where they laid on the ground took me out of it even more. The technique was the best of the night though. It was annoying that Paige had to tie with Ginger for the top score of the night.

 

To be fair,  You've Got a Friend in Me is Foxtrot Tempo so I wondered how they were going to do a Quickstep, but the athleticism in promenade position was really excellent, so I see why they went with QS .     

[Kendra143]

Seems like if you like Mark you criticize Val. Just saying...

[majormama]

I loved seeing Val on the violin during the opener.

 

Antonio showed improvement, a little more refined and good swagger, but he just isn't quite clicking for me. He's coming off to me as arrogant, too good for the show. Someone above said he doesn't practice as much as others? Maybe that's the issue. He has potential, but isn't quite tapping into it.

 

Marla was very graceful, sweet, nice, and forgettable as usual. Side note: Tiffany looks like she could be sisters with Hillary and Haley Duff.

 

Nyle: SO FUN! His timing did seem to suffer a tiny bit when out of hold and turned away from Peta, but still better than many hearing contestants. Plus they did a samba roll, which I always look for.

 

Doug's temper tantrum did not look good on TV. It doesn't surprise me that a football star would have more fan support than Trump's ex, but hopefully with the football vote being split three ways he'll go soon.

 

I love watching Kim and Sasha together. They look like they're having a blast! Fun dance, maybe needed a little more bounce, but good for such a high energy dance.

 

I did notice Jodie's mistakes, but I think the bigger problem, at least for the home viewing audience, was that so much of the dance was shown in a super-wide shot to include the animation. They were so small on the screen, I could barely see what they were doing. Even when they dropped the animation, much of it was still a wide shot with very few close ups. I threw her several votes. She has such potential, and I definitely want to see how she does in the switch up.

 

Von showed improvement as well. I think he does better in the more elegant ballroom styles. Witney couldn't throw in her usual hip hop.

 

Ginger: I don't have a lot to say. As a whole performance, it was nice. As a dance featuring Ginger and Val, not sure it was worth the praise.

 

Wanya was very entertaining. It was very fierce and fitting to the Lion King. Another samba roll! I really liked the music arrangement. 

 

I liked Paige's dance as well. I want to see more of her, Jodie, Kim, Nyle, and Wanya. This cast (those left anyway) doesn't have any horrible stinkers. I don't have any I'm rooting against, though I do think Doug should be next. Any of the others could go or stay in any order and I'd be about as happy.

[Vinyasa]

I was flipping around channels, and I assume that Ginger was the Beauty and the Beast dance?  There was like 20 seconds of "acting" in the beginning while she tried to "be" Belle.  Then the dance itself was fairly forgettable.  Not sure why she got praised so much.

 

The dance was very forgettable.

Really shocked Len gave her a 9. He hates all the "fluff stuff" and that was 50% of her dance.

 

Seems those scores were set in advanced.

[sandyskyblue]

Why did Tom let Doug and Karina know that they were safe right after they danced??  I don't ever remember Tom doing that in the past and it seemed strange to me...anyone??

[truthaboutluv]

They've done it before. It's not a big deal. It's usually with a team with very low scores who everyone assumes may be leaving. I'm sure it's the producers' way of creating tension for the other couples because then they start thinking it could be anyone. It doesn't happen often but it has happened. Off the top of my head, it was done one week with Bill and Emma in Season 17. They were told they were safe after they got their scores, before all the couples had performed. 

[backformore]

I found Kim to be annoying as hell.   I get being excited, but put the brakes on!   And do NOT smear your lipstick on Bruno!

 

 

Scenicbyway:

Whoever thought to give Doug "step in time" was just mean.  We've seen it two other seasons with amazing dancers and they purposely gave it to the weakest dancer in the bunch?  It was just sad.

 

but - he didn't dance to Step in Time.    he did "Spoonful of Sugar"  Same movie, but much easier, I think.

[iMonrey]

I must not have been paying very good attention because I did not spot any big problems with Jodi and was baffled by the judges' criticisms. I thought her routine was pretty impressive. 

 

So Nyle finally got an interview in the Skybox with Erin - this is week 4 and the first time Erin has ever interviewed him. Maybe this time she put her foot down and really insisted because he was shirtless. And no shaved chest! Gotta be a first for this show.

 

I thought Kim's routine suffered in comparison to the number Maks and Meryl did to the same song a few seasons back (although they had Samba instead of Quick Step). Overall I'm not terribly impressed with her, she seems too needy or something, and that long yellow skirt did not do her any favors.

 

I think Disney Night should be the one where "messing about" is tolerated so long as the judges are consistent. Len only griped a little about it with Nyle and Peta but made no mention of it for Ginger and Val, yet the latter pair messed around far more than the former.

 

I hate to say it but I don't think Marla's Trump connection did her any favors vote-wise. Trump supporters probably wouldn't vote for her because she divorced him (even though she has taken pains not to say anything negative about him), whereas Trump detractors wouldn't vote for her because of her association with him. A lose-lose proposition for her.

 

I just struggle to enjoy the football players no matter how good they are because the show pimps them and props them way too hard. I get that having a big, strong football player do ballroom is way more a novelty than having, say, an actress or a singer, but enough is enough. Three of them this season and one in particular has already stayed past his sell-by date.

[Alapaki]

THIS SEASON? They've always sucked even when it was a completely different band. 

 

Yeah, they've never been great.  But this season I find it actually distracting.  As in, "wow, these folks make me realize that Phil Phillips and Miley Cyrus are actually pretty good singers!"

[Hiacios]

 

 

Well, she can't be the next Rousey....she's not even in her weight class.

Anyone who watched the Herrig and Chambers fights prior to her loss to Namajunas can't say she doesn't have some level of skill and ability and heart for Women's MMA. Or alternatively, they're just biased against her because of her looks which have opened doors that aren't necessarily open to others. But looks matter, that's a brutal truth in sports marketing for females (and in the UFC's overall shaping of the nascent women's division). It happens in every single sport. Ana Kournikova was a crazy marketable tennis player. Less talented than the best players of her era, but still talented enough to make the semifinals of Wimbledon as an individual and she has Grand Slam doubles titles that the haters couldn't ever take away. Similarly, Alana Blanchard and Anastasia Ashley are really talented surfers who might be comparable in their sport (in terms of visibility and notoriety vs. on paper wins/results) to where Paige is in hers.

Paige isn't there yet as a fighter for sure. Was Namajunas too tough for her at this early stage of her UFC career, you bet. But I think on that night, she would of "whopped" as you say just about any other strawweight in the division outside of Jedrzejczyk, the champ. Paige at 22, is still one of the youngest fighters on the roster with a lot of room for growth and improvement whenever her time on DWTS comes to an end.

     

I agree with almost everything you said, but don't agree with your take on Paige as a fighter and here's why: She is stiff, to aggressive, sloppy and lacks finesse when it comes to fighting and we seen that that just doesn't work when you start fighting smarter and more skilled fighters, e.g., Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas. I saw all of that when I watched her fight in Invicta, then when she was signed with the UFC and they started marketing her as one of the best female fighter I laughed because new that wasn't true. About me telling you that the UFC was saying that Paige was the next Ronda Rousey has nothing to do with weight classes it is just to get people to see her as being as skilled as Ronda which I think is hilarious. For the record I never even thought that Ronda was good and told all my friends and people online that when she losses it will be a brutal, but I had know idea that it would be by the hands of Holly Holm who is the complete opposite of that immature, boastful, bratty b#tch. :)

[ari333]

That is only because she was a professional dancer before the show began. She was a professional dancer for 12 years before coming on DWTS. Not really the purpose of the show to have professional dancers compete. Thank God she lost to Kelly Pickler. 

Yes.^^^

[simplyme]

I just struggle to enjoy the football players no matter how good they are because the show pimps them and props them way too hard. I get that having a big, strong football player do ballroom is way more a novelty than having, say, an actress or a singer, but enough is enough. Three of them this season and one in particular has already stayed past his sell-by date.

I don't know that labeling someone as "a football player" and sticking them all in the same box is entirely fair. Flutie was never the premier player Antonio and Von were. He's primarily known for his college career (he was a Heisman winner) and is famous to Canadian football fans for his 8 fantastic years in the CFL, but he spent most of his time in the NFL as a back up QB because he is 5'9". Buffalo Bills fans love him for getting them to the playoffs in the late 90s, but once to the playoffs he was pulled for the inept-but-larger Rob Johnson. (Yeah. I'm a Bills fan. I think my brother still has an unopened box of Flutie Flakes.) That storyline about being judged for his size is true. It's all you heard about when he played football... "Can he do it? He's so small!"

As to how much effort Antonio is putting in, my brother lives in Pittsburgh currently. Apparently Steelers fans (and thus the sports media) went nuts when they heard Antonio was doing DWTS. They do NOT want him injured. I lived there when Hines Ward was on DWTS and they handled it ok, so the reaction might have been a surprise to him. So it wouldn't surprise me if he's taking it easy on dancing and focusing on football because he doesn't want this to turn into some sort of media circus. That's just a guess, of course. He also could just not care. :)

Mostly I just try to judge people by their dancing (and a little bit their personalities) rather than what they do. Like others, I'm impressed at the overall talent in this crop of celebs. I'm also ok with everyone who has gone home so far. Geraldo and Mischa had no rhythm. Marla felt lifeless to me, and I kept forgetting about her. (Beautiful but lifeless.) Doug is probably up next.