S22.E10: Finale - Night 1

[OakGoblinFly]

Carrie Anne; you are a very pretty woman - please stop with the garish  eye make-up.

 

I’m glad that Peta used an outside choreographer for her contemporary freestyle with Nyle; that was very smart of her.  Most of the “contemporary” routines on this show are severely lacking in content; that was not the case for Peta and Nyle’s routine; chock full of content, meaning to ever movement; so very powerful; and very well performed by both Peta and Nyle.  That was my favorite routine of the season; it was the perfect combination of raw emotion, choreography, performance, and song.

 

Paige’s freestyle was good – for me, it lacked the punch and it really paled on comparison to the power of Peta and Nyle’s.

 

I thought the routine Val designed for Ginger was perfect for her.

 

 

I still haven’t warmed to Paige – she came in as trained and highly proficient dancer and she’s leaving the same; I really haven’t seen any dance improvement or growth from her.  I will say that she does appear to trust Mark more now – so that’s something I guess.

 

 

Ginger seems pretty much the same to me – a very upbeat, warm, happy person.  She too came in with some dance training.

 

 

I guess I’m rooting for Nyle by default – he came in with no training and worked to improve himself.  While he still has some posture issues I did notice him tucking is bum in during the Quickstep and work to keep his shoulders down.  Considering all the challenges he and Peta had to overcome, I think he’s done extremely well.

[kitcloudkicker]

21 minutes ago, vibeology said:

What does Nyle's dance have to do with deaf people raising children? He was understandably emotional and dealing with a new interpreter so I really didn't get his point there. Does anyone know?

This is what he wrote on his youtube channel: 
 

Quote

"Thank you for continuing to make my ride on DWTS so much more thrilling and meaningful. Thank you for continuing my voice in raising awareness about the Deaf culture. 

Given that I am Deaf, I am dedicating this soundless video to "The Sound Of Silence" song for our Contemporary-Freestyle dance for the Finale. 

My interpretation of the song is that for hundred of years my Deaf community has suffered oppression, marginalization, and language deprivation... but now we're starting to find hope. It is time for our soundless message to be heard, hence the Sound Of Silence. 

P.S. There are 70 million of Deaf people worldwide. Only 2% of them have access to education in sign language. Over 75% of parents do not use sign language to communicate with their Deaf child. Millions Deaf children experience language deprivation. If you want to help and put end to this, please buy a shirt represent.com/nyle and the money will go to Nyle DiMarco FOUNDATION."

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ginger's contemporary was good but forgettable. Part of me really feels for her because I have hurt my back so badly that I couldn't even walk. On the other hand, the cynical part of me feels like no matter how much she is hurt, this is just a ploy for votes. I wonder how much Val modified the routine to make things easier for Ginger.

Nyle's quickstep was better than that Mask dance but of the three finalists, he is the worst dancer. On the other hand, he's the only one who didn't grow up dancing (that we know of?) so there's that. I know Peta probably couldn't fix his lazy flat shuffling feet, but I'm surprised that he was hunched over the entire season and she never got out that posture bar that we see every season. I was surprised that the costumes for this dance were so plain. You know the costume people have never seen an article of clothing that they didn't want to bedazzle or add rhinestones to. There was a tiny bit on Peta's top but that was it.

The best thing about Paige's salsa is that she was obviously having a lot of fun. That's not to say that it was a bad performance, just that I can't enjoy a dance when people look really stressed or like they're thinking too hard about what they're doing and that's especially true in the finale. As Jonathan said in Center Stage, I need to see the movement, not the effort. This was the redemption dance I enjoyed the most.

I rolled my eyes when Val told Ginger that they don't have pyro or other elements in their freestyle to keep the audience's attention. That's the way it's supposed to be! The dancing is what's supposed to hold the audience's attention, not the costumes, the sets, the lighting, the sets, the backup dancers, etc. But the fact that Val said that was even more hilarious considering that they then had the faux rain and the giant gazebo. Oooooookay, Val. But I do give him credit for not giving her a flashy routine with a tiny sparkly costume and a million troupe members.

Peta and Nyle's freestyle was everything I hate about contemporary: crawling on the floor, flexed feet, grabbing the other person's ankle as they walk away, ugh. The only thing that was missing was the bicycling upside down lift. This exact kind of choreography is bad enough when it's done by a contemporary dancer but it's painful to watch a non-contemporary dancer do it. I did not enjoy this dance at all. Seriously, Carrie Ann, that is the best dance you've seen in 22 seasons? Nope. I guess I'm a cold hearted bitch because I wasn't moved to tears like everyone else.

I liked some of Paige's freestyle, but there were way too many lifts. Do you think you're on SYTYCD, Mark? The biggest thing I got from watching this dance was that Paige's previous dance training was really obvious. Pointed toes! A turning attitude leap into a turning split leap! I'm not complaining though. I'd rather watch that than a cliche contemporary routine. I also dislike how Mark has to make everything about himself. Our redemption dance is because I couldn't do that routine with Paige! Our freestyle is about me taking Paige away from her hometown and rescuing her! It reminded me of the season when Derek did that Gene Kelly dance and made it all about how Gene Kelly was his hero and his role model and his everything in life. Oh yeah, and Bethany is here to dance with me so she better not fuck it up and disgrace the memory of Gene Kelly because it would kill my soul!

What I really hate is when we see Erin wasting so much time during the interviews and then the last couple gets screwed out of getting any comments and Tom is basically telling the judges to STFU and we end up wasting precious time on the judges arguing with Tom about whether they have time to say something while the dancers just stand there waiting to get any sort of useful comments.

 

Quote

Not to mention she'd likely fall off a chair. 

Quote

What is her deal with gravity? I'm one of the clumsiest people around, I walk into sliding glass patio doors when holding onto the damned handle but even I can sit in a chair without going ass over tea kettle.

 

I know dancers like Carrie Ann (and I'm including myself in this so I can personally attest to this) who are great at learning choreography and executing the moves but then in real life, they are total klutzes. We're talking walking into door frames, tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, or anything that people who aren't toddlers should not be doing anymore. I've never fallen out of a chair though (knock on wood) so I'm on up on Carrie Ann.

Edited May 24, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[OakGoblinFly]

10 hours ago, PBGamer89 said:

It was hit on us a lot. The music drop on the Paso, the blindfold thing last week, plus the endless "how do you do this when you can't hear the music" from Tom, Erin and every judge.

Personally I don't think we were "hit" any more with regard to Nyle's deafness then we were Ginger's being a new mom or Paige and her bullying/I'm so not girly tripe.

 

It's the storyline that the powers-that-be elected to tell and the pros, hosts, and judges all follow the prescribed storyline; it has been that way since season one .

[Vinyasa]

I really question Ginger's "injury".  I wonder if she knows she is on the way out so this was added. Maybe she was but they always seem to the cameras front and center when anyone is injured. Other than that, her freestyle could have been a Week 4 dance. I saw nothing special about it.

See has annoyed me all season, so I'm glad it will all be over!!

[marriedaniac]

Ahh! Sound of Silence, Disturbed flavour!! My song of the moment! I can't believe Peta waited this long to use it. Save the best for last?

Loved it. Paige was excellent too.  Ginger was over-scored, which gave the perfect scores for the others less of an impact than they deserved.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Maybe I am just a purist but I hated the versions of the songs that Nyle and Paige danced to.  Quit screwing around with classics.

I agree, but on the other hand at least we didn't have to hear the terrible DWTS singers butcher those two songs. It's a tiny trade off!

[J.D.]

I was a little surprised that nothing was mentioned in last night's show about the accident Nyle's interpreter was involved in.  Maybe they kept it out of the show on purpose because they didn't want to appear as if they were hinting for sympathy votes for Nyle.  Still, Ramon has been Nyle's 'right arm' for so long (ANTM and before), that it had to be hard for Nyle to go on and perform without him.  And it had to be hard for Nyle to keep his focus, wondering if Ramon will be okay.... adjusting to his replacement interpreter....etc.  Still, Nyle pulled it off with only a couple minor missteps. I went back and watched his freestyle routine again.  Nyle's timing was off in the beginning of the song when he was 'creeping' his fingers across Peta's chest before the word 'creeping' was sang in the song.  His timing was off when they both fell to the floor.  Still, I give Nyle credit for his strength and perseverance.  He got all my votes.  

[boyznkatz]

I thought Ginger and Val had the best freestyle, even though none of them were that great. While I love "The Sounds of Silence" I didn't feel that song or dance suits Nyle's personality. Paige danced well but was the most forgettable of the three. 

[vibeology]

@kitcloudkicker Thank you for linking that. I was sure he was trying to say something but between the limited amount of time, his own emotions and the fact that he was working with a new interpreter I knew something had got lost along the way. That helps clear it up. I don't know if much of that came through the dance but that's the drawback of having someone come in with an already choreographed routine; there might not be space or time to add in some of that personal stuff even if a choreographer can figure out how to portray some of the more complex ideas through dance. In fact for me, the whole dance seemed sad and dark, not at all the celebration of his culture that Nyle talks about online. Kind of a shame.

As far as the finale, it was blah overall. I know they're cheesy but I miss the big freestyles with the glitter and the lights and people tearing away costumes and jumping off the judges table. It would have been nice if at least one freestyle had been big and loud like that. I'd prefer Paige to win, am cool with Nyle winning and really would be disappointed if Ginger won but that really has nothing to do with the dancing last night since nothing there was really special.

[skyways]

Paige won't win, sorry. If she does it will be based on the strength of her previous weeks when she came on strong. But it won't be. Seriously I am still dumb founded by Mark's choice. Why did you want to get lost in the crowd like that?? and at the Finale too????

Anyway it won't and doesn't matter. At least the better dancer lasted all the way to the last. That I can enjoy at least. As for the whining about dance experience , All and I mean ALL of the females who ever made it to the finals and WON have had previous dance experience. It is required of the women to know what they are doing but not the men.

[howmanywords]

"Disturbed" posted this touching email that Nyle sent them on their site

http://www.disturbed1.com/news/dancing-stars-nyle-dimarco-150001

[Vinyasa]

Quote

As far as the finale, it was blah overall. I know they're cheesy but I miss the big freestyles with the glitter and the lights and people tearing away costumes and jumping off the judges table. It would have been nice if at least one freestyle had been big and loud like that.

The freestyles were no big deal because most the dances this season seemed like freestyles. All the props and background dancers were an overkill.

If we had seen two people dance on a regular dance floor all season, these freestyles might have stood out. They just blended in with all the other weeks of dancing.

[Wings]

41 minutes ago, J.D. said:

 

I was a little surprised that nothing was mentioned in last night's show about the accident Nyle's interpreter was involved in.

 

What happened?  Nothing on google that I could see. 

[kitcloudkicker]

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

What happened?  Nothing on google that I could see. 

The only site reporting a "serious accident" is suuuuper tabloidy and known for making things up (its posted in the general thread.) I'd take it with a grain of salt until there's other confirmation. The Glamour blog this week just reports that he was sick. (And that Nyle was joking about it, so it didn't seem serious)

http://www.glamour.com/story/dancing-with-the-stars-2016-recap-watch-nyle-dimarco-and-peta-murgatroyd

Quote

UPDATE: First matter of business: Where was Nyle's interpreter, Ramon? Turns out, he was sick, which is why "we had this interpreter take over!" Nyle joked backstage of the new guy

Edited May 24, 2016 by kitcloudkicker

[J.D.]

7 minutes ago, kitcloudkicker said:

The only site reporting a "serious accident" is suuuuper tabloidy and known for making things up (its posted in the general thread.) I'd take it with a grain of salt until there's other confirmation. The Glamour blog thus week just reports that he was sick. (And that Nyle was joking about it, so it didn't seem serious)

http://www.glamour.com/story/dancing-with-the-stars-2016-recap-watch-nyle-dimarco-and-peta-murgatroyd

Seriously?  I didn't get it from that site, but it's strange that I now can't find the link I got it from.  

[radishcake]

OK, I'm giving some time outs and as you can see I've hidden a variety of posts. Content in this thread should be about the EPISODE. If you comment was less than 1/2 of relevant content it's been hidden. I've said is many many times; there are some people that you don't agree with and that's fine but engaging in arguments in the thread is completely against our site policy of "be civil". I've tried several mod notes about infighting and about our ignore feature and it's not helping so I will start hiding and giving time outs.

Please try to continue to talk about the events of the episode and your opinions on the episode without smacking down on your fellow posters. 

[kitcloudkicker]

13 minutes ago, J.D. said:

Seriously?  I didn't get it from that site, but it's strange that I now can't find the link I got it from.  

That's the only one I could find! I mean, if he WAS in an accident I hope he's okay, but even if Nyle was trying to be vague to protect his privacy or something, it seems weird that if it were true he'd laugh it off.

[deemac]

I have trouble with Nyle........he just seems one dimensional to me.  Always always smiling.  I realize he feels like he has to represent the deaf being as capable as anyone....but even Bindi, that ray of perpetual sunshine, had moments of frustration, exhaustion and pain.  And actually for that reason I loved his freestyle.  Emotion!!!  Or have I just somehow managed to miss those moments?

[Thadeeeyus]

36 minutes ago, Vinyasa said:

The freestyles were no big deal because most the dances this season seemed like freestyles. All the props and background dancers were an overkill.

If we had seen two people dance on a regular dance floor all season, these freestyles might have stood out. They just blended in with all the other weeks of dancing.

Exactly!  I used to dislike the freestyles for just that reason.  Now the season-long use of props and background dancers are a big part of my overall dissatisfaction with this show.  I don't think I've ever been excited by any freestyle.  I always just wanted to see more ballroom dances or fusion, done really really well.  

My favorite dance last night was Paige's salsa. Terrific choreography danced really well.  In spite of being turned off by Ginger this season, I think I could have liked her freestyle if she'd been able to dance it full out.  I've mostly been a fan of Paige this season, but I, too, was disappointed in the choice of contemporary for her FS.  It was done well, but I wanted more.  

[katha]

I thought all three freestyles were nice. None of them seemed spectacular to me either, but I tend to cut the pros slack since expectations are always high for that round and no matter what you do, it'll never make everyone happy. Since Nyle's was the most emotional and he has the best story arc of the three candidates, I'm sure he'll win. And that's fine, he was an entertaining performer all season, if perhaps not always the strongest dancer. Ginger's dance suited her, though I could have done without the "fake tap" and it was a bit too much posing at times. I thought it was cool that Paige's freestyle wasn't an angsty contemporary, but something uplifting and happy.

Nyle will win, Paige will probably get second, Ginger gets third. IMO Ginger did well, but was clearly weaker than the other two (that contemporary re-do was meh) and I don't think she's some voting powerhouse who can overcome that. Paige was only in with a shot if Nyle screwed up his freestyle, since he didn't do that I don't see a big chance for her.

[LadyMustang65]

I was very surprised that all 3 couples basically went minimalist for their freestyles, but I guess it makes sense since that actually made them different from the big productions the rest of the season.  I really wish they'd go back to just the couples dancing with limited props and no back-up dancers during the regular season so they can "supersize" the freestyles again.  I always found that to be fun when they could go all out.  Now it's so normal it doesn't seem any different than a regular week.

I ended up agreeing with the rankings last night.  I liked both Ginger's and Paige's redemption dances.  I thought Nyle's quickstep was better than his first one, but something about the western theme kind of threw things off for me.  I seem to be in a minority in really enjoying Ginger's freestyle.  I thought that was a very smart choice for Val - it's something that she could really handle well.  It's too bad the back injury kept her from going full out on that one.  But I found it very enjoyable.

I did not like Nyle's contemporary, but then I'm not a big fan of contemporary anyway, but when I do enjoy it, it's generally the lighter type.  My favorite contemporary on the show is still Val's with Zendaya.  Nyle's was everything I hate about contemporary - angsty, overwrought, overly-dramatic, "important" theme, flexed feet, grabbing the ankle while walking away, crawling on the floor, etc. etc. etc.  My dh liked it, but it just was not cup of tea.  And I kept being distracted by the burning piano, which is not good. 

I liked Paige's contemporary much better (and Ginger's earlier) because it was much lighter and brighter and without what I think of as the "obligatory" contemporary moves. 

At this point I'm fine with whoever wins, but my rankings agree with the judges' rankings right now.  I expected all 30s for the freestyles - that's pretty much par for the course these days unless someone really screws up.  I expect all 30s for the fusion dances tonight as well.  At this point the show doesn't usually try to shake things up too much - keep all the dancers close in score and let the audience decide. 

[Primetimer]

Including flaming pianos, and very little clothing on the final three.

View the full article

[ocelot]

Literally will never not kill me when I see these pros put dancing in hold in 'contemporary'

[ocelot]

12 hours ago, mstar1125 said:

if there is such a thing as out of sync during a contemporary

Uh

Is this

Ok reason 5,000 contemporary shouldn't be on this show

[Wyndsong]

I was underwhelmed. Too many contemporaries, and the freestyles themselves had to be pared down to the basics to make them seem different from the big productions we've seen all season. That seems backward to me.

Ginger: I think she did okay with the crap Val gave her. What was he thinking with that freestyle? So boring. But Ginger is rather unforgettable and boring so I guess it makes sense. She is a competent dancer and deserved her place in the finale but I never warmed up to her. Sorry she was injured though.

Nyle: I like Nyle well enough but I wasn't impressed with either of his dances. Quickstep is clearly a tough style for him, though he did improve on his first quickstep. I can see why people loved his contemporary but I hated it. I just don't get the style. It's so overwrought and melodramatic, and just plain ugly to me. Too much throwing each other around and not enough softness for me. Despite this, I think the 10s were deserved. Not my favorite, but I can see why others loved it. The best part was the song. Disturbed's version of the song is my current obsession so I was happy to see it on the show.

Paige: Paige's salsa was awesome. That's what I wanted to see from her in the freestyle. What was Mark thinking with that boring contemporary? I liked it better than Nyle's because it was softer and more lyrical but I still was disappointed. She is a firecracker and he should have tapped into that.

I think Nyle has this wrapped up, and I'm okay with that. He is what the show is about. No dancing experience, a great partnership and journey, and an important message. People eat that up. It doesn't hurt that he's good-looking.

Paige will likely come in second. I gave her all my votes and would prefer her to win. She had her own growth, though it was internal. When she started off she was timid with Mark, uncomfortable with the emotion and touching, and now she is doing lifts with no hesitation and her partnership with Mark is touching. What she gained from this show will stay with her forever and was a delight to see.

Ginger should get third. I think she is a nice, genuine, and warm person, a good dancer and has worked hard. She should be proud of how far she's come.

[truthaboutluv]

Considering their presence is annoyingly all over the season, can they start making a rule that the Finale be troupe free? Because frankly I felt they were unneeded in both Paige/Mark's Salsa and Nyle/Peta's Quickstep (and yes I am aware that that was Sharna and Lindsay in that number along with Hayley). 

Paige/Mark (Salsa) - YMMV but I preferred her first one and even more unpopular, I sort of agreed with Len. I felt like Paige performed most of the dance from above, if that makes sense, rather than being really grounded in the floor and in her hips. Funny enough it reminded me of Bindi's Salsa last season and what Julianne and Bruno said. That is, she danced it very nice and proper and fun but never really got into the floor and the grit. So yeah, I actually got Len's point. That said, I thought Paige performed the hell out of the number and it was a good dance.

Paige/Mark (Freestyle) - This was disappointing and it was confusing to be honest. Mark is the guy who has given us Super Mario Brothers come to life, put Aly Raisman on a pole, stuck battery packs in his and Chelsea's suits for their freestyle, not to mention his other nutty dances during the seasons and he has someone with Paige's talent and ability and he delivers that? It wasn't bad but there was nothing special or spectacular about it. It was just nice and dare I say safe and I never thought I would use the word safe for a Mark Ballas freestyle. I also kind of didn't get the story. Like at first when the vision was coming up from the music box thing, I thought Paige would be in the music box and come to life kind of thing (which actually Peta already did with Tommy Chong of all people) but then it was just Mark's fiance singing. So yeah, kind of meh for me. 

Ginger/Val (Contemporary) - Someone said some weeks ago that Ginger is a good boring dancer and I think that was a very apt description. On its own, there was really nothing wrong with this. The lifts were nice, I thought the touches from their previous performances were sweet (although I wondered why that wasn't done for their freestyles instead) but at the end of it, I just felt like "who cares." I just don't feel anything while watching Ginger dance and I also never saw any real emotional connection between her and Val, which is interesting because by all accounts they seem to get along great. But that just never really translated to the dance floor IMO. 

Ginger/Val (Freestyle) - Okay, the positive, I like that Val tried something new and different and outside his wheelhouse. I appreciated that more than his Argentine Tango with Rumer that was disguised as a freestyle because I thought that was just straight up lazy. So I appreciated seeing someone do something a little different. Unfortunately, while the idea was great, the execution, not so much. The beginning was great but once the music picked it up it got really, really clunky and a little messy and awkward. Also, while I get what Val was going for with the costuming, these pants and shoes did Ginger NO favors and made some of her steps look even more awkward. 

Nyle/Peta (Quickstep) - First off, I could not have been the only one who spent half of that performance distracted by the song. I mean it was awesome, but I was just thinking the whole time, "wait, is he saying 'son of bitch...get me a drink?" Seriously, every time that line came up I had to laugh. That said, I did see improvement from the first time. I thought Nyle's frame was loads better and I didn't think his butt stuck out as badly as it's done in other dances. The biggest issue I found was that Nyle had a tendency to be a bit too hoppy, rather than gliding across the floor. But I enjoyed the dance. 

Nyle/Peta (Contemporary) - I found this very haunting and as a performance, it was a brilliant. That said, I thought it was powerful more for the little touches and the staging and just all around performance factor, rather than the steps itself. Because other than one or two impressive physical moments, it really wasn't that physically challenging in my opinion. Again, brilliant performance and gorgeous concept and I enjoyed it completely for what it was but if I compare it to the physicality of some other contemporaries I've seen, I wouldn't call it one of the best but it was good for what it was. 

Okay, I hesitate greatly to get into the debate of the whole outside choreographer thing. Let me say, that I was surprised when Peta, in her package basically said flat out that she had this choreographer come in and do the dance for her. Because, as I have understood it, yes many of the Pros work with other choreographers, particularly on styles that are not in their wheelhouse and that's fine, especially if they're open about it. What I was under the impression and may be the case for some others, is that even then the Pros are having their input and working on the dance as well and basically collaborating with someone else. I think the reaction about Peta and Nyle was sort of, "so she didn't do anything in the dance?" And again, if that has been the case with many others, I personally was unaware. 

Some mention Derek but again, Derek has been upfront many times when he's worked with other people. We know he got help for his and Kellie's Flamenco because he said it, he didn't know how to do the aerial stuff for Amy's freestyle so he got some person in that field to help out, Amber's freestyle package had a whole part where Derek was asking the guys to change some of the stepping stuff because it was too hard for him. He spoke very publicly about working with Alison and Jamie Goodwin (she was in the spinning box dance with him) to improve his contemporary skills, speaking of spinning box dance, anytime he was complimented on that he always made sure to tell people that it was from a Gene Kelly film but what he wanted to do was do the dance in real time. Last season in the trio with Bindi and Mark, he mentioned seeing the box from some idea Mark wanted to do but never did and the light was from some performance he saw and thought it would be cool in a dance. All this to say that it is no secret and not a big deal in my opinion that Pros work with people and get inspired by different styles and performances, etc. 

Also, I wouldn't include the Pros bouncing ideas off each other because again, that is not a secret or a big deal in my opinion. Anna T. on Afterbuzz a long time ago mentioned it and said as much that it is not a big deal. Most of these Pros know each other for years, competed against each other and yes are friends. I don't think it matters if Lindsay gives some suggestion or two to Witney for example or Maks showing up during the season helping out Peta. And speaking of that, again, yes many of the Pros have a troupe member in rehearsals but again that to me is not a big deal because especially if it is someone of the opposite sex, that's just smart in helping the celebrity better able to see how they're supposed to look in the dances and it helps to better teach them.

All of that stuff is for me personally, maybe others are different, not a secret or new or a big deal. Again, I think the reactions about Peta and Nyle is because per the package Peta had the entire dance choreographed by someone else with no input it seems from her. Do I think it's this huge massive deal and will alter the show, no but I do understand why some people may have balked a bit at the knowledge. 

That said, I actually have no clue who will win this thing and that is the first time in a LONG time with this show that I can truly say that. 

Edited May 24, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[renzii]

12 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

Considering their presence is annoyingly all over the season, can they start making a rule that the Finale be troupe free? Because frankly I felt they were unneeded in both Paige/Mark's Salsa and Nyle/Peta's Quickstep (and yes I am aware that that was Sharna and Lindsay in that number along with Hayley). 

Paige/Mark (Salsa) - YMMV but I preferred her first one and even more unpopular, I sort of agreed with Len. I felt like Paige performed most of the dance from above, if that makes sense, rather than being really grounded in the floor and in her hips. Funny enough it reminded me of Bindi's Salsa last season and what Julianne and Bruno said. That is, she danced it very nice and proper and fun but never really got into the floor and the grit. So yeah, I actually got Len's point. That said, I thought Paige performed the hell out of the number and it was a good dance.

Paige/Mark (Freestyle) - This was disappointing and it was confusing to be honest. Mark is the guy who has given us Super Mario Brothers come to life, put Aly Raisman on a pole, stuck battery packs in his and Chelsea's suits for their freestyle, not to mention his other nutty dances during the seasons and he has someone with Paige's talent and ability and he delivers that? It wasn't bad but there was nothing special or spectacular about it. It was just nice and dare I say safe and I never thought I would use the word safe for a Mark Ballas freestyle. I also kind of didn't get the story. Like at first when the vision was coming up from the music box thing, I thought Paige would be in the music box and come to life kind of thing (which actually Peta already did with Tommy Chong of all people) but then it was just Mark's fiance singing. So yeah, kind of meh for me. 

Ginger/Val (Contemporary) - Someone said some weeks ago that Ginger is a good boring dancer and I think that was a very apt description. On its own, there was really nothing wrong with this. The lifts were nice, I thought the touches from their previous performances were sweet (although I wondered why that wasn't done for their freestyles instead) but at the end of it, I just felt like "who cares." I just don't feel anything while watching Ginger dance and I also never saw any real emotional connection between her and Val, which is interesting because by all accounts they seem to get along great. But that just never really translated to the dance floor IMO. 

Ginger/Val (Freestyle) - Okay, the positive, I like that Val tried something new and different and outside his wheelhouse. I appreciated that more than his Argentine Tango with Rumer that was disguised as a freestyle because I thought that was just straight up lazy. So I appreciated seeing someone do something a little different. Unfortunately, while the idea was great, the execution, not so much. The beginning was great but once the music picked it up it got really, really clunky and a little messy and awkward. Also, while I get what Val was going for with the costuming, these pants and shoes did Ginger NO favors and made some of her steps look even more awkward. 

Nyle/Peta (Quickstep) - First off, I could not have been the only one who spent half of that performance distracted by the song. I mean it was awesome, but I was just thinking the whole time, "wait, is he saying 'son of bitch...get me a drink?" Seriously, every time that line came up I had to laugh. That said, I did see improvement from the first time. I thought Nyle's frame was loads better and I didn't think his butt stuck out as badly as it's done in other dances. The biggest issue I found was that Nyle had a tendency to be a bit too hoppy, rather than gliding across the floor. But I enjoyed the dance. 

Nyle/Peta (Contemporary) - I found this very haunting and as a performance, it was a brilliant. That said, I thought it was powerful more for the little touches and the staging and just all around performance factor, rather than the steps itself. Because other than one or two impressive physical moments, it really wasn't that physically challenging in my opinion. Again, brilliant performance and gorgeous concept and I enjoyed it completely for what it was but if I compare it to the physicality of some other contemporaries I've seen, I wouldn't call it one of the best but it was good for what it was. 

Okay, I hesitate greatly to get into the debate of the whole outside choreographer thing. Let me say, that I was surprised when Peta, in her package basically said flat out that she had this choreographer come in and do the dance for her. Because, as I have understood it, yes many of the Pros work with other choreographers, particularly on styles that are not in their wheelhouse and that's fine, especially if they're open about it. What I was under the impression and may be the case for some others, is that even then the Pros are having their input and working on the dance as well and basically collaborating with someone else. I think the reaction about Peta and Nyle was sort of, "so she didn't do anything in the dance?" And again, if that has been the case with many others, I personally was unaware. 

Some mention Derek but again, Derek has been upfront many times when he's worked with other people. We know he got help for his and Kellie's Flamenco because he said it, he didn't know how to do the aerial stuff for Amy's freestyle so he got some person in that field to help out, Amber's freestyle package had a whole part where Derek was asking the guys to change some of the stepping stuff because it was too hard for him. He spoke very publicly about working with Alison and Jamie Goodwin (she was in the spinning box dance with him) to improve his contemporary skills, speaking of spinning box dance, anytime he was complimented on that he always made sure to tell people that it was from a Gene Kelly film but what he wanted to do was do the dance in real time. Last season in the trio with Bindi and Mark, he mentioned seeing the box from some idea Mark wanted to do but never did and the light was from some performance he saw and thought it would be cool in a dance. All this to say that it is no secret and not a big deal in my opinion that Pros work with people and get inspired by different styles and performances, etc. 

Also, I wouldn't include the Pros bouncing ideas off each other because again, that is not a secret or a big deal in my opinion. Anna T. on Afterbuzz a long time ago mentioned it and said as much that it is not a big deal. Most of these Pros know each other for years, competed against each other and yes are friends. I don't think it matters if Lindsay gives some suggestion or two to Witney for example or Maks showing up during the season helping out Peta. And speaking of that, again, yes many of the Pros have a troupe member in rehearsals but again that to me is not a big deal because especially if it is someone of the opposite sex, that's just smart in helping the celebrity better able to see how they're supposed to look in the dances and it helps to better teach them.

All of that stuff is for me personally, maybe others are different, not a secret or new or a big deal. Again, I think the reactions about Peta and Nyle is because per the package Peta had the entire dance choreographed by someone else with no input it seems from her. Do I think it's this huge massive deal and will alter the show, no but I do understand why some people may have balked a bit at the knowledge. 

That said, I actually have no clue who will win this thing and that is the first time in a LONG time with this show that I can truly say that. 

There are reports that Alan Salazar choreographed Mark's freestyle last night, so...

[skyways]

Quote

I think Nyle has this wrapped up, and I'm okay with that. He is what the show is about. No dancing experience, a great partnership and journey, and an important message. People eat that up. It doesn't hurt that he's good-looking.

This is fine except that this sentiment is always reserved for the males not the ladies - The Ladies have be looking almost pro-ish by the time they get to the finals. Don't get me wrong I very much enjoy it but it is always irritating to see the smiley, 'good-looking' male just skate by and grab the win . (Helio, Donny Osmond, Donald Driver) The only time this doesn't happen is if Derek is in the Finals. He just will not lose to the smiley male no matter what. (Except maybe Tony Dovolani! lol. Although to be fair that was the first time the audience voted the pro instead of the celebrity).

Edited May 24, 2016 by skyways

[truthaboutluv]

Yes I saw Alan's name and I assumed Mark worked with him just as he worked with Mischa Gabriel (I believe that was his name) on his Super Mario Bro. freestyle with Sadie. Again, everything I said stands. I think the reaction was about an entire dance being choreographed by someone else with no input from the Pro. That is what I don't think many were aware of and again if it has been happening all the time as some suggests then yes, I side eye that and I can only speak for myself that I certainly have not been aware of it. 

[boyznkatz]

Does anyone know for sure if Peta had no involvement in the choreography? If so, then yes, she should have picked a style that she could have at least partially choreographed. 

Edited May 24, 2016 by boyznkatz

[kitcloudkicker]

1 hour ago, howmanywords said:

"Disturbed" posted this touching email that Nyle sent them on their site

http://www.disturbed1.com/news/dancing-stars-nyle-dimarco-150001

This is pretty powerful, and makes sense why the dance felt "dark." The "Silence" as Nyle is interpreting in the dance wasn't referring being deaf, it was "being silenced" by being denied language and human rights.

[katha]

Yeah, I assume that Mark worked together with Alan to do the contemporary, just like he did with Alexa's contemporary last season or like he did with Mischa Gabriel and the Super Mario thing. We'll probably find out in the next few days, since Mark usually acknowledges collaborations per social media in the days after a dance has been performed.

[vibeology]

Just now, boyznkatz said:

Are we sure Peta had no involvement in the choreography? If so, then yes, she should have picked a style that she could have at least partially choreographed. 

I don't think we know 100% but between Peta saying she brought someone in to choreograph the dance and then Talia talking about how the dance wasn't originally designed for two people with no contemporary training, it seems very likely that Talia came in with her routine pretty much done and at best changes were made if Nyle and Peta were struggling with a step here and there. And I guess that's fine and obviously it's allowed and has been happening for a while, but I personally prefer dances that have a more personal connection to the couple and I know the pro created with their partner's strengths in mind.

[boyznkatz]

4 minutes ago, kitcloudkicker said:

This is pretty powerful, and makes sense why the dance felt "dark." The "Silence" as Nyle is interpreting in the dance wasn't referring being deaf, it was "being silenced" by being denied language and human rights.

Well that is interesting. I never knew deaf people were tortured like that. His dance does make sense now.

[Vinyasa]

Quote

 really wish they'd go back to just the couples dancing with limited props and no back-up dancers during the regular season so they can "supersize" the freestyles again.  I always found that to be fun when they could go all out.  Now it's so normal it doesn't seem any different than a regular week.

Exactly! They could also limit the contemporaries. Gives me a headache at time.

[DollEyes]

As usual, Ginger's dances were, in a word, bo-ring. I've seen much better Broadway-based freestyles than hers, like Alfonso & Witney's from two seasons ago. Ginger's miraculous recovery didn't help, either. As for Ginger's scores, she got so many tongue baths from the judges it's a wonder she didn't need a sponge to clean up the drool.

  Paige & Mark's Salsa & Freestyle were OK-just OK. As with all her other dances, the perfection just bores me.

  Re Nyle, his second Quickstep wasn't perfect, but IMO it was definitely better than the first. Loved the Freestyle. It was simple, powerful and beautiful. So what if Peta had extra help with the choreography? She's not the first pro to do it and she sure won't be the last. Carrie Ann's calling it "the best dance ever" bugged me, but that wasn't Nyle's fault. Nyle is no more responsible for Carrie Ann's craziness than he is for Len's grumpiness nor Bruno's Bruno-ness.

[realdancemom]

I expect Nyle to win because of his freestyle.  I'm glad that Peta used an outside choreographer.  However, his other dances this week and last have been messy.  With my five measly votes, I voted for Paige since I enjoyed her and Wanya's dances the most all season.  I was a little disappointed in their freestyle.  It could have been amazing instead of another contemporary.  I understand why Mark did that though.  Her journey was not about dance technique and it was about being vulnerable and feeling comfortable dancing with Mark.

I also understand why Val choreographed Ginger's freestyle.  Her personality fit the Broadway style.  I would have rather seen a Wanya and Lindsay freestyle.

[ocelot]

16 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

Does anyone know for sure if Peta had no involvement in the choreography? If so, then yes, she should have picked a style that she could have at least partially choreographed. 

None of the pros can choreograph contemporary, including Derek. I'm glad she got an actual professional.

[boyznkatz]

3 hours ago, Vinyasa said:

I really question Ginger's "injury".  I wonder if she knows she is on the way out so this was added. Maybe she was but they always seem to the cameras front and center when anyone is injured. Other than that, her freestyle could have been a Week 4 dance. I saw nothing special about it.

I don't doubt that a lot of people get injured doing this show. However, they really milk it when pimping someone. They did that with Amy Purdy, Amber Riley, Alfonso, Ginger, etc. etc. No one really wants to hear about "poor widdle whomever" so I wish they would stop doing it. 

[Wyndsong]

10 minutes ago, ocelot said:

None of the pros can choreograph contemporary, including Derek. I'm glad she got an actual professional.

If this is true, why do they keep torturing us with it? I wish they would just get rid of it entirely.

[Missy Vixen]

14 hours ago, TeeMo said:

Does she not pull that "MY FAVORITE DANCE EVER IN (FILL IN THE BLANK) SEASONS!" every single season? Yes, she does. 

Someone needs to tell Carrie Ann Inaba it's doubtful that The Academy will accept her "Oscar reel" from DWTS.

To say that I am tired of her crocodile tears is the understatement of (fill in the blank) seasons.

[ocelot]

2 minutes ago, Kail said:

If this is true, why do they keep torturing us with it? I wish they would just get rid of it entirely.

Because the show wants emmys I guess.

[renzii]

1 minute ago, Kail said:

If this is true, why do they keep torturing us with it? I wish they would just get rid of it entirely.

Exactly! I've been saying this for years, but I think the ABC producers are trying to capitalise on the popularity of SYTYCD and the resulting influx of troupe members/pros, some of whom aren't even properly trained in ballroom... (I'm looking at you Allison Holker!)

[Boofish]

Ginger and Val freestyle reminded me of Dimitry (sp) and Maya .. they started dancing, I got excited and then nothing actually happened. That was dull and sad. I would rather see a ton of production and extra dancing than 8 counts spent holding a newspaper over your head then standing on the stage waiting on your cue to start dancing again. Fail

I would rather see 3 hip hop routines than 2 contemporary dances and a quick fox (quick-step/foxtrot love child)

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Dancing With The Stars Pulls Out All The Stops

Including flaming pianos, and very little clothing on the final three.

[vavera4ka]

1 minute ago, Boofish said:

Ginger and Val freestyle reminded me of Dimitry (sp) and Maya .. they started dancing, I got excited and then nothing actually happened. That was dull and sad.

Same here. I'd love for it to be more ballroom inspired FS routines. Throw in jazz if you want to spice it up, or just mix dances.

I'm still surprised that nobody has done Save the Last Dance for Me the way Buble sings it. You can fit so many ballroom dances into that beat (play with it a little and you have fox trot, chacha, slow it down for rumba) and tell a story of a couple. And it being literally the last dance for a given couple... It's so obvious and has so many possibilities... 

[Runningwild]

1 hour ago, Vinyasa said:

Exactly! They could also limit the contemporaries. Gives me a headache at time.

I agree. They should make the season ballroom dances only, no props, no guest dancers, no guest singers (I'd prefer no DWTS singers either).  Just dancing. Then, when they get to the finale they can do freestyle/contemporary and add in all the bells, whistles, rain, and flaming pianos they want.  Then the finale would seem like a finale. 

And finally, am I the only one distracted by Mark's and Val's hair? They look ridiculous. But then, I'm also not a fan of the way Mark has his body all tatted up. 

[skyways]

Quote

I'm still surprised that nobody has done Save the Last Dance for Me the way Buble sings it.

Tony Dovolani and Melissa did a cha cha to it in her first season.

She danced it really badly.

Edited May 24, 2016 by skyways

[Hiacios]

It's so sad what happen to Nyle's interpreter Ramon Narrod. I hope and pray that he makes a full recovery.

http://www.inquisitr.com/3127592/dwts-news-nyle-dimarcos-interpreter-ramon-narrod-involved-in-terrible-accident/