Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

S23.E12: Week 9

OnceSane

By OnceSane
in Dancing With The Stars

  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 107
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

legaleagle53
legaleagle53

Would you mind translating that into English, please?  I don't speak Initialese.

Callaphera
Callaphera

You know that episode of Saved by the Bell where Jessie Spano is hooked on caffeine pills (c'mon, who doesn't know that episode)? Before the iconic "I'm so excited, I'm so... scared!" scene, there's o

Uke
Uke

I wasn't really following what you were trying to say either. If you could spell out the initials, it would be easier.

RedFiat

RedFiat

Week 9 is up! 

Showstoppers Week is coming to Dancing With The Stars!

Frozen‘s Idina Menzel will be a guestjudge on the show while the six remaining couples will be performing TWO show-stopping dances – one from some of the hottest Broadway musicals, and a second where they are paired up for a Team-Up Challenge.

For the first dance, the couples will each dance a style they have not yet danced to a song from a hit Broadway musical. The teams traveled the country to see famous shows in person to get inspiration for their dances in the ballroom on Monday night. Each couple will perform either a samba, Argentine tango, waltz, Charleston, paso doblé, contemporary or jazz.

For the Team-Up Challenge, each team will dance together to one song, and for a portion of the dance, the two celebrities will dance together without the assistance of their professional partners. Each team will perform either a paso doblé, contemporary or jazz routine.

The points from both of the performances will be added together for the final judges’ scores. 

 At the end of the night, one couple will be eliminated, and the five remaining couples will advance to the semi-finals.  --- And Mark is in the ballroom! 

Here’s the song and dance list for Showstoppers Week:

Marilu Henner & Derek Hough – Samba – “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” from “Jersey Boys,” featuring guest performances by Mark Ballas and The Four Seasons
Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy – Argentine Tango – “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago”
James Hinchcliffe & Sharna Burgess – Jazz – “A Brand New Day” from “The Wiz”
Calvin Johnson Jr. & Lindsay Arnold – Waltz – “Memory” from “Cats,” featuring a guest performance by Leona Lewis
Terra Jolé & Sasha Farber – Charleston – “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from “Sweet Charity”
Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko – Waltz – “She Used to Be Mine” from “Waitress”

The Team-Up Challenges are as follows and will dance to the following songs:
Team-Up #1: James & Calvin - Paso Doblé – “No Good” by Kaleo
Team-Up #2: Jana & Laurie – Contemporary – “Bird Set Free” by Sia
Team-Up #3: Marilu & Terra – Jazz – “Big Noise from Winnetka” by Bette Midler

Link to comment
legaleagle53

legaleagle53

"Paso Doblé"?  Either kill me now or fire whoever it was who wrote that.  There is NO accent mark in the word "Doble," and it is pronounced with the stress on the FIRST syllable:  DO-ble.

On the plus side, the music all seems to be in the right time signature for the assigned dances, so there's that.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
McManda

McManda

(edited)

I think I figured out what I don't like about Jana. I think she overacts all her dances. I feel like she doesn't let her dancing speak for itself and instead makes all these dramatic faces and whatever. It's distracting and I don't like it. (I think Laurie does something similar, except she's always just smiley and bubbly.)

Compare Jana's overemoting to someone like James, who acts, yes, but seems to do a better job embodying his role instead of just acting it and I'm going to pick James 100% of the time. It's curious, because isn't Jana an actress, too? I never watched One Tree Hill ... but was she a good actress?

Also, James getting the same individual score as Marilu? That's bull. But his package made me want to go back an rewatch his Viennese waltz from last week. 

Edited by McManda
formatting on mobile is hard
  • Love 4
Link to comment
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

(edited)

I normally love waltz, but Jana's left me underwhelmed. I think it's more about choreography, than anything, so it's on Gleb.

There was one move that was so telling.

If you look at Laurie and Val last week and at Lindsey and Clavin this week, there was the similar spin, when a partner takes a girl by her waist, she extends her leg 90 degrees in front of her and he spins her. It looks gorgeous with how the fabric flows and when the girl leans back it creates a beautiful shape too.

Fast forward to Gleb's choreo... even though Jana clearly has strength and flexibility in her legs and in her back to do that, he makes her do this spin with her leg bent at the knee. If it were in a short skirt - fine, but in a long shiny one it looks like she has a stub for a leg, the line just stops, and so does the magic...

 

 

also... LAURIE MF HERNANDEZ! 

Edited by vavera4ka
  • Love 4
Link to comment
sinycalone

sinycalone

Marilu was stiff and awkward through parts of the dance....so I disagreed with the judges.  Jana's dance was good -- but not nearly worth the scores she got.  (She...you pegged it exactly McManda-- overacts.)  Let's just say some of the scoring was questionable.

  • Love 4
Link to comment
MerBearHou

MerBearHou

(edited)

Marilu is major, major hyper -- I think she'd be a handful to coach.  Loved the Calvin/James dance -- would have given them all 10s.  The Terra/Marilu dance was not nearly as good.  I'm not a fan of Contemporary but that was well done by Laurie and Jana.  I credit the choreography.

Edited by MerBearHou
  • Love 2
Link to comment
McManda

McManda

(edited)

Sia AND contemporary? It could be the best dancing ever in the history of dancing but I'm not sure there's a combo I could dislike more on this show. Hardcore pass on that dance. 

I will jump for joy the day DWTS stops letting contemporary be a dance style. 

Edited by McManda
  • Love 13
Link to comment
mtlchick

mtlchick

(edited)

Idina "I'm like the worst judge ever--" Me: "You're not Pitbull so only the second worst."  Can we not get Debbie Allen for this?

 

Bummed that James got off time in his solo dance but after this I can see "he needs to go to Broadway" talk.  He won't but his jumps...and this from the guy who couldn't walk less than 18 months ago?!

 

Bye Marilu.  Too bad about having major issues with Derek whether or not you admit to it.  I would still kill for your legs though.

Edited by mtlchick
I was clearly writing in Klingon than in English.
  • Love 12
Link to comment
Callaphera

Callaphera

You know that episode of Saved by the Bell where Jessie Spano is hooked on caffeine pills (c'mon, who doesn't know that episode)? Before the iconic "I'm so excited, I'm so... scared!" scene, there's one where the girls are going to compete for something and Jessie absolutely loses her shit, screaming "We're gonna destroy them! We're gonna rip them apart! Yeah! Yeah!" complete with frantic clapping and head tossing.

That's Marilu Henner. She's Jessie Spano on caffeine pills. I'm not sad she's gone.

  • Love 16
Link to comment
Uke

Uke

(edited)

Enjoyed the opener. Mandy is slowly improving.

Idina Menzel:  she seems very nice, and nothing against her, but if a guest judge is not a dancer, I don't really care.

Marilu:  Derek really doesn't know how to teach her.  But what was that about her not getting stuff he's been trying to teach her from week 1? Okayyyyy - her samba, it started out ok, very careful, but then she became quite stiff half way through.  Massively overscored. All 8s would have been right.

Calvin: He seems to really enjoy the process.  I looooooove this song!  Some height issues with Calvin bending over, squatting, butt sticking out. He was trying to adjust to her without looking like he was trying to adjust.  Lindsay was overdancing like crazy. But I enjoyed it. Not so sure I agree with the 10, but considering how overscored Marilu was, I guess the 10 was needed to recognize he was so much better.

James:  Hopefully by Sharna taking off 1 more week, she can return for the last 2 weeks.  Enjoyable dance but it looked like he forgot a move or started to do something and skipped it.  A little out of sync at the beginning but he pushed through and the second half was great.  Jenna needs to tone down the camera mugging when she's standing in for Sharna.  I'm ok with the scores given the errors.

Terra:  Nice job. I really have to hand it to Sasha - he's really doing an amazing job with the adaptations.  Very enjoyable dance. Score is a little high but it's ok.

We didn't really get to see Mark and the Jersey Boys during Marilu's dance so it was nice they got another little segment.

Jana:  So Jana can ONLY dance with Gleb?  A little needy.  I didn't really care for the choreography but Jana did well with what she was given.  The first third and last third seemed too over-wrought and jerky for me.  The middle third was nicely flowy.  Perfect score? Eh. no.

Laurie:  Very nice.  Her best characterization so far. But when she rolled off Val's lap onto the floor, was it supposed to look like that?  I suspect there was a mistake in there.  CAI:  "working Val like a gymnast"? Well, yeah.  Scores expected.

It's good they matched up the teams with similar abilities.

Team James & Calvin:  Very entertaining! A complete story and they both really acted out the characters and matched each other very well.  Even the cape work (skirt work) was in sync.  Great job!  I thought the score should have been a little higher.

Team Terra & Marilu:  Cute but very elementary.  Marilu kept doing little baby steps apparently to match what she thought Terra was doing. (?)  Just an odd mish-mash of dance styles.  Overscored but at least they didn't score higher than James & Calvin (barely).

Team Jana & Laurie:  Jana's neediness is becoming annoying. Dance was very dramatic. Not terribly impressed though. Frequently out of sync.  Overscored.

The only team dance I really enjoyed was James & Calvin.

Marilu & Derek seemed happy to be leaving.  Marilu has seemed to have had enough the past couple weeks and Derek is busy with Hairspray so I guess it all works out.

Edited by Uke
  • Love 1
Link to comment
vibeology

vibeology

Idina sounded awful during her song and her judging was pointless. Things would have been better if she forgot to show up. Broadway is full of people who know how to dance so inviting her to judge is an extra slap in her face. 

Laurie was amazing. She really showed off what she can do while still respecting the character of the dance. 

James was very good except for the one mistake. I don't like that they did The Wiz considering it's not for them but it's not like James and Sharna would have had a choice about the song.

I really liked Terra's dance. She killed it on energy an performance and Sasha found a way to highlight her strengths rather than show us her weaknesses. I don't think she'll make it into the finals but I would like to see her outlast Jana. 

It seems like Mark is pretty good in Jersey Boys. He's not great at transitioning in and out of his falsetto but the falsetto itself is great. 

  • Love 9
Link to comment
Mondayeve

Mondayeve

(edited)

I knew the night would belong to Laurie.  Just had that feeling especially with an AT and then contemporary with Jana.  Well done.

The Calvin/James roll in package was the best part of the night for me.   I loved the cape work considering the likelihood of them ever using a cape is what zero percent??

Terra and Sasha were so entertaining and I am glad she made it through this week and I loved Calvin's waltz.

I hope that James has built enough momentum with the fans that he will not be a surprise elimination because of mess up in the jazz dance and the paso redeemed him.

Honestly he seems a little tired and bummed that he is not dancing with Sharna IMO.

Edited by Mondayeve
  • Love 2
Link to comment
gimmeegimmeegim

gimmeegimmeegim

(edited)

G and J, sitting' in a tree, missing, missing make them be.

M. acted human, finally. Oops, too late. Bye.

S and L--fantastic! jobs with yer folks!!

J  better head fer B'way and quit the stooopid r biz.

L. adorbs as usual.

Edited by gimmeegimmeegim
Link to comment
legaleagle53

legaleagle53

4 minutes ago, gimmeegimmeegim said:

G and J, sitting' in a tree, missing, missing make them be.

M. acted human, finally. Oops, too late. Bye.

S and L--fantastic! jobs with yer folks!!

J  better head fer B'way and quit the stooopid r biz.

L. adorbs as usual.

Would you mind translating that into English, please?  I don't speak Initialese.

  • Love 18
Link to comment
McManda

McManda

Jana's crying over how she can only dance with Gleb was incredibly dramatic and whiny considering how James has been dancing with Jenna for two weeks. Suck it up, buttercup.

(Also ... not impressed with Gleb. I'd take Alan any day, if I had to pick.)

  • Love 11
Link to comment
Steph619

Steph619

Laurie continues to amaze me. Whenever I think she's going to shy away from a challenge such as acting the sexy part, she completely owns it. I'm 10 years older than her and I wish I had at least half the confidence she has! 

Val and Laurie's AT was my favorite dance of the night. It was beautifully done and really showed off Laurie's technique and great lines. Their contemporary with Jana and Gleb was alright to me, but honestly, that's only because I'm over contemporary on this show.

Lol, Derek couldn't hide his happiness at finally being eliminated.

  • Love 11
Link to comment
Wings

Wings

The black little person in the audience who has been there every w=k cheering for Terra seems to have had a stroke. She was wearing an eye patch and that side of her face was paralyzed. this is the first I noticed. it may.have been mentioned before.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
tearbender

tearbender

I'll be shocked if Laurie, Calvin and James aren't the Final 3. I'm interested to see who slips into 4th place, however. I think the judges favor Jana or Terra, but who knows?

I was very worried that Laurie would just break character in the tango. She was lovely and I liked that she could show off her flexibility in ways that were natural to the dance. I would have given her 3 10s and a 9 perhaps but we're in the unfortunate phase of the season where anything less than a perfect score is seen as a diss.

I wasn't able to turn up the volume or put on closed captioning, what did Laurie say in response to Val's little "Sexy? I'm going to say ahead and say sexy" pep talk? Something about her mom?

James and Calvin's routine was cute, but just like the dance off last week it really exposed Calvin's (and James') weaknesses as dancers. I would have liked to have seen more Paso, and more actual dancing than playacting.

It was nice to see Kym in the audience.

I think Mark sitting out this season and Cheryl taking several seasons off highlights the importance of rotating Our Pros. I can see why some might be reluctant to take a season off -the troupe members don't bother to disguise their thirst for a promotion - but there's something to be said for going away long enough to be missed.

I won't miss her, but I do feel bad for Marilu. There's having a rose colored glasses for what the show really entails, and then there's just a completely mismatched partnership with Derek.

  • Love 3
Link to comment
McManda

McManda

2 minutes ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

Can't Mandy Moore choreograph a dance with a male and female pro actually dancing together?? 

Only if she gets Artem and Sharna to help, apparently. 

  • Love 3
Link to comment
katha

katha

(edited)

Sorry that James messed up in his dance, but he did otherwise quite well. And it has to be quite a challenge to practice with two partners. Terra was fun, but I fear for her since they put Jana in jeopardy again. I think they want Jana in the finals. Calvin did well, Gleb's choreo for Jana kinda isn't working for me? But she's doing well. Laurie was awesome. Great choreo, super execution, super performance. And it was nice seeing Mark again. (-:

And it was time for Marilu, really. I think both her and Derek will be relieved.

Edited by katha
  • Love 2
Link to comment
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

4 minutes ago, tearbender said:

 

I wasn't able to turn up the volume or put on closed captioning, what did Laurie say in response to Val's little "Sexy? I'm going to say ahead and say sexy" pep talk? Something about her mom?

L: Should we ask my mom?

V: uhm... NO!

lol

  • Love 6
Link to comment
janerazor

janerazor

Aw, seeing Mark Ballas made me realize that...I've kind of missed that overly creative goofball. And I never, ever thought I'd say that.

I was bummed when James got out of sync, but I really did enjoy the majority of his routine. I think his mess-up took some of the joy away from him, and that showed up on his face and in his body language. 

Jana was lovely, and I think she deserved her score. I just am not into her as a contestant. Gleb feels alternatively flat and full of himself, so he's doing her no favors in my book.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
friendperidot

friendperidot

Quote

James was very good except for the one mistake. I don't like that they did The Wiz considering it's not for them but it's not like James and Sharna would have had a choice about the song.

huh? I thought they did fine, I don't really know the music from The Wiz. There's a lot of shows I don't know the music from, The Waitress is another.

I don't speak initialeze either, so it would be nice if you would translate for all of us.

I'm sorry to see Marilu leave, but it was time. I loved Laurie's Argentine Tango, thought she did great, but I really like her. I liked Calvin's waltz, but didn't quite get why he had to dress up in full costume and make-up as a character from Cats other than the show wanted him to. Which probably exactly why it was done. I enjoyed Terra's dance and I think Sasha is a charming, nice young man. I didn't really watch during Calvin and James' dance, apparently I found my mahjong game more interesting. I did pay attention during Laurie and Jana's team dance and thought Jana's facial expressions were too much, but the dance was ok.

  • Love 2
Link to comment
PBGamer89

PBGamer89

Laurie and Jana had great nights!

Jana's dance, while a bit modern, still had plenty of Waltz content and she obviously had the emotion in it. I loved it.

Laurie's Argentine Tango was amazing. She just proved she's convincing and able to do intense and passionate. If finals is redemption dance, I hope that the judges have her do another Paso.

James' weakest night for me. That dance in earlier weeks would've gotten 8's. He's lucky that we've hit the point in the season where 9's are the "mistake" score. Aside from him going off time, i think the routine was too busy. He seemed to just be doing jazz hands the whole time.

Calvin's dance bored me in all honesty.

Terra's best dance by a mile. Her charisma is amazing and that Charleston suited her like a glove.

Marilu was the right choice to go. Derek still maintains his record of earliest outing being 6th place. Her best was still her Viennese Waltz, but at least she went out on a good dance.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
punkypower

punkypower

44 minutes ago, wings707 said:

The black little person in the audience who has been there every w=k cheering for Terra seems to have had a stroke. She was wearing an eye patch and that side of her face was paralyzed. this is the first I noticed. it may.have been mentioned before.

I came to post same thing!!  This is the first I noticed as well. Prayers for her!!

  • Love 5
Link to comment
Callaphera

Callaphera

24 minutes ago, janerazor said:

Aw, seeing Mark Ballas made me realize that...I've kind of missed that overly creative goofball. And I never, ever thought I'd say that.

Seriously. I would have loved to have Mark there rather than Gleb. I just can't warm up to him and he does nothing for me, eye candy wise. I actually feel a little uncomfortable when his packages roll, like I'm just waiting for him to become the sleezeball he comes across to me as. That being said, Mark looked uncomfortable to me during their first performance and almost like he had forgotten the choreography or was behind on the music. I admit, I was watching Mark more than I was Derek and Marilu's dance.

43 minutes ago, tearbender said:

I won't miss her, but I do feel bad for Marilu. There's having a rose colored glasses for what the show really entails, and then there's just a completely mismatched partnership with Derek.

I found it a little funny that after all the criticism from the fans about how not-together they seemed last week (especially following PushGate), they have this wonderful package about how much they appreciate each other and they get each other and they're such good friends and good at communicating... right before they get kicked off.  

  • Love 9
Link to comment
Uke

Uke

1 hour ago, gimmeegimmeegim said:

Not much of a "legaleagle" are you. LOL ;)

I wasn't really following what you were trying to say either. If you could spell out the initials, it would be easier.

  • Love 16
Link to comment
giaNtsandYankees

giaNtsandYankees

(edited)
7 hours ago, Callaphera said:

I found it a little funny that after all the criticism from the fans about how not-together they seemed last week (especially following PushGate), they have this wonderful package about how much they appreciate each other and they get each other and they're such good friends and good at communicating... right before they get kicked off.  

Ha! I was thinking a the same thing! I thought that theyy might have been reading the message board comments, so they had to play up that they were good friends. AND it seems like they took a page out of Val's book (from the previous week) with Marilu's tears and the "This is the greatest experience, dancing with you."

Edited by giaNtsandYankees
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Michel

Michel

8 hours ago, Uke said:

Even the cape work (skirt work) was in sync.

Uh . . . no, it wasn't.  Calvin got ahead of James by a half-second there, and it took them a fair bit of time to get back into sync after that part.  I can see why their score wasn't perfect for that dance.

As for the others, I was glad to see perfect scores for both Jana and Laurie.  I thought they were both beautiful and elegant.  Couldn't see a single mistake.  I felt bad for Terra, though.  She just can't catch a break.  I thought she was finally getting her first perfect score, too, but Julianne and Bruno just can't give them tens!

I, for one, think that Jana and Laurie's team-up deserved the perfect score.  That just took my breath away.  Calvin and James were great, too, but I can see why they weren't scored perfectly, as I said the reason above.  Marilu and Terra . . . way too basic, mostly due to Marilu's age and Terra's stature.

It was beyond time for Marilu to go.  But I'll miss her.  I honestly think that, based on strength, Terra & Sasha should go next.  If there's a F3 finale, then I think fan votes will send Jana & Gleb home with them next week.  I want them in the finale, though, so I hope it's a F4 finale instead, with the fourth-place couple being ousted on Monday, because Laurie & Val, Calvin & Lindsay, James & Sharna, and Jana & Gleb are the ones who should be dancing it out.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
smiley13

smiley13

Can we please be rid of Terra next?  Her dancing is awkward due to her physical limitations and the judges seemingly refuse to call her out on it.  It is like Amy Purdy all over again.    I just do not understand how the judges minds work.

  • Love 6
Link to comment
Kira53

Kira53

I want Calvin and his partner to to a "Cats" contemporary in the final!  They looked spectacular and moved so sexy but natural in the makeup and costumes.  I want to see more. Laurie and James with him in the final would be perfect for me.  All great performers and dancers.  

  • Love 2
Link to comment
PTVjones

PTVjones

11 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Idina "I'm like the worst judge ever--" Me: "You're not Pitbull so only the second worst."  Can we not get Debbie Allen for this?

 

Bummed that James got off time in his solo dance but after this I can see "he needs to go to Broadway" talk.  He won't but his jumps...and this or not yguy couldn't walk less than 18 months ago?!

 

Bye Marilu.  Too bad about having major issues with Derek whether or not you admit to it.  I would still kill for your legs though.

Ummm all the YES to Debbie Allen and now that you bring it up I'm that's something that's never come up. Or even Tony Basil who's still an incredible dancer from videos I've seen. And the opening number could be this really awesome non-cheesy (well a little bit of cheese) 80's dance. I'd eat that up. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
vibeology

vibeology

Quote

Idina "I'm like the worst judge ever--" Me: "You're not Pitbull so only the second worst."  Can we not get Debbie Allen for this?

15 minutes ago, PTVjones said:

Ummm all the YES to Debbie Allen and now that you bring it up I'm that's something that's never come up. Or even Tony Basil who's still an incredible dancer from videos I've seen. And the opening number could be this really awesome non-cheesy (well a little bit of cheese) 80's dance. I'd eat that up. 

Or Sutton Foster or James Monroe Iglehart (who you'd think be an obvious tie in so Disney could promote Aladdin) or anyone who can actually judge dancing. Idina is a bone fide Broadway star but she cannot dance and clearly had nothing of worth to offer. Heck, Mel B is about to start in Chicago. I'd rather have had her back than deal with Idina's uselessness. Plus it would have saved us from her struggling to hit those high notes.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
RedFiat

RedFiat

(edited)

I really want to see James and Sharna do a GOOD Argentine Tango, not a faux broadway thing where you rush through the steps and don't connect with your partner.  I guess it's the best a 16 year old and a 30 year old could do on connection, otherwise it would be creepy. 

Quote

I, for one, think that Jana and Laurie's team-up deserved the perfect score.  That just took my breath away. 

Oh god, please no. This was a mismatch in dancers and styles.  I thought it was glaring the way they didn't match their movement.  And jesus, can we please stop with the contemporary by numbers dancing. While Val and Gleb looked like dutiful little mannequins , even the power tumbler and the annoying crying waifs arm movements were different, their trust fall was out of sync, Laurie surprisingly more timid than Jana on it...    Not my favorite, but hell the build up was all about pushing Jana into the finals. 

Edited by RedFiat
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Wings

Wings

10 hours ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

Absolutely Hated the pro dance when Idina was singing!  Can't Mandy Moore choreograph a dance with a male and female pro actually dancing together?? 

Yes, of course, she is highly skilled and respected in her field.  She chose not to.  She has more freedom if not relegated to a specific dance.  Some prefer strictly ballroom and others, myself included, like a more free form approach for most.  The Argentine tango is one I enjoy when done to the letter.  

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...