S24.E03: Week 3: Vegas Night

[OnceSane]

Quote

An elimination occurs after the third week of performances.

[blaase]

Heather got an amazing song , but I was left a little underwhelmed with the choreography, I expected more.

[vavera4ka]

37 minutes ago, blaase said:

Heather got an amazing song , but I was left a little underwhelmed with the choreography, I expected more.

i think my major problem was with the staging. The colors of the background were the same as the costumes, actual sharp tango was very hard to see.

[sinycalone]

David Ross.....you are a delight to watch.  Period.

[Callaphera]

Can we have a moment to appreciate just how bad the house band and singers were tonight? 

[wanderingstar]

Nancy did well on that samba. That's a dance I want to watch again.

Lindsey and David's dance was fun to watch.

Erika's jive was fine, but for some reason I can't get into her dancing.

I like Mr. T, but he was...not good this week.

Continuing to love Rashad and Emma's partnership. Don't know why the judges didn't like their samba. I loved it.

Of course, I had to mute Charo. I hope Keo gets a good partner one of these years.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Gillian Rosh

[Fish Pie]

Thank GOODNESS she's gone. We might actually finish on time next week now.

[mtlchick]

I liked Nick (he's still a bit stiff, but he's not bad), Heather, Mr T, David (where I couldn't stop laughing) and Nancy.  Missed the Fifth Harmony chickie and the rest were just ok.

 

Charo: "I love you all, Bruno, I'll see you in the parking lot" (walks away.)  Now THERE'S an exit. 

[Ripley68]

Nick was totally robbed. The is no way Charro, Mr. T, Bonner and David were better/as good as he was.  I really enjoyed his dance. YOu could tell he was way  more relaxed and having fun. I saw one or two mistakes, but nothing like the others.

Sasha was pushing Simone around the floor.  I don't know what Len was talking about, becuase that dance was not controlled.

Nancy has got some hip action!

[friendperidot]

Opening number, why is Gleb the only male dancer I noticed? Not in a good way. And when the blonde women in blue were running up the stairs, did they pantomime one holding another's hair while she barfed over the stair rail? Every time the camera is on Julianne, I'm distracted by the darts on the bodice of her gown! Finally, something I know a little about, garment construction. But there is something wrong with the darts, too long maybe, but not well fitting. I do like Carrie Ann's red with all of the glitter at the neck.

The Bachelor, I just ignore his existence, I usually ignore all of them. I still don't understand why that's a show.

I loved Mr. T's foxtrot. It wasn't great, he's never going to be a great dancer, but that was fun. He's never going to be great, but I enjoyed him. Scores were right for this competition.

Bonner, I think that's the best he's done, it was off, he wasn't sharp, but he seemed to get all the steps in. I agree with Len that he danced a little safe.

Heather – that was the most I've liked her. It was great! But I am glad they didn't bring out the 10 paddles.

I even liked Charo's foxtrot. Lovely dance and I liked her a little calmer. But why don't they put darker lipstick on her? Even we pale blondes can use darker lips as we get older.

Loved Simone's quickstep! It was quick and it was in control, sometimes Carrie Ann's lift obsession annoys me. And the costumes were gorgeous, that suited her so much.

Nancy has great hip action and arm position, she finished off her arm movement all the way to her fingertips. I liked her samba. That blue suits her well.

David – I didn't care for it, it was fun, he seemed to have a good time. It seemed like he isn't comfortable with himself and the sexy part of dancing, so he substituted humor.

Erika, I didn't see a lot of jive, but she does have good legs. I liked this one better than most of what she's done.

I like how Rashad throws himself into the dance, it wasn't his best, but he finishes his arms, most of the time his foot work is pretty good, he could have been smoother, but I like him.

Normani has been a very pleasant surprise for me. She finishes her moves so sharply and she goes big. I like her.

Charo took her elimination much more graciously than I expected until she wandered away.

Edited April 4, 2017 by friendperidot

[Lady Calypso]

So, this is the first time I'm watching the entire episode of this show, since all of my other Monday night shows are on hiatus.

Nick and Peta- I think he's made some progress, but I'm not a professional dancer. Len seems less cranky and more helpful this time around. It feels more natural when they actually talk about the dancing, rather than his looks or his background. I thought the dance was alright, nothing super special. I think the scores were fair for being first of the night.

Mr. T and Kim- I appreciate his enthusiasm, but he does seem a bit slow on his feet. Again, more dancing around him, but it wasn't all bad. I do like how it was different from his first two weeks. It was charming. I think his scores were fair as well. I just think that he does need to go next week.

Bonner and Sharna- Yep, my opinion of him does not change. I felt like I was finally on the same page as the judges. They seem to be giving more criticism this week. He's still stiff, and looks bored. Is it because of his neck injury, or is it just Bonner? Probably just Bonner. He's as bland as a bucket of rocks. I do agree with all 6s for him.

Oh. Derek. Great. When he's not talking, he's totally fine for me. He's an excellent dancer, that's for sure. I'm glad he isn't a pro, though. That being said, great dance by the Houghs. 

Heather and Alan- She seems to be in her zone with Britney. I loved their dance a lot. I think Alan kept it simple for a reason, and I was fine with that. It got to show off the dance, rather than the theatrics. And hey, a smile from Len! I think Alan did a great job with the choreography as well. It does sound like Alan will be dancing with Heather for next week, which is fine with me. I do love that 9 from Carrie Ann. I think she deserved one more 9, but I'm happy to see that she's getting the scores that she deserves. 

Charo and Keo- I'm actually impressed by how much I enjoyed their dance. I thought it was cute and well done. Funny how Keo kept his arms around Charo to keep her from doing anything crazy or unexpected. No, no Carrie Ann, we didn't need any Cuchi Cuchi. I actually think her scores were fair, though I'm not sure whether I would have preferred one 7 in there or not. I think I would have wanted a 7. 

Simone and Sasha- I am totally disappointed that she had no idea about Elvis Presley or his movies or songs. I thought the dance was good, not great or amazing. I agree with the scores, though maybe not the 9. 

Nancy and Artem- Hey, she finally isn't right at the beginning of the night! I thought Artem's fangirling over meeting Ricky Martin was fun. I thought their dance was very strong. I have no prior knowledge of Nancy, so I guess I'm unbiased with her as a person. I do love her own enthusiasm. I think I like their scores. 

David and Lindsay- Their dance seemed like fun. I get why he felt a little uncomfortable, but I think he owned it as best as he could. I did laugh at him ripping off his shirt only to reveal a muscle shirt instead. What a great compromise. I agree with the scores as well. 

Erika and Gleb- I guess it was ok. I agree that she wasn't great at the Jive and she missed steps. I agree with the scores. 

Rashad and Emma- I agree that it wasn't their best dance. I thought it was good, but it definitely could have been better. I agree with the scores.

Normani and Val- I liked their dance. It was very solid, and so far, it does look like jet lag isn't slowing her down or having it affect her dances. She seems to be a shoe in for the finale.

Wow, surprised that Nick and Peta joined Charo and Keo in the bottom two. But I'm glad that Charo's gone. She really was too much for me to handle.

[LexieLily]

Heather getting the first nine of the season, dancing to a song she danced to on Glee, isn't going to do anything to get people to like her or vote for her.

[blaase]

I wanted that Bachelor dud gone. He's such a dull stiff. Hope he and that reality housewife are both gone 1-2 next, at least all the other celebs have some sort of "talent" to be celebrities.

[McManda]

My favorite part about this season is Artem looking like he's finally having a good time. His excitement over Ricky Martin was adorable.

[Callaphera]

4 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Heather getting the first nine of the season, dancing to a song she danced to on Glee, isn't going to do anything to get people to like her or vote for her.

Oh, I don't know. I already liked her but I had a little internal fangirl squee when I heard they were dancing to that song and again when she got the first 9. If I could vote and actually had some sort of motivation, I'd probably be voting for her. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by Callaphera

[Beatrice]

My favorites are still my favorites. All the women. I don't care for any of the male contestants. Odd for me. Anyway, I don't really pay attention to the judges scores they don't seem to match the comments. I really like Alan. Of course hoping Maks makes a speedy recovery but won't mind seeing Alan for another week.

[rollacoaster]

David Ross was surprisingly.....HOT. I did not see that coming. Those arms, that hip action! He really got into it, and was so much fun to watch! I do like a slightly thick man who can move well. 

Mr. T has so much heart! I hope he lasts for a while. He's humble, listens to the judges and gets better each week. Not greatly better, but better.

I adore Nancy, who I think brought the heat and, like David, looked like she was having a blast. I really like her. She seems sweet, hardworking and eager to learn. 

Normani is the whole package. Gorgeous, talented, sexy, a great performer. I worried about her partnership with Val initially, because he seemed cold towards her. It was great to see them bond in Hong Kong. I didn't know anything about her before DWTS,  but she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. I admire her courage and drive that allow her travel so far from home to pursue her dreams at such a young age.

Edited April 4, 2017 by rollacoaster

[Uke]

My thoughts on week 3:

Opener:  Erika needs a little more supportive bra - all that jiggling isn't attractive.  Nick sure liked dancing with the male pros, no Nick, you're not like them. Val & Normani, what's with the glasses, standard "nerd" look? Yawn. Be more creative.

Nick:  Spent more time looking for love? Or trying to be reality show "famous"? Anyway, kind of an odd frame at times, a little stompy but better than last week.  Ooooo he didn't like those scores, but I agreed with them.

Mr. T:   I love his spirit and attitude.  Cute dance! At one point I don't think Kym could have made a bigger smile.  And so humble before the judges.  On his scale, and supposedly each star is graded on their own scale of perceived ability, I thought he should have gotten 7 or two.  I hope he sticks around a while longer.

Bonner: I didn't understand his limitation - he can't raise his arms over his head? Or he can't lift Sharna over his head?  But this had to be the laziest, dullest Charleston I've ever seen.  The whole thing about this dance is the FUN and HIGH ENERGY - both completely lacking. Scores ok, a bit high.

Houghs: He just can't stay away, can he.  He's really not a contemporary dancer but she does well.

Heather:  2 pro dancers - yeah, they did it right, almost.  It just bored me. Got nothing else to say. So CAI would have given a 10 if not for the lift (which wasn't mentioned)?  For a 9 I expect something to hold my attention. For that reason, overscored IMO.

Nice Maks is back from Iowa or Ohio or wherever he went for treatment.  Was there any info released as to what the injury was?  At first I thought maybe a muscle spasm in his calf - which can be very painful.  But muscle spasms usually calm down after a hour or a few hours. 

Charo:  Yes, Keo is now in Planet Cuchi Cuchi, poor guy!  She restrained herself nicely.  Couldn't see her feet for most of it and I think she missed some of her choreography towards the ends, but nice job.  Disagree completely with CAI - we don't need her cuchi cuchi craziness in every dance.

Simone:  she doesn't know who Elvis is? Boy she really did live a sheltered life in the gym.  Looked good but was that a slip at the end?  A lift and a lot of space between them. The 9 was too high. 7-8-8-8 would have been fine.

Nancy:  Funny seeing Artem fan-boying over Ricki Martin.  They really covered the floor.  Was hoping for some samba rolls but she got the movement.  Great job.  Definitely one of the best sambas on the show in a long time.   Agree with the scores (wouldn't have minded one more 9 just to top Heather).  Also great seeing Kristi in the audience supporting - some were trying to make an issue of her "break a leg" well wishes.

David:  Magic Mike? Really? But props for him doing it, embraced the tongue in cheek.  A few bits more risque than I'd have thought they would have allowed.  He actually danced most of it with the guys on stage without Lindsay.   I don't care for performances like this by either the men or the ladies, but I'll agree with the scores - that took guts (with his kids watching)!

Erika:  I got called away from the TV but I could hear some of the judges comments. Wobbly again?  Same comment three weeks in a row - why isn't Gleb addressing it with balance practice or give her lower thicker heels? Or something, anything to indicate they are taking notes from the judges.

Rashad:   welllll....he got his shoulders doing what I wanted his hips to do.  Trying to move his hips looked like he was really trying and not quite making it.  It might have looked a little better if his shirt was more fitted instead of flapping about which make his movement look sloppy.  Also very flat-footed.  Scores are okay I guess, a 6 or two wouldn't have been out of line.

Normani:  Something I've noticed in the past 2 dances but this time I really paid attention - she doesn't look at Val when she dances. Tonight I saw 2 quick choreographed "reaction" type glances. So strange.  Even standing before the judges, she doesn't share the enjoyment of the praise with Val by looking at him for more than a split second.   I think that if you have to talk-up your "chemistry" then you don't really have it.  Otherwise the dance looked pretty good. Scores are okay I guess.  It's just...something's off here.

Not surprised Charo is leaving.  That was an odd reaction from Peta, like "what was that about".  I wonder if putting Nick in jeopardy was an attempt to goose his fans into voting more for him.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Uke

[rollacoaster]

Maybe Normani has a crush on Val? I know when I was younger and attracted to certain guys, I found it hard to make eye contact. Just a thought.

[RedFiat]

I loved Nancy and Artem this week, no early in the show placement and a really strong Samba. They even put in a Bachacata, which is so difficult to do correctly.  I also love Nancys attitude on the show, she is just having fun and wants to learn and improve. For dance content alone they won the night for me. Heather was very good but she is a pro dancer. She always seems to have a look like she's on the defensive hearing the judges comments. That Tango had excellent footwork and content.  Simone's QS for me was a tad too busy, and they were too far apart in hold. I also think that gymnastics every week is getting a little stale. Normani is a performer but there was so little Foxtrot in that dance it's difficult to judge it as a Foxtrot. Charo actually had some nice content but too little, too late and too annoying the past two weeks to stay.  I've seen enough of Erykas crotch, and tepid jives don't thrill me. 

Nick tries but his dancing is so laboured. I thought Boner was worse, absolutely no energy. Mr T was sweet, yes there's little fluidity but the choreo was the right tone and style. David is fun but I wasn't a fan of gratuitous bump and grinds getting an 8. That is embarrassing for a show that's supposed to judge dancing, not your favourite drunk guy at a wedding. 

 

Rashad is appealing but his dance technique Needs work,, never on the balls of his feet pretty much flat footed,  like last week he never closed his feet to finish a step sequence, Samba is probably the most difficult dance to learn, so I cut him some slack as he is the best of the men. 

[CraftyHazel]

I may be the only one here who wouldn't mind Bonner staying for a while, but it's only because I have a bit of a girl crush on Sharna and want to see her stick around a while.

I was so tickled to see Nancy do so well!  I've never really been a big fan of hers, but she came off quite approachable and fun tonight, and I thought she danced well.

I do like Heather, David, Normani, and Rashad.  Nick is okay.  Simone is a great gymnast, but as a dancer, she leaves me meh.

[crowceilidh]

I thought Charo's package made her somewhat sympathetic tonight (which is good when she's going).  I haven't watched much of her stuff because I've never enjoyed her schtick, but the costumes pulled me into curiousity as to what they were going to do.  Her dancing was pretty beginner level and I feel the song was deliberately slowed.

Pokerface seemed slightly slowed down to me too.

Nancy was really powerful at the beginning of her samba, which I think was a very hard thing for her to do.  She got glassier-eyed in the middle, but still I think she has improved wonderfully.  Love Artem's happiness.

Mr. T is so stiff in some positions and not so stiff when his feet are planted (what is that?), but I love his attitude and Kym is able to project his joy, so I enjoyed their dance.  The earring was funny - I kept thinking someone feather had been pulled off on his rhinestones.  

Given Bonner's restrictions, due to injury, I thought that was okay for a Charleston.  Sharna did a lot of choreographic hiding there.

[crowceilidh]

David was good fun and that took a lot of nerve for a guy of his build.  

Why is Bruno getting such lousy makeup jobs these days - I find I can always see them.

Boy, I thought that call out to the Hough mum was a little hard after watching a dance about how their lives were traumatized by her divorce.  She looked a little shell-shocked to me, but perhaps it was just at the frenetic awfulness of the middle of that dance.  There were some good moments and the ending was very very touching, but still.  Also, the cutest thing I've ever seen the Houghs do was to hug Tom like that.  I still don't like Julianne and can hardly wait for her to do something else.  I don't miss Derek much, although I do miss his choreo.

Edited April 4, 2017 by crowceilidh

[ladylaw99]

Unfortunately I am still finding this season really boring. Vegas week was not very exciting.  This is the first time I have seen any personality from Nancy.  I enjoyed her tonight and thought Artem fangirling over Ricki Martin  was hilarious.

Bonner is not appealing to me. All I kept thinking while he was dancing was "James would have knocked that dance out of the park".

I still like Rashad, not his best but I didn't think it was as bad as the judges thought.  

I liked Normani and her engery.  Dave, well, I cringed with embarrassment but I still like him and give him props for even going out there and doing it.

I think my problem really is the music choices for certain dances.  Some dances just don't go with the flow of the music and it just takes me out of the dance.

[TeeMo]

I loved that Charleston but Bonner bores me. I kept thinking that I wished it was James Hinchcliffe dancing that routine with Sharna. 

[Uke]

21 minutes ago, rollacoaster said:

Maybe Normani has a crush on Val? I know when I was younger and attracted to certain guys, I found it hard to make eye contact. Just a thought.

She's 20, not 12.  But still, after 5-6 weeks of working together daily for many hours at a time, if she were girlishly bashful, I'd think she'd be over it by now.  I'm leaning more towards "I'm the STARRRRR, he's just the help".

[truthaboutluv]

11 hours ago, Marmiarmo said:

Simone is a great gymnast, but as a dancer, she leaves me meh.

It's weird. She and Sasha clearly get along and I'm sure they adore each other but something just doesn't seem to click with the two of them on the dance floor. They just come across like two people dancing next to each other, rather than a true dance pairing. 

I enjoyed Heather's dance this week, but I can't tell if she's just such a fast dancer that it seems like she's slightly ahead of the music or she really is slightly ahead of it. Still a good dance. However, I enjoyed Val and Normani a lot more. I called it last week and I'm sticking with my prediction that Normani is going to win this. She continues to hide behind Heather in the whole ringer debate, she and Val have great chemistry and she's quietly killing the technique. Good for her.

Nick is clearly not a judges' favorite. While in no way an amazing dancer, for someone who truly has no dance background, I do think he's doing well and working hard. And I liked their Tango. And it's funny the comment about him not liking the scores because I thought Peta was the one giving obvious death stares to the judges. 

Good for David for having such a good attitude but in no way was that mess 8 worthy. And I guess Samba is Rashad's kryptonite because that was kind of a mess. He definitely went for it but a lot of his movement was very awkward. Of course he still wasn't as bad as Bonner who was so awful the judges couldn't even ignore it in favor of pushing their showmance agenda.

Someone called Bonner Woody in the last thread and never was it more apropos than tonight. Like I don't think I have ever seen a person who wasn't an older contestant be that stiff. Dude's upper body like never moves. And what the hell were those leg flicks and kicks? Not to mention he went wrong at least three different times. That had to be one of the slowest Charleston I have ever seen on this show, especially from someone who is not a member of the AARP or with a disability. 

Well thank goodness the Charo mess is finally over. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[SophiaPehawkins]

I want to be as excited about anything in life as Artem was when meeting Ricky Martin.

[Adeejay]

Nick was robbed.  I can't believe two of the judges gave Mr. T the same score.  I think Bonner and David were over scored.

[mrsmit7]

My two favorites from tonight:

1) Normani- WOW..I knew she had the skills, but I wasn't expecting that performance factor too, and I feel like I really saw for the first time tonight. She's most likely gonne be a force when Her & Val aren't missing 2 days a week on flights.

2) Nancy- She surprisingly worked that samba and I was not expecting that at all. I love that artemisia is so happy and I like their partnership.

As for the rest. Heather was good but I didn't like the costume combined with those lights for the tango, like I understood why she wore the outfit, but Alan & the lights being the exact same color drowned out the dance a bit.

Either Sasha needs to step it up with simone, or shes just not quite as impressive on this season. I keep thinking 'Ok nice' when she dances then promptly forgetting. Same with Erika & gleb.

The men are all a bit of a lost cause dance wise outside of Rashad. I thought his samba was actually pretty good, but the song was so low energy it sucked it out of the performance. David's not the best but he is working all the angles and checking all the boxes to make it to the final. His fun, charming, up for anything and having a good time.

I'm over bonner, and actually think nick is a much better dancer than him.

Charo left on her best dance, and although i like that he's giving his money to charity, Mr. T Shold be next.

[truthaboutluv]

4 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

I think Bonner and David were over scored.

At least they gave Bonner 6's, though considering Len's 5 for Nick last week and how many times Bonner visibly messed up then yeah, he was still overscored but I am truly baffled by David's scores. I know the judges have always been kind of willy nilly in their scoring of Jazz and Contemporary but hell, they gave Ginger 7's two seasons ago for her Contemporary and it was Memorable Week no less. 

[MerBearHou]

Nancy was excellent -- didn't know she had it in her! Neither did she :)

PLEASE give Keo a good partner next season.  I feel so badly for him.  Charo should never have been on this show.  I've liked many of the older "character" dancers from seasons past, but she was a zero for me.  No appeal whatsoever.  I thought Keo did a tremendous job with her tonight and that dance was lovely to go out on.

Heather is a fabulous dancer and I love watching her move.  I think her likeability problem is, IMO, she has a look that is icy and haughty.  I have no doubt that she's  a nice person, but her facial expressions make her harder for me to warm up to.

I'm over the uber perky gymnasts year after year so I don't root for Simone.  Not fair to her, I know, but just how I feel.

Love Rashad, love David.  

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

That had to be one of the slowest Charleston I have ever seen on this show, especially from someone who is not a member of the AARP or with a disability. 

Well, to be fair (and I hate giving Bonner any credit because I truly don't like him all that much; he really is very bland and boring), he did suffer a neck injury. I think Sharna said that it happened 12 months ago? So he did specify his limitations include his inability to do lifts and to even lift his arms over his head. Does that excuse the blank slate on his face every time he dances, or the bottom half of his body? Nope, not at all. They could have definitely sped it up and I did not find it that good either. But I think his neck injury would partially count as a disability. 

6 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

Nick is clearly not a judges' favorite. While in no way an amazing dancer, for someone who truly has no dance background, I do think he's doing well and working hard. And I liked their Tango. And it's funny the comment about him not liking the scores because I thought Peta was the one giving obvious death stares to the judges. 

It's sad because I think Nick is improving bit by bit, and he really could become a solid dancer. I think the show is underrating him in the sense that they have not fully acknowledged his potential to be great or how much he's improving. He's actually a lot better than Bonner, but they keep insisting that Bonner's this Stud. So what if Nick and Peta don't have this so called chemistry. It doesn't make Bonner a better dancer than Nick. I want Nick to make it further than Bonner, but the show is telegraphing something completely different. Apparently, Bonner's the Sex Appeal and they'll milk him and Sharna for all that they're worth until his fans, or Sharna's fans, can't save them anymore.

At this point, I'm convinced that Normani will win it all unless she messes up really, really badly for the next few weeks. I see Rashad as an easy finalist, but the third spot could go several ways. I'm torn between Heather and Simone for sure. I don't think Simone's doing as well as she could be, and I don't think she's a shoe in to win. I think there could be a surprising dark horse in either Nancy or David to take the third spot, if they have a surprising elimination in Simone. Heather will probably make top six, but I'm unsure if she'll get further than that. 

I'm thinking that Mr. T, Nick, Erika, and Bonner will be goners, possibly in this order. 

[TeeMo]

I enjoyed Sasha and Terra last season more than I am enjoying Simone and Sasha so far this season. As someone else mentioned above, their partnership seems to be lacking something. She is a good dancer and they seem to get along but I feel like I am just watching her do gymnastic routines with a partner while wearing a sparkly outfit even though they aren't doing any particularly gymnastic moves. It is odd. She is underwhelming so far. 

If I had to pick today my final three would be Nancy, Normani and either David or Rashad. David is not a great dancer but I think he has staying power. I hope they start giving him less comedy based dances soon. The novelty is wearing off and he is charming and fun even without all the goofy music and themes. 

[crowceilidh]

I would like Erika gone next.  Mostly because Gleb squicks me out and I'm sad he's come back to the American show.

Heather's dress with the dark underwear was a look, I guess.  I thought it was trashy and really really didn't suit her body style.  I thought the judges overpraised and perhaps overscored the dance (on the gradient of Heather) because they're trying to prop her until the vote-getting partner comes back.

Normani's dance was a solid and stylish performance.  Not sure I saw any foxtrot - somebody more knowledgeable please chime in.  I also thought the voice-overs in their package made the content kinda weird.  Probably she doesn't look at Val when dancing because she hasn't partner-danced before or does she have a ballroom background I'm unaware of?  I know that in 18th c. dancing your gaze is nearly always directed into your partner's eyes and the first 100 times I had to do it, it was profoundly uncomfortable unless I wanted to flirt with the person opposite me and even then, whew.

[Uke]

30 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

Boy, I thought that call out to the Hough mum was a little hard after watching a dance about how their lives were traumatized by her divorce.  She looked a little shell-shocked to me, but perhaps it was just at the frenetic awfulness of the middle of that dance.  There were some good moments and the ending was very very touching, but still.  Also, the cutest thing I've ever seen the Houghs do was to hug Tom like that.  I still don't like Julianne and can hardly wait for her to do something else.  I don't miss Derek much, although I do miss his choreo.

Since it was supposedly about their parents divorce, I was half expecting either Shirley or Corky to appear, even if only frozen in place.  But I've never heard either of them credit the Ballases for taking them out of the divorce situation and basically giving them their career.  

[Beatrice]

3 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

Heather's dress with the dark underwear was a look, I guess.  I thought it was trashy and really really didn't suit her body style.  I thought the judges overpraised and perhaps overscored the dance (on the gradient of Heather) because they're trying to prop her until the vote-getting partner comes back.

It was a Britney look from the Toxic music video. It's funny because I thought she looked amazing and was the best dressed of the night. Then again I'm a Britney fan so..

Heather does need Maks's votes but I really like her partnership with Alan.

[crowceilidh]

Thanks, Beatrice.  Sometimes the pop culture references get past you at my age.  I thought it was funny that Erin was jealous of it because they look so much alike.

[McManda]

23 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

So what if Nick and Peta don't have this so called chemistry.

Nick and Peta have a partnership (friendship?) that I'd rather watch over the weird lusty showmance agenda they're trying to push with Sharna and Bonner.

I actually think Nick is better looking, funnier, has more personality, can move better, and has more potential than Bonner so I'm not sure why they're trying so hard to make Bonner happen.

Edited April 4, 2017 by McManda

[Uke]

28 minutes ago, mrsmit7 said:

1) Normani- WOW..I knew she had the skills, but I wasn't expecting that performance factor too, and I feel like I really saw for the first time tonight. She's most likely gonne be a force when Her & Val aren't missing 2 days a week on flights.

I wonder though if she is more insulated from all the craziness while on tour.   

She performs with her girl group each night, same show essentially in each city.  The other girls in the group are  probably handling the 5H press, sound checks, all the usual business associated with touring.  Meanwhile, she rehearses with Val at each city, sleeps on the flights to and fro.  I'd assume she's on private jets which may even be configured with a proper bed.  So she's getting plenty of rest.  She's not having to do press every day - I've heard stars saying they rehearse 5-6 hours a day but their day is stretched to 10-12 hours because they are constantly interrupted by interviews set up by production.   She actually may have it a little easier.  Also, she isn't in LA long enough for jet lag.  I'd assume she stays on Hong Kong or whatever time.

[Landonette]

I think they underscored Nick and Peta too. Whats new with judges though.

The Bonner Sharna thing is such a joke.  It is so clear (to me) that Sharna is not interested at all in him......and Bonner is like stone. I kinda clean house when they dance.

Then Nick, was not a fan, can not stand his so called fiancé , that is also clear they do not match. But no body listens.  LOL  I thought Nick did much better tonight. I think it has to do with getting use to having this sexy lady all over him when her Maks is right there. He's getting more comfortable.  He needs to keep that fiancé of his out of practice and keep serious.

I do hope they stick around awhile. 

[colorbars]

51 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

I enjoyed Heather's dance this week, but I can't tell if she's just such a fast dancer that it seems like she's slightly ahead of the music or she really is slightly ahead of it. Still a good dance.

As someone that is admittedly a huge fan of Heather and her dancing for years, I've always noticed she has a bit of a problem staying in time with the other people she's dancing with. Wasn't as big a problem on Glee, because she was always supposed to be the best dancer, so it was natural, but watching a casual routine with other professional dancers, I find she tends to be a a little bit ahead of others.

38 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

Heather is a fabulous dancer and I love watching her move.  I think her likeability problem is, IMO, she has a look that is icy and haughty.  I have no doubt that she's  a nice person, but her facial expressions make her harder for me to warm up to.

I'm not surprised by this. I think she's really weird and goofy and friendly, but somewhere along the line during Glee she started getting really awkward in interviews and any kind environment when the attention is solely on her, and it can come off cold. I can totally relate to that as a person, but I expected it to hurt her on this type of show, where she needs to let loose and show more of her personality.

[katha]

Holy cow, Nancy! Like...I thought her latin dances not being awful was all you could ask for. Now she gets samba, a really hard dance, in week three, Artem gives her tons of content, and she kills it. There's always that one candidate who totally surprises in a positive way every season, so far it's Nancy for me. The way she's throwing herself into the experience with such dedication even though she's not the youngest anymore, even though she's rather shy and it must be nerve-wracking to be on the show...Awesome.

[friendperidot]

I'm not one for paying attention to the audience shots, I did see Kristi Yamaguchi tonight, but did I see Miyam Bialik? 

[RedFiat]

I find the distribution of 9 interesting tonight 

Heather - Carrie Ann gave out the first 9 for Heathers Tango 

Simone-  Julianne gave Simone's Quickstep a 9

Nancy - Lens only 9 of the night went to Nancys Samba 

Normani - Julianne gave a second 9 to Normani and Bruno gave his only 9 to her Foxtrot 

[Beatrice]

Just now, RedFiat said:

I find the distribution of 9 interesting tonight 

Heather - Carrie Ann gave out the first 9 for Heathers Tango 

Simone-  Julianne gave Simone's Quickstep a 9

Nancy - Lens only 9 of the night went to Nancys Samba 

Normani - Julianne gave a second 9 to Normani and Bruno gave his only 9 to her Foxtrot 

I gave up on judges scores like 12 season ago. There is no rhyme or reason.

[PBGamer89]

The four women (Nancy, Normani, Heather, and Simone) really stole the night for me.

Nancy is doing so well, not just in the Waltz like most expected but her Latin has been stellar. I love too how great she and Artem are together and they just click, good partnership.

Normani is just a performer. I hate the word slay, but I don't know any other way to describe how she's doing. She's turned into a frontrunner. She has great technique and love the partnership between them. She's fierce and solid during the performance. I can't wait till she gets something slower to see the variation.

Heather's best dance. This was the Heather I was waiting for since the beginning. Loved the sharp, staccato movements and how it was no backup dancers or props, just a solid, near flawless Tango. I hate to say but I like her better with Alan.

Simone was another great one. I think she's been a bit under the radar since the premiere, which could be better for them in the longrun. I think the assisted jump called as a lift is bull honestly. I do think the dress, as pretty as it was hid some of her great footwork. Another one who I'm anxious to see in something slower and more emotional, maybe next week's Memorable Year dance.

Erika is good, but she's fading into the woodwork, some of that is Gleb's choreo. Then again, Jive is tough for novices, and especially tall novices.

It's sad when a David doing a Jazz dance to a Magic Mike theme with little actual content, was the highest scored dance for the male celebs. Rashad is the best shot for a guy in the finals.

[Beatrice]

6 minutes ago, PBGamer89 said:

The four women (Nancy, Normani, Heather, and Simone) really stole the night for me.

I know the show will want a male in there but I really wish this would be the final four.

[RedFiat]

6 minutes ago, Beatrice said:

I gave up on judges scores like 12 season ago. There is no rhyme or reason.

Maybe, but I think it's quite deliberate. Carrie Ann has always been a fan of dancers from other genres on this show, so it's no surprise she would give Heather the high score. 

Len has the technical knowledge so he will give the high score where he sees the best dancing to the standard, so that went to Nancy 

Bruno has always been the lover of the big production so it makes sense he would give the high score to Normanis broadway routine 

Which leaves Julianne who has the technical knowledge like Len, saying that Nancys Samba was the best she has seen in a long time, and yet not scoring it the best. I think Julianne is the one who is the cheerleader for the charismatic younger dancers, so Simone who didn't have the greatest QS is matched  with Normanis Foxtrot which had little Foxtrot to judge but a lot of pizzazz. 

[katha]

Nancy was the highlight of the night for me, with Normani a close second. She's a fab performer and Val continues to give her really awesome dances that play to her strengths. Heather was very good, but that costume really, really bothered me. Like, I know it was supposed to be in tribure, but combined with the yellow lighting it all looked like a washed out beige blob and IMO affected how the dance looked in a negative way. The presentation was really detrimental to the overall impression here for me. Simone hasn't such an easy time getting out of her gymnast mannerisms, which is harder when you're a power gymnast, and so far Sasha's programs for her haven't really been my thing (I thought he was great with Terra, don't know what the issue is here...pressure of being a frontrunner?). The men were various shades of blah.