S24.E06: Week 6: Boy Bands vs. Girl Groups Night

[LadyMustang65]

We were definitely not happy in our household with Heather's elimination.  I enjoyed her a lot.  I do NOT enjoy Bonner.  That's for sure.  And while I like David - he seems like a really nice fun guy - I am over him at this point.  His dancing does not seem to be improving any more.  If there weren't so many others that I thought were better, I'd be fine with him sticking around a while longer, though.

Nick/Peta - I don't watch The Bachelor, and in general I have not been fans of those contestants, but he seems like a nice guy, and he seems like he has some potential.  He's not taking himself too seriously, and I've enjoyed some of his dances.  This was not one of them, though.  They just plain butchered the music, and it was so slow!  Yikes!  Also, the jive is definitely not his dance. 

David/Lindsay - I do like David, and I'm glad he made it this far.  But it does seem like his time should be running out.  He doesn't seem to me to be improving at all, and I'm getting worried about his physical health.  He seems injury-prone?  Anyway, I thought the AT was okay but not great.  The lift kind of scared me, but mad props to him for never having dropped Lindsay.  We've seen in the past that even some of the big, strong guys have dropped their pros in rehearsals.

Bonner/Sharna - I was just pissed that he wasn't the one leaving.  His dancing is not good, and he has zero personality to speak of.  And unless I'm zoning out during the broadcast, they have completely dropped the showmance angle with those two.  That's a good thing, imho.  Anyway, did not like this rumba at all.

Nancy/Artem - I am really enjoying this couple.  And I enjoy a good paso.  This one was decent.  Not her best work, but better than most we saw, I thought. 

Simone/Sasha - Simone seems like she's starting to show a little personality, which is good.  I liked her crushing on Rashad.  I wish they had given her different footwear, though.  That was awful and made the dance seem kind of clunky or something.  Again, this was good, but I think she's done better.

Rashad/Emma - I adore Rashad.  He just seems like a great guy, and he does seem to have some natural ability.  He was hands-down the best part of the "Boy Band Team."  I liked this tango, but is it just me or does his posture go kind of funky at times when he's in hold?  I don't know exactly what it is - sometimes it seems like he's hunched over or something.  The judges never mention it, so maybe I'm imagining it?  But I do like him and won't be sad if he makes it to the finale.

Normani/Val - I love this team, and I think she's doing a great job.  I liked the dance a lot.  I'm barely knowledgeable on some of these dances, so I didn't think it felt that un-Salsa-like.  I would not be unhappy with a win for her.

Heather/Maks - It was easy to see why they placed her last.  That rumba was gorgeous.  I'm very unhappy she left before Bonner and David, at least.  Seriously, who is voting for Bonner?  And how do we get them to stop?  Ugh.

For us, Girl Group beat Boy Band hands down in the group dance.  The only things I liked about the Boy Band dance was the singing-group imitation at the very beginning, and Rashad as Magic Mike wanna be.  The other 3 guys were not good in that part.  But I have to admit, even as I write that, that overall I enjoyed the dance, but I think that's because they all seemed to be having a lot of fun and not because I thought they were doing a good job.  Too bad about the lighting with the Girl Group, but the quality of their dancing was more than 1 point better than the guys.  I agree with the judges that they could have done more with the choreography, but overall I liked it.

For my money Bonner needs to be the next to go.  After that probably David and then Nick.  Right now I see Rashad, Simone, Nancy and Normani as the final four, with possibly an all-girl final three.

[Venee]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I still feel like the judges are propping Rashad. That dance was not 9-worthy, let alone a 10. His turns in hold are so stiff and jerky. He has musicality, but no fluidity, and he stomps around a lot. Especially in ballroom. But I guess they are determined to get him to the finals. I don't get why. Why can't we just have an all-girl finale? At least they've stopped propping David. Ugh, that lift at the end was scary, I was afraid for them.

Speaking of scary, who in the holy hell was singing Fun Fun Fun? It sounded like Weird Al Yankovic. I couldn't even watch the dance because of the horrible vocalist murdering an iconic Beach Boys song.

People have been complaining about Simone's inability to "connect" and while I find that somewhat subjective, I did kind of see that problem tonight. She had a plastic expression pasted on her face throughout her entire dance that never changed once. 

I am not on the Rashad love train, the Judges stay trying to make him happen. Watching him in his package he believes his own hype.  It was off putting to me. Unfortunately for him (from my perspective) He didn't put that confidence he had talking about his march  back to the top of the leader board into that dance.  I get his technique will be subpar, but in this case his technique was subpar, and he looked scared to death. He was not in command of that performance and didn't own it at all. The other guys are so weak, he's looks better than he actually is...

[gohawks]

18 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I don't buy that AT ALL. First to say black woman don't win this show and then turn around and admit that, yes a black woman has won on this show, just shows that your statement isn't true. I didn't really like Amber and hated that she won, really just because I was tired of Derek winning, not because I disliked her. I think she won because she was paired with someone popular like Derek and because the <i>Glee</i> fandom was bigger back then, and also because she had a great personality.

It would be one thing if you were saying Black Woman aren't as popular as some other groups that would be one thing, but to say that they're not popular makes no sense given that Mel B., Zendaya, and Mya didn't just make the finals but they were in the top 2. I think brandy made the quarterfinals, if not the semi-finals (I know that she was in the top four.) Brandy was unfortunately on against Bristol Palin, who had an inexplicably large voter base.

Normani could easily win as Amber Riley did. She also has a super popular pro, she has an extremely large and dedicated fanbase, and she's getting good scores. Her personality isn't setting the world on fire, but it's not bad either. The only thing I see possibly sinking her is people may not want to give Val the Mirrorball Trophy back to back.

Amber was the exception that proved the rule and  there had to be machinations to get her that trophy. That was my point. 

[NeverLate]

Rashad is supposed to be this seasons James. But as much as I love him, Rashad isn't as good. There is a sameness from the girls, except Nancy. I'm hoping she is in the F2. I can see why Heather went, looking back on last weeks dances, she wasn't very good. Whereas Bonner was.

[FilmTVGeek80]

15 minutes ago, gohawks said:

Amber was the exception that proved the rule and  there had to be machinations to get her that trophy. That was my point.

Your overall point seemed to be that Black Woman aren't popular with the majority of DWTS watchers, which I don't agree with.

Also, you and I can claim that Amber's scores were overinflated but I remember visiting the forums (think it was TWoP) and there were plenty of people who thought she deserved her scores. Honestly, if there were any reasons for why Amber's scores might have been overinflated it wasn't because of the producer's tweeking things to get Amber a win, but because of the Derek propping. While I don't really remember Amber's season that well - can't even remember who she was up against - but I don't think Amber's judges scores were so far and away from everyone else that if Black women were truly as unpopular as you're claiming, she still could have been beaten.

And my other point still stands that Normani has basically almost the same things going in her favor that Amber did so saying there's no possible way she can win is premature.

[boyznkatz]

I really don't think Mya and Zendaya ever really had a chance against Donny Osmond or Pickler. They were the type of contestants that fans of this show love. If they were on in another season, they might have won. As for Mel B, she really lost more to Julianne rather than Helio.

I think Simone and Normani will be the F2, unless Rashad beats one or both of them. The fans also love gymnasts and football players.

[gohawks]

11 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

I really don't think Mya and Zendaya ever really had a chance against Donny Osmond or Pickler. They were the type of contestants that fans of this show love. If they were on in another season, they might have won. As for Mel B, she really lost more to Julianne rather than Helio.

I think Simone and Normani will be the F2, unless Rashad beats one or both of them. The fans also love gymnasts and football players.

I love this show and have watched from the very beginning  but it became apparent pretty early who was watching and voting by the basketfuls.  IMHO

Edited April 25, 2017 by gohawks

[sinycalone]

In fairness to Bonner, I think he should have been kept for next season...giving him more time recover from his injuries.  It appears that he has more physical limitations than they are admitting.

David Ross was a catcher in the major leagues for 15 years.  There is no position in that sport that takes a greater toll on a player's body.  That doesn't mean he can't learn to dance (and I think he has improved each week), but it probably accounts for the annoying aches and pains he mentions during rehearsals.

[boyznkatz]

Bonner and David may very well have physical problems, but to me they are not entertaining to watch. Even my husband, who never watches the show or knows anything about dancing, watched with me yesterday and commented on how bad they were.

[gimmeegimmeegim]

Poor B and D

Sittin in that tree

Rubbin, rubbin neck and knee

Not appreciated, no siree

Sobbin, sobbin , pretty pree

[luvthepros]

18 hours ago, crowceilidh said:

Simone's boots in her first dance looked like they didn't fit her.  Her feet were super awkward. 

Samba should not be danced in boots by a woman or a man. Period. I understand costuming is important but proper footwear should be worn for dancing. I guess Len gave up on that argument several seasons ago. Sigh.

[NeverLate]

2 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

I really don't think Mya and Zendaya ever really had a chance against Donny Osmond or Pickler. They were the type of contestants that fans of this show love. If they were on in another season, they might have won. As for Mel B, she really lost more to Julianne rather than Helio.

I think Simone and Normani will be the F2, unless Rashad beats one or both of them. The fans also love gymnasts and football players.

I voted for Pickler, she was outstanding. I also voted for Osmond and Helio. It really does depend on who is participating . Helio and Pickler is the reason this show had more viewers than it does now...

[realdancemom]

24 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Samba should not be danced in boots by a woman or a man. Period. I understand costuming is important but proper footwear should be worn for dancing. I guess Len gave up on that argument several seasons ago. Sigh.

They do sell Latin ballroom boots.  However, Simone wasn't wearing them because her boots looked clunky.

[jette]

Love Heather, so sad she was eliminated...and I totally blame Maks. He's been my fav pro since his season with Mel B (thanks foe the clip, RedFiat!), but as others have said, the choreography  last week was lackluster and that's  enough to make a  pro look incompetent :(

Nick is what would've  been called an awesome club dancer back in my day, so I'm now pulling for him and Rashad, who has better technical skills, plus a lovely back story.  Some NFL team better pick him up!

All the women left leave me cold...and truth be told, all are as much professional dancers as Heather. Nancy, Simone and Harmoni each have extensive backgrounds dealing with choreography yet none impress me. I do hope Artem makes the finals at last, he's due.

Still, Rashad FTW!

[enthus-pro]

Thoughts on contestants for week 6 (in alphabetical order):

 

 

Nancy & Artem - the power and drama she showed in the paso doble was nice to see. Though the arm resistance/shaping would've helped, thought she did a nice job with the skirt work, showing the flowing movement and volume throughout. Think maybe she needed to lift her rib cage and stretch as her body seemed a bit soft, and to bring her hips forward to create curvature. Think if she brings the same abandonment/enjoyment, of dancing with her children in the comfort of her home into the studio, it should assist with her performances even more. Nonetheless, thought it was nice to see how comfortable she looked attacking the music, when dancing in brief unison with the matadors (all facing the camera) towards the very end.

 

Normani & Val - thought she looked in her element; it was nice to see that she wasn't too stiff or slow, but rather very rhythmical throughout the routine. Good to see arm movements, quick footwork, seamless lifts/dismounts and a sense of tease and fun going on. Think she has nice hips and was hoping to see her keep the base of her feet small at the beginning, so she could carry out even more nice salsa steps. Still think if Val continues to be flexible and works a bit more consistently with Len, he can draw even more votes towards both him and his partner. Nonetheless, thought her salsa was a constant flow of sensuality, and that it was a smooth performance that was carried out in a natural way.

 

Rashad & Emma - thought it was a welcoming Motown stage scene that showcased Rashad's natural flair and highlighted a stylish Emma to the floor. The intensity when fixed in hold at the top was beautiful, and thought he exaggerated the topline well. Despite a transition gap hold and a slight tug of war, thought he did a nice job in trying to stay glued to Emma in the turns throughout. Thought he had a nice compressed hold with fingers past Emma's spine (first half of routine), but maybe he began to assume a bit of a wider ballroom hold as time went on. Nonetheless, its nice to see how Rashad is making a concerted effort to follow the steps and how he does his very best when carrying out each of his weekly performances.

 

Simone & Sasha - thought the opening scene was a nice start, and that she did a good job of creating a sensuous feel (nice segue into rumba, Argentine tango, etc). Agree there was lots of content and thought it was a competent, clean samba. Felt maybe she danced it a bit light/fluffy on the floor; perhaps digging deep into the floor with the bending of the knees (promenade runs), and moving the hips forward/back (stationary samba walks) would've helped a bit. Think also having varied, real-time facial expressions would also engage the audience/viewers even more. Nonetheless, thought she gave a fun performance and look forward to seeing her progression through the weeks.

 

 

Best of luck to all the celebs and looking forward to their dances.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Love Heather, so sad she was eliminated...and I totally blame Maks. He's been my fav pro since his season with Mel B (thanks foe the clip, RedFiat!), but as others have said, the choreography  last week was lackluster and that's  enough to make a  pro look incompetent :(

I said this last week, but I don't know what else you can do with "For the first time in forever." It's basically just Anna running around talking about things and pointing to things. How are you supposed to choreograph a jazz number to that? It's a horrible number to dance to. Try it sometime, it doesn't even have a consistent tempo. It wasn't a song written to be danced to. It's an expository monologue.

[jette]

I agree the song was challenging, iMonrey...but it didn't have to be danced quite so literally. As much as it pains me to say this, Derek probably could've found a way to rise above it...

[NeverLate]

15 minutes ago, jette said:

I agree the song was challenging, iMonrey...but it didn't have to be danced quite so literally. As much as it pains me to say this, Derek probably could've found a way to rise above it...

Yes, yes Derek could've. I love Derek( don't hate me ).

[wanderingstar]

The song choices this week were odd to me. They picked Survivor for Simone and Sasha's rumba, but then played it so fast, it didn't seem to suit the dance at all (also, the bad sounded awful on that song - and every other song throughtout the night). 

Nancy's paso and Rashad's tango were my favorite dances of the night. I also really liked Normani's salsa. I just really like watching her dance.

I liked both team dances, but I found it weird that they announced that one of the ladies was in jeopordy before the girl group team dance. 

[RedFiat]

4 hours ago, Venee said:

 I get his technique will be subpar, but in this case his technique was subpar, and he looked scared to death. He was not in command of that performance and didn't own it at all. 

I just watched his dance on line, and I have to agree with this.  I really think Rashad had a moment on the Contemporary, but I haven't been impressed on his Samba or this Tango.   His Foxtrot was slightly better than this and I thought he should have taken the notes from last week about Footwork and turns.  Not sharp staccato as I expected it would be.  I'm rooting for this guy, but he's got to get more polished. I've been saying this since his Viennese Waltz. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by RedFiat

[RedFiat]

1 hour ago, jette said:

Love Heather, so sad she was eliminated...and I totally blame Maks. He's been my fav pro since his season with Mel B (thanks foe the clip, RedFiat!), but as others have said, the choreography  last week was lackluster and that's  enough to make a  pro look incompetent :(

 

You're welcome.  I blame the show runners for casting a pro dancer on a amateur reality dance show.  It was a set up and I do feel bad for those who get invested in Heather because of course she's a beautiful dancer.  Stunt casting is like someone playing pool with a shark.  You don't realize you've been had  until they hustle you and walk away.  It's a great way to infuse interest in a show lagging in the ratings for the 18-49 demo

Edited April 26, 2017 by RedFiat

[crossover]

17 minutes ago, RedFiat said:

I just watched his dance on line, and I have to agree with this.  I really think Rashad had a moment on the Contemporary, but I haven't been impressed on his Samba or this Tango.   His Foxtrot was slightly better than this and I thought he should have taken the notes from last week about Footwork and turns.  Not sharp staccato as I expected it would be.  I'm rooting for this guy, but he's got to get more polished. I've been saying this since his Viennese Waltz. 

With all the ringers this season, the bar is really high.  Any other season and Erika would still be playing the game. 

I feel since Rashad was a little boy, he's trained his muscles in a totally different way.  Sometimes, I think it's best if your body wasn't extensively trained for another sport.  They are easier to mold.  Rashad even talked about using muscles like he's never done before.  And he's not a small man. 

Like any sport, dancing is better when you're not thinking.  And there are going to be some styles that he's going to have to think about and try to compensate because his muscles are not going to want to go there.  To me, the football players who have won were not good on technique.  They had natural abilities, a masculine presence, personable and enjoyable to watch.  I feel the same about Rashad.  The difference is there are 3 people whose muscles are trained in dance and they are good.  So I don't need to degrade Rashad or have expectations that I don't think he can reach during the show.  He's just not as good as the 3 ladies.  But when things click, he's a joy to watch because he and Emma have great dance chemistry.  They appear to like one another as friends.  And it really shows on the dance floor.

[Harmonyy]

2 hours ago, Fanny Mare said:

I voted for Pickler, she was outstanding. I also voted for Osmond and Helio. It really does depend on who is participating . Helio and Pickler is the reason this show had more viewers than it does now...

What was so special about Pickler? A country bumkin?

[NeverLate]

10 minutes ago, Harmonyy said:

What was so special about Pickler? A country bumkin?

No her dancing. I still watch the song her husband wrote, and Derek and Kelly danced to. Country or city, I don't hang a label on them.

24 minutes ago, crossover said:

With all the ringers this season, the bar is really high.  Any other season and Erika would still be playing the game. 

I feel since Rashad was a little boy, he's trained his muscles in a totally different way.  Sometimes, I think it's best if your body wasn't extensively trained for another sport.  They are easier to mold.  Rashad even talked about using muscles like he's never done before.  And he's not a small man. 

Like any sport, dancing is better when you're not thinking.  And there are going to be some styles that he's going to have to think about and try to compensate because his muscles are not going to want to go there.  To me, the football players who have won were not good on technique.  They had natural abilities, a masculine presence, personable and enjoyable to watch.  I feel the same about Rashad.  The difference is there are 3 people whose muscles are trained in dance and they are good.  So I don't need to degrade Rashad or have expectations that I don't think he can reach during the show.  He's just not as good as the 3 ladies.  But when things click, he's a joy to watch because he and Emma have great dance chemistry.  They appear to like one another as friends.  And it really shows on the dance floor.

Erika was cold and aloof . I don't think she'd still be there.

I agree with you on Rashad, that smile alone makes me smile.

[superguard9]

Is the band always this bad? Last night it sounded like they couldn't get the right to the actual songs and had to use sound-alikes, there were times the tune was nearly unrecognizable

[NeverLate]

2 minutes ago, superguard9 said:

Is the band always this bad? Last night it sounded like they couldn't get the right to the actual songs and had to use sound-alikes, there were times the tune was nearly unrecognizable

I saw that question a few times, the band, the voice. Horrible, horrible music imho makes for horrible dancing.

[Callaphera]

6 minutes ago, superguard9 said:

Is the band always this bad? Last night it sounded like they couldn't get the right to the actual songs and had to use sound-alikes, there were times the tune was nearly unrecognizable

Yes. I don't know why it was more obvious this week (maybe more recognizable classic songs?) but they suck every week. 

[Kira53]

Is the problem the band or is the problem the orchestrations?  I think it's the orchestrations.

[SnarkyTart]

The arrangements are often pretty bad, but the vocalists are consistently Horrible (with a capital "H")!

[Callaphera]

The only way to fix it would be to fire this band and hire a new one.

Or, like I said earlier in the thread, hire a dude with a stereo and a stack of CDs. Clearly we can't trust the lighting guys. I don't know if we can trust the "push this button to start music" guys that we have currently. 

[TeeMo]

3 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

The song choices this week were odd to me. They picked Survivor for Simone and Sasha's rumba, but then played it so fast, it didn't seem to suit the dance at all (also, the bad sounded awful on that song - and every other song throughtout the night). 

Nancy's paso and Rashad's tango were my favorite dances of the night. I also really liked Normani's salsa. I just really like watching her dance.

I liked both team dances, but I found it weird that they announced that one of the ladies was in jeopordy before the girl group team dance. 

I hated nearly all of the song/dance pairings this week even though I love boy bands. And I thought they did an awful job of mixing the songs for the group dances. 

[Uke]

14 hours ago, crowceilidh said:

I don't think the judges gave Heather 10s because they knew she was going - I don't see what else that dance could have got except maybe an 11 or two.  I didn't like her from the beginning and Maks pisses me off constantly despite the fact that I was a big fan for quite a number of seasons, but she and Maks were awesome in that dance.  I would suggest that it was Maks's nonsense with Alan last week that lost her the place.  This show does not tend to reward sulky egotism.  Alan's face after the water glass part was pretty telling -- he's not the resting bitchface type.

Well, there was a lift which, if CAI wanted to deduct the point, could have resulted in a 39.  Funny how CAI sometimes does see and sometimes doesn't see.   I do think the judges know who's going to be eliminated and try to avoid being excessively nasty to that person, if only to avoid looking like idiots when they all turn on their frowny faces during the elimination.

[Callaphera]

12 minutes ago, Uke said:

Well, there was a lift which, if CAI wanted to deduct the point, could have resulted in a 39.  Funny how CAI sometimes does see and sometimes doesn't see.   I do think the judges know who's going to be eliminated and try to avoid being excessively nasty to that person, if only to avoid looking like idiots when they all turn on their frowny faces during the elimination.

I thought there was! But I can never remember the rules of certain dances. Like, I know what a rhumba looks like and I can identify one when it's performed but I never know if it's a pro-lift dance or not. I was cringing and waiting for CAI to pull out her Lift Police badge but when she didn't say anything, I figured maybe it was allowed.

[Sister Havana]

On 4/24/2017 at 9:52 PM, VMepicgrl said:

I thought I remembered a Salsa to "Spice Up Your Life" on the English version of the show, Strictly Come Dancing, but when I looked I realized it was a Samba. Still good 

Judge Rinder danced a Salsa to "Spice Up Your Life" on the most recent season of Strictly Come Dancing. 

 

15 hours ago, gohawks said:

 

I love Normani  but I believe she has no chance at winning. Black woman do not win this show. Mel B, Mya, Brandy, Tamar, Zendaya. The list goes on and on. The only Black woman to pull it off had to be paired with Derek and over-scored.  I would not be shocked if David outlasted her. It is about demographics and Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic. 

 

In fairness, Tamar had to withdraw due to a serious medical issue (pulmonary embolisms in her lungs) - she wasn't eliminated.

[katha]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I said this last week, but I don't know what else you can do with "For the first time in forever." It's basically just Anna running around talking about things and pointing to things. How are you supposed to choreograph a jazz number to that? It's a horrible number to dance to. Try it sometime, it doesn't even have a consistent tempo. It wasn't a song written to be danced to. It's an expository monologue.

This is all true, but I think if Heather had a decent fanbase it wouldn't have mattered. Barely anyone gets through the show without having one or two weaker dances. I confess, I overestimated her fanbase as well and thought she would be safe for now. But then I'm probably as guilty as anyone of going too much by social media (where Heather did fine), where someone like Nancy isn't a strong presence, but Nancy might pick up more of the general audience who vote for her because they identify with her more than with someone like Heather. The judges praised her performance, she got a score of 34, which wasn't bad and also considerably more than some of the men. With decent voting turnout, it would have been no problem. Apparently she struggled with votes already and then a middling score broke her neck. The show also wasn't invested in keeping her around, otherwise they'd have put her in jeopardy to try and help rally voters. But as we already discussed, Heather was basically cast to be the shocking elimination, so of course they did nothing of the sort.

[RedFiat]

6 hours ago, crossover said:

So I don't need to degrade Rashad or have expectations that I don't think he can reach during the show. 

No one is degrading Rashad, my expectations of non-dancers are not the same as my expectations of dancers. He can do better, he doesn't have ginormous feet, yet he gets a bit stompy and flat footed,  he has a grace and elegance about his posture that sometimes collapses a bit, those things can be remedied with a bit more practice and attention to detail.  For me it just isn't only about connection and chemistry, there has to be evidence of growth in the technical side through practice.  

Edited April 26, 2017 by RedFiat

[katha]

Since I'm spouting unpopular opinions all over the place here anyway, might as well: Emma seems really nice and like a real sweetheart, but I don't think her choreography for Rashad has been very good? It's all pleasant enough, but nothing very memorable (I didn't like the contemporary either...). They make a positive impression because Rashad is cool and reasonably entertaining as a performer and they have good chemistry and a good vibe in their partnership, the dances themselves haven't been particularly outstanding IMO.

[crossover]

8 hours ago, Fanny Mare said:

Erika was cold and aloof . I don't think she'd still be there.

You may be right.  But I think she might've shown a different side if she thought she had a chance to go far.  I don't think the choreography would've been about sex all the time either.  Seeing the 4 ladies in front of her should've been a sign that she wouldn't be around long.  Obviously she had a small fanbase.  The 4 ladies basically let her know she wouldn't have a chance to grow her fanbase.

[luvthepros]

10 hours ago, realdancemom said:

They do sell Latin ballroom boots.  However, Simone wasn't wearing them because her boots looked clunky.

I was referring to the boots that look more like combat boots. Val was wearing boots too.....looked like construction boots. It really surprises me that these pros agree to these ridiculous costuming choices.

I like the Latin ballroom boots for the women but still prefer the traditional footwear for Latin ballroom.

[crossover]

1 hour ago, RedFiat said:

No one is degrading Rashad, my expectations of non-dancers are not the same as my expectations of dancers. He can do better, he doesn't have ginormous feet, yet he gets a bit stompy and flat footed,  he has a grace and elegance about his posture that sometimes collapses a bit, those things can be remedied with a bit more practice and attention to detail.  For me it just isn't only about connection and chemistry, there has to be evidence of growth in the technical side through practice.  

You're probably right.  You're knowledgeable.  I put more emphasis on the performance.  As long as the technique doesn't take me out of the performance, I'm ok.  I just figure it would take longer to polish ballroom technique than what this show allows.  And I've always thought it would take longer to "rewire" something than to "wire" it.  In either case, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 3 ladies as the final 3.  They probably won't be but they are great dancers.  I can't remember a season where there were 3/4 good to great dancers. 

I enjoy watching Rashad but I do lean more on the abilities when it comes to the free style.  But if a guy makes it, I hope it's Rashad.  Maybe the lifts won't be so nerve wracking like the one David did.

[boyznkatz]

3 hours ago, katha said:

Since I'm spouting unpopular opinions all over the place here anyway, might as well: Emma seems really nice and like a real sweetheart, but I don't think her choreography for Rashad has been very good? It's all pleasant enough, but nothing very memorable (I didn't like the contemporary either...). They make a positive impression because Rashad is cool and reasonably entertaining as a performer and they have good chemistry and a good vibe in their partnership, the dances themselves haven't been particularly outstanding IMO.

I agree. I really miss Julianne (as a dancer), Cheryl and Kym. They won multiple times for a reason.

[dancingwithmyself]

Heather was robbed and if I were her I would be livid with my PR for getting me roped into a show that embarrassed her!   Len called her out for being a back-up dancer for Beyonce weeks ago, when they recruited her!!!!!!!!   So over the show.  They are full of themselves and it is so biased.  She got a perfect score for crying out loud.   One of the top dancers.  So now we have to grin and bear the baseball player and the bachelor.........ruined this season.

[Venee]

15 minutes ago, dancingwithmyself said:

Heather was robbed and if I were her I would be livid with my PR for getting me roped into a show that embarrassed her!   Len called her out for being a back-up dancer for Beyonce weeks ago, when they recruited her!!!!!!!!   So over the show.  They are full of themselves and it is so biased.  She got a perfect score for crying out loud.   One of the top dancers.  So now we have to grin and bear the baseball player and the bachelor.........ruined this season.

I know a lot of people feel this way My 78 year  old Mother being one. She called me and said she will not be watching the rest of the season (once upon a time I used to dance so she is probably biased toward the ringier dancers). I was on the "Heather Train" not for her to win, but to see she and Maks put out some great dances. That being said, there's no real "robbing" on this show. DWTS says vote for your fave and that's it. Heather's stint on this show was not at all what I expected, (I never thought she would have switcheroo Partner time, or that they wouldn't just give her an all out pro routine every week and let the chips fall where they may) but I don't think she was robbed. I think I was robbed and others who wanted to see those awesome routines we would have been treated to lol but I don't think she was. 

[Callaphera]

21 minutes ago, Venee said:

I know a lot of people feel this way My 78 year  old Mother being one. She called me and said she will not be watching the rest of the season (once upon a time I used to dance so she is probably biased toward the ringier dancers). I was on the "Heather Train" not for her to win, but to see she and Maks put out some great dances. That being said, there's no real "robbing" on this show. DWTS says vote for your fave and that's it. Heather's stint on this show was not at all what I expected, (I never thought she would have switcheroo Partner time, or that they wouldn't just give her an all out pro routine every week and let the chips fall where they may) but I don't think she was robbed. I think I was robbed and others who wanted to see those awesome routines we would have been treated to lol but I don't think she was. 

I think a lot of people sometimes forget this. It's a popularity contest, not who's the best dancer, who improves the most, not even who entertains the audience the most. Some people vote for the same person simply because it's their favourite, even if they shit the bed on the dance floor. And with a lot of fan participation reality shows that I follow discussion online about, what the Internet thinks is quite often completely different from what the broadcast only fan thinks. We're just more vocal fish in our little pond.

And as sad as it was to see Heather go, and even though I let out with a hearty "Bullshit!" from my couch, she made it about as far as I figured she would with her lack of fan base. Maybe there could have been another week in there, but she had middle week boot written all over her from the beginning. 

Still doesn't explain how Bonner is still there, though. You could replace him with a cardboard cut out of himself and I wouldn't even notice a difference. Good thing you don't need a personality to ride a bull?

Edited April 26, 2017 by Callaphera
posting before coffee

[boyznkatz]

Well that's the thing. I certainly didn't expect Heather to last long, but how the hell is Bonner still around? He can't dance and he's boring as a rock. I can see Nick and David having a large fanbase, but who is voting for Bonner?

[Venee]

1 minute ago, boyznkatz said:

Well that's the thing. I certainly didn't expect Heather to last long, but how the hell is Bonner still around? He can't dance and he's boring as a rock. I can see Nick and David having a large fanbase, but who is voting for Bonner?

I could be wrong but Bonner is probably benefiting from votes from Sharna fans, especially fans mad that she didn't win with James last season.

[Venee]

5 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

I think a lot of people sometimes forget this. It's a popularity contest, not who's the best dancer, who improves the most, not even who entertains the audience the most. Some people vote for the same person simply because it's their favourite, even if they shit the bed on the dance floor. And with a lot of fan participation reality shows that I follow discussion online about, what the Internet thinks is quite often completely different from what the broadcast only fan thinks. We're just more vocal fish in our little pond.

And as sad as it was to see Heather go, and even though I let out with a hearty "Bullshit!" from my couch, she made it about as far as I figured she would with her lack of fan base. Maybe there could have been another week in there, but she had middle week boot written all over her from the beginning. 

Still doesn't explain how Bonner is still there, though. You could replace him with a cardboard cut off of himself and I wouldn't even notice a difference. Good thing you don't need a personality to ride a bull?

You are right about that point for sure! Speaking of comment sections. I just read  a comment on a Youtube video about this "shocking" elimination, that in the British version of DWTS, they handle elimination a little differently. The bottom  two teams that week have a dance off and the judges decide who stays and who is eliminated. That wouldn't fly here. The tar and feathers against the ringers would be brutal if that was implemented in the US version.

[Lady Calypso]

6 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

And as sad as it was to see Heather go, and even though I let out with a hearty "Bullshit!" from my couch, she made it about as far as I figured she would with her lack of fan base. Maybe there could have been another week in there, but she had middle week boot written all over her from the beginning. 

I think she got lucky because there were four worse dancers that helped save her from getting booted earlier. I was hoping that she could also get past Bonner, but alas, he has enough fans (or Sharna has enough fans) that squeaked them ahead. I will say that I stand by my opinion that Maks' lack of a jazz dance last week, coupled with one of the worst Disney songs to dance to, probably caused Heather's elimination. If he had choreographed a better jazz dance and if they had a better song to dance to, I think she could have maybe managed to stay one more week. Maybe not, but I think she would have had a much better chance if the viewers could actually see her dance more. This week's dance with Maks did prove that she had the potential, but it just wasn't used properly. It didn't help that the judges wouldn't shut up about Heather being more of a pro dancer and her dance background. Listen; if we got to watch Normani and the other girls dance to one of her songs without so much of a complaint besides from Nick Viall in a talking head (loved him for speaking about what we were all talking about the last few days), then I don't see why we had to get pounded with the horror of Heather's dance background being her downfall. 

Also, one thing I remember that bugged me during the show. Heather got ripped into by Len for her ten second hip hop routine in week 2, even though it was Maks' choice and she couldn't do a thing about it. But Normani's salsa had over twenty seconds of a hip hop routine and merely a sentence about it from Len, which sounded more dismissive? Yes, he ripped into Val for the dance not being as much salsa, but it did bug me that he didn't complain as much about Normani's hip hop as he did for Heather's. And I like Normani and don't blame her for the dance, because that was all Val. 

[boyznkatz]

1 minute ago, Venee said:

You are right about that point for sure! Speaking of comment sections. I just read  a comment on a Youtube video about this "shocking" elimination, that in the British version of DWTS, they handle elimination a little differently. The bottom  two teams that week have a dance off and the judges decide who stays and who is eliminated. That wouldn't fly here. The tar and feathers against the ringers would be brutal if that was implemented in the US version.

They did that in Season 14 I believe, but yes, it didn't fly with the viewers. People hated the dance-offs. 

[Venee]

9 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I think she got lucky because there were four worse dancers that helped save her from getting booted earlier. I was hoping that she could also get past Bonner, but alas, he has enough fans (or Sharna has enough fans) that squeaked them ahead. I will say that I stand by my opinion that Maks' lack of a jazz dance last week, coupled with one of the worst Disney songs to dance to, probably caused Heather's elimination. If he had choreographed a better jazz dance and if they had a better song to dance to, I think she could have maybe managed to stay one more week. Maybe not, but I think she would have had a much better chance if the viewers could actually see her dance more. This week's dance with Maks did prove that she had the potential, but it just wasn't used properly. It didn't help that the judges wouldn't shut up about Heather being more of a pro dancer and her dance background. Listen; if we got to watch Normani and the other girls dance to one of her songs without so much of a complaint besides from Nick Viall in a talking head (loved him for speaking about what we were all talking about the last few days), then I don't see why we had to get pounded with the horror of Heather's dance background being her downfall. 

Also, one thing I remember that bugged me during the show. Heather got ripped into by Len for her ten second hip hop routine in week 2, even though it was Maks' choice and she couldn't do a thing about it. But Normani's salsa had over twenty seconds of a hip hop routine and merely a sentence about it from Len, which sounded more dismissive? Yes, he ripped into Val for the dance not being as much salsa, but it did bug me that he didn't complain as much about Normani's hip hop as he did for Heather's. And I like Normani and don't blame her for the dance, because that was all Val. 

THIS ! Lady Calypso we are one! lol I have posted this idea before and I'll say it again. The Jazz dance should have been to Disney's Highschool Musical 2s hit song "I don't Dance" The irony of the Title alone is worth a million votes considering the running narrative about her, not to mention they could have pulled off a memorable Jazz performance. There's a dance break in that song that choreographs itself!

Edited April 26, 2017 by Venee