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

[NeverLate]

4 hours ago, crossover said:

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.

She didnt listen to the judges, and even if Gleb wanted to tone it down, she wouldn't have.. Its her schtick . I was surprised at how stiff she was, supposed to be a dancer, but her body was very rigid. I'm okay with her gone..she had RBF.

[dleighg]

I skimmed through the comments so don't know if someone has mentioned this, but I think that Simone has a really weird posture. Even though I know she's incredibly fit, I get a "toddler tummy vibe" from the way she stands. I imagine it comes from the "sticking the landing" posture, but she always looks kind of odd to me, especially in the practice sessions.

[sinkwriter]

Quote

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). 

That drove me CRAZY! I had such a hard time enjoying or even watching the Simone/Sasha performance because they sped that song up way too fast. WHY? Like Gillian Rosh said, the speed of the song didn't even fit the dance, so I don't know why they sped it up at all. It was maddening to listen to. I just wanted to mute it and play the real version.

Usually the band doesn't bother me too much, but last night... OUCH. That Beach Boys song was so irritating, I did put it on mute, just so I could make it through the dance.

[nutty1]

14 hours ago, Harmonyy said:

What was so special about Pickler? A country bumkin?

I enjoyed watching Kellie dance every single week. I loved their freestyle. It's human nature in these kinds of show that personality is part of the process. Most voters are not voting on pure technical skill.

[sinycalone]

3 minutes ago, nutty1 said:

I enjoyed watching Kellie dance every single week. I loved their freestyle. It's human nature in these kinds of show that personality is part of the process. Most voters are not voting on pure technical skill.

Loved all of their dances.  Derek no doubt loved a celeb who not only was a great student....but was also drama-free.

[ChrisMcGraan]

17 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...

I think a lot of fans then -- and still now -- vote based on the freestyle. Especially if its a final were there are multiple celebs who are good dancers. I think Zendaya and Kelly were both good dancers, likable, and had popular pros so a lot of people that season went off the freestyle and Val blew Z's freestyle and Derek gave Kelly a great one. I personally think Zendaya was ten times the performer/dancer as Kelly but I don't think her win was unworthy (though the technical issue with voting that year still bothers me). Same goes for Mel B; Maks bombed on her freestyle and while Helio's won't go down in history it was fun and him and enjoyable to watch.

So yes, I do think it depends on who is participating, but I do still think the freestyle is the determining factor for a lot of fans.

[Tara Ariano]

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

Dancing With The Stars Fills Viewers With Glee

Heather Morris earns the season's first perfect score, as the show pits boy bands versus girl groups.

[iMonrey]

Quote

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?

Rodeo fans, country western fans, Sharna fans, women who think he's hot, and people who were moved by his accident and recovery.

Quote

I think that Simone has a really weird posture. Even though I know she's incredibly fit, I get a "toddler tummy vibe" from the way she stands. 

Shawn Johnson  and Lori Hernandez had that same body type. Something about the way gymnasts train and the way their bodies develop as a result of it. 

[Jax7917]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

I skimmed through the comments so don't know if someone has mentioned this, but I think that Simone has a really weird posture. Even though I know she's incredibly fit, I get a "toddler tummy vibe" from the way she stands. I imagine it comes from the "sticking the landing" posture, but she always looks kind of odd to me, especially in the practice sessions.

Simone is obviously a good dancer, but she's not as good as I thought she'd be.  I'm surprised that she is a gold medalist, as I don't see CRAZY flexibility. And I know she's young, but her act is grating. She has this baby voice and immaturity and when Erin asked her to giggle, she said "I don't know how" and she did it 1 second later, trying to be cute. I don't know, she just gets on my nerves lol.

[crowceilidh]

I was a big Zendaya fan (I'm a big Val fan, but have pretty much loathed most of his other partners) and really liked the freestyle, but Pickler really was an amazing dancer too and her freestyle was amazing.  Even though that voting snafu was all kinds o'b.s., it's not like Kellie wasn't great because she was.

I still maintain that Heather didn't get the votes she needed because Maks acted like a jerk to Alan and about the choreography.  Even the biggest Maks' fan could see he was being a jerk to Alan.  I don't think it would have mattered what Heather danced last week -- Maks used to be able to get away with being a bit jerky, but I think those days are done.  I put my tin foil hat on and wonder if he acted like a jerk on purpose so as to get voted off so he can go home to the baby.

[tessaforever]

On 4/25/2017 at 0:24 AM, HeyThere83 said:

Well that was a bummer.

I think this is the first time a Rumba had my full and complete attention. Actually, I couldn't look away. I thought that was fabulous and possibly one of the best dances on the show since I've been watching.

These might have been the worst group dances, however.

I agree completely! Thinking back to past group dances that were super creative and fun to watch - What Does the Fox Say?, This is Halloween...were amazing. Monday's dances were awful. Why was the boy/girl band theme equated with stripper dances? Painful to watch. Also I am so puzzled that they dropped having each couple dance for a moment by themselves during the group dance. 

On 4/25/2017 at 0:26 AM, Toonces464 said:

I think that's what's most surprising to me about tonight's elimination. It shows me that Maks is not the draw he used to be. Not so much that he went out so early with a professional dancer (because I think his lack of chemistry with Heather, as well as her lack of personality, were big factors in her elimination) but more that he went out the same week he returned. In the past, him being back would have been enough to keep them around for at least a few more weeks.

I think someone else mentioned this, but wasn't her elimination based on last week? I don't think her 40 score was added in to the results. I might be wrong, though, since the scoring/votes on this show have changed so often and make little sense. The funny thing about Maks is that he seems loathsome in the rehearsal packages (so vain), but then he comes out with these incredible dances. It's always a little surprising. I thought it was sweet when, after his elimination, Val kissed him on the cheek. I actually like Maks best when he's clowning with Val - it seems the most natural. 

Poor Simone. She's used to performing with an intense expression, now she is simply smiling through each dance. I guess that's an improvement over the grim intensity of a gymnast, but it looks unnatural. Also I am SO tired of hearing everyone try to coach young women on how to be "sexy". It never works out well. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by tessaforever

[NeverLate]

2 hours ago, nutty1 said:

I enjoyed watching Kellie dance every single week. I loved their freestyle. It's human nature in these kinds of show that personality is part of the process. Most voters are not voting on pure technical skill.

Beautiful dancer, pretty inside as well..

47 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

I was a big Zendaya fan (I'm a big Val fan, but have pretty much loathed most of his other partners) and really liked the freestyle, but Pickler really was an amazing dancer too and her freestyle was amazing.  Even though that voting snafu was all kinds o'b.s., it's not like Kellie wasn't great because she was.

I still maintain that Heather didn't get the votes she needed because Maks acted like a jerk to Alan and about the choreography.  Even the biggest Maks' fan could see he was being a jerk to Alan.  I don't think it would have mattered what Heather danced last week -- Maks used to be able to get away with being a bit jerky, but I think those days are done.  I put my tin foil hat on and wonder if he acted like a jerk on purpose so as to get voted off so he can go home to the baby.

He didnt have to come back, he would only come back for a ringer.and look what happened. I think Maks is very fond of Maks..

[NeverLate]

1 hour ago, ChrisMcGraan said:

I think a lot of fans then -- and still now -- vote based on the freestyle. Especially if its a final were there are multiple celebs who are good dancers. I think Zendaya and Kelly were both good dancers, likable, and had popular pros so a lot of people that season went off the freestyle and Val blew Z's freestyle and Derek gave Kelly a great one. I personally think Zendaya was ten times the performer/dancer as Kelly but I don't think her win was unworthy (though the technical issue with voting that year still bothers me). Same goes for Mel B; Maks bombed on her freestyle and while Helio's won't go down in history it was fun and him and enjoyable to watch.

So yes, I do think it depends on who is participating, but I do still think the freestyle is the determining factor for a lot of fans.

You are probably right I haven't seen a great Freestyle since Derek left..I really haven't. 

[vibeology]

42 minutes ago, Fanny Mare said:

You are probably right I haven't seen a great Freestyle since Derek left..I really haven't. 

Bindi was in season 21 which was only 9 freestyles ago, 12 if you count the ones from that season.

I actually think Lindsay has put together two strong freestyles for Calvin and especially Alek. Alek wasn't a great dancer but I do think Lindsay created an exciting and memorable number that played up his strengths and made him look good. I still remember the staging and the dancing. She seems to have a good eye for what will appeal to an audience.

We also have pros who haven't really had a chance to show us what they can do with a freestyle. Sasha has never gotten there. Artem hasn't gotten there in the US show and Strictly is so different that I can't judge him from that alone. Emma got there with Bill Engvall so I don't want to judge her on that alone either. She might be capable of more with a partner who is capable of more. There's a good chance at least one of them is making the finals, maybe even two of them so there's a chance we'll get some fresh blood in the freestyle and a chance to see if someone else can break out come up with something special.

[Toonces464]

1 hour ago, tessaforever said:

I think someone else mentioned this, but wasn't her elimination based on last week? I don't think her 40 score was added in to the results. I might be wrong, though, since the scoring/votes on this show have changed so often and make little sense. The funny thing about Maks is that he seems loathsome in the rehearsal packages (so vain), but then he comes out with these incredible dances. It's always a little surprising. I thought it was sweet when, after his elimination, Val kissed him on the cheek. I actually like Maks best when he's clowning with Val - it seems the most natural. 

Yes, her elimination was based on the previous week. But in the previous week, Maks also said he would be back and my point was that his return would have been enough in the past for people to keep him around awhile longer. 

2 hours ago, ChrisMcGraan said:

Same goes for Mel B; Maks bombed on her freestyle and while Helio's won't go down in history it was fun and him and enjoyable to watch.

I'm the first one to fault Maks, but if I'm not mistaken that was Mel B's fault. She was busy touring and didn't have time to rehearse so she just kind of winged her freestyle.

1 hour ago, crowceilidh said:

I still maintain that Heather didn't get the votes she needed because Maks acted like a jerk to Alan and about the choreography.  Even the biggest Maks' fan could see he was being a jerk to Alan.  I don't think it would have mattered what Heather danced last week -- Maks used to be able to get away with being a bit jerky, but I think those days are done.  I put my tin foil hat on and wonder if he acted like a jerk on purpose so as to get voted off so he can go home to the baby.

I've wondered the same thing. He doesn't have the die-hard, vote-for-Maks-at-all-costs fan base he used to have.

[Uke]

7 hours 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.

Well, she just didn't have the votes, not from a fanbase nor from the general audience.  

But there was an interview where she revealed she was writing a screenplay about a dance show and she wanted Julianne to star.  (http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/04/25/dwts-recap-star-gets-first-perfect-score-season-then-gets-eliminated.html)  So maybe this experience for her was just "research" and she's thanking her PR.  (After seeing this, I wondered about some of Julianne's comments, seemingly dismissing Heather's pro status since it "wasn't ballroom".   

Besides, why would she, a pro, want to compete with beginner dancers (presumably not knowing the rest of the cast when she signed on)?  That would be like David wanting to resume his baseball career by competing with 8yr Little Leaguers.   

Also, she was effectively eliminated before the perfect score, she just wasn't informed of it yet.

[NeverLate]

2 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

Yes, her elimination was based on the previous week. But in the previous week, Maks also said he would be back and my point was that his return would have been enough in the past for people to keep him around awhile longer. 

I'm the first one to fault Maks, but if I'm not mistaken that was Mel B's fault. She was busy touring and didn't have time to rehearse so she just kind of winged her freestyle.

I've wondered the same thing. He doesn't have the die-hard, vote-for-Maks-at-all-costs fan base he used to have.

Not even close, his uglier younger brother took some..?

2 hours ago, vibeology said:

Bindi was in season 21 which was only 9 freestyles ago, 12 if you count the ones from that season.

I actually think Lindsay has put together two strong freestyles for Calvin and especially Alek. Alek wasn't a great dancer but I do think Lindsay created an exciting and memorable number that played up his strengths and made him look good. I still remember the staging and the dancing. She seems to have a good eye for what will appeal to an audience.

We also have pros who haven't really had a chance to show us what they can do with a freestyle. Sasha has never gotten there. Artem hasn't gotten there in the US show and Strictly is so different that I can't judge him from that alone. Emma got there with Bill Engvall so I don't want to judge her on that alone either. She might be capable of more with a partner who is capable of more. There's a good chance at least one of them is making the finals, maybe even two of them so there's a chance we'll get some fresh blood in the freestyle and a chance to see if someone else can break out come up with something special.

I didnt think much of last seasons..I just got excited to see what Derek would bring, nobody does that, not for me...:(

[Sstt]

27 minutes ago, Uke said:

 

Besides, why would she, a pro, want to compete with beginner dancers (presumably not knowing the rest of the cast when she signed on)?  That would be like David wanting to resume his baseball career by competing with 8yr Little Leaguers.   

Also, she was effectively eliminated before the perfect score, she just wasn't informed of it yet.

This the problem with dancing with the stars , people want beginners ..it's dancing with the stars not beginners . Dudes it's enjoyable to watch them grow but personally I don't have the amusement of it ,I cringe at them trying to dance . I love people with natural ability but a completely new beginner is taking it too far .

And when was the last time this show actually got a star ..(they need to change their name )

[realdancemom]

My thoughts on each contestant:

Simone - Her dances are starting to blend together because she dances them the same.   The exception is her waltz because she did let herself go emotionally.  Otherwise, she has a plastered smile and then she still dances like a gymnast.  I pointed out why in my post for last week.   

Nick - Yikes!!  Who's singing this song!!  They ruined a classic Beach Boys song.  I kept thinking of that instead of watching him dance.  I know it wasn't as good as last week but the singing distracted me from noticing anything else.

Bonner - I was disappointed that he wasn't the one that was eliminated.  Sharna was doing everything.  He mostly stood around and I didn't see any hip action.

Rashad - They could have slowed down the tempo of the music just a little.  That way, he wouldn't have looked so rushed.  The choreography wasn't frantic like Allison's choreography.  I think it was Rashad trying to keep up with the music.  Also, he was the only one that I was watching during the men's team stripper portion.  He moved really well in that section.  The rest were embarrassing.

David - Lindsay shouldn't have added the overhead press.  That's a difficult lift since she really can't help him.  There were other lifts in that dance.  All it did was make people notice that there was a struggle to press her up and then she didn't land right either.

Nancy - I knew that Len wouldn't like the cage section.  Since she really wasn't dancing that much, it could have been shortened a little.  That way, it could set the mood without taking up too much time.  Nancy wasn't in sync with the other dancers at the beginning but did sync up later.  I like that she had a fierce attitude.  I didn't like all the lasers because it was difficult to see with my old eyes.  I think the ending jump wasn't quite right but hard to tell with the lasers.  Overall, it was a good paso.

Normani - I knew that Len wouldn't like the hip-hop section.  It was done during the section of the music that sounded more like hip-hop than salsa.  There was salsa content in the dance though.  With some ballroom competitions, you can mix other styles to a dance as long as you do 50% of the assigned style.  Of course, you can't do this if you're doing a syllabus round and it does depend on who is running the competition.   Now, whether Normani and Val did 50% salsa is debatable but I don't think most of the TV audience cares.  As usual, I think Normani is an engaging perfomer but she does have some balance issues.  It mostly happens when she kicks probably because of momentum.  I can see why kicks were added to her Mulan dance but they weren't necessary for this dance.  So Val could have taken them out.  She needs to hold her core more especially with heels.  As somebody else mentioned, she also should keep her upper body straight when doing them.

Heather - I'm glad she went out with a 40 although I thought CAI was going to dock a point for a lift.  I really couldn't tell if there was one but I know that she sometimes takes a point off even if your foot is just barely off the floor.  Loved their rumba.  Heather had great hip action and lines which showed with her leg extension and split.  She and Maks also had good dance chemistry.  I wanted to see more dances from Maks and her.  I knew that she wasn't going to win.  She should have outlasted at least Nick and Bonner.   I knew that she wasn't going to outlast David or Rashad.

I agree with CAI that I was a little disappointed with the women's dance because I had high expectations.  Didn't have expectations for the guys.

Also, while I like the troupe dances, shouldn't they also follow ballroom rules?  I noticed this week, there were lifts in the rumba.  Last week or two weeks, there were also lifts in a waltz.  That could be confusing to viewers that are trying to understand CAI's lift rules.

Edited April 27, 2017 by realdancemom

[Venee]

11 hours ago, Jaclyn88 said:

Simone is obviously a good dancer, but she's not as good as I thought she'd be.  I'm surprised that she is a gold medalist, as I don't see CRAZY flexibility. And I know she's young, but her act is grating. She has this baby voice and immaturity and when Erin asked her to giggle, she said "I don't know how" and she did it 1 second later, trying to be cute. I don't know, she just gets on my nerves lol.

I take it you didn't watch the Olympics. Shes a 3peat world all around champion and Olympic champion. She will go down in history as one of, if not the best  female gymnasts in the sport. She is muscular, but plenty flexible See here   

[luvthepros]

On 4/26/2017 at 9:26 AM, 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.

It is fairly common knowledge the judges score on a "curve". CAI so much as said those exact words in an interview she gave a few seasons ago. It is nothing new for the better dancers to receive the same scores than the weaker dancers. It's just the way the show works.

Having said that, the fans have to do their part to make sure the better dancers advance in the competition and the weaker dancers are eliminated before the better dancers. Having Heather (and Sabrina Bryan in her season) go out so early in the competition makes the viewers look sort of inept with no knowledge of dance at all. The show is not called "Personality With the Stars". Is it?

On 4/25/2017 at 4:08 PM, Fanny Mare said:

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.

In what universe is Bonner very good......ever?

[katha]

On 26.4.2017 at 7:39 PM, Jaclyn88 said:

Simone is obviously a good dancer, but she's not as good as I thought she'd be.  I'm surprised that she is a gold medalist, as I don't see CRAZY flexibility. And I know she's young, but her act is grating. She has this baby voice and immaturity and when Erin asked her to giggle, she said "I don't know how" and she did it 1 second later, trying to be cute. I don't know, she just gets on my nerves lol.

She's a power gymnast. So basically a lot of what makes her stand out in the gymnast world and earned her those gold medals works against her in dancing. It's power all the time, stiffness, fierce concentration, focus on elements and tricks and technique. Laurie is a bit more fluid and more focused on performance in her gymnastics routines, so perhaps the transition for her was easier? Also, he came in for a bit of criticism, but I thought it was pretty obvious that Val went out of his way to break her out of some of her mannerism and get her focused on the dancing itself (which as a strategy is different from what he's doing with Normani, I think that's really interesting. Though I guess it makes sense, you tailor your approach to the celeb you're working with...). Sasha perhaps isn't as used to working with ringers yet and he himself also has a tumbling background, so the temptation might be greater to indulge in that a bit.

As for all that giggling? Nastia was an exception since she came to the show way after her active career, but all the gymnasts on this show have seemed really sheltered. Their life mostly consists of training for competitions and home schooling, so of course they come across as naive.

[boyznkatz]

Nastia wasn't ever the giggly, bubbly type, even when she competed. A lot of gymnastic fans didn't like her because they thought she made fun of poor little Shawn Johnson. Nastia was a competitor; it's not like she had anything personal against Shawn. They were actually friends and respected each other. I think that's why she didn't get far on the show, because she didn't have that America's Sweetheart personality.

I think Nancy is suffering from the same "lack of bubbly" syndrome as Nastia.

Edited April 28, 2017 by boyznkatz

[luvthepros]

On 4/28/2017 at 8:58 AM, boyznkatz said:

I think Nancy is suffering from the same "lack of bubbly" syndrome as Nastia.

I wouldn't expect a 47 y/o woman to be bubbly, but that's just me.