Dancing With the Stars--Get Me Rewrite!

[ChaChaMama]

Previous Dancing With the Stars Discussions
Preshow and Week 1 Discussion (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9152)
Week 1 Poll (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9845)
Week 2 Discussion (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9909)
Week 2 Poll (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9927)
Week 3 (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10023)
Week 4 (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10123)
Week 5 (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10219)
Finale (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10312)

Soundtrack (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9893t=10122)
Judges & Contestants (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9928)
In the News (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10054)
Music (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10036)
Sold Out (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9883)
Free Tickets (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=9233)




I am really, really looking forward to the new ABC show "Dancing with the Stars," but I have to take issue with this description from the ABC homepage:

"Six celebrities and their professional partners embark on an intense competition -- live -- in front of a studio audience and the nation.

In this first round of competition, each couple will demonstrate how well their training and rehearsing has paid off, by performing a choreographed cha cha cha routine or a waltz. This Latin style of dance (cha cha cha) allows the female professional dancers, Edyta, Charlotte and Ashly, to lead their celebrity dance partners, Evander, John and Joey. In the ballroom style (waltz), the male professional dancers, Louis, Jonathan and Alec, lead their partners, Trista, Rachel and Kelly.

Watch their moves and then vote for your favorites!"

Women get to lead in cha-cha? :shock:

I still think the show is going to be LOTS of fun. 12 more days!

:) ChaChaMama

[Porfirio Landeros]

Also, in a way, I think Evander can be counted as a sand-bagger... ;)

I was watching one of my GTV Ballroom tapes from 1998, and I believe it was the Yankee Classic, where one of the hosts points out that the competing couple had just taught Evander to dance on some TV morning show.

But seriously, maybe it's no coincidence that Evander was picked to be on this show, because he was already receptive to ballroom dancing and/or he had made some contacts in the dancesport world :?:

[Porfirio Landeros]

Women get to lead in cha-cha? :shock:

Okay, please re-write to "back-lead".... heehee

[Laura]

The funny thing about this whole thread is that I heard through the grapevine that Charlotte's student has figured out that things work a lot better when he actually does lead, and is quite happily intrigued by the whole thing.

[Dancebug]

When is the first show in ET?

(We rarely watch TV, so we did not have a chance to watch their ad.)

[cl5814]

I think, Wednesday, 1 June, 9pm ET, i.e. if i am not mistaken.

[flyingwolf]

I am really, really looking forward to the new ABC show "Dancing with the Stars," but I have to take issue with this description from the ABC homepage:
In this first round of competition, each couple will demonstrate how well their training and rehearsing has paid off, by performing a choreographed cha cha cha routine or a waltz. This Latin style of dance (cha cha cha) allows the female professional dancers, Edyta, Charlotte and Ashly, to lead their celebrity dance partners, Evander, John and Joey. In the ballroom style (waltz), the male professional dancers, Louis, Jonathan and Alec, lead their partners, Trista, Rachel and Kelly.

:) ChaChaMama
Looks like exactly the arrangement in BBC's version: chacha/waltz first week

[pygmalion]

I wonder how close the parallels will be. Pretty close, I'm guessing. What happens week two? :roll: 8)

[Laura]

In week 1, the male celebrities are doing cha cha and the female celebrities are doing waltz. In week 2, they swap. Or at least that's what I've read on other boards and have been told via the dance gossip grapevine.

[Purr]

Women get to lead in cha-cha? :shock:



Since when do women get to lead anything? :shock:

[standardgirl]

and this is on ABC? or ABC Family?

[pygmalion]

Hmm. Good question. I sense a :google: coming on. 8)

[Porfirio Landeros]

I was just reading Evander's profile on the ABC website:

Evander is a keen dancer and even owns his dance studio.

Wow, so I guess him agreeing to be on this show really isn't that far-fetched.

[mamboqueen]

Well, that gives him a little bit of an unfair advantage, I think. I wonder if they're going to disclose that little factoid ahead of time.

[Purr]

That does seem like an unfair advantage. I'll have to be sure and tune in to see how he does.

[pygmalion]

What kind of dance? Just curious. I guess I'll have to watch the show, and see if they mention it in his bio. 8)

[peachexploration]

So who's watching? I've missed half of the show. :roll:

[standardgirl]

watching....it's commercial right now, so I decided to post.....
will post and vote later!

You can vote at www.dancingwiththestars.abc.com

[DanceMentor]

I loved "how's your back. Now let's see what the judges thingk and see if the pain gets any lower." :lol:

[peachexploration]

:lol: :lol:

I wished I had seen all of the routines in this show. Hopefully, I'll catch it next week in time.

[TemptressToo]

Voted for the soap opera chick with the waltz. I enjoyed that one. Waltz to me is more of a serious dance...you want romance? Dance rumba.

[standardgirl]

Voted for John & Charlotte. :D
I think Rachel & Jonathan did well, too, but you can tell that Rachel was really nervous. It almost looks like her legs were shaking or something like that. The other girls look nervous, too. You would think celebraties are used to being in front of the camara no matter what?

I feel like Joey and Evander were just there to be there, like I don't feel like they were dancing at all. It was almost all about Ashly and Edyta showing off themselves with the guys almost being there like a prop......anyone feels the same way?

[TemptressToo]

Yes, but consider what it takes for a guy to learn to lead. I think they had a much harder task then the women.

[standardgirl]

Just saw Jonathan Roberts' name on the 2005 blackpool pro open latin, so I guess, they registered to compete, but couldn't go because of the show.....hum......I wonder why he would chose the show over blackpool......

[pygmalion]

I was surprised and pleased at the judges' feedback. It was charitable, but honest. The judges seemed to be concerned about the development of these people as dancers, regardless of their star status. Pretty cool, IMO. 8)

And yes. It's nice to see ballroom dance on TV. :D


It'll be interesting to see how the viewer votes tally against the judges' scores. :roll: I bet the pros' spins and turns and other flash will play into the general audience opinion a bit. The judges seemed to be judging the ams. I wonder whom the public will judge and how. :roll: Hmm...

[standardgirl]

It'll be interesting to see how the viewer votes tally against the judges' scores. :roll: I bet the pros' spins and turns and other flash will play into the general audience opinion a bit. The judges seemed to be judging the ams. I wonder whom the public will judge and how. :roll: Hmm...

It's funny though.....the spins and the turns and other flash from the pro actually almost made me want to vote against the couple (becauese it just doesnt look right, I guess it looks really unbalanced).....LOL, but I am a dancer, and I have no clue what the general non-dancing audience think.

[dancersdreamland]

Gotta add my thoughts...

Initial Impression
First, I was excited to see the show, but a bit disappointed with the hosts/announcers. They were too "canned" and kinda hokey. :? If they didn't talk and it was just about the dancing, I probably would have enjoyed the show more.

Thoughts on Performances
Ashly and Joey (score of 20) - As a long time NKOTB fan I thought this would be my favorite couple simply by association. I really enjoyed Ashly's dancing and facial expressions. She definately has fun dancing...in fact I as so enjoying her movements I missed most of Joey. I guess that not's really fair when I vote, then.

Rachel and Jonathan (score of 20) - I absolutely loved with waltz performance. Beautiful blue dress, graceful movements, sleek...

Evander and Adyta (score of 18) - I didn't really think Evander danced all that much so I wasn't real impressed with the performance. I was actually surprised the judges gave such a high score. :shock:

Kelly and Alec (score of 13) - This was my absolute favorite couple! I loved Kelly's costume, their dancing, everything! I was apallad that the judges disliked their performance so much. :cry:

John and Charlotte (score of 20) - John was my favorite male dancer thus far. They had gorgeous dancing!

Trista and Louis (score of 18) - They sure looked like they were having fun!

A Mistake in Announcing
Did anyone else catch the announcement by the male host just before they announced the scores for Trista and Louis. He said their were three couples tied for first with scores of 20, two tied second with scores of 18, and the other couple with a score of 13... He totally gave away Trista and Louis score before the judges showed their signs!

Voting Issues
I tried to vote right away and kept receiving a busy signal. Then I finally got through, but it was just a long static noise. Then I receive a number not working message. Now I'm back to busy signal. I want to vote but technology does not seem to be in my favor... :x

Soundtrack
The songs the couples danced to where great. Any bets on whether or not they'll release a soundtrack to the show?

[mamboqueen]

I dunno...was it really necessary to tell the girl she wasn't enjoyable to watch? A little harsh, IMO. What the heck does these judges expect after 5 weeks.

I actually thought Joey was decent enough; Evander was, well, all I could do was laugh. Poor guy.

Anyone know the dances for next week?

[dancersdreamland]

Fixed my technical difficulty problems...

After attempting to call a few more times and either receiving busy signals or a number not working message (odd since I was dialing the same number as shown on my cell phone screen or simply hitting redial) I finally gave up on calling. :x

I am now a registered user at ABC.com where I can submit votes electronically. Bummer my junk email just increased, but at least it will save me the hassel of trying to call! :? :roll:

[Laura]

I haven't watched yet since it's on tape delay to the west coast, but I do have a couple of comments...

About Jonathan not doing Blackpool -- the pros and the stars are getting paid to be on this show, so perhaps the combination of up to six weeks of prime-time network TV exposure plus a paycheck were enough to keep him here. Also, originally his wife Anya Trebunskaya was also supposed to dance, but her "star" backed out due to scheduling conflicts. Entries for Blackpool were due to be submitted long before the casting choices for the pros for "Dancing with the Stars" was made, so that would explain why they went ahead and entered Blackpool anyway.

About Charlotte, her star, and leading -- the dance gossip grapevine tells me that a couple of weeks ago Charlotte's student made a remark like "wow, things actually work better if I really lead!" Sounds like he's a guy who could really "get" what this form of dancing is all about...I can see him getting a lot of out of this and looking better to us dancers than some of the other male stars might.

Well, I have to wait an hour and seven minutes...then I finally get to see it!!

[flyingwolf]

Fixed my technical difficulty problems...

After attempting to call a few more times and either receiving busy signals or a number not working message (odd since I was dialing the same number as shown on my cell phone screen or simply hitting redial) I finally gave up on calling. :x

I am now a registered user at ABC.com where I can submit votes electronically. Bummer my junk email just increased, but at least it will save me the hassel of trying to call! :? :roll:

You just need to try non-stop dialing...I got through twice, voted for trista and louis and John & Charlotte -- I don't like trista but I want to see louis dancing rumba next week...

[randomMysh]

I liked John and Charlotte. They obviously kept the focus on the fundamentals of dance, she kept the focus on her am, where it belongs, and they looked so calm and collected, it was wonderful. I think he did a great job getting over the initial beginner guy hurdle of learning to dance and to lead at the same time.

And...I prefer Louis dancing, not talking. Am I the only one who didn't want to hear him say "I love being worshipped"? :?

Disclaimer: I don't remember the exact quote. But it was definitely something along those lines.

[flyingwolf]

I liked John and Charlotte. They obviously kept the focus on the fundamentals of dance, she kept the focus on her am, where it belongs, and they looked so calm and collected, it was wonderful. I think he did a great job getting over the initial beginner guy hurdle of learning to dance and to lead at the same time.

And...I prefer Louis dancing, not talking. Am I the only one who didn't want to hear him say "I love being worshipped"? :?

Disclaimer: I don't remember the exact quote. But it was definitely something along those lines.
you got the 'worship' part right... I was laughing, and someone next too me said:' what's with his hair? looks like a p-e-n-i-s...' :lol: :lol:

[ChaChaMama]

I really enjoyed the show!

I thought Joey and Ashley had probably the best routine--a good combo of basics and flashier things. (Though I agreed with the judge who said Joey's posture could use some work.)

I also liked Rachel Hunter and Jonathan Roberts (though I agree there was too much glitz and not enough waltz in their routine) and Trista Sutter and Louis van Amstel (though I would have liked to see more stretch in her arms...and I did think the walking off at the end was weird).

It was neat to see an audience getting so involved in cheering and booing the judges' scores! Yay for any public enthusiasm for latin and ballroom!

The weakest aspect of the show is the MC. I agree with the comment above about the hokeyness of his comments. He also didn't seem very knowledgeable about dance. I'm not saying they have to get John Kimmins, but let's face it, "Jeopardy" would not be as cool if Alex Trebek seemed like he thought all the questions were impossible stumpers.

I think it is so cool that there is a prime time show on a network featuring ballroom dance competition!!!

:) ChaChaMama

[flyingwolf]

I really enjoyed the show!

I thought Joey and Ashley had probably the best routine--a good combo of basics and flashier things. (Though I agreed with the judge who said Joey's posture could use some work.)

I also liked Rachel Hunter and Jonathan Roberts (though I agree there was too much glitz and not enough waltz in their routine) and Trista Sutter and Louis van Amstel (though I would have liked to see more stretch in her arms...and I did think the walking off at the end was weird).

:) ChaChaMama
I think the reason they walked off is Trista forgot the rest of her routine... She just kept tripping and didn't seem to know what she was doing

[kwa445]

Gotta add my thoughts...

Kelly and Alec (score of 13) - This was my absolute favorite couple! I loved Kelly's costume, their dancing, everything! I was apallad that the judges disliked their performance so much. :cry:



I have to say, I really did not enjoy watching Kelly and Alec. Kelly just looked so uptight and stiff. It was almost painful. Her dress was beautiful, though. I agree with whoever said it looked like Evander wasn't doing much. It looked to me like he just stood there the whole time and when he did move it didn't look so great...my sister and I were laughing throughout his performance. Apparently boxers aren't dancers...

[Larinda McRaven]

That is the beauty of dancing pro-am with a new guy... just get him to keep doing single time steps while the teacher does the syncopations... I knew exactly what was going on with Evander. Charlotte also followed the same rule with Jon, his part of the dance was much more simple that hers.

Knowing how to teach and dance pro-am with guys... I have to say I was incredibly impressed with Joey. His shoulders may have gotten high, but he was far better at handeling choreography and keeping up with Ashley.

[Egoist]

I think Joey was the only male that was actually dancing chacha. Evander was just holding Edyta up and John was somewhere in between.

I was dissapointed with the waltz dancers mostly because it didn't look like waltz (American nor International) most of the time (it looked more like latin done to waltz music!).

Of the pros, kudos to Charlotte for doing the best crossover. Louis gets my last vote also because of this. Ashley gets also kudos for looking more like someone having fun and not someone faking fun like Edyta.

The last couple deserved the scores. They were pretty aweful compared to all the rest.

[flyingwolf]

I think Joey was the only male that was actually dancing chacha. Evander was just holding Edyta up and John was somewhere in between.

I was dissapointed with the waltz dancers mostly because it didn't look like waltz (American nor International) most of the time (it looked more like latin done to waltz music!).

Of the pros, kudos to Charlotte for doing the best crossover. Louis gets my last vote also because of this. Ashley gets also kudos for looking more like someone having fun and not someone faking fun like Edyta.

The last couple deserved the scores. They were pretty aweful compared to all the rest.

I think John did the best job out of the 3 chacha guys. He actually got better posture ( Joey's body was leaning backward most of the time). If he were as young he wouldn't have been much better

[flyingwolf]

I think Joey was the only male that was actually dancing chacha. Evander was just holding Edyta up and John was somewhere in between.

I was dissapointed with the waltz dancers mostly because it didn't look like waltz (American nor International) most of the time (it looked more like latin done to waltz music!).
.
The choreography of the waltz is actually pretty similar to the BBC version's, they try to do a lot of open figures which possibly can make it fancier to look at

[DancingMommy]

Well, that gives him a little bit of an unfair advantage, I think. I wonder if they're going to disclose that little factoid ahead of time.

Are you kidding? He suffers from a dire case of "Soul Man Syndrome"... Too much soul and not enough *control*. ;-) But it is, of course, preferable to suffer from SMS than from "Compulsive White Boy Syndrome" aka CWBS (as seen on Beauty & The Geek tonight).

Next week I predict Charlotte & Louis will shine (as opposed to *this* week).

[ilykor]

Alec and Edyta were there for Dancing with the Stars as well as Blackpool. Are they just a far more adept couple at traveling than Jonathon Roberts and partner or is there another clue in the JR-Blackpool mystery? :wink:

About dancers speaking, which we now know should be kept to a minimum, at least Alec was honest. His quotable quote was something along the lines of "I'm hot and I know it"

Can't wait til next week, when the latin boys do their thing!

[bluetango]

Here is a mystery to solve.....

The "Dancing with the Stars" show tonight was said to be live (as the graphic in the corner of the screen so demonstratively showed), however, Alec and Edyta are listed as having placed in the semifinals of Jive in Blackpool tonight. Interestingly, they are not listed as even having danced in any of the other dances.

Could they have danced only one dance and then flow back to the USA for the taping of the show in California (note the time difference beteen the two countries)? Could there simply be an error in the results website? Or is the show not really live as they say it is?

[new-ish]

I voted for Joey and Ashly because I thought they were more connected than the other couples. I thought that she was more open in her enjoyment of the dance than any of the others.

I think the most important thing however, is to vote and show the network folks that we like this! :) :) :)

[DancingMommy]

So here's my *official* take on things...

Judges - The typical Pretty Girl, Brit & Other Guy... BUT the main difference here is that the Pretty Girl laid the smackdown on some of them. Heh. You go girl.

Professional Dancers - OK so the only two who were dancing their "specialty" tonight were Ashly & Edyta. And how.

Ashly - I haven't seen Ashly DelG since she and her clan were on Championship Ballroom Dancing almost a decade ago. D@mn can she dance or WHAT?! I also thought it was neat how *she* was more in awe of her student than he was of her. ;-) Those Pro/Am crushes can go both ways, now can't they?

Edyta - to quote Simon Cowell - so what. To quote Stitch - eh. I'm sure it was probably the student she was dancing with that really made it an unimpressive performance for me.

John R - Nice but I, too, would have liked to have seen a little more *waltz* in the routine. Hello?! Can I have some waltz with my schmaltz?

Alec - Edited because this is SO totally not the same dude I was thinking of. There was some kind of glitch in the CG.

Charlotte - OK, So Latin isn't your thing. But you did ok. It had an ease about it that didn't hurt my eyes. Unlike the next victim...

Louis - The biggest ego in the dance industry (or so it seemed) and the lousiest Smooth dancer *ever*. Ummm helloooooo..... It AIN'T Rumba my friend. Save your slink for Latin Night. And the ridculous satin-cover phallic symbol for a hairdo. Ick.

Next, the amateurs.........

Joey, The NewKid - Not bad for a mere 140 hours of training. Not bad atall. Of course, having one of the Fabulous Dancing DelGrossos for a partner doesn't hurt. *)

Rachel, The SuperModel - Not bad considering she had been throwing up for the previous 24 hours due to food poisoning. I think had she not been ill, she'd have done better.

Whats-her-bucket from the soap opera - Puh-leeze. But then considering who she had to partner with.... I guess it was the best they could do. They deserved the 13.

Evander - Stick to boxing my friend. Or hip hop. Or selling cars... Not gon' do it. Wouldn't be prudent... at this juncture... Maybe next week? Or not....

The other guy - can't remember his name - from Seinfeld - Not bad. Nod bad at ALL. I really liked him. He seemed to enjoy himself, know his limitations and WORK with them. I can't wait to see him in tails. :) next week I predict he and Charlotte will be in the top 2.

Trista I-found-love-on-national-television - eh. I think that all of Louis' posturing and ridiculous over exaggeration of movement and "style" really threw them for a loop. I'd like to see how they do *next* week. Maybe they will get better. I know Louis will be in his element. And maybe... Just maybe... *I* might get down on my knees and worship....
.
.
.
.
.
I've got too many other shrines to worry about. Besides, I don't think my St Patrick, St Francis, St Therese & St Cecilia statues would really want to share a shelf with someone who *thinks* they are God's gift...

[Vince A]

Um, remind me not to open the DF until after I see the show . . . it's just starting here (9:00 PM Pacific Time), and I already know what happened!

[africana]

watching right now...seems like there's a specific reason why the pro dancers are split for the dances like they are

-maybe the pro female dancers are doing the chacha with the male stars because this dance is easier to lead? There's more "shining" which the pro females can more than handle, but the guys only need basic footwork/frame

-And maybe the pro male dancers are doing the waltz with the female ams because a strong lead is required for the structured but still romantic feel?

what do you ballroomers think? (I'm a lay audience, so to speak)

[Rugby]

I agree and disagree with the above comments.

Trista and Louis - he wasn't dancing with her, rather she was more a
prop to he and his ego. I too thought he looked like
a latin dancer doing a poor standard imitation.
Edyta and Evander - give her a break what can she do with him? I
thought she was a far better dancer than the other
two women. She used her footwork and body in a
far more accomplished way. I applaud his effort
though as he knew he would be really out of his
realm. It took a lot for him to give it a go.
Ahley and Joey - I don't know her but I can tell she probably has not
competed for some time as she has long since lost her
sharpness. She would get a bit bent over now and then
and the Michael Jackson step from his Thriller video
was stupid and totally out of place.
Charolette and Johnathan - I liked these guys the best as he really sold
the attitude of the dance and his posture was good.
She let him do his thing and though he didn't do a
great deal ,he kept a strong masculine intense look.
Rachel and Johnathan - what happened? I was waiting for the waltz to
start. I have to say she did look fairly graceful,
much better than the other two women.
Kelly and Alec - that poor guy had a hard time as she was like
dancing with a bag of rocks. If that was her look
of passion she won't be on any soap operas in
the near future. Her balance was so bad she
was almost knocking him off his feet.

I liked the comments from the judges, harsh but educational for both the
dancers and audience alike. They gave a lot of good pointers to people
who compete. I'm sure some of the comments hit home to some that were watching.

[africana]

also I recall Trista saying in her first bachelor season that she was a Miami Heat dancer (pro cheerleader) >>> unfair advantage ???

[Big10]

I'm not much of a reality-show person, but I made an exception for this show -- and I'll probably be keeping up with it all season! :D

Also, I'm not much of a fan of most professional ballroom -- but I actually enjoyed all of the performances (even Evander Holyfield's series-of-poses-instead-of-real-dancing :lol: ). I think that having "normal" people in the mix forced the professionals to tone down some of the most extreme ballroom movements....and I liked it. Any other non-ballroom people reading this thread who thought the same thing?

As for specific couples, I thought Rachel Hunter got a gift from the judges, since her routine was too simple in my opinion. Evander Holyfield clearly should have been last. The Seinfeld guy clearly should have been first -- he was the only male celebrity who maintained the cha-cha footwork most of the time and ALSO did a nice job of leading. The soap opera woman got robbed :evil: -- I thought she did very well and deserved more than 13 pts. from the judges. Joey did okay. Trista did okay.

And what's up with all the boasting from the professionals? :roll: Is that common in the ballroom world?

[marykomatsu]

I figure the pro dancers must have been coached to brag like that - it was pretty forced.

[Laura]

I thought the whole show was, overall, kind of cute and fluffy. I voted for John & Charlotte, although I also liked Joey & Ashly a lot too.

Pre-show, I was really pulling for Evander. I just wanted him to do well because -- well look, if they can get the 4-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion to ballroom dance, then *awesome*. Unfortunately it wasn't so awesome, and I won't be suprised if he goes home next week, but I was glad to see him there and being all gung-ho about it. And Edyta was super sweet with him.

[DancingMommy]

Now, the million dollar question is *who* from DF was able to be there for the live part - in the studio????

Enquiring minds and all that....

[discovery]

Wow, great to see ballroom dancing on TV.

My impressions:

First I did like the fact that the judges stuck to the middle of the 1-10 scoring range. How many times have you seen a show where the judges only give out 9's or 10's. The first couple will get a 29 out of 30 or something and there's no room to score a later couple as being really outstanding. This was really *******ing. Also I'm mostly glad that they made critical comments to the couples.

Joey and Ashly: this was a good routine but for some reason I am not that interested in seeing them in the future.

I agreed with the judge who commented that he would have like to see more waltz in Rachel & Jonathan's routine. But given the circumstances I think they made a wise decision to give a little more flash and trash and a little less basic movement. (Which also makes me wonder what it would be like to see all the competitors dancing a restricted syllabus rathen than open routines)

Kudos to Louis Van Amstel for being worhship worthy. He fully deserves (and then some) the worship he receives. I mean, have you seen this man dance in person (especially with Karina Smirnoff)?!?!?? However, no kudos for him saying so. Also, it was fun to see that he is a pretty mediocre waltz dancer (same thing for Alec Mazo). I wonder what Louis was thinking as he was being criticized by these judges all of whom he probably has a better understanding of dance and movement (although admittedly maybe not in waltz; also I suppose many competitors experience this).

Evander did not move his feet at all which definitely made for a subpar performance. And he felt the music but not in a way consistent with what we would consider good ballroom dancing. But still it was nice to see someone, at least apparently, so into it. Of course, with all that extra stuff going on it's harder for the teacher to shape him into what she wants to happen.

I was really shocked by the harsh judgement that Alec Mazo and Kelly Monaco received. Maybe it wasn't the best performance but it was in the same class as the others. Also I felt it wasn't necessary to say that "I didn't enjoy watching you at all". IMHO, it really wasn't that bad.

John & Charlotte looked great and in a way it was my favorite routine because it was just very solid, clean, simple, and, above all, well presented.

I voted for Trista & Louis mostly because I want to see Louis in the coming episodes and I also voted for Kelly and Alec because I felt they got a raw deal.

[smoozer]

My kid was rolling on the floor at louis comment. Said he was a living legend in his own mind.

[pygmalion]

Yeah. That comment was a bit over the top, I thought.

[Nammerz]

I kept on waiting for Evander to headbutt his partner like he seemed to do to most of his opponents in the ring :P

[Porfirio Landeros]

Now, the million dollar question is *who* from DF was able to be there for the live part - in the studio????

Enquiring minds and all that....

I was there LIVE! Wow, was that a long day...

Well, I had made judgements before I got to see it on TV. I have to say, that the strongest partnership in person was Charlotte and John O'Hurley. The routine was well matched with his ability, and they had really good chemistry. Next was John Roberts and Rachel... they really looked like a good Pro-Am couple. I have to say that my pick for the worst was Alec and Kelly - shakey standard top line, some unfinished armlines in modified holds and sticky feet really didn't have a place in smooth... He's a great and exciting Latin dancer, but there were a few times I had to cringe during that smooth performance.

We saw it on TV later for the PST taping, and a lot of the dancing actually looked better. The sweeping camera panning and cuts that took out some of the focus from the feet did some favors for some of the couples, but I think I (as well as the other ballroom observers I was with) stand by the picks I previously mentioned.

I could NOT believe the judge took a shot at Louis, especially since the judges were not supposed to comment negatively on the pro's, and when someone finally did, they waited till Louis????

Anyway, we'll see what happens next week when the votes are in...

[Porfirio Landeros]

I bought tickets for the next episode and now I will be cancelling them after watching the program. I wonder how many of you out there thought the judging was fair. Evander Holifield was not doing any chacha dancing. I thought the best couple was Lois Van Amstel's waltz. Anyone got any comments? :roll: :roll:

What do you expect with only 5 weeks of training? A lot of the focus should be on the partnering done by the professionals, if you really want to judge this on a ballroom scale, otherwise, you have to just go with the couple that looks the most comfortable and captures the most authentic character of the attempted dance routine.

[discovery]

In case anyone's wondering, here's the judges names and links to some info about them:

There are bios about all of them at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancing/bios/judges.html

Len Goodman
http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing/about/goodman.shtml

Carrie Ann Inaba
http://www.carrieanninaba.com/
http://carrieanninaba.tv/

Bruno Tonioli
http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing/about/tonioli.shtml

[Shannon]

I watched the show and some of it made me cringe but some of it wasn't too bad. I enjoyed John and Charlotte the most, especially considering I have never seen her dance latin, I thought she looked great. Of course, the fact that the routine matched skill and he tried to lead certainly helped. I thought they had good chemistry and danced as a couple rather than the Pro showing off.

I agree about Evander. Soul man!

Did anyone else feel the TV soap star chick was hanging on for dear life in the pivots? Her arms were practically wrapped about the Pro's neck.

I guess all in all it wasn't too bad, could have been worse. I'll be curious to see what all the non-dancers at my work have to say about it today. A bunch of them have been coming up to me over the past two weeks talking about the show.

[standardgirl]

I was dissapointed with the waltz dancers mostly because it didn't look like waltz (American nor International) most of the time (it looked more like latin done to waltz music!).

I have the same feeling especially when Trista Sutter and Louis van Amstel danced the waltz. It looked way too latin IMO.

[mamboqueen]

Funniest comment of the night:

"I'm the oldest man here and I'm wearing the most spandex." (John) Loved it! You really have to love those who are willing to poke a little fun at themselves. (Although all I could think of was his J Peterman character when he was dancing). Rachel Hunter is way too uptight (she'd make a good dancer! hah!).

The dorky host is the guy who now MC's "America's Funniest Videos" and my husband thought maybe he borrowed some of his material from that show - blech....

I'm going to ask a few of my friends who watch the show what they thought because I think the average non-dancer would probably think the stars did better than we all think they did and might think the judging was a bit rough. They need to attract more than just pre-existing ballroom/dance people to this show if they want it back on again.

And I'm *really* hoping they're not trying to mimic the judging style of American Idol.

[standardgirl]

I just finished reading all the postings! Woohoo~
I feel the same way and agree with the comments in the most part.

But, I just really want to say it again that I really enjoyed watching John and Charlotte's Cha Cha, especially since Charlotte is not dancing to her speciality. I have never seen her dancing latin in person or on tv until last night, but she looked great. And more importantly, the partnership looks great. She must have been a GREAT teacher! Can't wait to see them dancing standard/smooth next week!
<still remember the last time I saw her waltzing in the studio.....it was amazing!> :D

[mamboqueen]

One thing I meant to comment on was the music selections. They gave these stars some pretty challenging songs, in my opinion, to dance to. It's hard enough to be a beginner without having any real discernable beat to cha cha to.

[saludas]

Just saw Jonathan Roberts' name on the 2005 blackpool pro open latin, so I guess, they registered to compete, but couldn't go because of the show.....hum......I wonder why he would chose the show over blackpool......


$$s

[Purr]

Here's my two cents worth on last night's show...

Joey, The New Kid On The Block - What a great start! The routine looked fun and flirtatous, and Joey and partner looked like they were having a good time. The body ripple was kind of cool. I liked their song choice (Crazy In Love by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z). Joey's posture needs a little work.

Rachel, The Super Model - What a pleasant surprize! She had good posture and good arm extension, and overall looked elegant. Her spins need some work, her feet weren't tight enough together. I liked her blue dress.

Evander, The Professional Boxer - He didn't didn't do enough dancing, he mostly posed. What dancing he did was too clunky, and too hip hop or ghetto. He just didn't do it for me. I thought the routine was an excuse to showcase his pro partner.

Kelly, The Soap Opera Star - She got a raw deal from the judges. I liked her performance, although I thought it might have been better if the routine would have stuck to basic waltz elements. She needed to have more expression, like she's enjoying the dance.

John, The Seinfield Guy - Another great start! I really liked watching him dance. He messed up the footwork with the cha cha a little bit, but he covered it up well. The partnering was good with his pro. It seems like he really gets it. I think he'll be around for awhile with this competition.

Trista, The Bachelorette - Louis hurt their routine, it seemed like it was more about him than her. I think she did the best she could, with her expression and trying to keep up. I'm not sure what happened at the end when the routine turned into a walk. I liked her pink dress. Louis' hair was distracting.

In any event, here's how I would have ranked the celebrities:

1. Joey
2. John
3. Rachel
4. Trista
5. Kelly
6. Evander

[standardgirl]

Just saw Jonathan Roberts' name on the 2005 blackpool pro open latin, so I guess, they registered to compete, but couldn't go because of the show.....hum......I wonder why he would chose the show over blackpool......


$$s

But, it's BLACKPOOL......
still don't get it.......I mean, they got second in RS latin last year, and they have a good chance to do well this year.....
<unless they don't think they are going to do well at Blackpool, or they are trying to end their competitive life?>

[flyingwolf]

But, it's BLACKPOOL......
still don't get it.......I mean, they got second in RS latin last year, and they have a good chance to do well this year.....
<unless they don't think they are going to do well at Blackpool, or they are trying to end their competitive life?>

I don't think they made a mistake not going to blackpool. So they got the second last year, look at the winners of this year, so many new names and there is a good chance they wouldn't have done as well. On the other hand, by doing this show, they get the publicity they could never get from from doing blackpool, which will attract more students to take their lessons, and make ballroom dancing more popular in the long run... look at how popular plastic surgery has been made by those 'extreme makeover' shows...

In fact, I think this US version has much weaker pros than the BBC version, which got most of their pros from the top 10 of UK, with more than half of them were blackpool finalists

[Katarzyna]

Anyone know if they will be re-runs (for those of us who missed it :( )???

[standardgirl]

Anyone know if they will be re-runs (for those of us who missed it :( )???


Someone might have taped it......good luck
I was going to tape it, but don't have the machine in NY with me.
I called mom, and asked her to tape it for me, but she didn't know how to....arg.....

[flyingwolf]

Anyone know if they will be re-runs (for those of us who missed it :( )???


Someone might have taped it......good luck
I was going to tape it, but don't have the machine in NY with me.
I called mom, and asked her to tape it for me, but she didn't know how to....arg.....

It is probably not worth it anyway
one thing I realized is, the BBC version had 10 couples, which lasted for 9 weeks, and gave the top couples 1 more month to train and improve, and the finals were just wonderful, almost like top am competition, and I doubt the ABC version will have the same

[Katarzyna]

Anyone know if they will be re-runs (for those of us who missed it :( )???


Someone might have taped it......good luck
I was going to tape it, but don't have the machine in NY with me.
I called mom, and asked her to tape it for me, but she didn't know how to....arg.....

It is probably not worth it anyway
one thing I realized is, the BBC version had 10 couples, which lasted for 9 weeks, and gave the top couples 1 more month to train and improve, and the finals were just wonderful, almost like top am competition, and I doubt the ABC version will have the same
How long is it supposed to run?

I wish ABC had Video on Demand... Like HBO or Cinemax...

I really want to see Charlotte do the Cha Cha :)

[standardgirl]

Anyone know if they will be re-runs (for those of us who missed it :( )???


Someone might have taped it......good luck
I was going to tape it, but don't have the machine in NY with me.
I called mom, and asked her to tape it for me, but she didn't know how to....arg.....

It is probably not worth it anyway
one thing I realized is, the BBC version had 10 couples, which lasted for 9 weeks, and gave the top couples 1 more month to train and improve, and the finals were just wonderful, almost like top am competition, and I doubt the ABC version will have the same
How long is it supposed to run?

I wish ABC had Video on Demand... Like HBO or Cinemax...

I really want to see Charlotte do the Cha Cha :)

It was from 9 to 10, but the actual show was prabably less than 30 mins, the actual dancing part is even less......
I would tell you, I think Charlotte had a great Cha Cha :D !
Just call ABC and ask if they are planning on having a re-run.

[flyingwolf]

How long is it supposed to run?

I wish ABC had Video on Demand... Like HBO or Cinemax...

I really want to see Charlotte do the Cha Cha :)

I think with 6 couples, it runs for only 5 weeks
I was too busy and nervous watching the boxing champ doing chacha, didn't really pay attention to his partner... :oops:

[Katarzyna]

I will just try to catch it next time. Usually practice at the time, but maybe my family can tape the next one...

Those shows usually run more than once... Will try to look up the program online when I get a chance...

[standardgirl]

Actually, I believe it's going to be 6 weeks.
And no couple will be eliminated in the first show according to ABC website....

from the website: (http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancing/show.html)
"...... At the end of the evening, the couple with the lowest score is eliminated (although no couple will be eliminated in the first show). When the final two couples remain, the ultimate dance-off will determine who wins the trophy."

[redhead]

I really enjoyed watching John and Charlotte. I'd like to keep the boxer in for the next couple of rounds - he's hilarious to watch! :lol:
(rant) What's up with hyper-inflated egos though? Louis the god? Alec the cutie? Trista the dancer? Is that what boosts ratings? (rant over)

[Larinda McRaven]

The shot at Louis was completely uncalled for. She said something about him needing to build up strength. He has more info about partner dancing in his pinky than she could ever hope to even hear about, let alone learn.

As for him being a legend... well he is. He will go down in ballroom history (for several things) but it did seem that the Pros were told to be boastful, Charlotte compared herself to Grace Kelly, Alex said he knows is the most handsome man on the competition floor.... :roll:

I too simply wanted Evander to do well, just because of who he is. I also thought that John OHurly was a good sport and kept the mood light with his jokes. He also was the only one of the students that went out there and kept him form and focus up.
I felt entirely bad for Kelly, hearing those words for a pro-am newcomer is heartwrenching... but if you look at her bio picture http://a.abc.com/primetime/dancing/images/bios/bio_monaco.jpg this is really the same stone cold face that she had during her dancing. I bet she actually feels this is a passionate sexy look. I am not a soap fan and have nver seen her before so I don't really know her "range" but TV is not Big Screen, and Soaps are not exactly high quality acting even for TV. You take this inanimate face and put it on a shaky unstable woman unsure of choreography blinded by lights and I pretty much can understand her performance. The other women were Barely any better but at least they looked a little more comfortable.

[redhead]

I didn't like Rachel's performance at all

[pygmalion]

The shot at Louis was completely uncalled for. She said something about him needing to build up strength. He has more info about partner dancing in his pinky than she could ever hope to even hear about, let alone learn.

Yeah. You could see him flinch when she gave her feedback. She said something about his dips, as well, right? Something like it appearing that his partner was getting thrown around. Uhh... I didn't see anyone getting thrown around. :(

And about the boasting, yeah, I suppose you're right. This is reality television, after all. So, needless to say, the producers have likely done quite a few things to make sure that show's not real. :lol: :lol:

[Porfirio Landeros]

The shot at Louis was completely uncalled for. Someone that screentested to be a judge on this show told me that the producers said the judges could rip on the celebrities as much as they wanted, but the pro-ballroom dancers could not be criticized, since this is THEIR career and it's out there in front of the whole country. However, they would be allowed to compliment the teachers on their choreography, partnering skills, etc...

I still can't believe they waited till the end to say something to Louis, when there was another professional that looked VERY out of place doing smooth ;)

[wyllo]

Would it have been that hard to interview other dancers/judges from the ballroom world to brag about how great the pros are? Having the pros brag about themselves made them very unlikeable.

[Porfirio Landeros]

Would it have been that hard to interview other dancers/judges from the ballroom world to brag about how great the pros are? Having the pros brag about themselves made them very unlikeable.Insiders were telling me that these quotes were taken VERY out of context. In fact, you can kind of see how close the camera cuts were to the beginning/end of Jonathan Roberts sentences... they only left in the parts where he sounded like he was God's gift to women, where he had really made some humble statements in the entire interview... but boring doesn't sell, right:)

[Purr]

The shot at Louis was completely uncalled for. She said something about him needing to build up strength. He has more info about partner dancing in his pinky than she could ever hope to even hear about, let alone learn.

Yeah. You could see him flinch when she gave her feedback. She said something about his dips, as well, right? Something like it appearing that his partner was getting thrown around. Uhh... I didn't see anyone getting thrown around. :(


I have to disagree. I thought Louis was leading Trista a little too hard, and it gave the appearance of her being thrown around a bit. Maybe Louis was grandstanding a bit.

Anyway, what in the he double hockey stick I know? I'm going to slink back into the shadows now.

[Larinda McRaven]

Yeah, Jonathan is incredibly nice and humble... I was actually shocked at his statement so later I wasn't surprised at the rest of the interviews. It was very apparent that the Pros were being scripted, pushed or completely take out of context.

[standardgirl]

Yeah, Jonathan is incredibly nice and humble... I was actually shocked at his statement so later I wasn't surprised at the rest of the interviews.

Yeah, this sounds a bit better now, knowing that the pros were being scripted. When I heard Jonathan said "I am the dream partner of every girl" (or something similar in that context), I was like, what are you talking about!? It just made the pro looks really bad in a way, I guess.....completely opposite of what the producer had originally intended. On the other hand, if Christopher Hawkins came to the show and said the same thing, it would probably at least sound better......

[Larinda McRaven]

I thought Louis was leading Trista a little too hard, and it gave the appearance of her being thrown around a bit. Maybe Louis was grandstanding a bit.

Possibly, but the thing is Louis has zero pro-am experience or knowledge. And the same goes for all of therest of them, with the exception of Jonathan. So it is very hard, when all of your dancing history comes from doing World level Pro, or the student side of pro-am, or Am/AM to get out there and actually dance For Someone Elses Sake, which is the essence of pro-am. It is a hard thing to grasp.

So I did think it was weird to base a pro-am show on people that don't do or have experience doing pro-am.

[pygmalion]

How did the pros get selected, I wonder. :?

[Larinda McRaven]

Well, they all spoke english and were camera friendly...

[standardgirl]

Just a question, no means to offense, or anything......

When you watch a pro/am competition in the newcomer level, where a lot of the am's have only had minimal dance instructions, you tend to see better dancing on the am's side than what we saw on TV. In my school, our newcomers enter their first competition after two month of training (only group lessons at 2 hrs per week), and I still tend to see more "dancing" going on than what was on TV last night.

You would think most celebraties (well, not boxing champion, but actresses, models, etc), should be better dancers than the average people? Plus, they are all taking privates with top pro's for 5 weeks!

So, I guess, my question is, what was wrong here?

[pygmalion]

Five weeks of training? And on national television in front of an audience of millions? I'm not sure that's a fair comparison.

[standardgirl]

Five weeks of training? And on national television in front of an audience of millions? I'm not sure that's a fair comparison.

I think 5 weeks of intensive training with a top pro in a one-to-one basis is more than 2 months of collegiate trainings. Being on national television is just part of their normal life for the celebraties, isn't it?

[flyingwolf]

I thought Louis was leading Trista a little too hard, and it gave the appearance of her being thrown around a bit. Maybe Louis was grandstanding a bit.

Possibly, but the thing is Louis has zero pro-am experience or knowledge. And the same goes for all of therest of them, with the exception of Jonathan. So it is very easy, when all of your dancing history comes from doing World level Pro, or the student side of pro-am, or Am/AM to get out there and actually dance For Someone Elses Sake, which is the essence of pro-am. It is a hard thing to grasp.

So I did think it was weird to base a pro-am show on people that don't do or have experience doing pro-am.
I think the main problem with him and trista is: 'Louis was too busy in love with himself'( quote from someone) , and trista was more like a desperate housewife not getting any attention...

[flyingwolf]

Five weeks of training? And on national television in front of an audience of millions? I'm not sure that's a fair comparison.

I think 5 weeks of intensive training with a top pro in a one-to-one basis is more than 2 months of collegiate trainings. Being on national television is just part of their normal life for the celebraties, isn't it?
Being on national TV doing something they are good at is their normal life, doing something that could embarrase themselves for a long time is not anybody's normal life. :lol:

[standardgirl]

I think the main problem with him and trista is: 'Louis was too busy in love with himself'( quote from someone) , and trista was more like a desperate housewife not getting any attention...

Ditto! :lol:

[Ithink]

Well, people who have had 2 months of traning in group classes and compete also do strictly bronze moves over and over and over again for a minute in front of their friends. These people did fairly complex open choreography they had to memorize and perform in front of a national audience. I think that's a HUGE difference!

[Larinda McRaven]

Well pro-am newcomers in a competition are probably doing newcomer level syllabus. Not Open routines...

[standardgirl]

So, the question becomes, will the dancers look better if they stick with Bronze syllabus?
It would be really interesting if one of the couple only dances bronze steps while others dancing open stuff, and if this couple would actually look better. just my thoughts......

[flyingwolf]

Just a question, no means to offense, or anything......

When you watch a pro/am competition in the newcomer level, where a lot of the am's have only had minimal dance instructions, you tend to see better dancing on the am's side than what we saw on TV. In my school, our newcomers enter their first competition after two month of training (only group lessons at 2 hrs per week), and I still tend to see more "dancing" going on than what was on TV last night.

You would think most celebraties (well, not boxing champion, but actresses, models, etc), should be better dancers than the average people? Plus, they are all taking privates with top pro's for 5 weeks!

So, I guess, my question is, what was wrong here?

5 weeks with pro is not better than and not even equal to 2 months in collegiate training: there are certain muscles that need to be built up over time, 5 weeks just won't be enough. Take a baby who never walked in his/her life and train the baby for 5 weeks with the top walker in the world, do you think they will walk better than those have started learning to walk 2 months earlier?

[Porfirio Landeros]

5 weeks with pro is not better than and not even equal to 2 months in collegiate training: there are certain muscles that need to be built up over time, 5 weeks just won't be enough. Take a baby who never walked in his/her life and train the baby for 5 weeks with the top walker in the world, do you think they will walk better than those have started learning to walk 2 months earlier?Also, I'm not really sure what "collegiate training" really means... Don't get me wrong, I was a collegiate dancer, but I think most collegiate dancers have an inflated idea of how good that training really is because they only dance on the collegiate circuit. Believe me, I was completely humbled once I started dance on the open amateur circuit.

Real training to compete takes place with private coaching. Classes can be okay for learning patterns and brushing up, I guess, but coaching is really where it's at, and that's what these celebrities got (some more than others, because they were fortunate enough to have seasoned pro-amers), but again, they only had 5 weeks, so I think they did GREAT!

[Katarzyna]

So, the question becomes, will the dancers look better if they stick with Bronze syllabus?
It would be really interesting if one of the couple only dances bronze steps while others dancing open stuff, and if this couple would actually look better. just my thoughts......

I haven't seen the show, but I feel that perhaps simpler material might look better to the dancers, but the general public will most likely find the emore flashy choreography better.... General audience isn't trying to judge anyone on their technique...

[standardgirl]

Also, I'm not really sure what "collegiate training" really means... Don't get me wrong, I was a collegiate dancer, but I think most collegiate dancers have an inflated idea of how good that training really is because they only dance on the collegiate circuit. Believe me, I was completely humbled once I started dance on the open amateur circuit.

That's exactly what I mean, collegiate training is just......
and that's why I was expecting better dancing on TV last night.....

[flyingwolf]

5 weeks with pro is not better than and not even equal to 2 months in collegiate training: there are certain muscles that need to be built up over time, 5 weeks just won't be enough. Take a baby who never walked in his/her life and train the baby for 5 weeks with the top walker in the world, do you think they will walk better than those have started learning to walk 2 months earlier?Also, I'm not really sure what "collegiate training" really means... Don't get me wrong, I was a collegiate dancer, but I think most collegiate dancers have an inflated idea of how good that training really is because they only dance on the collegiate circuit. Believe me, I was completely humbled once I started dance on the open amateur circuit.

Real training to compete takes place with private coaching. Classes can be okay for learning patterns and brushing up, I guess, but coaching is really where it's at, and that's what these celebrities got (some more than others, because they were fortunate enough to have seasoned pro-amers), but again, they only had 5 weeks, so I think they did GREAT!

I don't think any 'collegiate dancer' that I know ( including myself) have any 'inflated idea how good that training is'. All I am saying is, for someone who just started out, private or group lesson don't make such a big difference, it makes a huge difference when you consistently train for more than a few months, but 5 weeks to cover basics and all the flashy stuff? don't think so...

[standardgirl]

Has anyone seen both the British version and the US version?
Just curious.

[flyingwolf]

Has anyone seen both the British version and the US version?
Just curious.
I did,

I like the UK version, which has so many top dancers: Hazel Newberry, Paul Killick, Darren Bennet, Nicole Cutler... -- and Paul Killick just got as much ego as Louis :lol: (moderated by larinda)

the 2 hosts are much nicer than the 2 in ABC's version, and it is 4 weeks longer

the 2 male judges in ABC's version are also judges for BBC's version

[Porfirio Landeros]

I don't think any 'collegiate dancer' that I know ( including myself)... ;)

[Purr]

I thought Louis was leading Trista a little too hard, and it gave the appearance of her being thrown around a bit. Maybe Louis was grandstanding a bit.

Possibly, but the thing is Louis has zero pro-am experience or knowledge. And the same goes for all of therest of them, with the exception of Jonathan. So it is very hard, when all of your dancing history comes from doing World level Pro, or the student side of pro-am, or Am/AM to get out there and actually dance For Someone Elses Sake, which is the essence of pro-am. It is a hard thing to grasp.

So I did think it was weird to base a pro-am show on people that don't do or have experience doing pro-am.

What you said makes a lot of sense.

Well pro-am newcomers in a competition are probably doing newcomer level syllabus. Not Open routines...

That's a great point. Doing an open routine is a lot harder than just dancing syllabus steps. That's especially true for new dance students, who would be doing newcomer bronze at their first competition. And, drawing a nexus from above, the professionals are not used to performing routines with students, but other professionals at their level. What a difficult situation all around.

I wonder if it might have been better to have top pro/am teachers on the show instead. Just a thought...

[pygmalion]

Well pro-am newcomers in a competition are probably doing newcomer level syllabus. Not Open routines...

That's a great point. Doing an open routine is a lot harder than just dancing syllabus steps. That's especially true for new dance students, who would be doing newcomer bronze at their first competition. And, drawing a nexus from above, the professionals are not used to performing routines with students, but other professionals at their level. What a difficult situation all around.

I wonder if it might have been better to have top pro/am teachers on the show instead. Just a thought...

Yeah. I was wondering the same thing. That's why I asked how the pros got selected. Did the producers deliberately create a tough situation all-around (even for the pros?) Or did they not know that pro-am coaching is a specific skill set?

[Laura]

I know a couple of very good Pro/Am teachers (like at Jonathan Roberts level) tried out. Part of the equation was how the pro dancer's personality meshed up with the "star's" personality. The pros who tried out were whittled down to a group of finalists (I think it was either 10 or 12 possibilities) and then once the stars were cast the pros were picked from that finalist group. Or something like that.

[Porfirio Landeros]

I heard Ashley was also given a lot of consideration because she was an All-American girl. If it were not for her and Jonathan Roberts, the whole show could have been a European invasion ;)

[Chris Stratton]

I think most collegiate dancers have an inflated idea of how good that training really is because they only dance on the collegiate circuit. Believe me, I was completely humbled once I started dance on the open amateur circuit.

This is largely true for the open levels, where college dancers loose to high school students just like everyone else. However, in the beginner to intermediate categories college team people now tend to dominate, regardless if the competition is collegiate-hosted or USABDA sanctioned. There just aren't that many unconnected adults training making real progress who haven't declared themselves pre-champ.

I haven't seen the TV show, but it would seem to make more sense to compare it to various beginner contexts than to advanced ones.

[redhead]

I heard Ashley was also given a lot of consideration because she was an All-American girl. If it were not for her and Jonathan Roberts, the whole show could have been a European invasion ;)
O-oh... Discrimination on the basis of national origin... :wink:

[pygmalion]

I heard Ashley was also given a lot of consideration because she was an All-American girl. If it were not for her and Jonathan Roberts, the whole show could have been a European invasion ;)
O-oh... Discrimination on the basis of national origin... :wink:

Or is it discrimination based on maximizing the number of American viewers? *shrug* :?

[Porfirio Landeros]

Did anyone notice the secret 4th judge (sitting between the lady Jazz judge and the English ballroom judge in the background)?
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:::Nick Kosovich:::

[Merrylegs]

I only saw the last part of the show because my condo assoc. mtg went too long. I was glad they showed a clip of the first 3 couples that I missed. I'll go to ABC.com and see when/if the re-broadcast is scheduled. If I find anything out, I'll post it.

Charlotte kicked butt! She shouldn't be pigeon-holed as a Standard dancer, she was totally comfortable dancing Cha Cha. I have always thought she reminded me of Grace Kelly but had never heard anyone else say it.

Louis, was Louis. I've seen him compete in person and he is frickin' AMAZING! He should be worshipped, maybe he shouldn't say it, but still he is worship-worthy. He rocks!

Maybe no one told the soap actress how to project her emotions for dancing, that's why she looked so stoic. Trista has had so much botox injected that we'll never know how she feels. Did you notice she just kept opening her mouth? They are the only muscles that still work. :roll:

Evander looked dang fine in that white latin shirt! Who's looking at his ear? I only saw the recap of his dancing, his feet were not great, but what do you want from a guy who trains to beat the stuffing out of people?

Trista's feet were all over the place. She was taking so many tiny steps, it was just bad, IMO.

John O'Hurley looks to be the most comfortable of all. His humor seemed to take away the tension from his performance and the judges. It was fun to watch him dance with Charlotte.

I am still glad to have ballroom on during prime-time, although I hope some of the self-promoting the pros had to do didn't make people groan. That stuff would have worked so much better if the announcer had said it.

Looking forward to next week.

[LXC]

I was a little disappointed because there was hardly any dancing. And the host made it like a cheap comedy show.

Of the couples, I liked John/Charlotte and Rachel/Jonathan the best. I thought Kelly deserved the score because I cringed the most during their performance; the choreography was simply too much for her. She was holding on for her dear life half of the time and looked that way. If the pros are solely responsible for the training and choreography, then I'd say Alec was more responsible for the low score.

[TemptressToo]

For the record, it was so much easier voting online. And the disclaimer said that you had 5 votes per household.

I really wish they would get a new opening...meaning the cheesy sparkly fireworks effects opening, new hosts (the guy was especially horrendous) and judges that truly know ballroom. Being a dancer isn't good enough...there are so many more nuances to consider in partner dancing.

[flyingwolf]

For the record, it was so much easier voting online. And the disclaimer said that you had 5 votes per household.

I really wish they would get a new opening...meaning the cheesy sparkly fireworks effects opening, new hosts (the guy was especially horrendous) and judges that truly know ballroom. Being a dancer isn't good enough...there are so many more nuances to consider in partner dancing.

The firework thing, the theme music, the stage.... all exactly the same copy of the original BBC show, and I am fine with it. I don't like the hosts, who don't even bother to give the pros a second to speak after they are done.

I think the judges are fine, the 2 guys are from the original 'strictly come dancing' of BBC and I think they did a good job. Lynn Goodman is like Paula Abdul of this show, but he still has real opinions. There were 4 judges on BBC's show, and they didn't bring in the nasty simon-like one...

[Larinda McRaven]

Well here is a true reality check of just how self-absorbed we are.

I just got back from my morning TaeKwonDo lesson. I urged everyone in yesterdays class to watch the show.

They all hated it, thought it was boring and stupid, and said they probably would only watch it next week based on who the new celebrities are (so they didn't even understand the format of eleminations!). The all thought the pros were totally arrogant and the whole thing was a turn off. They asked us if that is how the rest of the industry's pros act (and why Steve and I don't act that way)

So while we are busy scouring the audience for our friends and living vicariously through our peers/friends/idols... they rest of America seems to not care.
It should be interesting to see what the wide general audiences impressions were, compared to us who are entrenched and absorbed it in.

[flyingwolf]

Well here is a true reality check of just how self-absorbed we are.

I just got back from my morning TaeKwonDo lesson. I urged everyone in yesterdays class to watch the show.

They all hated it, thought it was boring and stupid, and said they probably would only watch it next week based on who the new celebrities are (so they didn't even understand the format of eleminations!). The all thought the pros were totally arrogant and the whole thing was a turn off. They asked us if that is how the rest of the industry's pros act (and why Steve and I don't act that way)

So while we are busy scouring the audience for our friends and living vicariously through our peers/friends/idols... they rest of America seems to not care.
It should be interesting to see what the wide general audiences impressions were, compared to us who are entrenched and absorbed it in.

I think this show has created some false impressions on how those pro dancers act ... I remember in last season's 'Strictly Come Dancing' , there was one scene when Nicole Cutler was in tear because she was so frustrated by her partner... My heart went out for her from that moment

[Medira]

I thought it was a decent show. Kinda cute. The music selection was great, because let's face it, the networks want to appeal to more people, so more contemporary music should help with that. I was less than impressed with the people they have hosting, but what can you do?

As far as the dancers go....

Joey, The ex-Boy Band Member - I thought he did well enough. I was surprised though that his movements seemed to be so choppy. He should be used to choreographed routines, even though they aren't ballroom. He looked hesitant in some of his movements, but I was glad that he looked like he was having fun. Like others have said, his posture needs work. However that will come with more practice.

Rachel, The Supermodel - Kudos to her for doing as well as she did despite being nauseous. I didn't like the routine though. I thought there wasn't enough actual waltzing in it! I think she'll look less stiff once she gets past the initial jitters.

Evander, The Heavyweight - I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but man did he look like he was having a blast! Edyta sure wasn't kidding though, when she said that his weakness was his footwork (during the video snippets from their practice time) ...I sure hope that he manages to pull it together a bit better for next week. I'd like to see him around more simply because he looks like he's really enjoying it.

Kelly, The Soap Opera Star - I give her a lot of credit for doing as well as she did despite an equilibrium problem. She needs to relax though. The gal looked like she couldn't wait for it to be over before the music even started. She also seemed very unsteady and unsure of her footing. That could definitely have been a result of the series of the equilibrium issues combined with the series of turns 2/3 of the way through.

John, The Funny Boss Man - He had the perfect attitude for this. It was great! I like the fact that he knew the steps he was performing. Yeah, he had a footwork fumble, but things like that happen. He didn't seem to be doing anything that would be too difficult for someone with the amount of training that he's had and he wasn't just a prop for his pro. It really impressed me that in the pre-performance video clips, the pro he was working with was stressing that he needed to take control and lead her, instead of just her backleading him.

Trista, The Reality TV Staple - I thought she did well despite the fact that I believe the routine that she did was more difficult than it should have been. I was happy to see more actual waltz in this routine than in Rachel's, but it was still more showy than her skill level warranted.

I'd rank them as follows:

1. John
2. Joey
3. Trista
4. Evander
5. Rachel
6. Kelly

[flyingwolf]

I just found a way to vote for as many times as you want, not just 5/househoud... not sure if it is going to be valid though. Basically, you just go to the homepage of ABC, follow the link of 'vote for your favorite couple', then vote... then go to the homepage of ABC again ( not the homepage of dancing with the stars), follow the link again, vote again...

[tacad]

I enjoyed Joey's and Evander's dances. Joey's, because he and his pro worked well together. A duet! Evander's, because he was enjoying it and had a good 'tude!

[standardgirl]

Did anyone notice the secret 4th judge (sitting between the lady Jazz judge and the English ballroom judge in the background)?
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:::Nick Kosovich:::

He traveled all the way to CA just to watch?

[Medira]

I enjoyed Joey's and Evander's dances. Joey's, because he and his pro worked well together. A duet!
Exactly!!

Evander's, because he was enjoying it and had a good 'tude!
Hehehe, he was definitely the soul man of the group. :D

[pygmalion]

Like everybody else, I thought his footwork was ... uh ... should I say nonexistent or just plain bad? But I have to give him thumbs up for a spirited performance, which can't be easy, with a couple million folks watching your first comp. He actually danced with his body, a little bit. I have a feeling that he jams at freestyle dancing, but ballroom style is too new for him to be comfortable.

I like DM's characterization: Soul Man Syndrome :lol: :lol: Could be worse, IMO.

Oh yeah, and while perusing this oh-so-long thread, I came up with a thingie to wonder about. I wonder if the low-score was deliberately/artificially created in order to get the audience to care enough to vote. Okay. So the soap opera girl wasn't exactly animated. But I didn't think her performance was that much worse, overall, than anyone else's. I wonder if tons of folks rushed online or called in to vote against the injustice. (I know I did... :roll: )

[sunderi]

My favorite was Joey/Ashly. I thought he looked like he was dancing with his partner more than most of the celebrities. John/Charlotte were close seconds in my mind. And honestly, I'm shocked that both of my top two were male celebrities with female dancers! I would have thought the other way around would have had the advantage.

In some ways, I guess I'm releived that the general public wasn't too thrilled with the show. I'm a little worried that we're going to get an influx of people who think we can teach them to do that in 6 weeks . . . . :roll:

[Purr]

Food For Thought:

How many of us looked good when we first started dancing?

How many of us looked good, or even significantly better, after dancing for a couple months, or a couple of years?

How many of us ams have ever been mistaken for pros?

How many of us think we could do better dancing any of those 6 routines from last night, either the am or the pro part?

How many of us think we could do better dancing any of those 6 routines from last night, either the am or the pro part, in front of a live audience, with millions of tv viewers to boot?

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the reality check, Purr. Well said. :notworth:

[Katarzyna]

Food For Thought:

How many of us looked good when we first started dancing?

How many of us looked good, or even significantly better, after dancing for a couple months, or a couple of years?

hm.. I could post some photos... but it would be better if they remain unseen :)

[pygmalion]

I can hardly wait til next week, to see whether there've been any feedback-based improvements. Hmm. I wish I'd taped last night's episode. Shoulda thought of that. :doh: :(

[UltraMagnus]

I know several people who did!

[DancingMommy]

For the record, it was so much easier voting online. And the disclaimer said that you had 5 votes per household.

I really wish they would get a new opening...meaning the cheesy sparkly fireworks effects opening, new hosts (the guy was especially horrendous) and judges that truly know ballroom. Being a dancer isn't good enough...there are so many more nuances to consider in partner dancing.

Well, it could be worse... they couild have hired Barbara Eden. ::ducks::

[Another Elizabeth]

Having skipped all the posts to avoid spoiling the episode for me - does anyone have a tape? I missed it for my grandma's funeral. :( Please PM me if you do - I'll pay for copying etc. if I can get a copy from someone.

Thanks!

[swan]

I loved Joey & Ashley. Didn't know either of them, so got to really enjoy the 'couple dancing'. Joey clearly was 'dancing' the chacha. My hubby & I were very impressed.

Rachel - well, given that Jonanthan used to be a Smooth star, I'd expect him to train Rachel to dance a bit more. This looked more like caberet dancing to me. Nice leg extension & 'pretty feet', but no dancing. Rachel might have good ballet or some kind of dance training. Her top part is stiff...But boy, was she BEAUTIFUL! Loved that dress & her whole do!

Evan - we're laughing so hard when he was on. Not one step was chachacha! I think he did some disco dancing & posing? Edyta did the actual dancing. Quite entertaining though.

Alec & soap star. I didn't think Alec was that 'bad'...He did some basic waltz steps, at least he tried more than Jonanthan Roberts who's supposed to know what he's doing in Smooth! I was surprised to see both Alec & Louis did more Waltz steps than Jon. That soap star was pretty hopeless...Looked like dying swan!

Charlotte & Jon - well, too bad I didn't pay attention to Jon much, although I'd agree he did seem to dance well. I was too focused on watching Charlotte. I was thoroughly amused. Good legs & feet. Her arms gave away that she's no latin dancer. And I still can't get over the fact that Charlotte's doing LATIN! I also did NOT like her outfit & hair. She'd have looked so much better w/ a more elegant longer drape latin costume & have her usual bun do (that works for latin just as well). That'd be more the Grace Kelly Charlotte. She's been my idol for standard. Can't wait till she dances her specialty. I still think that Latin number doesn't do her dancing any justice. But apparently DF folks liked it.

Louis & Trista - no comment...I thought the judge was bold! This was the TOP pro among the 3 male pros. And she had the nerve to tell him to build up his strength? I saw that eyebrow raising on Louis' part :) The waltz routine wasn't all that bad. Definitely better than Alec/soap star (sorry, can't remember her name!)

[pygmalion]

Having skipped all the posts to avoid spoiling the episode for me - does anyone have a tape? I missed it for my grandma's funeral. :( Please PM me if you do - I'll pay for copying etc. if I can get a copy from someone.

Thanks!

My deepest condolences, Another Elizabeth. :( :friend:



Just a passing question. What do you think this show is doing for ballroom dance in the US? Net positive? Negative? Or no change? I'm not sure ... :?

[contracheck]

:::Nick Kosovich:::

He traveled all the way to CA just to watch?

He went there to judge the competition, and he stayed in LA for three weeks causing a big backlog of his seamster work. I am the biggest victim of this show. I have no vest!

[wyllo]

According to "Media Life Magazine," Dancing with the Stars was the highest rated show last night. An average of 13.2 million people watched the show and it was the only show that had more than 10 million viewers.

Hope they all liked what they saw. :)

[pygmalion]

Or that they hated it enough to come back and watch again ... :wink: 8)

[Edie]

I loved Charlotte & Jonathon. Its obvious that she can teach and she had great judgment in choreography. It was suited to show off what he had mastered. Although Ashley and Joey looked like they were dancing together, he definitely wasn't leading. Jonathon learned enough to do a bit of actual leading even if it was completely choreogaphed. He had a great attitude and you could tell he was having fun.

I didn't think any of the couples did much waltzing, but I still liked Rachel Hunter's waltz best. I never even looked at the soap star's facial expression, which every one has mentioned, because I couldn't tear my eyes away her shoulders. I don't know if it was just nerves that caused that tension and position in her shoulders but I agreed with the judge who said it was not pleasant to watch her dance.

Louis looks like a fabulous dancer but the thing on his head? No! That is not OK. And he was dancing latin to the waltz. I hated it. Trista looked like she was game, but I couldn't really watch because the only thing I could think about was the wierd timing and styling.

I'm not completely giving up on Evander because he looked like he was having fun and like he'll keep on trying. We'll see.

I agree with the comments that the music was not really sutied for beginners. Did the pros choose their own music?

And Larinda's comment that no one else in the world really cares was right on. We'll see if they cancel it before next week!

[wyllo]

Ok, I feel like I need to defend the hosts - they weren't that bad! I think they did pretty good for having no idea what they were talking about and I thought the quip about the sequined paramedics was darned funny. :D (But then again I am told that I have a 'unique' sense of humor.)

[pygmalion]

I thought the hosts were really cheesy because I'm not sure what their purpose was. Comic relief? :?

[saludas]

Ok, I feel like I need to defend the hosts - they weren't that bad! I think they did pretty good for having no idea what they were talking about and I thought the quip about the sequined paramedics was darned funny. :D (But then again I am told that I have a 'unique' sense of humor.)

Remember that all the 'adlibs' were pre=written by high paying writers... and the comments and focus of the host was scripted and rehearsed.

[pygmalion]

As were the judges? :?

[Porfirio Landeros]

As were the judges? :?Did anyone see that that Asian girl judge was "Fook Yu" in Austin Powers 3 :?:

[TemptressToo]

I found them saying "Cha Cha Cha" weird. I always thought the actual dance "name" is the "Cha Cha" and only complete newbies say cha cha cha. Also, some of those cha cha songs were more hustle than anything remotely Latin.

BTW, there will be an encore showing on Sunday per their website if you missed it.

What are the two dances for next week?

[pygmalion]

BTW, there will be an encore showing on Sunday per their website if you missed it.

Woohoo! A videotaping opportunity! :D Thanks. 8)

What are the two dances for next week?

Rumba's one of the dances, right?

[DancingMommy]

In Latin it's still called Cha Cha Cha. My ISTD books refer to the Cha Cha Cha. "Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha" by Sam Cooke...

[flyingwolf]

I found them saying "Cha Cha Cha" weird. I always thought the actual dance "name" is the "Cha Cha" and only complete newbies say cha cha cha. Also, some of those cha cha songs were more hustle than anything remotely Latin.

BTW, there will be an encore showing on Sunday per their website if you missed it.

What are the two dances for next week?

You are wrong. the actual name is 'chachacha', most complete newbies can't handle such a long name and call it 'chacha'

The 2 dances next week will possibly be Rumba and Quickstep, if they follow the BBC format like they did with last night's show

[pygmalion]

"They like to cha cha cha... they like to cha cha cha. Oooh! Everybody likes to cha cha cha."

Gotta love Sam Cooke. 8)

I've come to the conclusion that it was a matter of personal preference. A lot of salsa people call it cha cha cha. A lot of ballroom people call it cha cha. Except teachers (who have to write it and therefore abbreviate) who call it cha.

Eh! Whatever you like, I guess. :?

[TemptressToo]

I'm not a newbie...but I do live in the South. Everyone I know refers to it as cha cha. I guess I'm not accustomed to hearing it any other way.

[pygmalion]

Yeah. I know what you mean. It freaked me out when an LA-based salsa bigwig gave some workshops in Orlando, where I used to live. He kept saying, "cha cha cha," and I was thinking " Huh?!?"

To each his own. And if it's cha cha cha in the ISTD manuals, then guess cha cha cha it is. *shrug*

[pygmalion]

So how many times did you vote? I only voted twice, but I'm contemplating adding a few ... :twisted: :wink: :lol:

[Porfirio Landeros]

I'm not a newbie...but I do live in the South. Everyone I know refers to it as cha cha. I guess I'm not accustomed to hearing it any other way.The ballroom world has resigned itself to say "Cha Cha" for the most part... in fact, I even hear active Latin competors calling it "Cha"... maybe in a few years we can remove the vowel and just make a sound...

"My 'ch' kicked @ss last night, no?"

[Porfirio Landeros]

So how many times did you vote? I only voted twice, but I'm contemplating adding a few ... :twisted: :wink: :lol:I only voted once because I'm honest :P :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

ROTFL! :lol: :lol:

[TemptressToo]

So how many times did you vote? I only voted twice, but I'm contemplating adding a few ... :twisted: :wink: :lol:

According to a disclaimer I saw somewhere, each household gets 5 votes.

[pygmalion]

Five per household? Or five per email address? :roll: :twisted: :lol: :lol:

[alemana]

to my mind the issue isn't what it's officially called... but what it's typically called by those of us in the ballroom world. nobody i know, teachers or students, ever says "cha cha cha." They say, "chacha." that's all.

[pygmalion]

To my mind there is no issue. :wink: :lol: It's a dance; that's all that matters.

[flyingwolf]

to my mind the issue isn't what it's officially called... but what it's typically called by those of us in the ballroom world. nobody i know, teachers or students, ever says "cha cha cha." They say, "chacha." that's all.
all the people call it 'chacha' in studio, a teacher of mine calls it cha, but all the instructional videos call it chachacha -- videos done by Brayn Watson, DOnnie Burns, Corky Ballas, Paul Killick, Slavik.... the list goes on.... and I am sure they are all in the ballroom world too. It is just like people shouldn't be surprised to hear 'television' instead of TV

[mamboqueen]

The 2 dances next week will possibly be Rumba and Quickstep


Well, that's interesting because I was trying to figure out if they were doing International or American style dancing - it was impossible to tell by the chachacha (lemme get it right here) because I didn't see one lock step, so I assumed it was American. The waltzes had all kinds of open figures, so I assumed it, too, was American. And they're going to do Quickstep??

[Porfirio Landeros]

Well, that's interesting because I was trying to figure out if they were doing International or American style dancing - it was impossible to tell by the chachacha (lemme get it right here) because I didn't see one lock step, so I assumed it was American. The waltzes had all kinds of open figures, so I assumed it, too, was American. And they're going to do Quickstep??

Yeah, the locksteps were really far and few, but they were there - even Evander had one. The camera angles cut out some of those steps, because the focus was on the torso/face. I thought Evander really got into the rhythm, and the whole audience started clapping to the beat. Then, the director told everyone during the break not to clap with the music anymore because it was throwing the dancers off, but I think part of the problem was with the double-time country/western-type clappers... you only need to clap on the POP to show your R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

[flyingwolf]

The 2 dances next week will possibly be Rumba and Quickstep


Well, that's interesting because I was trying to figure out if they were doing International or American style dancing - it was impossible to tell by the chachacha (lemme get it right here) because I didn't see one lock step, so I assumed it was American. The waltzes had all kinds of open figures, so I assumed it, too, was American. And they're going to do Quickstep??

The choreography was very similar to the ones in BBC's, and I don't think they do any american style. My understanding is, it is some distorted international style.

ANd I did see John did quite a few lock step in his Chacha ( or chachacha, or cha, now it is all covered :D )

[alemana]

there are no locksteps in american rhythm chacha?

[pygmalion]

I thought Evander really got into the rhythm, and the whole audience started clapping to the beat. Then, the director told everyone during the break not to clap with the music anymore because it was throwing the dancers off, but I think part of the problem was with the double-time country/western-type clappers... you only need to clap on the POP to show your R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

That wouldn't have thrown Evander off, if he was raised in an African-American church, where clapping on the syncopations is almost always done. (I know I do it. :wink: :lol: ) Maybe someone from a different cultural background wouldn't know what to expect and might be thrown off by unexpected, "off-beat" clapping. But to me, that's where the juice is. *shrug* :lol: :lol:

[ArtsySalsera]

:D Cute Show.
I rushed home to catch it.
That show Just made me want to see that Latin Competition
Show that used to be hosted by Juliet Prowse on
PBS. Wish I knew when and where to catch it.

[flyingwolf]

Now I know for sure, well, almost....

next week will be Rumba for female celebs, Quickstep for male celebs
the week after will be Jive for female, Tango for male
the week after that will be Paso/Foxtrot

( My clue was Trista's interview on ABC's website, which mentioned her first 3 dances being Waltz, Rumba, Jive, which is exactly the same order of the original 'Strictly Come Dancing')

BTW, I think ABC doesn't have enough faith that this show will do well, so they only will have 6 shows, which doesn't give the couples more time to train and develop. If you have a chance to watch the BBC' final 2 shows ( the 9th and 10th ), I am sure you will enjoy how those 2 women transformed with the help of their partners ( Darren Bennet and Ian Waite)

[Laura]

OH my. Not so sure I can take seeing Evander doing Quickstep. Well, we'll see. I appreciate his attitude, though, and love that he's doing this show!

[pygmalion]

Oooh. Thanks. So next week should be good, since it's a better match to some of the dance pros' customary dance backgrounds. Right? :? Unless I'm missing something. :?

[flyingwolf]

Oooh. Thanks. So next week should be good, since it's a better match to some of the dance pros' customary dance backgrounds. Right? :? Unless I'm missing something. :?

One thing that cracked me up so hard in the UK show is: Paul Killick was using a long paddle to spank his partner during training, to remind her to have more hip actions in her Rumba... But it still didn't turn out so great, I think it was just like Louis last night, too busy trying to show off himself and didn't have a choreoghaphy that could make the woman look good.

[mamboqueen]

I guess I missed the locksteps because I was too busy laughing.

Alemana - I find that locksteps are much more prevalent in International than American. I think the only time I've used them in American is in a Triple Cha. But, bear in mind, I'm only at silver level with rythym, so I have no idea what goes on in the upper echelons.

Paso should be REALLY interesting!

Oh, and Porfirio, I did look for your maroon blazer, but couldn't find you. Perhaps a neon yellow or lime green might make you stand out a little more next time. Are you planning to go again?

Hopefully ABC will give it a chance. It has potential, but it needs a little fixin', IMESOO!

[pygmalion]

OH my. Not so sure I can take seeing Evander doing Quickstep. Well, we'll see. I appreciate his attitude, though, and love that he's doing this show!

Me too!!! To everything you've said. :lol: :lol:

[standardgirl]

:::Nick Kosovich:::

He traveled all the way to CA just to watch?

He went there to judge the competition, and he stayed in LA for three weeks causing a big backlog of his seamster work. I am the biggest victim of this show. I have no vest!

Huh?? don't get this, I thought there were only three judges, and he wasn't one of them?? I am confused.
Good luck with your vest, can't Lena make it?

[Chris Stratton]

A lot of salsa people call it cha cha cha. A lot of ballroom people call it cha cha.

I thought it was "triple mambo" ? At least that would explain the cha cha cha.


In terms of styling, check out the show's website - it was linked off the main ABC page day before yesterday. They explicitly mentioned they would be doing amercian smooth style in those dances.

Also there are some funny technical comments - funny in what they chose to stress. For example, one of the big points in the Viennese Waltz is no foot rise on the inside of the turns... true, but probably not one of the things I would have mentioned if creating a bullet list of characteristics of the dance.

[Big10]

Five per household? Or five per email address? :roll: :twisted: :lol: :lol:
If I understood correctly, I think that each week there can be five votes per telephone line, and one vote per e-mail address. So, your real limit is the number of telephone lines and e-mail addresses you have.

I can't imagine wanting to vote more than once or twice per week, though, unless you know one of the competitors personally.....but I don't normally watch American Idol or other shows with audience voting, so maybe there's a dynamic at play that I just haven't gotten yet. :?: :eyebrow:

[Larinda McRaven]

Well the only difference between American and International style Chacha is the speed that you straighten your leg as your weight transfer to it. And yes there are lock steps in American ChaChaCha. The rest of the patterns are essentially the same in syllabus, and once you start making open choreography it doesn't matter anyway. The tempo for American Cha :wink: is a little slower, and the music for the show sounded slow to me to I would say in that respect it was American style, although the pros were coming in with more International training. I have no idea how they chose to teach the quick-straighten/slow-straighten issue.

Obviously the Waltz was American style here in the States and the UK, since once you open up and let the lady out ... it is American all the way baby.