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Wk 8 Review - Dancing With The Stars
- Author:
- Phillip Stephens (philtex44@aol.com | 713-248-2299)
- Date Published:
- November 11, 2010
Dancing With The Stars
Season 11 Week 8, 11/8/2010
The "Instant dancing" theme means that, like in a “real” competition, the contestants will have a routine prepared and then must fit it to the music at the last minute.
Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer – Viennese Waltz
Lacey was really a “not nice” teacher this week! Seems like she should have spent some time a few weeks ago on techniques like footwork, leg actions, frame, rise and fall, hip action, etc. Some parts of this routine were passable, but most of it, starting with Lacey’s dress and hairdo, were not very appealing. Kyle had his head twisted to the left too far which produced a rather strained look in dance position, though he did make some nice lines and kept the timing rather well. Still, he just should NOT be doing that ballerina trot on his toes!
Len – Too much praise; Bruno – He’s taken criticism to heart and gotten better; Carrie Ann – Like watching a fairy tale come to life??? (As Michael Schedler noted: These judges need some glasses!) 9+9+9 = 27. Boy! I’d never award those scores for THAT performance.
Jive –
Well, he did a lot of gyrating and they did some “authentic” Jive actions, but this boy is not a Jive dancer. It was a good routine, though nothing spectacular.
Len – Fun, high energy, would like more finesse; Bruno – Top in creativity? Went wild over Kyle’s flicks and kicks, which were not all that great; Carrie Ann – Overly effusive praise. 10+9+10 = 29, which is WAY too high
Jennifer Gray & Derek Hough – Quickstep
MORE drama with Jennifer? A doctor told her last week she had to pace herself. This week, one came to rehearsal to tell her she was injuring herself? Take a shot, get some pills, or get the "H" out of Dodge! Derek – get a razor and find time to shave! As usual, Derek put together some fine choreography. The outfits were quite nice for the music and the routine. Nice shapes, good movement, great solos and a “spot on” performance. Should get at least two 10s
Bruno – Like watching a vintage Fred and Ginger, then he nags about a small misstep? Carrie Ann – Again, going on about the “tinniest little misstep” – Grrr! Len – It was great. 9+9+9 = 27, which I think is a bit low and, as Michael Schedler noted, there was no comparison between that dance and Kyle’s. She should have had some 10s!
Rumba –
Nice basic actions and some pure Rumba moves interspersed with creativity and an intensity that has been lacking in some of Jennifer’s recent performances. This, for me, was her best performance. 10+10+10 = 30
Bruno – Breathtaking! Flawless; Carrie Ann – Captured the moment; Len – We just saw great dancing.
Kurt Warner & Ana Treybunskaya – Waltz
The outfit provided a nice elegant look for a handsome man. His arms have gotten slightly better, but he still has such poor posture and his footwork is bad and his leg lines are bad and his posing lines are bad. He gives it a good go and gets through the routines, but they just aren’t pleasurable to watch. Shouldn’t get above an 8 for this one
Carrie Ann – Kurt is like the “Ken” doll for adults (I swear, she needs to leave Len's bottle alone!); Len – Nice to see a big man come out and be graceful? (When was Kurt graceful in that routine???); Bruno – Noted that there are obviously people who are better (at dancing) than Kurt, but the judges could tell he is trying. 8+8+8 = 24
Cha Cha Cha –
To much posing in the beginning. His legs don’t really "connect" with the basic concept of Cha-Cha. He did some good hip actions when standing still, but most of this routine was just running around the floor from pose to pose. He did keep the timing pretty good and he did have fun.
Carrie Ann – Nailed the beats; Len – Needs to straighten the legs a bit more; Bruno – Foot placement not perfect, but the performance was good. 8+8+8 = 24
Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas – Argentine Tango
She has slimmed down and looked good in the outfit. She performed some intricate leg actions and a couple of sharp arm moves. The lifts went well and looked clean. This was one of her best dances, though some parts were still a bit clunky looking. Quite a good job overall and she should get higher than her normal marks for it.
Len – Thought the lifts were good, well-rehearsed, but lacked intensity; Bruno – Loses expression at times; Carrie Ann – Thought it was the most intensity Bristol has shown so far. (I agree, though I disagree with some aspects of the judges’ comments, especially the bit about intensity) 8+8+8 = 24
Samba –
For not feeling confident because she wouldn’t know the words to the song in advance, Bristol was putting a good bit of personality into what she was doing. Though a bit awkward in places, she really projected a lot more in this routine than normal, and she did keep the timing far better than she has in recent routines. I liked it.
Len – Coped very well with the rhythm changes; Bruno – Did he say anything useful?; Carrie Ann – Didn’t think Bristol connected with the music? (hmmm...I thought she did a solid job on timing.) 7+8+8 = 23, which is a bit low.
Brandy & Maks Chmerkovskiy – Waltz
Maks - who was fully dressed two weeks in a row, causing me to applaud his genteel presentation - uses teaching techniques that suck. A lovely routine. Brandy was very expressive throughout, and very connected to the music, though her head position in closed hold was not very good. A very solid performance.
Bruno – More than a dance. She was totally immersed in the song; Carrie Ann – The emotional quality was amazing; Len – Overwhelmed by the whole performance. 9+10+10 = 29
Cha Cha –
I can handle Maks with an open-at-the-top shirt and must praise him again for displaying better taste in clothing in these last few shows. A good routine with sensible choreography that suited Brandy. Probably her best performance so far.
Bruno – Liked all of it; Carrie Ann – fussed about the late start to the music and got into an argument with Maks about it? Len – Liked the dancing, but agreed with Carrie Ann about them starting late. (Though I think he should have kept quiet at that moment, I’m with Maks on this one and think Len and Carrie Ann were just too prissy about the “late start” aspect of the routine.) 9+9+10 = 28
Season 11, Week 8, Results Show
With my picks for quick exits being Bristol, Kyle and Kurt, you can't displease me when any of them gets the boot. Up til now, I've been wondering if my chances of being rewarded by having one of these three take a hike were on par with my prospects for winning the lottery. Since Kurt finally got voted off, guess I better buy a ticket for the next drawing!
That's a wrap for now.
Happy Dancing, and remember:
www.the-dance-place.com is also www.theplace2dance.com
