Week 9 – Dancing
With The Stars
Commentary by
Phillip Stephens
Week 9 had some very
interesting
highlights in that
Rod Stewart sang for
us again, Max's
formation group
danced "Billie Jean"
for us and Lionel
Richie sang while
the pro group
danced. Then we got
to watch that
fabulous group dance
their version of
"Jive" again. I
found it a rather
nice juxtaposition
with the "old style"
Jitterbug moves put
to rockin' pop disco
music. And I think
we all enjoyed Tom
Jones singing "It's
Not Unusual" while
the pro group
performed.
Remember that this
is week 14; also
remember that each
celebrity has now
had at least
350 "lessons" if he
has taken just 5
sessions per day for
only 5 days each
week. Most are
doing more than
that. Remember,
too, that they are
no longer doing
NEW
dances but are going
back through dances
they've already
done. From their
own comments, I
would venture to say
that Mario, Emmett
and Joey have had
more like 400
lessons. I bring
this to your
attention for one
simple reason: We
should see a
definite improvement
in the
technical aspects
of their dancing,
things like
showmanship,
rhythmic movements,
timing (and its
intricacies),
balance, footwork,
arm (and leg & body)
lines and so on.
Two performances
from each couple.
Each couple got to
pick the dances they
would do and the
music to which they
would dance. They
could use totally
different
choreography this
time than they used
before when
performing these
same dances. So,
combining comments
about Ballroom and
Latin performances
for each couple,
let's get down to
business! Also,
since time is
pressing, I will
give comments about
the
Week
9 Results Show
in this same
mailing.
Mario
Lopez
chose Tango, a dance
for which he got low
marks in the first
performance, and the
Cha Cha, which was
his very first dance
and which he did
extremely well both
times.
I think the Tango
was far too intense
on Mario's part, and
that there was no
interaction between
him and Karina.
They danced their
respective parts in
close proximity to
one another, but
there was none of
the eye contact and
emotive facial
expressions between
them that is so
typical of the Tango
character. Mario's
head was pretty far
forward, his upper
back was somewhat
rounded, and his
frame/arm line
looked strained.
Good leg lines take
time to develop in
this dance, but his
were not any better
in this performance
than the last time
he did Tango. I
definitely would not
have given him more
than 27 points for
this dance, and was
surprised that he
got a "perfect"
score.
This Cha Cha was
good, but not
appreciatively
better than his
first Cha Cha. He
has had at least 200
additional
lessons since that
first performance,
and I just couldn't
see any substantive
increase in the
quality of his hip
actions, body
rhythm, footwork or
timing. As a
couple, they were
very well
synchronized – and
were far more
interactive than in
the Tango – and it
looked like they
were having a
blast. While it
was
a good performance,
I think the judges
are far too lenient
at this point than
they were earlier on
in the series. A 29
at this point in his
"career" was too
high for the product
delivered.
Emmett Smith
chose Cha Cha and
Waltz, one he was
good at to begin
with and one he was
weak in during his
first performance.
Emmett's Waltz was
better in many ways
the second time
around. The music
was much better, his
rise and fall was
stronger, his
movement was greater
and the choreography
was difficult but
well-suited to the
music - and to
Emmett - and the
performance was more
relaxed-looking. I
could see
substantial
improvements in
every aspect of
Emmett's dancing
except his arm
lines, and feel that
he deserved all 29
points for this
performance.
Emmett looked so
relaxed and
confident in his Cha
Cha that it was
difficult to notice
the few faults - a
couple of heel
leads, knees turned
out at times - he
did display. That
was a very
powerful performance
- one that brought
everyone in the
audience into the
dance, and Emmett
and Cheryl
definitely "Danced
to the Music"! A
perfect score was
fully
merited for
this one.
Joey
Lawrence
chose Quickstep and
Rumba. While he was
better at the
former, I fail to
see why he chose to
repeat the Rumba.
And dedicating the
Quickstep to his
grandfather was, in
my opinion, a
"grandstand" ploy to
win votes.
Though more relaxed
in each of the past
three weeks, Joey is
still stiff and
jerky-looking when
he dances. There
was very little rise
and fall in his
Quickstep. His
posture was no
better; his movement
had not increased;
his open work looked
about the same as
before. How the
judges saw fit to
give him 29 points
for that performance
is a mystery that
probably only ABC
and the show's
producers could
explain!
Joey's Rumba was
nothing more than
him wandering around
the floor so he
could pose near
Edyta, who did all
the dancing. Even
in basic actions
like forward breaks
or Opening Out to
Right and Left, he
had no hip action.
He was bouncy in the
syncopated actions
and, truthfully, I
saw no real
Rumba in his
performance at all.
Just to be sure I
hadn't missed
anything while
jotting down notes,
I watched the Rumba
a second time, and
came to the same
conclusion: There is
no way
he deserved 30
points for that
performance. His
dancing was not on
par with what either
Mario or Emmett
produced, and I
never have seen what
the judges are
attacted to about
his dancing.
The 3-way tie at the
end of the program
seemed somewhat
"engineered" to me,
and I feel that the
judges must have
received some sort
of "orders" from
headquarters to keep
the suspense high on
this one. Do you
think – as I do –
that the producers
are going for an all
time high in the
viewer count?
Results Show
The entertainment
was good, and I was
pleased to get to
simply watch Mario
and Karina dance
their Tango again.
While I think it was
good and clean, I
was still
disappointed that
the Tango
interaction so
typical of the
character of this
dance – and very
much asked for by
the "Whatever Lola
Wants" title of this
song! – was missing
altogether. I think
Mario must have been
so focused on
getting higher marks
for this dance the 2nd
time around that he
and Karina
overlooked this
important aspect of
the dance.
During the
Slim-fast
portion of the
program,
Tysonia did
a good job with her
Rumba at the Pacific
DanceSport
competition. While
they didn't show us
enough of her actual
dance, and no shots
of the other couples
for comparison, it
was nice that she
got 2nd
place. And did you
notice that a
teacher from
The Dance
Place
– Jason
K –
was the Master of
Ceremonies? While
we had nothing to do
with those
arrangements, we
were pleased to be a
small part of the
program in a
vicarious sort of
way!
The
Slim-fast
sponsored
"Dancing
With The Stars"
road tour is going
to be fabulous! I
really enjoyed
watching the group
perform, and was
very impressed with
how well
Lisa Rena
held her own against
those younger gals.
Her husband
Harry Hamlin
looked much more
relaxed in this
formation than he
did while competing
on the show and the
whole group seems to
have melded into a
high-performance
team. If they get
close to Houston, we
may just have to
organize a group to
go and watch them.
Well, once again,
the suspense and
drama of presenting
the results was drug
out way too long.
In truth, I think
the announcement of
"who
had the lowest
score" was a
bit cruel. I think
we could have
figured that out if
they had announced
the 2nd
couple going on to
the finals, don't
you? As I expected,
Joey was "excused"
from further
performances. It
was bittersweet to
see him leave
because he has
worked hard for each
routine. I think
his teacher should
have focused a bit
more on his basic
technique and did
him an injustice,
but that was her
choice and I was not
there so don't
really know if she
did try to convey
that aspect of
dancing to him or
not.
It will be
interesting to see
how tomorrow turns
out. Each couple
will dance 3 times;
1 freestyle number,
1 dance of their own
choosing, and 1
routine where they
will each perform
the same dance. At
first, I thought
Mario was a sure
thing to win this
contest. Now, I
will not be at all
surprised if Emmett
wins. And, if he
does, it will be a
very well-deserved
testament to his
accomplishment
during these several
months of hard work.
Happy Dancing
and remember
