DWTS S024, Week 8, Pro Pick Week and Hot Sexy Trios

Week 8 kicks off well, not with the pic above, but with this.

“Hot Summer Nights,” they are calling it. The latest show by the DWTS crew, pictured.

This week, although they don’t really announce it, or give it the hype they give other weeks, is “Pro Pick” Week. Which means that the pro gets to pick the music, based on their impression of their partners. (Love it!)

Emma and Rashad have a great package, where they show how well they get along and how much they respect each other as partners. Even gets Miss Emma a bit teary. (So sweet.)

They kick off the night with this jive to “Blues Brothers” music. Great stuff, great way to open the show.

Judge Julianne Hough is back this week. Yay. And can I just mention how snappy a dresser Bruno Tonioli has become? Snazzy pink jacket with suave gray tie. Wow.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 36 (out of 40)

Val choose a song called “Freedom” for Normani to dance contemporary with him this week. It was extremely powerful.

I have mentioned before how much I love Val’s choreography? One of the things I love the most about it is that he really pays attention to the WORDS of a song. If it says “shoulder,” there is an action on a shoulder. If it says “stumble,” there will be a momentary stumble. It all becomes part of the whole, but it shows that he is not only paying attention to the steps and beats of a piece of music, but to its whole. I so very much appreciate that about him as a choreographer, and it’s a rare quality among this current crop. To me, it really makes his pieces perfection.

Also, look at this picture. You can tell just by a still image that there is a lot of depth going on here, a story is truly being told, that comes from the heart. You may not be able to tell that the piece is about standing up to bullying.

But, like I said, it was very powerful and moving. Carrie Ann called it “a work of art” and also complimented Val’s choreography.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 40 (out of 40)

There is trouble in paradise between teacher and dancer. Bonner doesn’t really want to keep addressing his life-threatening injury (that this show makes him do, week after week, according to him), but that is, actually what this show does best. One’s best art comes from one’s pain. Normani saw that, and translated it into dance (with Val’s guidance) and got a perfect score.

They show Bonner walking out on Sharna in the package. Len goes so far as to say that Bonner has been here a week too long (!). Sharna gasps and bites her lip.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 40)

Sasha’s Pro Pick for Simone was a One Direction song, “You Don’t Know (You’re Beautiful).” And she truly doesn’t.  Look at her left foot in this picture. This is a girl who is uncomfortable with her own beauty. So it was an absolutely perfect song, and a great foxtrot, too.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 36 (out of 40)

Lindsay chooses “Humble and Kind” for David to dance this waltz to. It truly does seem to personify him and also really chokes him up in the package that Lindsay picked this for him. At the end, they both tell each other “I love you.” Really sweet.

Great dance. The judges comment specifically about how well he has paid attention to the footwork that is supposed to be happening.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 36 (out of 40)

MICHE’S FAVORITES, MAIN DANCES
1. Simone and Sasha’s foxtrot
2. David and Lindsay’s waltz
3. Normani and Val’s contemporary
4. Rashad and Emma’s jive
5. Bonner and Sharna’s tango

Then, we have the Trios round, one of my personal favorites. Usually the pro chooses who their trio partner is, but this time the judges chose. Rashad and Emma end up pairing with Witney for an Argentine tango. Woo hoo.

The right half (blue) was the long-term romantic partner (Emma) and the left half (red) was the temptress (Witney). It was a great concept, well-told story, and I thought a great Argentine tango.

Len thinks Rashad’s footwork wasn’t great. “You’ve got dancing in your blood, it just hasn’t reached your feet yet.” But the rest of the judges loved it, so “Ménage á Shad” scores well.

(BTW, later, Erin Andrews attempts to credit Witney with coming up with the brilliant nickname. This, from the girl who thinks Fleetwood Mac is a guy? I THINK NOT.)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 39 (out of 40)

Normani and Val, as you may’ve guessed, paired up with Alan to do a “country jive.” Normani admits, in their package, to thinking Bonner is “hot” and “a gentleman.”

I have to say that I really hate dances which dance partly on the judges’ table. Hate it. (Len hated it, too.)

That said, the fact that both Val and Alan end up shirtless midway through kinda makes up for it. *swoon* But, after fighting over both boys during the song, at the end, she ends up in Bonner’s arms. (Nice touch!)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 36 (out of 40)

My favorite part of that whole thing was this:

Where Tom Bergeron proved he has some pretty darn sexy hip action in him...

So then... we had this.

And this...

And, oh, this...

And I know what Len’s gonna say before he even says a thing. He hates the sex on wheels stuff, that is all fuss and not much dancing, which this was.

He brings up a good point. (He did say it was “too raunchy” for him.) But he mentioned that Rashad’s dance was also all about passion. (But it was in the dance! Not in the effects.) Everyone seems kinda shaken, like it was a bridge too far. Even Tom Bergeron seemed speechless.

The judges pretty much hated it. As they have been giving out 10s and 9s all night, they gave this straight 7s.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 28 (out of 40)

Simone and Sasha get teamed with Britney for this paso doble.

Very dynamic. Carrie Ann takes issue with Simone’s lack of authenticity, and calls her “a metronome,” as far as hitting the beats. Tom mentions that she doesn’t smile to hear Carrie Ann’s comments. Simone shoots back, “Smiles don’t win you gold medals.” :-0  Wow. (Pretty rude comment.)

Len takes Simone to task for only producing 9s, even though she’s his favorite. No 10s from anyone this time around.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 36 (out of 40)

David and Lindsay are paired with Hayley for this paso doble, to an instrumental version of “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Very powerful and, I thought, well done.

Len did not agree. “I didn’t like it at all. There was no dance quality out there.” David says, “That stinks.” Julianne says, “It was strong, but you lacked shaping, which is a huge part of what the paso doble is.”

Bruno said he looked like “Godzilla, chasing jet fighters. That is not a shape.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 29 (out of 40)

So who goes home? The person Len thought should have gone home last week.

Um... oh darn....

MICHE’S FAVORITES, TRIO ROUND
1. Emma, Rashad, Witney’s Argentine tango
2. Val, Normani, Alan’s jive
3. Sasha, Simone, Brittany’s paso doble
4. Lindsay, David, Hayley’s paso doble
5. Sharna, Bonner, Britt’s whatever the hell that was (jazz)

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