Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, starts with Tom Bergeron opening “the ballroom for business,” and then into a spectacular Mandy Moore-choreographed Busby Berkley-style extravaganza. Simply stunning stuff. Lots of troupe members we don’t know, as well as many pros we know and love. Even a moment of introducing the judges. And can I just say that this is one of the best casts they have had in eons?
People from sports, television, movies, radio, even a blind chick. (What?)
First up? Mary Lou Retton, gymnast in our hearts. Sasha Farber calls her “America’s Sweetheart.” Oh sure, crank out the red, white and blue.
Wonderful cha cha to kick off the competition.
Len: “It’s always tough coming out first. You’re pretty nifty for fifty. Don’t rush.” Bruno: “I’m glad to see you have lost none of that competitive streak. Still very elastic. You have great natural precision.” Carrie Ann: “I loved it. I think you are golden. You are fantastic.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 19 (out of 30)
Milo Manheim (known for some zombie movie, but also Camryn Manheim’s son) is partnered with Witney. He’s the best partner she’s had in awhile. They dance a cha cha to her favorite rap-style music, but it’s actually pretty good. They do some moves I wouldn’t expect for the first week, like this one:
Bruno: “Such energy, exuberance, zest. Your timing is brilliant.” Carrie Ann: “That was exciting to watch. Your posture is fantastic.” Len: “You’re a dancer.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 20 (out of 30)
Evanna Lynch (of late from the Harry Potter movies) is the best partner Keo ever had, and frankly, she deserved better. I really wish she’d been partnered with Sasha. That would’ve been amazing. But in any case, she does amazing work despite Keo.
So, of course, the first song she dances to in the premiere is “Do You Believe in Magic?“ I just adored their first dance. Evanna is luminescent. As much as I dislike Keo, she overcomes him.
Carrie Ann: “You can dance. You have beautiful lines, you have great control.” Len: “I can see that you’re a dancer. You just got a dance that didn’t suit you a lot on the first show. But there’s a dancer in there.” Bruno: “You’ve got the magic within you. Cast a spell with your body.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 18 (out of 30)
We return to a hot bumper from the troupe, with Brit and Hayley proving that they should be pros already...
What I don’t like about Keo is that he never seems responsive to his partner. That is certainly not true with Artem, who this season is tasked with dancing with a blind Para-Olympian. Personally, I am not down with this trend (we’ve had a guy with one leg, a deaf guy, now Danelle). It is just painful to watch them, in most instances, though the pros do the best they can.
So, she relies on him to guide her, and their foxtrot ends up being beautiful. But seriously, this show is DEMANDING, for a sighted person. Ugh.
Len: “Good job, Artem. That was a tough call. And you coped brilliantly. You’ve taught so well. Your footwork was great.” Bruno: “That was so lovely.” Bruno is using gestures, as he does, to describe what she should do going forward. Bruno, she can’t see you. Ugh. Carrie Ann: “I’m still processing what I just witnessed. Because I think it’s a lot more information than we are actually noticing. What you did was spectacular. I think we could all feel the bond between you and Artem.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 18 (out of 30)
You wonder sometimes: why do people do these things? What possesses a blind girl to want to go on a dance show? What causes the host of the number-one country radio station show to suddenly want to dance? I guess we’ll never know... really.
But this dance... wow. It was clear from the first step that Bobby Bones, though he never danced before, LOVED to be there doing this. I think we can safely say we have never seen a competitor like Bobby Bones. He loved it so much, at the end, he fell on the floor (nearly dropping Sharna in the process). It was a very charming, endearing introduction to this particular competitor, and for me, it won my heart immediately.
In the package, Sharna talks about how this is her 12th competition. Bobby: “So you teach me to move, and I will try to get you your first ever Mirror Ball?” “Deal,” says Sharna, as they shake. As he’s working, trying to conquer his body parts, he says, “We’re gonna win the Mirror Ball. I want her to win the Mirror Ball.” (It really seems like winning the Mirror Ball is the farthest thing from Sharna’s mind at this moment, but she’s humoring him.)
So, yeah, they are kicking it on a set that looks like a country bar, doing a jive like a jive’s never been done. The ending of it just makes me laugh. I think he knocked out a camera person. He gives Sharna a big kiss on her cheek.
Tom: “The only thing I have to say is: Decaf!” Bobby grabs Tom’s mic, and says: “This is the greatest night of my life.” Tom and Sharna are laughing. Bobby is waving to the crowd. It’s just wacky, and I love it.
Bruno: “Surreal. It was like watching Ryan Seacrest, doing Buddy Holly, going jiving crazy with red-hot Sharna. It was exquisitely demented. If you go for it, go it that way.” Carrie Ann: “You’re a little rough around the edges, but something about it was incredible. You have this wild rock star-like thing happening. I loved every minute of it. I’m glad it was a jive.” Len: “Bobby, what you did is you came out, and attacked the dance, gave it plenty of welly, really went full-on, flat out. But if you wanna see someone come out and attack a dance...” (Bobby screams.)
Tom: “We’re actually going to have a welly intervention... but in the meantime...” (and directs them upstairs.) Erin: “I gotta ask what I ask athletes, ‘Tell me what was going through your mind there.’” Bobby: “I loved every minute of it. I’ve never had so much fun in my whole life. People like me, I’m from a small town of 700 people. We don’t get to be on Dancing with the Stars.” Erin: “I love that!”
Then, they show a replay of the end of the dance, as he hits Sharna in the head, she nearly loses her top, and he drops to the floor. Erin, laughing: “It’s so good!”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 20 (out of 30)
Erin: “How does that feel?” Bobby: “It feels amazing! You’re Erin Andrews.” Erin: “We’re gonna send it back to Tom Bergeron.” Tom: “I feel I have to be more excited now... just to keep it up.”
As far as I’m concerned, they can just shut the show down after that. That was so awesome.
Tom: “Bobby Bones was last seen doing cartwheels down Topanga Canyon...”
What on Earth can follow that? Oh. Just maybe this.
Cheryl Burke, who has been away from the show for too long, is back. And look at her partner. Wow. There is one Juan Pablo who has forever scarred the network’s name. This, however, is NOT that Juan Pablo.
Juan Pablo di Pace. Ay carumba! Hotness on wheels, this one.
And oh! This dance! The hottest, steamiest salsa that these boards have seen in a long while. The song is about “Yo Quiero Dinero,” but it sure doesn’t seem like it’s money they are asking for. (I just noticed, as I rewatched that for the third time, that they have dollar bills floating around them as confetti. Nice.)
Yes, ladies and gentlemen: Cheryl Burke is BACK! Wow.
Tom: “Can I just say, before I get to them, that did not look like a Week One. There’s some chemistry here, definitely.”
Carrie Ann: “Yeah, I speak on behalf of all the ladies: that has fuego potential. Chemistry already, Week One, it’s already off the charts. Be careful how you handle Cheryl. You’re throwing her around a little.” Len: “Well, I gotta say, you are 100% the hunk with the junk in the trunk.” Cheryl looks shocked, Tom’s embarrassed. (It's not untrue.) “Salsa is all about rhythm,” Len continues, “you had a lot of rhythm going on there. The actual dance was top-rate.” Bruno: “Well, I’d pay for that. I think plenty of people would. Come on, that’s a salsa that gets under your skin. The shapes they were making. Like two intertwining cobra. I saw something very, very hot.”
Erin, back in the Red Room, congratulates Cheryl on being “newly engaged,” (as Cheryl shows off her ring). And Erin says, “you’ve never looked better.”
Erin: “I speak for all the women. I don’t think a lot of ladies want to see him leave... And Bruno.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)
So, that was a salsa very unlike Cheryl’s salsa, but she also had a bunch of fun doing it. And her red outfit is very hot.
Len: “It looked awkward. It was too careful. You gotta use your hips.” Bruno: “It wasn’t a total trainwreck. You gotta work on that.” Carrie Ann: “This is all new to you. All you gotta do is think about your whole body working together.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 17 (out of 30)
Alexis Ren, apparently a swimsuit model, dances with Alan Bersen, who also has had a shoddy run of partners of late. Alexis says, “I am a model, but you probably know me from social media.” (Um, no.) Apparently she does have 12 million followers, though, so maybe you are following her.
They dance a jive in the ice cream shop to “Good Golly Miss Molly.”
Bruno: “Alan, you’ve done a great job. That was a very good jive. Very difficult. You did it well.” Carrie Ann: “I’m really impressed. It was really well rehearsed. It was well choreographed.” Len: “I love those toe-heel swivels. You did ’em great. You did that jive great. I thought it was brilliant.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
A really cool bumper with Hayley brings us back.
Of course, Bo Duke dancing would have to bring out the famous car. He says: “My goal is to win, or die trying.” They are doing a foxtrot.
Carrie Ann: “You know your way around a dance floor. There’s a natural elegance and charm that I think is gonna suit this competition well.” Len: “It was a bit rough. It lacked any finesse and quality of movement throughout.” Bruno: “Always interesting, and you did not run out of fuel.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 18 (out of 30)
She’s a recording star. He’s “brand-new pro Brandon,” as Tom clarifies. She says: “I know he wants that Mirror Ball. I want that Mirror Ball. I can’t wait to show America what we got.”
What we got, so far, is WAY too much dry ice smoke happening. They do a jive on this pink-encircled stage.
Tom: “I’ve said it through other couples tonight. That did not look like a Week One.”
Len: “It had plenty of snap, crackle and pop. Performance? Top-notch.” Bruno: “That was a foxy jive. Oh wow, Brendon (sic), such a good job. That was so fast, so dynamic. And yet, clean and precise.” Carrie Ann: “You are a star. There is just something spectacular about you when you dance. You did great choreography, but I’d like to see her shine a little more. There was so much choreography, I didn’t get to see you. I disagree with Bruno. I would’ve like to see more moments, just tone it down.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 23 (out of 30)
Tom introduces them as “the newly engaged Val Chmerkovskiy...”
Nancy McKeon and Val do a quickstep to “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” Just lovely. Nancy is lucky to have one of the best choreographers on this show as her partner. It is always great to see Val in action. His dances are just alive.
I loved it.
Tom says, “I haven’t seen that many expressions on a face since Mark Ballas was here.” Nancy: “Love him.”
Bruno: “And off she goes at full gallop. I loved the energy.” Carrie Ann: “I liked how you tell the story. I loved the animation. You hit every moment. You delivered what Val needed to deliver to tell this kind of story. Use that body contact.” Len: “Nothing fancy, Nancy. Just a good, solid performance.”
Tom mentions how everyone tonight is having such a good time. Nancy, “These are just some of the most fantastic people I’ve ever met, this room is spectacular, and what a great audience.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 18 (out of 30)
So, I gotta say, by the time Joe appeared on this episode of #DWTS, I was already rooting for Bobby Bones and Grocery Store Joe, no matter how bad either appeared to be. I threw every vote to them in the early days, and I suspect others did too.
The dance set is a grocery store (of course), and Jenna and Joe have buggies, even though both are also attired in formal wear. Sure, OK. They dance a quickstep.
Carrie Ann: “Good news is that you have quite a fan section. Not quite a dancer yet. I see you have charm. And you can push a shopping cart really well.” Len: “Oh Joe. I really like you. I was really rooting for you.” (Then he goes on to basically compare Joe’s dancing to a pimple that no one can ignore. Yikes.) Bruno: “I think you left the dance technique in the shopping trolley. You’ll find it next week.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 14 (out of 30)
Nothing proves the effect of social media on the results of this show more than the fact of how far Joe went in this show. (Cause the judges hated him, or at least his dancing.)
Sometimes I really like Lindsay Arnold. She was fantastic with David Ross, for example. But often, she gets tall people who jump over her, or use her in incredible lifts. That’s kind of her thing. Personally, I prefer someone like Val, who brings a new freshness to the same steps with each dance.
This time, she has a Super Bowl champion. He says: “Let’s go get that Mirror Ball trophy.”
Len: “You’ve got a fantastic presence when you come out onto the floor. You’ve got a wonderful personality, and you’re not a bad dancer.” Bruno: “That was the Delightful, the Delicious DeMarcus the dancer. You were so light on your steps. I could hardly hear you hitting the floor. You really are the one to watch.” Carrie Ann: “Football players have a huge legacy to live up to on this show. We could see why now, tonight, because of that athleticism. That inner light that comes out of you when you dance, it’s like YUM.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 23 (out of 30)
They are tied for the highest score tonight. No one goes home tonight. There is another episode (part 2) tomorrow night, which will have an elmination.
Miche’s Favorites of Week One
1. Bobby Bones and Sharna (jive)
2. Juan Pablo and Cheryl (salsa)
3. Mary Lou and Sasha (cha cha)
4. Evanna and Keo (foxtrot)
5. Nancy and Val (quickstep)
6. Milo and Witney (cha cha)
7. Alexis and Alan (jive)
8. Joe and Jenna (quickstep)
9. John and Emma (foxtrot)
10. DeMarcus and Lindsay (cha cha)
PLEASE GO HOME
1. Blind chick
2. Nikki Glaser
PLEASE NOTE: In between Season 26 and Season 27 of #DWTS, we also had #DWTS Kids. I watched it. It was fun to see the pros mentor the kids. However, it was just weird to see children doing rumbas and Argentine tangos, and I really hope they don’t do it again. Just get back to REGULAR #DWTS, ABC! (So I’m not covering it.)
*****************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment. I encourage and welcome the dialogue.