Season 29, Week 7: Villains Week, aka Halloween

Dancing with the Stars always has a big, splashy night for Halloween. Well, this is it, and they are calling it (for the first time) “Villains Night.” It begins with a very lame Blair Witch takeoff as the opener.

Brandon and Jeannie, paso doble, Hannibal Lecter

Not sure if the concept of Villains is working yet, but the paso had some great shapes and lines.

Derek: “You absolutely ate up that paso. You had proper frame, the oval shapes. I loved it. That was a great paso.” Bruno: “You throw yourself with such gusto and intention, that it’s really irresistible to watch.” Carrie Ann: “That was an explosive way to start the show. Great attack. Really powerful. I want you to start adding back in some of the grace.”

JUDGES: 25 (out of 30)

Britt and Johnny, Viennese waltz, vampires

Vampires dancing to “Creep”? I’m so there for that. There really wasn’t enough in hold for a good Viennese waltz, IMHO, but it was fun to watch anyway.

Bruno: “I am bitterly disappointed, because it wasn’t bad at all. It was very, very good. What you did, that I really really liked, apart from the fact that you have wonderful sweeping motion is you really captured the Gothic romance feel. It was passionate, and it was fluid. It’s a question of balance. You balanced it extremely well. Fantastic job.” Carrie Ann: “I agree. You floated through that like a dream, like you were a rock star. There was so much interpretation of the music, more than I’ve ever seen. I felt like you became one with the bass, and the strength and the power and the story.” Derek: “One of my favorite parts about the show is redemption. Having a bad week and coming back and doing what you just did. It was so beautiful. I loved the version of that song. Rock and roll, the costume, the theme, the character, the dancing. It was like a perfect formula. Fantastic.”

We have a skull mirror ball, hanging in the ballroom!

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Gleb and Chrishell, paso doble, Malefecent

Not really much of a dance there. Ugh.

Carrie Ann: “Chrishell, you are in your element. Talk about storytelling at its finest. That is what this night is all about. It was simple, the strategy was good: simple moves, executed beautifully.” Derek: “That was cinematic. You, tapping into that villain, with the horns. The simplicity of it called for that. It was sparse. There was space.” Bruno: “That was mesmerizing. Your focus, your intention, your purpose were absolutely spot on. You lost the fluidity sometimes. Overall, it was a very strong performance.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Val and Monica, jazz, Nurse Ratched

Any dance to “Fever” is a good one, especially with Val Chemerkovskiy’s stunning choreography.

However, Monica Aldama still doesn’t seem really comfortable with all this, and she seems to be stepping rather than dancing through it all.

Derek: “First of all, that opening leg! The musicality, the transitions into the lifts, I really felt that seductive energy at the beginning. And I think that tonight more than ever, it’s really about the character. For me, that side by side moment, I lost the character in the middle, but overall, I thought it was a  really strong performance.” Bruno: “I didn’t get a fever. I got more of a mild chill. Great leg extensions. Great lifts. The thing with jazz, it has to always come from the body. Think Fosse. (And he shows us what he means.)” Carrie Ann: “I agree with Bruno. What was not lacking was the intention behind the movement. The shapes were really nice. Tonight especially, it’s about storytelling. It wasn’t your best dance. You are still improving. This is a process.”

JUDGES: 22 (out of 30)

Cheryl and AJ, tango, Norman Bates

AJ likes dressing up in women’s clothes, so he loved dressing as Norma Bates’ mom (as in the movie) for this dance (at the beginning at least). Personally, I like the old-timey ’50s feel to the dance, with costumes and hair. 

Cheryl hit her head in rehearsal, but says she’s ok.

Carrie Ann: “AJ! Wow. I’m truly impressed. That was a really difficult routine, and you did… every movement was great. The power, the dramatic shifts. This is kind of what we’ve been looking for all night: the light and shade.My God! Well done.” Derek: “AJ, I loved the intro, with you dressed up as Normal Bates’ mother. That was so creepy and wonderful. I was watching your footwork a lot in that. Well done.” Bruno: “Thrilling. You managed to translate the neurosis of the character into the steps.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Daniella and Nelly, Argentine tango, Freddie Kruger

They dance to “I Can’t Feel My Face,” which is hilarious. Daniella, as always, was fantastic. Her choreography is just amazing. Nelly is, um, Nelly.

Carrie Ann: “Nelly! What is going on? That was by far your best dance. Everything you were doing was so dramatic. There was a sense of urgency to your moves. The dynamics in that: the push the pull, the hold, the footwork, everything. Booyah!” Derek: “That was definitely not a nightmare on that dance floor. You were such a great partner to Daniella.” Bruno: “You killed that Argentine tango. I don’t know how it happened, but your whole stance was completely different today.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Sasha and Justina, tango, Carrie

Well, this is funny. Justina hates Halloween, and she’s paired with the King of Halloween, Sasha Farber. 

Now, that’s a tango! Wow. Great dance.

Justina screams a few times during the dance. Chilling.

Derek: “You literally set this place on fire. That was awesome. First of all, your screams. I loved it. Your frame is exquisite. Also what I love: you travel across that floor. You move so much. And that means that you’re in the correct position.” Bruno: “Blood-curdlingly good. She stormed through it like a woman possessed. So powerful.” Carrie Ann: “You, to me, are one of the best dancers here. You have such a shot at winning this. I love the way you use the space. When you come out in the ballroom, it is yours. You own everything that you do, and I love that.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Jenna and Nev, paso doble, Black Swan

Jenna gets big points for creativity for this whole concept and choreography. Just wow. Nev gets big points for all the manscaping he had to do for this.

Bruno: “It has to be perfect. And it was! I loved this piece and you lived up to the expectation.” Carrie Ann: “There were high expectations coming into this performance, and you met them, and you exceeded them. I want to thank your dad for exposing you to ballet at such a young age. Look, it’s paid off. Your lines, your negative space, the way you change character, all of it. Wonderful job. Breathtaking.” Derek: “From beginning to end. The opening moment, when Jenna’s spread out like that. Gorgeous. Oh my gosh! It’s so good. The light. The shapes. The way you stretched. Just beautiful.”

JUDGES: 30 (out of 30, first perfect score of the season)

Alan and Skai, Argentine tango, Bride of Chucky

Interesting Argentine tango to a Billie Eilish song. Lotsa lifts. Still felt awkward to me.

Carrie Ann: “I am so proud of you. You’ve had the roughest road of this competition this season. And you came back stronger this week than ever. The power that you exuded in that dance was mesmerizing.” Derek: “Last week, I felt for you. This week, I feel you. You are on a mission. You were focused. So good. You actually killed that routine. Amazing lifts.” Bruno: “There isn’t a bad bone in your body, and not a bad step in that tango. What was fabulous tonight: the way you extended the shapes.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Artem and Kaitlyn, paso doble, Cruella DeVille

Yes, it is hilarious for anyone who follows Kaitlyn’s social media to see her playing someone who hates dogs. Her dogs are so loved!

Really great paso doble.

Derek: “Artem, I want to adopt you. Kaitlyn, you are dancing your butt off every single week, with so much content. I just have to thank you for that. The shapes! Great way to end the show.” Bruno: “You had the right intention. For me, it felt slightly rushed. It wasn’t as crisp and defined as a paso doble should be. But at this stage, you have to get the finish absolutely right.” Carrie Ann: “What’s so hard, Kaitlyn, is that you are a good dancer. I saw you trying really hard tonight. I don’t wanna discourage you, but this was another not great dance of yours.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Who are in the Bottom Two?

Brandon and Jeannie and Monica and Val. Who goes home?

Sadly. :-(

MICHE’s Favorites of Villains Week

1. Sasha and Justrina, tango

2. Jenna and Nev, paso doble

3. Cheryl and AJ, tango

4. Val and Monica, jazz

5. Britt and Johnny, Viennese waltz

6. Artem and Kaitlyn, paso doble

7. Brandon and Jeannie, paso doble

8. Daniella and Nelly, Argentine tango

So Done With

1. Skai

2. Chrishell

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Season 29, Week 6: No theme again and some major messups, but hey, Derek’s dancing! With Hayley!

 

For the record, I am ignoring commenting about all the Tyra Banks’ costume changes and lame (even painful) asides to contestants. She just bugs the crap out of me, and the less said, the better. And the lame scripted intros that they are attempting to do just mostly make me cringe. Ugh.

But let’s get onto the show, shall we?

Britt and Johnny, salsa 

Well, I don’t know about this song choice. Not sure about this salsa either. Seemed there were a few missteps and not enough bounce. I do really like Britt’s choreography, though. She is clearly trying so hard.

Derek: “First off, let’s talk about that costume. Holy moly! Listen: Miss Jennifer Lopez would be very proud. I love me some fringe. Coming off a week of getting two 10s, it’s really difficult. The expectation is high, there’s a little pressure on you. Overall, great way to start off the show.” Bruno: “Salsa has to have a much more grounded hip action. You tended to dance it all very lifted, so it changed. The style is not quite right. You have to use the floor and your hips a bit more in the salsa.” Carrie Ann: “The truth is, you win some, you lose some. This wasn’t your best dance for me. You had a slow start. Once you were side by side, I feel like then you found it, and it felt really good. I enjoyed watching it. Up until then, I felt you were very light on your feet, and not really confident. I wanna feel more earth in a dance like a salsa. I felt too little earth.” 

JUDGES: 22 (out of 30)

Jenna and Nev, jazz

They are dancing to a Marky Mark song, and Nev schools Jenna on the fact that “Marky Mark” is the same person as Mark Wahlberg. 

Personally, I didn’t like the song (“Good Vibrations”) or the dance. That opening pose though! :-0

Bruno: “It was deliciously bonkers. At times, I felt like I was in a rave in the ’90s. Then, I felt like I was loooking at “Fame,” you know, when they audition for Debbie Allen. I don’t know what it was, but it worked.” Carrie Ann: “I thought it was amazing. You threw in every single jazz step possible. Everything about that made me so happy, even though it was sort of a war of two worlds, with the music and the style, but it worked. You did it. Great job.” Derek: “Talk about Jazz 101. You were so clean. You guys were so together the entire time. I couldn’t stop laughing and smiling, in a good way.” 

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Val and Monica, rumba

Just a beautiful rumba. Val’s choreography is just stunning. Really nice execution by Monica too.

Carrie Ann: “Wow! Wow, wow. There’s nothing more exciting than to watch someone come into their own. I know you’re amazing in the cheer world, but now you’re amazing in the ballroom world. Latin dance! That was so refined, so sensual, so in your power, and you are radiant. It was a beautiful rumba.” Derek: “Absolutely. There is a softness about you tonight. You can tell you’re really enjoying this. And when you’re enjoying it, we enjoy it. Also, your balance is so impressive. I loved your story, but I loved your rumba even more.” Bruno: “That was a classic rumba. What you did, you pitched it right. It had the right balance of sensuality and romance. Just right, and it wasn’t forced. Your face was inspired. And your lines, and your shapes, and your control.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Alan and Skai, cha cha

I knew there was a reason I didn’t like Skai. And here it is. One of my pet peeves with this show is people who insist on doing other things (going on a world tour, headlining their concerts, studying at college, whatever) along with doing Dancing with the Stars. Apparently people don’t realize how difficult this can be, and think they can do many things at once. Well, you can’t. Something suffers. 

Like this cha cha, where she really lost focus. #NotAFan

Derek: “Skai, first of all, it happens to the best of us. It’s live, you just go out there. I have to commend you for carrying on. We saw there was a mess-up there. Things happen. There was really great moments in there.” Bruno: “He’s right. Accidents happen. The sections that you did well were actually much better than in Latin dances in the past. But there were a lot, a lot of mistakes. The choreography was very complicated. You handled it as best as you could.” Carrie Ann: “I’m really proud of you. It is not easy to find your way back from that. You really lost it in the middle there. You actually came back stronger than ever. What you performed was one of your better dances, because you looked so relaxed, because what is there to lose at that point?”

JUDGES: 18 (out of 30)

Peta and Vernon, cha cha

That suit! :-0 Dunno about this dance. Peta, as usual, works her butt off and has great choreography, but Vernon doesn’t do much for me.

Bruno: “The suit alone was almost hypnotizing. I had to squint to try to get the shapes. You have the right feel for the dance. You get into it, your timing is good.” Carrie Ann: “I don’t know how to say this, but I enjoy watching you dance. You’re very comfortable with yourself, which actually says a lot. It’s not easy with these movements to be comfortable. They’re very awkward. Anybody who’s done this show knows that. Your body’s in all these strange positions. But you have an ease about you that makes it very comfortable to watch. These were a lot of mistakes, so the scores aren’t going to be that great. But I wanna keep encouraging you.” Derek: “I would give you a 10 for joy, every single time. There’s a beauty about you. However, from a technical standpoint, it’s a cardinal sin in cha cha, with heel leads, and a little timing issue. But when you turned Peta, it is so smooth, so powerful, so strong.:

JUDGES: 21 (out of 30)

Daniella and Nelly, Viennese waltz

Nelly and Daniella dance the Viennese waltz to a Tim McGraw song, “Humble and Kind.” It was very pretty. 

Carrie Ann: “Excuse me? I’m without words. There’s something so beautiful happening. The way you expressed your hands, the fluidity. One of the most beautiful things about this show is getting to see different layers of people we thought we knew. Who are you that you Viennese waltzing, hip hop mega mogul? What is happening? There is such beauty in storytelling. It was a beautiful, elegant Viennese waltz.” Derek: “I don’t know how you felt during this dance, but for me, the softness and awareness of your body, and being a good partner to Daniella is incredibly masculine. It truly is. It’s beautiful to see, and beautiful to watch. Honestly, that was wonderful.” Bruno: “You’ve never been more charming and endearing. It was so nice to see you so inspired. There was a gentleness of touch that was so good. You treat your woman like your goddess.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

A beautiful paso doble dance break by Derek Hough and his love, Hayley Erbert (whom I really miss as a dancer on this show).  

The whole thing was almost ruined by Tyra’s schoolgirlish reaction to this beautiful, moving piece.

Brandon and Jeannie, rumba

 Love the costumes. Also loved this rumba. Am loving Jeannie more and more as a competitor. 

Derek: “Jeannie, that was such a sensual, and… that was really really good. Your legs were so straight and over your foot. It was so good. Really well done.” Bruno: “So much passion. You see, rumba you can play it many different ways, but you have to do it right. And you have the uncanny ability to transform your character with every dance. It’s all about passion.” Carrie Ann: “You are stunning. What is so exciting about you is how much you get every single thing you do, you dance at your edge, and for women, that is really powerful. People that go right to the edge. I salute you, sexy. You’re obviously a fighter.”

JUDGES: 25 (out of 30)

Cheryl and AJ, samba

Wow! I loved this dance. Cheryl’s choreography is always spot on, and she does hit that camera every time. LOL AJ doesn’t have quite enough samba bounce, but it was a very fun dance.

Bruno: “Oh my God. Don’t be sorry—just do it! You’re solid. You always deliver. You’re always on time. Your performances are always strong. You did a very good samba. You even managed to put some bounce into it. Very difficult sections. Well done.” Carrie Ann: “Finally! I feel like that was such a breakthrough performance for you. You got just enough outward, and downward and forward. You just had the right balance, cause sometimes you dance a little small. We love watching you.” Derek: “When in doubt, shake it out. And you shook it. It was so much fun to watch. You had a great bounce in there. Samba’s a tough dance. But you made it look easy, my friend. I loved it.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Gleb and Chrishell, contemporary 

Chrishell dedicates this dance to her parents who both recently passed.

Carrie Ann: “I’m sure (her parents) are both watching over you and are very proud of you. You poured your heart and soul into that dance. I could feel you, I could feel all your emotions. Emotions are one of those things that when you add it to a dance, it creates this X factor, and it makes it more exciting. This was about the story, and I felt it. We all did. Thank you.” Derek: “You’re extraordinary. You’ve had a heck of a year, to put it mildly. And you are coming out here with joy, with light. I commend you on that so much. I love when you add that intention into a dance. You really feel that. We felt it. Everybody at home felt it.” Bruno: “Oh my darling. It was so emotionally engaging, so raw, so truthful. It’s irresistible because you gave everything you had. You throw everything you have into your performance. Of course, you’re not a contemporary dancer, so there are a few technical touches, due to the dynamics.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Artem and Kaitlyn, samba

They make a big deal in the package about how Artem gratuitiously says “I’m sorry” all the time, so it’s kinda funny that they dance to this Justin Bieber song whose refrain is “I’m sorry.” I liked this samba. Lots of content. Fun to watch.

Derek: “Kaitlyn, I am sorry, because that was fantastic. Every arm is perfectly placed. Doing the proper samba hip action? I was like, “YES1” That was a clinic of a samba.” Bruno: “That really was a  first-class samba. You didn’t miss a placement. It was exquisite. She managed to make it look elegant.” Carrie Ann: “It was well executed. But I was not super impressed. You are an amazing dancer. It’s a competitive season. You wanna win? You need to give us more.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Sasha and Justina, Viennese waltz

At this point in the competition, I was rooting for Sasha and Justina so hard. And this Viennese waltz was just gorgeous.

Bruno: “Tonight has been such a fantastic show. Exciting, surprising, inspiring. We never really thank the professional dancers that do such a good job teaching all these people over the weeks. You really come out with wonderful ideas. Sometimes crazy ideas. Sometimes sexy ideas. Love them all. And  you, my darling, still on the crest of a wave. Smooth as silk, light as a feather. Radiant. I love to watch you dance. You fill the floor with joy.” Carrie Ann: “Every time you come out on the dance floor, I know it’s going to be good. I know I’m going to feel good watching you. You are elegant, you are refined. There was more emotion than we’ve seen in this dance. You took it to another level. You are a beautiful dancer, and I love the joy you bring to all of us.” Derek: “Justina, you are so reliable. You’re very consistent. And your arms are so beautiful. You guys were perfectly in sync, which is really difficult to do with arms. Floating across a floor spotting your turns, gorgeous. Just wonderful.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Who are in the Bottom Two?

Britt and Johnny or Peta and Vernon?

Peta and Vernon end up going home.

MICHE’s Favorites of Week 6

1. Sasha and Justina, Viennese waltz

2. Cheryl and AJ, samba

3. Val and Monica, rumba

4. Artem and Kaitlyn, samba

5. Daniella and Nelly, Viennese waltz

6. Brandon and Jeannie, rumba

7. Jenna and Nev, jazz

8. Britt and Johnny, salsa

9. Peta and Vernon, cha cha

Getting really sick of

1. Skai (classes, boo boo)

2. Chrishell

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