Lobster No More—Bring Back Sasha, the Pro!

Dear Dancing with the Stars Casting Team:

You messed up. WTF were you thinking?

I’m sorry. Usually I can go along with whatever crazy choices you guys make, and just see what happens, but this time, a real travesty has been committed.

I know it's too late to change things for this season, but let’s revisit what we have here for a moment, shall we?

On the female side, great choices: Peta, Sharna, our champion Emma, Lindsay, Witney. Great choices. And our Cheryl Burke is back. Fantastic!

Sadly, our wonderful Jenna is relegated to the troupe again, but at least she’s somewhere. So that’s fine. And Hayley is back in the troupe, too. Wonderful.

It’s the male side which needs some work, and some rethinking.

Specifically, the reason I’m writing this letter is because of Sasha Farber.

Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

Now, I know, some of you may still be thinking of him as the guy in the lobster suit, but obviously, you haven’t been paying attention here.

Yes, Sasha has been the dependable troupe guy for a long time. He’s also been a pro for a long time now too.

Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

I understand. There is a certain amount of “real” casting, and a certain amount of “joke” casting (those whom you put in for various reasons, but fully expect to be voted out very quickly) on this show. I’m sure that when you paired Terra Jolé (the first ever “little person”) with Sasha, it was some of the latter. And yet, what we ended up with was some of the most beautiful, poignant dancing of that season. Dance after dance Terra and Sasha brought tears to my eyes, with their overall message of “accept people for who they are.” It was moving, it was amazing. Did you see it? It was some of the best dancing of Season 23, and they made it to the semifinals.

Simone Biles and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

And then, this past season, with Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. Sasha Farber kept up with all the gymnastic twists and turns of their routines. Did you see their Charleston? Go rewatch that tape. Who else has done a double cartwheel holding hands? I ask you.

Simone Biles and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

No, Sasha Farber has surprised and astonished us. Brought us great music, great routines, fabulous dances, all with a smile and a fun demeanor. Respectful of those who went before and aware of the rules of the show. A great team player, but an even better pro artist.

Sasha Farber went from being the guy in the lobster suit to a star in recent seasons. You wouldn’t put Mark Ballas or Derek Hough back in the troupe, now would you? Sasha Farber doesn’t deserve to be there either.

But who do we have dancing pro this season instead? (Male dancers)

Maksim, Val, of course. Mark Ballas is back! Hurrah (and thank God!)! Artem, sure. Alan, who put in such good service subbing for Maksim last season is now pro. Great choice.

The issue I have here is two people: TWO.

Keo Motsepe and Gleb Savchenko.

First, I’m frankly shocked that Keo even got back into the troupe after berating a producer on air with his temper tantrum. Why he wasn’t fired boggles my mind. But ok, in the troupe, fine. But back as a pro? Are you kidding me?

A big part of the job is not just teaching someone to dance well, but also coddling them, massaging their egos, doing whatever it takes to get them to the Mirror Ball. Keo is frankly not capable of this.

Both Keo and Gleb are narcissistic ego maniacs who only want their own star to shine. Whereas Sasha Farber is kind, giving, extremely helpful to his partner, as he has proven over and over. (Gently coaxing nervous Simone Biles to do sexual dances when she’d never even dated before. He worked magic there.)

On the other hand, when Keo was paired with Jody Sweetin, the talk was (and I firmly believe) that she was better than he was capable of handling. Every pro has to come up with more impressive dances as the competition increases. Some pros outdo themselves. Some, like Mr. Motsepe, come up short. MANY people said that he was holding Jody back. I am among those people. Had she been with a different partner—even, for example, Sasha Farber—she might be a Mirror Ball winner now. But with him as her partner, she faltered. It was painful to watch.

It was the best example of mismatched partners that I can think of.

And then we have Gleb.

Gleb has one mode, and one mode only: SEX. His tangos are about sex. His rumbas are about sex. His Viennese waltzes are about sex. His jives are about sex. His Bollywood is probably about sex. That’s pretty much what he does. That’s all he does.

Sex is his brand. He doesn’t care about content. Both Keo and Gleb have been given MULTIPLE notes from multiple judges (that they completely disregard) about putting more specific dance content into their dances. Gleb consistently mouths off to the judges and says that all he cares about is putting entertainment on the floor, and if he wants to put in sex (which he does), he will.

He’s arrogant and he’s a diva and he doesn’t listen to direction. (Same as Keo.)

Yet, these two are the ones you reward with slots as pros this year? When Sasha Farber has arguably been doing some of the best work as a dancer of ANYONE in the past two seasons. He doesn’t mouth off to the judges or producers. He doesn’t need to have a note about “please put in more dance content”—he already knows what’s supposed to go in there, and does it amazingly. The dances he creates, using incredible music, have been standouts across the board. The past two seasons, there has not been ONE dud.

You can’t say that for either Gleb or Keo.

You made a mistake here, Casting Department. People should be rewarded when they do outstanding work, not put back into the troupe. Please rectify this with Season 26.

Simone Biles and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

You threw him a curve ball by pairing him with Terra Jolé.  He picked up that challenge and ran with it. He adapted dances to fit the new circumstances, and came out with mind-blowing shapes in the process.

Step by step, he kept up with the gymnastics of Simone Biles. Over and over, he has done what is required of a pro, and far surpassed our expectations.

Sasha Farber started as a guy in a lobster costume, but he has become one of the most-loved stars of this show. He does not deserve to be put back in the troupe. Gleb and Keo deserve to stay there until they learn some respect.

I am saddened beyond measure with these choices. I suspect you will regret your picks of Keo and Gleb. Just remember: It really should’ve been Sasha.

Simone Biles and Sasha Farber. Courtesy of ABC Television.

And, he’s given you some of the best TV on Dancing with the Stars with this:

Sasha Farber proposes to Emma Slater. Courtesy of ABC Television.

BRING BACK SASHA FARBER, pro dancer. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Michelle Belaskie

*************************************************************************

DWTS Season 23, Semifinals: Handstands, Tears and a Sad Goodbye

Ladies and gentlemen: The semifinalists of Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars

When last we left our lovely couples, these are the ones remaining standing at the Semifinal round of Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars: Lindsay and Calvin, Sharna (now back in the lineup after an injury sidelined her) and James, Jana and Gleb, Laurie and Val, and the always wondrous Terra and Sasha (whom I'm still rooting for). The semifinals includes the favorite Trios round.

I'm sure it must've been killing Sharna to see Jenna dancing with James instead of her. So she returns with a vengeance (also, I'm sure knowing that one has to up their game in the Semis to move forward). She dances a delicious Argentine tango blindfolded with James. Stunning. (Let me also note that Peta was acclaimed for performing a blindfolded number a few seasons back with Nile, but she only did it for part of the dance, then removed it. Sharna's was only removed right at the very end. She performed the whole dance with it.)

And just when you're thinking: WOW! Sharna! James does this at the end:

Absolutely incredible.

Judge Julianne says it well: "We've seen a lot of Argentine tango this season. It's been hard, it's been fast--but THIS, this is what an Argentine tango is: Controlled. Sexy."

At this point in the competition, I am rooting with all of my heart and soul for Terra and Sasha to win. There have been many competitors with special obstacles in their lives, and usually much is made of that, as they go on to then win the Mirror Ball. For my money, Terra Jole has, in each and every dance, been an inspiration to everyone that if you want something, go for it. This song, with the lyric, "you're beautiful, just the way you are," encapsulates the message that Team Terra has tried to put forth in every dance.

She and Sasha knock me out each and every time. Even though this was a rumba, and it wasn't the normal sexy rumba, it was very much about owning one's own power, and walking through life with confidence. It was beautiful and fluid, and I loved it. I love them.

Carrie Ann, in tears at the judges' table, says: "Every movement was executed with the utmost perfection and quality and care. The quality of your movement is like the quality of you. It is untouchable."

Julianne: "I, 100%, thought this was going to be a very difficult dance for you. You, 100%, proved me wrong."

PERFECT SCORE for Sasha and Terra.

OTOH, if I had to pick a couple from these five that I would eliminate going forward, it would be this one. I've never liked them all along, and I would easily drop them now. I dislike their song choices, their set, their concepts. Just everything.

So all I'll say about their quickstep is that, boy, aren't these costumes great this episode?

And here we have one of those "fast and hard" tangos they were talking about earlier. But, it's to The White Stripes' "Seven-Nation Army" (as opposed to that wimpy bad song we just heard), so it's OK. I also love Calvin and Lindsay and if you take Jana and Gleb out of the mix, I'd be happy with each of those four couples winning the Mirror Ball, for different reasons. They are truly the creme de la creme.

Sixteen-year-old Laurie has just lost her grandmother. Despite this, she's a trouper, who not only carries on, but does an amazing foxtrot with Val. PERFECT SCORE, of course.

Tom Bergeron, who had his own bout with death in his family not long ago, shares Laurie's pain.

MICHE'S FAVORITES OF SEMIFINALS WEEK
1. James and Sharna's Argentine tango (blindfolded!)
2. Laurie and Val's foxtrot
3. Terra and Sasha's rumba
4. Calvin and Lindsay's tango

And now! It's on to the Trio round.

James starts off the package with: "Welcome to our Threesome," which causes both Sharna and Jenna to laugh. Ah yes, let your mind linger there for a moment... Ahem...

I am pretty convinced that to really excel on this show you have to not only have a great dance, but also great music. Those who understand this distinction go far.

The song is an old Motown classic, "Gimme Some Lovin' " (Spencer Davis Group) but as James jumps out over the actual car in which he had his major accident, and there's Sharna, now recovered from her leg injury, with Jenna who helped them both out, the chorus of "So glad we made it" resonates more than a little. And I love love love watching this Canadian racecar driver dance almost as much as I love watching Sharna and Jenna dance (almost).

Carrie Ann: "The best thing was the unison. Nobody beats you, matching the girls perfectly." (So true.)

Julianne: "That was one hot pit crew."

James just seems in his element, and dancing this jive to a song which his dad used to play for him all the time, you could tell the movement of the music is in his soul. I just can't get enough of this one.

PERFECT SCORE from the judges.

Terra goes into this whole thing in the package about how Sasha is her little brother and Artem is actually sexy, but excuse me, Sasha Farber is plenty sexy. (As he has proven this season.) But either way, after being sent off by a really nice Three's Company homage in the package, this tango is steamy! And I loved it.

Me, I just can't get enough of the star that is Terra Jole. This was just wondrous to watch.

PERFECT SCORE from the judges.

Jana, Gleb and Alan are up next, with a nice tango trio.

Thankfully, the concept they talk about in the package (where the two guys are both policemen) didn't last until the final dance. This arrangement is much better, and serves the song better, to just have them be two dudes. Rather like her being a black widow spider, and they are her prey.

Carrie Ann talks about it being a work of art, but I surely don't think that this came out of the minds of Gleb or Jana (so congrats to the producer who came up with this beauty).

Jana, in comments, is obsessed about "making the finals." OK.

PERFECT SCORE from the judges.

Well, of course, among the crowd of semifinalists, there is always one salsa. And it makes sense that this would be the one, with Witney (Lindsay's BFF) added to the mix. You kinda know all that going in. What you are NOT prepared for are the acrobatics that they perform in this trio.

Cause WOW, they do some crazy acrobatics in this dance.

Erin calls them "Calvin and the Doublemint Twins." Crazy, fun salsa.

PERFECT SCORE from the judges.

I'm a sucker for the dances which harken back to this show's roots, when some of the early competitors actually competed in ballroom dancing competitions. Too bad Len isn't here judging this week.

The concept of this one is that Maks is teaching Val and Laurie how to dance (to compete). It's really wonderful.

Except that, as far as the trios go (this one a samba), all the other ones really had the third person in there and dancing through the whole thing, and Maks only comes in at the beginning and end, compared to the other competitors. But it was ok. It's always fun to watch Val and Laurie dance. And the story was awesome.

PERFECT SCORE from the judges.

I, like the judges, really can't rank these five competitors. They were all fantastic, in their way, and they ALL deserved to be in the finals.

Sadly, one of my favorites to win ended up going home on this night. I am so completely bummed about that, I can't even tell you. Personally, I would've sent home Jana and Gleb. But it is what it is. Thank goodness we had such amazing incredible dances from Terra and Sasha all season long.

What a blessing and a joy your dances were. THANK YOU, Terra Jole and Sasha Farber. Tom Bergeron talked about how when people ask him who his favorite people were on the show, he would mention Terra. I so agree. The combination of Terra and Sasha was really a very special mix that won't soon be forgotten. She may not have won, but she really showed how this TV show can really bring magic sometimes. We shall miss you.

POST-SHOW NOTE: Notice how at the intro, every competitor is holding the Mirror Ball, EXCEPT the person who actually wins it the following week? Hmmm.
*********************************************************************

DWTS Season 23, Week 9: Broadway Dances Sparkle

The wondrous Mark Ballas returns from Broadway with his turn as Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys."

They called this "Showstoppers Week," a new tradition in Dancing with the Stars lore. But really, every dance isn't a "showstopper," and also, it could more accurately be termed, "Broadway Week." Broadway legend Idina Menzel is a guest judge. Hometown favorite Mark Ballas (whom we miss VERY MUCH on #DWTS) is now on Broadway, singing and dancing in Jersey Boys.

So, it's fitting that the first dance to kick off Broadway night was Mark Ballas, returning to sing his new show, while friend Derek Hough and Marilu Henner dance to it.

They perform a samba to "Oh, What a Night!" Derek goes up at the end to give Mark a hug. Oh, what a night, indeed!

Lindsay and Calvin perform a gorgeous waltz to "Memory" from Cats, with Leona Lewis. They had previously been attired in Cats' outfits (when they went to NYC), but thankfully have more #DWTS-style costumes here.

After this, Allison Holker and Keo Motsepe do a stunning Contemporary bumper to "Falling Slowly" from Once, obviously choreographed by Allison. So beautiful. I miss her being in competition. Her dances are so wonderful.

The sad thing is that Sharna still has her knee injury. The great thing is that means that Jenna is dancing in her place. Here James rocks the house with a little jazz number from The Wiz. I love this pairing (and/or threesome).

Week after week, Sasha and Terra have taken the mantle from Mark Ballas of consistently having the best music. In this case, not only the best music, but the music most suited to our wonderful Terra here. Week after week. Week after week, they have been my favorite. This particular week, they rollicked through a Charleston to "If They Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity. So perfect. So wonderful. I just don't even have enough words for how perfect and amazing these two are.

It was the only dance on "Showstoppers" Week, where Tom Bergeron actually said, "Well, you did that." (stopped the show). And they did. So fantastic.

Bruno, "They can see you in Patagonia, I'll tell you that." (They get two 10s from the judges. Shoulda gotten all 10s, IMHO.)

Also need to give a nod to the (again) amazing work that Sasha Farber is doing with Terra. This Charleston was adapted (choreography) for Terra's unique abilities. But it was stunning. She is truly a star. (And so is he.)

Then, we had a Jersey Boys bumper of "Sherry Baby," which again made us realize how gosh-darn-much we miss Mark Ballas.

Jana and Gleb give us a waltz from the musical Waitress. They receive a perfect score from the judges.

Laurie Hernandez trots out her sexy for this hot number from Chicago. The "Cell Block Tango" turns into an Argentine tango for Laurie and Val, and is just superb. The costumes (for all the Cell Block ladies) are spectacular. Even if Laurie equates some of her moves to "wiping peanut butter off" of Val... Ahem...

They, not surprisingly, get a perfect score.

Then, we had a break with Idina Menzel doing a song ("Queen of Swords") from her new album. Wonderful dancers (Allison Holker and Jenna Johnson, plus troupe members) danced along with it.

Then, we had some kind of new madness. Something called "the Team-Up Challenge," where they put two random members together to team up. These guys are The Last Men Standing. Way to plug those ABC shows!

"I was a big Megatron fan," says James Hinchcliffe. "I'm a bigger Calvin Johnson Jr. fan." The package goes on to detail their bromance. Judges give them a 37 (out of 40) for this.

So, in this paso (which is quite wonderful), James is the bandit, Calvin is the sheriff, and at the end, the women they are with (Lindsay and Jenna) hit them over the heads with bottles and take their money anyway. Nice touch.

"Jazz is like a pu pu platter of everything," says the adorable Terra Jole. Terra and Marilu do a jazz compilation of stuff, all sparkly gold and silver everywhere. Idina gushes, "Everyone hit their marks." Um...

We do find out, in case you were wondering, what "RBF" is... Also, there's a thing with a BIG dress that brings back memories of David Byrne's Big White Suit...

These guys called themselves, "Team Cubs," cause... why not?

They get a 36 from the judges.

Lastly, we have "Team Sisters," with Jana and Laurie and their partners.

And oh, the judges just ate up this Sia song done by these two dancers. Perfect score.

Marilu and Derek go home. And with that, the vaunted "Maks-Cheryl-Derek" thing that they made such a big deal out of in the beginning goes down (as I predicted). We have left those who deserve to be in the semi-finals.

MICHE FAVORITES OF WEEK 9
1. Terra and Sasha (Charleston, Sweet Charity)
2. Laurie and Val (Argentine tango, Chicago)
3. James and Jenna (jazz, The Wiz)
4. Calvin and Lindsay (waltz, Cats)

I will say this, too, though. Marilu, in leaving, credited the usual people, plus the crew, plus the hair and makeup people and the costume people, and called out the producers by name. That's class.

Idina Menzel also was very gracious in her exit comments. The kind of judge you want to have back (except she liked everything).

NEXT WEEK: Semi-finals!

PLEASE GO HOME
1. Jana and Gleb

***********************************************************

DWTS, Season 23, Week 7: Eras Night, Not a Dance Competition, Just a TV Show

It's "Eras Night" on Dancing with the Stars. Every star takes an era and does a dance. Fun times.

First up, Laurie and Val with the '60s. This isn't the counter-culture hippie rebel '60s, but the sickly sweet prom version of the '60s. Sixteen-year-old Laurie has never been to prom, since she's home schooled. Lucky girl. She gets to go to prom for the first time with Valentin Chmerkovskiy. She gets her first corsage from him. *swoon* We'll just skip over the fact that in the '60s, the black kids wouldn't have been dancing so easily with the white kids. Maybe it was a really cool high school. In the late '60s... Also, in their scenario, she asks him to dance. He would've asked her. Maybe this is the '60s, the way we wish they were...

In any case, Laurie and Val do a swinging quickstep (to "One Fine Day") that is loads of fun to kick off the show. Len is back! Yay! Carrie Ann gets on their case for doing two lifts in a quickstep. Val counters with: "It was the '60s, a time of rebellion."

First, I have to commend the hairstyling staff for their amazing '90s hair on Ryan.

Then, we have to talk about this '90s rumba. Ugh. I find him so unsexy. Cheryl Burke's dancing is always stunning, but there is such a lack of chemistry between them. This rumba was yawn-worthy.

However, Len says he's giving them an extra point because they didn't have lots of hooha going on (other dancers, big sets, flashy nonsense), it was just them and the dance. Which is Len's preference.

Marilu and Derek are another couple (like Cheryl and Ryan) who just haven't seemed to gel as partners. This week they do a '20s Charleston. It was OK, but it didn't do much for me. Julianne tries to make it all better by saying, "Well, you ARE the oldest person in our competition." Thanks, Julianne! :-/

They also had this disconcerting thing in this dance, which they've had in other dances this season when they have tap dance, namely that the sound effects indicate that there are taps happening that aren't really being created by the person doing the tapping. Very annoying.

Love Lindsay and Calvin. They have a real connection as partners. They danced a '50s jive to "Good Golly Miss Molly." (Can't go wrong with that one.) They are just fun to watch, and dance well. Very refreshing to see them.

Right before commercial, they had a bit with Artem (in his '80s gear, next to Maureen) pulling out a brick phone and making a call on it. Makes me laugh every time I see it.

First of all, Maureen McCormick is the sweet Brady Bunch chick. We're not used to her being harsh. And Artem? Looks totally different, though really hot. I loved this '80s tango. They danced to "You Give Love (A Bad Name)" by Bon Jovi.

There was an issue with someone slipping on the long skirt... really these skirts should be shorter so people don't have these problems...

Terra and Sasha! Man, I LOVE THESE TWO. Tearing up the dance floor with a '30s foxtrot.

Len comments, "You put the ALL in SMALL!" and commends Sasha for "doing a fantastic job." Indeed so. They are, by far, my favorite couple all season. And this is the season Sasha became a star, rather than just the crab.

The way he crafts each dance for Terra (this, "Cheek to Cheek," which Terra calls "Cheek to Chest"), the way he dances around her, it's just magic. Bruno calls Terra, "a mini Jean Harlow." Their connection works like no other couple this season. This foxtrot was so great.

They were at the bottom of the leader board this week. So glad they didn't go home. I know I used all my calls for them.

I have very little patience for this couple. Every season there is one star and/or pro whose ego is just off the charts. This season, that couple is Jana and Gleb. (Now that Amber and Maks are gone.) You will note that this dance, a '70s samba, includes other dancers, and WASHING MACHINES (what?), and clothes flung about here and there.

They are dancing to that "Get Down Tonight" song ("do a little dance, make a little love")...

Carrie Ann pointedly reminds Gleb that there are no lifts in samba. Even for "creative reasons."

Len starts by saying that there wasn't enough samba content.

PRO TIP: When Len starts in on you (as a pro) about how there isn't enough of whatever content in your dance, the proper response is: "Thanks, Len! We'll do that next time."

Oh, but no. Gleb does not do this. He escalates this almost to a Maks-level of insolence with Len. In his interview afterward with Erin, here is his comment: "It's not a dance competition, it's a TV show."

The look on Erin's face as he said that. Ahem.

Yeah, excuse me, Gleb, but it IS a dance competition. Ruled by Len. If you don't bend to his rules, YOU DON'T WIN. That's how this works. Gleb is very lucky that this season Len is away most of the time judging in England. But rest assured, if Gleb doesn't do what Len says, he won't win. (Actually, I hope they don't win anyway.)

This couple, on the other hand...

Sharna just presents a whole world here in this '40s jitterbug. The choreography was stunning; the characterizations, which James does amazingly, are stunning. There's a story here, and packed with content.

Although Len also said that there wasn't enough jitterbug, and was too much jive, to which Sharna nodded sheepishly.

But they did score better than Jana and Gleb...

And, for that, I am glad.

MICHE'S FAVORITES OF WEEK 7
1. James and Sharna ('40s jitterbug)
2. Terra and Sasha ('30s foxtrot)
3. Laurie and Val ('60s quickstep)
4. Calvin and Lindsay ('50 jive)
5. Maureen and Artem ('80s tango)

Now, to the Team Dances. First, it's very odd to have the Team Dance night fall on a night that isn't Halloween. Very strange. Also, two precedents that need to be brought up: Derek's team always wins, and the person going home is usually on the losing team.

This was Team Past, dancing a Viennese waltz to a Scottish brogue or something.

Here's how the Team dance thing goes (usually). The ensemble dances together, then each couple breaks off and does a bit by themselves, then the ensemble gets together again. In all they are judged for cohesiveness, and how well they are in time with the others, and in their individual pieces, how well those reflect each couple's personality. This is what scores big numbers with the judges.

So mind you, on Team Past, you have two powerhouses of choreography (Sharna and Lindsay). It is a beautifully executed piece.

Len notes that it was "very brave to go for a Viennese waltz... This was a proper Team dance."

They score two tens, for a total of 38.

Team Future also has two powerhouse choreographers (Derek and Val). It also has the regular winner of the Team Dances (Derek). Plus, Sasha and Terra. Lots of elements here to win this.

Why did this dance fall apart? "Laurie's traveling... Jana's traveling..." (could be?)

Several of the judges mention the lack of synchronicity among the dance members.

They get 35. Derek's team loses.

And who goes home? Someone from the WINNING team.

Sad. It was fun watching you, Maureen. And at least we got to see Artem as an '80s rocker.

PLEASE GO NOW
1. Jana and Gleb
2. Ryan and Cheryl
3. Marilu and Derek

***************************************************************