DTWS S025, Week 8: Previous Winners Return for Trios

Welcome to Week 8 of Season 25 of Dancing with the Stars. This is Trio Week, but this time, they are putting a little spin on it. (Usually the trio is made up of the two competitors, plus some pro that they choose—either one that got eliminated, or one of the troupe members). This year, the third person is a returning champion. (BTW, great hair, Erin!)

REGULAR ROUND

But before that kicks off, they are going to do individual dances.

Can we just stop and give some thanks to the amazing costumers at #DWTS? Look at this.

Sadly, the dance didn't match that quality. Although the troupe members were superb. Charleston is for sure my favorite dance on this show, but some people can’t really handle it. My favorite part of this dance was that Sasha and Jenna were in it.

Len: “That’s the way we start off a fabulous show.” He goes on to say that Terrell is the most improved celebrity (arguable). Bruno: “That was priceless. Your star is still rising.” Carrie Ann: “The dance never got away from you. You’re peaking, my friend.”

Len has inexplicably donned a ’20s hat for the judging.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

These two went from the bottom of the leader board to near the top last week. Drew says he “honestly feels they are contenders for the Mirror Ball.” and he wouldn’t be wrong.

Drew talks in the package about how his life was something completely different before he met his fiancée. With that in mind, they dance this waltz to “Both Sides Now,” which Drew says is about how you could completely not know yourself.

About Linda, his fiancée, he says, “I couldn’t live without her.”

And they do just a spectacular waltz, with stunning incredible choreography by Emma. So beautiful. The version of the song makes it really poignant, too. They do this spin (there are a lot of spins in the choreography), but this one spin ends with them stopped, still, face to face. It’s so intimate and beautiful. (That is a regular element of her choreography that I love: a moment of stopping. It’s just stunning when she does it.) And the dance ends as it began, with her in his arms, catching her fall. Gorgeous. God, what a dance! Just incredible choreography. Loved the version of the song, too.



Bruno: “Your intentions were very clear and very deeply felt.”  Carrie Ann: “The intention was clear in the upper half of your body, but your lower half didn’t keep the tempo.” Len: “It was full of emotion. I loved the bit where you got a bit of light and shade, and then speed came into it, then back into the... It’s your frame. The frame has to be constant throughout the dance, and it’s not.”

So, I just wanna say this about that. The judges often have their picks of who wins (they love the dancers, those who execute things perfectly). I think the judges seem to be indicating that these two are among those who should go home.

America, thank goodness, has a mind of its own. And whoever originally came up with this show, and added in the “America votes” part was a genius. It makes ALL the difference. Cause I thought this dance was amazing. (And I voted as such.)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)

They scare us just before we go to break by showing us that Victoria had a muscle spasm during rehearsal. Very scary.

When they had this show on two nights, they did this thing where they showed the pros backstage, and what they said to their partners off camera. It really added context to the show, and I wish they did it more.

But they show Val and Victoria watching the package (last week), and after Val says, “Dance like you would dance with the love of your life,” they show Val onstage, saying to Victoria: “Have a good time. You’re dancing with me. I’m a lot better at dancing than talking.” (He is sublime at dancing.)

Val, the consummate lover (loved from afar by both men and women, as he told us earlier in the season), has to work with Victoria, who hasn’t had many torrid affairs. Last week, they had an issue because of her inexperience with love. She did, ultimately pull it off in the dance, but at first she looked like a deer in headlights.

Victoria says: “We’re bringing sexy back... (then laughs) I don’t know if I ever had it before.” (No, you didn’t.)

This week, they have the most passionate dance (other than rumba), Argentine tango. Many of Val’s smiley partners (I’m looking at you, Ginger Zee) had trouble with this dance (ie, turning OFF the smile thing and adopting a character who’s fierce, and takes no guff). Going into this, I don’t have big hopes for Victoria pulling this off. (Both because she’s not had masses of passion in her life, and because she’s one of the smiley ones.) Then again, Val Chmerkovskiy IS her teacher. So, let’s see.

Well, she’s way more successful with it than Ginger Zee was. Victoria even manages a sly wink to the camera, which helps to downplay her natural smiley thing. It sort of conveys that she’s playing him, which works.

It ends with them on the floor, which is very, very sexy.

Carrie Ann: “We’re heading into the Semifinals, and everything matters. I did feel that you tried very hard to master the intensity of the drama, but you dropped your eyes a lot. In those moments, I knew you did’t feel comfortable.” (As Carrie Ann says that, Victoria drops her eyes.) “The body movements were fantastic.” Len: “It was clean, and it was exact. It had a nice, smoldering intensity about it. The lifts were good. I didn’t really get transported to Argentina, but it was a very good job. Well done.” Bruno: “You looked good. Great shapes, great lifts, good lines. Now, you have to ACT the part. (She drops her eyes again.) It’s all about maintaining the character throughout the dance, in the Argentine tango above any other dance. It’s all about that tension, keep that going.” 

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30) 

There’s a nice #DWTS Live bumper with Jenna and Artem and Gleb and Hayley.

Last week, Lindsey had a rib injury and was in a lot of pain, but like the amazing trouper that she is, went on anyway, and did an incredible (and incredibly hard) paso doble. This week, they have the samba. The concept is loosely that Lindsey is the lion, and Mark is the tamer.

I know that one of the things the judges watch for in the samba is whether she uses the samba arm movements, as well as the leg movements, and boy, are they there! Lots of both.

Len: “In that bit over there, you didn‘t look quite as surefooted as you normally are... It was full of rhythm, great imagination. I loved the stationary samba walks. One or two bits, I found a bit irksome. You had a bit of bounce. You could‘ve had a bit more hip action.” Bruno: “It wasn‘t your standard samba. There was something kind of unexpected, and very avant garde about it, but I actually liked it.” Carrie Ann: “I loved the creativity. It was so cutting-edge and bizarre. I really loved that. But I’m going to agree with Len: you did not look as sure on your feet as you normally do... But it was a fantastic and brilliant samba.”

Tom steps in to correct Carrie Ann, who had said that “it‘s the semifinals.” (“It’s not quite the semifinals YET. That’s next week.”)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 26 (out of 30)

Last week, Witney and Frankie had a BLISTERING contemporary which landed them atop the leader board. Frankie is still in shock about it.

In honor of their perfect score from last week, they dance a Viennese waltz to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” There is more attention paid to the words of the song than usual in a Witney Carson dance, and I appreciated that.

Bruno: “It was like being in a starlit dream sequence. It was so stylish, so elegant. Wonderful flow of movement. Very polished performance.” Carrie Ann: “So far, for me, that was the closest thing to perfection. You are so exquisite when you dance.” Len: “It was FAR from perfection. (He goes on to explain why.) It’s about an undulating movement across the floor. I never saw that.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 26 (out of 30)

Lindsay mentions in their package about how she’s never received a Mirror Ball before. Jordan, the dancer, basically says he’s gonna help her get it. Jordan also asks if it’s physically possible to chassée that fast... We shall see...

They pass one of the toughest quickstep tests, and stay in hold the whole LONG dance. Really incredible. And not at all boring. (Costumes, sets and lighting helped. LOVED that pop of red under her skirt.)

Carrie Ann: “It was incredible. It was Bob Fosse and Austin Powers. It was brilliant and sassy.” Len: (gives a standing ovation, which he NEVER does). Bruno: “It was a quickstep like I’ve never seen before. It was a mixture of psychedelic pop art, Swinging ’60s and the technically most demanding, intricate quickstep I have ever seen, done with such ease. It was absolutely outstanding.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

MICHE’S FAVORITE DANCES OF WEEK EIGHT
1. Lindsay and Jordan (quickstep)
2. Emma and Drew (waltz)
3. Mark and Lindsey (samba)
4. Val and Victoria (Argentine tango)
5. Witney and Frankie (Viennese waltz)
6.  Cheryl and Terrell (Charleston)

TRIOS ROUND

Cheryl and Terrell team up with the very first #DWTS winner, Kelly Monaco (she’s still on General Hospital). DWTS was very different back when she was on...  Cheryl says in the package that Kelly is “one of my best friends.” And they are all doing a rumba. Terrell notes that Kelly “is single, and so am I. I hope she doesn’t get distracted at how handsome I am.” (*eyeroll*)

He says that if he gets three 10s, he’ll take Kelly on a date.

Cheryl does a lot of spinning for a rumba... Just sayin...

Len: “The first dance, the Charleston, really suited your personality. This one, not so much.” Bruno: “You’ve got two lovely cherries on your rumba cake. You’ve definitely brought the sexy back. I couldn’t quite look at the steps, I don’t know why...” (PRO TIP to competitors, if you think you’re doing poorly, just throw in lots of sex. It’ll throw Bruno off... and he’ll score you higher than you should normally get.) “It needed a little bit more rumba.” Carrie Ann: “First of all, I’ve never seen so many goofy grins by all the ladies (she motions to the ladies in the front row). I wanted to see more movement, more choreography. I think it wasn’t as challenging as it could have been, but it was well performed.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30) (Sorry, no date for Kelly.)

Oh wait, Tom Bergeron motions to the three dancers holding 10s up in the skybox. Heh.

Well, look who’s back with Emma! Rashad Jennings, whom she won her Mirror Ball with. YAY.  Drew calls Rashad his “swag coach.” Drew says he wants to “capture my inner Rashadness.” Good luck, baby.

But then, they are doing a cha cha to James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing.” How can your swag not come out with that music? Emma’s choreography is again stunning, and she has a silent STOP moment here, too, except this time she’s gazing into Rashad’s face when she does it (Nice!). I just can’t stop smiling, this whole dance long.

Bruno: “I loved the funky disco feel. Keeping up with Rashad is a very hard act to do.” Carrie Ann gives Drew “the new title of Prince of Soul. I could feel you. You had everything goin‘ on. It raised your game tremendously.” Len: “What I liked was that everyone contributed to that performance.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 25 (out of 30)

We come back from commercial with the troupe entertaining us with a bit of skybox choreography. Nice!

The basic premise of this dance is that Victoria is watching Val and Laurie win the Mirror Ball, and she dreams of having that too. The song is “I’ve Got the Magic (In Me).” They dance a cool jive to it, with Laurie pulling Victoria in.

Bizarrely, Victoria has a big black pile of duct tape on her back. Not sure what that’s all about. Odd for the costumers to leave something so visible, unless it’s supposed to represent her brokenness, and rising above that.

It was a pretty cool dance.



Carrie Ann finds the parts where Victoria had to act “the weakest. You didn’t quite know what to do with yourself. You need to remember: you’re the star.” Len: “Lots of recognizable jive mixed in there. It just needed to be a little bit more sharp and clear, during the dance.” Bruno: “Jive is all about accuracy and precision in the legs.”

Tom Bergeron then goes on to explain that Victoria is in pain, and she made some accommodations.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

Mark Ballas is certainly the reason I started watching the show regularly. For me, he is still the one that brings the magic of dance the most consistently. His dances with Lindsey all this season (and really, with all his partners) have been creative works of art. But there is this other side to him. He just came from an extended stint on Broadway, starring in a show.

Jazz dance, I will remind you, is often called “Broadway dance,” except LA doesn’t think Broadway is that big a thing, so they call it “jazz dance” on DWTS. But every moment of this number, and specifically in Mark Ballas’ parts, you can just see the star he has become (even bigger than the star he was). Every kick is higher, every Broadway moment is drenched in Broadway. It is stunning and beautiful to watch.

And even the big stars who are Kristi Yamaguchi and Lindsey Stirling (certainly stars in their own right), can only stand in his starry shadow. He is unquestionably the star of this dance, and I loved every Broadway minute of it. And I am so grateful for every single minute that he is on the show.

Len: “On those two performances tonight, you’ve got no trouble.” Bruno: “It was classic Hollywood movie style. Everything I love. Well done.” Carrie Ann: “There was such incredible synergy. It was like I paid money to go see that dance. It was so fantastic. Clean and spot-on.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 28 (out of 30)

Frankie is with Witney’s former Mirror Ball winning champion, Alfonso Ribero, for a jive.

Bruno: “There is something about Witney that brings the best out of both of you. You never overpowered each other. You had the perfect frame for her to shine.” Carrie Ann: “It was a very strong performance. Frankie, you looked intimidated at moments.” Len: “I thought it was full of energy, it was full of content. You’re a good dancer, Frankie. Come out and perform.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

All season long, Witney was pretty much begging to stay, and it was unseemly and made me not vote for them.

Corbin Blue and Jordan talk about how they are mirror images of each other, in their package. How they’ve had similar lives and career paths.

I’m sorry, but when you are watching this, you are watching nothing less than three professional dancers. So symmetrical. Great salsa.

Carrie Ann: “OMG. #Amazeballs. Triple fire emoji. The unison was sick. Amazing.” Len: “It’s not difficult to please old Len, really. Play good music, dance with rhythm and style, show me good technique and capture the character of the dance.” Bruno: “That was phenomenal. It was two bodies responding with one soul. You really represented what it is to be Latin. The joy of life, the joy of dance. Nailing every move. This dance will go down in DWTS history.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Who’s going home?

MICHE’S FAVORITE TRIOS OF WEEK EIGHT
1. Emma and Drew and Rashad (cha cha)
2. Mark and Lindsey and Kristy (jazz)
3. Lindsay and Jordan and Corbin (salsa)
4. Val and Victoria and Laurie (jive)
5. Witney and Frankie and Alfonso (jive)
6.  Cheryl and Terrell and Kelly (rumba)

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DTWS S025, Week 7: Halloween Treats Us With Magical Dances

What is the best Dancing with the Stars episode all year long? If you jumped up and said, “The Halloween episode!,” then you are definitely a DWTS viewer. It’s the one we LIVE for all year long.

You can’t go wrong by the pros dancing to “Time Warp” to kick everything off! Such fun.

Victoria and Val kick off the dances with this beautiful Viennese waltz. Just stunning. The music was perfect, the dance was perfect.

Val, in the package: “Victoria survived death. I think she can survive Jordan Fisher and Lindsey Stirling.”

Every single dance they do, I appreciate Val’s choreography, and his dancing, so very much. It was lyrical and just beautiful. (They were portraying ghosts.)

Len: “Lovely amount of rotation. You floated across the floor like a leaf on a stream. Beautiful.” Bruno: “That was so fluidly ethereal, and I have to praise you because you have taken into consideration our comments about arms. That’s how you do it. Simply beautiful.” Carrie Ann: “The hold, the way you guys worked together, is magical. A magical routine.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

Tom comes back from the break to warn us not to turn Halloween puns into a drinking game: “You will not survive the night.”

Jordan and Lindsay do a Red Riding Hood paso doble. (Can I just say that Sasha does more somersaults on this show than anyone? By far...) The troupe of fellow wolves at the beginning of this paso was kinda scary.

They really could have omitted the “oh, it’s so hard to keep up with the troupe” comments, though. Dude’s a professional dancer. C’mon.

(As you can see, the set makers go all out on Halloween night, too.)

Bruno: “It was the biggest, baddest paso ever! The choreography you manage, Lindsay, is insane. It was insanely good. Absolutely superb.” Carrie Ann: “I felt like this routine was harder for you than routines in the past. I felt you going a little outside your comfort zone. It was really powerful and aggressive. I loved it.” Len: “There was plenty of tricks, and there was plenty of treats. I’m looking for faults. I gotta be honest: you little devil, you dance like an angel.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Super great costumes for this jive with Nikki and Artem. Fun dance to “I Put a Spell on You” in a Starbucks (-like coffee shop).

Carrie Ann: “I appreciate that you really try to extend your feet when you’re dancing. But I didn’t feel you connected as much to the music this week.” Len: “The coffee was a decaf, cause it lacked a bit of punch in the whole routine.” Bruno comments on how they messed up and it happens to everyone. “I’m sure you’ll be back next week, and kill it.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

We have a fun Halloween bumper by Sharna and Keo to come back from commercial. Then Maks argues in the package how everyone is talking (rightly) about Jordan and Lindsey (to win), and that he and Vanessa are still in this. Sorry, Maks, you guys are good, but Jordan and Lindsey are a level above. They just are.

Oh sorry, I just heard Maks call the paso doble he created, “brilliant.” Always love Maks’ modesty.

It’s Halloween. Of course there are a lot of zombies.

There were a lot of troupe zombies here (Sasha notably). And in Maks’ pantheon of pasos, I don’t know that this one was the most brilliant, but it was pretty notable. Also, there was some serious acting going on, not just from Maks, but from Vanessa. So, yeah. Pretty good dance.

(Sad to see Nick cheering her on from the sidelines, though.)

Len bitches about the difference between “production and dance. For me, this was lacking a bit in paso doble choreography.” (He’s right. And Maks knows he’s right, cause he’s looking down.) As Len is talking, the Grim Reaper walks behind the judges’ table with his sythe. Perfect. Bruno talks about how when she gets overexcited with her movements, she doesn’t finish a line. (Also true.) Carrie Ann: “It’s hard, cause I have such high hopes for you, because you are so powerful. You move beautifully.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

Cheryl and Terrell do a tango to Rick James’ “Super Freak.” Points for a great song. And a fun dance.

Bruno: “Cheryl, how you manage to make him hold frame and posture, considering the difference of height, and he never skipped a beat. He kept gliding, a proper tango.” Carrie Ann: “I agree absolutely. Well done.” Len: “You captured that staccato feel. You stalked the floor. Cheryl, you’re doing a wonderful job.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 25 (out of 30)

Clown Sasha scares the bejesus out of Cheryl. Fun stuff.

Then, they show all the ways that Sasha scared people all week. Well, except Terrell. He was unphased. PS. He does this every year, and I love seeing it.

BTW, can I just say that Erin Andrews’ jumpsuit is the absolute coolest?

In their package, Lindsey talks about how she hurt her ribs in the dance last week, and doesn’t know if she can dance this week. They show her at Urgent Care on Sunday night (the night before the show). But of course...

The show must go on...

Rib injury? What rib injury?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a true professional. Wow. Incredible paso too.

She’s in so much pain, she sits on Mark’s knee while the judges comment and give scores. Tom Bergeron sits on the floor with her.

Carrie Ann: “That was a really difficult routine. I could see the pain you were in the whole time. While I saw it in your face, and sometimes in your back, I did not see it in the movements. You were able to execute those shapes with strength and bravery and conviction. And that was so difficult. That was the fastest paso doble ever. I am so impressed.” Len: “I am a fan of your dancing.  What saved the dance were the twist turns, and that fantastic press line that you put in over there. And the knee walks. Well done.” Bruno: “That was so ambitious. And totally intriguing, because you managed to put a combination of paso doble, Irish dancing and a celebration of the Day of the Dead, but it actually all worked extremely well. Dramatically as construction... the speed of the dance was impossible to do, even if you feel well. And you managed to do it. Great achievement.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

Great troupe dance bumper to “The Name Game” to promote their live show.

Now, this next dance... Frankie says in the package that usually when people see him, they laugh. They don’t expect him to be a big scary mean guy. But, to the dance... (To a creeped out version of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take (I’ll Be Watching You),” which really is a stalker’s dream song.)

First, I'm not at all a fan of contemporary. It’s the rare contemporary dance which moves me in any way. However, this dance... wow.

Also, I can’t ever remember a #DWTS dance which involved a stalker breaking into someone’s home and trying to rape them. So it was very powerful, too.

Just a couple weeks ago, she was snottily asking him if he could “act sexy.” Guess she had no idea how much he could act, cause this was... just incredible.

Tom, afterward whispers to Frankie: “You do creepy so well.”

Len talks about how he’s not a fan of horror movies.  “That was one and a half minutes of horror. I thought it was fantastic.” Bruno: “You two tonight were truly inspired, and back on top. The storytelling, the interpretation, the dramatic tension, you maintained all the way through. It was spine-tingling good.” Carrie Ann: “I love when I see something that elevates the world of dance. That wasn’t just an incredible routine, you elevated what dance is, the way you interwove the story. You guys were connected by this invisible string of emotion. It was fantastic. It was riveting.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30) (The judges this week have cute little ghost paddles for their 10s.)

Oh, who’s next?

Oh, these guys! YAY!

So, all of the audience has glow sticks for this number.

Drew’s package shows him at the bottom of the leader board after last week (course, he’s forgetting how much people LOVE Property Brothers...) Emma gives him a great pep talk.

And they are dancing a Charleston (which is my favorite dance on this show). They whine about his hectic schedule and two dances and “I’m still here.”

But then, the dance...

First, you gotta love how Emma works Sasha into so many of her dances. Also, he is playing a preacher, who is marrying Emma and Drew’s characters (which is funny, because we all know that Sasha and Emma are betrothed).

I’m sorry, but that Charleston kicked ass. So fantastic. Drew’s lankiness really worked for this character.

Bruno: “That was murder on the dance floor at its most delicious. But you still managed to put a lot of jazz, Charleston, even jitterbug into there. You even kept up with the change of tempo, which is very hard when you come out of a lift. What’s happened to you?” Carrie Ann: “You were so in sync. You guys are so different. Every line matched, despite your complete different sizes and shapes. And you kept the energy all the way to the end. I think it’s one of your best dances so far.” Len: “Halloween is a marvelous thing, because last week, you were dead and buried. You’ve come back to life. It was fun, it was joyous, and I loved every minute of it. Well done.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

Then, since it’s Halloween, of course we have Team dances! YAY! But first, they announce that these three former winners will return next week to dance in the Trio round. Then, they release some results.

Team Monster Mash (above) dances first. We have just learned that Cheryl/Terrell and Nikki/Artem are both in jeopardy. (The other two couples are safe.)

The team also points out that ALL FOUR couples finished on top of the leader board last week.

They plan to dance with a literal maze onstage. Mark mentions how normally it’s “kind of a disaster. This is just a complete disaster.”

It was a pretty fun dance overall. All the moving scenery though. Ugh.

Len called it “a bit messy.” Carrie Ann: “I felt like you all underdanced.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

Then, we have Team Phantom of the Ballroom. (Dancing to “The Phantom of the Opera.”

We have some standings and two couples are in jeopardy: Drew/Emma and Vanessa/Maks are in jeopardy.

Their costumes for this dance, if you can’t already tell, are stunning. Both sets of teams had to have sequences where the celebs danced alone (without their pro partners) for 30 seconds. This team (I thought) did that more successfully.

Both Carrie Ann and Bruno are giving them standing ovations before they speak.

Bruno: “That was a splendid theatrical extravaganza. The choices of paso doble, tango into a waltz was absolutely genius. It was flawless in construction and it brought the best out of all of you.” Carrie Ann: “Words fail me. That was by far the most exquisite team dance ever.” Len: “Shut the front door and call me Andrew Lloyd Weber, that was the most polished dance I’ve ever seen as a team dance.”

(For the record, I don’t agree with Carrie Ann, though it was pretty darn good.)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Who goes home?



These were the four in jeopardy at the end. Right before the announcements, the ghastly death figure that had been looming around during the show came to Tom and Erin and handed them black envelopes with their names on them in red. Tom said the result was going to be “a surprise.”



These four couples get narrowed down to only Maks/Vanessa and Nikki/Artem being in jeopardy. As they are nervously waiting for which one is going home, Tom says: “It’s a double elimination. You’re BOTH going home.” :-0

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Miche’s Favorite Halloween Dances
1. Mark and Lindsey (paso doble)
2. Witney and Frankie (contemporary)
3. Val and Victoria (Viennese waltz)
4. Emma and Drew (Charleston)
5. Lindsay and Jordan (paso doble)
6. Maks and Vanessa (paso doble)



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