Season 16: Week 6

Week 6:

STEVIE WONDER NIGHT!!! 

The man himself was in the house, performing a few of his hits, and all of the dances were to some of his other songs.  He opened the show with a medley of "All I Do/I Ain't Gonna Stand For It", joined by Hunter Hayes.  Later in the show he performed "Sir Duke" (my personal fave) and "My Cherie Amour", which was played on a Harpejji.

Zendaya Coleman Cha-cha-cha-ed to "Do I Do", and she NAILED it.  You could cut paper with her sharp turns.  She was both excited and nervous because she is a BIG Stevie Wonder fan.

Andy Dick danced something remotely resembling a Samba to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", dressed as a mailman.

Jacoby Jones danced a Quickstep to "For Once In My Life".  While the judges said that the Quickstep is not "his" dance, I thought he did a fantastic job, pigeon-toes notwithstanding.  As usual, he had technique, musicality, and performance to spare.

Sean Lowe did a marginally better Samba than AD (to "I Wish"), but only marginally.  He ended up resorting to taking off his shirt.  He really needs to "feel" the  music...which he does not.

Victor Ortiz took another sad step back with his Rumba to "I Just Called To Say I Love You" (for the record, my least favorite Stevie Wonder song)  His usual wonderful personality and "sparkle" was there, and he did have most of the technique, but he was far, far too stiff.  His hips never moved.  The judges did point out the lovely chemistry he and Lindsay have.

Kellie Pickler Quickstepped to "Part-Time Lover", receiving the first "10 from Len" of the season!  She and Derek were perfectly in synch, and they flew across the floor.  Fun to see.

Ingo Rademacher greatly improved over last week's disappointment by dancing a really strong Tango to "Uptight (Everything's Alright)".  He looked like he was having an absolute blast, and came across very strong and powerful.

Aly Raisman was game in her Foxtrot to "Isn't She Lovely", but you could tell that the events of last week were still distracting her.  She still put on a good show.  (Minor nit: her gown really didn't suit her.)

Next, they were divided into teams: Team Paso Doble (captained by Zendaya, dancing to "Higher Ground") and Team Samba (captained by Kellie, dancing to "Superstition").  Team Paso consisted of Zendaya, Jacoby, Victor and Ingo.  The guys all went shirtless, the solos were mediocre, and they weren't really in synch in the group part.  Team Samba had Kellie, Andy, Sean and Aly, and they went for a fun '70s vibe (the guys all wore fake mustaches).  Kellie and Aly nailed their solos; Andy and Sean...not so much.  However, the group part was tight and synchronized.  Team Samba won: 25 points against 22.

The Results show had Will.I.Am (whom I muted) and Olly Murs, whom I had never heard of, but enjoyed.  They had a fascinating behind-the-scenes bit, showing the sets being put together between dances.  Throughout the evening people were called in jeopardy: Sean Lowe, Victor Ortiz, and Andy Dick.  Andy was called safe.  The one eliminated this week is...Victor Ortiz!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 5

Week 5:

We're now at the half-way point, and they pulled out something incredibly new, innovative, and clever:  the Len Side-by-Side Challenge, where each couple will dance with a pair-duo.  First the duo-pair comes out and dances, then they are joined side-by-side with the celeb & their dancer, then the dance finishes with just the celeb & pro.  It was great to see some returning favorites, and it's ALWAYS great to see pros dancing together!  Unfortunately, things were a bit tempered by the Boston Marathon Tragedy: both host Tom Bergeron and celeb Aly Raisman are from the Boston area.

Side note: Tom Bergeron is now officially the absolute best show host in the modern era, being able to carry the show and not miss a beat, even though his heart must have been breaking.

Zendaya Coleman danced an incredibly intense Argentine Tango.  While this particular style is not among my favorites (the little stand still and flick one leg a few times move bugs me) I couldn't take my eyes off of them.  Zendaya and Val were joined by Maksim chmerkovskiy and Anna Trebunskaya.  Side-by-side you really couldn't tell the difference between the pros and this kid.  She got - and deserved - the first 10s (2) of the season.

Andy Dick had the Paso Doble with Sasha Farber (who is UNBELIEVABLE) and Emma Slater, both from the troupe.  Dressed as Zorro, he ziplined in, then fought with a cape.

D.L. Hughley danced a rather humorous Tango; he and cheryl were paired with Sasha and Chelsie Hightower.  The side-by-side was almost painfully obvious, but you could tell that he had the basic technique down.  He was mostly just a bit too stiff and bouncy.  (Side note: the show opened with everybody coming out dancing, and DL & Cheryl were actually dancing on the judges' stand!  He totally rocked it, too!)

Jacoby Jones got Jive, which was perfect for him and his larger-than-life personality.  He and Karina were incredible, and paired with Maks and Anna, matched move for move.  He did one absolutely jaw-dropping move: he leaped over Karina, but he did it without leap-frogging (using her shoulders to boost himself up) or her ducking her head!  Jacoby said that he really wanted to be asked to do the encore...and the judges complied...and he did the leap AGAIN!

Sean Lowe danced a quickstep, and while he kept up the speed, and did all of the moves correctly, the musicality still isn't there.  He still seems to me to be like, "OK, one...two...three...turn here...kick...one..."  At least he toned down the "aw, shucks" factor a bit.  He and Peta were paired with Tristan MacManus (with whom Sean seemed obsessed) and Chelsie.

Victor Ortiz moved back up a notch with a sweet Viennese Waltz.  His form is improved, but he seemed distracted by a personal problem (he found out that his girlfriend was seeing someone else).  He and Lindsay  had Tristan and Emma.

Kellie Pickler kind of ended up as part of an ad campaign for the movie "Gatsby", which is coming out soon.  Her and Derek's Foxtrot was themed very much like it.  That said, I loved her routine, with its typical Derek Hough flair for both dramatic and comedic.  Again, next to pros Henry Byalikov and Anna, it was hard to tell she wasn't one of the pros.  I felt she was robbed of at least one 10.

Ingo Rademacher danced a slightly sedate Cha-cha-cha.  While technically very good, he really didn't put his all into it, and it showed.  I'm disappointed, because I feel that he is easily the second best of the men (following only Jacoby).  He and Kym were set up with Tony Dovolani and and Emma.

Aly Raisman danced a fun and fiery Samba, which was good because she was doubly distracted: not only is she from the Boston area, but she was initially asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Marathon, which would have put her smack-dab in the middle of the trouble.  It didn't hurt her too badly score-wise, tho, and her and Mark's side-by-side with Tony and Witney Carson was a lot of fun.

The Results show went back to the traditional "safe/jeopardy" format.  The musical guests were the Band Perry (whom I muted; I don't care for them), a pianist/singer named Kerli who was very good, and Selena Gomez, who put on a great show although her mic sounded a bit odd. When it got down to the final three, it was:  Ingo Rademacher, D.L. Hughley, and Victor Ortiz.  Ingo was called safe (and I feel he shouldn't have been there to begin with).  The one eliminated this week is...D.L. Hughley!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 4

Week 4:

The theme was "The Best Year of Your Life", always a favorite of mine.  Not one for negativity, I love hearing about happy memories, and this week had a lot of 'em.  Each dancer also had a 15-second solo.

Zendaya Coleman went with 2009, which was the year she was discovered by Disney.  She danced a Samba to Beyonce's "Love On Top" (she had also gone to a Beyonce concert in '09, which cemented her passion for performance).  I really hate to use an overused cliche, but she really does dance far beyond her years.  Her confidence and talent were unbelievable, but she also has a nice self-depreciating sense of humor ("I'm 16; I'd like to think that I have some really good years coming!")

Andy Dick chose 2012, and danced a Viennese Waltz dedicated to his daughter.  I don't get the connection.

D.L. Hughley didn't choose a particular year, as much as a time in his life; his pre-teens, when life was simpler and more free for him.  He danced a Foxtrot ("Because nothing says 'Compton' like the Foxtrot," he said), but his solo cracked me up!  He went right up to the judges' table and moved his hips to contradict what they said last week, then he had a special message for Len!  Histerical!  Oh, that all said, there was a glimmer of technique...a definite improvement.

Jacoby Jones chose 2012, the year his son was born.  His son was in the audience, held by Jacoby's mom (whom I am really beginning to love).  Jacoby danced a Foxtrot, and his solo was basically a dance of love and joy for his little boy.  It was fun, cheeky, and wonderful, as was the whole dance.

Sean Lowe chose this year, the year he "met" his fiancee via "The Bachelor".  He danced a Viennese Waltz dedicated to her.  He continues to be the same: he has a definite rudimentary grasp of the technique, and still has that "golly-gosh" vibe, but absolutely no musicality, or heart.  He seems like a counting robot.

Victor Ortiz took two steps back from his giant leap forward last week.  When I heard that he had the Paso Doble this week, I thought it was perfect for him.  He chose the year he won his Championship Title, in a bout that everyone - including him - thought he lost before he even began.  Anyway, while he did some spectacular moves, a lot of the finesse he developed last week was not there...it was all ATTACK!

Kellie Pickler chose the year she got married, and danced to "Say I Do".  The song was written by her husband, Kyle Jacobs, for their wedding and, as an added bonus, was performed by him on the show.  Her Rumba was positively gorgeous and romantic, but unfortunately, Derek Hough put in some of his traditional "staccato" moves, which aren't quite Rumba-esque, and the judges touched upon that.

Ingo Rademacher also dedicated his Viennese Waltz to the year he married his wife.  He is improving week by week.  His dance was also very smooth and romantic; you could feel the love.  His solo seemed like he was searching, reaching for something unattainable, only to be found once Kym joined him.

Aly Raisman chose 2012 and her Olympic victories, and all of the work it took to get there.  She danced a Contemporary piece was really allowed her to open up; it wasn't so much about the steps (which were near perfect), but about the emotion, which she put on display admirably.  Although I get the point, I was a little disappointed that Mark finally caved and let the solo be all about gymnastics, but this IS Contemporary, so pretty much anything goes.  It did her no harm, and actually put her at the top of the leader board.

Lisa Vanderpump missed a few rehearsals due to the flu (am I the only one who thought that her passing out was just a touch over the top?  I've had the flu, worked through it, and never swooned), but I really couldn't tell.  Her Cha-cha-cha - dedicated to the year her daughter got married and their bond - was like every other dance she did, and her solo wasn't much more than her standing there shaking her booty, dancing kind of like the way I danced when I was 8.

The Results show was pretty good.  The musical guests were Brad Paisley, and Andrea Bocelli with Jennifer Lopez.  While I initially thought that the latter was an odd pairing, it was actually pretty durned good!  The Macy's Star was a lovely 17-year-old girl who, while legally blind, is an accomplished dancer, who danced a lovely routine with her "hero", Derek Hough.  There was also an incredibly lame segment concerning "Bruno's joke writers".  Sad. 

The eliminations were done a little differently.  One by one, couples were called "safe" throughout the episode until only the bottom three were called:  Andy Dick, Lisa Vanderpump, and Victor Ortiz.  Andy was called safe.  The one eliminated this week is...Lisa Vanderpump!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 3

Week 3:

This week was Prom Night.  I didn't go to my prom.  Wanted to, but didn't.  Long, not happy story.  Glad that the stars had a better time than I did.

Zendaya Coleman did a Vienneze Waltz that was dedicated to her beloved Grandmother, who was in the audience & battling breast cancer.  While she was her usual, lovely self, something in this dance was lacking, and she made a couple of flubs.  I almost felt bad for her, but she was voted (by audience Twitter) Prom Queen on the Results show, which gave her 2 extra points.

Andy Dick danced a Cha-Cha-Cha.  Some men just should keep their shirts on.

D.L. Hughley danced a James Brown-inspired Salsa.  I saw a little more improvement, but the only one of the judges that would take into consideration that he and Cheryl were dancing on top of a not-exactly-large platform was Carrie Ann.  I don't think I'd wiggle too much on a moveable platform, either.

Jacoby Jones completely blew me away with his Rumba.  It was gorgeous!  The red lighting also hid the horrid tattoos all over his body, which, for me, was a plus.  He was voted Prom King with Zendaya, for two bonus points.  Side note: his mom, in the audience, was so bouncy & cute...and proud.  His dance was dedicated to his high school, which was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.

Wynonna Judd was everything but rockin' in her Def Leppard Samba.  You could see the intent, but the action just wasn't there.  Sad.

Sean Lowe continues to rank gimmicks over actual technique in his "YMCA" Cha-cha-cha.  He and Vanderpump suffer from the same problem:  They both have the rhythm, the basic moves, and the "sparkle", but they also both seem mechanized, and go for proto-innocent/sexy...and it's annoying on both of them.

Victor Ortiz...where did that Contemporary piece come from?  The last 2 weeks I'd seen promise - just a hint - but little delivery.  I really wanted to like him, because his personality is great.  Well, this week gave me full permission to like him; his dance was riveting and beautiful.

Kellie Pickler had the fastest and best dance of the evening with a speedy and precise "Footloose" Jive.  Her synchronization with Derek was spot-on, and she was simply phenomenal.  She had the high score of the evening (that was, until Zendaya got those extra 2 bonus points).

Ingo Rademacher was very, very good in his Paso Doble, but a wardrobe malfunction (the skirt he was supposed to rip off of Kim almost refused to rip) threw him off a little.  Only a little, tho.  I still rank him as the second-best of the men (to Jacoby).

Aly Raisman improved even more this week with her Viennese Waltz.  She allows herself to feel and emote, which definitely adds to the wonderful technique and rhythm.

Lisa Vanderpump had a Viennese Waltz.  I can't say much more than what was said above about Sean.  At least she didn't resort to gimmick.

This week had an extra twist.  At the beginning of the main show there was a Prom Group Dance, which was a lot of fun.  As mentioned above, fans got to vote, via Twitter, who ended up Prom King & Queen on their solos.

The Results show was a lot of fun.  The show opened with Huey Lewis & the News!  Since the whole Prom theme was about bringing about memories, I was fully expecting "Back In Time", but they did "Heart of Rock'n'Roll".  There was a dance featuring all of the Male Dancers, and Demi Lovato returned to sing her new song, "Heart Attack".  She looked and sounded wonderful. 

Then came the eliminations.  The bottom three were called:  Andy Dick, Lisa Vanderpump, and Wynonna Judd.  Lisa was called safe.  The one eliminated this week is...Wynonna Judd!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Batchelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife