Images Courtesy
of ABC
Hello to All:
This was
actually sent
out Wednesday,
October 3. For
some reason, it
did not
circulate
through the
system. Once we
discovered that
today after a
large number of
folk asked where
it was, we
looked into and
solved the
circulation
problem. Sorry
it's late, but
hope you enjoy!
Computers, the
Internet and Web
Sites are just
marvelous
inventions.
Since my
recorder failed
to record DWTS
Monday night, I
went to the ABC
web site and
watched the show
"online".
Though not as
crystal clear as
on the "big
screen" of my
TV, it was nice
to have just
three (or
four?) 30-second
commercials to
sit through.
Well, you
probably aren't
interested in
all that, so
let's get down
to business with
my comments
about the
dancing. First,
I'd like to say
that I was
impressed with
all of the
performers -
whether it was
Quickstep or
Mambo, they all
had a difficult
dance to learn
and all did an
amazing job in a
very short time.
In general, the
costumes were
OK. I
didn't care for
Mark Cuban's
sleevless look;
he doesn't
really have the
body for it.
And though
wearing a
sleeveless
shirt didn't
quite make him
look like a
"redneck" from
Blue Collar
Humor, it didn't
make him look
"young and
virile" either.
Maksim's hot
pink shirt under
a vest for
Quickstep was a
bit "off" in my
opinion, but,
lacking a
compelling
reason for
wearing
something
else, I tend to
go for
the traditional
look of tails
in that
dance. Try as I
may, I can find
no reason -
compelling or
otherwise - for
a man to wear a
hot pink shirt
while dancing
Quickstep.
Floyd
Mayweather's
outfits for
practice?
Please, do we
need to see more
men's underwear
sticking out
over the sagging
waistband of
their
trousers?
This brings up
an interesting
point in my
mind: Why are
role models not
the Romans? You
remember that
old saying about
"when in Rome,
do as the Romans
do"?
Shouldn't we be
considering
"fans" and
"groupies" as
visitors to
Rome? Shouldn't
the role
models
be setting
examples instead
of acting like
the "visitors"?
Just because all
the "kids" are
barely
keeping their
pants from
falling down
doesn't mean
that a sports
"star" should
copy that style
and give it more
validity.
That's my
opinion, at any
rate. And I
think it would
be far nicer to
emulate someone
like
Helio
Castroneves
who, so far as
I've seen,
presents a
suave, polished
and
quite
gentlemanly
"look" and
demeanor
at all times.
The
Dancing:
Mel
B
and Maks
C did a
reasonably good
Quickstep. In
this season,
there are
NO male
professionals
who are notable
for their
Smooth/Ballroom
dancing. That
makes it a bit
difficult for me
when evaluating
the female
celebrities
because it's not
easy to overlook
the faults
caused by the
weaknesses in
these guys'
posture and
technique. Mel
did look good
though she had a
bad frame. I
didn't care for
the "casual"
hold used and
feel that,
overall,
Quickstep should
be more
traditional than
was displayed by
this and the
other
Quickstepping
couples. I
didn't catch the
judges' scores
on this one, but
would have given
her a 24.
Mark
Cuban
and Kym
Johnson
both looked
rather scraggly
in their
practice
outfits. It
pains me to see
Kym being so
casual because
she has been so
well groomed in
the other
seasons. It
doesn't matter
to me that this
was their
practice
sessions. Being
casual is one
thing but
looking as if
you haven't
bathed or washed
your hair is
totally
different in my
book.
They weren't out
working in the
yard - they were
being filmed for
TV and for
a program that
deals with the
elegance of
dance.
That puts it in
a totally
different arena
in my thought
processes.
Mark's dancing
was unremarkable
except that he
was on the 2
count for quite
a while, then
got off about
halfway through
the routine. He
did seem to know
the
choreography.
His footwork and
leg actions were
bad, but we do
need to allow
for the short
time in which he
had to learn the
routine. On
that basis, I
gave him 21
points and was
surprised to see
that the judges
were even
stricter than me
in only giving
him 18 points.
Wayne Newton
needs to be
voted off and I
do feel a bit
sorry for
Chery
Burke
in being saddled
with such a
non-capable
candidate. Then
again,
other pros have
had to contend
with bad
dancers, so it's
not like she's
been singled out
for punishment.
Wayne's timing
was terrible, he
made loads of
footwork
faults and the
routine was too
basic for this
particular
arena. His
saving "graces"
are his smile
and enthusiasm.
15 points from
the judges was
pretty fair.
Marie Osmond
and
Johnathan
Roberts
did an amazing
Mambo in such a
short time. She
looked "hot",
used her skirt
well and played
the part of the
Mambo "vamp".
She had good
feet, good arms,
good legs and
good rhythm and
just did a great
job. I awarded
her 24 points
and was glad to
see that the
judges agreed
with me.
Albert Reed
was pretty bad
and I don't
think
Anna Trebunskaya
can bring his
dancing up
enough to make
him a contender
for the mirror
ball trophy. He
is enthusiastic
but has bad feet
and bad posture
and was way out
of sync with
Anna in several
places. Her
dress and
hair bothered me
for several
reasons, but
mostly because
they were not
flattering to
her in this
dance and with
this partner. I
awarded Albert
18 points and
feel that the
21 received from
the judges was
too high. Their
marks did NOT go
with their
critique of his
performance.
Note:
I now know
he got booted
off the show and
feel that this
was a reasonably
good choice. My
first pick would
be Wayne Newton
(but we know he
has a big fan
base) and my
second choice
would be Floyd
Mayweather, who
I hope not to
have to watch
much longer.
Helio
Castroneves
is just fun-tastic!
So far, he is
the best dancer
of the lot and
Julianne Hough
is doing a
fantastic job of
bringing out a
sexy, virile
playfulness that
must be an
innate part of
his character.
His Mambo was
dynamic. He
danced it full
out, looked
masculine the
whole time, did
moves that would
cause many
teachers some
problems and
kept the timing
going
throughout. It
was great to see
that he DANCED
that entire
routine with
such enthusiasm
and apparent
confidence. I
awarded him 27
points and was
glad to see that
the judges did,
too. Helio is
my choice (so
far) for winning
that trophy!
Jennie Garth
got a bad break
with that
fall and you
could tell
that she was
quite upset over
it. On the
other hand,
"stuff" happens
and she
needs to put on
her big girl
panties and deal
with it.
Overall, she did
a good job
though her
topline was weak
in several
places and her
left arm needs
a lot of work so
it stays up
where it belongs
in closed
hold. The
judges totally
agreed with my
award of 21
points. I don't
think Jennie
will be around
overlong on this
show.
Cameron Mathison
did a 180
reverse from the
first night
"hype" and I was
shocked to see
what a
big whiney baby
he was during
practice. I
have absolutely
no patience for
that whining
crap and
probably would
have given him a
solid verbal
dressing down
for it. The
routine was a
bit basic with a
few good tricks
in it. Overall,
he gave a nice
performance with
bad technique
and bad
timing. For a
guy learning
then doing a
Mambo in just 4
days, 21 points
was fairly right
on.
In my opinion,
Floyd Mayweather
is an Albatross
around
Karina
Smirnoff's
neck. I've
already given my
opinion about
his clothing.
His dancing is
purdy danged bad
if'n ya axed
me. Terrible
posture,
terrible frame,
terrible
footwork and
dreadful legs.
How the judges
could say that
his footwork was
"light" is
beyond me. A
lady I respect a
great deal once
taught me that,
when rise and
fall is used,
the couple
should perform
those actions
together, not
separately. And
I know that,
like me, Gerry
would want this
couple to get in
the same
elevator in this
respect. And
what was all
that running
around crap at
the end of this
routine? Bah! I
would not have
given this one
more than 18
points and feel
that the judges
were WAY too
generous in
awarding him 21
points.
Jane
Seymour
and Toni
Dovolani
presented a very
nice routine
eminently
suitable to
Jane's age and
ability. I must
agree with her
that you can do
an elegant Mambo
and don't have
to be "raunchy"
with it. (Helio
was not raunchy,
and neither was
Marie)
Personally, I
felt Jane's
Mambo was very
reminiscent of
the 1950s type
of Mambo with
light and
flirtatious-sounding
music. I
thought she did
a great job of
selling the
routine, though
it was perhaps a
bit tame in
places and
needed to be
danced with more
"abandon". On
the other hand
her feet and
legs were
fabulous and she
did very nice
body rhythms.
The 21 points
she got was
about right in
this one.
Sabrina Bryan
and Mark
Ballas
gave just what I
expected - High
energy "flash
and trash" with
no real
underlying dance
"substance" to
bolster up the
performance.
She gave a
powerful
performance and
she has good
control of her
body and moves
it well. But,
as Len Goodman
pointed out,
there do need to
be some slow
actions for
contrast. Even
in Cha-cha,
Jive, Samba and
Mambo, the
choreography
contains "slow"
actions for
contrast. So
Bruno was way
out of line for
jumping down
Len's throat
over his comment
about the need
for slowness in
places. To a
trained
eye, Mark's
carriage, frame
and hold
screams: I am
not a Ballroom
dancer".
And, if you need
more proof of
that, just look
at his feet and
legs! He is
working against
a handicap and
is doing a
fairly good job;
will this be
enough,
with Sabrina's
fan base, to win
that trophy?
We'll have to
wait and see!
26 points was
pretty much on
the mark for
Sabrina.
That's a wrap
for this week's
DWTS. Hope you
enjoy the show.
Happy Dancing
and remember
www.theplace2dance.com
is also
www.the-dance-place.com
