Louis van Amstel confirms pros don't do choreography
Elsa
Posts: 3,157 Forum Member
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Or more precisely, some of them do, some of them don't, and he's not naming names. Here's the quote:
And here's the link:
http://lablastfitness.com/louis-van-amstels-dwts-season-20-blog-week-2/
Thank God somebody in a position to know has admitted it. I've argued myself blue in the face over this subject in the past. Whew !!!!!! Thank you Lou !!!!!!
Last week many people commented on my statement about some Pros doing their own choreographies and some who don’t. I have the balls to say who does and does not, but I won’t for the simple reason that it’s not my job to throw them under the bus. All I want to do is educate the audience on this matter, so you can question yourself if the pro choreographed it or not. Anna Trebunskaya mentioned, “it’s all about creating a good show”, with which I agree, BUT it’s not fair if the judges compliment a pro on a choreography that they didn’t create, while another pro DID do their own, without any compliment from the judges.
One of the reasons I even mentioned about the choreography is because you at home thought all these years that the pros do their own choreography. I think it’s only fair you know the facts, and are not mislead by wrong assumptions. The choreographers who create the choreography that receives the judges compliments should get the credit for their work especially when dances that appear on DWTS are eligible for award nomination.
And here's the link:
http://lablastfitness.com/louis-van-amstels-dwts-season-20-blog-week-2/
Thank God somebody in a position to know has admitted it. I've argued myself blue in the face over this subject in the past. Whew !!!!!! Thank you Lou !!!!!!
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Comments
What I think is that the pros sometimes do some (or even all) of the choreography - and sometimes they do none of it, and sometimes it's a mix of the show's "creative team" (Kym Johnson mentioned working with them on an idea she had for her and Robert this season) and the pros.
One mistake I used to make is believing that "reality shows" are reality. They're heavily produced - all of them. Some of the pros have said they've been given scripts to enact during the VT's and have even fought with the producers over whether they have to say those things are not (sometimes the things make the dancer or celebrity look bad.) A whole lot of what we see isn't real. But then, some of it is. It's kind of ruined it all, for me, but then, I could kick myself for getting obsessed with a reality show in the first time. I only watched one "Idol" show - and that reeked of manipulation, but by then, I'd figured out DWTS was all smoke and mirrors.
I think Derek in particular was quite young when he started on DWTS and may have needed some guidance before he became "Mr. Choreography" so maybe he and Mark have made a transition since they started, and some of the newer pros work with the creative team more... I imagine some of the newer/younger pros might want some help.
I also believe what Hope Solo wrote in her book - that Maks knew a memo went around the week of the quarterfinals that they would be sent home that week so he decided to throw a strop so they'd be kept in, due to the stirred-up interest by his acting out. At least he figured out how to manipulate them back.
I don't hate the idea of it THAT much (maybe good choreographers and good tv personalities aren't always the same person) but people should get credit for what they do!
I think all of the "celebs learning to dance" shows are pretty scripted. They decide who's going to have a showmance, who's going to have an argument (or at least whether to make it known to the audience if one genuinely occurs,) whether to publicize an injury or difficulty etc. We only know what they want us to know unless somebody genuinely leaks something...
But it is an interesting one.
Although it was performed beautifully, it did bother me somewhat that Peta had a choreographer for her winning freestyle contemporary number with Nyle. It did seem unfair to choose a style in which she wasn't a specialist, so got outside help, rather than do something else she could have choreographed herself.
It still irks me that on Strictly, Brendan was praised for the Sophie Charleston choreo when externals did it.
I do not mind them using AT, Charleston or salsa specialists but credit them for crying out loud.
My ears have perked up whenever this subject comes up, ever since I read about Tony complaining that he and Maks were the only pros who did their own choreo, and this was when everybody was praising Derek and Mark to high heaven. I also had already read that Julianne and then Derek/Mark got loads of help from the Ballases.
Oh well, like the Elsa in the movie, I need to LET IT GO