I don't know really. Perhaps they feel silly (I think Romeo was complaining about that in an early episode training VT when he was wearing the latin shoes) but maybe they are latin shoes with lower heels - some of the pros look to wear the flatter shoes too. Maks' brother was definitely wearing proper male latin shoes in that demo they danced last week though.
More like I should stop obsessively looking at the dancers shoes I can tell the difference with the shoes as you can often glimpse a bit of daylight with the latin shoes as the heel is about 1" high and cuban heels taper.
I'm not a fan of the black and white shoes they are wearing currently. I saw them on the last series of SCD and I've seen them worn in the ballroom numbers on SYTYCD too. To me they seem more ungainly than the plain black shoes.
Oh dear more evidence of my strange shoe obsession
Why is Hines receiving bonus points for never having jived before? Most of the dances were completely new. I thought his footwork was pretty terrible. Technique doesn't seem to count for a lot on the show though; you're fine as long as you keep a big smile plastered on your face.
They had all week to practice the technique, as they knew they were going to do the jive.
Why is Hines receiving bonus points for never having jived before? Most of the dances were completely new. I thought his footwork was pretty terrible. Technique doesn't seem to count for a lot on the show though; you're fine as long as you keep a big smile plastered on your face.
They had all week to practice the technique, as they knew they were going to do the jive.
Did he get bonus points? He got the same as Chelsea and Mark and one point more than Kirstie/Maks and Romeo/Chelsie, with Ralph third. I think Chelsea probably deserved to score slightly higher, but the way they use the judges scores in DWTS makes them almost irrelevant when they're this close. Ralph had a little bit of cha cha; the others were all new - but faced with 'instant' jive or salsa, I know which one would scare me more!
Edit - they'd all scare me; I can't dance ; but the jive's terrifying :eek:
Did he get bonus points? He got the same as Chelsea and Mark and one point more than Kirstie/Maks and Romeo/Chelsie, with Ralph third. I think Chelsea probably deserved to score slightly higher, but the way they use the judges scores in DWTS makes them almost irrelevant when they're this close. Ralph had a little bit of cha cha; the others were all new - but faced with 'instant' jive or salsa, I know which one would scare me more!
Edit - they'd all scare me; I can't dance ; but the jive's terrifying :eek:
Len defended the dance by saying that the jive is difficult etc. That's all very well and good, but his footwork was atrocious, which is kind of important in the jive. They had all week to work on the footwork, not just 20 minutes. None of the instant dances were going to be easy, but he really struggled. He scored 26 for a poor dance, which wasn't fair.
A lot of people just seem to be defending his efforts because of his sunny disposition. He's likeable, but his technique is often quite bad. The judges loved his Rumba, even though he didn't really do much. I'm just a bit baffled by it all. I think he's one of the most overrated celebs ever.
I forgot my manners this week. Thank you Force Ten for the links and Lili for hers .
I'm pleased with that result - even if I thought Ralph probably should have gone. I hope he's over his injury and pulls it out the bag next week to justify being kept in
Len defended the dance by saying that the jive is difficult etc. That's all very well and good, but his footwork was atrocious, which is kind of important in the jive. They had all week to work on the footwork, not just 20 minutes. None of the instant dances were going to be easy, but he really struggled. He scored 26 for a poor dance, which wasn't fair.
A lot of people just seem to be defending his efforts because of his sunny disposition. He's likeable, but his technique is often quite bad. The judges loved his Rumba, even though he didn't really do much. I'm just a bit baffled by it all. I think he's one of the most overrated celebs ever.
Fair enough - and I agree about the rumba .
I'm not sure there's that much to choose between Hines and Romeo - just for example - for technique, but Hines communicates a joy in dancing which Romeo doesn't. I think even in a more rigorous setting that would count for something, so in DWTS where they value performance over technique by a country mile, I suppose it counts for a lot.
If anything, I'd say Kirstie was being overrated. She's had a few dance disasters, but they have a lot of appeal in other ways. In the long run, I think it only matters if someone much better is voted off first, and to this point I think the order of leaving has been more or less right (though Kirstie has been riding her luck!).
It'll be interesting to see who gets to the final/wins. I think Chelsea is probably the best dancer, but I think 'other factors' might hold them back
I forgot my manners this week. Thank you Force Ten for the links and Lili for hers .
I'm pleased with that result - even if I thought Ralph probably should have gone. I hope he's over his injury and pulls it out the bag next week to justify being kept in
Fair enough - and I agree about the rumba .
I'm not sure there's that much to choose between Hines and Romeo - just for example - for technique, but Hines communicates a joy in dancing which Romeo doesn't. I think even in a more rigorous setting that would count for something, so in DWTS where they value performance over technique by a country mile, I suppose it counts for a lot.
If anything, I'd say Kirstie was being overrated. She's had a few dance disasters, but they have a lot of appeal in other ways. In the long run, I think it only matters if someone much better is voted off first, and to this point I think the order of leaving has been more or less right (though Kirstie has been riding her luck!).
It'll be interesting to see who gets to the final/wins. I think Chelsea is probably the best dancer, but I think 'other factors' might hold them back
I don't think any of them are brilliant this year. Hines is probably going to win; he's obviously not my favourite, but I don't really care who wins.
I'm not sure what has happened to Kirstie - her first dance was good, but it's been downhill from there.
Hines seems nice enough, but his technique is often lacking.
Romeo is very mediocre in every way.
Chelsea's technique can be good and I think she's the best overall.
I find Ralph very painful to watch, as his movements are so awkward. I did feel sorry for him this week though.
I don't think any of them are brilliant this year. Hines is probably going to win; he's obviously not my favourite, but I don't really care who wins.
I'm not sure what has happened to Kirstie - her first dance was good, but it's been downhill from there.
Hines seems nice enough, but his technique is often lacking.
Romeo is very mediocre in every way.
Chelsea's technique can be good and I think she's the best overall.
I find Ralph very painful to watch, as his movements are so awkward. I did feel sorry for him this week though.
No, I don't much care either. There were one or two I was glad to see the back of, but of the four left, not too much in it.
I think Chelsea probably ought to win but I'm not sure I like what that would do to Mark's ego :rolleyes:. Shame really, because she seems nice.
For all that Mark has got on my nerves this season, there's no doubt he's likely to come up with the most entertaining/exciting freestyle and has a partner capable of carrying it off.
Hello!
Thank you for all posts, interesting to read the different thoughts.
I feel a little off because I think the beginning of the season was better than the last weeks
I agree with the comments about the technics (not so good) so I have decided to not think or look at "that stuff", now I go for the enjoyment and the music
Nighty :yawn:
The Cha-Cha is a challenge, "the winner takes it all" variant
This week have been dramatic for Kym and Hines, fri ( the 13!!!) they fell at rehearsals and Kym injured her neck and was taken to hospital with ambulance but the great news is that she´s good now and plan to dance tomorrow.
The Cha-Cha is a challenge, "the winner takes it all" variant
This week have been dramatic for Kym and Hines, fri ( the 13!!!) they fell at rehearsals and Kym injured her neck and was taken to hospital with ambulance but the great news is that she´s good now and plan to dance tomorrow.
Thanks for those Susan, I was wondering what we had in store... What a lot of Cha Cha this year (the group dance and now this....and I wonder what 'winner takes all' means here...)
There are 12 dances and only 2 ballroom with Ralph and Hines doing exactly the same - not a ballroom between them. I wonder if the American public really doesn't like ballroom and the producers have made the semi-final deliberately Latin-biased - seems very unbalanced to me.
Glad Kym is okay. It must have thrown their training off though.
So on with a review. Ralpha nd Karina - Argentine Tango
I thought this was a good dance. It was clean and precise and the choreography around the lamp post was very clever. Personally I thought Ralph was underscored. I thought it deserved about 27 points.
Kirstie and Maks - Viennese Waltz
Again a good dance for Kirsty. There was lots of proper VW choreography and she kept going. She still has a tendency to look down when not in hold but I've decided it's a habit that she probably doesn't even know she's got and can't be fixed in the course of the series. It might stem from her insecurities about herself.
Chelsea and Mark - Argentine Tango
I thought Chelsea needed to use the floor a little bit more but it was a very good attempt. Scoring about right to me.
Hines and Kym - Argentine Tango
Wow what a nasty fall. Kym is so amazingly lucky, that could have been a lot worse for her. I think that fall really strengthened their bond though. That was Hines' best dance of the series. He was commanding, controlled and I got the storyline. Worthy full marks.
Ralph and Karina - salsa
:eek: that was horrible music and a really horrible dance. I think Karina just cost Ralph a place in the finals with that dance. The costuming and the choreography was really cheap and tacky. Noot good. Not Ralph's fault either. Was lacking a lot of salsa content to me.
Kirstie and Maks - paso doble
I think she sold the dance as given to her but I don't really have a lot to say about it. I wasn't overly enamoured or excited by it. Oh actually she had good footwork. In paso you are supposed to keep your heels off the ground (except when doing a heel lead. Yes you can have a heel lead in PD - only latin dance where you do get them) and she did that quite well.
Chelsea and Mark - rumba
I slightly disagreed with Len here. I thought she needed to straighten her legs a bit more on some moves. Otherwise she did a good job and there was some nice rumba basics in it (they were probably right up Len's street!).
Hines and Kym - salsa
I didn't like the music for this dance and I really didn't think it was worth full marks. Slightly more salsa content than Ralph and Karina's may have made the difference. I guess Hines looked like he was enjoying it and that counts for a lot with the voting public.
The winner takes all cha cha cha was an interesting concept but actually I think they should have both been on the floor at the same time in each heat and used the same music. I like these ideas where the contestants prove they can dance and not just do choreography given to them. Kirstie and Maks were the couple who treated it most like being in competition and didn't start straight away on the music cue. However, the right people won each heat and the final was very close to call though I think Kym managed to make their moves fit the music slightly better but maybe Chelsea edges it on the dancing.
I think Kirstie or Ralph are likely to go home tonight - probably Ralph. It's a shame really as overall I would put Ralph as the better dancer. I can see why people like Kirstie though - she openly shows her struggles in rehearsals then always comes out and puts in the performance on the night. She may not be the best dancer but she is obviously enjoying it. I think enjoyment counts for a lot with the public as does the partnership (compare with Chris Hollins on SCD). Ralph and Karina's partnership is quieter than the other partnerships.
Thank you for the links, this week I really enjoyed the dancing
I have already told you that I have a crush on Hines but now I have change my mind I LOVE HIM
Hines and Kym together is so sweet, I can´t vote but hope that they wins next week. Here comes some interviews:
Ralph and Karina - Argentine Tango
I liked the beginning more than the rest (especially the lift as they came out of the lamp post sequence) and I thought the music was a bit 'meh', but good dance from Ralph
Kirstie and Maks - Viennese Waltz
This was a nice straight forward VW. Bit skippity at the start. Shame about the looking down as it spoils her neck/head/posture.
Chelsea and Mark - Argentine Tango
I thought Chelsea's legs looked gangly and awkward, there was something odd in her posture. It was the first time I've noticed her being tentative.
Hines and Kym - Argentine Tango
I loved the choreography and especially the lifts and how they were worked into the music. It was a good routine, though I'm not convinced Hines did enough for the full marks. The way they were moved to tears at the end was very touching. Kym's a lucky girl - thank goodness she's okay.
Ralph and Karina - salsa
Hated everything about this routine from the stupid underwear to the choreo and the costumes. Yuk.
Kirstie and Maks - paso doble
It was alright, but not overly enamoured by the routine, music or outfits (what's with the skirt ripping off in this series?)
Chelsea and Mark - rumba
I was expecting to hate this, but thought it was rather lovely, ethereal and expressive. I liked Chelsea's arms and I even liked Mark's choreo.
Hines and Kym - salsa
I quite enjoyed the music and cool-dude style of this dance, but there really wasn't enough content to earn full-marks. Hines' joy in dancing shines through though.
The winner takes all cha cha cha
It seems like everyone acknowledges this was a device (aka a fix) to keep Chesea and Mark in the comp, so it felt like a bit of a waste of time. For what its worth, I rated Kirstie's performance and didn't think Chelsea had her best night overall, though I do believe she deserves to be in the final on merit.
I think Ralph was the right person to leave, even if it wasn't really fair (the judges were pretty harsh). He started off the series really selling his performances, and for my money he just went off the boil (like the series overall :rolleyes:) and seemed a little too earnest about it all. Hey Ho
Thank you to Force Ten for posting links. Sorry I don't know how to post links from one thread into another...
Chelsea and Mark - Samba
I can't help but compare this to (my favourite) Yulia and Max routine to the same music (some comparisons - the arm flailing, for example - are a bit too close, ahem!). Liked it on the whole.
Kirstie and Maks - Samba
Bruno pointed out her looking at the floor! Thought this was a lovely samba, nice musicality and timing, not spectacular but enjoyable.
Hines and Kym - Quickstep
I liked the judges help sections and for once I had clue about what to look for in footwork . I don't think he kept his toes pointed down all the time, but it was an improvement. Lovely music and great 'selling' of the dance, I would have scored it a 9.
Chelsea and Mark - Freestyle
Despite not really liking Mark all season, I was looking forward to this - this is where your allowed to go 'off-piste'! Sadly, it was a really disappointing, and not very successful, hipperty-hoppity latin mix with one bizarre nod to the ballroom. The connections between lifts didn't work. The bit in the dark (shades of Derek's futuristic paso?) should have been fun, but I thought Chelsea's lights going out had a fitting irony to it - we just got to watch Mark show off. Yay :rolleyes:. Don't know what the judges were watching.
Kirstie and Maks - Freestyle
What a mess. Sadly. This was incoherent, and poorly conceived. The whole thing was so dark, I couldn't really see Kirstie. Horrible costumes (the monk's habit dress :eek: and then the training room outfits?!). I have no idea what Maks was trying to show here with the second rate gymnastics . It was awful .
Hines and Kym - Freestyle
Oh, I don't know what to think . As a routine it was full of fun and a clever idea, with just enough ballroom/latin bits. I felt there were lots of little 'episodes' which didn't necessarily link and, I have to be honest, Kym does most of the dancing. On the other hand, their exhuberance....I just don't know!
I watched the dances once, and these were my first thoughts. Reading back, it seems very negative. Perhaps when I take another look, I'll see better things :rolleyes:
Apparantly tomorrow night they each re-do a dance which is just ranked by the judges (not sure how it fits in with the viewers vote).
Hines - Samba
Kirstie - Cha cha
Chelsea - Cha Cha
Sooooo much cha cha this year! :yawn:
I think Hines will probably win. If it was up to me I'd be torn between Hines and Chelsea with Kirstie in third.
Interesting show in terms of dances for the final. i'm glad I'm watching the youtube clips and not live though. All those ad breaks would do my head in! Chelsea and Mark - samba
This is quite a famous bit of samba music, probably due to Yulia's routine (which is well worth a watch if you find it on youtube) so it fitted the atmosphere of the dance well. I thought the costumes were hideous - that brown doesn't show up in their studio. I personally felt that Chelsea didn't dance it as well as before. Her hip action seemed odd and less of it this time but the judges all seemed to rave so I must be wrong.
Kirstie and Maks - samba
I thought this was good music and a good routine - maybe a little too long spent doing shadow samba rolls in that sequence but on the whole good. Kirstie's action felt more natural than Chelsea's by comparison. I thought Kirstie's arms seemed a bit weak. I think she had tried to take Bruno's advice onboard and taken it a bit far. They were tidy but were lacking some punch to me. I'm glad to see Kirstie wasn't wearing those hideous black leggings under her dress this week. The leggings cut her body line off.
Hines and Kym - quickstep
This was a great song and I really enjoyed the dance overall. Hines had good swivelly ankles in their opening charleston section and his footwork was much improved. However, on one set of runs towards the judges he missed a skip thus ending up on the wrong foot so I don't think it should have got more than a 9.
Chelsea and Mark - freestyle
I'm afraid I can't see the point of the freestyle when it bears no relation to the skills you've spent the whole series learning. They had a great piece of music which would have allowed them to showcase several of the latin dances but they did some kind of street dance with a random nod to the quickstep which to me was one dance that really didn't fit.
Kirstie and Maks - freestyle
An odd routine. I liked the beginning with the spinny lift and the rumba section. I liked that Maks had chosen to demonstrate the dances used in the series, but I didn't like all the cartwheels etc and the bit where Kirstie ripped off her long dress was messy. A different fit dress and Maks whipping it off might have worked better. I also didn't like the speed change. Also Kirstie was then back in the leggings
I can't believe they finally said to Kirstie about looking down. I've been complaining about this all series!
Hines and Kym
Again I liked that it had elements of different dances but overall it didn't flow that well to me. I don't think I actually looked at Hines dancing I was watching Kym! However I could see that it was a fun dance and sort of summed up how much fun they had on the show. Unsure why this got 10s.
I'm not sure who is going to win. The strongest dancer is probably Chelsea and she could have been phenomenal if Mark had kept his choreography more traditional. Hines has come on leaps and bounds and he shows a lot of fun and joy when he dances; and has a great relationship with Kym. Then again Kirstie has triumphed over adversity - she's lost weight, got fitter and healthier, proved you don't have to be young to dance and may be inspirational to a lot of viewers.
Tonight's show has more Cha cha cha to come - what a lot for a series! A little bit too much over the course of the series perhaps.
Interesting show in terms of dances for the final. i'm glad I'm watching the youtube clips and not live though. All those ad breaks would do my head in! Chelsea and Mark - samba
This is quite a famous bit of samba music, probably due to Yulia's routine (which is well worth a watch if you find it on youtube) so it fitted the atmosphere of the dance well. I thought the costumes were hideous - that brown doesn't show up in their studio. I personally felt that Chelsea didn't dance it as well as before. Her hip action seemed odd and less of it this time but the judges all seemed to rave so I must be wrong.
Kirstie and Maks - samba
I thought this was good music and a good routine - maybe a little too long spent doing shadow samba rolls in that sequence but on the whole good. Kirstie's action felt more natural than Chelsea's by comparison. I thought Kirstie's arms seemed a bit weak. I think she had tried to take Bruno's advice onboard and taken it a bit far. They were tidy but were lacking some punch to me. I'm glad to see Kirstie wasn't wearing those hideous black leggings under her dress this week. The leggings cut her body line off.
Hines and Kym - quickstep
This was a great song and I really enjoyed the dance overall. Hines had good swivelly ankles in their opening charleston section and his footwork was much improved. However, on one set of runs towards the judges he missed a skip thus ending up on the wrong foot so I don't think it should have got more than a 9.
Chelsea and Mark - freestyle
I'm afraid I can't see the point of the freestyle when it bears no relation to the skills you've spent the whole series learning. They had a great piece of music which would have allowed them to showcase several of the latin dances but they did some kind of street dance with a random nod to the quickstep which to me was one dance that really didn't fit.
Kirstie and Maks - freestyle
An odd routine. I liked the beginning with the spinny lift and the rumba section. I liked that Maks had chosen to demonstrate the dances used in the series, but I didn't like all the cartwheels etc and the bit where Kirstie ripped off her long dress was messy. A different fit dress and Maks whipping it off might have worked better. I also didn't like the speed change. Also Kirstie was then back in the leggings
I can't believe they finally said to Kirstie about looking down. I've been complaining about this all series!
Hines and Kym
Again I liked that it had elements of different dances but overall it didn't flow that well to me. I don't think I actually looked at Hines dancing I was watching Kym! However I could see that it was a fun dance and sort of summed up how much fun they had on the show. Unsure why this got 10s.
I'm not sure who is going to win. The strongest dancer is probably Chelsea and she could have been phenomenal if Mark had kept his choreography more traditional. Hines has come on leaps and bounds and he shows a lot of fun and joy when he dances; and has a great relationship with Kym. Then again Kirstie has triumphed over adversity - she's lost weight, got fitter and healthier, proved you don't have to be young to dance and may be inspirational to a lot of viewers.
Tonight's show has more Cha cha cha to come - what a lot for a series! A little bit too much over the course of the series perhaps.
I have been trying to keep up but haven't had time to comment - so many apologies.
Chelsea and Mark Samba - I'm really uneasy watching both of them, Mark seems so wired, hyper and desperate to win...it's as if he's on speed or cocaine or something, and then Chelsea always looks as if she can't keep up and so never completes the moves quite right. I don't know, doesn't work for me
BTW, thank for the Max and Yulia mention. This is the first time I've watched a Pro couple and utterly loved them.:D
Kristie and Maks Samba - loved the music, costumes and slower feel, I think this was one of their better dances. Kristie always looks as if she's holding back though and is unsure. I love them as a couple and I just wish there was more improvement to admire.
Hines and Kym Quickstep - not perfect but I loved the feel of it and the joy of it too. There is something so good natured and honest about this pair that's it's hard for me to feel as if I want to be critical.
Chelsea and Mark Freestyle - eeewww. Not good, all kinds of ugly and awkwardness. Mark forever over-dancing and the ridiculousness of him trying to be modern and edgy made their routine look like a Disney (fitting) pastiche. As always Chelsea looked a bit bewildered and as if she was struggling to keep up.
Kristie and Maks Freestyle - Oh dear. I sort of saw what Maks was after but it was a bit ropey. Hated the outfits and the music but the opening spin was pretty gorgeous. Er...I wish I liked it more, it all seemed a bit rehearsal room and disjointed.
Hines and Kym Quickstep - hmmm, perhaps there is good reason why no one has ever used this theme for freestyle before. Wasn't keen but not that awful either. I do love this couple though.
Perhaps Freestyle should be dropped from the competition (in the UK too), I think fatigue effects the Pro's good sense.
Comments
More like I should stop obsessively looking at the dancers shoes
I'm not a fan of the black and white shoes they are wearing currently. I saw them on the last series of SCD and I've seen them worn in the ballroom numbers on SYTYCD too. To me they seem more ungainly than the plain black shoes.
Oh dear more evidence of my strange shoe obsession
They had all week to practice the technique, as they knew they were going to do the jive.
Did he get bonus points? He got the same as Chelsea and Mark and one point more than Kirstie/Maks and Romeo/Chelsie, with Ralph third. I think Chelsea probably deserved to score slightly higher, but the way they use the judges scores in DWTS makes them almost irrelevant when they're this close. Ralph had a little bit of cha cha; the others were all new - but faced with 'instant' jive or salsa, I know which one would scare me more!
Edit - they'd all scare me; I can't dance
Len defended the dance by saying that the jive is difficult etc. That's all very well and good, but his footwork was atrocious, which is kind of important in the jive. They had all week to work on the footwork, not just 20 minutes. None of the instant dances were going to be easy, but he really struggled. He scored 26 for a poor dance, which wasn't fair.
A lot of people just seem to be defending his efforts because of his sunny disposition. He's likeable, but his technique is often quite bad. The judges loved his Rumba, even though he didn't really do much. I'm just a bit baffled by it all. I think he's one of the most overrated celebs ever.
Fair enough - and I agree about the rumba
I'm not sure there's that much to choose between Hines and Romeo - just for example - for technique, but Hines communicates a joy in dancing which Romeo doesn't. I think even in a more rigorous setting that would count for something, so in DWTS where they value performance over technique by a country mile, I suppose it counts for a lot.
If anything, I'd say Kirstie was being overrated. She's had a few dance disasters, but they have a lot of appeal in other ways. In the long run, I think it only matters if someone much better is voted off first, and to this point I think the order of leaving has been more or less right (though Kirstie has been riding her luck!).
It'll be interesting to see who gets to the final/wins. I think Chelsea is probably the best dancer, but I think 'other factors' might hold them back
I don't think any of them are brilliant this year. Hines is probably going to win; he's obviously not my favourite, but I don't really care who wins.
I'm not sure what has happened to Kirstie - her first dance was good, but it's been downhill from there.
Hines seems nice enough, but his technique is often lacking.
Romeo is very mediocre in every way.
Chelsea's technique can be good and I think she's the best overall.
I find Ralph very painful to watch, as his movements are so awkward. I did feel sorry for him this week though.
No, I don't much care either. There were one or two I was glad to see the back of, but of the four left, not too much in it.
I think Chelsea probably ought to win but I'm not sure I like what that would do to Mark's ego :rolleyes:. Shame really, because she seems nice.
For all that Mark has got on my nerves this season, there's no doubt he's likely to come up with the most entertaining/exciting freestyle and has a partner capable of carrying it off.
Thank you for all posts, interesting to read the different thoughts.
I feel a little off
I agree with the comments about the technics (not so good) so I have decided to not think or look at "that stuff", now I go for the enjoyment and the music
Nighty :yawn:
Looking forward: it´s semi-finals tomorrow. the dances are:
Kirstie/Maks: Paso Doble, VW, Cha-Cha
Chelsea/Mark: Tango, Rumba, Cha-Cha
Ralph/Carina: AT, Salsa, Cha-Cha
Hines/Kym: AT, Salsa, Cha-Cha
The Cha-Cha is a challenge, "the winner takes it all" variant
This week have been dramatic for Kym and Hines, fri ( the 13!!!) they fell at rehearsals and Kym injured her neck and was taken to hospital with ambulance but the great news is that she´s good now and plan to dance tomorrow.
Thanks for those Susan, I was wondering what we had in store... What a lot of Cha Cha this year (the group dance and now this....and I wonder what 'winner takes all' means here...)
There are 12 dances and only 2 ballroom with Ralph and Hines doing exactly the same - not a ballroom between them. I wonder if the American public really doesn't like ballroom and the producers have made the semi-final deliberately Latin-biased - seems very unbalanced to me.
Glad Kym is okay. It must have thrown their training off though.
So on with a review.
Ralpha nd Karina - Argentine Tango
I thought this was a good dance. It was clean and precise and the choreography around the lamp post was very clever. Personally I thought Ralph was underscored. I thought it deserved about 27 points.
Kirstie and Maks - Viennese Waltz
Again a good dance for Kirsty. There was lots of proper VW choreography and she kept going. She still has a tendency to look down when not in hold but I've decided it's a habit that she probably doesn't even know she's got and can't be fixed in the course of the series. It might stem from her insecurities about herself.
Chelsea and Mark - Argentine Tango
I thought Chelsea needed to use the floor a little bit more but it was a very good attempt. Scoring about right to me.
Hines and Kym - Argentine Tango
Wow what a nasty fall. Kym is so amazingly lucky, that could have been a lot worse for her. I think that fall really strengthened their bond though. That was Hines' best dance of the series. He was commanding, controlled and I got the storyline. Worthy full marks.
Ralph and Karina - salsa
:eek: that was horrible music and a really horrible dance. I think Karina just cost Ralph a place in the finals with that dance. The costuming and the choreography was really cheap and tacky. Noot good. Not Ralph's fault either. Was lacking a lot of salsa content to me.
Kirstie and Maks - paso doble
I think she sold the dance as given to her but I don't really have a lot to say about it. I wasn't overly enamoured or excited by it. Oh actually she had good footwork. In paso you are supposed to keep your heels off the ground (except when doing a heel lead. Yes you can have a heel lead in PD - only latin dance where you do get them) and she did that quite well.
Chelsea and Mark - rumba
I slightly disagreed with Len here. I thought she needed to straighten her legs a bit more on some moves. Otherwise she did a good job and there was some nice rumba basics in it (they were probably right up Len's street!).
Hines and Kym - salsa
I didn't like the music for this dance and I really didn't think it was worth full marks. Slightly more salsa content than Ralph and Karina's may have made the difference. I guess Hines looked like he was enjoying it and that counts for a lot with the voting public.
The winner takes all cha cha cha was an interesting concept but actually I think they should have both been on the floor at the same time in each heat and used the same music. I like these ideas where the contestants prove they can dance and not just do choreography given to them. Kirstie and Maks were the couple who treated it most like being in competition and didn't start straight away on the music cue. However, the right people won each heat and the final was very close to call though I think Kym managed to make their moves fit the music slightly better but maybe Chelsea edges it on the dancing.
I think Kirstie or Ralph are likely to go home tonight - probably Ralph. It's a shame really as overall I would put Ralph as the better dancer. I can see why people like Kirstie though - she openly shows her struggles in rehearsals then always comes out and puts in the performance on the night. She may not be the best dancer but she is obviously enjoying it. I think enjoyment counts for a lot with the public as does the partnership (compare with Chris Hollins on SCD). Ralph and Karina's partnership is quieter than the other partnerships.
I have already told you that I have a crush on Hines but now I have change my mind
Hines and Kym together is so sweet, I can´t vote but hope that they wins next week. Here comes some interviews:
http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/video?id=8134374#global
http://www.accesshollywood.com/kym-johnsons-horrific-dancing-accident_video_1327827
Sorry, I saw that in the first link it was a Kirstie and Maks interview but the other couples interviews also comes up
How I love this man honesty and of course his dancin...lol...:D:D:D
I liked the beginning more than the rest (especially the lift as they came out of the lamp post sequence) and I thought the music was a bit 'meh', but good dance from Ralph
Kirstie and Maks - Viennese Waltz
This was a nice straight forward VW. Bit skippity at the start. Shame about the looking down as it spoils her neck/head/posture.
Chelsea and Mark - Argentine Tango
I thought Chelsea's legs looked gangly and awkward, there was something odd in her posture. It was the first time I've noticed her being tentative.
Hines and Kym - Argentine Tango
I loved the choreography and especially the lifts and how they were worked into the music. It was a good routine, though I'm not convinced Hines did enough for the full marks. The way they were moved to tears at the end was very touching. Kym's a lucky girl - thank goodness she's okay.
Ralph and Karina - salsa
Hated everything about this routine from the stupid underwear to the choreo and the costumes. Yuk.
Kirstie and Maks - paso doble
It was alright, but not overly enamoured by the routine, music or outfits (what's with the skirt ripping off in this series?)
Chelsea and Mark - rumba
I was expecting to hate this, but thought it was rather lovely, ethereal and expressive. I liked Chelsea's arms and I even liked Mark's choreo.
Hines and Kym - salsa
I quite enjoyed the music and cool-dude style of this dance, but there really wasn't enough content to earn full-marks. Hines' joy in dancing shines through though.
The winner takes all cha cha cha
It seems like everyone acknowledges this was a device (aka a fix) to keep Chesea and Mark in the comp, so it felt like a bit of a waste of time. For what its worth, I rated Kirstie's performance and didn't think Chelsea had her best night overall, though I do believe she deserves to be in the final on merit.
I think Ralph was the right person to leave, even if it wasn't really fair (the judges were pretty harsh). He started off the series really selling his performances, and for my money he just went off the boil (like the series overall :rolleyes:) and seemed a little too earnest about it all. Hey Ho
Chelsea and Mark - Samba
I can't help but compare this to (my favourite) Yulia and Max routine to the same music (some comparisons - the arm flailing, for example - are a bit too close, ahem!). Liked it on the whole.
Kirstie and Maks - Samba
Bruno pointed out her looking at the floor! Thought this was a lovely samba, nice musicality and timing, not spectacular but enjoyable.
Hines and Kym - Quickstep
I liked the judges help sections and for once I had clue about what to look for in footwork
Chelsea and Mark - Freestyle
Despite not really liking Mark all season, I was looking forward to this - this is where your allowed to go 'off-piste'! Sadly, it was a really disappointing, and not very successful, hipperty-hoppity latin mix with one bizarre nod to the ballroom. The connections between lifts didn't work. The bit in the dark (shades of Derek's futuristic paso?) should have been fun, but I thought Chelsea's lights going out had a fitting irony to it - we just got to watch Mark show off. Yay :rolleyes:. Don't know what the judges were watching.
Kirstie and Maks - Freestyle
What a mess. Sadly. This was incoherent, and poorly conceived. The whole thing was so dark, I couldn't really see Kirstie. Horrible costumes (the monk's habit dress :eek: and then the training room outfits?!). I have no idea what Maks was trying to show here with the second rate gymnastics
Hines and Kym - Freestyle
Oh, I don't know what to think
I watched the dances once, and these were my first thoughts. Reading back, it seems very negative. Perhaps when I take another look, I'll see better things :rolleyes:
Apparantly tomorrow night they each re-do a dance which is just ranked by the judges (not sure how it fits in with the viewers vote).
Hines - Samba
Kirstie - Cha cha
Chelsea - Cha Cha
Sooooo much cha cha this year! :yawn:
I think Hines will probably win. If it was up to me I'd be torn between Hines and Chelsea with Kirstie in third.
Chelsea and Mark - samba
This is quite a famous bit of samba music, probably due to Yulia's routine (which is well worth a watch if you find it on youtube) so it fitted the atmosphere of the dance well. I thought the costumes were hideous - that brown doesn't show up in their studio. I personally felt that Chelsea didn't dance it as well as before. Her hip action seemed odd and less of it this time but the judges all seemed to rave so I must be wrong.
Kirstie and Maks - samba
I thought this was good music and a good routine - maybe a little too long spent doing shadow samba rolls in that sequence but on the whole good. Kirstie's action felt more natural than Chelsea's by comparison. I thought Kirstie's arms seemed a bit weak. I think she had tried to take Bruno's advice onboard and taken it a bit far. They were tidy but were lacking some punch to me. I'm glad to see Kirstie wasn't wearing those hideous black leggings under her dress this week. The leggings cut her body line off.
Hines and Kym - quickstep
This was a great song and I really enjoyed the dance overall. Hines had good swivelly ankles in their opening charleston section and his footwork was much improved. However, on one set of runs towards the judges he missed a skip thus ending up on the wrong foot so I don't think it should have got more than a 9.
Chelsea and Mark - freestyle
I'm afraid I can't see the point of the freestyle when it bears no relation to the skills you've spent the whole series learning. They had a great piece of music which would have allowed them to showcase several of the latin dances but they did some kind of street dance with a random nod to the quickstep which to me was one dance that really didn't fit.
Kirstie and Maks - freestyle
An odd routine. I liked the beginning with the spinny lift and the rumba section. I liked that Maks had chosen to demonstrate the dances used in the series, but I didn't like all the cartwheels etc and the bit where Kirstie ripped off her long dress was messy. A different fit dress and Maks whipping it off might have worked better. I also didn't like the speed change. Also Kirstie was then back in the leggings
I can't believe they finally said to Kirstie about looking down. I've been complaining about this all series!
Hines and Kym
Again I liked that it had elements of different dances but overall it didn't flow that well to me. I don't think I actually looked at Hines dancing I was watching Kym! However I could see that it was a fun dance and sort of summed up how much fun they had on the show. Unsure why this got 10s.
I'm not sure who is going to win. The strongest dancer is probably Chelsea and she could have been phenomenal if Mark had kept his choreography more traditional. Hines has come on leaps and bounds and he shows a lot of fun and joy when he dances; and has a great relationship with Kym. Then again Kirstie has triumphed over adversity - she's lost weight, got fitter and healthier, proved you don't have to be young to dance and may be inspirational to a lot of viewers.
Tonight's show has more Cha cha cha to come - what a lot for a series! A little bit too much over the course of the series perhaps.
To say the least!
Chelsea and Mark Samba - I'm really uneasy watching both of them, Mark seems so wired, hyper and desperate to win...it's as if he's on speed or cocaine or something, and then Chelsea always looks as if she can't keep up and so never completes the moves quite right. I don't know, doesn't work for me
BTW, thank for the Max and Yulia mention. This is the first time I've watched a Pro couple and utterly loved them.:D
Kristie and Maks Samba - loved the music, costumes and slower feel, I think this was one of their better dances. Kristie always looks as if she's holding back though and is unsure. I love them as a couple and I just wish there was more improvement to admire.
Hines and Kym Quickstep - not perfect but I loved the feel of it and the joy of it too. There is something so good natured and honest about this pair that's it's hard for me to feel as if I want to be critical.
Chelsea and Mark Freestyle - eeewww. Not good, all kinds of ugly and awkwardness. Mark forever over-dancing and the ridiculousness of him trying to be modern and edgy made their routine look like a Disney (fitting) pastiche. As always Chelsea looked a bit bewildered and as if she was struggling to keep up.
Kristie and Maks Freestyle - Oh dear. I sort of saw what Maks was after but it was a bit ropey. Hated the outfits and the music but the opening spin was pretty gorgeous. Er...I wish I liked it more, it all seemed a bit rehearsal room and disjointed.
Hines and Kym Quickstep - hmmm, perhaps there is good reason why no one has ever used this theme for freestyle before.
Perhaps Freestyle should be dropped from the competition (in the UK too), I think fatigue effects the Pro's good sense.