I haven't commented on DWTS 15 yet, but I am COMPELLED. Here is the scoreboard as of October 15, with my malapert commentary:
Gilles and Peta: 39.5. Bollywood. A trifle overscored, and I say that with a major crush on Gilles and full appreciation for the costuming. They needed another day.
Shawn and Derek: 39.5. Salsa. It was called "mambo" on the show, but it was not mambo. It was a superb salsa. (Shawn could walk out of the ABC studio and into professional salsa or lindy hop competition.) DEREK SHOULD KNOW BETTER, as should frickin' Len. Mambo breaks on the two beat. If it doesn't, it is not mambo, and you lose. This is a mambo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6dp0Nbcazg
Kelly and Val: 37.5. Contemporary. Not perfect, but given the level of difficulty I was impressed. With one more day, and no injury ... . Her dance last week was a real breakthrough and shows what a few extra hours of rehearsal can do. Great partnership.
Melissa and Tony: 37. A very good ... rock & roll routine. How it could look, anyway. Rock & Roll is a competitive swing dance category that is between jitterbug and lindy hop but also has a "compulsory" footwork portion, which is kind of fascinating to watch, as well as an acrobatic partnering portion. It was an event in the World Games a couple of times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mx8spF2-TA&feature=relmfu
Emmitt and Cheryl: 36. Cheryl's pro cohort didn't achieve her stated goal of learning bolero. This routine was an international rumba, with about three bolero basics mixed in. Not impressed, and the judges shouldn't have been either - it was nicely danced as a rumba, BUT. This is a bolero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7EGe1VLiAY&feature=fvwrel
Sabrina and Louis: 35.5. Should have been scored higher than Emmitt's "bolero." Another solid performance from Sabrina, a little too solid for Louis maybe as he did seem to be working really hard in those lifts.
Apolo and Karina: 34.5. OWCH.
Bristol and Mark: 32. A very boring ... jitterbug routine. I find it sad that Tony and Mark basically ended up swapping styles, nobody on the show will mention it, and nobody in the audience will get it. Mark had to because Bristol can't do a proper rock & roll routine. This was egregiously overscored and I hope at least the voters lay off the redial a little this week because this chick belongs in the bottom two, and off the show ASAP.
Kirstie and Maks: 30. Level of difficulty was higher than Bristol's routine, level of performance was miles better. This is one time I am glad Kirstie has a strong fan base.
Anyway. It was a very entertaining show (as was last week's) but one of those times that I just want to thump somebody. Because if I can go to the trouble of looking up these dance styles for a silly little blog post, the professional dancers who have achieved an unprecedented level of fame via this show should damn well do the same.
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