The Semifinals brought some high scores for the couples this week for both the individual dances as well as the trio performances!
Here are Fangirl’s, Julia Delbel’s, and Paul Bentley’s thoughts on the week 10 performances!
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli]
Individual Dances
Each couple danced an unlearned dance style with their partner.
James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess
Argentine Tango: Santa Maria by Gotan Project
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 10, 10 (29/30)
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Fangirl: I absolutely adored this tango and it was one of my favorite dances Sharna and James have done. Throughout the season he has proved he was deserved to be here and I just love their partnership so much. They have so much trust and faith in each. Everything they have learned in this season about each other showed in this dance.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: This was a very good dance and I loved the tricks! The blindfold thing is becoming a cliche on this show but it didn’t detract from the performance. Great technique as usual from James.
Julia’s Score: 10
Paul Bentley: This was a stunning effort of a difficult task, beautifully perfected with every little move done all on James’s own. With Sharna’s eyes covered for almost the entire dance, James was able to show us the true extent of his leading skills, and blow us away with some phenomenal tricks that showcase strength and versatility. Even without eyes to look at each other, there was a heavy feeling of passion throughout the dance, which made the Argentine Tango complete.
Bentley’s Score: 10
Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber
Rumba: Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Highest Individual Dance Score
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Fangirl: I am so proud of all the work that Terra has put in this season but compared to all of the four incredible constants that were left Terra was the worst. She was incredible but the other four were a little more incredible. I commend her for her effort this season and I am so proud of her. On the topic of this rumba, it was a beautiful piece filled with great lines and incredible hip movement. She is so beautiful and inspiring.
Fangirl: 9
Julia: This was a nice dance with a great message but the judges really overpraised it. I realize this was probably because someone knew Terra was going home and told them to be nice to her. This Rumba had a couple of awkward transitions and a lift which is illegal in this style of dance. While it wasn’t perfect in my book, the errors did not take away from the beautiful message of the performance.
Julia’s Score: 9
Paul Bentley: Terra has grown so much this season on Dancing With the Stars, and this Rumba puts all of that into perspective. While Terra did throw away her arms at certain points, which I have criticized her for before, her hip action was phenomenal. Every beat was filled with a meaningful step that connected to the others with such grace and elegance. Terra and Sasha might have been eliminated on Monday, but they will always be a memorable couple, overcoming so much with their unique personalities that ended up turning into artistry on the dance floor. These two have truly made their marks on this show.
Bentley’s Score: 9
Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko
Quickstep: Go Mama by Wayne Beckford
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 10 (28/30)
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Fangirl: I have to agree with Angelina on this dance. Jana and Gleb had a very hard time connecting with each other and getting in sync at the beginning of the dance. Once they got it together the dance was filled with beautiful technique, beautiful emotion, and clean movements.
Fangirl: 9
Julia: This dance wasn’t very clean and there wasn’t much of a connection. They were also out of sync for quite a bit of the routine. Jana executed most of the steps pretty well and Gleb did a good job at choreographing such a fast dance to this slow song but with all the errors it just didn’t have much of an impact on me.
Julia’s Score: 8
Paul Bentley: This was a solid and sharp Quickstep, despite all of the rules that they broke. I commend Gleb for not just throwing in Charleston steps in lieu of some traditional Quickstep steps because the Quickstep on this show has started to blend into other styles as well, but Gleb just stuck with the basics. Jana was by no doubt on point throughout this routine, but it was considerably harsh at certain parts, especially in the beginning. Her head and back were bent a little too far back, and some of the earlier moves made her go just a little too far with where she had to go. But overall, I really enjoyed the pink pizazz that Jana and Gleb brought, even though it is not usually my cup of tea.
Bentley’s Score: 8
Calvin Johnson, Jr. and Lindsay Arnold
Tango: Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 9, 9 (26/30) Lowest Individual Dance Score
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Fangirl: I love this tango but I do think it was a little too similar to the Jazz piece performed by Shaping Sound a couple seasons ago. The wall and handcuffs really distracted me from the rest of the dance and I do not enjoy at much as I would've liked to. There were a couple mistakes such as flexed toes and bent knees. But overall it was a great performance.
Fangirl’s Score: 9
Julia: This was a pretty good Tango. Calvin did a well with the technique, which I know was especially hard with the height difference. There were a bunch of minor but noticeable errors such as a lack of pointed toes, and at times it looked like he was struggling to stay on time with the music. I also wasn’t really a fan of the wall and hands bit (it reminded me of the movie Labyrinth, which I love, but wasn’t very well suited to this performance). I do want to note that while I am giving this dance an 8 for the way I personally score I think Carrie Ann’s 8 was too low given how high the rest of the scores were this week, and in general at the end of most seasons. (Basically, I think they tend to get a bit too generous in the last few weeks but they shouldn’t overscore some people and not others.)
Julia’s Score: 8
Paul Bentley: The concept of this dance was weird. . . and I love weird! Calvin brought his usual charm and intensity that he has found in himself in the later half of this competition. The fierce Tango mood maintained itself through each move, even during and after the mistake towards the end, but just like with Jana’s Quickstep, I felt as though this Tango was a bit too harsh. There is a thin line between being sharp and being too powerful, and I think Calvin might have crossed that line just a little bit. But, overall, this is just nitpicking, especially with how next week is the finale!
Bentley’s Score: 9
Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Foxtrot: Hollow by Tori Kelly
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Highest Individual Dance Score
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Fangirl: I am not a very emotional person but that package made me so emotional. I am so frickin proud of everything Laurie has accomplished. She is such an amazing person and dancer. That dance was so impeccably performed and. It blows my mind on how mature she is as a 16 year old. This partnership is one of my favorites I have ever seen on this show. Val is so attached to Laurie and he cares about her. He loves her so much and she is like is little sister and it makes me so happy.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: What happened with Laurie this week was very sad and my heart goes out to her and her family but I’ll save my thoughts on that for later. This was a nice dance and Laurie had the steps down but it was another one in which she “attacked” the performance when the style called for a different type of movement. A Foxtrot is supposed to be “flowy”, what Laurie did would have been more suited to a Tango. I also saw a little stumble in the middle of the dance but that wasn’t really a big deal since she recovered so well.
Julia’s Score: 9
Paul Bentley: The package played before Laurie’s dance was indeed sad, but Laurie danced wonderfully before the waterworks. It must have been hard for her to perform after the week she had, but she is a trooper. She carried her own with Val during this Foxtrot, but as Julia mentioned, it was not quite graceful and smooth in the fluidity department. That doesn’t take away from her impeccable technique and form, though, because she has some of the best ways of shifting her weight and translating her dance moves into emotion out of any other celebrity this season. That is what makes Laurie’s time on the show so special.
Bentley’s Score: 9
Rankings of the Week 10 Individual Dances
Julia
1. James & Sharna
2. Laurie & Val
3. Terra & Sasha
4. Calvin & Lindsay
5. Jana & Gleb
Fangirl:
1. James & Sharna
2. Laurie & Val
3. Calvin & Lindsay
4. Terra & Sasha
5. Jana & Gleb
Paul Bentley
1. James & Sharna
2. Laurie & Val
3. Terra & Sasha
4. Calvin & Lindsay
5. Jana & Gleb
Trio Dances
Each couple chose a member of the troupe or a previously eliminated pro from this season to perform a trio dance.
James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess, featuring Jenna Johnson
Jive: Give Me Some Lovin’ by The Spencer Davis Group
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Perfect Trio Dance Score
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Fangirl: James continues to raise the bar and astound me each and every routine. I was thinking about why he is so good and back to what James said earlier in the season. He is so clean, sharp and it looks like he spent more than four days working on these numbers. Like James has said before, his job involves so much precision and pressure. If he doesn’t pay attention for one second on the track that could be the difference of life or death. As a result of these skills James is so sharp and precise on everything that he does.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: I feel like I’m running out of things to say about James since it’s pretty much all been said by now. This was another very good dance from him and I agreed with the perfect score. Very excited to see what he does for the Finals next week!
Julia’s Score: 10
Paul Bentley: This was yet another high octane routine from the infamous James Hinchcliffe. If there was one critique I’ve had about James this season, it was how he was often off time when it came to side-by-side dancing. But for this Jive trio, he was perfectly in step with both Sharna and Jenna. James is the guy to beat this season, and this Jive shows that with his vibrant personality and nearly perfect dance ability shining through. Since James has been able to work closely with both Jenna and Sharna lately, I think that allowed him to have such strong connections with them as he went from one pro to the other. This was one of James’s best routines yet!
Bentley’s Score: 10
Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber, featuring Artem Chigvintsev
Tango: Hideaway by Kiesza
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Perfect Trio Dance Score
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Fangirl: Terra stepped it up during the Trio Round with seamless transitions between Artem and Sasha and great technique and don't know what there is to hate about this routine. She had great energy and power. I was a little worried with how Artem would dance with Terra but they pulled it off wonderfully. I am still astounded with how Terra has such a great frame without her shoulders being up or her head down. She is incredible.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: This was another excellent trio! Tango is probably one of the most difficult styles to make interesting, and it’s an especially difficult one to choreograph for a big height difference (even harder when you throw someone even taller than Sasha in the mix to dance with Terra). I loved the story of the dance as well as Terra’s amazing technique! But my favorite part of this one might have been the package because it was so funny. Actually, all of the trio packages were hilarious!
Julia’s Score: 10
Paul Bentley: Having watched Terra even before she was on DWTS, I know that she is a very sexual person, and that came out of her this week for her trio Tango. The fact that she was able to do a traditional ballroom dance style that is typically done entirely in hold with two pros, shows me just how far her ability to adapt goes. One major thing that I was supremely surprised by with Terra this week was with her stunning transitions between Sasha and Artem, because frankly, that has been one of her biggest challenges on the show this season. And she overcame it! So at the end of the day, Terra went home with two perfect scores and new knowledge of the language called dance, and I think Terra is more than content with that.
Bentley’s Score: 10
Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko, featuring Alan Bersten
Paso Doble: Kill of the Night by Gin Wigmore
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Perfect Trio Dance Score
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Fangirl: This dance was a beautiful mix of visuals, lights, music, and pure technique. Jana still needs to work on not being so stiff during her transitions through each move. Dance is one continuous movement not a bunch of steps that “go” and “stop”. Overall, Jana has improved tremendously and this dance showed that.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: Jana had good technique in this Paso Doble but unfortunately it was another routine that had a lot of “poses” in it that took time away from true dance content, particularly in the transitions. There was also a lift which I’m not sure was allowed or not. Usually lifts are a no-no in Paso Doble, but this was a trio so the rules have have been relaxed a bit. If the latter was indeed the case, I wish they’d made that more clear.
Julia’s Score: 9
Paul Bentley: Kudos to whoever thought of this concept and the people who put the thematics all together for this dance because it was all top notch! Jana fit perfectly for the character of a dark figure between Gleb and Alan since she was fierce for days!! However, I feel like all of her energy made her arms lose some shaping, making it come off as a bit too harsh, just like with her Quickstep in round one. I really appreciate the fact that even though Jana has does numerous sexy dances this season, this particular sexy dance was sexiness on a different level in a way that was almost mysterious. And I think we all like a bit of a mystery sometimes!
Bentley’s Score: 9
Calvin Johnson, Jr. and Lindsay Arnold, featuring Witney Carson
Salsa: Limbo by Daddy Yankee
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Perfect Trio Dance Score
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Fangirl: It is not DWTS without a Witsay trio! This trio was full with energy and content. Calvin just makes me smile ear to ear when I watch him dance. I loved how Witney and Lindsay did the same choreo they did on SYTCD for the lift part at the beginning. I love that lift and I feel like it adds so many levels to a dance.
Fangirl’s Score: 9
Julia: This Salsa was a very fun routine and I loved the energy of the piece! Calvin had great technique and raises the bar each week with the tricks he can do! Unfortunately, some of the transitions were a little awkward, but the three of them were able to keep going despite that. I’m so happy Calvin will be in the Finals next week so we can see even more awesomeness from him!
Julia’s Score: 9
Paul Bentley: Encore! I said this on Twitter, and I will say it again-- this was the most fun dance of season 23 of Dancing With the Stars! I might even go as far as saying that it was even more fun than Riker’s Salsa done to the same song in season 20! Calvin’s footwork was out of this world, his Latin heat was a burning fire, and his party spirit was that of a Salsa club! Lindsay and Witney have proven to make great teams with whoever they end up dancing a trio with, and this dance is far from an exception! I wanted to jump into my TV and dance with the three of them, and I think the partying judges in the background agree with me!
Bentley’s Score: 10
Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, featuring Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Samba: Magalenha by Sergio Mendez
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Perfect Trio Dance Score
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Fangirl: I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this dance. It was such a classic Samba and it brought me back to ballroom competitions. It was so fun and full of energy and technique. There is nothing more that I can say other than this was by far one of my favorite trios ever.
Fangirl’s Score: 10
Julia: I loved watching this dance! It was very entertaining and well-executed. My problem with it was that Maks wasn’t in it all that much, and a lot of the portions he was there for had him doing things that a troupe member would usually do in a routine, not what a second pro would do in a trio dance. So it was a fun performance, but it wasn’t really a trio.
Julia’s Score: 9
Paul Bentley: Laurie is just a firecracker on that stage, isn’t she?! The music just flows through her body, and she never lets a single note go to waste! The concept might not have been the most showstopping, but it was definitely unique, and Laurie nailed what she was given for it with Val and Maks. Laurie might only be 16, but she dances like a seasoned pro and never lets her age define her for who she is. It is performances like these that make Laurie the unique fireball that she is, which proves her strong sense of individuality.
Bentley’s Score: 10
Rankings of the Week 10 Trio Dances
Julia
1. Terra & Sasha with Artem
2. James & Sharna with Jenna
3. Calvin & Lindsay with Witney
4. Laurie & Val with Maks
5. Jana & Gleb with Alan
Fangirl
1. Laurie & Val with Maks
2. James & Sharna with Jenna
3. Terra & Sasha with Artem
4. Jana & Gleb with Alan
5. Calvin & Lindsay with Witney
Paul Bentley
1. Laurie & Val with Maks
2. Calvin & Lindsay with Witney
3. Terra & Sasha with Artem
4. James & Sharna with Jenna
5. Jana & Gleb with Alan
Total Combined Scores For Week 10
Laurie and Val 30/30 + 30/30 = 60/60
Terra and Sasha 30/30 + 30/30 = 60/60 Eliminated- 5th
James and Sharna 29/30 + 30/30 = 59/60
Jana and Gleb 28/30 + 30/30 = 58/60
Calvin and Lindsay 26/30 + 30/30 = 56/60
Predictions For the the Elimination on Night 1 of the Finale
Fangirl: Out of the four left Jana is the weakest link. Don't get me wrong she is an incredible dancer but she just doesn't have all the technique needed to get it the final night.
Paul Bentley: The three athletes in the finale seem to have a clear edge over Jana. Even though I can tell that Jana dances to the best of her ability, I just think that the others seem to have dances that resonate more with the audience, which makes me think that Jana and Gleb are the next ones to go.
Julia: At first I thought Jana would be the next to go, but I’ve seen more support for her than I have Calvin this week. It seems most people like Calvin but he’s their second or third favorite so most are probably voting for someone else over him, and the margin he’d need to cover in votes to pass her looks like it’s probably a bit too wide for him to make it.
MVP (Most Valuable Pro) Choices For Week 10
Paul Bentley: Terra has been working on improving everything that the judges had given her to work on, and with Sasha Farber’s superior instruction, she was able to go from her first score of a 27/40 to an impressive 80/80! I have seen everything that I have critiqued about Terra this season improved this week on the dance floor. And that’s what the dancing on this show is all about-- improvement. And Sasha is the first person you want by your side to see some improvement!
Fangirl: Sasha Farber is my MVP for Week 10. I am astounded on how much he has accomplished this season with Terra and I am so proud of him.
Julia: I greatly appreciated how Sharna Burgess managed to create entertaining and exciting routines this week while including a lot on content in them and sticking to the rules of the assigned dance styles!
Additional Comments
Julia: While I think this was probably the strongest Top 5 we have ever had on this show and possibly the only time when all five of the couples I personally thought deserved to make it this far actually did, I was really hoping to see Terra and Sasha make it to the last week instead of Jana and Gleb. They’ve both given us some really great dances this season but I think Terra had generally better technique and more variety as a performer than Jana did, and I would have absolutely loved to see a Freestyle routine from her and Sasha.
Paul Bentley: The Semifinals had such good dancing! Since Len was absent this week, though, it just makes me wonder how all of the scores would have played out if he were here this week.
Julia: Regarding the situation with Laurie...I think she handled it well but the show tried to milk it a little too much. I know she didn't watch the package but it felt like they were trying to get a reaction out of her to create some drama, which was pretty insensitive especially to someone so young. I also didn't like that she wasn't told about what happened until days after the fact, and that her family told VAL first. I know they were trying to protect her, but if I found out my family had been hiding something like that from be I would be even MORE upset.
Paul Bentley: Did anyone else notice how Erin kind of insulted Alan by suggesting that he wasn’t as good-looking as Artem? But from the look on her face, I think she immediately regretted saying that. Awkward!
Julia: I didn’t catch that but oh no! Lol
Follow Us on Twitter! (links)
Paul Bentley: @TheBentleyNinja
Julia Delbel: @juliadelbel
Fangirl: @24_7dwts
Katie Henry: @katiegotbandzz
Angelina Mikheeva: @angelinarose42
The DWTS 2016 Social Square (run by Paul Bentley): @DWTS2016
What did you think of the season 23 semifinals on Dancing With the Stars? What did you think of the first round of individual dances from Monday night? Which couple do you think had the best trio dance? What did you think of Terra’s elimination? Which finalist do you think will be eliminated on Monday, coming in fourth place?
Monday is night one the season 23 finale of DWTS! For round one, the couples will perform a Redemption Dance, where they will dance to a style that they have previously done on the show to improve on. Then, it is the highly anticipated Freestyle dances! And at the end of the night, one of the four finalist couples will be eliminated before night two of the finale on Tuesday, where the winner will be determined!
Link to the Week 10 Dances: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK1f1bOs9XyfoN4Vm0HQWu5jiOTGe4voo
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