DWTS Season 23 Thoughts + Casting Rumours

Hello Again. It's Shay. 

So, who's pumped for season 23? Let's talk about the rumors and the confirmations that are making their rounds on social media. First lets talk about the first wave of pro-dancers casting announcements that GOOD MORNING AMERICA revealed today. Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy (via Video Call from Los Angeles) helped reveal some of the pros who'll compete to take home the Mirror Ball Trophy. Val revealed 8/13 names of the DWTS Pros returning.. Here's the current list:

• Lindsay Arnold
• Sharna Burgess
• Witney Carson
• Artem Chigvintsev
• Val Chmerkovskiy
• Sasha Farber
• Allison Holker
• Gleb Savenchko 

Our question now, is "Who are the other five pros that will compete alongside the eight announced?".. That is our question and it's been grilling our minds for a while now since this morning. Could there be two new pros that are joining the star studded roster? I'm thinking so.. I'm trying not to get my hopes up right now at this time, but I'm really hoping that they give troupe member Brittany Cherry (Remember her from the last few seasons? She also was in the music video for Ed Sheeran's "Thinking out Loud"!) a well needed promotion to pro-dancer this season after all she did kill it with troupe these last few seasons though.. You gotta give Brittany a chance.. 

- Let's get down and dirty with these early confirmations now..  We're getting confirmation that Amber Rose is set to strap on some dancing shoes and hit the dance floor for season 23.. Some fans (I'm one of them) are not happy with the news so far. Amber Rose is most known as an activist, actress, model and fashion designer. She was married to rapper Wiz Khalifa for three years and has one child. She also has ties with the Kardashian family as well as she knows them fairly well. - We also are getting reports that Olympic Gymnast Laurie Hernandez who recently won medals Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. I'm digging it. I really want her to dance with pro Mark Ballas* (*meaning status TBD) because she would be the second of the "FInal Five" US Olympic Gymnasts to compete on the dazzled out dancing competition, succeeding Aly Raisman who competed with Mark many seasons ago. - We're also learning that "General Hospital"'s Robert P. Watkins (Dillon Quartermaine) is eyeing the Mirrorball Trophy. This would make him one of the many General Hospital alumni who've competed/to compete on the show.  I"m kinda hoping he's with Witney but he could be with Lindsay. I don't know.. - We're also apparently getting reports that Emma Samms (General Hospital - Holly Scorpio) is also wanting to take a stab at the coveted MBT prize too. I don't know who she'd end up with for S23.. But I think she'll do a good job.. Maybe with Keo or Tony.. Who knows.... - Also, "Bachelorette" leading lady Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher is in talks to also strap some shoes on and shake what her mama gave her also. I'm praying that she takes this into consideration and says "I'm in!"..because she is set to walk down the aisle to her fiancée Jordan Rodgers. She'd need to get some killer dance moves to impress her hubby to be during their wedding! I'm down for this because I am a huge Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise fan and I absolutely want Fletcher to do this! - We also know that SHAY MITCHELL is rumored to be taking the floor soon too. I HOPE SHE DOES!!!!!!

- More information is due soon... 

Shay! 

Could "Pretty Little Liars" star Shay Mitchell be joining DWTS?

Thursday August 18th, 2016:


Could Shay Mitchell slay the floor for S23?!

     There's been a lot of speculation as to if Shay Mitchell, star of Pretty Little Liars is to be part of the star studded cast of season 23..... Rumour has it, that according to Mitchell's Snapchat stories.. Her first one, on Monday she told us she's been working out a lot more recently... And that there'd be a reason to it once the end of the month rolls around. (The DWTS Season 23 cast reveal is Tuesday August 30th, if you're curious*)..  She kept posting her snap stories on the popular social media hub of workouts and the hopes and dreams of many PLL x DWTS fans kept blossoming...
She was a fan favourite to do the reality dancing competition, and it was all after Janel Parrish (Of the same show) competed in season 19's edition with pro-dancer Val Chmerkovskiy. People kept wanting Shay Mitchell since Janel's season to be doing it. And if rumours are true, she could be doing  it this upcoming season. But is it all true? Many fans of both shows are really hoping so too. It would be a dream come true for so many people in both the PLL fandom and the DWTS fandom....
Now what would their team name be if they're doing it together? Chmitchell? Vay? PrettyLittlefoxtrot? Shmerkovskiy? Who knows what they're going to do....or where Shay'll end up.. Nobody knows by all means....

For now...lets just be happy Val's actually returning.. And let's pray that Shay Mitchell is gonna kill it on DWTS..

Season 23 Cast Reveal will air early morning on GMA Tuesday, August 30th on ABC.
Season 23 airs Monday, September 12th at 8/7c on ABC.




- for now and I shall return....
Shay. (@SharnaKeoLove on Twitter)
-🅰

Julia's UNFILTERED Thoughts on the DWTS Season 22 Pros

It's been a few weeks since we posted on this blog, but we have a doosey for you today.



I got the idea for this when I was editing the Thoughts on Jodie and Keo post and spent about half of it responding to the criticisms Keo was getting from viewers during the season/ This post is going to be me doing the same thing for all the pros and how they handled their assignments this season.

Also I'm going to rank them. So the order they appear on this list will go from who I think did the least good of a job to who I think did the best.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THESE RANKINGS ARE BASED ON SEASON 22 ONLY. THINGS THESE PROS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST DID NOT AFFECT THEM.

12. Artem Chigvintsev

As an emotionally fragile recovering drug addict, Mischa Barton was one of the toughest assignments this season, and in a group with so many talented dancers and fun personalities, it was clear she wouldn't have much time to play catch-up. So yeah, I think Mischa was likely to be kind of a lost cause no matter what, but having the least empathetic pro currently on Dancing With the Stars certainly didn't help the matter. To be fair, I did see Artem give Mischa a little bit of emotional support during her time on the show, but I think he has problems with adapting his teaching style to his celebrity. He does great at adapting the choreography to their strengths, but it seems he is stubborn in his methods when working with them. So while I don't think Mischa would have gotten much further with another partner, I do think she might have enjoyed herself more.

At this point Artem just doesn't seem to have as strong a grasp on the "fun" aspect of this show as some other pros, but I have seen shades of it in him and I think once he really gets it we're going to see some amazing things. I'm hoping this coming season is a really good one for Artem, and he gets a partner that can open up that side of him more. I think the closest he's come to really opening up in a partnership Artem has had on this side of the pond was with Patti LaBelle (and it often seems in interviews she's the only one he's really liked-I feel bad for poor Lea Thompson whenever I see those comments) but I'd like to see it go even further. I'm hearing speculation Season 12 Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher might be on this coming season of DWTS and a lot of people seem to want her with Artem, but I'd rather she go with someone else because I want to see Artem partner a "bigger" personality to play off of. JoJo just seems kind of quiet. I guess we'll find out soon, though, because as of today (August 17) Artem is in the pro lineup for Season 23.

11. Val Chmerkovskiy

I've made it quite clear on this blog how I felt about the way Val and partner Ginger were favored by the producers and ABC network this past season, and I wanted to make sure it didn't affect my rankings on this list, but the fact that it seems Val used this treatment to just skate along through the season certainly does affect my feelings about his outing as a pro in Season 22. I feel like in certain other seasons he was fighting harder because he knew it'd be an uphill battle to go far or win, but maybe this time he could see that the producers were going to do the work to make sure he and Ginger made it to the end so he just put less effort in. Now, I like Val when he's relaxed a lot more than when he's stressed out, but I wish he'd done more to really showcase Ginger this season. There were a couple of great numbers from them, but other than that not much stood out. The Freestyle in particular baffled me. It was nice that Val wanted to do something different, but there was a lot of filler, and why did he even put that tap dancing bit in there if neither of them knew how to? But I do have to say I think Val has gotten a lot better at tailoring his teaching methods to his partner in recent seasons. He's still too "my way or the highway" sometimes, but he seems to have a better understanding and sense of empathy toward them than he has in the past.

Unsurprisingly, Val is coming back for Season 23, and apparently spoke to his new partner a few weeks ago. He also recently claimed on twitter that this would be his "best season ever" so I think he has a ringer. Whoever it is, I hope he works well with her and showcases her talents well (and no showmance, please).

10. Witney Carson

When the Season 22 couples were first announced, Von Miller and Witney seemed like the most unfitting and random pairing of them all. And it was pretty weird at first; I think it took Witney a relatively long time to truly understand Von and what he was all about. As a result, Witney came across as not being invested in her partner which was a turn-off to me. I think she was invested to a degree (her fining and donation idea to make dance practice comparable to that of the NFL was brilliant) but she didn't seem to make too much of an effort to really connect with Von until close to the end; sometimes her comments toward him even felt judgemental. The last two weeks were great, though, and once Witney's level of enthusiasm matched Von's they were delightful to watch. I also have to applaud Witney for creating some entertaining dances out of tough assignments (the Flo Rida Foxtrot and the Elvis Salsa).

Witney is scheduled to be a pro again for Season 23. I don't know who her partner is but I hope it's one of the older contestants. I think she'd do very well with an assignment like that.

9. Keo Motsepe

I've already talked about Keo's Season 22 showing a lot, so I'll keep this brief. I thought he was good at the "care and support" aspect of being a pro and I appreciated he didn't seem to take it for granted like some other may have. His biggest downfall was his Standard Ballroom choreography, but some of his Latin dances were pretty awesome. So basically I wholeheartedly agree with some of the criticism he got, but other remarks made me scratch my head. To read more about what I though of Keo last season, check out this post.

As I mentioned in the article I linked, based on the way that last package was edited I was pretty sure they were going to keep Keo on the pro roster for Season 23, but today I saw six male names on the list and his wasn't one of them. More on that below, but I think I'd like him to stick around and be in troupe. Last season showed Keo has some great assets as a pro, and I think some time in the troupe might allow him to work on some of his lesser skills.

8. Edyta Sliwinska

Edyta has never made much of an impact on me to be honest. She's fine, but she just doesn't interest me as much as a lot of the other pros do. That said, I think she did alright this season considering her partner had a bum foot. She remained positive the whole time, and she clearly tried to choreograph around his limitations. The only thing that made me uncomfortable was her allowing Geraldo to theme the Salsa around Donald Trump. I mean, his ex-wife was there; it must have been very awkward for her.

I haven't heard that Edyta is returning for Season 23, but I have heard there are a couple of female spots open, so maybe she will.

7. Tony Dovolani

I can't think of anything bad Tony did last season, but I can't think of anything spectacular he did either. He was a good partner to Marla, providing good instruction and emotional support, and they had great chemistry out on the dance floor! I liked the Quickstep he came up with for her but I don't remember much about the other dances they did. I do think they deserved to go farther, but I can't say I really blame either of them for their elimination; I just think they kind of got lost in the shuffle, which likely had a lot to do with Marla not having nearly as large a fanbase as most of the other celebrity contestants.

Sources that are usually reliable have said Tony is returning for Season 23, but I haven't heard anything from him or the show that confirms this or gives any hints as to who his partner might be.

6. Sharna Burgess

From the looks of things pre-season, it seemed Sharna was in a good position, but it ended up being a tough one for her. She had a partner who wasn't committed enough and actually threw her under the bus for it. I for one don't think she did anything wrong in that situation, but she remedied it well. I liked most of her choreography fine, and she maintained a positive attitude even in the face of frustration.

Sharna will be back for the new season, and I bet she's going to have a ringer seeing as the producers seem to really want her to win next (and have for the past couple of seasons). But I kind of hope she gets someone with potential who isn't technically a ringer.

5. Peta Murgatroyd

This may seem like a somewhat low position for the winning pro to have, so let me explain. I think Peta was a wonderful partner for Nyle. She came up with innovative (and clearly effective) ways of teaching Nyle that were not auditory, She came up with interesting and entertaining choreography for their dances. She maintained a positive attitude and clearly provided great emotional support for her partner. And she did all of this while being pregnant for the first time! The only real issue I had with this partnership was that Peta didn't correct some of Nyle's errors (mainly in posture) and as a result, they sort of plateaued after a while. I mean, they were still very good and managed to win, but I wish she had really focused on fixing those technical issues.

Obviously, Peta won't be back this season, as she is five months pregnant, and I wouldn't be surprised if we've seen the last of her on DWTS. This was was such a great season for her that would be very hard to top, so I can see her wanting to end her time as a pro with her win with Nyle.

Okay, before I continue I feel the need to explain that these last four pros are in a class above the rest in my mind, and I could probably justify putting them in any order. These are the Season 22 pros I was blown away by, in one way or another. So keep in mind that while I'll still be ranking them, it's virtually a four-way tie for first between these people.

4. Sasha Farber

I was so happy the producers of this show decided to do something smart for once and give Sasha a pro slot again, and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. For having never danced before, Kim managed to be a very good performer, and it was clear Sasha taught her well. The choreography was well suited to her and they were a great pair. I was also very impressed with how great Sasha did at emotionally supporting Kim, especially since she seemed to be one of the season's more sensitive contestants. I think the one little thing that he could have done better was maybe prepare her for the possibility of being eliminated. I heard she was very confident she was going to make the finale and had a bad reaction after being eliminated; she was very surprised and heartbroken. Other than that I think this was an excellent pro showing for Sasha.

Originally, I was worried they might not bring Sasha back as a pro for Season 22 but according to the list he is, in fact, in the lineup, Needless to say, I am very excited about this and can't wait to see how he does in the fall!

3. Karina Smirnoff

Karina is a seasoned pro on DWTS and it shows. She has great patience, choreography skills, and creativity. Because of this, she is able to successfully partner celebrities of many different age, ability, and personality types. This season she was with Doug, someone who was one of the oldest contestants of the season and was not as naturally talented as a lot of others. However, Karina managed to bring out the best in him by tailoring her choreography to his strengths (the most prominent example being their Paso Doble) and encouraging him even when he was very frustrated with himself. Karina was able to make DWTS a positive experience for Doug, even though he was clearly one of the least-skilled contestants, which is a sign of a truly great pro. Reason why she's not higher? Not really her fault, but the two above her produced some amazing choreography which Karina was unfortunately not able to hit this season. She's still awesome though.

Karina's contract ended last season, and I haven't heard anything about her returning for Season 23 as of yet. I really hope she does come back because she is amazing, but if this was her DWTS swan song, it showed just how valuable she was as a pro on this show.

2. Mark Ballas

I think Mark has been kind of underrated on this show. But now that Derek has left Dancing With the Stars a lot of his fans are suddenly flocking to Mark. It's nice to see him finally getting more support, even if it is blatantly obvious he's only the second choice for a lot of fans. This season he had Paige, who was clearly a ringer. However, he didn't rely only on her great dance skills to get by. Every week, he pushed the limits, trying to come up with something fresh, new, and innovative. He was also very patient with her, especially when she had trouble trusting him in the beginning. All of this paid off immensely, as they made it all the way to the end on a season with some of the toughest competition this show has seen in years. The reason he's not #1 is because he wasn't quite as gracious about the loss in the end as it would have been nice for him to be. Granted, he didn't bash anyone, but he was clearly pissed off. I know it must have been very hard for him and that was barely an issue, but I needed something to separate the top 2, and that was it I guess!

I was wondering whether or not Mark would return this season, but apparently he is coming back! I heard he might have Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez as his partner, which might be pretty cool, though after having two gymnasts and a bunch of other young contestants in the past I think I'd perfer him with someone else. But really, I'm just glad he's back at all!

1. Lindsay Arnold

While watching this season I kept forgetting this was only Lindsay's third outing as a pro because she came across as a more seasoned pro than a lot of the pros who have been doing this for years. She was kind, patient, creative, innovative......basically everything a pro on this show should be! I know she's had outside help with choreography in the past, and if she did this season as well, I'm fine with it; better to recognize you need help to make your celebrity shine and get it than insist on doing something you struggle with on your own. I can't think of anything Lindsay did this season that I didn't like, so that's why I put her on top of this list! Her partnership with Wanyá was wonderful, and I can't wait to see what she does on the show next!

And yes, Lindsay will be back in the ballroom this fall for Season 23!

Okay, so before I post this I wanted to elaborate a bit on the news we've been getting about the upcoming season. I already mentioned Laurie's possible participation, but there's been some interesting stuff up with the pros as well. An incomplete list of pro names was reported by @DWTSGossip on twitter today, and included:

Allison
Artem
Gleb
Lindsay
Mark Sasha
Sharna
Tony
Val
Witney

There are at least two female spots left, and possibly a male one. Hmmmm

In the meantime, I'm gonna freak out over the fact that they actually brought back Gleb! He was great on Strictly Come Dancing last season, so it's great that the DWTS producers finally realized they had given up someone special and have asked him to return! (Now we just need Chelsie, Tistan, and Emma to return! :P)

DWTS Seasons 20-22: Lasting Impressions [Paul Bentley]

As some of my older Twitter friends know, I have been blogging about Dancing With the Stars since season 20, and am continuing to do so with some other watchers of the show into season 23. Every season, I give my thoughts on the cast of each season, which I will do for season 22 in this post, but I will also give updates on my thoughts of the celebrities from seasons 20 and 21.

Why am I doing this? Well, ever since I connected with a bunch of other DWTS fans like you all on social media, expanding my thoughts and becoming more informed, I realized that I don't have to agree with everyone on everything, and I am able to give my honest thoughts, whether other people agree or not. One thing I have learned from you guys is that we are all (mostly) able to have our own thoughts, even if other people think they are outrageous or made without proper information. For seasons 20 and 21, I tried to be as agreeable as possible, even if that meant keeping some of my opinions to myself. . . I don't want to do that anymore. Plus, my opinions have changed over time. And that's how it is. It's a lot like politics.

So, whether you think my opinions are out of line or not, here are my thoughts on the season 20 celebrities.

• 12th- Redfoo Redfoo was the kind of crazy energy that I love to see on the show. Not only that, but he seemed like a genuinely good guy, and really wanted to stay in the competition. I would have loved to see him further in the competition, especially because everyone else, including Charlotte and Chris, somehow lasted longer than him. I have always liked Redfoo, and DWTS made me like him even more. I still listen to his song Juicy Wiggle, but besides that, I don't really know what he is up to anymore.
• 11th- Charlotte McKinney Look, I'm all for non-celebrities being the show, but when you put a woman who clearly doesn't care about the show and is only semi-known for her blonde hair and big boobs because of a burger commercial, I become bummed, because there are so many people who aren't famous that would absolutely love the opportunity to be on the show (and if you are reading this, you are probably one of them). I think some of her hate was unjustified, but at the end of the day, I think the only good things that came from her being on the show were #LeftCrab and her hilarious bloopers in the finale. I have no clue what she's doing with her life now, but I doubt she is getting anymore big gigs.
• 10th- Michael Sam Wow, Michael's story really got to me. The fact that his brother was killed, and later his father diowned him is really sad. I'm glad he got so much support from DWTS fans, because he really has been through a lot. I know that ever since DWTS ended, he had some more struggles with himself and others, but now it looks like he is back on his feet. I'm glad about that!
• 9th- Suzanne Somers Yeah, Suzanne was funny and all, but she was so self-absorbed. She truly thought she was the most popular celebrity on that show, but clearly, that wasn't the case. It also bothers me that she always advocates embracing old age, yet you can clearly tell that her face has tons of work done. I don't know. She's not a terrible person, but she is very into herslef.
• 8th- Patti LaBelle MRS. PATTI LABELLE SLAYS! I freakin' love Patti! She was so down-to-earth and funny, that even though she wasn't the best dancer, I will still upset to see her eliminated. She's seems like such a lovely person, and it shows through everything she does.
• 7th- Willow Shields As I keep reminding on Twitter, I am still not over Willow's elimination! She was so close to winning immunity, but when the chips fell, it was her turn to go. I felt exremely sad for her when she got the boot because she had good scores when it came to dancing, so she knew that the reason why she left was simply beacuse she wan't getting enough votes. And for a 14-year-old girl, that can be tough. She was very mature for her age, and is always very nice and respectable on social media. Good for her!
• 6th- Robert Herjavec This is another really nice guy who had such a sad story. I usually don't like really rich people, but Robert grew up poor, made his own money through hard work, appreciated every penny he got, and stayed humble along the way. I like to see people make use of their wealth and fame, and Robert does exactly that. He and Kym were the perfect pair, and I am so happy that they are getting married soon!
•  5th- Chris Soules I honestly cannot comprehend why people kept voting for this guy to keep continuing through the competition. First of all, even though he seems like a nice guy, he came off as having no personality. Also, he just boring to watch on the dance floor, especially because Witney carried him through the dances every time. I know a lot of people say that the only reason Chris got poor scores was because he couldn't keep up with Witney's difficult choreography, but I beg to differ. Witney's choreography was perfectly suitable for a beginner, but Chris just couldn't keep up. It wasn't his fault, though. He just wasn't as good as the majority of the season 20 cast. I waited for him to be eliminated since week 3. Now, Chris is no longer engaged to his ex-fiancé Whitney, which is no shock because relationships from reality TV rarely ever last. But also, if I were Whitney, I would be so confused from his crying in week four about breaking up with his EX-GIRLFRIEND. If you have a brand new fiancé, why would you be crying about a previous breakup? Everything about that seems very weird.
• 4th- Nastia Liukin I had never heard of Nastia before DWTS, but just because she isn't a very popular gymnast, does not mean she couldn't dance! I like Nastia, but like Chris (but to a lesser extent), she didn't seem to have much of a personality shown on the show. Her dancing was good, and she handled everything that happened to her like a champ, but in my personal unpopular opinion, she was the right choice to go during the semifinals. She just didn't deliver like the other finalists did. But besides that, she was super entertaining to watch on the show!
• 3rd- Noah Galloway Noah will forever be one of the most memorable contestants of DWTS in my book. And speaking of books, and I definitely buying his new book coming out August 23! I am always pro-military, but Noah was more than that. Noah was also a phenomenal dancer, sweet person, selfless soul, and kind spirit. I have been following everything that Noah has been doing since the show, which includes his fantastic run on American Grit. And for you people who said that he shouldn't have made the finals, you try dancing with only half of your limbs, get votes as a non-celebrity, and be able to get out of the depression he went to in order to inspire people around the world. That, my fellow DWTS fans, is what a winner sounds like to me.
• 2nd- Riker Lynch Riker is such a natural mover! I never knew until DWTS that R5 had such a massive and passionate audience, which I'm glad they have, because Riker hit it out of the park! I knew Noah wouldn't win the show, so I rooted fro Riker to win the season. Sure, Rumer also deserved to win, but Riker seemed more dynamic and energetic on the dance floor. Riker really made Allison shine after the mess of a season she had with Jonathan, and Allison also made Riker shine throughout the process. This was the perfect couple!
• 1st- Rumer Willis Don't get me wrong. Rumer was practically flawless in every dance she performed with Val, but it did tend to get a bit repetitive as the weeks went by. I am glad, though, that she was able to stand up to the bullies, and show that not everyone has to look like a typical blonde burger girl, because natural beauty and inner beauty is what really matters. Rumer was and is a beautiful person (especially when they don't give her awful makeup and outfits, like for her Jazz routine), and she was able to use that instead of the sympathy card to make it to the end!

And, of course, here are my thoughts on the season 21 contestants.

• 13th- Chaka Khan I thought I liked Chaka Khan, but she turned out to be a total diva. Not only did she think that she was all that and a bag of chips, and she also blamed the producers of DWTS for her atrocious dancing and work ethic. Chaka is now in rehab for drugs, which I wish her the best with. But overall, I'm glad she was out first. I was just bummed for Keo because all of his partners failed him. . . until season 22!
• 12th- Victor Espinoza How could you not love the hilarious Victor Espinoza?! He was so much fun in his dances, even though they little content in them. But hey, he had a good run and a positive attitude, so what more could I ask for from him? Plus, he follows the DWTS 2016 Social Square on Twitter, so that makes me like him even more!
• 11th- Kim Zolziak- Biermann One thing I didn't appreciate about Kim was not her bad dancing, but her attitude. I could be wrong in saying this, but DWTS really made her look unprofessional and like a quitter. I still do not know whether she was truthful about her semi-stroke or not, because she was threatening to quit, and that seems like an easy out of the show, but once again, I hope I'm wrong (not that I want any damage to her health, I just don't think people should lie about that kind of stuff). Personally, I do think that it is likely she had a stroke, but who knows? Her timing couldn't have been any better. But after the show, I got even more annoyed with her because of all of her snobby comments and stupid things she did. But I won't get into that.
• 10th- Gary Busey A lot people didn't like Gary, but I appreciated his humor. Poor Anna. . . I give Gary a pass, though, because he has been through a lot, and he did have a real head injury way back when. Gary is fun, though. I don't understand all of the hate he got.
• 9th- Paula Deen Being on DWTS really let her redeem herself in the public eye. I personally think Paula is hilarious, but clearly other people think otherwise. On a random note, have you ever seen how much butter this woman puts into her recipes? A LOT. Anyway, I just love Paula Deen as a person, and a meme. If you look up "Paula Deen riding things" on Google, you will not be disappointed. Those pictures are hilarious! Butter on!
• 8th- Hayes Grier For me, Hayes was just there. I didn't hate him, I didn't love him; he didn't really make a lasting impression on me. I do remember him looking like Aberham Lincoln on Halloween Night, though. Oh, good times. One thing I do have to say is that Hayes is so much better than his older brother Nash. Hayes just seems to be more humble and put together than him. And besides, Hayes was a very young contestant, so he can get away with more than his brother, who was obviously very jealous of his brother's claim to fame.
• 7th- Andy Grammer I LOVE ANDY. Andy seems like the kind of guy who would help you with whatever, wven if he had a bigger problem in his life. I love the fact that he took major tragedies in his life, and turned them into something uplifting. And that's the word I would use to describe him: uplifting.
• 6th- Alexa PenaVega Although Alexa was just a little too much in my opinion when it came to drama, I didn't dislike her. She took everything really well, and still does to this day. I have nothing bad to say about her, but I don't really have anything about her that stands out in my mind.
• 5th- Tamar Braxton Alright, when the season was going, I loved Tamar's sass, which I still kinda do, and I felt bad for her with both her and her husband's medical emergencies. But, since doing DWTS, she has been fired from The Real (apparently because she caused problems), and she is divorcing her husband because she had an affair with him. Ouch. I mean, I like Tamar's attitude in life, but some of her actions are no bueno. She needs to stay away from reality TV.
• 4th- Carlos PenaVega I'm going to say it-- Witney's choreogrpahy was not up to par in season 21. And I think Carlos had to pay for it. I'm not saying that Carlos was my favorite contestant on the show, but I do think he could have had a shot at second or third place if he had a different partner. Maybe I'm wrong, though. Witney has shown herself as a drama queen and (dare I say) stuck up in past seasons, but it was especially bad in season 21. I think she has cleaned up her act, though, because she has learned that that kind of attitude does not help in this type of competition. Carlos, though, was able to work with her the best he could, and still managed to make the girls swoon.
• 3rd- Alek Skarlatos Alek did seem to lose his head at one point, but he was able to pick himself back up. Once again, I always root for American heroes, so Alek is not an exception. He impressed me as a dancer, and Lindsay impressed me as well as a partner. Alek has his own stong opinions on various topics, but we all do. . . he just chooses to be more vocal about his. I have to respect that.
• 2nd- Nick Carter Nick! Amazing dancer! I have to give props to both he and Sharna for creating some incredible and truly original performances during their run. Nick seems like a really genuine person, even if DWTS might have pushed that to the audience over and over again. Nonetheless, he deserved all the success he received on the show.
• 1st- Bindi Irwin It's so weird. One day I looked up Bindi Irwin to see what she has been doing in her life, and the next week, she becomes a contestant on DWTS. I was actually happily surprised that she became a member of the show. She is the most compassionate and loving contestant I have ever seen on the show, and not to mention one of the best dancers I've seen on the show, so there was not a single doubt in my mind that she would win the show! And I really appreciate and admire the fact that she donated all of her money from the show to animals. It really shows that she truly is an inspirational human being, and that it's not all just an act.

Now that I made some controversial remarks, here are my thoughts on the couples of season 22 of Dancing With the Stars.

• 12th- Geraldo Rivera and Edyta Śliwińska (Favorite Dance: Cha-Cha-Cha) Geraldo is very entertaining, so I think it was good for Edyta to just say what the heck, and just go crazy with their routines. Geraldo is probably a half of a notch better than P. Miller at dancing, which ultimately means he was the second worst dancer to ever be on the show. But that's okay. Geraldo knew he was bad, and had as much fun as he could have anyway. Geraldo is a controversial figure, but there is no denying that he just wants to have fun, and be able to laugh at things that most others wouldn't. And was it just me, or was Edyta strangely quite this season? I guess she knew what was coming for her. . .
• 11th- Mischa Barton and Artem Chigvintsev (Favorite Dance: Tango) This woman truly seemed like she was being forced against her will to dance. It seems like she was on an "I hate everything" mode when on the show, and when she was eliminated, she finally became a happy person again. I mean, did you see her in the audience after her elimination? I never saw a smile like that from her on the dance floor! Poor Artem had to deal with all of the criticism surrounding both he are Mischa this season, but at least they seem like actual friends. I think doing DWTS was a bad idea for Mischa because, even though she is arguably already weird (which is not necessarily a bad thing) in everyday life, the show was just too crazy for her.
• 10th- Marla Maples and Tony Dovolani (Favorite Dance: Quickstep) I absolutely adore Miss Marla Maples! She is so sweet. She just wanted to have a fun time on the show, and didn't try to use a literal Trump card to make it far (props to her for that). Marla is actually a really good dancer, so I was disappointed to see her leave the show. Tony really saw potential in her, which is probably why he was so shocked that they were eliminated so early in the season. Marla knew she could never compete with some of the other contestants, though, so she took her elimination like a champ.
• 9th- Doug Flutie and Karina Smirnoff (Favorite Dance: Paso Doble) Doug reminded me a lot of Robert Herjavec with his heartbreaking story, ability to entertain, and lack of technique (although Robert did have a lot of good technique when it came to the ballroom dances). Doug is a true family man, and clearly cares more about them than anything else in the world. Karina was a good support system along the way, structuring every dance to fit them to his capabilites and strengths. Doug tried his best, so that's all I could ask for.
• 7th- Kim Fields and Sasha Farber (Favorite Dance: Jive) All hail queen Kim! Kim is the kind of person you would always want around, always being positive and happy through everything that is thrown at her. Sasha was the absolute best partner she could get, which also proved that Sasha is an incredible choreographer, and should return to the show next season. Not only did those two have an amazing chemistry, but the routines they had were the perfect blend of content, following the rules, and entertainment. Kim really impressed me. . . I didn't expect her to be so good!
• 7th- Von Miller and Witney Carson (Favorite Dance: Viennese Waltz) Von is so silly. He makes me laugh. Apparently Von just got a $70 million contract deal, so congratulations to him for that! But for his performance on DWTS, Von did okay, but I know he could have tried harder. Witney actually did well with him this season, especially because I think she is good at making her partners work hard. Von left at the right time, though, because the competition was very tight this season, and it just seemed liked the final six wanted the experience more than him. Von seems like a cool person, but he wasn't exactly finale material.
• 6th- Jodie Sweetin and Keoikantse Motsepe (Top 3 Dances: Jive, Contemporary, Samba) I was so glad that Keo was finally able to show what he had to offer to America by lasting longer with Jodie than ever before! Keo's Latin dances are superb, even though his ballroom dances might need some revision. I could tell that Jodie was dead set in competition mode, which I can really appreciate due to the fact that some celebrities go on the show just for money and exposure. But Jodie wanted to have a fun experience while also entertaining the audience. She left on a high note, and was able to show the world that she is no longer the party animal and poor role model that she once was.
• 4th- Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess (Top 3 Dances: Contemporary, Jive, Foxtrot) At first, Antonio seemed to not really put effort in his work, but by the halfpoint of the competition, he kicked it into high gear. Antonio was truly the dark horse of the season, since at first he was not very consistent with his high scores, but towards the end, he had some stunning routines. I especially loved his Contemporary! Sharna's choreography for him was captivating, and created a timeless Foxtrot piece that I will always remember.
• 4th- Wanyá Morris and Lindsay Arnold (Top 3 Dances: Charleston, Samba, Waltz) Wanyá gave all he got, and created spectacular performances in doing so. Lindsay gave him very unique and difficult choreography, and Wanyá was able to professional execute anything that she threw at him. I personally would have liked to see him in the finals, but apparently not everybody felt that way. I'm glad he left with two perfect scores, though, just so he knows that he in fact is a phenomenal performer.
• 3rd- Ginger Zee and Valentin Chmerkovskiy (Top 3 Dances: Argentine Tango, Foxtrot, Finale Contemporary) Ginger got a lot of hate last season for being favored by ABC. Although it was very obvious that the network was pushing for her to win, she had nothing to do with it. I thought Ginger really nailed her performances, even though they were not as technical ad Paige's and Nyle's dances. But that's okay. Val's choreography was up and down throughout the season, but overall, he made Ginger shine. This might not have been the best pair on the season, but they were good sports and ignored all of the hateful criticism.
• 2nd- Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas (Top 3 Dances: Samba, Finale Salsa, Jive) Choosing my three favorite dances from Paige and Mark was next to impossible. I was literally debating between nine different dances for which ones would be in my top three. And I bet that when I post this, that top three will change. Paige was something special to the show. She was more than just a performer- she was a sweet human being who poured out her heart and soul into everything she did. And don't think I forgot about good ol' Mark! Mark is just astonishing. He makes people who wouldn't even look at a dance routine fall in love with dancing! Mark is consistently doing the best for his partners, and making it so there is something fresh and new every single week. And I love the fact that Paige showed her haters who's boss!
• 1st- Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd (Top 3 Dances: Cha-Cha-Cha, Freestyle, Tango) I'm glad that Nyle won, even though I was slightly leaning towards Paige to win. He had the hardest journey on DWTS, but he proved to be one of the hardest working and most musically inclined contestants of the season! There was something magical about Nyle and Peta on the dance floor together. The two of them create stories that words cannot describe. Nyle winning season 22 shows that disabilities are just capabilities that require a little more effort.

So what did you think of the season 22 cast of Dancing With the Stars? What do you think of my thoughts on the celebrities from seasons 20 and 21?

Also, check out Julia Delbel's "Thoughts On" posts about the season 22 celebrities for her in-depth views about each couple!


Make sure to follow me, Paul Bentley, on Twitter at @TheBentleyNinja, and follow the DWTS 2016 Social Square at @DWTS2016 for more about DWTS! And stay tuned to our blog for season 23 for our weekly reviews of the performances!

Julia's Thoughts On Ginger and Val

It's time for the final "Thoughts On" post of Season 22! Let's take a look at the partnership of the season's third-place finishers, Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy!



I sometimes have an idea of some of the qualities I desire in a partner for some of the pros before a season, and well before the Season 22 celebrities were announced I'd already had a whole list for my ideal partner for Val. It's hard to explain, but the whole "fam" thing the Chmerkovskiys and some of the other Dancing With the Stars pros is a sweet idea, but when some of the other pros as well as the celebrities they partner get too caught up in it all it starts feeling very clique-y and exclusive. It sometimes comes across sort of like the "popular' crowd in high school. So I wanted Val to be partnered with someone he'd get along well with but not push to the brink of drama, and who would become friends with many different pros and stars, not just the "fam" ones. I also wanted him to get a non-ringer but I had a feeling that since he didn't have one in Season 21 it was likely he would in Season 22.

There were already two celebrities heavily rumoured to be Val's next partner, which were Shay Mitchell and Jodie Sweetin. Both ladies were friends with Val, had stated in the recent past they were keen to do the show with Val as their partner, and had obvious potential advantages. Shay stars on Pretty Little Liars which is under the ABC network umbrella, and Jodie had dance experience from when she was a child. Out of the two, Shay seemed quite similar in personality to several of Val's partners and a little more likely to buy into the "fam" mentality, so I was hoping for it to be Jodie over her (though I was still happy to see Jodie on the show with Keo as her partner and was big on the idea of Jodie/Val moreso for his sake than her's).

When I found out Ginger Zee was going to be Val's partner, I had mixed feelings. She wasn't exactly a ringer and she seemed pretty down-to-Earth, which is what I'd been hoping for. However, I was also concerned about whether or not I'd enjoy this partnership, because in addition to the whole "being on the show that gives DWTS most of its central promotion" thing it didn't seem she and Val would have that great of a connection. They just seemed to be on totally different wavelengths.

I got a taste of Ginger & Val pre-season when they were doing Periscopes during rehearsals. I was right that they were totally different from each other, but that actually made their partnership more endearing and entertaining, with Val teaching Ginger how to dance of course as well as slang and other pop culture happenings, and Ginger teaching Val all about weather and other science-y matters. I wish we could have seen some of this in the packages, because I think it would have been a lot more fun to watch than some of the ones the producers came up with.

At the beginning of the season I was disappointed that this couple's dances had a lot of "filler" in them. I noticed a lot of walking around and skit-type stuff. I like world-building in "story" dances" but only as long as its done through actual dancing. Ginger's dancing was pretty good, but I thought they tended to get overly praised and scores higher than deserved in my opinion because there just wasn't a lot of content in most of their early dances. Thankfully, this changed later in the season and their dances had a lot more content that showed Ginger's true capabilities as a dancer, though I still think they were often a little overscored. Not on this routine, though!

In the end, I think this couple made it a little farther into the competition than they should have. (I would have placed them around 4th-5th.) However, this was a very competitive season and in a season with contestants of more varying skill levels like we usually see I might not have had as much of a problem with them making it to the end. Despite my feelings on this matter, I still enjoyed seeing Ginger & Val be an unexpectedly good match.

Maks and Val's Our Way Tour: A Fan's Experience

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE MAKS AND VAL OUR WAY TOUR.

Shay here! I decided I'd make my second blog post an interview type format - and what a better way to do it was with someone who attended one of the hottest events of the summer: Maks and Val Our Way Tour. I have asked Sandra (@WitneyCarsonFan) on Twitter if she would like to be interviewed to which she gratefully accepted the invitation. Here is our exclusive one on one interview on what she experienced during her hometown's tour stop.

->Quick Shoutout: Thank you Sandra for your time and your cooperation with this one on one interview I am about to conduct. You're amazing.

Me: {Question 1}
"Where did you attend the event?"

Sandra: "The venue is called Mohegan Sun and it was in Uncasville, CT."

Me: {Question 2}
"Can you tell me a bit about the atmosphere at Mohegan Sun before, during and after the show?"

S: "Before the show, I mean everything seemed pretty calm.. But then I saw everyone was waiting to get in line, and there was a huge line! One by one kept filling the 10,000 seated arena and turned out there were about 6,500 people who attended. That's sold out for them because the other seats weren't given! But during the show, all you could hear is cheering and all you can see are smiles. Everybody was having a great time even the dancers! After the show, as everyone walks out they were just talking about how good it was. Lot of people headed for merchandise, too! The show was for any age, and literally all ages attended. So much fun and I was still in awe!"

Me: {Question 3}
"What was your first impressions of all the skits Maks and their team did?"

S: "They made me tear up.. It was so special, the videos really touch your heart. The way they speak and tell their story is just so pure and beautiful. It was simply perfect."

Me: {Question 4}
"If you could go back to that night, and re-see them all over again? And would you recommend this type of event to someone who doesn't know much about DWTS?"

S: "I would definitely go watch this show again, like you can never get tired of it! It's just spectacular and every time you'll go, I can see it would be more fun. I would recommend this to  someone who isn't as big of a DWTS fan since their energy and performance will just blow you away. I barely knew any of the other dancers, but became such a fan of each of them! Definitely recommend."

 Me: {Question 5}
"What was the highlight of the show for you?"

S: "There are SO many moments from show that was the highlight for me. Basically every part of it, if I'm being honest. The story-telling and the creativity of these dances. The acting that they pit into their dances was so cute and fierce. The breathtaking, emotional dances that just make you freeze and you're so into the moment. Every single part of that show was the highlight for me."

Me {LAST QUESTION}
"At the show, if they did the prom theme: Who ended up as Prom King/Queen?"

S: "Prom King was Maks, and Prom Queen was a very nice lady from the audience. I forgot her name though."

Me: "Thank you Sandra for your time, I really appreciate being able to talk with you about your experience at the Our Way show in your hometown. "

S: "Aw, how sweet. Thank you so much! I really loved talking about this!"
  I conclude this blog post by saying that this interview was a great opportunity to hear what some of the fans thought about the show.

Stay tuned for more posts and updates on all things Dancing with the Stars!
-Shay 💋

Shay: Baby Chmerkovskiy News!

JULY 3RD 2016: BABY CHMERKOVSKIY NEWS! 👶🏻

HEY all of you amazing people out there.... I'm Shay... Huge fan of DWTS.. Love all the pros... Everything about it!

-> As all of you know, there's been some really good news from Peta Murgatroyd and Maks Chmerkovskiy recently.. They're having a little one in January! WOW! Such amazing news for a perfect couple to have. 

-> Peta, as you all know won DWTS Season 22 this season with America's Next Top Model Season 22 Champ Nyle DiMarco... But what you guys didn't know was that she was dancing for TWO. She was actually newly pregnant during season 22's three month run. 

-> Instantly right after DWTS season 22 wrapped up, the speculation started being a hot target.. Social media was on fire about Peta's "Probable" Pregnancy news.. The world was freaking out with happiness! Well everyone's speculations were true! Then June 29th, which was RECENTLY *cue excited squeal of happiness here* Peta and Maks took to their social accounts and confirmed their happy news to the whole world. 

-> We don't know if Baby Chmerkovskiy is a little girl or a little boy yet.. But when we get the scoop we'll spill the beans!! Let us know what you think Baby Chmerkovskiy is in the comments.. *I think it's a little girl. That's my vote for sure. ;)*

Happy Fourth of July DWTS FANS!

-Shay 💋