DWTS INTERACT

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Dancing With the Stars Season 24- Week 1 (Premiere) Dance Overviews

Monday, March 20 was the season 24 premiere of Dancing With the Stars, featuring twelve all new couples performing for the first time ever live on the dance floor. And for the four hundredth episode of the show, we were introduced to a wide variety of personalities and partnerships!

For this season, Paul Bentley, Julia Delbel, and DWTS Dreams will all be giving their thoughts on the dances each week, but there will be more blog posts throughout each week. And so, for the first time in season 24, here are Paul’s and Julia’s thoughts and scores on the show. DWTS Dream was only able to give her scores for this week, but she is sure to come back with more insight on the couples!

Premiere Dances

400th Episode!

The brand new celebrity cast of Dancing With the Stars performed their first ever dances with their professional partners to make some first impressions on the audience and the judges.

[Order of the Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli]

Opening Number

I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Someone Who Can Dance by District 78 featuring Cheesa

@TheBentleyNinja: Although we will probably never see a season premiere opening number as energetic and as fun as the season 21 opening number, this one was still pretty good. I think it was a good choice to use the songs from the Season 22 promos and the Season 21 Famous Dances Night opening number; it was a pretty good mashup that gave off an aura suitable for a premiere opening. And of course, I always love when the celebrities are given little dancing sections in opening numbers, so that was definitely my favorite part this time around.

@juliadelbel: This was a pretty good way to start off the show, and the season. The number wasn’t too drawn-out or complicated, just an introduction to the pros and celebrities without any fuss. I’m glad they took this route instead of something more complicated because I find that in season premieres with a lot of time spent on the opening the rest of the show ends up feeling rushed (save the more outrageous stuff for the Finale!). Thankfully, that wasn’t the case Monday night and the show as a whole seemed to run much more smoothly because of it.

Singer Normani Kordei and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Quickstep: Good Time Good Life by Erin Bowman

The Judges’ Scores: 7, 6, 7, 7 (27/40)

#TeamValmani 1(800)868-3410

@TheBentleyNinja: Normani really came out with a bang, keeping a steady, quick pace from beginning to end. It’s a shame that a ridiculous amount of time was spent on everything that wasn’t a Quickstep because I feel like I didn’t get to see enough ballroom technique to see everything that she has to offer to its fullest extent. I agree with the fact that it seemed like she and Val were dancing separately rather than as one unit, but in a way, that made Normani shine. Normani needs to transfer all of the energy she has into keeping her center of balance and keeping her limbs under control, but overall, she had some pretty impressive technique for week one.

Bentley’s Score: 7

@juliadelbel: I love that they chose this number to kick off the competition because it was full of energy and set the bar high for the rest of the evening. I agree with Bentley that there wasn’t nearly enough time spent on actual Quickstep content (but the opening portion did make me very excited to see a potential Charleston from this couple). I think Normani’s frame was pretty good for Week 1 but the dance did seem a little too frantic, even for a Quickstep to such a fast song. I think this was one of the styles least-suited to Normani’s wheelhouse, but she still did a pretty good job and it was nice they could get it out of the way early. I’m sure we’ll see her do better in subsequent dances!

Julia’s Score: 7

DWTS Dream’s Score: 7

Olympic Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan and her partner Artem Chigvintsev

Viennese Waltz: Always a Woman by Billy Joel

The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7 (28/40)

#TeamBladesofGlory 1(800)868-3408

@TheBentleyNinja: Nancy really impressed me right from the start. I was worried that Nancy might not connect to the audience very well, but that was far from what actually happened on Monday! Her Viennese Waltz was easily my favorite dance of the night, and that’s because of her poise, her technique, and her connection with Artem. This dance was a bit reminiscent of Artem’s Viennese Waltz with Maureen McCormick last season, but it still held true to Nancy’s own character. Nancy was a bit wobbly in certain sections, and I could see the focus in her face that almost took away from the feel of the dance, but overall, this was performance was a great way for Nancy to start out the season. And I’m sure many people will agree with me when I say that this was the most underscored dance of the night!

Bentley’s Score: 8

@juliadelbel: I’m glad the rumors of Nancy being a diva were seemingly put to rest Monday night and I’m enjoying her partnership with Artem so far. I think these two got the best deal this week in terms of dance assignment but the worst in the running order. Viennese Waltz clearly suited Nancy’s strengths and the dance was beautiful with graceful and elegant movements. She seemed a little shaky at a couple points but those times were few and far between. Like I said, Nancy and Artem really got the shaft in terms of the running order because this dance was one of the best of the night but going so early meant they were scored lower than they otherwise would have been and since they were in the “death slot” (second dance of the night, though third and fourth are usually also not good spots to be in) I fear many people forgot about them by the end of the night. Now, I’d be SHOCKED if they were eliminated next week, but the running order of the first night does often end up having a lasting effect on the results of the season.

Julia’s Score: 8

DWTS Dream’s Score: 7

Actor/Comedian Chris Kattan and his partner Witney Carson

Cha-Cha-Cha: What Is Love By Haddaway

The Judges’ Scores: 5, 4, 4, 4 (17/40) Lowest Score of the Night

#TeamMangoTango 1(800)868-3403

@TheBentleyNinja: Was I the only one who thought that Chris looked like he was in pain during this dance? It looked like his previous neck injury was holding him back, which is why I thought that Carrie Ann’s comment about Chris needing to loosen his neck more was out of place and not very helpful to him. Just like a lot of other dances during the premiere, this Cha-Cha-Cha was less of a Cha-Cha-Cha and more of a social club dance. But I get it. I mean, someone’s overall score of the night is 17/40, the amount of content isn’t exactly the biggest concern. But I loved the A Night at the Roxbury theme, and that lift towards the end was just perfection! I have a feeling that with scores like these, Chris and Witney will be the first couple out, but I have another feeling that he will get just enough votes to last at least one more week with his personality. But I’m going with the former.

Bentley’s Score: 3

@juliadelbel: Well, as I expected, this dance wasn’t very good. I know Chris has some limitations due to his neck injury, but he unfortunately didn’t have good technique (especially with his legs). This performance could have been somewhat salvaged had he played up the character and silliness a lot more, but he just looked uncomfortable the whole times, and like he was just going through the motions of the routine. His awkwardness continued after the dance as well, and the whole segment just ended on a sour note. I’d be surprised to see anyone else except these two leave on Monday, unless it turns out there are multiple couples going home.

Julia’s Score: 3

DWTS Dream’s Score: 3

Bull Rider Bonner Bolton and his partner Sharna Burgess

Cha-Cha-Cha: Move by Luke Bryan

The Judges’ Scores: 6, 5, 5, 6 (22/40)

#TeamDenimNDiamonds 1(800)868-3401

@TheBentleyNinja: Maybe Bonner is just shy, but I can’t get a good reading on him yet. His Cha-Cha-Cha wasn’t all that impressive either, and not just because he got off on the wrong foot and was off at a few parts. I just want to see more to Bonner than just his looks and his profession as a bull rider. But I guess premiere episodes of Dancing With the Stars usually just take one quality of each celebrity and magnify them so the audience can see an exaggerated form of their personalities. I do have to say, though, that whether it was authentic or not, Bonner and Sharna have a fiery connection together, which makes me wonder how that connection would translate to a more elegant dance like the Waltz. This dance had too much filler in my opinion, but the country dance moves really worked for Bonner. I feel like Bonner is hiding from us. I just want to see him give it his all without worrying what he will look like on the dance floor!

Bentley’s Score: 5

@juliadelbel: I think Bonner is pretty boring so far and the fact that they’re already diving this deep into the showmance well tells me he doesn’t have much else going for him. This dance actually could have been decent but it was choppy and the technique and performance quality just weren’t there, and I kept getting the sense Bonner was just trying to focus on not falling behind. The whole thing just fell flat and felt very one-note to me. Once he gains more confidence I think he’ll do better, especially in the Standard Ballroom dances.

Julia’s Score: 5

DWTS Dream’s Score: 4

Actress/Comedian/Musician Charo and her partner Keoikantse Motsepe

Salsa: Cuban Pete by Mambo Compañeros

The Judges’ Scores: 6, 5, 5, 5 (21/40)

#TeamCuchiCuchi 1(800)868-3402

@TheBentleyNinja: I want to spend a day in rehearsals with Charo and Keo so I could see all of the crazy shenanigans that they have together! Everything about their Salsa was so much fun, but I would be lying if I said that the dance wasn’t all over the place! I didn’t see any technique in Charo’s arms at all, and she overall was not able to keep any steady control over her body (but the crazy messiness gave this dance charm!). While her technique was subpar, Charo still hit every beat hard with tons of passion and personality. She shows tons of potential in her footwork, but her upper body needs to have more precision. I can’t even imagine what these two have in store for next week!

Bentley’s Score: 5

@juliadelbel: Charo and Keo are turning out to be one of the most well-matched pairs of the season! I love their fun energy, and the Salsa was a great dance for them to share that with the audience! I was impressed that Charo was so energetic and managed to keep up with Keo for the entire time, and not only that, she seems to have moves and really sold the number! Her feet were surprisingly decent but the technique was a bit lacking (though I mean she’s the oldest one this season so that wasn’t unexpected). I was also happy to see that Keo actually gave her a decent amount of Salsa content, because a lot of times pros with older partners throw that out the window (as we’ll discuss later on).

Julia’s Score: 6

DWTS Dream’s Score: 5

Reality TV Star Nick Viall and his partner Peta Murgatroyd

Cha-Cha-Cha: Let Me Love You by DJ Snake and Tiësto featuring Justin Bieber

The Judges’ Scores: 6, 6, 6, 6 (24/40)

#TeamBabyGotBach 1(800)868-3409

@TheBentleyNinja: Nick was the biggest surprise of the night to me! I wasn’t expecting Nick to be as fun or as good of a dancer as he actually is! He isn’t quite on the same level as some of the other celebrities, but he looks like he is going to have a nice, steady progression in his skills as the weeks go on. I loved Nick’s style in his Cha-Cha-Cha, which seemed to be choreographed just for him my Peta. Carrie Ann said that Nick needed to calm down in his performance, but I disagree with that. I actually think that Nick needed have some more energy to really sell the routine. Nick’s moves were small for such a dance, but I have a feeling that Peta will help him with that as they continue on the show. I want to see more from Nick, but I know that this is just the beginning, and I’m confident that he will grow to refine his technique and express more of his emotions.

Bentley’s Score: 7

@juliadelbel: Nick danced about as well as I expected him to. Not the best, not the worst. His arms and hands were doing some weird things, but he pretty much had the steps down and a decent performance level. I think he’ll be even better when he’s not so nervous. I think Nick and Peta have a good partnership so far and I’m interested to see what they do as the weeks go on.

Julia’s Score: 7

DWTS Dream’s Score: 7

Actress/Singer/Dancer Heather Morris and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Viennese Waltz: Make Something Beautiful by Ben Rector

The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7 (28/40)

#TeamMaksimumHeat 1(800)868-3406

@TheBentleyNinja: Maybe I was expecting too much, but while I do think that this was an excellent Viennese Waltz, it seemed to be lacking in certain categories. The emotion of the dance did not seem very real to me, and it just didn’t have any sparkle in the movements to make them stand out. But don’t get me wrong-- Heather had some of the best technique of the night. She made that dance look effortless with her light movements and flowing motions. It was an exceptionally beautiful routine, but there wasn’t really enough character implemented in my opinion. I know this isn’t a very popular opinion, but I actually really like the dynamic between Heather and Maks both on the dance floor and off. Together, they have potential to pretty dynamic duo if their future dances do not come off as artificial as this one.

Bentley’s Score: 7

@juliadelbel: Heather and Maks have an interesting dynamic so far, and so far they seem to be working pretty well together. (I have a feeling this may deteriorate in the coming weeks, but they seem fine for now.) I enjoyed this performance and it’s obvious Heather has quite a bit of dance experience because her turns were amazing! I have to disagree with Bentley in that I think this dance has excellent characterization and I’m looking forward to seeing Heather portray different types of “roles” in future routines.

Julia’s Score: 8

DWTS Dream’s Score: 8

Baseball Catcher David Ross and his partner Lindsay Arnold

Quickstep: Go Cubs Go by Steve Goodman

The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7 (28/40)

#TeamLadyAndTheGramp 1(800)868-3404

@TheBentleyNinja: Right off the bat from his rehearsal package, David seemed like a really down-to-earth and funny person who will definitely have fun with a partner like Lindsay! As for his Quickstep, I thought that it was pretty good, even though I wouldn’t have necessarily been giving it the exaggerated type of appraisal that the judges gave. I noticed that David has a good understanding of the dynamic between the quick parts and the slow parts of the dance, which is a really useful thing to learn so early in the competition, but the overall hold was a bit tight for a large portion of the dance. But frankly, I wish that Lindsay would have put in some more Quickstep content so I could see his endurance in the style, but she wasn’t the only one to do something like that on Monday.

Bentley’s Score: 7

@juliadelbel: David and Lindsay are another great partnership this season, and I was pleasantly surprised as to how well they did this first week. However, I think this routine was overscored because David seemed very stiff in some places he shouldn’t have been quite so stiff in. It’s very hard to explain, but I felt like his shins and feet looked like scissors while the rest of his legs were just kind of there. However, this was a great start for these two and I have a feeling they’re going to be sticking around for a while.

Julia’s Score: 6

DWTS Dream’s Score: 7

Reality TV Star/Singer Erika Jayne and her partner Gleb Savchenko

Salsa: XXPEN$IVE by Erika Jayne

The Judges’ Scores: 6, 6, 6, 6 (24/40)

#TeamPrettyXXpensive 1(800)868-3405

@TheBentleyNinja: I don’t know if Erika received an unfair edit, or if Erika just jokes in a way that I don’t quite get, or if Erika is actually how she was portrayed in her rehearsal package, but she did not give off the best first impressions. I need to get to know her better to see what she’s really all about, but I’m sure that the way she was portrayed during the premiere will hurt her, possibly leading to an early elimination. I do like how her Salsa was filled with her- as she said it herself- “raunchy” personality, but I would have liked to have seen some more refined and polished technique from her. She and Gleb seem like they are having a blast together, but I need to see a better execution of her dances in future weeks. Erika shows potential dance-wise, but I don’t know if the viewing audience is going to want to see her progress as much as some of the other celebrities on the show

Bentley’s Score: 5

@juliadelbel: Just as I feared, they’ve already started to make Erika look like a spoiled rich girl and not much else. I don’t think her demeanour really helped, either, since she seems to suffer from “resting bitch face” and we didn’t see her smile that much on Monday. The choreography for this dance was very strange, especially considering Erika has quite a bit of dance experience and could probably have handled a lot more Salsa content, though I know the song certainly didn’t help. The little she did do was decent, and her performance level was amazing (Gleb looked like he was having a lot of fun as well!) but I’m already seeing a lot of people slut-shame her which is disappointed given the positive reaction to the focus on Bonner’s sexuality. (#DoubleStandards) I think Erika will do better in Ballroom though and for her sake I hope they get a style from that group and fast, because if she isn’t able to show another side of her personality in the very near future I think she and Gleb will be eliminated soon.

Julia’s Score: 6

DWTS Dream’s Score: 5

Football Running Back Rashad Jennings and his partner Emma Slater

Cha-Cha-Cha: 24K Magic by Bruno Mars

The Judges’ Scores: 8, 7, 8, 8 (31/40)

#TeamShadSquad 1(800)868-3411

@TheBentleyNinja: I knew that Rashad was going to be a force to reckon with this season! And with Emma by his side, he is almost unstoppable! Rashad has such a natural and cool style that it nothing than less than spectacular! As I expected, he is a very natural mover, and from the looks of his Cha-Cha-Cha, he has been working hard on his technique and listening to Emma’s instructions well. Rashad made himself stand out on Monday night with all of his classy funk and the way that he interacted with Emma. And I know that it is just the very beginning of the season, but I think that these two can win it all! Rashad’s sharp lines alone can blow the audience away!

Bentley’s Score: 8

@juliadelbel: I knew that when it was finally time for Rashad to dance we were about to see some 8’s, and of course he killed his routine! Rashad has great moves, a great attitude, and a great partnership with Emma, and I think all of that will take him far this season, possibly all the way to the Mirrorball! It’s clear he has been working hard and having fun, which is often a winning combo on DWTS!

Julia’s Score: 8

DWTS Dream’s Score: 8

Wrestler/Actor Mr. T and his partner Kym Johnson-Herjavec

Cha-Cha-Cha: The A-Team Theme by Mike Post, Pete Carpenter, and the Daniel Caine Orchestra

The Judges’ Scores: 5, 5, 5, 5 (20/40)

#TeamDancinFools 1(800)868-3407

@TheBentleyNinja: Mr. T is a very unpredictable character, and that is why I love him! He and Kym are surprisingly a really well-matched couple, with Kym giving Mr. T suitable choreography, and with Mr. T entertaining Kym throughout their rehearsal sessions. The Cha-Cha-Cha was very uneventful, but I have to give Mr. T some points for effort. The song was really odd for a Cha-Cha-Cha, but at the same time, it was perfect for such a unique personality. Mr. T definitely brought out everything he could for his dance, but it just did not translate well into the Latin style. I do think, however, that he has the ability to fix some of his glaringly obvious technique issues that can be tuned with a little more focus on shifting his weight and getting the timing right.

Bentley’s Score: 4

@juliadelbel: I’m already loving Mr. T and Kym’s partnership, and they seem to be having a blast so far! Now, the thing is, this is the dance I was referring to when I talked about pros giving the older celebrities next to no content. Most of this routine consisted of movements based on drill team exercises, and there was even a portion where Mr. T just stood there while Kym literally danced around him, which is a BIG no-no from me. I wish she’d given him a little more Cha-Cha content because while he didn’t have the technique to really kill it, he did manage to keep up with her during that portion. There were some other times I thought he might have been behind, but near the end it came across as intentional, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that front. Anyway, the reason I’m scoring him higher than Chris is because he actually embodied the character and fully and confidently completed every move that he did, and the dance came across much better because of that.

Julia’s Score: 4

DWTS Dream’s Score: 4

Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles and her partner Sasha Farber

Tango: Untouchable by Tritonal and Cash Cash featuring JHart

The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8 (32/40) Highest Score of the Night

#TeamGoldenGiggles 1(800)868-3412

@TheBentleyNinja: I know that almost everyone is comparing Simone to Laurie Hernandez from last season, but I can’t help but notice how much they are like each other with their outgoing and happy personalities! Simone, however, came out during the premiere with a little more grace than Laurie. Sasha is such a good instructor, and now that he has a partner like Simone to do practically anything with, I know that we will see some incredible stuff from these two! Their Tango was very cohesive and put-together, despite some parts where they were just a hair off from each other. Simone can definitely improve the movements from her core, but I can tell that she is going to grow as a dancer really fast, so from here on out, there is going to be a lot of nit-picking to compensate for everything that she is going to excel at.

Bentley’s Score: 8

@juliadelbel: I know the expectations were super-high for Simone considering the track-record of gymnasts competing on this show, but I honestly thought there was no way she was going to be able to live up to them, especially with a Tango right out of the gate. I was very surprised and impressed with how well she handled the routine, keeping her frame intact and remaining strong throughout the dance. While I think the smile she had on her face while performing was beautiful, it didn’t really suit the style or tone of the performance, and I agree with Bentley that she needs to improve her movements from her core a bit, but I think if she keeps this up she could make it to the end, and maybe even win the Mirrorball!

Julia’s Score: 8

DWTS Dream’s Score: 8

Rankings of the Week One Premiere Dances

@juliadelbel

1. Nancy & Artem

2. Heather & Maks

3. Rashad & Emma

4. Simone & Sasha

5. Normani & Val

6. Nick & Peta

7. David & Lindsay

8. Erika & Gleb

9. Charo & Keo

10. Bonner & Sharna

11. Mr. T & Kym

12. Chris & Witney

@TheBentleyNinja

1. Nancy & Artem

2. Rashad & Emma

3. Simone & Sasha

4. Nick & Peta

5. Normani & Val

6. Heather & Maks

7. David & Lindsay

8. Bonner & Sharna

9. Erika & Gleb

10. Charo & Keo

11. Mr. T & Kym

12. Chris & Witney

@dwtsdreams

1. Rashad & Emma

2. Simone & Sasha

3. Heather & Maks

4. Nancy & Artem

5. Normani & Val

6. Nick & Peta

7. David & Lindsay

8. Erika & Gleb

9. Charo & Keo

10. Bonner & Sharna

11. Mr. T & Kym

12. Chris & Witney

Make sure you read our thoughts on the dances every Wednesday, controversial topics every Thursday, and additional thoughts and analyses every Friday throughout season 24 of Dancing With the Stars on the DWTS INTERACT blog!

Playlist of the Season 24 Season Premiere Dances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmRtGmnQ2CI&list=PLK1f1bOs9Xyd50jrkP1dDe5YS518KWVZl

DWTS Dreams: @24_7dwts

Julia Delbel: @juliadelbel

Paul Bentley: @TheBentleyNinja

#DWTS #DWTS24

#DancingWithTheStars

#DWTSPremiere

Monday, March 20, 2017

DWTS 24 Pre-Season Rankings

Hey it's Julia! I know we're just MINUTES away from the big Season 24 Premiere but seeing as I neglected to do these lists for last season I wanted to bring them back now! These are rankings based on potential advantages that may be able to give contestants an edge, similar to the ones I did for Season 22.

Dance Experience/Potential

1. Heather Morris

2. Nomani Kordei

3. Erika Jayne
4. Simone Biles

5. Rashad Jennings
6. Nancy Kerrigan
7. Charo

8. Bonner Bolton
9. Nick Viall

10. David Ross

11. Chris Kattan

12. Mr. T

I ranked these 1-12 but other than Heather on top everyone is pretty much in two groups: the people with high-moderate potential (2-7) and the people with low potential (8-12). As I said, Heather, being a professional dancer, is obviously in a class by herself and clearly has the biggest advantage in this regard this season despite never studying ballroom before.

I put Normani next because while she is not a professional she dances in Fifth Harmony videos (and also has done some gymnastics in her life) and seems like a very fluid and capable mover. Erika is #3 because being on the older side may give her a slight disadvantage compared to Normani, but Erika has actually studied certain forms of dance such as ballet (but again, not ballroom).

Simone is a gymnast and previous contestants in this field have typically done well on DWTS, and while I think she may have some issues like hitting the moves too hard she is obviously young and very flexible so there's a lot of potential there. Rashad doesn't seem to have had formal dance training, but he's relatively young and seems like he can move. Nancy is a figure skater-another sport that has produced several successful DWTS contestants-but being one of the older ones this season may lessen that advantage a bit. Charo's situation is similar, since she's THE oldest this season, but she has quite a bit of dance training so she's still above everyone else.

The rest don't seem to have a lot of experience and I haven't seen anything to indicate they'll be great dancers so I pretty much just ranked them by age.

Recent Media Coverage/Relevancy

1. Normani Kordei

2. Simone Biles

3. Nick Viall

4. David Ross

5. Erika Jayne

6. Rashad Jennings

7. Nancy Kerrigan

8. Heather Morris

9. Charo

10. Bonner Bolton

11. Mr. T

12. Chris Kattan

Fifth Harmony has gotten a lot of press lately due to the exit of one of their members, so while I haven't seen a lot about Normani specifically in the weeks prior to the DWTS pre-season, she is clearly very relevant and popular right now. Simone, despite the Olympics ending seven months ago, still gets a lot of media coverage; her most notable press recently happened a few weeks ago when her photoshoot for Sports Illustrated was published. Nick, being the face of The Bachelor for the past few months has gotten a lot of media attention from ABC, but it's worth noting that a lot of other outlets have been interviewing him more than they have previous Bachelors. And many people are still feeling the hype of the Chicago Cubs' big World Series victory back in November, so that will probably help out David on the show.

Erika is a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills so that means regular media coverage for her. Rashad was playing for the New York Giants up until recently and is now a free agent, so he's been getting his fair share of press too. And Nancy has been coming back into the forefront of people's minds a bit now that the I, Tonya biopic about her skating rival is being produced.

Glee ended two years ago (seriously, exactly two years ago today!) and Heather has stayed out of the spotlight since then for the most part, but the show still has it's fans. While Charo isn't as big as she once was, she still performs regularly. Bonner's moment in the spotlight was recent but it doesn't seem to have been that major, relatively speaking. And while Mr. T and Chris were both HUGE at one point (Mr. T more than Chris) there hasn't been all that much from them heard in recent years.

Potential to Gain Audience Favoribility (previous fanbases aside)

1. Rashad Jennings

2. Normani Kordei

3. Simone Biles

4. David Ross

5. Mr. T
6. Bonner Bolton

7. Charo

8. Nick Viall
9. Nancy Kerrigan

10. Heatehr Morris

11. Erika Jayne

12. Chris Kattan

Rashad seem to be the type of guy that usually appeals to people across many demographics, which is important on this show. I think Normani and Simone may be too; I put the former over the latter because in this cast Normani's possible dance advantages will likely go relatively unnoticed while Simone's, being a gymnast following up another gymnast who won last season, will be more in the forefront of viewers' minds. I think David and Mr. T will have an appeal similar to Rashad's but with less dancing skills.

Bonner seems like the type a lot of the DWTS demographic would go for (good looking, country boy, inspiring backstory, possible showmance) but right now he seems very dull and boring so that may detract from his assets. Charo is another one that could go either way; I think some will find her antics funny but others will be annoyed by her. Nick and Nancy too, since so far they seem like they could be charming but they have tarnished reputations in the media that may or may not be true.

Heather and Erika are both in a tough spot. Heather's career as a professional dancer has already turned people off of her even before "meeting" her on the show, and it's going to take a lot to win that crowd over. With Erika, I personally think she's pleasant and funny but I feel like others may see her as "too sexual" and be put off by that, and may not understand her style of humor. (I really hope I'm wrong about this one.)

So far Chris isn't making much of an impression on me. I guess maybe some viewers will like his comedy skills, but I'm already seeing people calling him "creepy". That's not a good sign.

Teaching/Choreographing Ability and Overall Favoribility of Pros

1. Sharna Burgess

2. Val Chmerkovskiy

3. Lindsay Arnold

4. Peta Murgatroyd

5. Maksim Chmerkovskiy

6. Sasha Farber

7. Kym Johnson-Herjavec

8. Emma Slater

9. Witney Carson

10. Gleb Savchenko

11. Artem Chigvintsev

12. Keo Motsepe

I mostly based this on the opinions of the general public and not my own, because public perception is everything on this show. I won't delve into it too much but I will sat Sharna is on top because I've seen a LOT of casual viewers announce they're rooting for her to win regardless of who her partner is, and this sentiment intensified after last season.

Julia's Predictions for the Final Rankings

12. Chris & Witney

11. Charo & Keo

10. Nick & Peta

9. Erika & Gleb

8. Nancy & Artem

7. Mr. T & Kym

6. Bonner & Sharna

5. Heather & Maks

4. David & Lindsay

3. Simone & Sasha
2. Normani & Val

1. Rashad & Emma

Please note that this isn't based entirely on predictions a to how good of dancers they;re going to be. I've seen so many bootlists based on that and they're ridiculous IMO. I won't go through all of my reasoning right now because I want to make sure this is posted prior to showtime, but a couple notes as to why some people are where they are: I think Heather is going to suffer in votes but the producers will want to keep her around. I highly doubt either she or Simone will win because of the backlash, but Simone's seemingly strong partnership with Sasha may get them more votes. I wasn't even going to put them in the Finals, but given the recent pattern of the 2:1 gender ratio with the minority gender winning it made sense with Rashad being my winner pick. That's pretty much the only reason I did the list that way, because at this point I wouldn't be surprised to see Simone cut at Semi-Finals (or even Quarter-Finals if we're already down to five people that week) and same with Heather. If Normani wins I predict Rashad and either Bonner or David will be in the Finals with her.

I'm seeing David as the "heart of the season" right now, AKA not being the best dancers but getting a lot of audience support to go far. This could also be Bonner or even Mr. T (hence their placements) but David is my best guess right now. And I think Erika, Nancy, and even Charo will be pretty good but fear they may get lost in the shuffle.

That's it for now (I'll probably talk about this more later this week.) Hope everyone enjoys the premiere!

Friday, March 17, 2017

Pre-Season Spotlight on David Ross & Lindsay Arnold

Every weekday leading up to the big premiere we’ll be putting the spotlight on one of the Season 24 couples by introducing the celebrity to readers who may not be familiar with their work and sharing our personal thoughts on the pairing!

We're finishing off this miniseries of posts with retired MLB catcher David Ross!

David was born in Georgia circa 1977 and spent his youth in Florida, where he played baseball for his school's team. He later went to college in Alabama and played for the Auburn Tigers while there in 1996 and 1997. After this, he transferred to the University of Florida where he continued to play, now for the Florida Gators. He was soon drafted into MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2005, David's contract was bought by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and from there he was soon traded to the San Diego Padres. Since then he has played for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves.

In 2014, David joined the Chicago Cubs, and later announced that the 2016 season would be his last as a professional baseball player. He ended up becoming the oldest player to score a home run in MLB history during the last game of his career, which also happened to be the last game of that season's World Series, in which the Cubs finished the nail-biting game with their first World Series title in over a century.

David's Dancing With the Stars partner is Lindsay Arnold, who has been a pro on the show for eight seasons; four in the troupe, and four as a pro. Before DWTS, Lindsay competed on Season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance, finishing in the Top 8. In 2016, Lindsay and fellow SYTYCD alum and DWTS pro Witney Carson put on a one-night-only showcase called Born and Raised in Utah.

Some highlights of Lindsay's DWTS career thus far include:

@TheBentleyNinja: Being on the Chicago Cubs made for the perfect underdog story for David, and Dancing With the Stars might just be another part to his World Series. David really isn’t talked about as much as some of the other contestants, and maybe that’s because some people are doubting him, but as we all learned in 2016, doubts are not always correct. If the Cubs could win a World Series with everyone thinking otherwise, then David could make it to the DWTS Finals with a silent majority vote.

Being that David is the first ever professional baseball player on the show, I have no clue what his fan base will be like whatsoever. If it’s anything like the football players, then David is going to have a lot of support for him. He seems like a pretty nice person, too, which can go a really long way.

I am curious to see how the dynamic between David and Lindsay will work, especially because I wonder if baseball experience would have any advantages when translated onto the ballroom floor. There is no doubt in my mind that Lindsay will do her very best to bring out all that she can in David, and I have a feeling that David will do the same for her. My instincts are telling me that this is going to be a well-balanced couple, where everything will hopefully just fall into place and work. But, even if that is the case, a lot of hard work is required to sustain that, but I don’t have any worries about this couple pushing themselves to the best that they can be.

@juliadelbel: I think it's great that we finally have our first baseball player on Dancing With the Stars, even if it took almost 12 years for it to happen! I think David is a fantastic choice and he and Lindsay seem to be a very well-matched team so far. I'm seeing a lot of people putting David in the camp of "older" contestants, but even though his nickname is "Grampa Ross", he's definitely not a member of that crowd! (He's turning 40 this Sunday, which means he's not even Lindsay's oldest partner on the show.)

I think David may struggle a bit with the dancing, but I think his attitude and partnership with Lindsay could potentially take him a long way. The Cubs are one of the most popular teams in the league, and I'm sure their fans will be ready to vote their fingers off for David! I also think he could be the type to get a lot of people who didn't know who he was before the show supporting him. So yeah, I see this team sticking around for awhile, so hopefully they'll bring some joy and fun to the dance floor!

COMING SOON: Our Pre-Season Spitlights may be done, but there is more to analyse before Monday's premiere! So look out for some more posts this weekend. ;)

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Pre-Season Spotlight On Erika Jayne & Gleb Savchenko

Every weekday leading up to the big premiere we’ll be putting the spotlight on one of the Season 24 couples by introducing the celebrity to readers who may not be familiar with their work and sharing our personal thoughts on the pairing!

Today's instalment of our "Spotlight" series is all about singer and reality star Erika Jayne!

Erika Jayne was born in at Atlanta circa 1971. She started training for the spotlight from a young age, attending a performing arts high school and moving to New York at 18, and Los Angeles a few years later. Erika appeared in several film and television projects in the 1990's, and released her first single, "Roller Coaster", in 2007, which soon became a top dance club hit. A couple years later, she released her debut album, Pretty Mess, which led to her own record label: "Pretty Mess Records".

In the years that have followed, Erika has released several more songs that went on to become dance chart hits, along with music videos to accompany some of them. (WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE.)

In 2015, Erika received an LGBT Ally Award for "News Ally Entertainer of the Year for her support of the LGBT+ community. That same year, she began appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills along with her husband, Thomas Girardi, to whom she has been married since 1999.

Erika has been paired with Gleb Savchenko for this season of Dancing With the Stars. Gleb is a Russian-born professional dancer and has competed as a pro on five seasons across four versions of the show around the world; one in Australia, one in Russia, one in the United Kingdom, and two in the United States.

Some highlights of Gleb's appearances on various versions of DWTS include:

@TheBentleyNinja: I’ve never really been drawn into watching any of those Real Housewives shows, mainly because it’s something that I wouldn’t find appealing, and I think the entire basis is odd (I mean, how can you call someone a housewife when they don’t even have to lift a finger?). I guess the show just isn’t for me; I don’t really get it. But to each their own.

Erika is a personality I think I can respect, though. She seems to not care about what other people think, and she does what she wants despite any possible judgement from others. She also appears to have quite a fun personality, but besides that, she hasn’t made much of an impression on me as compared to the rest of the cast.

And who would have guessed it? The sexually suggestive model has Gleb as her partner. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s kind of predictable. Gleb is once again going to be one half of a visually appealing couple, and while that’s great and all, I hope we see more of Erika’s personality shown to us through their video packages apart from her good looks.

It seems like this couple can end up going either way. America will either love them if they get a good edit, or America will end up more interested in some other couples if they don’t get a chance to see more of them. I have a feeling that Erika will be an okay dancer at first, and if she lasts awhile, I think she have a steady progression in refinement of her dancing skills to prove herself worthy of the Mirror Ball Trophy. But we’ll have to see about that.

@dwtsdreams: I didn't know who Erika was before the show but I am surprisingly excited for this partnership! Erika has surprised me so much already this season. After watching her soundbites and promo video she seems to have a great rhythm and pretty solid dance background. She is flexible, can retain choreography easily, has great rhythm, and can perform! She is one of the underrated dancers this season and she is going to blow people’s expectations out of the water.

I am not surprised that Erika got Gleb. He is branded as the sexy underwear model of DWTS. He is sometime paired with the “suggestive” women who the show can label as a “hot partnership filled with chemistry”. I am curious to see how DWTS brands their partnership, as how they categorize them will be a huge factor in voting numbers!

Last season, Gleb totally exceeded my exceptions and made him one of my favorite male pros. He is a great choreographer, comes up with cool creative concepts for his dances, knows how to motivate his partner, and tries not to push them too hard.

I am very excited to see how this partnership pans out!

@juliadelbel: Erika seemed to be pretty much me a non-event to me at first due to her seemingly quiet nature, but as it turns out she could very well be a contender for the Mirrorball Trophy! I didn't realize she had quite the performing career outside of Housewives, or that she even trained in dance with So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 champ Chehon! (And no, she is not a professional, but she does seem to be pretty darn good! :P) Now, she hasn't done ballroom before, but I think her experience in dance and other performance avenues will help her to be a fairly quick learner. Also, she actually seems to have quite the vibrant personality! (Apparently she was ill for soundbites and possibly the cast announcement.)

I think Gleb is a great partner for Erika, but I hope they don't push the sex angle on the two of them too much like they did when Gleb was with Jana last season. I'm not against sexy dancing, but I want to see more than one side to their partnership! And that leads me to my biggest concern for Erika: how the audience will perceive her. I worry that it may be far too easy for the producers to frame and edit her as "the sexual one" and not much else (I know that's not the case in reality, but many viewers may not) and I don't think enough of the audience would take to that for her to make it to the end. It's not nice when celebrities are forced into "boxes", so hopefully DWTS will allow Erika to show various sides of her personality and performance abilities.

TOMORROW: It may be our last Pre-Season Spotlight of DWTS 24, but our star of the day will be the FIRST Major League Baseball player to ever compete on the show!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Pre-Season Spotlight On Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd

Every weekday leading up to the big premiere we’ll be putting the spotlight on one of the Season 24 couples by introducing the celebrity to readers who may not be familiar with their work and sharing our personal thoughts on the pairing!

Fresh off his season of The Bachelor, today's spotlight is on four-time star of the aforementioned franchise, Nick Viall!

Before appearing on Season 10 of The Bachelorette in 2014, Nick grew up as one of 11 siblings and worked as a Software Sales Executive after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. As a contestant vying for assistant district attorney Andi Dorfman, Nick participated in various group and one-on-one dates and ended up being the season's runner-up. During the live reunion special, Nick infamously questioned Andi on why she slept with him if she didn't truly love him, an inquiry that led to many accusations against Nick of double-standards and "slut shaming".

The next year, Nick caused controversy yet again when he asked Season 11 lead Kaitlyn Bristowe to join her season midway through. She accepted, and even more trouble started when the two had sex on a date before the allotted time to do so in the penultimate round of dates known as the "Fantasy Suites". At the end of the season, Kaitlyn rejected Nick's marriage proposal to her, making him the first (and currently only) back-to-back Bachelorette runner-up.

The next summer, Nick joined the cast of Bachelor in Paradise, a show for former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants to meet and potentially date each other. He had a fling on the show with Jen Saviano, but when it came time to propose at the end of the season, he told her his heart just wasn't in it. Coincidentally (or not) he signed on the be the next Bachelor lead soon after.

Nick resolved to be open and honest in this new role, eliminating women as soon as he knew they were not for him rather than waiting for the next Rose Ceremony. His biggest controversies this time around were keeping Corinne Olympios, the season's "villain" around until the Final Four Rose Ceremony, and proposing to Vanessa Grimaldi despite clearly having some unresolved differences with her before doing so.

Nick's dance partner is Peta Murgatroyd, who is going into her tenth season as a Dancing With the Stars pro after spending some time in the show's original troupe. Peta grew up in Australia studying ballet but switched to ballroom after an injury prevented her from continuing in her original style. Since joining DWTS Peta has become a two-time Mirrorball Champion, winning Season 14 with Donald Driver and Season 22 with Nyle DiMarco. Apart from DWTS, Peta has participated in several other notable dance projects, including the live show SWAY: A Dance Trilogy. In 2015, Peta got engaged to fellow DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy and gave birth to son Shai in Janurary 2017.

Some highlights of Peta's time on DWTS include:

@TheBentleyNinja: Just like with Nancy Kerrigan, I have seen some articles about Nick Viall apparently being difficult on the set of Dancing With the Stars, but once again, I don’t usually believe it unless there’s some kind of evidence to back it up. Although I do know that a lot of people are not pleased with him apparently because of things that happened on The Bachelor. But I don’t know anything about that, so as far as I’m concerned, Nick starts off the season with a clean slate in my eyes. (Note to Bentley from Julia: Read the above article!)

The last time we had a member of The Bachelor on the show, which was Chris Soules in season 20, it was almost widely agreed that he became one of the weakest dancers on the show that season, yet he still made it to the quarter finals because of his voting base, even without as many memorable video packages before his dances than some other contestants. Is this something that we’re going to see with this Bachelor? Maybe. The Bachelor is a popular show among those who watch DWTS (probably because it’s on ABC and scheduled around each other), so that in itself can be considered an advantage for Nick.

This season, it was a pleasant surprise finding out that Peta coming back this season, even though she just had her baby in early January. And it was even more of a shock because her son’s father Maks is doing the show as well this season. I couldn’t imagine two parents both spending so much time away from their own kid, so I guess that shows how much they love performing on Dancing With the Stars! Peta definitely has a large following, and being that people miss her from last season, she is sure to get a high surge in votes.

I don’t see Nick and Peta being eliminated too early in the season, but if they are not able to keep up with this season’s incredible cast, then they might be out sooner than I expect!

@dwtsdreams: Excited. Nervous. Happy. Annoyed. These are all the emotions I had when Peta and Nick were announced. I am very conflicted on how to feel about this partnership. On one hand I am so happy Peta is back and this is just what she needs. I know how she was talking about how much she missed DWTS and I am so happy she gets to come back. But on the other hand I am not a fan of Nick and this is not the kind of partner I wanted Peta to come back to. I hope Nick is supportive of Peta and is helping her ease her way back into dancing.

Nick seems fame hungry. I mean what person goes on the Bachelor 4 times and then is like “ Hay I have a new fiancé that I have only know for three months but we're engaged and instead of focusing on her I am going to do a dance show but all I want his fame.” Nick could prove me wrong and I hope he does.

He does seems hard working and ready to commit but I am not sure how this partnership I going to go I do know that they both have big fan bases so that will help. Like Bentley said, as a result of Peta coming back after a season off I definitely think she will get lots of votes because everyone is happy to see her back! Also Nick does have a somewhat semi big following from going on the Bachelor.

I can't wait to see how this partnership pans out!

@juliadelbel: Nick has been begging to do Dancing With the Stars for awhile now and he's finally got his wish, and Peta has her second Bachelor partner! I expected Nick to end up dancing with either Emma or Lindsay because they seem to be semi-friends, but this is fine by me. I think they'll get along fine and he'll dance pretty well but I'm wondering where there votes will be coming from. Previous Bachelors have made it pretty far due to the franchise's fanbase but the thing about Nick is most of "Bachelor Nation" can't stand him. The majority of people disliked him before he even got his own season, and now that he has and it didn't turn out as exciting for even a lot of his supporters he's possibly even less liked now than he was when his season started.

Now, the hatred towards Nick isn't anywhere near Ryan Lochte level, mind you. I highly doubt we're gonna see anyone crash the show wearing anti-Nick t-shirts. But I think he may not be able to rely on Bachelor fans as much as previous contestants from that franchise did. Nick's best hope is probably a mix of Peta's fanbase (which, while not as large as some other pro fanbases, might help them a bit) and the general audience, particularly the latter. This means he's going to have to dance very well and/or charm the pants off everyone. I think he's in a similar boat to Bonner, who is even less well-known and is presumably supposed to be the "eye candy" of this season, but but Bonner has a few things going for him that Nick doesn't (namely, the cowboy vibe, the amazing comeback story, and the fact that a lot of casual viewers are already rooting for Sharna to finally win regardless of who her partner is).

I fear Nick may get kind of lost in the shuffle with this particular cast of ringers and big/entertaining personalities, but if he turns out to be talented and charming he could last awhile. Will he make it all the way to the end to be a runner-up for a third time? I'm really doubting that right now, unless ABC decides he needs to go far as cross-promotion or the DWTS producers are hell-bent on a "Fam" Finale consisting of Peta, Maks, and Val with their partners. If neither of these scenarios are the case, I see him lasting to team dance week (if the new Executive Producer keeps that tradition going) or maybe a bit longer.

TOMORROW: We discuss the woman who loudly and proudly gives "zero f-cks".

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Pre-Season Spotlight On Simone Biles & Sasha Farber

In celebration of today marking the completion of her second decade on Earth (aka her 20th birthday) our spotlight is on gold medal-gymnast Simone Biles!

Simone was born in Ohio, but later moved to Texas where she was raised by her maternal grandparents. At age 6, she tried gymnastics on a field trip with her daycare and starting formally training in the sport soon after. The first major competition of Simone's career was the 2011 American Classic, and a few weeks later, she competed in the 2011 U.S. Classic.

Simone competed in several more competitions in 2012, which led to her gaining a spot on the United States Junior National Team. In 2013 she made her senior international debut at the American Cup event after other gymnasts had to withdraw due to injuries. Later that year, Simone competed at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship and became the first African-American woman to win the all-round title at that competition, going on to repeat the achievement in 2014.

Simone announced her decision to turn pro in 2015, and in 2016 she was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the Rio games, in which she went on to win four gold medals and one bronze, setting the record for most gold medals won in women's gymnastics at a single Games.

Simone's partner for Dancing With the Stars is Sasha Farber, who previously competed in Seasons 17, 22, and 23, as well as one season of the Australian version of the show, and has also performed on Broadway.

Some highlight's of Sasha's DWTS career thus far include:

@TheBentleyNinja: As probably the most hyped contestant of the season, Simone must have a ton of pressure placed on herself to dance her heart out. But being that she is a gold medal Olympic gymnast, she must be used to it, and maybe even thrive from it. I don’t have any doubt that she will be amazing each week on the dance floor if she dances even half as well as she performs for her technical and artistic career. But with Laurie Hernandez as the current reigning champion of Dancing With the Stars, Simone has a lot to live up to.

I have never had a problem with any of Sasha’s choreography or anything relating to what we know about his teaching style. He just seems like an overall nice guy who knows what he’s doing and wants the best for his partners. And since I would now consider Sasha to be a regular on the show, separating himself from just being a troupe member, I know that audience sees him as someone who is not fooling around and as someone who can potentially become a popular name on the show, such as Derek, Mark, and Val. And mark my words-- Sasha’s popularity will skyrocket this season. And I am so happy about this because both he and his fiancé Emma seem like they are going to do things on this show that they were never able to do before. I can hardly wait!

I can definitely see Simone winning that Mirrorball Trophy, but she will have to work just as hard as she does for the Olympics to separate herself from the rest of the amazing cast this season. And while I think she will do just that, I think the finale will ultimately come down to the votes, and no matter how well she dances, the voting will practically be out of her hands. But it looks like to me that she will prove herself worthy of those votes by dancing hard and having the audience love her personality!

@juliadelbel: I am beyond thrilled about this partnership, and it's one that's had a lot of buildup (back in the summer Simone mentioned doing DWTS with Sasha as her partner and some twitter interactions and in-person run-ins have added to the anticipation). I already think these two are probably the best match of the season, if not one of the best of all time, and I'm excited to see what they do on the show together.

My main concern with this partnership is the timing. We just had Laurie Hernandez compete on last season and win, and this added to the already-present bias some viewers seem to have against gymnasts. Many people believe gymnasts always win when they are on the show (in reality, only two out of five seasons in which gymnasts have been present have been won by one) and some others simply just don't want to see back-to-back winners from the same sport. The belief that all gymnasts are the same is annoying because in many ways they aren't; for example some gymnasts focus more on the dance elements of routines, while others moreso on strength and power, and Simone is the latter. That doesn't mean she lacks an advantage over some other contestants, but I'm already seeing it get way overblown (especially in comparison to some other contestants with advantages in this group) and I fear it's going to affect her votes.

I think the best ways for Simone and Sasha to try to minimize these potential roadblocks are to stay positive and have fun (which they seem to be doing so far) and to differentiate themselves from other gymnastics partnerships-Laurie and Val in particular-as much as possible. If they do that, I can see them in the Finals and MAYBE winning. Maybe. But if they don't do it enough or the audience backlash is just too strong, they could be eliminated before then.

@dwtsdreams: I have been so busy and unfortunately don't have a ton of time to blog tonight but I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to write a little bit about one of my favorite couples! I am so excited about this partnership and I think it will be one for the books! Simone has expressed her love of DWTS before she went on the show, and she and Sasha have an incredible connection. If I had the time I would write for hours about them because I am just so excited to see what Sasha does because I know he and Simone are going to kill it! I am just so excited for them!

TOMORROW: Will this two-time Bachelorette runner-up make it a hat trick on the dance floor?