Pre-Season Spotlight on Victoria Arlen & Val Chmerkovskiy

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy

Today’s celebrity is none other than Paralympic Gold and Silver Medalist and ESPN reporter Victoria Arlen, paired with two-time Mirrorball Champion Val Chmerkovskiy!

Bentley Not only is Victoria Arlen’s story incredibly inspiring and fascinating, but it is flat out shocking, too. I didn’t even know that it was possible for someone to be able to even talk again after being in a vegetative state for four years, let alone gain the strength to overcome paralysis and become a gold medal Olympic swimmer. That is honestly jaw-dropping to me. I’m going to even go as far as saying that Victoria is by far the most inspirational person we have had on this show period. I hope the damage done to her body doesn’t keep her from giving us her all, but then again, I highly doubt she will let anything get in her way after everything she’s overcome.

But, of course, Victoria is much, much more than her story. But frankly, as much as I already love her off the bat, she’s still sort of a stranger to me. For some reason, even though this cast is one of the more unique and seemingly more energetic season than most, a lot of the celebrities just aren’t jumping out at me right away. And like I said with Jordan Fisher, Victoria just hasn’t shown me a lot of her personality yet. I mean, there’s only so much you can show on social media and on Good Morning America, so I’m not going to be evaluating personalities just yet. Nonetheless, I doubt I’m not going to like her, so hopefully I become her number one fan (although I am a fan of any inspiration like her regardless).

And, as the stars have aligned it, the highly favored Val Chmerkovskiy is her partner! I actually think that this was a really good pairing because Val is clearly a dancing powerhouse in the eyes of the viewers, and having him dance with a person who I am sure that pretty much all of the audience will love, they are going to be unstoppable. And the more I think of it, the more I am leaning towards the prediction of this couple winning it all at the end!

Julia So far Victoria seems like the only lock for the Finals this season. Regardless of her dance ability, she has one of the warmest personalities and a backstory that the audience is going to really latch onto. I’ve seen concern that since Victoria’s disability is not visible, the viewers won’t understand it, and while I agree the audience can be pretty dumb at times I think the show is going to make it crystal clear that she does, in fact, have physical limitations. I also think this will be a nice change of pace for Val, after getting mainly ringers as partners for the past few years. DWTS has been really good at matching celebrity contestants with special physical circumstances to pros who are able to handle the unique challenges that come with partnering them, so if they think Val will be a good partner for Victoria, so do I.

If Victoria turns out to be one of the better dancers of Season 25, she’ll probably win the whole thing. Right now I’m hearing she dances “like a grandma” (I believe those were Val’s words :P) so she probably won’t top the leaderboard a lot. But again, that doesn’t change my belief that she will be in the Finals when all is said and done.

Pre-Season Spotlight on Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold

Season 25 brings us a triple threat who has dabbled in the music, theatre, and television worlds, Jordan Fisher! Jordan is perhaps best known for his role in Grease: Live! last year, and his stint in the Broadway musical Hamilton. He’s also the first Disney Channel star to compete on the show in years (I know Jake T. Austin competed last fall, but we as a fandom have disowned him after his recent uncalled-for comments about the show and his partner). Jordan’s partner is three-time DWTS finalist Lindsay Arnold, who has consistently made the top 4 with all of her partners since Season 21, when she returned as pro after a couple of years in the troupe.

Bentley It seems like everyone knows Jordan Fisher except for me...and those who know him seem to be uber fans of him! I am curious to see some of stuff he is in because I am curious to see what the fuss is all about! I’ve never seen Hamilton, but I’ve seen some clips and heard some songs, and I actually think that it is something I would like. And I find it really cool that someone from that show is going to be competing on DWTS.

Now, personally speaking, I feel as though I can’t get a good read on a lot of the celebrities, and Jordan seems to be one of them. There were quite a few people that didn’t stand out to me during the cast reveal on Good Morning America, and unfortunately, Jordan was one of them. He seems nice, and that’s pretty much all that I got from him. But the premiere night can always fix that, as it has many times in the past for me before!

I think it’s clear that Jordan is going to have tons of support, so I see him going far. And who knows? Maybe Lindsay Arnold can get her very first Mirrorball Trophy ever with him! I’ve seen Lindsay work wonders with all of her recent partners, and by the looks of it, this seems to be her best pre-season partnership ever! It all just depends on Jordan’s dancing abilities-- which by the way, does he at least know basic Freestyle dancing from Hamilton? I’d imagine that they’d do at least some kind of dancing for that show.

Dwtsdreams I screamed when Jordan Fisher was announced! I am way too excited for this. Jordan without a doubt can-and hopefully will-be the Mirrorball winner. He is the full package. He is connected with many dancers in the industry do he understand the work it takes to make it and he has such amazing rhythm and already has some dance experience! Lindsay and Jordan are the dream team and I seriously can't wait. I mean, Jordan Fisher has an amazing smile, great voice, amazing work ethic, and is overall an amazing human.

Julia I fall in between what my fellow bloggers have said about Jordan. I was vaguely familiar with him before he was announced (mostly from seeing him pop up in Disney and Broadway-based videos I’ve watched, and also from DWTS stan Twitter since a lot of people had been talking about wanting him to join the show). I think he and Lindsay will do well and make it far in the competition; I’m sure Jordan is going to be a fantastic dancer, and will hopefully be able to endear himself enough to the GP to get strong voter support. Lindsay’s track record is something to take into account as well; the lowest placing she’s received apart from her very first season was a Semi-Finals elimination, and I think that’s probably the worst-case scenario for Jordan: being cut right before the Finals. We have never had a Disney star win on this show, but if Jordan has a backstory powerful enough to have an impact on the audience, I could see him breaking that trend. But right now I think we’re looking at a second place finish for these two, along the lines of Kyle Massey, Corbin Bleu, and Riker Lynch.

Pre-Season Spotlight on Nikki Bella & Artem Chigvintsev

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev

Every day from now until the Season 25 premiere we’ll be posting new content on the blog, including spotlights on every couple set to take the ballroom floor this fall!

Today’s pre-season couple spotlight is all about WWE fighter Nikki Bella and her partner Artem Chigvintsev! Nikki is the stage name for one half of The Bella Twins wrestling team, along with her twin sister Brie Bella! Together, the twins also appeared as a cast member on the reality show Total Divas on E!. Her partner Artem is a champion of the British version of Dancing With the Stars called Strictly Come Dancing, and is currently on his sixth season of being a professional dancer on the American version!

Bentley I’m not all that into WWE, but sometimes I like to pretend like I’m a megafan sometimes because that’s what’s trendy, right? XD All of my prior knowledge about Nikki Bella is nothing but positive, but to be honest, I didn’t fully remember who she was until I heard that she was John Cena’s fiancée. But I’m glad I’m going to get to know her more. She is clearly a beast when it comes to anything athletic, so I don’t see any problems there, and based off of things I’ve heard about her, she seems like a pretty cool person, too. I just hope that the older audience snatches onto her like they did with Paige VanZant back in season 22, who is another badass, but in the UFC world. Sometimes older viewers don’t pay attention to the athletes (at least as far as I can tell), but maybe she’ll be an outlier like Paige was! Luckily for her, though, she has Artem Chigvintsev, which many older viewers love to death. Maybe not as much as Val or Maks, but still quite a bit. This is a new challenge for Artem on this show, because I think this is going to be one of his best partners yet!

And by the way, Artem, you chose an interesting choice for your new hair color. I never pegged you as a blonde, but you can pull it off! :P

Julia Lol Artem’s hair is so polarizing right now. XD But personally I think I’m #TeamBrunette. :P

Dwtsdreams I am so excited to see Nikki Bella kill it on the dance floor. I am only into WWE if it has to do with the Bella Twins. I love Nikki because she is such a strong and independent woman. She is so athletic, which will aid her tremendously in hopefully getting into the Semi-Finals. I think she will surprise people with her dance ability.

Julia It took me a minute to realize who Nikki Bella was, but once I did I got so excited! Apparently she has some dance experience (not sure the extent but I think I’d consider her a low-level ringer) so she should be fun to watch. I was surprised she got Artem and not Maks/Gleb/Keo but so far they seem like a good match. Nikki has been doing a lot of videos and livestreams on social media, and she’s quite different than I expected. I thought she was going to be “tough as nails” and lack the warmth needed for the audience to connect to and support her, but she’s actually very bubbly and sweet. I was initially thinking she’d be a shook boot around Week 6-7 but now I believe she can get further if her sunny personality shines through and Artem gives her choreography that people are going to remember well enough to vote for. Something I’ve noticed with Artem is that his choreo tends to be on the more traditional side of things. That worked very well on Strictly Come Dancing, but DWTS viewers tend to like more pizazz and modern touches in routines. It’s pretty much “open season” with this cast, and most of the contestants seem to be on a more even playing field than usual in the dance department, so pleasing the audience is going to be extra important here.

Pre-Season Spotlight on Barbara Corcoran & Keo Motsepe

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Barbara Corcoran and Keo Motsepe

Every day from now until the Season 25 premiere we’ll be posting new content on the blog, including spotlights on every couple set to take the ballroom floor this fall!

Up next for our pre-season spotlight is Shark Tank star and businesswoman Barbara Corcoran with her partner Keo Motsepe! Barbara started out in the business world by co-founding a real estate company called The Corcoran Group with the initial funds of about $1,000, and eventually sold the company for $66 million! Now, she is known as one of the main investors on the ABC show Shark Tank! Her partner Keo has been a pro on Dancing With the Stars since season 19, and comes from South Africa as an undefeated Latin dance champion!

Bentley Right off the bat, when I found out that Barbara Corcoran was going to do the show, I became very excited, not only as a Shark Tank fan, but as a Barbara fan as well. Although Barbara is sort of a meme when it comes to Shark Tank because of the few amount of deals she makes on the show (and when she does make a deal, it tends to be something that is a lesser of an investment than others, or an investment that she seemed skeptical of in the first place), her business skills and personality still make her one of my favorite Sharks, along with season 20 contestant Robert Herjavec. I just love Barbara’s character and how she knows when to be professional and when to be silly. And when I say “silly”, I mean very silly. When she appeared on Good Morning America, I saw a complete side to her that I never even knew about, which made me want to watch her more than I already did! I mean, what was up with her tongue constantly being out? XD She is a stand-out ball of energy that almost reminds me of how whacky Charo stood out. . . almost. But besides that, I think that America will really be able to connect to her and relate to her because she isn’t just a celebrity who got lucky and became rich; she started from nothing like most common people, and used her own hard work and business ethics to make it far and turn herself into a millionaire businesswoman. To me, Barbara is sort of an inspiration in that respect, and the fact that she earned all of the money that she has makes me think that she appreciates her high-ranking position in life more than most. Her dancing will probably not be up to par with a lot of the other celebrities, but I have a feeling that she will be better on the dance floor than most will expect.

And as for Keo Motsepe being her partner, I’m not sure what to think. Even though we’ve seen him in five other seasons before, I still don’t have quite of a good feel for his dancing style as much as most of the other pros. . . but hey, he did a heck of a job with the crazy Charo last season! I’m a little worried about the height, though, because there have been problems in the past with height before, but I think that the height issue was debunked by Sasha Farber in season 23 with his work with his partner Terra Jolé, who is the shortest celebrity to have ever danced on the show.

Julia Thanks for the reminder that Sasha deserved a partner this season! ;)

Dwtsdreams I think Barbara is going to surprise people! Her “can do” attitude and her incredible work ethic mixed with some athleticism is going to serve her well in this competition! I am not going to lie, this season’s  competition is tight! There is a plethora of young stars with a huge following such as Nikki Bella with 6.4 million Instagram followers, Sasha Pieterse with 7.5 million Instagram followers, and Jordan Fisher with 1.2 million Instagram followers, while Barbara has 238k. No, I don't think social media determines your place in the competition, but your fan bases and socials do play a huge role in votes. Unfortunately for Barbara, this season is filled with stars who have a good amount of a social media following. She does seem so excited to learn, so I won't be surprised if they make it to the Top 9.

Julia I didn’t immediately recognize Barbara, but I’ve seen a few episodes of Shark Tank here and there so it I vaguely remembered her once I found out what she was famous for. Looking at this cast, she’s probably low on the “potential for good dancing” list but high on the “potential to make a mark on the audience” one. She’s one of the few that someone in the core demo would likely recognize, and she was one of the standouts with her fun personality on GMA! I also really like that we have a woman in the cast who is known for being intelligent and successful in the world of business. I hope we see that celebrated on the show in some way, because the main way women are used for comedy on this show tends to be instances about them not understanding things that are widely seen as general knowledge. Women can be smart and funny!

I was also confused as to why they’d put her with Keo but it turns out Barbara actually requested him so it makes more sense now. I really don’t see how they’re all that similar apart from maybe sense of humor but maybe she’ll explain why she wanted him in their first package (she clearly finds him handsome so I think that might have something to do with it! :P)

Like I said before, Barbara will more than likely be one of Season 25’s weaker dancers but if she manages to be entertaining without going overboard (ie. no fighting with the judges) I think she and Keo will stick around for a few weeks.

Bentley I think that saying that Barbara thinks Keo is handsome is a bit of an understatement. . . she seems to be, like, obsessed with him! Unfortunately, though, I don’t think that we’re going to have another another Shark Tank/Dancing With the Stars wedding with these two! XD

Pre-Season Spotlight on Terrell Owens & Cheryl Burke

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke

Every day from now until the Season 25 premiere we’ll be posting new content on the blog, including spotlights on every couple set to take the ballroom floor this fall!

Our second pre-season spotlight celebrity is NFL six-time Pro Bowl champion Terrell Owens (T.O) along with twenty-time DWTS pro Cheryl Burke! Terrell is a former wide receiver for multiple teams in different NFL drafts, and is known for his multiple victories in American football as well as getting disciplined by his coaches for going against game plans and playing his own way. Cheryl is also known for playing her own way on the DWTS ballroom floor, which led her to back-to-back victories in her first two seasons as a pro. Terrell is currently retired from the NFL, and Cheryl is coming out of DWTS retirement-again-but with a person famous for his touchdown dances on the team, these two are ready to set the ballroom on fire!

Bentley In terms of football, Terrell Williams is known as somewhat of a controversial player with how much he goes rogue, but when it comes to him as a person, he is generally liked by people, and as of now, I am one of those people. I don’t have too much of a read of him, but he is comes off very pleasant. And the fact that he is a fan of the show (which seems to be common among the celebrities this season), it makes me appreciate him doing the show more. Lately, football players have been doing pretty well on Dancing With the Stars, especially with Rashad Jennings’ win last season. But could the fact that an NFL player is the current reigning champion hurt his votes? Maybe, but probably not until the end (if he makes it there), and people are looking for a person that they want to call their winner. Cheryl Burke, of course, is always a great partner to have if you are an athlete, so Terrell shouldn’t have anything to worry about in that respect. Being that this is her twentieth season as a pro, Cheryl has gone far and beyond to prove her expertise in dance. Overall, though, I think that Terrell and Cheryl will at least get close to the finals, but maybe not quite make it to the final four.

Julia I didn’t know of Terrell before his announcement, but he’s wanted to do the show for a while which is usually a good sign. It looks as though a lot of people in the show’s core demo like him, which is also a plus. I have no idea how good or bad a dancer Terrell is going to be, but Cheryl has done a great job with all kinds of partners in the past so he is in good hands. Right now I’m thinking they could make it about halfway through the competition or maybe longer. (I remember saying the same thing about Calvin Johnson a couple seasons back and he ended up a finalist, so maybe Terrell will too!)

Dwtsdreams To be honest, Terrell is one of the few people’s names I don't recognize on this season's cast list, but as I started to look into him a little more I am getting a little excited to see him on the dance floor. He definitely is my least favorite celebrity at the moment, but only because I don't know a lot about him and he doesn't seem to have the biggest personality! As a result of being a football player, he has an athletic build which will help him tremendously on DWTS! You have to great stamina to complete in a competition that is very taxing on your body.

Pre-Season Spotlight on Drew Scott & Emma Slater

Pre-Season Spotlight On

Drew Scott and Emma Slater

We’re at it again! Every day from now until the Season 25 premiere we’ll be posting new content on the blog, including spotlights on every couple set to take the ballroom floor this fall!

The first couple we’re putting our spotlight on was actually also the first couple to be officially announced; Property Brothers’ Drew Scott and reigning Season 24 pro champion Emma Slater! Drew is best known for the home renovation reality show Property Brothers- and it’s many spin-offs- which he stars in with his twin brother Jonathan. The brothers have also launched the lifestyle brand Scott Living, and just released a new book together.

Bentley Drew Scott...wasn’t he rumored to be on the show last season? I wonder how long long ago it was when he got the call to the show. I’ve seen some stuff with Drew in it here and there, especially on Property Brothers, but I never really actually paid attention to him before. Since he was first rumored to be on the show, I saw some videos of him and some appearances he made on TV shows, and overall, he seems like a funny, likeable person. I can already tell that he is a person that people are going to like personality-wise, and because of the good shape he is in, I think he will do at least relatively well on the dance floor. And with Emma Slater guiding him along the way? Right now, things are looking to be in his favor. However, with all of the projects he has going on right now, time might be an issue. Or not. A lot of busy people who have been on the show before sometimes end up dancing really well with their time restraints, depending on the personality type. I am sure that Drew and Emma will do well, and a small part of me is saying that he might even make it to the finals if he has the votes that I believe he has.

Julia To explain to Bentley: There has been a whole campaign from DWTS fans for the Property Brothers to come on the show and get Emma/another pro (the other pro would vary depending on who was talking about it). According to GMA we were probably getting both on this season, but Jonathan was injured so he couldn’t do it. Seeing as both have tweeted Emma a lot in the past year or so, it comes as no surprise Drew requested her and they are now paired together! Drew has taken a few lessons in some form of dance, but it seemed to be a pretty casual thing so he’s not really a ringer. He will also be doing a live tour with his brother as well as a few book signings for the first few weeks of the season, so that may challenge this team a little bit. Drew seems to have a great personality, strong enthusiasm for the show, and an eagerness to learn, so he’ll probably stick around for awhile. Like Bentley, I could also see him as a potential finalist.

Bentley I think it’s actually a good thing that we only have one Scott brother this season because we already have both Lachey spouses, plus the votes would most like be split between Drew and Jonathan, causing one to probably place much lower than the other. I just wonder if Drew is the more liked brother or not.

Bentley Oh, and apparently Canada is allowed to vote this season, so Drew might be in a really good position. Too bad Canada wasn’t allowed to for for James Hinchcliffe in Season 23...

Dwtsdreams Is Drew from Canada? If so this will be a huge help in gaining votes! DWTS has been making a lot of changes this season and I think it is shaping dwts into a better show! I hope they bring back All Access because that was a critical part in getting to know the couples!

Julia I wonder what method(s) Canadians are going to be allowed to use this season. In the past it was the ABC website and Facebook, and then just Facebook. Will it be that again or will there also be phone numbers for us to call?

Dwtsdreams  Either way regarding votes I am super excited to see these two dance together. They have incredible chemistry already and although I don't think he will be the best dancer of this season, I am so excited to see these two kill it on the dance floor!

Why the Judging on DWTS is Harder Than It Looks

As Dancing With the Stars fans, there have been more than a few times that we have disagreed with the judges on the show. Sometimes we get angry when Len is the only one to not hold up a ten paddle, and other times we are frustrated by how Carrie Ann deducts a point for a lift in a dance. And sometimes we get in a full-on DWTS fandom civil war when the scores between the judges have a wide range between them.

But as much as we love to speak out about how underscored or overscored a contestant is by the judges, it’s still good to keep in mind that judging on this show is not the easiest job in the ballroom. Sure, I myself have never been a judge on the show, and sure, their jobs could be harder, but hey, it’s probably a lot of pressure sitting in that judging panel on Monday nights.

And yes, sometimes we can all agree that the judges might have been off with their critiques and scores-- we all have every right to do that. But, just because this seems to a missed point sometimes, let’s just see why the judging on Dancing With the Stars is a lot harder than it looks!

It’s on the Spot.

The judges on the show are in a unique position because they are the only ones who are part of the show that are not allowed to show up for the Sunday or Monday dress rehearsals. They are not able to watch the performances until they are executed live on the show. And, to add some pressure on them, they must give their scores to the producers immediately after the dance, not allotting for any time to evaluate the dances that they just saw. And if they decide to change their scores? Too late. Carrie Ann herself has admitted in the past that she wished to have given a higher score to certain couples such as Bill Engvall and Noah Galloway, but because of the rules, what’s final is final. This rule kinda screwed over Danica McKellar with her Jive in season 18 since there was a mistake with the music that caused her to mess up, but the judges were unaware about it. And once when word got to them, they had already submitted their scores, and they couldn’t be modified. Sometimes these rules can be unfair, but ultimately, it is so the judges are able to give their fairest scores possible, even if the audience does not necessarily see them as “fair”.

Nobody is ever happy…

There’s a reason why there is more than one judge on this show. . . It’s to get multiple views on the dances! If everyone always gave the same score, the judging would be useless and boring. But because all of the judges have their own backgrounds in dance and their own criteria for what they look for in different dance routines, they provide their own unique critiques, which can all be accounted for by the couples to improved. But no matter what scores the judges give, they will never get a happy reaction from one hundred percent of its viewers. . . and that’s a good thing! There has never been a single dance on DWTS where I have seen complete satisfaction from the judging from all viewers, even if the people who disagree are in the minority. And some people who disagree (very few, but some) end up saying some nasty things about the judges just because they didn’t interpret the dances in the same light as them. However, in my opinion, even when there is a virtual consensus about a grossly underscored or overscored dance, the judges never deserve any of the hateful flack that they receive. Critique is one thing, but full-on hate is something completely different.

How are you supposed to compare Jazz to a Samba?

As a dance show with a wide variety of styles from the Paso Doble to the Foxtrot, there are of course going to be different standards when closely observing each routine. In a Salsa, the judges would look for hip action. But in a Tango, the judges are usually mainly focused on there being a steady frame. However, this can cause some complications, especially towards the end of a season. I think it is safe to say that a style like the Viennese Waltz or a Cha-Cha-Cha is generally far more difficult to execute and perfect than a style such as Jazz. Sure, dancing is never easy, but when you score them on the same one to ten scale as more technical styles, it seems as though a less more is required for a perfect score in a Jazz dance than most other styles. And how is a judge supposed to compare dances that have less content but better technique to other dances with more content but worse technique? How is all of this supposed to translate to an integer between one and ten?

What if the pro messes up?

It doesn’t happen, but it still does every so often-- what if the celebrity contestant is absolutely perfect in his or her technique, but then is messed up by their professional partner’s mistake? There have been two infamous times from Karina Smirnoff and another well-known time from Maks Chmerkovskiy in which their mistakes were very obvious, and actually made their celebrity partners refind their footing. So. . . what are the judges supposed to do about that? Ignore it? Pretend it didn’t happen because the celebrity on their own would have been perfect without the partner’s mistake? This is a topic that is still highly debated among viewers of the show.

You Never Know Where the Bar Will Be.

For people who have been watching Dancing With the Stars for a while now, you might have noticed that couples who dance earlier in the show typically get scored lower than what the general viewing audience believes they should be. And while that can be mildly infuriating at times, I kinda get it. It’s hard to tell where the bar will be set for the night for how well everyone dances, which can be vastly different to how the judges may expect the night to go. This could lead to the judges being overly nit-picky on the first performer of the night, but then extremely laxed with the last dancers because of how mediocre is that night. On the other hand, though, the argument can be made that a score like a “7” should always mean the same thing no matter the night, but sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of what a “7” looks like while watching performances that don’t quite match up to it.

What do you think about the judging on Dancing With the Stars? Do you, too, think that the judging is harder than it looks? Would you ever want to be a judge on the show

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Make sure to follow DWTS Interact on Twitter at @DWTS2016, and read our posts coming up about season 25 on our blog! Also, follow me, Paul Bentley, on Twitter at @TheBentleyNinja, and maybe check out some of the projects I am working on right now!