Monday, May 23, 2016

Julia's Thoughts On Antonio and Sharna

Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess were eliminated from Dancing With the Stars last week in the second double elimination of the season. It was never announced whether they came in fourth or fifth but based on overall scores I'm going to say they came in fifth.



This couple was my original pick to win the season. (They were Jimmy Kimmel's too!) Not in the sense that I necessarily wanted them to win, but that I predicted they would. Antonio seemed very excited about being on the show, posting not-so-subtle hints on social media about his involvement before the cast announcement. I'd also heard he was a good dancer so I had high expectations for him in the ballroom. He also went into the game with one of the biggest pre-existing fanbases of any of the contestants. There also seemed to be a recent trend of the shows producers trying to get pros who had been on the show a long time without a win to get the trophy, and having failed that with Sharna last season, I thought they'd try even harder to make it happen this time around.

For the reasons stated above, I predicted they would be able to pick up a lot of support from the general audience, something that is key to winning on this show. However, Antonio seemed very quiet and reserved for much of the season which made it difficult for me to connect to him the way I was able to with other contestants, and I think many others had the same trouble.

Antonio was a good dancer who had a lot of potential. However, from what I gather he didn't put very much work into rehearsals for the first half of the season and the result was a bunch of okay-to-decent performances that could have been great ones. I was very upset Antonio tried to pin the blame on Sharna for his lack of work ethic when she was clearly trying to get him to work harder, and I was even more upset when the producers took his side and played it like Sharna was the one not fully committed to the team.

I was glad when Antonio finally started to turn things around and put more work in, but it felt like it was too late at that point since he still came across as being a few weeks behind the other contestants in terms of skill level. For that reason, it upset me to see others who were performing well and working hard be eliminated before him, but I was happy that he finally got to tell his story and let people get to know him better in the Semi-Finals episode. The "Hall of Fame" Contemporary was my favorite dance of his and finally allowed him to showcase his strengths.



Let me know your thoughts on this couple, and I'll see you soon for my thoughts on the other pair eliminated in last week's Semi-Finals!


Thursday, May 19, 2016

Julia's DWTS 22 Pre-Finale Rankings

Julia here! I know I'm supposed to be doing this week's "Thoughts On" posts, and I'll have those up before Monday night's show, but I wanted to talk a bit about where each of the finalists stand going into the last week of the competition in our weekly recap post, but I held off until now since we didn't find out what all the songs and dance styles for Monday's episode will be until today. This is going to be done in a similar format to the Pre-Season Rankings post, so I'll be both seeing how I did in my predictions up until this point as well as make some new ones as to how everything will shake out in the last two shows of the season.

First off, let's take a look at my pre-season rankings.



Julia's Pre-Season Predictions for the Final Rankings
1. Antonio & Sharna
2. Jodie & Keo
3. Wanya & Lindsay
4. Nyle & Peta
5. Ginger & Val
6. Paige & Mark
7. Von & Witney
8. Kim & Sasha
9. Doug & Karina
10. Marla & Tony
11. Misha & Artem
12. Gerlado & Edyta

I actually had a pretty good streak going for awhile there, correctly predicting all of the first six eliminations in order. But that all changed once we hit Top 6, and from there we saw my originally predicted finalists as the next three to exit. I did say in the original post that I did think there was a decent chance of Jodie & Keo getting fifth place and Ginger & Val getting second. I also thought that Nyle had a shot at Top 3 over Wanya, which did come true. The biggest surprise for me here was Paige. While I was pretty sure she'd be the best dancer of them all, I was convinced she was going to fall victim to a "shocking" elimination due to larger fanbases and "bigger" personalities overtaking her. I must say, I was very glad to be wrong about this one!


Rankings of Contestants' Dance Experience Pre-Season

1. Paige VanZant
2. Ginger Zee
3. Jodie Sweetin
4. Wanya Morris
5. Von Miller
6. Antonio Brown
7. Mischa Barton
8. Marla Maples
9. Doug Flutie
10. Kim Fields
11. Geraldo Rivera
12. Nyle DiMarco

This wasn't exactly a prediction of who I thought would be the best dancers (though I was pretty sure Paige would, in fact, be the most skilled this season); more like those who had an advantage going into the competiton. Regardless, it's interesting that the two people on top and the person at the very bottom of this list were the three that wound up making it this far.



Pre-Season Media Coverage/Relevancy
1. Jodie Sweetin
2. Von Miller
3. Ginger Zee
4. Antonio Brown
5. Geraldo Rivera
6. Kim Fields
7. Wanya Morris
8. Nyle DiMarco
9. Marla Maples
10. Paige VanZant
11. Doug Flutie
12. Mischa Barton

I don't think this ended up factoring into who got far in the game, except maybe Ginger's regular coverage on Good Morning America. Just goes to show that what happens on the show itself is usually what really counts.


Predicted Ability to Gain Favoribility among the Audience (previous fanbases aside)
1. Nyle DiMarco
2. Wanya Morris
3. Ginger Zee
4. Kim Fields
5. Doug Flutie
6. Jodie Sweetin
7. Antonio Brown
8. Paige VanZant
9. Von Miller
10. Marla Maples
11. Geraldo Rivera
12. Mischa Barton

Looks like I was right on the money with Nyle, as well as Ginger.  I thought Paige's personality would get lost in a sea of other more memorable ones, but it's nice to see she managed to stand out amongst the crowd to get all the way to the finals! And I think I was pretty close with everyone else.


This next list proved to be very telling. Check it out:



Teaching/Choreographing Ability and Overall Favoribility of Pros
1. Val Chmerkovskiy
2. Mark Ballas
3. Peta Murgatroyd
4. Sharna Burgess
*5-10*
11. Edyta Sliwinska
12. Keo Motsepe

I didn't list every single pro here because it didn't seem necessary (and probably would have resulted in some angry commenters). The point was to highlight the ones that-for one reason or another-would likely give their partners a significant advantage or disadvantage in the competition. And wouldn't you know it? The top three names on this list are the last three standing this season, and the fourth was eliminated just one week before the finals. While there are obviously other factors that help determine how long a couple stays in the game, there is no way this is a coincidence. I'll be diving deeper into this topic once the season is over, but this right here is evidence that pro fanbases and abilities are a big factor in this game, and are likely much more relevant than some viewers believe.


Anyway now that I'm done with all that for now, here are my rankings going into the last week.


Rankings of Finalists' Dance Ability

1. Paige VanZant
2. Nyle DiMarco
3. Ginger Zee

I don't think it can be argued that anyone other than Paige is technically the best dancer remaining. The other two are very good as well, but Paige is the only person this entire season that has delivered great performances every single week. Going into Week 10 I ranked Nyle second and Ginger third, but they are actually pretty close in ability and I think these rankings have a chance of changing by the end of the season if Ginger continues to improve and Nyle remains at the level he's been at for most of the season.


Advantages for the Redemption Round

1. Ginger Zee
2. Paige VanZant
3. Nyle DiMarco

As I mentioned in the weeky group post, Ginger has Jazz for this round, which is a HUGE advantage seeing as the style is both the most relaxed when it comes to rules and the most open to interpretation by the choreographer. Paige was likely to fare well no matter what, because she hasn't had a bad dance at all this season. She has Salsa, which was the dance she had to do with Alan back in Week 2 when Mark was injured. She did great the first time around and while it's no Jazz, Salsa does allow for lifts which most other Latin dances do not. Nyle has Quickstep, and as such is the only person given a style that was arguably his worst of the season the first time around, so it's really the only one that fits the purpose of this challenge. Unfortunately, that also puts him at a disadvantage compared to the two ladies.


Advantages for the Freestyle Round

1. Paige VanZant
2. Nyle DiMarco
3. Ginger Zee

This particular round is going to be interesting because it looks like we're getting not one, but two Contemporary-based (or at least stripped-down) Freestyles. As many have predicted, Nyle and Peta will be doing one, but kind of surprisingly, so will Paige and Mark. Contemporary Freestyles weren't really a thing on this show until Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani did a game-changing one back in Season 15. From then onward, there has been at least one "stripped down" Freestyle every season except one, and five out of those seven seasons were won by a couple who went that route. And it makes sense; these routines have proven to evoke emotion in the audience, so it seems like a smart idea to go in that direction.


Mark is generally known for going over-the-top with routines, especially during this round, but he always says his main aim is to entertain the audience. That, plus Paige's strong dance ability, gives this couple a big advantage. Peta is great at showcasing her partners, and since Nyle's journey has already been a moving one for so many people, what better way to cap it off than with a dance like this?


Ginger and Val are using a relatively more upbeat song for their Freestyle, which could help set them apart from the other two couples. However, as I said earlier this week, Val's hasn't seemed to master the art of the Freestyle like the other remaining pros have. He could pull out a surprise, but for now I think Paige and Nyle have much clearer advantages going into this round on Monday.


Overall Audience Favoribility

1. Nyle & Peta
2. Paige & Mark
3. Ginger & Val

This was difficult because I've seen lots of positivity towards each of the final three celebrities, but also quite a bit of negativity. Paige has been called "sweet" and "adorable" but also "cold" and "stuck-up". Ginger has been called "fun" and "hilarious" but also "boring" and "annoying". And Nyle has been called "humble" and "inspirational" but also "conceited" and "a sob story". I think a good portion of the audience has absolutely fallen in love with Nyle and his vision, and I don't see that letting up now. I also think Paige has had a pretty good journey on DWTS in allowing herself to build a connection with her partner. I have Ginger in last because while she is likeable I don't think she's had as much of an obvious "journey" as the other two. I'm just not sure what her story is supposed to be or what she's taken away from this experience. But I can see why a viewer would be able to connect with any of the three finalists.


Oh, I guess I should do a list for my (revised) predicted final rankings. If the competition were to end now and the winner be decided based on the scores and votes from last week, I think it'd go the same as my last list. But things could change on Monday, so I guess we'll see. I'd love to hear your opinions about anything dicsussed in this post in the comments! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Dancing With the Stars Season 22- Week 9 (Semifinals) Breakdown [Bentley, Julia, and Angelina]

The Semifinals this week on Dancing With the Stars might just be the most talked about night of the season. Well, here’s what we think. Here are Julia’s, Bentley’s, and Angelina’s thoughts on the show!


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


Trio Dances


Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas, featuring Alan Bersten Highest Score From Round One
Samba: Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club Des Belugas
Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
#PowRightInTheKisser 1(800)868-3410


This dance was amazing! Such a great way to start the show! Samba content is hard to nail, but Paige managed to. I also loved the storyline of this dance! The perfect score was definitely deserved!


I’m not sure if Alan showed his peacock feathers to Paige or not, but there must be at least some kind of flirt-mance between them! But in all seriousness, Paige absolutely knocked it out of the park with every dimension of the dance! She transitioned between Mark and Alan seamlessly, and just killed everything from the arms to the feet! This is one of the few dances I look at and think, would there be any reason to give this celebrity less than a ten? There wasn’t anything that could even be argued about in terms of her performance quality and technique, unless you are stuck in season one, and prohibit lifts in the Samba. I would say this was my favorite dance of the night, but Paige’s other dance, among a few others (the show was just so good!), are also in the running! Absolutely perfect.


I loved the energy brought by this dance. It was so fun there was such chemistry between Paige and Alan. I was so happy by the technique and the steps. There was a great story line which was easy to follow.


Julia’s Score: 10
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 10


Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess, featuring Hayley Erbert
Argentine Tango: Mi Confesión by Gotan Project
Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9 (27/30) Lowest Score From Round One
#TeamBOOMin 1(800)868-3401


Antonio did well with this dance. However, it was pretty simple for Week 9 and he barely even moved until the end of it. He did great with what he was given to do, but unfortunately it wasn’t very much. He did improve though which was nice to see.


I digged this dance, even though it was simple, especially when it came to dancing with both Sharna and Hayley. There were too many pedestrian steps for an Argentine Tango, and not enough leg work. And I know the males can get away with not having as much footwork, but that is only when the male holds the frame and leads, which he lacked in about half the dance. The lifts were absolutely stunning, which were the highlight of the dance to me, along with Hayley expressing her true star quality on that dance floor! Of course I’ve seen Hayley in the troupe every week, but I didn’t really have a feel for her before this dance. She is not only spectacular as a center-stage girl, but she is phenomenal as a side dancer as well, which is arguably harder to pull off than being the center of attention. Anyway, Antonio has become tremendously cleaner in his entire body the last few weeks, and finally looks at least a little more natural on the floor. He had the sexy factor down, but his technique and timing could be just a smidgen better. But when it all comes down to it, he had superb Latin heat.


I liked the way Antonio fell right into character. The only thing I didn’t really like was that he wasn’t as fluid as I wanted him to be. He had a sort of lost expression on his face and moved a bit robotically in my opinion. As Carrie Ann said I would’ve liked to see his elongated arms.


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 9
Angelina’s Score: 9


Wanyá Morris and Lindsay Arnold, featuring Witney Carson
Paso Doble: Explosive by David Garrett and Franck Heijden and Royal
Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Highest Score From Round One
#TeamYayZee 1(800)868-3412


It seems that Witney and Lindsay choreographing a Paso Doble has become a tradition on this show, and tonight’s did not disappoint! Wanyá was on fire, and kept up with the ladies well! However, like Antonio’s Argentine Tango this dance took awhile to really get going. Once it did it was amazing, but for the first part it felt like Wanyá just wasn’t doing all that much.


This number had just enough content, just enough anger, and just enough shaping for me to be amazed. This Paso Doble might look simple at first glance, but the moves that Lindsay and Witney choreographed into the routine required more than just synchronization to pull off. Sure, it wasn’t jam-packed with content, but I like it better with the style that was portrayed Monday night. Witney is sublime when it comes to keeping track of her partners, so I think it was Lindsay’s best choice for this trio, even though she would have picked her anyway! Wanyá didn’t oversell it; he was himself, but just in a darker and more fiery tone.


I liked their dance a lot. I would’ve like to see Wanya move around a bit because for a big part of the dance it just seemed like he was standing around and just moving his upper body. Overall, I loved the fire and passion he brought.


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 9


Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd, featuring Jenna Johnson
Jive: Hit the Road Jack by Hermes House Band
Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9 (27/30) Lowest Score From Round One
#RedefiningDance 1(800)868-3409


This dance was fun but it also had an awkward vibe to it. Nyle just seemed uncomfortable for a lot of the routine. He did pretty well staying in sync and really nailing those kicks and flicks at first, but he sort of lost it about halfway through. I loved that they managed to incorporate lots of different ways for the three of them to dance together, though!


The concept was refreshing to see with the lack of cheeky performances this season, and Jenna is just the definition of cheeky! Despite some timing issues, Nyle handled the girls well, even if that meant getting milkshakes dumped at him in the end! His kicks and flicks were actually technically cool without being silly, which trying to make Jive steps not silly is extremely difficult! Even his basic link steps were that of a professional, making me nearly forgive about half of his mistakes. But there were just too many for me not to knock a point off, unfortunately. But hey, this is a new fun side of Nyle (his fun side did come out for Disney night, but that was a little more wild) is a refreshing side to see!


Though I have to agree that they lost sync at times in the dance and there were some missteps, this was a very hard dance. I found myself singing along and enjoying myself throughout!


Julia’s Score: 8
Bentley’s Score: 9
Angelina’s Score: 9


Ginger Zee and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, featuring Artem Chigvintsev
Paso Doble: Shot Me Down by David Guetta
Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9 (27/30) Lowest Score From Round One
#TeamGinAndJuice 1(800)868-3404


I thought this was a cool dance and Ginger definitely is getting pretty good with the more serious facial expressions. They spent the first half or so of the routine throwing her around, but when she actually started dancing she did a good job.


There is no doubt that Ginger can capture intensity effortlessly (as shown by her other dances), but it was a bit too hectic this time around. She needs to control her excitement more, especially transitioning between Val and Artem, but hey, it was still so freakin’ good! There were so many show-stopping dances in the trio round that I hate putting a fantastic dance like this at the bottom of my rankings, but that just shows how tight the competition is this season! Ginger was on fire, but maybe she should have tamed it to lessen the heat from Val and Artem!


I truly liked this dance. The theatrics were amazing and I loved hearing a song from the tour. There were some technique issues I noticed but a very aggressive performance that I loved!


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 9
Angelina’s Score: 9


Julia’s Ranking of the Week 9 Trios
1. Paige & Mark with Alan
2. Wanya & Lindsay with Witney
3. Ginger & Val with Artem
4. Antonio & Sharna with Haley
5. Nyle & Peta with Jenna


Bentley’s Ranking of the Week 9 Trios
1. Paige & Mark with Alan
2. Wanyá & Lindsay with Witney
3. Antonio & Sharna with Hayley
4. Nyle & Peta with Jenna
5. Ginger & Val with Artem


Angelina’s Ranking of the Week 9 Trios
1.Paige & Mark with Alan
2. Ginger & Val with Artem
3. Wanya & Lindsay with Witney
4. Nyle & Peta with Jenna
5. Antonio and Sharna with Haley


Individual Dances


Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas
Argentine Tango: One Time by Marian Hill
Judges’ Scores: 10, 9, 10 (29/30)
#PowRightInTheKisser 1(800)868-3410


Paige was incredible in this dance! She hit every move wonderfully and I loved the part with the shirt spin! It was sensual but not sleazy, and she did a good job at playing the character. I also appreciated that this Argentine Tango was different from the kind we usually see. Usually they have a darkness and/or fire theme to them, but this one went a different route and told a story. I can’t remember another Argentine Tango that had clear “characters” in it so this one definitely captured my attention!


I know Paige was trying to be sexy for this dance, but she is just too adorable to be raunchily sexy (and I presume Len agrees)! But whatever, she nailed her character accurately.  Her connection with Mark was definitely sensual with a mix of business casual, which kind of reminds me of Tamar and Val’s Tango last season. And I loved the table scene as well, which reminded me of Amy and Derek’s Jazz two years ago in season 18. Paige’s legwork was so sharp and on point that it practically clicked into place. And now that we are approaching the finals this week, I think is time to reveal my pick for the win this season. Yup, you guessed it. . . Paige! She has impressed me and made me smile since week one, and has managed to become one of the most dynamic celebrities on this show in awhile! Take that, Paige’s haters! Is there anything that Paige isn’t good at?


I loved this dance. It was beautiful and I was so happy to see this side of Paige. The technique was stunning and every step was crisp and amazing. I was truly amazed because it showed how much progress and how far Paige has come.


Julia’s Score: 10
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 10


Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess Eliminated (Tied for 4th Place)
Contemporary: Hall of Fame by The Script
Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 10 (28/30) Lowest Score From Round Two
#TeamBOOMin 1(800)868-3401


This dance was a good one, and I think we finally found Antonio’s strength as a dancer: Contemporary! (And more specifically, lifts!) He was a little awkward in some areas. Unfortunately for Antonio, it was too little too late for he and Sharna but I think this dance moved a lot of people tonight. I think this elimination was overdue by a few weeks, but was nice to finally get to know Antonio, and hopefully he took something away from his Dancing With the Stars experience.


Underscored. I sometimes think that Antonio is a bit overscored, but this Contemporary was for sure underscored! I didn’t see a single mistake, and I didn’t think it was awkward at all. I agree with Len in the fact that Antonio’s lifts in this dance were some of the best lifts ever seen on the show by a celebrity! I think that Antonio’s so-called overdue elimination was extended just for this single dance to show his true lovely character as well as his magnificent abilities as not only a dancer, but as a human being. This was the perfect ending to his DWTS fairytale.


This was a very moving dance. It was beautiful. I noticed he almost dropped Sharna and stumbled quite a bit. He could’ve been a bit more in character, but I was moved.


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 9


Wanyá Morris and Lindsay Arnold Eliminated (Tied for 4th Place)
Charleston: Shame on Me by Avicii
Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Highest Score From Round Two
#TeamYayZee 1(800)868-3412


Wanyá was so awesome! The Charleston was the perfect style for him! It was so much fun and fun is what this couple does best! This was one of the most intricately choreographed pieces of the season and Wanyá did a great job bringing it to life! It wasn’t exactly traditional but neither was the music so that wouldn’t be a fair expectation.


Lindsay is a genius. She has become one of my favorite choreographers in this era of Dancing With the Stars! I’ve never seen a Charleston blend Quickstep into a dance like in this dance before, let alone that creatively! Wanyá just beast-mode killed it from the moment he stepped off the pedestal, and managed to become both his own as well as one with Lindsay. His east coast style along with his stellar footwork makes for a routine that is only seen every so often on the show! I’m going to miss couple, but I guess with such tight competition, this kind of stuff has to happen! It’s a shame, but what can you do? You have to vote, people!


This was a very fun dance and the charleston is a very hard dance to get right but Wanya nailed it! His technique was great and he only stumbled about once which is very impressive!


Julia’s Score: 10
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina: 10


Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd
Argentine Tango: Unsteady by X Ambassadors
Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) Highest Score From Round Two
#RedefiningDance 1(800)868-3409


This dance was great! Argentine Tango is definitely one of Nyle’s strongest dances, as proven by both this dance and the one he was part of last week. He was awesome, especially in the blindfolded section, but his butt is still sticking out and he needs to fix that. Although I have to be honest….I’m kind of over Nyle. At the beginning of the season he was clearly an amazing dancer but he seems to have sort of plateaued ever since the Quickstep. He just hasn’t really stood out to me lately. I appreciated that they were treating Nyle as a regular person who just happened to be deaf in the beginning, but in the past few weeks they seem to have turned him into “inspiration porn” like they did with some of the show’s previous physically-challenged contestants. Nyle keeps saying he doesn’t see being deaf as a disadvantage and he’s just like any other contestant, yet he and Peta have now used gimmicks based on his inability to hear two weeks in a row, and I bet they pull something like that again next week as well. Don’t get me wrong, I still he’s by no means the worst contestant left, but I’ve been disappointed in the way he’s been presented lately.


I for one actually liked the blindfold. I like it when other contestants used a blindfold, and I liked it even more when Nyle used it. I don’t think the show has been exploiting Nyle’s deafness as well. Nyle has been deaf his entire life, and his story that he shares is something that he experiences everyday. He inspires we week after week, and his and Peta’s innovative dancing makes me realize what challenges Nyle goes through on a daily basis. This Argentine was the exact message that I think connected Nyle’s unique quality to just being human. He’s really found his place in dance, and it translates into refined and special movements when put into place. And I thank Nyle for that. I love that this couple is in the finals, and I can’t wait to see what their Freestyle has to offer!


Once again a beautiful dance presented by Nyle himself. He is definitely the one who has had to dance with the most determination and strength because he can’t hear the music but now not having sight for a bit was amazing on a whole other level. Even to just consider doing this shows his courage and I love his positive outlook on life and everything else. I will miss watching him dance after finals.


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 10


Ginger Zee and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Quickstep: Fire Under My Feet by Leona Lewis
Judges’ Scores: 9, 10, 10 (29/30)
#TeamGinAndJuice 1(800)868-3404


Ballroom is definitely Ginger’s strength and she proved it again with this dance! Her frame was great other than her shoulders at times, but she missed a jump and there was a bit more dancing out of hold than generally permitted, but there have literally been two Quicksteps this entire season that have actually followed the rules and most of the ones that didn’t still got high scores so I guess the judges just don’t care anymore? Also, I’m not sure why, but Ginger didn’t really stand out in this routine. Maybe because they had Leona Lewis stand on a platform right in the middle of the ballroom? So I didn’t find this routine particularly impressive, but it was still very good!


Ginger definitely had “fire under her feet” in this Quickstep! She has proven herself as a competitor in this competition, and has separated herself as more than just an ABC weatherwoman! In my opinion, Ginger is on the same level as Nyle and Paige, so the Mirror Ball Trophy is anyone’s for the taking! I didn’t quite see the mistake that Carrie Ann pointed out, but the camera angles in this dance weren’t exactly the best. Ginger is a leading woman, which is hard to portray yourself as when Val is right next you! Ginger has come a long way, which is why I applaud Val for saving his best choreography for later in the season to showcase Ginger’s improved dance persona!


I was definitely happy with the amount of dancing Ginger did in this performance. A quick step is always hard so I commend Ginger for doing such a great job! There were a few mistakes but she definitely has a large chance to win the mirror ball trophy!


Julia’s Score: 9
Bentley’s Score: 10
Angelina’s Score: 9


Julia’s Ranking of the Week 9 Individual Dances
1. Paige & Mark
2. Wanyá & Lindsay
3. Nyle & Peta
4. Ginger & Val
5. Antonio & Sharna


Bentley’s Ranking of the Week 9 Individual Dances
1. Paige & Mark
2. Wanyá and Lindsay
3. Antonio & Sharna
4. Ginger & Val
5. Nyle & Peta


Angelina’s Ranking of the Week 9 Individual Dances
1. Paige and Mark
2. Nyle & Peta
3. Wanya and Lindsay
4. Ginger & Val
5. Antonio & Sharna



Total Combined Scores From the Semifinals
Wanyá & Lindsay 30/30 + 30/30 = 60/60 ELIMINATED
Paige & Mark 30/30 + 29/30 = 59/60 FINALIST
Nyle & Peta 27/30 + 30/30 = 57/60 FINALIST
Ginger & Val 27/30 + 29/30 = 56/60 FINALIST
Antonio & Sharna 27/30 + 28/30 = 55/60 ELIMINATED


Other Thoughts About Week 9


- I’ve said it a thousand times before, and I’ll say it a thousand times more- I just love opening numbers that involve the celebrities, even when they are really simple. They are my favorite!


- Hoping for some really good full-length pro numbers next Tuesday!


- The Semifinals this season had such high competition that I have not seen on this show in years. This was my favorite night of season by far! I just realized I talked about a lot of favorites I have in this week’s blog. . .


- Just when I thought we were finally going to get through a season without a showmance...they sneak a last-minute one in there by playing up the Paige/Alan dating rumors. That was annoying. Paige recently said she was single on twitter-presumably in response to those rumors-but the show went there anyway. #DisappointedButNotSurprised


- Whether or not Paige feels anything towards Alan, Alan definitely feels a strong way towards Paige! Alan and Paige would be perfect together, especially because they both just come as adorable, even when they try to be sexy, LOL!


- Speaking of Paige, they mentioned that she had experience dancing when she was younger in one of her packages this week. I’m glad she was honest about it, but now I’m even more annoyed that Ginger’s package didn’t mention she was a member of her college’s dance team and that they’re still pretending she’s never done organized dancing of any kind before. I don’t have a problem with contestants on this show having previous dance experience, unless it’s extensive ballroom training like Riker Lynch and Danica McKellar had. I just don’t like when they try to hide it or even flat-out lie about it. #DisappointedButNotSurprised


- Of course, tonight was the night we got to hear everyone’s big emotional backstory. We were told more about Paige’s experience getting bullied and Antonio’s strained relationship with his father, and we also learned that Ginger had an eating disorder when she was younger. I was surprised by this and am glad she was able to get healthy again since I know anorexia is very serious, but her referring to it and other eating disorders as “a disease that you choose” on GMA the next morning was a very ignorant remark of her to make and didn’t sit well with me at all. #DisappointedAndActuallySurprised


- I get what you mean, but I think Ginger just misspoke (but who knows?). I think that saying that anorexia is “a disease you choose” meant that it’s not like cancer or diabetes that seems to come out of nowhere; anorexia is a disease that takes conscious decisions, whether external pressure is a factor or not. But yeah, anorexia is bad, and usually extremely difficult to control. That’s why I hate how DWTS makes such unrealistic expectations for young kids, which I briefly talked about last week.


- Aaaaaand now to address the elephant in the room. The whole double elimination was BS. Well, except for Antonio leaving but that really should’ve happened a couple weeks ago so I guess it was BS he even made it this far, and that he managed to snag the #5 spot on the season leaderboard before being sent home. I am glad they didn’t do what they did last week again and waited until the end to reveal anyone’s status. However, they only left seventeen seconds to do a send-off for the two couples after they were eliminated. And this was the semi-finals. They could have cut some of the dramatic music in favor of a proper goodbye for Antonio and Wanyá.


- I’m happy Antonio is finally gone but I’m actually devastated about Wanyá’s elimination. I saw this result coming based on the running order (my initial prediction had been that Wanyá and Ginger would be leaving but as soon as I was told Ginger was going last I knew she’d be in the finals) and the way they were treated by the judges. Wanyá got wildly praised in comparison to everyone else and as soon as Carrie Ann ran down to hug him I knew it was already over for him. While Antonio didn’t quite reach that level of love from the judges, they were still very kind to him and as soon as I saw that 10 for his Contemporary I knew he was a goner for sure.


- However, just because an elimination was expected, it doesn’t mean it was deserved. And in Wanyá’s case it definitely wasn’t deserved. I get that he slipped last week but I’m disappointed that he somehow didn’t manage to build up a strong enough fanbase over the season to get through despite that snafu. He was humble, charismatic, and entertaining, and Lindsay was a good teacher for him and provided him with some awesome choreography to work with. There was seriously nothing more either of them could have done. I think I’ve made it clear I wanted the two eliminated Monday night to be Ginger-who I still don’t think it’s fair for them to have on the show-and Antonio. I think it was pretty obvious Nyle would be safe and I will say that if I had to choose between Wanyá and Paige to be in the finals with him I would have chosen the latter, since she’s the only contestant who has truly been consistently on the money all season. But honestly, Wanyá still deserved a spot in the finals more than the other three. Yes, even Nyle, who is fantastic and deserving of his spot in the finale but Wanyá has been the better dancer and overall performer so I’d honestly kick him out if it meant Wanyá could have a place there. Honestly, Wanyá’s elimination was Charlie White levels of wrong, and I’m sure it’s one we’ll continue hearing about for the next few years.


- I think tonight truly highlighted exactly why I think Wanyá and Lindsay deserved to stay over Ginger and Val. They’re both good dancers, but Wanyá is a bit more refined than Ginger, and he also knows how to really “sell” a dance, something that Ginger is rarely able to do. Also, Lindsay has been giving Wanyá top-notch choreography from the get-go, while Val didn’t really give Ginger anything special until Week 7 (and Lindsay is still producing better material than him on the whole). I don’t like to blame the celebrity for this, but this is a partnership competition and I think she might be shining more if Val had been giving her great choreography more often.


- Interesting take on things, Julia. The thing about this show is that fifty percent of the total combined scores rely on the celebrities’ dance abilities, and the other half is up to the viewers. Although it might seem disappointing to some, I can’t say whether or not an elimination is deserved or not. A person deserves to be eliminated if he or she does not have enough votes to stay in the competition, and that applies to everyone no matter what. It’s up to the viewers to vote for their favorites, and the public has spoken. Clearly the majority of viewers wanted Ginger in the game over Wanyá, and whether I agree with that or not, I can’t say that it was unjustified. The show is what it is. And that’s what it is. . . just a show. And personally, I think that all five of the semifinals had what it took to make it to the end, but it is all determined by the judges and the audience. Ginger, and sometimes even Antonio, had some breathtaking routines, and since the show goes on a week-by-week basis, the only thing that matters about improvements in dance quality is how the audience interprets that. Of course the way that celebrities are portrayed on the show is a whole different controversial topic, but I America makes its own decision in terms of voting each week. So what can you do? Vote. Besides that, it’s up to the rest of the public.


- The thing is it’s very possible Wanyá got more votes than Ginger last week so I don’t even think it’s safe to say the majority wanted her in over him. Since she was on top of the leaderboard everyone else had to get a certain number of votes MORE than she did in order to pass her in the combined totals, and Wanyá had the biggest spread to overcome because he was on the bottom of the leaderboard. I think he had to get just below 15 000 votes per million cast more than Ginger in order to overtake her. He might have technically gotten more than her, but he had to beat her out by at least that many votes in order to stay.


- I’m still predicting Nyle to take it all next week unless he flubs pretty badly. I think he’s won over the loyalty of more viewers than the remaining two ladies. If it wasn’t already clear based on my comments up to this point, I’m rooting for Paige just like Bentley (and am both SO surprised and SO happy that she is even a finalist) but unless Nyle does something really bad next week I’d be happy to see him win as well. But if Ginger somehow dominates both then maybe I’ll end up rooting for her in the end!


- I don’t think the scores for the Freestyles will really matter since for the past three seasons they’ve just given out perfect scores to everyone for that round and I don’t see that changing unless someone flubs big-time. So I think it will come down to the audience, who Mark seems to know how to please when he needs to, and for that reason I’m thinking he and Paige will most likely come in second. To be honest, Val has yet to produce a Freestyle that’s truly wowed me. Well actually, the one he did with Janel Parrish was pretty good, but it was Contemporary and I’m pretty sure Nyle and Peta are going to be going that route and if so it’d be foolish for Ginger and Val to do it too. And besides, that season was essentially Mark and Val competing for second place and Mark pulled out the Super Mario Bros. routine which ended up getting attention from a lot of people who were not regular viewers of DWTS. And wouldn’t you know it, Mark got second that season.


- Next week for night one of the finale, the couples will dance to a dance style they have performed to already to improve upon, and then it is the dances we have all been waiting for. . . the Freestyles! The Freestyles are usually fine, but I tend to remember the regular dances throughout the season a lot more. And I am also very glad that the couples are not redoing exact dances next week. . . Boring!


- There will also be another routine to contend with, which will consist of new routines of previous styles the couples have performed previously in the season. I think Nyle might get Rumba which makes me worried because that dance tends to be a weakness for Peta, but I could also see him possibly getting Quickstep or even Jive which both make me worried as well. It probably won’t matter what style Paige gets because she’s nailed all the ones she’s done but I can see her getting Rumba or Foxtrot. As for Ginger? They gave her Jazz. JAZZ. And not the Janet Jackson routine, either. It’s going to be like last season with all new routines for the redemption round. From what I’ve been hearing it sounds like it’s going to be a really fun routine that will likely appeal to my personal tastes, but I still don’t like that she gets to do Jazz for her redemption dance because that style is basically a free-pass. Now do you people realize Ginger might be being pimped?


- Alright, I do have to admit I see what you mean there. XD But you can’t blame Ginger for that, LOL!


- I don’t blame Ginger. I blame the network. ;)



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What did you think of the Semifinals on DWTS? What was your favorite Trio dance from Monday night? Which individual dance did you like the most? Which celebrity's backstory do you think was the most heartfelt and touching? What did you think of Antonio & Sharna’s and Wanyá & Lindsay’s elimination during the Double Elimination Monday night? Who do you think will have the best Freestyle next week during night one of the Finale? And finally, who do you think will take it all, earning them the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy?


For more about Dancing With the Stars, follow the DWTS 2016 Twitter page at @DWTS2016. Also, follow Julia Delbel on Twitter at @juliadelbel and on Tumblr at forevertrueblue, follow Paul Bentley on Twitter at @TheBentleyNinja, and  follow Angelina Mikheeva on Twitter at @angelinarose42!

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