After fourteen seasons, the producers are finally starting to admit that the pros are now often more famous than the so-called stars they’re dancing with, and that’s probably why we’ve gotten trio numbers, because it means things like Chemerkovskiy brothers(with as many shots of them shirtless as they can manage) and extra chances to see eliminated pros, and even showcase dance troupe members that might eventually get promoted to the pro cast.
Tag Archive: roshon fegan & chelsea hightower
The problem with these themed weeks, and having guest singers both nights, is that there’s a lot of danger of it become about the music stars, and not about the dancing, and that isn’t good. And that definitely happened last night. When it comes down to it, we did not tune in to sit through Smokey Robinson or the Temptations stand there and sing for 15 seconds before we get our dancing, especially not for every single song. Making us sit through the four annoying white dudes covering all the songs was even worse; at least the actual Motown singers are people who’ve earned the right to be featured.
Though choreographing genius that he is, Derek found a way to work with it:
Adore her dress too, but that’s another story. Real pity with the mistakes, but it’s all so delightful you barely care. Same went for Gladys & Tristan, for whom all the showcasing of Motown was actually appropriate, what with it being her history, and I suspect that this week’s number, when all is said and done, with be considered the best of her dances. Making the marathon themed was a creative way to bring it back, too. And while the top couple won it as is usual for the marathon, some of the early eliminations were pretty surprising. Also really not good for Roshon & Chelsie; between that and their rumba issues, good bet they’re in the dance duel this week. They should count themselves lucky there is a dance duel, though, since there’s a pretty good chance they’ll win it. I don’t envy whoever gets stuck in it with them.
Meanwhile, is Len ever going to give anyone a 10? One supposes the overall rise in quality this season has sent his standards up, but he has to sometime…right?
So it’s Rock Week, and personally, I think the whole motif with the big hair and ballroom revamping overdoes it a bit. And when this year we were treated to a shot of Harold Wheeler in KISS makeup, I especially thought so! Some may ask why in the middle of all this rocking we had a pair Viennese Waltzing to an American Idol winner, but I think the producers realized we needed the break.
Roshon & Chelsea in fact arguably lucked out avoiding the paso doble and tango when everyone else had to do them in heavy leather, except William and Cheryl maybe, and they had their own difficulties anyway. And with that happening it’s not that surprising the scores went down a bit; the paso’s considered one of the hardest dances, to the point that yes, sometimes even the pro will mess up the end of the routine, and the tango isn’t easy either. Though Donald & Peta were an obvious exception to such peril; as Brooke noted, football players tend to do well with the paso doble, despite the difficulty, because it suits their normal habits so well:
At least one man was in his element tonight.
And Maria and Derek got off pretty lucky too, but really, that’s just Derek. He’ll always manage that somehow or other.
A bit more divide in the scores now, and we’ll have to see at the lower end if being a point behind everyone else will be fatal for Gladys. Meanwhile, I hope Melissa’s okay…
And they’re all good. I’m not sure that’s ever happened on Dancing With the Stars, that in the first week, that everyone was easy and enjoyable to watch. Not all of them were quite so good with the technique, and that may be the factor to separate them later, but everyone was good overall, and as was said multiple times last night, it’s a good thing we get a second week with all of them, and you kind of wish for three(I have the sinking feeling, by the way, that despite being far better than Monica Seles Martina Navratilova won’t last any longer than her).
No runaway frontrunners, certainly. Two contestants arrived with the their technique already good enough to stand out from the four-point cluster everyone else is currently crowded into, but we can’t assume they’ll stay there, especially should some of the others improve(and there probably will be ones that do). Though here I must say one thing: no matter what Carrie Anne might claim, Elizabeth Jenkins did not do the best first week dance ever last night, and no, that’s not because Jaleel White did instead after her. Kristi Yamaguchi still holds that honor, as well as I believe that record, kthxbye. But best overall first week ever? Yeah, pretty much.
Personally, my favorites so far are Roshon Fegan and Chelsea(and no, Len, I don’t care about the hip hop), but that’s just me; it’s so subjective which of the dances you want to give the accolades to:
