The night went about as everyone expected: a few standouts, a few duds, and Martin Kove getting the boot. I didn’t think it possible, but his cha cha was even worse than his paso doble. It looked like grandpa at the wedding after getting into the champagne. The word that keeps popping up in my brain is ‘dreadful’. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but I’m glad we and he are out of misery.

Tyra opened the night in a sedate (by her standards) orange rubber minidress, but what the hell happened at halftime? That last outfit looked like a first grader’s drawing of the Thanksgiving turkey got smooshed by a steam roller. WTF? There is no universe where that monstrosity would be considered attractive. She just looked ridiculous lurking around the stage like a refugee from a parade.

Amanda Kloots and JoJo Siwa were the high scorers earning over 60 points for the two weeks.

The high point of the night for me was Amanda’s foxtrot. Fall is here, but that wasn’t the cause of my first chill bumps of the season. That was dancing at its finest, and only on week 2. She has the longest legs (as a former Rockette that makes sense) and uses them mercilessly. That triple developé made me shout. Just gorgeous and Bruno was right when he said it was evocative of Cyd Charisse.

JoJo’s cha cha just wasn’t a wow performance for me. Granted, I like the smooth dances more for the elegance, grace, and showmanship. If a cha cha isn’t a full-on showstopper I may not be impressed. I liked that she knew where to put her feet and how to use her legs. Plenty of sassy hip work going on. It felt kind of weird with two sets of skimpy dresses and fringe all over the place.

Mel C. and Gleb delivered with their foxtrot, also. It was dreamy and floaty and “clean” as Bruno said. I loved the standing spin and who can argue with props from Ringo?

I didn’t expect Suni to be this far back in the pack so early on. She’s yet to find her stride. Her gymnastic stoicism could torpedo her chances faster than Mark Ballas could (if you’ll remember he had a habit of pulling stupid out of his hat). She needs to learn there are more emotions than RBF and crying. But she’s still a child. We’ll hopefully give her time. Her cha cha had some great gymnastic moves like that flip early on. Unfortunately it lacked energy, as if she was just doing a compulsory heat before the big game. I loved Sasha’s sparkly pants. Where can I get me some of those?

Malora and Artem showed up for a nice, but unmemorable rumba. No heat; no passion. A 27 was grade inflation. I can’t believe they got the same score as:

Olivia Jade and Val with such a cool Viennese waltz. Val could make a potato sack look good, but she did her part. There were places where she looked heavy and there were huge gaps in the frame, but overall, nice for week 2. And the airplane into pivots made me cheer. I want to do that.

The judges found more to like in the Miz’s tango than I did. It looked like graceless wrestling. He was too rough and manhandled Witney. As Len said, it lacked finesse. I have to give him credit however for playing to the cameras. He’s photogenic (odd in a wrestler) and uses it. Hated his outfit. What was that – night camouflage?

Kenya had good leg action in her cha cha but seemed timid at first. It was lots of fun once she lightened up. Did pretty good for an old gal. Why, though, did Carrie Ann call Matt and Lindsay for a lift in the first dance but not call Kenya two dances later? Both feet were clearly off the floor in the last spin that Brandon put her through. If you call lift on one, you should call it on another.

Then there was the other half; the cellar dwellers who scored under 50 over both weeks.

Jimmie Allen and Emma got robbed. That was a wow rumba if ever there was one. Rumba as it was meant to be – heat, passion, but not actual sex on the floor. He had extensions, lines, fluidity, hips – the whole package. I loved it and the judges are idiots. Hated the do-rag, though.

When they started the music for Christine Chiu’s dance, I was momentarily excited. I love Despacito. But wait a minute. It’s a samba, not a salsa. I counted the beats and heard the samba rhythm. Maybe that’s why there was so little salsa content. That and the fact that the smoke hid her feet. They need to stop that. The side-by-side action was nice, however.

Poor Cody and Cheryl. She looked much healthier in the live clip, so I hope she’s up and running quickly. I liked their dance. It was the most recognizable of the salsas. With more time to polish it and add in costuming it would have been great.

Brian Austin Green and Sharna should be a highlight for me, but it wasn’t. He’s just a mess. No hip action at all, just a lot of walk and pose, walk and pose. Also kind of frenetic. Rumba should be calming, it’s a love story. Len wasn’t impressed and neither was I.

Matt James and Lindsay in the lone samba of the evening. What a disappointment. No hips, no bounce, no shaping, no flexibility. Raspberry.

Iman is my pick for who needs to be bounced next week. In his rumba with Daniella I liked his lines and the unexpected tenderness. Little rumba content, though. It looked mostly like slow cha cha and swing. I noticed when he was on his knees he was about the same height as Daniella. I liked how he was cheeky with Len.

That’s how I see it. The next three weeks we should see the exit of Iman, B.A. Green and Matt James, in that order. Then we can get down to who’s the dancer and who’s the poser. At this point I’m looking for an Amanda/JoJo showdown at the finals with Suni and Mel C. looking for the spoiler. None of the men have shown me they have what it takes. Cody could step up. I need to see him dance again. Miz is too unpredictable and wild, Jimmie may have some potential, but the rest are just chaff. Of course, none of this means anything when you factor in that the public is voting. Anything is possible. Even Bobby Bones.

Well, the first night is over and we have an idea of what we’re working with. With one notable exception, there were no bad dances, which is unusual for the first go round. It appears the season holds promise. However, dance ability often doesn’t really play into the final result – Bobby Bones, for example. So, everything I say here should be taken with a grain of salt. Whenever the American public is allowed to weigh in, you can be sure their stupidity will be on display. They are often more willing to blindly follow some talentless celebrity they’re obsessed with rather than vote for the ones who are actually creating art. Anyway, enough of the rant.

I expected to allow space for Tyra’s wardrobe, but she only had one outfit and it was sedate, for her. Although I haven’t seen shoulders that square since the 1980s or on Monday Night Football.

Martin Kove. Let’s start at the bottom. Possibly the worst paso doble ever (excepting Kate Gosselin). Paso should be a natural for the characters he portrays, but it could be that his characters don’t reflect who he really is. However, as an actor, he should have made us believe. I blame Britt for that. I have no idea what the story line of his dance was; maybe horror movie? He was reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster stumbling about trying to catch the girl. And at one point he reminded me of Godzilla swatting at the buildings in his way. He’s had his last hurrah, now it’s time for the rocking chair.

Iman. Younger people probably don’t remember Mutt and Jeff, but this was them. As Bruno said, the jive is hard for taller people, and he was unlucky to draw that right off the bat. Although I’m left wondering how they allot the dances. Who decides who gets the dreaded quickstep and who gets an easy salsa? It was a nice workmanlike piece, but no pizzazz. Len called it informal and I guess that quantified it (although I think 4 was a bit harsh). I probably would have said “pedestrian”. He’s a bball player and will get a boost from that, but he needs to be the second one gone. Can we arrange a double elimination next week and then get on with the good dancers?

There were five tangos during the night. I saw four nice dances, and one good tango. Where do they come up with the awful music? Those songs weren’t tangos. Do the producers sit around and say, “Well, we got a fast song here. I know, let’s make ‘em tango.” And the others on the production team laugh and shout, “Yeah!”? I swear some of them looked like hustle.

Jimmie Allen was a victim. I liked him. He has personality and natural humor. He and Emma work well together. I hope he sticks around. Their tango was messy, but I like the guy.

Brian Austin Green. The foxtrot was okay, but nothing special. I really don’t know what he did because I was watching Sharna. The blonde hair will take some getting used to, but she so reminds me of Marvel’s Black Widow. She’s definitely my favorite dancer. Unfortunately, I don’t think she’ll keep Brian around for long. The 90210 crowd doesn’t pull all that much weight anymore.

Matt James and the Miz did two of the night’s three cha chas. Matt’s definitely got game. With no dance or athletic experience he went in and gave it a good shot. He’s got natural talent, but Lindsay needs to work him and fix his posture. I really liked the Miz. At times when Witney caught him off guard or when talking to the judges, his real character slipped out and he seemed like a nice guy. I liked his humor and he’s a natural showman, working the camera. Being an athlete he can use his body, but needs to remember dancing is not wrestling. He needs to loosen up. And I want that shirt he had.

Cody is my homey. He’s from North Carolina so I have to try to like him. He didn’t really help himself. First off, that fluorescent suit made my TV buzz (and my eyes). Maybe he’s naturally effervescent, but Cheryl needs to tone him down. There was way too much energy in his tango. It was one of the ones that looked like a hustle. I know he’s glad to be there, but now he needs to settle down and get to work.

Christine Chiu was also a victim of a non-tango tango. Maybe her age makes her stiff, but it looked like Pasha was moving a mannequin around the dance floor. I feel 25 was too generous a score for that mess.

Olivia Jade has the easiest dance, salsa. But why were the steps so big? Is that ballroom style salsa? Even Val was taking gigantic steps. That lost the Latin feel of the dance. Liked her mile long legs, but she’s so young I feel like a perv.

Kenya and Brandon’s foxtrot seemed shorter than everyone else’s routine. That was fine, because it didn’t look like foxtrot and they didn’t look comfortable with each other. She didn’t deserve  the 26.

Melora. Artem did what he could with an awful tango song. And he got her moving. Unfortunately it looked a lot like walk, pose, walk, pose.

Mel C. That was a great way to open the night. Definitely the best of the three cha chas. Good rhythm, not stiff and she worked the camera like a pro. She should be around for a while. Loved the color of Gleb’s shirt, although he needed some buttons.

Amanda Kloots had the best tango of the night. But then, she has Broadway dance experience. I wonder if they’ll throw a “Broadway” genre at her one night? I expected the legs since she was a Rockette. Early on it looked like Alan was toting her. No one called it, though.

Suni Lee. She is my favorite of the competition. She nailed the jive. How can someone so short have legs so long? But more than the great dance, I loved her personality. When she talked about her “performance smile” I cracked up. She’ll be here until the finals unless the public does something completely stupid.

JoJo. 29? No way. I think the judges were afraid to be tough with her for fear of being called out as homophobic. Let me do it, then. As a person who was called the F word more times than I care to remember growing up because I sucked at sports, I think I’m unlikely to be homophobic. That QS was a mess. It looked like there was no frame and they were flopping against each other. It was too frenetic and lacked any of the class associated with QS. I give them kudos for the nice recovery when Jenna stumbled. But no, not that good.

I was annoyed hearing Tyra go on and on about it being a historic first. Well, I’m annoyed hearing Tyra go on and on about anything, but what’s the big deal. They act like women don’t dance with each other. Have they been to clubs or ballroom venues? Women dance together all the time because the men are in short supply. Now a real historic moment would be if they put two men together. But that would give homophobic America a coronary. Although men dancing together is also a thing. There are male pair dancing events. I saw two men audition for So You Think You Can Dance who were dance partners. I heard that tango was originally men dancing together. Check this out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOJ0m9G5PqI

If JoJo wants to dance with a woman, fine. I don’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s dancing, not sex. Although Baptists always said people shouldn’t dance because it makes them think about sex. And what’s wrong with that, I always answered.

Personally, I prefer to watch male/female partners because each gender brings something different to the dance. When I see two women or two men dance, it seems to lack something. But then, I’m an old guy. What do I know?

Right now, it’s hard to tell who has the most edge. Suni is cute, funny and an Olympian. That’s a trifecta. JoJo has ability and buzz. I think that will be the ultimate battle ground. Of course anyone else could slip in as a dark horse. It’ll be interesting to watch. My four favorites right now are Suni, the Miz, Jimmie and, yes, Cody (if he calms down a bit). Of those four, only Suni is a good dancer. The others are just fun.

It’s time again for them to trot out the multitude of misbegotten mid-level talented creatures that answer the call of DWTS. In its 30 seasons, over 100 so called stars have strutted and fretted their hour upon the stage and as Macbeth predicted, became a tale full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Over the seasons I have detected a certain pattern in who shows up. There are Archetypes or tropes of the characters. Here’s what I’ve gleaned.

Archetypes

Final bow: Well-known personalities, now failing, who want one last hurrah before the old folks home. Examples were Valery Harper, Cloris Leachman, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Seeking redemption: They have committed some social faux pas and are hoping to redeem themselves. Paula Deen (nope), Ryan Lochte (not really), Nancy Grace (nuh uh), Tonya Harding (Oh puhleeze), Sean Spicer (kinda), Jerry Springer (surprisingly, yes).

People we love just because: Jane Seymour, Florence Henderson, Dawn Wells, Tommy Chong, Danica McKellar (Winnie from the Wonder Years), Niecy Nash.

Jumpstart failing career:  Their career is going down the toilet and this is their last gasp effort to salvage it. Ralph Macchio, Vanilla Ice, the cast of  BH90210, and a boatload of others. Let’s face it. They all pretty much fall in this category. How many people with vibrant careers take a turn on DWTS?

Boy/Girl band refugee:  When they realize you can’t be a teenager forever. Pretty much all of the Backstreet Boys and In Sync.

Children of famous people with no discernible talent: They get by on name recognition. Chaz Bono, Rumer Willis (actually she won), Sailor Brinkley.

Olympian: Familiar with training, physicality and knowing where their body is in space, they always do well. It’s called Dance Sport for a reason. Apolo Ono, Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis, Charlie White, Dorothy Hamill, Johnny Weir, Evan Lysacek ( I sense a theme).

Athlete: Same as Olympian, these are usually football, baseball and basketball players. Sometimes you have the odd athlete such as a bull rider, a jockey, a snowboarder, and a race car driver won one year. Usually football players do best. I guess the running in and out of the tires gives them nimble feet. Emmitt Smith, Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor.

Diva: Frequently real stars, larger than life and flamboyant. Always fun to watch. Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Charo. And who out there doesn’t want to see RuPaul on DWTS?

Bachelor/Bachlorette: There is some weird symbiosis between them and DWTS. They crop up like mushrooms after a rain.

This is your 15 minutes:  The national spotlight picked them up just as the producers realized they needed more dancers for the program. Alek Skarlatos (saved people on a train).

Social Media sensation with no real purpose: The so-called influencers who infest the internet. No one remembers them the next year. Alexis Ren, Hayes Grier.

Bonafide stars: Few and far between. Jane Seymour, Milo Manheim, Tommy Chong.

Heroes: Usually make a quick exit. Often the same as the Final Bow crowd. Buzz Aldrin.

Oddities: People with handicapping conditions such as sensory deprivation or missing limbs. Even the occasional dwarf. Nyle Dimarco, Lynda McCartney, Noah Galloway, Terra Jolé.

Surprisingly inept musicians: You’d think musicians would have a sense of timing and rhythm, but DWTS seems to find the ones who don’t. Brian Bolton, Billy Ray Cyrus, Master P.

WTF?: Sometimes you just look at the celebrity and say “WTF?” Bobby Bones, Macy Gray, Redfoo, Rick Perry, Gary Busey (actually a star, he also wins the Creepy as Hell prize).

There are many crossovers, but you get the idea.

So, how does this year’s crop measure up? Are they hitting all the tropes? Let’s see.

Martin Kove               Final Bow.  He’s a 75 year old whose career stalled in the 80s. He never got out of Karate Kid.

Olivia Jade                  Social media leech, Child of a famous person and Seeking redemption. She’s checking off a lot of boxes.

JoJo Siwa                    I’d put her under Seeking redemption because she’s already garnered so much bad press for being a professional dancer. She’s not exactly alone.

Mel C                          Girl band refugee

Brian Austin Green     A subcategory of Boyband refugees are past Teen TV show cast, such as this guy from Beverly Hills 90210.

Sunisa Lee                  Olympian, check.

Iman Shumpert           Athlete: NBA player

Mike Misanin              Athlete: wrestler. The last two wrestlers were women.

Matt James                  Bachelor, check.

Melora Hardin            Actress                       

Amanda Kloots           I think I’m going to have to create a special group for Talk show hosts. They seem to have one every year.

Kenya Moore              I guess I need a special category for “Reality” celebrities who think they are actors.

Christine Chiu             A crazy rich Asians knockoff. Another Reality show.

Melora Hardin, Christine Chiu, and Kenya Moore claim to be “actresses”. So do a lot of people waiting tables. Melora has seen steady work as a background character, but I wouldn’t actually classify her as a star. Kenya Moore apparently has more name recognition, but a show about Housewives? Really? When I found out she was on Housewives of Atlanta, I’m not sure if I was more astounded there is a show with that name or that people actually watch it.

Jimmie Allen               Musician. We have yet to see if he is surprisingly inept at dancing.

Cody Rigsby               WTF? A Peloton instructor? How did he end up here? And he’s a professional dancer. I’ll have to support him, though. He’s a homey from Greensboro, NC.       

For the first time ever, I don’t know a single “star” they have selected. Admittedly, I don’t watch a lot of television. It’s just too abysmal. The slight exception is that I was aware there was a girl called Sporty Spice. I’d just heard the word, that’s all when Mel B. was on the show. I understand Sporty was Mel C.’s moniker when she was a Spice Girl. And I do remember hearing Suni Lee’s name on the news. I didn’t get around to watching the Olympics this year.

Four of the “stars” this year, if you look up their bio, one of the first words you see is “dancer”. JoJo, Amanda (she was a freaking Rockette), Cody, and Mel C. Doesn’t exactly make for a level playing field. But then, it’s not about the dancing. It’s about creating a spectacle that rivets our attention like a roadside accident and drums up votes. How else do you explain train wrecks like Bobby Bones?

11.23.20

I loved the opening number. That is what I have sooo missed. Pro with pro. Now that’s dancing – what a feeling.

Only one word for Tyra’s first dress – OMG. It was something I would expect to see in a drag show. Actually I was walking today and came upon an outcropping of toadstools. I pressed one with my foot and this nasty looking powder came out that looked just like her dress. The second dress looked like she stumbled into a paint display at Home Depot. And what was up with the stars on her head?

The first four dances were all recognizable ballroom dances. Yay. Kaitlyn and Artem kicked it off with an Argentine tango. Nobody tangoes like Artem. It is definitely his dance. He proved he reigns supreme once again. Great tango face, too. Both of them. The squat rondé thing was great and that lift and around the world whatever you call it was beautiful. Still, I didn’t get the tingles the judges seemed to get.

I am still puzzled how Nelly and Daniella got into the finals. I didn’t realize he still had that much of a fan base. I thought rappers had a short shelf life. And he’s 46, old in rap years. I love Rhythm of the Night as a samba and really didn’t expect much from him. He surprised me with decent hip movement for man his age. He didn’t look so much like grandpa at the wedding reception this time around. The joy of the dance shone through. A few mistakes, but his best dance of the season.

The Swan Lake thing of Nev and Jenna wasn’t my favorite of their dances over the season, but it was definitely a powerhouse of a paso. I don’t really know much about paso but I know phenomenal dancing when I see it, and I saw it. But, Nev. You shaved. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

And damn if Justina and Sasha weren’t killing the cha cha. Sass and cheekiness for days is her signature and perfect for cha cha. She put it all out there, and, dang. Best of the first half. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Derek’s dance wiped the smile right off my face. So disappointing. Tapping doesn’t do a thing for me. I know it takes talent and artistry. So does portrait painting but I don’t want to sit and watch someone do it. I was hoping for something special. Well, maybe Bob Ross.

Freestyle

One of the things I used to like was the final practice when the celebrity would come into the studio and find huge posters of their best shots of the season on the walls. It was always a touching moment. None of that this year. I guess they blew the budget on Tyra’s bizarre getups. Not a great trade off.

I approach the Freestyle event with a bit of trepidation. I’m a bit of a traditionalist (surprise) when it comes to ballroom and the freestyle sometimes goes awry (like that stepping thing Big Girl from Glee did some years back, or the hip hop thing Apolo did). Tonight was a perfect example. I don’t care for rap or hip hop. I figured both would abound in Nelly’s freestyle and I was right. At least I got to ogle Daniella in her latest find from Peta’s dominatrix closet. And just  how many times has Nelly said ‘dope’ this season? There are ten billion words in English, how about expanding your vocabulary a little bit?

When Kaitlyn and Artem came out I expected something worthy of the finale and they delivered. It was an amalgam of dances, beautifully executed, an homage to the season. Nice, but it missed the wow factor. Artem should know better, but then again, he’s never won. There has to be a reason.

Nev and Jenna threw in what I call the wow factor. Something just a bit different. Other dancers have used the shower – Justina earlier in the season, Val dancing in his skivvies a few seasons back, etc.) But Nev and Jenna tied it to the music – Singing in the Rain. A simple melody everyone knows, iconic dancing that could have backfired, but worked beautifully for me. Cute, bouncy, engaging and just a happy feeling dance.

Let’s Get Loud has to be one of my most favorite cha chas ever. Sasha had Justina working it, using all her jiggly parts and releasing the inner Latina. It was sexy and sassy. But she was slow. She seemed a little behind and it came across as tired. It lacked enough wow factor also. But she’s always a fiesta and makes me smile.

I forced myself to watch Nelly’s musical performance. I was appalled. If this is what passes for good music we are truly doomed as a species. I was amused at some of the camera cuts of Derek. He never looks more nerdy white than when he tries to be a homey. Give it up, Derek. Your whole family doesn’t have a molecule of melanin among you.

The final result was disappointing but as I called it. I looked back at my posts and I called it on week 2. I put Nev, Justina and Kaitlyn in the finals and Kaitlyn winning because of Bachelor Nation even though I thought Nev was the better dancer.

I rank the season as a natural disaster hampered by unoriginality, fatigue, lackluster celebrities and Tyra. If there is a season 30, I may not be watching.

11.16.20

What an awful night. Nelly advances to the finals and 25% of the performances were non-ballroom. I didn’t sign up for this.

The night started out normal enough, Tyra came out and we wondered WTF is she wearing. It looked like a UFO made an emergency landing on her head. Kind of reminded me of a scene from “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers”.

The first six dances were all traditional ballroom dances. Then they imposed three (THREE) contemporaries on us and a jazz. WTF?

But I’ve hyperventilated enough about that. There was more disaster to come.

Namely, Nelly.

He’s just not that good. Yeah, he’s better than Sean Spicer or Bobby Bones, but not by much. In his paso doble redemption he looked like someone broke wind and he was smelling something bad the whole time. And the weird stiff hands thing. As for the jive. Really? They’re gonna go there? Any other dancer on the show would have been called out for that mess. Why is he held to a different standard? His moves were abbreviated, he wasn’t matching his partner and he still looks like grampa at the wedding reception hoping his truss holds up. And I can’t think of anything I look forward to less than hearing a selection of his “hits” next week. I’ll keep my finger on the mute button.

One of the good parts of the night was ditching the stick figure Disney child Skai. I have to say she nailed the cha cha as her first dance. But it still looked like a father/daughter dance (which is just plain creepy). I’m not a fan of pre-pubescent dancing. At least she was no longer making the weird faces. Her VW was much better, she maintained the emotion throughout. Still looked like a little girl playing dress up.

And how could we lose Johnny? In his salsa, OMG, talk about redemption. The side by side section gave me chills. I loved his game face and the booty work made me chuckle. He was definitely channeling the fabulous. His ‘jazz’ piece was odd. I absolutely loved the song and it did not look like jazz. It looked like contemporary. I liked it better for that reason. It was telling Johnny’s story, and he did it beautifully. Still, there are a lot of haters out there.

And Justina survived a squeaker. I didn’t feel it was a particularly good night for her other than that win. The tango with Sasha was mediocre. Tango de Roxanne is one of my favorites and I was ready for her to rock it. Didn’t happen. Sasha pulled out the most tepid choreo ever. It was like he didn’t even try. She ended up looking ungainly and smiling too much. In her contemporary I give Sasha props for lifting her, that takes muscle. Her facial expressions were more suited to the song. Her smile is beautiful.

I don’t think anyone would mistake Kaitlyn for my favorite dancer and last night was no exception. In their paso I can imagine Artem showing up for dress rehearsal and saying, “I am not wearing this.” He is so not a fringe type of guy. And paso is so his style of dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. So much power and aggression and sheer machismo. They said she matched him but I noticed looks of uncertainty. She needs to hold her head up. And her contemporary was shamelessly maudlin and pandering. She seems to have taken a page from Skai’s book.

Which leads us to Nev’s perfect night. 60 out of 60. I don’t think I love any dance more than foxtrot when it’s working. And that one was working. It was so working. As ethereal and light as a waltz with the escape velocity of a Viennese waltz. Some of the shaping was just sublime. I was so in awe. And their contemporary was technical perfection. The music sucked, with no real melody but they worked it. Her groin spin on his shoulder was phenomenal and way cool. I yelled.

Of the finalists, two deserve to be there, one is no surprise and then there’s Nelly. Just one more cosmic joke? I want Nev to win it all. He’s the best dancer and seems like a nice guy. It would be nice for the right guy to win for a change.

11.09.20

What the hell, guys? How could you put AJ and Johnny in the bottom two and save Nelly? That doesn’t even make sense. Nelly should have been ditched this week and AJ next week. But as usual, the producers monkeyed with the results.

Tyra’s outfits were bizarre as usual also. Actually I have a shirt made from the same material as her opening gown.  Makes a great Hawaiian shirt. When she came out in the suit of armor the bottom was so wide she looked like the stove in my great grandma’s house.

Okay, something else I want to get off my chest. I am so tired of them handling Skai with kid gloves. She panders shamelessly and they fall for it. This is entertainment. If she wants to get political, she can take the fame the show gives her and do it elsewhere. I didn’t tune in to watch her “make a statement”. What it said to me was that she was declaring she was black and the white judges better not dis her. Sorry, but that’s how it looked from my side. And she’s just not that good. Her paso doble was pretty much awful. She had no gravitas at the opening. Just looked like a little girl playing with her skirt. Then what was with all the tippy tippy steps? In PD you put your foot down like you mean it, no pussyfooting about. So many times she was off balance, making faces and cutting her lines short left and right. How did the judges not see that? Are they afraid of her PR people? Have the producers put pressure on them? Something stinks.

Nev and Jenna were my favorites by far. Wow, wow and wow! I got a full body frisson at the opening notes of the song (love that song) and grinned like an idiot all the way through. Great kicks. He really sold it. They got robbed. Should have been 10.

The Perfects.

Kaitlyn and Artem. When he is hitting it, he is really hitting it. He was full on Artem tonight and that’s what makes him one of my favorite pros. So sharp, so dramatic, so much everything. Some of those moves made me shout out loud. Definitely her best and the second best tonight.

Johnny and Britt turned it on. Great shapes and perfect timing. So in sync with each other and the double jetes just flew through the air. Reminded me of Apolo. So entertaining.

And the rest.

Justina and Sasha picked one of my favorite Madonna songs to dance to. I was so ready to love it, but it just didn’t happen. She didn’t sell it. Too much grinning going on. Romance is serious stuff. Not enough naughty and too much nice. I just didn’t feel it. Disappointing.

AJ and Cheryl. Who doesn’t love Freddy Mercury? The man was truly legendary. AJ was feeling it and giving it everything he had, but he just went wrong a few times. Heartfelt but far from smooth. And he looked totally out of breath before he was halfway through.

Nelly and Daniella. I don’t listen to rap and I’m opposed to jazz as a ballroom dance. No score.

Dance Off.

I really liked the dance offs. Justina vs. Kaitlyn was its own iconic pairing. Cha cha is all about the sass and cheek. Justina ran away with that dance. She has sass and cheek for days. Kaitlyn never got out of the gate.

Skai vs. Nelly, well it took me a minute to stop laughing. Nelly’s floppy tits and Grandpa at the wedding moves just cracked me up. Skai had no control but she still danced circles around grandpa. My favorite in that matchup was Daniella. She’s fast becoming my favorite lady pro.

AJ versus Johnny. Really? Johnny had such precision and his kicks were phenomenal. I guess they made up for it by saving him over AJ.

I still think Nev is the best celeb on the show. He’s got class, he’s got style, he’s got showmanship and the man can just plain dance. I bring Johnny in second if he’s having a good day. He can be uneven. Same with Justina. I put her a close third. Then Kaitlyn, Skai and I don’t know why Nelly is still even here.  But I doubt that’s the way it will go down.

Pandering, monkeyjinks producers, Disney kids and Bachelor Nation will probably put one of the lesser luminaries at the top. But that’s how it usually goes. It’s a rare year when the best dancer comes out on top. But it’s fun to watch.

This just in. I have sold another story. “The Haint” will be in Page and Spine (online only) on November 6. Go to https://www.pagespineficshowcase.com/index.html and select Outta This World. But wait until November 6.

11-2-2020

The weeks go on and Tyra’s wardrobe gets weirder and weirder. I can come up with no words to describe the yellow monstrosity she came out in last night. Kind of like a Piss Bridezilla. And then the chartreuse bathrobe kept making my TV buzz.

Carrie Ann must not pay attention to tonsorial sites, or she would realize that her do is recognized as the international sign of a bimbo. Jean Kasem (Casey’s wife) pioneered it and made it famous. And was the purple stripe on Derek’s arm signifying anything?

Anyway, on to the dancing. And it was wall to wall ballroom. Yay! No need for extraneous diatribes today (although there may be some).

I hope everyone noticed that at the end of the night the top of the chart were Nev, Johnny and Justina, just as I have said all along were the best.

Sorry about Jeannie Mai’s problems but sometimes people have to withdraw. I thought last night would be Chrishell and Nelly. Looks like Nelly got a reprieve but next week, hopefully. In his rumba I can’t be sure what he did but I’m in love with Daniella. Wow, what a dance. I’ve always loved that song and her explosive starts and stops, fasts and slows, and uninhibited hairography just sent me over the edge. He stood around unobtrusively, not getting in the way of things, stage managing and may even have half heartedly led a couple of moves. His instant cha cha at the end was unmemorable at best. He dances like an old man at a wedding afraid he’s going to disrupt his hernia truss.

But let’s talk about the good stuff. Once again Nev and Justina were shining lights. Johnny, not so much. I can’t decide which of the front runners I liked best.

Nev and Jenna did a Viennese Waltz that was perfection. So lyrical and poetic, it was ethereal that morphed into a romance. I absolutely loved it. I can’t be sure but I think I detected a stumble early on and he stepped on her dress, but none of that detracted from the beauty. 

But another couple almost stole the show with their VW – Chrishell and Gleb. Where did that come from? Wow! Hard driving, emotional and erotic as hell, three of my favorite dance styles. I’m not sure of her performance because I was so swept away by the choreography, but I guess that means she didn’t blow it. I got to say it again – so moving and so, so sexy. That crab scramble was wild. I had to rewind and watch that routine again. Wow. Just wow. The judges went yadda yadda about inconsequential things while I tried to get my heartbeat regulated. 8 was way off the mark.

Justina and Sasha. I’m not sure she should be allowed to do the Latin dances since she’s been doing them since birth. But, wow, was that a samba! She just owned it. It felt like the music had been slowed down. I’ve got three versions of Magalena on my ipod at three different speeds. This sounded like the slowest. It kept her from looking lively and crisp. Loved me them samba rolls.  Chills. And then she flashed us when Bruno said it was the full Monty. I about spit my soda across the room. As Derek said, she’s just so fun to watch. I  love Justina.

On the other hand, I thought Johnny and Britt bombed. I didn’t care for it one bit and it’s mostly on Britt. The choreo was totally pedestrian. Is that all she could come up with? It was so basic and really did nothing to showcase the athleticism. And I don’t know if she drilled him on this or not, but she should have. Heel leads. I didn’t see a single heel lead the entire dance. He stepped forward on his toes every time. I thought sure at least Carrie Ann would call him on it. He got away with it. It was really annoying me. Completely lackluster. And I hated the high-water pants.

Kaitlyn and Artem got dissed by the judges. It was fun and she sold it by smiling and looking like she was enjoying herself – finally. I loved the music; my toes were tapping the whole time. Only a brief nod to kicks and flicks, though. That was a big disappointment for me.  They should have scored higher, though.

I have to agree with the judges that AJ’s rumba was non-traditional. It had a lot of contemporary moves rather than typical rumba. I’m surprised because Cheryl’s not known for risk taking. It was effective in my opinion. All the roughness and fighting conveyed a powerful message. And I disagree with Carrie Ann. Old guy can move those hips. I’m with Derek. It worked.

Skai and Alan. As far as I can tell, she killed it. It would be nice if she had an adult body instead of a humuncula to do it with. I’m about ready to call Child Protective Services on Alan for perving over a child. She still needs to fix the mannequin face when she’s dancing.

I was originally excited that they would be doing two dances, thinking each pair would have two choreographed routines. As the clock slipped away and time grew short I knew they had something up their sleeve. The dance off was not as satisfying as an entire routine but it was still fun.

Cha Cha: Nev-Chrishell-Nelly

Nev couldn’t have asked for a better group to be in. He outshone them so much. My fave in their grouping, however, was Daniella. She just set the floor on fire. But of course it was already smoking from Gleb. Man that guy can move. As for the celebs, Nev was running away with it. With Gleb coming out right behind him I could compare them. Nev doesn’t have the hip swivel of Gleb (who does?) but his leg work, foot placement and sharpness were all comparable. He’s just a damn good dancer. Chrishell was just fumbling and Nelly was showing his age. I want Gleb’s red shirt.

VW: Justina and Johnny

This was a good chance to see two of my faves head to head. Looked like Johnny took it. His sharper edges worked better with the music. Justina just looked tired and klunky.

Samba: AJ-Kaitlyn-Skai

So much fun. My favorite had to be Artem – such motion. And I want that blue shirt. Second was Alan with the rolls and I like the navy-blue silk shirt, too. As for celebs I liked Kaitlyn. Either she moved her ass or Artem moved it for her, but it rocked. AJ looked too much like an old man. And poor Skai tried to do the tit shimmy and was a total failure. It looked so silly. She’s got nothing to work with. Samba needs to be juicy and she’s so dry.

I was so glad to see Skai in the bottom two and was yelling at my TV “Dump her! Dump her!” Alas, they either couldn’t hear me or are still beset by their personal dementia. At least judging by the scores they are starting to see some chinks in her armor. She’s just not the same caliber as the top three.

Nelly needs to go next week. Then in a perfect world Kaitlyn would go leaving Nev, Johnny, Justina and Skai for the finals. But in the real world, in two weeks even if she is in the bottom two, they’ll save her. So it’s anybody’s bet who’ll be around for the finals. Kaitlyn has Bachelor Nation voting for her and Skai has all the Disney kids. Looking at simple ability, though, I’m giving it to Nev.

10.26.20

Villains Night? I thought it was just Halloween. I guess they had to specify villains to block all the Disney princess wannabees. Johnny might have run with it.

Carrie Ann’s costume gets honors for being weirdest. I’m not sure what it was – an Asian Queen of Hearts or Oriental Harlequin?

And Tyra’s disaster reminded me of the time I was in my little two-seater car and it was raining outside. I picked up my little push button umbrella and accidentally pushed the button. The mechanism was strong so it was determined to open. The inside of my car looked like Tyra’s wings.

I’ve always liked the Halloween show because they seem to up the ante on weirdness and it usually pays off. Sometimes it didn’t, like several of Mark Ballas’ disasters.

I was pleasantly surprised at this episode. In order to channel evil or malice they went with more serious music and that led to more serious dances (Paso, Tango, Argentine Tango). We had four paso dobles. When has that ever happened? And four tangos. All that left was a Viennese and a disqualified non-ballroom number. See, a good night. And the dancing was strong. I only really didn’t like one performance. When was the last time that happened? I’m not going to tell you which one I didn’t like until the end. But speaking of paso doble. One of my favorite of all times paso dobles was done as a Halloween dance. Little Red Riding Hood meets the Wolfman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IAoBj6EaFc 

Once again, my three favorite performances were from my three favorite performers. I just can’t figure out which topped the other. They all pushed different buttons and worked on such different levels. However, one did manage to stand a little above the rest.

Justina and Sasha. Sasha seems to love Halloween. He used to always be behind the pranks they would show in outtakes. Not sure if he still is involved, but his intensity in the performance underscored how much he was into it. And his crazy eyes were a nice touch. I read the book and saw both movie versions of Carrie (loved them all). I think the character resonated with Justina as a plus sized Latina. Their tango was a tour de force of power, passion, menace, evil  and just plain fun. I was mesmerized. Her scream was excellent. Then the use of her telekinesis to toss objects and even Sasha around was so cool. Sasha pulled some great choreo for this one. I was breathless when she finished trashing the scene. I’d say Stephen King would be proud. Definitely the best of the night for me. It captures Halloween.

Johnny and Britt. Absolutely LOVED IT! The fabulosity is definitely back. So on point and so gothic. They need to take care with the special effects though. I lost view of them in the smoke at one point. I want to be able to see what they are doing. From what I could see I was alternating between frissons and silly grins (a few maniacal laughs, but we don’t need to go there). The song was great. Definitely VW tempo but too hard driving for an ethereal dance. So they grabbed it by the throat and beat it into submission. It was like a triple rhythm paso. Mixture of dance and story telling at its best. Carrie Ann seemed to agree in her comments. I also liked Johnny’s story about identifying with the vampire as an outsider. He may be milking his outsider status, but it’s working. I’m glad he opted for a man’s outfit rather than pulling Vampira from Peta’s closet.  I give it a 10.

Nev and Jenna completed the hat trick. It was just so creepy. I love the music for Swan Lake and it is eerie in its own right. Unfortunately for me although the music has a melancholy eeriness, I don’t pair it with danger and madness. I didn’t really see the story Nev said it was about, but I did see some damn fine paso going down. Maybe if I’d seen the movie it would have meant more.  There was power and menace. There was violence and aggression. I was surprised that he looked so human. He has a face that would be a natural for a Jekyll/Hyde routine. Or maybe zombie apocalypse. Speaking of zombie apocalypse and madness, here’s a nice memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wftw2ev_waQ

Chrishell and Gleb’s number was so weird. I mean that in the good sense. The music had no real beat, just a kind of slow cadence, so they were left to interpret the feeling and mood with paso. And they nailed it. I loved the evil she channeled. Gave me goosebumps. I just wish the music would have had more punch, maybe moments of power. She needs to watch her face. Some of her evil leers morphed into “I’m so happy to be here” grins. Gleb always has good pd choreo and this one had so much of what an earlier one had lacked. Bruno was right when he said it was mesmerizing. I loved that she got so excited over the good scores. They’re so cute when they do that. They should have gotten straight nines.

And there were other joys to be had. Surprisingly, one of them was Nelly and Daniella. I wrote him off as just another rapper whose career is tanking and needed some visibility. That may be true, but the man can dance. Who’d a thunk? I’ve never been a Nightmare on Elm Street or Freddie fan. I like my horror either classic (e.g. Dracula) or psychological thriller realism (Psycho). It’s just not my kind of movie. But that song and the Argentine Tango merged to form just the right platform for their message. Daniella masterfully brought out the latent sexual mixture of evil and dreams, the eroticness of blood and terror. Nelly got a little foot happy a couple of times and Derek called him on it. His flicks also lacked conviction. I couldn’t see why Derek gave him a nine after pointing out what was wrong. An eight would have sufficed. It was a nice dance and a lot of fun, but I think the scores were inflated.

After referencing Chrishell and Gleb’s and Nev and Jenna’s paso dobles above, a less luminary quantification would be Jeannie and Brandon. I’m not sure why I wasn’t moved by it. I felt it lacked staccato and paso doble flair. It just didn’t look traditional and that’s what I want with pd. I think Bruno summed it up well when he said it lost the Spanish feel. Still it was grade inflation.

One of my all-time favorite horror fests is Psycho. Tony Perkins is deliciously looney in it. And was so avant-garde for its time. I was glad to find AJ and Cheryl were doing it because I knew she’d come through with a great tango. I got chills just from the set up. My only problem was that the music was too frenetic for tango. It rushed through the whole piece. It just didn’t seem to match up. What they did was great, but it missed the mark. I’d say that was the music, and not them. I did notice him hunching and am glad Carrie Ann called him on it.

I thought I would like Kaitlyn and Artem’s pd more than I did. I mean who can’t like Artem at his masculine best? But it had problems. I love the music. Disturbia is a cha cha for me, but if they want to dance pd, go for it. I don’t really think of 101 Dalmations as a horror movie, and that’s what I was grooving on up until this point. I guess Cruella is a villain in the strict sense but it didn’t work for me. And what was the story here? Cruella dancing with a dog? They performed it beautifully; no one pasos like Artem.  But to what end? There was no evil in Kaitlyn’s Cruella; no fear or menace; no anger or aggression. It was plotless and emotionally stale. Here’s what I mean by the dance telling a story. Just a slasher trope but so so creepy. I like it even though it’s contemporary. Go full screen on this one and it’ll scare the bejesus out of you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpDY5-rrck0 

Thanks to Derek for calling everyone’s attention to what a great dancer Artem is. I may sound like an Artem groupie, but the man throws it down.

The final two were a questionable one and one I really didn’t like. One, obviously was the jazz routine. I’m not going to go into a diatribe about jazz again this week. Much as I want to.  Monica and Val had good and bad points. They used what actually looked like dance moves to tell a  story and it held me spellbound (the music helped). A big problem was Monica wanting to play temptress. Nurse Ratchet was definitely not a temptress. It did remind me of the maid who morphed back and forth between young temptress and old crone in American Horror Story about three or four seasons back. That was one of the best written horror series since Twilight Zone. I believe it was brought to us by the same creative force that brought Glee. Now if that isn’t a whiplash for change in direction. I think he also produced Scream Queens, that wonderfully campy whodunit that ran for several weeks. It starred Jamie Lee Curtis, who is a veteran horror hostess, as Dean Munsch (some puns come to mind, but I won’t go there).We also got John Stamos and Taylor Lautner as romantic rivals, Michele Lea apparently for her talentlessness and the deliciously whacky and my all-time favorite Niecy Nash and all her jiggly parts. But I have digressed. The good overrode the bad in my opinion. One of the better jazz pieces.

Which brings us to the worst of the night. Skai and Alan’s mess. I was never into Chucky or Bride of Chucky. I got it mixed up with Chucky cheese. Just not my type of movie. Maybe if I’d seen the movie I would have known what was going on. But dance is an art form that is supposed to take you on a journey even if you don’t have a map. I shouldn’t have to know all the ins and outs, whatever they may be, of Chucky if danced well. Even Alan said at the beginning that Argentine Tango was about telling a story. So, uh, where’s the story?  I got angsty, overwrought, emo teenagers, one black and one white, apparently in Appalachia by the costuming. I would make a snarky remark about West Virginia here, but North Carolina has those pockets too. So mostly it looked like an illicit, interracial love affair getting out of hand. Those things never go well in the uber-Conservative South. So there is definitely a horror story there. I can’t be sure, but I don’t think that is what Chucky is about. The moves and shapes were fine, but it just went nowhere. It definitely didn’t rate nines. Her agent must have some dirt on the judges because they just seem to pander to her. I usually like the new system of the judges deciding who goes home because they can protect us from the mindless masses who do as they are told. No matter who are in the bottom two, the judges can save the better dancer. But they seem to have lost their minds over this kid. I’m not really loving her personality as it comes out. Her dancing is good but it’s nowhere near the level the judges are singing seraphims about. Since I was on a Milo Manheim kick this week, here’s how a real star dancer who’s only 19 handles himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhZ5cTp6KU  He’s dancing here with Riker Lynch. Both boys came in second in their seasons. Riker lost to Rumer Willis (yeah, she was a little better) and Milo lost to, wait for it, Bobby Bones. WTF? That’s one of the reasons they had to change the rules. So when Skai starts showing me stuff like this, then I’ll say she’s a dancing star. Until then she needs to sit down and shut up.

We’re getting down to what my dad used to call short rows. After next week’s double elimination they will be down to seven people, only three off of the four they’ll send into the final. So far, no surprises. The past few weeks we have weeded out the chaff. Back when I thought Nelly couldn’t dance, he was the one I picked to leave this week and then Monica next week. Just flip that.

Here’s how the remaining fall out to me, ranked best to worst. I’ve starred who I think will win. Three stars for first, two for second and one for third. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

*Johnny/Nev These two have star power. Johnny’s got the buzz and Nev is the surprise dark horse.

Justina This sassy Latina wants to take it home. She gets the big girl vote and has grabbed most of our hearts.

AJ  Everybody loves boy band refugees. AJ has struck the right tone of growing up, being humble and seeming like a really nice guy. Plus he can dance.

**Kaitlyn  Another boring bachelorette, but DWTS and Bachelor are owned by the same company. And don’t tell me the producers don’t meddle with the voting.

***Skai I need the emoji for sticking my tongue out. She’s a Disney princess and the judges have crowned her a dancing queen.

Jeannie She should get some nice parting gifts.

Nelly He’s made his mark. He might need to leave before he loses his street cred.

Chrishell Not much there, but Gleb can make even a burlap sack look good.

And here’s my parting Halloween treat. Sweet dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP-J5fEbVrU

10-19 20

Mixed bag with a scare at the end. Let’s take this apart.

First off, it was apparently My Most Miserable Memory night, where they all tell maudlin tearjerker stories to make us feel for them.

And Tyra’s opening outfit. They must really hate her. How wide are those hips? Those pants do her no favors. And the top seemed to be a burlap bag with some sequins glued on.

The highlight of the night had to be Derek’s tour de force performance, reminding us of why he has six glitter ball trophies. I only have three words to describe it. O M G !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s what I came to see. I was covered in a musical frisson chill from the opening note. Fast and hard (like Bruno likes it). Part paso, part flamenco and all awesome. I would pay to see that every day. Yow!

Interestingly, the Derek performance kind of kicked the show into high gear. The six performances before him were pedestrian at best. The five after were sparklers.

Best of the night. AJ and Cheryl. OMG the boy’s got game. He killed it! I was wooting and jumping around the room cheering him on. He was giving out sass like nobody’s business. He could give Johnny lessons on how to be fabuloso. It was a real live samba. 10

Jeannie and Brandon gave me a rumba with some teeth in it. Strong, sharp, deep, emotional and sexy without being sex. So many gorgeous lines. I got some minichills. Brandon’s choreo has never moved me before, but he has improved. Loved the costuming and I want his shirt. She was robbed in the scoring.

Justina (and Sasha) was the only one of my favorites to make a mark tonight. Her VW was so beautiful. A few too many hard edges and I could have done without all the feathers but still, so beautiful. As Bruno said – Radiant.

Chrishell and Gleb got to do a dance that he excels in. I’ve always liked his contemporary. It always touches me. This was no exception. Wow. Gorgeous movement. The song moved me and the dance made me cry.

As for Kaitlyn and Artem’s samba, I didn’t see it the way the judges did. I liked AJ’s much better. Granted, AJ’s was choreographed to show off the man, whereas hers was choreographed to show off the woman and I liked his moves more. I think the content of his was superior. She’s good and will continue to move up and AJ’s days are numbered. But tonight went to him. And what’s with Artem’s pants? Are 1950s high water pants coming back in style?

Then there was the first half of the show which was an unmitigated mess. If you tuned in just as Derek was getting started, you missed nothing.

It started with my two favorites doing absolutely awful dances.

Johnny looked like he stumbled or got off time at the very beginning but picked it up and gave us Johnny face. He was totally sassy. But to me, salsa is supposed to be sexy with the woman being feminine sexy and the man being macho sexy. With the hose and fringe skirt Johnny missed the macho boat. Call me old fashioned but ballroom has conventions, traditions and expectations. One of them should have been wearing pants. Carrie Ann called them on it rightly. Now they’re doing instant voting I think America showed what they thought of his costume. The envelop can be pushed, but only so far.

Nev and Jenna were disqualified for failing to do ballroom. I came to see ballroom. They just jumped around like a pair of idiots. It was athletic, but nothing else. At that point I was 2 for 2 in disappointments.

Skai and Alan. What the hell were those costumes about? He was a zebra and she had on a blue tutu and wig they must have grabbed off a hooker down on Santa Monica Boulevard. I thought next week was Halloween. As for the dance, yeah she screwed it up. Aside from that, it had no hip action because she has no hips. I figured she be one of the bottom two and the judges would of course save her. I don’t know why they feel the need to fawn on her.

Vernon and Peta were a bright spot in the first half. Their routine had some cha cha and a lot of Vernon’s special dance. In the cha cha he was wooden and jerky, but when he did his thing he was selling it. He was having a blast and it was nice to see him have fun. Carrie Ann got it right that he’s easy to watch because he loves dancing. And now I know what happened to that hideous sofa that used to be in Grandma’s parlor.

Val danced a beautiful rumba and Monica held on for dear life. Nice hip action and extensions, but most of the moves were simple. My problem was her face. Her smile was not real. It was so obviously fake that it kept distracting me. I did like that the dance was romantic rather than vertical sex. I don’t know. Maybe she felt weird about dedicating it to her husband and then getting intimate with another man.

Nelly and Daniella got ridiculously high scores from the judges. I loved what Daniella did, she almost achieved escape velocity with her Viennese. But she was dragged down by Nelly’s dead weight. The opening sequence he did well, with flow and arms. But when the feet got involved it was a mess. At least Derek called him on it. He was my choice to go. Well, actually my choice to go was Skai but I know that’s not going to happen.

So nothing much happened tonight except they let Vernon go. I had decided that he and Nelly needed to be next. Maybe they’ll boot Nelly next week.

I still say the best dancers are a two-way tie for first with Johnny and Nev, and Justina a close second (or I guess that’s actually third). I don’t particularly care for Skai and Kaitlyn is good but not stellar, but I see them as spoilers since they have incredible fan bases. Next week is Halloween and that’s usually a good time. Looking forward to it.