Yeah, before they announced who won I couldn't make up my own mind and was prepared to just be outraged on behalf of whichever didn't win, because I could make an arguent either way. Way to derail that, judges.
The rainway was very cool. I was prepared for much weaker effects.
When Nina was talking about Sandhya's jacket/cape/thing and saying something about it taking real sophistication to elevate it, it was not clear to me whether she was saying Sandhya was successful or not. Heidi had a point that it was cheerful, I guess. I don't know. What confuses me about her work is that I remember liking her audition portfolio quite a bit and hardly any of her competition looks seem to have what I liked.
I thought Nina was saying Sandhya's coat still needed to be elevated somehow. I didn't get the feeling she was impressed.
I wanted Kini to win because Sean's already won a couple, and one of them Kini helped with.
Yeah, I was leaning that way, but Sean's dress really was a triumph.
I don't normally watch DWTS, but Witney has found her natural home, and she's partners with Alfonso Ribeiro (aka Carlton), and I think they might be on track to win after the first night! [link]
It is fun to watch with no sound.
How would Alfonso Ribiero NOT win? Is he not the most experienced dancer? Oh, but America votes, right? America may not care about a childhood of being in Michael Jackson videos.
Ooh, that kinda makes me want to watch. Carlton!
He's a little out of shape, and it looks like he hasn't danced professional since he was a child, but he's still obviously got a lot more background than most of them. He's pretty good and definitely full of verve. Lots of fun. Apparently Lea Thompson also has a dance background and was pretty good. (I have a friend who recaps the show, so I was reading her comments.)
Huh, Lea Thompson: "Thompson was told by ballet legend and then ABT artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov that she was "a beautiful dancer, but too stocky."" Stocky my ass. She's a waif!
So, I have totally turned into a DwTS watcher. Happened about three seasons ago. They just started accumulating former SYTYCD contestants and I cannot resist. I still can't watch the really terrible ones. I had to look way when LoLo Jones was dancing because it was just that painful. Also, she is stank all the time and that's really unfortunate for her. She's like a walking anti-abstinence campaign. Get laid, girl, and get that stick out of your ass. But I digress. I confess, I watch Dancing with the Stars and for the most part I like it.
This cast seems stacked with some really good dancers and more than a couple ringers. I agree that Alfonso Ribiero is a total ringer. Not only was he a mini-Michael, he made his Broadway debut as a teeny thing starring in The Tap Dance Kid. Dude can dance. I expect him to do well all competition.
As flea mentioned, Lea Thompson is also a total ringer. She began as a ballerina and was good enough to a) dance at ABT and b) get Baryshnikov to even notice her (even if he was dissing her for her weight). She claims to not have ever danced from that day to when she decided to come on the show, but I think that just means never danced again professionally because she clearly showed last night that she has technique, flexibility and a clear level of training. Her Foxtrot was gorgeous.
One of the interchangeable teen girls (the one dancing with Val) has also been on Broadway and she was very good in the Jive last night. So that's at least three ringers in the cast.
Some others were really good last night, too, even though they seem to have no dance training. The other interchangeable young girl that is a "YouTube Sensation" was quite good. Derek always gets good partners, but I don't mind. If I were him, I'd demand good people, too. Anyway, I loved their jive. And the other, other interchangeable young one who is part of those Duck Dynasty people was not terrible, although I didn't think she was as good as the judges made out.
Really, aside from LoLo Jones and Michael Waltrip, nobody else was just dreadful. I thought Betsy Johnson was super fun and actually a really good mover, especially for 70-something, until the whole feather boa thing. But I blame that on Tony. Don't bring props into the routine on week one! Total rookie mistake. I don't think Antonio Sabato, Jr. can dance but he sure is pretty. I didn't even recognize Aaron Samuels from Clueless. He looks completely different than he did when he was in that movie. And he was way, way, way too excited - I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head, but his dance was super cute for week one. Four for you, Glenn Coco. And the MMA dude, whose name escapes me just now, was surprisingly light on his feet. I don't think he'll do well with latin ballroom numbers, but his waltz with Karina was lovely.
My favorite routine of the night was Tommy Chong dancing to Drop It Like It's Hot and I don't care who knows it. That was everything.
flea, where does your friend recap? I used to read the DwtS recaps on TWOP and Annie Barret's on EW even when I didn't watch the show because they were both hilarious, but both of those are gone now. I would love to read some good fun commentary.
For, of all places, the Baltimore Sun. She's just okay; she doesn't actually know much about dance. (She's a former coworker from Georgia, and how a librarian from Georgia got a recap gig with a newspaper in Baltimore I have no idea.) [link]
