(IG Stories) theemmaslater: 11.23.23

Barry and Peta were the ones who originally spoiled there was going to be a Taylor Swift night and they’re eliminated right before 😭

Was this a conspiracy, 🤔

Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Week 2: I Have a Confession

So last night was week 2. And I was thinking of structuring this like last week, but only 1 and a half couples truly had me feeling energized about the night. So I guess we'll go back to the regular format. Because Jamie Lynn was eliminated, I'll just talk about her up here. After watching her dance, I wasn't shocked. With all the controversy that was following her, we needed to have at least one big week from her. We didn't get that at all. And outside of that one moment up in the skybox with Julianne when she redid that move from her cha cha, we didn't get much fun out of her either. So what happens when you have a controversial celeb (that people truly don't like) that has potential that is not even being scratched, who is kinda just there and not giving much in any department? You get a somewhat shocking (but not really when you think about it) elimination. If they wanted to stay, they had to do something to get our minds off of the Britney Jean sized elephant in the room. They didn't do that and I think I'm more shocked that they didn't vs the fact that she was eliminated. That being said, she went out on a positive note (for the most part). So hopefully she can internalize that.

The show itself was a snoozefest. Alfonso and Julianne have kinda been blah so far. The technique and performance quality of the vast majority of the stars was not good enough to have Latin night this early. I just feel like theme weeks should start week 4 at the absolute earliest. Week 5 is what I believe is ideal. Let everyone's skills get better so that we're not watching 4 couples stumble through a samba in week 2, all to fulfill a theme. And the dances that the pros have been giving to the celebs have been pretty ho hum across the board. So now let me start the recap.

Lele and Brandon- Samba (Score=21)- Lele did pretty well with this dance. This was the half a dance I was talking about and upon watching it back, I'm actually gonna up that to being fully impressed and I think this dance was underscored. It should've gotten at least one 8. I think Lele had an understanding of the technique and rhythm of the dance that none of the other samba doers truly understood. And her feet were pointed this time! Than you Brandon. I just want her to do some more refining things and she'll be set.

Tyson and Jenna- Salsa (Score=18)- What an improvement a week makes! Tyson was a completely different dancer out there. I just knew he wasn't a no hoper. We just needed him to get more comfortable out on the floor. What I want him to work on now is 1) getting the technique cleaner and 2) work on getting lighter on his feet. But he is definitely on the right path.

Barry and Peta- Cha-cha (Score=15)- Barry struggled a little bit more this week than he did last. But the foundation is there for him to give good Latin dances. He does have some rhythm and his technique is mostly nice. Those New Yorkers were really really nice. Now, we gotta get him to fix his pancake hands, work on the technique a bit more and loosen up them hips. But I really think these two could play spoiler to many couples this year if he keeps improving. And honestly, he might be a true dance contender.

Adrian and Britt- Samba (Score=15)- Mm. Okay so this was a challenge. So let me start with the good. His face was much better this time around. I also saw that he worked on cleaning up his footwork. Now, he struggled with the dance itself, he still needs to be lighter on his feet, the technique still needs work and he needs to do a better job of partnering Britt. Right now it's not working the way that it should. But if they stick around, I can see that getting better and him becoming a decent dancer.

Mira and Gleb- Salsa (Score=18)- Hmm. Okay. Mira has really nice technique. She has everything to be amazing. But she's currently petrified of the dances and she dances too light. I need Gleb to get her to realize that she's good. I also want him to tell her to dance through the floor and not just on top of it.

Xochitl and Val- Salsa (Score=24)- So I thought this was a good dance. It was missing something though and I can't really place my finger on what it was. Actually, I know what it was. It was too much and too fast. It's a critique I have of Val at least once a season. He jam packs so much into a dance that sometimes, his partners can't breathe. Xochitl did well enough, but I also felt like it might've been a little much and sometimes she got a tad behind. Also her arm in that last lift was not great. Very good dance though.

Ariana and Pasha- Samba (Score=20)- Ariana did alright for the most part part. There were several questionable moments where she either looked off balance or lost a bit of control. I'm gonna say it's her nerves right now because it's not bad. She's still a fantastic dancer and I'm also still worried about her fanbase. But she might benefit from the same things that Melissa Rycroft did in her first season. Only time will tell.

Mauricio and Emma- Salsa (Score=12)- Mauricio actually started out doing pretty well. The problems that most of the other men dealt with this week, he did not deal with it. That was up until he forgot everything. And then the routine crashed. I'm actually shocked that Mauricio didn't get eliminated this week. But I guess people really pulled through for them. I still don't think Mauricio will last long, but hopefully he can come back strong next week.

Alyson and Sasha- Tango (Score=19)- Alyson also had a major improvement this week. I have to admit, I didn't think we could get this level of dancing out of Alyson. But we got it and it was a legitimately good dance. Now, I want her to dance with more intention. She placed everything pretty well, but it wasn't as strong as it could've been. I also want her to relax a little bit more throughout the dances. But we're moving in the right direction.

Charity and Ezra- Cha-cha (Score=21)- As we know, Artem had COVID and had to sit out this week. So we got Ezra as a fill in and I'm glad we got to see Ezra in this capacity. I would not mind seeing him as a pro next season. Ezra is also gay and we're lacking that representation with Louis gone (even though Louis is a bitter and hateful ass bitch and I don't get that energy from Ezra at all) and I don't think we've ever had that on the women's side of things (please correct me if I'm wrong). Now onto Charity. It was cool. Technically, it was a great dance. But I feel like she was timid and stiff. I'll chalk up a lot of that to having a new partner and just being nervous in general. She'll be better as the show goes on, but this just wasn't her best.

Harry and Rylee- Salsa (Score=15)- Harry moves very small and is still terrified of these dances. I think he handled this one better and I saw some improvement. He stayed on time more. But it's still not great. I don't think he can get to a great or even a good level. But he is improving and he can shock us. I mean Alyson definitely shocked me this week.

Jason and Daniella- Rumba (Score=24)- This was the best dance of the night. I think Jason might be the one to beat. I have to see a ballroom dance from him but I do not have any reason to believe that he will really struggle with those based on what he's shown and the past work of Daniella. I did see the misstep that CAI was talking about, but wow, what a dance. I was incredibly impressed.

So that's what I thought about the show. Let me know your thoughts and I will talk to you all soon.

Peta Murgatroyd.

Congrats to Peta and Maks on forthcoming Baby #3!

Alan, Emma, Britt and the pros rehearsing for the finale (via alan and emma’s stories)

11/30/23

Welcome to Whitney Huston night!

Billy Porter served as the guest judge and performed the opening number (How Do I Know) withe pros. Even Julianne and Alfonso got in on the dancing! But did anyone else experience some audio issues while he was singing? I felt like his vocals kept dropping out.

Anyway, the night continued on and each of our remaining stars performed routines set to classic Whitney Huston songs. Clive Davis spoke about Whitney and her sister-in-law Pat Huston was also in the ballroom, thanking everyone for the love for Whitney in that ballroom. After that, the stars competed in the dance off for extra points.

So who achieved a higher love and who almost had it all? Let's take a look!

Barry and Peta: Barry got some tips about his hips from his wife, who is a hula dancer. She also gave Peta some advice to help him. And it seemed to work for their rumba to "Didn't We Almost Have It All". It was a bit hard to see at home but the judges, who are closer, praised his hips so I think they saw more than the camera caught. Either way, he did admirably and should be proud to have made it to Week 8! Florence Henderson made it to Week 5 and Maureen McCormick made it to Week 6. So he's the Brady who made it the longest. We will miss his cheerful personality but I look forward to seeing him again on the finale.

Ariana and Pasha: Ariana and Pasha had won immunity from the dance-offs the week before and had gotten three extra points, which helped keep them on the top of the leaderboard. They were one away from a perfect score for their paso doble to "Queen of the Night" and boy was it deserved. Ariana keeps serving week after week. I agree with Carrie Ann that she could win it all and will root for her until the very end.

Xochitl and Val: Xochitl got the first perfect score of the season for her tango to "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." And she definitely earned it. She continues to improve week after week and shines in every dance. I don't think there's anything else I can really add here - just a reiteration of how awesome Xochitl is.

Charity and Artem: I'm amused that Artem made Charity run in place really fast to train her to get more energy for her Viennese waltz to "I Will Always Love You." But that's not really what the judges wanted and I think it was probably better for stamina than energy. I think Carrie Ann finally was able to voice the thing about Charity that's been hard to describe - she knows how to do the moves, now she needs to figure out why she's doing the moves so that she can convey that story better to us. I think Charity might benefit more from acting lessons than jogging in place but that's just my opinion.

Alyson and Sasha: Alyson spoke about having a lonely and difficult childhood. Whitney Huston's "Greatest Love of All" is important to her because it told her that she could love herself when no one else did. She poured all that love into her contemporary with Sasha and pulled off some amazing moves as she went on her journey to love herself. It was beautiful and I was not surprised she was declared safe.

Jason and Daniella: Billy Porter called Jason out for singing to the song but the audience booed that critique so I think most people find that habit endearing. Unfortunately his and Daniella's samba to "Higher Love" fell a bit flat. It started strong and I was impressed with how they danced down the stairs backwards. But I think something happened around the samba rolls that threw him off and he never really recovered, rushing to catch up until the end. I still think Jason can make it to the finals but he needs to be more careful.

Harry and Rylee: Rylee took Harry to ballet class to help him. It seemed to have worked somewhat for his Viennese waltz to "I Have Nothing." Their dance was sweet and pretty good. Nothing really spectacular but enough for Harry to handle. He may make it to the end given his popularity. I don't know if I would be okay with him winning but I do know I would miss his personality as well if he goes. So I guess we'll just have to see what happens next.

And now we come to the dance off. With Ariana exempt from the competition, the remaining six couples were paired up and assigned a different dance style as well as a Whitney Huston song. They performed and the main judges - Carrie Ann, Derek and Bruno - then picked a couple to win. That couple got three extra points. So let's see how it went!

Alyson and Sasha vs. Harry and Rylee: The former team captains danced the rumba to "One Moment in Time," the anthem of the 1988 Olympics. I personally thought Alyson and Sasha had more content while Harry and Rylee may have relied a little too heavily on tricks. So I agreed with the judges when they awarded the extra points to Alyson and Sasha.

Barry and Peta vs. Jason and Daniella: They danced the salsa to "It's Not Right But It's Okay." And both had high energy routines that were fun to watch. Barry, though, just brought a little extra - and not just because he opened his shirt to bare his chest. I think the rumba earlier loosened his hips because they were definitely moving this time around! And that was why he got the extra points.

Xochitl and Val vs. Charity and Artem: They danced the cha-cha to "So Emotional" and were evenly matched. I definitely didn't envy the judges when they had to make a decision this time. But I did disagree with their decision as I felt Xochitl was just a smidge better than Charity. The judges made comments about the fringes on Charity's pants so maybe they got a little mesmerized? Who knows?

Before the night was over, we heard from another record-breaking artist - Taylor Swift! She talked about how this coming week will be all about her music as she continues her Eras Tour and sent her love to the ballroom. Mandy Moore, the choreographer on the Eras Tour and a former choreographer on the show, will be the guest judge as the remaining stars dance to Taylor's music.

I am also going to note that it will also be the quarterfinals! We're getting closer to the end and I can't believe it!

So I'll see you all next time!

Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Peta Murgatroyd reveal the sex of baby No. 2

“It’s a…… 💙💙💙” Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd are having a baby boy! The “Dancing with the Stars” pros announced the sex of baby No. 2 via Instagram on Thursday with the help of their 6-year-old son, Shai. In the adorable clip, Shai could be seen opening a piece of paper that revealed the sex of his little sibling while the proud parents danced in the background. “The Chmerkovskiy’s as a…

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jennajohnson: Park City dump pt. 1 ❄️

Peta is giving Barbie and I LOVE it 😍

Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Week 6: Halloween

We are kinda late with this, but it's okay. I just want to make note of a few things. As the whole season has been, Halloween night was fine. It wasn't amazing. It wasn't terrible. It was fine. The level of dancing for everyone this year (yes, everyone) leaves a lot to be desired. And I think the judges are not doing at least two couples any favors by being extremely lenient with them. Also, I have already said this a few times, but I found Niecy to be an amazing guest judge. She was kind when she needed to be. She gave tough love when it was needed. She was real with everyone. She came having done her homework. She looked for specific things regarding technique and she was on point with all of it. I'm going to split this up into the top scores, middle of the pack and bottom of the leaderboard.

Top Scores

I'm going to start this with saying that I don't think anyone deserved a 10 this week either. However, unlike last week, I can see why the 10s happened. Xochitl's dance was fine. I don't like contemporary, so that's already a point against it. And Val has NEVER impressed me with his contemporary choreo. Like Charity last week, this dance felt oddly disconnected from the actual music and I'm just not sure why. She still has balance issues though the judges still have yet to call it out. I got the 10 though because Niecy talked about powering through an injury and all that.

Ariana I think had the best created Argentine tango that I've seen on this show in YEARS. I think the music added to giving us the right mood and the choreography was classic ATango. Props to Pasha for that. It might have been my favorite piece of choreography of the season (not performance). Now Ariana did well, but her legs were nowhere near as strong, sharp or precise as I needed them to be. Again, no 10 from me, but I understand Bruno's 10 for the very classic Argentine tango that was mostly fine.

Jason was the closest to perfect for me, but he still felt slightly off. Not sure what was happening, but he just wasn't as grounded as he typically is.

Middle of the Pack

Okay, so this is the point in the season that I have to tug on Artem's edges a bit. WAKE UP, MAN! Your partner is amazing. Why do you have her tipping her way through a jive. He has the same problem that Tony had where most of his partners kinda just mark their Latin dances. This jive was low energy and boring. Niecy was right to tell Charity to just go for it and Derek was right to say that Lele and Charity can learn from each other. The problem with Charity though is while Lele can and is making progress on refining her dances, Charity is not making progress on the letting go aspect. And again, that falls at Artem's feet more than her.

Last week was a breakout dance for Lele. I think this week was the week that cemented her as a legit contender, score be damned. It wasn't perfect but it was a very good dance. It was actually better than the judges (namely CAI) made it out to be. Yes, we need just a tad bit more refinement, but Lele is basically there. Ariana, Charity and Xochitl are not that superior to her in terms of performance or technique anymore. Either those three need to not be scored as high as they are, or Lele needs to be scored higher.

I put Barry in the middle of the pack because even though he scored lower than Mauricio overall, in my opinion, he had a much better night in his individual dance. As a performer, I think Barry is the best of the season. No one embodies a character like he has. No one commits to the dance like he does. He lost some of the grace and refinement as a result of this, but it was still a really good dance.

Bottom of the Leaderboard

Mauricio is gone, but I fully expected it. He improved but he is not the dancer that folks were acting like he was and with his fanbase being questionable, his time was quickly running out. To me, it was his best dance and also a perfect dance for them to leave on.

Alyson had her best dance in my opinion. Her timing was much better, she wasn't as hoppy as she usually is in her dances and she looked much more confident. Her technique was much more sound as well. Niecy was right about the grace and refinement. She is lacking that. But it was a definite improvement and it was a dance that made me sit up and finally take notice of her.

Okay so Harry is not as bad as many folks want him to be. He's not great. He's really not good honestly. But he's not terrible. He is trying. He is getting better. And he actually has potential to be a decent dancer. His big issues are that he dances very small. Between the way he dances inward, his posture kinda caving in and him not fully using his lines, it's a problem. He also just doesn't bend his legs when he dances. It's weird. It's almost like he gets out there and forgets how to move from point A to point B. I'm not a professional, but I wanna just get in the studio with him and work on that. I think fixing that would make his dances look a lot better.

Thoughts on the Marathon

So I shared some of this throughout the week, but here is a more comprehensive look at my feelings. It was actually handled much better than last season. It felt like they were trying to give a specific person more points (like it usually does), but they didn't go out of their way to crown her the winner if she didn't deserve it. Ariana probably should've been 4th, but she got 2nd. Meh. Not too big of a difference. Xochitl probably should've been 3rd but won. Again, not terrible. I feel bad for Jason and Lele being shafted. Usually they get the top 2 right, but after that nonsense last season, I will gladly take the top 4 being right. Everyone else went out about when they should've. I've seen talk about Charity sneaking into the top 4, but she just would've been 4th anyway, so it doesn't make much difference to me that she was 5th.

A few things. That was the sloppiest and worst danced marathon I have ever seen on this show. The fact that they ran out of steam that badly when it was also the shortest marathon that they have ever had was disappointing. I also do not like how they get the couples off the floor anymore. In seasons past, the producers would come in, tap them and quickly leave. The couple would exit the floor on the sides or into the audience and go onto the raised part of the stage. I did not like the pros, dressed as grim reapers, going to tap the eliminated couples. They did too much, took too much attention off the dancing and got in the way. I just want that to never happen again. Cute idea. Not practical at all for the competing couples or the viewers. I also don't like how they stuff the couples in the audience. Put them on that stage to lessen the chances of them running into the other couples. If a couple just has to go up the stairs when they get eliminated as opposed to exiting to the side, let them do that so that don't run into people.

So those are my thoughts. Let me know you all's lingering thoughts and we'll be back on Tuesday.

Team Creepy FULL Freestyle Performance | (Time Warp - Rocky Horror Pictu...

Peta Murgatroyd said “gonna give the hubby a second son for Father’s Day”. Congratulations to them!