'Dancing With the Stars' Season 16, Week 8: Louis Van Amstel, Anna Trebunskaya Blog on Trio Dances
"Good Morning America" brought together " Dancing With the Stars " pros Louis Van Amstel and Anna Trebunskaya to weigh in on each of the performances . We'll have Louis' take and then Anna's take on each of the dances this week and their best guess at who'll be eliminated!
Louis: This week is the first week couples have to do two full dances, one solo and one the exciting trio dance. Let's get right to it!
Anna: Week 8 is when our professionals on "DWTS" are getting competitive and judges contradict each other. Excitement and an amazing, dancing-filled night. Now let's get to it!
Click HERE to read a full recap of Week 8's dances.
Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff's Viennese Waltz
Louis: For having no dance experience, Jacoby moves so well, not even to discuss the size of his body. He did a great job experiencing the movement. I agree with Carrie Ann. Jacoby was very smooth. His shoulders could be a little lower by stretching his elbows down and out a bit more, but I loved it. Karina did an awesome with the choreography! Great scores.
Anna: It's one of my favorite songs so I'm already swept of my feet by this dance. I'm glad Karina challenged him with technique. His frame improved and so has his footwork. Jacoby definitely has all the ingredients to take it all the way. And can I just say that his mom is awesome! I would not want to mess with her.
Ingo Rademacher and Kym Johnson's Foxtrot.
Louis: Ingo is doing a way better job than last week. There are two lifts in there. I wonder if Carrie Ann is going to call them out. I would still like to see Ingo get out of his head more and be smoother in his movement, like Sean. Carrie Ann, I wouldn't compare Ingo with Gene Kelly. I'm sorry, but that's an insult to Gene, as much as I like Ingo. Good scores. In my opinion, Sean deserved the same scores.
Anna: Well, their week was a bit negative based on their video clip before the dance. Now I'm worried that it may be a deciding factor in the audience vote. I hope they don't go home yet. I did like the dance. It was smooth and strong in the movement and good in the posture. Please keep the positive attitude. We want to know you enjoy it.
Sean Lowe and Peta Murgatroyd's Tango.
Louis: Even though Sean's moves were a little choppy overall, I think this is his best dance of the season. It was very well executed and it was very staccato. It could have been a little more compact. I only agree with Len's comment that it had attack, but could be smoother. I disagree with the judges overall. The scores are too low.
Anna: They both looked great in their costumes. I did like the concept for their routine but, can I just say, awkward at the end of the routine? Maybe it was a disappointed bride (Peta) being left by Sean and then a cutaway to his real bride in the audience. I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining things. Back to dancing, Peta has really challenged Sean in the choreography. He attacked it and was committed to his movement, which is so important in the Tango. I give him tons of props for trying and going for it.
Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas' Argentine Tango.
Louis : Aly executes her movements well and is very good in her character. At this point in the game, I find their routine too safe and I would like to see her legs more finished and pointed. Unlike the judges, I'd like to see more seduction and fire from within. In comparison, still she is easily in the top four. Nine is good. 10 is too high. The judges are over scoring tonight, but underscoring Sean.
Anna: Great job! She's gone so far from a little excited girl to a full-grown performer lady. I think she is still uncomfortable with the sexy side of her. It's fresh but it's working great for her. I still believe that Aly can improve her footwork. If she keeps wearing mini-skirts, attention will be drawn to that. Overall there is constant improvement from her. It's so fun to see that.
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough's Viennese Waltz.
Louis: Kellie has such gorgeous movement and looks so pretty. As much emotion as I saw in her package, I'd like to see more of those emotions come through in Kellie's movement. I totally agree with Carrie Ann that she goes in and out of the performance emotionally. If Kellie comes out of her shell more, she'll be hard to beat. The nines are great, 10 is a bit high.
Anna: There was a beautiful story in the dance. It was the right time for her to break down and get a little shattered. She already is so technically clean and pristine, that now she needs to start to fill out that movement with feeling. I hope that will create more depth and volume to her performance.
Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy's Foxtrot
Louis: Zendaya is so good and so comfortable in her own skin. It shows in her personality. The choreography had great content. Her hold was awesome and her movement was very smooth but her left hand should on have been on top of Val's biceps, not under his arm pit (which is the Tango). Great scores.
Anna: I tell you, this girl looks equally good in intense dances and in flowy, slow ones! She did a beautiful job with frame, lines and smooth movement. I agree with Carrie Ann that the beginning is a bit simple for Zendaya, but then the moment she started her routine it was magical from that point on. I also love how humble she is. She may not be competitive enough (whatever Val), but she sure is putting her heart into every performance
TRIO DANCES:
Zendaya's Salsa with Val and Gleb.
Louis: What a great number. I can't believe how easily Zendaya moves around the floor and how well she spins. Fast like a pro. What a joy to watch. It was a very well-constructed routine. The scores should be three 10's.
Anna: Beautiful!!! She is a star: not even two hot Russian male dancers with perfect chiseled bods could overshadow a Brazilian Capoeira princess!
Sean's Jazz with Peta and Sharna.
Louis: Cute concept and had good moment, but unfortunately I found Sean standing around a lot. The part with the kicks wasn't bad. I wouldn't agree with Bruno. It wasn't that bad. The judges tonight are either overly nice or overly harsh, what about the truth?????? I have a feeling the judges want to see Sean go home.
Anna: This was a very clever routine. Sean struggled with musicality the whole season, but this dance was a lot of fun. I do agree with the judges on some level that the girls were so clean and sharp, that anytime Sean made a little error it was even more obvious. But I think he had the style and the swag and performed from the beginning to the end.
Jacoby's Paso Doble with Karina and Cheryl.
Louis: What I most appreciate about Jacoby is that he dances a full choreography and is fully committed to the dance. Nothing was safe about this routine. It was all out, fighting for top three. I totally agree with Len. Jacoby had great twist turns. Bruno, stop talking Paso Doble posture, because you're way off. In classical bull fight posture the hips are forward. Three nines in my book.
Anna: Paso is a fantastic dance for Jacoby, period! He attacked it like a bull fight. It was awesome. The girls had to keep up with his energy, and he did toss them a bit here and there, but what the heck, it was a show stopper!
Ingo's Jive with Kym and Lindsay.
Louis: Ingo did a very good job trying to show more personality and have more fun. His jive could have more bounce and more speed. Ingo did better again than in his first dance. This time, I agree with the judges. Good scores.
Anna: This was a very cute dance. I felt that it was a little bit messy here and there, but he kept up the energy and the performance level throughout the whole routine.
Kellie's Paso Doble with Derek and Tristan.
Louis: Fantastic idea to tie this beginning into their Paso Doble. I'm going to keep it short. Brilliant! Best of the night. Poor Kellie, she doesn't know what to think of this whole charade.
Anna: That was very clever to tie the two dances together, an Angelic waltz and a Demonic Paso! The judges had a love fest but then Len spoils the party. The performance was amazing! Classical Paso- not so much… But who cares? With entertainment like that, we'll buy it.
Aly's Jive with Mark and Henry.
Louis: Great routine. Aly didn't miss a beat and was very cute. For top three, I need to see more difficulty level and more spunk. I'm comparing Aly to Kellie, Zendaya, and Jacoby. Good scores.
Anna: This was a lovely routine and a very jazzy jive. It's always good to pay homage to Bob Fosse. I am very impressed with her synchronicity. She was surrounded by two sharp movers and she held her own. Way to go!
The Bottom Line
Louis: Great night. I must say though the judges have been quite off, in my opinion. I do have to say that's my opinion and that doesn't mean you have to agree. Both Ingo and Sean are in trouble. If it were up to the judges, Sean goes home. If it were up to last week's results, Ingo goes home. My money is on Sean to go home because of his trio dance.
The Scores (First routine, second routine, grand total):
Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy: 28, 30: Total: 58/60
Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas: 29, 27: Total: 56
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough: 28; 27: Total: 55
Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff: 27, 25: Total: 52
Ingo Rademacher and Kym Johnson: 24, 24: Total: 48
Sean Lowe and Peta Murgatroyd: 21, 21: Total: 42
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