Week 5: Len's Side-by-side Dance Challenge

Week 5 and a special tribute to the events that marred the Boston Marathon earlier today commenced the show.

This week had a special twist to it as the competitors had to dance side by side with another a professional couple. This will really highlight where the celebrities can improve.

First up is Ingo and Kym dancing the Cha cha cha.  I thought Ingo had a good strong leg action which is a requirement of this dance. His body action was a little disconnected from his legs and some of his rhythm was contrived and looked a little strange. The energy and performance levels were good and good timing was shown.

Total judges score 21

Hoping to catch the Mirror ball trophy was Jacoby Jones dancing the Jive with Karina.  Dancing alongside the other pro couple I was very impressed. Jacoby showed fast feet with good rhythm and for the first time this season I saw Jacoby doing the splits and leaping clean over Karina.  The big thing that will hinder him receiving better scores from the judges is his feet. They are constantly turned in which will restrict his ability to create hip movement and affect his balance.

Total judges score 26

The gloves are off for Victor Ortiz as he was hoping to avoid being in the bottom two again. Victor has good moments but I feel he gets a little lost and doesn’t command any attention from the watching audience. In Viennese Waltz the man has to have great posture and movement and due to the fast tempo and changes of directions any flaws are exaggerated in this dance. I have to say I feel a more experienced pro would be able to fix his faults and show this guy off a little more.

Total judges score 21

Aly and Mark are tasked this week with dancing the Samba.  Aly has an energy level about her which is very appealing and she really attacked every step of this dance. She has improved her technique but should harness this power so she doesn’t lose her balance. I saw a lot of “shaking it” to the music and I assume the reason for this and not actual Samba steps was for entertainment value. I appreciate the musicality of Marks choreography but sometimes feel that it strays away from the essence of the dance.

Total judges score 25

Sean Lowe danced Quickstep with Peta and he showed an elegance that we haven’t seen so far on the show. His dancing had commitment and his feet were precise and in sync with his partner. Matching the pro couple very well and showing good movement through technique. This was probably one of Sean’s best performances so far.

Total judges score 24

Zendaya danced the Argentine Tango with Val and stole the jewels as well as the top score of the season so far. The choice of music was far from a traditional Argentine Tango but the performance was a very good quality. I think for Carri Ann to compare her performance and technique to Anna Trebunskaya was more than a little flattering but taking nothing away from Zendaya this was very good. To me the main point of the Argentine Tango is the relationship of the Man and Woman and the passion, intensity and chemistry between the two. I think this was lacking a little but for someone who is only 16 again this was a performance beyond her years and she deserves a lot of credit. For me a score of 10 should and can only be given when all aspects are perfect.

Total judges score 29

Kellie Pickler performed the Foxtrot with Derek and she did a great job of matching her pro couple. Like last week some of her movements were a little abrupt but she showed good frame and timing. Very interactive with some clever choreography, Kellie is establishing herself as a contender for the mirror ball trophy.  This had elements of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the Broadway style sophistication of the costuming and performance.

Total judges score 27

D.L.Hughley was hoping to show that it takes two to Tango. Well tonight we had two couples dancing and unfortunately this still wasn’t a Tango that I would recognize. There is an awkwardness that is evident and it is down to bad posture, bad technique and poor execution. Before you all think I am a D.L. hater I am not and I genuinely felt for the guy in previous weeks when he was not doing so well.  I would like to point out that the complexity of this routine was not easy and he had good timing. At Fred Astaire Dance Studios we encounter a lot of men who are very self conscious and afraid of looking foolish on the dance floor.  To make this look more natural he must work on stretching his neck and keeping his shoulders down.

Total judges score 18

Wearing a mask to do his Zorro themed Paso Doble was Andy Dick. However his outfit could not mask what can only be described as bizarre. Sharna is doing the old trick of trying to cover up technical deficiencies by using props, themes and costumes to take away attention away from what aspects still need work.  The Paso Doble is the dance of death, the story of the bull and matador and their intense battle. The poise and posture is the first thing I look for to see if there is an understanding of this dance and Andy sadly didn’t reach the heights he would have hoped for.

Total judges score 18

I felt last week that Lisa Vanderpump was in danger of being voted off the show. I have no idea of the fan base of some of these celebrities but wouldn’t be surprised to see Andy Dick being eliminated. My other predicted candidate for elimination would be D.L.Hughley.

One thing that often disappoints me in the show is the frustration shown towards the celebrities by some of the professional dancers. To be a truly good dancer takes time and I often say to my students that there is no such thing as a slow learner as this person is not receiving the information from the teacher in a way that they can relate to. The mark of a good teacher is someone who can teach material to someone in a personal way. At Fred Astaire Dance Studios we pride ourselves on not just having nationally recognized champion dancers but on having the most certified teachers in the country. Teaching is a separate skill from dancing professionally and requires many more attributes but the feeling received from sharing this great hobby with someone is incredible.

If you wish to find out more about our Instructors please visit  http://www.fadsmenomoneefalls.com/category/about-us/our-staff/

Happy dancing, see you all next week !