I wasn’t impressed at all with last night’s show. From now on, I am refusing to comment on Paso Dobles that are not Spanish. It is a Spanish dance. Therefore if it is not Spanish-themed, if it is set to rock music, then it is not a Paso. There were no Pasos on last night’s show. And I really dislike Standard Tango unless it is performed by pros, and mainly by the Italians, for some reason. They just seem to do something with Standard Tango that no one else does. Maybe later in the week I’ll embed more YouTube videos of real dancers dancing Paso and Standard Tango, but right now I’m too tired and must go to bed. I have to get up early to go to a sneak preview of a Flames of Paris film, which will be shown in a couple of New York theaters next month! So excited!
The one thing I did like about last night’s show was the ending swing / jive dance-off. When they do these ending dance-offs, they kind of remind me of the 60s and 70s era dance til you drop shows and I think they’re fun. I’m glad Brandy and Maks won that competition. They deserved it. It was their night. Go Brandy! I most liked Brandy and Bristol last night. I thought they both had good, clean footwork and exuded character and attitude in their dancing (which is pretty much a first for Bristol). I liked Jennifer too, even though she was reprimanded for being sloppy. I think she was just trying too hard and threw herself a bit too much into it. That’s sometimes good, but can sometimes damage the dance, especially if you end up throwing yourself and your partner completely off balance. First she almost fell, then Derek almost fell on top of her. Still, it’s better to do too much than not enough, in my opinion.
I have a feeling Rick or Kyle may go home tonight. Maybe Kurt though I hope not! He didn’t have such a good night but I generally like him and think he’s done so well in the past that I want to see him dance again.
Also, in other ballroom happenings, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin are having their biannual pro / student showcase in New York at the Danny Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on November 1st. These are always a lot of fun and you leave the theater wanting to dance, or wanting to take dance lessons, which is the point I guess! I’m told one of the dancing pro couples will be Iveta Lukosiute and Gherman Mustuc. If you’re not a ballroom person you may remember Iveta from her So You Think You Can Dance tryout last season. Anyway, if you’re in NY, it’s a fun night. Go here for more info.
