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This was a very difficult week for Tristan and Dorothy, yet in spite of all that, he took time today to answer our questions. We can't thank him enough.
We especially enjoy hearing about your work to support charitable organizations, and we read about your participation in LAFest2013 to benefit the Mia Hamm Foundation and Grassroot Soccer. Could you tell us about that experience? LAFest was a great experience, but unfortunately I didn't get to spend as much time there as I would have liked. I have been working for Grassroots Soccer for over a year now, and their annual event date had been pushed many times due to scheduling and eventually they teamed up with Nomar and Mia’s foundation to have a joint event which fell on a Sunday- camera blocking day! Especially with the week we had with Dorothy, it became a scramble but it was definitely something I didn't want to miss out on so I managed to slip away for an hour or so while Dorothy was getting her therapy. I managed to get in a little under half the game and then had to run back in time for camera blocking and rehearsed for the remainder of the night. It’s something I love doing - playing football - and to meet the others and kick about with them was a blast. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to stick around and talk to them too much. It was down in The Home Depot Centre too where I go to watch LA Galaxy play so that was a bonus for me personally. I got to meet the pros from the Women’s National Team and some former Men’s National Team members and the hosts of FSC. It was obviously a tough week for you and Dorothy, and she had to make a very difficult decision, but like you said, it was the right one. How did things finally fall into place? Well, I got a text from Dorothy early Tuesday morning saying she needed to talk with me so I called her, and I kind of had the feeling it was game over. I could see the pain Dorothy had been in for a few weeks, and I didn't think it was going to get better with the hours we had to put in. As the week was going on and it had got to Saturday and we hadn't started dancing yet so I knew it was a struggle to get things together for Monday but we worked overtime again on something than required rest. Dorothy had gotten treatments all week but until she had her MRI and got back the results and could actually see them it was something she felt she would work through - as all athletes do. To me that was the most impressive feat of the week- not to get through but to actually compete in the first place. After the show was informed they decided which way they wanted to play the announcement out, and then we followed. We truly loved watching your interaction with Dorothy – in interviews and on the dance floor. What was it like working with her? Dorothy was amazing to work with. She is so hard working and committed. It was difficult for her, I would imagine; the show wants to know how you feel every second of every rehearsal and wants everything verbalized which can be difficult when you are just used to putting your head down and learning quietly. She is exactly how she comes across – polite, gentle, and fun to be around. The live show is exactly the same for everyone; it’s hard to tell them what to expect. You just have to live it as it happens. You can prepare people for it but the moment takes over most the time so you have to soak it in instead of letting it intimidate you. As fans, it will be difficult for us to find the same enjoyment this season without you and Dorothy bringing your own magic to the show, but we will be watching and supporting you in your appearances (hopefully many!) and the rest of the cast as well. Could you give us a brief comment on each of the remaining teams and/or what you perceive as their strengths? Want to take a chance and predict a winner? I can’t really pick a winner because you just never know what to base it on to be honest. Sometimes people just can’t get over what they don’t like about some people and sometimes they can’t see past what they do like, you know. It’s best to just watch it and enjoy it for what it is. Everyone is genuine I feel this season. D.L took a truck load on the first show so I want to see him do well. Andy has things he wants to overcome so I want to see him do well too. Zendaya, yes, she is young but people forget she still has to work super hard to be as good as she is. If she slacks you can call her out but you can’t fault her for being young!! I really like Aly; she is funny so I hope she does well. Victor is a really cool genuine guy, and Jacoby is hilarious. Kellie is amazing and those two [Kellie and Derek] together are great. Lisa is a beast at the minute - she is great on the show and has so much going on outside as well that she deserves a medal already. I always push for Val and Peta because we came in together and l always love to see the new guys do well. So far Gleb and Sharna are killing it and Lindsay is working like a boss. I like Ingo too - no drama, he just gets on with things and is happy doing it. Wynonna too. You mentioned something in one of your interviews on the press line this week about injuries and dancing while having injuries. In your career, you’ve most likely danced with an injury, so would you share with us how that affected the performance (if at all) and what changes you’ve had to make as a result? Injuries always affect you in different ways. I don't take any sort of medications - never have - so I can’t just take pain killers when I'm hurt. I've had slipped discs in my back that I haven't had treated properly for different reasons, and when I was younger I used to break things all the time but kept playing football through it. When I knocked my knee cap out of place and tore my meniscus in the same knee I lost all pace I had and since then I tend to have a lot of hamstring strains and pulls which I tend to try dance through now. I hate missing out on things so you put yourself through these things that don't help you in the long run. I once cracked my ankle bone during a football game that I didn't want to quit, so I foolishly kept going but that's what we did and that's what we do. You hurt yourself and keep quiet because you don't want to miss out and then complain about it afterwards when you can’t do the things you used to be able to do! I have to be a lot more careful these days but I know exactly what it’s like to be going through something and be somewhat afraid to let anybody down or pull out so that's why you have to listen to your body and make the best decision for your health. If you can have a team who can support that, well then we are all doing what’s best for each other not for ourselves so nobody is ever being let down. Do you have some more dances coming up on Dancing With the Stars? We already miss seeing you dance! The appearances on the show come up week by week so I don't really know when I'm going to be on again - sometimes the show has to keep people involved or to promote new dancers so I really don't know just yet - we will have to wait and see. I was trying to put a dance together for one of the weeks but it didn't play out how I wanted it to so I decided to knock that on the head. Sometimes you get to choose; sometimes you don’t, but if I can’t do particular things the way I want them done, I don't want to do them. Maybe next time. I do have a pro number this week though with all the guys. I missed the last all guys number when my back went out the during the dress rehearsal so I’m looking forward to this one. We have heard of a few cases where the DWTS pro has asked to have the music changed several days into the rehearsal because the music just didn’t seem to work. Have you ever had to do that? Also, did you choose “Tiny Dancer” and “Chantilly Lace” for this season’s music? We loved both. I like both songs, yes, but I didn’t choose either. That was the producers. I had different songs in mind when I heard we were doing contemporary, but I like the songs we ended up with. I do think the song has a big part to play in how the dance does and sometimes songs suit people more than the dance does so you just have to roll with it. Also I’m conscious that this is the only time my partner is going to realistically be on the show (bar all stars) so it has be more about their experience than mine. When people come to your house you make them feel as welcome as possible, and you get the enjoyment out of knowing that they want to come back! Sometimes my taste in music doesn't really work on the show on the particular week I want to dance to it, and in the end the whole show needs to run smoothly together. It's no good having 11 songs that fit together and then something Tristan wants to dance to - unfortunately. Haha! One of the favorite dances for the people on MacManiacs.org is the Jive, and we’ve had the opportunity to see you do it several times. As a teacher, what is the most difficult or challenging part of teaching this particular dance to a student? Jive is difficult enough to teach because people can be a bit cautious about it because it’s so fast. If you can’t move as fast as you like, sometimes you have to simplify the move to make it work. You gotta get high knees and keep your weight forward and kick and pick up your feet quickly. People don’t always like that – ha! It’s difficult, but everything is difficult when you don’t know how to do it. I don’t want to over dance anyone so I can take criticism on the chin because I know what I’m doing is the right thing to do. I’ll never hold anyone back but I certainly won’t ever make anyone trail behind either. You dance as a team and the captain will take the heat if it comes our way. You can’t compare apples to oranges; you can just make sure you shine brightest. Well said, Tristan, and until next time...
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A big thank you to Tristan, who found time today to answer more of our questions.
Obviously, Dorothy is a great partner with many strengths. As her teacher, what do you see as those strengths and how can you use that to your advantage this season? Dorothy is great. I love working with her. Her willingness to learn and perfect is admirable, and it's purely to better herself which is amazing. Her biggest asset besides her elegance, grace and humility is that she can perform under intense pressure, and when it matters most she shows that she can pull it out of the bag. We were surprised when Contemporary was announced as your Week 1 dance, but the end product was brilliant. How did you come up with the concept, and how did you go about teaching a basically unfamiliar dance style? The concept came from just a story really in that we all find inspiration in our own ways from different things, and the thought that anyone can help anyone - a statue can inspire a down-and-out, a 'nobody' can help a 'hero” (statue worthy) - basically just the thought that we can all help and inspire each other whether we are trying to or not. I let the story be told, and I didn't think about it as a style. This season is obviously very different than your seasons with Nancy, Gladys, and Pamela, but what do you see as the particular challenges facing you and Dorothy? The main challenge I guess is the same for everyone to do your best and not be discouraged by comparisons, be it how your competitors did on the night or how your fellow athletes, tv stars, musicians, or comics did previously. Everyone has their own challenges without living up to someone else's as well. You have the Jive coming up for Week 2. How is that coming along? Jive is taking its time alright but looking forward to it. It's a lively, fun dance so happy faces make a difference when it comes to nerves I think against a more straight-faced restricted ballroom hold dance. It's gonna be a lot faster than last week for sure so I can't wait to see what Dorothy can do. There seem to be a lot of very strong contenders in Season 16. How would you size up the cast? The cast is strong personality wise, and it’s easy to write people off straight away but I'm sure another week of experience will be crucial, and the thick skin will bite back for a lot of people. Ever since you and Dorothy were announced as Season 16 partners, the outpouring of love and support for Team Hamill on the website, Twitter, Facebook, and the new @TeamHamill Twitter page has been extraordinary. From those in the skating world to those who saw your dance Monday and jumped on board, it has already been a great journey. Any words you would like for us to share with your fans? The support as usual has been immense, and we are very grateful. Hopefully we can continue to justify a portion of it each week until we can give it all back. Thank you. Keep being amazing and striving to be the best you can. Photos tell a story; sometimes it’s a good story, and sometimes it’s a horror story. Now we aren’t going to be so bold as to say that any of the cast photos had “horror” anywhere in their plot line, but we will venture on and say that some of them didn’t tell a story at all. Some of the photos do indeed tell stories, and some of those are more interesting than others. The following explains what we see as the good, the bad, and the just plain boring stories along with the non-existent stories behind the cast photos.
First we will talk in general about the photos, and then we will get down to the nitty-gritty. In more precise terms, that means we will talk about every single cast photo and analyze it until you want to kick us. In general What we like about the new cast photos: The glitter, the sparkle, and the attempt at pyrotechnics are a nice change from the drab white background we are used to. What we don't like about the new cast photos: Most of the women look like they are dressed for a big night out at the middle school prom. The nitty-gritty Lisa and Gleb What we noticed: This photo is boring. Gleb is awkward – why are his legs something like twelve feet apart? Lisa is disconnected. Maybe they will have chemistry, but you certainly can’t tell it here. We think they might (might being the operative word) be able to turn up the sexy a little bit, but this one still says early exit to us. It might be a height issue, but we still think Sasha would have been the one to make Lisa laugh and loosen her up – and might even get her to leave the dog at home with the dog-sitter. Lisa's Photo: It looks more like she's scratching her head and wondering where Giggy is than thinking about a Foxtrot. Gleb's Photo: He's really purdy. Aly and Mark What we noticed: They look sweet - homecoming dance sweet but not in the homecoming dance sense that they are going with each other. This is probably the most awkward team photo yet. Aly is thinking about her last balance beam routine and Mark is thinking that he has to hurry up and finish up so he can visit his tattoo artist. Both are passive and bored, and there is a giant shadow cutting off half of Aly's face. If this is a glimpse of how their energy and chemistry? Not interested. Aly's Photo: She looks more confident when she's standing in a semi-warrior stance by herself than when she is in hold with Mark. Mark's Photo: Don't know if it's the giant black earrings or the satin jacket, but he looks like he stepped off the set of Pretty in Pink. Victor and Lindsay What we noticed: These two are actually dressed like they belong on this show, and they are color coordinated, which is a plus. The problem is that while it is better than Gleb and Lisa's and Aly and Mark's photos, they still don’t seem like a team. Victor is basically showing off the guns and pointing to himself while Lindsay tries to look ladylike while crouching on the floor and making us wonder if we’re going to see more than we’re supposed to see. Just a thought. Victor's Photo: Yup, you're a boxer...and they have you putting up your dukes.....next. Lindsay's Photo: Looks like Lindsay wants to give Peta a run for her money as the new hot blonde female pro, but we just don’t see someone her age pulling it off. Let's just hope she stays sweet. Fun and flirty will sell it. We’re not convinced she’s ready for DWTS, and this photo doesn't help the cause. Derek and Kellie What we noticed: Anyone else feel like this photo is forced? For two people who have been telling everyone and their grandmama how much fun they are going to have this season, we’re missing the connection. Even though Kellie's form looks great in this pose (really great!), her expression tells a different story. She doesn't seem comfortable. And Derek's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" pose is overkill, and we’re pretty sure we’ve seen it before – 40 or 50 previous seasons. If these two are planning on being the fun, goofy couple this year that might work, and we hope it does, then need to kick it up a notch. This photo looks like either/or might pull something important in the musculature department. Kellie's Photo: Pretty girl, but we just don't get why they have her staring off into the distance. Is she thinking about Shamrock Shakes or the fact that she really, really wanted Tristan MacManus as her partner. Derek's Photo: He looks like he's thinking "ABC is making me dance this year." Not even a grin on his face...he looks like he wants to go to McDonald’s too. Jacoby and Karina What we noticed: These two are going to be fun. So far they are one of the few couples that are interacting and making things interesting. He's showing that he has the strength to do some serious lifts, and Karina's smile shows that she's happy with her partner. The chemistry is good, and you can tell that they are going to be a formidable team. This is one of our top three team photos; they might not be able to be convincingly sexy, but they are convincingly fun, and their team photo just might be our favorite ever. We don’t even care that it’s not a dance pose – it just reeks of fun, and fun is what we want to see this season. Jacoby's Photo: Cool and confident. We wish his arms weren't folded because it closes off his personality a bit, but we still like it. Karina's Photo: She's sexy and she knows it. Period. Dorothy and Tristan What we noticed: This was the ONLY photo out of the bunch where they are actually looking at one another. There is a clear connection here and their pose brings back some old Hollywood charm. Fred and Ginger anyone? These two have chemistry, and it has nothing to do with sensuality at this point. They are a team, they are committed to one another, and judging from this photo, this is going to be a fabulous journey. Dorothy's Photo: Try describing this photo and not use the word "graceful". She's glowing. Out of all of the female celebrities this is the best cast photo. She looks like she's posing at the end of a Gold Medal winning routine. Absolutely stunning. Tristan's Photo: Boy do we miss Season 13. This is our charming, boyish, Irish gentleman and we've never seen him look happier. Oh yeah...the bedhead is back with a vengeance. Zendaya and Val What we noticed: Even when she's got her knees bent and doing whatever move that is, she is still taller than Val. By a lot. They leaning away from each other and Zendaya looks like she's enjoying herself a little too much. Val doesn't look like Val at all. He looks like he doesn't have a clue of what he's going to do dancing with someone this young. Zendaya's Photo: She's doing a vintage pinup pose which looks cute. Too bad she's got a sex kitten expression on her face in the team photo, and someone that age should be someone that age and not a sex kitten. Val's Photo: Val looks a little more like himself in this photo, but he doesn't have the twinkle in his eye. His shirt is buttoned up higher than it's ever been, and we know he’s not happy about that. It’s probably choking him. D.L. and Cheryl What we noticed: Cheryl looks like she's on an uncomfortable blind date. Her body language tells us she wants to cut and run, and D.L. is just doing what he knows how to do best and that is giving us a goofy look on his face. They could have done a charming dance pose for this photo but the camera didn’t capture that. The standing there thing isn’t really working. D.L.'s Photo: D.L. just looks like a nice dude. We love the glasses and the winning smile. We really want him to stay in this a while, but he’s going to have to get some chemistry with his partner or it will be a very quick “adios.” Cheryl's Photo: Nothing particularly special about this photo. She looks good, but it’s not going to knock anybody’s socks off. Kym and Ingo What we noticed: For two people that look so good together, they are cutting off their chemistry by not posing closer in hold. Ingo looks awkward - like he hasn't quite figured this all out, but he's trying and has a nice smile on his face. There's not the warmth that we predicted with these – at least judging by this photo. No worries though, team photo aside, these two are pretty enough to get by. Ingo's Photo: We like his foot placement in this photo. There's a subtle flair to his stance. But the shadows on his face make his eyes dark which makes him look tired. And what, no smile? Oh wait. Maybe that was supposed to be the smolder. You might want to work on that, Ingo. Kym Photo: Not quite sure how we feel about this one. There's something offbeat about it. She should have been looking at the camera instead of looking off Lisa's dog, Giggy who is probably distracting her. Tony and Wynonna What we noticed: Not only is Wynonna covered head to toe, but she is basically hiding behind Tony in the shadows. Tony looks comfortable, well, maybe. Tony needs to show off his partner. Where’s the interaction? Wynonna's Photo: She has so many striking features and this photo is just ‘blah.’ Tony's Photo: It's like he's thinking "Ahhhh....I miss last season.” Sharna and Andy What we noticed: We like this photo a lot. Again, it's one of the few team photos where you can actually see the team chemistry, and these two look very happy to be paired up. They are having fun, they have the right attitude, and there’s no arrogance. Sharna has been sticking by her celebrity and enjoying the moment. Andy's Photo: You're not fooling us a bit with that surly look, Andy. We know you are just loving this. Sharna's Photo: Gorgeous, confident, and great hair. Welcome to the pros, Sharna Burgess. Peta and Sean What we noticed: That's the problem. We were ready to publish this blog and realized we only had 11 couples and it took us an hour to figure out who we left out. Then we tried to find their photos on ABC.com and couldn't. Oopsies. Sean's Photo: We found his photo which looks like he had been photo-shopped onto the background. Nothing interesting. Neither of us watch The Bachelor so we don't know squat about him. Let's hope he's more interesting than the photo or it may be lights out. Peta's Photo: What photo? Can't find one. That doesn't bode well for this team. Our top team picks based on what we've seen in the photos. 1. Dorothy and Tristan: Best chemistry, best interaction, best solo photos, best all around. These two are a photographer’s dream team. 2. Andy and Sharna: Great partnership, and while they may not go very far in the competition, they have the right attitude, spark, and chemistry for the photos. 3. Jacoby and Karina: Fun, different, unique. Love the photos. This doesn’t mean we are picking these as our top three, but it means that the photos tell a big story and we love the story these three told. What story? It’s all about the fun, and isn’t that how it should be? It’s that time of year again when we do our crazy predictions - the kind that have nothing to do with the outcome of DWTS. Besides, we already did that, and if you read our previous blog (of course, you did) you know that we think Tristan and Dorothy can win Season 16. This particular post is all about our very special predictions about the couples, the dances, and other random stuff. Crazy things happen during any DWTS season, and this will be no exception. So here are our 16 crazy predictions that just might happen to be accurate.
1. Sean Lowe of The Bachelor will be Celebrity 12, and Peta will be his partner. What? Stunner? Shocking? Worst. Kept. Secret. Ever. 2. Tristan and Dorothy will not get the pimp spot Week 1. In fact, we would be stunned if they ever get it. Statistics are against them; in 3 seasons as a pro, Tristan and his celebrity have NEVER had the pimp spot, and that annoys us like you would not believe. 3. Gleb will take his shirt off. Val will take his shirt off and have it unbuttoned at least 70% of the time he is on the show. Derek will take his shirt off. Mark and Tony may or may not take their shirts off. Tristan will not take his shirt off. Have to keep the mystery alive. 4. Val will not be able to go cold turkey on the shirt wearing (see previous prediction) and Zendaya will be blushing more than a few times. We predict at least one dance where Val is completely shirtless, or pantsless, or even shoeless. The man has to take off some form of clothing during the season or else he will collapse into himself like a dying star. 5. Mark and Aly will have a Nightmare Before Christmas themed tango complete with Aly dressed up as an emo rag doll. Mark will wear spats…and probably Aly too. Nah, we might not have the Nightmare Before Christmas thing but we can just about guarantee the spats in duplicate. 6. More than a few southern zingers will be made by Wynonna Judd during rehearsals. "Kiss My Grits," "Hold Your Horses," and "Butter my buns and call me a biscuit" are likely to make the cut. Same with Kellie and Derek. Tony (and Derek) will just nod and laugh and not have a clue what these ladies are talking about. If that isn’t enough, SWAT and Shakes (that would be us for you newcomers) will increase their use of the word “y’all” to epic proportions. And if you think we’re making fun of the accent, au contraire. We are both Southern belles who love to bring out our accents whenever and wherever possible. It's just our natural state so deal with it, y'all. 7. DWTS will find at least one opportunity during Dorothy and Tristan's many rehearsals to get Tristan into skates and film him on the ice. We personally worry for Tristan's safety because Dorothy is an itty bitty thing and can’t haul him around the way Evan Lysacek hauled Anna around on the ice in Season 10. But then again, it's probably not a problem because Tristan can do anything and would probably master skating in no time. Or at least be able to skate around the ice without falling too many times on his keister. 8. Jacoby Jones will do at least one touchdown dance when he and Karina are called safe during the Week 1 results show. Assuming they are called safe during the Week 1 results show. 9. Victor will spend a lot his time flirting with Lindsay. No further explanation needed. 10. Lisa will have Gleb choreograph Giggy into one of their dances before the season is over and Giggy will get a perfect 30. Lisa and Gleb probably will not. 11. Tristan will find a way to somehow incorporate a Hamill Camel into a performance, and it will bring a whole passel of tens (or maybe just three which is sufficient). 12. Aly will do at least 6 gymnastics moves before the season is over. So will Mark, and as long as he doesn't do them in gym shorts reminiscent of Season 8, we can live with it. But remember. No. Lifts. 13. Andy Dick will surprise us all, and Sharna will prove that she is a worthy pro. 14. D.L. will have the “deer in the headlights” look but he will put together a couple of nice performances early - to everyone’s surprise. 15. Lindsay and Victor will win the Season 16 DWTS First Runner-Up Cuteness Award. Any other season they would be the winners of such a prestigious honor. This time it goes to the King and Queen of Cute – Tristan and Dorothy. 16. Kym and Ingo will surprise everybody with a death-defying contemporary that makes everybody else (except Tristan and Dorothy, of course) look like babies. Have you seen their rehearsal photos?? They will also win the Cheryl Burke/William Levy Turn Up the Heat Award because Kym and Ingo are already sizzling and they haven't danced yet. Ice should be kept handy. 17. Because we couldn’t stop at 16...Tristan and Dorothy will have the highest score Week 1 or Week 2. Count on it. What else would you expect from an ice skating legend and our favorite pro? Now you should know from the title that this post is going to be complete b.s. We are rarely serious, but in this case, we might actually be just a little serious, but we can't confirm that. We used a logical, mathematical, and scientific formula to predict the results of Season 16 DWTS. It will make perfect sense and has nothing whatsoever to do with opinion. *snort* So join us on this little adventure as we explore why *insert team name here* could win, but why Tristan and Dorothy will be the ones hauling around the glorious mirror ball trophy in May.
We ranked them with the weakest team shown first based on the combined factors of strength of the pro, experience, perceived fan base, possible chemistry, and the expected ability of the celebrity. The maximum point total is 50 and within each category there is a maximum of 10 points. We had a little problem initially because we had no idea who some of the celebrities were (pros too) but we muddled through, did our research, and drew some awesome conclusions that probably will make no sense whatsoever to anyone outside of MacManiac City, U.S.A. Or whatever we call it. This list does not include Peta and Sean Lowe whose addition to the cast at a future date is not a particularly well kept secret That being said, we expect that Sean and Peta will be among the first five couples eliminated, but we’re just too lazy to add them into this blog when we are only 99.92% certain they will be part of the cast. 11. Lindsay Arnold and Victor Cruz First of all, we think that Lindsay is an amazing dancer, but what is untested is her ability to choreograph and train a celebrity partner, and at her young age, her experience is going to be limited. Julianne Hough was one of those rare exceptions; her youth was still an issue but she had a wealth of experience and training. We think Lindsay needs time to gel as a pro before getting thrown into the fire. Victor Cruz, however, is hugely entertaining and has a smile that will win a lot of hearts. He is extremely photogenic, and did we mention that million dollar smile? Love him! We just don’t think the fan base is there and on this show, without the fan base, you’re gonna be toast in a hurry. Good luck to them. We’ve been wrong many times, and this could be one of those times. Pro strength – Unknown – 3/10 Experience – 3/10 Fan Base – 4/10 Possible Chemistry – 5/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 7/10 22/50 10. Gleb Savchenko and Lisa Vanderpump We know all about the popularity of reality show people, but hauling that damn dog around all the time is annoying. Nah, we’re just kidding, but we’re wondering how that will fit in with the choreography. What if Giggy can’t Foxtrot or Jive? How will it affect their scores? Is Giggy considered a pro or would all dances be a Trio Dance? You figure it out. Gleb is from DWTS Australia, but we don’t know anything about him. He’s cute - okay he is gorgeous and makes our heart spound - but he’s untested around these parts, and without a test run in the Troupe, we’re not buying into the hype. Yet. We could change our minds in three minutes and probably will. As far as Lisa? We’re not sure about her either. We think they will exit no later than fourth and possibly way earlier. Pro strength – Unknown – 4/10 Experience – 4/10 Fan Base – 4/10 Possible Chemistry – 6/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 5/10 23/50 9. Sharna Burgess and Andy Dick The strength here is Sharna, but the unknown is her popularity as a pro. Her choreography is extraordinary, and she is also stunningly beautiful, but will that give her an edge over more seasoned and more popular pros? Probably not. The wild card is Andy and if his history becomes a disadvantage, they could have problems. He is supposedly working hard and wants to do well, and that works to their advantage, but we are having trouble visualizing a smooth and flawless Waltz or an energetic and sassy Jive. From what we’re reading, however, they are getting along really well, having a great time, and doing the right things. If that continues, count on them sticking around another week or two. Possibly more. Pro strength – 6/10 Experience – 6/10 Fan Base – 3/10 Possible Chemistry – 5/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 5/10 25/50 8. Tony Dovolani and Wynonna Judd Wynonna is a strong woman with a great work ethic, and Tony is a seasoned pro, but this one feels like an early exit, possibly second or third. The musicality of the numbers will not be an issue, but Tony’s strengths lie in the athleticism he can bring to the choreography, and we just don’t see that happening this season. That can translate into boring, and while their rehearsals will be entertaining, they might also be explosive, and not in a good way. Huge fan base for Wynonna or not, we’re not sure it will help. If her fans come out in big numbers, she will be around a while, but unless she can bring a mean Cha Cha, this team may be leaving earlier than we want them to. Pro strength – 8/10 Experience – 9/10 Fan Base – 3/10 Possible Chemistry – 4/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 4/10 28/50 7. Valentin Chmerkovskihy – Zendaya Oh boy. She is going to tower over Valentin (we still aren’t sure we can call him that – he is Val). She’s a Disney kid so she will stay in it for weeks and weeks. She is also a ringer in the worst way, but whatever. Val will also pick up a lot of votes from Maks fans and the Disney factor is huge. You can’t ignore that. There is just a lot with this pairing that doesn’t work: her age/his age, and he won’t be able to go without his shirt or wear a Speedo – that would just be wrong to even try it this season. Sorry, but she’s a kid and the sexy isn’t going to work this time – at all. In fact, it would be creepy. Prediction here is an early exit, and the only reason we have them sticking around this long is because of the combined fan bases. Pro strength – 6/10 Experience – 7/10 Fan Base – 7/10 Possible Chemistry – 3/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 6/10 29/30 6. Cheryl Burke – D. L. Hughley Cheryl’s fan base is their strength, but we’re not sure D. L. has enough of one to keep them in too long. He is probably the most interesting of the male celebrities this season. We learned from previous seasons that interesting comedian types may do well on the dance floor but generally have a shelf life of only a few weeks (David Alan Grier, anyone?). Cheryl will bring out the best in him; she’s one of the few celebrities who can choreograph based on her partner’s strengths, and he is much more fun and likable than Mr. Grier. We are hoping to be surprised and see some great skill on the dance floor. If D. L. can bring the moves and keep up with his very rigorous concert schedule, then we may get to enjoy them for several more weeks and see them leap frog over another couple or two and end up in the final three. Hope so. This should be Cheryl at her best. Pro strength – 8/10 Experience – 10/10 Fan Base – 5/10 Possible Chemistry – 6/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 7/10 36/50 5. Karina Smirnoff and Jacoby Jones Football players do well on DWTS, but that doesn’t mean they are all great dancers. In fact, while we’ve loved most of the football players who have danced on the show, we don’t think any of them were good enough to win DWTS. We believe that Emmitt Smith was the best of them all, and let’s face it, not every football player can have the charm and moves that Emmitt had. Sorry, but that’s our opinion. There have been too many posture, flat-footedness, and awkwardness issues. Now Jacoby seems to have the moves, but dancing in the end zone doesn’t mean you can do the Jive flicks and kicks, nor does it scream “sexy Argentine Tango.” Jacoby, of course, will have sheer brute strength on his side so lifts will be a piece of cake, but he will have to be taught artistry. Karina is brilliant and pushes her partners (we still think Apolo had the most difficult choreography of all last season – not Melissa, not Shawn, not anybody), so if Karina pushes Jacoby and if he cooperates, they might do well. The biggest unknown is chemistry, and we’re not feeling it this time. Pro strength – 9/10 Experience – 10/10 Fan Base – 7/10 Possible Chemistry – 5/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity 6/10 37/50 4. Derek Hough and Kellie Pickler The only reason they are this high on the list is because of Derek’s popularity and because Kellie was on American Idol, but that may not mean anything and in fact, we could also see them leaving as early as Week 3 or 4. We’re still puzzled as to why he returned when he made it so clear months ago that he was taking time off, and then waffled a little a few weeks ago and said he would definitely be back in the fall. We do think they will have a great time and Kellie’s sense of humor might take them further than talent, but we don’t think Derek is going to be able to push too hard on the choreography, and laughter won’t get it done on the dance floor. Pro strength – Unknown – 9/10 Experience – 10/10 Fan Base – 7/10 Possible Chemistry – 5/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 5/10 36/50 3. Mark Ballas and Aly Raisman This team has a lot going for it, but we also think Aly isn’t Shawn and the novelty of Shawn has worn off. Just think about how we feel about having a football player every season; having a gold-medal winning gymnast on in back to back seasons just pushes the wrong buttons. That's not Aly's fault, however, so we'll skip that part. Aly is more mature than Shawn was the first time around, but many of us don’t like the gymnastic element that gets tossed into the dance routines, and we will like it even less this time. Added to the mix is the fact that this is Mark’s third Olympic gold medalist. It just doesn’t sit well with us. Anyway, they will do well, but not well enough. They will be the first out in the finale, we think. We also don’t think the chemistry is going to be there but when the other two couple in the top three are off the charts with chemistry, this could spell impending doom. Pro strength –8/10 Experience – 9/10 Fan Base – 7/10 Possible Chemistry – 6/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 7/10 37/50 2. Kym Johnson and Ingo Rademacher First of all, the General Hospital fan base which somehow kept Kelly and Val in it so long is going to help enormously. Then think Blonde Ambition. These two look like they walked off a movie set and we can already see the storyline unfolding on the dance floor. Do we think Ingo has the goods to win? Not necessarily, but Kym is delicious and a Kym/Tristan finale is practically as good as an Anna/Tristan finale. Not only will they be one of the loveliest couples ever on DWTS, but Ingo seems like fun and that he won’t go off the deep end. Kym will make sure they follow the rules, and she won't overdance. Can we hear an “Amen?” We love ‘em. Pro strength –9/10 Experience – 9/10 Fan Base – 9/10 Possible Chemistry – 7/10 Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 7/10 41/50 1.Tristan MacManus and Dorothy Hamill The only – and we mean the only – negative here is that Dorothy is 56 years old. That’s it. Frankly, we’re not even sure that it is really a negative because she’s in better shape than any of Tristan’s three celebrity partners so far (yes, Pam is in shape but isn’t an athlete), she can hold her form better than any celebrity on this show could ever hope to do, and she is adored by millions. As a very wise MacManiac, Team Emmit, er….Team DL and Cheryl said – Dorothy is like having Jennifer Grey and Kristi Yamaguchi rolled up into one awesome partner. We may be getting a little ahead of ourselves, but it’s time an Olympic legend wins DWTS, and this is going to be the year. Sure, we need to get both of them to go crazy on social media (or let us go crazy on social media for them), but it looks like they already have the support of most of the ice skating world and the MacManiac world so it can only get better from here. Pro strength –9/10 (Only because he’s still a relative newcomer) Experience – 9/10 (Let’s face it. Tristan has paid his dues and had more challenges than most of the other pros combined) Fan Base – 9/10 (MacManiacs, the world of figure skating, and America who loves Dorothy) Possible Chemistry – 9/10 – easy easy easy – we would have said 10/10 but we don't want to brag Perceived Ability and Appeal of the Celebrity – 9.5/10 (just in case Tristan has a bad hair day and Dorothy frowns at him. She has never had a bad hair day). 45.5/50…oh what the heck. Let’s just round it up to 50/50. We’re not going for mathematical accuracy anyway. What do you think? |
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