Davis and White competing on Dancing With the Stars!

[tulosai]

The episode is up on ABC.com already, but they require to verify cable subscription in order to watch it, which I do not have. It's currently available on hulu plus, which is not free, just the initial trial period is free. I'll wait to see if it's available on regular hulu later.

Yes, what I was trying to explain is that you will not need to verify forever- just for 24 of 48 hours. As you should also be able to see, you can currently watch the first episode on abc.com In a day or two you will also be able to watch the second one- with or without a cable subscription.

 

[temp]

OK, thanks!

Yes, what I was trying to explain is that you will not need to verify forever- just for 24 of 48 hours. As you should also be able to see, you can currently watch the first episode on abc.com In a day or two you will also be able to watch the second one- with or without a cable subscription.

 

[Olympia]

I have to say, I wasn't all that impressed with Charlie's foot placement this week. He's still figuring out how to articulate his feet, I think, after a lifetime of using them as a complete unit in skates. Last week, because he was barefoot, I think this aspect of floor dancing wasn't so much of an impediment to him. Of course, the rest of his work was wonderful last night.

I agree that the dances seem really, really short, even fragmented, right now. If that's the way they always are at the beginning of a season, I'll take people's word for it.

 

[slider11]

Anyone know what style of dance Meryl and Charlie will have next week? I'm hoping waltz or fox trot for Meryl. I think she has lovely, lyrical arms and with a strong hold like Maks, could do very well with her quick feet. She needs to watch line and position but Maks can help her with that. It will be interesting to see if Meryl is "forced" to switch to Derek and, if so, if she decides to stay. If Cody is still around I'm wondering if his little blonde pro, Witney, wouldn't be a good match for Charlie. It might put him more in charge and give them the "golden kids" look. Or maybe the opposite with Cheryl for Charlie. I really would have liked to seen Tristan with Meryl. He always got the veteran (code word for old) dancers and I think personality wise would have meshed well with Meryl. I don't think Charlie cares. It's good money and PR but he'd rather be hone with Tanith.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Need some help here understanding whats going on. Len gave Charlie a seven for "breaking hold". Now I don't know nothin' about dancing but I do know two things. One, Charlie is a guy who can successfully negotiate a compolsary ice dance and if you have ever seen the chart of what that entails, you would say anyone who can do that can certainly take precise directions and follow them. And two, I know that somebody other than Charlie is choreographing his dances. So what is breaking hold and why isn't this the fault of the choreographer?

 

[belladashwood]

Need some help here understanding whats going on. Len gave Charlie a seven for "breaking hold". Now I don't know nothin' about dancing but I do know two things. One, Charlie is a guy who can successfully negotiate a compolsary ice dance and if you have ever seen the chart of what that entails, you would say anyone who can do that can certainly take precise directions and follow them. And two, I know that somebody other than Charlie is choreographing his dances. So what is breaking hold and why isn't this the fault of the choreographer?

Breaking hold in ballroom Tango is a big NO-NO, and Charlie & Sharna broke hold twice during the routine, sometimes the judges may overlook one break in hold, but when you break hold more than once you definitely get called out for it. So, if there's anyone to blame, it's his partner Sharna who choreographed that dance and both breaks in hold, I can name quite a few couples from other seasons who've broken hold or not followed the rules (Mario & Karina, Laila & Maks, Bristol & Mark...etc) and they all got reamed over the coals for it. Lastly, Charlie is judged base on ballroom standards, not ice dancing standards and the judges are holding him (& Meryl) to a much higher standard.

 

[PlaysInTheDirt]

Why, oh why, do some of these shows insist on having guest judges??!! Julianne Hough will be back to guest judge, and that makes sense, but Robin Roberts? I love her, but what does she know about dancing that she's going to be scoring next week? ABC seems to do this as a way to pimp their other shows. I guess I should be grateful it isn't Al Roker, but who is next, someone from Modern Family?

 

[tulosai]

Breaking hold in ballroom Tango is a big NO-NO, and Charlie & Sharna broke hold twice during the routine, sometimes the judges may overlook one break in hold, but when you break hold more than once you definitely get called out for it. So, if there's anyone to blame, it's his partner Sharna who choreographed that dance and both breaks in hold, I can name quite a few couples from other seasons who've broken hold or not followed the rules (Mario & Karina, Laila & Maks, Bristol & Mark...etc) and they all got reamed over the coals for it. Lastly, Charlie is judged base on ballroom standards, not ice dancing standards and the judges are holding him (& Meryl) to a much higher standard.

This. The issue is that Sharna disregarded the rules and told Charlie to do so too. It's not that Chrarlie wouldn't be capable of following directions if she had given them. The breaks in hold were deliberate and choreographed in.

People who think Charlie was punished by Len more than someone else would have been don't watch the show much. Len HATES when people break hold, just as Carrie Ann HATES when lifts are preformed in dances where lifts are forbidden.

 

[tulosai]

To answer your question about what breaking hold is, it just means what it sounds like- put in simplistic terms, Charlie is not holding Sharna. Here is the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFOCW27B_BI The biggest violation is around 40 seconds in when she goes spinning away from him.

 

[Mathman]

I think the dancers are told to break the rules on purpose to give the judges something to say. It's always great fun when Len points out a technical flaw and the audience boos.

 

[Mrs. P]

USFS has uploaded Meryl and Charlie's DWTS performances on its YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/usfigureskating

 

[PlaysInTheDirt]

When they break hold and Charlie spins her away from him, it's the same move Drew did with Cheryl during their Tango, only Len gave them a 10. I really don't like the inconsistency. I'm guessing Len turned a blind eye to others who broke hold during the Tango, but that's the one I remember.

 

[mollymgr]

They both seemed to know about it but decided to take some liberties.
http://www.slacker.com/station/danc...892631?sharedby=299215167&sharedon=1395754802

 

[Procrastinator]

When they break hold and Charlie spins her away from him, it's the same move Drew did with Cheryl during their Tango, only Len gave them a 10. I really don't like the inconsistency. I'm guessing Len turned a blind eye to others who broke hold during the Tango, but that's the one I remember.

That was season 2, though. It's season 18 now.

 

[dorispulaski]

Great aftershow on afterbuzz.com
Four dancers discuss the show for nearly an hour.

http://www.puredwts.com/2014/03/26/afterbuzz-with-elena-grinenko-review-dwts-season-18-week-2/

Elena Grinenko has worked with Meryl & Charlie on ice, so she had a fascinating view of the show.

 

[belladashwood]

When they break hold and Charlie spins her away from him, it's the same move Drew did with Cheryl during their Tango, only Len gave them a 10. I really don't like the inconsistency. I'm guessing Len turned a blind eye to others who broke hold during the Tango, but that's the one I remember.

When Drew broke hold w/ Cheryl it was at the beginning of their routine, when Charlie broke hold both times w/ Sharna it was right smack-dab in the middle of their routine. Big huge difference, Len takes off when hold is broken in the middle of the routine, not towards the beginning or the end.

 

[PlaysInTheDirt]

Procrastinator, I know they're two different seasons, with many seasons between the two, but Len being a stickler for detail isn't new. It's just that he's very inconsistent. He will call out one couple for something and fawn over another couple who did the same thing. Even Bruno has called him on it.

Belladashwood, if you look at both routines, they both break in about the same places - once early in the routine and again later. I really don't think it's the placement of the breaks that is the issue, it's Len's inconsistency with judging.

 

[belladashwood]

Belladashwood, if you look at both routines, they both break in about the same places - once early in the routine and again later. I really don't think it's the placement of the breaks that is the issue, it's Len's inconsistency with judging.

Yeah, I did watch it & I watched Charlies too. The first break that you were talking about in Drew's routine was at the beginning before him and Cheryl went into full Tango hold, I did see the another break but Cheryl immediately spun back to Drew. But the big difference is that Charlie's first break in hold was too long and if it's too long Len will dock them for it (case in point: see Laila & Maks, and Bristol & Mark). Usually depending on the quality of the dance, if this is the first time the dance is being performed during the season & how far into the season it is then Len may overlook a break in hold like he did w/ Drew & may judge it more like an American Smooth Tango than an Int'l Standard Tango; but if it's early in the season & this is the first time the dance is being performed by anyone he's gonna be a stickler for the rules especially if you've got individuals of high caliber talent like Charlie and Meryl. Also, in season 2 they had less contestants and also the dances were much longer in length than later seasons. Lastly, if you're gonna complain about Len being inconsistent, then you better start complaining about how inconsistent Carrie Ann and Bruno are, they are far more inconsistent in their judging than Len is.

 

[snowflakebeautiful]

he's gonna be a stickler for the rules especially if you've got individuals of high caliber talent like Charlie and Meryl. .

This is where I have a bit of an issue - I get they're a higher caliber than a lot of contestants...However, all these contestants were invited onto the show, if they're trying to "even" the playing field by scoring people harder if they have knowledge, then maybe they shouldn't have such a wide range of ability/differing backgrounds in one season. (I know the show has always been this way....it's just one thing that always irks me....and all of the judges judge out of their behinds at some point in time based on whatever floats their boat for the moment.)
This is why I stopped watching this show....So I need to remind myself that this is a reality show and popularity contest largely, so brush it off, haha

 

[PlaysInTheDirt]

Bella, we'll have to agree to disagree on this point. Not once, in all the years I've watched, has Len or anyone else mentioned that a separation was too long, too early, or too anything, making it a 'break' - just that there was a break. I don't think the nuances you point out matter, but then I'm ignorant about dance so I could be wrong.

Snowflake, I agree with you - the judges should treat all the contestants as though it's really a level playing field, even though there are cases like last year where this was clearly NOT the case. And I still contend they need to find a way to ding the choreographer/pro without taking it out on the 'star'.