DWTS Season 20 - Episode Discussion - *Spoilers - Sleuthing*

hmbach wrote:Watching the all access and it's so striking the difference between Vals teaching style and Witneys.  I would love to have seen Maks teaching, but don't recall them having these live streams when he was dancing.

The streaming is something that just happened this season. Val and Witney are great teachers in different ways, but they also have very different backgrounds. Val has been teaching since he was 16 years old and he's now 29. He's been doing this for a long time. And he also has a great intuitive manageable partner in Rumer, who is able to understand better. Witney is only 21 and was always the student (Mark was her teacher.) She jumped into SYTYCD and then right into DWTS, and was doing her own thing. She was very helpful to Drew in season 18, who didnt have natural talent. Cody and Alfonso had natural talent, she just made it become greater and refined. Michael was never going to get anywhere..whether he had Emma, Witney, Val, whoever. Chris just doesnt get it. He's not able to make that mental connection. It's kind of his own battle that needs to be faught. But Witney has time to improve as her teaching and age grow older, and she will, not that she's not there already...but everyone can improve with experience.

I prefer Witney's teaching style to Val's, but then again I've always disliked "good" teachers. I can't handle being talked down to. I think Chris would be afraid to do anything, if he had a partner like Val.

Chris was looking much better today actually, before Witney started adding new moves.

I thought Chris was looking better today. Witney told one of the interviewers that they couldn't hear the music Monday night because the crowd was so loud. It's no wonder Chris was off.

eversotrue wrote:

MiniDiva wrote:

eversotrue wrote:Witney actually DID change the choreo a bit from what it originally was. I think she needs to tone down the choreo, but her teaching methods are more than fine. Some people just don't understand...and no matter what is shown/said, they won't comprehend. Chris falls in that category.

I watched their live rehearsals today, and Chris is doing pretty okay with the Argentine Tango so far. He seems to be able to lift her quite well.

I watched their rehearsals too, but there was no sound.  Still it was apparent to me what Witney was trying to get Chris to do just with her body language.  What ever mental block/frustration he may have about last night, he is going to have to let it go to focus on this dance routine.  They were making progress in the short time I watched.  

I am a fan of DWTS over Bachelor and Witney is one of my fav dancers.  After winning last season, I would like to see her go at least mid-way this season.  Hope Chris can iprove for next week.  Tango is going to be a challenge.

Witney looked to be trying to explain through body language and words. She seems to have been trying different approaches. But again, if someone doesn't understand...they just dont understand. It's a mental connection that has to be made. Chris has said that the comments and low scores have made him want to work ten times harder and even practice on his own time. I think he now realizes his head and heart has to be in the competition fully for this to work. Their practice today looked pretty good actually for it being the first hour of the first day. I'm hopeful that things will look much better next week in terms of technicality, execution, performance ability, etc. I too hope they last at least mid way through the competition. I really want to see them for Disney Week!!

But isn't it true that he could be out because of his last performance, no matter how well he dances in the next show?

2observe wrote:

eversotrue wrote:

MiniDiva wrote:

I watched their rehearsals too, but there was no sound.  Still it was apparent to me what Witney was trying to get Chris to do just with her body language.  What ever mental block/frustration he may have about last night, he is going to have to let it go to focus on this dance routine.  They were making progress in the short time I watched.  

I am a fan of DWTS over Bachelor and Witney is one of my fav dancers.  After winning last season, I would like to see her go at least mid-way this season.  Hope Chris can iprove for next week.  Tango is going to be a challenge.

Witney looked to be trying to explain through body language and words. She seems to have been trying different approaches. But again, if someone doesn't understand...they just dont understand. It's a mental connection that has to be made. Chris has said that the comments and low scores have made him want to work ten times harder and even practice on his own time. I think he now realizes his head and heart has to be in the competition fully for this to work. Their practice today looked pretty good actually for it being the first hour of the first day. I'm hopeful that things will look much better next week in terms of technicality, execution, performance ability, etc. I too hope they last at least mid way through the competition. I really want to see them for Disney Week!!

But isn't it true that he could be out because of his last performance, no matter how well he dances in the next show?

I think it depends on what their scores are for next weeks dance, combined with this weeks scores and votes. I'm not sure though.

^^ he could be. But he's only down like 1.5% from Charlotte. So he just has to make that up in votes. And I don't think that'll be too hard. It's better to get low votes at the beginning since there are more people and more points awarded.

They take the couples score and divide it by the total points awarded that night. You get a percentage that then is 50% of the couples final tally. The other 50% is the percentage of the total votes the couple gets.

That's right: Monday's elimination is based entirely on this week's scores combined with votes. His votes have to exceed Charlotte's. His scores next Monday night only matter if he survives elimination.

The show did Charlotte a favor by producing this week's package with a message that targets sympathy. Plus, they scored her better than Chris. I also get a feeling that they want Keo, the new pro, to stick around a bit longer. And I think that they want to drive home the point that voting matters. If two stars with big followings get cut early, that'll do it. Then again, Chris could be following Jake P's storyboard: I vaguely remember him early in the season getting reamed and put in the bottom two only to last to week 5.

This season is anyone's game. That being said, Rumer and Nastia, IMO, will be neck and neck, swapping top of the leaderboard honors throughout it.

veg_out wrote:That's right: Monday's elimination is based entirely on this week's scores combined with votes. His votes have to exceed Charlotte's. His scores next Monday night only matter if he survives elimination.

The show did Charlotte a favor by producing this week's package with a message that targets sympathy. Plus, they scored her better than Chris. I also get a feeling that they want Keo, the new pro, to stick around a bit longer. And I think that they want to drive home the point that voting matters. If two stars with big followings get cut early, that'll do it. Then again, Chris could be following Jake P's storyboard: I vaguely remember him early in the season getting reamed and put in the bottom two only to last to week 5.

This season is anyone's game. That being said, Rumer and Nastia, IMO, will be neck and neck, swapping top of the leaderboard honors throughout it.

I agree regarding Rumer and Nastia, but I don't think you can ever count out Mark B. He is very creative and does especially well with young dancers. Their Argentine tango was fun and very age appropriate.

mtnlvr55 wrote:

veg_out wrote:snipped

This season is anyone's game. That being said, Rumer and Nastia, IMO, will be neck and neck, swapping top of the leaderboard honors throughout it.

I agree regarding Rumer and Nastia, but I don't think you can ever count out Mark B. He is very creative and does especially well with young dancers. Their Argentine tango was fun and very age appropriate.

Agreed. All of the pros are fantastic. I had the great fortune of seeing the DWTS tour this winter, which featured Mark, Val, Emma, Keo, Kym, Sasha, and Witney. Mark performed a stunning contemporary piece with Witney; he held my attention most when he was playing his music. I look forward to his choreo weekly: such an artist.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mark ends up in the finals. It's so hard to call right now, ya know?!