DWTS-Week 4
By Debra Stroiney
During the show this week Len mentioned that the Tango is for the actors, that it is a dance that needs to have the expression and the character portrayed throughout. Interestingly enough, all of the contestants who competed in the Tango are actors! That worked out well for them and for their teacher. It is too bad they do not start with this dance in the first couple of weeks. The footwork to Tango is actually simple and can be learned by using walking steps. The difficulty comes from making the dance sharp and dramatic. Having the professionals teach them a basic routine and teaching them all about the dance and character is the best way to proceed with this dance. Especially for those who have acted before it would be easy to get them in character that is needed for this dance.
During the show this week Len mentioned that the Tango is for the actors, that it is a dance that needs to have the expression and the character portrayed throughout. Interestingly enough, all of the contestants who competed in the Tango are actors! That worked out well for them and for their teacher. It is too bad they do not start with this dance in the first couple of weeks. The footwork to Tango is actually simple and can be learned by using walking steps. The difficulty comes from making the dance sharp and dramatic. Having the professionals teach them a basic routine and teaching them all about the dance and character is the best way to proceed with this dance. Especially for those who have acted before it would be easy to get them in character that is needed for this dance.
All of the contestants did very well with the Tango; all of the routines kept with the correct style of the dance and were still able to put on a show. I do feel a little bad for Cody because the song he had to dance to was one of the worst. It was very hard to hear the Tango beat, but they did the best they could with keeping it on pace. The song they played had a distinct swing beat to it and you had to listen closely to hear the timing for the Tango. Cloris was able to show everyone that she can learn to dance and improve each week as the others do. Lance and Lacey had the perfect Tango character and also had a traditional routine with a little bit of a twist. That is why I like them so much, they are interesting to watch. Susan and Cody also did well with their partners; in fact, I would say they all had their best performances. It could be that they were more comfortable knowing they were going out there to “act” and not just “dance.” I would say it's that they are finally feeling comfortable learning how to dance but when seeing some of the Samba performances I don’t think that is necessarily the case.
The second time I agreed with the judges was when they talked about Warren’s dance. It was entertaining, and I still want to emphasize to the viewers how well he moves around the floor. But, what he did was not a Samba routine; it was a freestyle dance that had maybe two textbook Samba elements. The hip and pulsing action in Samba is one of the hardest to build muscle memory for. Many of the couples were using tricks and entertaining choreography to hide the lack of proper Samba technique. This can work sometimes. In fact, I think it worked better for Maurice than it did Warren. Maurice also put on a performance to make up for the inability to dance the Samba, but his was more convincing.
The second time I agreed with the judges was when they talked about Warren’s dance. It was entertaining, and I still want to emphasize to the viewers how well he moves around the floor. But, what he did was not a Samba routine; it was a freestyle dance that had maybe two textbook Samba elements. The hip and pulsing action in Samba is one of the hardest to build muscle memory for. Many of the couples were using tricks and entertaining choreography to hide the lack of proper Samba technique. This can work sometimes. In fact, I think it worked better for Maurice than it did Warren. Maurice also put on a performance to make up for the inability to dance the Samba, but his was more convincing.
The contestants who had to perform the Samba did not do as well as those performing the Tango. Even Toni and Brooke, who usually look wonderful out there, had an awkward feel to their dancing that I had not seen before. I am wondering what the professionals were focusing on when they were teaching the Samba to them.
I did not agree with the judges when they kept saying that it is week 4 and they want to see more refined dancing. OK, I understand that most of the contestants have had 10 weeks of dancing behind them; they should be more comfortable with dancing in general. BUT, all of the contestants still only have 3 to 4 days to learn a new dance. And when I say learn a new dance I mean all that goes along with it: the steps, a routine, the timing, the technique, and the character. That is a lot to learn and to also make it look refined. I do agree that throughout the competition the professionals should be teaching the stars about posture, correct alignment, and making lines with your body. These are universal themes that can be taught for every dance with only slight adjustments between Rhythm and Smooth dances. But to learn Samba hip action and how to perform the dance takes a little bit more than a few days, even if they are devoting 7 hours a day to it. If you do not have the muscle memory of the hip action, then more than likely you won’t do it while performing because there are other things you are thinking about.
I did not agree with the judges when they kept saying that it is week 4 and they want to see more refined dancing. OK, I understand that most of the contestants have had 10 weeks of dancing behind them; they should be more comfortable with dancing in general. BUT, all of the contestants still only have 3 to 4 days to learn a new dance. And when I say learn a new dance I mean all that goes along with it: the steps, a routine, the timing, the technique, and the character. That is a lot to learn and to also make it look refined. I do agree that throughout the competition the professionals should be teaching the stars about posture, correct alignment, and making lines with your body. These are universal themes that can be taught for every dance with only slight adjustments between Rhythm and Smooth dances. But to learn Samba hip action and how to perform the dance takes a little bit more than a few days, even if they are devoting 7 hours a day to it. If you do not have the muscle memory of the hip action, then more than likely you won’t do it while performing because there are other things you are thinking about.
I am currently getting students ready for a regional competition in the beginning of November. It is 4 weeks away and we have now started on refining the routines and technique. I do not want them refining it the week of competition because they will not remember it. I was trained to not introduce any new material to a student less than two weeks before a competition because they will not remember it. Regardless of the hours put in for the show, they are still students who need repetition to execute certain aspects of the dance. This is where I believe some of the hip action got thrown out the window. Sometimes, a solid and entertaining performance can make up for the time that was not spent on technique.
I know the judges have to pick an overall winner of the competition and, of course, the judges remember what they have seen before and the progression they have made throughout the weeks. I would hope that if I was dancing in a Rhythm championship and then in a Smooth championship, the judges wouldn’t score me in Smooth based on what they saw in Rhythm. I feel the judges on this show sometimes think about past performances and compare it to a dance that is nothing like the one they are performing that week and then again sometimes they don’t. There is no consistency. This is the controversy in ballroom dancing: it is subjective. Interestingly most ballroom dancing competitions have 5 to 6 judges not just 3.
I am very excited that they are putting in a few new dances next week on the show. I am especially interested to see the West Coast Swing. This can be a fun dance once you get the hang of it. When learning the basic elements, it can be a pain to master! I look forward to seeing what twists the professionals put on the choreography. It will also be interesting for those professionals who have a stronger International style background since this dance is considered American style. Most dancers who have come to the US to work as instructors have never seen it before. Don’t forget the Hustle and Jitterbug will also be making an appearance. This could get interesting!
I know the judges have to pick an overall winner of the competition and, of course, the judges remember what they have seen before and the progression they have made throughout the weeks. I would hope that if I was dancing in a Rhythm championship and then in a Smooth championship, the judges wouldn’t score me in Smooth based on what they saw in Rhythm. I feel the judges on this show sometimes think about past performances and compare it to a dance that is nothing like the one they are performing that week and then again sometimes they don’t. There is no consistency. This is the controversy in ballroom dancing: it is subjective. Interestingly most ballroom dancing competitions have 5 to 6 judges not just 3.
I am very excited that they are putting in a few new dances next week on the show. I am especially interested to see the West Coast Swing. This can be a fun dance once you get the hang of it. When learning the basic elements, it can be a pain to master! I look forward to seeing what twists the professionals put on the choreography. It will also be interesting for those professionals who have a stronger International style background since this dance is considered American style. Most dancers who have come to the US to work as instructors have never seen it before. Don’t forget the Hustle and Jitterbug will also be making an appearance. This could get interesting!
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