Let's Dance 2021 (Germany)

[Ariel1989]

Let's Dance in Germany is having their season 14 launch show today!  

 

Daniel Hartwich and Victoria Swarovski are returning as hosts.  Joachim Llambi, Motsi Mabuse and Jorge Gonzalez are returning as judges.  

 

Last season's pros returning: Marta Arndt, Robert Beitsch, Andrzej Cibis, Renata Lusin, Valentin Lusin, Kathrin Menzinger and Christian Polanc.  Also, Evgeny Vinokurov (last competed in season 12) and Vadim Garbuzov (last competed in season 11) are returning.  

 

Pros not returning: Isabel Edvardsson (pregnancy), Erich Klann, Nikita Kuzmin, Regina Luca, Massimo Sinato (wife is pregnant) and Alona Uehlin.  

 

New pros: Patricija Belousova, Malika Dzumaev, Alexandru Ionel and Pasha Zvychaynyy.  

 

Contestants:

 

Ilse DeLange: Singer-Songwriter & Former The Voice of Holland Coach

Kai Ebel: Sports Journalist

Senna Guemmour: Former Monrose Singer & Comedian

Rúrik Gíslason: Former Soccer Player

Jan Hofer: Former News Anchor

Mickie Krause: Singer

Vanessa Neigert: Contestant at Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 6)

Auma Obama: Sociologist & Half-Sister of Former US President Barack Obama

Valentina Pahde: Actress

Nicolas Puschmann: Prince Charming Personality (he will be in a same-sex partnership)

Kim Riekenberg: Model

Erol Sander: Actor

Lola Weippert: Radio Host & Television Presenter

Simon Zachenhuber: Middleweight Boxer

Edited February 27, 2021 by Ariel1989

[Ariel1989]

Official Pairings:

 

Lola Weippert & Christian Polanc

Senna Guemmour & Robert Beitsch

Vanessa Neigert & Alexandru Ionel

Valentina Pahde & Valentin Lusin

Ilse DeLange & Evgeny Vinokurov

Auma Obama & Andrzej Cibis

Kim Riekenberg & Pasha Zvychaynyy

Nicolas Puschmann & Vadim Garbuzov

Erol Sander & Marta Arndt

Rúrik Gíslason & Renata Lusin

Mickie Krause & Malika Dzumaev

Kai Ebel & Kathrin Menzinger

Jan Hofer & Christina Luft

Simon Zachenhuber & Patricija Belousova

 

 

Scores from the Launch Show (out of 30): 

 

Valentina: 21 (7, 7, 7)

Rúrik: 18 (6, 6, 6)

Nicolas: 16 (6, 6, 4)

Simon: 16 (6, 6, 4)

Ilse: 14 (5, 5, 4)

Erol: 12 (5, 5, 2)

Lola: 12 (4, 4, 4)

Vanessa: 12 (5, 5, 2)

Auma: 11 (4, 5, 2)

Senna: 11 (4, 4, 3)

Jan: 10 (4, 4, 2)

Kim: 10 (4, 4, 2)

Kai: 9 (4, 4, 1)

Mickie: 9 (4, 4, 1)

 

I'll try to update the numbers if I find the rest of them.  

 

*Updated to include the exact scores.

Edited February 27, 2021 by Ariel1989

[Ariel1989]

Week 1 Dances & Music

 

Lola & Christian: Quickstep to “Rama Lama Ding Dong” by Rocky Sharpe & The Replays

Auma & Andrzej: Waltz to “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin

Mickie & Malika: Cha-Cha-Cha to “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO

Vanessa & Alexandru: Salsa to “Tres Deseos” by Gloria Estefan

Ilse & Evgeny: Viennese Waltz to “One and Only” by Adele

Senna & Robert: Tango to “Shut Up” by The Black Eyed Peas

Nicolas & Vadim: Cha-Cha-Cha to “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls

Jan & Christina: Cha-Cha-Cha to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John

Kim & Pasha: Waltz to “I’m Kissing You” by Des’ree

Valentina & Valentin: Tango to “The Kiss of Fire” by Louis Armstrong

Kai & Katherin: Quickstep to “Im Wagen Vor Mir” by Henry Valentino

Simon & Patricija: Viennese Waltz to “Keine Rosen” by Teesy

Erol & Marta: Tango to “Vier Jahreszeiten: Winter” by Antonio Vivaldi

Rúrik & Renata: Salsa to “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony

 

Leaderboard:

1. Rúrik & Renata: 24 (8, 8, 8 )

2. Kim & Pasha: 23 (8, 8, 7)

2. Valentina & Valentin: 23 (8, 8, 7)

4. Lola & Christian: 19 (7, 7, 5)

4. Simon & Patricija: 19 (8, 7, 4)

6. Ilse & Evgeny: 18 (7, 6, 5)

6. Nicolas & Vadim: 18 (6, 6, 6)

6. Erol & Marta: 18 (7, 6, 5)

9. Senna & Robert: 14 (6, 5, 3)

10. Auma & Andrzej: 12 (5, 5, 2)

11. Jan & Christina: 10 (4, 4, 2)

11. Kai & Kathrin: 10 (4, 4, 2)

13. Vanessa & Alexandru: 9 (4, 4, 1)

14. Mickie & Malika: 7 (3, 3, 1)

Edited March 10, 2021 by Ariel1989

[Ariel1989]

Thoughts:
 

Lola & Christian: Good potential, she’s even improved from last week.  Footwork looked pretty clean and she has musicality.  Her neck disappeared throughout the dance.  Good performer in both dances but they suited her bubbly personality, we’ll have to see how she does with the more serious dances.  

 

Auma & Andrzej: A little awkward overall but nice emotion.  Same neck problems as Lola and her arms and hands lacked fluidity.  

 

Mickie & Malika: Poor Malika, she was the standout of the new pros last week and she’s saddled with the worst contestant so far.  The contrast between her crisp, clean lines and his soft, sloppy movements was jarring.  He messed up quite a bit and didn’t even do the non-Cha-Cha, hip-hop moves well.  Both looked disappointed for different reasons in the reaction clip on Instagram, Mickie likely for the low score and Malika for having to dance with him.  

 

Vanessa & Alexandru: Wow is she stiff, she looked uncomfortable from the very first step.  Alexandru is giving me Gleb/Graziano vibes not only with his looks but with his over-dancing around her.  Not sure if her stiffness is his fault though, she wasn’t very good in the launch show either.  Instagram comments like his personality though so maybe he’s a Graziano.  

 

Ilse & Evgeny: First of all, best costume so far, she looks like Grace Kelly.  Lovely dance as well, she’s definitely a ballroom lady and Evgeny’s choreography was great.  Felt she was a bit better than Lola and deserved a point or two more but maybe Lola’s performance put her over the top.  Curious to see how she does in Latin under Evgeny’s tutelage, she was decent in the launch show but may have been overshadowed by Valentina and Rúrik.  

 

Senna & Robert: Dramatic start with Robert swiping the table.  Great acting from Senna and in hold, chin could be lifted a bit though.  A few awkward moments where she was trying not to get tangled in the footwork and lifts but overall some good potential from her.  Hoping she improves and takes Robert further than he’s gone in recent years.  

 

Nicolas & Vadim: They’re alternating who leads and who follows in this dance, I think they’re going to do that in all their dances.  Nicolas has a lot of promise as a dancer, great musicality and hand-placement is solid.  Little rough around the edges as expected for a first dance but already great chemistry with Vadim, they looked like they’ve been dancing together for years.  

 

Jan & Christina: Definitely not a dancer, he missed a lot of steps and his technique was very poor.  He’s very likable though and his partnership with Christina is very sweet.  Props to her for working so well with a duffer after last season with contender and now-boyfriend Luca.  Instagram really likes this partnership so Jan might be there for awhile even if he doesn’t improve.  

 

Kim & Pasha: Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS arms from Kim, the Waltz really suits her.  Great frame and footwork as well and graceful throughout.  Kim & Pasha give me Abbey & Aljaž vibes and not just because of the song.  They also kind of remind me of Victoria Swarovski & Erich Klann (Pasha even resembles Erich a bit) but we’ll have to wait and see if Kim will be as versatile as Victoria.  Overall though, best dance so far and for Week 1 really impressive.  There are so many good pros named Pasha .  

 

Valentina & Valentin: The two Vals are paired together .  Very accomplished and intricate Tango for Week 1 but Valentina executed it well.  Great legs and use of them and great frame as well.  Only thing is that she was smiling in the beginning but that could be from nerves or Valentin grinning like a Cheshire Cat throughout the entire dance .  Glad to see Valentin with another contender, he’s a great pro.  

 

Kai & Kathrin: Well Kai Widdrington he ain’t.  Clompy, stompy and slow, the complete opposites of a Quickstep.  Poor Kathrin, she had a real shot of winning last year with Tijan but they got the James Van Der Beek fate and were a shock elimination in the semifinals.  This year, just like Emma, she gets a partner with zero potential after a contender.  Don’t have much hope for Kai to last long.  

 

Simon & Patricija: Well that was a production!  Very upbeat performance from Simon, his facial expressions were a little exaggerated.  Good chemistry with Patricija though, she’s a very elegant and refined dancer.  Simon’s posture needs work, in and out of hold he was hunched a bit and his butt was sticking out.  His energy will be good for Latin.  

 

Erol & Marta: Very good leading from Erol, frame was solid for most of the dance.  Couple of times he seemed unsure and unsteady but mostly good.  Instagram is very happy to see Marta with a decent contestant, she’s the Emma Slater of Let’s Dance and rarely, if ever, gets a decent partner.  Her best result happened by accident when she replaced an injured Christina a few years ago and not only made the semifinals with her new partner, Giovanni, but also received her first ever perfect score with him for their first dance together.  So yeah, she’s long overdue a contender, not sure of Erol’s staying power but he has some potential so hopefully they make some progress.  

 

Rúrik & Renata: Christian may have won the privilege of choosing his partner, but Mr. and Mrs. (or to be more accurate, Herr und Frau) Lusin won the partner lottery this year with Valentina and Rúrik.  Explosive, hot salsa and lots of energy from Rúrik.  Hope he can do ballroom as well so we get a Lusin Final!

 

Personal Ranking of Dances:

1. Kim & Pasha

2. Rúrik & Renata

3. Valentina & Valentin

4. Nicolas & Vadim

5. Ilse & Evgeny

6. Lola & Christian

7. Erol & Marta

8. Senna & Robert

9. Simon & Patricija

10. Auma & Andrzej

11. Jan & Christina

12. Kai & Kathrin

13. Vanessa & Alexandru

14. Mickie & Malika

Eliminated:

 

Vanessa & Alexandru.  Senna & Robert were in the bottom three and Kai & Kathrin were in the bottom two.  Too bad for Alexandru, first year and first out, even poor ballroom pro Nikita survived last year’s first elimination.  Many on Instagram are more disappointed about him being eliminated than Vanessa. She just wasn’t a dancer and probably wouldn’t improve very much in the future so not disappointed to see her go.  Surprised that Mickie survived since a lot of people picked up on his cold partnership with Malika but I guess he’s probably more known than Vanessa.  

Edited March 6, 2021 by Ariel1989

[Ariel1989]

Week 2 is starting!

 

Dances & Music

 

Ilse & Evgeny: Rumba to “Time After Time” by Eva Cassidy

Valentina & Valentin: Quickstep to “Whatever It Takes” by Milow

Rúrik & Renata: Viennese Waltz to “Powerful” by Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding, Tarrus Riley

Kai & Kathrin: Cha-Cha-Cha to “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones
Auma & Andrzej: Salsa to “Quimbara” by Celia Cruz

Simon & Patricija: Cha-Cha-Cha to “Take You Dancing” by Jason Derulo

Nicolas & Vadim: Tango to “Breaking Me” by Topic, A7S

Erol & Marta: Cha-Cha-Cha to “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” by Barry White

Mickie & Malika: Quickstep to “Help!” by The Beatles

Jan & Christina: Rumba to “Always On My Mind” by Elvis Presley

Kim & Pasha: Cha-Cha-Cha to “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes” by Ofenbach & Quarterhead

Lola & Christian: Tango to “Whatever Lola Wants” by Sarah Vaughan

Senna & Robert: Jive to “Einmal um die Welt” by Cro

[Ariel1989]

Scores & Review

 

1. Valentina & Valentin: 30 (10, 10, 10)

2. Rúrik & Renata: 27 (10, 9, 8 )

3. Auma & Andrzej: 23 (8, 8, 7)

4. Nicolas & Vadim: 21 (8, 7, 6)

4. Lola & Christian: 21 (8, 7, 6)

6. Ilse & Evgeny: 17 (6, 6, 5)

7. Simon & Patricija: 15 (5, 6, 4)

8. Kai & Kathrin: 13 (5, 5, 3)

9. Senna & Robert: 12 (5, 5, 2)

9. Erol & Marta: 12 (5, 5, 2)

11. Mickie & Malika: 11 (4, 4, 3)

12. Jan & Christina: 10 (4, 4, 2)

12. Kim & Pasha: 10 (4, 4, 2)

 

Simon & Patricija: Lots of energy just like last week, but a bit clumsy and clompy.  He needs to calm down and focus on the technique.  He and Patricija have great chemistry though.  

 

Auma & Andrzej: Much improved from last week.  She messed up the start of the footwork and a bit in the middle but overall pretty strong compared to last week.  

 

Nicolas & Vadim: Great choreography and sharp, staccato tango from Nicolas.  Posture and balance were a little off at times but he’s definitely a contender and one of the most natural dancers this year.  

 

Senna & Robert: She looked so lost for most of the dance.  Along with multiple mistakes, just overall very weak technique and little connection with Robert.  

 

Ilse & Evgeny: Nice movement mostly, little unsteady and her walk at the end didn’t fit the dance.  Solid performance.  

 

Erol & Marta: Heavy-footed, stiff and missed a couple steps.  Would it really kill the show to give Marta a Rúrik, Simon or just anyone young?

 

Kai & Kathrin: Oh god, David Hasselhoff flashback with this song.  Well, at least Kai wasn’t as cringey and Kathrin gave him more to do than Kym with David but still pretty bad technique.  

 

Lola & Christian: Good lines, mostly clean footwork and nice change of character from her last two dances.  Posture and core could still use some work but she’s on the right path.  One of the better dances so far.  

 

Mickie & Malika: I can’t, he’s so bad.  That was barely a Quickstep, the two or three times they were in hold his form was ghastly and looked like he just learned to WALK.  

 

Jan & Christina: First off, props to Christina once again; she’s really teaching Jan to dance with her and not taking the easy way out by dancing around him.  There was some improved footwork and hip action but his arms still lack musicality although I did appreciate him trying to do Rumba hands.  This wasn’t very good but definitely a point or two better than Mickie.  

 

Rúrik & Renata: Wow, I figured this would be a dramatic and sexy Viennese Waltz given the song and seeing it used for VW before.  Very dramatic moments but also some great moments in hold; he’s a very strong leading man who looked in control dancing with a powerhouse like Renata.  Not sure if it was a 10 like Jorge thought (he throws out high scores like candy) but a definite 9 for the beautiful moments in hold.  Haha they included the judges’ comments in the clip and while it wasn’t understandable being in German, there was a moment when the camera went to Valentina covering Valentin’s (Renata’s husband) ears .  Can’t wait for more from Rúrik, he’s so versatile.  

 

Kim & Pasha: She’s a little off-balance throughout and made a mistake near the middle.  She has good lines but a little too careful and hesitant with her placements.  Definitely a let-down from her stunning Waltz last week but not as weak as Jan and certainly not worse than Mickie.  

 

Valentina & Valentin: Very impressive for a Week 2 Quickstep!  She sailed and skipped across the floor with strong form and body contact with Valentin.  The Lusins are giving me Esha vibes with their support of each other .  All 10s!  I told you the judges throw out 10s like candy 

 

 

My Ranking:

1. Valentina & Valentin

2. Rúrik & Renata

3. Nicolas & Vadim

4. Lola & Christian

5. Auma & Andrzej

6. Ilse & Evgeny

7. Simon & Patricija

8. Kim & Pasha

9. Jan & Christina

10. Kai & Kathrin

11. Senna & Robert

12. Erol & Marta

13. Mickie & Malika

 

Elimination:

 

Bottom three: Jan & Christina, Kim & Pasha, Senna & Robert

 

Bottom two: Jan & Christina, Kim & Pasha

Eliminated: Kim & Pasha

Figured the unknown model would be eliminated over the much poorer middle-aged/senior men the minute she dropped down the leaderboard.  Disappointing as she’s currently winning the Week 1 round in my Best Let’s Dance 2021 Routine +/- game.  Surprised Jan was in the bottom two since there’s a lot of positive commentary about his partnership with Christina, guess him being at the bottom of the leaderboard was enough to drop him down there.  Senna isn’t going to last much longer with two consecutive bottom three appearances.  Mickie needs to go stat but I think he’s going to stay a lot longer than some people.  

 

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Ariel1989

[*Wallace]

So I pretty much only follow this season through wii and Instagram updates. I do love reading all of your updates here, Ariel.   So without properly seeing the dances, I’ll provide some thoughts.  

 

- Are the German voting public allergic or sexist in supporting women? Three women have gone already. Vanessa was a fine first boot. Kim’s elimination is sad. While she had 2 low scoring dances, her Waltz was well received with great scores so it looks like she had some potential in ballroom. Or maybe it was a fluke but she should still be in it. Senna seemed mediocre but think she should still be in it over the 3 guys i’m gonna mention below. But I am nervous for the remaining women if they perform one bad dance.

 

- But do we really need all of Jan, Kai and Mickie remaining who are all consistently really bad? I don’t know anything of their popularity but I see Jan and Kai have landed in the Bottom group a few times already. So hopefully they can go soon. Scared how long Mickie could last. I could put Erol in that group of guys but at least he seems to have 2 decent scoring dances in him so he can outlast those 3.

 

- Rurik and Valentina seems like easily and the runaway two best of this season. Wow at them both getting 30s already. I can’t comment if they are deserved or not though, lol. Fingers crossed they keep up that high standard and and can get to the final. Ooh wait… and I see their partners, Renata & Valentin are a married couple? How cool that they got the best male and female celeb dancers this season.

 

- Nicolas, Lola, Simon and Ilse all seem varyings of good to really good with potential in them, so hoping to see them continue to do well and can make it far.

 

- Also it’s so cool Barack Obamas sister, Auma is in this cast. Seems like her scores are all over the place so you never know what you can get from her.

[*Wallace]

Well gosh, I attempted to try to play Week 2 videos and good news, the links work for me! I still tried with Week 1 but still no luck so I gave up on those dances for now but maybe I’ll try again whenever I have time to do so (and Week 3 too). I’ll provide some thoughts!

 

Week 2!

 

Simon & Patricija Cha-Cha: This was a fun and flirty opening dance. Some of Simon’s dancing was a bit stiff and kinda heavy footed but he’s a great natural performer and I like the fun he had here. Simon & Pareicija had great fun chemistry here too. My score: 5/6

 

Auma & Andrzej - Salsa: Wow it’s so bold giving Auma so much solo work. This did feel a little slow motion at times but it was great seeing how much fun Auma was having performing and letting loose. She had good rhythm and partnering work. She did seem to have a moment where she froze up a bit (or maybe that was my link). But she was cute and infectious here with how she performed. My score: 7

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Tango: Ooh this had quite an Argentine Tango flair to it. This was a very good intense and passionate Tango. I liked all of the fast and intricate footwork and they had some cool tricks in there. With the same sex partnership, I like how they tak advantage of switching who leads and holds, and I thought Nicolas did well in following and then leading Vadim. Good storytelling/perfroming here too. My score: 7/8

 

Senna & Robert - Jive: A cute and fun dance but overall, this wasn’t too good. She seemed to start off fine but then had some stiff and shaky moments. Her energy seemed low at times. I also felt like the pro, Robert, really was out dancing and outperforming her which was also distracting. But Senna did look very cute. My score: 4

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Rumba: This was a very pretty, soft and beautiful Rumba. I thought Ilse performed this well and really got into the emotional aspect well here. She did have some beautiful shapes and lines. There were a few shaky moments here and there but thought this was pretty good overall. My score: 6/7

 

Erol & Marta - Cha-Cha: Oooh lol Erol’s lip synching at the start was quite awkward. Erol seemed very properly placed and stiff throughout the dance. Everything from how he danced, partnered Marta and even his smile/facial expressions all seemed so placed. He did try but he came off overly rehearsed and seemed to lack the natural joy of enjoying himself. My score: 3/4

 

Kai & Kathrin - Cha-Cha: Well this was really bad, as I was expecting. Well his technique and footwork was very club ky, rough and all over the place. But at least he had fun and really got into the dance and had a blast with it. Lol parts of it were kinda cringey and embarrassing. But he entertained, so there’s that. Kathrin was hot & fierce though. My score: 3/4

 

Lola & Christian - Tango: Oooh another Tango with an Argentine Tango flair to it, and such a great song choice too. Lola did do very well with this dance. She performed and got into the passionate character well, had some good slick footwork and a good frame (even though it seemed a bt shaky). I did like all of the tricks and lifts they did, as they were so strong and powerful. My score: 7/8

 

Mickie & Malika - Quickstep: As I expected this was also really bad. Yeah this seemed very clonky, heavy and just not springy and light like a Quickstep should be, at least in the in-hold parts. Mickie was a very cautious in his movements and did walk the steps rather than glide through them. He looked uncomfortable in those parts.  He did better and seemed to let loose and have fun on the out of hold parts. But yeah, not good. He also reminds me of Mick Jagger. My score: 3

 

Jan & Christina - Rumba: Putting so many of the worst dancers altogether (with only Lola separating them) is really not a good look. This wasn’t good but I id think Jan gave a nice kinda charming performance. Christina was reallly beautiful and stunning to watch and she pretty much captured my attention in this dance. Jan…. showed her off well, but he was very stiff and lacking any Latin feel or rhythm. It felt like a father/daughter dance. My score: 2/3

 

Rúrik & Renata - Viennese Waltz: Finally a good dance after so many bad dances. This was a very steamy Viennese Waltz that I feel I would see on DWTS. Rúrik did a great job with this overall. I thought he and Renata had very hot and passionate chemistry. There were times where he seemed really into it that sone parts came off kinda aggressive (though I know thats what the choreo calls for). Rúrik did look and dance the part of a leading man, as he partnered and led the dance well. He had a good firm frame and good footwork. It had a good seamless flow with how they traveled across the floor. The lifts were seamless too. Love this song for a VW too. My score: 9

 

Kim & Pasha - Cha-Cha: First off, Kim did look really hot in this dance. I know she’s a model but she certainly looks it, haha. Hmmm I thought this dance was alright but not as bad as the 10 indicates. She did seem a little off rhythm, a little stiff and quite posey. But I thought she had fun abad was kinda letting loose here. Ooh ok there was a middle section where she did look lost and forgot some steps, which is a shame. It took a little long for her to recapture it. Still i thought she was better than the bad dancing men. A shame she wasn’t forgiven for this dance to redeem herself. My score: 4

 

Valentina & Valentin - Quickstep: Lol I love this partnerships names and how they got paired together. This was a really cute and fun Quickstep. The beginning was cute. But then I love how Valentina got right into hold with good frame positioning and she was so graceful and elegant in her hold. She moved so light and elegantly with her footwork. She had good bouncy footwork and they really moved/gelled as one. She performed really well with great fun on the out of hold parts too. They sold the comedic bits in a fun, cheeky and funny way. I’m not quite sure if I’d give a perfect 30 this soon, but I’m not mad - I’d go with a mx of 9s and 10s. My score: 9/10

 

 

My rankings:

1. Valentina & Valentin - Quickstep
2. Rúrik & Renata - Viennese Waltz
3. Nicolas & Vadim - Tango
4. Lola & Christian - Tango
5. Auma & Andrzej - Salsa
6. Ilse & Evgeny - Rumba
7. Simon & Patricija Cha-Cha
8. Senna & Robert - Jive
9. Kim & Pasha - Cha-Cha
10. Kai & Kathrin - Cha-Cha
11. Erol & Marta - Cha-Cha
12. Mickie & Malika - Quickstep
13. Jan & Christina - Rumba

[Ariel1989]

Great to hear your thoughts Wally, glad you were able to finally watch some of the dances!  I should be starting Week 2 in the Best Let’s Dance Routine Game tomorrow if you want to participate.  
 

Haven’t gotten to watching Week 3 yet, hopefully tomorrow I can finally watch the dances and give my thoughts here.  

[*Wallace]

22 hours ago, Ariel1989 said:

Great to hear your thoughts Wally, glad you were able to finally watch some of the dances!  I should be starting Week 2 in the Best Let’s Dance Routine Game tomorrow if you want to participate.  
 

Haven’t gotten to watching Week 3 yet, hopefully tomorrow I can finally watch the dances and give my thoughts here.  

Thanks, Ariel!  I'm so glad I was able to finally watch. I'm happy to be able to participate in the Week 2 round!

 

Hoping i have the same luck and can watch the Week 3 dances too. Got to find time for that. Looking forward to reading your thoughts though!

[*Wallace]

Week 3 Thoughts!

 

 

Lola & Christian - Jive: Okay this was such a weird and distracting version of “Wannabe.” I know Lola has had a lot of fun upbeat dances but this is the first of those I’ve seen from her. This was a very good Jive to kick off the show. She has great energy and an infectious personality while dancing and performing. She had good technique and kicks & flicks throughout. Some parts did seem a little off balance and shaky in some spots. And  few moments where it seemed she gassed out in energy in bit which is expected with such a fast complex dance. But the tricks and flips were all good and fun to watch. My score: 7

 

Erol & Marta - Viennese Waltz: Definitely a much better dance from Erol. He still has a stiffness to his dancing but it worked better in a Waltz. He did have some decent footwork and elegance in how he moved. His frame and posture seemed a bit shaky, sometimes it looked good and other times he looked a little hunched. But I do like how dramatic it was and he connected to the dance and performed it well.  Also loved the portrait theme with Marta. My score: 6

 

Kai & Kathrin - Paso Doble: Lol such a dramatic entrance with him kicking down the gate door.   But yikes, this was really bad. He looked very right and upright in his frame and shoulder area, footwork wasn’t good/stompy and the partnering not good. OK he did try and give a good effort with his solo section, and he was into it as he brought power and intensity there at least.  So the intent was there. Oh he had this pouty lip look which looked weird to me. Kathrin was fierce. My score: 3/4

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Slowfox: I wasn’t expecting this for a Slowfox, as I was expecting a softer slower dance from them. But I do like the cool slick approach they had with this dance. Nicolas really danced well with Vadim, while they were in hold and they were very in sync on the side by side parts. The switches they do with the lead and following in hold is really cool and they made it so seamless. This was fun to watch. My score: 9

 

Auma & Andrzej - Slowfox: Now this is the style I was expecting more from a Slowfox. This was a very pretty dance. Auma did well in this for the most part. She does seem to tense up and shoulders raise up a little while in hold. A few off parts. But she looked to have some decent footwork in there and moved well. My score: 6

 

Simon & Patricija - Contemporary: This was a very pretty Contemporary from Simon. Simon is surprisingly graceful and smooth in his movements, which yu wouldn’t normally see from male boxers on these shows. I thought Simon partnered Patricija well and he really did well with all of the lifts showcasing lots of strength and impressive lifts throughout the dance, especially that one part where he lifted her above his head. He did well on the side by side solo parts but he did have some synch issues, seem to lack some proper technique and had a few balance/off issues in there. I also felt the dance was a bit too heavy on partnering work/lifts and not as much side by side stuff. But this was very pretty and enjoyable, and once again they have great chemistry while dancing. My score: 7

 

Jan & Christina - Tango: Ooh with the song/style of this dance, it didn’t real feel like a Tango to me. It kinda had more of a Waltz feel to me until about halfway through. Jan wasn’t too good ut I didn’t think he was that terrible. He had an okay frame, the footwork wasn’t great but I thought he partnered Christina well. He didn’t really seem to do much especially on the parts where they weren’t dancing in hold. I expected worse than this so kind of a ~pleasant surprise. My score: 5

 

Valentina & Valentin - Rumba: Ooh I love this song for a Rumba and feel like there’s barely been Rumbas to “Endless Love.” This wsas a really beautiful dance from Valentina. She danced and performed this in such a stunning and beautiful way. And wow she looks absolutely gorgeous in this. She did showcase some lovely shapes, lines and fluidity in her movements. She had good le acti and hip action. The chemistry she and Valentin had was oozing here. Kinda surprised this only got a 22, and only one 8 as I felt it deserved more 8s. My score: 8

 

Senna & Robert - Slowfox: All of these Slowfoxs dances are so different. But ooo this was a very steamy and sexy kind of dance here. I thought Senna did alright/fine here. Some parts she seemed to be lacking grace needed for the style but the intent and effort was there. She did move well in hold being led by Robert. Something does feel a little off and awkward with her frame and dancing to me. But there were some good moments and I liked the style/flair of the dance. While Senna wasn’t a robbery, I still would have liked seeing her improve. My score: 5/6

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Cha-Cha: Ooh it was nice seeing this fun side of Ilse after her emotional sensual Rumba the other week. She kinda reminded me of someone like a Heather Graham (in a 70s movie)/Farrah Fawcett. Lol Ilse and Evgeny played the hot girl and dorky guy (for the short time he did) roles very well respectively. Ilse was also very cute and fun with how she reformed this dance. I thought her Cha-Cha dancing was pretty good for the most part. A few parts seemed a little shaky. But she had the Disco flair and attitude and she looked like she was having the time of her life here. I liked the feel good vibe here. M score: 7

 

Mickie & Malika - Rumba: Oh dear, I was dreading seeing Mickie’s Rumba. Well his piano playing at the start was nice. And wow Malika was fall stunning and hot in this dance! She kinda distracted me as I wanted to just watch her in this. :aha: Oh right…. got to talk about Mickie here. Yeah his “dancing” was not good here. He is “dancing” was definitely  like it was walking and there was no hip action. It all felt very Latin dance basic steps 101. I will give him credit that he did seem to connect with the dance and showcase Malika well. My score: 3

 

Rúrik & Renata - Jive: I was definitely anticipating and looking forward to Rúrik’s Jive as I know it scored a perfect 30. I am also very amused by a Jive to “Dot Worry, Be Happy” as I never would have imagined that in my life but it works with this arrangement. But  okay, this was a very strong and impressive Jive from Rúrik. He was very light and fast in his footwork. He had great precisions in how he executed his kicks & flicks. The partnering dancing, with all of their fast paced spins was great and fun to watch, as they just built up their energy and sustained it. I loved the energy he had and really channeled and brought in that 50s Elvis style so well here. He just made everything look so effortless and at ease. I am not mad at the perfect 30 as I did feel it was deserving. My score: 10

 

 

Rankings:

1. Rúrik & Renata - Jive
2. Nicolas & Vadim - Slowfox
3. Valentina & Valentin - Rumba
4. Lola & Christian - Jive
5. Simon & Patricija - Contemporary
6. Ilse & Evgeny - Cha-Cha
7. Auma & Andrzej - Slowfox
8. Erol & Marta - Viennese Waltz
9. Senna & Robert - Slowfox
10. Jan & Christina - Tango
11. Kai & Kathrin - Paso Doble
12. Mickie & Malika - Rumba

[*Wallace]

Yayy Finally got around to watching the Week 4 dances!

 

Week 4!

 

Auma & Andrzej - Cha-Cha: This was a really fun Disco inspire Cha-Cha  from Auma. It was fun seeing her really let loose and show off a different side of her. She had some good and fun moments although some of her dancing did see m a little hectic and messy here and there. Like i noticed she was shaky in a lot of her spotting and turns. But this was the most fun she had, which I appreciate. My score: 6/7

 

Erol & Marta - Rumba: Well I thought Erol gave a decent attempt at the Rumba and was certainly better than the  other older men who attempted this. He did create some shapes, connected well and had good chemistry with Marta, and did tr yto be fluid with the hip action. Theres still some awkwardness in his dancing and some of his dancing could have been smoother. It was kinda jerky  but veralp was btter than I expected. Marta was gorgeous in this. My score: 5

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Charleston: It’s fun watching Ilse journey as I feel she’s getting better and better each week. And wow the same song to Clara’s amazing Charleston on Strictly, but I liked how this was very ifferent. Ilse was really fun and adorable in how she performed this and nailed the character. She really threw herself into the lifts so well. I enjoyed all of their side by side dancing. It was full of fun, character and so fun to watch. I did see one little moment where she froze up at the end or something but still great. My score: 8/9

 

Lola & Christian - Viennese Waltz: Ooh another “Stuckwitu” VW. This was quite a fast paced moving Viennese Waltz. I would have liked for them to take their time and slowed it down little bit, as it did seem kinda fast. But regardless this was a really beautiful and stunning routine. Lola has a great elegant quality to her movement and a really solid frame. She had good footwork throughout. The lifts were nicely done, and  I especially liked the last lift they did that closed the dance. My score: 7/8

 

Mickie & Malika - Tango: A Pink Panther Tango is something new to me. Hmm this wsas an interesting dance. As usual, Mickie was just not good and quite stiff in the dancing. His solo part and dancing side by side with Malika was also awkward. And yeah his in hold dancing isn’t goo as h moves in a shaky lacking confident way in hold and he has moments of being hunched in hold. Malika was a highlight and very hot in her catsuit here. My score: 3 

 

Kai & Kathrin - Slowfox: Lol at first i thought hits was another Vegas themed Slowfox ut it was more of a Classic Hollywood type. This was a sweet dance in the style of it. But sadly his dancing was so robotic and stiff while in hold. He didn’t move so well and danced uncomfortably. He was also quite skippy in the footwork. He did sell and perform it well on the out of hold solo/side by side parts. It was a cute dance though not very good. My score: 3

 

Simon & Patricija - Paso Doble: The Paso Doble is a style that should fit Simon well, and i feel it did after seeing this dance. I liked that they di a traditional Paso. Simon ave a strong, powerful and intense performance here. I felt he gave it a lot of attack in how he moved, dance and hit his lines. I think he maybe hit the dance with a little too much attack that it lacked some refinement in spots (mostly at the beginning). But I loved the drama he brought and he did very well on the side by side flamenco dancing - with the Spanish lines and fast footwork. Very good and powerful, certainly his best yet. My score: 8

 

Jan & Christina - Samba: So many songs used from SCD18 here. Oh dear he got Jacqui’s Samba song… and I don’t know which Samba was worse here. Lol Christina doing that long intro to make Jan do even less arcing. But ooh dear…. Jan is a sweet older gentleman but this was just not good. He lacked rhythm, had no hip action and seemed very steppy. He was doing his own movements…. and his own thing. Ooh the footwork and technique was really not there. Soo it was a really bad dancing but he is charming an gave it his best try. My score: 2

 

Rúrik & Renata - Tango: I definitely expected Rúrik to deliver a strong Tango, an d he certainly did so! This was such an intense, powerful and passionate dance and he brought all of those elements to this dance. I liked how this dance had a lot of Paso and Argentine Tango content/moves in it, and maybe it felt like those styles more than the stander Tang. But i liked how they had a mix of subtle quiet ports, alongside the intense and powerful moves. He had great dancing in hold, sharp footwork and he hits his moves with attack and precision to it. Ooh they did seem to have much more standard Tango towards the end, which was great - as the whole dance was. Loved the lifts, especially the closing lift. And Renata was super hot in this too! My score: 9

 

Valentina & Valentin - Salsa: This started off as a classy sensual kind of Salsa which was interesting, but it did pick up the energy and pace as it went on. I thought Valentina was great throughout the dance. She had such amazing and rhythmic hip action and moved and danced with lots of rhythm and energy. She was great arcing on her own and did well with the solo work. Loved all of the partnering they did, which was so seamless and effortless. I just really loved the party atmosphere they brought to the dance. I actually was expecting and hoping for some more lifts in this which there wasn’t but thats okay because this dane didn’t need those. I did love that cool pot stirrer move at the end. She was also really gorgeous and hot in this too. My score: 9

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Contemporary: Ooh wow this was definitely such a beautiful and powerful moment. Nicolas & Vadim really dance so well as one and were so perfectly in sync on the side by side partnering dancing. Really loved how they attacked those moves - like that part where they leaped in the air together and other moves they id together. But the partnering dancing they do is also so powerful and moving. The story they sold and shared was full of meaning and heart. Loved the part where Nicolas lifted Vadim up so effortlessly too. A great moment for Nicolas and he’s showing that he can be a top contender alongside Rúrik & Valentina.

 

Rankings:

1. Nicolas & Vadim - Contemporary
2. Valentina & Valentin - Salsa
3. Rúrik & Renata - Tango
4. Ilse & Evgeny - Charleston
5. Simon & Patricija - Paso Doble
6. Lola & Christian - Viennese Waltz 
7. Auma & Andrzej - Cha-Cha
8. Erol & Marta - Rumba
9. Kai & Kathrin - Slowfox
10. Mickie & Malika - Tango
11. Jan & Christina - Samba

 

Regarding the results, FINALLY the trio of bad dancing men in Jan/Kai/Mickie all landed in the Bottom 3 together. Well done to Kai getting this far, but it ws time for him to go even though I think I slightly like him more than Jan & Mickie but i won’t complain. Hopefully those two go next, then Erol can go and we can be left with a great Final 7. *fingers crossed*

[Ariel1989]

Finally got to watch all the Week 3 dances and have my thoughts on them!

 

Lola & Christian Jive: Weird cover of “Wannabe”, this show often pairs songs and dances that don’t go together and sometimes their covers work, sometimes they don’t work.  Anyway, Lola is a great performer as always and she’s steadily growing each week as a dancer.  Lots of energy throughout, at times her movements were a bit ungainly and sloppy, especially in the cartwheel, but overall a good dance from her.  She got all 7s, the same score as last week.  

 

Erol & Marta Viennese Waltz: Another weird song choice.  Okay dancing from Erol, he was doing a bit of rise and fall which is in the Waltz, not the Viennese Waltz.  A little blocky and skippy in his movement.  Score was 7, 6, 4 which is one point lower than his best dance, his Week 1 Tango.  

 

Kai & Kathrin Paso Doble: Okay, not as bad as his past dances which I guess is an improvement.  Good choreography from Kathrin, wish she would get more contenders.  Score was 5, 5, 3 which is the exact same score as last week.  

 

Nicolas & Vadim Slowfox: Slowfox is another word for Foxtrot over there.  Pretty good gliding and frame from Nicolas, a little hop at one point but overall another great dance from him.  Score was 10, 10, 8 which is his best score so far.  Not sure I’d give it a 10 since it wasn’t totally perfect in my eyes, probably 8-9.  

 

Auma & Andrzej Slowfox: She has good moments and iffy moments.  Her footwork looked good but her frame was hit-and-miss.  There’s times when she really commits and performs but other times she’s a bit hesitant.  She also had a bit of trouble getting back into hold after a break.  She looked amazing though, her dress gave me Lupita Nyong’o at the Oscars vibes.  Score was 7, 6, 4 so quite a drop from her breakout Salsa last week.  

 

Simon & Patricija Contemporary: He’s usually pretty good at the performance part but I felt a disconnection between him and this style, there was one moving lift where he was just walking to the next spot while lifting Patricija.  You can tell she’s not experienced in Contemporary either, most of the choreography was her looking pretty and getting lifted by Simon.  Score was 6, 7, 6, tied with his Week 1 Viennese Waltz for his highest score.  

 

Jan & Christina Tango: A little bit better than his other dances but still not very good technique and his feet were flexed the whole time.  I’m also not a fan of happy-themed Tangos and feel like Jan has been lucky with getting dances and music that suit his cute partnership with Christina.  Score was 5, 5, 2, a two point improvement from his previous three dances.  

 

Valentina & Valentin Rumba: Beautiful movement from Valentina and she had good chemistry with Valentin.  Sometimes her feet weren’t closed or pointed and she could’ve extended her legs a bit more but a solid dance from Valentina.  Score was 8, 7, 7, which seems fair although she could’ve used another 8.  

 

Senna & Robert Slowfox: Another dance with an unconventional song assignment but I actually really like this soft, feminine version of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”.  As for the dancing, at the beginning she had some good lines but as the dance went on, her energy dropped a bit.  She also looked uncomfortable in hold which probably wasn’t helped by Robert’s blindfold gimmick, don’t know why he put that pressure on his beginner dance partner by blindfolding himself for most of the dance.  I’m kind of seeing why he never gets a Valentina/Lili Paul-Roncalli/Ella Endlich/Vanessa Mai-type of contender.  Score was 6, 6, 4, her highest score so far.  

 

Ilse & Evgeny Cha-Cha-Cha: Fun and great energy throughout, lots of Cha-Cha-Cha content with a bit of disco but not so much that it took away from the Cha-Cha-Cha.  Her technique was hit-or-miss, her knees were bent throughout and her footwork was a little wild.  Overall though, a solid and improved party Latin from Ilse.  Score was 7, 7, 6, her highest score so far.  

 

Mickie & Malika Rumba: Malika is gorgeous, I want her hair.  Mickie’s there too.  Stiff as a board, airplane arms, unsteady footing.  I don’t feel like wasting time on him.  Score was 5, 5, 3, his highest score so far (how sad).  

 

Rúrik & Renata Jive: Wow he is good, like REALLY good!  Great musicality, technique and chemistry with Renata, the whole package.  If he doesn’t make the Finals, there is no justice.  Score was 10, 10, 10, their first perfect score!  The Lusins each have a perfect score now, wonder who will have the most in the end?

 

Results: 

 

There was a bottom four this week.  

 

Bottom four: Jan & Christina

Bottom three: Erol & Marta

Bottom two: Kai & Kathrin

Eliminated: Senna & Robert

 

Not too fussed about Senna going since she wasn’t improving very much but hopefully the weak men being in the bottom is a sign they will be eliminated soon (although Erol is better than Jan, Kai and Mickie who has yet to hit the bottom).  

[Ariel1989]

Late with my Week 4 review!

 

Auma & Andrzej (Cha-Cha-Cha): Another great look on her.  Very fast choreography but she coped well.  A bit stompy in places but her performance quality is really improving, she’s definitely more confident in Latin.  7, 7, 5, her second-highest score.  

 

Erol & Marta (Rumba): Good acting and connection with Marta (who is amazing in this dance) but he’s very stiff in the hips and his movement is blocky.  Score was 6, 5, 3, one of his lower scores, wouldn’t give a 6 but that’s Jorge for you.  #Ringer4Marta2022

 

Ilse & Evgeny (Charleston): Evgeny’s facial expressions are hilarious.  Great footwork from Ilse, especially the swivel, and matched Evgeny’s energy and expressions.  A little bit hesitant at the start but quickly got into it.  Definitely her best dance, she’s improving every week.  9, 9, 8, her best score yet!  Well-deserved.  

 

Lola & Christian (Viennese Waltz): Good lines in the beginning and lots of dancing in hold.  Her posture still needs some work and she sometimes seems to lose focus and forgets about her lines, she’s still a bit of a wild mover.  8, 8, 7, her best score.  

 

Mickie & Malika (Tango): Well it certainly wasn’t Mickie’s dancing that saved them from elimination, well-played Malika.  So many basic flaws: no closed feet, bad posture, slouching, etc.  Please let him go.  Score was 4, 4, 3, too high, he should be in the single digits.  Next.

 

Kai & Kathrin (Slowfox): Another clumsy dance with a gorgeous pro (Kathrin is stunning, my favorite dress so far).  Score was 4, 4, 2, his second-lowest score.  Next.  

 

Simon & Patricija (Paso Doble): Finally an improved male contestant!  Definitely his best dance so far, passionate, athletic and in-control; his musicality is even improving, sometimes he lost it but still a big difference from his past dances where he was just going through the motions.  Patricija is elegantly-fierce, she remind me of Nadiya Bychkova.  Score was 8, 8, 7, his best score and well-deserved.  

 

Jan & Christina (Samba): Christina is portraying a Pepto Bismol Muppet for this dance.  Oh look, another cutesy theme for Jan, he’s more fun to watch than Mickie but this same theme every week is getting old.   Plus, he’s just not good.  Score was 4, 4, 2, another too high score.  Next.

 

Rúrik & Renata (Tango): I can’t decide who I’m more attracted to in this dance, they’re both so pretty!  Okay, on to the dance; dramatic, synchronized and sharp.  I do think the song was too staccato even for a Tango, Renata didn’t put a lot in hold and at times Rúrik lost body contact because it was so fast.  Still, one of the top dances of the week.  Score was 9, 9, 8, one of his middle scores.  

 

Valentina & Valentin (Salsa): She has great fluidity in her movement and steps, can’t wait to see her do a slow ballroom or Contemporary.  Grounded in the floor, complex choreography with many underarm connections and a good attempt of a pot-stirrer at the end.  She delivers every week!  Score was 9, 9, 9, her second-highest score.  

 

Nicolas & Vadim (Contemporary): They start in the skybox, interesting change of pace in beginning a dance there.  I’m struggling to find words that will accurately describe this beautiful dance, I had tears in my eyes by the end.  Nicolas & Vadim are just an amazing duo, everything they do on the dance-floor is equal and as a pair.  Best dance of the season so far.  Score was 10, 10, 10, a well-deserved first perfect score for Nicolas & Vadim.  

 

Boys vs. Girls Dance Battle: This was a pretty cool concept, with the male celebrities and male pros on one side and the female celebrities and female pros on the other side at the beginning and each team taking turns dancing on the floor.  Each team kept the same formation for each round of dancing; haha at Nicolas, Rúrik and Simon in the front and center while Erol, Jan, Kai and Mickie were kept in the back even behind the pros, only Mickie got a close-up during the battle while Erol, Jan and Kai could’ve just sat on the steps and no one would even know they weren’t there (I couldn’t even spot Erol or Jan lol).  The women were a lot more evenly matched with Ilse, Lola and Valentina being the obvious standouts but Auma held her own with them and even got her own solo moment!  Obvious winners were the ladies with 9 points while the mediocre men (poor Nicolas, Rúrik and Simon) got a measly 6.  

 

Results: 

 

Bottom three: Jan & Christina, Kai & Kathrin, Mickie & Malika

Bottom two: Kai & Kathrin, Mickie & Malika

Eliminated: Kai & Kathrin

 

FINALLY a man leaves and one of the bad dancers!  AND the worst men were the bottom three, yes!  Sad for Kathrin, going from Tijan to Kai, she and Marta need some Ekaterina/Renata-level partners next year.  

[*Wallace]

Love reading your reviews as always Ariel!  

 

Just saw scores for this week's dances. And saw that the Bottom 2 was Lola vs. Erol. Ugh poor Lola already landing in the Bottom 2 when Mickie and Jan are still there.  They better go before her. As for Erol going... that's an alright result. He had some bad dances but some decent'ish ones too. He was the best of the bad male dancers  as he could produce some passable ballroom routines. But oh well. Will check out this week's dances soon.

[*Wallace]

Week 5 Thoughts!

 

Lola & Christian - Salsa: This was a really fun and hot routine. I do love how Lola really throws herself into these routines and just is so bold and has a blast on the stage. She did well with the partnering and arm work and all of those Salsa basics. She had very good rhythm and energy throughout. I guess some parts weren’t as fluid and seamless as it could be and a bit of wildness but i didn’t mind. I loved the lifts and as I said she is just so bold and really goes for it. I did really enjoy this. Disgusting she was in the Bottom 2 after this. My score: 8

 

Jan & Christina -  Slowfox: A slower ballroom like the Slowfox suits Jan much better. This was another sweet father/daughter type routine. Jan… tried his best and did showcase his partner well. Sadly his dancing was still not good or smooth and it was very dancing by numbers. Oh some parts in hold he looked like he was leaning forward towards her too much that it looked like he could have stepped on her toes. He did a nice lift move in there. Probably one of his better danes but he does need to go. My score: 3 or 4

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Charleston: I love seeing Nicolas grow and getting better each week.  I honestly didn’t expect him to be as strong of a contender along the likes of Valentina and Rurik when I first started watching this. Nicolas was very animated silly and had the characterization down for the Charleston. I actually really loved all of their partnering dancing and thought those were the strongest parts here. But then their side by side dancing with their sync was really great. Nicolas ha some great swivel footwork in there too. They needed this light and fun side of them as a lot of their danes have been so serious. My score: 9 or 10

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Tango: Like i mentioned of Nicolas needing to show a different side,  I felt the same way with Ilse too especially showing an intense passionate side. I wasn’t sure how she’d do with this style but she did really well. She connected well and brought some steamy passionate chemistry here. She sold a story and nailed the character. I thought she did well dancing in hold with sharp quickness in her movements. Some parts she did seem a little shaky and unsure (with the speed of the moves) but she did hold it all together. The lifts were great and so exciting to watch.  The ending was so dramatic but so good too. My score: 8

 

Auma & Andrzej - Rumba: Aww Auma was cute in this. She looked like she was enjoying herself and her smiling was super cute. Although kinda not properly fitting for a Rumba. And it did seem like she was smiling all throughout the dance with a lack of range in facial expressions - it was the same smile for the whole dance. I’ll let it slide as the song did have a feel good vibe to it. She danced fine but seemed too cautious/safe/careful in how she danced this round. She had some okay footwork. Not her best but not her worst. My score: 5

 

Simon & Patricija - Jive: Okay so many dances with a tropical beach party vibe it seems. This was a bit of a step-down for Simon from his last few dances. But not too bad as I still thought he did decent with this Jive. It was nice seeing this animated and silly character from him. He was quite OTT in his facial expressions that it was hilarious to watch. Wow his open kicks went super high. He definitely had a wild hecticness in his dancing and lacked refinement in his movements. I did like the series of Patricja spins she did with Simon assisting her towards the end. Simon did really give A LOT in this but i do appreciate someone giving too much than too little. My score: 6 or 7

 

Erol & Marta - Samba: Aww Erol. As usual, he seems so stiff, timid and awkward in his dancing of these party Latin danes. His dancing was very robotic and dance by numbers. It felt like he was concentrated too hard on getting the moves right an not really performing it and having fun. He had a few silly moments and he did seem to let loose towards the end on the side by side parts. But still not to good. I still would have rather he stayed over Jan or Mickie but oh well. My score: 3 or 4

 

Mickie & Malika - Salsa:LOL Not gonna lie,  Malika is so hot and fierce in their party dances that it makes me enjoy Mickie’s dances an not made he’s overstaying his welcome - just go before you rob the 6/7 actual decent dancers. But yeah Malika was so fierce in this I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. Well Mickie had fun….. and I guess he did an alright ob partnering her. He was behind her for a lot of the dance which was smart. Then he was some moves I had no idea what he was doing. But he having fun with the solo stuff he was doing. Omgg I cringed so much and got secondhand embarrassment at his shimmying and his partially exposing his chest towards the end. MAKE IT STOP. Fun dance but not good. My score: 4

 

Valentina & Valentin - Slowfox: Wow this was really such a gorgeous dance. This dance had a nice Broadway theater feel at the start of it which was fun and exciting to see. Then they got right into the  Foxtrot hold. Valentina places in so well with her frame and in hold posit. She has great footwork and danced this with such grace and elegance. But she managed to have fun and show some character moments on the out of hold parts. I also love all of the leg extension moves she did. The big lift + spin move was gorgeous and so seamless. Such a perfect dance deserving of its perfect score. My score: 10.

 

Rúrik & Renata - Quickstep: It was nice seeing this fun side of Rúrik. The opening lift they did was really fun. But i love that they meant business and got right into hold and fast Quickstep dancing. Rúrik provided a good frame, close body contact and fast & precise footwork. He moved with such effortlessness and ease. This was a really fun and joyous dance. I loved how bouncy they were in some parts of this. Those parts were Rurik lifted and spin Renata around twice was also really fun. As were the parts where they tapped their feet together in hold an their side by side dancing. I felt this dance had so much content and so much going on in it but it made it all so exciting to watch as i want to know what they were going to do next. My score: 10

 

Rankings:

1. Valentina & Valentin - Slowfox
2. Rúrik & Renata - Quickstep
3. Nicolas & Vadim - Charleston
4. Ilse & Evgeny - Tango
5. Lola & Christian - Salsa 
6. Simon & Patricija - Jive
7. Auma & Andrzej - Rumba
8. Mickie & Malika - Salsa  
9. Jan & Christina -  Slowfox
10. Erol & Marta - Samba 

 

Also why is the performance order the most unfair thing/least changed thing ever? Rurik closes the show every other week (or is always in the last 3 spots). Lola opens the show every other week (or goes toward the beginning). Mickie and Valentina always seems towards the end. Simon seems always toward the middle.  I think everyone else’s balances out but this is all so weird to me lol.

[Ariel1989]

My late thoughts on Week 5!

 

Lola & Christian (Salsa): Perfect fit for Lola’s personality, her exuberance came through and she gave it her all.  Great tricks and good execution, a little hesitant and behind Christian at times but definitely one of her best dances.  Score was 8, 8, 6, her second-best score.  6 felt a little low, would’ve given her a 7 instead.  

 

Jan & Christina (Slowfox): Christina’s dressed as an Easter basket for this dance.  Another cutesy song and dance but one of Jan’s better performances.  He really tried to attempt the glide in the Slowfox and was lighter on his feet than in previous dances.  An improvement but he needs to go soon because the competition is getting down to the nitty gritty and he isn’t at the same level of the remaining contestants (well most of them, you know who I’m talking about).  Score was 5, 5, 2, tied with his Week 3 Tango for his best score but the rest of his scores have each been a 10 which says a lot about his progression and potential (answer: not a lot).  

 

Nicolas & Vadim (Charleston): So peppy and yet so clean!  Nicolas’s technique has been improving every week, his swivel was great and he was in sync with Vadim every step.  I love watching them, they need to be in the Finale!  Score was 10, 10, 9, down a point from the previous week’s perfect Contemporary but a well-deserved good score.  

 

Ilse & Evgeny (Tango): Good use of her legs and acting was spot-on.  Her frame was sometimes a bit sloppy but overall a pretty good dance from Ilse.  Score was 9, 9, 7, her second-best score.  

 

Auma & Andrzej (Rumba): Good start to the dance having several shirtless dudes surrounding them!  Onto the dancing, her footwork looked clean but her movement was a bit safe and her hip movement was very minimal.  I think she’s not as comfortable in the slow dances as she is in the party dances.  I just wanted more from her in the Rumba.  Score was 7, 7, 2 a big difference between Jorge & Motsi and Joachim.  7s were a bit too high.  

 

Simon & Patricija (Jive): Uh-oh looks a bit like he started on the wrong foot in the first footwork sequence, his foot almost seemed to collide with Patricija’s foot and the next sequence had them doing kicks and flicks on the same legs rather than the opposite legs in the first.  A little wild and unfinished at times and yikes he slipped on Patricija’s discarded apron near the end and almost fell.  A bit of a mess, not a train wreck but on the verge.  Score was 8, 6, 6 (Jorge does not know how to judge dancing).  

 

Erol & Marta (Samba): Okay not the train wreck I was expecting this to be compared to his past Latin but still very stiff and blocky.  I don’t know why Marta hasn’t already quit after years of duffers and one contender that she only got due to Christina’s injury.  Hey Germany, can you please cast more male contenders than male duffers next year and give one of those contenders to Marta for once?  German Emma Slater is long overdue for her Rashad.  Score was 6, 5, 2 (Again, Jorge, learn to judge).  

 

Mickie & Malika (Salsa): Malika’s gold dress is fantastic and represents the medal she’s earned for dealing with Mickie’s hopelessness every week.  This was actually not as bad as his past dances, he embraced the style and was finally showing some connection to Malika after five weeks.  He’s still not very good but definitely the least-bad of all his dances.  I hope Malika is brought back next year; in the words of Mary Murphy, she’s a hot tamale dancer and she’s made the best out of a difficult job in teaching Mickie every week.  Score was 6, 6, 4, a tad over-scored for me since Jan felt a bit cleaner.  

 

Valentina & Valentin (Slowfox): Favorite ballroom gown of this week (favorite Latin dress is Malika’s), she looks like a princess.  Great chemistry with Valentin, beautiful frame in hold, extensions give me Melissa Rycroft-vibes!  Best dance of the night and best ballroom dance of the season so far!  Score was 10, 10, 10, their second perfect score!  Well-deserved!

 

Rúrik & Renata (Quickstep): He has such good frame in hold and he managed to keep body contact with Renata pretty much every time they were in hold, even with the lightning-fast footwork.  A little on the chaotic side for me, especially during the parts out of hold (which were a lot), Renata needs to put more hold into their ballroom dances because he’s very good there.  Still a pretty good dance from them.  Score was 10, 10, 9, not sure if I’d give it a 10 compared to Nicolas & Vadim and especially Valentina & Valentin.  

 

My personal ranking:

1. Valentina & Valentin

2. Nicolas & Vadim

3. Rúrik & Renata

4. Lola & Christian

5. Ilse & Evgeny

6. Auma & Andrzej

7. Simon & Patricija

8. Jan & Christina

9. Mickie & Malika

10. Erol & Marta

 

The bottom three were Mickie, Lola and Erol.  Mickie was then safe and then Lola which meant Erol was eliminated.  Not unhappy since he wasn’t improving but Lola in the bottom two?!  Yikes, that doesn’t look good, she needs to get a better time slot since every other week she’s first and the other weeks she’s in the middle.  

[*Wallace]

Week 6 Thoughts!

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Quickstep: This was a really fun and cute Quickstep to start off the show. It was nice seeing her paying homage to her singing/music talent.  I thought she had a lot of fun with this. She had a nice frame, good footwork and moved well while in hold.  She did sometimes look a bit uncomfortable and unsure in some sections with her frame/head positions. But she did well on the out of hold section in the middle and end of the dance. Maybe not one of Ilse’s very best but still very good. My score: 8

 

Auma & Andrzej - Charleston: It was great seeing this really fun side of Auma an her letting loose in this dance. The 1920s Charleston  theme i suit her very well. It did start a little slow and lol the section ofn the steps was funny although it too a little long. But I thought she did really well once she got to the actual Charleston partnering and especially all of the side by side dancing. In those parts, I felt that was the most confident she has seen in a performance. Sadly, she did lose some stamina and some sync with Andrzej, where she got a bit messy. But she gave a confident performance and one of her better dances for sure. My score: 7

 

Simon & Patricija - Slowfox: Gosh it feels like forever since Simon has done a ballroom dance. I know it’s been since Week 1, which I still haven’t gotten to watch. I thought this dance had a nice classy feel to it. Simon did a decent job with this dance. He did seem kinda stiff and uncomfortable in the in-hold dancing. But he shone much more on the out of hold / side by side parts and I like the fun he had there. I did think he improved on the in hold parts  as the dance progressed but still some moments of not seeming at ease. But yeah it was a cute and classy dance and I did enjoy it. I felt that 5 was very harsh but agreed with the 7s. My score: 7

 

Valentina & Valentin - Jive: This was a really cute and fun dance from Team Val. Valentina did great and shone well with all of her solo dancing at the start, which is to be expected. But she did fantastic with all of the Jive content - there were lots of great partnering, bounce action in the footwork and great kicks & flicks. She brought great high level of energy in how she danced and performed. It was a lot of fun, an she just makes it all look so effortless. LOL that part of Valentin with the trumpet solo. Suprirsed no 10s were given as this looked nearly perfect. My score: 9/10

 

Lola & Christian - Cha-Cha: Ooh this was a very interesting type routine. The intro of  with Lola doing her solo was very hot, I must say. All in all, this dance had a great mix of fun and sexiness to it. She did nice with the slower Cha-Cha parts and the fast quick Cha-Cha parts. Some parts didn’t look as sharp or precise as others but eh it was still really good overall. I thought she had good footwork and hip action. I really enjoyed it. My score: 8.

 

Mickie & Malika - Charleston: Well Mickie… sure ha fun here. Lol he’s such an awkward mover and dancer and this dance definitely highlight that. But I do like how he was able to embrace being silly an showing a lot of humor. Thahts what the Charleston is about and he brought that. And dare I sa, his dan king wasn’t terrible here. He did some good partnering dancing with Malika, and his silliness worked with the performing and he did do well with the side by side dancing. His technical dancing will never be top notch but he did do well with his limited dance skill. This was certainly his best dance, imo. And dare i say, I may agree on the 6s. My score: 6.

 

Jan & Christina - Jive: Ugh now why they gotta put Mickie and Jan back to back? They could spread the bad dancing part of the show apart. Oh dear I was dreading this Jive from Jan, and yeah I was right to do so. And also this was a really weird version of “Forever Young.” Certain songs don’t need to be remixed ike this. Anyway, Jan did showcase the younger hip cool kind of performer and yeah he tried. Sadly, his Jive arcing was really bad. His footwork and kicks & flicks were flat and limp. He also looked like he forgot a good chunk of the choreography on the side by side kicks & flicks. Or just gave no effort to it. Christina was doing the absolute MOST to make this a fun and entertaining acne. She was great to watch. Jan was not. It was like they were performing two different dances. I think this might be one of, if not Jan’s worst dance. YIKES @ that 1 but I can’t even say that was harsh. And how Jan was safe after this Jive? I reallly don’t know or get it. He must have a large fanbase or the sympathy vote came in. My score: 2.

 

Rúrik & Renata - Rumba: Of course Rúrik is in the last 3 spots once again. He’s due to open a show like tomorrow, lol. Ooh I always love a “Wicked Game” Rumba, or at least that song+style combo. This kina reminded me of their steamy Viennese Waltz from earlier in the season. As always, I thought Rúrik danced and performed this well. He & Renta had a mix of steamy/passionate, emotional and angst type chemistry in this. I do think this dance had some beautiful moments but also had a lot of angst and rough moments to it. Some parts i just wished were a bit more seamless and fluid. I do like the mix of fast and slow movements for the Rumba but this seemed to have a little too many fast and intense moments. But I loved how Rúrik lift and spun her around and those sequence of lifts toward the end of the dance. This was beautiful and very good but not up to his usual standard. I would love to Rúrik see tackle a really soft and gentle dance. He’s proven he’s versatlie and can do everything except that. Renata did look very beautiful in this. My score: 7/8

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Waltz: So are Nicolas, Rurik & Valentina the only ones that can close the show? Anyway, this was a really beautiful Waltz from Nicolas & Vadim to close the show. This was very smooth, elegant and graceful. I liked the sweet storytelling the showed here. Nicolas moved and dance really well in hold. He does a great job in leading the dance here (as well as following Vadmi’s lead). They do a great job dancing, moving and gelling as one. I liked all of the dramatic moments they had in the dance on the out of hold parts. I loved the spiral move at the end. And aww the ending was heartbreaking with Vadim walking away. This was a very beautiful dance with such strong storytelling to it. It was also nice seeing a full on serious romantic  from the same sex partnership as I feel that is rarely shown on these shows (or at least the ones i follow).

 

 

Rankings:

1. Nicolas & Vadim - Waltz
2. Valentina & Valentin - Jive
3. Lola & Christian - Cha-Cha
4. Ilse & Evgeny - Quickstep
5. Rúrik & Renata - Rumba 
6. Auma & Andrzej - Charleston 
7. Simon & Patricija - Slowfox
8. Mickie & Malika - Charleston  
9. Jan & Christina - Jive

 

As for the results, pretty surprised about Simon landing in the Bottom 2. Of the good dancers, it’s understandable but Jan sould have been there instead. And it is about time that Mickie goes. He did have a fun and his best dance yet and I wuld have kept him over Jan based on this week. But it really was time for him to go as he should have gone weeks ago. Now if Jan goes next week, I would really like this entire Final 7.

[*Wallace]

Week 7 Thoughts!

 

Auma & Andrzej - Samba: This was a fun Samba from Auma to open up the show. She looked like she was having a blast here. She let loose and had some nice rotating hip action in there. Some of her footwork wasn’t the greatest  but she did move well. There is still that hesitance  she has at times in her eyes while dancing which I noticed at the start but it wasn’t there much longer. But yeah I am surprised with how loose and natural she comes off in these fun Latin dances. Liked the partnering and side by side dancing at the end. My score: 6/7

 

Simon & Patricija - Salsa: This was a fun and hot Salsa from Simon & Patricija. I always note that they have great chemistry dancing/performing together and they had here in this dance. I thought Simon did decent with this. I felt he was he danced on the timid and soft side at the start and there were some technical shortcomings. He did partner Patricjia well and had some good armorgraphy. As expected, he did great with the lifts. The lifts and tricks they did were really cool. Some sections he did dance did come off a little timid, but I also think he brought more energy and fire to the dance as it progressed, specifically the part where and after he got to take his shirt off. He seemed more into it/loose there. Not technically great but a lot of fun to watch. My score: 6/7

 

Valentina & Valentin - Viennese Waltz: Valentina always seems to bring the best and most gorgeous ballroom routines, and this Viennese Waltz is no different. I mean, what is there to say that we haven’t said about Valentina’s ballrooms? They are flawless. She provided a stunning hold, had lovely footwork and generally moved with such grace and elegance. She emoted to the dance so well and connected with Val so well. Wow once they got into hold, they were just swooshing around so effortlessly. It was quite fast paced but so smooth and graceful. She had such artistry in her lines and spins. The lifts were really seamless too. They are just so easy and effortless to watch. Deserving of its perfect score. My score: 10

 

Lola & Christian -  Rumba: I feel like we rarely see this softer side of Lola, as we often see the fun party side of her, so I appreciate seeing this side of her again. Oh wow the opening of this dance was really emotional with Christian taking off his ring towards Lola. I’m guessing a broken engagement concept? Wow Lola really got into the emotional character here. They had some great storytelling here. I thought Lola danced this rutine well here. She did have some elegance in how she moved. Therr was a lack of hip action and some arts could have been a bit more graceful. But  she did dance and perform with so much heart. And she did dance the Rumba content well. Oh I did love how they did that transition to the lift at the end, that was really cool. And the 5 for this was way harsh. My score: 7/8

 

Jan & Christina - Waltz: Well this was certainly better than his Jive but then anything could be. This was a really nice and sweet Waltz that suited Jan. And actually I felt he really emoted and connected well with this dance - I could tell it meant a lot to him. Yeah the footwork did seem basic and choreo was simple but he did dance and executed it nicely. His frame was fine - a little shoulder issues and lack of drive in movement but it was so sweet. I can’t outright remember all of his dances but this was one of his better dances, if not his best dance, for sure. My score: 4/5

 

Rúrik & Renata - Cha-Cha: This was an excellent Cha-Cha from Rúrik. He was living it up and having a blast with the opening section of him and the female back-up dancers. He showed off some good solo Cha-Cha steps there. But then he had lots of great fast Cha-Cha partnering with Renata. I loved all of the partnering work, which was very sharp and fast. But he had great footwork and hip action here too. They had hot and great chemistry here too. And it was such a fun and exciting routine, which can be hard to do with a Cha-Cha. Rúrik danced this so naturally and in such a cool suave way here. It really suited and sat in well ith him. Well done to Rúrik on getting another 30. The 10s were deserved. My score: 10

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Samba: So it seems the Samba tripped Nicolas up a bit - but hey, you can’t score 29s and 30s every week so I guess this was Nicolas’ week to take a dip. But why close (the solo dance round) two weeks in a row? With that said, this was still a really good dance. Nicolas did really well with all of the Samba partnering and footwork. Some parts looked a little off from him at spots - like some parts didn’t completely come off natural to him. But they had some good Samba rolls, and he did execute the Samba basics quite well. I did like the part of how he lifts and spun Vadim around. That looked fun for Vadim. This was a very fun dance. My score: 8

 

Auma & Andrzej and Jan & Christina - Freestyle: Ooh poor Motsi having two of the weaker dancers on the same team (although Auma is good). Hmm it was kinda awkward having Auma and Christina dancing side by side at the start. Auma tried her best but Christina was captivating to watch there. I thought the Tango concept was cool here. Jan didn’t really do much but he showcased Christina well. But also Jan dancing against two male pros in Andrezej and Evgeny was a tough task. I did like Jan trying to play the role of the cool guy, like a Godfather type. This is tough to judge because the pros were amazing here but the celebs were not. Auma did do well in the Tango bits. Its a shame that Ilse was injured and not apart of this dance as she certainly would have made this better. My score: 6

 

Rúrik & Renata and Simon & Patricija - Freestyle: This was a better dance with Rúrik  and Simon. The opening part of the dance had a really steamy sensuality to it with the dancing the couples did. I did like the sync both pairs had. But then the fast Latin parts once the judge came out was a lot of fun. I thought both couples had lots of fun and danced well as pairs. Rúrik  was definitely more natural and sat in well with the dancing, but Simon gave a good effort and wasn’t completely outshone. I did like the “Girl Like Me” section and all of that Cha-Cha dancing section there. This was really fun! And the female pros were both super hot here. My score: 8

 

Valentina & Valentin, Lola & Christian and Nicolas & Vadim - Freestyle: It’s interesting seeing a group dance with 3 couples in it. But okay this was a really beautiful group routine. All 3 couples danced the opening Rumba section so beautifully and gracefully. All move in such great sync together. i liked the opening lift Nicolas & Vadim did. I really liked it when the danced picked up in the fast tempo, where they did some Cha-Cha and then some Jive. I loved it when the couples did their little fast Jive sections one by one. I just loved the variety that this group dance with a mix of slow and fast dance content. My score: 9

 

Rankings:

1. Rúrik & Renata - Cha-Cha 
2. Valentina & Valentin - Viennese Waltz
3. Nicolas & Vadim - Samba 
4. Lola & Christian -  Rumba 
5. Simon & Patricija - Salsa
6. Auma & Andrzej - Samba 
7. Jan & Christina - Waltz

 

1. Valentina & Valentin, Lola & Christian and Nicolas & Vadim - Freestyle
2. Rúrik & Renata and Simon & Patricija - Freestyle
3. Auma & Andrzej and Jan & Christina - Freestyle

 

So it was a Lola & Christian vs. Jan & Christina  in the Bottom 2 with Jan & Christina going. It’s definitely time for Jan to go as he was by far the weakest dancer of this group. I am glad he got to end his journey on a special and emotional dance and one of his best. But i am also happy I got the Top 7 I wanted this season as I feared this would not have happened - with how long the terrible dancers were lasting. Now I am scared for the rest of the season as it’s going to be tight. Especially worried for Lola as she has been in the Bottom 2 two weeks now and I would prefer a few others to go before her. But i do like everyone now so yay for that! Still hoping for a Nicolas/Rúrik/Valentina Final 3!

[Ariel1989]

Elimination spoiler:

All I can say is holy crap! 

 Nicolas & Vadim?!?!?! I guess being right smack in the middle of the leaderboard made people assume they'd be safe?  So disappointed, they were one of my favorites and I really thought they would end up pulling an upset over the Lusins in the end.  

[Ariel1989]

Nicolas & Vadim are back in the competition!  Ilse & Evgeny have withdrawn due to Ilse’s foot injury.  In Let’s Dance Germany, if a couple withdraws from the competition then the last eliminated couple is brought back; also, if for some reason the eliminated couple isn’t able to come back, the couple eliminated before them is brought back instead (that’s happened before when they wouldn’t reinstate a celebrity who was apparently problematic for the show during his run).  Anyway, SO HAPPY that Nicolas & Vadim are back!!!! 

[*Wallace]

Week 8 Thoughts!

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Quickstep: This was a really great and fun Quickstep to kick off the show!  i loved the classic old Hollywood theme they had here. The opening was fun and then they went into some great Quickstep. Nicolas led well and provide a great frame - and they were so light, precise with their footwork. It all looked so effortless Ooh i loved their side by side tap dancing they did which was a lot of fun. Lol Vadim is so animated and hilarious in his facial expressions - he really goes so extra. The last lift was  great too. All around a really great dance! My score: 9

 

Lola & Christian - Charleston: Wow Lola’s breakthrough dance! I’m so happy for her to have this moment with this dance because this was a fantastic and entertaining Charleston. This was a fun, upbeat and bubbly routine that suited her personality so well and she performed it so effortlessly. She did really well with her opening solo but then brought lots of high energy and partnering skills  here. She had great footwork and swivels throughout. I also love how she always throws herself into the lifts with such ease and fearlessness. The lifts and tricks in general were so exciting to watch and there were of many of them. Wow where she did that cartwheel into Christian’s arms. Loved their side by side dancing as they are so in sync there. Also meant to say that i really loved the song choice. I hope Lola will continue having dances of this quality going forward. My score: 9/10

 

Auma & Andrzej - Paso Doble: Oooh a “Run the World (Girls)” Paso… I wonder where I’ve seen this before. Hmm something felt a little off with Auma’s solo. She seemed very still/stiffed faced there. She did bring some attitude here and there but i do wish she brought more fire and that intense attitude needed for a song and style like this. Her partnering work was good and she did well with that and she had some okay footwork. But yeah I do feel like her performing/facial expressions were just one note as the dance went on. The slow-mo part was pretty cool. Overall this was decent but I wanted so much more here. My score: 6

 

Ilse & Evgeny - Contemporary: Ooh a Contemporary to “Take Me to Church” is new. It’s nice seeing Ilse back after having an injured that kept her from dancing last week. Hmm interesting beginning with her dancing on the ground. I don’t really know the concept but it seems like she was having some kind of bad dream with Evgeny trying to help her out? Lol I don’t know. It does have a ghost angelic quality to it. This was a really emotional routine - and I do like how Ilse performed this with so much heart and emotion. The dancing and choreography did seem kinda lackluster and simple - with not much going on there. She did do well with what she was given but it does seem like Evgeny was lifting and carrying her around a lot. I guess he had to work around her injury that i guess is still affective. Pretty and good dance under the circumstances but I felt she would have been able to have done more pre-injury. My score: 7

 

Simon & Patricija - Rumba: Oooh boy I worried for Simon when I read he got the Rumba and was thinking he would be in danger after this. But wait up, is this the right song for their Rumba? it’s all SO fast paced and not a Rumba song at all.   Well with that said, Simon coped better with the Rumba than I was expected. He and Patricija always bring such great chemistry together and this dance was no different. I thought some of his hip action looked a little awkward at times but good attempt. But he partnered and showcased Patrijica well (and wow she was super hot in this! I do like how Simon attempted the Rumba walks and shapes - and he did move with ease and gentleness at times.  Ooh the ending got a little crazy and steamy there though. The song was just so distracting but I did really enjoy the dance. Surprised that this was one of his highest scores but it was one of his better dances whig was also a surprise. My score: 8

 

Rúrik & Renata - Samba: Oooh this is such a fun song. And this is also a really fun dance. i love how they really got into  the Samba right away. As always, Rúrik danced this really well and comes off as such a natural. He handled all of the Samba b aspics and technique with ease and moved very well. I did feel like a few footwork parts looked a little weird. I don’t know what it was. But he had good rhythm, hip action and partnering skills - and he had really good solo dancing as well. I was wondering what his outfit was about but then the dance going dark with the glow & the dark section it all made sense. That part was really fun and cool. I liked the Samba roll they had in there. This wasn’t up to the standard of his usual fast Latin dances but this was still great and lots of fun! My score: 9

 

Valentina & Valentin - Charleston: Oooh I had such high expectations for a “Hot Honey Rag” Charleston and as usual, Valentina never disappoints.  This felt like a Broadway production. Wow she was fierce and really owned it with her solo at the start. Loved all of her dancing she did with the chair.   She danced in such a fast paced effortless way with Valentin on all of the side by side work. Loved all of their side by side dancing which was so fast and high quality dancing. Then it was really cool how she made an effortless outfit change here. She had such great fast swivel footwork and never missed a beat. I would say the only thing is that I would have loved more partnering dancing. The little section they did was great though. And Valentina danced/performed everything here pretty flawlessly.  She looked so unrecognizable in that short black wig too. Again i am surprised she didn’t get any 10s here…. but this was fierce. My score: 9/10

 

Rankings:

1. Lola & Christian - Charleston / Valentina & Valentin - Charleston

3. Nicolas & Vadim - Quickstep

4. Rúrik & Renata - Samba 

5. Simon & Patricija - Rumba 

6. Ilse & Evgeny - Contemporary

7. Auma & Andrzej - Paso Doble

 

So a Nicolas & Vadim vs. Ilse & Evgeny Bottom 2 with Nicolas & Vadim being eliminated which was such a disappointing and upsetting result. Nicolas was a really surprise contender and it was great seeing a same sex partnership working really well being frontrunners and making it this far. They really deserved to be in the final so it’s a shame they won’t be there.

 

But whoa…. excuse my last set of comments because i just read Ariel’s post of them returning back.  So I will reply to that shortly.

[*Wallace]

6 hours ago, Ariel1989 said:

Nicolas & Vadim are back in the competition!  Ilse & Evgeny have withdrawn due to Ilse’s foot injury.  In Let’s Dance Germany, if a couple withdraws from the competition then the last eliminated couple is brought back; also, if for some reason the eliminated couple isn’t able to come back, the couple eliminated before them is brought back instead (that’s happened before when they wouldn’t reinstate a celebrity who was apparently problematic for the show during his run).  Anyway, SO HAPPY that Nicolas & Vadim are back!!!! 

Omgg whoa this shocked me!  Wow I was about to post my weekly review and then saw this post. I had no idea this happens on the Germany show. Aw I do feel bad for Ilse having to withdraw through her foot injury.  But very happy for Nicolas &  Vadim getting to come back to compete as they should still be there.   

[Ariel1989]

Back with my reviews!  This week’s theme was “Magic Moments”; a bit like Most Memorable Year and everyone did Freestyles rather than specifically assigned dance styles.  

 

Lola & Christian: Lola’s dance was about her parents’ separation.  She’s always a great storyteller and her dancing has really improved throughout the weeks.  Score was 7, 7, 5, which I thought was way too low.  She’s not on Valentina, Nicolas or Rúrik’s level but no way her dancing deserved a 5.  

 

Auma & Andrzej: Auma’s dance was about her cutting herself off from her father and becoming an independent woman.  I loved the transitions from the jazzy Nina Simone song to the spicy Celia Cruz song.  She made some errors though and seemed to forget the routine a couple of times.  Score was 7, 7, 7, which compared to Lola’s (IMO) mistake-free routine, was way overscored.  

 

Rúrik & Renata: Rúrik’s dance was about his late mother.  A really uplifting and joyful dance, starting with the slow and emotional Rumba and then the upbeat and fun Samba.  A nice tribute to his mother and danced very well.  Score was 9, 9, 9, well-deserved.  

 

Simon & Patricija: Simon’s dance was for his mother who was included in the audience (it’s been empty apart from the other couples sitting with distance between them).  Very sweet and heartfelt dance, he and Patricija have great chemistry and his posture in ballroom hold has really improved.  One of his best dances.  Score was 8, 8, 6, okay but then again, HE didn’t make as noticeable mistakes as other people Joachim.  

 

Valentina & Valentin: Valentina’s dance was for her twin sister, Cheyenne, who joined them for the beginning.  Gorgeous choreography, great execution, Cheyenne blended right in with them.  Valentin is probably my favorite pro on Let’s Dance, he’s such a great choreographer.  Score was 10, 10, 10, well-deserved.  

 

Nicolas & Vadim: So HAPPY these two are back!  Nicolas’s dance was about his coming-out to his father.  Wow, that was an emotional rollercoaster!  Nicolas's realization, his reveal to his father played by Vadim, Vadim’s angry reaction and eventual acceptance, so much went on in just a little over 2 minutes.  Haha and just when I was saying Valentin was my favorite choreographer, Vadim slays with THAT.  Honestly, can’t decide who was my favorite this week, Valentina or Nicolas.  Score was 10, 10, 9, well-deserved.  

 

Dance-Offs

 

Lola & Christian vs. Valentina & Valentin (Bollywood): This was a tight race, both women were strong and Lola had the exuberance while Valentina had the elegance.  Lola scored 9, 9, 8, while Valentina scored 9, 9, 9, making Valentina the winner of her dance-off.  

 

 

Auma & Andrzej vs. Nicolas & Vadim (Streetdance): Hmmm, I really don’t know how to judge this haha it was entertaining though.  Auma was more grounded and had the swag but was a bit hesitant and lost timing with Andrzej sometimes.  Nicolas went full-out and was a lot cleaner but he wasn’t very grounded in the floor.  I guess the judges went for the vibe rather than the technique for this dance-off, since Nicolas scored 9, 9, 7 while Auma scored 10, 10, 9 (WTF).  

 

 

Rúrik & Renata vs. Simon & Patricija (Flamenco): Well that was passionate to say the least!  So intense that the rose in Renata’s hair somehow ended up on Simon & Patricija’s side of the floor haha.  Simon put up a good fight but Rúrik wiped the floor with his solo.  Renata and Patricija were stunning as well.  Simon scored 8, 8, 9 while Rúrik scored 9, 9, 8 (again Joachim, what?), making Rúrik the winner.  

 

 

Overall Leaderboard:

Valentina & Valentin: 30 + 27 = 57

Nicolas & Vadim: 29 + 25 = 54

Rúrik & Renata: 27 + 26 = 53

Auma & Andrzej: 21 + 29 = 50

Simon & Patricija: 22 + 25 = 47

Lola & Christian: 19 + 26 = 45

 

 

Elimination: 

 

Bottom three: Simon & Patricija, Auma & Andrzej, Lola & Christian

Bottom two: Auma & Andrzej, Lola & Christian

Eliminated: Lola & Christian

 

Figured Lola was gone when the judges threw her to the wolves with that first score, she landed in the bottom two when she was just middle of the leaderboard, once she hit the very bottom she would be gone.  A shame, she was growing every week and had a great attitude even when she was eliminated, sadly she seemed to be expecting her elimination.  I was actually worried that Nicolas & Vadim would be in danger again with the overscoring of Auma.  

[*Wallace]

Week 9 Thoughts!

 

So this “Magic Moment” Freestyle episode sure is interesting. It’s nice seeing the couples perform meaningful dances to them but I miss and would prefer them dancing the actual ballroom and Latin routines.

 

 

Lola & Christian - Freestyle: Gosh why does lola open up the show so much? This was a really intense and emotional dance and she did a good job dancing & performing this. I like the mix of Contemporary and ballroom they did here. She really bright so much vulnerable emotion and delivered it so well here. She just pours her heart and soul into this. The lifts were gutsy and good here. I am curious on  why and how this scored so low with sonly a 19? I guess some of the technique could have been stronger/sharper and some other technical stuff - but it all still looked pretty good to me. And that 5 was way harsh. My score: 7/8

 

Auma & Andrzej - Freestyle: This was a nice dance from Auma where it showed off different sides of her. The “Feeling Good” section was soft and vulnerable. She did good there and really connected with Andrzej although didn’t seem like much actual dancing in that part as it came across with som emotional wafting. That acepella intro felt so long. But then I enjoy the dance more once she got to the Latin dance section. She had much more dancing energy and brought so much joy with what she was dancing. She had good partnering. She did get a little lost and messy towards the end which was a shame. But i enjoyed how she had fun with this and good energy. I felt kind of a disconnect from the opening to the middle section of the dance but oh well. My score: 7

 

Rúrik & Renata - Freestyle: Oooh a “Circle of Life” routine. I’m happy to see them doing slower and vulnerable that isn’t all intense & powerful. This was a good chance of pace for  Rúrik . This was like a Rumba #2 for them. I thought he danced this really well with great partnering skills, hip action and all of the Rumba footwork/technique. Somee of his arm placements were a little over-exaggerated and flingy at spots but I can be alright with that since that was Rumba like. Ooh I wasn’t expecting this to speedup towards the end which was a Samba. But that section was really good and fun - and yeah Rúrik  did great with all of the Samba basics and technique as he should as he just did it last week. I liked the big lifts they did here. But i really enjoyed the fusion of Rumba and Samba they did here. My score: 9/10

 

Simon & Patricija - Freestyle: Aww this was really nice seeing Simon doing a softer vulnerable emotional dance like this. I thought he connected well and emotionally to the dance and with Patricija as always. It seemed a little Contemporary at the start This dance had some Waltz & Tango content and i thought he provided a good frame and some good footwork. The lifts were really good and seamless throughout - and there was one especially epic lift that was really great. Yeah this was a very pretty and nice emotional dance… and it was very good. I take it this dance was dedicated to his mother? Which if so that’s really sweet. My score: 8

 

Valentina & Valentin - Freestyle: Oh wow that beginning was so trippy and at times I couldn’t tell who the real Valentina  was. This was such a stunning, powerful and strong dance. I love how Valentina danced this in such a powerful and intense way but she delivered very stunning and great technique too. Not sure who the extra dancer was but they did a great job dancing as 3 individuals all together in good sync. But then I loved all of the partnering work Valentina & Valentin  did. And wow those lifts - especially that lift where she leaned forward was really cool! Oh it was interesting how they removed her shirt/dress and she had this sparkly bodysuit and busted out some Tango. That was unexpected b ut she nailed the sharpness in her footwork and frame there. This was another really strong and standout dance from Valentina. She’s just proving she can do everything! My score: 10

 

Nicolas & Vadim - Freestyle: Well I can’t understand what they are saying but I see the intro and this dance is dedicated to Nicolas’ coming out (and I’m sure he talked about his coming out story) so a powerful meaning here for him. Oh wait I opened up the wrong video of him talking about the dance but it doesn’t feature the dance itself. Ooh this was an interesting version of “I’m Coming Out” that I was not expecting. But Nicolas did really well with this dance. After that intro,  he got right into hold and brought in a good frame and good footwork. It looked like some Foxtrot dancing and as always I like the changes of lead and following that Nicolas and Vadim does while dancing in hold. Then the dance took a turn and got really intense and dramatic which was also great. I loved all of the side by side Paso shaping they did. LOL Vadim as always is so overdramatic with his facials it’s so funny to watch. But yeah the Paso was great and strong. The “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” section was a great addition as they got to let loose and have fun with coin some fun Cha-Cha dancing. There was so much going on and fusions in the dance (with the vulnerable parts/intense parts/joyful parts) and maybe it was all tooo much but it was all great to watch. My score: 9/10

 

 

Lola & Christian - Bollywood and Valentina & Valentin - Bollywood: Ooh so they did these dances together? This will be hard to judge. I thought both Valentina and Lola did really well here. They were both super cute and hot in this dance and they danced/performed with such joy. With Valetina being the better dancer, I do feel Valentina sat into the dance, came off more natural and danced it better than Lola. But Lola was still good and held her own here. This was a cute and fun routine….but do agree with the judges that Valentina was stronger. Lola - 8/9, Valentina - 9.

 

Auma & Andrzej - Street Dance and Nicolas & Vadim - Street Dance: I was super shocked seeing Auma score higher than Nicolas in this dance…and with a 29. Ooh I do love “Ritmo” so yay for the song choice. It was nice seeing Auma getting down & dirty with this but having an absolute blast while dancing this. I do think she came off more natural here versus Nicolas. Nicolas did well but I felt he was timid at the start and didn’t really have that natural swag for street dance. His solo section was interesting but fun. The sync dancing was really good and on point from both teams. I don’t know if I agree with Auma’s 29 but I do think she was a little stronger. Cute and fun dance. Nicolas - 8, Auma - 9.

 

Rúrik & Renata - Flamenco and Simon & Patricija - Flamenco: Ooh the Flamenco is a good dance battle for Rúrik  and Simon to take on. Both guys did well here but it was definitely clear to see that Rúrik  was stronger. Simon did have some good partnering and shaping but his movements seemed smaller and more stiff. Rúrik had stronger sharping with more dynamics in his movements and he really led the partnering like a leading man. Ooh the sync from both couples did go off some at times. Oh i did love the dance battle that Rúrik and Simon had against each other. Simon gave a great effort there but it did show him up on how Rúrik  was so much sharper and stronger with his movements. He had more artistry in his moves too. Rúrik - 9, Simon - 8

 

 

Magic Moment Dance Rankings:

1. Valentina & Valentin - Freestyle
2. Rúrik & Renata - Freestyle
3. Nicolas & Vadim - Freestyle
4. Simon & Patricija - Freestyle
5. Lola & Christian - Freestyle
6. Auma & Andrzej - Freestyle

 

2-3 are interchangeable.

 

Dance Battle rankings:

1. Rúrik & Renata - Flamenco
2. Valentina & Valentin - Bollywood
3. Auma & Andrzej - Street Dance
4. Lola & Christian - Bollywood
5. Nicolas & Vadim - Street Dance
6. Simon & Patricija - Flamenco

 

1-2 and 5-6 are interchangeable.

 

Im gonna rank the round dances separately as i am not sure how to rank them all together. But ugh super sad to see Lola & Christian go. When I saw she scored a low 19 for her first dance and previously being in the Bottom 2 twice, I figured she would have gone. I would have liked for her to make the Top 4 and last longer than Simon but especially Auma personally but at the same time I am glad she made it this far as it didn’t seem like she had a strong fan following.