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Shanna Burgess
This is an I Heart podcast. And now, welcome to the ballroom. In the fourth judge's chair, it's Shanna Burgess. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Shana Burgess. In the fourth chair, I am Shanna Burgess, and I'm so excited to bring you this episode because last night on Dancing with the Stars for Wicked Night was quite possibly one of my favorite, favorite episodes I have seen in such a long time. I think pretty much across the board, all couples danced up another level. And the. The production, the opening number, the sets for everybody, the costumes, like, I was living my best life the absolute entire time. And I really think we saw some incredible dancing last night. Also, I want to say out there were our troop members in performances throughout the night. And the opening number, that flip sequence that one of our newest troop members was doing, I was like, he one of ours. It was just absolutely spectacular. Forgive me that I'm. His name is escaping me, but he was just wonderful. I'm so impressed with their talent, and I was just overall, absolutely loving this episode. I thought John M. Chu was a fantastic judge. He really knew what he was looking for, and he was really keeping the spirit of Wicked alive throughout the dances, complimenting the couples on when they were keeping the spirit of the characters alive throughout it really knew what he was looking for. And I just thought. Thought it was a fantastic night. So I don't want to delay. I want to get into it straight away. Up first, we had Scott and Riley dancing a contemporary. It was fantastic. So I really love this from them, and I really love Riley in this genre. I think she truly shines. Let's get into what the judges said first. So John said it was giving, dreaming and yearning, that. That Scott has long arms and legs, which can make it incredibly hard for a dancer on any given day, and especially in contemporary. But he was doing a great job. But did say that the transitions were a little bit off. And we'll get back to those transitions in just a moment. Bruno said that he loved it, but it got so enthusiastic that he lost it in places, which is interesting. We'll also come back to that. Carrie Ann said it was a great way to start the show, which is absolutely true, but his arms were in and out of character, which really means that they were placed and they were clean, and then they sort of have moments of being in no man's land and weren't necessarily as specific. And I totally agree with Carrie Anne's note on that. Derek was also talking about the transitions and wanting him to make them more seamless, you know, one, like one continuous sentence, he said. And he really put that example into. When you're doing a lift, you want it to go in and out of it and continue into the next thing as one continuous sentence without feeling like you see the prep, the exit, and then the moving on. And so to. To further break that down, I think what we were seeing with Scott and Riley in transitions is they had some tricks in there. But what I noticed was Scott's balance was a little bit off. His stability, his footwork, his feet would shuffle a touch. And now that's sometimes okay because the man should honestly shift underneath where the girl is to make sure she's safe. But it gave it an unstable feel also in his body. And thankfully, Riley is such a talented performer and dancer that she's able to also take care of herself in those moments to make sure she's safe. But there were. I don't want to say she looked unsafe, but I do feel that it was a little bit wobbly in places. And so that's really. Those transitions coming in and out of the lifts where Derek was saying one continuous sentence. They did feel a little bit broken. And it felt like those lifts almost took Scott out of the performance a touch because he was worried about the lift as he be. But it then broke up the fluidity of his character and performance in the dance. Because we went from seeing a lift all set up, all worried about it, or, oh, we know, whatever it is, and then back into the actual dancing and the contemporary, which the contemporary parts I thought he did quite well at. I saw them in the package, working on that stride and I think we. We saw some more of that if from him in this episode, some longer stride. There was some side by side stuff, some passes along the floor that were really showing so much growth in. Than what we've seen in previous weeks. And so I did love that from them. We, if we get into what Bruno was saying was it got so enthusiastic that he lost it in places. I do wonder if that could have been both those transitions. Right. Getting stumbly feet and not quite being solid in it. And also what Carrie Ann mentioned about the arms feeling like we're so in it in places and then clean and then it feeling a little bit messy in other places. So I think the judges were saying different things, but all very much on the same page as far as what they were looking at. And they were very much on the same page in the way that they scored. My notes were, he's a Little in between his movements, and things are looking unfinished in places. His arms are unfinished. His hands are not finishing at the end of the action. And the music. So kind of like what Carrie Anne was saying, to be honest. He would do actions with his arms, with the ends of his hands. I felt like they didn't finish off the action. Something felt unfinished about them, and so it was making it feel a little bit in between and a little. Little bit messy. So finishing off those details on the very ends of his extremities, I think really would have helped. And speaking of extremities, to go back to what John said. Yeah. When you have a. A human that is long and lanky, it's. It is harder for them to control their limbs, to fill out the music, to fill out the space, to. To make it look good to be as fast. They come up against all sorts of challenges with their dancing, and so Scott was definitely up against that, and that's what John was referring to, and we saw him grow with that throughout the competition. I also wrote transitions in and out of lift is very bumpy, fabulous routine, just messy and stumbly with the lifts. I wrote he was living his best life, which I think he was. And then having already had the spoiler alert that he was the one that went home, I wrote what a beautiful night to go. Last week, we saw him dedicate something to his husband, announce his pregnancy. This week, he gets to dance to Wicked, which he had said was one of his. His absolute favorite movies. Loves the soundtrack, had even moments with Cynthia and Ariana. So what a spectacular journey for him that he got to have those two weeks as his last two weeks on Dancing with the Stars. I feel like Riley did a wonderful job with Scott this season. It was a hard task again, him being so tall. Lots of new challenges for her as a new pro to learn how to teach, coach, and choreograph. I think she rose to the occasion, and I think Scott did a fantastic job at growing. Look where he started and look where he ended up. Was he good enough to get all the way to the end in this season? Let's be honest and say no. But the fact that he made it to this point and had so much growth, I think was so impressive, and he truly was authentic himself. And. And I loved watching his journey and Riley's journey. So congratulations to the both of them on a job well done and a really fantastic run. All right, everybody, let's move on to our second couple, which is Alex and Val. They did a jazz. I listen I wrote very few things. I wrote. I loved that. I said I love her. I love the storytelling. I love the routine. It's crisp, it's clean, it's fun. Let's get into what the judges said. Bruno said it was delicious. It was musical comedy, and it was choreography for the character with all the right intentions. I absolutely agree. Bruno's very much been on his wave of your. The character, and you're giving the intention of the movement. He seems to really value that this season. We see him talk about it often. I think Val delivered on this routine. He kept the character. He used some of that choreography from the movie that Chris, that fantastic choreography that Ariana performed with the book. They kept that in and they did justice to it. It was beautiful. I feel like he really helped Alex become the character of Glinda, and I. I feel like she shone in that. So I really agree with Bruno. It was musical comedy. There was humor in there, but there was also dance, and I think it was done brilliantly. Carrie Ann said it was not her most difficult dance, but it was her best dance, and talked about how animated she was. Again, I think she really came in and embodied that character of Galinda really well, and it was very animated for her, which we don't often see from Alex. So much animation in comparison to others this season. So I really did love seeing the animation in her face and then also the connection with her and Val, which I thought was really great in the storytelling of it. Was it her best dance? I mean, I think it was really good. I agree it wasn't her most difficult. I think it was done and executed really well, and I loved it. I honestly got to the end of this and. And said, wow. And I think it was up there with one of her best. Derek said the storytelling was fantastic. Oh, my God. Yes. The part of Beret into a double pirouette, like, come on, that is not easy. I know. She said she did theater when she was younger. I don't know if she has any dance experience. Experience to have learned that. I tried teaching a pirouette to James Hinchcliffe one season, and he managed. A man with all the balance in the world managed to get a single pirouette in there. So the fact that Val was able to teach her a part of Beret into a double, I found very, very impressive. She almost landed it perfectly. She was maybe a little under a quarter of a turn behind and. And stopped short, but I wouldn't dock a point for that. The fact is she did a whole double pirouette which was very, very impressive. And again agreed with Derek the storyte fantastic. And it really was jazz, guys. What we were seeing in here was jazz. And John said the dance disappeared and he was just watching the story, which from the director of Wicked, I think is an incredible compliment. And he said that it was so fun and he just absolutely loved it. I agree with all of the judges comments. And then I also like, I'm saying that I love it and I'm looking at it and I love it and then I'm going to give my score. And I was like, why am I not a 10? I don't understand why I'm not a 10. I don't even have an answer for you at this point. There is something in the projection of it, something in the extent of where the moves are finishing. I think I feel like there is just a bit more squeeze in there. And it's tough to say that because she did such a brilliant job. But I had, I ended up landing it at a nine. Now I was actually shocked to see that the judges gave it a nine. Nine, eight, nine. I was surprised to see the eight. I think John looked around, he was like, oh, I missed the memo and the nines. I'm. I'm not sure. But I was surprised to see the eight because I thought it was a really fantastic dance. And I ended up landing on a nine. But I actually felt like there was something about it that I wanted it to be a 10. And I couldn't quite put my finger on it just yet. What it was that made it fall short. Because I love the choreography, I love the performance from her and I literally said wow at the end of it. But I think and feel that there is just a bit more that we can squeeze out of Alex as far as the presence, the conviction, the eyes shooting like down the lens or just forward in focus and that body presentation of really good stretching to the ends of the movements and past the point. I feel like there is a little more resistance, a little more moving through quicksand and a little more presence that we can get out of it. However, I am deeply obsessed with this dance and I, I loved it and I thought it was again one of her performances yet. And I gave it a 9. Well done to Alex and Val and well done to Val by the way, in the way that he is teaching Alex throughout the season. I know I said that last episode. It is truly a testament to how great he is as a pro to watch her grow so much from that week one. Whereas to Be honest, I was not that invested in her as a competitor to be here now in week six, I think we were. I am fully invested in her as a competitor. And now I'm putting notes on it. Like, there's that little bit more squeeze I want because I feel she's capable of it. It. That's a testament to him, his teaching and the way that he's progressed her journey. He really is an OG and an absolute beast at his craft. So well done, you guys. All right, moving on to another fan favorite and of course, another favorite of mine, Robert and Whitney. They did a jazz. And let's first of all get into. I think it was Dancing Through Life was their song. Let's get into what the judges said first. Carrie Ann said it was such an ambitious routine. It was stunning choreography, it was powerful, and she just generally absolutely loved it. We have Derek that said he was meant to be on stage and he needs to trade in his hiking boots for some dance boots, which, to be honest, I see that this Irwin family just has some sort of gift about them. Between Bindi and Robert, when they come out and perform, it quite literally blows you away in how would they they doing this? This guy wrestles crocodiles and is a wildlife conservationist, and then he can come out there and do things like this. It is so impressive. No notes. No dance notes necessarily coming through there yet from Carrion and Derek. John said it was so fun to watch. Props never stopped him. Listen, as someone that has used props before and it's gone horribly wrong, it was very impressive to see them use those props and him to learn how to use them and. And probably be nervous about it too, because sometimes the unknown just happens. Like in my case, an umbrella breaking. I digress. They did a fantastic job with using their props. I loved the choreography from Whit. Really think she made him shine. John also said his range from honesty to joy. What we saw from him last week into this week, I totally agree. I feel like the rawness that we saw last week in him to then this absolute character performance from him this week of truly from the very first moment we came to him from the package, he was in it. You know, he was. He was no longer Robert. He was playing that role. And I am so obsessed when people do that. And John just basically absolutely loved it. Bruno said it was a theatrical treat, handled all parts of it brilliantly. He commanded the performance, the commitment, and said it was incredible. So by handling all parts, as in, he wasn't just dancing in this. Right. It wasn't just him and Whitney, it was interactions with troop members. It was much more of a theatrical performance with the acting involved and all those sorts of things. So he really did handle that beautifully as far as taking on a character, committing to the movements, committing to the story, never missing a beat. Once again, his musicality being amazing. It really was impressive to see him step into a number like that with so much more going on than just he and Whitney. And he really did handle it well. I thought it was so cute in his package seeing him say he's such a big fan of Wicked that he literally rented out a theater to watch it with all of his friends for his his birthday. I thought that was adorable and very unexpected. I wrote his character commitment was incredible, as also the judges said musicality, once again, fabulous. His dynamics were really beautiful and his everything was readable from him. So it was clean, it was crisp, and everything was readable. Nothing blended into one. All the movements, you knew what they were. All the movements had, as Bruno says, an intention and a story to it. And I really found that wonderful to watch from him. Him. I did say he was a little flat footed throughout. You'll see when you watch him, his movement is dynamic, but oftentimes he gets caught between two flat feet that are a little bit shoulder width apart. And that just sort of means you're in no man's land. They should be somewhere a little more broad or they're closed or they're placed. One heel is up. There is a pressure coming through the floor, through the body, into the tip of the head. There needs to be just a little bit more connection to what's happening in the feet. I did say this week one for him, he is a bit flat footed. We got some work to do there and I see that we are masking it really well, or he's doing so well in other areas that we're not noticing it as much, but it is still happening. I wrote big shouty capital letters. His dolphin dive, when he, like leaped into the sky and dove down to the ground, very impressive. Lots of upper body strength to do that. I have seen some of our male pros back in the day try that in a room for a group number and damn near smash their teeth out. So just know that move is incredibly hard and athletic and he did a very good job doing it side by side section. He was very much in between his feet and flat footed. So if you go back and you have a look at it, you'll see it again there and you'll notice that Whitney isn't. Or if she's in two flat feet, her knees are bent, but her weight is shifted more to one side. When I say she is on two flat, he is on two flat feet, it really means that he's just stuck in between them in that no man's land. So we just need a little bit more of a stronger choice in where our weight is in our feet. Where our feet are. Is there a toe up, up. And where the pressure is pushing down into the floor. And we are coming up against a couple things with his arms and lines. So let's. Let's really look at it here. He did phenomenal work, a phenomenal routine. He hit all the points. He hit all the music. Now, even more so than what I was saying about Alex. He can push these lines further. I think some of them cut a little bit short. And that goes back, actually to something that Carrie Ann said a couple weeks ago about him taking snapshots like he's posing for photos and locking all of his muscles. I find we're still getting a little bit of that. So I really want him to find more stretch. I want Robert to take up more space now to really, when he's hitting those lines, get bigger in the chest, extend them out, lengthen out the elbow just a little bit more when. When meant to for the line. But I feel like there's more space we can take up here and finish things a little further out and go bigger. We're also looking at paddle hands now. So when his hands are moving around, we've got no real, like, sty. Anything happening in them. They're just paddle hands, fingers sort of stuck together. We need. It needs to be a little softer, a little something, a little bit more of a gesture, a humanness to them, but also a dance ness. So they have a flair to them as opposed to a paddle hand. You know what I mean? And so I feel like we were looking at that too. Fantastic dance from them. The judges gave this a nine. Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, four nines. I had actually written this one down as an eight. I felt it was incredibly strong. And I loved this from him. Did I? I didn't feel it was quite as strong as Alex's. So I landed on an eight for this one. And does not mean I didn't love it. Does not mean I disagree with the nines, by the way. I can totally see how people got there. And what you're also looking at someone that has zero dance experience stepping into this, which also makes it very, very impressive. So I can see how they landed on all of those nines, especially John, looking at the character and the storytelling of this one. But I did land on an 8 for this. However, I'm a super fan of these guys and I still think that Robert is the one to beat for actually winning it because of all those reasons. He's incredibly talented. He's got enough imperfections that you believe he wasn't a dancer, but he does enough right that you believe he could be, if that makes sense. He's sort of in between that world where we've got other contestants that people are enraged that they have danced experience, you know. So I feel like Robert is kind of the whole package this season that everyone else is going to be fighting to beat. And Whitney's doing a stellar job with him with her amazing choreography.
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Shanna Burgess
Okay, let's move on to another massive favorite. Big favorite of mine. Mark and Whitney doing a quick step to popular. I mean, this was just another fantastic routine from them. So getting into it, Derek said he feels like he's discovering a star before his eyes. A very complicated routine. Jam packed on the content and was just so advanced. Absolutely agree. Jam packed on the content as far as not just the quick step content, which is when they're in frame running around the floor, but also the musicality of it, the storytelling of it, the layers that were in this routine, the ground that they covered. There was so much in this that they took on and absolutely nailed it. John said he got lost in it, which, again, beautiful compliment from the director of Wicked. Perfect blend of art and technical prowess and floating on air. And it was just so good. It really was. And I feel like Mark does this really well. It was that beautiful blend of the technician side of it that we're seeing. You know, they've worked on it. You can see the details in there that you can see the technique that is true to the style. But then there is also this other flare that is on the other side with that very unique musicality that Mark Ballas has when he choreographs his very own unique way of storytelling and. And animating and. And Whitney matches his animating, which is also very rare for Mark to have a partner that can match him like that. So this is just a very special partnership in that sense. And I feel like all of it was just a beautiful balance in this routine. I loved it. Bruno said it was insane. It was fast, it was camp, it was funny, and it was magnificent. And then. So no dance notes, but I agree on all points. Carrie Ann said it was unhinged, but in the best way. She started great as a dancer in this competition, but she is getting better, which is also something that's really important to note because she did start with a dance background. She did start very high up as far as her level, but she is getting better. You know, earlier in the season, we would talk about nose over toes and her spot being off, and those are. I am not seeing any of those things. She is very much nose over toes. She has fixed her spot. Her turns are much better. She has remained as charismatic, dramatic, and animated as she always was, but her technical ability is growing. So I'm very, very Impressed with her growth in it, I said, first thing I actually wrote was her animation is just phenomenal, especially her in that whole opening. And then as she was like, basically telling the story and being Galinda before they got down into frame, so perfectly animated, I wrote, she is the perfect match for Mark on this dance floor. I also wrote beautifully pushing along the floor. It didn't feel skippy or bouncy. So one of the risks with quick step, because it is so bouncy and jumpy, is that it looks bouncy and jumpy. And it's not supposed to. It basically runs and jumps, but you want it to look like a duck on water. So underneath the waist, everything is going 100 mile an hour. But then above the waist, which is above the water line, everything needs to look absolutely smooth, like there's nothing going on. And I feel like they did a very, very good job of that. It was smooth on top and it was fast and furious down below. The. The footwork that was very, very clean. The. The scatter chassis, the. Everything that they did, all beautiful quick step content executed phenomenally and on time and nice and smooth. And you can see, I wrote, you can see in the package that it was hard for her to learn. It was awkward. There were moments in the package where I was like, damn, that is not looking good. And then to see where it gets to at the end of that week is a testament to how hard they've work, how much Mark has taught her in that week. Beautiful footwork. And I almost wrote beautiful frame. But then I came back to actually having a note on it. Phenomenal quality in her performance, her musicality and her texture. She is genuinely unmatched in this. When. When we look at the overall package as far as a dancer on that dance floor, I believe that Whitney is unmatched in her musicality and her texture. When she does things, when she moves, there is layers to it. There is the overall movement of, say, she' pointing her finger. But then there is the underlying layer of where is it coming from in her body? And then there is the layer on top of that. Is when she points that finger, where does it stretch to at the end of it? And that's just an example that happens in all of her movements. Everything is coming all the way from the ground all the way to the tip of her head and all the way out to the ends of her fingers. There is not one single part of her that is not used or not engaged at any given point when that music starts. And that truly is dancing. It is not the moves that we do. It is how we get from A to B and what we do on the in between that truly sets you apart from the rest. And she is absolutely unmatched. Okay, so when I am talking about their frame, it was lovely. It was lovely, but I feel like it could be wider. Now, I know their height is really close, so maybe that has something to do with it. And maybe what I'm saying isn't fixable. I'd have to have a bit of a closer look. But I feel like her right arm that rests on Mark, it either doesn't have enough arm to fully stay up and go out and get her even more in her window, or she's sort of just in too close. It was hard to tell. Her hand looks lovely. It doesn't look like it's heavy or grabbing. I just feel like I want them to get more space from each other. I want her to be more in her window and him to be more in his window. And really, I call it the palm tree. Really, like, fall backwards and away from each other and head out into that window. And I'd love to see that from them again. I don't know if it's a height and width thing, so maybe they are at their absolute maximum, but that was one thing for me as I was watching it. I just wanted more width and more stretch in that frame. Now, her head position was lovely. Their body contact was stellar. There was zero gapping in all of that fast, quick step. And I was very, very impressed with that. I will say that quick step, step is not an American smooth style. And so once you take up frame, you are not supposed to break frame. Now, I know that they broke frame in the middle of it, but didn't let go of both hands. I don't know if that's a technicality that I've just forgotten, but for me, they did break frame down in one of the lower corners, and they did do a little lindy section. Now, as a spectator, was I obsessed with it? Deliciously, yes. Absolutely loved it. The musicality, wonderful. And I'm entertained for days. However, as a judge on it, I would personally say, but you broke frame, so that would. That would be. For me. Now, it was a moment and they didn't let go of one of the connecting hands. So, again, maybe there's a loophole there that I'm unaware of, but from my understanding, we're not supposed to break frame at all. And I feel like. I swear, I think I said it was Nick Carter season But it wasn't. But I swear to you, there was a season there were so many. So it's blurry where our. How good? Old Len Goodman, God love him, damn near yelled at me for separating in hold and still holding onto that one hand doing a bounce action thing, like a kicky thing in quick step. So I don't know. I don't know. I don't have the answer for you on that. Things may have evolved. It's been a couple years since I actually danced on the show, and I know things have progressed and as they should for entertainment value, too. But if I was sitting on that judge's table, I would have been like, oh, just like Carrie Ann was is with her lift. I would have raised an eyebrow at the break and hold. However, it's a risk that pays off for Mark because where are they gonna go? And it was absolutely a fantastic, phenomenal, perfect routine. Judges gave it a 10, 9, 10, 10. I gave it a 9 simply because of that break and hold and where. Where I sit with those rules. Totally see the 10. It was perfect. What more would you want from it for as a dance? What more could you possibly want from it other than from me? A little more stretch in that frame and a no break in hold. Hold. I'm a huge fan, as you guys know, of Mark's work. I thought this fantastic. Was fantastic. I love the arrangement. I love what he did to the song to make it a little bit more quick step. I thought all of it was just beautiful. And if they didn't break hold, I would have given it a 10. Okay, moving on. Oh, gosh. We're moving on to a rumba now. Rumba is one of the absolute hardest dances to do on this show because it's so slow. We have Danny and Dylan doing a rumba. It was a stunning set. Everything looked absolutely beautiful. Again, this is a very hard dance, and it's also very hard for the men. There's just not a lot of steps in it. It goes slow, right? And there's a certain rumba timing that you have to do. And all of these big dances are happening throughout the night. So it might have felt like it fell a little bit flat. Unless you're solely watching Danny, who is, as Derek described, a Ferrari out on that floor. And watching her is ridiculous, no matter what she's doing. But let's get into. Just said first, John said it was so connected. He was so impressed. It was the kind. It is the kind of masculinity that is needed in dance. I totally Agree. I think we're really seeing this, and I think this was asked of him early in the season. I think I even asked. We're really seeing a beautiful masculinity come out in Dylan. I felt like he's so comfortable with Danny. You can see their connection and their bond that they've built. He's really trusting her with everything that she's teaching, and it truly does pay off. He learned. Listen, I will. I will remain to say that I actually prefer him in the Latin dances to the ballroom dances, even though, again, he said in the package that he's not as good at them. My personal opinion, I was really obsessed with the way that he did his technique in this. And we'll get back to that. Bruno said it was a wonderful frame for the girl. It got jagged in his hips in the middle, and it's the hardest dance for men. So it was a beautiful frame. So back when we saw his cha cha was this week one, week two. I don't know. His elbows were a little lower. His actual frame, even though it's not a ballroom frame that's fully in hold, it still has a frame to it. It still has to feel like the arms are stretched out and around a massive beach ball. Right. There is a curve. There is a strength, there is a resistance. Those elbows were not droopy this night. They were up. They were strong. He was pulling from them. He was leading from his back. I really felt the strength in him in his frame. That's also why John was saying the kind of masculin. You're seeing, that masculinity, because the posture is changing, the frame is changing, the way he's leading is developing. And I really agree with this comment. It was. It was beautiful to watch Danny be able to be in a frame like that and dance and live her best life. The jagged hips in the middle, I didn't see. I know there was a syncopation in a hip timing, and I'm wondering if that's what Bruno was looking at, because it did get a little sharp for a moment. But I know that was a playfulness in dynamics and timing, and I actually didn't mind that. But there might have been something from their angle and my TV camera angles that I. I didn't see. So I. I totally trust Bruno that he saw something there. Derek said he is growing and progressing. He's paying attention to the details, and Danny is a Ferrari. But you are not being overshadowed by her power. You're being strong. You're being intentional. Turn the front Foot out a little bit more. So all wonderful words from Derek. All agree? Yes. I don't think he's being overshadowed by Danny. I think we saw more dynamics from him in the last two weeks. Weeks. And that he was a beautiful frame for her. And listen, rumba really is the woman's dance. It really is about framing her and doing these beautiful things and these walks and these back bends and it's. I know later Ezra said it's the dance of love. It's truly to me the dance of lust. It was always explained to me by my coaches that rumber is the one night stand and waltz is the forever dance, is the true love dance. And I taught that always sat with me. Rumber is very passionate and sexy and you could think of it as lustful in a one night stand. And I feel like because of Danny and Dylan's relationship we could get some of that energy, you know, that character play and intention between them. The turn your front foot out a little bit more. So Dylan was doing a really good job with the footwork. He's sliding that, that leading foot in on a toe and into a flat foot. He was really trying to use the floor. What was happening is his feet were staying dead straight. And what we do in ballroom dancing is our, our feedback. Feet have to slightly turn out, which gives us more ground to cover, which gives us more balance. And at the same time our knee tracks forward. Much unlike ballet dancers who turn their foot, their foot out and also turn their knee out. We track our foot out but track our knee forward. It's really not great for your, your joints, but that is what we do. And so what was happening was when Dylan went into a step called a sliding door or some of his forward basics, his foot was coming in dead straight, which can make it feel a little bit like you're walking a tightrope. And it can also make it look slightly pigeon toed at times. So yes, he definitely needs to work on turning out those forward feet, those front feet just a little bit more. When he's hitting in those check forward walk positions where he's changing his direction, we always use a turned out foot. So that can help us change our direction. I hope that makes sense. I know that got a little bit wordy. I said it was a stunning set, that his free hand sometimes looked a little bit lost. So just making sure that there's always a detail and a something for his hand to do instead of waving around in no man's land. Lovely strong elbows and lines. We talked about that yes. No momentum in the drag turn, which is something that Carrie Ann spoke about. Oh, Carrie. I missed her notes. She said the partnership is magic. And the foot got stuck on the drag turn. The drag turn was when Danny was running backwards in his arm and he was supposed to be rotating on the one foot with his leg out, but you could see that it was sticking. And so he wasn't getting the momentum, which meant he wasn't leveraging himself and Danny the right way. Way. And so he was almost trying to do it himself instead of allowing that centrifugal force, that outside edge of the energy and the momentum that they have to then pull him around with him being the access point. So, yeah, that did get a little bit dodgy in there on that point, which was such a shame. Sliding doors, I absolutely loved them in the stretch, the movement. But yes, turning out the front foot would have helped. There was some beautiful technique in there. But his feet. Feet. I said it. His feet need some more turnout for stability. They're looking turned in. So overall, I thought it was a great attempt at a really hard dance. You could really see him learning the technique. You can really see how much he's grown, just as evident in that frame and the posture that he had with her, the masculinity that we're starting to see. And I really, really loved this dance from them. I genuinely love their Latin dances. I think it sounds like they're heading into another ballroom dance heading into Halloween. So we'll see how that one goes. Those. The judges gave it an 8. 8. 8, 8. I also gave it an 8. I almost gave it a 7, but I felt like he really did so well on some of the key technique parts here that are really hard to nail. And this is genuinely a hard dance. This is much harder than doing a jazz with all the character bits in it that tell a story and give you distraction. Distraction. No, this is a slow moving dance. All eyes on him. You can see every single little wobble and you know if it's missing any of the technique. So I thought he'd delete. Delivered it really, really well. Well done, you guys. And Danny, you are such a beast. I want to be you when I grow up. Okay, moving on to Andy and Emma. They did a jazz. Let's get into what the judges said. Bruno said you were on time. It was a miracle. Lol. He was on time. That was the very first thing I wrote. Because last week, if we remember, he was not on time for pretty much the whole route routine. Carrie Ann said it Was really good. And he is proof that dance is for everybody. And she complimented the choreography by Emma, which I totally agree. I think Emma did a fantastic job on this choreography for him. It really allowed him to shine, have fun and also show some growth. Derek said he's really proud of him. Loves seeing him embrace dance and he's made it to the halfway mark. But now we'll see what happens. But commended him on a job well done. I think Derek might have thought that potentially Andy was going to go home. Home, certainly on dance ability and level. Yes, it is his time. But as we know about this show, people will vote for their fave. Not necessarily always the best and vote. Andy has voting parties as we spoke about it is reminding me. It is giving me Bobby Bones feels. I think you all need to prepare yourself for how long this man may last and also prepare yourself with grace because he is. Is also what this show is about. And it's beautiful having him there for balance alongside some of the others that have major dance background and experience. So I love seeing him in there. John said he loves watching him. Wicked is about being the underdog, and he's so proud of him for being that and working his absolute butt off to get there. I. I agree. I think you can see that he's working his butt off. He's giving it absolutely everything that he can. Ken, for my notes, I quite literally wrote very little because what is there to write at this point? What I wrote was timing. Good. With lots of exclamation points because the timing is the number one thing I was looking at. And he did really good. He definitely did more steps this week again. He definitely kept up with everyone in his own unique, special Andy way. And for him, it was very, very clean. And you. You know what? I loved it. From the moment it started to the moment it ended and all the moments in between. I love watching Andy and Emma out on that floor. And I will say again, as second, the judges, she's doing a fantastic job and the choreography was wonderful for him and we are seeing growth in him. So I was super impressed and I absolutely loved it. Now, the judges gave this a 7. 6. 7, 7. I have been in between a 4 and a 5 and landing on a 4 for Andy for pretty much the whole season. I felt like he did great and his timing was crisp. So we made it to a solid five for me this week. Super impressed with the growth in him and I. Guys, he's through to the next round. You all saw him, like, cover his face with his hand. I don't think he was expecting it either. It also breaks my heart every time they get through. I see Ems go over to the eliminated couple and start apologizing and I that I just, I know that position. I know how she feels in that and I feel for her because they didn't ask to get through. They are simply doing the absolute best that they can and they're obviously reaching the hearts of millions of people at this point and people are voting for them. So they are doing their job and doing it beautifully and so we get to continue seeing them every week.
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Shanna Burgess
All right, it is time to get into one of the most talked about I think I've seen since last night which is Elaine and Alan doing a contemporary. And I. So I want to start this one with. She shared in her package, and I'm so glad that they showed this. I'm so glad that I got to see this. She has titanium in her favorite foot, and I think she may have talked about it before, but there's a shoulder thing that she's experiencing from a car accident that she was in. I didn't know that information, whether that was in a package or not. I may have missed it, but I. People online have since shared that with me because I was always talking about her shoulders. And so knowing that and knowing the things that she's battling against, as Derek mentioned when he was talking to her, that's really impressive that this is where she's at and this is what she's creating and doing and how much she's growing whilst she is battling those. Those things. And they are obviously working around them and with them as. As the absolute best that they can. I will just say I was very emotional through this whole performance for her, and I. Yeah. And I think everyone was. There was something about it that just reached you. Carrie Ann was emotional. She could barely get her words out, and she waited for Elaine to come over because Elaine obviously had to get off the rig and out of the skirt. She said it was something special. Special. She burst into tears watching it, and she was just so in the moment. It was beauty, and it was elegance, and she's so proud of her. I agree with all of that. Like, I was emotional watching it. It was just beautiful from her, and I loved. I loved all of this. So Derek had a chat with her about what she's pushing through and acknowledged that she had shared that with him last week. And this is why I think it's so important for us to see these things in the package. I want to see the struggle. I want to know that you have titanium in a part of your body, and there's nothing you can do about. I want to know that it's impossible for you to straighten your legs. Like, there are things we just need to know, especially as judges, because otherwise that same critique is going to keep coming up and it's null and void, because if they can't change it, let's move on to something that we can change. And so I love now that we know more things, and I love knowing that now Derek and the judges all know more things, and we can move forward with that with Elaine and giving her critiques and advice that are actually going to help her grow. He Said that he loved the trustful. Oh, my God. That trustful. And she moved with grace and wisdom. There's something that I said about Elaine from the beginning. She has this grown womanness about her. There is something you cannot teach. It quite literally comes with experience and age. And when she is out there, she is it, she embodies it. And she also has it like that X factor that we talk about. The thing that you can't teach. She has something in her that is just a beautiful gift, right. Of performance. Performance. And then bring to that her life experience and what she's been through. And you feel like you're watching a grown woman on the floor doing something beautiful. And that is always the way that I feel when I watch Elaine. And I think that's what he means by the grace and the wisdom. Two things that I think you only get with growing and learning. It's really beautiful to see. John said it was pure ascension, that it is about surrender to your power. He felt it and he felt it and he felt that Elaine truly surrendered to her power. And. And I think she surrendered to it. I think we saw her in the package, have her moment of sharing and surrender to the feelings and the vulnerability and just say it and say how hard things are. Or maybe we just got to see it for the first time. And I think she left it all on the dance floor. And I absolutely loved this for her. Bruno says in absolutely inhabited the character. It was fearless, total commitment, toughest number. Because of course, this is the biggest song from Wicked, Defying Gravity. Oh, such an emotional, beautiful song. And yeah, yeah, when you find out you've got the song for Wicked Night, you, by the way, even as a choreographer, go, oh, my God, oh, my God, I've got to do an amazing job. You suddenly put so much pressure on yourself. And I'm sure you do as the celebrity as well. Like, oh, my God, I really need to deliver on this. And I think they absolutely delivered. So for me, the notes were as we talked about with the titanium foot and love knowing these things. I was like, trustful, big shouty, capital letters. And the way that it happened, it wasn't a usual trustful. The way that she walked and just went to the side and the way that he caught her, it was just spectacular. It like hit me in the feels. I loved it so much. And then I wrote, I'm emotional. And then we got to the end of it and I was like, oh, my God, Alan's emotional. Wait, everybody's emotional. Why are we all so emotional? It was. There was. Was just something about it that was so raw and it was all left there on the floor. There was so much power in it. There was so much beauty in it. The connection between the two of them. I think this is a very special partnership once again for Allan. I loved him last season with Alona. I love him this season with Elaine. I'm a big fan of where this is all headed for him and the work that he's creating. I wrote, she is so in it with big shouty capital letters. She had so much texture in her movement. Again, that texture of the move, not just being the movement move, but the story behind it, the intention behind it. Not just the A to B that, but the how did we get there? All of that was in it. She was pushing past a point and I thought it was exceptional. I said, I'm emotional and I effing loved it. And. And I said, but I lost her at the end. So I don't think this is anything that they could have done about it. I think this ended up being the nature of the idea, the production. And then you get into it and you realize maybe how long things take for her to get up and have this amazing moment up there with this skirt. And I feel like, for me, to be honest with you, because the dance was so spectacular, I then really mourned it when she left the screen and I really didn't get the payoff as much as I wanted to when she went up in the skirt. And I know the moment we were going for. I know it. The ascension. I know it and I know what it was meant to be. But I was so deeply obsessed with the movement and with the dance between the two of them that went. She was gone and it was Allan fighting off people now. Was that fantastic? It was fantastic. But I was like, where Elaine go? And then we turn around and I see her in the skirt and she's going up. And yes, it was good, but the dance was better, you know, and so I felt like, ah, dang. And look, if it only went for 10 seconds, then who cares? But it went for. Am I exaggerating if I say 30? Maybe it was 25 seconds. Someone time it and tell me. I don't want to say it wrong and I don't want to over embellish it, but it's. It did feel like a massive chunk of the dance that I lost her. And I. Again, I. I say I mourned it because she was just so spectacular and I was so emotional watching her and I Probably would have been an absolute hot mess with tears rolling down my face, if I had stayed on her and Alan for the whole time. And we found a different way to have that ascension moment. But again, no shade to anyone. The idea was there. We got to try things. I think they did the very best that they could. I think she went up and did a great job. I just think it took me out of it and wanted more of her. So the judges gave it all nines, and I landed on a nine. And believe me when I say I wanted to give it a 10, I wanted to give it a 10. And the argument will be, but they had no control. They couldn't do anything about it. Yada, yada. I know, I know. And that is sometimes the. The imbalance or the unfairness of competition shows and reality shows and whatever. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. And I'm not saying they could have asked to not do it either. I'm just saying it's the way the cookie crumbled. This week, as a viewer and as a judge, I was obsessed with everything. Everything. No notes. And then I lost her. So I ended up landing on a nine. But I do think that's my highest score I've ever given her. And I, I, I'm so in love with watching her on the floor and in love with what Allan's doing with her. So I can't wait to see where they go to next. Especially now, having a deeper understanding of the physical things that she. She is pushing literally against to do what she's doing. It's very inspiring. Okay, let's get into Jen and Jan doing a foxtrot. I, like, had a little tear come to my eye when she was in the package, and she looked at him and she's like, am I a bad dancer? That really broke my heart that she's. That she's feeling it this heavy and she's feeling that way. She's not, you know, I actually think she's wonderful and very talented. Wanted. Let's get into what the judges said and see how they critiqued her. So, Derek, Jen was asking in the package to be pushed harder. I want harder stuff. I want harder stuff. And I agree with Derek. It's not about it needing to be harder because I wouldn't call their routines simple ever or boring at all, but about giving more texture to the movement that she is doing. And he said that she did do that. So texture. We've talked about texture a couple times. He found that she was finding that in the movement. More in this routine, and I feel that is the way to go. It's not. I think Jan's routines are lovely. I think the choreography that he's had has been really beautiful, but I haven't felt as much texture and the execution of them be quite so brilliant. So I would love to see that pushed further. Just like Derek John said, loved the storytelling, basically loved the storytelling of it, which I. I agree. I think they great. Did great storytelling in this one. Bruno said the flow of the movement is getting better. The continuity out of it is getting better. It's not what you do, but how you do it. And you must be on top of the intention at all times. He's back on this intention, which I think takes us back to texture, which I think takes us back to technique, knowing where it begins and it ends. Right. So, yes, I. I agree on all points. I think the continuity in her is getting better. I think they had a much better flow this week than the. The Viennese Waltz last. Last week. And I think we can just go for more, more. More of that. More stride along the floor, more glides smooth between the weight transitions and the weight changes smoother in the frame and allowing that energy and essence of a foxtrot to flow more so than feeling a little bit PC in areas. But yeah, so I agree with Bruno. Heading into what Carrie Ann said last week, she tapped into some more vulnerability and it got a little bit more messy. And sometimes, sometimes that is what you need to get better. She's still in process, but she likes the direction. I'm not fully in Carrie Anne's head to know what she means by sometimes it needs to get messy to get better. Maybe she means we just need to try things and, like, throw it all out there and feel something different to then rein it in. Totally get that. I think that's valid and I think they're trying things and I think they're pushing, and I think that's really, really great. As far as my notes on this, I said I love the drama. First thing that I said, a really beautiful oversway again from them. They also did that in Venus Waltz last week, and I thought that was a really nice line for them. But then once we get in to the actual dancing, her frame breaks. You know, it does. It sort of holds on. You see the elbows go down and you understand that she's holding on with her arms and she's not truly locking in with those points of connection from the upper thighs into the groin area into the lower abdomen area and stretching out into her frame. We're connecting in the wrong points, so I, I would encourage them moving forward, forward to just practice taking up those four or five points of connection. My dance coach used to put a record between us, so we would have to try and quite literally stay sandwiched together as we moved. And it could be a simple movement as moving forwards and backwards, starting to add rotation into it, but really understanding that and not actually having the grip between the man's left hand and the lady's right hand, letting that one drop and letting the connection happen everywhere else in the body, body. So we can learn to follow and lead a little bit more in these ballroom dances. Because what happens is it starts to feel a little bit disjointed. And so I feel like if we connect that way, that's where that flow is also going to come back in. I do feel it was the best of her ballroom dances that she's done, but she does need that flow to come in and for it to just feel more like it's two people moving as one. And so some parts of it were really great. And I think we're seeing growth in her. It breaks my heart that she's asking if she's a bad dancer. She's actually a fabulous dancer. She's just in a season that is stacked with people that are doing a phenomenal job, either freakishly good and have never danced before or have dance experience. And so I hate that she's feeling Shasta come is comparing herself to that. I hope she can take the notes on. On the chin. It seems that she has been doing that. And I really love seeing Jan grow. I've, by the way, since now discovered some of his social media things that I've seen. And he is very famous, funny, and I've been a big fan of his work that I've seen online in his contemporary pieces that he's created. I loved the one that he did with Jenna. I think he is a phenomenal talent. And when we're talking about new pros and a lot of you have asked me online if, you know, anyone's at a disadvantage or whatever. Look, we. We all started somewhere. You know, I started as a brand new pro at some point, so did Val, so did everyone, and we all had to leave learn, you know, and Jan is incredibly talented, obviously very, very fast learner for where he is at now. And you're only going to see him grow and grow. And with his skill set that he has, I think he's going to be an absolute beast out on that floor as a Dancing with the Stars pro. And I hope he gets the continued opportunity to explore that, because I think he's a look, a personality and a talent that's worth having on the show. And I think he brings something different to it and something unique and that special. And he's going to learn. He's going to learn. Dancing with the Stars has evolved beyond just being ballroom. It's so many other things now. Look at our troop dances. And so I think he is in the right place at the right time, and we just have to give him time to grow. I know that's hard if Jen is your favorite and you're her ride or die fan, because there's always going to be, you know, that for someone some season. But trust me, he's a wonderful addition to the show. And when I give notes, it's not me trying to poo poo on any. Anyone and say they don't belong there. He belongs there, and he's going to be wonderful. Just give it some grace. Okay, let's get into Danielle. I mean, I have my notes. I want to say before I get into the judges. This was by far my favorite performance for her. And I thought this was just absolutely stunning. A very complicated routine. Okay. John said this is the favorite part of his movie, their song, seeing her rise. And he just. He's loved her journey and love watching her, but he wished that the intensity grew into something which I do agree. Bruno said it was sexy and full of passion. Pure, real Argentine tango, which it was those ganchos, the combinations, the chain step. Absolutely beautiful. Bruno touched on the fact that it was a difficult song because it was never really the same. And you're jumping in and out of, like, what you're actually choreographing and moving to. And that is true. And I think they both handled that brilliantly. Both partial with the choreography and Danielle with being able to look, learn it and being able to perform with that and adjust to those changes and timings. And basically he loved it. And she said that she did fantastic. Carrie Anne said it was her breakthrough dance and called her for a powerful woman in action and said, thank you. I know people have felt like Carrie Anne has been very hard on Danielle. I. I have no thoughts on that, to be honest. I haven't felt that. I feel like Carrie Anne has been doing really great this season of giving her notes and her critiques. And we have been asking for something from Daniela, maybe within those short amounts of time. Carrie Ann doesn't have the moments to really elaborate on them. But Danielle understood the assignment anyway, and she absolutely delivered this week. Danielle and Pasha, I should say, delivered this week. It did look very, very powerful from her and sexy and sensual. Derek said it was difficult. The difficulty was just insane. The gantos, the embraces, the leg locking. It was pro level on its choreography. He did say, don't mistake posture for constriction and make sure that you breathe the dance. So two things I want to add and two things that I think we really need to see come from Danielle. First of all, again, favorite dance spectacular. Loved the choreography. I was wowed by her legs and the grace in them and the movements. Everything that she was doing was just really beautiful. Nothing clunky. It had that very smooth, sexy feel and very articulated feel of an Argentine tango. It was beautiful. Whipped herself into that back bend. Oh, my lord. I want more dynamics like that. I need more impulses in the energy. There was still a moment in the very beginning where she sort of stepped out to the side and her arm came out. Her hand was more on her rib, and her elbow went out, and I was like, oh, no. It felt like it was going to be the same dynamics, A little bit soft. But then she got into it, and the nature of the choreography, the dance, the routine, the song, she really lifted up the intensity in that. We saw a whip into a back bend. The legs were doing the dynamics, and I really, really enjoyed it. It. I do agree with John. I wish it went somewhere in its intensity and that it built a little bit energetically between them, that there was a little bit of a. I don't want to call it a fight between them because it's not an Argentine tango, But as something that is a little bit more electric and a build. I totally agree with that. And I also agree with Derek's comment of constriction. So I feel that we can still get more of this outward energy from Danielle. It is not her posture. I don't believe. I believe it is a. A performance that she needs to. There is a fourth wall there that I need her to break through. I think that's what I want to call it. I don't know. I'm choosing my words as I go here, but there is a wall that I need her to break through. There is a one last barrier of her energy from her eyeballs connecting to me at home or outside of. Of the dance floor space. I want it to be for everyone at home and in the audience, not just for them on the floor. Do you know what I Mean. And so I feel like she does that. Obviously, she performs for everyone, but there is something in the energy and the intensity that just needs to click past this little barrier that it's got. And it's not a physical action. It is an intention. And I really, really, really want to see her break through that because we saw a bit of it. We saw the dynamics. I really watched this grow. I was really, really, really, really in love with this. And I did. Did agree with the judges on the score, wholly and completely. They gave it all nines. I gave it a nine. Yes, there are performance things I wanted from it, but you know what? The technicality of that routine, the execution of the gant shows, the difficulty in it that. When I say the difficulty. So there's a chain step. It's not just that they were walking through it. She was allowing Pasha's leg to move hers and then her leg to move Pasha's. That is hard. She did such a good job, and I was so very impressed with her growth in this. And I cannot wait to see what they do in this coming week. It's Halloween. I want, like, big personality. I want a character. I want something outside of herself. I want something that, like, shocks the pants off me as I'm sitting and watching it and just be like, what a different version of Danielle, you know, but whole. Holy moly. I love that one. Okay, getting into Jordan and Ezra. This is our last couple for the night. They did a rumba again, a very, very hard dance to do. But as I said, it's really made for the. The woman, you know, and we really see that come into play here. For Jordan, Ezra choreographed a fantastic routine. The judges said Carrie and basically called it perfection. Derek said so. Such a stunning routine. The quality of movement was amazing. He wants to see more emotion from her. I. I get that, and I. I do agree with that. John complimented how hard she works, her work ethics, said that he'd seen her in the Olympics, and obviously there's something about the ey. Determination, and that's what he's seeing out there on the floor. Bruno said it was gorgeous. The finishes that she had, meaning her lines and her legs, everything in her finishes, she had it performance. There was light and shade in the musicality, all of those things. I do think that Derek even complimented her feet. I actually felt that her feet were a little awkward at times. So my first word was, oh, like big shouty, capital letters. And wow. The body texture. Lots of wows. I wrote here that I was very, very, very, very impressed. Both routine execution, everything from the ankles up really was absolutely spectacular. But there is something about her feet that feels like her weight is so very, very on the outside edges of her feet. And so in. In. In ballroom and in Latin. And another thing, as we talk about the front foot turns out the knee tracks forward. The weight, because of that is on the inside of our ankles, the inside of our feet. That is where we want to really push. We squeeze our legs together. Like there is a band pulling them together. And that deep connection in energy between, like, ankles to knees to thighs, right. Everything is working inward. And I feel with her, everything in her legs is working outward. And I think she has a massive hyperextension in her knees. So there is also a factor in that that just physically her legs bend that way. Emma's legs also do that, and she's had to work her legs to get beautiful leg action in rumba to make sure they don't look bowlegged. So I think that's a little bit of what we're. I'm seeing in Jordan's feet. I found that her feet didn't have as much pressure in the floor as I wanted them to. They sort of, like, slid along the floor. There was one moment after a line where it was. I wanted it to come down and touch and then actually circle the floor, but it sort of skipped the floor. And she's got stellar balance, so she could do the move anyway. So I feel like I need. Oddly, this is a weird one. I say I want more groundedness, but she does settle in her hips. But I want the groundedness to also happen when she's transferring from foot to foot. In that transition of push from foot to foot, we use, even though you're at a heel, we use every single bit of our foot. My coach used to make me practice barefoot, so I could feel every single part of my foot rolling off the floor as I would walk in my rumble walks. I'd love a little more connection to the floor in her feet. But was this a phenomenal dance for her? Absolutely. I was very, very impressed. I do agree so with Derek as well. So beyond my note of the pressure in the floor and the feet and that bowleggedness of a all, I would love to see more emotion come into it. Now, again, rumber is the dance of lust. I don't know that I saw that connection. Now I know it's wicked. Don't come for me. They're supposed to be besties. I also love that Ezra tied in the holding space. Finger, finger Hold. Beautiful. He's killing it this season, but it is a rumba. And so if it wasn't going to be steamy connection, then I needed to see a something else else in it. An emotion in it of something. Of something else. It is very determined. It's beautiful, powerful, all of those things. Yes. But I need another layer of emotion to come in there. And so I agree with Derek on those points. Judges gave it a ten. Nine. Ten, ten. I ended up giving that one a nine. Very, very impressed. So no tens from me tonight, but so unbelievably close. I almost gave it a couple times but found we did just. There was just enough reason to not. But I absolutely loved this night of Dancing with the Stars and I love that we had John. I love the way the whole ballroom looked. I loved every single thing about this. I think everyone crushed it. Everyone looked beautiful. Performances were great. Julianne looked absolutely stunning. I big fan, big fan of all of it. And I cannot wait to see. Now we're switching into a whole other vibe going into Halloween. Halloween, and I can't wait because you know what? These couples are growing and growing so damn fast, improving at such high rates. I know we saw Scott go home and super sad to see him go. I don't know who's gonna go home on this next one. Could it be Andy? Yes. Because, yes, at this point, he's at the bottom of the leaderboard and technically, as a dance show, he should. As a fan favorite, I have no idea. Let me know in the comments what you think. I did get asked one question that I quickly want to answer for you as far as who chooses the music and the songs. Let me do this very quickly. I know other pros have done this for you online, but it's really a mix of all things. At the very start of the season, the celebrity is going to fill out a questionnaire on songs they love and all different questions on different genres and movies and all types of things. So they put that in. There'll also be some weeks where they will put out to the cast, give me your top three of Wicked that you might love and you'll put them out. You can put out suggestions and whatnot. There's dedication night where the celebrity probably absolutely requested the song. There's a Disney night where you might end up being given something for a specific reason. So it is all different reasons. And then when it comes to the style, honestly, the show in my experience has been very open to what style you want to do as long as you're not repeating another one. And the thing that you juggle is these pros are probably trying to figure out how to save their stronger styles for later in the season. So they are helping with the production to figure out like should it be a jazz or a quick step, should it be a this or that. And so it's really a collaboration between everyone. But the absolute final say comes down to either production or celebrity, depending on the week and the theme. So it is never the pro that just downright chooses the music, at least not in my experience. So hopefully that helps. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of in the Fourth Chair. As always, if you've got any questions or things you want to talk to me about or me to touch on for the next episode, please put them in the comments or DM them to me. I'd love to get into them. I love that you guys have been hanging here with me and be good to one another, comment kindly to one another, show your love for your favorites and I will see you on the next one. This is an I Heart podcast.
Episode: Sharna Burgess in the 4th Chair: Wicked Night
Host: Sharna Burgess (for iHeartPodcasts)
Date: October 23, 2025
Theme: A full, in-depth review of "Wicked Night" on Dancing with the Stars, celebrating the iconic numbers, standout performances, and notable journeys in the ballroom.
This episode of "In the Fourth Chair" features Sharna Burgess, former DWTS pro, as she breaks down the thrilling "Wicked Night" on Dancing With The Stars. Sharna offers expert insights into each contestant's routine, judge feedback, and her own scores while celebrating the growth and journeys of the contestants. The episode is marked by Sharna's enthusiasm for both the theme and the level of performances, highlighted by guest judge Jon M. Chu and the continued growth of the celebrities.
“He truly was authentic himself. And I loved watching his journey..." —Sharna [09:50]
“There is just a bit more squeeze… a bit more presence that we can get out of Alex…” —Sharna [16:20]
“This Irwin family just has some sort of gift… It is so impressive.” [19:35]
Notes Robert’s flat-footedness but is deeply impressed by musicality and dynamic performance.
“She is the perfect match for Mark on this dance floor… beautifully pushing along the floor…” —Sharna [26:45]
Notes potential technical infraction for breaking hold.
Scores a 9 (vs. judge’s mix of 9s and 10s).
“Great attempt at a really hard dance… you could really see him learning the technique.” [35:47]
Praises connection and posture, minor technical issues with feet. Awarded an 8.
“I love watching Andy and Emma out on that floor… he’s through to the next round.” [39:59]
Personal best for Andy, finally up to a 5 in Sharna’s scoring.
“I was very emotional through this whole performance for her… There was something about it that just reached you.” [43:35]
“Trust fall” moment was extraordinary. The only knock: the ascension segment took Elaine off the floor for too long, diminishing the dance’s conclusion. Score: 9.
“Really beautiful oversway… but her frame breaks.” [55:15]
Notes growth and encourages grace for both Jen and new pro Jan; this season is “stacked.”
“This was by far my favorite performance for her… absolutely stunning.” [1:04:40]
Praises technical execution, but wants Danielle to “break through the fourth wall” and connect even more. Shows anticipation for Halloween week. Score: 9.
“From the ankles up, really was absolutely spectacular.” [1:13:10]
Critiques weight placement in feet and calls for more grounded connection; wants increased emotional depth. Score: 9 (judges: 10, 9, 10, 10).
On Scott’s Journey:
“He truly was authentic himself. And I loved watching his journey..." —Sharna [09:50]
On Val’s Teaching:
“It’s truly a testament to how great he is as a pro to watch her grow so much from that week one... I am fully invested in her as a competitor.” —Sharna [16:57]
On Robert Irwin:
“This Irwin family just has some sort of gift… truly blows you away in how would they they doing this?” —Sharna [19:35]
On Mark and Whitney:
“She is the perfect match for Mark on this dance floor…” —Sharna [26:45]
On Emotion in Elaine & Alan’s Dance:
“There was something about it that just reached you. Carrie Ann was emotional… It was beauty, and it was elegance, and she’s so proud of her.” —Sharna [43:40]
On Danielle’s Breakthrough:
“Favorite dance—spectacular. Loved the choreography. I was wowed by her legs and the grace in them and the movements.” —Sharna [1:04:40]
For DWTS fans and dance enthusiasts, this episode provides expert technical takes, heartfelt celebration of contestants’ journeys, and candid appraisal of both ballroom successes and struggles. Sharna’s tone is energetic, warm, and deeply respectful of all involved.