Dancing with the Stars – Season 22 – Quarter-Final Power List
Before I begin this week’s power rankings, I want to give credit to the remaining five couples. Each one has pros and cons but on a whole, they are a strong group of dancers with some great personalities. I would have an easier time swallowing a win from three out of the five but if one of the other two end up taking it, job well done. The Quarter-Finals were interesting.
DWTS 22 Week 8 Live Blog and Performance VIDEOS
I thought the judges challenge was nice in theory but a little poor in execution and it had more to do with the judges than the dancers. If all the judges planned on giving their fellow judges props and complimenting everyone, what’s the point? I could name instances in all three dances where the judges would normally call things out. Jodie missed a step when dancing with Nyle, the samba routine lost energy toward the end, Antonio had a few awkward moments. I’m just saying- this whole exercise felt like a nice way to boost up morale but not really do much constructive. They all received 29 points added, so the individual routines were really important.
Dancing the the Stars 22 Spoilers: Week 9 Dances and Songs
This coming Monday is the season’s second double elimination. Okay. They want a 3-couple finale as opposed to four I assume. The two-part grand finale that begins on Monday, May 23rd will only have 3 couples competing, and that will lead us into Tuesday, the 24th where we will find out who takes 3rd, 2nd, and of course, the trophy. I loathe double eliminations. Nine out of ten times, we end up losing someone we shouldn’t. And since the scores are so close together and audience votes matter more than ever, I really don’t know how this elimination will go down.
I don’t feel like anyone is without question, safe. I guess that makes for an exciting competition but it does worry me that we may lose one or even two of the better overall dancers. With all that being said, here’s what I came up (and my reasoning) for these rankings…
5th – Antonio & Sharna (No Change)
It actually hit me as I began to come up with these rankings that Antonio has only been in jeopardy once. And I see more and more activity online about “Steeler Nation” being so strongly behind him that they are voting like crazy. I don’t usually pay too much attention to twitter or facebook comments like that but perhaps there is some truth to it. We all know Antonio had a few weeks of rough rehearsals (being late, a poor attitude) but he has stepped up his game in the last month. Or at least, that’s what the show wants us to believe. But his dancing is still a hit or miss. He goes from stellar stuff that the judges praise to lukewarm responses and forgettable routines. He is lucky he was in the Team James Brown dance two weeks ago and lucky he was paired with Paige in the Team Carrie Ann dance this past week. That probably gave him some more exposure to casual fans. Based on the whole season, I don’t believe he deserves a spot in the final three over anyone else- let alone two other people. But could he actually make it in somehow? Sure can.
4th – Nyle & Peta (No Change)
I thought the silent section of Nyle & Peta’s paso was dynamite. It was a wonderful glimpse into his world and I think it impressed a lot of people, as if Nyle hasn’t already impressed since week one. However, and I know Nyle has no real way to counter this, his musicality issue that sometimes forces him to miss stepping on the beat or being one hundred percent in tune with the music is something I find hard to overlook. It happens more in dances that require precision, such as a paso. You hit your marks on the beat and if you are slightly ahead or behind, it shows. Things were a bit better for him in the Team Bruno dance. I loved that he performed with Keo and was impressed at how well he was able to work with Jodie. When it comes to Nyle, I think his stock has relatively remained the same throughout the season but others have slowly increased. I guess the danger on these shows is either peaking too early or not showing growth. I do think he is deserving of a spot in the finale and it is definitely not just for sympathy. But will complacency in voter’s minds result in him just missing out?
3rd – Paige & Mark (Previously 2nd)
We need Paige in the finale. We need Mark’s choreography in the finale. These two would put together a killer freestyle routine. The viennese waltz was different and kind of cool. I hope audiences were impressed by it as opposed to confused and wondering what was going on. A good athletic showing in the team Carrie Ann dance should absolutely cement Paige’s place of at least making it to next week. My only real fear is that between Wanya’s fans voting like crazy (as they should) and Ginger bringing it to a whole new level late in the game, she may get edged out. She did all she could dancing wise and I believe Mark choreographed more than enough memorable routines, so we will see if her fans and some casual votes did enough to allow her to break through.
2nd – Wanya & Lindsay (Previously 1st)
Hmm. Two weeks in a row in jeopardy. This week, part of the bottom two with Jodie. What is up? Did he just peak way too soon in the first five weeks of this show? Are the producers sending a message that the fans need to dial those phones harder and get online? Your guess is really as good as mine. But because he was in danger for two weeks (similar to what happened to Jodie earlier this season), I think his people voted. Yes, his jive had one glaring mistake that ruined an otherwise stellar routine. He thankfully returned to form in the samba as part of Team Len. I still feel like though his stock has dropped quite a bit, he will make the finale. I am just less sure about it now than I was a month or even three weeks ago.
1st – Ginger & Val (Previously 3rd)
That’s two weeks of perfect scores for Ginger. And two weeks of Val’s best choreography of the season. I think Ginger (with perhaps Nyle as the other one) is the very definition of “picking up casual voters” as the show goes forward. The one thing Ginger brings to the table (besides that huge “Good Morning America” platform) is the “every woman” factor. She is a mom. She works hard. She probably makes people at home feel as though they can do what she is doing because she is like them. And that helps a lot on a show like this. She doesn’t come with that huge background of being a big name athlete or entertainer (singer/dancer/etc). I really think if she pulls off another perfect routine (or two) in the semi-finals, that coupled with Val’s popularity- we could be looking at a surprise winner here. We can debate whether or not that would be an earned victory or not but it can’t be denied- Ginger has arrived lately and she’s making people take notice.
I turn it over to you guys now. What are your thoughts? Am I crazy? Is there no way Ginger is first? Should I have dropped Wanya lower? Am I underestimating Nyle’s fanbase and possible votes from the casual viewing audience? And how about Antonio? Is he making the finals or not? And should he? And can Paige take her place as she rightfully should with the two other finalists? As I always say, these rankings are based on not just how the couples danced but how the judges scored them, the comments, backstage footage, and all those other pieces of the puzzle that make reality-competition run. As we all know, it isn’t always the best dancer/singer who wins these shows. So many other factors go into it that it sometimes makes my head spin trying to use common sense to come up with these rankings. But you guys have been replying with some great feedback to me with your opinions, so please keep them coming. And don’t forget to join me live this coming Monday night, May 16th @8 Eastern for the Semi-Finals!
