Hey Dancing with the Stars fans!
We are quickly approaching the season finale of season seventeen. Only six dancers remain and depending on whether we have a three or four person finale, only three weeks are left in the competition. I thought it would be fun to list my personal power rankings of the couples who are left standing. Keep in mind, these are only my thoughts based on dance ability, popularity, and what I see happening for the rest of the season. As such, feel free to post and comment with your personal thoughts on how you see these last six dancing celebrities and their partners. Here we go…
#6 – Leah And Tony
Leah has definitely benefited from the judges being quite nice and generous with her. She has had many dances that I would have personally scored one or two points lower than the judges did. And if I am being honest, she should have been eliminated in place of Snooki if we are comparing her with the last female to exit. Leah isn’t a terribly bad dancer by any means but she doesn’t have anything going for her besides being average. The show would like to have you believe she has undergone some major dance transformation and improved weekly but I don’t see it. She still has her stronger (slow, emotion-filled) dances and her weaker (fast) dances. And even though it might not be a popular opinion, her attitude is quite off-putting. I know she is a comedian but she comes off really snooty at times and her constant eye rolls and under the breath remarks when she is being judged and scored just irks me. Because of all that, I think she is in the most trouble this week and should be. She is way past her time and due to be eliminated.
#5 – Bill And Emma
Like Leah, Bill has also worn out his welcome. He needed to exit as opposed to Brant, who was a much better dancer. But he has fans. He is endearing, charming, funny, and seems to really want to be there. In that respect, he has the opposite personality of Leah. But when you compare him now to the folks left, he is clearly the weakest dancer left. He needs to add comedy in order to make his dances entertaining, and Emma has consistently choreographed easier routines so Bill can keep up. The judges describe him as the heart of the show and I guess because he is the oldest cast member remaining and is so genuine, that much is true. But how far can all this take him? While a case can be made that he and Leah are neck and neck in terms of who will be eliminated next, either one of them outlasting the top four I am about to mention would be a travesty. Well, as much a travesty as an elimination on a reality-competition where the winner gets a fake ball can be.
#4 – Jack And Cheryl
Jack has had his ups and downs throughout the competition. He can be very good one week but awkward and stiff the next. He isn’t very consistent but I would be quicker to place the most improved label on him as opposed to Leah and/or Bill. Being partnered with Cheryl who knows her choreography has helped immensely. His parents being the audience weekly coupled with how well his sister did during her season shows that the Osbourne name does indeed carry weight. He also has a very feel good and inspiring story behind him as he deals with his medical condition and his desire to carry on and ultimately be a good father. I think fourth place is the ceiling for Jack as he doesn’t come close to the dance ability of the top three.
#3 – Elizabeth And Val
Elizabeth is a tricky one. Some of her dances have been utterly fantastic. Others however, have left something to be desired. Val can take some of the blame because he has had a few missteps with choreography this season. She has some natural dance ability and a history, so that always shows in her routines. What she needs to make sure to do now is complete the package. She has yet to really hit the “trifecta” of meshing great dancing with emotion and an entertaining routine. She needs all three on a consistent basis to pull ahead of the person I am about to talk about in number two. But she can do it. She is popular and people like her. I presume people want to root and vote for her. Her placement in third is the most unsteady because if she does what I think she needs to, she can be number two.
#2 – Corbin And Karina
Ah, Corbin. Another interesting case. When he was first announced as part of the cast, he got some immediate hate for being a ringer. After all, the dude is from a movie franchise that is known for singing and dancing. He has some hip hop experience and is popular with the young crowd. But he isn’t in the same league as say last season’s Zendaya, despite sharing many similarities. Karina is a great choreographer and they have put together some memorable routines this season but I can’t really think of one routine that has absolutely amazed me. And I think that’s his problem. He needs to have a “moment” on the show. He needs to have that one dance that amazes everyone. If he isn’t able to do that, he will not win. Plus, the demographic on this show (and causal voters who may or may not want to vote on a weekly basis) are not really in his pocket at this point. He and Karina should really be working towards doing something extraordinary if he hopes to take the mirror ball from…
#1 – Amber And Derek
Do they have this in the bag? Eh, not completely sold on that thought process. But they do have the best shot at this point. Derek is the absolute favorite of the pros left and he can choreograph the hell out of anything. Amber has been consistent on a weekly basis, even those weeks where Len has blasted the pair for not strictly sticking to the technique of certain dances. Amber is engaging, fun, young, sassy, and a free spirit. She is always a blast to watch. A couple of nagging injuries to both her and Derek haven’t been able to slow them down and no one else mentioned has been able to really steal her thunder at this point. If she keeps it up and ends up in the finale (which I can’t imagine she wouldn’t), Derek is going to choreograph a killer freestyle and I believe will win his second in a row mirror ball and his fifth in the show’s seventeen season history.
And there you have it. So what do you guys think? Do you agree with my power ranking or do you see things in a different way? Sound off in the comments and don’t forget… join me this coming Monday and the celebrities dance an individual routine and a trio challenge where they are joined by another pro or troupe member. Thanks for reading. :D
