Natalie Coughlin - Season 9

[Bloomers]

My thoughts, FWIW, is that Natalie is not comfortable with the "sexy" dances - with playing that role. She is not an actress and this is now two weeks in a row that she and Alec have had to do roughly the same dance. I just think that is an awkward character for her to try to play out. Hopefully next week they get a fun dance and she can relax a little bit.

Agreed! Also, Natalie's speciality - swimming - is by and large an individual endeavor. She simply is not used to working with a group, let alone a partner. Even when she swims in a relay, it is simply a matter of the group of them deciding when will be the best time for her to swim, and then she swims alone.

It is obvious to me that she is stressed out trying to relate to Alex in those rehearsal clips, and he sure enough doesn't know how to "handle" her well. The blessing is that she didn't get Maks!
I think she might have done well personality wise with Tony or Jonathon who would have had the patience to draw her out.

She has such a gorgeous body, and I believe she has potential, but time may play against her. She needs a lot of time for someone to work with her emotionally more than physically as she goes from getting used to working in close proximity to someone else to emoting romantic interest all at the same time. I can see where that would be tough for her.

[aname2]

I think her Bolero was beautiful. She is a gorgeous girl with a nearly perfect body. The problem with her emoting during the dance are 3-fold: 1) She is not an actress; 2) She is not used to performing with a partner; 3) Alec has a rather dry personality and is VERY married to Edyta. Now, the first two have to be developed, but the third could have been easier with a different partner - say Dimitry. Now, they might have had chemistry. She has tremendous potential, but I agree that the "performance" part could take too much time to develop.

[VAgirl79]

I was reading elsewhere last night that in an interview after the show, Natalie and Alec said that the clips of them sort of bickering on Monday's night's show were taken from maybe 15 minutes of footage out of all the hours and hours they practiced. One or both of them said something like they were surprised that the show edited their rehearsals in the way they did.

Based on some of the other stuff shown to us in rehearsal footage (Kelly-Louis bickering, Donny having a mild meltdown of frustration, Mya and Dmitry going back and forth on choreography, Lacey being her seemingly typical snippy self), it sounds more to me like this was a week where the producers pulled the "Lets show the developing tension and stress between the pros and their partners!" edit card, more than it's anything else.

[karalott]

I don't really think Alec is a bad teacher. I don't think he's never had a decent chance on this show, except with Toni and now Natalie. I'm glad to hear that there wasn't too much tension like it looked. I guess since Maks is gone they don't have any footage of him making his partners cry so they do the next best thing I didn't think much of their rehearsal, other than Alec getting frustrated and Natalie being frustrated and him basically telling her they could do it two ways but she needed to pick which way was comfortable for her. Since the dances were identical, and Natalie got such good scores for her rumba, she might have felt the pressure to top that.

They have the paso doble this week, so Natalie can bring out her swimming face, or whatever the heck she called that. I think this might be a good dance for them, if she can bring out the emotion needed. She's doing well with the footwork so that might be the easy part for her. And though they aren't scored according to other people doing the same dance, I think the paso group overall is weaker than the AT people, so she might have a chance to shine there.

[n4692u]

I don't really think Alec is a bad teacher. I don't think he's never had a decent chance on this show, except with Toni and now Natalie. I'm glad to hear that there wasn't too much tension like it looked. I guess since Maks is gone they don't have any footage of him making his partners cry so they do the next best thing I didn't think much of their rehearsal, other than Alec getting frustrated and Natalie being frustrated and him basically telling her they could do it two ways but she needed to pick which way was comfortable for her. Since the dances were identical, and Natalie got such good scores for her rumba, she might have felt the pressure to top that.

They have the paso doble this week, so Natalie can bring out her swimming face, or whatever the heck she called that. I think this might be a good dance for them, if she can bring out the emotion needed. She's doing well with the footwork so that might be the easy part for her. And though they aren't scored according to other people doing the same dance, I think the paso group overall is weaker than the AT people, so she might have a chance to shine there.

Remember, Alec and Kelly Monaco won the first season of DWTS. As far as the dust-up at their rehearsal, they said in an interview that it wasn't like it was shown. In other words, there was editing that made it look worse than it was.

[LuvThisStuf!]

Does anyone else think that Edyta is providing Natalie's costumes???

[sdl]

Does anyone else think that Edyta is providing Natalie's costumes???

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Maybe, but somehow they look attractive and classy on Natalie.

[karalott]

Remember, Alec and Kelly Monaco won the first season of DWTS. As far as the dust-up at their rehearsal, they said in an interview that it wasn't like it was shown. In other words, there was editing that made it look worse than it was.

True, but I feel like that win was overshadowed by the controversy and the dance off. Then Alec returns for two seasons, paired with two models, and booted first both times. I don't think Toni was ever given a real chance to shine with her dances (though I don't know what he was thinking with their VW choreography). Plus, she had her heart problems, and she mentioned there was some tension over faiths. I'd like to see him have a chance and to possibly win without controversy. I'm really looking forward to their paso this week. He's only ever been able to do one stinking paso, and Kelly was a mess.

I am glad to know that maybe that was all for show, because these two seemed to get along great in the previous weeks. I don't really see them interacting outside of the show that much, but I don't think much of that. Here's hoping now that there's two really sexy dances out of the way Natalie can get her groove back.

And an FYI, for those who get GSN, Alec/Edyta will be appearing on the new The Newlywed Game, on Oct. 22nd at 9 pm.

[MiniDiva]

Natalie is my personal fave and I am rooting for her! She is such a beauty and I believe she is a fully capable and elegant dancer. As beautiful as she was this past week, I believe she is naturally reserved and we may not see the emotion in the dances that may be lacking. However, I think she will probably do well with either the PD or AT tomorrow. I agree, it looks like Natalie has been getting costume design tips from Edtya, Natalie wears Edtya's style well!

[Bloomers]

Natalie is my personal fave and I am rooting for her! She is such a beauty and I believe she is a fully capable and elegant dancer. As beautiful as she was this past week, I believe she is naturally reserved and we may not see the emotion in the dances that may be lacking. However, I think she will probably do well with either the PD or AT tomorrow. I agree, it looks like Natalie has been getting costume design tips from Edtya, Natalie wears Edtya's style well!

To me, she is gorgeous. At 5'2, I simply can not imagine having those beautiful long legs!

After this, I can see her offered ad promotions that play off her Olympic fame but are based more on her beauty than on her athletic prowess. I am not talking about the Wheaties box here.

She is going to have to break out of that emotional reserve somehow, though, not just to perform the dances well, but she has to present herself a little more warmly to the voters. She has to "sell herself" to the voting audience.
Maybe the producers will recognize this and get her some help in this direction in the way that they have "helped" others before with whatever they needed.