9/19 Season Premiere Discussion **West Coast Spoilers**

[Shoepie]

This is not a favorite show of mine but this season seems better than others. I use FF liberally watching only the dances, scoring and rehersal footage of my favorites. I am rooting for Ricki, Carson and Chaz.

Ron was terrible and his arrogance showed. He may be gone tonight or Elizabetta.

[AcookerTV]

I think Elizabetta will be gone. She was boring to watch, and doesn't really have a natural fan base in the US to keep her going.

[mandmmom2]

I agree that the premere was boring....I get up at 4:30 AM and my first thought this morning was, "why did I even stay up last night to watch the premere...it wasn't worth not getting enough sleep".

I like Hope, Chynna, JR, Carson, David and Ricki. But I think the top 4 (as of now...it'll change later in the season) will be Hope, Chynna, JR, and Ricki.

[Bearcata]

So glad I am not the only one who thought they premiere was flat. There was so much expectations because of all the furor over Carson Kresley and Chaz Bono that I expected fireworks and instead I barely got a sparkle. Kudos to the costume designer. I noticed last season that the outfits were more modest yet sexy and that has continued this season. Still I wonder about the see through look of Karina's bodice. When she and Chaz were dong their interview with Brook I swear I saw the outline of Karina's areola. I also thought that some of the scores where very high. I don't think many deserved any 7's or higher. The quality of the premiere makes me doubt if I will be back next week.

[ness]

Kudos to the costume designer. I noticed last season that the outfits were more modest yet sexy and that has continued this season. Still I wonder about the see through look of Karina's bodice.

Yes, I loved the costumes last night, too. But Karina's dress . . . I don't know. I mean, didn't girlfriend put it (pretty much) all out there in Playboy not too long ago? So, what was the point of that window-curtain sheer that she was wearing? The one with the crystal-ringed circles going down the front?

We KNOW she's stacked and packed. No need to keep shoving it down our collective throats.

[pikachu]

Yikes, this group had a rough start. Only a few stars showed potential. Many others looked like they hadn't practiced at all.

BTW, Bearcata, Lacey was Chaz's partner, not Karina. Karina was with J.R. Martinez. I'm sure of that because I watch All My Children and looked forward to watching him perform all night. He didn't disappoint, either!

I feel bad for anyone who gets Lacey as a partner. She doesn't stick to the judges' rules, which often gets her partner low marks, and she seems to favor showing off what she can do instead of making her partner look good. She's better off being a solo dancer.

I liked Mak's brother. He's a hottie, too! I knew Len wasn't going to like the use of the bed as a prop. I'm surprised he didn't chastise Val for showing off his bare chest, since he's chided Maks for doing that before.

[ness]

I feel bad for anyone who gets Lacey as a partner. She doesn't stick to the judges' rules, which often gets her partner low marks, and she seems to favor showing off what she can do instead of making her partner look good. She's better off being a solo dancer.

You put your finger almost right on what it is that bugs me about Mark, and why I've totally had enough of him.

Yep, I feel bad for most anyone who gets him as a partner, too. However, I do believe Mark makes an effort to stick to traditional ballroom dancing rules. I DON'T think Mark seems to favor showing off what he can do. Moreso, I sense that he usually goes into overdrive on HIS side with most of the people he dances with as dance partners. It seems to me that he feels as though he has to throw in a lot of trash and flash to --- hopefully --- distract us and keep us from honing in on his usually so-not-a-professional-dancer partner.

Most of the other pros, however, seem to me to be able to meet and assess their non-pro partners from where they are and for what they've got to work with, then work with them from that point to polish them up and make them shine as much as they can, at the level that they exist at at that point.

They seem to nurture and develop their non-pro partners, and try to --- not dumb down --- but pull their skills back just enough to get more on a level with who it is that they're dancing with, but still put the light on their partner, too.

I hope that made sense. That's just the way Mark comes across to me, with all that overdancing and showcasing of himself that he has a tendency (more often than not) to do.

That's the way I read him.

To me, it's kind of like the old magician's trick of misdirection, if you know what I mean.

[Longhornfan]

I hope that they figure out the problem with the camera angles, because I felt that most of the time the cameras were too far back from the couples, and they didn't stay focused on them for very long before moving the cameras around. I prefer it where they have the cameras closer in to the couple so that you can actually see the dance steps better. The cameras were all over the place last night.

[mandmmom2]

I hope that they figure out the problem with the camera angles, because I felt that most of the time the cameras were too far back from the couples, and they didn't stay focused on them for very long before moving the cameras around. I prefer it where they have the cameras closer in to the couple so that you can actually see the dance steps better. The cameras were all over the place last night.

I thought they were doing that on purpose b/c it's easier to hide all the flaws...

[Bearcata]

You put your finger almost right on what it is that bugs me about Mark, and why I've totally had enough of him.

Yep, I feel bad for most anyone who gets him as a partner, too. However, I do believe Mark makes an effort to stick to traditional ballroom dancing rules. I DON'T think Mark seems to favor showing off what he can do. Moreso, I sense that he usually goes into overdrive on HIS side with most of the people he dances with as dance partners. It seems to me that he feels as though he has to throw in a lot of trash and flash to --- hopefully --- distract us and keep us from honing in on his usually so-not-a-professional-dancer partner.

Most of the other pros, however, seem to me to be able to meet and assess their non-pro partners from where they are and for what they've got to work with, then work with them from that point to polish them up and make them shine as much as they can, at the level that they exist at at that point.

They seem to nurture and develop their non-pro partners, and try to --- not dumb down --- but pull their skills back just enough to get more on a level with who it is that they're dancing with, but still put the light on their partner, too.

I hope that made sense. That's just the way Mark comes across to me, with all that overdancing and showcasing of himself that he has a tendency (more often than not) to do.

That's the way I read him.

To me, it's kind of like the old magician's trick of misdirection, if you know what I mean.

You have pinpointed exactly what is wrong with Mark. I have noticed that he was doing it last season. Yes, he is a terrific dancer but he does overpower and overshadow his less skilled partner and that is not being a team player.