Danielle with… Kym Johnson-Herjavec (Ballroom Breakdown DWTS 3502)

0:17Speaker 1:It was night two of what I have to assume is the most ballroom dancing ever seen on television in a 48 hour period. Prove me wrong. I dare you. Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars is in full swing. On night one, we saw the men of the competition take the floor and our first elimination went down in the form of Connor L. And now on night two, we got to take a look at the women. And boy, do we have thoughts. Luckily, I get to talk all about it with the legendary two-time mirrorball champion and a seasoned Dancing with the Stars judge, my podcast partner, Kim Johnson Herjavec. Kim, welcome back.

1:02Speaker 2:Thank you. So fun to be here.

1:04Speaker 1:So great. We are here on consecutive days with news that the first night's premiere was the most viewed in nine years.

1:16Speaker 2:Isn't that incredible?

1:17Speaker 1:I mean, the meteoric rise of Dancing with the Stars just continues with no end in sight. Did you ever think it could have a comeback like this?

1:26Speaker 2:I mean, you know, I started season three and, you know, we were doing 24 million viewers and stuff, but obviously things are so different now the way people watch TV. Yeah. But it's just had this resurgence and, like, it's so... nice to see and you know all these generations watching Dancing with the Stars like now these young kids loving it. It's amazing. I know.

1:54Speaker 1:I always think it's so sweet when I'm out somewhere and, you know, a young girl, six, seven years old, comes up and says, hi, I loved you on Dancing with the Stars.

2:04Speaker 2:Right.

2:04Speaker 1:And I'm like, this is just amazing that these young kids are able to get into it the way they are and are getting exposed to this love of ballroom.

2:11Speaker 2:Yeah. I don't get that because I was on it so long ago. So I'm like, oh, my grandparents really love you. Yeah.

2:19Speaker 1:Nothing makes you feel older than the grandparent love. But you know what? I'll take it. I have from six to 70 and it's great all across the board. I know a lot is said about the difference between men and women contestants on Dancing with the Stars. And by splitting them up on two different nights, I really think we see the differences very much on display. So I want to ask you your opinion. Do you think ballroom dancing is harder for men or for women?

2:53Speaker 2:Oh, that's a tricky question.

2:56Speaker 1:Yeah, I know.

2:57Speaker 2:You know, I think it's really difficult for the female celebrities because they have it stacked against them a little bit. They've got the high heels. If they're not used to wearing the dance shoes, I mean, you know how different they are. As soon as you put them on, your weight's in a different spot. It really throws you off your balance. You've got to be grounded in these high heels. You're kind of doing everything the men do but backwards. Yes.

3:23Speaker 2:I think Ginger Rogers said that and it's so true. So I think it is a little more challenging in the beginning for the female celebrities because they're having to learn this completely different style of dance in their shoes. And people could say, oh, but the men are leading them around. The female pros... We still back lead the guys. Yes. We make them think that they're leading or make it look like they're leading, but we're really back leading them.

3:53Speaker 1:Yes.

3:55Speaker 2:So, yeah, I think, you know, a good, you know, all the dance pros are amazing. The female dance pros, they can back lead the guy and they don't have to wear the high heels or anything. Yeah. So I think that the female celebrities have a little tougher, to be honest.

4:12Speaker 1:I think so too. And I also, you know, I... I stand by it. I know this is a little bit of a hot take, but I think the judging is harder on the women as well. And I, I'm not exactly sure why that.

4:25Speaker 2:Is, but I don't know why that is, but I.

4:29Speaker 1:Feel like, you know, I felt like I felt it definitely in my season. And I, I feel like it was on display a little bit again last night, um, that, it seems to be easier to forgive or downplay or brush aside some of the mistakes of the male celebs. And when it comes to the female celebs, I feel like they just, they're a little nitpickier.

4:55Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so. And you know, maybe it goes back to the basics of ballroom. The fundamentals is the man is meant to be the frame and the female is the picture. Yeah. So I guess you're sort of looking at her a little more. Yeah. So maybe the dance female pros disguise a bit of the, you know, with their bells and whistles. Yeah, you know. So maybe that's why the female celebs are a bit more exposed, I would say.

5:23Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good point.

5:25Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah.

5:25Speaker 1:We're going to jump into the show very soon. But my last question for you before we jump into that is, do you think having this two-night extravaganza premiere worked? Did you like seeing it split up or did you like it all in one night?

5:38Speaker 2:I prefer seeing a mix of the men and women together. I personally didn't really love all of, you know, separating the genders. I didn't. I like seeing a mixture, but I know it's such a massive cast and it had to be split over two nights. So... Yeah, and I wonder if they were together if two men would have gone or two women, you know?

6:05Speaker 1:I couldn't agree with you more, and I do think it would have been two men. I don't think a woman would have gone home.

6:11Speaker 2:I know.

6:12Speaker 1:And so I and I also agree that I think it's a little, you know, we've you've read things online. People have discussed like, oh, maybe everyone should have to do the same style so we can really compare all the cha-chas together. And one of the arguments against that is, can you imagine how boring it would be to watch 14 cha-chas?

6:33Speaker 2:No.

6:33Speaker 1:It's a little similar in the idea that it's like, Another male, another male, another male. And then the same thing on the female side. I prefer to see it get switched up and visually to see it all mixed.

6:45Speaker 2:Yeah. I prefer to see it all mixed up and yeah, seeing the same dance. I understand where people are coming from with that, but. It's an entertainment show. So that would get quite boring, I think.

6:57Speaker 1:Now, with that said, I love that they're trying things. I love switching it up and that this year we got it split up. Whether or not they decide to keep that, it may not be either one of our preference, but who knows what they'll decide to do moving forward. But I love that they're still finding ways to innovate and change the show and give us options and see how it's going. I mean, that's so much part of this.

7:20Speaker 2:And we got a lot of dancing, which is good.

7:22Speaker 1:So much dancing, so much fun. We kicked it off with the always entertaining pro opening number. I, of course, love watching Pasha dance. But man, oh man, is it my favorite thing that every time there's a camera nearby, he manages to find his camera with a little wink and a point. And I just, it makes me laugh every single time in the best way. It's so great.

7:49Speaker 2:That opening was unbelievable. Mandy Moore. I think Mandy Moore co-crafted it. She's the best.

7:56Speaker 1:She really is.

7:58Speaker 2:She just gets it. You know, she gets us pros. She gets the show. She just is so clever. And yeah, I thought it was such a great opening. I loved it.

8:08Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. I was actually mesmerized, loved it, and was specifically while watching thinking to myself, I want to catch who choreographed this because this is great. And then when they said Mandy, I was like, of course. Okay, it totally makes sense. Having been on tour with her, seeing the way she works, she is the best of the best. Now, I do want our listeners to have an idea. How long do you pros get to learn these kind of, now in this case, they had to learn two huge opening numbers. How long do you usually get to learn these numbers?

8:44Speaker 2:You get a couple of hours. Oh, my gosh. Earlier during the week. And then you basically camera block it on, you know, the Sunday. Well, that's when we used to have the show on the Monday. Right. So now it's Sunday. Yeah, on a Monday. You have to go in super early to get that done before, you know, they start the normal show. Yeah. So this is all extra stuff. Sometimes the rehearsal will be two hours at 10 o'clock at night during the week after you've finished your day. with your celebrity. And then you have to go and do this opening number routine, quickly learn it in two hours.

9:19Speaker 2:And then next time you do it, is it camera blocking? But the pros are so quick at picking it up.

9:25Speaker 1:Oh, yes. I mean, it's just crazy to me that you guys can work all week teaching a celebrity how to ballroom dance and then at 10 p.m. go spend two hours and then within a few days be putting on a number like we saw.

9:40Speaker 2:Yeah.

9:41Speaker 1:In front of almost 7 million people live.

9:45Speaker 2:It's crazy. It's crazy. And then they don't put the costumes on until the actual day of the show. So we hope that that works. Hope it works.

9:56Speaker 1:As a reminder, the theme of this week was Billboard number one hits from the year the celebs were born. In case you were feeling good about your age, this show is here to remind me that I am now ancient. We were also told that the website issue from the night before has been fixed. So online voting has now returned. And before the night kicked off, we were once again reminded that the judges want to leave room for growth this season, which means that the low scores should not get people down. There needs to be places to grow and go over the season.

10:28Speaker 2:So.

10:29Speaker 1:Our first dance was from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress and an old friend of mine, Tatiana Ali and Jan Ravnik. They danced a jive to the song Knock on Wood by Amy Stewart. It was pretty obvious to me and I think a lot of other people that it did get off to a bit of a rocky start.

10:49Speaker 2:Yes. You know what? I always kind of like to see because it makes it real and you can see that these are real people that are out of their comfort zone and you want to see how they get through that. So, you know, yes, she got off to a little bit of a rocky start, but she got back and she got out of her head and she then committed, you know, back to the routine. And I see a lot of potential with her.

11:16Speaker 1:I see, I think the same thing. I thought she really did a great job and I knew the minute the dance started and I saw her have that moment where your brain just freezes and you're like, what am I supposed to do here? And she, but I thought she got right back on.

11:34Speaker 2:She did. It was a split second and she got right back on and Jan was great. He had her, he got her back in time. Yes. And you know, they just continued on with it. And there were great moments. I love this side by side section. I thought her flicks and kicks were good there.

11:52Speaker 1:Yeah.

11:53Speaker 2:Which is kind of strange because normally it's when you're holding the partner that you feel more confident, but she seemed to come to life in that. side-by-side section. And I think she lights up the dance floor. So I'm really excited about the two of them. I am too.

12:10Speaker 1:And I love the way she has brought... I mean, Jan has always been so funny and so personable and all of that, but to see them together... She has really brought him and his personality to the forefront as well. I'm very excited about their partnership.

12:27Speaker 2:Me too. Me too. I loved it. And I loved his choreography that he did with her. Yeah. Really showcased her. And she just seems like a great person. Like, I loved seeing her family afterwards. Mm-hmm. And I think she's going to be really beautiful in the ballroom dances.

12:42Speaker 1:I think so too. She's so elegant. And it was her son's 10th birthday. Just wanted to point that out. That was very sweet. I also think it can actually really work to your advantage to have a bit of a rough start because if you can come back in week two and have a little bit of a redemption dance, you know, it's going to be great.

13:05Speaker 2:And being the first one as well, like that's, You know, the pressure of being the first one to get out there and do the dance. That's a lot.

13:13Speaker 1:It is a lot, for sure. Carrie Ann Inaba said it was a rough start and she thought she had a hard time recovering, which I did not agree with. But she did still see there was a lot of potential. Bruno said that she needs to keep the sass going throughout the entire dance, despite some mistakes. And Derek Hough said that it is a learning curve for everyone. It's just week one and he is looking forward to seeing more from her. They all gave her fours for a total score of 12 out of 20. What would you have scored this dance?

13:44Speaker 2:Well, I try and score it before they do. And I actually gave her a five. But I mean, I guess they're going pretty low. So they are starting pretty low.

13:53Speaker 1:Yeah. I also would have given her a five. And this was the first one where I thought, oh, I think if she had been a male pro, I feel like she wouldn't have been given a four for that. So it was the first time I was like, Ooh, that feels like that's a little, a little harsh, but you know, I don't know. We'll see. I, I wasn't, it's not like I would have given her a six or a seven. I would have been, I would have been one higher at a five.

14:21Speaker 2:Right. Yeah.

14:22Speaker 1:Dance number two, we got gold medal Olympian Amber Glenn and my bud Pasha Pashkov. They did a cha-cha to smooth by Santana featuring Rob Thomas and Um, what were your thoughts on this dance?

14:36Speaker 2:You know what? I, I love, well, obviously I love Pasha and I think they're so great together. Does it feel weird seeing him dance with someone else?

14:44Speaker 1:You know, no, because it, you know, I mean, there's a little bit of FOMO for the feeling of like knowing exactly what's going on for all of them. Just having gone through it myself last year. That's like all of the excitement, all of it. But no, I'm surprised actually. Instead, I just feel this overwhelming sense of pride and protectiveness.

15:10Speaker 2:Oh, that's so nice.

15:11Speaker 1:I'm just like, what do we need to do to make this happen? I am throwing all my weight behind them and I'm just rooting for them so much.

15:21Speaker 2:Well, I thought I mean, she is incredible. What about her floor solo she did and that aerial, and then she just stuck it at the end like a full-on athlete, like no wobbles. Like she just went bam. Her start and finish, I think a great opening, stuck the landing after the aerial, solo work was on fire. I think her feet are going to get better. I think it's quite difficult for a figure skater when they're used to being in a, you know boot to then being in a shoe where you really need to articulate your feet so that was one little note I picked up on but I think she really has to like the floor is your friend yeah and she has to you know I think that's like being nitpicky because it was an incredible routine but her feet I did notice can have a little bit of work but I think the judges may have said that too.

16:13Speaker 1:That's a really interesting point about the boot and also even the idea that in ice skates You know, when you go to stop, if you're turning to the side, it even lends itself more to being, you know, pigeon-toed.

16:26Speaker 2:Yes. Which she wasn't at all. No. It was just more, obviously you need a nice arch and you need to really articulate your feet. Maybe flat-footed. Yeah, a little bit. But when I was looking at her feet, I sort of, I could see a boot on her foot instead of a nice Latin dance shoe.

16:46Speaker 1:Totally, totally see that as well. I feel like Pasha is constantly underscored. I don't know what it is. And I know that he is a technician and he is a stickler for proper technique. So I don't know. I don't know if maybe that hurts him. But then, you know, we've also we saw several dances. We saw at least one during the male premiere night. And we saw one during the female premiere night where when there was a lift, they were docked for it. So there's a fine balance between wanting to have a lot of fun in your dance and also wanting to be like a real stickler for proper technique. I don't know.

17:26Speaker 2:I thought this was highly entertaining. I thought he was so clever with. showing a personality. I mean, technically he's incredible and he had her hitting her New Yorker, like her arms are amazing.

17:37Speaker 1:Looked great.

17:39Speaker 2:Yeah.

17:39Speaker 1:She's got great back flexibility too. So the dips were all great. Well, Bruno has said she attacked it like a warrior queen, but that she needs to refine some things. Dara Cuff loved the solo section, called it spicy, but wants her to dig in more. And Carrie Ann Inaba told her not to carry the weight on her own. She's used to working alone, but here you have to work with your partner. And they all three gave her sixes. I personally would have seen like a seven, seven, six, seven, seven, seven.

18:11Speaker 1:That's my score would have been a seven for them. But yeah, I think I I gave a six for that one.

18:19Speaker 2:Did I? Yes, I did. Okay, so you agree with the judges. But I could see where a seven could come in because it was really good.

18:27Speaker 1:Yeah, I thought it was so, I was so entertained. And in order for me to watch it and find, like to actually pinpoint, oh, that wasn't great, was a little difficult. If I just sat there, not being a ballroom expert, watching that dance- I was blown away for a week one dance.

18:48Speaker 2:For sure. It was unbelievable. My husband was watching it in another room and he was texting me like, oh my gosh, they were amazing. Yes.

18:57Speaker 1:So when you don't know exactly what to look for, I'm blown away by that performance.

19:01Speaker 2:They were really great. I had high expectations of Amber and Pasha and they definitely met that. Okay.

19:07Speaker 1:Good to know.

19:07Speaker 2:And I think they've definitely got room to grow. And I know Pasha is going to have her looking like a full on ballroom dancer.

19:14Speaker 1:He sure will.

19:15Speaker 2:Probably next week. Exactly.

19:16Speaker 1:By next week, I think. For our dance number three, reality TV star Sierra Miller and Brandon Armstrong, they did a foxtrot to Everyone Falls in Love by Tonto Metro and Devante. What were your thoughts on this dance?

19:31Speaker 2:Well, instantly I thought, wow, she's so graceful and beautiful. She just naturally has that. I think I saw some nerves creep in, which is obviously the first night that's going to happen. Um, I would have liked to seen a little bit more fluidity through the Foxtrot It was a little stop and start. But I think it was the nerves, you know. I think she's going to be great. I think she's danced before. I saw that in her package. You can see that naturally she's got it. So I think it was just the nerves that sort of crept in a little bit last night for me. But I really like them together and I think they'll be good.

20:10Speaker 1:I love them together. I feel like, like you mentioned, or Brandon mentioned, at least in her package, she has these long, beautiful, graceful limbs. She does. And beautiful shoulders. She is going to, you're right, I... it was a hundred percent nerves and you could almost see it happen where there was a moment where she like looked out and was supposed to look toward a camera or the audience and she got in her head a little bit and everything kind of retracted. And so, yeah, I think with experience and, and time week after week, she's going to get to a place where she's going to be sweeping across that dance floor.

20:49Speaker 2:Yeah. And she'll just be, when she gets that confidence, she's going to own the floor. I think what people at home don't realize is that the celebrity's, obviously they do a dress rehearsal, but there's no audience. So it feels very different. So the first time you're on that floor with an audience, it changes everything, doesn't it? Yes. You're kind of like, oh my gosh. Yes.

21:10Speaker 1:And you'll notice something new or you'll lock eyes with someone and all of a sudden the thought pops into your head and the next thing you know, This routine that has become second nature to you over the last week. Your body goes into autonomous mode and then you try to get back into it and you're like, there's a moment where you, at least one moment where you go, where am I? What am I doing? Which direction am I facing?

21:36Speaker 2:And that's normally the first week. After you get the first one out of the way, you know what to expect. And then you're kind of a little bit more excited to get on the dance floor, I think. Yep.

21:44Speaker 1:It becomes a little bit easier. Even though it's still a hard process, it does become a little bit easier. Well, Carrie Ann Inaba said the performance made her cry. She felt like she could really see Ciara's hurt. She gave her a five. Bruno said it was sophisticated and elegant, but it needed continuous flow, which is exactly what you had felt as well.

22:04Speaker 2:Yeah.

22:05Speaker 1:And Derek Hough wants her to expand the movement and her frame. And I got that note as well. And I think she is going to master that in a way that I did not. So she had a total score of 15 out of 30, three fives from the judges. What did you give her?

22:22Speaker 2:I did a five as well.

22:23Speaker 1:Okay.

22:24Speaker 2:Yes.

22:25Speaker 1:I would have given her a five or a six. I felt like five was not unfair, but I Could have also seen how maybe she could have been given a six, but I went with a five.

22:34Speaker 2:Yeah.

22:47Speaker 1:Our next dance was celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Burstyn. She is this season's oldest contestant at 56 years old. And worth noting, she was the odds favorite to go home for last night. Oh, she was? Yeah, she was online and in some voting places. She was the odds favorite to go home.

23:10Speaker 2:Well, she showed them.

23:11Speaker 1:She sure did. She did a tango to the song Venus by Shocking Blue. I loved her package and story.

23:21Speaker 2:Yes. It resonated with me so much. I bet. I don't know if it's because of my age. I just turned 50 and it's like that thing of like, you know, still doing new things at this age. Like, you know, I always thought when you get to this age, you know, things stop. Right. And it really resonated with what she said and her daughter. So I love her personality. I love her story. And I thought she was really adorable on the floor. Yeah. I thought she had a good frame.

23:54Speaker 2:I thought it was very clean and very nice. I would like to see her get into it a little bit more. I think we can see a lot more from her. But for a first dance, I thought it was very solid.

24:09Speaker 1:Yes, I agree with you. And I thought she knew exactly what it was when she finished her dance and And they, you know, Carrie Ann asked her a question and she went to go talk and she couldn't breathe. When you are not used to the stamina needed to be a professional dancer, that takes some time. She's obviously in shape, but I can't imagine... Anyone who comes into Dancing with the Stars, unless you are a professional athlete, have any idea what you're in for when it comes to the amount of breath work and control and physicality you need. And so to see her just say, like, I'm going to have to get that up. But it will happen. It will happen. And it will happen fast.

24:56Speaker 1:And before we know it, she's going to have a much easier time doing that minute and ten minute, you know, But at the beginning, you are out of breath.

25:07Speaker 2:You are. And I think that when the nerves come in, you kind of forget to breathe. So I think maybe there were moments where she was just not really breathing at all.

25:17Speaker 1:Yes, you might be right. For sure.

25:19Speaker 2:So she'll get used to that. But I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was a beautiful foxtrot. And it was precise like she had a nice frame um but yeah I would like to see her get her weight into the floor a little bit more and use a drive action to glide across the floor but it was the first dance yeah so.

25:44Speaker 1:And her first dance ever she has no dance history so Carrie Ann and Abba said she couldn't believe it was Giada's first dance ever Bruno said it was a very nice dish but she needed to blend it And Derek Hough said it felt a little careful, like she needs to cook with conviction. And that's a little bit like what you're saying, to see some power in it.

26:08Speaker 2:Yes. Yeah. Which will come. But I was pleasantly surprised. And just as a fan watching at home, I really resonated with her as a personality and her story. And that's what it's about as well.

26:23Speaker 1:Absolutely.

26:24Speaker 2:Especially for the viewers at home, you want to get behind someone and You know, you see them out of their comfort zone and want to see them improving every week. So I'm excited for her journey through this.

26:33Speaker 1:Me too. I'm looking forward to her journey. Carrie-Anne gave her a six. Bruno gave her a five. Derek gave her a five for a total of 16 out of 30. What did you score this?

26:43Speaker 2:It was a five for me.

26:44Speaker 1:Yep.

26:45Speaker 2:Yeah.

26:46Speaker 1:I agree. It was a five, especially if we're going to go say Sierra was a five. I feel like this was on par with that.

26:53Speaker 2:Different.

26:54Speaker 1:Different. Different, totally.

26:55Speaker 2:Yes.

26:57Speaker 1:But for comparison's sake, I felt like they were both fives.

27:00Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.

27:01Speaker 1:And then we get a beautiful introduction to our troop members. I loved this too. I'm so glad they got their own package.

27:12Speaker 2:It was amazing. And it was long. It was great. We really got to know them and the process that goes into getting these routines choreographed and they do it themselves. Like they're so talented. Yes.

27:23Speaker 1:They really are. They're so talented. They've got such great personalities. Their friendship is so beautiful.

27:28Speaker 2:Isn't it?

27:29Speaker 1:To see them laughing and joking with each other and cheering each other on and hyping each other up. They are just beautiful people inside and out. I loved, absolutely loved this. So they were performing to Danceteria or Danceteria?

27:44Speaker 2:I know it was Madonna.

27:46Speaker 1:It was Madonna. So they were performing Danceteria by Madonna. Loved this. Thought it was great. Beautiful package. Beautiful dance. So fun to see. Can't wait to see more of them.

27:55Speaker 2:Yes. They are just, every time they come on the floor, I'm just blown away. They're incredible.

28:00Speaker 1:They're so young too. I know.

28:02Speaker 2:They're so young.

28:03Speaker 1:To us, they look like babies.

28:05Speaker 2:They do. They are. Yeah.

28:08Speaker 1:Dance number five was movie star Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa. She did a quick step to nine to five by Dolly Parton. What did you think of this dance?

28:20Speaker 2:Oh, well, I love her again. I, her package was great. I don't know why, but I, I was surprised at how animated she was and in character, like she was so in it and that just like, it made me so happy. I don't know what I was expecting if she'd be more serious or more, but she was like, had this huge personality and was really in the dance. So that's what struck me the most. Um, I think she has lots of potential. It was very entertaining. She had a great frame. She's very elegant. It was a really good quick step, traveled around the floor. I thought it was a really good first dance for her.

29:00Speaker 1:I thought so too. I thought Ezra really made the most of what he has with her and knowing what he has with her and really putting her on display. And like you said, I was very impressed with all the personality she was able to show in the dance. Having... also being an actor, I know that for me, actually showing personality in the dance was, I felt harder for me because as an actor, we tend to stay away from being too cheeky or too exaggerated. You know, it's like we tend to be a little more subtle and letting the camera pick up on things. And you can't do that at Dancing with the Stars. If you, you know, everything is big. And so I actually had to kind of work at that. And it seemed very natural for her.

29:47Speaker 1:And I thought, I thought she, she looked very at home.

29:49Speaker 2:I don't know if it was just like her inner joy coming out that she was excited to be out there dancing, but it felt very natural and very her.

29:58Speaker 1:So I was like, wow.

29:59Speaker 2:And then she started doing the quick step and, you know, I thought it was really good. Obviously she can work a little bit on a frame and a head position but, again, like it's so foreign and so strange and Ezra's going to work with her on that. But I think she's really good. I think so too. And I'm excited to see her in the Latin dances. Mm.

30:23Speaker 1:That is gonna be fun I have never like yes more at the screen than when Julia said you know I think I'm holding my frame well and then Ezra will push my head and I'll think I have to hold that I have yes When I when I first of all, I loved being in frame way more than I ever thought I was going to. But when you realize the amount of banana that in a perfect world you would maintain through the entire dance, it feels crazy. Like there's no way everyone's not walking around with a huge crick in their neck.

30:59Speaker 2:It's so crazy. It's bizarre. Yeah, it really is.

31:03Speaker 1:It does take a lot of time getting used to holding yourself in that position and to not be in pain.

31:07Speaker 2:And then you've got to bend your legs and be grounded and, you know.

31:11Speaker 1:And have a smile on your face.

31:13Speaker 2:I know. It is wild. But you get used to it.

31:16Speaker 1:You really do.

31:17Speaker 2:That's true.

31:18Speaker 1:Carrie Ann Inaba said it was very clean, but she needs to extend her arms. Bruno said she was a great dancer, but she needed to move more. And Derek Hough said she was beaming, but he thought the dance needed more energy. And she got three sixes for a total score of 18 out of 30. Kim, what did you score her?

31:36Speaker 2:I did a six as well. Yep. Yes.

31:39Speaker 1:I also gave her a six. I thought it was a great first dance. I can see that there's going to be lots of improvement with her. I hope her joy continues to shine through. I felt like it was a very... I don't know. I felt like it was a natural representation of who she is. And I hope she maintains that.

31:59Speaker 2:Yeah, me too. I was really impressed with her. And yeah, I think she's going to be a fan favorite. Agreed.

32:08Speaker 1:We then got dance number six, reality TV star Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas. They did a foxtrot to Black Velvet by Alana Miles. And worth noting, Mark's beautiful and very talented wife, B.C. Jean, performed that cover of Black Velvet. And it was incredible.

32:29Speaker 2:I had to go back and watch it again just to listen to her.

32:33Speaker 1:Oh, wow.

32:34Speaker 2:I want her to release that as a cover. It was so good.

32:37Speaker 1:I know. It was amazing. I absolutely loved it. I was very pleasantly surprised with this dance. What were your thoughts?

32:49Speaker 2:I was actually most excited to see Moira. Yeah. I am a fan of hers from The Treaders. I think she's so funny and I love her personality. Mm-hmm. But I knew she hadn't danced before. Right. I was really curious to see how they would be. Yeah. And I was absolutely blown away. Yeah. It was actually my favourite of them all.

33:11Speaker 1:Mine too. Mine too.

33:12Speaker 2:It was. I mean, Mark is a genius. Yeah. He really is. But just the way she started, there didn't seem to be an ounce of nerves. I don't know what Mark had said to her before, but she was so in it and confident and confident. Like I just enjoyed watching the whole thing. I was like she's so elegant, so graceful. I mean the choreography, it flowed from like open position to like a promenade.

33:43Speaker 1:Yeah.

33:44Speaker 2:It was just so effortless and elegant, clever. She did this double spin into getting right into a foxtrot. Like it was amazing. And for a first– They've set the bar pretty high now for themselves.

34:03Speaker 1:They have, that's for sure. And I would like to point something out. This is not my attempt at a hot take, but it is just something to clock for the future. Maura was the first dancer announced. So she has known that she's coming on this show for months.

34:24Speaker 2:I didn't think about that.

34:26Speaker 1:And if I had been given the opportunity to know I was going on Dancing with the Stars in like March, there's no way in hell I would not have been practicing on my own, taking ballroom classes because you have the opportunity. Why not? You have the opportunity.

34:48Speaker 2:Well, maybe she has, but she's been working hard.

34:49Speaker 1:I don't know whether she has or not. I'm not trying to make any claims one way or the other. I have no idea. I do just think, you know, even looking at my season last season, Alex Earle and Robert Irwin were the two people first announced going into the season. And then coming out of the gate, they're just spectacular. And so, you know, I... It's just something in my mind to keep in mind. Like how long have these people known that they're coming on? Because maybe if they are really smart, they're going to take an opportunity to.

35:24Speaker 2:For sure. But I've got a feeling she hasn't danced before. Yeah. And like it was, even if she has been taking lessons. Yeah. It was incredible.

35:37Speaker 1:Yeah. Considering she's not a dancer, it had the dancer feel.

35:43Speaker 2:It was amazing. So, but you know, now the others will catch up and we'll see what happens next week when she has a different style. But I was absolutely blown away with that.

35:56Speaker 1:Carrie Ann said that it was mesmerizing. Her jaw was on the floor. Bruno said it was seductive, enticing and ready for the kill. Derek Hough said smooth as velvet and the expectations are high now. They all three gave her a seven. What did you score it?

36:14Speaker 2:Yeah, seven.

36:15Speaker 1:A seven.

36:15Speaker 2:Okay.

36:16Speaker 1:See, I feel like I think I would have given Pasha and Amber a seven. And I think this felt maybe like an eight.

36:25Speaker 2:Yeah. I could go there too, but seeing how low that they were going. I know. It's like, yeah, but it was definitely eight worthy for sure.

36:37Speaker 1:Yeah, it could have been, it definitely could have gotten an eight and it wouldn't have, wouldn't have thrown anyone. So they got a 21 out of 30. We get another phenomenal troop dance. And then we come back to see reality TV star, Sarah Jane Nader and first time pro Haley Bills doing a jive to Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne. Kim, what was your perspective on this dance?

37:04Speaker 2:I mean, may have been a little bit nervous. Sometimes the balance was a little bit off. But I thought she did a great job. And jive, you know, is a very hard dance. Oh, yes. You've got to keep it ticking. You've got to have those flicks and kicks, weight over the balls of the feet. So there were a few moments where I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of that. But I think that was hard that they ended up going because– I think there was great potential for them. And Hayley, I thought she choreographed a great routine for her. Yeah. I mean, that was a challenge for Hayley, her first ever time being a pro on the show. Yep. And, you know, she was in this unique position, which was great. And I think they did a really good job. Yeah, there were moments where it felt like she came out of the dance a little bit, but then she got back in. Yep. Yep.

38:01Speaker 1:I agree with you. I feel like she got a little nervous. I feel like, I mean, Jive is, was so hard. It was a hard week for me. It was actually the hardest week I had.

38:12Speaker 2:Oh, really? Oh, that was, The jive when I was guest judging.

38:17Speaker 1:Yes, you were guest judging. And it was the amount of, you know, when you are doing runs of a jive and sometimes you have to rehearse in places that aren't the Dancing with the Stars rehearsal space. And sometimes you're doing a jive on concrete floors.

38:33Speaker 2:Yes.

38:34Speaker 1:And your knees and I get very bad shin splints, your ankles.

38:38Speaker 2:It's a hard one.

38:40Speaker 1:It's a hard week to really... Get in there. And on that week, I think it was the only week it happened for me, Pasha decided to change an eight count in the middle of the routine on Sunday.

38:55Speaker 2:Oh, my gosh.

38:57Speaker 1:And we had been rehearsing it. So it had started as one thing. Then we decided to change it on Friday. We did it all day Friday with the new eight count. We did it all day Saturday. And we came in on Sunday morning and he said, I need to change this eight count. He said, I've been watching the tape and I just, I don't like it. I don't think the judges are going to like it. And it was the hardest thing to get out of my brain. I couldn't get it completely through me. And I was it was like the only time I think in all of the weeks I worked with Pasha that I was actually angry.

39:25Speaker 1:I was like, why are you doing this to me? So anyway, the jive is just hard. I think back to it and I go, this was a hard one. So to have it your first week. And I also think sometimes Sarah Jane really wanted to, she was making a statement by asking for a same-sex partnership. And sometimes when you have now experienced That on top of when you feel like you're there to represent something, it is an extra layer of added pressure. And then for her, she also has the extra layer of added pressure that she's Brooke's sister who's already been on the show. And so I feel for her because I feel like there was just a lot.

40:07Speaker 2:Yeah, I think she did have a lot of pressure on herself. But I think she did a great job. And yeah, it's a shame that it was cut short for them. Yeah. But it was very entertaining. But yeah, it was just sad that one person had to go on each night.

40:25Speaker 1:I know. Because I don't think it would have been her if we had had them combined. Carrie Ann said the dance was super hot, but they were out of sync most of the time. Bruno also called it hot, but said it needed precision and synchronicity. And Derek Hough said he sees the potential, but it took too long to get into the dance, which... I was trying to figure out if he meant for her to like, feel like she had settled into the dance or if he meant choreography wise.

40:53Speaker 2:Yeah.

40:54Speaker 1:Which is a good note for Haley as a pro, you know, to jump into it.

41:00Speaker 2:Yeah. I found it entertaining. I, I'm not sure what he meant by that, but yeah, I found, I found it took her a second to get into the dance.

41:09Speaker 1:To be honest. Maybe that's Maybe that's what he meant, that for her to feel like she was, okay, I'm in it. They all gave her fives for a score of 15 out of 30. What did you score this dance?

41:19Speaker 2:Yeah, I did a five as well.

41:21Speaker 1:Okay. I would say either a four or a five.

41:25Speaker 2:Yeah.

41:26Speaker 1:I can see, I could see if, I think back to, you know, watching Tatiana's dance that they gave a four to three fours for a 12.

41:36Speaker 2:Yeah, true. Could have been a four or a five.

41:38Speaker 1:Yeah. Okay, our next dance was actress and former Janet Jackson backup dancer Jenna Dewan and Val Shmerkovsky. Yes. They did a tango to Call Me by Blondie. They came in with very high expectations.

42:07Speaker 2:They sure did.

42:09Speaker 1:And they didn't shy away from talking about it in her package, which I appreciated. Do you feel like she lived up to the expectations?

42:18Speaker 2:I do. I think, again, she probably had so much pressure that she put on herself because she knew that the expectations were going to be a lot. So I think that And I think Val also had those expectations put on him and the pressure. So I think he jam-packed it full of this amazing tango. I think he put so much in there. Yeah. I would have liked to have seen maybe less. I know that's crazy to say because everyone loves a lot of content. Maybe less content. Okay.

42:49Speaker 2:And a few moments of calmness because I think shoulders got up a little bit just with the pressure which, I know. I started in ballet, jazz, tap and went into ballroom and it's a very different form of dance and you've really got to untrain some things. So I think that she's not used to being in a partnership like that, especially in hold. And I think it's very easy to let the weight come up. So I noticed that little thing. But, I mean, she started off with like doing these double spins and like it was a full on. crazy tango routine, which she executed great, but it was just those little things that you could notice because she is so good. So I think when she fixes those elements, I mean, they're going to be unstoppable.

43:42Speaker 2:I know.

43:42Speaker 1:They're going to give us such entertaining dances every week.

43:45Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.

43:46Speaker 1:But that is a good note for Val that Just because she can do something in the week amount of time, like you could give her tons of content.

43:59Speaker 2:Yeah.

44:00Speaker 1:Ideally, you want A plus content. So if you have to turn down the content a little bit to help improve technique, that that's, you know, that's the place to err on the side.

44:13Speaker 2:Of good technique. Yeah, but I guess it's the first one.

44:16Speaker 1:Totally.

44:16Speaker 2:I'm going to throw everything at this, you know. Yeah. Yeah. you know, you never know what's going to happen on the night. But I think now they've got this one out of the way, they'll get into a groove and they're a great partnership together. I think it's so funny that Jenna has Harry, who's also an incredible dancer. It's like the two of them battling it out.

44:39Speaker 1:Battling it out. We'll see. We'll see how, I mean, if both of them end up in the finals, that's going to be very fun to watch.

44:47Speaker 2:It will.

44:48Speaker 1:Carrie Ann said it was a fantastic way to end the night, but she was dancing a solo at moments, which, by the way, is something that fellow hip hop pro Harry Shum also did.

44:58Speaker 2:I think it's that whole thing of like coming from a commercial background where you're used to just dancing on your own. Yep. In partnership dancing, it's so different. Yep.

45:09Speaker 1:Yeah, it really is. Bruno said it was on fire, but there are some things to clean up. Derek Hough said it puts the go in tango, but he noticed, just like you, that she needs to watch her shoulders. So Carrie-Anne gave it a six, Bruno gave it a seven, and Derek gave it a six.

45:27Speaker 2:Yeah, I was on the fence with this. I'm like, oh, would it be a seven or a six? But then I loved, I actually liked Moira's dance a little more, I have to say, so I do a six.

45:38Speaker 1:You gave this a six, right? Because you You gave Moira a seven, yeah.

45:41Speaker 2:Yeah. I just thought it was just, it flowed so beautifully. It was, you know, it was effortless, I found. I was just so mesmerised by Moira's dance where this one I was like, I noticed a few little things. Yeah. So, but it was still great. Absolutely. Yeah. And I think she's just going to, you know, skyrocket. Yeah.

46:08Speaker 1:For me, I gave this a seven. I thought this was exactly on par with the way I felt about Pasha and Amber. To me, this was, I felt like I watched it and I was like, do I see that there are little things where there's going to be room for improvement?

46:22Speaker 2:Yes.

46:23Speaker 1:Am I still wildly entertained?

46:25Speaker 2:Yes.

46:27Speaker 1:Do I enjoy it? Absolutely.

46:29Speaker 2:Yeah.

46:30Speaker 1:For me, this was also, this was a seven. Um, her official score was a 19 out of 30. And again, uh, this is a very subjective answer, but who do you think won the night?

46:44Speaker 2:I think Moira. Yeah.

46:46Speaker 1:Yeah.

46:47Speaker 2:She was a big surprise for me, but now you've got me thinking, I guess she has been rehearsing. I didn't even, I forgot that she knew she was doing it She was one of the first ones.

46:56Speaker 1:She was the first person that announced.

46:58Speaker 2:Yeah, so that makes sense now. It makes more sense because I thought, yeah, I wasn't sure how she would be and I was blown away at how good she was. But now... That does make a little more sense. Yeah.

47:10Speaker 1:And I mean, I know Mark is obviously, he's been all over the place. He was on Broadway and he's been doing so much, but like, they're also friends. If I was friends with Mark and knew I was coming on Dancing with the Stars for months, I would be like, Mark, every chance you have, I need you to help me. Even if you don't know you're going to be partnered until the season starts, I would just be like, you're going to, I need you to give me lessons. And if it's not going to be you because you're doing Broadway or you're too busy, who should I be taking lessons from? That's what I would do. I have no idea if she did, but in my opinion, if you didn't, come on now. You know, and also I thought it was kind of funny thinking back to it because Ciara had also been announced early with Mora. That's true. didn't necessarily blow us away as much as Maura did. But I thought it was funny. She mentioned she's kind of known for being lazy. And I thought, what if I'll just learn it. I'll just learn it when I get there versus Maura, who's like, I'm I'm getting into classes now.

48:05Speaker 1:Who knows? I don't know.

48:06Speaker 2:Yeah. And I could listen to her talk all day. Her accent is so.

48:12Speaker 1:I think I could listen to her talk too. Just unbelievable. I'm obsessed with her.

48:17Speaker 2:Yeah. I love it. But, yeah, I was really surprised. And I think obviously they already have great chemistry because they know each other. So they're really fun to watch. But I'm just blown away with this whole cast. Me too. Especially the female celebrities. Last night was so fun. They're all so good. Yep. So different. They've all got something to offer. It's going to be really hard, these eliminations.

48:43Speaker 1:These eliminations are going to be painful. Speaking of, we get into eliminations. The bottom three couples were Tatiana Ali and Jan, Sarah Jane Nader and Hayley Bills, and Giada De Laurentiis and Alan. And as always, we are reminded that this isn't necessarily the bottom three. But if you ask me, it probably was. It felt like.

49:07Speaker 2:Felt like that. that would be, I guess, right on the night. Yes. You know, and looking at those three, I don't know, sadly, maybe, I don't know, I don't know. In score wise, were they the bottom?

49:23Speaker 1:So it went Tatiana Ali was the lowest. Sarah Jane Nader was the next lowest.

49:28Speaker 2:And then, um, actually, um, Giana.

49:31Speaker 1:Sierra was the next lowest after that. So Giada had a higher score. Wow. But apparently less votes because she, or we don't know. It's not necessarily.

49:43Speaker 2:Yeah, it wasn't necessarily.

49:45Speaker 1:It wasn't necessarily the bottom. So, okay. But two of the three were the two lowest scored.

49:50Speaker 2:But I think psychologically seeing them in the bottom three, like now maybe people will be like, well, Gianna or Tatiana. Yeah. And they'll vote for them next week. Yeah.

50:03Speaker 1:I really do think the millennial voters are not going to let Tatiana Ali go home. No way. I think we are too invested in seeing the journey that she's going to be able to take to let her go home in this first week.

50:21Speaker 2:I loved seeing her. You know, the packages are so important as well, like getting to to know why they're doing this show, especially the first one. We're getting to know them. You're falling in love with the couple, with the celebrity. Yeah. And then you get behind who you want, you know? So it's going to be a great season.

50:43Speaker 1:It is.

50:44Speaker 2:These first two shows were incredible.

50:46Speaker 1:They really were. Blew me away. They announced that Sarah Jane Nader and Hayley Bills is the eliminated couple. And something to note, that means that Back to Back Nights... both first year pros have gone in week one. And I am not in any way saying that it is because they were first year pros, but I do think it does, there is some element of it you cannot ignore, which is the job these pros have is incredibly important.

51:21Speaker 2:Difficult.

51:22Speaker 1:And it can take years to become so adept and talented at honing those skills. If you look at the difference between Val, Jenna, Mark, if you look at what they were able that they were able to do, that's the kind of stuff that you only get with years of experience being a pro on this show.

51:45Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the thing. The pros, the pros are incredible. And, you know, I do think Adele, I think it was bad luck in a way, coming down to song choice, to the voting. Yeah. You know, it is unfortunate that both of the new ones were out first week. Yeah. It's kind of hard. But that was a big challenge that Hayley had. Yes. And being in such a unique position, she was then having to more so take on the male role And steps. So it was reversed for her.

52:23Speaker 2:So she had an added extra layer of difficulty. Yes. And I think she did a great job of that for her first time. Absolutely. So it's a shame. Yeah, it's a shame we didn't get to see more of them. But again, they'll be back.

52:40Speaker 1:Yes, they will. Yes. And I think it looks as though Hayley and Adele will have a beautiful friendship and they will... They'll get to start a whole, you know, they'll get to start the club that Emma did last year of the voted off pros.

52:54Speaker 2:And I absolutely love it.

52:56Speaker 1:I can't wait to see next week. And I can't wait to recap it all with you again next week. So thank you so much, Kim. As always, it's an absolute pleasure talking with you.

53:05Speaker 2:Thank you so much. See you next week.

53:07Speaker 1:See you next week.

53:07Speaker 2:Bye.