It’s a TIE!! Bindi & Derek and Carlos & Witney are the High-Scorers! – DWTS S21, Wk10 (Part 01)

Bindi & Derek and Carlos & Witney

Earn Top Scores for Season 21’s

Spectacular Semifinals Night!!

(Part 01)

NOTE  This is a "Part 01"

Click here to see the "Part 02" post.

DWTS’ exciting, sequin-bedecked Semifinals saw Season 21’s only two Dynamite Duos, Bindi & Derek and Carlos & Witney, face off as they Brilliantly Battled it out on the Ballroom Dance floor in an all out Fabulous Fight for next Week’s glittering Finals, successfully meeting each other at the top of Monday night’s Leader Board in a gripping, edge-of-your-seat TIE of 60 points!!

Bindi & Derek:

Dancing a fun and light Salsa to “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” by Sia, Bindi Irwin, and her partner, Derek Hough, kicked off Week 10’s Semifinals!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

I really enjoyed this first routine from Bindi & Derek, with Down Under’s Dancing Darling exhibiting great Frame, wonderfully executed Steps and Movement, and spot on Musicality!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

The happy, bright, and youthful Choreography suited the song … and Bindi (!) … to a “T”, effectively putting a … well, SMILE across the faces of its appreciative live audience!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

Although, in fairness (and as much as I adore the #TeamCrikey!), it must also be said that the routine did feel somewhat “wanting” in the Content department and, dare I say, slightly phoned in!

The clever strategy, however, behind this overall gratifying performance, of saving one’s strength (and creativity!) for the night’s already pre-set, two more follow-up Rounds, was, in my opinion, plain to see, and not to mention, SUCCESSFUL, with Two of Season 21’s Top Talents coming away from the dance with a well-deserved and skillful earning of all 9’s from the show’s Judges!!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

Carlos & Witney:

Holding NOTHING back, Carlos PenaVega, and his Professional partner, the ever lovely Witney Carson, kicked off their high-scoring evening by coming out and just completely blowing away their enthralled audience with the dancing of an INCREDIBLE Contemporary to “Drag Me Down” by One Direction.

Carlos & Witney

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

I have not seen, in the HISTORY of the show, a better Contemporary than this beautifully-choreographed, “desperate” dance; and, I know of few that can match it.

Carlos & Witney

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

Carlos’ always-amazing dancing ability was finely showcased in this emoting routine; and was furthermore, in a word, “Perfect” (!) with its flawless Lines, impeccable Frame, and superbly-wonderful Character Portrayal!

Carlos & Witney

Carlos & Witney

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

In addition, Witney’s brilliant concept of this performance (that was, in hindsight, likely inspired by one Carrie Ann Inaba) of “Dragging” Carlos down and away from his goal,

Carlos & Witney

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

in an exquisitely-told story-in-motion of bitter struggles and hard-earned victories was nothing less than BREATHTAKING!!

Carlos & Witney

DWTS Season 21, Week 10 -

Semi-Finals

Of course (and very naturally so!), this moving piece and genuine credit to the world of Dance received an easy scoring of <RECORD SCRATCH!> …wait, two 9’s??!!! …WHAT THE…?!

“Um, I have mixed feelings about this,” began Carrie Ann, much to the great shock and disappointment of all, with her critiquing of the dance...“because we’re at the Semifinals, and I see that you like, you went for it, you brought out the rope, like you were going to show us something different, but at times it felt like I didn’t quite get it!”

<Mouth opened wide in stunned, incredulous silence> I’m sorry, uh, <Struggling to process the above insanity> are you … are you joking, or something?!

What’s not to “ get ” ?!! Did you just completely miss the song, or something? Or were you even watching the dance AT ALL?!

I … I <Still struggling to process> … Were you, like, cleaning your fingernails during the performance, or watching some random Cat Video on You tube via your phone, or privately playing a game of Sudoku, or … I mean, WHERE did that reproof of poor Wit’s genius Choreography EVEN COME FROM?!!

“… I felt that it was a bit over-danced with your face,” continued Carrie Ann, now addressing Carlos’ dancing, “… I don’t think you needed to be so THAT! … I just would’ve liked … I don’t know, I would’ve liked to see you [do] more straight dancing.”

Oh, really, Carrie Ann, you would’ve liked more straight dancing, is that right (?!), because, something isn’t quite adding up here; as in, those comments you offered for this dance are, like, 100% STARKE OPPOSITE from what you have been drilling into Carlos’ head all Season long! …

… Let’s just take a quick pause from the crazy parade marching straight from Carrie Ann’s mouth and review some of her comments concerning Carlos’ ability to “Express” within a Dance from earlier on in the Season, shall we? …

Week 02, Cha-Cha: “… I wasn’t impressed tonight. … You shortened all your swagger! … It’s like, you were trying to be small to get all the steps, and I need you to be big, like, I need you to fill the space, because you have plenty of personality, plenty of style, [so] don’t shrink the package! …”

Week 03, Jazz: “Okay, I actually don’t feel that you improved from last Week …”

Week 08, Salsa: “… I thought you had a rough start, something about you felt really ‘tight’ in the beginning …”

Week 09, Argentine Tango: “… it [the dance] was clean … and I love watching you [Carlos] dance; but, it didn’t like ... It was really good; but it didn’t touch me! … I felt like it didn’t come together and smack me in the face, and that’s what I need at this point!”

Week 09, Dance Duet - Paso Doble: “Okay, that’s a big song [“We Will Rock You”]; and I don’t think that you filled the shoes for that song … I don’t think that you had this <Loudly banging Judges’ Desk> going on in all of your Movements. They looked small, compared to the song.”

<Popping Lips> So, I think what we can plainly deduce here, Carrie Ann, given the mounting evidence and your total “180”, is that either your opinions on dance are based on whatever shallow, unprofessional emotion you just happen to be experiencing in the moment, and not in the objective critiquing and judging of the routine laid out before you; or … you just lied.

“… What I am noticing” piped up Judge Julianne Hough, when Carrie Ann was (thankfully) through, “is that, as Weeks are going by, I feel like you guys are losing your ‘Connection’ a little bit … when you guys come together, I feel like there’s a bit of a block … If you guys are here next Week, use each other’s faces … and be a presence! …”

<Pffffttttt!> Oooo-kay, that is just completely unfounded and dumb … NEXT!

“But for me,” countered Judge Bruno Tonioli, “right here, right now, that was ‘straight dancing’, was bloody good [sic]! … It was ‘different’, it was exciting, it was effective, it was something I’ve ‘never seen before’, and I would like to see it again!”

… Exactly.