DWTS GALLERY - Tamar & Louis - S21 Wk05

DWTS - SEASON 21, Week 05
GALLERY:  Tamar & Louis

Pictures go with written review:
Tamar & Louis - Review of DWTS Season 21, Week 05
(click here to see)

Tamar & Louis' Samba
DWTS Season 21, Week 05 -
Switch Up Week

Tamar & Louis' Samba
DWTS Season 21, Week 05 -
Switch Up Week

Tamar & Louis' Samba
DWTS Season 21, Week 05 -
Switch Up Week

Tamar's "... once-again absent-minded
facial expression ..."

Seriously ... what is she looking at?

Tamar's so-called Samba roll

DWTS GALLERY - Tamar & Val - S21 Wk04

DWTS - SEASON 21, Week 04
GALLERY:  Tamar & Val

Pictures go with written review:
Tamar & Val - Review of DWTS Season 21, Week 04 
(click here to see)

Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 04 -

Most Memorable Year Night

Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 04 -

Most Memorable Year Night

Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 04 -

Most Memorable Year Night

Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 04 -

Most Memorable Year Night

Tamar Withdraws!! – DWTS, S21

                                

Tamar Braxton Withdraws

from the competition,

following Week 09’s Episode!

Ballroom Blight, Braxton, officially Withdrew from Season 21’s competition Wednesday, to what I can easily imagine to be the relief of many, albeit reportedly under most unfortunate circumstances.

“With a heavy heart I regret to inform you that my season of #dwts has come to an end …” the Singer informed fans via Instagram, “solidifying” her Withdrawal, following yet another much-talked about Hospital stay that took place at the conclusion of Monday night’s Showstopper Episode.

Tamar Braxton

“ … I don’t have pneumonia” Tamar continued, “but something way more serious and that is having several P.E’s (blood clots in both sides of my lungs) … thank you ALL for your support … Big hugs and kisses to my boo @iamval for being beyond a friend, brother and the BEST partner EVER”

Prior to the announcement, Val Chmerkovskiy had voiced his support of his Celebrity partner, when he Instagrammed a somber message, referring to Tamar as his “friend” and “family”, and noting to the 38-year-old personally that he would “always have your back.”

Val Chmerkovskiy

Nick & Sharna, Tamar & Val – Review of Dance Duet, DWTS Season 21, Week 09

DWTS Season 21, Week 09

Dance Duet REVIEW:

Nick & Sharna, Tamar & Val

Dancing a Cirque du Soleil Love-themed Rumba to “Hey Jude” by the Beatles, Nick Carter, Sharna Burgess, Tamar Braxton, and Valentin Chmerkovskiy presented their Week 09, Show Stopping routine.

“I’m concerned about me dancing with Cirque du Soleil and looking like a Cirque du Soleil Professional Dancer!  I don’t want to look like ‘Tamar, the Competition Girl’ dancing with all of these Professional Dancers.  I want to look like I worked just as hard and you can’t tell the difference!” expressed Tamar during her pre-dance, Rehearsal Package.

<Popping Lips> Well, Tamar, consider your worst fears realized, as “Tamar the Competition Girl” is exactly how you danced on Monday.

Tamar & Val and Nick & Sharna 

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night - 
Dance Duets Round 

Once again, a slumped Frame, lazy Movement and a lack of Character Portrayal ruled the major part of your performance and was combined with a new flaw: dancing out of sync with everyone else, effectively tainting the entire routine.

I did enjoy the Choreography however; and, I thought that Nick more or less killed it; but, even his old, Haunting Habit of Hunching his shoulders and weakening his Frame reared its ugly head one or two times during the dance.

Tamar & Val and Nick & Sharna 

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night - 
Dance Duets Round 

It was nice, too, that Tamar managed to make it back in time to the Studio so that Nick & Sharna wouldn’t have to be judged by their Dress Rehearsal footage!

(I think that it’s pretty plain that, judging by her Contemporary Dress Rehearsal footage displayed earlier in the evening, Tamar would not have fared well at all with this potential outcome, although one can easily imagine that Nick would have done alright … still, it cannot be a fun thing to go through.)

In the end, I found the judges’ scoring of three 9’s for this dance to be entirely too generous and so very obviously the judges’ version of a “Pity Vote” which was a little more than unfair to the Night’s other Competitors!

I mean, Tamar’s reported illness could indeed be seen as “Pitiable”; but c’mon people, that dance rated no more than a 7 or an 8.

But, hey!  Don’t make it bad!  This Duets’ participants took what very easily could have been a rotten ending to all of their evenings and, through an all around group effort (including Tamar’s unexpected arrival), made it better!

Tamar & Val and Nick & Sharna 

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night - 
Dance Duets Round 

Tamar & Val and Nick & Sharna 

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night - 
Dance Duets Round 

Tamar & Val – Review of DWTS Season 21, Week 09

DWTS Season 21, Week 09

REVIEW:  Tamar & Val

Dancing a Cringe-inducing Contemporary, Tamar Braxton and her (poor, poor) Professional partner, Valentine Chmerkovskiy, submitted their first Week 09 routine.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night

Well, that dance was way more Catastrophe-in-motion than Contemporary!

Truly Tamar’s worst …

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -

Showstopper Night

And yes, I know, I know, it was only the poor thing’s Dress Rehearsal performance, and she WAS sick; however, that excuse can only carry a Celebrity so far, for while Braxton’s illness may cover any number of lazy Movement, unfinished Lines, and absent-minded Expressions - of which, this performance had in abundance - it cannot account for the fact that Tamar clearly only knew about little more than half of the routine!

Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 09 -
Showstopper Night

And as we all watched, and winced, and groaned at the sight of Tamar fudging and slurring her way through the Steps of the dance, the disastrous scene laid before us could not help but beg the question:  If Tamar didn’t have her routine down by the show’s DRESS REHEARSAL, doesn’t it stand to reason that she just NEVER WAS going to get it right? 

Tamar & Val – Review of DWTS Season 21, Week 08

DWTS Season 21, Week 08

REVIEW:  Tamar & Val

Dancing the Paso Doble to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, Tamar Braxton and her Professional partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, presented their Week 08 routine.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -

Icons Night

“ … If whoever gets mad at the fact that I say that I’m a wonderful dancer, then you get mad at that,” said Tamar during her pre-dance Rehearsal Package, while wiping away seemingly non-existent tears from her face.

(Well, yeah, Braxton, presumption tends to bug people in general, especially when that presumption is based purely, on one's inner delusions of grandeur …)

“But that’s what I have to tell myself to keep going.” She finished with a careless shrug.

<Blowing out a long, low whistle> Wow!  Way to spin the facts there, I am almost impressed!

You could have just gone along and acted as though last Week never even happened and it would have been less insulting!  And watch it, would you Tamar?  You’re slinging so hard and fast you’re gonna hit people with what you’re shoveling; but then again, maybe that was your intent all along …

It seems to me that anyone with half of a brain could spot your vain, self-obsessed attitude from Week 01 of the competition; but, folks just kind of hoped that you would get over yourself somewhere along the way … Chalk up yet another bitter disappointment from the not-so-“solidified” “contender” known as Tamar Braxton.  However, now that we have successfully navigated our way through that uncomfortable Bull Pasture and back into the Ballroom, Tamar’s Paso-ing was most excellent, 

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -

Icons Night

with overall improvement displayed in both her Frame and Lines, 

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -

Icons Night

although her Facial Expressions still left a great deal to be desired.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -

Icons Night

Tamar & Val – Review of DWTS Season 21, Week 07

DWTS Season 21, Week 07
REVIEW:

Tamar & Val

Dancing a Foxtrot to “People Are Strange” by The Doors, Tamar Braxton and what must be her very embarrassed Professional partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, submitted their routine.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 07 -

halloween Week

Once again barely meeting that seemingly-elusive (for Tamar, at least) Halfway-Decent standard for Ballroom Dancing, Tamar’s lazy execution, unfinished Lines, and “My Cat Just Died”, disconnected, numb-faced expression, “solidified” her inept, Sub-par ability in this competition.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 07 -

halloween Week

“Last week’s scores [of all 10’s, though I still cannot understand why] solidified the fact that I am a contender in this competition!” declared the self-impressed Ballroom Blight known as Tamar during her pre-dance Rehearsal Package.  “… I can pick up my steps in three hours,” - Can you now? – “and messin’ up is not gonna work anymore, it’s about bringing it!” – Is it really, Tamar?  Then what, I ask you, was this lethargic slop you were dancing, because what it wasn’t was a contending Foxtrot …
“… It’s hard for me to say without coming across being shady; but, I’m probably the best dancer in the competition.”  Tamar went on to reveal of her inner delusions.

Oh!  Oh, you poor, misguided thing!  I am so sorry, why I had no idea that this is how you saw yourself!  No wonder you haven’t been able to learn squat and progress since the start of this Season!  … With or without the allotted three hours …
<Tsk, tsk, tsk>  So very tragic.

It’s A THREE-WAY, High-scoring TIE!! DWTS Season 21, Week 06

 Andy & Allison, Tamar & Val, 

and Bindi & Derek All Tie For The Lead On 

DWTS’ Exciting Famous Dances Night! 

Season 21, Week 06

Dancing With Stars’ highly-anticipated Famous Dances Night turned out to be thrilling in more ways than one, as the Season 21 Teams of Andy & Allison, Tamar & Val, and Bindi & Derek all met Monday night and ended at the top of the Leader Board in a shocking, three-way tie, each Couple having earned A PERFECT SCORE!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Beginning this seemingly catching, high-scoring trend, Andy Grammer and his partner, Allison Holker, danced a delightful Jazz routine to “Good Morning” from the timeless Musical classic, Singing in the Rain.

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

What has happened to Andy, because that dance was FANTASTIC!

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Seriously now, some well-deserved choreography props must first go out to Allie, who took a world-famous TAP routine and made it danceable for Grammer; AND with that, Andy’s dancing was SO very good!!

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

His Frame was great, his Musicality was DEAD-ON (!), and his overall appropriately-lighthearted Character Portrayal in the dance was terrific!

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

To be completely (albeit brutally) honest …  and perhaps too picky … I thought it was more than a little cheesy that Allison had Troupe members Sasha Farber and Alan Bersten come in at the climax of the routine and help flip the couch for the Couple.

I agree with what Allison said in the Rehearsal Package, that the “couch flip/ride” IS one of the more memorable moments from the scene … so why wouldn’t she and Andy take the time to properly learn it?

Of course, it is possible that Allison was wary of the couch sliding on the always-slick Ballroom Dance floor; but, if that was indeed the case, why wouldn’t she have a carpet brought in, or something?  The weekly live production that is DWTS has pulled off many a crazier notion!

I am just saying, it is such a famous ending that it probably required a little more thought and effort then it seems was afforded it.

However - and having noted that - I positively LOVED it, very well done!!

Andy & Allison

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Also earning a perfect score of all 10’s was Tamar Braxton and her Professional partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who danced a Jazz Number to “Rhythm Nation” by Janet Jackson.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Now, here is a Week 06 routine that I found undeserving of a perfect score (Key word here being:  “PERFECT”.)

Granted, Tamar’s Musicality was excellent; and, for the majority of the routine, her dancing terrific; however, there were more than a couple of times when Tamar’s moves were not quite finished, a fact most easily spotted when also watching the Professional Dancers that surrounded her during the routine.

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Not to mention, when attempting the all-important, in-sync steps and arm motions, Tamar’s was distinctly (and once again … you’re killing us here, Tamar!) LAZY, and lacking in that crisp, sharp edge.

And so, as usual, and while certainly near-perfect, Tamar fell tragically short of dancing-greatness.

(But as for Val, it should be noted, this Chmerkovskiy just completely killed it [We would expect nothing less!] with the condensing down of the choreography of this well-known piece! … Fantastic job!!)

Tamar & Val

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

And now we come to what just might have been my ABSOLUTE favorite routine of the night (!!) …

Ladies and Gentlemen, dancing a Rumba and earning her first perfect score of the Season, it’s Bindi Irwin, and her Professional partner, Derek “Swayze” Hough, performing what was truly a timeless, DWTS-take on “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing.

  

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Nobody puts Bindi in the corner!

You know that I the time of MY life watching this gratifying routine; and, I STILL cannot believe how exquisite Bindi’s dancing was on this night!!

Her Frame was nothing short of excellent, her Musicality superb, her Footwork amazing, and her so-very-important-to-get-it-right-Character Portrayal of Baby, positively endearing!!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

But we cannot compliment Bindi, and not take one (or more!) paragraphs to talk about the one and only Derek, who did an absolutely REMARKABLE job of redesigning this iconic routine and condensing it down to Ballroom size!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

First off, Derek’s imitation of the still-beloved Patrick Swayze was just completely stellar (and, let’s face it movie-goers, so very thrilling!); and secondly, his choreography was positively 100% BRILLIANT!!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Seriously now, I loved each and every tiny and perhaps seemingly-insignificant-on-the-surface Dirty Dancing detail that quite literally made this performance; not to mention, afforded a most-welcomed nostalgic dance back through time to that delightful Talent Show-climax of the 1980’s classic!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

From the exciting nod to the ever-cool “Swayze Walk”, to the (PERFECTLY duplicated!!) costumes of the routine’s surrounding Cast, to the “live audience” that lined that famous isle,

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

this dance’s film-inspired conception exceeded all expectations … and that is saying an awful lot!

And what about the Lift? … THE Lift that has stood the test of time, spanning decades in the ever-fond memories of Dance Fans and Cinema Lovers the world-over?!!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Well, it made Dancing With The Stars veteran and 5-time Mirror Ball Champion, Derek Hough, the most nervous he’s ever been on the show (as he has readily admitted time and again - before, during, and after Monday night’s episode);

it had only had (according to Hough in a post-show, accesshollywood.com interview) a “50-50” success rate leading right up to the night’s daring performance;

it required some distinct, last-minute assistance from DWTS’ Wardrobe’s Department (According to people.com Derek had also revealed, “We were practicing the lift and Bindi's dress kept sliding up.  If it came up too high, she would fall down. We ran over to wardrobe and I said, 'Please sew the dress to her underwear so it won't slide up.'  They were literally cutting the string right as we were running on stage to perform,”);

and the incredible team that is Bindi & Derek pulled it off BEAUTIFULLY!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

Now granted, once lifted, Bindi’s actual arm placement left a little something to be desired, falling short of what could be called “perfect” …  that said, however  … she made it.

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

…She made it, and in more-than-decent Form at THAT (!!); and the elation felt from the immediate Standing Ovation given by the show’s live audience, the Australian Teen, her relieved and can-breath-now partner Derek, and the Judges’ Panel was a little more than contagious and duly made complete when awarded with a much-cheered-for-scoring of all 10’s!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week

“You just have to jump and know you can rely on your partner.  So I did.”, Irwin later told people.com, following the Dynamite Duo’s performance while her still ecstatic Pro dished to accesshollywood.com, “… it was one of the greatest moments ever on the show for me.”!

Bindi & Derek

DWTS Season 21, Week 06 -

Famous Dance Week