Judges Team Up Challenge – Review of DWTS Season 22, Week 08

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

REVIEW:  Judges Team Up Challenge

Introducing its first ever Judges Team Up Challenge round of Competition, Dancing With The Stars’ three, Panel Judges each chose 2 of the Season's 6 remaining Couples to “Team Up” in a presumably exciting Dancing Quartet with unexpected results …
 
 

Team Bruno:

Dancing the Argentine Tango to “Habanera” by Georges Bazet, DWTS Judge, Bruno Tonioli’s, selected Team of Jodie & Keo and Nyle & Peta submitted their Team Up Performance.

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

The better, in my opinion, of the three Team Up routines, Team Bruno’s over all execution of this difficult Latin Dance was surprisingly great for all the individual parties involved.

Indeed, Jodie Sweetin’s opening of the smooth and silky Number, with the three other Dancing Professionals (including that of Pro, Peta Murgatrod), was exceptionally good, even by Jodie’s own highly set and strictly kept standards!

Granted, that there were one or two moments during the Opening of the Dance, and again near the Close, when her Dancing Lines were not quite Sharp, nor Fully Extended; but overall, I must say, a truly stellar Performance!!

Likewise, Nyle DiMarrco’s Strong yet Fluid Exhibition proved most excellent, impressively holding his own when mercilessly stacked up against the Routine's three other Male Professionals!
All in all a most gratifying effort within this novel Round, and most certainly the most successful!

 


Team Len:


Dancing a Strangely Subpar Samba to “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)” by Harry Belafonte, Head Judge,  Len Goodman’s, chosen Couples of Ginger & Val and  Wanya & Lindsay presented their Team Up Routine.

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

<Mouth gaping wide open in horrified, stunned disbelief>  Oh, good grief! WHAT a disappointment!

(What is the world of Ballroom Dance coming too?!!)

Is it just me, or did DWTS Beloved – and highly respected – Len just tragically fail, and somewhat miserably at that???

This seemingly phoned-in, total child's play of a Performance was upsetting and (dare I say?) IRRITATING, to say the least, as DWTS' no-fuss, no-muss Judge appeared suddenly incompetent, Choreographing what was truly one of the absolute DUMBEST Dances witnessed in the show's adored Ballroom - at least, that I can remember – in a long (LONG) while!

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

Honestly, Len, just because you’re the Best in the Ballroom doesn’t mean that you don’t have to actually try … like, AT ALL!!

Even with Len making a brief - and completely UN-GRATIFYING - appearance near the end of this depressing and sickening colorful array made this Dance feel all the more pathetic and useless!

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

(I mean, for crying out loud, folks, if endeared Grumpy Goodman’s face could not rescue this Dance from the depths of Cheesesville, was there ever really any hope for it in the first place??!)

Not to mention, Season 22’s Competing participant, Wanya Morris’, Dancing was only “Pleasing”, albeit Fun, to say the very most, while recent Rising Dancing-Force, Ginger Zee, sadly lapsed back into her Performing “Comfort-zone” consisting of apathetic, Lazy Lines, halfhearted Charisma,  and an overall Shoddy Execution!

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

… Simply dreadful.

Team Carrie Ann:

Dancing the Paso Double to “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Lorde, Judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s Dancing Duos Antonio & Sharna and Paige & Mark closed down Week 08’s Competition.

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

An admittedly Emoting Performance overall, Carrie Ann’s contemporary take on this typically exhilarating Latin Style of Dance was oddly ill-pleasing in most stages of the Routine, as her Artistic Choreography (“Artistic”, a word that often stands for “Unique”) effectively had its participants stomping about the ballroom like slender, Taupe-clad (Ugh! Raise your hands if you’re positively DISGUSTED with the non-color of Taupe; stop embarrassing yourself if you’re not) Gorillas instead of refined, Quarterfinals Competitors!

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

Even Season Front-runner, Paige VanZant , was uncharacteristically Heavy in her Feet and Lines!

Not to mention, the seemingly evasive – and yet, somehow, still completely necessary – element of all Four of the Dance's participants Performing In Sync with one another throughout the whole of the Routine proved a task much (much) too hard to accomplish!

DWTS Season 22, Week 08

- Judges Team Up Challenge Round

It must be said, however, before wrapping up this Post, that Antonio's Spinning Lift of Paige was a little more than impressive, to say the least!

Still, in the end, I found this (what appeared to be) ill-conceived attempt at recreating her Season 20,  Noah & Sharna Paso to be a flailing one at best, as well as an empty one.

See videos (3,below) to watch Judges Len, Bruno, and Carrie Ann's "Team Up Challenge" Dance on Week 08 of DWTS, courtesy of Dancing With The Stars' great YouTube channel!