July 21, 2026 • 58 mins
Danielle and Val are back to recap the second episode of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro and they’ve already uncovered some major revelations about the new crop of dancers…
Val holds nothing back with AJ’s attitude, and we find out which DWTS pro is the most emotionally “unavailable,” which is confirmed by the many unreturned texts from Danielle.
Plus, we try to pry a few hints about the upcoming DWTS season from Val, and we hear the true origin of Daniella’s Ferrari persona, right here on Stepping on Toes!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome back to Stepping on Toes. I am professional dancer
Danielle Fischel and.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm a celebrity podcaster val Chmerkovsky.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It is week two of Dancing with the Stars. The
next pro ten contestants remain. Last week we said goodbye
to Briar and Jake, and we saw some stiff competition.
It feels like everyone is so good and it's gonna
come down to every single performance, and it gets us
very excited for season thirty five. Well, I know a
(00:45):
lot of our listeners want to know how much you
are aware of before the show starts. Do you know
any celebrities that will be on the show? Do you
know who your partner is already? Will you do the
knee walk again?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I think I retired the New York I mean, forget
the season. I did it ninety seven times on the
road tour. But no, that was such a fun time.
Hopefully I'll be able to create something else that goes
viral exactly like like a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I don't know, something that's not as hard on the knees.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Made something a little more stationary. But yeah, no, there's
always whispers. I think, like you know you've been in
this industry. In any business, there's whispers, you know, before
any big project, but I try to respectfully keep my
distance from the gossip. I have a great relationship with
(01:37):
the show. I continue to hopefully be desirable by the
production and they continue to bring me back, and I
don't really get involved in all the gossip beforehand. You
know who they give me is who they give me. Yeah,
And I can't complain. I've been very lucky with the
(01:59):
way Dancing with the Stars a streeting me in regards
to partners. So I trust the process and whoever I get,
I'm gonna do my best with. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I mean, it's so funny. I asked you the question, like,
do you know who your partner is? And you reminded
me in the most diplomatic way. I'm not even sure
they're asking me back. You guys. You guys find that
out kind of in the eleventh hour, whether or not
you have a partner, because who they cast and who
then kind of determines who the pros need to be,
(02:27):
how many men, how many women, how tall they need
to be. Totally, so yeah, everyone always asked, are you
sure you didn't know who your partner was? I'm like
it is one. Not even one second point five seconds
before I walked in, they were like, his name's Pasha.
And then the door opened and I was like, it's
all real.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
It is it is, it is real. And yes, there's
a lot of uncertainty, a lot of hope, a lot
of prayer. Yeah, but yeah, it's been the process for
all these years, and I think now we've built a
certain resilience to it. But it's again, it's it's hard
(03:08):
for everybody. It's a live show. Yeah, there's really very
little pre production happening outside of the casting. I think
it's a really difficult puzzle to piece together. I think
our casting director does a great job. And yes, the
compatibility of the celebs being casted with the pros that
are there to service that season for them is very
(03:28):
also nuanced. The good thing about this is that I
am a perfect height.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, you're also just a perfect person.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I feel like, yeah, the thing got the look, so
so yeah, so I'm excited regardless.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yes, I figured people should know. They taped this next
pro show in Australia while you were on tour, which
means the guest judges had to fly in for just
a few days and then they were turned back to
the road whatever city we were in. How insane was
this schedule while you guys were on tour?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
It was? It was insane, It was it was exciting. Obviously,
I've given myself you know, I had five years off
away from touring with Dancing with the Stars, so I
kind of last year gave myself the license to really
dive into dance. And you know, kind of because I
try to do a lot of things entrepreneurially whatever outside
(04:28):
of dance. But I kind of just was like, yo,
just do this, enjoyed for however long you still got.
And so I just celebrated dance last year. So I
did the season. I went straight into the tour. And
so for me, showing up on our days off for
three months, not having a day off was challenging on
the body. But like, I couldn't have been more happy. Yeah,
(04:52):
you know, like I want to. In the previous episode,
I gave you a Russian phrase.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
About you know, breath before the this No matter how
many breaths you take, your still going to die.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
That's a great translation. Well, I'm taking all the dance
steps I can before I don't anymore. So the form
a professional podcaster full.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Time, full time.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, so I embraced it. But yes, it was a
lot of challenge. It was very challenging for Mandy Moore
and the production of Dancing with the Stars because there's
a tour, because there's a certain integrity that we want
to keep with the show and to all of our
fans that come out and watch us. So it was
it was a bit of a juggling act, but we
we did it. It was hard on the pros leaving.
(05:33):
It was a lot a lot of work for the
pro staying, but we we handled it. It kept it fun.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Can you talk a little bit about the swings Anya
and Keaton?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh yes, again superstars. Anya and Keaton had to learn
every single track of every single dancer and so they
were kind of the glue between. They filled in for
any like So for instance, someone like Keaton and Anya Ball,
I'll give you Keaton's side, he had to be Brandon. Actually, okay,
(06:05):
let's actually give you Anye because that's better. She had
to fill in for three female pros left to do. Yeah, yeah,
and so she had to fill in for Danny, for
Jenna Fort, for brit then, but also in different ways.
Sometimes she had to fill in for Emma because Emma
had to step in for Jenna, and so she had
(06:25):
to learn Emma's part. It's like it was a lot
and so shout out to Anye, Stevenson and Keaton because yeah,
they were they were excellent.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I could I could barely remember my own track.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I mean, you and I laughed every single night about
whether or not we were going to get tambourines, right, yeah, yes,
that's just one small part.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
You just had to be there. You just had to
be there.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Coming into episode two of the next pro how are
you feeling? This is someone who's going to be competing
against one of these dancers next season? Are you are
you feeling it? Do you think it will deliver the
next Dancing with the Stars stand out?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah? I think so. I think there's definitely an abundance
of talent in this cast, and it's exciting to see
a lot of faces I'm familiar with, a lot of
you know, a few faces that I've I'm being introduced to,
just like the rest of the world. And it's exciting. Again,
it's exciting to shed even more light on ballroom dance
and to do so on the community and therefore expose
(07:25):
and introduce, you know, these guys to to the rest
of the world. Yeah, I'm proud of that. Again, I
think we have a lot of incredible talent in the
ballroom competitive ballroom community, and you know, Dancing with the
Stars has been a vehicle to broadcast that talent to
a wider audience and very few have enjoyed it, and
it's been life changing. And so it's nice to not
(07:45):
gatekeep this awesomeness and allow a new generation to come
in and enjoy it. But they'll have to go through me.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
That's right. Welcome them in and also kind of stop,
enjoy your stay, see you later. So we start with
a little recap of last week's show, reminding us of
what has happened so far, and then here comes our host,
the greatest Australian exports since Tim TAM's. It's Robert Irwin.
(08:17):
He reintroduces the judges, Shirley and Mark Ballas, and then
he reveals this week's guest judge, a ten season vet
of the show, a tremendous choreographer and storyteller, and a
student of the Ballast family himself, it is Brandon Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
What do you think makes Brandon such a great asset
for Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I wrote in my notes, Yep, Brandon smashed.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Oh yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Brendan did a great job. By the way, you know,
Jen always corrects me. It's it's Brandon.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It's not Brendan, right, not Brendan Brandon Brandon.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Brandon and Brandon are the same name for me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Yeah, you know you have to say it. You have to. Yeah,
Brendan Brandon, Brendan Brandon, Brandon. There you go, right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I think Brandon did a great job. I'm proud of
him because it's interesting you said a ten year vet,
and I'm like, damn, Brandon's been on the show for
ten years. I know that means I've been on the
show for much. But I'm proud of him too, because again,
I looked at Brandon for a long time as one
of these contestants, you know, whose dream came. I know
(09:26):
him since he was a kid as well. And to
now have him as my peer and somebody I like,
I said, I get along very well with and I'm
an incredible amount of respect for him, and he's grown
so much, so I'm proud of him. And now to
see him come in and be a mentor was really
really special and he nailed it. Just to see again
(09:47):
his evolution on camera as far as speaking on camera
and giving feedback and being confident. And he shed a
tear in this episode, which was so sweet. I didn't
even know Brandon was that emotionally available. We actually all
we have a consensus that he's.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Not oh, that he's kind of cold and now super coold.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Well he's not friends with us.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Oh, I know.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Single day after the tour ends, he just ghoests the
Let me tell.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
You, I have texted Brandon about many things. I've never
gotten a text back.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, just text his wife. But yeah, No, Brandon did
a great job and he directed them very well.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Well, just like Derek last week. Brandon arrives with an
incredible performance for the contestants, telling a story to the
song Rescue by Lauren Dagel. It is a beautiful duet
all about how he was adopted at a young age
by a white family and how he views adoption now
that it changed his life. We see that some of
the contestants were brought to tears.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
These kids, man, generation is so emotional.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
They are I know you had some thick skin.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
No, I mean again, he did a great job. And
that's so what's the theme of this episode storytelling?
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, choreography.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, so he did a great job obviously telling a
story and it's a very powerful one. I think a
lot of a lot of people can relate to and
they did clearly.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, fittingly. This week's challenge, like we said, is all
about storytelling. The contestants are paired into couples to use
dance to tell a story from their life that is meaningful.
They are going to be looking for a strong narrative
that warrants an emotional response. And then we get our pairs.
Eric will be with Natalie, Benji will be with Nina.
(11:37):
We have Tristan and Stephanie together and they seem like
they have a very strong connection. Aj and Selena, and
finally Alan and Adele. Alan uses the rules Royce nickname.
So it appears that sticking. We've now had it for
two episodes.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I'm gonna I'm gonna throw something out there. We could
find the sod. But I did a podcast and I
was asked about.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
You did another pot cast.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
This was years ago, okay, thank you, okay, And I
was asked about Daniella, and I was like, well, you know, Daniella.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
She's a Formula one car, Like that's she's on. Her
mechanics are on a different level.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You think Derek hurt, Well.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I know he because I used that same metaphor in
conversation with him.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
So I'll just I'll just you're just leaving that little
nugget out. She doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Nothing, just just but now that I have the mic,
I'll just just think you you could look at the timeline,
just to just go.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Back, select the gallery, look at the details, look at
the details. I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Royce.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Okay, she is, She's the rolls Royce off the show.
So now with each pair, they will need to choose
whose story they want to tell, what song they will
dance to, and in which style they will choreograph it themselves.
And so the contestants break off off. Stephanie and Tristan
are the first to make the very important decision. They
will tell Stephanie's story about honoring her Latina roots and
(13:08):
embracing her true self. Yeah, and so it seemed to
me like the couples had a very easy time deciding
whose story they were going to tell. Is that usually
the way it goes that you are with your partner
and you have a decision to make, and it just
you kind of sense whose should take priority.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I mean yes and no. First, so I've never been
in a position where I'm negotiating whose story.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
You've never been the celebrity.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
A priority until now. But but yeah, no, So typically
we have a story, which story we want to tell.
We kind of have a conversation, and whatever feels more
authentic to my partner, you know, we go with that story.
Sometimes I can help direct. I know, some pros will
be like no, no, no, yeah, they want to cry,
(13:58):
so don't tell that story. Let's tell the story. I
try to go with, like, whatever story is going to
resonate with you the most, that's the one I want
to you know, I'm here at your service. So but
certain things are are just more interesting than others and
a little bit more translatable. I guess more you could,
(14:19):
you could, you could tell that story in a mind
because again it's you don't have a two hour feature
film to tell your story. I know, yeah, you have
a minute ten you know, and in dance and not
that much bells and whistles production wise, so it has
to be a very clear message that you're trying to tell.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It is a very important week for former hip hop
dancer Tristan, considering he was in the bottom two in
the first episode. And then Benji comes in wanting to
create an homage to Miami and his Latin roots, while
Nina mentions perseverance she took ten years off of competitive
dancing thanks to a jealous ex boyfriend and returned at
the same time as the sudden death of her father.
(14:59):
And they pretty easily decide they're going to dance to
Nina's idea, which you know, I guess he felt like, well,
mine's the celebration of Miami and hers has some maybe
some heart strings. Do you think that was the right
choice to go with Nina's story?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, But here's the thing again, It's like that, you know,
when people reflect on their success and they look like
and they say, man and obviously a lot of hard work,
a lot of this, but also a little bit of luck.
These are the moments, right. So it was just really
unfortunate because this story was told through rumba and that
(15:39):
is not where he was going to shine the most,
you know, So if they did go with his story
for Instance'm just giving you an example of where he actually,
in going and doing the right thing, put himself in
a much more challenging situation. Yeah, because if they did
something that celebrated his heritage and Miami and Q and
(16:00):
Latin and to probably do maybe like a salsa or
ensemble or something more lively and yes, no, on the surface,
that is not the most impactful story, but as a performance,
that would have been a much brighter moment for him,
and also allowing him to do all of the bells
and whistles that he brings to the table. His strengths
(16:20):
are the versatility of the showmansh and the tricks that
he could throw. The backflips, you know, again, that is
really valuable range and that is really hard to do
and he's one of maybe two people on the show
that can do that. It is really important when you're
competing that you are constantly thinking of strategies that put
(16:44):
your best foot forward. Now you're you know, not your
worst foot forward, but.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
You want to find opportunities to shine totally.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
And so he did the right thing and going with
Nina's story and kind of respecting that the depth of
that connection, he put himself in a much more challenging position.
Why does that put him in because I can quickly
see that partnering, especially in the rumba, is in his
strongest suit and it's really challenged. The rumba is just hard.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yes, it's a hard dance.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Well, it's a very hard dance. So that's what I
mean by that now, not that he can't do the
rumba or you know, there's no other style.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
But so back at the house, Adele is talking to Alan.
She wants a dedication to her husband, who is also
her dance partner. Alan wants to perform for his mom.
(17:45):
They used to watch Dancing with the Stars together and
her dream was for him to join the show one day. Sadly,
she passed away when he was just fifteen, and dance
became his life as a result. Adele decides to forego
her idea and dance for Alan's mom. And I thought
this was a very emotional moment for the show. It's
(18:08):
the first time we've heard about Alan's mom passing. It's
still very raw for him, even if twenty plus years
have passed. I thought it was very vulnerable of him
to open up that way and to know how important
it was for him to tell this story.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, yeah, no, this was definitely the highlight of the
season for me. And it was just really honest, the authentic,
you know, it didn't feel forced. The reaction in the
room was really genuine. And like I said, I know, Alan,
I was there around him at the time that this happened,
and so I you know, I just appreciate that he's
(18:49):
having this moment to heal. Yeah, and I yeah, it
was definitely a very powerful moment. Definitely the moment of
the season.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
It's now day one of rehearsals. Eric and Natalie have
decided to tell Natalie's story about finding her voice through
dance after moving to America from Hong Kong. Eric is excited.
He wants to show the judges he can tell someone
else's story and place them in the spotlight, since that
is a vital element to dancing with the start. Are
you are you shaking your head because my hair is
attached to the.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Oh no, no, I'm just saying, Eric, that's a winner right there.
You know, for me, that's that's a huge quality. You know,
we talked about, you know, you know, my celebrity being
having my undivided attention for three months and focus and
energy and just having the right perspective, Like his energy
is all about his partner. Yeah, and as a male
(19:40):
pro on the show, I think that's a quality that
is very important, and it's very and really comes through
when it's there, and I think it comes through in
a very endearing and charming way. So he's he's got
the look, he's got the you know, the skill, and
now you know he's got the charm, he's got the heart.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah. Aj and Selena decide to tell his story about
winning the British Open Dance Championship in twenty fifteen, and
it seems like Aj runs a tight ship, giving Selena
a lot of notes for technique correction in the jive.
What did you think about that?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I'm getting too comfortable on this podcast episode too. Yeah. Yeah,
I mean I think again, it makes good TV at
his expense. I guess that's how I want to say it,
because I don't think it's I like his. I mean
there's a part to it that I like. I wish
he just kind of wrapped that arrogance into like a
(20:43):
little softer present, you know, Like, I get it, you
did your thing, you won some awards, but so did Natalie. Right,
we got we all got pedigree. Everybody wants something. Now again,
I appreciate that he's a well accomplished competitive dancer and
he does have experience as already this job, he had
(21:05):
this job.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, so I.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Understand if he's coming in with this feeling of like,
I'm not gonna say entitlement, I don't want to use
that word, but yeah, if he comes in with not
a chip on his shoulder, but kind of like, you know,
what am I even doing here? Why do I have
to go through this process if I already I know
I'm good enough and I already did this. I can
(21:29):
appreciate that, but dude, that's what then don't sign up
for the show, you know. But if you are going
to show up, you gotta have humility in the sense
that you got to prove yourself right now. There's a
reason why you're here and no longer have a job
there because and so to be here, be present, don't
live in the past of I know this is reflecting
on a big story for you, and I'm cool with
(21:50):
doing a story about your winnings. I didn't even hear
a word that Selena had to say. I'm not really
sure why because I'm sure she also lived a life
and has stories to tell. But I understand that. Okay,
take the lead on that. That's a special moment. You
want the Wimbledon of dance, but it's the rehearsal footage
that kind of you know, when he's using his foot
(22:13):
to push her hit back. Yea, like I and even that,
you know, I'm not gonna I'm gonna have I'm gonna
have some grace on that because that is something that
would be done in some rooms, you know, and not
have like any negative energy to you know. It's just
like the utility of we're here and I can use
(22:35):
you know, and I get that, but all in all
together and then that visual, you know, you're not gonna
win people over right unless they're into that kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, I mean even just strategically for the show.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Strategically for the show, that is a huge turnoff. And
you know, everything I just said about Eric, you know,
I would say the opposite about about that moment.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Okay. Meanwhile, Benji and Nina work on their perseverance piece,
but not all is copasetic. It seems Benji is getting
frustrated that Nina is not listening to him. It seems
as though we have some trouble in paradise.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It's so interesting because we just talked about one pairing
where it was like like the pendulum just took continues
this and then it's swung here, and now you have
kind of like two people that aren't sure what to do,
you know, And like I said, I think Benji quickly
realized that in doing right by his partner, he placed
(23:36):
himself in a very vulnerable situation as far as this competition. Yeah,
and I think that started the frustration of that started
coming out. Plus again the challenge of it all, you know,
I could see that again, these are these are high stakes,
and so these are young people. It takes real self
discipline to maintain your not just composure, but your humility
(23:58):
while you're fighting for the biggest break of your of
your life.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, and these are things that like doing Dancing with
the Stars and seeing the way the packages all turn out,
you can't predict these things. You can't predict that you're
going to end up having three couples that tell three
totally different stories, one couple that just seems to have
such an incredible connection, and everything falls into place so easy,
another couple that's like, okay, he's pushing her hip with
his foot, and then a couple in between is like,
(24:22):
are you listening to me? I'm not sure what to do.
Like it's so well done that you get to see
all the different scenarios that could happen in partnerships where
you have to work together totally. And even if all
the decisions happened easily, we'll tell your story. We'll tell
your story. It actually didn't all come together easily.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, well, I think again, it's like you're only as
good as your partner. Yeah, and so if you keep
that in the forefront of your kind of like like
just the way you approach it, that that's my approach.
Doesn't mean that I don't have an ego, doesn't mean
that I you know, well we all know I do.
But it doesn't mean that I'm like, yes, man, but
(25:03):
I lead with that. I lead in shadow position, you know,
I I don't. I try not to lead with with
with just brute force, like it's not my way or
the highway, it's our way. Especially on this show, no
one's a celebrity and no one's a professional. And that's
why when I was watching the the aj Selena package.
(25:25):
To me, it felt like you're already on Dancing on
the Stars and you're not right. So again, enough with that.
I get he doesn't deserve all of that. It's definitely redeemable.
I like that. You but that that was a that
was a very you know, that wasn't a moment I enjoyed.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Okay, Alan and Adele are analyzing their routine looking to
incorporate a lift into their dance, which makes Adele very nervous.
She did not seem like she was super excited by
this lift idea.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Again because this rolls Royce doesn't fly.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
No, it doesn't have wings.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
It doesn't have wings, not yet.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
How to grip the floor?
Speaker 2 (25:59):
And again that isn't that it's such a I think
that's what makes this so exciting, And I think that's
why ballroom translated in this format, because it is so
opposite of the not the showmanship, but the trickery, the
circuit silay that people love to see. Like a fundamentally,
(26:20):
ballroom is not that we talk about wow moments. The
wow moment, at least for me, is always the intensity
and the relationship between the two people. It isn't how
far I could throw her up in the air and
catch her, even though again that that exuberance is also important.
But borm dance structurally also is a very grounded dance,
(26:43):
and so I could see why she's I mean again,
And when you excel in one, you know, in that
craft so so much like as she does, you're going
to find the challenging too. All of a sudden, be.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Lifted, jump into my hands. I promise I won't drop you.
It's like, okay, it's the.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Most romantic thing over here.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Surrender, Surrender to my arms. That night, back at the house,
Nina confides in the group that she and Benji are
having a struggle coexisting, but Benji thinks sometimes she's just
not willing to listen, and privately he isn't so sure
about the linear nature of her story.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
He's just he's it's a kid from Miami sharing space
with the chick from the tri state New York area.
That's all it is, is just another conversation, I guess. No,
I mean again, she's a strong personality. She's has the
I guess, the track record to speak her truth, you know,
I mean, she's also an accomplished competitor she's not a child.
(27:45):
She runs her own business. I mean, this is a woman.
Yeah and she Yeah, she's commanding the space. But again,
just like with AJ, this is not just your competition,
And just because we chose your story or to tell
doesn't mean that you're the only person leading this this ship.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Yeah, and I think you know, maybe it got in
her mind while we're being judged individually, and so she
didn't care as much about how he presented. But when
you are in a partnership, if you're both dancing, you
should very much care how the other person looks, because
it's only gonna make you look better if they look
totally totally, gonna make you look worse if they don't totally.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Again the cliche phrase, you know that rumba is the
dance of love, but it's it's also the woman's dance,
you know, And it's even more so than any other style.
This is a style that really presents the lady. And
so again, huge opportunity because I think men look the
strongest when they're presenting their ladies, not when they make
(28:49):
it about themselves. I think that there's a real strength
and masculinity to that. But again, like I said, earlier,
I don't think the rumba really fit his strengths right, And.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
The next morning, with just one day left until the performance,
Benji apologizes at rehearsal, he brought her food as a
peace offering, and now everyone is working out the kings
and their routines with some help from Brandon. He thinks
AJ's routine has too many bells and whistles to tell
a story. He also isn't so sure about Stephanie and
Tristan and whether or not their moves are working with
(29:22):
their goal. He doesn't think Eric and Natalie are gelling
as people and is questioning if Nina's story is clear enough.
And Brandon really comes across like a great coach.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Yeah, he did a great job, he's Yeah, he was
very in tune with what they were going through and
offered some really great insight. I think. Yeah, No, he
checked out. He was awesome and he you know, he
called out the things that needed to be called out too.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yeah. Yeah, he didn't shy away from speaking the truth.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
No, and I agree with him. I mean, again, doing
a jive to tell a story? You know, it's funny
as we talk about who made what choices and in
regards to who it's like. In that same breadth, the
jive isn't necessarily the most feminine right to dance to
(30:17):
dance either, right, so he definitely not wasn't supposed to
be Selena's moment to shine, you know. And again that's
a testament to when you got it, you got it. Yeah,
and I love her for that. She said, I'm here
to work and you keep yep, it's cool, all right,
and then she delivered Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
On the other side of the spectrum, Brandon is very
impressed with Adam and Adele. Again. Everyone rehearses through the night,
leading to back at the house Human Kangaroo Baby. Robert
Irwin decides to meet with Alan to talk about his
very important story, and Robert, of course knows all about
what Alan is going through. Both of them lost their
(30:59):
parents a young age, and of utilized dance to deal
with grief. Alan thinks this is going to be the
closest he's felt to his mom since her passing. It's
very sweet to see Robert be able to.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Oh, yeah, totally. I mean, if anybody can relate, Yeah,
that was a great moment in the show. I think again,
I love that the show doesn't just highlight dance, but
really highlights human stories and you know these moments and
that these guys are all available to tell these stories
and do so so openly. Yeah. But yeah, I mean,
(31:35):
Alan is he's that, he's sincere, he's gentle, and you
know he's been through a lot, and he genuinely loves
this thing. He loves dance a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Now it's time for the competition. Robert welcomes everyone back
to the ballroom, reintroducing our judges. Now with Brandon in
the third seat. The first couple is Natalie and Eric,
who will perform a Viennese waltz. To hold my hand
with the story of Natalie's journey from Hong Kong to
America surely reminds us that she had concerns about both
of their confidence last week. Do we think this was
(32:10):
some attempt at a redemption dance for the two of them?
Maybe they did a Viennese waltz, So not about the dance,
but just about like she was worried about their confidence
last week and then this week.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I mean again, you you gain confidence when you're
more in your element. Yeah, I think this was in
Natalie's element. She's an expert in this In this style,
you could accomplish a lot of things when you're confident, right,
and so I think there was already a built in
confidence in the fact that, Okay, I need to redeem
(32:45):
myself for sure, but I'm at least in a genre
that that will allow me to do so. Yeah, and
then Eric, again like perfect partner, did a great job
packages I mean all of it. And the performance was excellent.
I know, I thought it was excellent. I don't think
that they had as much of like an emotional impact,
(33:09):
but that wasn't the story she was saying. I mean, yes,
it was emotional, but it you know, it wasn't sorry,
it was more empowering. It was that it was like
it was a really sound dance. I know, the like
I said, I know that the the the assignment was storytelling,
(33:33):
but it's still got to be a really good dance
and gotta be technically sound. And this was like a
plus for me.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Well, the judges agreed with you. Surely thinks that Natalie
found her confidence this week. She called it divine to
watch and compared Eric to Prince Charming, calling him a
perfect partner.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I could have just called him Prince Eric.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Prince Eric an opportunity missed opportunity for Prince Eric. You know,
she loved it. Brandon liked it in practice, but loved
it tonight and thinks they both did amazing. It was
a great showing by all accounts.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And now time that was a great clean It was
like really digestible, you know, it was like it wasn't
too much, it was just it was perfect.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
I know. Shirley said, this is going to be a
hard act to follow. And and next up was Benji
and Nina, so who a partnership that was having some
difficulty follows what ended up being kind of a perfect performance.
They danced to Harry's styles signed at the times in
a rumba.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Keep in mind, surely yelled off balance mid routine and
I felt so bad for her for but it's true.
What did you think of the performance?
Speaker 2 (34:40):
I love it of Shirley's performance.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
No, no, What did you think of Benji plus Shirley?
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah? No, I thought it was very disconnected. I thought
that she was like back leading. I don't know for
those that are not familiar with it, again, it's action reaction,
It's not it's not a matter of I lead you follow.
It's never that. But it's just like driving a car
if one person has to steer the wheel right and
we could take turns. It's not just my car. We
(35:09):
could both. We could both Daniel drive the.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Rolls for sure, drive it the first hour. I could
drive it the next hour.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, exactly. But we're not both hands on, not at
the same time. So that's what I mean by that.
And it felt like she was again just kind of
taking the lead. And what happens then if it completely
takes away any sort of responsibility from from like and
when I say responsibility, I mean like you are my purpose,
(35:38):
My whole purpose and especially this dance is to create
and initiate your movement and help support your movement. But
if you have completely taken me out of that equation
and are just now doing a you know, a contemporary
looking rumba without you know, I don't need no man,
(35:58):
maybe that is that was but it left him completely
homeless as far as like, okay, now what do I do?
And yeah, it was I said it in the beginning,
like it was a perfect storm of he did the
right thing, but it didn't serve him. Yeah, and yeah,
and you felt it again it was very disconnected.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Well, Brandon keeps it one hundred and says he found
it disjointed. Mark asks how rehearsal was, and they both
agreed they had some communication issues. Benji does take some
accountability and admits he was confused himself and he could
have spoken up. Surely thinks the stance was a disservice
to Benji and points out that Nina didn't service his
work correctly. And then we have Stephanie in trist In
(36:55):
performing a rumba to Dreaming of You by Selena. Robert
thought these two were connected and very much in sync.
What did you think of the two of them?
Speaker 2 (37:06):
I agreed with Shirley. I think the technique was a plus,
but it was it was the attentiveness from Tristan to
Stephanie and her again her embracing that. I mean, she
reciprocated that. Again, back to talk about shadow position. I
know this isn't going to be visual. People use your imagination,
but there's a constant connection. And the most obvious are
(37:30):
the eyes, obviously, but there's even just awareness and just
an you don't have to stare at me to connect
to me, but there's a warmth that I that I
include you on right, and I thought that they had that.
Plus on top of that, I don't think there's anything
more powerful than you know, just kind of the focus
(37:54):
and the fact that he didn't take his eyes off
of her. That in itself, you know, because as much
as we focus on technique and this and that and
the perfect placing over the whatever whatever, Ultimately, when I'm
watching someone perform, I'm looking in their face and their
eyes yea, And it's when they lose me there that
I start to pay attention if the toes are point
or not. And so when I'm looking at his eyes
(38:16):
and they're constantly attending to her, I'm not even paying
attention to is his foot pointed? It's his technique perfect,
and so that's you know, it's such a small difference,
but that's what allowed Tristan, who also isn't a master
of ballroom of lamba technique and partnering. Maybe he has
(38:37):
more or less. I don't know what Benji's experience and
that is, but because his partner was available for him
to connect with and he was able to really help,
you know, just again, it was her dance. Still, she
was definitely showcased, but he shined because he helped her be showcased.
(39:00):
And isn't that the beautiful paradox of it all? You know,
It's like the more you give, the more you'll get yep,
And the more you take, most likely you'll have a lot, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
No one will like it exactly to watch anymore.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
So I just love that. I love how that translated
the fact that he was really there for her, and
and she looked exquisite. I thought she nailed it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
The judges completely agreed with you. They mentioned that they
did want them to work more on their technique, but
they thought they worked really well together. They told a
nice story, and they found it so impressive that Tristan
never took his eyes off of Stephanie. And now we
have Aj and Selena performing a fast paced jive to
run Away Baby by Bruno Mars.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
She wanted to That's what she wanted.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
We are reminded that last week the judges thought Aj
played it too safe when he also performed a jive. Uh,
and then Shirley was confused, why did Aj choose a
jive again after being told he played it safe last week?
And then he repeated some of the same moves with
that though she thought Selena ate aj for lunch and
(40:08):
that she is truly amazing. Brandon thought the story wasn't
very relatable, and Mark thought it was technically great, but
it was it was missing some giddy up oomph. And
there's a very funny moment here too, where Shirley says
Brandon and Mark were very kind with their critiques, and
Mark laughs saying she hid enough of the harsh points
by herself.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Oh yeah, yeah, I agree with them kind of collectively
individually I phrase it differently, but yeah, there was zero story. Yeah,
I mean, yeah, that was zero story. But it was
a really good dance.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
So I again, it's like, was the assignment here? And
if the assignment was to tell a story, then there
was no story at all, not even remotely. But again,
how do you tell a story? But like like that, right,
there's ways, there's creative ways you know, they could have
I don't know, if props were available, maybe the trophy
(41:05):
gets thrown in at the last second behind the camera.
There's ways to again on a low budget or a
no budget. Yeah again, when you do this show long enough,
there's ways to enhance your story even though it's really
hard to tell.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Yeah, I mean, a story definitely has a beginning, a middle, end,
an end, and so there has to be a bit
of a journey in a story and a.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Giant Yeah, like she could have stuck a velcro number
on his back, you know, like tell the story of
being on a competition. I don't think they had any
of those elements.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
No, it was just a celebratory give of I won.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, which again I wish he could have included that,
and that would have wrapped it up nicer. Yeah, which
is after you win a competition. A lot of time,
they don't do that in Blackpool, I don't think, But
in a lot of competitions, we do what's called an
honor dance, and so the winner, after receiving their award,
(42:03):
they play a song of their choice and they come
out and they do like a solo dance, just one
last time. So he could have said, like, look, we
don't have a real narrative throughout the piece, but the
piece itself is what tells the story of winning Blackpool,
you know. So you gotta be a little bit of
a wordsmith in this game too. Yeah, you gotta make
(42:25):
a story where it's where there isn't. But again I
thought zero story, but the dance was excellent. Yeah, and
now you know that leads to the next thing. It's
like part of storytelling or being an effective performers. If
you don't have a really clear narrative like you said, beginning, middle,
and end, then you gotta lead with your own personality
(42:48):
and emotions and like your story that you're creating in
the moment with your partner. And so I thought. I thought,
like I said, they did enough of that. I would
still love to see him being more supportive Chris partner.
But I thought that she still did really well because
she don't need no man.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
That's right. She showcased herself.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
She killed it, killed it again, two styles completely different.
A jive is less dependent on your partner than the rumba.
But like I said, I think she killed it, and
the dance itself was really great. I do have to
disagree on the omph and the pace of the routine.
I thought it had ophin pace. I thought I thought
it was perfect. I know they mentioned something about slowing
(43:30):
down in the beginning or I don't remember if it
was in this dance or different dance, But I thought
the dance itself was great.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Okay, Yep. Our final dance is Alan and Adele who
are going to Rumba to see You Again by Wiz Khalifa,
a tribute to Alan's deceased mother. Now, there was so
much emotion in this one. What did you think of
these two favorites working together in this fireball of emotion.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Yeah, I mean, this is what you get when you
this is what you get. This is what you get,
shout out Sherman. But this is what you get when
you get two quality dancers come together, like he is
a craftsman of this of this art, and she's excellent
of this art. And together they did the most I
(44:20):
guess quintessential ballroom dance outside of the walls, which is
the rumba, And just that's magic, you know. I mean,
that's the essence of why the show has been on
air for you know, thirty five seasons now going on
to thirty five seasons is because of that, Because when
you bring two exceptional ballroom dancers together, you're probably gonna
(44:43):
get a really quality ballroom dance. Yeah, And that's what
they did, and they were able to tell a story.
And I think on top of that, he had a
real genuine connection to the story that you know. I mean,
it was like a perfect performance. I thought.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Alan and Adele are very emotional. Sureley and Brandon tear up.
Their fellow contestants and Robert are also in tears. Brandon
calls the performance beautiful and says he will remember it
until the day he dies. Mark is very impressed and
looks forward to working with both of them. Shirley calls
it by far the best performance of the night and
one of the most beautiful things she's ever witnessed.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Yeah, she's witnessed a lot of things. I mean she's
up there.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
She's up there. Yeah, she's witnessed a lot. She's the
founding mother of all dance as.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
We said, Yeah, no, totally. I mean again, it's like
there's a great dance and at the same time, it
evoked the emotion that we're looking for and did so authentically. Again,
it's also nuanced, which is so exciting. But also, you know,
(45:51):
it's not like two plus two is four, right, these
two could have bounced off of each other, but they
really integrated together and they did well together, and she
was But again, also it's not like just standing there
with an emotional face, like you still got to dance
really well? And I thought they danced really well.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Yeah they did so, yes, story.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Yes, emotions, but also on the backdrop of really really
excellent and impressive movement. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Well, now it's the moment we all dread. It's the
elimination time. Robert sets the stage and he asks Mark
who is in jeopardy? And it is Nina and Benji,
the couple who had a tough week with not only
their dance but their communication and their ability to work together.
Do you think that was the right move? Is that
(46:42):
the couple that should have been on the chopping block
this week?
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Yeah? Yeah, I thought. I thought they were the weakest
performance of the evening unfortunately, but yeah, I thought that
that was the right Definitely the bottom two were correct.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
I think if aside from performance, if in only the
second week, you can't fix communication issues when someone just
says I feel like you're not listening to me. The
odds of you now being able to be paired with
any celebrity and you're going to be able to have
(47:21):
confidence walking into a scenario where you're going to be
able to overcome almost anything they throw at you, and
let's be honest, celebs are a weird bunch. We could
throw a lot at our pros. I feel like they
deserved to be in the bottom two just for that,
because I didn't really see them ever truly dig in
(47:41):
deep and work on fixing it. It was just kind
of like, well, I'm sorry, you don't think I'm a
good listener, and so now let's get back to my story.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
Yeah, yeah again, And somebody said it, I think Derek
said in the first episode and therapist. Yes, So like yeah,
you're you're a coach, you're a choreographer, but you or
also a therapist. You have to be again, also, you
got to be available as a human to be there
for someone else. That's like a whole different quality that
(48:10):
it isn't for everybody. Yeah, And and that's there's no judgment, no,
but that's not that's not a successful pro on our show.
I don't know one pro that's been successful on our
show that has just had no ability to communicate.
Speaker 1 (48:27):
Over or listen exactly. That's why they need some work
in that still. And that's so I thought they were
this was the right move. When all is said and done,
surely reveals that Benji has been eliminated on his way,
he gives a few final classy words, thanking everyone for
the opportunity, but on the.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Way out, he slashed Nina's.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Tired allegedly allegedly.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Sorry illegal, No, I you know it's interesting. After the
first episode, I was like, yo, I could see this
kid as a pro just because of his look, even
though he's I got the long hair now. But no,
he just he just had it. He really had it.
It's but this is the show, you know, somebody good
(49:14):
is going to go and and and it's.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
A tough job exactly, And he now knows some areas
for opportunity for growth for him. He needs to stand
up for himself a little more, needs to be better
at communicating.
Speaker 2 (49:27):
But again, he did the right thing. I don't want
him to like live in regret or or feel like,
you know, yeah he was he got the shorter end
of the stick. He just again he ran into something
that he next time moving forward, he'll be a little
bit you know, he'll consider that aspect of the game,
which is like, what are my strengths and how am
(49:50):
I constantly positioning myself right now? That doesn't mean that
you're only doing the thing you're good at. That's boring.
You have to push yourself, but in this competition, you
have to lead at least with that and then try
to conquer all the other things. But yeah, I thought
Benji is very talented and hopefully he continues to dance.
I know he will.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
He will for sure. Robert choreographs a final hug between
the contestants and he wishes us a good night. So
now we've seen two episodes, do you feel like you're
(50:33):
narrowing down your male favorite anymore? And is Adele still
your favorite female?
Speaker 2 (50:40):
I mean, Adele really had a breakout that first, I
know that well. First and second, I thought that she
was excellent. I know it's Alan's story and it was
an Alan moment, but but she you know, I think
she supported that story very well and elevated that piece
and helped him and all of that. It was a
great partner, Like she just nailed it. So I thought
(51:03):
that this was a great episode for her. Selena is
like making an impact. She's just but I know, like
I've seen Selena shine like this for years on the
male side against Stephanie. Stephanie's excellent.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Stephanie's not on the male side, No, no, no, no, no, Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
People can't see my thinking face.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
I can see it.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
Thanks for reiterating the people. Yeah, and on the male side,
I think again, Eric is a stand alan obviously. AJ. Look, AJ,
I don't mean this disrespectfully. I think he's an excellent dancer. Yeah,
definitely has earned his voice in this space. But nobody,
(51:49):
no matter how many championships you win, earns, you know, ever,
earns the ability to make someone else feel less then.
And I'm not saying that he necessarily had those intentions.
I'm not. But even in the package, the rehearsal package,
I don't know if you saw this, they didn't show
her crying, but you see Selena when she's given her interview,
(52:13):
she like she had been crying what it looked like.
And so I'm like, bro, no, that's you know, you
don't need that. And it's like I said, maybe it's
a good TV, maybe it's not, but you don't need that.
You could be firm, I mean, like you could be
stern rather and and still uplifting. You have to have
(52:36):
you have to have that.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
Tack, especially as a pro on Dancing with the Stars.
You were going to catch more flies with honey than
you are Vinegar.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Danielle, like Selena is just a sweetheart who's trying to
earn her keep. But like, if he was with you,
and you're also a sweetheart, but what were.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
You going to say there?
Speaker 2 (52:59):
You would be like, grab this choke and kick him back.
Speaker 1 (53:03):
Exactly what are you doing with that foot?
Speaker 2 (53:05):
I think again, I think there's a balance. I'm also
I'm also not like an angel, and I understood the
utility of their foot. I don't want to also continue
to talk about the same thing. Aj I'm sure I
don't know him as a person, so I'm sure he's wonderful,
But just be careful with that.
Speaker 1 (53:21):
Like, and votes are very important on Dancing with the Stars.
They may not be important on the next pro because
they're not voting.
Speaker 2 (53:26):
But totally and also, don't make your life harder than
it already is. Like it's already a challenge, and when
you're pron and dancing with it's already going to be hard.
Like I just again, I've done the show for so long,
I've seen pros. I've seen myself look awful on TV
because I overstepped my ambitions, right, and so you got
(53:50):
to learn from that. So hopefully he learns from that.
I hope he, you know, had had feedback on that, Yeah,
and moving forward kind of changes that up.
Speaker 1 (53:58):
That is a good point too, because I have certainly
been unaware of how something I have said or the
tone I've used comes across, Like in my head, I
hear it a certain way, and then I'll like hear
it played back for me on camera and I'm like, oh,
that didn't sound the way I intended. So hopefully he
(54:19):
watches the episode and sees how it comes across and says, wow,
I was not proud of myself in that moment, and
I can learn from this, because that is We're all
going to make mistakes. No one's ever going to have
a perfect season where they go, look at me, I
didn't ever screw up. We all make mistakes. There has
to be room to make mistakes. But if you can
learn from them and you can grow from them, then great.
(54:41):
So hopefully totally we see some change from him moving forward.
Speaker 2 (54:44):
Totally, And like, again, I'm not perfect. I have at
least two of those type of days throughout the season. Yeah,
and some have more, some have less. I definitely overstep
my authority and my ambition, and I want the best
(55:05):
for you. And in the name of the best for you,
I'm going to make you feel like like I have
those days. Yeah, because also I come from that type
of background. You know, not not to excuse myself from that,
because I'm an adult and I can't blame my background anymore.
You know, you've done your growth, you've done your work,
and you know how to communicate better. But we grew
(55:27):
up at a time when it was like, you know,
it was physical to get you where you needed to be,
let alone, verbally semi abusive, you know. So it's like
he needs to change that. That isn't what you're signing
up for, respectfully, and that doesn't mean that you can't
get the work done. I had a partner, Sochi who
(55:48):
was who I that coincidence? We want, we want? But
she was I think she was seventeen at the time
or eight. No, No, I think she was seventeen, you know, seventeen.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
I thought she was seventeen.
Speaker 2 (56:02):
Anyway, The point is young, young woman. But she had
so much joy and flair and just she just loved it,
and she was so talented. A lot of things came
naturally for her, a lot of but she also showed
up and worked really hard and so like. But when
we ran into that, overstep a little bit because again,
it's not because you're not doing well. I just feel
(56:24):
like if it doesn't hurt, then you're not doing enough.
You know. It's like, but bro, what right? And when
I say heard, I mean figuratively speaking, like if it's
not hard, then are we pushing enough?
Speaker 1 (56:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (56:34):
I'm like, yo, you gotta change that mindset, you know.
And she actually put me on and I was checked
by this younger person who like, we sat down after
one of those hard rehearsals and she was like, I
don't I don't like that, Like, I don't want to
do this like that.
Speaker 1 (56:52):
I don't want to feel like that.
Speaker 2 (56:53):
I don't want to feel like that. If I'm not
having fun, you're not going to get anything from me. Like,
that's not that is not the energy in which I
thrive And now different people different totally. I thrive in
that energy right again, But that's my background, that's that's
my upbringing. But that's not for everybody. And that's another
(57:15):
part of this show that's so important. You have to adjust.
It's not your way.
Speaker 1 (57:19):
You have to pivot.
Speaker 2 (57:20):
It is not a way, is not Bow's way. It's
not Mark's way. It's the way of your partner and
the the you know, the person that's in front of you,
who you're trying to lead in in this thing, and
who's taking this incredible leap of faith and trust and
puts puts that trust in you, and it's so vulnerable,
(57:41):
like you have to support that, not just push that.
Sometimes you need to catch that. Mm hmm. And yeah
that's my spiel.
Speaker 1 (57:50):
Well, thank you very much. That is the end of
episode two. It's in the books. We will continue to
be here weekly, watching on as we get closer and
closer to crowning Season thirty fives and newest pro. And
in the meanwhile, come say hello to valin me and
all the other Dancing with the Stars pros like Hannah Brown,
Sasha Farber, Jan Ravnik, Whitney Carson Riley, Arnold Sochi Gomez
(58:11):
and so many more at Dancing with the Stars Fan
Convention and live show July thirty first through August second
in Palm Springs. Limited tickets are still available now at
dwts con dot com. Thank you everyone for listening. We'll
see you next week.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
I'll be taking off my shirt at the con at
the con, Yeah, a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (58:31):
Now, we just sold five thousand tickets
Welcome back to Stepping on Toes. I am professional dancer
Danielle Fischel and.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm a celebrity podcaster val Chmerkovsky.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It is week two of Dancing with the Stars. The
next pro ten contestants remain. Last week we said goodbye
to Briar and Jake, and we saw some stiff competition.
It feels like everyone is so good and it's gonna
come down to every single performance, and it gets us
very excited for season thirty five. Well, I know a
(00:45):
lot of our listeners want to know how much you
are aware of before the show starts. Do you know
any celebrities that will be on the show? Do you
know who your partner is already? Will you do the
knee walk again?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I think I retired the New York I mean, forget
the season. I did it ninety seven times on the
road tour. But no, that was such a fun time.
Hopefully I'll be able to create something else that goes
viral exactly like like a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I don't know, something that's not as hard on the knees.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Made something a little more stationary. But yeah, no, there's
always whispers. I think, like you know you've been in
this industry. In any business, there's whispers, you know, before
any big project, but I try to respectfully keep my
distance from the gossip. I have a great relationship with
(01:37):
the show. I continue to hopefully be desirable by the
production and they continue to bring me back, and I
don't really get involved in all the gossip beforehand. You
know who they give me is who they give me. Yeah,
And I can't complain. I've been very lucky with the
(01:59):
way Dancing with the Stars a streeting me in regards
to partners. So I trust the process and whoever I get,
I'm gonna do my best with. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I mean, it's so funny. I asked you the question, like,
do you know who your partner is? And you reminded
me in the most diplomatic way. I'm not even sure
they're asking me back. You guys. You guys find that
out kind of in the eleventh hour, whether or not
you have a partner, because who they cast and who
then kind of determines who the pros need to be,
(02:27):
how many men, how many women, how tall they need
to be. Totally, so yeah, everyone always asked, are you
sure you didn't know who your partner was? I'm like
it is one. Not even one second point five seconds
before I walked in, they were like, his name's Pasha.
And then the door opened and I was like, it's
all real.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
It is it is, it is real. And yes, there's
a lot of uncertainty, a lot of hope, a lot
of prayer. Yeah, but yeah, it's been the process for
all these years, and I think now we've built a
certain resilience to it. But it's again, it's it's hard
(03:08):
for everybody. It's a live show. Yeah, there's really very
little pre production happening outside of the casting. I think
it's a really difficult puzzle to piece together. I think
our casting director does a great job. And yes, the
compatibility of the celebs being casted with the pros that
are there to service that season for them is very
(03:28):
also nuanced. The good thing about this is that I
am a perfect height.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, you're also just a perfect person.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I feel like, yeah, the thing got the look, so
so yeah, so I'm excited regardless.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yes, I figured people should know. They taped this next
pro show in Australia while you were on tour, which
means the guest judges had to fly in for just
a few days and then they were turned back to
the road whatever city we were in. How insane was
this schedule while you guys were on tour?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
It was? It was insane, It was it was exciting. Obviously,
I've given myself you know, I had five years off
away from touring with Dancing with the Stars, so I
kind of last year gave myself the license to really
dive into dance. And you know, kind of because I
try to do a lot of things entrepreneurially whatever outside
(04:28):
of dance. But I kind of just was like, yo,
just do this, enjoyed for however long you still got.
And so I just celebrated dance last year. So I
did the season. I went straight into the tour. And
so for me, showing up on our days off for
three months, not having a day off was challenging on
the body. But like, I couldn't have been more happy. Yeah,
(04:52):
you know, like I want to. In the previous episode,
I gave you a Russian phrase.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
About you know, breath before the this No matter how
many breaths you take, your still going to die.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
That's a great translation. Well, I'm taking all the dance
steps I can before I don't anymore. So the form
a professional podcaster full.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Time, full time.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, so I embraced it. But yes, it was a
lot of challenge. It was very challenging for Mandy Moore
and the production of Dancing with the Stars because there's
a tour, because there's a certain integrity that we want
to keep with the show and to all of our
fans that come out and watch us. So it was
it was a bit of a juggling act, but we
we did it. It was hard on the pros leaving.
(05:33):
It was a lot a lot of work for the
pro staying, but we we handled it. It kept it fun.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Can you talk a little bit about the swings Anya
and Keaton?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh yes, again superstars. Anya and Keaton had to learn
every single track of every single dancer and so they
were kind of the glue between. They filled in for
any like So for instance, someone like Keaton and Anya Ball,
I'll give you Keaton's side, he had to be Brandon. Actually, okay,
(06:05):
let's actually give you Anye because that's better. She had
to fill in for three female pros left to do. Yeah, yeah,
and so she had to fill in for Danny, for
Jenna Fort, for brit then, but also in different ways.
Sometimes she had to fill in for Emma because Emma
had to step in for Jenna, and so she had
(06:25):
to learn Emma's part. It's like it was a lot
and so shout out to Anye, Stevenson and Keaton because yeah,
they were they were excellent.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I could I could barely remember my own track.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I mean, you and I laughed every single night about
whether or not we were going to get tambourines, right, yeah, yes,
that's just one small part.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
You just had to be there. You just had to
be there.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Coming into episode two of the next pro how are
you feeling? This is someone who's going to be competing
against one of these dancers next season? Are you are
you feeling it? Do you think it will deliver the
next Dancing with the Stars stand out?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah? I think so. I think there's definitely an abundance
of talent in this cast, and it's exciting to see
a lot of faces I'm familiar with, a lot of
you know, a few faces that I've I'm being introduced to,
just like the rest of the world. And it's exciting. Again,
it's exciting to shed even more light on ballroom dance
and to do so on the community and therefore expose
(07:25):
and introduce, you know, these guys to to the rest
of the world. Yeah, I'm proud of that. Again, I
think we have a lot of incredible talent in the
ballroom competitive ballroom community, and you know, Dancing with the
Stars has been a vehicle to broadcast that talent to
a wider audience and very few have enjoyed it, and
it's been life changing. And so it's nice to not
(07:45):
gatekeep this awesomeness and allow a new generation to come
in and enjoy it. But they'll have to go through me.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
That's right. Welcome them in and also kind of stop,
enjoy your stay, see you later. So we start with
a little recap of last week's show, reminding us of
what has happened so far, and then here comes our host,
the greatest Australian exports since Tim TAM's. It's Robert Irwin.
(08:17):
He reintroduces the judges, Shirley and Mark Ballas, and then
he reveals this week's guest judge, a ten season vet
of the show, a tremendous choreographer and storyteller, and a
student of the Ballast family himself, it is Brandon Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
What do you think makes Brandon such a great asset
for Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I wrote in my notes, Yep, Brandon smashed.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Oh yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Brendan did a great job. By the way, you know,
Jen always corrects me. It's it's Brandon.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It's not Brendan, right, not Brendan Brandon Brandon.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Brandon and Brandon are the same name for me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Yeah, you know you have to say it. You have to. Yeah,
Brendan Brandon, Brendan Brandon, Brandon. There you go, right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I think Brandon did a great job. I'm proud of
him because it's interesting you said a ten year vet,
and I'm like, damn, Brandon's been on the show for
ten years. I know that means I've been on the
show for much. But I'm proud of him too, because again,
I looked at Brandon for a long time as one
of these contestants, you know, whose dream came. I know
(09:26):
him since he was a kid as well. And to
now have him as my peer and somebody I like,
I said, I get along very well with and I'm
an incredible amount of respect for him, and he's grown
so much, so I'm proud of him. And now to
see him come in and be a mentor was really
really special and he nailed it. Just to see again
(09:47):
his evolution on camera as far as speaking on camera
and giving feedback and being confident. And he shed a
tear in this episode, which was so sweet. I didn't
even know Brandon was that emotionally available. We actually all
we have a consensus that he's.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Not oh, that he's kind of cold and now super coold.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Well he's not friends with us.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Oh, I know.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Single day after the tour ends, he just ghoests the
Let me tell.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
You, I have texted Brandon about many things. I've never
gotten a text back.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, just text his wife. But yeah, No, Brandon did
a great job and he directed them very well.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Well, just like Derek last week. Brandon arrives with an
incredible performance for the contestants, telling a story to the
song Rescue by Lauren Dagel. It is a beautiful duet
all about how he was adopted at a young age
by a white family and how he views adoption now
that it changed his life. We see that some of
the contestants were brought to tears.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
These kids, man, generation is so emotional.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
They are I know you had some thick skin.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
No, I mean again, he did a great job. And
that's so what's the theme of this episode storytelling?
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, choreography.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, so he did a great job obviously telling a
story and it's a very powerful one. I think a
lot of a lot of people can relate to and
they did clearly.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, fittingly. This week's challenge, like we said, is all
about storytelling. The contestants are paired into couples to use
dance to tell a story from their life that is meaningful.
They are going to be looking for a strong narrative
that warrants an emotional response. And then we get our pairs.
Eric will be with Natalie, Benji will be with Nina.
(11:37):
We have Tristan and Stephanie together and they seem like
they have a very strong connection. Aj and Selena, and
finally Alan and Adele. Alan uses the rules Royce nickname.
So it appears that sticking. We've now had it for
two episodes.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I'm gonna I'm gonna throw something out there. We could
find the sod. But I did a podcast and I
was asked about.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
You did another pot cast.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
This was years ago, okay, thank you, okay, And I
was asked about Daniella, and I was like, well, you know, Daniella.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
She's a Formula one car, Like that's she's on. Her
mechanics are on a different level.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You think Derek hurt, Well.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I know he because I used that same metaphor in
conversation with him.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
So I'll just I'll just you're just leaving that little
nugget out. She doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Nothing, just just but now that I have the mic,
I'll just just think you you could look at the timeline,
just to just go.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Back, select the gallery, look at the details, look at
the details. I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Royce.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Okay, she is, She's the rolls Royce off the show.
So now with each pair, they will need to choose
whose story they want to tell, what song they will
dance to, and in which style they will choreograph it themselves.
And so the contestants break off off. Stephanie and Tristan
are the first to make the very important decision. They
will tell Stephanie's story about honoring her Latina roots and
(13:08):
embracing her true self. Yeah, and so it seemed to
me like the couples had a very easy time deciding
whose story they were going to tell. Is that usually
the way it goes that you are with your partner
and you have a decision to make, and it just
you kind of sense whose should take priority.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I mean yes and no. First, so I've never been
in a position where I'm negotiating whose story.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
You've never been the celebrity.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
A priority until now. But but yeah, no, So typically
we have a story, which story we want to tell.
We kind of have a conversation, and whatever feels more
authentic to my partner, you know, we go with that story.
Sometimes I can help direct. I know, some pros will
be like no, no, no, yeah, they want to cry,
(13:58):
so don't tell that story. Let's tell the story. I
try to go with, like, whatever story is going to
resonate with you the most, that's the one I want
to you know, I'm here at your service. So but
certain things are are just more interesting than others and
a little bit more translatable. I guess more you could,
(14:19):
you could, you could tell that story in a mind
because again it's you don't have a two hour feature
film to tell your story. I know, yeah, you have
a minute ten you know, and in dance and not
that much bells and whistles production wise, so it has
to be a very clear message that you're trying to tell.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It is a very important week for former hip hop
dancer Tristan, considering he was in the bottom two in
the first episode. And then Benji comes in wanting to
create an homage to Miami and his Latin roots, while
Nina mentions perseverance she took ten years off of competitive
dancing thanks to a jealous ex boyfriend and returned at
the same time as the sudden death of her father.
(14:59):
And they pretty easily decide they're going to dance to
Nina's idea, which you know, I guess he felt like, well,
mine's the celebration of Miami and hers has some maybe
some heart strings. Do you think that was the right
choice to go with Nina's story?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, But here's the thing again, It's like that, you know,
when people reflect on their success and they look like
and they say, man and obviously a lot of hard work,
a lot of this, but also a little bit of luck.
These are the moments, right. So it was just really
unfortunate because this story was told through rumba and that
(15:39):
is not where he was going to shine the most,
you know, So if they did go with his story
for Instance'm just giving you an example of where he actually,
in going and doing the right thing, put himself in
a much more challenging situation. Yeah, because if they did
something that celebrated his heritage and Miami and Q and
(16:00):
Latin and to probably do maybe like a salsa or
ensemble or something more lively and yes, no, on the surface,
that is not the most impactful story, but as a performance,
that would have been a much brighter moment for him,
and also allowing him to do all of the bells
and whistles that he brings to the table. His strengths
(16:20):
are the versatility of the showmansh and the tricks that
he could throw. The backflips, you know, again, that is
really valuable range and that is really hard to do
and he's one of maybe two people on the show
that can do that. It is really important when you're
competing that you are constantly thinking of strategies that put
(16:44):
your best foot forward. Now you're you know, not your
worst foot forward, but.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
You want to find opportunities to shine totally.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
And so he did the right thing and going with
Nina's story and kind of respecting that the depth of
that connection, he put himself in a much more challenging position.
Why does that put him in because I can quickly
see that partnering, especially in the rumba, is in his
strongest suit and it's really challenged. The rumba is just hard.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yes, it's a hard dance.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Well, it's a very hard dance. So that's what I
mean by that now, not that he can't do the
rumba or you know, there's no other style.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
But so back at the house, Adele is talking to Alan.
She wants a dedication to her husband, who is also
her dance partner. Alan wants to perform for his mom.
(17:45):
They used to watch Dancing with the Stars together and
her dream was for him to join the show one day. Sadly,
she passed away when he was just fifteen, and dance
became his life as a result. Adele decides to forego
her idea and dance for Alan's mom. And I thought
this was a very emotional moment for the show. It's
(18:08):
the first time we've heard about Alan's mom passing. It's
still very raw for him, even if twenty plus years
have passed. I thought it was very vulnerable of him
to open up that way and to know how important
it was for him to tell this story.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, yeah, no, this was definitely the highlight of the
season for me. And it was just really honest, the authentic,
you know, it didn't feel forced. The reaction in the
room was really genuine. And like I said, I know, Alan,
I was there around him at the time that this happened,
and so I you know, I just appreciate that he's
(18:49):
having this moment to heal. Yeah, and I yeah, it
was definitely a very powerful moment. Definitely the moment of
the season.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
It's now day one of rehearsals. Eric and Natalie have
decided to tell Natalie's story about finding her voice through
dance after moving to America from Hong Kong. Eric is excited.
He wants to show the judges he can tell someone
else's story and place them in the spotlight, since that
is a vital element to dancing with the start. Are
you are you shaking your head because my hair is
attached to the.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Oh no, no, I'm just saying, Eric, that's a winner right there.
You know, for me, that's that's a huge quality. You know,
we talked about, you know, you know, my celebrity being
having my undivided attention for three months and focus and
energy and just having the right perspective, Like his energy
is all about his partner. Yeah, and as a male
(19:40):
pro on the show, I think that's a quality that
is very important, and it's very and really comes through
when it's there, and I think it comes through in
a very endearing and charming way. So he's he's got
the look, he's got the you know, the skill, and
now you know he's got the charm, he's got the heart.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah. Aj and Selena decide to tell his story about
winning the British Open Dance Championship in twenty fifteen, and
it seems like Aj runs a tight ship, giving Selena
a lot of notes for technique correction in the jive.
What did you think about that?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I'm getting too comfortable on this podcast episode too. Yeah. Yeah,
I mean I think again, it makes good TV at
his expense. I guess that's how I want to say it,
because I don't think it's I like his. I mean
there's a part to it that I like. I wish
he just kind of wrapped that arrogance into like a
(20:43):
little softer present, you know, Like, I get it, you
did your thing, you won some awards, but so did Natalie. Right,
we got we all got pedigree. Everybody wants something. Now again,
I appreciate that he's a well accomplished competitive dancer and
he does have experience as already this job, he had
(21:05):
this job.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, so I.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Understand if he's coming in with this feeling of like,
I'm not gonna say entitlement, I don't want to use
that word, but yeah, if he comes in with not
a chip on his shoulder, but kind of like, you know,
what am I even doing here? Why do I have
to go through this process if I already I know
I'm good enough and I already did this. I can
(21:29):
appreciate that, but dude, that's what then don't sign up
for the show, you know. But if you are going
to show up, you gotta have humility in the sense
that you got to prove yourself right now. There's a
reason why you're here and no longer have a job
there because and so to be here, be present, don't
live in the past of I know this is reflecting
on a big story for you, and I'm cool with
(21:50):
doing a story about your winnings. I didn't even hear
a word that Selena had to say. I'm not really
sure why because I'm sure she also lived a life
and has stories to tell. But I understand that. Okay,
take the lead on that. That's a special moment. You
want the Wimbledon of dance, but it's the rehearsal footage
that kind of you know, when he's using his foot
(22:13):
to push her hit back. Yea, like I and even that,
you know, I'm not gonna I'm gonna have I'm gonna
have some grace on that because that is something that
would be done in some rooms, you know, and not
have like any negative energy to you know. It's just
like the utility of we're here and I can use
(22:35):
you know, and I get that, but all in all
together and then that visual, you know, you're not gonna
win people over right unless they're into that kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, I mean even just strategically for the show.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Strategically for the show, that is a huge turnoff. And
you know, everything I just said about Eric, you know,
I would say the opposite about about that moment.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Okay. Meanwhile, Benji and Nina work on their perseverance piece,
but not all is copasetic. It seems Benji is getting
frustrated that Nina is not listening to him. It seems
as though we have some trouble in paradise.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It's so interesting because we just talked about one pairing
where it was like like the pendulum just took continues
this and then it's swung here, and now you have
kind of like two people that aren't sure what to do,
you know, And like I said, I think Benji quickly
realized that in doing right by his partner, he placed
(23:36):
himself in a very vulnerable situation as far as this competition. Yeah,
and I think that started the frustration of that started
coming out. Plus again the challenge of it all, you know,
I could see that again, these are these are high stakes,
and so these are young people. It takes real self
discipline to maintain your not just composure, but your humility
(23:58):
while you're fighting for the biggest break of your of
your life.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, and these are things that like doing Dancing with
the Stars and seeing the way the packages all turn out,
you can't predict these things. You can't predict that you're
going to end up having three couples that tell three
totally different stories, one couple that just seems to have
such an incredible connection, and everything falls into place so easy,
another couple that's like, okay, he's pushing her hip with
his foot, and then a couple in between is like,
(24:22):
are you listening to me? I'm not sure what to do.
Like it's so well done that you get to see
all the different scenarios that could happen in partnerships where
you have to work together totally. And even if all
the decisions happened easily, we'll tell your story. We'll tell
your story. It actually didn't all come together easily.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, well, I think again, it's like you're only as
good as your partner. Yeah, and so if you keep
that in the forefront of your kind of like like
just the way you approach it, that that's my approach.
Doesn't mean that I don't have an ego, doesn't mean
that I you know, well we all know I do.
But it doesn't mean that I'm like, yes, man, but
(25:03):
I lead with that. I lead in shadow position, you know,
I I don't. I try not to lead with with
with just brute force, like it's not my way or
the highway, it's our way. Especially on this show, no
one's a celebrity and no one's a professional. And that's
why when I was watching the the aj Selena package.
(25:25):
To me, it felt like you're already on Dancing on
the Stars and you're not right. So again, enough with that.
I get he doesn't deserve all of that. It's definitely redeemable.
I like that. You but that that was a that
was a very you know, that wasn't a moment I enjoyed.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Okay, Alan and Adele are analyzing their routine looking to
incorporate a lift into their dance, which makes Adele very nervous.
She did not seem like she was super excited by
this lift idea.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Again because this rolls Royce doesn't fly.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
No, it doesn't have wings.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
It doesn't have wings, not yet.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
How to grip the floor?
Speaker 2 (25:59):
And again that isn't that it's such a I think
that's what makes this so exciting, And I think that's
why ballroom translated in this format, because it is so
opposite of the not the showmanship, but the trickery, the
circuit silay that people love to see. Like a fundamentally,
(26:20):
ballroom is not that we talk about wow moments. The
wow moment, at least for me, is always the intensity
and the relationship between the two people. It isn't how
far I could throw her up in the air and
catch her, even though again that that exuberance is also important.
But borm dance structurally also is a very grounded dance,
(26:43):
and so I could see why she's I mean again,
And when you excel in one, you know, in that
craft so so much like as she does, you're going
to find the challenging too. All of a sudden, be.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Lifted, jump into my hands. I promise I won't drop you.
It's like, okay, it's the.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Most romantic thing over here.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Surrender, Surrender to my arms. That night, back at the house,
Nina confides in the group that she and Benji are
having a struggle coexisting, but Benji thinks sometimes she's just
not willing to listen, and privately he isn't so sure
about the linear nature of her story.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
He's just he's it's a kid from Miami sharing space
with the chick from the tri state New York area.
That's all it is, is just another conversation, I guess. No,
I mean again, she's a strong personality. She's has the
I guess, the track record to speak her truth, you know,
I mean, she's also an accomplished competitor she's not a child.
(27:45):
She runs her own business. I mean, this is a woman.
Yeah and she Yeah, she's commanding the space. But again,
just like with AJ, this is not just your competition,
And just because we chose your story or to tell
doesn't mean that you're the only person leading this this ship.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Yeah, and I think you know, maybe it got in
her mind while we're being judged individually, and so she
didn't care as much about how he presented. But when
you are in a partnership, if you're both dancing, you
should very much care how the other person looks, because
it's only gonna make you look better if they look
totally totally, gonna make you look worse if they don't totally.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Again the cliche phrase, you know that rumba is the
dance of love, but it's it's also the woman's dance,
you know, And it's even more so than any other style.
This is a style that really presents the lady. And
so again, huge opportunity because I think men look the
strongest when they're presenting their ladies, not when they make
(28:49):
it about themselves. I think that there's a real strength
and masculinity to that. But again, like I said, earlier,
I don't think the rumba really fit his strengths right, And.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
The next morning, with just one day left until the performance,
Benji apologizes at rehearsal, he brought her food as a
peace offering, and now everyone is working out the kings
and their routines with some help from Brandon. He thinks
AJ's routine has too many bells and whistles to tell
a story. He also isn't so sure about Stephanie and
Tristan and whether or not their moves are working with
(29:22):
their goal. He doesn't think Eric and Natalie are gelling
as people and is questioning if Nina's story is clear enough.
And Brandon really comes across like a great coach.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Yeah, he did a great job, he's Yeah, he was
very in tune with what they were going through and
offered some really great insight. I think. Yeah, No, he
checked out. He was awesome and he you know, he
called out the things that needed to be called out too.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yeah. Yeah, he didn't shy away from speaking the truth.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
No, and I agree with him. I mean, again, doing
a jive to tell a story? You know, it's funny
as we talk about who made what choices and in
regards to who it's like. In that same breadth, the
jive isn't necessarily the most feminine right to dance to
(30:17):
dance either, right, so he definitely not wasn't supposed to
be Selena's moment to shine, you know. And again that's
a testament to when you got it, you got it. Yeah,
and I love her for that. She said, I'm here
to work and you keep yep, it's cool, all right,
and then she delivered Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
On the other side of the spectrum, Brandon is very
impressed with Adam and Adele. Again. Everyone rehearses through the night,
leading to back at the house Human Kangaroo Baby. Robert
Irwin decides to meet with Alan to talk about his
very important story, and Robert, of course knows all about
what Alan is going through. Both of them lost their
(30:59):
parents a young age, and of utilized dance to deal
with grief. Alan thinks this is going to be the
closest he's felt to his mom since her passing. It's
very sweet to see Robert be able to.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Oh, yeah, totally. I mean, if anybody can relate, Yeah,
that was a great moment in the show. I think again,
I love that the show doesn't just highlight dance, but
really highlights human stories and you know these moments and
that these guys are all available to tell these stories
and do so so openly. Yeah. But yeah, I mean,
(31:35):
Alan is he's that, he's sincere, he's gentle, and you
know he's been through a lot, and he genuinely loves
this thing. He loves dance a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Now it's time for the competition. Robert welcomes everyone back
to the ballroom, reintroducing our judges. Now with Brandon in
the third seat. The first couple is Natalie and Eric,
who will perform a Viennese waltz. To hold my hand
with the story of Natalie's journey from Hong Kong to
America surely reminds us that she had concerns about both
of their confidence last week. Do we think this was
(32:10):
some attempt at a redemption dance for the two of them?
Maybe they did a Viennese waltz, So not about the dance,
but just about like she was worried about their confidence
last week and then this week.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I mean again, you you gain confidence when you're
more in your element. Yeah, I think this was in
Natalie's element. She's an expert in this In this style,
you could accomplish a lot of things when you're confident, right,
and so I think there was already a built in
confidence in the fact that, Okay, I need to redeem
(32:45):
myself for sure, but I'm at least in a genre
that that will allow me to do so. Yeah, and
then Eric, again like perfect partner, did a great job
packages I mean all of it. And the performance was excellent.
I know, I thought it was excellent. I don't think
that they had as much of like an emotional impact,
(33:09):
but that wasn't the story she was saying. I mean, yes,
it was emotional, but it you know, it wasn't sorry,
it was more empowering. It was that it was like
it was a really sound dance. I know, the like
I said, I know that the the the assignment was storytelling,
(33:33):
but it's still got to be a really good dance
and gotta be technically sound. And this was like a
plus for me.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Well, the judges agreed with you. Surely thinks that Natalie
found her confidence this week. She called it divine to
watch and compared Eric to Prince Charming, calling him a
perfect partner.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I could have just called him Prince Eric.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Prince Eric an opportunity missed opportunity for Prince Eric. You know,
she loved it. Brandon liked it in practice, but loved
it tonight and thinks they both did amazing. It was
a great showing by all accounts.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And now time that was a great clean It was
like really digestible, you know, it was like it wasn't
too much, it was just it was perfect.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
I know. Shirley said, this is going to be a
hard act to follow. And and next up was Benji
and Nina, so who a partnership that was having some
difficulty follows what ended up being kind of a perfect performance.
They danced to Harry's styles signed at the times in
a rumba.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Keep in mind, surely yelled off balance mid routine and
I felt so bad for her for but it's true.
What did you think of the performance?
Speaker 2 (34:40):
I love it of Shirley's performance.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
No, no, What did you think of Benji plus Shirley?
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah? No, I thought it was very disconnected. I thought
that she was like back leading. I don't know for
those that are not familiar with it, again, it's action reaction,
It's not it's not a matter of I lead you follow.
It's never that. But it's just like driving a car
if one person has to steer the wheel right and
we could take turns. It's not just my car. We
(35:09):
could both. We could both Daniel drive the.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Rolls for sure, drive it the first hour. I could
drive it the next hour.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, exactly. But we're not both hands on, not at
the same time. So that's what I mean by that.
And it felt like she was again just kind of
taking the lead. And what happens then if it completely
takes away any sort of responsibility from from like and
when I say responsibility, I mean like you are my purpose,
(35:38):
My whole purpose and especially this dance is to create
and initiate your movement and help support your movement. But
if you have completely taken me out of that equation
and are just now doing a you know, a contemporary
looking rumba without you know, I don't need no man,
(35:58):
maybe that is that was but it left him completely
homeless as far as like, okay, now what do I do?
And yeah, it was I said it in the beginning,
like it was a perfect storm of he did the
right thing, but it didn't serve him. Yeah, and yeah,
and you felt it again it was very disconnected.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Well, Brandon keeps it one hundred and says he found
it disjointed. Mark asks how rehearsal was, and they both
agreed they had some communication issues. Benji does take some
accountability and admits he was confused himself and he could
have spoken up. Surely thinks the stance was a disservice
to Benji and points out that Nina didn't service his
work correctly. And then we have Stephanie in trist In
(36:55):
performing a rumba to Dreaming of You by Selena. Robert
thought these two were connected and very much in sync.
What did you think of the two of them?
Speaker 2 (37:06):
I agreed with Shirley. I think the technique was a plus,
but it was it was the attentiveness from Tristan to
Stephanie and her again her embracing that. I mean, she
reciprocated that. Again, back to talk about shadow position. I
know this isn't going to be visual. People use your imagination,
but there's a constant connection. And the most obvious are
(37:30):
the eyes, obviously, but there's even just awareness and just
an you don't have to stare at me to connect
to me, but there's a warmth that I that I
include you on right, and I thought that they had that.
Plus on top of that, I don't think there's anything
more powerful than you know, just kind of the focus
(37:54):
and the fact that he didn't take his eyes off
of her. That in itself, you know, because as much
as we focus on technique and this and that and
the perfect placing over the whatever whatever, Ultimately, when I'm
watching someone perform, I'm looking in their face and their
eyes yea, And it's when they lose me there that
I start to pay attention if the toes are point
or not. And so when I'm looking at his eyes
(38:16):
and they're constantly attending to her, I'm not even paying
attention to is his foot pointed? It's his technique perfect,
and so that's you know, it's such a small difference,
but that's what allowed Tristan, who also isn't a master
of ballroom of lamba technique and partnering. Maybe he has
(38:37):
more or less. I don't know what Benji's experience and
that is, but because his partner was available for him
to connect with and he was able to really help,
you know, just again, it was her dance. Still, she
was definitely showcased, but he shined because he helped her be showcased.
(39:00):
And isn't that the beautiful paradox of it all? You know,
It's like the more you give, the more you'll get yep,
And the more you take, most likely you'll have a lot, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
No one will like it exactly to watch anymore.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
So I just love that. I love how that translated
the fact that he was really there for her, and
and she looked exquisite. I thought she nailed it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
The judges completely agreed with you. They mentioned that they
did want them to work more on their technique, but
they thought they worked really well together. They told a
nice story, and they found it so impressive that Tristan
never took his eyes off of Stephanie. And now we
have Aj and Selena performing a fast paced jive to
run Away Baby by Bruno Mars.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
She wanted to That's what she wanted.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
We are reminded that last week the judges thought Aj
played it too safe when he also performed a jive. Uh,
and then Shirley was confused, why did Aj choose a
jive again after being told he played it safe last week?
And then he repeated some of the same moves with
that though she thought Selena ate aj for lunch and
(40:08):
that she is truly amazing. Brandon thought the story wasn't
very relatable, and Mark thought it was technically great, but
it was it was missing some giddy up oomph. And
there's a very funny moment here too, where Shirley says
Brandon and Mark were very kind with their critiques, and
Mark laughs saying she hid enough of the harsh points
by herself.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Oh yeah, yeah, I agree with them kind of collectively
individually I phrase it differently, but yeah, there was zero story. Yeah,
I mean, yeah, that was zero story. But it was
a really good dance.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
So I again, it's like, was the assignment here? And
if the assignment was to tell a story, then there
was no story at all, not even remotely. But again,
how do you tell a story? But like like that, right,
there's ways, there's creative ways you know, they could have
I don't know, if props were available, maybe the trophy
(41:05):
gets thrown in at the last second behind the camera.
There's ways to again on a low budget or a
no budget. Yeah again, when you do this show long enough,
there's ways to enhance your story even though it's really
hard to tell.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Yeah, I mean, a story definitely has a beginning, a middle, end,
an end, and so there has to be a bit
of a journey in a story and a.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Giant Yeah, like she could have stuck a velcro number
on his back, you know, like tell the story of
being on a competition. I don't think they had any
of those elements.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
No, it was just a celebratory give of I won.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, which again I wish he could have included that,
and that would have wrapped it up nicer. Yeah, which
is after you win a competition. A lot of time,
they don't do that in Blackpool, I don't think, But
in a lot of competitions, we do what's called an
honor dance, and so the winner, after receiving their award,
(42:03):
they play a song of their choice and they come
out and they do like a solo dance, just one
last time. So he could have said, like, look, we
don't have a real narrative throughout the piece, but the
piece itself is what tells the story of winning Blackpool,
you know. So you gotta be a little bit of
a wordsmith in this game too. Yeah, you gotta make
(42:25):
a story where it's where there isn't. But again I
thought zero story, but the dance was excellent. Yeah, and
now you know that leads to the next thing. It's
like part of storytelling or being an effective performers. If
you don't have a really clear narrative like you said, beginning, middle,
and end, then you gotta lead with your own personality
(42:48):
and emotions and like your story that you're creating in
the moment with your partner. And so I thought. I thought,
like I said, they did enough of that. I would
still love to see him being more supportive Chris partner.
But I thought that she still did really well because
she don't need no man.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
That's right. She showcased herself.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
She killed it, killed it again, two styles completely different.
A jive is less dependent on your partner than the rumba.
But like I said, I think she killed it, and
the dance itself was really great. I do have to
disagree on the omph and the pace of the routine.
I thought it had ophin pace. I thought I thought
it was perfect. I know they mentioned something about slowing
(43:30):
down in the beginning or I don't remember if it
was in this dance or different dance, But I thought
the dance itself was great.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Okay, Yep. Our final dance is Alan and Adele who
are going to Rumba to see You Again by Wiz Khalifa,
a tribute to Alan's deceased mother. Now, there was so
much emotion in this one. What did you think of
these two favorites working together in this fireball of emotion.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Yeah, I mean, this is what you get when you
this is what you get. This is what you get,
shout out Sherman. But this is what you get when
you get two quality dancers come together, like he is
a craftsman of this of this art, and she's excellent
of this art. And together they did the most I
(44:20):
guess quintessential ballroom dance outside of the walls, which is
the rumba, And just that's magic, you know. I mean,
that's the essence of why the show has been on
air for you know, thirty five seasons now going on
to thirty five seasons is because of that, Because when
you bring two exceptional ballroom dancers together, you're probably gonna
(44:43):
get a really quality ballroom dance. Yeah, And that's what
they did, and they were able to tell a story.
And I think on top of that, he had a
real genuine connection to the story that you know. I mean,
it was like a perfect performance. I thought.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Alan and Adele are very emotional. Sureley and Brandon tear up.
Their fellow contestants and Robert are also in tears. Brandon
calls the performance beautiful and says he will remember it
until the day he dies. Mark is very impressed and
looks forward to working with both of them. Shirley calls
it by far the best performance of the night and
one of the most beautiful things she's ever witnessed.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Yeah, she's witnessed a lot of things. I mean she's
up there.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
She's up there. Yeah, she's witnessed a lot. She's the
founding mother of all dance as.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
We said, Yeah, no, totally. I mean again, it's like
there's a great dance and at the same time, it
evoked the emotion that we're looking for and did so authentically. Again,
it's also nuanced, which is so exciting. But also, you know,
(45:51):
it's not like two plus two is four, right, these
two could have bounced off of each other, but they
really integrated together and they did well together, and she
was But again, also it's not like just standing there
with an emotional face, like you still got to dance
really well? And I thought they danced really well.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Yeah they did so, yes, story.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Yes, emotions, but also on the backdrop of really really
excellent and impressive movement. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Well, now it's the moment we all dread. It's the
elimination time. Robert sets the stage and he asks Mark
who is in jeopardy? And it is Nina and Benji,
the couple who had a tough week with not only
their dance but their communication and their ability to work together.
Do you think that was the right move? Is that
(46:42):
the couple that should have been on the chopping block
this week?
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Yeah? Yeah, I thought. I thought they were the weakest
performance of the evening unfortunately, but yeah, I thought that
that was the right Definitely the bottom two were correct.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
I think if aside from performance, if in only the
second week, you can't fix communication issues when someone just
says I feel like you're not listening to me. The
odds of you now being able to be paired with
any celebrity and you're going to be able to have
(47:21):
confidence walking into a scenario where you're going to be
able to overcome almost anything they throw at you, and
let's be honest, celebs are a weird bunch. We could
throw a lot at our pros. I feel like they
deserved to be in the bottom two just for that,
because I didn't really see them ever truly dig in
(47:41):
deep and work on fixing it. It was just kind
of like, well, I'm sorry, you don't think I'm a
good listener, and so now let's get back to my story.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
Yeah, yeah again, And somebody said it, I think Derek
said in the first episode and therapist. Yes, So like yeah,
you're you're a coach, you're a choreographer, but you or
also a therapist. You have to be again, also, you
got to be available as a human to be there
for someone else. That's like a whole different quality that
(48:10):
it isn't for everybody. Yeah, And and that's there's no judgment, no,
but that's not that's not a successful pro on our show.
I don't know one pro that's been successful on our
show that has just had no ability to communicate.
Speaker 1 (48:27):
Over or listen exactly. That's why they need some work
in that still. And that's so I thought they were
this was the right move. When all is said and done,
surely reveals that Benji has been eliminated on his way,
he gives a few final classy words, thanking everyone for
the opportunity, but on the.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Way out, he slashed Nina's.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Tired allegedly allegedly.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Sorry illegal, No, I you know it's interesting. After the
first episode, I was like, yo, I could see this
kid as a pro just because of his look, even
though he's I got the long hair now. But no,
he just he just had it. He really had it.
It's but this is the show, you know, somebody good
(49:14):
is going to go and and and it's.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
A tough job exactly, And he now knows some areas
for opportunity for growth for him. He needs to stand
up for himself a little more, needs to be better
at communicating.
Speaker 2 (49:27):
But again, he did the right thing. I don't want
him to like live in regret or or feel like,
you know, yeah he was he got the shorter end
of the stick. He just again he ran into something
that he next time moving forward, he'll be a little
bit you know, he'll consider that aspect of the game,
which is like, what are my strengths and how am
(49:50):
I constantly positioning myself right now? That doesn't mean that
you're only doing the thing you're good at. That's boring.
You have to push yourself, but in this competition, you
have to lead at least with that and then try
to conquer all the other things. But yeah, I thought
Benji is very talented and hopefully he continues to dance.
I know he will.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
He will for sure. Robert choreographs a final hug between
the contestants and he wishes us a good night. So
now we've seen two episodes, do you feel like you're
(50:33):
narrowing down your male favorite anymore? And is Adele still
your favorite female?
Speaker 2 (50:40):
I mean, Adele really had a breakout that first, I
know that well. First and second, I thought that she
was excellent. I know it's Alan's story and it was
an Alan moment, but but she you know, I think
she supported that story very well and elevated that piece
and helped him and all of that. It was a
great partner, Like she just nailed it. So I thought
(51:03):
that this was a great episode for her. Selena is
like making an impact. She's just but I know, like
I've seen Selena shine like this for years on the
male side against Stephanie. Stephanie's excellent.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Stephanie's not on the male side, No, no, no, no, no, Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
People can't see my thinking face.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
I can see it.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
Thanks for reiterating the people. Yeah, and on the male side,
I think again, Eric is a stand alan obviously. AJ. Look, AJ,
I don't mean this disrespectfully. I think he's an excellent dancer. Yeah,
definitely has earned his voice in this space. But nobody,
(51:49):
no matter how many championships you win, earns, you know, ever,
earns the ability to make someone else feel less then.
And I'm not saying that he necessarily had those intentions.
I'm not. But even in the package, the rehearsal package,
I don't know if you saw this, they didn't show
her crying, but you see Selena when she's given her interview,
(52:13):
she like she had been crying what it looked like.
And so I'm like, bro, no, that's you know, you
don't need that. And it's like I said, maybe it's
a good TV, maybe it's not, but you don't need that.
You could be firm, I mean, like you could be
stern rather and and still uplifting. You have to have
(52:36):
you have to have that.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
Tack, especially as a pro on Dancing with the Stars.
You were going to catch more flies with honey than
you are Vinegar.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Danielle, like Selena is just a sweetheart who's trying to
earn her keep. But like, if he was with you,
and you're also a sweetheart, but what were.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
You going to say there?
Speaker 2 (52:59):
You would be like, grab this choke and kick him back.
Speaker 1 (53:03):
Exactly what are you doing with that foot?
Speaker 2 (53:05):
I think again, I think there's a balance. I'm also
I'm also not like an angel, and I understood the
utility of their foot. I don't want to also continue
to talk about the same thing. Aj I'm sure I
don't know him as a person, so I'm sure he's wonderful,
But just be careful with that.
Speaker 1 (53:21):
Like, and votes are very important on Dancing with the Stars.
They may not be important on the next pro because
they're not voting.
Speaker 2 (53:26):
But totally and also, don't make your life harder than
it already is. Like it's already a challenge, and when
you're pron and dancing with it's already going to be hard.
Like I just again, I've done the show for so long,
I've seen pros. I've seen myself look awful on TV
because I overstepped my ambitions, right, and so you got
(53:50):
to learn from that. So hopefully he learns from that.
I hope he, you know, had had feedback on that, Yeah,
and moving forward kind of changes that up.
Speaker 1 (53:58):
That is a good point too, because I have certainly
been unaware of how something I have said or the
tone I've used comes across, Like in my head, I
hear it a certain way, and then I'll like hear
it played back for me on camera and I'm like, oh,
that didn't sound the way I intended. So hopefully he
(54:19):
watches the episode and sees how it comes across and says, wow,
I was not proud of myself in that moment, and
I can learn from this, because that is We're all
going to make mistakes. No one's ever going to have
a perfect season where they go, look at me, I
didn't ever screw up. We all make mistakes. There has
to be room to make mistakes. But if you can
learn from them and you can grow from them, then great.
(54:41):
So hopefully totally we see some change from him moving forward.
Speaker 2 (54:44):
Totally, And like, again, I'm not perfect. I have at
least two of those type of days throughout the season. Yeah,
and some have more, some have less. I definitely overstep
my authority and my ambition, and I want the best
(55:05):
for you. And in the name of the best for you,
I'm going to make you feel like like I have
those days. Yeah, because also I come from that type
of background. You know, not not to excuse myself from that,
because I'm an adult and I can't blame my background anymore.
You know, you've done your growth, you've done your work,
and you know how to communicate better. But we grew
(55:27):
up at a time when it was like, you know,
it was physical to get you where you needed to be,
let alone, verbally semi abusive, you know. So it's like
he needs to change that. That isn't what you're signing
up for, respectfully, and that doesn't mean that you can't
get the work done. I had a partner, Sochi who
(55:48):
was who I that coincidence? We want, we want? But
she was I think she was seventeen at the time
or eight. No, No, I think she was seventeen, you know, seventeen.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
I thought she was seventeen.
Speaker 2 (56:02):
Anyway, The point is young, young woman. But she had
so much joy and flair and just she just loved it,
and she was so talented. A lot of things came
naturally for her, a lot of but she also showed
up and worked really hard and so like. But when
we ran into that, overstep a little bit because again,
it's not because you're not doing well. I just feel
(56:24):
like if it doesn't hurt, then you're not doing enough.
You know. It's like, but bro, what right? And when
I say heard, I mean figuratively speaking, like if it's
not hard, then are we pushing enough?
Speaker 1 (56:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (56:34):
I'm like, yo, you gotta change that mindset, you know.
And she actually put me on and I was checked
by this younger person who like, we sat down after
one of those hard rehearsals and she was like, I
don't I don't like that, Like, I don't want to
do this like that.
Speaker 1 (56:52):
I don't want to feel like that.
Speaker 2 (56:53):
I don't want to feel like that. If I'm not
having fun, you're not going to get anything from me. Like,
that's not that is not the energy in which I
thrive And now different people different totally. I thrive in
that energy right again, But that's my background, that's that's
my upbringing. But that's not for everybody. And that's another
(57:15):
part of this show that's so important. You have to adjust.
It's not your way.
Speaker 1 (57:19):
You have to pivot.
Speaker 2 (57:20):
It is not a way, is not Bow's way. It's
not Mark's way. It's the way of your partner and
the the you know, the person that's in front of you,
who you're trying to lead in in this thing, and
who's taking this incredible leap of faith and trust and
puts puts that trust in you, and it's so vulnerable,
(57:41):
like you have to support that, not just push that.
Sometimes you need to catch that. Mm hmm. And yeah
that's my spiel.
Speaker 1 (57:50):
Well, thank you very much. That is the end of
episode two. It's in the books. We will continue to
be here weekly, watching on as we get closer and
closer to crowning Season thirty fives and newest pro. And
in the meanwhile, come say hello to valin me and
all the other Dancing with the Stars pros like Hannah Brown,
Sasha Farber, Jan Ravnik, Whitney Carson Riley, Arnold Sochi Gomez
(58:11):
and so many more at Dancing with the Stars Fan
Convention and live show July thirty first through August second
in Palm Springs. Limited tickets are still available now at
dwts con dot com. Thank you everyone for listening. We'll
see you next week.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
I'll be taking off my shirt at the con at
the con, Yeah, a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (58:31):
Now, we just sold five thousand tickets
Hosts And Creators
Will Friedle
Danielle Fishel
Rider Strong
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