For a couple of days I was wondering whether I should write this post or not, but I decided some things needed to be said - from a Lindsey's fan perspective.
Now that Dancing with the Stars is over, I can reflect on the whole experience as a first-time viewer and also, as a fan who was rooting for Lindsey and Mark. Although I understand the outcome of the show, I have mixed feelings about it. I couldn't click with Jordan throughout the whole season and something about watching him made me very nervous and stressed - the whole "I want to win so bad", "I'm such a perfectionist" and the "I'm so good" vibe really hit me the wrong way. I don't object that he is a good dancer and that he deserved a place among the finalists - it was obvious that his dancing is close to a professional one. However, none of his dances become memorable to me, they all looked pretty much the same - perfect execution, perfect scores, but nothing I would like to rewatch again, nothing exeptional.
I'm sorry if this sounds rude or rough - I've read many comments about DWTS and to be honest, I'm not bothered by the fact that he has previous experience or that he won the trophy. What really bothered me were those things I mentioned above.
Moving on. Watching DWTS was very entertaining and I've watched many dances from previous seasons as well. The frustrating part came from the inconsistency of the judges' scores but I've seen that as a tendency from the old seasons as well. Although I'm a Lindsey fan, Mark and Lindsey didn't became my favourite couple immediately - that came later, maybe around week 3 with their pajama jive. What I loved about them was that they had this "I'm here to have fun" attitude, even though they worked hard just as any couple (just take a look at their jam sessions!). Their creativity and easy to watch attitude was what really captivated me. My top favourite dances are as follows:
Freestyle:
This happened a few days ago and I still can't get over how good it was! Not just because of the violin - I've seen that many times, watching her concert shows and music videos, but the whole combination of music, dancing, story, facial expressions was so memorable! Definitely the best dance of the season.
Argentine tango:
I was in doubt when I first heard the music, but this dance was executed so well and it brought a well overdue 10's. I've seen many comments about some moves being inspired by "The Arena" but it doesn't matter to me - it looked fresh, different than all the other routines, with complicated choreography and perfectly performed. This is a dance to rewatch. (P.S. Another notable Argentine tango from this season is Frankie and Witney's dance to Pirates of the Carribean.. so sexy!)
Jive:
No wonder they did a repeat of this dance - it was the dance that made me their fan, and it was so fun and entertaining to watch. The creativity of the beginning is mind-blowing and that footwork was amazing. People are saying that Mark is the king of Jive's - I can see that now for myself.
Quickstep:
The quickstep is one of my favourite dances and I was so excited when they got assigned to do that for their second week. I still can't get over the lower scores (because they broke hold and therefore the rules) but in the following weeks many other couples broke rules of their respective dance yet they didn't get punished for it. Nevertheless, it was so fun to watch and those costumes were simply stunning.
Salsa:
This is probably their most underrated dance but I've watched it many times since it aired and I still think it's very fun, beautifully danced and with great facial expressions from both Mark & Lindsey (also, who can even touch their head with their foot, besides Lindsey?!)
Waltz:
This dance deserves a fair place among Lindsey and Mark's best dances. I don't watch it very often because it gets me very emotional but it was so beautiful and creative. Also, props to Mark for the dedication to make this for Lindsey. (I also would have loved to see them dance to Lindsey's song Waltz.)
Foxtrot:
Now, because I'd like to be fair I'll also mention the dances that didn't end up on my favourites list:
Paso doble:
I love the Paso and more so I love "Roundtable Rival", but knowing that she has a rib injury made this one painful to watch. I actually can't beleive she was able to dance this so fast and accurate when she was in so much pain.
Samba:
I loved the idea and the overall look but something between the dance itself and the music didn't click. Can't put my mind on that, but either the dance or the music was too slow. Plus, it was a week post her rib injury and it was felt on the dance floor.
Redemption quickstep:
I really liked the first quistep better, even though it didn't follow the rules. This one was more traditional, with great posture but also, with some akward transitions.
Conclusion: I loved that Lindsey had a chance to compete on DWTS - the dances she and Mark created are ones I will rewatch for a long time. I was sad she didn't win at first, but right now I'm actully happy. Seeing the backlash and hate Jordan gets, I'm glad that didn't happen to Lindsey. I'm also glad she had the chance to get through all the weeks up to the finale which meant more dances for us to enjoy.
