Being the only couple (out of 10!) to do a Latin dance on Dancing With the Stars is already daunting enough...but when the Queen of Latin is serving as a guest judge for the night, it’s extra intimidating. Still, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik had no choice but to hit the dance floor with their Sinners-inspired paso doble to “I Lied to You” by Miles Caton, which earned them 8s from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli...and a brutal 4 from Shirley Ballas. While Shirley praised the acting (which was truuuly fierce), she told the pair that there were “no recognizable paso doble” elements in the routine, such as twist turns and chassé capes.
She also said that the performance lacked proper flamenco shaping and direction. So...what does that all mean, and was that 4 really deserved? Ballroom baddie Kaila Podzikowski took to TikTok to weigh in.
According to Kaila, the biggest issue with having a pro who doesn’t have a background in ballroom (such as Jan) is that they don’t always teach their partners the proper technique. She also said that “one of the biggest characteristics of paso is the shaping, and the shaping was not proper.” She went on to demonstrate how the elbows should be raised to create that matador posture, while both Jan and Tatyana let their elbows fall. She said she would have given it a 6.
Following Tuesday’s Horror Movie Night, Jan told Entertainment Weekly that he has nothing but respect for Shirley, despite her tough criticism. It’s nothing on [Tatyana].” As for the lack of paso doble, he said, “I try my best. Not good enough for her, but big respect for her still.
She’s a legend.” Thankfully, Jan and Tatyana made it through to Disney Night next week, so we haven’t seen the last of this duo.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
