I was going to call this "Nick Kosovich: Tudor Queen Still Misses Him" but figured it would be selfish to moan and mourn about my beloved Nick [so classy, so elegant, so sexy, so very smooth] when there were plenty of other pros from past seasons who are equally missed - or missed even more.

Who do you wish they'd bring back? Charlotte Jorgensen's so loved she has her own thread [and I want to be Charlotte some day, so I can't argue with that]. There's charming Louis van Amstel, perky, bouncy Ashley del Grosso [who survived Master P], Anna Trebunskaya, the fiery Russian wildcat, Andrea Hale, who we barely got to know...

This would also be a good place to exchange any information we have about why some pros haven't come back. Is it true that Nick got dropped because he openly criticized last season's judging? I've heard that Ashley dropped out because of her impending wedding, but I've also heard that the producers didn't ask her back, but haven't heard why not. Did diva/divo behavior and real life romantic breakups and hookups have anything to do with who's asked back and who isn't?

Hey, inquiring minds want to know...

Well, the fact that she's at least five months pregnant would be a pretty big red flag to the DWTS producers...

As for no more Nick... say it isn't so!

I'd love to see both Nick and Jesse DeSotto return. We didn't get enough of Jesse last year as he, unfortunately, got caught with one of the blondes no one could tell from the other.

Anna! I miss the redheaded spitfire Russian. I love watching Jonathan and Anna dance too. Bring Anna back!

I'd love to see Jesse return because we didn't get to see much of him last season!

Oh, me too! I never really liked Jerry, especially once he got second place over Stacy, but I always liked Anna. Hopefully she can come back again!

Oh, and Brian from this past season--I never want to see him back. IMO he's creepy and in the pre-season photo shoot in TV Guide he looked like Gollum

Louis is my favorite male pro ever, and I miss him so much it should be illegal. I always loved his risky choreography and he could really have whipped one of these ladies into shape.

Louis was my second-favorite pro male and I miss him terribly. He really did put together some of the best routines and his celebs always left much better dancers than when they arrived.

I'd like to see Ashly back in the future. I felt so bad for her when she was paired with Master P.

How about pros we don't want to see back next season? I can't stand Tony Dovolanni nor do I like most of his choreography.

I actually wish we would have gotten to see more of Andrea Hale. Wasn't she experienced in Latin and Ballroom equally?

One of the quibbles I have with this show is its focus on Latin dancers. There have hardly been any who do both Latin and Ballroom, and even fewer who are Ballroom experts. Is Ballroom just not sexy enough?

I'm kinda "meh" on Ashly - she's extremely likeable, but I didn't think she was that great a teacher or choreographer. And I could do without her showing up with all those sisters again to do another Intro To Jazz/Jive number.

Louis and Tony I both feel the same about - love watching them in the Pro numbers (especially Louis' Jive and Tony's Paso), but in the DWtS competition itself, they both sometimes really bugged me.

I'd like to see Jesse again; I'd also like to see Brian, but with a celeb partner who doesn't bring out the worst in him.

I thought I'd be the only one that wanted Jesse Desotto back--he's from my hometown and he could shake his hips like no other. He did get stuck with some blond pagent winner and remember "Kriss Kross" was just plain mean to mambo to...I loved his group pros dance where he got to show off his stuff with Ashly.

ETA: I liked Brian too--he was cute but wayyyyyyyy to good for that blond pagent winner.

Jesse DeSoto is Tony’s protégé. Watching him dance is like watching a less polished version of Tony.

Nooooooooooo!! Please! No more Brian. His make-up always made him look embalmed, which only exacerbated the effect of those odd faces he would make while he was dancing. Then, when he was done, he would stand there with that creepy smile on his face, as if he was thinking, "I'm running out of room to bury the bodies in the basement. I may have to start putting them in the woods. Or maybe the pond. Hmmmmmmm..."

I'd love to see Andrea Hale return. We barely got to see what she could do, but in the brief time she was there, I liked her. I want to see more.

I'm personally growing tired of Cheryl. I hope she takes some time off and doesn't participate next season.

If Brian Fortuna returns, I hope he's given a shorter, nicer partner!

Alec can return to my TV screen...ANYTIME!

I really miss Jesse. I'd love to see him back so we could see a few more dances from him. His demo dance with Cheryl (when the Scissor Sisters were on) remains one of my favorites. I thought it was hot.

I also really miss Anna. She's an awesome dancer and really cracks me up when she starts ripping on the judges.

And of course, I miss Louis. I'm kinda bummed he didn't at least get a little shout-out last night since he was there dancing. Oh well.

(Kinda off-topic here, but I'd really like to see Christian brought on next season as one of the male pros. I think he's a wonderful dancer and has a really good personality. Loved him on TLC's Ballroom Bootcamp.)

As an American-style dancer, I wanted to like, and then miss, Jesse more... but he didn't bring the charisma.

I want to see Alec back for S5, but Brian can stay home. He really creeped me out.
He was always leering into the camera, he even got a stare in last night when he danced close to one during the Pr dance.
Yuck!

Louis was unbelievable to watch in Latin, of course. But one of the reasons I miss him so much is because I also loved watching him in smooth/international. I second the motion to get more 10 dancers on this show. Some of the smooth/international ballroom dances hurt my eyes.

Would LOVE to see Victor and Anna come back for another demo. I was thrilled with their performance - and the reception they got here - last year.

Am very psyched that Fringe-Pants Woman (Yulia) and partner are coming for a demo! (Sorry, I can't remember his name.)

I am intrigued by what we've seen of Brian's dancing. If he could get his expressions under control, I'd like to see him back because watching him dance might be worth in itself. My biggest reservation about him is that I'm not sure how seasoned he is as a coach/choreographer.

Jesse got totally hosed by the music. I thought he might have been a good teacher. I wouldn't mind seeing him back.

I don't miss any of the others, particularly and think the pros, in general, could use a big mix-up after this season.

Oh Louis how I miss thee. Nick too. What a fine male specimen he is. I hope they at least throw us a bone and have him do another expo with his wife.

I really think the pros should only be allowed two seasons back to back, then alternate on and off. We need to bring in some new blood to gene pool.

I also agree that the pros should rotate - but I would also add, with no season winner appearing in back to back seasons. It would keep things fresh, keep the pros from getting tired or burned out from the show, and it might help the celebs as well. I think Ian might be suffering in the votes simply because viewers don't want Cheryl to win three times in a row.

I am so selfish though, because I want to see Maks every season.

According to Maks (this is from a fan on his forum who went to one of his classes) all of the pros signed for five years, but the show is supposed to go for ten (?).

So, I think that maybe Ashly will return after the baby. Louis has only done three, right? Maks is on his third, so he has two left. Edyta is on her fourth, etc.

Jonathan is on his third, but Anna has only done one season, so she would still have four left if truly all of the pros signed five year deals.

My perfect season would have the following pros: Maks, Jonathan, Anna, Louis, Karina, Edyta and Alec

I don't think that signing up for five years means the show has to use you for five years, does it?

TV Guide this week did a behind-the-scenes photo spread about the costumers for this season (in and of itself, it's quite interesting). Now, I know that Nick and his wife Lena have a dancesport costume company called LeNique that provided at least some of the costumes in the last two DWTSs, but it doesn't look as if they're being used at all this season.

I also know that Nick did some behind-the-scenes consulting as far back as Season One, and that lovely demo with Charlotte at the dance-off. So I guess my question is, has DWTS severed all relations with him? In which case, I would imagine that the odds of his returning as a pro in future seasons are fairly small. And I will go back to gnashing my teeth and rending my garments...

I'm actually glad to hear that LeNique isn't doing the male pros' constumes again this season because I loved the costumes last year and have thought more than a few times this season how wack some have been. Wheeewww.

The pros only signed option agreements for five years - not "you will be on the show for five years" contracts.

Per some comments above about why Ashly isn't back this season, here's what she had to say about it on her website.

I wonder if she realizes just how insulting this is to everyone who doesn't or can't choose to be a mother? Boy. Now I never want to see her on DWTS again.

I find this wording very strange. It sounds almost as if she expected the producers to hire her for this season. Between the long practice days and the celebs' inexperience, I'd think competing in this show at 6 months would be rather dangerous. In the rehearsal footage, we've seen virtually every female dancer (pro or celeb) take at least one hard fall. I certainly don't blame the producers for not wanting to take that risk with Ashly's baby.

She didn't mean it as an insult--it's just what she, along with every other Latter-Day Saint ("Mormon" to the rest of the world), is taught from childhood on. We believe that, in accordance with God's plan for His children, marriage and family life are essential to one's eternal progression, and that they therefore should take priority over everything else in life. That's not to say that those of us who are parents think that we're better than everyone else; it just means that that's where our priorities lie. It's also, incidentally, why Julianne is engaged at the age of 18. It has nothing to do with thinking that anyone who doesn't or can't have children is inferior to those who can and do.

(End of off-topic comments, with apologies to the mods.)

How does this work? I assume it's a no-compete kind of deal, but does it mean they have to be on call for pro demos and such?



I loved the male pros' costumes last season, too. They finally figured out how to dress Louis. I loved where they finally figured out where to put his waistline, and that his shirt should plunge, and how he needed the long line of a lapel/collar, and that his sleeves look great long, straight, and cuffed (rather than ruffled), and how to make his legs look like they go on, leanly, for days. And they figured out his colors, too.

<looks around>

I mean, I was staring at Maks the whole time, like everyone else. (hee!)

It's official; Derek Hough is now "a pro I miss". Badly.

Edited because I get incoherent when I let myself gush about Louis.

Russian Spitfire update: she just placed in the top 24 in Rising Star Latin at Blackpool, dancing with Pavlo Barsuk, which is not only a terrific result, but is with someone I didn't even know she was dancing with. They apparently started partnering in March. That is quite amazing and I hope I get to see them soon.

And I thought doing a semi-high-profile US comp after 3 months was bold. Now I have no excuses. Go RS!

Congratulations to Anna!



:) I'm very glad for all the ways these dancing shows inspire people.

I didn't take Ashly's comments as a slam against those who cannot or choose not to have children, but rather as an expression of HER values. As someone else posted, in the Mormon church, family is first and foremost and so I'm not surprised that Ashly would say that. You have to take such comments in the complete context of their background/upbringing/religion, etc.

As for their 5-year contracts and how that works, I don't know all the details, but I did see an interview (online) with Julianne (after the show ended) and one thing I never knew was this: part of how they determine who to bring back is if they can find an appropriate partner. So if they can't find a short, really youthful partner for Julianne next season, my guess is that she might not be back. She looks about 12 years old and it was slimy enough feeling when she did the dance with Tony (it felt like a father/daughter sleeze thing, IMO), so to find a celeb who could match up to her (like Apolo did) might be a challenge. I hope they find someone 'cause I think she is one great talent.

But then we do have those mismatches like Clyde Drexler and whoever his partner was--sorry I don't recall her name. I suppose there wasn't much that could be done with finding Mr. Drexler a matching sized partner though.


Re: Ashly. Her comments about motherhood didn't bother me. Lots of people say the same thing when they stop working to raise kids. It's not my choice or opinion, but different strokes. On the other hand, I thought her wording about not working the show last season was odd. She made it seem like she was surprised that she didn't get a dancing gig when she kind of knew she wasn't going to be on the show. Professional/competetive dancing is one of the few jobs where being six months pregnant just isn't gonna work. Except maybe for Mark's mama who apparently took a break from the competition to have her baby next to the dance floor--cha cha cha.

I really miss Louis. I actually think he could have been a fabulous partner to Sabrina.

I really miss Nick. We are so low on smooth dancers, anyway, and Nick is just the best of the best. He and Charlotte Jorgensen danced the best fox trot ever on this show. Which isn't saying much, since most of the fox trots turn out kinda clunky. But, anyway, here's video of the Nick/Charlotte fox trot to prove my point. Sigh. I miss Nick.

I'm not sure I can exactly say why, but that pro dance has to be one of my absolute favorites from DWTS. The first time I saw it, I didn't know who Nick was, and the way the director lit the dance he looked liked a mysterious tall, dark, handsome stranger dancing with the beautiful Charlotte. The move that got me was when Nick ran his fingers up Charlotte's forearm slowly in the middle of the song. Dreamy.

ETA: To tie it back to the topic, it would be great to get both Nick and Charlotte back to DWTS. If the show insists on having men Wayne Newton's age on the show, Charlotte seems slightly more age appropriate than either Julianne or Cheryl as a partner.

That foxtrot is beautiful! Rarely are foxtrots done well by the celeb/pros on the show. Was it Charlotte's decision not to return after season 1? I am surprised she was not part of season 2 after doing well with John O'Hurley. Though I am sure there would be complaints if Nick and Charlotte were always paired with older celebs but it far more age appropriate to pair older celebs with a Nick and Charlotte. I hope they would return also to get more pros who are a bit stronger in standard dances since majority of the pros seem to be stronger in latin. Though I cannot see the show asking them to return unless they have 13-14 celebs and of course contingent on which celebs are asked and agree to be on the show.

I too miss Nick & Charlotte. I really think there needs to be a more even balance of Latin/Rhythm and Standard Smooth dancers on this show. 10/9 dancers I suppose would work really well.

I've been thinking lately that I really would've liked to see more of Andrea. I enjoyed her in the pro exhibitions that season and she seems to have a pretty good competition record.

NOOOO!

:: throws self on floor, wailing and kicking and then gets up to rend garments and gnash teeth ::

Knowing that Maks was sitting this season out, and that they did use Nick last time for a demo, I really hoped that they'd invite him back, but no. Do they hate him? Do the other pros hate him? Does ABC hate me?

I won't pretend I'm going to boycott. I'll watch. But damn, each season without Nick makes me long even more for his suave, commanding, elegant presence.

I'm not sure what Brian Fortuna ever did to this site, but there is not a single tag/caption with his name for any of the pictures he is in...even his solo shot!

I suspect "don't have an appropriate celebrity this season for you" is diplomatic fiction DWTS tells pros they are not going to use.

I like Maks but I don't like his choreography, so I'm not prepared to miss him yet this season. There's no Alec to look at either - he's "my" Maks, fills that spot the way Maks does for others. :) So I'm not crazy about that.

I'd love love love to see Charlotte back just once, because she's fantastic, and just for the reality show values of seeing how she changes the dynamic behind the scenes. Right now it's very much all the same type of girl hanging out together. She's not "one of the girls" in that same way (yeah, I think the other girls should bow, even those I love). And, I'd like to see her influence the sort of pro dances we get.

That said, other than Louis (who is back this year) I don't miss much of anybody who came and went - not Andrea or Ashly (at all), Brian Fortuna, Jesse DeSoto, or Elena (Elena, after seeing her dance with Tony on youtube, is a hell of a dancer and a hot girl. I know she's gotten crap partners on DWTs, but IMO she doesn't stamp herself on the show either. I imagine one doesn't turn down DWTs cause it's a great opportunity and good $$. But, I wonder if she really enjoys the whole thing the way others do)

Elena came onto the show as Tony's package deal. She is a great girl and a great dancer but a bit shy. That has nothing to do with her personality but with her not being "American" and more self-aware. That doesn translate well on TV. Her celebrity parnters weren't all that either.

Officially missed my Maks on opening night.

I'm glad to have Jonathan and Anna but I still miss Nick and this year Alec and Maks as well. But mostly Nick.

Nick appeared last season during a results show. That would have been five season appearances by Nick. I am guessing that fulfills his contract. Too bad because I miss him on this show.

You've just depressed the hell out of me. I assumed that Nick was brought back for the occasional results show demo because they still valued him and that they might find a place for him in the lineup again one day. If you're right, it means I'll never see him again.

::slinks off to cry quietly in a corner, in the dark, with the scraps::

I don't think Alec is coming back, at least not if he has anything to say about it (which he very well may not, it may be completely up to TPTB). He was visibly unhappy to be paired with Josie last season. Interviews after their dances were painful to watch. Perhaps it's just his tough-guy persona, but I found it off-putting. Especially when you look at people like Jonathan and Tony who, at this point, would die to get a model/actress type like Josie.