55 replies to this topic

[TWoP Dietrich]

Ballroom.

[Shylock]

So, I know she's too much with the face, and probably the least talented of the top 20, and kind of attention-seeking and hammy in a Lacey-but-with-less-talent kind of way, and she needs to eat a biscuit because with no body fat she looks like a tranny, but so help me, I kind of like her.

Watching her top 20 photoshoot interview with hubbie Ryan, I thought she seemed sweet and harmless. I think she knows that she's not as good as the others. And I think she's genuinely proud of and excited for her husband, considering how much more likely it is that he'll last way longer. There's something very charming to me in her big, enthusiastic, slightly baffled smile. I don't know, she just seems very game to me. In the original clip of the slow motion impressive spin/leap/danceything outside the audition venue they always have as they introduce the featured dancers, while everyone was spinning and leaping all impressive and danceything, she was just jumping goofily, as ungainly as a baby goose or something.

And I can't not root for the baby goose, y'all.

[banditsmom]

That's sweet, Shylock. I know what you're saying. She seems kind of uncomfortable in her own skin. She really is good.....I don't want her to stay over other better dancers for "storyline" reasons, but I hear you. It might be tough married to such a hunk as her husband is...he's way prettier than she is, which is never a good thing in a marriage. I also am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Poor kid, I'll wish her well but only if she doesn't make top ten!

[RomanticRights]

Wasn't Jimmy from S3 a last minute replacement? I feel that they'll dump her the first chance they get if she and Jacob land in the bottom.

[myintermail]

Compared to Karen, the other ballroom dancer, she looks so busted although their ages are a year apart.

She can stay for awhile just before top 10 to make the ballroom routines look good. As soon as Mollee and Kathryn are gone she should be as well.

[IHeartDVR]

Mugging doesn't bother me as much as it does others so that's not why I found Ashleigh's audition and some of her partner work off-putting. It's exactly what Mary said, when she does mug the facials are so fake, almost goofy, like she doesn't believe herself when she's dancing. If you are going to mug at me give me something to see, at least a believable "I'm sexy and I know it" face. She seemed to channel the mugging better in the Broadway round.

The marrieds versus one another is kind of absurd though. The only reason why I think Ryan came off better in the initial audition is because he projected confidence along with his goof. I also don't think Ashleigh was so bad and Ryan was so great that he smoked her in every Vegas round. The other girls may have smoked her but not him.

Edited by IHeartDVR, Oct 25, 2009 @ 6:13 PM.

[RomanticRights]

Ashleigh Di Lello graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah with a degree in political science and served as a congressional intern in Washington, D.C. She and her husband, Ryan Di Lello, used to compete against each other in local ballroom dance competitions and became dance partners a week before they were married.

How did it feel on the recent day with the press and photo shoot? “Today is a dream come true and an amazing opportunity. I’m very, very grateful, and especially grateful to be here with Ryan.

A BYU graduate? From Utah? She and Ryan may be here to stay...

[BBDi]

The mugging bothers in part because it belies her self-consciousness. I prefer someone who really gets lost in and yields herself (or himself) to the dance. Maybe she will get better at that aspect of things, though.

[Cherry Wire]

OK, I actually liked Ashleigh's dancing for a change, but can we enact some kind of ban on hot chicks claiming to be "nerds" because they opened a book once?

[RomanticRights]

She's growing on me. I didn't like her broadway in week one but she had much more confidence and better extensions since then. I do think she and Jacob are well-suited for each other, even if there's no excitement in their rehearsal footage.

[Secret Symphony]

I am really liking her. She was basically in her husband's shadow all throughout the auditions/Vegas and constantly got mild praise to his tongue bathing from the judges and I respected the way she acted about it all, at least on camera. She seemed to be genuinely happy for her husband, not jealous of him being the favorite of the 2 with the judges and now that she's Top 20 by default she's working hard and IMO delivering.

I loved the cane dance with Jakob last night. I am not flat out rooting for her or anything at this point but I'd like to see her outlast some others.

[isiscloud]

Does anyone know what she was sick from for so many years? Perhaps that's why there's such a difference in her face from Karen's. And lack of self confidence.

[Secret Symphony]

I too really want to know what sidelined her from dancing/what illness she had. I can say that in the first performance episode, she said that she had an illness for 4 1/2 years and a back injury for a year and a half so she wasn't sick for 6 years total.

[panda]

I was also curious to know what kind of illness she had. Strange that she didn't say, and I wonder if it's gone for good. Asleigh is really starting to grow on me. I couldn't stand her in the beginning because she did come off as very fake. I just wish she would cut off some of that hair. It's too long, and I think it's aging her. She is a pretty girl though.

Edited by panda, Nov 19, 2009 @ 11:43 AM.

[ci ci]

Next to Kathryn, Ashleigh is the only girl I'm really connecting with this season. She is the quintessential underdog. She was underestimated from day 1, and it's great to see her improving week after week, adapting beautifully to the other styles, and proving everyone who doubted her wrong. I also think her personality seems the most genuine and sincere out of all the girls. So I've officially become an Ashleigh fan.

[FrontRowJoe]

Pure speculation, but the age at which she fell ill combined with her relatively drawn appearance makes me suspect her illness was/is an eating disorder of some sort. Am I possibly misreading this?

[sassymuse]

Pure speculation, but the age at which she fell ill combined with her relatively drawn appearance makes me suspect her illness was/is an eating disorder of some sort. Am I possibly misreading this?

An interesting guess. The only thing I wonder about is the wheelchair in which we saw her. It's not typical for people with back injuries to be in a wheelchair (often puts too much stress on the spine) but it's not unheard of. Do people with anorexia land themselves in wheelchairs? Why?

Whatever, she did a respectable job with whatever that thing was that NappyTabs choreographed (their work looks like pop to me, but . . . ). She was much jazzier than I thought she would be (I dare not say funky, because that's a stretch).

Strangely enough, my favorite part of Ashleigh is her relationship now with Jakob. When they're getting critiqued, he's so sweet with her, and she with him. He's almost . . . protective of her or something.

[atyleung]

I agree about her and Jakob. They look very much like a sweet, everyday couple that you would see in the outside world (no offense to Ryan :-P). Having that natural chemistry is definitely an asset to their dances.

Random thought: Does Ashleigh remind anyone else of Jennifer Garner?

[shyviolet]

Per Ashleigh's twitter:

To answer questions about my illness: I contracted a rare parasitic infection while traveling that took 4 1/2 years to diagnose and treat.

[YouTwitFace]

She had a parasite and now she is one. Luckily, she'll be dislodged from Jakob in a week.

Edited by YouTwitFace, Nov 24, 2009 @ 4:05 PM.

[BigBeans]

She had a parasite and now she is one, getting lifted to the top 10 on the back of Jakob.

I didn't really catch a lot of the audition episodes, so maybe somebody can enlighten me. Why don't we like Ashleigh? Did she pull a Phillip and get testy with the judges? I think she has done well in all of her dances so far, sometimes even surpassing Jakob.

Edited by BigBeans, Nov 24, 2009 @ 10:45 PM.

[Finley]

Sorry, can't help you. I love Ashley. Love Ashley and Jakob. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of both of them. Did I mention that I love Ashley. :)

[YouTwitFace]

Not me. I hate Ashleigh. Her dance vocabulary borders on illiterate. She just struts a bit and awkwardly poses. She is the least challenged dancer this season, with poor Jakob having to jump around and hoist her.

I blame Paula Van Oppen for taking that movie offer and vacating a spot for Ashleigh to fill, in as much as a vacuum can fill anything. I also blame those damn parasites for not finishing the job.

[milhomie]

Random thought: Does Ashleigh remind anyone else of Jennifer Garner?

Yup.

[Summer InA Bowl]

Why don't we like Ashleigh? Did she pull a Phillip and get testy with the judges? I think she has done well in all of her dances so far, sometimes even surpassing Jakob.

No, nothing personality-wise. But she actually didn't seem that great in her audition or Vegas. I agree with the judges that she's massively improved since then, and I've really grown to like her.

I also blame those damn parasites for not finishing the job.

And she certainly hasn't done anything that should cause people to wish death upon her.

[YouTwitFace]

I don't like her as a person, either. First, the mugging, then claiming she's a geek because she went to college and majored in something. The vapidity is suffocating.

And as for wishing that those parasites would've hid themselves a little better and been a little stronger, if people can love someone they know only through TV and wish them all kinds of good things, I can certainly do the opposite. If it could've given me a season of SYTYCD without her, damn right I'm on the side of those worms.

[pandamonium]

I think Ashleigh is getting a lot of unwarranted hate here; she's done nothing but be a very solid partner for Jakob, who seems to be a favorite and so far they haven't even hit bottom. She was amazing in the cha cha last night, I could barely take my eyes off of her to see if Jakob was keeping up at all. At the beginning I didn't really care for or against her, but if she hits the bottom tonight I really hope she's not cut. I think she has earned a spot in the top 10.

[ci ci]

I didn't really catch a lot of the audition episodes, so maybe somebody can enlighten me. Why don't we like Ashleigh?

What do you mean we? Why are you including yourself in this when you don't even know why people dislike her? Perhaps you should tune in and form your own opinion instead of waiting to see what everyone else thinks.

She is the least challenged dancer this season, with poor Jakob having to jump around and hoist her.

That's interesting because last night it looked like Jakob was trying to keep up with HER in their cha cha. I think she pulls her weight just fine in their partnership.

I think Ashleigh is getting a lot of unwarranted hate here; she's done nothing but be a very solid partner for Jakob, who seems to be a favorite and so far they haven't even hit bottom. She was amazing in the cha cha last night, I could barely take my eyes off of her to see if Jakob was keeping up at all. At the beginning I didn't really care for or against her, but if she hits the bottom tonight I really hope she's not cut. I think she has earned a spot in the top 10.

I completely agree. She has shown tremendous growth. She adapts to the other styles well. She's been consistently good all season, and last night she finally got her moment to shine in their cha cha. She was in her element and it was great to watch. I have no doubt that she'll make it into the top 10 with ease.

Edited by ci ci, Nov 25, 2009 @ 6:50 PM.

[YouTwitFace]

Doing a tiny bit of dancing in one dance does not negate all the previous dances where she did nothing.

[milhomie]

That's interesting because last night it looked like Jakob was trying to keep up with HER in their cha cha. I think she pulls her weight just fine in their partnership.

I think someone said it in the episode thread (and stated by the judges). It's deceptive what a good partner can do for you. Someone mentioned what would happen if Jakob got saddled with, say Mollee or Channing (or even Karen). Even though Jakob is the superior dancer, Ashleigh is strong enough that the routines have been consistently good to great to astounding. I'd even hazard a guess that had Jakob had a lesser partner, he would have hit the B3 as I truly believe the two together are more popular than either apart.

That said, as much as I think they are pretty much the strongest (most consistent, definitely) couple, I doubt either will be in the finals as I don't think they're popular enough on their own to propel them to the top once the couples shift. Jakob may have an outside chance, but I do think there's still some lingering animosity towards Ashleigh. But I think it does speak to their partnership that they were able to avoid B3 on their sheer talent and consistency as neither are the judges top cow, nor the audience's sympathetic hero.