437 replies to this topic

[TWoP Lockley]

READ ME NOW IF YOU WANT TO POST HERE:

STOP talking about "the haters." That is boards on boards commentary and it is not allowed here. Stop talking about how you surmise Zendaya may be responding to "the haters."

If you personally hate Zendaya, you are of course allowed to say that and why, but do not talk about the temperature of her fan base at all.

I've let it go for a while because it's been relatively under control, but as things progress toward the finals I want you all to be extra careful about how you express your reaction to this performer and the show.

Notice I said YOUR reaction to THIS PERFORMER and THE SHOW. This is not the place to discuss, dissect, criticize or contemplate the makeup of her fan base or those who dislike her.

Edited by TWoP Lockley, May 10, 2013 @ 11:21 AM.

[OwlsGo]

Disney stars haven't had the best record (Sabrina Bryan last season is the best example). Maybe she'll break the curse.

[CPP83]

Well don't forget about Chelsea Kane, who made it all the way to the finale for her season with Mark, and came in third.

I just don't know how Val is going to handle choreographing some of the sexier, more mature dances for this girl. I hope he can balance making it age appropriate because I, personally, think that will be a bit of a challenge.

He's just coming off dancing with Kelly, a woman he fell in love with, and now he's getting a kid to dance with, an underage kid at that, it's quite the level change. But hopefully he'll do alright, and if Zendaya can connect with the audience who knows how far they could go.

[JanGator]

My nine-year-old daughter is going to SQUEEEEEEE at this one. She loves "Shake It Up" and imitates Zendaya's moves every time it's on.

As for me... I can't stand her show, but of all the actors on it she is the most appealing/least annoying (depending on your point of view). And while she's a decent dancer, I'm not sure I'd give her a "ringer" label because it's all very basic hip-hop dancing that they do. Ballroom and Latin are a whole different ballgame, as we saw from Roshon. It just proves that she can pick up steps and move to music, which is something a lot of actors and actresses can do (especially the Disney bunch).

I'm also very interested in the angle Val takes with her because of her age. It might help that she looks older than her 16 years, but my guess is he'll be made well aware of what would be appropriate with her. And given his personality - he seems to have a sweet side to him - I think he'll be able to work with it.

[PBGamer89]

I had seen pictures of her before but didn't really know her name and I didn't realize how popular she is.

Girl has the most Twitter followers of any celeb this season at 1.7 million. Not to mention she has the Chmerkovskiey voting block on her side as well with Maks gone.

[CPP83]

Apparently she is very tall as well, 5'10 or so, so that might either to be to their benefit or not, because tall girls in heels dancing ballroom is not always an easy task, so I hope she doesn't turn out to be all limbs, especially when it comes to Standard Ballroom.

[QueenL]

I think that she's a ringer, much beyond just being a hip-hop dancer. Most ringers downplay it by just saying hip-hop, but she's got a musical theater background. That usually entails a lot of cross-training. She also specialized in hula dancing. That involves a lot of hip shaking, right?

None of this is a bad thing for me, btw. Quite the opposite. The ringier the better, as far as I'm concerned!

I like this pairing a lot, and she does come across as a lot older on video, in comparison to in pictures.

I hope that there's at least a little bit of sensuality in the choreography. She can handle it, at least from an aesthetic perspective. Val will certainly have to tone it down from the Kelly days, but it doesn't have to be all bubblegum. There can definitely be some sass and fire.

Also interesting that she already has such a big following. Wonder how that will translate into votes on the show. She's one of the few names that TPTB successfully kept under wraps.

[spanana]

I expect her to be better than Roshon just in that I think in general her movies are more graceful than his ever were. I expect she would be more fluid, if that makes sense at all.

Also unlike some of our previous Disney dancers, Zendaya is one of the 2 main stars on her show, as opposed to a side character. Roshon for instance is one of the core cast of Shake It Up, but it's not his show. It is Zendaya's show (along with her co-star Bella Thorne). I'm not sure if we've had the main star of a Disney show before. Sabrina was a Cheetah Girl, but the Cheetah Girls mostly revolved around Raven. Kyle was the little brother on That's So Raven and moved on to his own show, but his show was quickly cancelled. Chelsea mostly played the love interested on the Jonas Brothers show, etc. That Cody kid was a side character on a show. In that sense, I would expect Zendaya to be a bit more popular than the run of the mill Disney kid.

[vepyewwo]

This is a clip of her dancing with Derek from last year, a promo for Beauty and the Beast.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Mt2R4JS537M

[Sunnyheart]

Val will certainly have to tone it down from the Kelly days, but it doesn't have to be all bubblegum.

I think this is where we are going to find out how good he really is. I saw glimmers of his choreography talent with Kelly, but then they got sidetracked with all the romance crap. He can't do that with Zendaya so he's going to need to be creative. And if she's a good dancer, this will be a real opportunity for him to shine. AND he doesn't have to play the Little Brother role this season with Maks gone. I'm excited about this pairing.

[Try Again]

I think she's going to go really far this season. I'm going to hold my judgement before I decide how far she'll go.

[sintin]

Never watched her show, but she's cute as a button and seems good natured and outgoing. She reminds me of a younger Selena Gomez when she first hit the Disney Channel. My only worry is that she's very...affected in that way that's become so familiar with Disney Channel actors over the years. Very cutesy and winky and prancey. Kyle was guilty of this too
Also, in that video linked, she's dancing with Derek and they're moving pretty fast but it does look like she might have been a tad too tall for him when she's put in proper heels, so I think Val or Tristan were the only good matches for her among the pros.

I saw glimmers of his choreography talent with Kelly, but then they got sidetracked with all the romance crap. He can't do that with Zendaya so he's going to need to be creative. And if she's a good dancer, this will be a real opportunity for him to shine. AND he doesn't have to play the Little Brother role this season with Maks gone. I'm excited about this pairing.

I'm cautiously optimistic too. I've felt Val has had more to offer as a choreographer so I'm interested to see how this pans out.

[aceplace57]

Maybe we'll get through a season without Val taking off his shirt? I know he's got the talent to choreograph something interesting and age appropriate for Zendaya. Val and Zendaya could be a lot of fun this season.

Edited by aceplace57, Feb 26, 2013 @ 7:08 PM.

[spanana]

So I was watching some of the interviews with these two, though it seems like Val was more so asked about Maks than anything having to do with his new partner, but I swear Zendaya looks taller than Val. Though I didn't see the size of the heels she had on so maybe Zendaya was wearing taller heels than she will be on the show and they will wind up mostly being the same height. Kind of took me by surprise. Either I never realized she was that tall or I never realized he was that short.

Hard to get a vibe from them yet since I don't think they have started rehearsing yet and it honestly seemed like they just met.

[KarenM]

Access Hollywood Interview.

[Thirteenthjuror]

Spanana, I think Zendaya is 5'9 or 5'10. She probably has on larger heels than the regulated dance shoes, so that's why she looks taller than Val. They should be about the same height when she wears the dance shoes.

I'm really liking her and I'm probably most interested in seeing what Val can do with her than any of the other contestants this season.

[PBGamer89]

The only thing I could see her struggling with is that she has long limbs and if she can control them. Roshon had this issue at times too I felt.

In terms of their heights, I think they made downgrade her heels to maybe 2 inches instead of 3 and maybe give Val a bigger Cuban heel just to make it look a little better. She had on really high heels yesterday and it made her taller.

[spanana]

I'm cautiously excited for her. I think she was a good pick if we must have a Disney star. From the interviews I've seen she comes off personable and charming, but also pretty mature and she doesn't seemingly have that always on personality you sometimes get from the younger Disney stars.

I also like that in her interviews, though I don't think she and Val had really started training as yet, she pointed out that she knew she was going to have to lose her hip hop style if she was going to properly learn ballroom. She seemed to understand that she might have to un-learn a few things in terms of how she is used to using her body in the dancing she does. In that way, I think Val might be a good pro for her. Mark & Derek would be more likely IMO to try to incorporate her hip hop technique into routines and I don't think Val will do that.

But then you get a whiff of her actual age when she is asked if she is willing to wear the crazy costumes and she basically says she's up for anything, but her parents need to approve first. If anything, the thing I think Val will struggle with most is the fact that she's subject to child labor laws and can only train for so many hours a day.

[QueenL]

Video of Zendaya & Val's first rehearsal. Zendaya's hip action looked good in the little Cha-Cha parts!

[spanana]

The bit of Latin in her video looked promising and Val seems cautiously excited by the prospect of having someone with natural talent. I only wish she didn't have stupid contemporary week 1. I'm sure she can handle it, but lifts might be a little awkward with her legs and height.

Edited by spanana, Mar 13, 2013 @ 7:18 PM.

[Thirteenthjuror]

I don't think Zendaya will have a problem with the height/leg thing like some think she will. She's used to controlling her body through movement already. It's not like when a model starts dance and have that awkward movement due to their height, because they're not used to it. I think Zendaya has a handle on that already because she's accustomed to movement.

The picture that Val tweeted of her in several movement poses during their contemporary looks more authentic than what he did with Kellie last season. Her lines and extensions looked incredible in those poses I'm not worried about her being able to handle it. I'm more worried about what type of choreography Val is going to give her in his very limited knowledge of contemporary. I just wish they weren't saddling the stars with this their first week out. That Cha Cha leg and hip movement they showed her doing proves to me that she won't be awkward, tentative or shy at all when it comes to the dancing. She looks like a fast learner and gifted student. Val should be very happy. I felt that her and Kellie showed the most promise from what little we saw and are the ones I'm looking forward to seeing the most.

[spanana]

Clip of jive rehearsal.. I assume that is her 2nd week dance. You can hear their song too if you listen closely.

Val has said her biggest issue off the bat is just getting used to the partnering aspect. Which is probably true for most everyone, but she's so used to learning choreography individually and not relying on someone else.

[OwlsGo]

The song is "Stuff Like That There" by Bette Midler, for those who couldn't hear it.

She's promising, but I think she'll be Sabrina'd: overhyped and a surprise boot.

[spanana]

Possibly. But in the first I think she has a far bigger fanbase that Sabrina ever had. Girl has almost two million twitter followers alone, which might not translate to votes obviously, but I think that is more than every other person this season. She's a lead on a Disney show as opposed to a supporting player, which are the Disney stars we usually get. She's not at like Selena Gomez levels of fame of course, but little girls/tweens idolize her. It just remains to be seen whether or not they care to vote. Not to mention she's got other Disney stars with their millions of followers and people like Kobe Bryant tweeting on her behalf.

Second, Sabrina's problem for me was she had no sense of light and shade. She was aggressive all the time. So for me all the dances looked the same. I don't think Zendaya will have that problem if tonight is any indication.

What will hurt her is that she's now got the ringer label and at 16 she has no sob stories (that I'm aware of anyway) to compete with the others. That and some find it not appropriate for a 16 year old to be on the show in the first place.

Edited by spanana, Mar 18, 2013 @ 9:50 PM.

[vepyewwo]

One thing that I really liked was that she admitted right from the start that she is a hip hop dancer. She didn't try to downplay her experience or pretend like she has never had a dance lesson in her life before. She simply stated it as fact and moved on - I found that quite refreshing.

[sintin]

Really well put, spanna. I agree with all the points you outlined. I understand the Sabrina comparisons, and wouldn't be surprised if Zendaya does fizzle out midseason, but I still have high hopes for her and Val.

Another point in Zendaya's favor is that Season 16 Val is a smarter and more experienced pro than Season 5 Mark. He won't let her get away with grinning ear to ear in the paso.

I just loved what he said to her during their rehearsal: "I don't want you to be good. I want you to be incredible." It came across as encouraging rather than putting undue pressure on her, and that's where I think Val outshines his brother. It's early days still but I've got my fingers crossed that Val can find the perfect balance between being a supportive coach while making sure Zenday's ego stays in check and being age appopriate without playing it safe with the choreography.

My one worry is as the season progresses that the judges and/or voters will be tempted to pit her against Aly. I suppose they could both be considered ringers, they're both teenagers, they both have probably the largest fanbases among the women. But I can see Zendaya labeled as the Ringerest Ringer, and worry that if she doesn't have as deep a learning curve peaking early might work against her. I hope the judges don't bust out any 9s until at least week 4.

[Try Again]

Her dance was amazing. People should not sleep on this girl. I honestly think that she's going to last for a long time. I know that i'm going to root for her.

[Thirteenthjuror]

I don't see the Sabrina comparison at all. They're nothing alike. Sabrina, was way too hard in her movements and would have made that dance tonight look like a cheer routine. Sabrina was always on and Zendaya look like she knows when to turn it off. She's very mature for her age; whereas, I found Sabrina very immature and desperate at times. Apples and oranges in comparison to me. She's not the typical Disney star that they've had on here before. I think she'll last for awhile as well, TryAgain.

[ByTheWay]

Video > DwtS S16 Week 1 Post-Performance Interview: Zandaya Coleman & Val Chmerkovskiy
On The Red Carpet : Access Hollywood

[spanana]

I've seen a couple of recaps highlight the fact that they thought Zendaya, while good, was full of herself. Sometimes I think I live in an alternate reality because I didn't see anything to suggest this whatsoever last night. Mind you I think some of this is already just ringer backlash and backlash for being a Disney star, but it brings me to something that bugs the crap out of me. Are all females, particularly young ones, expected to be wilting wallflowers? Is there something wrong with a teenage girl showing some confidence, both on the dance floor and off? Notice I said confidence, not ego. I'd rather see young girls looking up to someone who seems comfortable in their own skin and who has some confidence and determination going on than just well, the alternative to that.

[Sunnyheart]

spanana, I could not agree more with your post. She seems confident and comfortable in her skin. I don't see how this is perceived as arrogant or cocky. She seems like a wonderful role model for other girls.

And I cannot get over how great their routine was and how absolutely lovely she was. I was extremely impressed. Every now and then, someone will catch my eye in the first week. It's been a long time since I've really been behind a star to win. I hope she can keep it up.

I just loved what he said to her during their rehearsal: "I don't want you to be good. I want you to be incredible." It came across as encouraging rather than putting undue pressure on her, and that's where I think Val outshines his brother.

I think Val is a much better dancer, teacher, and choreographer than his brother. And I think the challenge for Val is he can't fall back on romance or sexy stuff to sell his dances. I think we are going to see some really interesting things from these two.

I am VERY excited! Can you tell? :-)