Re: Team Hennergy -- Marilu and Derek

by **Psychee22** Wed Sep 28, 2016 6:28 pm

His quote:

"My mom texted me last night and said "Man, she's (Marilu's) such an inspiration, I want to move more", and I love hearing that especially from my mom"

by **Psychee22** Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:42 pm

Derek's blog in TVGuide

Hey everyone!

Thanks for your votes!

We may not have gotten immunity, but I thought the tango was Marilu's best dance so far! She's been improving every week and I thought she looked fantastic and very impressive.

I want to clear the air about something: I know Marilu said in the clip on the results show that she thought I was upset with her, but I wasn't. I wasn't upset with her or about the scores. "Upset" is the wrong word. I was just bummed out because I just knew she could perform it better. Our dress rehearsal was better. I'm with her when she does it fantastically. I just want everyone to see that. I'm not disappointed in her. I'm not upset with her. I'm proud of her. I just want people to see how great she is. She loves the show so much and I want her to look her absolute best.

Marilu is on the brink of breaking through. It's like we're on this really thin line, where it's amazing and beautiful and fantastic on one side, and it's kind of uncomfortable and uneasy on the other side. We're just teetering on the edge and we're one small step from going over to either side. If we can just get it consistent on show night, it's going to be fantastic.

I think it's partially nerves on show night that affect her, but also her highly active brain, which is a gift, but in those types of situations, you have to get out of your head. If you're absorbing everything around you, you'll be overloaded. If your thoughts drift somewhere else, you're going to be thrown off. But it's easy for everyone to say, "Get out of your head," but it's not easy to do it. It's not like a light switch you turn on and off. There's a great saying: Overanalysis equals paralysis. And it's true. If there are too many things in our minds, you won't be focused. That's what we have to work on. She needs to look completely in control and attentive.

I know Marilu can do it. She has the ability. It's like we're on the cusp. I just want to get it to where we're not guessing and we can be at complete certainty it's going to be great. I'm pretty good at getting my partners to being comfortable and confident, so I just want to make sure I can get her to that place and make sure I'm doing my job.

I think this week will be a great one for her. It's Cirque du Soleil Week and each couple was given a show. We have Kà and we're doing the paso doble. She's looking really good so far. The routine is really cool. We have four troupe members. I'm using something from my tour with Julianne. Cirque was actually one of the inspirations behind it, so when I found out we were doing Cirque, I was, "Oh, I can integrate this into it."

I'm making it more about the visuals. It's a story of good and evil, which is the premise of Kà. I'm excited to see what everyone else comes up with. I think it'll be fun to have the Cirque element and I don't think it necessarily will detract from the dances as long as you don't go overboard with it. The loyal audience has seen a lot of paso dobles and cha chas. Throwing a fire-breather in there is going to be interesting for them to watch.

I'm also performing a results show number with the troupe and some outside dancers. It's to a song I wrote with Lindsey Stirling, so we're going to debut it! I just threw the routine together yesterday and hopefully it turns out good. I'm going to play the drums and I will be tapping and drumming against myself at one point. One of the dancers in it is Marie Poppins, who does a really cool section with Allison Holker with mirrors. I saw her do it on social media and there's a piece in the music that has a similar vibe for it, so I called her up to ask if she could come do it. There's also going to be some Argentine tango in there. It's going to be a really cool performance. I'm very excited about it!

On Saturday, I'm going to be performing at the Motion Picture Fund. George Clooney's hosting, and Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway will be there too. I have no idea how I scored an invite! When I found out the other attendees, I was like, "Crap!" No pressure, right? The theme is Old Hollywood, so I'm going to do Singin' in the Rain, which I've done before, and also an Argentine tango. I'm cheating a little bit, but I figured it was easiest to keep it in line with what I'm already doing this week. It should be a really fun night!

Thanks for reading! See you Monday!

Derek

by **Psychee22** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:19 am

A teaser for Tuesday's dance:

by **Psychee22** Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:31 am

Derek Performing for and then hanging out with the A-Listers Saturday Night.

Embed from Getty Images

by **Psychee22** Mon Oct 03, 2016 12:41 pm

by **Lesallee** Mon Oct 03, 2016 8:45 pm

This left me wanting more. The judges remarks were spot on.

by **kincaid53** Mon Oct 03, 2016 8:49 pm

I really liked this, but I might have gotten swept up in the whole production, but really nice job Marilu!

by **therealdfshary** Mon Oct 03, 2016 9:29 pm

Awww I feel sorry for Marilu....

by **Psychee22** Mon Oct 03, 2016 11:24 pm

therealdfshary wrote:Awww I feel sorry for Marilu....

Me, too...

by **Psychee22** Wed Oct 05, 2016 6:34 am

"Kairos" - The first of Derek's so-called "Passion Projects".

by **Lesallee** Wed Oct 05, 2016 11:18 am

I saw this yesterday, Psychee. Can't say I enjoyed it much. It felt too pretentiously "arty". Derek has created much better product and much more watchable too.

Just my personal opinion.

by **Psychee22** Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:15 pm

It IS "arty", but from my own perspective, not pretentious at all. The art here is perfectly consistent with his photography aesthetic and his canvases. He is exploring all facets of light and shade.

Then there is the movement art. The mix of slow motion and fast motion and motion in air and water and how that changes. He is fascinated by these things, you can see it in his dances, but you can also see it in his video photography.

And then there is the percussion. Derek LOVES percussion in all its forms and continually plays with it. So the clapping, tapping, slapping in water, drumming, fast, slow, and then SILENCE to punctuate it -- these are all part of his exploring something that energizes him, triggers in him a compulsion to dance.

So, no, I would not agree that it is pretentious. To me, this is very much the real Derek Hough, exploring a new form of art.

Not everyone is expected to like it, though!

by **Lesallee** Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:17 pm

Nope, this one is "not my cup of tea".

by **Psychee22** Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:33 pm

Lesallee wrote:Nope, this one is "not my cup of tea".

Perfectly understandable. Perhaps you will like the one he did this summer with color explosions -- when it finally gets released.

by **Psychee22** Thu Oct 06, 2016 8:19 pm

Dancing's Derek Hough: I'm Taking a Different Approach with Marilu This Week
by Derek Hough | Oct 6, 2016 5:14 PM EDT

Hey everyone!

Thanks for your votes!

I thought our paso doble went very well and I was really happy with Marilu's performance. Right before we went on, we were going over the routine and she was kind of forgetting certain things. She was like, "Don't worry, don't worry." I was like, "I'm not worried. You got it," even though inside I was pooping my pants. I'm not gonna lie -- I was so nervous! But she came through like she always does. The whole piece was big and felt nice and appropriate for the night. I can see what the judges are saying, and that is all stuff we're working on.

This week is going well so far. I was actually sick last week, so I've been recovering the past couple of days. I had a chest cough, which made me really nervous about my my voice, especially with Hairspray coming up in a couple weeks. But I'm feeling a lot better now.

I'm going to take a different approach this week with Marilu. I want to have the movement come from her and have it be authentic and organic from her body. I'll just be there to guide it. I want her to feel nonrestrictive and to feel like she can dance. We had two intense dances back-to-back, the tango and the paso, and I think the intensity was misinterpreted as stiffness in her mind. So with the Viennese waltz, we're going to crank up the fluidity and the softness.

What I've learned as well is, I give her all this information and with her memory, she holds all the information, so she's carrying all this stuff in her mind. If you think about all of it, it's heavy -- where's my arm going? My leg? My fingers? My elbows? My heels? You think about all that instead of embodying how the dance feels and putting your mind to your body so your body just does it. I want to take that load off and that weight she's carrying. I'm going to be very minimal in the things I say this week. It's a different strategy. I know I have a certain formula that has worked for me really well with my partners in the past. With her, it's different, so I'm adjusting and adapting, and hopefully we can make it happen this week.

Team Hennergy -- Marilu and Derek - Page 3 1449661547

Team Hennergy -- Marilu and Derek - Page 3 1449661547

The theme is Most Memorable Year, and Marilu picked one of the most pivotal moments in her life: when her mother died. The last thing her mom told her before she passed away was, "Don't hold back." In that moment, she turned her life around. She dedicated her herself to health and her life changed in that moment. Our song is "Surprise Herself" by Jack Garratt. It's a beautiful song and very fitting.

Thanks for all your messages about our performance Tuesday! It was a fun project Lindsey Stirling and I started a couple months ago, when we wrote the song. Then we shot the video and it was awesome that it morphed into this number. I thought the split screen thing was something cool to do because I don't think most people know I drum. I actually drummed before I danced. Playing drums is how I got into dancing because of the percussion and beats. I don't know if I'll do another performance like that again this season, but I'm grateful we got to perform this one.

I have to say this season so far has been really amazing. The vibe has been different and I think the shows so far have been great. I thought the way they handled Julianne and Amber's misunderstanding was good. It wasn't drawn-out or overdramatized, and they both apologized and handled everything really well. I totally understand the celebrities' sensitivities to the judges' critiques. I also think far, far, far worse things have been said to celebrities that were never acknowledged. But you have to realize it's not personal; it's solely about the dance. I'm glad it's all water under the bridge between them now. I really like Amber. She's super sweet and super nice, and she's an empowering role model. I think the whole thing kind of goes to show how little drama there is this season -- you know, outside of the first night. I feel like there's usually more drama and sensationalized stuff. But everything's been pretty low-key so far.

Well, except for Sasha and Emma's engagement! How awesome was that? I had no idea he was doing that. I don't think anyone else besides Tom knew either. I freaked out. I saw the clips afterward and I was like, "Man, I look like an idiot here all over their moment!" We are all so happy for them. They're such wonderful people and such a sweet couple. Mazel tov again, guys!

Thanks for reading! See you Monday!
Derek

by **kincaid53** Thu Oct 06, 2016 10:46 pm

     I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on teaching Marilu. Looking forward to their VW
       Nice comments about Amber and Julianne.

   I didn't think he looked like an idiot when Sasha proposed to Emma, he was surprised and just very happy for two people he considers family

by **kincaid53** Thu Oct 06, 2016 10:56 pm

Lesallee wrote:Nope, this one is "not my cup of tea".

Not really mine either, sis. I liked the middle when it was just he and that one girl dancing, but that's what I like best is just the dancing, if it gets too complicated I can't keep up Whew

, but that's just me.

I think it's nice that they had Maks and Val do something from their show and Derek his project Very Happy

by **DeadManDancing** Fri Oct 07, 2016 12:50 pm

kincaid53 wrote:     I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on teaching Marilu. Looking forward to their VW
       Nice comments about Amber and Julianne.

   I didn't think he looked like an idiot when Sasha proposed to Emma, he was surprised and just very happy for two people he considers family

I was most impressed with what he said about the different vibe this season, because I'm sensing the same. I bet he would never have imagined to do another season with Maks and Cheryl, but there they are, and all three seem very relaxed.
After watching the Paso for the second time, I thought Len might have given them an 8 this week. Lots of content, and the execution wasn't bad. There was a lot going on, but visually Marilu was always the center- from the viewers perspective. Of course this doesn't tell us how she felt it herself.

by **Lesallee** Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:21 pm

My absolute favourite Team Hennergy dance. And it was all Marilu, I barely glanced at Derek. Lovely.

by **kincaid53** Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:23 pm

I said on another thread it was too much pressure for Marilu to have Derek......I think she took him or he stepped off the pedestal and a great dance was performed.

by **peebeeb** Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:31 pm

Lovely and had me in tears.

by **Psychee22** Tue Oct 11, 2016 1:06 am

kincaid53 wrote:I said on another thread it was too much pressure for Marilu to have Derek......I think she took him or he stepped off the pedestal and a great dance was performed.

There's something to that, I think... but also, I think that Marilu's public persona was somewhat hard to get under... she is twice his age, she laughs all the time, seems to have life by the balls, and has always succeeded by remaining in control of the men in her life... connecting to her through laughter and jokes only got him so far.... but once they were facing failure, and he got her quiet, and she cried, and she told him that she might be SCARED of him, he finally had the opportunity to be the stellar nurturer that he is, and the roles got back to what is normal for him in a teaching relationship. Derek is great at teaching because he can relate to the deepest vulnerabilities of his partners, and from that, relationships and trust and chemistry happens. But Marilu's vulnerabilities were camouflaged so much better than most that he needed some time to get there...

Anyway, I'm really happy for them.

by **kincaid53** Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:23 pm

Very well put . I see everything you're saying. She just doesn't want to disappoint him, the other celebs say that too about their pros. Anyway I do agree that she has been a little bit of a puzzle for him to figure out.

by **Psychee22** Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:23 pm

In his book, "Taking The Lead", Derek has devoted a chapter to each of his celebs, talking about life lessons that he gained from them.

If he ever did a sequel, this would be the stuff of Marilu's chapter.

by **DeadManDancing** Wed Oct 12, 2016 1:45 pm

Marilu may require a book of her own. Anyway, I liked that dance a lot. For the first time, she looked as if she let the music move her.

by Sponsored content