Pro Dancers Blast The DWTS Judges

“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancers Cheryl Burke and Witney Carson have strong opinions about the show casting people with dance experience and also the addition of the judges’ save. Even pro-turned-judge Derek Hough isn’t so sure about those aspects of the show. Read on to find out what they said and who they think exited the show a little early in season 30.

Cheryl & Witney Think the Judges Should Give ‘More Credit’ to Improvement Over Coming in With Dance Training

On an episode of Cheryl’s podcast, “Pretty Messed Up,” the two “Dancing With the Stars” pros got to talking about Witney’s season 30 partner, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, who was the seventh dancer eliminated. They think the show’s judges didn’t give him enough credit for improving.

“[Mike] is the epitome of what the show’s about — taking a guy with no dance experience at all — which, I was kind of hoping the judges gave him a little bit more credit for what he was doing because I really felt like he poured his heart and soul into everything that he ever did,” said Witney.

She also bristled at the fact that during their final competitive dance before the relay, they were told to have more fun — which was what Mike was all about this season.

“For them to be at the end like our last dance just to be like ‘why don’t you have more fun?’ That’s what Carrie Ann said … on our competitive dance and it was a foxtrot, so we were trying to be poised and graceful. She was just like, ‘You need to just show that you’re having more fun,” Witney said, to which Cheryl replied that she can “vouch for” Mike, he was “having the best time” out of anyone this season.

“I wish they just gave him a little bit [of credit] for improving. And then when we did the competitive relay dance challenge, not one voted for him,” said Witney.

“That’s crazy. Your jive was frickin’ — first of all, it wasn’t easy, second of all, he’s kicking and flicking. … Miz was killin’ it,” said Cheryl.

Witney thought Mike went home a little too early, especially since they were never in the bottom two before the week he was eliminated.

“He cared so much and it was everything he could possibly do,” said Witney, adding that she thinks “his feelings got hurt” when they were eliminated.

Cheryl also thought Jimmie Allen and Emma Slater’s “journey ended a little short” for the same reason — the judges saved someone with dance experience over someone who had shown so much growth and improvement. Cheryl and Witney are also very torn about the judges’ save, i.e. where the judges get to choose who goes home out of the bottom two.

“It would have been great for me when I danced with Juan Pablo, that season when Bobby Bones won and we didn’t make the final, right?” said Cheryl, to which Witney responded, “In that scenario that would totally be amazing, I would love that. But somebody like Mike, where he’s the crowd favorite and the audience favorite, it kind of works against us.”

Judge Derek Hough Doesn’t Disagree

Derek is in the unique position of having danced as a pro on the show before moving to the judges’ table. In an interview with Parade, he was asked about how “disappointing” it is to see someone like The Miz go home — someone who “comes in and gets better; not someone like JoJo Siwa who knows how to dance.”

“That is an absolutely fair statement because The Miz, Jimmie Allen, and even Olivia Jade with no dancing experience, seeing them just get better and better, it’s been really impressive and really cool,” said Derek. “What I loved about The Miz was that you could really see him working hard … I think he definitely embodied old-school ‘Dancing with the Stars.'”

He also said that at the end of the day, it’s about being “memorable” more than winning the Mirrorball Trophy.

“What I have to say about The Miz, too, is when it comes to just memorable iconic looks, he’s already won. At the end of the day, and it’s what I tell the celebrities, even my partners in the past, yes, the result matters to a point but the thing that matters the most, I believe, is being memorable. … The memorable stuff is what sticks,” said Derek.

Do you agree? Or should “Dancing With the Stars” go back to having cast members with very little dance experience and training?

“Dancing With the Stars” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on ABC.

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