DWTS Season 17: Week 2 Preview

I hope you all like the photo.

Yes, Henry Byalikov is our guest on Tuesday. Many of you saw the announcement on Twitter earlier this week and you've been eagerly awaiting this post. It's been a busy week, but I finally had a free minute to get this up.

The wonderful thing about having Henry on the show is that it is great timing. He and Sharna Burgess are choreographing the opening number this week, so we will get the inside scoop on how it all came together.

The whole team is expected to be in studio this week: Anna, me, Jake and Suri.

Time to get those questions in! Fire away in the comments section below. We will see you all on Tuesday at 8pm PT on AfterBuzz TV.

My Thoughts on Derek Hough

This number alone should win him the Emmy

I have always maintained that I believe that Derek Hough is going to be one of the defining choreographers of his generation. I don't take that statement lightly. As someone who has been a student of dance history, think of the names you would put in that category: George Balanchine, Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Martha Graham. There are more, but it's not a list of thousands or even hundreds. I don't say that about any other pro on the show.

With a statement like that, it should be understood that you also have to be a great dancer and teacher in order to be classified as a "defining choreographer of a generation." You can't just be one thing.

On AfterBuzz TV this week, we were talking about Val and Derek and their strengths. If I am going to pick the one quality that makes Derek stand out on the show...yep, it's choreography. For Val, it's teaching. Does it mean they don't have the other qualities? Nope.

We are a show about dance, talking about dancers and why we love it so much. We give opinions that you won't always agree with, but the one thing we all agree upon is that we love dance. I'm one of the hosts of the show and as a part of my job, I have to balance my love for Derek's work with my appreciation and support for what other pros on DWTS bring to the table.

Come Sunday, I hope it's Derek who is holding that Emmy.

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. I will respond to all comments here, but I'm going to keep the debate off of Twitter. Thanks, guys!  See you next week with our guest Henry Byalikov...who is also choreographing this week's opening number on DWTS with Sharna Burgess.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Jake DuPree, Julz Tocker, Kristyn Burtt

The day is finally here! We are back in studio for Season 17 of DWTS. I thought Julz Tocker was a really fun first guest. I was so happy he was at the show the night before because he gave us insight that we wouldn't have normally had. With all of the changes, I think it was an important aspect to talk about.

A couple of things that I want to address from our show last night:
1. Tyne Stecklein: I've seen the forums. I've seen what everyone has said. I want to take a different approach to talking about the situation. It's her first year. The producers wanted her. She danced with MJ, so she can dance. Ballroom is not her background, but look....she's trying in front of 16.2 million of us on live television. Let's give her our support.

2. Troupe: I think we are seeing how important the troupe is for training, choreography and learning the rhythm of the show. The transition to pro was much easier for Sharna, Emma and Sasha...discuss.

3. Choreography: This season, I really want to hold the pros even more accountable for what they are putting out there each week. It's why some of the cast members have been nominated for Emmys. We made it a part of our discussion each week on SYTYCD for Season 10, so I would like to discuss it more on AfterBuzz TV this season. Do you agree?

Thanks for all of your support. We are so glad to be back with all of you. I'm working hard on a guest for next week!
 

Dance Chat With Kristyn Burtt: Episode 2

It's episode 2 of Dance Chat! It's such a big week in dance: SYTYCD just wrapped up, DWTS begins and the Primetime Emmys are next weekend. In addition to all of that, I will be participating in the Beat MS Dance Walk with Courtney Galiano and also covering Kristin McQuaid's dance performance with several SYTYCD alumni.  

Here is the breakdown on the episode

SYTYCD: 1:16

Primetime Emmys: 1:44

DWTS: 4:14

The question of the week: Do you like having Contemporary on the first week of DWTS or do you think it should be traditional ballroom?

Google Hangout: Let me know if you are interested in doing a Google Hangout about the Broadway documentary Every Little Step. If 10 or more people say "yes," then I will make that happen!

Links from the episode:

DONATE to Beat MS Dance Walk
Contact Me

DWTS Season 17: Week 1 Preview

We are just days away from the kickoff episode of Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars. It's been a long summer without you, but a big "thanks" to those who joined me and Jake for Season 10 of SYTYCD. We had a blast with some amazing guests. We are hoping to keep that tradition going with this season of DWTS.

The entire crew is back on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. PT this season: me, Suri Serano, Jake DuPree, Anna Trebunskaya...and one small addition: Baby Bump Trebunskaya! We are so excited for our co-host and her exciting new adventure.

Our first guest is locked and ready to go, so get those questions in for Julian Tocker, one of Season 16's troupe members. Questions go in the comments section below.

You can watch the show live here on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.

Our guest list is published here so you can mark your calendars for your DWTS favorites.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Neil Haskell

Ahhh, the season is over. After a lackluster Season 9, I thought it was going to be difficult to get revved up for Season 10. Boy, was I wrong. This has been one of the most exciting seasons in a long time. While I have been in the Jasmine camp for a long time, I am still happy for Amy. The Top 10 contestants are all incredibly talented and I think we are going to see many of them working post-tour.

I want to thank all of the SYTYCD guests who joined us this season because they made our show extra-special. Besides our epic tWitch and Allison Holker episode, Spencer Liff continues to be one of my favorite guests. I am excited to watch his climb to success as he choreographs his first Broadway show Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Neil Patrick Harris.

Team AfterBuzz TV will also be supporting Courtney Galiano's Beat MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22. If you would like to support us, here is our donation page. A big thanks to Kaitlyn and Lois for their generous donations. We appreciate it!

Thanks for a great season! Let me know in the comments below who your favorite AfterBuzz TV guest was for Season 10.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Final Results Preview

I cannot believe we are down to the very last show of So You Think You Can Dance. Season 10 has been such a great ride for all of us on AfterBuzz TV. Before we bid goodbye and before Jake and I head off to Dancing With the Stars for Season 17, we have one final guest for you. It's another fantastic All-Star from Season 3, Neil Haskell. So get those final questions in for our last show.

If you missed the fan questions from tWitch and Allison Holker, click here.

Most importantly, who do you think will win this week? Fik-Shun or Aaron? Jasmine or Amy?

Also, the AfterBuzz TV crew is supporting Courtney Galiano's Beat MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can find our team page here.