Dancing with the stars
I've previously blogged about Dancing with the Stars, saying that part of its charm is that it is reviving older dance routines, such as the waltz, foxtrot and the quickstep, along with older tunes and melodies.
It nonetheless has a "back to the future" feel about it. The dancers have a subtle lack of sophistication and finesse. I don't think this has to do with their ages, but rather with their cultural environment, where a certain freewheeling spirit is encouraged.
Compare them to Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire [dance videos linked]. There is tremendous discipline, restrained energy and sophistication in these dancers.
Still, Lacey Schwimmer choreographs [video of mambo linked] a pretty good rendition of a mambo - one of those dances which was fine-tuned by American dancers, despite its Latin origin, into a playfully teasing interpretation. I think she channels Cyd Charisse well with this dance.
On another note, the Viennese waltz that Derek Hough dances with Brooke Burke is heavy on beat ONE, and really doesn't work as it should, making the usually talented dancer Derek [video of waltz linked] at times lose the beautiful smooth sweeps that such a dance demands. I think the melody should be stronger to allow the embellishments that such a dance needs. The pop tune in Derek's choreography is bereft of any interesting parts and is continuously overshadowed by the beat of the bass. [Ed: On further thought, I was a little harsh on Derek's choreography. A lesser talent wouldn't have come up with his waltz. I still think he was fighting against leaning on the bass to much.]
Here is an example [dance video linked] of an inconspicuous beat, with an intricate melody, and how it helps the dancers to be much more fluid, and to choreograph interesting moves.
Here is another video of Charisse and Astaire doing a wonderfully graceful "Dancing In The Dark" from the musical "The Bandwagon." It is not a waltz but its flowing melody and quieter bass helps the dancers to glide through their number.
So, it isn't really Derek's fault. It's really a deterioration of the music - more bass, less melody. And it results with modern dancers who cannot quite reach the level of perfection that their predecessors worked so hard to achieve.