Carrie Ann shares further discussion on the topic of lifts behind the cut
Please join the discussion on LIFTS below...
Last night was by far the most memorable “most memorable year” night in the history of Dancing with the Stars. I thank the cast of Season 24 for sharing such inspiring stories with all of us, and channeling all that passion and emotion into the dances they performed. Mr T….the light of grace shines through you and we will miss you so much!
After the show I saw lot of questions online about lifts. First of all, I just want to say that, I love my job as a judge on Dancing with the Stars. It’s wonderful to watch people come to a new form of artistic expression and learn to dance. The show has always been a place for young and old to gather, both on and off the dance floor. Our show is inclusive and doesn’t discriminate against anyone. And, as I am well aware from my life in the dance community, the dance floor is a safe place for everyone. It’s a place of free expression, and for our daring competitors, it’s a safe place to try something new.
I have judged every single episode for all 24 seasons, (Bruno and I are the only people on the show that have never missed an episode) and from day one it was decided that there would be no lifts in the proper Ballroom and Latin dances, just like in a true ballroom and latin dance competition, since that was the original basis of the show, to learn ballroom dances. On the desk is a reminder of what the NDCA rules are: A lift is any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner. Over the years, we have expanded our dance styles to include dances such as the Jitterbug, Argentine Tango, the Charleston, Salsa, Jazz, and Contemporary where lifts are allowed. However, lifts are still not allowed in Rhumba, Cha Cha, Jive, Paso Doble, Samba, Tango, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Fox Trot, or Quickstep because those are the rules for these styles. And, on top of that, it keeps it fair for competitors of all ages and abilities to compete on our show. It levels the playing field for those who have physical challenges that make lifts impossible. If lifts were allowed in every dance, people would start doing lifts to make their dances visually exciting, because truth be told, a good lift is always great to watch.
I have always taken a point off for when lift rules are broken, just as Len always takes a point or two off when there isn’t enough proper content of the Dance Sport styles. I am the only one who takes off a point for lifts, which I think is fair, because if we all did, the contestants' scores would suffer greatly for something that is not that serious of a crime. Remember, it’s only one point off, out of a total of 40 points total they can get from all the judges. And the beauty of our show is that everyone has a say. Everyone at home can vote and make their voices heard.
I LOVE a lot of the lifts that I see, and it hurts me sometimes to take a point off, but if they did that same move in a ballroom competition, they would be penalized. I appreciate the passion I hear in some of the comments about lifts, and I just want to say this:
I love and respect every single person who has every appeared on DWTS. It is incredibly inspiring to share the journey with these people who come together from all walks of life, cultural backgrounds, and ages who dare try something new with all of us watching. I will always do my berg best to judge fairly and if that earns me the title of "Lift Police", well, then I wear that badge with honor.
Lifts are a creative choice. No one has to put a lift in any dance. And if they put it in, while they may get one point docked from this judge, they may win the hearts of the audience, so sometimes it is a good choice. And I support them in that creative choice. That is what art is. It’s making creative choices with your heart. I respect that. I also respect fairness and will continue to do my part in keeping the competition fair because I love this show, all that it stands for, and all it does for people’s lives. Maybe I'll talk a little more about it on LIVE with Kelly this Thursday and Friday, where I will be cohosting alongside my dear friend Kelly Ripa.
Thank you all for watching, and I want to thank the team that puts me together for the show: