“Judging Panel Dancers Sing Praises”. Former ‘Dancing with the Stars’ judging panel criticizes judges for new season

However, Ponomaryov has openly stated that he does not follow the show. “The word of honor. I’ve just heard from people that the judges sing songs of praise to the dancers.

In my opinion we need to be more constructive, to say openly what we like and what we don’t like. If I’m on the judging panel, then the dancer must satisfy me so that I want to at least give a ten in the last performances.

When asked what was the hardest thing for him in the judging panel, he says: “Tension, because you have to speak Latvian on camera all the time, which is not my native language. In an interview at the time, I was told: oh, how nice that you speak your mind, but no, nothing close.

“But I also said nice things, like: you walked colossally, I’d also like to see how you dance. Isn’t that inspiring?” then Ponomariov.

He continues, “But you walked well. The best thing you did beautifully today wasn’t how you left the track. There is a lot to learn in dance. It just seems like there is flight and lightness in it. Comes with a lot of work. Before applying for the show, you need to calculate the amount of work. You can’t do otherwise. It’s a competition with a prize at the end, so you have to be ready to work hard. It’s easier for women who dance with a professional dancer, but it’s very difficult for a professional dancer to join a star who doesn’t understand.”

As you know, this season the jury consists of Iļja Vlasenko, ballet teacher and tutor at the Latvian National Opera and theater dance teacher at the Latvian Academy of Culture. The dancers are also judged by professional dancer and sports dance trainer Marta Kalēja-Irbe, as well as choreographer and assistant professor at the Latvian Academy of Music Jāzepa Vītola, leader and artistic director of several general Latvian song and dance festivals Jānis Purviņš.

Read the full interview with Vladimir Ponomaryov in the magazine “Vigil” in the November 23 issue!