PureDWTS Season 24, Week 5 – Power Rankings
Well, thank god that’s over – yes, kids, I actually hate Disney week. Sue me. The first time they did it (in season 18), it was cool; but each successive season got progressively less…magical, and more…of a chore to watch. I find that, out of all the theme weeks, it’s the one most likely to force the songs to fit the wrong dances, and to get so caught up in production value that the dance becomes a bit of an afterthought, and the costumes/sets/animations/etc. dominate. Much like my general opinion of Disney these days – just overwrought with commercialization. And I kinda felt that commercial aspect last night more than previous Disney nights – some of the dances felt more like advertisements for upcoming Disney movies, or promotion for lesser-known musicians. I guess when Disney owns ABC, this is to be expected – if it don’t make dollas, it don’t make sense, kids. But I did like the intro, because it was something different – and say what you will about Alfonso, but he has ALWAYS been there for the show when they need him, whether it’s filling in for Tom when his dad died, actually giving insightful critiques as a guest judge, or just being supportive and being in the audience week after week. I feel like he really gets a bum rap sometimes, as well as the unfair label of being the biggest male ringer the show has ever had – but that’s a discussion for another place…
And now we move onto the “stay woke” segment of the rankings – because there was some serious manipulation going on last night, and you didn’t exactly have to be a rocket scientist to see it. There was gross underscoring, gross overscoring, vague criticism not really rooted in anything substantial, vague praise not really rooted in anything substantial, and strategic placement of people in jeopardy and in safety. The funny thing is, you can really tell that there’s new EP’s at the helm – Conrad & Rob were both a lot stealthier with this kinda stuff; with Joe & Ashley, it’s amateur hour. They’re the B-squad puppeteers that were thrust into lead roles as Muppets, but we can totally see their hands up the asses of some of the contestants. If you haven’t yet read Heidi’s post about manipulation, you totally should – it’s eye-opening. So what do I make of all of it? I think David, Rashad, & Simone are probably running away with the bulk of the votes, Heather & Normani may not be getting as many as TPTB had anticipated they would, I don’t think they’ve decided what to do about Nancy yet, and Bonner & Nick are pretty disposable to them at this point. Will their machinations work? Not to the degree they’re hoping, I don’t think. Time will tell, and I get the impression that the viewers may be wisening up to the funny business – I know a lot of the readers here have.
So Erika left us…and I’m left without a ton to say other than “oh well…it is what it is.” Her elimination has been the LEAST disappointing one to me so far this season, mostly because I tended to forget her week after week – that kind of thing tends to happen when you basically do the same dance each week, with just a few tweaks. I enjoyed her Viennese waltz last night, and was glad we FINALLY got to see a different side of her (and she even showed vulnerability!) – but it was unfortunately too little, too late. Really hoping we don’t get another “look at how rich & sexy I am!” dance at the finale. Interesting to note: her exit left us with perfectly even numbers of men & women left for the girl groups vs. boy bands team dance next week. Coincidental or intentional? You decide.
1.) Simone & Sasha – FINALLY – these two start operating at their full potential, and not a moment too soon. Simone’s strongest dance by far – she seemed invested, at ease, and seemed to be emoting properly. And Sasha finally took a risk that I was hoping he’d take, and started adding in the gymnastic stuff that is sure to make Simone shine – it was one major complaint I had about Val last season, that he seemed to actively avoid having Laurie do anything remotely gymnastic, except for one forward flip in her freestyle. Loved how Sasha adapted typically solo gymnastic moves into partnered lifts and other tricks. But seriously? Two nines? No way in hell Normani was that much better than Simone, and Simone was probably the most deserving of a perfect 40 of anything we’ve seen so far this season. Couple that with the fact that Simone seems to be getting the least amount of camera time and seems to be getting little love from the judges so far this season, and it gives one pause – why are they trying so hard to keep Simone down??? And my only thought is that they think they’re maybe going to lose credibility if a gymnast wins two seasons in a row – which makes no sense when you pair it with the fact that they seem to be gunning for back-to-back wins for Val. Simone got a bit of the bad package treatment last night, too, but she also got the pimp spot. Feels a bit exploitative to me – keep Simone down with a less-than-flattering package and low-balled scores, but hey – give her the pimp spot so you can capitalize on her popularity with viewers tuning in to see her. It’s all so – weird. And nonsensical. And it detracts from my overall enjoyment of the show…but my one hope is that enough folks are seeing through this nonsense that they’re just voting that much harder.
2.) Rashad & Emma – I guess at this point, I should be entertaining the notion that Shad is getting the “Nyle” treatment: praised in even-numbered weeks, and given a hard time in the odd-numbered ones. It fits so far – and if it holds, he’ll end up winning 😉 Kidding – well, half-kidding. Most grossly underscored dance of the night, in my opinion – no, it wasn’t as good as his contemporary last week (but that’s going to be hard to top), but given that they were handled yet another crappy song (that Emma was struggling to find a foxtrot beat for on Shad’s IG story last week), I thought they slayed it – it was still a proper foxtrot (even if it was done to a song that really had no foxtrot beat to be found), and Shad was giving me life with how he was holding up his frame and still managing to fill the pauses in the phrasing of the music with rises & stretches through his spine & neck (in pro ballroom, “rising” is the description of the motion the ballroom couples do when they’re boxed-in and waiting for another couple to get out of the way – you never want to just be standing still, so you just kinda stretch up and prepare to move). It really looked polished, the whole thing – which is why I was absolutely gobsmacked that Carrie Ann had the gall to give it a 7. Uncalled for, and here comes my tinfoil hat theory for why she did it: I think she had seriously been planning on calling them for a lift (that swinging move where Shad was holding Emma by one arm and one leg, and the other arm and leg were extended towards the floor). Deep Throat had mentioned to me on Sunday that Shad’s foxtrot “looked really good, but there’s a move that will probably get called as a lift” – apparently Emma’s foot came off the floor both during camera blocking and during dress rehearsal, so I’m sure Carrie Ann saw it on the monitor in her trailer as she was getting ready. However, by the time the show rolled around, Shad & Emma had worked it out and he held her extra low – that foot stayed on the floor, much to the chagrin of the inane Lift Police. Which could also explain why Carrie Ann seemed kinda flustered when giving her critique, and gave some sort of vague, bullsh*t complaint about Shad “not connecting to the dance” – and really, all of the judges had this weird, apologetic tone to their critiques, anyway; like they knew they were about to screw Shad over and felt lightweight bad about it. Again, I go back to my theory that TPTB aren’t afraid to kinda screw over the top vote-getters, because they know (or they think they know) that it won’t hurt them – which is why they also did Shad a major disservice by announcing early in the show that he was safe. It may seem innocuous enough to those of us well-versed in how voting works, but for the legions of not-so-bright voters that don’t really pay close attention? They assumed Shad was safe for NEXT week, so they didn’t bother voting. *banging head on desk* So help me god, if Shad ends up in jeopardy over this, I’m gonna lose it – because that was absolutely intentional on the part of TPTB. They were banking on enough folks falsely assuming Shad was safe that it might diminish his overall vote total – which infuriates me, because it tells me that they’re trying to engineer it so he doesn’t win. If you really want to take a closer look at how thoroughly he got screwed, you can also look at running order – Shad was still winded from the opening number and then had to go right into his foxtrot, but hey…they still got the boon of all the viewers tuning in at the top of the hour, seeing a good dance, and hopefully staying tuned in instead of switching over to The Voice. He got exploited. But the voice in the back of my head still says “Hey, Court – do you think they’d be trying so hard to knock him down a few pegs if he was doing poorly in the votes??? NO!” So I stand by my theory that Simone, Rashad, and David are killing it in the votes – and TPTB are trying to level the playing field by going in harder on them.
3.) David & Lindsay – After talking with Deep Throat, we kinda came to the conclusion that David may have been the victim of an overproduced dance last night – because apparently when he did it in dress rehearsal, his jive was quite a bit more energetic, and he appeared to be having a lot more fun. But it also didn’t have the band & the singer involved, and David had gotten used to rehearsing with a recorded track all week long. Sure, that’s basically the case every week on the show, but the singer they had for David’s song was RIGHT THERE, rather than in the orchestra pit like they usually are. On top of that, I felt like his dance was more of an opportunity for Disney to plug Cars 3 than to see David dance, so it had a bit of an overproduced, over-commercialized feel to it. It was very “Lights! Live Band! Bright costumes! CARS CARS CARS!!!” and he seemed to get a bit disoriented – I commend him from staying on-time, though, and he didn’t miss any moves – but seriously, a 28 was pretty asinine. For a dance that he managed to hit all his moves and stay on time, I would have given at least straight 8’s; I would only venture into “7” territory for serious timing issues. But again, I go back to “who’s killing it in the votes, and who needs help?” And really, the impression I’ve gotten is that Grandpa has been probably getting the most votes each week so far – between his dance last week being shown on the scoreboard at Wrigley, and his family appearing every week, he’s really knocking it out of the park (pun intended) with the core demographic of the show. I’m not at all worried about him next week, although I’m still pissed about his score – apparently Lindsay was understandably pretty miffed about their scores, too, and was overheard talking about it backstage. Chin up, girl – it ain’t you, it’s the politics 🙁
4.) Nancy & Artem – Nancy is a bit of a unicorn in the competition right now, I think – she’s someone that hasn’t yet posed a big threat to the partners of the Chmerkovskiy brothers, but she’s also pretty good, but maybe not slaying in the votes like Simone, Rashad, and David; she’s basically someone that I don’t think TPTB have figured out what to do with, which is actually beneficial for her at this point. I feel like they’re letting her journey unfold *gasp!* organically, and without a whole lot of intervention & manipulation – which kind of makes me love her that much more 🙂 I thought her jazz was just lovely – and Maks could have taken some seriously beneficial notes from Artem on how to choreograph a proper jazz that highlights your partner’s strengths. Particularly impressive was how Artem manage to fill typically “empty” spaces in the routine – like walking down the steps, hopping down from the bridge, sitting on a bench – and actually give a dance-like quality to the movement. Where Maks just had Heather walking or running – Artem had Nancy prancing, doing leg extensions, doing pique turns, etc. And Nancy handled it all with ease, and looked right at home doing it. Loved her blue dress and the red wig – thought she looked the most like the princess she was meant to portray, without looking silly. Probably the one score last night that I thought was appropriate. But the big question moving forward is “How are they gonna handle Nancy?” Are they going to continue to let the chips fall where they may with her? Are they going to start riding her like Simone, Shad, and David? Are they going to start pimping her like Normani & Heather? Probably not that one, but I am interested to see if she continues to get treated the same way as we make our way to the finals.
5.) Normani & Val – I think they gave these two the DWTS “stimulus package” – high scores, high praise, good running order, and a warning shot of jeopardy in order to stimulate their votes. And you don’t give a stimulus package to a business that’s doing well – so I’m inclined to think that Normani may not be getting the hoards of votes the Harmonizers like to claim they’re getting (and if there’s still any of you lurking – and we know you lurk – hoping to continue arguing this point, do so here). This was a pretty good paso doble, but I wouldn’t say it was a 39/40 good – Normani looked a bit wobbly coming out of some of the turns, and it looks like she may have started moving a bit early, before the music started. And I still take issue with rewarding a routine that seemed to have so much wasted space; sure, the bow staff-fighting segment was cool and hearkened back to Mulan, but the whole time they were doing that, they weren’t doing paso doble. Say what you will about Shad’s 39-scoring contemporary last week, but he was doing contemporary the ENTIRE TIME. Had to chuckle a bit when I saw that Val threw in the ol’ high kick again – that definitely seems to be his choreographic “tic” this season. I’m sure they will probably get an uptick in votes this week, simply due to the faux jeopardy appearance, but I’m beginning to wonder if TPTB are going to be able to give them boosts like this for the remainder of the season…because I’m not convinced they can sustain themselves.
6.) Heather & Alan (Maks) – If you would like a visual catalog of every Chmerkovskiy choreographic trope, look no further than this “jazz” – because it has a little bit of everything: lots of time spent walking from spot to spot, a superfluous prop (guess they’re trying to get their money’s worth out of the fountain from Ginger’s “Belle” number), repetition (Look! More pretzel arms!), overrated-ness (that lift that Maks “just made up” looks awfully similar to many we’ve already seen on the show), and a lot of steps that aren’t part of the dance style being performed. The last part in particular just makes me chuckle & shake my head – Maks gets the most open-ended and flexible dance during probably the most flexible and open-ended week, rule-wise…and he basically choreographs an out-of-hold foxtrot with a lot of posing. It would be pretty funny if it weren’t kind of pathetic, really. Part of me thinks he should have just turned choreographic duties over to his partner, who excitedly said “I can do jazz!!!” before realizing her mistake and trying to play it off like “Oh, well, I mean, I’m not GREAT at jazz, and I don’t want to set myself up for failure…” Keep trying, #HeatherNotAProfessionalDancer. I don’t know what the hell Maks was talking about up in the skybox, but it seemed like he was making some excuse about the song having too much talking and it making it hard to choreograph to it – to which I say, “Errr, weren’t Nastia & Derek in almost the exact same boat in season 20? And they still managed to churn this out?” But Heather still got the patented Julianne Hough apology act, so there’s that, and she still ended up with a 34 – which is better than 3 other couples did. But I did find it interesting that Len & Carrie Ann did seem to call out the lack of content on this one – and seemed to put Maks on notice. Hope he’s ready to step up his game next week, since they’re going to be doing at least two dances per week from here on out…who am I kidding? He’s going to continue to coast, and grossly under-utilize his partner’s skill set 😛 Pass the popcorn, please…
7.) Bonner & Sharna – Now that Erika’s gone, I guess someone has to take up the mantle of the “non-event dancer” – and I unfortunately think Bonner’s the most likely candidate. Let me be clear: Bonner isn’t a bad dancer, per se; he’s just not a terribly exciting or memorable dancer. While he is improving, he is still pretty stiff and gets that “deer in the headlights” look in his eyes from time to time, and tends to look to Sharna to remember what to do. He was better this week than last week, and their dance was fun – but I would say he’s easily the weakest dancer left. I still think he’s got some appeal in the eyes of the female, conservative viewing audience, though, so I’d say he’s probably got the juice to outlast Nick and possibly even Heather. Childish tantrums from the Tumblr universe notwithstanding, I could see him lasting through at least next week. Sorry…not much else to add, other than “God, I miss having Hinch on the show.”
8.) Nick & Peta – Anyone else think that Nick sans facial hair looks kinda like the odd love child of Tristan MacManus & Benji Schwimmer? Just me? I didn’t even recognize Nick in the opener, and was only able to tell it was him by the Pinocchio costume. He did pretty well this week – Peta gave him cute choreography and he kept up decently well, with no major mistakes being made; I liked the cane bit, and I appreciated that they only did a few bars of cane work before ditching them to do more side-by-side stuff (interestingly enough, that was my main gripe with Charlie & Sharna’s Mary Poppins jazz 3 years ago). But in the grand scheme of last night, Nick was maybe marginally better than Bonner, still not terribly memorable, and in the “running order spot of doom” for the second week in a row. Add to that the fact that he ended up in jeopardy AGAIN last night – and he’s the only person left that’s been in jeopardy twice so far this season – and I’m thinking Nick may have run out of steam. Which I have to partially blame on the judges, who seemed to go in pretty hard on him the first 2-3 weeks before finally warming to him – and I don’t think a cushy overscore of 34 is going to be enough to save him this time. The rest of the cannon fodder is gone, and I think he & Bonner (with an outside chance of Heather) are next on the chopping block. But overall, I found myself kinda liking the guy – as much as his name had been maligned prior to the season starting, I thought I would hate him; but now I just think he’s been playing a character on The Bachelor, and who we see on DWTS is closer to the real thing. I don’t think we’ve heard more than 3 words out of Peta the entire season, and she still looked wiped out, so I think she’s probably not going to be too disappointed to bow out this early.
So ends Disney week – how did you guys feel about everything?
Nancy and Simone were my favorites of the night (Simone did receive two 10’s btw)! It wasn’t the most interesting Disney night, but wasn’t horrible either.
Next week’s theme seems like it’s practically tailor made for Normani, so I’m not looking forward to that.
I’m holding out hope for Nancy to make the finals. Just not sure that is going to happen unless it is a four person final. Any chance of that?
I know a lot of people stop watching/voting when their fave is eliminated, but maybe she can pick up a few additional fans from Erica’s fan base. I was hoping for some nostalgia fans from Mr. T’s and Charo’s fan bases as well. Nothing wrong with hoping.
Artem has always been quiet, but his smile says a lot and Nancy’s is just dazzling.
@Cara – There’s only been (2) 4 person finales in the spring season – and that was back in season 16 & 18. The past two spring seasons have only had (3) finalists. I won’t say it’s impossible, but I do think it’s improbable that they’d take 4 finalists this season.
I’m with Court. I’m not a fan of Disney Week either. I’m so glad it’s over. But, here’s my rankings….
1. Simone and Sasha- These two left my jaw on the ground. Just excellent in every way. Magical and beautiful!! I loved all of their tricks!
2. Normani and Val – The power. The fierceness! They were totally into character. Well done, but, it didn’t beat their Fox trot imo.
3. Rashad and Emma – They were so elegant, magical, and smooth. Timeless like Julianne said. Though what’s with the scores? This dance was every bit of a “9” atleast imo.
4. David and Lindsay – This dance gets my vote for choreo of the week. I loved all the detail. It was jammed packed with so much wam, bam, entertainment, and creativity. Maybe some of his footwork was flat but who cares. All I see is joy with these two and giving it everything they have every week.
5. Heather and Alan – I loved how well they got into their characters, but, like Carrie Ann, I was a little disappointed. Being she’s a professional and knows Jazz, I thought we’d see so much more.
6. Artem and Nancy – They were like the sun again out there again. I loved her smile, elegance, and beauty.
7. Bonner and Sharna – A Tango to this song and theme had to be so hard to do, but, they pulled it off. They were into character and I loved the fun, and creativenesss. I always love that he’s not afraid to challenge himself even with his injuries.
8. Peta and Nick – They were so cute. He just had fun and they succeeded in bringing back our childhood. Not sure it was 9 worthy, but, it was entertaining.
David’s did nothing for me. Nor did Rashad. But, that had more to do with the song than him. I loved Simone’s, Nancy and Normani’s were tied for my second fav of the night.
Count me in as a Nancy fan. I love Artem this season and I adore the dance choreography he has given her. I really can’t wait to see the passionate side of Nancy. We’ve seen the lyrical, and the fun, she has done a lot of ballroom and a a pretty great Samba. Artem’s Tangos and Rumba with Kara Tointon on Strictly were a thing of beauty. He is bringing that same sensibility to Nancy’s dances and I’m really hoping we’ll be able to see more before she goes.
I was also underwhelmed this week. I wish they would have used more nostalgic Disney music. This was also the first week I really saw the manipulation- and I am not pleased. David continues to get all my votes, but when he goes it’s Rashad all the way. My rankings based on enjoyment:
1.Normani/Val- I loved this. The dance was awesome and she sold it well. I could have done without so many high kicks, but this was her best dance and the best dance of the night IMO. I think they had an advantage using a more well-known, beloved song. My only wish is that Val would let Normani talk, ever. Despite her fantastic dancing, I still feel like I don’t know her- mostly because Val monopolizes every interaction. Also- Donny sounded awesome.
2.Nancy/Artem- I was worried bc I haven’t loved Artem’s previous Jazz dances, but this was wonderful. Totally in the character of Disney, and with a lot of content. Artem has, IMO, really stepped up to the challenge, and they’ve become one of my favorite couples. She is getting better and better every week, and Artem is really challenging her.
3.Simone/Sasha- This was powerful and perfectly danced. I’m of two minds on the gymnastics content. On one hand, contemporary is the perfect time to harass that talent, and Sasha did that wonderfully. On the other hand, I would have liked less gymnastics- but that’s just a personal preference. Every week, though, I feel more confident in their place in the final.
4.Rashad/Emma- WHY ARE THE JUDGES ACTING LIKE HE’S THE RINGER!! Seriously, though, he has no background and is putting others to shame, yet the judges act like he’s the one with the dance background. That 7 was criminal, and I have to imagine he’s killing it in votes. He captured the dance for me, and really seemed to be leading Emma and playing the prince role well. It wasn’t their best, but it wasn’t a 32. Ridiculous. If he’s in jeopardy I will be pissed.
5.Nick/Peta- I really think Peta is a great teacher, and I thought this dance suited Nick well. He stayed on time, hit everything, and was more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. Every week he impresses me more and more. I did think he was overscored, but considering I think he’s been underscored the past few weeks I’m ok with it.
6.David/Lindsay- Again, why are the judges acting like he has training? The man is forty, he has never danced in his life, and (unlike some other pros) Lindsay is actually teaching him the dance and giving him real content. I was actually impressed by this Jive, although I do think it got lost in the shuffle. He was underscored, and I’m praying he’s getting the votes I think he’s getting. He might not be the best, but I always look forward to watching his dances.
7.Heather/Alan- Easily the worst Jazz I’ve ever seen done by a capable celebrity. The choreo was so bad it was laughable. I’m glad the judges called them out on the content, but I thought the score was too generous. 90% of the dance was running in circles and gesturing. I would have given it a 30 at most. I’m looking forward to the numbers post, because I’m thinking she might be in danger.
8.Bonner/Sharna- Was that even a Tango? I didn’t think it was terrible, but it was just blah. Again, the judges are being way too kind with his scores. Unlike Peta and Lindsay, I don’t feel like Sharna is challenging him (or maybe his limitations are that severe?). Either way, I’m ready for them to go. I’m at the point of just fast forwarding through his dances.
1. Normani. I mean there’s a reason why she got 1st place in the leaderboard. She absolute amazing. It was an amazing Paso it looks like the GP agrees. I did get scared when she was put in jeapordy but it will hopeful boost her votes she’s probably getting the most votes so that will put her over the edge and win. I’m excited for next week I’m hoping she does WFH.
2. Simone. Amazing routine but it felt more like a floor routine. But still she’s my second favorite. Hoping these two make the top 2 and Mani takes it home.
3. Rashad. I used to hate Rashad but then I saw a pic of him and Mani and they looked hot together. I ship them I hope they date.
4. Heather. It was okay but boring I initially was rooting for her because I thought she would deliver amazing killer performances but so far everything has been lackluster. I do not think she is being pimped actually the opposite they seem so awkward in their packages and the judges scores were also low and the running order is really bad so I do not know where you came to that conclusion that she is being favored.
5. Nick
6. Bonner
7. Nancy
8. David
I do not care for the rest they’re all boring and plain folk who really aren’t interesting whatsover.
Rashad Simone and Normadi were my top three of the night the others I quickly forgot about
Not sorry to see Erika go just couldn’t stand her
My next choices
Nick
Heather
Bonner He’s sweet and I like him but I don’t see him going all the way
Athletes tend to do very well one of them will get it I can see Rashad and Simone as the final two
Also to the ladies that run this site you ever get so fed up with the show one of you ever skip a season? Not trying to start anything just curious
Also next week’s theme sounds appalling so I’ll sit that episode out
I’m looking forward to some pro dances soon. Hard to believe it’s already halfway through the season.
Jazz, who is this “GP” you speak of? General practitioner? Grand Prix? Same for WFH – nobody cares, because nobody knows what you’re saying.
1) Simone and Sasha: I believe Simone and Sasha have the biggest total of viewer votes and scores. A beautiful dance that closed out the show. I am liking this partnership more and more each week. Thought it deserved a 40 and was better than Normani’s.
2) Normani and Val: This is the most overscored dance of the night. It was one of the songs (excluding the jazz and contemporary ones) that fit its dance style the best. If it weren’t for Heather, that would be the meh-iest choreography of the evening. Also, I’m asking Santa for a Chmerkovskiy mute button this year. Occasionally, I’d like to hear Normani talk without the constant threat of Val interrupting her. 2 isn’t where I’d put her, but given the judges scores, I think she’s way safe.
3) Nancy and Artem: They are doing so great, and I just adore the both of them. I think they are so well matched. Artem seems to understand that Nancy is putting a lot of pressure on herself and seems to be very encouraging and supportive. Nancy shined in this dance, and it was great to see.
4) Rashad and Emma: WTF WITH THESE SCORES?!?!?! I’m not big into internet shouting, but I still haven’t gotten over this one. Minimum this dance deserved all 9s, and considering the gift they gave Normani, some or all 10s would’ve been appropriate/consistent. A 7 is such utter BS I feel like calling it BS is offensive to bulls. All that said, I still feel like Rashad is getting the votes to finish above Nick and Heather this week.
5) Nick and Peta: I really liked this dance. Nick handled it well, and I liked the choreography. I also think the really goofy character was great for Nick. I found him to be a very charming Pinocchio, and he took the childhood photo thing in great stride. All that said, the scores were way too generous relative to the scores others got. David and especially Rashad both danced better and ended up with worse scores. With Heather tied with him in scores, I think he’s safe because I feel like he’s getting 1 vote more than her.
6) Heather and Alan/Maks: Maks should’ve let Serge, Alan, whoever take this one. Haven’t loved their stuff, but I’ve liked it much more than this kindergarten jazz. A trained jazz dancer can clearly handle more jazz content than Nancy or Nick. So why did both of them have more jazz/actual dancing in their dances than Heather? I’m still annoyed with CAI, but she redeemed herself a bit for calling out the massive disappointment that this dance was. I have no clue why Julianne insists on liking all of Heather’s dances, but safe to say I’m over it. Also, if Bonner, David, and Rashad are killing it in the votes she’s in trouble. I feel strongly Rashad will end up with a higher combined scores+votes total than her this week. I think David might too. Only wild card to me is Bonner, but I’m pulling hard that he is killing it too and that this week is shocking elim week.
7) David and Lindsay: If Rashad hadn’t gotten so hosed, David would’ve won most screwed over contestant this week. I fully admit my bias (I love David), but three 7s and an 8 is just crap IMO. I would’ve expected 4 8s. That would’ve put him tied with Rashad, but if the judges had scored fairly I think Rashad would’ve gotten much more and David would’ve been tied with Heather maybe. I actually ran the numbers this week, and that’s why I put David so low. He can (and IMO will) overtake Bonner. Rashad is next and given what a popular guy he is I think his lead is safe. I’m just worried Nick and Heather might have too big of a lead to overcome. Will wait for Heidi’s number post to go into more detail but just wanted to explain why I have him so low.
8) Bonner and Sharna: I’m hoping I’m wrong, but looking at everything I don’t think it looks good for Bonner. He’s sandwiched in between Rashad and David judges’ scores wise, but those are two guys who I think might be the biggest getters of viewer votes. I think David has enough to overcome the 1 judges point difference, and there ain’t no way he’s catching Rashad. At this point, I think his best bet is if Heather is doing absolutely awful in the votes or if David isn’t killing it in the votes like I think he is.
I agree with your rankings. You know what irritated me the most about Maks? OK- so you decide to go “full Disney” and as a result produce a lackluster Jazz routine. But he didn’t even do Frozen correctly. Anna was not wearing that dress in that song and hadn’t even met Kristoff at that point. At least do your research, its the first hit on You Tube!
@Courtney. GP means the General Public. WFH is the iconic song which I’m sure you all know Work From Home by 5Hlook it up on YouTube if you do not. It’s a really cool video btw. God bless boo boo.
You’re hopeless, Jazz.
I was so hoping we’d see a real Paso from Normani, with all the extra time she now has.
She had nice shaping in the Paso she did do, but it was so bloody frenetic. And agreed about the high-kick move. We know you can do them, being that you competed as a dancer and all. Change the record.
Nancy is an absolute delight, and I just feel totally at ease watching her each week.
Heather’s was more enjoyable second time round, but still felt oddly hollow as a routine.
I 1000% agree with the rankings. would not change a thing.
@Nina The thing that bugs me the most out of the constant high-kicks from Normani is that the more you watch them, the worse they get. She doesn’t bring her leg to her torso, she bends her torso to her leg. If you’re going to put something in that many dances, at least fix her execution of it?
1. Simone & Sasha- I’m so happy to see Simone dance to the ability I know she can! I still question whether or not Sasha is the best pro for her, never the less happy for them both and glad to see them reach full potential
2. Rashad & Emma – First off can I have one of the mirrors to peep @ Rashad too! This was so classy and elegant and one of my favorite songs from that movie. Should have been all 9s in my eyes!!
3. Nancy & Artem – Nancy is someone I did not like coming into this season, I have never been a fan. That being said, she’s probably the most consistent celeb this season. I don’t know how popular she is with viewers but she certainly is a great dancer!
4. Normani & Val – Another case of me loving the celeb but my dislike Val overrides my opinion. Normani is amazing, but this was very overscored. The highlight of the dance for me was seeing Donny!
5. Nick & Peta- I have loved Nick since week 1. He has been underscored every single week thus far. So if the judges want to throw him a couple more points this week. I have no problem with it. That being said I’m nervous for him, not sure he can last much longer.
6. David & Lindsay- I like David and I recognize he has a voting base and will be around for a while. In regards to the score…it felt warranted to me. He struggles with the high technique dances, I also thought it moved SOOO SLOW omg but I do think he’s a good performer!
7. Heather & Alan – I can’t stand Heather, she is a JAZZ dancer and performed JAZZ and did about a whole 10 seconds of dancing. I’m hoping we have a shock elimination of her next week. She can go.
8. Bonner & Sharna – the biggest non-entity this season for me. He was fine and that’s what he’s been this whole season just FINE. I am just so bored by him. I usually grab my popcorn during his dance.
Really gonna miss Erika! I’m a huge fan of her’s so it sucks she didn’t make that big of a splash this season.
I too, completely hate Disney week. What a waste of a show. I must say that the opening number was fantastic though. Loved it and of course love Alfonso and adorable JT.
1) Simone and Sasha: That was a beautiful routine. Sasha stepped up his game with his choreo. Some may say it had a lot of gymnastic moves but I really didn’t find that to be true. The dance showcased her gymnastic abilities but was also filled with contemporary movement and style. Best dance of the night imo.
2) Shad and Emma: I didn’t care for the stair beginning. Not necessary as Shad can dance and dance well. This foxtrot was very nice. His posture and hold was very good and not easy to do. Lovely dance. Emma is an amazing choreographer and I love their partnership. I hope to see them in the finals and perhaps the winners. CAI is a total idiot and is ridiculous. A 7??? Insanity.
3) Nancy and Artem: That jazz routine was great. It had a little bit of a La La Land vibe. Normally I don’t like when there are too many troupe members in the routine but Artem did a great job with this number. Nancy looked beautiful and her smile said it all. Love these two together as well.
4) David and Lindsay: This jazz routine was so full and energy, fun, and great choreo. I’ve always been a fan of Lindsay’s work from day . She is super talented. David is just a cool dude. He gives it his all week after week and this was so much fun to watch. He didn’t miss a beat and kept up with Lindsay and the troupe the entire time.
5) Normani and Val: Decent routine but I feel like there were a lot of high leg kicks. It was a good performance. Didn’t like the stick “fight” scene. Overscored imo. I would much rather have seen a lot more traditional paso. There were paso moves but lacked actual traditional paso lines. Nor bad but not great.
6) Heather and Alan (Maks): It seemed more ballroom than jazz to me. I mean Heather is a jazz dancer so I expected way more from her than I don’t know what that was she danced to but it wasn’t jazz. She captured the essence of the movie but she also needed to perform it to a jazz routine. Maks is just ugh. He considered that a jazz? That says it all about his own talent or lack of. I too wish Heather could stay with Alan and let Alan choreo for her. I’m not getting good vibes on her partnership with Maks. No way did that deserve 9’s. Julianne is disappointing with her judging this season. smh
7) Bonner and Sharna: Behold! We finally get to see some personality from Bonner. It was nice to see. The tango was ok. He was stiff and wooden in most parts of the dance but not bad.
8) Nick and Peta: Liked the jazz routine. It was fun, quirky, and creative. Peta did a great job with that choreo. Unfortunately given the fact that he was in jeopardy twice in a row, I believe he will be eliminated next week. But who knows for sure.
Not feeling next weeks theme. Why? Just why? I guess we’ll see.
I thought that Rashad, Simone and Nancy had by far the best performances last night, followed by Normani (though in Normani’s dance, there was “too much messing about,” as Len would say.) I also liked David’s dance, but not as much as I’ve liked his others. I’m still hoping that Rashad, Simone and Nancy are the three in the finals.
The whole evening for me was sort of bland. None of the dances really stood out for me. I did like Nancy/Artem, David/Lindsay, Simone/Sasha and Rashad/Emma. I don’t know, maybe I was expecting to see more. Disney week is a silly week to do, the judges are always saying that it’s the goofy, fun week and some of the rules are just overlooked. I wish they wouldn’t do it anymore.
Simone, once again, didn’t get camera time with Erin. And I know the reason will be she danced last, we were crunched for time, it wasn’t possible. Next week, no excuse, let her talk to Erin.
Normani was way over scored. But they have to give her what she needs to stay, for now at least. And Val once again opened his big mouth to make sure his voice is heard. I don’t believe Normani is good enough to win this, I don’t want to see her win because Val will most truly become more of an ego inflated problem than he is now. His choreography doesn’t deserve to win this season.
Other than those above, the rest were just there. I’m finding it hard as I type this to remember what some of them did.
Glad to see Erika go. I’m sure she’s a very nice person, but from what she portrayed, she came across as cold and uncaring.
I’m predicting Bonner and Nick in the bottom two, with possibly Normani or Heather if there’s three, with Bonner leaving.
Ah, rankings! Your top 4 are also my top 4, Courtney. Loved your insights, per usual. I didn’t watch the show live, and very relieved that I didn’t, what with all the wonky scoring and head-scratching critiques.
Loved Simone and Sasha’s Contemporary. I think that was the happiest Contemporary I’ve seen in a while, a refreshing change from the usual angst-filled ones. I think Sasha made use of Simone’s gymnastics skills wisely. Rashad and Emma were definitely screwed with the music they were given, but the dance was Foxtrot, even if the music was not. And it getting a 7 was a travesty. As for David and Lindsay, I just a love a man who embraces things beyond his comfort zone and have fun while doing so. IMO, he danced the Jive really well for a total non-dancer. He is a such a feel-good guy and Lindsay is killing it in the choreo. I agree that Rashad and David must be doing so well in the votes that the only way to hold them back was to hand them crappy scores. Sigh! And there was Nancy. I could feel her joy while dancing. I am loving Artem this season, too. So glad he and Nancy were paired; they seem to bring out the best in each other.
As for next week’s theme–boy bands vs girl groups–glad I have another reason not to tune in live.
1) Simone and Sasha: loved it and it should have been a perfect score.
2) rashad and Emma: underscored big time.
3) Nancy and Artem: should have gottten some 10s.
4) Bonner and Sharna: they weren’t the best last night but he has improved big time and this was the first time I went “damn this was 100 percent from him. 5) Normani and Val: ok so this was way overscored. After rewatching I’d say 9s would have sufficed but the 10s were just a bit much. Getting really annoyed by them as the season goes on and hopefully she or Heather is a surprise elimination.
6) Heather and Alan: ok so that was boring yet cute yet blah. 7) David and Lindsay: he had a bad week in my opinion.
8) Nick and Peta: I’ve accepted that he is going home next week but damn was this routine fun.
Love Disney night, always look forward to it. I miss the traditional Disney songs….a lot of them I have never heard of. Some of the movies have not been released yet so it was just P.R. for Disney. Normani and Val had the best dance. Was disappointed in Simones. It wasn’t a dance, it was a floor routine. The reason Val didn’t put more gymnastics into Lauries routines was the judges told them on the first night, they didn’t want to see it, they wanted to see her dance. Wasn’t sorry to see Erika leave, she had an attitude about her I didn’t like. Sorry for Gleb cause he is a good dancer.
SIdenote: if Erika had been called safe id had put her last
Overall, I’m in agreement with everything you posted Court! Last night was the first time I watched most of the show live as I was excited to see some new Disney routines to music not used before. (Although I admit to skipping, Nick, Erika and the packages and skybox talks with Heather and Normani, due to not wanting to listen to the pontificating of Val and Maks). I’m sorry I watched, as most of the dances were disappointing and the scoring RIDICULOUS! I remarked on Twitter that I thought maybe the pixie dust flying around the ballroom must have affected their judging!
I’m still praying for a C-bros free finale, but I doubt that will happen as I do think they will push Normani and Val in through a combination of over and underscoring, poor edits and lack of face time for other contestants. I’m still not convinced that she’s getting the votes the Harmonizers claim. Just because the general public likes the dance, does not automatically translate into voting, and I seriously doubt she is picking up votes from booted contestants. And after the poor sportsmanship of a large swathe of Normani’s fandom (trolling other contestants YT, IG, FB etc to bash them and rave about Normani), I can bet she won’t be picking up many votes from fans of David, Bonner, etc (if either of them are booted)!
One final note, congrats to Maks for choreographing one the most, maybe the most, disappointing jazz routines EVER! He’s gifted with the biggest ringer ever and jazz is right in her wheelhouse and that was what he came up with? He should have just let her do the choreography; TPTB didn’t have to show that happening!
I wouldn’t be surprised next week if they put the entire “boy” team in jeopardy, as I do think either Nick or Bonner will get the boot (although I’d prefer a “shocking” elimination of Heather!)
I am a 58 year old woman…leans conservative…and I’m just on my last leg with this show. I started watching season 1 and voted as many times as I could by phone and online with multiple accounts. Do you know what I do now? I don’t even watch the show. I watch my computer and this site’s LIVE blog and based off of that I use one phone only to vote. The manipulation is too much. The ugly treatment of some of the celebrities is too much. Heck, the ugly treatment of some of the pros is too much. The judges are ridiculous. I don’t even know what to think about Julianne. I have thought so highly of both the Hough’s. As a judge, she has made me rethink my opinion of her. She is following TPTB agenda so much it sickens me. Is it just about the money for her? Anyway, off topic. I just sort of feel beat down by the show so I think, for me, the end is near.
Given the unprecedented combo of field depth, ringerism/niche fanbases, personalities, potential vote splitting, new PTB and their emerging shenanigans this season, I really could see all sorts of elim scenarios so will just list my thoughts in order of my favorite of this seasons’ contestants (and sharpen my pitchfork in betwixt votes…just in case):
Rashad – If I had to take a gander at what underscoring CAI was saying (other than I’m the primary this week to rain on Rashad), I have noticed that there are interspersed moments (in most all his dances) where he slips of the lyricism, technique, and/or character (i.e. an odd expression or throwaway arm/hand here, off musicality or form there). Some of this tonight may have been mistaken for playing the aloof and resistant Beast. Because whenever he connected with Emma, it all came together and was Disney level MAGIC! Movie quality choreo and staging from Emma and he’s such a debonair Prince and strong leader and showing continued improvement. In short, he’s got the goods, just needs to maintain it all throughout every single second of the dance as to not interrupt my otherwise utter enchantment.
Nancy -She’s turned out to be my fave female contestant as well as the best overall technical dancer. While I liked the choreo and think she held her own, this is one where I felt the production swallowed the routine a bit.
Simone – Despite fondness and respect for Simone, Sasha and their partnership, I still don’t completely connect with her (backstory aside) but thought this was her most effective dance to date. Nice choreo blend and execution.
David – His energy (albeit not enthusiasm) did seem to wain a bit this go. I didn’t take issues with the 7s for him so much as the 9s/10s for some others tonight.
Nick – Good fit for him and clever choreography from Peta (but overscored). Despite his best, honest efforts, I think he’s against it going forward.
Normani – I wasn’t as impressed by this as most others were. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I haven’t seen the story it came from (as was true of most routines last night). Despite the pervasive “girl power” dance meme (ironic given her chauVALnist partner), for me it wasn’t as clean as the scores suggest and was lacking in genuine Paso look and feel (Len’s “Paso references” sum it best). P.s. This has got to be a new record for most highkicks in a dance/season?
HePro – I do think she embodied the character and ran well with what she was given (decidedly not to her ability). Mostly this really feels like a transitional and ultimate setup for next weeks’ Maks resurrection which I think will buy her an extra 2-3 weeks than she would have otherwise had had he not taken injured (for drama more than Maks’ general popularity reasons).
Bonner – He seems to be trying but lacks impact. I think it’s probably between him and Nick for next eliminated.
p.s. Complete agree with Courtney on the OD Disney theme and especially the newer, more commercial, less nostalgic tunes.
This is a 100% real genuine question.
Why do TPTB manipulate the season? What are they gaining from putting one star above another? Wouldn’t it just hurt the relationships the stars have with the show, thereby deterring other stars from coming on? What is the point of trying to feature one set of pros over the others?
And, doesn’t it hurt the credibility of the judges when they attack non important things and give incoherrant critiques?
Nina (#17): “bloody frenetic”
Thank you! That’s it! Even in Paso, she has power but lacks control and refinement (Val’s consistently staccato choreo doesn’t help but to disguise).
And what Jess noted in #19 is too absolutely correct. While good flexation through the extended foot, she could also improve upon flexibility and straightening her support leg.
thank you Courtney for saying what you said about the judges have an apologetic tone to their critique i said the exact same thing when they where critique rashad and david
Erika just had to go-what little emotion she gave last night was mute and her reaction to being eliminated left me with such a bad taste-UGH! Good riddance to her!! Honestly, I wouldn’t miss Gleb, at this point, next season….
But with her gone now, I wouldn’t, exactly, be surprised to see Heather go home next week-if she’s not racking up the votes the producers are hoping for; but still, Maks has a pretty big fan base himself so I do think she’ll stick around past next week-question is: how much will his choreography hold up now that he’s back to partnering her full-time? For christs sake, he should’ve never thought he could choreograph that jazz routine-he should’ve known better and turned the reigns over to someone else who could-maybe he should’ve listened to Heather when she said a million times that could do hazy! LOL
Honestly, I think, dancewise, Bonner and Nick should be in jeopardy next week-maybe it’s possible one of them seems to be getting more votes over the other? ?
I don’t think it was Nancy’s best dance, albeit it was a good jazz routine, but she’s still proving herself a contender in this competition. I think so long as she can continue to stay real and true to herself and her fans as she’s been doing, she’ll still get the votes enough to last-fingers crossed to the semifinals!!
If David or Rashad goes next week, by some truly surprise elimination, something is amiss-especially Rashad-I, definitely, agree that he got screwed over last night being told he was safe early which could make people not bother to vote for them:/
The treatment of Simone and Sasha is getting out of hand-they had the best dance of the night yet they get the short end of the stick in every other aspect of this show-I, really, hope she’s getting the votes b/c Sasha’s fan base is not as big as Val or Maks?
Unfortunately I don’t see that Normani going anywhere anytime soon-honestly, without even timing it, you could tell right away that they had the longest rehearsal package of anybody shown last night-that was just the rehearsal package that took up airtime!! Then you had their dance that, for me left a lot to be desired compared to past paso dobles of Val’s, then their interview (I should say HIS INTERVIEW) and scoring! I would be very surprised if the timing results didn’t come out the same as last week’s ?? The producers have a clear agenda when it comes to them-question is: will it keep working? I HOPE NOT….
Sorry for any spelling mistakes guys!! Happens when I type fast:(
I just watch to enjoy dancing and people enjoying what they are doing. Nancy, Rashad and David ( including their pros) just shine. While I like Simone and Sasha, they seem to not be having fun. I feel like the pressure is getting to them. The C-bros aren’t enjoying any of this. They just want to say “I won”.
Just based on last night:
1. Normani/Val – I think that where Normani excels is her performance ability, which makes sense because she is on stage for a living. She hits her moves with a lot of purpose and sells it in her face as well. To me, she rarely looks timid or stiff and this dance was a good mix of performance and content for her.
2. Rashad/Emma – I don’t know what the judges were on with this one. I thought he handled it beautifully and the 7 was totally ridiculous.
3. Simone/Sasha – I thought the tricks were great and it was executed well, but I still wanted maybe a bit more of a performance from her on this one, just because last week felt so authentic. I may also be a bit biased against contemporaries because of the overabundance of them on SYTCD. But for how powerful the song is and where it was in the night, I just wanted something that felt a bit bigger.
4. Nancy/Artem – Another really solid showing from Nancy. I can’t tell where she’ll end up because she’s having these great moments, but the cast does have so many solid dancers. I am rooting for her though because she’s consistent and consistently challenged with a lot of content.
5. David/Lindsay – I thought he handled the dance well and still looked more natural than Bonner. Was surprised by the lower scores considering he looked to have executed it as well as others who got higher scores than him. He’s still adorable.
6. James/Peta – This was a great dance for him, well choreographed by Peta to show personality and actual dancing. I think he’s been hosed up to this point, but maybe his dances in the ballroom look different than on TV.
7. Heather/Maks – The biggest disappointment of the night. I just don’t understand how you take a jazz dancer doing jazz and make it possibly the most forgettable dance of the evening. I don’t think Heather really has the personality or growth story to win this competition, so Maks needs her to be going 110 percent to get far. This was like maybe a 70 percent for a celeb without a dancing background.
8. Bonner/Sharna – I like him, but he just seems to be the least natural dancer left in the group and his body only allows him to move so much. He doesn’t really have the performance value or personality to compensate for his lack of natural ability.
I have the same question as Venessa. Thanks to you guys, I am seeing the manipulations, but what is in it for the show to do that? Why not give the viewers what they want? According to you they have a thing for the C-bros, but why? What hold do the Chermovkiys (sp?) have over the show — that Derek Hough apparently did not? I don’t get it. I love this show and will continue to watch, but I can’t understand what is in it for them to suppress someone great like Simone or Rashad.
Other note — I have been feeling really sad for Heather, who is a pretty great dancer, to be getting the treatment she has. I didn’t really know who to blame for it up until last night and now I’m straight up angry for her. I wish she would have taken the reigns on that one. That was a non-dance. As a dancer that knows what the heck she is doing, she needs to step up in choreography and stop embarrassing herself. She might be lackluster, but I like her and I want to see her really *dance.* I don’t care that she is a professional; I want to see good dancing and be entertained. The end.
@Venessa & Alissa – I wish there was a nice, neat, terse response to this, but there isn’t. I could probably write a series of posts on why they manipulate the way they do. I guess the best I can come up with in general is “if it don’t make dollas, it don’t make sense.” Until the last few seasons, Derek & Mark were kinda the big draw as far as pros on the show – but with them gone, DWTS needs new leading men – and I guess they’ve decided that’s Maks & Val. They also needed pros for the tour, and it makes more sense for them to have MBT-winning pros on the tour – hence, the need for Val to have an MBT or two. I feel like they’ve decided that, in order to replace Derek, they need another pro just as winning as Derek – but the problem is that Val isn’t nearly the teacher & choreographer that Derek is, and he’s only able to win if given a LOT of help. Make sense? There are a lot more nuances to the whole thing, and Heidi is usually better at explaining them than I am…but yeah, the basic gist is “We need to make money, and in order to do that, we need star pros – if we can’t get Derek & Mark to come back, we need to create our next big pro or pros…Val, you’re up!”
As for why they’re trying to suppress Rashad & Simone – I kinda mentioned it in my rankings, but I think they’ve got a bit of a phobia of gymnasts winning in back-to-back seasons, because it’s predictable and doesn’t really make for an exciting narrative to the season; as for Rashad…that’s less clear to me, but I’m guessing they just don’t see a point in promoting a current NFL free agent that may or may not be bringing in hoards of viewers. I think the regular viewers that watch no matter what like him; but I don’t know that he’s bringing NEW viewers to the show. I think they’re under the impression that someone like Normani is luring a younger audience to the show, so it makes sense to keep her around – but I’m not so sure that she’s really bringing in newer, younger viewers, either.
What was Lindsay overheard talking about?
Cailey, actually READ the post, please.
I agree with Courtney on nearly everything – I didn’t even watch because it was Disney week. I just knew the music wouldn’t fit the dance and the production elements would interfere with the dance – use these steps and this bench, etc. And, we are at that point in the season when the manipulation is so obvious. Why all the attention on Normani? I know they wanted competition for Simone, but it’s not really Normani as much as it is Rashad and probably Nancy. I honestly can’t think of another celeb that received so much pimping.
Simone and Sasha stood out for me and I didn’t think gymnastic tricks as too much because she does them so beautifully and her landing is like a feather. I applaud Nancy for this as well. My issue with Normani is she is almost the opposite. Her moves are so sharp and hard that it feels like hiphop every week.
I’m hoping for a Rashad, Simone and Nancy finish
@Courtney – TPTB are taking a big risk if they are thinking the younger crowd would even consider sticking around after this season.
I know for myself, as a loyal dedicated key demo fan of the show, I’m about on my last nerve with all this Normani and 5H crap. I just might bail next season.
Does ABC have a Fifth Harmony special planned in the near future? And they need to overly pimp the band. Something smells rotten in Denmark.
…and what were those sweet nothin’s Val whispered to the winner–I mean Normani while standing next to Tom. Sounded like–just be gracious, we’re good. But hey, I’m not a lip reader, nor have I gone back to listen.
I read some encouraging tweets yesterday about people supporting Nancy ‘because she’s not 20’. Or commenting that one of the other girls did well but of course she did, as she’s 20… I’d actually love TPTB to decide after that huge favor last spring season, Val can sit out the final, but instead chase the angle of two Olympians, figure skater vs gymnast, separated in age by 27 years, in the final along with Rashad (with David in fourth).
I couldn’t believe Val in an interview had to gall to be annoyed Len didn’t give him a 10, almost like he was expecting the perfect score. Well, he thought it deserved it… I hope it’s Keo said in the Facebook Live review he did last week, that Len is saving his first 10 for Nancy.
As for Erika, I’m glad I was completely wrong and her fans couldn’t get her another week. Her IG response last night was interesting too – posting a video of her song “How many F*cks” though she did handle herself more graciously on GMA. Still don’t get the adulation from Erin, CarrieAnn and Julianne though.
Hi, I’d just like to point out that Normani was moving before the music started because they were doing an act. Like how Mulan was clumsy/didn’t know what to do in the movie.
1. Simone
2. Normani
3. Rashad
4. Nancy
5. Heather
6. Nick
7. David
8. Bonner
@Courtney Why not just keep rotating out pros until they find one who can teach and gain fans like Derek did? There are millions of dancers who would kill to teach on the show who probably have better attitudes than the cbros. I feel like they did it plenty with the girl pros but not the men.
How in the world does Val have the gall? Len had some sense, though I wished he lowered the boom. I saw some pretty decent Paso in the first 30 seconds, then that fight scene had no Paso, for 25 seconds and then the last section was just a hot mess, she was falling out of turns, and 3 or 4 high kicks is not Paso Doble. I struggled to see it as an 8 When I compare this, to probably he most iconic Paso of Disney night, the Rikker Lynch Allison Johnny Dep Captn Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Carribean in season 20, My only complaint about Rikker paso is it did get a little out of control, but it was Paso Doble all the way through.
As for David and Lindsay for me the choreography was a bit of rip of James Sharna Jenna trio jive from last season. When you look at those dances side by side, David had air guitar filler and other such “messing about” but he did hold his own on the kick ball changes, the flicka kicks sort of lost a bit of energy but he worked through it. The thing that made it less appealing though is he was clearly back led, whereas in the James jive the confidence just oozed out of him and he led those ladies. To be fair, James’ jive was late in the season, but it really puts the dance in perspective since James also never danced in his life.
Watching Nancy dance just makes me happy. Much like past contestants Bill Engvall, Tommy Chong, Kellie Pickler and Sadie Thompson, I’m smiling and happy after she dances. Her and Artem’s dance was so damn charming and joyful. And for having such a complicated setup and lots of troupe, I literally couldn’t take my eyes off of Nancy.
I also thought Nick and Peta’s dance was adorable and well acted by Nick. Usually I don’t really care about Bachelor contestants, but he’s tries hard and listens to Peta.
I didn’t much care for David and Lindsay’s jive. It just felt too busy, with the singer and band right there behind them and the two troupe girls on the floor with them the whole dance. It seemed like D&L got lost a bit in the production. He is so likable and humble though, that this is a very minor hiccup on the way.
Rashad was gallant, noble and romantic as The Beast.
So all in all not my favourite Disney night. Nothing really stood out for me.
Simone and Sasha were my favourite by far, followed by Rashad and Emma. They both had good Choero, and till managed to stick to the them.
MAKS you have a former professional jazz/hip hop dancer and that’s what you come up with. The girl can dance, do create dances that will wow people.
This episode more then most made me miss Mark and Derek, they always came through the the creativity needed for Disney night.
Hope next week is a better night.
1.Simone
2.Nancy
3.Rashad
4.Normani
5.David
6.Heather
7.Nick
8.Bonner
Disappointing how you can have a celebrity who is a professional jazz dancer by training but yet you allow your ego to get in the way of creating what could’ve been the best dance ever on this show!
Nancy has been a pleasant surprise! I’d love a final 3 of her, Rashad & Simone but I’m afraid TPTB won’t allow that. Must have a C-bro in the finals. Smh…..
I think Bonner should leave on a high note with his upcoming Rumba. He’s going to struggle a lot with the dances he hasn’t done yet. He’s not delivering enough charisma to makeup for his weaknesses.
I really hope that Nancy can make it to the finals. She really seems to be getting into the groove of the competition and I can only see her going up from here.
1. Nick and Peta: One of my favorite Disney movie’s is Pinocchio and I just loved the dance Peta designed. Nick seemed like he really enjoy performing it.
2. Simone and Sasha: Simone really seemed comfortable and I know she liked performing the gymnastic moves
3. Heather and Alan: Frozen is another Disney favorite and I thought the dance was really cute, I think that Heather and Alan have a great connection. BTW, I think Maks is not being very wise wanting to jump back in as Heather’s partner so soon after surgery. It takes a while to recover and he is risking re-injurying himself. He can choreograph the dances from the sidelines, or just offer creative direction.
4. Rashad and Emma: Beauty and the Beast is another favorite and I loved the dance, even though there were a few mistakes
5. Nancy and Artem: I am not as familiar with Enchanted, but I am so glad that Nancy continues to do well. I hope she can make it to the finals.
6. David and Lindsay: David continues to improve as well and I thought the Cars theme was fun, and suited to his personality, much more than that Magic Mike disaster a couple of weeks ago.
7. Normani and Val: It was danced well, but I just did not care for it, too many high kicks. Also when Normani mentioned that she always wanted to beat up a boy, I though, Oh no, I hope she isn’t developing feelings for Val.
8. Erika and Gleb: I was not surprised she was eliminated last night, but I am glad for her that she left on such a high note. I think that had Gleb had put more thought in the memorable year dance and not gone once again for the sexy routine, maybe Erika would have lasted another week or two.
9. Bonner and Sharna: It was just okay for me, I liked their other dances better.
Courtney pretty much summed up the manipulation thing. The only thing I would add is that they often know which of the celebs is going to go on tour in the off season – it is VERY beneficial to selling tour tickets if the person who won (or is at least final 3) is going on the tour. So that person gets more of a push.
It’s actually got to be a very delicate thing, the manipulation. Because if the person you’re pushing isn’t getting votes in the top 3 or 4 after you manipulate for a week or two, the law of diminishing returns takes over. You can pimp someone to the end, but if you try to pimp them over a couple other people who are getting the lion’s share of the votes, you run a huge risk of alienating your audience. I would imagine they keep a real close eye on everything to make sure they don’t go too far. I think they started Bindi’s season thinking that it would be Sharna’s to lose and Nick/Sharna got plenty of pimpage…but that never really got out of control (like Rumer did) because I think Bindi was just killing it in votes from early on in the season. She had zero experience, but was charming as hell – you’ll notice she never had a bad package, the judges were never anything but nice to her and she did a ton of media. And she was DEREK’S partner. They haven’t treated Derek’s partners well in quite some time – but this time they probably had no choice. I suspect that seasons where the votes are close between the person the producers want to win (for whatever reason) and a few other people is when the pimpage gets out of control. Right now, it’s not out of control, it’s still subtle. We’ll see in the next 2 weeks or so if it starts to slant to one person or if they give up.
Derek, Mark and Maks started the show back in the day when the audience was MUCH larger. And the pros were never pimped back then. Derek, Mark and Maks all became very popular/famous being on a top rated show and, in Derek and Mark’s cases anyway, for being great choreographers/dancers. Maks had some great dances back then as well. But with those three men with one foot out the door, they really need a new “star” – but Val never had to earn it they way the other three men had to. He’s never been handed something difficult to do (futuristic paso) with a partner who really wasn’t a dancer (joanna) – when you pull of something obviously difficult, you earn your credit. Val has had it easy, never takes risks, and therefore needs to be pimped. The audience has to be told he’s good in a way that Derek and Mark never needed.
Disney Week was less classic than usual for me and went straight to video. The night seemed to lack Disney Magic. Maybe it was the crass sales pitches (like Moana DVD and Cars 3). Could have been the weirdness of not being able to tell how well dancers portrayed characters from movies that haven’t been released yet. Also noticed more than a few reused sets and costumes which makes things feel more Hannah Barbara than Disney.
Loved Alfonso’s theatrical intro, and the kids were pretty cute and non-annoying.
1) Simone/Sasha: Perfectly captured Moana’s free spirit,
2) Rashad/Emma: Epic staging that did not drown them, his coat looked very hot,
3) Nancy/Artem: Like watching cherry blossoms floating on a breeze,
4) Nick/Peta: Glad they incorporated the can-can marionette dancers,
5) David/Lindsay: I felt like I was at a monster truck rally and David and Lindsay happened to be making celebrity guest appearances there,
6) Heather/Alan: I am still just so happy for Alan?
7) Bonner/Sharna: My mister and I are huge Wreck-It Ralph fans and were let down by the execution of theme. Licensing for Namco and Nintendo characters on Disney Night is probably a bitch but they still could’ve played up the gaming theme vs the forgettable romance
8) Normani/Val: Fun to watch but I don’t understand the hype and seriously makes me wonder what stake Disney has in 5H and/or Normani beyond DWTS.
It was Erika’s time to go, and Gleb can be free to do his underwear thing.
I just have to comment that I have seen many, many really bad jives over the years on this show, and I would not include David’s in that list. He kept up with Lindsay, was on beat, and executed. No way did he deserve those low scores, even if he did need more bounce in his step. Jives much, much worse have received higher scores. I love David’s energy, effort at learning each dance, and the genuine progress he is making. It is infuriating that Lindsay is again doing such a great job as a teacher and choreographer, the two of them are very entertaining to watch, and yet the manipulation prevails. I absolutely love this partnership.
@Courtney, I agree that they probably are concerned what people might say if two gymnasts win back to back, but I think their putting down of Simone has even more to do with burnishing Val’s reputation. If Simone can’t win this season, then the producers can frame Val’s win with Laurie as being less because she is a gymnast and more a supposed credit to Val’s “greatness.” Kind of saying, see? Val didn’t win because we gave him a ringer gymnast, because an even better gymnast couldn’t win without Val! It must be that Val is the magical potion that made Laurie win! He is just that good! {barf}. This makes me heartsick, because Simone is a wonderful person with a beautiful inner light who does not deserve to be treated thus. If it were not for their never ending quest to bestow a fake pedigree onto Val, I think the producers could get over the potential objections of having two gymnasts win back to back, especially when Simone is so beloved by a lot of America and would have made an outstanding winner representative for the show.
Also, more and more I see Heather as being a smoke screen to draw attention away from their surreptitious (at least in their minds) pimpage of Val. People complained last season that Laurie didn’t have enough competition and Val got the ringer? Let’s get a professional dancer and the greatest American gymnast for Val to go against! Heather’s been a lighting rod of controversy that distracts the general audience from Val. I think they never had any intention of allowing Heather to actually win (can you imagine the controversy/disgruntled fans?), but instead wanted to use her to promote Val and take the heat off of him having another ringer. So we get edits were Val and Normani are just working SO hard, and traveling, and doing their best to hold their own against a professional dancer AND the most decorated American gymnast ever. WOW! That is SO unbelievable that Val can do that, and if he wins, so amazing! He indeed MUST be the best pro ever! {ok, getting sick here}.
However, Val can’t pull this act off because he can’t do humble. I am so disgusted by his smugness each week that people should be grateful his very presence has graced the ballroom. Without humbleness, Val is messing up the producers’ fabrication of his and Normani’s hard work and brilliance elevating them past all these other supposed ringers. What I do find hilarious is that I don’t think they clued Maks in at the beginning that Heather was a smokescreen to build Val up. I think Maks actually had the balls to think he “deserved” a professional dancer as his partner on the show and saw no problem with it. However, I also think he is perceptive enough to have quickly seen the backlash against Heather, and that is why he has kind of checked out. He knows he can’t win, so whatever.
Thanks to both Courtney and Princess Heidi on your manipulations explanation. I get it, but it’s stupid. And it makes me miss Mark and Derek even more than I did before. I think Derek is gone for good, but do you have any intel on Mark? According to his Instagram, he seems to be very into his whiskey right now. 🙂 I think I actually miss Mark more than Derek. I have always loved him on the show.
On thing I didn’t mention in my rankings that really makes me smile is how much former contestants love and support the show. Alfonso doing the opening (which was excellent), Donny singing Mulan (and again, I was amazed how good he still sounds), and the numerous celebs that come back to watch and support. It says a lot about the show, and especially the pros, that so many celebs continue to stay connected to the show years after they are done.
What pisses me off is when the judges nitpit and negatively critique Rashad and David like they have dancing experience.
And then let the two ringers, Normani and Heather skate on by with only positive comments especially when Normani is not perfect enough to receive 10’s. Those multiple leg lifts were laughable choreo.
Heather’s dance experience was wasted last night with Maks’ lame choreo. Even Heather acknowledged on the show that there wasn’t enough dancing.
I agree with the top four being Simone, Rashad, David and Nancy. I actually like everyone left except for Val. He bugs me to no end with his full of himselfness. Since Normani is his partner, I wish she will leave the show ASAP. I was secretly hoping they would miss a flight and have to leave the show. Lol
Nick and Bonner have zero dance or performance experience and they are doing a heck of a great job. Love their hard work and their charming personalities. Their pros are not phoning it in.
I like heather’s personality and when she’s with Alan, they are entertaining and charming together. Maks ruined their dance this week with the worst choreo. Both Heather and Alan did seem to be a little puzzled with Maks and his choreo.
My favorite dance of the night was Val and Normandi’s. I just love that song and thought it was a great dance overall. My other favorites were: Simone, Nancy, and Rashad.
I will be sad if Nick leaves next week. He seems to be what this show was about. A nice person with no experience who is learning to dance. You can tell he really is enjoying the experience and working hard. I don’t like producer manipulation.
1.) Simone and Sasha: Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. That routine was the best of the night by FAR!!! I feel like I finally saw the real Simone. She had this huge smile on her face during the entire routine and I know that feeling she had. It’s that genuine, organic, peaceful feeling where everything in your dance feels right. The music is so PERFECTLY matched with the movement and you just have this euphoric feeling that everything has fallen into place. It’s such an uplifting feeling that you don’t know weather to cry or scream with joy. The routine that Sasha did was absolutely incredible. I know that this might not be the most popular opinion but I feel like Sasha is cementing himself as the new Derek. I see so much of Derek’s technique and his joy that he had in his dances that he made, that Sasha does. Not to mention, the technique was darn near perfect. Her jetes, her attitudes, her jumps and leaps (which I expect from her) and her fan kicks (take some notes Normani) I mean I have never seen such a level of technique this high, I know Ballet and Modern majors at my school who would NEVER attempt such a routine. I feel this dance was worthy of a perfect score, only can hope that they do it in the finals, because that is where she is heading. 10!
2.) Nancy and Artem: First of all this is my all time FAVORITE Disney song EVER. It’s cliché, it’s cute, it’s corny, but dear god it’s so darn sing-able and I like it, dang it. As for Nancy I don’t think there is anything this woman can’t do. Her Ballroom is exceptional, her Latin is awesome, and now her Jazz was beautiful. I can’t wait for her contemporary. I really like the character of this dance didn’t overshadow the technique or the dance. They really made it work. She had lovely pointed feet, nice spots on her turns, and it felt like a good solid Lyrical Jazz routine. I just wish she would stop being so hard on herself, because I fear she could go down the road of Liz Berkley and Dani McKeller. The only difference, I notice, is that when she comes on the floor she completely owns the floor, which is something the other two didn’t have. I really want to see Artem continue to build her confidence up because I feel when she finally begins to trust herself and her confidence grows I look forward to seeing the 10 paddles come out. 9!
3.) Rashad and Emma: I agree with Court when she said that Rashad (and David) are running away with the votes this season. I love how charming he is and how eager he is to learn all of these dances. He has talent and I love watching him. I really hate how he keeps getting hosed by TPTB because he really is so good. I really liked the song and Beauty and the Beast fit them perfectly but I really wish they could have used the song, “Beauty and the Beast” because this one was so very NOT a Foxtrot (Lyrical Jazz or even a Rumba could have been done to that) and as a result I feel his dance suffered for it. I feel he was so focused on not getting off time that his footwork was VERY poor. I also didn’t like the two tricks at the end, it just really looked sloppy and unnecessary. However, I felt like the 7 was very harsh and just CA being CA. If it was from Craig Revel Horwood (from Strictly) I would have conceded but I feel since DWTS has moved away from so much Ballroom technique and gone for more theatricality I felt all 8s or even one 9 would have been fair. 8.
4.) David and Lindsay: Knowing full well that they are not going anywhere anytime soon I have to say that Jive was most certainly not his best. I liked that he stayed in character and on time but my goodness his feet and legs were atrocious. Multiple times his toes were turned in especially at the end of his chasse’s, which made me cringe. In the Jive if you are going to do Jive flicks and kicks you really have to bring your knees up and point your toes down. I understand that when anyone hears the dance, ‘Jive’ it just pretty much becomes synonymous with the flicks and kicks. It doesn’t always have to be. As a Ballroom student you don’t get to do those until you reach Gold or open level. I really think it would have been just as effective without them. So in all honesty if I felt Rashad’s dance was worthy of all 8s and maybe a 9 then 7s and 8s I felt were justified for David. I still love him and I love Lindsay’s choreography. 7.
5.) Normani and Val: How in the icy waters of Hell was this dance the highest scoring dance of the night? First of all this dance was extremely one-dimensional. The face she made never changed, it almost looked like she just pasted it on and said, “let’s get this over with”. Second, the high kicks and the fan kicks in all of Val’s dances are starting to really get on my nerves. First of all her fan kicks and high kicks are so fast its hard to see the technique but for goodness sake if you are going to do those then please POINT YOUR TOES!!!! My goodness. Third, the shaping in that dance was so very wrong. Seriously Val where the heck did YOUR technique go? For goodness sake call up Lorna Lee, or watch her lecture on Paso online, and fix yourself. Because had she seen this hot mess she would have OBLITERATED you son. I can’t even blame Normani because Val just wasn’t cutting it in either the choreography or the dancing. It’s just the more I watch the less and less I am liking him he just seems to be getting so narcissistic and so full on himself that he does such a disservice to his partners. Sorry Normani you got saddled with a poor pro. 8.
6.) Heather and Alan (Maksim): After watching that I think my first response was what the he!! was that? I was fully expecting Heather to walk out with at least one 10 because this is Jazz and with her dance background I was expecting her to completely own this style. I think I nearly fell out of my chair when Carrie Ann called it an underwhelming performance and she was expecting more. Hmmmmm, I wonder if she actually reads this site and takes some notes on the fact that a few of us think she is higher than a kite when she gives comments or scores. I really felt like Heather hit a stride in her Tango but it has gone downhill from there. This seemed so kindergarten-ish, and something I would expect from a 6 year old little girl not a 30 year old trained dancer; that I wonder if Heather felt like a complete idiot out there because even when getting the judges comments she kind of nodded her head in agreement. Wow! I mean the C-bros are really forcing crap down their partners throats and telling them to call it Caviar. I really was expecting more from this. 8.
7.) Nick and Peta: This was the final routine out of three that I actually liked. It was just so darn cute. When I heard their song my first reaction was: “Wow they really want him out of the competition” but I feel like Nick came back and said “You want me out you are going to have to drag me kicking and screaming” because I think this routine was one of the most true-to-form Disney routines I saw tonight. The cane section was fantastic. The Can-can had be keeled over laughing so hard and just the joy he had in his body and face while being so silly was so infectious I couldn’t stop smiling. I know that power rankings are about staying power not favorites but I just didn’t have the heart to put him below…..8.
8.) Bonner and Sharna: The truth is I had decent expectations for Bonner thinking he would have natural talent like Hinch or even be endearing and charming like Ty Murray but he really hasn’t stood out much. I think this Tango was probably the most personable we have seen Bonner but that song was just so not suited for a Tango. I think it would have better suited itself to a Jazz routine, a Foxtrot, maybe a Quickstep (with some serious slowing down of the music) but a Tango it wasn’t. Bonner did keep his frame and time throughout so it wasn’t bad but it just really wasn’t my cup of tea. I personally feel this dance was overscored. It wasn’t better than David in fact I think it matched his as far as the technique is concerned. 7.
I would love to hear a few things said behind closed doors by some of the other pros… you have to think they have noticed Val’s list of celebs over everyone elses. How is it fair at all to the others that Val has gotten celebs with at least some dance/performing experience to TONS of dance/performing experience every season he has been on the show except his first? No current or former pro has that track record. I think I would prefer a season without him on it entirely but also I can’t wait for the day (if it ever comes) they give someone that is more challenging to make look good so we can see how he handles it. Would also love to see him add a little finesse in his choreo and not just straight attack and sharp movements.
I am doubtful audience will vote for back to back gymnast winners, even though Simone is loved by the general public. I am pulling for Rashad to be so continuously good and likable that he can pull out the win over Val (let’s face it, it’s about him, not Normani) or that Nancy can even pull up and surprise everyone. Love David but don’t think he has the dancing strength to win the show over all of these other good dancers.
Sasha can be the new Derek when he can make someone with far less potential than Simone shine and go to at least 4th place. When he gets to be that *consistently* good, then he will have earned that moniker. Last season, for one, he played it far too safe. He did a great job, but he needs a dance like this one with Simone more often to get the “new Derek” label.
Thanks for the rankings, Court! Here are mine:
1. Simone & Sash: I absolutely loved this. I loved the athleticism involved in this. Am I the only one that prefers non emotional contemporories on dwts? cause they tend to focus more on the actual dancing & give great content. This was probably my favourite contemporary on dwts after Riker’s. Call me whatever but i dont care for emotional contemporaries. I’d rather see something athletic. now if it can be bothe emothional and athletic that would be amazing 40 in my book.
2. Normani & val: I really like this girl. She is probably the most captivating person to watch because of how she always commits to the dance a 100%. I absolutely loved this number. i thought the choreography was brilliant. Probably the best thing Val has choreographed in a really long time. I thought the martial arts section added positively to it & there was a nice balance with actual paso content. Kudos to them. That being said, I just dont feel them as a couple. I like her but I dont really like them together.
3. Rashad & Emma: I quite liked this and CAI is hella crazy for her senseless comment and score. I thought they did really well and his frame was pretty good. Some parts seemed waltzy but I blame the song, but even then, I didnt mind. Their costumes were gorgeous & im glad Emma didnt wear an uggle wig to look more like Belle
4. Nancy & Artem: This was so cute. Didnt like it as much as her foxtrot but it was still pretty good. Huge props to Artem for doing his research and giving her a ton of Jazz, despite being only trained in ballrom (shadng you, C-bros). She looked goregeous. Although, i thought there were a bit too many dancers at a point, It was still fun to watch
5.Nick & Peta: I quite liked the idea of this dance. Peta did a good job with the choreo. However, I felt Nick was not a hundred percent commited to the character. I wanted him to be more animated with over the top smiles and more exaggerated with his movement and facial expressions. That being said, that was some pretty intricate choreography and he kept up pretty well. So happy this season, Peta is not over dancing next to her partner cause thats good for them both.
6.Heather & AlanMaks: Echo everything you said, COurt. I watched it and was like, thats it?? A professional dancer trained in jazz and thats all you could give us? Maks please. And that lift did not look any different from other basic lifts we have seen. She still hasnt topped her tango and she needs to.
7. Bonner & Sharna: This dance was hella weird. Probably the weirdest tango i have ever seen. I get it was disney week but it was too happy of a tango for me. I was scratching my head the entire time trying to determine what style they were supposed to be doing. Hated that wig on Sharna too. That being said, his quality of movement has improved so theres that.
8. David & Lindsay: I guess lindsay has bad luck with jives. Alek, Wanya and now David. Didnt enjoy this at all. Yes, he kept to time but he seemed particularly stiff in some places plus I needed sharper footwork from him. Seemed sloppy at times. i love Lindsay with all my heart but I havent really enjoyed her this season. Except week one quickstep.
An underwhelming night overall!
Normani actually has great potential. She has a lot of natural talent and gives quite precise energy to her moves, but she drops two notches just because of Val’s choreography. If they follow their week2 Chacha strategy from here on out, she atleast is destined to last up to the final 3.
Nancy had me scared because she looked scared herself. Really glad that it went perfectly fine, not my favorite dance of hers though.
Rashad was also the victim of opening the show, thus those low scores. I actually thought it was one of the technically good dances of the night.
None can beat the Frozen Nastia and Derek created for us, and they gave it to a C-bro *giggles*
From some weird feeling, I think Nick is going to outlast Bonner and Heather in next 2 weeks. Barring any machinized 40s for Heather suddenly, this is how I see the couples ending up in the coming weeks:
1/2: Simone and Rashad
3. Normani
4. David
5. Nancy
6. Nick
7. Heather (shocking elim.)
8. Bonner
IMO this is who is most to least likely to be safe Monday:
1. Normani – Highest score of the night, plus jeopardy freaked out a lot of people.
2. David – I’m sure he’s getting the votes to pass at least Bonner.
3. Simone – Second highest score of the night for a well-received dance that got the pimp spot.
4. Rashad – I’m sure he’s staying well ahead of Bonner in the votes and most likely got enough to pass Nick, Heather, and maybe even Nancy this week.
5. Nancy – Great score for a great dance and she might be getting some votes from the main demo but I feel like many tend to forget about her, unfortunately. I think there’s a small chance she might actually leave on Monday which would make me sad.
6. Heather – A dance which many considered to be a letdown in a mediocre running order position, and she’s still getting a lot of backlash for being a professional dancer.
7. Bonner – Dance wasn’t really that great and with the Sharna love life articles coming out many seem to be questioning the authenticity of the showmance. I think he might have passed Heather, Nick, and maybe Nancy but it’s questionable if he will.
8. Nick – Had his best dance but it was in the historically worst running order position and I don’t think he’s raking in the votes like some others below him are.
I really loved the opening number this week. Alfonso was the perfect person to perform it. I wish that they did some more classic and older Disney songs like nick and peta with their Pinocchio “I’ve got no strings” number. (That was actually one of my fave dances of the night and I think the song choice being more nostalgic Disney is partially why). Even though the newer songs are great and it’s nice to have change I think more classic Disney films would help make the night more enjoyable. I agree with many that Bonner will be next, but would much prefer heather. At least Bonner is trying really hard and seems like a sweet guy. Plus he didn’t come into the show with decades of dance experience like heather did. I would also be excited to see maks go. Anyways, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the show and consistently being more interesting and enjoyable than the show itself. I love this site and really appreciate the work that has gone into each and every post.?