Normani Kordei Twists Ankle While In Rehearsals For Dancing With The Stars Finale
Apparently, Normani Kordei twisted her ankle in rehearsals for the finals on Dancing With The Stars. TMZ is reporting that she’ll still be able to compete, but, the split jump she was rehearsing for is likely scratched from the routine.
ETA: For those interested….
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— EntertainmentTonight(@etnow) May 18, 2017
Great…an injury based storyline to place into the package and win those sympathy votes. The judges will praise the heck out of her for battling through the wound and still do amazing …
CAI: “a true performer who can still do that while injured, Wow just Wow!”
LEN: “Now I’ve seen many dancers perform through an injury, but none like you. That’s why you deserve to be in the finals”
JULIANNE: “That’s how you do a kick ass routine in the finals. Injury? What injury? That performance was BEYOND amazing!”
Bruno: “Ohhhhh poor Normani. RISING FROM THE ASHES. TAKING BACK HER THRONE. NO INJURY CAN STOP YOU DARLING! SOAR …SOAR LIKE A BIRD! Beautiful!”
(Excuse me while I go puke)
I hate stating this, but of course she has an injury. Apparently the producers don’t think she can win without the sympathy vote. But, I’m fairly certain she will do that trick and Tom or Val will point that out.
What I cannot figure out is why they are so invested in Normani.
So funny, EmnEm – exactly how it will play out!
I couldn’t agree more with you all. And lol Emn!!
Yay sympathy votes? Honestly I’m sick of the pushing already but this tops the cake. I’d imagine a lot of them have injured tbrmselves this season…so what makes her so special?
EmnEm- You are so accurate with those judges comments. I am shocked they aren’t going to say her leg broke during rehearsals only to come back and get 10s just because. Show is really getting on my nerves with all this leaning towards Normani and Val. I voted for Rashad/Emma but at this point I don’t even think it matters. 10 weeks wasted watching this.
Well we know who is going last don’t we. And we will hear how brave she is, and what a fighter. And maybe Len will give another Standing Ovation.
You knew there had to be a story this week…
My thoughts were that it could be volunteering at puppy rescue… donating blood and/or marrow to those in need, oh, how about offering to donate a kidney….
Well we might have just to settle for a sprained ankle. So here we go.. 1, 2, 3.. high kick.
EmnEm, what you wrote is just wrong! (you forgot the **4 judge panel standing ovation.** ;)). Although, I can see CAI with a blithering monologue tying some parallel of her own life to Normani and overcoming adversity making “champions,” etc.
Note to Manistans: We’re NOT hating on her nor wish injury on her/anyone, just having fun with the way the show exploits such. /note
I expect nothing less from them on this than a commentary recreation of Kerri Strug’s 1996 Olympic gold sealing vault complete with a John Tesh voiceiver of “NORMANI’S INJURED!”
Every week she has perfect storyline for voters “Oh poor her, lets vote for Normani”. Ugly sympathy vote game. They want her to win so badly. Rigged show.
Of course she gets an injury just in time for the finale. Nothing surprises me anymore. If they win they will be one of my least liked winning couples. The pimpage is repulsive.
Justine, we’re not hating on her. +1 to what Wynn said.
This has been one ugly ass season. Thanks Val.
I love it Wynn and emnem
@EmnEm…LOL!!!
Oh boy, Wait until the Harmonizers get wind of this…
Of course, I suspect they are embellishing the “injury” to get sympathy votes. That’s been happening the whole season with her! There always seem to be a news alert from her or the show’s publicist.
Example: they made a big deal that Normani had to go to the doctor for a (minor) back injury with xrays etc. Bonnor was paralyzed a year ago with rods in his spine who deals with major pain and could risk injury by dancing, every day. Chris Kattan had rods in his neck and spine too and had difficulty moving. Didn’t Nancy have broken toes or something like that too?
At this point, I just rolled my eyes when I read the headline. I just don’t get why Val and his partners get special treatment. He’s not good looking, or has a good body or is even a good choreographer anymore. Can’t we move on to someone else? It’s so much work for these producers to have to manufacture a win for Val!
I know for a fact they are not using this for sympathy votes. You can clearly see her ankle touch the floor and today she has it wrapped. Val is going overboard with the tricks and has injured Normani TWICE. And have y’all ever thought that maybe, just maybe, Normani is actually good and people like her? Just because your favorite pro hasn’t won doesn’t mean you can just insult the pros you hate. Tell them to step their A game up and maybe they’ll get a trophy.
Will it b like that All Star season where Derek & Shawn Johnson was so popular everyone thought they were gonna win, instead Melissa & Tony won?
I’m starting to wonder whether David is the one threatening her win.
Who called TMZ?
I hope it sets them back a bit and that it isn’t featured in the package. If they couldn’t feature it with Marilu(thrice the dancer of Normani), then they shouldn’t do it with Normani. It reeks of unfairness if they do- I’m sure Rashad is in an ickle bit of pain but he isn’t blabbing to everyone). Boo hoo Val. I don’t want a redemption arc for Normani- we’ve seen it too many times with the Paso and the AT.
@EmnEm and @Wynn Kudos for the best comments! I haven’t commented this season because I hate it and I’m trying to be a nicer person, emphasis on trying but this is just too much. I can name at least 5 dancers off the top of my head who danced with injuries. Before I read the comments I could just see and hear the judges, standing ovation, gushing and overall vomit inducing behavior. While I’ve come to expect it from the 3 Stooges I will say I’m very disappointed in Jules (and I’ve always been a huge fan of hers) because she seems to get a Kool Aid transfusion each week. I’m so done with this show with no Derek and Mark. No other male pro is pimped like Val and I don’t get it. You can’t change a leopard’s spots. Once a jerk always a jerk. I can’t believe I’m saying this so slap me but I could’ve lived with Maks being pimped over Val. They’ve got Artem, Gleb and Sasha and nothing. At this point I prefer Alan and again I can’t believe I’m saying this, Tony (who blocked me.) I fully expect Erin to announce right after her dance Normani is headed to CHLA to donate (blood, bone marrow, kidney, part of liver) to some child she doesn’t know while Val bought out all LA Toys R Us to deliver to hospital. Yes I need to work on being nicer but the truth wanted to come out.
OMG, after spending 12 hours on the road heading form Florida to NY, I needed this, meaning the commentary! I almost spit out my wine (and I would hate to waste good wine, especially over Prince Joffrey). But EmnEm, Wynn, and Liz, you all made my day. In a season with little to laugh about, the comments on this alone are a definite highlight! Thanks again!
Patti, you don’t know jack shit “for a fact”. Now lose the tone and the attitude or I’ll block you just like I’m blocking several others right now. I’m tired of you Harmonizers’ (which is becoming synonymous with idiot) basic inability to read and use logic. Not to mention the, in many cases, lack of grammar, spelling and punctuation. If you’ve not watched DWTS before, love Normani, and can’t stand our opinions, get. the. fuck. out. We’ve been watching this show for eons and we don’t need your temporary asses being basic bitches.
And yes, actually we CAN insult other pros if we so choose. You see insult, I see a lot of basic facts. Those “other pros” you speak of have a game far higher than Val’s without the manipulation.
Yayy so glad you are back, Heidi! shewwww! I need wine. lol
Actually, I don’t think anyone here thought that Shawn and Derek were going to win. Pretty sure we saw the writing on the wall that season.
Yeahhhh….posting under two different names to make your opinion look like it has support doesn’t work and I’ll just block your ass.
Oh well an ankle injury will be a great way to get around having to do challenging choreography now won’t it. Oh we tried to do __________ but you know her health and safety come first.
What a guy huh? Yeah, wasn’t he the one who danced with Tamar Braxton fresh from the ER after being diagnosed with Pneumonia that wound up being a pulmonary embolism! SHE COULD HAVE DIED THAT NIGHT!! Poor Val it just killed HIM to see her have to withdraw. COUGH COUGH
Oh and then there are all his other partners: Ginger had pelvic problems post baby that were not revealed until a few days before the final. getting broken and bruised ribs and who can forget Rumer Willis’ unforgettable package where she gets hurt and when Val ask what happened she yells:
“YOU SLAMMED ME SO HARD” ( video is still out there in Youtube land)
Yup THAT is how much he “cares” about his partners and how DEDICATED this guy is to winning at any cost!! And it sickens me that TPTB continually kiss his butt time after time. Excuse me I have to go order some barf bags for the main event.
Got wind earlier Normanis redemption dance is the quick step… Next thing i heard is her ankle hurts. I dont think Normani is that good at the technical dances so it should be interesting. Im happy Rashad and Emma have the Viennese Waltz as their redemption dance as i feel it’s one of their better dances that’s kind of gotten overlooked or underrated during the season
I really wanted Derek and Shawn to win that season, but as I recall, Tony just reminded the viewing audience over and over again how he has never won a mirror ball and really wanted and deserved to win!
I keep hoping that Emma and Lindsay will say the same thing on Monday to get people to vote for them. Nothing wrong with reminding the viewers that Val already won last season and has 2 mirror balls and that their celebs have never taken dance lessons in their life compared to Normani who has been taking dance lessons and performing dance all her life.
Oh my God, you guys! You made me laugh so hard and your sarcasm is the best.
#23- Thank you, thank you, thank you. The grammar and punctuation thing has been driving me nuts. May I suggest those particular individuals try spending more time learning English and composition and less time on this site annoying the hell out of me?
Not only did Tony remind people over and over that he had never won, but he also said he was the ONLY one in the finale who had never won. Double whammy. Combine that with the fact that the producers wouldn’t let Derek and Shawn do the AT and had them do the QS, and mission accomplished.
And, if my memory serves me right; didn’t Tony also comment how he had been on the show every season since season 2, which was 14 seasons? He played the poor, poor me….Tony is a marvelous lifter, and every dance he could get away with it, he had numerous lifts in them to take the place of dance steps.
That season was Tony’s to win, even though Shawn & Derek danced Emmy award winning dances.
I used to just watch the show but started blogging and voting after Season 15; because I was so disappointed in the All-Star results. Then I came here and learned so much about the show and dancing. I do appreciate this website and all you moderators do to keep us informed. No matter what the outcome, thank you for another great season of sharing and for your time.
Tony’s contemporary freestyle that season was a pile of crap, though – good lifter or not.
Wynn, how could I forget? Your disclaimer is spot on as well.
I am not going to say that this was a fabrication, but Normani does know how to play the “game” that is DWTS. She ha been watching since she was little. If she is hurt, hope she feels better.
Yes, I agree, Tony’s lifts weren’t anything to brag about. He is better than Val, at least he doesn’t drop the ladies. No one can do the lifts and bring his partner down around his body into a perfect pose like Derek. What he did with Shawn, Kellie P and Bindi was OTT amazing! Mark is another good lifter. This show is in bad need of good creative Pros dancers.
In reference to Tony, I guess we would have to put ourselves in his shoes. He didn’t always have the most skilled partners, so obviously he was excited to have Melissa again. So he knew that this was probably his only chance to grab the MBT.
Yes, Tony did constantly repeat that he had never won before. Maybe some of that was producer driven, maybe not.
Bottom line: The entire season was doomed from the start. Once they cast MBT winners against non-winners, original couples and non-original couples, I knew right off the bat that more than likely a non-winner was probably going to win that season. And an original non-winning couple was perfect to fit their agenda. The whole season was a mess.
No, Tony is a very good lifter – there’s really no debate about that. It’s the choreo around the lifts that was the problem.
Lifting isn’t “creative” – most of the best dances out there don’t have a single lift in them. While I think CAI’s lift policing is beyond stupid when applied to something that isn’t choreographed in and is accidental, I do think the ban on lifts is not a bad thing. If they were allowed, many pros would cop out to them and call it good choreo. It’s takes much more talent to create an exciting dance WITHOUT them.
I sorta doubt Tony reminding people over again is the reason why he won because Sharna is also a pro who keeps reminding us she hasn’t won and guess what? She still hasn’t won so her reminders don’t seem to be working. Why it worked for Tony and not Sharna, I have no idea but I doubt it was the reminders that did it. I think it had more to do with the celebrities in the finals, not the pro. Kelly and Shawn won and Melissa hadn’t until the end of Season 15. So I guess Melissa won because of that reason.
Anyway! EmnEmn, too funny. LOL!! If you’re not an actress already, you should be. Oh wait, the acting skills actually goes to the judges for their Academy-award winning faces after Simone got eliminated.
Heart (#16), you’re right about that. Others have been injured but none except Mani got the special treatment. Even I had no idea what was up with Chris’ neck until after he got eliminated when I read about it on people.com.
Patti (#17), oh really? What about the pros who have made it to the finals or semi-finals multiple times but still haven’t won? Lindsay or Sharna or even Mark? Mark won but not since Season 8 and he’s been in the finals many times since then without winning. I’d say Mark, Lindsay and Sharna have already “stepped up” their games but haven’t won (since season 8 for Mark) because of the manipulation and certain pros (cough cough Val cough) being shoved down our throats! Yes, even the general public are gullible. Oh I almost forgot about Sasha. He used to get the team dance curse when he’d get eliminated whenever they had a team dance and now this season and last season, he’s stuck in the semi-finals. He should’ve made it farther with Snooki too but didn’t.
Narice (#17), you’re right and it was Tony who gets forced to withdraw twice and not Val, the way he treats his partners with tricks and difficult movements. But no, Val only had to withdraw once! Sure, he “cares” about his partners like so many of his fans claim. Too many people, especially the general public and Val’s fans are so gullible these days.
Sorry, Narice was #27, not #17. 🙂
@Princess Heidi, I agree it takes much more creativity to choreograph exciting dances without lifts, the problem with Val is any creativity he had really dried up long ago with Zendaya as his muse.
With Zendaya he really didn’t do much in the way of lifts. It was drill drill drill the technique. And really ballroom dancers on the competition circuit don’t lift. It’s the cross trained guys who are much better at it, that’s way Val isn’t so great at it, he has probably learned about lifts on the show, not in his dancing life before the show.
Anyway, there is a right way and a wrong way to lift, Charlie White was expert at it so it’s sad that he didn’t get to a freestyle, since he could have combined some nice dance technique with seemless lifts. So even though lifts aren’t the be all and the end all, when they are done right they are a nice punctuation point to a dance. That’s why I think Rashad’s freestyle can have some impact here.
As for that video It looks like that assisted split jump, not a lift was probably going to be used for the Quickstep, it is that bouncy kind of jump that wouldn’t necessarily be found in some overwrought “I’m bullied because look at me” contemporary. That could easily be stratched and Val put in some footwork for a change.
A twisted ankle is not a big deal, I bet most of you have done it at least once in your life. There’s a difference between a twist and a sprain. I’ve had a sprained ankle and your foot and ankle swell up at least twice its normal size. Initially, It’s impossible to walk on and can take months to heal. This particular ankle injury is easily overcome in a few hours and with a therapists assistance an even shorter amount of time. Shouldn’t have even been news.
Sandra, you completely removed the context, so of course you don’t think the reminders did it. Context MATTERS. Tony reminded people he hadn’t won and also reminded people that MELISSA was the ONLY one up there who hadn’t won. He was up against Derek/Shawn and Val/Kelly – Derek had won multiple times while Val had not won…but was only in his third season while Tony was in his 15th. And of course Shawn and Kelly had both won. You can’t actually remove the context like the length of time that Tony has been on the show and then say “the reminders didn’t do it because it’s not working for Sharna”. Sharna is in a different context.
Just because something didn’t work when Sharna did it, it doesn’t mean it was irrelevant when Tony did it. Two different pros, two different situations.
I agree, twisted ankles are painful, but temporarily. I twisted mine pretty badly a while back and while it felt like the end of the world at the time, it passed pretty quickly.
As Kandy said, not news. I think this is another ploy by the producers. At this point, we’re all used to it and they don’t seem to care that it has become obvious.
So basically, Sharna has to be on the show for 15 seasons and compete against other former champions in the finals on an all-star season in order to be right about reminding people she hasn’t won. That’s why it’s ok that Tony reminded us but not for Sharna. Ok, got it.
I hope Normani is better and ready for the finals. She is a strong and very good dancer. I also like Val. But I am rooting for Rashad and Emma.
I think Rashad has developed into such a good dancer since his first dance. And Emma is such a great choreographer. The way these two dance together is so smooth and magical.
Every dance Rashad has done on this season he has nailed. I’ve always loved Emma’s choreography.
Each pro on the show has his/her own technique in teaching. Val’s technique is different than Derek’s technique etc. I enjoy the works of both pros even though they are different.
Emma has always been one of my favorite female pros. I feel this season she and Rashad should get the MBT.
Also remember when Witney and Alfonso won? Alfonso with his dance training (he was in the Tap Dance Kid on Broadway) would have probably won the MBT with any of the female pros he would have been partnered with.
Again I am rooting for Rashad and Emma.
If it’s a manipulation, it’s one I can live with much more than last year’s. At least it’s not cruel like telling Laurie her grandmother died (days earlier) on live television.
I twisted my ankle really bad once (on a trip to NYC) and it really hurt. I iced it, kept it raised as much as I could that night, and I was good to go the next day even with it still hurting some. Two days later it was healed completely.
@Sandra No one has said that Sharna doesn’t have a right to complain about not winning a MBT yet. Even though some of us, like me, feel it’s whiny.
What Princess Heidi said is that your CONCLUSION, that saying it doesn’t work because Sharna hasn’t won yet, is wrong. Those of us who follow this show closely have reason to believe this strategy has worked twice already. For Tony and Melissa in the All Stars Season. To this day, many, many fans complain that 1st place finishers, like Shawn and Kelly, were allowed to compete against others who didn’t win their season. Tony’s plea for votes was based on his many seasons without a win AND the fact that his partner hadn’t won either, a situation only applicable to All Stars.
Val also whined a lot about not having won a MBT. (And about other contestants that he feels were ringers…….) This finally worked for him when it won him the trophy in Season 20 but there was also heavy producer manipulation involved. And the hypocrite immediately started a new tack for the following season when he told the producers to give him a “good” partner because he wanted back to back wins! So Val is only concerned about spreading the awards around when it comes to himself and a business partner!
Learn to read, Sandra, and then comprehend what it is you’re reading. If you can’t do that, you won’t be happy here and you should leave.
That’s a pretty low bar, qh1. Yikes.
Ugh, I can’t stand the entitlement Val has. After Season 20, he had to withdraw in Season 21 when Tamar got sick. Looks like Karma turned around and bit him in the ass for that feeling of entitlement and complaining for not winning. Haha! Val, the show ain’t all about you. It’s about the celebrities and who the fans want winning!
PH, that was actually sarcasm. I got what you said.
I think you need to learn how to use sarcasm better. At least two of us missed that, if true.
The judges need to stop be overdramatic on Normani & Val performances really their dances on not great whatsoever and them be overscored and Val doing gimmicks that should not be and the judges are playing favorites now and I don’t like it! This is ridiculous!!
Please VOTE HARD for Rashad & Emma to win the Mirrorbal Trophy!!
Call 1-800-868-3411
That was the same high jump Shawn and Derek did when they recreated Helio’s quickstep, but when Normani came down she landed on Val’s foot and twisted her ankle. She’s probably fine by now, if it had been serious I think someone would have said something by now…
When they do this repeat dance, sometimes it is chosen by the judges and sometimes chosen by contestants, right? Or is it always chosen by the show & they film those packages making it seem like it was chosen by the couple?
I’d rather see them do a brand new dance honestly, especially in a season like this; a new dance, a FS and either the redo dance or the fusion on tuesday…