PureDWTS Season 27, Week 1: Who’s Dancing What, And When?

Sorry I’ve been lax, guys – with Heidi currently on vacay, and me just trying to stay on top of work-work and schoolwork, it’s getting hard to keep up. Here’s the songs and dances, per the press release – and here’s our seasonal disclaimer: these are just in alphabetical order unless otherwise indicated, and we probably won’t start hearing about running order until after camera blocking on Sunday. Will also post the voting numbers if they happen to get posted somewhere between now and the show.

So I apparently missed this part in my initial post: the couples are doing the same dance both Monday AND Tuesday night, but to different songs…? No idea if it’s literally the same choreography, just done to different songs, or what – but this kooky.

Other deets from the press release? The whole cast of DWTS Juniors will be there live for the announcement on Tuesday (Sept. 25), which we already knew; and Kenzie Ziegler (Juniors contestant and now an apparent pop star…?) is going to be singing.

Thoughts: seems like they might be pitting the two biggest ability ringers (Tinashe & Alexis) against each other early on, giving them the same dance; I probably would have switched Bobby & Evanna’s dances for week one – given her jive and him foxtrot; seems like the older/less-skilled set got ballroom dances in week one. Juan Pablo getting salsa seems strategic.

Update #1, 9/23/18, 5:30 PM EST: Thanks to Zoe for pointing this out – someone caught a glimpse of the running order for tomorrow night in the background of somebody’s Instagram story. No clue if they’re going off the same running order on Tuesday night or not. In the three key positions, we have Mary Lou & Sasha (first), Juan & Cheryl (top of the 2nd hour), and DeMarcus & Lindsay (last) – that leads me to believe all three have very crowd-pleasing routines that viewers will remember. They seem to have loaded the back half of the show with good dancers (Alexis, Tinashe) and demographic favorites (John, Nancy, Joe, DeMarcus). I don’t think running order has done Nikki any favors, as she is both injured and now has to dance after someone doing the same dance she is, and he’s apparently very, very good. The potentially-worrisome spots are 2nd-5th, and I find it interesting that they’ve stuck two of the contestants that are likely to appeal more towards younger viewers there – Milo & Evanna.  I think they ought to be ok this week, but if they continue to show up there, I think it’s going to be a problem. I think putting Nancy & Joe back-to-back and doing the same dance is only to play up the Val vs. Jenna “rivalry”, which is already making me roll my eyes. 

Update #2, 9/23/18, 7:02 PM EST: Was able to deduce the voting numbers once Bobby & Milo posted theirs – looks like it’s just straight alphabetical order again.  Source also confirmed that the dances on night #2 are completely new: same style of dance, but different choreo and different song.  Now call me crazy, but I actually prefer this to having them do two completely different styles in week 1 – at the very least, they don’t have to learn new timing or technique, and the dances will likely be similar; and if they maybe don’t do so hot on night #1, they can polish whatever issues they might have had and give it another shot on night #2. Still a bit nuts to have them doing 2 dances in week 1, but it’s better than two completely different dance styles…

Update #3, 9/25/18, 5:17 PM EST: Breaking: according to my source, only the bottom 6 couples will be doing their second dance tonight. This will be interesting, as we will get the clearest picture of where the votes are going that we’ve gotten in…well, pretty much EVER.  Discuss 🙂 -Court-

Monday night:

Mary Lou & Sasha – Cha-Cha (song: “Treasure” by Bruno Mars)
Dancing 1st
1-800-868-3409

Milo & Witney – Cha Cha (song: “Free Free Free” by Pitbull feat. Theron Theron)
Dancing 2nd
1-800-868-3410

Evanna & Keo – Foxtrot (song: “Do You Believe in Magic” by Aly & AJ)
Dancing 3rd
1-800-868-3405

Danelle & Artem – Foxtrot (song: “Rise Up” by Andra Day)
Dancing 4th
1-800-868-3403

Bobby & Sharna – Jive (song: “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” by Travis Tritt)
Dancing 5th
1-800-868-3402

Juan Pablo & Cheryl – Salsa (song: “Dinero” by Jennifer Lopez feat. DJ Khaled & Cardi B)
Dancing 6th
1-800-868-3408

Nikki & Gleb – Salsa (“YES” by Louisa feat. 2 Chainz)
Dancing 7th
1-800-868-3412

Alexis & Alan – Jive (song: “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard)
Dancing 8th
1-800-868-3401

John & Emma – Foxtrot (song: “Good Ol’ Boys (Theme from Dukes of Hazzard)” by Waylon Jennings)
Dancing 9th
1-800-868-3407

Tinashe & Brandon – Jive (“I’m a Lady” by Meghan Trainor)
Dancing 10th
1-800-868-3413

Nancy & Val – Quickstep (song: “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Club Des Belugas)
Dancing 11th
1-800-868-3411

Joe & Jenna – Quickstep (song: “Fish Out of Water” by Leo Soul)
Dancing 12th
1-800-868-3406

DeMarcus & Lindsay – Cha-Cha (song: “Sweet Sensation” by Flo Rida)
Dancing 13th
1-800-868-3404

 

Tuesday night:

Alexis & Alan – Jive (song: “Shake the Room” by Gamu)
1-800-868-3401

Bobby & Sharna – Jive (song: “Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group)
1-800-868-3402

Danelle & Artem – Foxtrot (song: “Strong Ones” by Armin van Buuren feat. Cimo Frankel)
1-800-868-3403

DeMarcus & Lindsay – Cha-Cha (song: “I Like it Like That” by The Blackout Allstars)
1-800-868-3404

Evanna & Keo – Foxtrot (song: “Rewrite the Stars” by Zac Efron & Zendaya)
1-800-868-3405

Joe & Jenna – Quickstep (song: “Check it Out” by Oh the Larceny)
1-800-868-3406

John & Emma – Foxtrot (song: “Orange Colored Sky” by Nat King Cole)
1-800-868-3407

Juan Pablo & Cheryl – Salsa (song: “Tu Sonrisa” by Elvis Crespo)
1-800-868-3408

Mary Lou & Sasha – Cha-Cha (song: “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer)
1-800-868-3409

Milo & Witney – Cha Cha (song: “Good Feeling” by Austin French)
1-800-868-3410

Nancy & Val – Quickstep (song: “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & The Waves)
1-800-868-3411

Nikki & Gleb – Salsa (“Tres Deseos” by Gloria Estefan)
1-800-868-3412

Tinashe & Brandon – Jive (“Yes” by Merry Clayton)
1-800-868-3413