Long time no see, but I am back with a new round-up of “Dancing With the Stars”! It has been two weeks of “DWTS” since my last article, so here is a brief recap to catch you up.
Week three featured two episodes and a double elimination. The first episode was “Soul Train” Night, featuring Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez as guest judge. The second episode was Hair Metal Night with guest judge Gene Simmons, who made some uncomfortable comments about the looks of the female competitors.
The double elimination sent home actors Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts, along with their respective partners, Emma Slater and Britt Stewart.
Week four was dedication night, where the contestants dedicated their dances to important people in their lives. Former pro dancer and fan-favorite Mark Ballas returned as a guest judge for the episode. During the elimination, model Brooks Nader and partner Gleb Savchenko were sent home.
Now onto the recap of this week’s episode. Week five featured the crowd-favorite theme Disney Night. The competitors danced to Disney songs and put their acting skills to the test in this week’s challenge.
Along with the individual round, this week featured two group dances. The pairs were split into two groups, with Ilona Maher and Dwight Howard assigned as captains. The professionals choreographed the dance, allowing each pair to dance individually. Additionally, the judges decreed that in each dance there needed to be a section where the celebrities performed without their pro dancers. The group dances would then be scored, and the pairs would add the group score to the individual scores.
The night started off with Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold. They performed a Charleston to “A Star is Born” from “Hercules.” Nedoroscik struggled with the quick movements and timing characteristic of the Charleston, giving him an individual score of 24 out of 30.
Bachelorette Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber performed a rumba to “Kiss the Girl” from “The Little Mermaid.” The judges said Tran had beautiful movements but needed to work on her timing and fluidity. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba exclaimed that this was Tran’s “best dance yet.” Tran and Farber scored a 24 out of 30 in the individual rounds.
“Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei, paired with Jenna Johnson, danced the samba to “Trashin’ the Camp” from “Tarzan.” The Samba is one of the hardest dances to perform, but the judges said Graziadei did well. However, he needed to make the moves bouncier and work on his arms. The pair scored a 25 out of 30.
Disney Channel star Chandler Kinney danced with Brandon Armstrong to her own song entitled “We Own the Night” from “Zombies 2.” Their Paso Doble was passionate and fierce, scoring them all nines, for a total of 27 out of 30.
Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy performed a jazz routine to “Cruella de Vil” from “101 Dalmatians.” The judges told the television personality to not anticipate the moves and to trust her partner. They praised Chmerkovskiy for this choreography and gave the pair a 24 out of 30.
In their jazz routine to “Bye Bye Bye” from “Deadpool,” partners Danny Amendola and Witney Carson wowed with dangerous stunts and lifts. Judge Bruno Tonioli said the dance was an excellent tribute to the Marvel movie. Amendola received a 27 out of 30 for his performance.
Partners Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach struggled to have a strong dancing hold with their over a foot-and-a-half height difference. Their tango to “When Can I See You Again?” from “Wreck-It-Ralph” received a 24 out of 30, with the judges saying they saw improvement in the pair.
Finally, Rugby player Ilona Maher and her pro dancer Alan Bersten danced a jazz routine to “Surface Pressure” from “Encanto.” The judges said Maher embodied the character of Luisa but they wanted to see her dance more. The judges gave Maher and Bersten a 25 out of 30.
Since Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstong got the highest score from the individual round, they will receive immunity from next week’s episode.
With that, the individual round was concluded. Onto the team round, we go!
Team Roar, led by Dwight Howard, consisted of Danny Amendola, Stephen Nedoroscik, and Phaedra Parks, as well as, their respective partners. Their dance to “I Can’t Wait to Be King” from “The Lion King” was energetic, but out of sync. Their judges gave their performance a 24 out of 30.
Team Goofs, headed by Ilona Maher, included Joey Graziadei, Chandler Kinney, Jenn Tran, and their partners. Their dance to “121” from “A Goofy Movie” was in sync and very clean. They received a 27 out of 30.
At the end of the night, there was an elimination. This week, Phaedra and Val were sent home.
With no tens in sight, even at week five, I am excited for next week’s episode and to see who will win the renowned Mirror Ball Trophy.
