S24.E05: Week 5: Disney Night

[Lady Calypso]

15 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

So. Nancy. I'm ready for her to go. It's not that she's not good, I enjoy her routines. I think she's a fair dancer and every performance is age appropriate, which is somewhat of a shocker for this show (not that she's old by any means). But I can't with the ball of anxiety and tears she becomes in every. single. package before she performs. And I no longer truly enjoy watching her because of it. Poor Artem having to put up with that. 

I think it's natural to have nerves and anxiety, though. It's all part of the competition. Out of all the packages tonight, hers felt the most real. Mainly because hers and Simone's were the only ones to not have a stupid, cheesy Disney gag. I don't want her to go just because of her package. 

42 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Heather was so confident that she would do well in jazz (because that is the style she mostly does for a living) that watching her half-fail at it was nice. Lol. Carrie-Ann was right that there wasn't much dancing in it, so Heather did well at - being lifted and running from place to place. Heather's blasé "oh, I'm good at jazz" and Maks' "I didn't know which one was the celebrity and which one was the dancer" (regarding last week's dance) were both equally annoying. And I'm honestly kind of sad for Alan that he won't get to dance on the big show anymore. I'm not sure it's fair to bump Alan out now when it's halfway through the competition: so far Heather has danced with Maks only one week and Alan for the other four. I'm not sure that Maks should automatically get to come back to reclaim her.

I think Heather's "I'm good at jazz" is more confidence than anything. She knows that it's her specialty so I don't see anything wrong with her being confident. But Maks really screwed up on jazz this week. His focus on character didn't allow the focus on Heather's skills. Yeah, I would have actually liked her to use her skills on this show. Just like Simone got to use her skills tonight, Heather should have been allowed to use hers. Also, I am also sad about Alan. I do have high hopes that he'll become a pro next season, though. He really proved himself to be worthy of it. It is unfair that he has to be bumped out for Maks. 

[jennifer6973]

23 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

 

Also, an aside: I may be in the minority in this but I'm not a fan of the live posting during the show. I enjoy it during big finales of shows and whatnot but for a regular episode, it becomes a bit of a chore to scroll through and read one or two line posts about a dance that happened an hour ago. 

 

I don't like it either, I think the topic should be locked until the show is over on the East Coast.

 

Now back to the show.

I didn't bother watching Bonner's dance, the beginning bored me so I ffd through it.

I enjoyed the dances of the two people I'm voting for - David & Nancy.

Enjoyed Normani's dance because I love "I'll  Make A Man Out of You"

Enjoyed the beginning number with Alfonso.

Edited April 18, 2017 by jennifer6973
I need to spell right

[Uke]

So here we are, week 5 already...

Alfonso, oh please! Go.  Didn't like you in S19 and you've returned to irritate every season since.

Rashad -  Not as smooth as I'd like and clearly flat-footed much of the time, a bit stompy but he definitely gets into the mood of the song. The 9 was absurd.  

Nick - I hate the "you're in jeopardy, now dance".  That's cruel.  Cute dance and he handle it and all the props well.  Agree with the scores and nice he finally got some kind words from the judges.

Erika - They could have done without the solo at the beginning - stiff and awkward.  Gleb, of course, is a strong lead and at times it looked like he was pulling her through it.  I did see 2 lifts.  Scored too high.  Maybe a couple of 7s in there would have been better.

Heather - There is no way Maks was ever going to dance that with her, injury or not.  I wonder who helped Maks choreograph it.   CAI nailed it - alot of spins and lifts and not much else (well, a lot of running around too).  But, hey, pro dancing with pro.  Surprised at the 8s.

Bonner -  I'd never heard of Wreck it Ralph but he seemed to be into it.  Cute but I had to double-check what the dance was supposed to be - I guess the music threw me.  Sharna had said she was going to channel Mark + Sadie's Super Mario dance so I was waiting for that, so I guess I missed what they actually did.  It was enjoyable though.

Normani - I liked it until the camera switched to Donny while they got their sticks then the dance kind of fell away to the story.  But her moves were clean and sharp and plenty of Paso content, if a bit over-eager.  Scores were ok, maybe a point too high.  Did her votes fall off? Otherwise, why in "jeopardy"?

David -  That singer was awful...awfully flat at times.  David looked a little labored but he worked it and I didn't see any errors, just a lack of sharpness.  I suspect he needs a good massage and maybe that cryo treatment many of the pros are into to relieve the aches.   Agree with the scores.

Nancy -  Yes, I think she just needs a good gushing cry to get the nerves out.  There were too many other dancers but she weeded her way through nicely. Scores were good but I wished one of them would have popped a 10.

Simone -  She seems terrified of confronting her feelings.  Yes, she's a terrific gymnast and that was showcased tonight.  Noticed that the camera stayed waaaay back - I couldn't see her face to see whether she seemed to be connecting or not.   Scores were interesting.  Gymnastics are her claim to fame but they scored her 1 under Normani.

No surprise Erika is out.

[Beatrice]

I absolutely love Heather. I'll be sad to see Alan go, I enjoy their partnership. My favorite thing was Heather knowing what a missed opportunity that jazz was and flat out saying there wasn't a lot of dance in it. I think Carrie Ann is a big fan of Heather's and was legit excited to see a jazz so her comments were spot on in my opinion. I do find it refreshing the show and Heather aren't shying away from the fact she can dance. I know it is 100% hurting her with some fans though and I do feel the show is giving her the short end of the stick in a lot of ways. It is what it is though. Also in the package pretty sure that was Gleb talking about not knowing who the pro was not Maks.

I liked Nick's dance the best, Peta did really well with that and played into his strengths. I was very underwhelmed on the whole by all the dances. Still like Nancy though. Hoping it's Bonner gone next, then David.

There is zero chance Normani was in jeopardy. Zero. The show doing some manipulation there. Maybe to set up a shocking elimintion of someone else, Heather or Nancy, next week.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Beatrice

[friendperidot]

Wtf with Julianne's hair? Is she playing Peter Pan or Tinkerbell?

I actually liked Heather, I especially liked her in the package when she didn't have any make-up.

I haven't watched a Disney movie in a zillion years, so I didn't know that Unforgettable was in a Disney movie, it's a favorite of mine, especially the digital duet with Natalie and Nat King Cole.

Bonner's tango had some decent steps and footwork, but it wasn't great. But Normani's Paso was heads over heels better! That was sharp, fast and very nice. I enjoyed it. 

Nancy continues to please me, I want her to do well. And Sasha played up Simone's strengths well, I enjoyed her dance.

We're getting closer to the time when I don't want anyone to leave. Not there yet, there's still a couple of pros that aren't quite up to the rest of the pack.

[Uke]

27 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

Also, an aside: I may be in the minority in this but I'm not a fan of the live posting during the show. I enjoy it during big finales of shows and whatnot but for a regular episode, it becomes a bit of a chore to scroll through and read one or two line posts about a dance that happened an hour ago. 

Completely agree!  

[kazza]

Disney fan here. LOVED the happy, smiley, wholesome opening number. Really reminded me of parades in the parks. (Wonder if WDW website hits spiked during the show.)

Anyone else giggle at the thought of Nick as Pinocchio? 

I love watching Nancy and Artem. She's so fluid, and he's so happy. And good on Erin for calling her out .. "you're NANCY KERRIGAN!"

1 hour ago, McManda said:

I'm so excited Donny Osmond is singing "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan. It's arguably the best Disney song of all time.

I'm with you, McManda. Anything Mulan makes me smile, and "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" had me grinning ear to ear. It was also the first time I really paid attention to Normani. 

Felt bad for Alan while Maks announced his "firing". He did a fabulous job and deserves to finish out the season. This from someone who enjoys the Maks show. 

[TeeMo]

I was so excited for the opening number of Disney night because they are always such great spectacles and then I was given singing Alfonso. Ugh. No thanks. 

My favorites of the night were Normani, Nancy and David. Nick was also entertaining. 

Simone's routine was great but I felt like I was watching a gymnastic floor routine with a partner. 

Heather was totally underwhelming but that was mostly Maks' fault. I wonder if Heather is actually happy to have Maks back next week or not. That aside to Erin that she knew there wasn't a lot of dancing in the routine was a bit of a dig. I am here for some rehearsal package drama. 

Bonner needs to go next. 

[Lovecat]

Can someone fill me in on how "Unforgettable" is a Disney song?  I fast-forwarded through Erika's package, and while I was puzzled by the song assignment, I dislike her too much to backtrack.  TIA!

Edited April 18, 2017 by Lovecat

[TeeMo]

Just now, Lovecat said:

Can someone fill me in on how "Unforgettable" is a Disney song?  I fast-forwarded through Erika's package, and while I was puzzled by the song assignment, I dislike her too much to backtrack.  TIA!

Sia recorded a new version of it for the Finding Dory soundtrack. 

[Lovecat]

1 minute ago, TeeMo said:

Sia recorded a new version of it for the Finding Dory soundtrack. 

Ah! Thank you! I clearly didn't see that movie ;)

[Toonces464]

2 hours ago, luvthepros said:

This is the first time this season I'm watching the show live. I don't see the "All Access" link on the ABC website. Has ABC done away with All Access during the live show?

Yes and I miss it so much. I loved watching the sky box and red room and all the interactions.

Four weeks is about how long you'd be out with a Grade 1 strain Maks, so I'm not sure what Dr. Magic Fingers really did for you.  I guess all those top athletes who have been hearing about these treatment from some mysterious source can stop trying to book flights to Ohio and go back to using their own doctors. 

Even if Maks could have returned this week, no way would he have done so with Heather having jazz. It's not ballroom and can anyone remember him ever doing anything that wasn't ballroom other than Erin's contemporary freestyle? Also there was no way he was going to let his celebrity look like more of a pro than he is. His ego is too big. Thus why he choreographed a lot of running around and "characters" rather than letting her (or Alan for that matter) have a hand in choreographing an actual jazz routine. And why I have no idea what on earth he was trying to say when Erin asked him about the judges comments.

All along I've thought David will make the semi-finals but now I'm not so sure. I think he has huge support from the Cubs fans and baseball fans in general but we've seen this before --- the celeb who can't dance well but is so endearing, such as Bill Engvall and Ty Murray. They usually go a week or two before the semi-finals and I think David will end up going after Nick, Bonner and Heather, leaving a final four of Rashad, Simone, Normani and Nancy.

10 minutes ago, TeeMo said:

Heather was totally underwhelming but that was mostly Maks' fault. I wonder if Heather is actually happy to have Maks back next week or not. That aside to Erin that she knew there wasn't a lot of dancing in the routine was a bit of a dig. I am here for some rehearsal package drama. 

As soon as she said that I thought now she's on Maks list. He'll put on a happy face for the camera while privately hating on her and having no use for her when the season is over. Which is really no different than most of his other partners.

[Beatrice]

2 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

Even if Maks could have returned this week, no way would he have done so with Heather having jazz. It's not ballroom and can anyone remember him ever doing anything that wasn't ballroom other than Erin's contemporary freestyle? Also there was no way he was going to let his celebrity look like more of a pro than he is. His ego is too big. Thus why he choreographed a lot of running around and "characters" rather than letting her (or Alan for that matter) have a hand in choreographing an actual jazz routine. And why I have no idea what on earth he was trying to say when Erin asked him about the judges comments.

Ooo I really hope he didn't do what you are saying. That's basically screwing Heather over on purpose. I just think he has no idea about jazz. And Heather would not offer any input on creating the dance unless asked I think. So maybe he didn't feel comfortable asking her but he could have got outside help.

[seasick]

1 hour ago, doLLish said:

I knew Maks would fail Heather when it came to choreography. It was fun but there was no dance there. I hate agreeing with CA but she was right. I did enjoy it though.

That choreography was a shame.  Especially compared to some of the great choreo we had tonight.   She is such a great dancer but none of her choregraphy has showcased her very well.  

I missed Nick's dance but he is really handsome without the facial hair.  I never thought he was much in the looks dept. before this.

I was shocked at how well Nancy K did.  I had to give it to her even though I'm not a fan.  She needs to lighten up.  Gawd..all that plotzing and misery.  Almost makes me miss Kate (plus 8.)   

[Toonces464]

3 minutes ago, Beatrice said:

Ooo I really hope he didn't do what you are saying. That's basically screwing Heather over on purpose. I just think he has no idea about jazz. And Heather would not offer any input on creating the dance unless asked I think. So maybe he didn't feel comfortable asking her but he could have got outside help.

I don't think he screwed her, I think he's just stubborn and has a huge ego. There was a reason he was so vague when Erin asked him about returning last week when he'd made it sound like he'd be back this week.

[Callaphera]

1 minute ago, Toonces464 said:

Even if Maks could have returned this week, no way would he have done so with Heather having jazz. It's not ballroom and can anyone remember him ever doing anything that wasn't ballroom other than Erin's contemporary freestyle? Also there was no way he was going to let his celebrity look like more of a pro than he is. His ego is too big. Thus why he choreographed a lot of running around and "characters" rather than letting her (or Alan for that matter) have a hand in choreographing an actual jazz routine. And why I have no idea what on earth he was trying to say when Erin asked him about the judges comments.

When I heard the comments after Heather's dance about it being more about character and less dancing, it brought to mind the "Choreography" song that Danny Kaye did in White Christmas (hands down my favourite song and dance routine ever), and I found myself singing the Chicks who did kicks aren't kicking anymore, they're doing choreography bit to myself. Because that's kind of how it felt. Here you have this person with actual experience and talent in a certain style... and you have her run around and twirl. I mean yes, she was deep in the character and it was cute and whatnot but if you're going to bring her on the show and not hide the fact that she has experience, let her show that experience. That was a real disservice to her and her fans and possibly the viewing audience. Though I did like the little bit of shade that she threw at the lack of actual dance in the routine. I think, as a whole, this is why I dislike Disney Week. It's not about the dance, it's about the character, and a good routine is about both.

Through the air, they keep flying. Like a duck that is dying. Instead of dance, it's choreography.

[crowceilidh]

I loathe Disney.  I loathe Disney night.  The only song I knew was "Unforgettable".

I also don't favour the live posting during the show.

I think that the guest singers have codicils in their contracts about being filmed while singing.  I don't think the camera directors have a choice.

So very glad that Erika and Gleb are gone.   She was overall quite horrible to watch and he drives me crazy with his need for sleaze.

I thought it was Maks who said Heather and Alan looked like two pros.

Enjoyed Normani, Nancy and some of Simone.  Rashad was very weak this week.  Nick deserves better marks than he's been getting.  David was alright for the kind of celeb dancer that he is.  His back issue made me nervous when he was kicking in the performance.  Not looking forward to Heather rejoining Maks -- it's nice that Alan isn't quite as needy as in his last incarnation as a pro stand-in, but I have not warmed to him.

The omnipresence of grinning over-acting little Jake (ETA: JT, the kid's name is JT - he's effing annoying) from last year's SYTYCD for kids was annoying - that boy is a very good dancer, but he made me very annoyed with Robert Roldan all season, so I don't want to see him again.

Edited April 20, 2017 by crowceilidh

[Kira53]

4 hours ago, Sstt said:

I think nick is the best male dancer ,it's sad he got peta as his partner .People aren't that hype about her this season 

I like Nick and his dancing but he is not in Rashad's league.

[WrongReasons]

I love Disney night.  It's always so fun, but I'm glad to see Erika go. She's so incredibly guarded that she comes off like a cold dead fish. Absolutely zero fun to watch, she always seems miserable/above it all. 

[Emily-D]

For the first time this season I gave all my votes to one couple. It hurt not voting for Rashad, but I gave them all to Nancy because I think she'll need them wth how bunched up the scores are and the weaker males all have big fanbases. I thought Normani's dance won the night. To be honest I thought the quality of dancing wasn't as good as previous Disney weeks. Heather's jazz was a bomb due to poor choreography and Simones was too gymnastic focused for me. I thought Rashad's contemporary was a lot better. Speaking of Rashad it wasn't his best tonight but it wasn't worth a 7. Nancy was fairly solid, nice concept and choreography and the dancing was at same level as last week except this time the stooges beside Len didn't underscore her.

[mrsmit7]

My favorites tonight we're Normani, Simone, and Nancy.

Normani killed that Paso, and thats the Val choreo I want to see all season. I feel like except for the foxtrot, he'd been taking it slightly easy on her.

It was floor routine-ish but it really worked for simone, it was a sweet routine with some nice tricks. And that singer KiLLed it, I keep forgetting her name.

Nancy, I just don't know why but I'm always slightly surprised and happy with her routines..even though as a figure skater she is somewhat of a ringer. It was a fun routine and she did really well with it.

Rashad didn't fair as well this week, I don't think I like him in ballroom. But he's got nothing to worry about...he'll bounce back next week.

I happy nick survived. He's the 2nd best male on the show, and although those 9s were a bit much, I'd take them as make up for his blatant underscoring the last few weeks.

I don't know wtf maks choreographed for Heather but it was a huge let down. I saw zero jazz, in fact I saw very little dancing at all except for maybe an 8 count of ballroom. It was 90% running around, acting, with a few lifts thrown in. I blame it 1000% on maks, u have a professional jazz dancer, get some outside help if you're stomped on what to do, it's OK we know jazz is not your specialty.

I ready for bonner to go next week

[1992austenlover]

I'll be PISSED if Nick leaves before Bonner. Just saying. 

[nutty1]

My favorites are Rashad, Nancy, Nick and David. I can't be objective. Part of my favorites is liking the person too. 

I am so happy Nick did so well tonight. He really gives it his all and has a wonderful attitude. I haven't voted in years, but I did trying voting for Nick, but ifs been busy forever. 

[Kira53]

I didn't enjoy tonight's episode very much.  The music just wasn't exciting and unfortunately I don't recall any of it except Pinocchio's "no strings" which is probably why I enjoyed Nick's performance a lot.  Max's choreography really hurt Heather.   How was that jazz? It really wasn't much of anything. I agree with some other posters that I can't see Max as Heather's partner for that dance. Are the producers paying Max under the table to sabotage Heather?  I will miss Alan.

 Very happy that the housewife is gone; I really could never get into her. The cuts from here on out are going to be Painful because everybody else is either a good dancer or just so pleasant and entertaining.  Simone is a gymnast dancing unlike her teammate Laurie who was a good dancer who just happened to be a gymnast.  Val appears to be a much better choreographer than his brother. His routines with Normandi have such better content then what Max has been doing for Heather.   I was totally bored by the intro and yes I too was annoyed by the "so you think you can dance" cute little boy that I don't remember the name of. Annoying on that show, annoying on this show.  Mr. T would've been terrible on Disney night but he was very sweet. I'm not sure who I'll be happy  to be kicked off next week. I do hope there's a finale  of four people because I'd love to see free dance from Rashad, Normani, Heather and anybody else they'd like to keep.

Just decided Bonner can go home.  I forgot about him.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Kira53
Voice to text.

[Wings]

12 minutes ago, nutty1 said:

My favorites are Rashad, Nancy, Nick and David. I can't be objective. Part of my favorites is liking the person too. 

I am so happy Nick did so well tonight. He really gives it his all and has a wonderful attitude. I haven't voted in years, but I did trying voting for Nick, but ifs been busy forever. 

I agree 100%  

[backformore]

Donny Osmond has had some weird stuff done to his face.    For a moment, when he was talking to Tom B, I could have sworn he had transformed into Wayne Newton.

[Wings]

That was the most awkward elimination that I remember.  

1 minute ago, backformore said:

Donny Osmond has had some weird stuff done to his face.    For a moment, when he was talking to Tom B, I could have sworn he had transformed into Wayne Newton.

Yes.  I barely could recognise him! 

[Lady Calypso]

I am also a fan of Nick and really hope that there are more votes his way this week. I think he deserves to be here a little bit longer since he's the only one that has shown tremendous growth since week 1. I don't want him to be gone first over people like Bonner and David. Not that he needs to get to the finals, but getting through another couple of weeks would be wonderful. 

Unfortunately, I get the feeling like that won't happen. 

My favourites are Nancy, Nick, Heather, and Rashad. Normani's a wonderful dancer for sure, but I find more joy and excitement from myself when the other four are on. I do think this was Rashad's weakest dance, but I still look forward to seeing him dance. However, I'm more excited over Nancy/Heather at the moment. 

[Emily-D]

Very ironic how the two packages showing the most stressed out contestants were Nancy and Simone. Must be an Olympian thing, they're so used to being the best at what they do it must frustrate them struggling to learn the dances. To be fair the standard overall wasn't amazing tonight, probably the worst Disney week so far mainly because Rashad and Heather both flopped. One more point to raise, I know it was just a joke and I know this is me being a massive killjoy and way too serious. But it thought it was a little out of line Maks telling Alan that "he was fired". Alan might not be my favourite but he's worked hard for Heather while Maks has sat on his backside and it just felt a little degrading Maks throwing that word at Alan, although I know he was only having a laugh.

[Zuleikha]

I agree that Maks screwed Heather with atrocious, content-free choreography, but I also think the song assignment screwed them both. That's just a challenging song for this format. It's a solo song, not a duet! The whole point is Anna is by herself and excited about finally not being by herself. I'm also not sure what kind of technical jazz number would work with the lyrics and tempo, although I'm not a jazz dancer so maybe the song is better suited for it than I think. But it doesn't feel like a good jazz song to me (now if they'd given her Olaf's what snowmen do in summer song... that one has always felt like a Broadway jazz number to me).

Also, they put Heather in the wrong costume! She should have been in the Coronation Day costume, which wouldn't have had the gloves, hats, or heavy cape.

Otherwise, it was a weird Disney night for me. I didn't recognize almost any of the movies, which is not usually the case for me and Disney night. I thought most of the dances had too much mucking about and too little content, which is not normally my issue. Nancy charmed me, but her dance didn't seem like a jazz either. Peta/Nick's seemed like a jazz and was cute. I liked seeing Erika do something not overly sexy, but she was the best cut. 
 

I haven't watched Simone's dance yet because it will bring my daughter out of her room when I'm hoping she'll go to bed (she's huge into Moana), but I agree with the general sentiment that Val/Normani's Mulan paso was everything it should be. The stick fighting with paso was excellent. 

[katha]

I'm scared for Nancy. All the mediocre male contestants will shore up their fanbases now, no matter how underwhelming their dancing, and I fear she'll have trouble getting past that. Really enjoyed her again this week, it's awesome that she can keep up with Normani, Heather and Simone, even though they are all arguably bigger ringers and also half her age. She's been the surprise of this season for me and I hope she stays around a bit longer.

Also, Disney night is always so overly sugary. Not my favourite.

[Emily-D]

21 minutes ago, katha said:

I'm scared for Nancy. All the mediocre male contestants will shore up their fanbases now, no matter how underwhelming their dancing, and I fear she'll have trouble getting past that. Really enjoyed her again this week, it's awesome that she can keep up with Normani, Heather and Simone, even though they are all arguably bigger ringers and also half her age. She's been the surprise of this season for me and I hope she stays around a bit longer.

Also, Disney night is always so overly sugary. Not my favourite.

If Nancy actually got eliminated next week, I honestly think it would be the death knell for females over the age of 40 on this show. No matter how well they do or how good they are, they'll always come up short against younger females who are more social media and "vote savvy" with big fanbases and males who typically attract votes from the general female demographic who watch the show along with their own personal fanbases. With the emergence of power voting online in particular, along with younger stars attracting more media attention and serving the requirements of the DWTS producers to bring in their young fans to boost ratings in the key demographic, gone are the days where a Jennifer Grey for example can come on the show and make the final, let alone win. As the old saying goes, times they are a changin.

[Toonces464]

5 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

If Nancy actually got eliminated next week, I honestly think it would be the death knell for females over the age of 40 on this show. No matter how well they do or how good they are, they'll always come up short against younger females who are more social media and "vote savvy" with big fanbases and males who typically attract votes from the general female demographic who watch the show along with their own personal fanbases. With the emergence of power voting online in particular, along with younger stars attracting more media attention and serving the requirements of the DWTS producers to bring in their young fans to boost ratings in the key demographic, gone are the days where a Jennifer Grey for example can come on the show and make the final, let alone win. As the old saying goes, times they are a changin.

But young, social media "stars" haven't won. Zendaya, Bethany Mota, Riker. All are young with HUGE online fan bases and none of them were able to win. Their fans aren't the typical DWTS demographic and I'm not so sure they vote that much.

[Beatrice]

45 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

Very ironic how the two packages showing the most stressed out contestants were Nancy and Simone. Must be an Olympian thing, they're so used to being the best at what they do it must frustrate them struggling to learn the dances. To be fair the standard overall wasn't amazing tonight, probably the worst Disney week so far mainly because Rashad and Heather both flopped. One more point to raise, I know it was just a joke and I know this is me being a massive killjoy and way too serious. But it thought it was a little out of line Maks telling Alan that "he was fired". Alan might not be my favourite but he's worked hard for Heather while Maks has sat on his backside and it just felt a little degrading Maks throwing that word at Alan, although I know he was only having a laugh.

I think maybe after this season the show will put in a week limit on how many a pro can missed before they are replaced. I know Maks is one of the most popular pros and the show wants him back but Heather has danced with Alan for four weeks now. It just feels weird going back since her and Maks only danced once. Plus literally everywhere I go is wanting Alan to stay with Heather. I'm really surprised, maybe Maks fans are just being quiet or maybe they are not into this season.

[Ivana Tinkle]

How someone as pretty as Julianne continues to look frumpy and old is truly a credit to her terrible stylists.

Heather dances like she's been holding her pee for an hour and is just trying to get done so she can use the bathroom. 

[Toonces464]

2 minutes ago, Ivana Tinkle said:

How someone as pretty as Julianne continues to look frumpy and old is truly a credit to her terrible stylists.

So true. Erin uses the same stylist and I haven't liked any of her looks this season, especially that frumpy set of curtains she had on last week. 

[PBGamer89]

Normani and Simone stole the night for me. Normani was exceptional fierce and powerful in that. Let's not forget this was her first dance where she was completely in the US and trained every day as much as possible. If that's what she produces, I'm excited for future weeks.

Simone was excellent. Yes she showed off gymnastic movies, but still a recognizable Contemporary dance. I think she danced more than Rashad did in his Contemporary piece last week.

Nancy was a delight as well, appropriate score with all 9's. She's such a dark horse. Dances well, great partnership, right in the pocket of the show's demographic and voters. I'd love her to sneak into the finals.

I love Heather and hope she doesn't go next week from lower scores and a meh dance. Maks screwed her over with this. Plus, Jazz on this show is just so meh in general. I'm still so irritated that Jazz/Contemporary are still here. I can handle Contemporary to a degree, but Jazz is too undefined and hard to judge.

The men were mostly meh for me. I'd love any combo of Nick or Bonner to go next week.

Edited April 18, 2017 by PBGamer89

[Emily-D]

24 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

But young, social media "stars" haven't won. Zendaya, Bethany Mota, Riker. All are young with HUGE online fan bases and none of them were able to win. Their fans aren't the typical DWTS demographic and I'm not so sure they vote that much.

They haven't won, but they always get to the end which really serves their purpose especially to producers after young viewers for ratings. When it comes to actually winning, yes a star with a big fanbase needs the general public onside for them to win. But still my point stands, when was the last time a female over the age of 40 made it to the end? Marilu Henner made it to the quarter finals mainly thanks to Derek Hough and his rabid army of fans, Lea Thompson made it to the quarter finals (also with Artem). I don't think we've had one actually make the final since Ricki Lake placed 3rd in season 13 and of course Jennifer Grey winning season 11. Candace Cameron Bure was in her 30s when she did the show. Out of all the gender/age demographic stars who do the show, the older female always has it the toughest IMO.

[Toonces464]

7 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

They haven't won, but they always get to the end which really serves their purpose especially to producers after young viewers for ratings. When it comes to actually winning, yes a star with a big fanbase needs the general public onside for them to win. But still my point stands, when was the last time a female over the age of 40 made it to the end? Marilu Henner made it to the quarter finals mainly thanks to Derek Hough and his rabid army of fans, Lea Thompson made it to the quarter finals (also with Artem). I don't think we've had one actually make the final since Ricki Lake placed 3rd in season 13 and of course Jennifer Grey winning season 11. Candace Cameron Bure was in her 30s when she did the show. Out of all the gender/age demographic stars who do the show, the older female always has it the toughest IMO.

Kirstie Alley came in second. I think she, Ricki and Jennifer were all products of their very popular (at the time) pros. I'm not so sure the current pros have these dedicated fan bases. They seem to go more for groups, like the Chmerkovskiy fans, the young female pro fans, the up and coming troupe fans, etc.

[blaase]

10 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

They haven't won, but they always get to the end which really serves their purpose especially to producers after young viewers for ratings. When it comes to actually winning, yes a star with a big fanbase needs the general public onside for them to win. But still my point stands, when was the last time a female over the age of 40 made it to the end? Marilu Henner made it to the quarter finals mainly thanks to Derek Hough and his rabid army of fans, Lea Thompson made it to the quarter finals (also with Artem). I don't think we've had one actually make the final since Ricki Lake placed 3rd in season 13 and of course Jennifer Grey winning season 11. Candace Cameron Bure was in her 30s when she did the show. Out of all the gender/age demographic stars who do the show, the older female always has it the toughest IMO.

They just have to be ringer-ish and paired with Derek.

[Zuleikha]

I've now watched Simone/Sasha, and it was enjoyable and well choreographed. But Simone's emotion felt completely fake and there is something very gymnastic about the way she executes her movement. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is. My best guess right now is that she has a pause after her more acro-influenced elements instead of flowing between movements, but that may be a total BS projection on my part. But there's something there that past gymnasts haven't had. 

[SnarkyTart]

I would like to see Normani and Simone dance a duet.  The two of them tonight were almost as good as anything I've seen on this show, and saved Disney night for me.  Just wonderful, the pair of them!

Next, for me, were Nancy and Heather.  Nancy was light, joyful, and graceful.  I agree with everyone complaining about Heather's choreography, but I thought she danced it well for what she was given. 

Of the men, Rashad and Nick were tied for me tonight, mostly because Rashad had his weakest night, and Nick perhaps his best.  I look for Rashad to come roaring back next week...at least I hope so, cuz I really like his dancing and don't care for Nick's. 

I hate doing this, but I have to score Bonner one point higher than David Ross tonight, though I'd like to keep David another week or two and would be happy to have Bonner go home next. 

Bye, Erika.  I won't miss you...or skeavy Gleb.  Ick ick ick.

[magpye29]

37 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

Erin uses the same stylist and I haven't liked any of her looks this season, especially that frumpy set of curtains she had on last week. 

Erin's panty lines were really distracting--I should not be able to tell what her underwear looks like.

[crossover]

I was most disappointed in Nancy and Heather's jazz numbers.  I guess because I was so looking forward to them.  I just knew they would be the best routines because of their abilities.  It's not that they were executed badly.  I just didn't feel any joy in them.  For me, there weren't enough jazz elements.  Something was off.  I thought Nick had the best jazz routine.  He didn't have the best technique but I enjoyed his character.  Good job, Peta.  

I enjoyed Simone's contemporary because of her technique.  But I thought it felt short of Rashad's contemporary.  You do need the skill level/control of Simone for a good contemporary.  For me, the emotional connection through movement is just as important for a good contemporary.  Rashad's lack of controlled movement didn't bother me as much as Simone's lack of invested/emotional movement.

I did enjoy Normani/Val's PD best out of all the routines.  Yes, they had the elements of PD strewn through and Normani showed she could execute the movement/emote the intensity.  But it didn't seem like a "true" PD.  I remember W-A-A-Y back that Len gave Lacey a hard time for a PD.  His main gripe was something like 'you can't just throw some PD moves into a routine and call it a PD'.  That's how I felt about this one.  But I remember liking Lacey's PD at the time and I enjoyed this one as well.

I thought this was Erika's best performance.   So many times it's like that when it's their last night to be on the show.  I thought the 7 for Rashad's routine was too harsh.  The same as Bonner and David??  Of course the 9 was too much as well.  There were some awkward movements/technique issues that took you out of the flow of the dance.  But there were awkwardness in the song, for a foxtrot.  A trained person could've expertly navigated through it but he's not trained.  David was not good.  I think this is expected for large men; comparing him to the slightly build of most male dancers.  It is just hard for them to get those big limbs to retract beautifully.  I believe Rashad will have a hard time with the jive too.  They said Bonner was ok.  I'll just take their word for it.  I know I didn't enjoy the routine.

I'd be kind of surprised if Normani was truly in the bottom 3.  But maybe her supporters aren't voting?  She's good but so was Sabrina.  I also can't believe Bonner has more support than Nick.  I guess DWTS is popular with the rodeo crowd.

[Emily-D]

38 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

Kirstie Alley came in second. I think she, Ricki and Jennifer were all products of their very popular (at the time) pros. I'm not so sure the current pros have these dedicated fan bases. They seem to go more for groups, like the Chmerkovskiy fans, the young female pro fans, the up and coming troupe fans, etc.

I knew I'd forgotten someone, good shout on Kirstie. I agree the pro plays a big part, Ricki and Jennifer both had Derek and Kirstie had Maks who at the time had never won the mirrorball. I think all pros have their own fans. Obviously some are bigger than others (Derek) but they are all out there. It certainly feels like the male pros are far more popular than the females, which is unsurprising considering the show is hugely older female skewing.

[Toonces464]

2 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

I knew I'd forgotten someone, good shout on Kirstie. I agree the pro plays a big part, Ricki and Jennifer both had Derek and Kirstie had Maks who at the time had never won the mirrorball. I think all pros have their own fans. Obviously some are bigger than others (Derek) but they are all out there. It certainly feels like the male pros are far more popular than the females, which is unsurprising considering the show is hugely older female skewing.

I think the newer female pros have more of the "bunched" fans, meaning young girls who are fans of Sharna/Peta/Emma/Lindsay/Witney, while pros like Cheryl, Karina and Kym had more of their own fan bases.

[niklj]

I am really gonna miss Alan, he was a breath of fresh air and I'm going to miss his positive attitude.

Val showed Maks a thing or two about how to pair good dancing content with the showboating stuff.

[RedFiat]

Well tonight I didn't watch live and I guess that's not a bad thing given the comments.  I watched on youtube.   

I thought Nancy and Artem did a very nice job of the material  and hey, I saw some actual jazz movement!  It didn't turn out to be a "comedy" in a broad sense but it was very much in keeping with the theme of that song from the movie.  Nancy was Amy Adams tonight, and I was joyful right along with her..9's  we'll take it.  I agree that it was a 9 for technique,  I'd give it a 9.5 for presentation . At least Nancy is moving upward and got 3rd place tonight, so that's good progress.   

I thought Normani and Val were waaaaaay overscored. We got a good 30 sec. of  Paso, then another 25 seconds of some sort of fight scene, and then back to a hot mess of unfinished turns, a lot of kicks, and not much else.  Very hectic, and just uneven.  I watched Riker from Season 20's Pirate Paso and the big difference is it was Paso all the way through, .It was hectic as all get, but it was Paso.  

So, I don't get the hype on this but I guess the fight scene was somewhat exciting   8.5-9

I thought Simone and Sasha were okay. What's with this over reliance on gymnastics?  This is what the 5th week and this type of choreography is getting old fast, 4 out of 5 weeks with tumbling somewhere in the choreo is just freestylin' and not dancing.. Yes the gymnastics were great, but  this is not a partnered floor routine.  Where was the real connection between the partners like how Rashad gave that great contemporary last week?  8.5- 9

Speaking of Rashad, I thought Rashad and Emma's Foxtrot was a decent attempt with a song that had no real Foxtrot tempo. I actually thought I saw him do a drag-hesitation, a waltz move... but no that couldn't be... heh.  I thought Rashad did a nice job of  presentation, should watch his shoulders they did tend to droop a bit in hold, and the footwork is still sub par  this stage, but at least he's getting footwork and technique. I liked that there was a lot of Foxtrot, but Emma, this choreography was a tad boring,  I mean if you are going to waste time going down the stairs, at least do something interesting on those stairs.  8

I watched David and Lindsay's Jive that was a sort of a rip of the concept of James and Sharna and Jenna's jive from last season.  So if we compared dances,  David and Lindsay relied on air guitar moves, and other such filler.  It was not nearly as ambitious or as well executed as James' jive, but I give him props for keeping up with the troupe members.  Also, he was just a hair hesitant in the attack, where James' dancing was leading his partners.  So I think a 7.5- 8  is about right.

I thought Bonner and Sharna did an okay job.  I think his range of motion is still really going through rehab, and so I think the notes about him going bigger and more dynamic while definitely true, I wonder if he can physically do that given his accident. However, I thought the choreography steered away too much from Tango in parts and that's where you saw Bonner's energy ebb.  I think if more Tango was there he might have got a better score, because he's definitely working on the Tango and it's starting to look more natural on him.  7.5   

I thought Nick and Peta had a fun dance,  the sort of stiffness of the character was great for Nick so he could play that up.  I was impressed by his solo at the beginning and I liked that he danced all the way through.  He definitely could be hired as a Disney character. I thought some of his transitions were a little hap hazard and sloppy (eg, the removal of the skirt and the subsequent twirl) so  I thought the 9's were some sort of insurance that he doesn't get the boot next.  But I think  8 -8.5 overall.  is about right. 

I thought Erika looked great and she had some nice moments in her solo.  But I thought it was too long to get into hold for a Waltz,  it was a good 51 seconds in before they took up dance position.  I wasn't too fond of the choreography since we didn't get those nice long slower waltz movements, we again got this choppy choreography.  Disappointed in Gleb again.   8 for her Swan Song. 

I thought Heather did fine with what she was handed. Wtf?  Is this some sort of long game Maks is playing by doing such rancid choreography  so Heather can be "redeemed" later with something kick ass when she's back dancing with him?  I kind of threw up in my mouth a little at the thought of such arrogance.  But man, maybe he's just really sucks hard at this type of choreo. Obviously Heather went along with this, even though she's the pro and could probably do much better mapping out a better dance than this.  She wasn't happy with  either.  9 for Heather,  5 for the Choreographer 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.  

Edited April 18, 2017 by RedFiat

[jette]

Julianne clearly fancies herself as Tinkerbell - her stylist should've gone all the way and put her in a green dress!

Terribly disappointed in Maks' choreography. I'm a long time fan of his, but wish he'd have played stay at home dad this season.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have mixed feelings about Disney night. I loved Disney movies as a kid, but after Mulan there was a glut of movies that I thought were just okay. I didn't mind having Alfonso back for the opening number but I am already tired of JT, the little boy who was on SYTYCD.

Erika's Finding Dory waltz showed a lot of her weaknesses. Yes, she is capable of memorizing the steps but she is not graceful. She is very awkward, particularly with her arms. The actual waltz content was decent but my issue with the choreography is that the actual waltz content was less than 30 seconds (which is all on Gleb, not Erika). I only watched the dance clips on the DWTS youtube channel, so did they get dinged for a lift?

Simone's Moana contemporary was fun. I'm totally fine with Sasha taking advantage of being able to do lifts without penalty (even though there were only one or two things that I would consider actual lifts because most of the "lifts" were things Simone could do unassisted and they were just holding hands). Bonus: Auli’i Cravalho!

Normani's Mulan paso doble was her weakest performance yet for me. She seemed frantic in her execution. Sometimes that happens when you try too hard to be energetic and you get sloppy instead of being precise. Donny Osmond! My aunt told me that she had a crush on him when she was a teenager and then years later her kids and his kids ended up going to the same elementary school for a brief time so she would see him picking up his kids and she would try not to swoon. That's all I think of whenever I see him now.

Heather's Frozen jazz was disappointing. I don't know if they're trying to downplay her dance skills now, but this seemed like a wasted opportunity. I kept waiting for the real dancing to begin.

Bonner's Wreck It Ralph tango was so weird. Mostly it was terrible. Between his subpar dancing and all the faffing about, there wasn't much to enjoy. But there were two moments where I could tell he was comfortable with the steps and he had a few seconds of not looking constipated. I loved Wreck It Ralph (the movie) so it was nice to see them use one of the newer/less used dances (I mean, don't you just expect them to do Beauty and the Beast every damn season?), but I wish it had been done better.

Nick's Pinocchio jazz was better than I thought it would be. It was definitely better than Bonner's dance because there was more content, better execution, and more personality. Honestly, this is about the level of what I expect on Disney night so I kind of wish they would just assign jazz to everyone this week and be done with it.

Nancy's Enchanted jazz started out promising but it ended up being this season's Ginger Zee Beauty and the Beast - too much of a reenactment and too many extras, not enough actual dancing.

David's jive was so much better than I expected. I thought he wouldn't be able to handle the fast footwork but he was doing pretty well, which just makes me stand by what I've been saying all season - Lindsay should be giving him more content instead of having him stand there while she does sexy moves and turns and tosses her hair.

Rashad's Beauty and the Beast foxtrot was okay, but not great. This was one of his weakest performances to me. He didn't seem comfortable with this style and there were a few times when they seemed a little too close to the columns. I think they almost whacked the spinning camera too. Heh, not at all surprised that they got stuck with a new song from the movie. Gotta cross promote, damn it!

I'm fine with Erika being sent home. Bonner or David should be next if we're going on dance ability (which I know is never the only factor when people vote).

ETA: Now that I've read through the whole thread and seen the multiple comments about Simone using gymnastic moves in her routine, I feel I should point out that many of the things she did are ballet/jazz/contemporary dance moves. I saw chaîné turns, a tucked tour en l'air, a switch leap, a turning hitch kick, two fan kicks, a turning switch leap, and a piqué turn. Those are all basic DANCE moves that are used in contemporary routines (as well as ballet and jazz routines - we did all of those things on my high school dance team). The only gymnastics moves I saw were an assisted back tuck (which is not really a gymnastics move to me - we had completely uncoordinated non-dancers in my choir do assisted back tucks) and a valdez (which I have also seen in contemporary and jazz routines).

Edited April 18, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo