DWTS 22 Week 5 Live Blog and Performance Videos

DWTS

Welcome to week five of season twenty-two of Dancing with the Stars! Tonight, it’s “America’s Switch-Up,” which means we get to see each celebrity paired with a completely new partner to perform an unlearned routine. The switch always answers two pivotal questions for me. Can the celebrities who score low on a regular basis shine because of a new partner? And can the celebrities who are far out in front keep it up despite having a new partner? It is fun to see them challenged but I am usually quite happy when they go back to the pairings I am used to the following week. Maks is back in the ballroom tonight to serve as a guest judge, and considering his past visits, he usually tells it like it is. Let’s see what you guys thought of last week’s show.

44% of you continue to love Nyle & Peta, with 18% going for Wanya & Lindsay, and 10% for Paige & Mark. The rest are stuck in single digits. It was a closer race for favorite routine, as Nyle & Peta had 28% for their tango and Wanya & Lindsay had 22& for their samba. Ginger & Val took 16% of the vote for their foxtrot and the quickstep from Paige & Mark took home 15%. An overwhelming 68% disliked Doug & Karina and their jazz routine with 12% going to Jodie & Keo and their cha-cha-cha. For the first time this season, the majority of you disagreed with the elimination last week with 60% of the vote. Finally, “Disney Night” on a whole average a grade of B+/A-, so you guys really did enjoy the evening. Now let’s discuss tonight’s “elimination”…

More than likely, we will NOT have an elimination tonight. On previous “Switch-Up” weeks, the producers give the show’s couples a week off from elimination, combining the scores from the previous week to the switch-up results. With those results together, the next couple to go will happen the following week. I expect the same to happen tonight but for the record, 77% of you picked Doug & Karina to go tonight if we do have a boot. 14% of you went with Jodie & Keo.

Tonight will be very important for the celebs who have not fared too well to try and bring up their scores. Can folks like Doug, Antonio, and Von for example shine with a new partner and change their fortunes? And will the show’s leading scorers like Nyle, Wanya, and Paige continue to do well despite dancing with someone new? We are getting close to the midway point in the competiton and things are getting serious. I’m sure a few of these people can see the finale in the distance, so let’s see who brings it tonight!

Cute opening number that includes all the celebrities. And they all look pretty damn good dancing with one another and the pros/troupe members. Wanya sort of got the most exposure during that and I can’t blame choreographer Mandy Moore for putting him front and center. And here comes the new couples. Well, everyone looks rearing to go! Maks is seated next to Len as our guest judge for the week. He says he is looking for the couples to somehow replicate what we had with their original partners. – Click to Watch the Switch Up Group Number VIDEO

Wanya & Witney – Tango
Witney thinks the switch-up sucks. Wanya is a bit more excited about it. She says she is going to make Wanya better this week. Wanya mentions how tough it is to learn things from a new partner. James Bay is on hand to perform during this routine. Nice routine. I’m not quite sure if that was Wanya’s best. The tango by nature can look like a lot of “jerky” movements. The fine line is not making it look hectic. I think Wanya went just a bit overboard in that department. He had great hold though, and was totally immersed in the dance. It was a very by the books tango. I suspect Lindsay would have done something a bit more memorable with it. But still, Wanya’s weakest routine of the season (and that’s just an opinion) is still worthy of merit. – Click to Watch Wanya & Witney’s Tango Performance VIDEO

Len says Wanya hit turbulent waters tonight. It had too many moving parts. Maks feels as though Wanya has high expectations but he expected better. Bruno was pleased to see no holding back. Carrie Ann missed the natural chemistry with Lindsay. But she thinks the dance was delivered solidly.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 7
Maks- 7
Bruno- 8
Total: 30/40
You can vote for Wanya by calling 1-800-868-3412 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Kim & Keo – Viennese Waltz
Kim is nervous about the change. Keo comes sneaking into rehearsal and Kim is excited. Kim’s husband has dinner with them and tells her not to hold back. Kim admits she does miss Sasha a whole lot. Really good stuff here. I am actually impressed by what Keo has put together for Kim. A lovely and elegant viennese waltz, suited for the song and suited for what Kim can do. Some great steps and Kim is totally in character. A bit wobbly two or three times but nothing glaring or off putting at all. Just a really sweet and refined routine. Good job to the both of them! – Click to Watch Kim & Keo’s Viennese Waltz Performance VIDEO

Maks loved the performance. He thought it wasn’t a viennese waltz though. He can’t even critique the frame because there wasn’t one. Bruno thought Kim was on the money with the interpretation. He says yes, it was more American smooth. Carrie Ann loved it. She thought Kim brought out a new side. She calls it delicious. Len asks why there wasn’t one step in hold. Keo comments on the height difference as the reason why. He agrees with Maks obviously.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 6
Maks- 6
Bruno- 8
Total: 28/40
You can vote for Kim by calling 1-800-868-3406 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

*Well, I can’t really disagree with Len and Maks on that when it comes to dance style technicality but it didn’t really bother me because I felt what Keo created was beautiful enough and Kim handled it nicely.

Doug & Peta – Tango
Doug is happy to still be around. Peta says Doug’s main issue is the memory. Doug says he has to repeat things a number of times for it to stick. He says that perhaps it is his age. Tom Brady tweeted for Doug. Peta is encouraging. Okay. Doug’s main issue is the fact that he isn’t a natural dancer. He just isn’t. It is evident in every dance. So the key is to make the dance as passable as possible. This was passable. It was a proper tango. Sure, Doug looked unsteady at times and the sharp movements could have been better but overall, I don’t think there is anything Peta could have done differently to improve Doug’s situation. He is seemingly at a plateau now where this is about as good as it is going to get. – Click to Watch Doug & Peta’s Tango Performance VIDEO

Bruno says it wasn’t bad at all. He saw determination. He says Doug needs some help with musicality now. Carrie Ann loved the partnership. She didn’t think he missed any steps. Len applauds. Maks says it was the complete opposite of Kim and Keo. He says it did look pedestrian at times but he enjoyed it.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 7
Maks- 7
Bruno- 7
Total: 28/40
You can vote for Doug by calling 1-800-868-3402 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Jenna and Artem are out to dance as James Bay returns to perform his single, “Let It Go.” No elimination tonight so we obviously have some time to spare. Jenna and Artem are performing a killer contemporary routine to this song though. Lovely to see. – Click to Watch James Bay perform Let it Go with Jenna & Artem Performance VIDEO

Ginger & Mark – Salsa
Ginger loved last week. She is pleased with Mark. We see clips from the GMA segment of Mark revealing himself as her partner. Ginger’s husband arrives to make some jokes. Fun! Oh my. This has more steps and content than I think I have ever seen this season thus far. So much movement. But as a salsa, a party dance, it is welcome and expected. Ginger is keeping up nicely with Mark and this just proves- Val is holding back a bit on the choreography. If she can do this, and do it more than adequately, there is no reason for Val to not step it up and make their dances more intricate. A very good salsa by Ginger. – Click to Watch Ginger & Mark’s Salsa Performance VIDEO

Carrie Ann says Ginger is someone to watch. Len says it was fantastic. Maks says Ginger sold it. Bruno calls it hot, hot, hot.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 8
Maks- 8
Bruno- 8
Total: 32/40
You can vote for Ginger by calling 1-800-868-3404 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Antonio & Karina – Cha-Cha-Cha
Antonio wants to keep the momentum going. Karina is tough in rehearsal. Sharna facetimes Karina and admits that Antonio is as usual, late. He has a lot going on. Karina actually goes to the football field to help Antonio rehearse there. Whew! That was pretty darn sexy. Karina really upped the choreography here. Lots of cha-cha-cha steps, tons of bumping and grinding, and a big ol’ smile on Antonio’s face. He did really well with this. I was especially impressed by the moments where they danced apart because they were perfectly in-sync. Even though the judges raved last week, I actually enjoyed this routine more overall. – Click to Watch Antonio & Karina’s Cha Cha Cha Performance VIDEO

Len says it was long on performance, short on technique. Too much bumping and grinding. He wants Antonio to polish things. Maks is a fan. He says the whole point of this week was learning something new but Antonio used what he knew. Bruno thinks what happened is that Antonio was dancing in a different time zone. Carrie Ann calls Antonio a natural. But she calls him a wild card. She wants him to rehearse more.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 6
Maks- 6
Bruno- 7
Total: 26/40
You can vote for Antonio by calling 1-800-868-3401 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

*The one thing that’s clear tonight is that this blogger is not exactly in-sync with our judges. LOL. :)

Paige & Sasha – Rumba
Sasha hopes Mark doesn’t get jealous because this is a sexy rumba. Paige is trying to channel her inner sexy. Paige has a lot of difficulty trusting her partners. Aww. Well, Paige might have trust issues but you could have fooled me during this routine. A gorgeous rumba with nice hip movement, great extensions, and a romantic vibe that absolutely worked. It is a good thing the dance ended when it did because Paige nearly lost her balance at the very end. It may have been those crazy turns Sasha did with her. I’m pleased though. This showed a different side of Paige and I think she adjusted well to a new partner. – Click to Watch Paige & Sasha’s Rumba Performance VIDEO

Maks thinks Paige is more than capable of winning the show. He says though that this is a rumba, and there was only one rumba step. Bruno says Paige is sexy and he knows it. He thought it was played beautifully. Carrie Ann thinks Paige has amazing quality of movement. She also loved the partnership. Len saw some more rumba than Maks did but wants Paige to sell it more to him. He calls it acceptable but not exceptional.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 8
Maks- 7
Bruno- 8
Total: 31/40
You can vote for Paige by calling 1-800-868-3410 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Von & Lindsay – Jive
Lindsay was really hoping for Von. She is a major football fan. Lindsay says this is going to be a country jive. Fun routine and once again, Lindsay shines at choreography. However (big however here), Von was messy. The beginning was very messy. It did get better as it went along though. The kicks and flicks could have been sharper and the entire thing more than likely needed some extra rehearsal time so it looked more precise. It just had a sloppy-ish vibe to it from start to finish. Von was super in character though and I think the audience was receptive to the whole idea of the dance, so good on him for that. – Click to Watch Von & Lindsay’s Jive Performance VIDEO

Bruno mentions how Von messed up at the beginning but he did love the swagger. He wanted more sharpness. Carrie Ann thought the dance was clever. She thought it was a great performance. Len thought it was full of fun and energy. Maks wants a little bit more. He wanted it kicked up a notch.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 7
Maks- 7
Bruno- 7
Total: 29/40
You can vote for Von by calling 1-800-868-3411 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Nyle & Sharna – Viennese Waltz
Nyle is nervous and excited. Sharna really wanted to dance with Nyle. Sharna says this is an emotional dance and she needs Nyle needs to go there. She asks Nyle if in his previously relationship, was “he” deaf? Nyle corrects her in a very funny way that it was “she” and yes, she was deaf. Funny. Tyra Banks arrives at rehearsal for a bit of a pep talk. Wow. Gorgeous routine. Such fluidity and musicality. Sharna did great here with Nyle and he stepped up just as he does with Peta. Some wonderful lines and elegant rise and fall throughout. One of Nyle’s strongest of the season and the strongest of the night so far (one routine remains). I’m sure this will be received a bit better than last week’s routine. Very, very nice! – Click to Watch Nyle & Sharna’s Viennese Waltz Performance VIDEO

Carrie Ann is crying. She says Nyle takes her breath away. She says he was born to dance. Len calls it a total eclipse. He calls it fantastic. Maks calls it the best dance of the night. Bruno says the magic of dance is alive within Nyle.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 10
Maks- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 37/40
You can vote for Nyle by calling 1-800-868-3409 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

*Well, that was odd as heck. Maks and Bruno both held up 10’s, yet they wrote down 9’s as their score. So why the confusion? Hmm.

*Ah, ok. So, as Tom explains- whatever the judges write down is the final score. I guess Maks and Bruno both got very excited with their critiques and wanted to give 10’s but they already wrote down the 9’s.

Jodie & Val – Paso Doble
Jodie was very upset about last week. But she and Val are both stoked about having one another as partners. Val says Jodie’s performances are inconsistent but he is working on that. Night and day from last week. Without question. I don’t know if it is Keo not being there, Val being there, or Jodie just wanting to come back strong, but this worked on all levels. Nice paso steps, good vigorous movements from Jodie (as she remained in character) and a good and solid hold. Jodie’s strongest. I really hope beyond hope she keeps this up into next week. – Click  to Watch Jodie & Val’s Paso Doble Performance VIDEO

Len says it had full of attack and purpose and was well done. Maks calls it amazing. Maks thinks she could make the finale. Bruno loved it all- especially the spanish content. Carrie Ann calls it her best dance.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 8
Maks- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 35/40
You can vote for Jodie by calling 1-800-868-3405 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Judge Leaderboard Following Week 5 Dances (Out of a possible 40)
Nyle & Sharna – 37/40
Jodie & Val – 35/40
Ginger & Mark – 32/40
Paige & Sasha – 31/40
Wanya & Witney – 30/40
Von & Lindsay – 29/40
Kim & Keo – 28/40
Doug & Peta – 28/40
Antonio & Karina – 26/40

And with that, another “Switch-Up” comes to a close. I think overall, this was the weakest switch-up the show has done. More than half the couples were really missing their partners and took some hits from the judges. Some I felt were warranted but I think a few critiques were harsher than deserved considering the little rehearsal time with someone new. Meh. This is why I am not a huge fan of this. It just feels like a throwaway week that makes things super complicated when it doesn’t have to be. A few couples did shine tonight and with one or two really getting their mojo back and bringing it but overall, it was a rather forgettable evening.

I look forward to things getting back on track next week. We have an elimination next week based on two weeks of scoring and audience votes and everyone returns home to the partners they are used to. I turn it over to you guys in both the comment section here, and in a new POLLS thread which will be up very soon. I look forward to chatting with you guys and hope you enjoyed the show and the blog this week.