DWTS 24 Week 5 Live Blog and Performance Videos

Last week, Mr. T was booted from the competition, and Erika joined him in jeopardy? Could her time be up tonight? Or will another low scoring star, such as Nick, who has been in jeopardy before, be heading home? A few other things to watch out for.. Can Bonner continue to work his scores back up? Will Rashad continue to shine? And will this season’s high scoring ladies (Normani, Nancy, Heather, and Simone) continue to do well?

Let’s take a look at last week’s poll results to see where MJ readers stand heading into tonight. It is neck and neck for favorite partnership. Rashad & Emma have 25% and Normani & Val have 23%. Heather & Maks (Alan) earned 12% and Nancy & Artem have 10%. The rest of this season’s crop are in single digits. Only three routines earned double digits last week as your favorites. Rashad & Emma‘s contemporary had 43% of the vote. Next up, Normani & Val‘s rumba with 16% and Heather & Maks (Alan)‘s cha-cha-cha with 12%. On the flip side, 64% of you disliked Erika & Gleb‘s cha-cha-cha and 12% went with Nick & Peta‘s rumba.

The fourth episode earned this season’s highest overall grade with 46% giving it an “A“. Now, onto your predictions for tonight’s fourth elimination. A whopping 84% of you feel like Erika & Gleb are toast this week. 7% went with Nick & Peta. I absolutely agree. Erika, while not a bad dancer, has been completely forgettable since the very beginning. I can’t imagine she has earned enough audience support to stick around over anyone else. If she doesn’t go, Nick will. The show seems to be keen on only announcing two bottom couples this season but if they opt to add a third this week, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them place someone people don’t expect there. And by unexpected, I don’t mean someone like Bonner. An “in jeopardy” appearance by Simone or Heather could very well happen this week. We shall see.

So, now that we have taken care of the business aspect of it all, let’s get down to the show, down to the dancing, and down to the entertainment that will come out of Disney night. Here’s hoping for a great show!

This is one of the most adorable opening numbers I have seen on this show in a very long time. Alfonso Ribeiro opens the show with two little kids. As he sings and dances, the kids enter the ballroom as we get a glimpse of all the celebs performing together. We have Disney characters, fairy dust, and lots of lovely costumes. Mandy Moore choreographed that. Tom and Erin welcome us to the show and announce this is officially the half way point of the competition. – Click to Watch the Performance

Rashad & Emma – Foxtrot
Disney film- Beauty & The Beast
How nice! The choreographers have their work cut out tonight because they have to fit their dance to the movie but still keep it original enough where viewers are engaged. Emma was aces in that respect. A very appropriate foxtrot that felt like something new, yet could have absolutely appeared in the film. Rashad is a wonderful dancer who impressed me tonight with his lines and posture. I was a little worried that he would lose it a couple of time during those tricky foxtrot turns but he kept it together. And I agree with Emma’s little rehearsal tape thought- Rashad does much better when he is emotionally invested in a routine. – Click to Watch the Performance

Len enjoyed the flow and elegance. He found some of the footwork suspect but he says he hasn’t seen Rashad dance a bad dance. Julianne agrees. She says the timing was difficult on that song but Rashad nailed it. Bruno thought it had a tricky musical phrasing and it could have flowed a bit better but as a creation, it was beautiful. Carrie Ann agrees with Len but she felt like Rashad’s movements felt constricted this week.
You can vote for Rashad 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 8
32/40

Erin announces that Rashad & Emma are SAFE!

Some more results right now…
SAFE- Heather & Maks (Alan)
IN JEOPARDY- Erika & Gleb
SAFE- Bonner & Sharna
IN JEOPARDY- Nick & Peta

Nick & Peta – Jazz
Disney film- Pinocchio
Haha! Cute. Definitely my favorite Nick routine of the competition. It was fun, funny, and lively. Good job Peta with the choreography there. Jazz is a great style for someone not as technically profound in dancing as Nick because it allows freedom without being too strict with the details. Nick was definitely playing the character well and it was a memorable routine. Now, should he survive tonight, will this be enough to be safe next week? The jury is still out on that one. – Click to Watch the Performance

Julianne compliments Peta and calls it fun. She felt the dance worked in Nick’s favor. Bruno loved that Nick lived in the moment. He wants Nick to follow it up. Carrie Ann calls this a breakthrough for Nick. Len calls it fun, entertaining, and feel good.
You can vote for Nick 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 8
34/40

Erika & Gleb – Viennese Waltz
Disney film- Finding Dory
FINALLY! Erika performing and dancing as though she is actually in this cast. Was it the lack of a sexual routine? Maybe. Regardless, I really hope she keeps this up if she ends up staying (big if). This was a proper viennese waltz (though I think Carrie Ann might bring the lift police out). It had elegance, good frame, and I was really impressed by the flow. Erika should be proud of herself after that one- the very definition of redeeming herself after last week. – Click to Watch the Performance

Bruno feels like he saw Erika for the first time tonight. He calls it an honest performance. Carrie Ann agrees and says that something very profound happened. Len feels that tonight, Erika being a lovely dancer finally came out. Julianne loved how powerful and strong Erika is but tonight, she showed vulnerability.
You can vote for Erika 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 8
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
32/40

Heather & Maks (Alan) – Jazz
Disney film- Frozen
I am going to ignore that judges table moment because it was unnecessary. These dances are short enough without adding things that don’t amount to much at the end of the day. Okay, so a solid jazz routine but it was weird. This could all be a preference thing on my part but I really didn’t feel anything for the dance. I can tell it was good. I could say Heather danced well. And I could say she played the part. But overall, it just didn’t leave much of an impact. Oddly enough, my least favorite dance of the night so far. – Click to Watch the Performance

Carrie Ann felt it was a missed opportunity. She has been waiting for a jazz number and she felt it was a bit underwhelming. Len agrees a bit with Carrie Ann. He did think she brought out fun though. Julianne disagrees. She calls it amazing. Bruno thought it was vibrant, alive, and character driven performance.
You can vote for Heather 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
34/40

Maks is officially back as of next week. He just “fired” Alan. HAHA. On that note, I would be pleased with Alan becoming a pro next season.

Bonner & Sharna – Tango
Disney film- Wreck-It Ralph
Alright. The word I want to place on Bonner’s forehead is REFINEMENT. Now that he has seemingly found his groove, he needs to just practice, practice, practice. Everything was there in that tango in terms of content and style but each move could have had more finesse. Taking the whole character idea out of the equation for a second even though it is Disney night, there’s still a quality of dance you need to see and I think Bonner is on the upswing. He just needs to make sure (and I guess this is Sharna’s responsibility) that he perfects the dance before Monday nights. – Click to Watch the Performance

Len enjoyed seeing a lot of the dance in hold. He says Bonner did a great job. Julianne thought Bonner came to life and pulled it off. Bruno says there are still some bumps and cracks but Bonner tried to do it correctly. Carrie Ann loved the stuff in hold. Out of hold, she feels we need more dynamics in the dance.
You can vote for Bonner 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 8
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 7
30/40

More Results…
SAFE… Simone & Sasha
SAFE… David & Lindsay
IN JEOPARDY… Normani & Val
SAFE… Nancy & Artem

Normani & Val – Paso Doble
Disney film- Mulan
Donny Osmond is on hand to perform. Well, Val gave Len the content he so desired. Who says all paso routines need capes? LOL. I loved Normani’s energy and drive in this one. It was full on and passionate. I was a little worried during some of those turns that she may lose her balance but she kept it together. And kudos to Val on the choreography matching the movie but still being unique and memorable. – Click to Watch the Performance

Julianne talks about how Normani inspires little girls. She also calls it brilliant. Bruno comments that people tend to overdo this dance at times but Normani did not. Carrie Ann called it epic. She says it was perfection. Len doesn’t want to go overboard about perfection but he does say it had a lot of paso and he enjoyed the attack and spirit.
You can vote for Normani 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 10
Len- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
39/40

David & Lindsay – Jive
Disney film- Cars 3
ZZ Ward on hand for vocals. Impressive kicks and flicks! I am surprised. See, this is what Bonner needs to do. You can tell that David refines things in rehearsal to make up for not being as gifted in the dancing department as some of the others. It makes a huge difference when you see it. This was a fun and lively jive and once you strip away the theme aspect to just comment on the technique, it was impressive. I’m so glad Lindsay has not opted for funny with David each week. He can do so much more, so thankfully, he is getting the chance. – Click to Watch the Performance

Bruno kinda half compliments by talking about how tough the jive is but saying David always gets the show going. Carrie Ann says not a step was missed. But she wanted a bit more toning in the kicks and flicks. Len says it was high energy. He says the feet were a little flat. Julianne agrees with Len. She thinks his top half was better.
You can vote for David 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 7
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 7
29/40

Nancy & Artem – Jazz
Disney film- Enchanted
Okay. It was…okay. Honestly, it was the choreography. I feel similar as to how I felt earlier with Heather. I can say it was a good dance. I can say it was danced well. But it was just a bit underwhelming. I wish they had received a different film though I understand the idea that Nancy Kerrigan and Enchanted are a good match. I think Nancy has a chance to stick around a long time but this show has a lot of big personalities and really solid dancers so I worry when her routines fall flat a bit. Perhaps the viewing audience will disagree with me a whole lot and vote for her. – Click to Watch the Performance

Carrie Ann says Nancy was effortless. Len enjoyed it and says it was a lovely combination of nice dancing and the spirit of Disney. Julianne calls it amazing and beautiful. Bruno felt Nancy held her own despite all the other dancers in the routine. She’s a leading lady, Bruno says.
You can vote for Nancy by calling 1 800 868 3408 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
36/40

Simone & Sasha – Contemporary
Disney film- Moana
Auli’i Cravalho (the voice of Moana) is here to perform. That was like a Simone gymnastic floor exercise. And that’s a total compliment. Sasha with the assist. I have been waiting to see Simone do contemporary just to see those moves and her athleticism. Very good job. I will admit, I haven’t been blown away by her dancing on a whole this season, and it might just be high expectations plus having Laurie just on last season and winning the whole thing. But I do think she is finale bound and is a very strong competitor. – Click to Watch the Performance

Len says it was a great routine. He says the dancing was fantastic. Julianne felt Simone showcased everything she does well. Bruno calls it magic. Carrie Ann felt it was a great way to end the night.
You can vote for Simone 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 on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
38/40

ELIMINATION…

SAFE- Normani & Val

The fourth couple eliminated from DWTS S24 is…

Erika & Gleb

Erika says tonight was incredible. Tom tries to get Erika to say that she knew it was coming but Erika does not take the bait. She seems a bit closed off here. Maybe it is just her personality when faced with something upsetting? Or perhaps she is happy to be leaving? Regardless, you guys were right once again. – Click to Watch the Elimination

And there you have it for Disney Night.

One final look at tonight’s leaderboard (scores are out of 40)
Normani & Val- 39
Simone & Sasha- 38
Nancy & Artem- 36
Heather & Maks (Alan)- 34
Nick & Peta- 34
Rashad & Emma- 32
Erika & Gleb- 32
Bonner & Sharna- 30
David & Lindsay- 29

A brand new POLLS thread is minutes away from going up (be sure to check it out and vote) and I’ll be back with you guys a week from tonight from another new and exciting episode.