Before we even start, I would personally like to send out my thoughts and prayers to those affected by the tragedy in Boston today. Whether or not you know someone directly involved or live in a far away place, there’s no denying that this type of horrific event touches us all. I hope everyone who visits this blog is safe, in addition to all their friends and family. Remember, our leader MJ is from Boston but everyone she knows is safe. We love you MJ and we love all our members. May God bless all of you.
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Welcome to week 5 of season sixteen of Dancing with the Stars. Last week, we said goodbye to Reality television star Lisa Vanderpump and her professional partner, Gleb Savchenko. The competition just seemed to be too much for Lisa, both physically and emotionally. She may not have been the weakest dancer technically, but it is hard to argue that she should still be around. Hopefully we get to see more of Gleb before the season finale and if he lives up to what we expect from him, it will be without a shirt. So now, we move forward to week 5. I am definitely enjoying this season but the suspense is not really there as I have little to no doubt that Kellie, Zendaya, Aly, and Jacoby are heading straight for the finals. Obviously, one of those four will miss out but to me, the rest of the cast has no chance and at this point, we are all just waiting to see how the eliminations play out. But the interesting questions that will come out from this week is who out of those four leads the pack and who may fall down a few pegs. It should also be fun to see if any of the middle of the road couples can move up and whether or not D.L. will to continue to improve- and throw shade at Len Goodman. Good times!
Tonight’s theme is “Len’s Side-By-Side Challenge.” Each couple must select two other professionals that have either been eliminated, featured in previous seasons, or participate in the troupe. Yes, that means the return of former favorites like Maks and Chelsie. They will perform simultaneously with the couples. I am excited to see how this works out. Will the professionals dumb down their dancing a bit as not to take away from the celebrities? Or will seeing the pros dance just shine a light on how weak some of them are? The choreography should be really fun to see because I can imagine some of these pros will put together quite a show since each dance will feature four people. We can also expect a group dance tonight. As usual, the couples must perform any unlearned genre of dance. With nine votes for each couple up for grabs (extended through Facebook in addition to the usual methods), let’s see who achieves the really demanding task of dancing well enough with three professionals. Here we go everyone… :D
The show begins with ALL the pros dancing (including the returning ones) dancing. And look who joins them… our celebrities and their professional partners. I guess this is the group routine that was planned. Every couple has about a 30 second (or less for a few) solo. Yes, Tom announces that this is indeed the group dance. Well, not much to say except it was fun. The leaders of the pack did well (Zendaya, Kellie, Jacoby, Aly) while the others were kind of just there. It is basically what every group dance on this show is. Lots of fun but not much to technically talk about and it goes so fast. The dance is not at all scored and the competition begins for real after the break.
Ingo Rademacher (Soap opera actor) & Kym Johnson – (Cha-cha-cha) – Dancing with Emma & Tony
Emma & Tony start off in fantastic fashion. Kym is also great but Ingo’s obvious lack of technical dance ability shows here. He and Tony are not really in-sync and again, Ingo comes off a tad awkward while he dances. It is especially evident when Ingo tries to be sexy. He does manage to pull off some classic cha-cha-cha moves but he really needs to work on his footwork and musicality. In his backstage package, he mentioned hoping to just skate by this week and I took that as he didn’t really rehearse very much and just wanted it to finish. It showed in the dance for sure. He needs to do better than this if he ever hopes to be more than just a middle of the pack performer. But I did love seeing Tony, Emma, and Kym do their thing.
Len thought Ingo kept up with the stamina and energy. Having said that, he points out that he needs to work on the details. Bruno said Lady Marmalade got Ingo in a bit of a jam. Bruno said the character is right but that disguises the problems. He goes to mention a few problems. Carrie Ann thought the pelvic thrusts were a hit and she enjoyed the confidence. But below the belt, that needs some help.
Carrie Ann- 7 Len- 7 Bruno- 7 for a total of 21/30
To vote for Ingo & Kym, call 1800-868-3403. You can also text “VOTE” to 3403. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Jacoby Jones (NFL wide receiver) & Karina Smirnoff – (Jive) – Dancing with Anna & Maks
Wow. Now, THIS is a fun and in-sync dance. Anna & Maks start off and they are amazing. Jacoby & Karina join and they are just as amazing. Jacoby is absolutely keeping up with everyone else. His partner routine with Karina is so much fun. Awesome kicks and flicks (needed for the jive) and complete and total connection to the dance. Jacoby moves so damn easy for someone of his size. It really is something to watch. The entire ballroom is up and so into this. Some impressive moves throughout the dance. This is proof right here that a side-by-side can be done nicely because Anna & Maks did not come off as superior to Jacoby & Karina. Everyone did their part and it was pretty fantastic from start to finish. I am impressed!
Bruno is so excited that he got to see Jacoby and Maks. He mentions great timing but he wants Jacoby to point his feet on the kicks. Carrie Ann mentioned that Jacoby was a bit flat-footed but she loved it. Len thinks Jacoby lights up the ballroom but he will never get a “9” from him with that footwork. He wants Jacoby to work hard on those foot.
Carrie Ann- 9 Len- 8 Bruno- 9 for a total of 26/30
To vote for Jacoby & Karina, call 1800-868-3412. You can also text “VOTE” to 3412. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Victor Ortiz (Professional boxer) & Lindsay Arnold – (Viennese Waltz) – Dancing with Emma & Tristan
Victor is going through a breakup as he found out his girlfriend cheated on him WHILE he was in rehearsals. Well, I have to give Victor some props here. Perhaps it is the fact that is a slow and emotional dance (much like his contemporary a few weeks ago) but he is actually doing a serviceable job. Tristan & Emma start off lovely and when Victor & Lindsay join, they are actually in-sync. Victor & Lindsay’s routine on its own is nice. He has the mood of the dance down and some nice waltz steps. Of course, as usual, you can see a few minor errors here and there but compared to last week, Victor stepped up. I especially enjoyed the emotional connection here that Victor had. As a tough as nails boxer, that impressed me more than the actual dancing. I’m not sure if this would be enough to save him from a possible elimination tomorrow but in my book, he achieved a better dance than Ingo did tonight.
Carrie Ann says it a victory. She thought he channeled his emotions well. Of course, the lift police is back for Carrie Ann. Len said it was better than last week and that’s the way to go. Bruno says Victor is back in the game. He mentions the timing was good and only off for a few seconds. But for the most part, Bruno was impressed.
Carrie Ann- 7 Len- 7 Bruno- 7 for a total of 21/30
To vote for Victor & Lindsay, call 1800-868-3402. You can also text “VOTE” to 3402. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Aly Raisman (Olympic gold medal gymnast) & Mark Ballas – (Samba) – Dancing with Witney & Tony
Witney is such a superstar. Even during her days on SYTYCD I felt that way. She & Tony are awesome here. Once Aly & Mark join, they keep up nicely. The girls are definitely in-sync and being sexy and sassy together. If you watched the show without knowing who was who, you would be legit confused because both girls brought it in the synchronization part. So, kudos to Aly for that for sure. Unfortunately, when Witney exits, Aly loses a bit of momentum. She makes two mistakes that I clearly saw and lost a bit of musicality. Mark helped her get it back quickly and the rest of the dance was fun. I thought it had a bit too much of the top and bottom shaking and could have used some more samba steps. Again, no samba rolls in this routine. I thought it was perhaps Aly’s weakest routine of the competition overall but her weakest is naturally, a weaker dancer’s strongest. She is still up there at the top of the pack but this dance showed that she does have things she could work on.
Len said Aly’s bottom is the top. He mentioned a mistake and sometimes her legs are a little off but overall, good job. Bruno had no idea Aly could be so saucy. He thought Aly had very strong technique besides the mistake. Carrie Ann enjoyed seeing the sexy side of Aly. Carrie Ann thinks that once Witney left, Aly lost it a bit.
Carrie Ann- 8 Len- 8 Bruno- 9 for a total of 25/30
To vote for Aly & Mark, call 1800-868-3408. You can also text “VOTE” to 3408. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Sean Lowe (Reality television star) & Peta Murgatroyd (Quickstep) – Dancing with Chelsie & Tristan
Wow! I am majorly impressed here by Sean. This is definitely his strongest dance of the show. Peta (and I assume the other two pros) came up with some clever choreography here. I loved Chelsie & Tristan’s part and when Sean came in, it was really positive. Sean & Peta are actually in-sync with them and alone, they are lovely and elegant. Sean looks really determined and in-character here and he is doing a better than usual job. Out of the guys who are middle of the pack on this show (Ingo, Victor, and Sean)- I see the most improvement this week from Sean. What came off as awkward in previous weeks comes off as an actual dance tonight. Of course, it isn’t perfection and his feet when the quickstep gets going could be better but I don’t want to be harsh when he clearly practiced a whole lot for this routine. Nice improvement!
Bruno says up until now, Sean has been a lumberjack but tonight, he was light on his feet and elegant. He is impressed. Carrie Ann says that Sean is back and it was beautiful. She liked it a whole lot without making much sense. Len said Sean flied around the floor like a pigeon. Last week, a statue and this week, a pigeon. Len says it was Sean’s best dance so far.
Carrie Ann- 8 Len- 8 Bruno- 8 for a total of 24/30
To vote for Sean & Peta, call 1800-868-3407. You can also text “VOTE” to 3407. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Kellie Pickler (Country music singer) & Derek Hough – (Foxtrot) – Dancing with Anna & Henry
YES! This choreography is stellar. This is an old-school foxtrot harking back to the old days. Everyone is so on point here- the pros and Kellie. Kellie is definitely keeping up and she is cute as a button looking like a mix between Marilyn Monroe and a 50’s dancer at MGM studios. I love the easy flow of the foxtrot here and Derek even included some funny and very “Kellie-esque” moves to make it entertaining. Kellie has great lines here and posture to kill for. This is probably my favorite dance of the night so far for both dance quality and tone. Great stuff. I imagine the judges are going to be very happy with Kellie tonight since they knocked her down a peg last week when her husband sang as she danced. Great job!
Carrie Ann loves the side-by-side challenge. She thinks everyone has blossomed by working with the other pros. She calls Kellie fabulous and can’t believe it is her first ballroom routine. Len calls it a “hottrot.” He tells her that if she continues to dance like that, she will be in the finals. Bruno mentions Gene Harlowe. He is all positive for Kellie and loved it.
Carrie Ann- 9 Len- 9 Bruno- 9 for a total of 27/30
To vote for Kellie & Derek, call 1800-868-3401. You can also text “VOTE” to 3401. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
D.L. Hughley (Comedian and actor) & Cheryl Burke – (Tango) – Dancing with Chelsie & Sasha
OY. Well, D.L. is back to his previous week’s issues. I know this is a tango and you are supposed to move with aggression and power but D.L. is basically stomping and walking around when he is alone and in-hold with Cheryl. And let’s not even go into the side-by-side comparison too much because this was the one dance of the night so far where it was beyond clear how not in-sync the celebrity is with the professionals. D.L. is now by far the weakest overall dancer in the competition but it doesn’t seem to matter to the voting public. I need to say something positive so I will say that it was better than his first dance those weeks back but since we are half-way through the competition, the lack of technique is a major issue and he really does deserve the boot at this point. Oh, and his attitude is way better, so that’s a positive as well.
Len called it a decaff coffee. It didn’t have any buzz to it. It was way too mild. A couple of blunders and it lacked the attack. Bruno thought D.L. went for the aggression so much that he messed up. He says it technically fell apart and called it a brave attempt. Carrie Ann said the side-by-side showed the differences and the lack of technique was evident.
Carrie Ann- 6 Len- 6 Bruno- 6 for a total of 18/30
To vote for D.L. & Cheryl, call 1800-868-3405. You can also text “VOTE” to 3405. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Zendaya Coleman (Dinsey Channel star) & Valentin Chmerkovskiy – (Argentine Tango) – Dancing with Anna & Maks
Damn! This is just incredible. Zendaya looks like a professional. I am not even exaggerating. With Maks, Anna, and Val out there, you wouldn’t even notice that Zendaya is the celebrity. She is that good here. The tango steps are just great. What began as an amazing routine from Maks & Anna just continues once Zendaya & Val join. They are totally in-sync, completely in character, and just knocking it out of the park. The strongest routine of the night and Zendaya’s best of the competition. Watch this if you can and take a close at Zendaya’s intricate footwork and facial expressions here. Just perfect. I think we MIGHT have our first 10’s of the season! Fabulous!
Bruno is over the moon. He said she was as good and strong as Anna. Carrie Ann said that that dance must have killed her thighs because she is so tall. She loves the story that Zendaya brings. Len compares it to a lemon tart and calls it a gem of a dance.
Carrie Ann- 10 Len- 9 Bruno- 10 for a total of 29/30
To vote for Zendaya & Val, call 1800-868-3406. You can also text “VOTE” to 3406. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Andy Dick (Comedian and actor) & Sharna Burgess – (Paso Doble) – Dancing with Emma & Sasha
OMG. Andy comes flying into the routine. Well, let’s be honest. Everyone here is perfection and Andy is Andy. He is trying to mix funny with intensity and that much works but the dancing is weak. I mean, he isn’t in-sync and the steps need work. I realize that Andy isn’t probably going to improve much but like D.L., it has to be said that since we are only five weeks away from the finale, the weak dancers have to go. As funny as Andy is and as much determination as he gives to the dances (and he really does), it just doesn’t come together well. The cape stuff (which is a pretty regular thing in the paso) was especially awkward and weak.
Carrie Ann is laughing. The entrance will never be forgotten. But shortly after, the dance fell apart. The intensity was there but something was off. Len makes some jokes but calls it great fun and he enjoyed watching it. Bruno can’t find the words to describes it and says the one thing missing was Cloris Leachman.
Carrie Ann- 6 Len- 6 Bruno- 6 for a total of 18/30
To vote for Andy & Sharna, call 1800-868-3411. You can also text “VOTE” to 3411. Finally, register at ABC.COM to vote online.
Final Judges Leaderboard:
Zendaya And Val – 29/30
Kellie And Derek- 27/30
Jacoby And Karina- 26/30
Aly And Mark- 25/30
Sean And Peta- 24/30
Victor And Lindsay- 21/30
Ingo And Kym- 21/30
D.L. And Cheryl- 18/30
Andy And Sharna- 18/30
Head on over to a new thread for POLLS! :D
I hope you all enjoyed watching along with me.
