Thursday, April 17, 2014

DWTS Season 18, Week 5: My Thoughts


I am so sorry to have missed Disney Week on DWTS. As an avid Disney fan, I thought this was one of the best-executed shows from the costumes to the props, it was fun. Since I missed the AfterBuzz show this week because I was in New York for Hyundai's live 2015 Sonata launch (See photos here and here.), I thought I would give a few short thoughts on this week's show.

Opening Number: Mandy Moore did what she does best…use the space and choreograph for the camera. I loved Mark, Derek and Val on the steps. Their trio was my favorite highlight from the opening number.

Drew/Cheryl: While this wasn't his cleanest week, I love that he throws himself into each dance. What I adore about this season is that the cast is really likable. Drew has been one of the biggest surprises for me. Count me as a fan! (And how cute was the pep talk Cheryl gave him before the dance began?)

Charlie/Sharna: I don't care that he dropped the cane — that was spectacular! I am rarely a fan of props on DWTS, but the cane choreography was divine with the footwork. Sharna is one of the best choreographers on that show and she proved it with that number. Congratulations to Charlie for keeping up with such challenging steps. (And hello…he did a bumper with penguins--YES!)

Photo via @ 

Danica/Val: I think this was her breakthrough week. She needed to really step out and distinguish herself since it's a talented group and we are halfway through the season. Val is one of my favorite choreographers on the show and this Quickstep showed off his skills nicely. I had to watch this routine twice though because the plates (AKA Lindsay and Jenna) stole the show. 

Amy/Derek: Amy makes everything look so easy. This week, we learned how hard it really is for her. While she is primarily an athlete, she shines in her performance every week. This piece was beautiful in a very pretty and quiet way. 

Witney/Cody: While I wasn't surprised it was the end of the line for Cody after Kristin Hope did her awesome Facebook-ology research. (His dance with Sharna was the fans' least favorite during the Switch-Up.) He had a really good showing in the Samba though. I don't agree with Donny at all. Cody is 17, he's not going to have a cheesy Disney grin. He went out on a good note and Witney proved she is a total star. Great first year as a pro!

NeNe/Tony: This was the perfect character for her and I loved what this pair did out on the dance floor. As for the package, they are two strong personalities and things will get heated in the rehearsal room. If you saw their emotion after the dance, you know they really like each other. However, Tony needs to take a constructive comment and roll with it. Carrie Ann shared that Derek's work with Nene helped her out. Any elite athlete or performer will seek out an additional coach for a big performance/event. It's no different in this situation. It only helped their case out on the dance floor.


James/Peta: Hello, star lift! James has proven himself to be such a contender in a jam-packed fight for the Top 4. I'm not sure I would call this a perfect 10 performance, but it was darn close. (And hello…he needed a costume, it's Disney Week!)

Meryl/Maks: I am always wanting more from Meryl and I always go back to wanting Maks to add more content for Meryl. However, I'm starting to think that it's because Meryl makes everything look so darn easy. It's effortless and that's a hard quality to come by. It was a cute routine and I had no problem with Meryl's footwear in this situation…it gave her a barefoot look for the costume — I get it.

Candace/Mark:  I'm glad she had such a good week after being unfairly judged last week. I loved Mark as a crab! How did Donny not understand what he was doing with his hands? I have to say I am rooting for Candace. She's not going to be in the Top 4, but her positivity and her message that  you can be sexy and still covered up is kind of awesome. 

Prediction for Elimination: NeNe--I think that package will hurt her votes a bit even though the producers probably upped the drama on their little tiff. 

Amy Purdy Scoop: While I was in New York, I ran into the Toyota executive who was responsible for bringing Amy onto the Toyota sponsorship team. (I had seen him at the DWTS show I attended with my niece, but we didn't get a chance to chat.) He first saw her at the TED Talk back in 2011 and approached her after the speech. He is such a fan and Toyota is truly supportive of all of her endeavors. On the sly, he also told me, "That Peta girl is something, isn't she?" I had to laugh.


Let me know your thoughts on Disney Week in the comments below.











11 comments:

  1. Definitely a nice change of energy after the switch-up week. There are so many likable, talented celebs this season it's pretty hard to pick the top 4! Even the "lesser" dancers (Drew and Nene) aren't that bad and would probably go further in another season.

    I actually think Candace might be a dark horse and last until the semis, as long as her scores hover around 35. Tom said she and Cody weren't even "necessarily the bottom 2" (if you believe him), which is saying something with her low scores. She has a pretty big presence in the Facebook group and you just root for her. I actually question how well Danica is doing in votes. I think she's a great dancer and definitely had her best week so far but I still struggle to remember her routines at the end of the night. She's just "there" for me, which I feel bad about because I do recognize her talent (still wish she was more forthcoming about her dancing background but it is what it is!). I think Amy could definitely be a contender for the final four but worry if she'll physically be able to execute with the potential remaining dances she has (Jive, Paso, Tango, A. Tango, Samba, just to name a few), all depends on how the judges continue to score her.

    I think Nene and Drew will be the next two to go with Nene being eliminated next week.

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    1. Hi Mary Elizabeth!
      I think you are right about Danica. I had to watch her dance twice. The Cute Plates were hilarious…I forgot to watch what was happening in the middle of the dance floor. Candace has very strong support. I think she will stick around until NeNe and Drew are gone…then we will have to worry again.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      :) kb

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  3. Enjoyed reading your comments on Disney week, Kristyn, I missed you on After Buzz TV! I thought the entire night was magical. The couples I find myself watching over and over are, Candace and Mark, Danica and Val, and James and Peta. I can't get over how creative the choreographers on this show are! Watching Candace and Mark just makes me happy. They have the best chemistry and Mark's choreography was so cute! Someone needs to tell Carrie Ann to stop saying how "incredible" Candace is, while underscoring her. I had not seen or heard about any nerve problem with her, until it was mentioned this week. Candace brings it every performance, but the underscoring is not helping with confidence. By the way, Kristyn, did you see what Candace wrote about her DWTS experience? I thought it was very touching...

    http://instagram.com/p/m4TO3DJ8Uo/#

    I think James and Peta were the best of the night... wow, what a lift! However, why in the world was he dressed in such drab-colored clothes? He looked as if if he had just left the rehearsal studio! It was such a stark contrast to Peta's costume that it caused her to outshine him. Anyway, it was still beautiful and emotional.

    Nene needs to go, too much attitude for me.

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    1. Thank you for sending that Insta link. I love that she is getting so much out of her DWTS journey. Honestly, it shows. She's sincere and authentic and it comes across that way on TV. I respect her beliefs, but also see she is teaching an important lesson because we are so often told sexy is naked…..it's not. She's gorgeous and beautiful inside and outside. I love that.

      It does look like this is NeNe's exit week. No one has mentioned another name.

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  4. missed your input on afterbuzz this week kristyn! I absolutely LOVED sharna's piece this week i was so annoyed they kept focusing on the one slip with the cane! he literally missed like 2 counts then he was back in the number they didnt give him enough credit for this amazing routine!!! i think disney week really highlighted the pros and there choreographic skills as sharna, val and dereks pieces were all so visually stunning i just loved them!

    i really didn't connect with peta and james frozen number it had so much potential to be amazing with the beautiful graphics and music, i dont know why i just didnt like the choreography. His lifts were awesome though he is going to be around for many more weeks! didnt deserve the perfect 40 though over some of meryls previous numbers!

    gutted for witney also you could tell she was so upset about being eliminated this early, i really hope they keep her as pro for next year and henry also! i think witneys routines were really creative and showed cody at his best and with drew she did an awesome job!

    the top4 is going to be so competitive this year with amy meryl and charlie as an obvious three! i am supporting amy all the way!

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    1. Hi Megan! YES! The important thing to focus in on is that he picked up the cane and jumped right back in the routine without missing a beat or looking flustered. I was annoyed the focus was on the cane.

      I agree with you on James and Peta. It was a pretty routine with hard choreography, but I didn't FEEL it. However, James is so talented, we are sure to see him in the Top 4.

      I tweeted to Witney yesterday about her success in her first season as pro. I hope she is proud of her work. She did an excellent job.

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  5. I was glad to read your impressions, Kristyn, since you weren't able to participate on AfterBuzz. Even though Henry had to cancel at the last minute, Suri, Anna and Julz did great -- made some great points that made me think. Best of the week: James/Peta and Danica/Val. Deserving top scorers. Also loved Charlie/Sharna and Candace/Mark! Question: Do you remember ANY other competitor ever doing a bump (reference to Charlie and the penguins)? I think it speaks to his easygoing charisma, kind of in a Jimmy Stewart way. Obviously, the producers like him, too! No problem with Cody leaving, since I do agree with Donny's criticism: Cody and Charlie are polar opposites when it comes to selling a song. Yes, he's only 17, but how old was Donny when he learned the same lesson? (Much younger.) Next to go: Agree it's NeNe. Tony deserved more respect. Best wishes always from Hong Kong, Kristyn. Looking forward to seeing you again next week.

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    1. I agree with you that Donny was able to sell it at Cody's age, but it was also a different time. Unfortunately, Cody comes from the Justin Bieber school of swagger, so I think that plays into his performance level.

      I can't remember any other celeb doing a solo bumper like that. It was so enjoyable and impressive.

      Henry will be joining us this week with Sasha Farber…it's going to be so much fun!

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  6. Hey Kristyn, I agree with just about all of your thoughts except I'm just having such a hard time believing that Cody had the least amount of fan votes. I truly think and feel in my gut It was someone else that they wanted to keep around, I'm not a fan of Cody mind you but just feel there is more to it. Glad Henry will be joining this week I'm a fan of his.

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  7. Hey Kristyn! I missed you a lot on last week's show, but I'm very glad you shared your thoughts though! I agree 100% with eveyrthing you said!
    xoxo
    Geórgia, from Brazil :)

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