Disney Night gets a Broadway spin, complete with the first team dances of the season and multiple Tony winners.
Photo: Christopher Willard/Disney
Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, bitch — it’s “Disney Night”! This week usually feels like a special blend of corporate synergy and childhood nostalgia, but I don’t know, Dancing friends … this evening felt a little lacking in the magic of it all, no? It’s a tough time in the season. Everyone’s exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally — and I’m talking about our dancers and your recapper. Little cracks are starting to show. But people need to lock in. There are only eight couples left and all of them have put in at least a few great routines. Anyone could go home and anyone could win, and that’s both exciting and terrifying if you have personal favorites and a weak stomach.
This season we’re celebrating not just Disney, but Disney on Broadway, which means DWTS has brought in Broadway performers to sing live during some of the routines — Tony Award winner Heather Headley, the original Aida, singing in the ballroom? Bless this show! — and recruited Cynthia Erivo to be our guest judge. She and Bruno match each other’s energy perfectly, and they should go out on the road together. But after all the Disney-and-Broadway fun is over, including our first team dances of the season, we’ll still have to send one couple home. I’m calling on all the Fairy Godmothers right now to not let the elimination break my heart.
Quickstep // “A Star Is Born” from Hercules
Blast those muscles, ladies — you work hard for them! And it’s what Amber Glenn is doing in her Hercules-inspired Quickstep in which both she and Pasha are playing the titular demigod and trying to out-muscle each other. (She even leads in certain sections.) Amber looks like she’s having fun out there — these two truly seem so happy to be dancing together each week — but the routine is kind of forgettable. The judges knock her for a small misstep, but Carrie Ann still found it “clean, crisp, and smooth.” Amber and Pasha have been on a bit of a plateau these past couple of weeks, but I have faith they’re going to break through on their way to the finals. When these two get the perfect score they deserve, their little blond heads are going to explode and honestly, I’m looking forward to that.
Carrie Ann: 8 // Derek: 9 // Cynthia: 8 // Bruno: 9
Total Score: 34/40
Jive // “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from Peter Pan
Maura describes herself as being “in Tinker-hell this week” with Jive, a style that needs to be fast and sharp and calls for a whole lot of stamina. None of these are Maura’s strengths and she knows it. Now, did I almost tear up when she looked defeated in rehearsal and Mark got right in her face and told her that she could do this? Of course I did; I’m a human woman. Maura is so easy to root for. I also appreciated that instead of Mark playing Peter Pan, the obvious pairing for Maura’s Tinkerbell, he said, Fuck that, I’m that curly-haired diva Captain Hook, because that feels so, so right. Anyway, this Jive is unfortunately lacking in both energy and sharp footwork and is generally kind of sad, but Maura and Mark still manage to get eights.
Carrie Ann: 8 // Derek: 8 // Cynthia: 8 // Bruno: 8
Total Score: 32/40
Contemporary // “Easy As Life” from Aida
I’ve been stoked all week since this performance was announced. Contemporary is Jan’s forte and they’re doing it to Aida? With Heather Headley performing live?! It does not disappoint. Tatyana is so full of passion and emotion when she dances, and that’s exactly what this routine calls for. The musicality here? Off the charts. I don’t give a flying fuck about how far she’s extending her lines, a critique not one but three of our judges used their entire time to harp on. Other people aren’t extending their arms as far as Cynthia Erivo’s nails, and I don’t hear judges complaining. Tatyana and Jan dance so beautifully together, and that they’ve been underscored more than once keeps me up at night. This week, however, Tatyana and Jan give Carrie Ann chills, and I thought she might weep right there at the judges’ table. At least she gets it!
Carrie Ann: 9 // Derek: 8 // Cynthia: 8 // Bruno: 8
Total Score: 33/40
Jazz // “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins
I am but a simple woman who likes to ooh and ahh from time to time, so yes, the way Harry and Jenna utilize that giant screen behind them to give us a little Mary Poppins magic did, in fact, work for me. Though at times the choreography does seem to highlight Jenna more than Harry, it’s so freaking fun. Harry wanted to pay homage to Dick Van Dyke’s physical comedy in his movement, and he does just that. Also, that toe-touch? I cannot stop thinking about that toe-touch. I don’t want to stop thinking about that toe-touch. That toe-touch is my life now.
Carrie Ann: 10 // Derek: 10 // Cynthia: 10 // Bruno: 10
Total Score: 40/40
Samba // “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
At the beginning of the season, Daniella and Ezra decided the Samba would be a no-go because there would be no way for Ezra to get the classic Samba bounce going. Then they start dancing and Daniella realizes Ezra can do everything she’s asked him to do, so Samba was back on the table. When Ezra talks about how Daniella believed he could do it, so he believed, I did indeed need to bite a pillow. And guess what? He can pull off a Samba, one accompanied by Broadway star Michael James Scott no less. (Also, yes, Ezra looks so much like Prince Eric, it’s wild.) He moves through the classic Samba content — the walks, the rolls, the hip actions — with such ease. There was nothing to worry about here!
Carrie Ann: 9 // Derek: 10 // Cynthia: 9 // Bruno: 9
Total Score: 37/40
Paso Doble // “Satisfied” from Hamilton
Oof, Julia’s rib injury looks so painful, and it’s flaring up again following a week where you could tell it affected her performance. Her Hamilton Paso Doble is definitely an improvement on the Argentine Tango last week, but you can see her holding back still. Julia nails the intensity of the dance — despite the fact that I wouldn’t necessarily match this dance style with this song, Ezra’s choreography is great — but her shaping leaves a whole lot to be desired. She also has some stumbles with the footwork, but Carrie Ann appreciates how deep Julia is clearly digging to survive each week.
Carrie Ann: 8 // Derek: 8 // Cynthia: 8 // Bruno: 9
Total Score: 33/40
Quickstep // “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast
Jenna invites her Tony-winning partner Steve Kazee to rehearsal for some Broadway-related advice, and I can’t believe Jenna hasn’t danced something to a Once song yet. Make us bawl, Jenna! Quicksteps, unfortunately, aren’t known for being emotional, but they are known for being fast and fun, and this one hits those marks. It’s not the most original or memorable of dances, but it is full of content and so precise and clean. Carrie Ann is amazed at how in sync Jenna and Val were, and Derek is overjoyed at how much they used the entire dance floor in this routine — they were moving. It’s about as technically perfect a Quickstep as you can get.
Carrie Ann: 10 // Derek: 10 // Cynthia: 10 // Bruno: 10
Total Score: 40/40
Waltz // “I See the Light” from Tangled
Connor gets to try out a new piece of fake facial hair for this routine, and I’m beyond happy for him. I hope he saves each one and puts them on a shelf like in a creepy little trophy case. Facial hair aside, his Waltz technique could use some work. Last week, Connor was brimming with confidence; this week, he seems hesitant again in his movement. Derek can really see improvement in the way Connor is articulating his feet and ankles, but his frame remains a rough point. Bruno, too, points out the collapsed frame and lack of sweep in his footwork, but he does find Connor’s dancing “light and bright” and appreciates how honest the connection between Connor and Rylee feels. Speaking of: When Rylee started tearing up talking about how Connor has made this season so great for her? Gah! I’m too emotionally attached to everyone on this show, and it is not going to end well for me.
Carrie Ann: 8 // Derek: 8 // Cynthia: 8 // Bruno: 8
Total Score: 32/40
I feel unmoved by team dances in general, but this one especially is a snooze. Of all the Disney songs you could choose, this team is given “Zoo” from Zootopia 2? I love this team — Tatyana, as one of the lowest scorers of the season, got to choose the members — but this music is so awkward, and everything just looks too slow and a little limp. Amber and Julia are the standouts, but I don’t think anyone will be talking about this routine after tonight.
Carrie Ann: 9 // Derek: 9 // Cynthia: 9 // Bruno: 9
Total Score: 36/40
Honestly, DWTS should hire Connor Wood to be a team captain every season from now on. He hypes up every single person on his team and also makes the stakes very clear: “We can’t drop Julianne! There’s no show without Julianne!” Even without Connor, you give a team “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical and more often than not, they’re going to crush it. It’s bright and fun and goofy, and they don’t drop Julianne.
Carrie Ann: 10 // Derek: 10 // Cynthia: 10 // Bruno: 10
Total Score: 40/40
The team dances don’t affect the leaderboard too much — the three couples at the bottom were all on the same team anyway — but they do give Julianne Hough an opportunity to make a solid “No thank you, Alfonso” joke and it’s almost enough to make me forget whatever is happening with her bangs tonight. Almost. So, alas, you had to know it is most likely going to be someone from Team Slaytopia going home tonight, and it is: Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa are eliminated from the competition. It never looked like she really got into the groove of this whole thing, but it does seem like she got a lot out of it emotionally. May her ribs take time to rest and heal.
Next week: Grammy Night.
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