RECAP: “Dancing With The Stars” Season 33, Episode 5 (Dedication Night)
BY Amy Pilott & Allie Pilott (age 9)
We were in for a treat last night, as we settled down to watch the stars perform their most emotional performances yet! Plus, it featured a heartbreaking performance from Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley, AND the return of Mark Ballas as a guest judge. (Fun fact: I watched Mark’s parents, Corky and Shirley Ballas, in dance competitions on PBS with MY mom 30-plus years ago, before ballroom was cool!)
SPOILERS AHEAD! Consider yourself warned!
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Chandler Kinney and Brandon (Contemporary)
Chandler honored her mother with this beautiful performance. It featured a series of beautiful lifts set to “I Hope You Dance” by LeeAnn Womack, and we hoped it would return Chandler back to the top of the leaderboard, where she belongs. But the judges continued to be tough on her, and this week critiqued her “acting” ability. Hey, she is a Disney Channel star. They should know she’s not pulling out Oscar-caliber performances. She received a 32/40.
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee (Argentine Tango)
Dedicated to “men’s gymnastics,” in the hopes of gaining more traction for the sport that is in danger of losing NCAA funding, Stephen opened his performance with the pummel horse routine! However, this was not his strongest performance. The judges were very kind, and he is clearly a crowd favorite, but tonight we weren’t watching the same performance. We like cute and fun Stephen; sexy Stephen isn’t for us. He received a 33/40.
Danny Amendola and Witney (Contemporary)
OK, now sexy Danny we will take! (At least mom will.) This was steamy and beautiful. It was weird to dedicate that amount of sex to his football coach, but I digress. As Derek pointed out, Danny’s athleticism shines through, and proves that dancing really is a sport of a sort. Huge and well-deserved scores gave Danny a 36/40.
Dwight Howard and Daniella (Rumba)
Using his height his advantage, Dwight commanded the floor — but he still looks awkward and lanky in a lot of the Latin routines. Performing to a song dedicated to his kids, Allie couldn’t help but wonder if the song was actually sung by a bunch of children, which added to the weirdness of the (should-be-sensual) rumba. Mark was a breath of fresh air with his accurate feedback. They received a score of 29/40.
Phaedra Parks and Val (Rumba)
Allie’s honest feedback: “Bleh.” Phaedra was a favorite at the beginning of the competition, but as we pointed out last week, fun won’t take her to the finals. Dedicated to her mom, the performance was pretty but lacked complexity. The judges were very kind with a score of 32/40.
Derek Hough and Hayley Hough
Seeing Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley, return to the ballroom after her life-threatening brain injury was wildly beautiful and emotional. We normally don’t watch the interludes, but this was worth it. Not a dry eye in the room. (Once I started crying, Allie insisted on fast forwarding.)
Brooks Nader and Gleb (Salsa)
Dancing with her sisters to start off was cute but unnecessary. They are all gorgeous girls, and Brooks is hot, but she is not a dancer — and I think that is clear. Mark, like his parents, is a true teacher; he brings the energy and seriousness that we have lacked since we lost Len. The couple received a generous 32/40.
Joey Graziadei and Jenna (Viennese Waltz)
This guy is surprising. He showed some true technical ability and a level of performance that we had\ not yet seen. This felt like amazing growth and what the show is all about. They received a well deserved 36/40.
Ilona Maher and Alan (Rumba)
Dedicated to her Olympic teammates, Ilona was challenged to let her true femininity shine. And she DID — her way! You could hear her team screaming throughout. She was strong and solid and sexy, and she received a solid 32/40.
Jenn Tran and Sasha (Foxtrot)
This was fine; a few missteps, but the hold was nice. In fairness, Jenn is not a performer, but neither is Joey and he shines. She just doesn’t. Jenn has a long way to go if she will make it to the end. The judges gave them a very generous 32/40.
SPOILER:
Allie was VERY concerned as Chandler and Brandon were left unsafe until the bitter end. The right couple went home. Bye bye, Brooks and Gleb. There is a reality show out there for you (probably on Netflix), but THIS is a family show.
What did you think of the episodes? Leave your takes in the comments!
