DTWS S025, Week 5: Disney Night Full of Magic and Miracles

Hi! Welcome to Week 5, Season 25 of Dancing with the Stars. I know there’s a theme tonight. I’m just trying to remember what it is...

Some kind of corporate suckup, ABC thing... just can’t place it...

Oh yeah. It's Week 5. It's DISNEY night.

The opening number starts with a beautiful dance with Jenna and Armin to “It’s a Small World (After All),” which kicks into a bigger opening number.

Then, as they introduce all the stars, they also name which movie they are dancing to a song from. Ugh.

Oh, but they have a different spin on it this year. Tom Bergeron informs us that it’s ”Disney Through the Ages,” ”from Mickey's early beginnings, right up through next month.”  (They are performing a song from “Coco,” which at this point had not been released yet, so that was a coup.) Also it’s the halfway point in the DWTS competition.

Wait. Val and Victoria are doing “a jazz dance to ‘Steamboat Willie’ ” (did that have music?).  For that matter, did it have Minnie? (I think not.)

I dunno. This one was a tough sell. If I remember right, this was a silent, and the only character was Mickey himself. The dance was probably longer than the whole short. But it was what it was.

Len, ”Steamboat Willie. 1928. I missed the premiere, but you were there, Tom, weren‘t you?” Oh, that Len. What a cutup. Len saw “Charleston, Lindy Hop, even a little bit of Twerking.” Bruno: “It was effortless, and it was beautiful.” Carrie Ann: “You were in perfect sync the whole time.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

Val says that Victoria “is Disney. She’s the epitome of magic and miracles.”

Tom does a tease for the next number, Maks and Vanessa dancing to “Snow White.” He says “the Seven Dwarfs... I think only six are there...” They cut to a different shot with an errant dwarf and Maks sitting next to him. Tom continues, ”Oh, there’s Grumpy... and the other dwarf.” (I laughed.)

Then, they show the troupe dressed up as the Mickey Mouse Club. Sasha gets a kiss from Minnie. Very sweet.

This dance (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the 30s) starts with seven tiny Makses (as the dwarfs), the highlight of which was all of them saying “I‘m the show,” (perhaps Maks' most famous #DWTS line). (Made me laugh.)

For some reason, they sing “Someday My Prince Will Come” in French. It’s a nice waltz. The costumes are the best. Bruno notes how she gets out of balance in the fast spins. Carrie Ann mentions that there were moments that it seemed like she stopped breathing. But that she “had many stunning moments in that.” Len loved the “turn and lock.” And the choreography, that it was “a proper waltz.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

OK. We’re up to the 1940s now, with Lindsay and Mark's ”When You Wish Upon a Star,” from “Pinocchio.” Just a beautiful foxtrot.

At the end of the dance, there was an animated Pinocchio, clapping on the judges’ stand. Beautiful.

Carrie Ann: “What I loved the most is that this week you didn‘t go quirky. I know it took a lot more courage to do this number.” She also mentions that it was “one of the finest holds I‘ve ever seen.” Len: “THAT was delightful. I loved the way that every nuance in the music was transcribed into the movements you used.... I absolutely loved it.” Bruno: ”By the end, I felt like I was bathing in stardust.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 28 (out of 30) (including a ten from Len)

Then, a wonderful bumper from the (1950s) Mickey Mouse Club (in b and w), where we actually get to learn everyone‘s names. (They never say the troupe names anymore; although pros were mixed in too—Sasha, Sharna, Jenna, Alan.)

Nick and Peta do a quickstep to “Bare Necessities” from (the ’60s) “The Jungle Book.” Peta is such a phenomenal dancer and choreographer, and I think I don’t say that enough. Nick isn’t quite up to her standards, though. The best thing Len can say is, “You came out and enjoyed yourself, and I thought that was commendable.” (Ouch.) Bruno notes that he lost a step a couple of times. Carrie Ann says “you don‘t have to be a perfect dancer.” (Um, yes you do.)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)

This was from the ’70s, Kermit the Frog was involved and something about a Rainbow. Whatever it was, I missed this show. But the Viennese waltz that Emma and Drew danced to it was quite beautiful.

Emma does her normal wondrous choreography. Every time I look at her, I see a rainbow anyway, so this song was quite fitting.

Oh Lord. They have Kermit at the judges table. Ugh.

Bruno to Drew: “You‘re getting more and more polished every week. You‘re leading well.”  Carrie Ann: “You two have become one of my favorite couples.” Len: “I liked your footwork a lot.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 25 (out of 30)

Minnie and the female pros welcome us back with a cute bumper.

Gleb and Sasha are dancing a rumba to ’80s “The Little Mermaid.” “I need you to be very sexy and romantic,” says Gleb to Sasha in the package.

And she tries, but boy, the camera angles are all wacky and unflattering. I found this rumba to be very unsexy, even forced.

(EDITOR’S ASIDE: I apologize. From this point forward, my DVR died, and so I’m going from my notes and the YouTube videos.) :-(

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

Terrell and Cheryl do a quickstep to “The Lion King.”

Whew. I really hated this song (the music). The dance was a whole lot of the troupe moving trees around. (Sasha was the best part, frankly.) Ugh. My least favorite. That gold coat was pretty swinging though.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 25 (out of 30)

Witney and Frankie’s package has Witney saying to Frankie: “You can act, sexy, right? Cause you’re not normally sexy.” Deadpan look from Frankie.

Frankie and Witney do an Argentine tango to “Pirates of the Caribbean.” For my money, this was by far the sexiest dance of the night. This was certainly NOT the Frankie Muniz we think we know. He was a fierce, leering pirate. Yeah, he can “act” sexy, all right.

The set (as you can see) was another #DWTS treasure (props to this stage crew), and look at that eerie sea foam lighting. Just great stuff, start to finish.

Such a great dance. Such stunning choreography.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 29 (out of 30)

Jordan and Lindsay then regale us with a foxtrot from “Moana.” (To the song, “You’re Welcome.”)

(I think Jordan is the one singing this song, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda...)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30) (First perfect score of the season.)

The last two dances (prior to this one) had some pretty spectacular stagecraft. But this one, showcasing the soon-to-be-released “Coco” just blew everything else away.

Artem and Nikki dance jazz to ”Remember Me” (of course) from “Coco.” Look at those incredible costumes. Whirling troupe members. Confetti! A showstopper.

One of the judges (not sure, notes unclear) called Nikki “Coco” (which isn’t exactly accurate, given the movie).

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

And who is going home?

Miche’s Favorite Dances of Disney Night
1. Frankie and Witney (Argentine tango)
2. Lindsey and Mark (foxtrot)
3. Jordan and Lindsay (foxtrot)
4. Drew and Emma (Viennese waltz)
5. Nikki and Artem (jazz)
6. Victoria and Val (jazz)

Erin Andrews was really digging Disney night.

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