Season 29, Week 4: We Have No Theme, but We Have Great Dances, and Tyra Messes Up Real Bad

 Yes. I know it’s the pandemic, but jeez, has all creativity gone away too? Let’s just say that Dancing with the Stars is hurting from not having a splashy opening DANCE NUMBER. They have devised LAME opening segments instead. This one perhaps being one of the worst. A pseudo PSA from “Celebrities Who Don’t Like Criticism” bitching about the judges’ comments. Ugh. Stupid. Hated it.

Then we get ten minutes of Tyra walking through a door with a fancy dress on. #Eyeroll #WhoCares

As is common in this season, there is also no stated theme. The episode guides just call it “Top 13.” I refuse. Pick a damn theme, people.

Daniella and Nelly, paso doble

I really adore Daniella, and she is working so hard to make Nelly competitive. But he’s really not a dancer. Still, this paso doble was very watchable. If hair throwing were being judged, she’d have a Mirror Ball already.

Derek: “Nelly, you brought that poppin’ paso—way to start the show. I would’ve liked a little more shape. But I really liked that.” Bruno: “OK, you’ve got the power. Now you have to refine the artistry, especially in the shaping.” Carrie Ann: “Nelly! That is what I was looking for. We asked for a breakout last week. This is the breakout. There was not one misstep. The musicality, everything. I agree with Derek: a little bit more shaping. But wow, what an improvement.”

JUDGES: 21 (out of 30)

Gleb and Chrishell, foxtrot

As you can see from the pic, it’s kind of a more grabby foxtrot than I’m used to. Not as much, you know, dancing involved. Really hated this one.

Bruno: “Excuse me? Almost too hot to trot. I liked the role reversal. Started very well, but there was a stumble.” Carrie Ann: “Chrishell, I’m really proud of you. You’re really aware of your face. But what I’m liking is the way it’s extending out: the tips of your hands, the points of your feet. There’s so much potential, and you’re growing every week.” Derek: “You feel so much more comfortable. So much more confident. For me, this was your best dance.”

JUDGES: 22 (out of 30) #overscored

Val and Monica, samba

Monica still doesn’t seem totally comfortable as competitor rather than coach, and she chastised Val in the package for not having enough empathy. But we have gold sparkly fringe, we have “Party in the USA” and we have Val’s exquisite choreography. What’s not to like?

Carrie Ann: (stands and applauds) “Mad respect to you for doing that, because it brought you guys closer together. You were formidable partners, and it made the dancing so much better. Val, I have so much respect for you. The dancing is improved greatly . You looked like you were having fun, you were also totally in control.” Derek: “This was a proper samba. There was so much content. So fantastic. As coaches, we are forever students. We are always learning. You can see that in this performance. You’re always improving. Your best dance.” Bruno: “What really impressed me was how much this was a pure samba. You actually put all the required samba steps together. Good for you.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Keo and Anne, paso doble

I don’t know what this was. Some kind of anthem disguised as a paso doble. OK. As a dance, it didn’t really hold up for me, certainly not as a paso. Too many of the actresses in this show just strike dramatic poses rather than just dancing. #NotaFan

Derek: “When you rise above the storm, you will always find sunshine. In this case, a beautiful rainbow. You felt so much more sturdy, so much more on your feet. So much more in control. It makes me so happy to see progress each week, from all of the couples.” Bruno: “The multicolored warrior! Out and proud. It was the most focused performance up to date.” Carrie Ann: “I just love you. Watching you is inspiring me on so many levels. You’re a bright light. But also, you are so powerful. You fought for every single step in that paso. You don’t give up, we don’t give up rooting for you. You still have stuff to learn, but I’m rooting for you, and I think everyone else is. Keep at it.”

JUDGES: 21 (out of 30)

Jenna and Nev, rumba

Beautiful dance, beautiful rumba. Great costumes, great choreography. Loved this one.

Bruno: “I feel so good, so lovey-dovey. Like a romantic dream, set to music. But you’re so in tune tonight, you two.” Carrie Ann: “The rumba is the woman’s dance, and it’s all about giving good frame, and you gave excellent frame. But you added a lot of poetry to it, which is such an amazing thing. You are standing out to me already as somebody we should keep our eye on. Your lines are beautiful. It’s all… Jenna, you guys are like a vision tonight.” Derek: “That was a beautiful rumba. The in-between movements that you have, the texture that you have are beautiful when we watch you dance. I loved it.” 

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Sasha and Justina, salsa

 Justina dedicates this dance to her grandmother, who passed in 2006, who emigrated from Puerto Rico.

I love seeing those two dance together. That was so fun.

Carrie Ann: “You got us all up on our feet. That’s the first time this whole season. Usually everybody’s coming into Dancing with the Stars and trying something new and it’s foreign to them. Tonight, instead of you being in the ballroom, I felt like I came over to your house.” Derek: “Justina! Oh my gosh. You have so much charisma. So much fun. Last week, it lacked a little bit of energy, but you brought it all this week. It comes from within you. That’s what’s so much fun to watch you dance, cause it’s just so authentic. I love it. Keep that up.” Bruno: “Justina, La Reina Latina. She was on fire. Those hips don’t lie. Good for you.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Artem and Kaitlyn, Viennese waltz

Two of my favorite people in the social media world are Kaitlyn Bristowe and her partner Jason Tartick. So when her package is full of them and their story, it’s only a good thing. #Swoon She dedicates this dance to him.

Kaitlyn, back in regular shoes, after two weeks of ankle injuries, tackles this Viennese waltz with Artem.

Great, wonderful Viennese waltz. Loved it.

Derek: “That was so beautifully danced. Just every week, you get better and better. It’s just so elegant, so effortless. It’s stunning. I’m really looking forward to a different type of dance that’s gonna bring out a different side to you.” Bruno: “You have such a flexibility in your back and in your arm, and you’re able to link all the movement with such grace. I can’t wait to see you do something different. If you’re as good in Latin as you are in ballroom… oh my!” Carrie Ann: “We all love love. Love is so special, and it’s like the mysterious ingredient that makes everything so magical. Tonight, you brought that. You are an excellent dancer, and you have been from Day One, I think. Tonight there was something very very special. I loved the lyricism. I could hear Len Goodman saying, “Why aren’t they in traditional hold?” but for me it worked and it worked beautifully.”

JUDGES: 25 (out of 30, the first 9 of the season)

Britt and Johnny, jive

How can a person not love a jive, danced to “Crocodile Rock”? I mean… C’mon!

Loved loved loved that so much.

Bruno: “Johnny is on full throttle. Now I see you, Johnny. You turned the lights on at full beam. You were performing, you were exploding out there. It’s like seeing the real you. It was fantastic. You’re always light on your feet, but you were sharp as well.” Carrie Ann: “What is going on? You guys had Disney Week last week, and everyone’s having breakthroughs tonight. That was incredible. You were glowing, every move. The resistance, the partnership, everything about it was fantastic.” Derek: “Johnny, to echo what they were both saying, it feels like when you’re off the floor, we see you, and when you hit the floor, sometimes it closes off a little bit. Tonight, you opened up, you let us in. And it was just so refreshing to watch that from you.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Brandon and Jeannie, tango

Jeannie’s mom is betting against her winning #DWTS, so Jeannie uses that as motivation. They are dancing a tango to the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” so it’s a fun dance to watch.

Carrie Ann: “I would not bet against you, with all that fire, with all that passion. It was so good, until the end there was that misstep. Jeannie Mai, that is the direction that we need from you. I would’ve thought you’d be more of a Latin dancer, but you’re actually better in the ballroom.” Derek: “Your focus, your attitude in that dance was spot on. It was so good. Great job.” Bruno: “I love the way you can change and switch your personality. It worked extremely well. I love the range you have. Keep going.”

JUDGES: 21 (out of 30)

Peta and Vernon, rumba

First of all, Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” is a great song. Peta’s choreography definitely played well with the partnership.

Derek: “Man, I love this show so much. Seeing you dance a rumba brings me so much joy. Man, that was beautiful.” Bruno: “Vernon, you’re better and better every week. You have natural charm and charisma. Everything you do seems to be effortless. And you got those hips rotating.” Carrie Ann: “I don’t think we were looking at the arm motions. What’s so spectacular about you is the way you understand momentum. That sweep you did with Peta was like magic. There’s moments in some dances that take your breath away. The way you understand how the momentum works, that’s what’s special about you. And the hip action. There’s a poetry to you that’s really spectacular.”

JUDGES: 22 (out of 30)

Sharna and Jesse, cha cha

I love Sharna to death, and love her choreography always. The sets and costumes are great. But I’m just not feeling Jesse all season long. Dunno what it is, but he lacks the fire that so many of the other contestants really have.

Bruno: “Jesse! You drive me crazy. You’ve got the looks, you’ve got the vibe. You’ve got the girl. You almost had the timing. But you forgot the hips. There is so much that you could do. If you just pushed a little bit harder, it would be so much better. I don’t feel you’re quite there yet.” Carrie Ann: “Your musicality is improved. Definitely, I saw you on the beat. I want more from you. I wanna see what we see in the packages. There’s this easiness to you in the packages. When you’re not dancing, you’re like a different person. I wanna see more of that in the dance.” Derek: “Much better this week. It’s all about progress. It’s all about improving. So you did that.”

JUDGES: 21 (out of 30)

Alan and Skai, foxtrot

Skai dedicates this song to her colleague Cameron Boyce, who died. 

It is a beautiful foxtrot. 

Carrie Ann: “I was blown away by that,” she says with tears in her eyes. Derek: “This was my absolute favorite dance of the night. So beautiful. It was exquisite. It had so much breadth in there. Your neckline is stunning. You’re a gorgeous ballroom dancer. I’m really proud of you.” Carrie Ann: “For me, dance is always about emotion. I”m sure that Cameron is watching you right now, and he’s so proud of you. What you did, you were like an angel, dancing the most beautiful dance. I’m beyond words. It was just sheer perfection.” Bruno: “One thing is for sure: you are back in top form. That was stunning. It was the embodiment of grace and elegance. But what you had that I’ve rarely seen in someone so young is the poise. The poise was regal. Keep doing jobs like this.”

JUDGES: 28 (out of 30, first 10 of the season)

Cheryl and AJ, cha cha

During the pandemic, many things had to go away to put on a show: audiences, props, friends backstage, troupe dancers. But AJ and Cheryl came up with a novel idea to add flair to their dance: the Backstreet Boys, virtually. Appropriately to their song “Larger than Life,” as they appear larger than life behind him at the beginning of the dance (and throughout).

Very fun. Especially for Backstreet Boys fans.

Derek: “Larger than Life? Literally, like 80 foot back here. You are living legends. It’s always a pleasure to watch you, and to see that was fantastic. You’re just so likeable, and I enjoy watching you. Need to work on the footwork a little. Way to end the show.” Bruno: “Crowd-pleasing, barn-storming performance. You got all the reinforcement going, very good. Still need to work on the cha cha cha, but the performance? A winner.” Carrie Ann: “What a great way to end tonight. It has been so much fun. You’re such a natural entertainer, you just know how to bring it. Thank you, it was like going to a concert. We love it.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

The night’s final leaderboard. Now, something is about to happen that never happened when Tom Bergeron was host. I’m just saying.

Who goes home? Who is in the bottom two? Well…

We get down to these three couples left on stage.

Now, what I believe actually happened is that the bottom two SHOULD BE Anne and Keo and Chrishell and Gleb. But, for some reason, Tyra has a meltdown and says that Val and Monica should come back, because they are in the bottom two. See leaderboard above. I believe to this day that they were never in the bottom two properly. The math just doesn’t work out.

Don’t know exactly what happened here, but it was a major fiasco, the likes of which we’ve never seen.

So the judges now have to decide who’s going home, based on either Anne/Keo or Val/Monica. Well, duh.

Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

Miche’s Favorites of Week 4

1. Val and Monica, samba

2. Britt and Johnny, jive

3. Sasha and Justina, salsa

4. Cheryl and AJ, cha cha

5. Kaitlyn and Artem, Viennese waltz

6. Jenna and Nev, rumba

7. Sharna and Jesse, cha cha

8. Brandon and Jeannie, tango

9. Daniella and Nelly, paso doble

10. Peta and Vernon, rumba

Please Go Away

1. Anne Heche

2. Chrishell

3. Skai

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DTWS S025, Week 4: Most Memorable Year Brings Many Tears and Surprises

Let’s start out Most Memorable Year Week by saying that this time has the most “2017”s of any of these ever. Four 2017s, two 2016s, one 2015. Ugh. (Keeping in the same year, that is.)

But what will we have from that? More rehashing of “this is the year I got that show”? Or, will they make us cry? It’s always a toss up with these.

But, the goal is to get the celebrities connected to their emotions through dance, so that the rest of the season is emotion-filled. By all means, let's go!

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2017      WHY: Memory Loss (?)

Oh, “cause I learned to live in the present.”

Frankie and Witney kick things off with a nice quickstep. It opens with some visual pyrotechnics from the VFX crew, and jaunts into a beautiful dance. I‘ll give him this. Frankie really has more flair and style than I ever gave him credit before previously.

Len liked the “quickstep content” and likened it to his “mom's Yorkshire pudding.” (??) Bruno likes that nothing is going to stop Frankie. Carrie Ann likes the “contagious joy.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2012      WHY: Loss of his Grandmother Who Raised Him

Terrell and Cheryl dance a dreamy Viennese waltz (a favorite dance of Most Memorable Week) for his grandmother. He gets very emotional at the end.

Bruno calls it his “most accomplished performance to date.” Carrie Ann: “Tonight I saw poise, I saw a newfound eloquence. There was a reverence to the dance that I’ve never seen, and it elevated everything you did in front of us.” Len congratulates Cheryl for “a very well-crafted routine. There was an ease and an elegance about it, and the emotion of the dance came out.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2016      WHY: Her life-threatening injury and how she overcame it

It was a beautiful contemporary number, which began with the fabric/silks thing.

The production team created a whole wrestling ring for us. Beautiful stuff.

Carrie Ann marvels about tonight‘s continuing breakthroughs “when you connect the heart and the body.” She also mentions how tough it is to work with silks. Carrie Ann says it‘s “the first time we‘ve really seen you.” Len liked it, it was very creative. “It was strong, it was powerful, it was dynamic, and for me, it was great. Well done.” Bruno thought it was “very sexy, as always.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

Tom thanks the crew for setting up the wrestling ring. It is pretty amazing, I agree. He also calls it “the night of 8 paddles” (since every judge has given an eight for every team so far).

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2011      WHY: The year he got married

They show amazing clips of Nick’s engagement and wedding, and how totally smitten with Vanessa he was/is. The contemporary dance is to the always amazing “Falling Slowly” from “Once.”

Peta’s choreogrphy was so great. I don’t really like contemporary usually, but this was stunning. Really beautiful stuff. Nick is very moved by the end.


Len thought “it was touching, the whole thing.” Bruno “loved it.”  Carrie Ann thought “it was beautifully choreographed. That was by far, for me, your best dance ever.”

Vanessa comes out of the wings for the scores.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)

This was shown just before the commercial break...

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2017      WHY: Her dad died

As these Memorable Year moments come rolling along, usually I stay pretty stoic and don’t cry. With this one, though... ugh...

The premise is that Lindsey is dancing, one last time with her dad, who passed this year. Mark is even wearing a scarf and hat that her dad favored.

But you can see through the evolution of the dance (and Mark Ballas’ brilliant choreography), the evolution of Lindsey’s relationship with her dad. It starts out with her standing on his feet (to learn how to dance), and then, the point when she learns he has cancer. And then, he’s gone. All told through dance. So incredible.

Bruno calls it, “gorgeous and magical... one of those dreams you never want to wake up from.” Carrie Anne: “There is such a unique emotional quality to what you do. The artistry, the chemistry.” Len: “It reminded me of a Banksy painting. It was thought-provoking, it had great imagination.”

Lindsey mentions how she felt like she was dancing with her dad.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 26 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2007     WHY: His daughter had eye surgery

Derek and Sharna “Move On Up” through this fun 70s jazz number.

Carrie Anne: “I love that it was a celebration.” Len: “It was danced with energy. There was great rhythm. It was upbeat. It was uplifting, and for me, your best dance.” Bruno: “It was an uplifting treat.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 23 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2005     WHY: He was officially adopted

Jordan and Lindsay do a contemporary dance to celebrate the year he officially got adopted.

His parents are in the audience. So beautiful. So moving.



Len: “That was fantastic.” Bruno: “That was exquisitely flawless. You dance with such open-hearted sincerity. It was a work of art.” Carrie Anne: “It was absolutely exquisite. That kind of feeling, that you just had, that‘s what we all dance for.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 29 (out of 30) (The first 10s of the season)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2016     WHY: Her last season of “Pretty Little Liars” and getting engaged

Ugh. Terrible music. Stupid choreography, with doors. Ugh. Just hated this foxtrot.

Bruno: "A proper foxtrot.” Carrie Anne: “Well-done.” Len: “I liked the quantity of foxtrot, and I liked the quality of the dancing.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2017     WHY:  “The year that our family was complete”  

They had difficulties with a premature baby, and “this song  (sung by her husband Nick), helped get her through it.” Maks and Vanessa dance a rumba to it. She is very teary.

Carrie Anne: “it was a beautiful expression  of  motherhood.” Len: “I loved the routine, and I loved the way you danced and performed it.” Bruno: “It was classy.”


JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2007     WHY: When he and his brother became “The Property Brothers”

So they start out this jive... But wait, it's about The Property Brothers... something’s missing...

Yup. There's Jonathan! And here's this.

Len: “That was twice as much fun, twice the energy, and that was undoubtedly your best dance.” Bruno: “It’s a bit early in the season for a threesome, don’t you think? It was a full-on jive, with a feel good factor.” Carrie Anne: “You got your secret weapon tonight, eh? Well, it worked.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)

MEMORABLE YEAR: 2017     WHY: Coming back from her paralyzing injury

Victoria and Val dance such a beauitiful, moving foxtrot. Such inspiring choreography. Wonderful.

Bruno: “What you have achieved, is really beyond belief. You emerged out of it like a star, and you danced like a star tonight.” Carrie Anne: “I feel honored, to first, see you dance in the wheelchair. To see you get up, and be who you are now, clean, precise. The chemistry between you two is so tender and beautiful. Well-done.” Len: “You have overcome the pain, the struggles, the disappointments. You are so inspirational. You should inspire the whole of America. Well-done.”

JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)

So, who’s going home?

Miche’s Most Memorable Dances of Most Memorable Year Week

1. Mark and Lindsey (Viennese waltz)
2. Emma and Drew (and Jonathan) (jive)
3. Val and Victoria (foxtrot)
4. Peta and Nick (contemporary)
5. Lindsay and Jordan (contemporary)
6. Maks and Vanessa (rumba)

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