What an emotional—and surprising—night of competition on “Dancing With The Stars” this week! One of the stronger dancers is sent home, as the contestants reveal the most memorable year of their lives.
Singer Aloe Blacc performed frequently throughout the night, starting with a very nice opening number to his song “Wake Me Up.” He has a great voice and I loved both the song and Derek Hough’s awesome choreography.
It was tough choosing a Top 5 again tonight. The competition’s been strong from the start and the very obvious weak links are now gone. Lots of tonight’s routines were touching, exciting, and very well done.
Here are my favorites for “Dancing With the Stars” Week 5:
Christina and Mark’s Cha-cha: I was hugely surprised Len gave Christina the first 10 of the season because I thought the routine lacked content. Mark definitely held back and kept it more traditional, but there was a lot of posing. But she executed the dance really well, her technique was great, and she gave it all she had.
Jack and Cheryl’s Waltz: I have such a soft spot for Jack, and I’d completely forgotten about his MS diagnosis. He really is like magic, because he just pulls it off every time. He stretches every movement out to the fullest, and he has great footwork. He needs to be careful of his hands and face at times, but he dances really well, and the sentiment was so sweet.
Leah and Tony’s Contemporary: I thought the judges were a little harsh on Leah. I too loved the concept of the dance, though it was very literal, but I thought she danced it well. Yes, the lifts were a little labored, and she still needs to be much bigger and take a page from Jack’s book to really extend each movement, but she had a new sense of sureness and self that had been lacking. Good for her.
Nicole and Sasha’s Jazz: Despite looking like Lucille Ball, Nicole danced a terrific jazz routine. She’s such a firecracker, and this routine was non-stop energy. Her cheerleading background shone through, and she’s adorable. Great choreography too. I’m definitely a fan.
Brant and Peta’s Contemporary: The first thing I ever think when I see him is, boy is he cute! But he’s also a really strong dancer, and this routine allowed him to show some great technique. His story was also very touching, but I’m sorry to say the dance was a bit incongruous to me: while he was going for uplifting, his passion came across as anger. Still, he threw himself fully into it and there were many nice moments.
As they hinted at the top of the show, one of the women went home, and surprisingly, one of the stronger dancers: Christina Milian. I know it’s easy to say this now, but I had a feeling it might be her. There’s something about her that doesn’t quite reach across to the viewers. Yes, she’s a great performer and she has excellent technique, but there’s a hardness to her. She seems to be missing the vulnerability that others have, and that goes a long way with the viewers.
Do you agree, dance fans? Did America get it wrong in eliminating Christina, or do you think it was the right choice? Who were your faves tonight? Who do you think will go next?
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