It’s another Disney Night on Dancing with the Stars and the 10 remaining couples are all taking on the House of Mouse. From classics like Snow White and The Lion King to Pixar’s Moana and the upcoming Coco to the Muppets, Disney Night is always filled with magic and wonder.
There’s also another elimination, and last week Nick Lachey was only 2 points behind six other stars, so almost anyone could be going home.
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For this Disney Night, the routines will be in chronological order of the films, so we get to see the evolution of Disney movies.
Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy: Steamboat Willie Jazz
This is the first appearance of Mickey Mouse. It’s a quaint little black-and-white dance, but it really shows off her legs, which are understandably her weakest part. It feels a bit slow and she can’t quite hit the kicks and the moves. The judges love the playful combination of old-school ’20s styles like Charleston and Lindy Hop.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9=27
That is insanely overscored. They deserved 8s at best and I think the judges are giving her a pass because of her condition. But Val keeps his streak of only getting 9s and 10s on Disney Night.
Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Snow White Waltz
Maks plays the Seven Dwarfs in rehearsal. The Waltz is very slow and something seems off. It’s not very romantic or magical, it just falls flat. Bruno Tonioli points out that there are problems when she comes out of turns. Carrie Ann Inaba thought Vanessa stopped herself mid-movement, but there were a lot of stunning moments. Len Goodman loved the Waltz content, but it was a tad unstable in parts.
Judges’ Scores: 8+8+8=24
That seems right.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: Pinocchio Foxtrot
Their routine is elegant and beautiful. It’s suave and sophisticated, with just a few cheeky, light moments. Their connection is strong and her moves are perfect. Carrie Ann loves that it wasn’t quirky like their other routines and highlighted her dancing, with the best hold she’s ever seen. The judges rave about how Mark proved that he can strip away the fun gimmicks and just deliver a stunning ballroom performance, and Lindsey is up to the challenge.
Judges’ Scores: 9+10+9=28
The first 10 from Len of the season. But I can’t believe that Carrie Ann and Bruno thought this was equally as good as Victoria.
Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd: The Jungle Book Quickstep
They go to the animal park with his kids and the animals are hilariously snark in voiceover (“At least your wife can dance”). Nick is definitely getting better and it’s very fun and loaded with content. He’s still not a great dancer, but it’s fine. My biggest complaint is that Peta is playing the bear, but it seems like a character perfectly suited for Nick’s style of movement.
Judges’ Scores: 7+8+7=22
So tonight Len is being extra nice. That’s a little weird.
Drew Scott and Emma Slater: The Muppet Movie Viennese Waltz
There’s a whole segment with puppet versions of Drew and Emma in rehearsal and it’s adorable. Like Lindsey and Mark, they opt for a simple and classy dance that is delightful and colorful. Drew really has become a very good dancer and his moves and extensions are great. Bruno loves that he gets more and more polished every week. Carrie Ann praises their fluid chemistry.
Judges’ Scores: 9+8+8=25
Good for Carrie Ann, they deserved a 9.
Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko: The Little Mermaid Rumba
She’s now lost 37 pounds, so no matter what happens, she’s the real winner of this season. The dance is a bit too slow and lacks some serious connection for me. Carrie Ann loves her ooziness with her body. She’s becoming very forgettable with most of her routines.
Judges’ Scores: 8+8+8=24
That seems right. But so far five couples have received at least one 9 this season, so that puts her in the bottom half.
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke: The Lion King Quickstep
The Quickstep is not his best style. His footwork isn’t exact, but I like the elaborate set-up with troupe members and trees. The judges like that he worked hard to maintain his frame and he’s better than usual. I’m afraid this is the worst Disney Night yet, with a lot of mediocre performances.
Judges’ Scores: 9+8+8=25
That did not deserve a 9. So in Carrie Ann’s mind, that was just as good as Lindsey.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: Pirates of the Caribbean Argentine Tango
Witney hilariously says that Frankie needs to act like a sexy pirate even though he’s not naturally sexy. He doesn’t quite pull off the sexiness or the character, but he sticks all of the moves and does a great job with the impressive choreography.
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+10=29
Wow, welcome to the 10 club alongside Jordan and Lindsey.
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: Moana Foxtrot
They’re dancing to “You’re Welcome,” which Jordan covered for the film’s soundtrack. As always, he’s flawless.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
The first perfect score of the season.
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: Coco Jazz
This is the new Pixar film coming out next month. The film is inspired by the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday. Nikki is Mexican, so this helps her connect with her roots. It’s a very colorful and happy routine, something different that a lot of Jazz routines. Len loved that it had all of the flavors of Mexico.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9=27
Now seven of the couples have received a 9 so far (sorry, Sasha and the Lacheys).
THE RESULTS
The first couple IN JEOPARDY is…Sasha and Gleb
The second couple IN JEOPARDY is…Frankie and Witney
Well, this isn’t good.
I’m back to my correct predictions, and since the alternative was Frankie, I’m happy about this. But hey, at least she lost 37 pounds.
This means the Lacheys are now at the bottom of the leaderboard and the only stars left who have yet to receive a 9. For the sake of drama, I kind of hope they’re both the ones in jeopardy next week.
THE LEADERBOARD
30: Jordan Fisher
29: Frankie Muniz
28: Lindsey Stirling
27: Victoria Arlen, Nikki Bella
25: Drew Scott, Terrell Owens
24: Vanessa Lachey
22: Nick Lachey
What was your favorite Disney Night routine?
Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
