Disney magic fills the ballroom for week 4 of 'Dancing with the Stars'
LOS ANGELES -- "Dancing with the Stars" takes on a theme that is practically perfect in every way: Disney songs. One wave of Tinkerbell's wand and we hear favorites from "Mary Poppins," "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Jungle Book," to name a few. Former contestant Zendaya steps in to help out at the judges table. Oh, and everyone in the ballroom is wearing mouse ears!
Here's a recap of the night's scoring, from highest to lowest:
Ginger Zee- 36 out of 40
Ginger has no problem channeling "Belle" for her "Beauty and the Beast"-inspired number. It's one of her favorite characters, and she kind of thinks she is "Belle" - a smart and quirky girl. Val Chmerkovskiy choreographs a giant foxtrot routine that reminded Zendaya of a Broadway musical. Bruno Tonioli agreed the routine had a theatrical richness; Carrie Ann Inaba said this was the best "hold" of anyone this season; and Head Judge Len Goodman called the dance a tasty dish and her best dance this season.
Paige VanZant- 36 out of 40
Paige holds her own again and hangs on to the top of the leader board. Mark Ballas choreographs an ambitious quickstep and bumps up the speed because of Paige's athleticism. Their song is "You've got a Friend in Me" from "Toy Story," and it fits these two to a "T." Zendaya said the routine made her feel like a joyful 9-year-old; Bruno thought they took the dance to infinity and beyond; Carrie Ann saw how difficult the routine was but thought Paige's technique was spot on; and Len was anything but grumpy and said, like any good Disney movie, this dance ended on a happy note.
Antonio Brown- 35 out of 40
The football great has yet to be a leader of the pack. A few weeks back, Len told Antonio that he thought there was a dancer buried deep inside him; this week, Sharna Burgess was able to tap into that dancing machine and bring it all out. The couple, along with four of the male pro dancers, did a jazz routine to "Friend Like Me" from "Aladdin." And it ended with a Rockette-style kick line! Len thought this was his best dance so far; Carrie Ann called him a smooth operator; and Zendaya complimented him for holding his own with the pros.
Wanya Morris- 35 out of 40
Like Ginger and "Belle," Wanya is all about "Mufasa" and "The Lion King." He holds a faux mirror ball up to the sky as if it were Simba. Wanya is motivated and wants to stay at the top of the judge's scoreboard. For him, this competition is on. Len thought their samba was fantastic; Bruno called Wanya a magnificent beast; and while Carrie Ann loved seeing his primal, powerful side, she felt he lost control of his partner Lindsay Arnold just a bit. The crowd booed, but Wanya quieted them by agreeing with Carrie Ann!
Nyle DiMarco- 34 out of 40
Nyle goes all in with his routines and this week is no different. "Trashin' the Camp" from Disney's "Tarzan" means we get a wigged-out, shirtless, loin cloth-wearing jungle man. It's the Samba, so he gets to shake his groove thing, too. Peta Murgatroyd said they were feeling some pressure after earning the season's first nine last week, so they just went for it! Bruno said Nyle has moved from being lord of the jungle to lord of the dance; Carrie Ann called Nyle the happiest place on earth; Zendaya said everyone had fun watching the routine; and Len first joked that he and Nyle's bodies are very much alike.
Von Miller- 32 out of 40
Von and Witney Carson were disheartened by last week's scores but that just made them want to work harder. He had to channel his inner Prince Charming for a Viennese waltz to "Cinderella's" "A Dream is a Wish." Bruno called his transformation "staggering;" Zendaya thought he was very graceful for being such a big guy and appreciated how they painted a fairy tale picture for all of us; Carrie Ann called him "Prince Champion;" and Len said he went from drab to fab in one week!
Kim Fields - 32 out of 40
Kim and Sasha Farber look like they've really developed a genuine friendship and know how to have fun. They're working hard, but they're smiling the whole time. They are assigned a "Jungle Book" theme and "I Wanna Be Like You" along with the very fast quickstep. Len called it Kim's best dance so far; Zendaya said it was a joy to watch; Carrie Ann thinks they make it all look easy; and when Bruno complimented Kim on keeping her shoulders down, she did a dive over the table to give him a kiss.
Marla Maples- 28 out of 40
Marla is the picture of elegance once again as she channels "Little Mermaid's" "Ariel" for a lovely waltz. She glides around the room with Tony Dovolani to "Part of Your World." Carrie Ann thinks Marla has natural grace, and Len's words were charm, romance, and solid. Zendaya called the dance fluid, soft and sweet but also advised Marla to not overthink things and remember to enjoy the moment!
Jodie Sweetin- 27 out of 40
The good news for Jodie is that she and Keo Motsepe have a lot of very vocal fans. The bad news is they were screaming so loud, she couldn't hear the music and got lost a few times during their Cha Cha routine. Zendaya gave her a pat on the back for sticking with it and doing it with a smile; and Len appreciated that she went for it. He also offered the analogy that it's like having a big pimple on your nose; you hope no one notices but, alas, they always do.
Doug Flutie- 24 out of 40
Doug had a frustrating week in rehearsal while learning a jazz routine to "Spoonful of Sugar." In the ballroom, Carrie Ann said she saw the makings of a good routine, but it wasn't what was delivered. Len said while he did "dig it," they were out of sync. And while his and Karina Smirnoff's score wasn't the best, Tom Bergeron surprised the room by telling the couple they were safe!
*Spoiler Alert*
At the end of the two-hour Disney-fest, we learn that Marla and Tony and Jodie and Keo are in jeopardy. A few drum beats later and Tom announced Marla has performed her last dance.
Next up, the nine remaining couples must endure Switch-Up Week!
