ABC/Craig Sjodin(LOS ANGELES) — Disney Night” kicked off week five of Dancing with the Stars in spectacular fashion Monday with appearances by cherished Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto, who joined the ensemble for a splashy opening number led by DWTS Season 19 champion Alfonso Ribeiro. The men were dressed as princes and the ladies were dressed as princesses, with Simone Biles in costume as Moana and Normani Kordei in costume as Mulan, foreshadowing their routines later in the night.
Fifth Harmony stunner Kordei continued to heat up the dance floor with partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy in a paso doblé to Mulan‘s “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” which featured a special live performance from the ageless teen heartthrob and DWTS Season 9 winner, Donny Osmond.
The judges were rhapsodic about the performance, with Bruno Tonioli calling Kordei an “all-conquering paso princess!” She earned the highest score of the night, 39 out of 40, with perfect 10s all around but for judge Len Goodman, who gave her a 9.
Shockingly, it was announced earlier that Kordei was in jeopardy based on combined judges and last week’s viewer scores, though following her exhilarating performance, it was revealed she was safe.
Bonner Bolton impressed the judges with his tango to “When Can I See You Again?” from Wreck-It Ralph, but pulled the night’s lowest score with a 29.
Still, it was down to Nick The Bachelor Viall and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, both in jeopardy and up for elimination at the end of the night. In spite of the fact that each turned in strong performances – notably the newly clean-shaven Nick, with his jazz turn to “I’ve Got No Strings” from Pinocchio – it was Erika Jayne who was sent home.
Jayne was gracious and smiled as she thanked everyone and said she had a wonderful time.
Next week’s show will feature the return of Maksim Chmerkovskiy and will feature team dances with a theme of Boy Bands vs. Girl Groups.
Monday night’s standout moment:
While Kordei owned the night, Simone Biles turned in a bewitching contemporary dance with partner Sasha Farber as the character Moana. The Olympic champion was radiant and moved flawlessly, accompanied by a live performance of “How Far I’ll Go” performed by the voice of the character, Auli‘i Cravalho.
Monday night’s high scorers:
Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy – (in jeopardy/safe) 39
Simone Biles and Sasha Farber – (Safe) 38
Nancy Kerrigan and Artem Chigvintsev – (Safe) 36
Judges’ Scores:
Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater – (Safe) 32 out of 40
Nick Viall and Peta Murgatroyd – (in jeopardy) 34
Erika Jayne and Gleb Savchenko – (in jeopardy) 32 Voted Off
Heather Morris and Alan Bersten, filling in for Maksim Chmerkovskiy – (Safe) 34
Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess – (Safe) 30
Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy – (in jeopardy) 39
David Ross and Lindsay Arnold – (Safe) 29
Nancy Kerrigan and Artem Chigvintsev – (Safe) 36
Simone Biles and Sasha Farber – (Safe) 38
Dancing with the Stars returns next Monday on ABC.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
