Season 19 Week 5

Partner switch-ups were announced:

Alfonso Ribeiro and Cheryl Burke
Tommy Chong and Emma Slater
Jonathan Bennett and Peta Murgatroyd
Michael Waltrip and Witney Carson
Antonio Sabato Jr. and Allison Holker
Lea Thompson and Val Chmerkovskiy
Janel Parrish and Artem Chigvintsev
Sadie Robertson and Derek Hough
Bethany Mota and Mark Ballas 
 
Not terribly surprising, I guess, that Derek and Mark just switched partners or that Val and Artem switched partners.  I feel bad for Jonathan - I had really wanted to see him with Cheryl.  I think she would have brought a lot out of him.  Alfonso lucked out with her, I think, but he didn't need the help.  I'm not sure Peta will help Jonathan that much.  Witney and Michael are a huge mismatch in height, I think.  Allison won't help Antonio.  Tommy and Witney would have been fun, I think.  Oh well, I didn't Twitter, so I can't complain. 

This could be such a train wreck in so many cases:

The dances:
 
Jonathan Bennett and Peta Murgatroyd – jitterbug
Tommy Chong and Emma Slater – mambo
Bethany Mota and Mark Ballas – hip-hop
Janel Parrish and Artem Chigvintsev – burlesque
Alfonso Ribeiro and Cheryl Burke – flamenco
Sadie Robertson and Derek Hough – Charleston
Antonio Sabato Jr. and Allison Holker – Bollywood
Lea Thompson and Val Chmerkovskiy – Broadway
Michael Waltrip and Witney Carson – disco

I'm not familiar with the mambo, so no opinion.  I think the most difficult to pull off will be burlesque and flamenco.  And I hate Bollywood.  Since when does this have anything to do with real dancing?  I hate it on SYTYCD and I hate it on DWTS.  I'd rather see a polka.  Or an Irish jig.  Or what a real lambada looks like.

Remember when they had the Russian folk dance on SYTYCD?  It fell flatter than a pancake.

Oh my goodness, yes.  I do remember that Russian folk dance.  If they had wanted to go in that direction, why not do the Cossack-type dancing?  At least that would have been exciting. 

For me, this was the least enjoyable week thus far.  Confusing and crippling for some contestants.  I couldn't score most of them.

Antonio & Allison - Bollywood.  This was the most fun I've seen Antonio have.  That being said, I hate Bollywood as a competitive dance.  One needs the stamina of a cross-country track star.  Again, the comments about Allison outdancing her partner.

Bethany & Mark - Hip Hop.  She looked so cute and I thought she did a good job.  Another genre I'm not fond of, but this was a "soft" version - pretty good.

Jonathan & Peta -  Jitterbug.  God love him, he had it right up to the end.  The tricks did him in.  I noticed a huge difference in his attack with Peta.  He certainly wasn't a prop this week.  Had they dumped those last few tricks, he only would've heard about is timing.

Alfonso & Cheryl - Flamenco.   Best dance of the night.  Perfect music.

Janel & Artem - Burlesque.  i don't know what the producers expected them to do with this genre.  CA was right.  It was nice while Janel was with the other girls.  But Burlesque (in my mind) doesn't lend itself to a male-female partnership.

Michael & Witney - Disco.  This was a horrible genre for a man of his age to draw.  But he did have some moments when he wasn't completely stiff.  He really needs to go home.  This deserved the 5s.

Tommy & Emma - Mambo.  Meh.  Enough already.  He can go right after Michael.

Sadie & Derek - Charleston.  First, the music sucked.  Second, it didn't look like any Charleston I've ever seen.  And what was all that arm waving action?  Sadie danced it well, but when I saw those legs moving, I was uncomfortable.  Took me back to my teen years when I had stilts for legs.  Br-r-r-r.

Lea & Val - Broadway.  ** furrowed brow **  She's my favorite but I wasn't happy with this dance.  There were times she looked a little lost and uncertain.  Don't like to see her that way.

I thought Julianne looked great tonight and it strikes me that she's responding to all the flak she got about her hair and attire.

I know I've complained about Bruno's overt sexual comments but he's like a ghost when there's a fourth judge.  I wish they'd stop having guest judges.  For me, they bring nothing to the show but skewed scoring.

mustang, I kind of wondered if Peta was trying to outdo the new golden girl by actually teaching Jonathan.  If so, she took it too far.

I'm really annoyed with the music choices.  How can you give Alfonso perfect flamenco music, then turn around and give other couples this impossible crap?  I missed the castanets on the flamenco - the clacking shoes, too.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the castanets.  I thought Cheryl would have had them, but maybe that was a bit too much to learn, even for a pro.  Agree about Peta/Allison.  I had really hoped that Jonathan would get Cheryl, even though Cheryl/Alfonso were great together.  I think Cheryl would have really helped him a lot.  There's just something so darn likeable about Jonathan that I hate that he's struggling so much, especially when I really don't think he should be.  It's just not a good match-up for him with Allison.

I think so, too, rkc.  Artem is "fresh meat."  He and Val will have to battle it out for sexiest pro.  lol.

Val is nice looking but I guess to me he isn't as hot as his brother. I found it interesting that as much as Val and Janel are trying to deny romance rumors he seemed to get kind of upset about the chemistry between Artem and Janel this week and the time they spent together. Then you had the pic show up this week with Maks and Meryl and Val and Janel out on a "double date"....hmmm...

At first, I didn't like Val at all - mainly because he bears such a resemblance to my ex.  lol.  I've gotten over it.  You're right.  Next to Maks, he doesn't have the sex appeal.  But next to Artem, I think he's on equal footing.  Both seem to take pains to feature their partners in the dance. 

At my age, sexiness usually plays second-fiddle to a nice personality.  I've never been one to put looks over brains.   Um... except maybe for Russell Crowe.