"DWTS" Week 5 Recap: A Little Bit of Disney Magic

October 14, 2019

DISNEY! NIGHT! Disney Night on “Dancing with the Stars”! Sorry, but we’re still not over the bedazzled amazing-ness that was last night’s episode. If last week’s lack of glitz and glamour left us feeling a bit underwhelmed, Disney Night made up for it doubly—starting with one of the best opening numbers we’ve seen in a minute (filmed on-site at Disneyland, nbd).

But what really made last night special was that it was top-to-bottom fun. The judges seemed a bit more light-hearted than usual (even perpetually-grumpy Len Goodman couldn’t resist the magic of Disney), the sets and special effects were top-notch, and we got to watch all of our stars and pros transform into our favorite Disney characters. Plus, there was a sweet surprise at the end of the episode. In case you missed it, catch our highlights here.

Ally Brooke and Sasha Farber: Contemporary

Pop star Ally Brooke and her partner Sasha Farber came out of the gate strong with the first contemporary routine of the season. Though this style can be a real challenge on “DWTS,” we couldn’t get enough of Ally and Sasha’s performance (or Ally’s rhinestone-covered ballet shoes—can we get a pair?). The duo perfectly executed the naturalistic quality of the choreography, as well as some seriously jaw-dropping lifts. They earned the first 9s of Season 28, placing them at the top of the leaderboard with 27 out of 30.

Kel Mitchell and Witney Carson: Jazz

Please add “Kel Mitchell performing a High School Musical-inspired jazz routine” to the list of things we never thought we’d get to see, but sure are glad we did. That’s the magic of Disney Night, folks! The ever-fabulous Witney Carson managed to perfectly capture Kel’s endless energy and dazzling charisma with this routine, earning the duo two 9s and an 8 from the judges, for a total score of 26 out of 30.

Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten: Foxtrot

Before we get to the routine, we have a bone to pick with the “DWTS” special effects team: Can we chill it on the fog machine a little bit? This is a dance show, so we’d like to be able to see the contestants’ footwork, please and thank you. Regardless, Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten delivered a graceful, dreamy foxtrot. Hannah even got a special shoutout from Len on her perfect foxtrot hold. The pair received two 9s and a 7, for a total of 25 out of 30.

Tinkerbell must have sprinkled a little pixie dust over the “DWTS” set, because we were given a fairytale happy ending to last night’s episode: no elimination! All 10 couples were sent on to next week, and they all lived happily ever after…at least until the double elimination that’s now looming.

What did you think of Disney Night? Who brought the Disney magic to the ballroom?