DWTS Season Season 24! Week 6- #teamBoybands and #teamGirlGroup Week
What a fun week this will be with Team Boy Bands vs Team Girl Group! Stay tuned for my blog from attending the Week 4 Most Memorable Year show. Life has been a bit hectic with travel, my best friend got married last week and then a move but, I promise to share all the fun details!
It was great to have Nick Carter in the ballroom as a guest judge and have Maks back in the ballroom after his calf injury.
Simone Biles & Sasha Farber #teamGoldenGiggles
Dance: Samba to music by: Destiny’s Child
Sasha and Simone are too cute. Simone is really doing well in the competition and she absolutely has the skill. I have been trying to put my finger on what I have felt is missing a bit. I think she isn’t totally connecting with the audience at home. She needs to have people get invested in her/root for her on top of having the fantastic skills. I thought their dance was really good this week though.
Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess #teamDenimNDiamonds
Dance: Rumba to music by: Backstreet Boys
I don’t agree with Bonner that he is the weakest dancer left in the competition. I think Bonner has heart, drive and desire which in my opinion goes far. He is improving each week and in my opinion the audience is pulling for him. I really love the partnership with Sharna. Sharna has such a way of bringing out the best in all of her partners. I would agree with Nick if Bonner could just let it go each week it could take him to the next level but, as someone who has learned to dance this year it’s hard to get out of your head.
Nancy Kerrigan & Artem Chigvintsev #teamBladesOfGlory
Dance: Paso Doble to music by: En Vogue
I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy when I was at the show a few weeks ago and she is seriously the nicest person. I think she gets too many negative comments for being emotional. All creative people just have a different way in how they process things or handle stress that doesn’t and shouldn’t make people not pull for her. I personally think she is what the competition is about, she has heart, she works hard, she improves each week and she truly gives it her all. I thought their dance this week was fantastic, she was strong, fierce and totally crushed it.
Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd #teamBabyGotBach
Dance: Jive music by: Beach Boys
I would say that Nick isn’t one of the top dancers left but, Peta is right the show is just as much about personality and he is improving each week. He does put his heart and soul into the competition that is for sure and when I met him he is one of those people that has crazy charisma. The Jive is a hard dance and I thought they did a good job.
Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy: #teamValMani
Dance: Salsa music by: Pussy Cat Dolls
Val and Normani really make another great partnership. I think you have really seen them step things up the last few weeks after all that traveling stopped. She’s shining at just the right time in the competition and is such a powerhouse. I know there was the issue with Len feeling like there was much Salsa content in it. That can go both ways they are also dealing with the music they get and how to put together the overall performance factor. I thought the dance was good, it was dynamic and it was fierce.
David Ross & Lindsay Arnold #teamLadyAndTheGramp
Dance: Argentine Tango music by: N’Sync
I am still on the fence on this team. Lindsay always works extremely hard with her partners and I didn’t really care for it when he made the disrespectful comment you are not my coach. She is your dance coach David you need her to teach you. I thought their dance was good, the lifts were risky for sure but, as always Lindsay has beautiful chorography.
Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater #teamShadSquad
Dance: Tango music by: Four Tops
This partnership remains one of my favorites this season and Rashad is truly a kind person. I was so impressed by him when I met him. He’s down to earth and just as sweet as can be. I loved in the package that he took Emma to NFL training too. Their dance this week was fun, intense, had a lot of great content and continued to highlight the growth Rashad has had as a dancer.
Heather Morris & Maksim Chmerkovskiy #teamMaksimumHeat
Dance: Rumba music by: TLC
It was so nice to get Maks back in the ballroom. Alan did a really fantastic job filling in for him and I think he truly earned a right to be a pro in a future season. I thought their dance this week was beautiful and it highlighted all of Heather’s technical skills. All season I think her issue has been in her connection with the audience. You can be the best dancer but, you need the audience/voters to pull for you.
Team Dances:
I thought they did a great job on the team dance. It was fun, sexy and creative. I would say Rashad’s personality really shined like a diamond and you couldn’t help but, zoom in on him. Their magic mike portion to the NKOTB was awesome and showed they all had the right stuff.
I thought the girls did a good job. It was fun and also creative. The lighting issues that happened made it hard to see a lot of it. I thought all the girls were strong and performed really well.
In Jeopardy:
Artem & Nancy and Heather & Maks
This week we said goodbye to: Heather & Maks and it was shocking to me either couple was in the bottom. I truly feel the issue was the connection with the audience. You have to connect with the fans in the packages, when you have opportunities to meet them etc. The show I attended the other dancers would step out for a few minutes and meet fans but, Heather did her interviews and then just walked the other way never engaging. I never felt that or saw the desire to connect from Heather in my opinion. She has talent though hands down and definitely left too early in the competition. I absolutely don’t think Nancy/Artem belonged in the bottom 2 either and I hope fans will give Nancy a chance. She really his working hard and a total sweetheart.
Until next week!
XOXO
Heather
Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd 
Mr T & Kym Herjavec 
Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess 
Heather Morris & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 
Charo & Keo Motsepe 
Simone Biles & Sasha Farber 
Nancy Kerrigan & Artem Chigvintsev 
David Ross & Lindsay Arnold 
Erika Jayne & Gleb Savchenko 
Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater 
Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy: 
watch much TV so she wasn’t sure about any of his characters. He did break his neck in the past so he is dealing with an injury. Their dance was fun to watch and it did seem like he was trying to be in character of a bad dancer.
y opinion is everyone needs to give her a fair shot as ballroom and Latin dancing with a partner are very different than what she has done in the past. Julianne touched on that as well during her comments. We should also remember that she is not the first person on the show that has had dance experience.
a lot of fun to watch and Lindsay is really good at pulling out her partner’s strengths.
excited to see what they come up with this season. They are sure to bring the heat and the sizzle.
feet clapping for them as they were dancing last night. They are in it to win it and absolutely will be one to watch this season. Their personalities mesh so well and I bet they bring the fun all season long!
ver the years.
h content skill for an opening week performance.
I am attending 5 shows on this tour and have one more to go in Costa Mesa on the last night of the tour and did VIP for each. If you want to learn about their amazing VIP experience check out this link: 
This year’s tour really focused on each dancer’s story and it was so beautifully put together. You would find yourself laughing, in tears, with goosebumps and just sitting on the edge of your seat. To highlight just a sample: Val and Laurie perform a few of their favorite dances from the season, there is a section on favorite movie dances that is just fun and stunning at the same time, special dances for just the men and just the women and a lovely moment as Emma shares the story of her engagement. The girls and Artem perform a fun Spice Girls number that will really take you back. I loved the opening & closing numbers and the piece they all participate in on how they put together the dances each week. There is also a section after intermission that will leave you in stitches it is so hilarious. 
Jenna Johnson performs a really amazing number to Seduces Me that is just breathtaking. Sharna & Val perform a high energy jive that just totally rocks and Sharna performs a steamy tango with Alan that I just loved! Alan and the ladies perform a special number that will leave every man in the room jealous of him. Artem and Gleb heat up the stage in their respective pieces that tell their stories. Lindsay hits all the right notes in her dances too including the one she dedicates to her Dad…Crazy Train. Keo also has some moving pieces to his life story and a rumba with Emma. Jenna and Artem perform a special piece from La La Land that is visually and emotionally stunning. The contemporary numbers that Jenna & Artem and Hayley and Val do are so beautiful and passionate. The number that makes me cry and I get goosebumps every night is Sharna’s story. I don’t want to spoil it for those that have not yet seen it but, it’s a story some can really relate to and will pull at your heart strings for sure. This was just a quick highlight of my thoughts. All of the performances are just amazing!
NKOTB Cruise! I really have never been one that is into cruising. I am usually the type that prefers an all-inclusive beach vacation but, I have seen how much fun these charter cruises are. This year I booked ahead and stayed with a friend of mine and it was absolutely an improvement this year to be in a cabin with the balcony.
One thing that became very obvious to me again in the first hours of being on the ship was the extreme selfie madness that was about to happen. It almost became this challenge. Can you get a selfie with each New Kid and it left you feeling like if you didn’t you were some sort of cruise failure. It truly took away from a lot of the theme nights in my opinion. It was also frustrating when you were waiting or wanting to get a selfie with a New Kid to see someone else that had already had 5 with them were trying to get in for another one. All you saw were cell phones in the air and it’s almost like those circling the various stages cared less about the performance of the guys and more about pushing their way into location to get a selfie. I ended up getting a selfie with 2 out of the 5 this year. It was fun to be a part of Donnie’s World Record breaking selfie line. He did it officially this year!
The rest of the time on the ship you were kept entertained with NKOTB Game show which was funny and it was nice to see the guy’s fun personalities shine. They were really funny and a just a bit naughty this year. We also had a concert one night and were able to check out a taping of Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny Sirius XM show that she taped on the ship. There were a lot of fun surprises that occurred during that taping with guest appearances by the guys. I was excited to see the Trifecta added to the schedule this year with Danny, Joe and Jordan. I just wish each guy had equal time singing solos. I loved the Solo Wood portion, Jordan’s time was pretty short and he is amazing and Joe and Adam Ray also kept us entertained. I will also say I missed Duets at Dusk this year, last year it was such a touching part of the cruise.
The day we got off the ship we were in Cozumel. I had the worst sea legs so ended up getting back on the ship and laying out.
The ship smelled really bad this year too and I thought the food and service in the dining rooms was just ok. Guy’s Burger place on the Lido desk however was very good! I also think Carnival needs to vastly improve the wifi on the ship. It’s a good amount of money to pay for something that works insanely slow. The boarding process this year was a lot smoother going out of New Orleans!
Tips for cruise virgins:
It sounds like this tour will be even more incredible than the last so definitely don’t miss out!
I have been a fan of this show ever since Season 1 and I have to say this season will be a hard one to top. The entire cast truly came in with a great attitude and really put in the effort. It was hard not to fall in love with the personalities and stories of each of our stars this season. There were so many shining stars.
I want to give a huge shout out to the Season 23 Dance Troupe: Brittany Cherry, Alan Bersten, Hayley Erbert, 
On to the finale:
It was too fun to watch Maureen McCormick live her huge fan dream of dancing with Babyface, Ryan, Artem, Keo and Dennis tonight. Maureen was one that I truly felt grew a lot this season. It’s always fun when a star is also a fan of the show because it allows us at home to live it through their eyes.
I loved the friendship that developed between Vanilla Ice and Rick Perry this season. Vanilla’s performance was a fun blast from the past and even though they might not have been the strongest dancers the partnerships between Witney/Vanilla and Emma/Rick were fun to watch all season and both did work hard.
Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe 
The gift that James gave to Sharna of the race suit he wore the first time he raced again after his accident was truly sweet. Sharna truly put together the most amazing piece to close the chapter on James’s survival journey. They performed a fusion dance of Foxtrot & Viennese Waltz. It was absolutely beautiful. James demonstrated all the grace in his movements and it again highlighted the beautiful friendship that developed between them this season. It was stunning.
Calvin & Lindsay 
Calvin & Lindsay did a Jive & Quickstep fusion. Calvin and Lindsay almost developed a big brother/little sister relationship this season. Calvin should be so happy with his journey this season. He grew immensely and I think kept his attitude on the fun this entire season. He was a joy to watch! Their fusion dance was a lot of fun, high energy and again showed off all the great dance qualities that Calvin brought to the floor.
Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy 
Val and Laurie had a Foxtrot & Argentine Tango Fusion dance. Their package was so adorable. It was sad hearing them talk about this season ending. I think Val was a tremendous positive influence on Laurie. Laurie grew so much before our eyes and is truly a remarkable young lady. Their fusion dance was incredible. Laurie had that fire, pure determination and the look of champion in her eyes when they started that fusion dance. I do disagree with those that felt Laurie had an edge this season because of gymnastics. Laurie was the first gymnast that didn’t use the tricks in the dances this season. I can speak from personal experience at a lower level. I was a cheerleader and when I started taking ballroom & latin dance lessons it is totally different and definitely not easy to learn to dance with a partner.
More on the finale…
ce number was also choreographed by the amazing Mandy Moore. This was truly remarkable. It was creative, it was a technical and visual delight the way she was able to bring the story into motion using the special screen to make the young girl’s dream a reality. It truly was an absolute Masterpiece!
Sharna & James and Val & Laurie were the final two couples and truly they were both so good it could have been a tie this season. Each partnership just had that special something. The talent, the creativity of Val & Sharna with their respective partners was just unstoppable this year. I would have been absolutely thrilled if their partnership had won.
I absolutely cannot believe we are at the finale already for this truly amazing season! First up welcome back to Len! Tonight one couple will be eliminated and the final 3 will compete tomorrow doing a special dance fusion for the final judge’s scores. Train did a great job on performing their new song and Artem, Cheryl, Keo, Alan performed a fantastic dance. I also loved the special performance of La La Land.
Calvin & Lindsay (Viennese Waltz)
Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko (Tango)
Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy (Paso Doble)
Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Foxtrot)
Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Argentine Tango)
nce experience you have to trust and just be able to feel everything. I LOVED their Argentine Tango it was sexy, intense, filled with fun content and that hand stand at the end was just so good.
Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber (Rumba)
ek. Loved Carrie Ann’s quote: “Quality of the movement was like the quality of you, it was untouchable”. Well-deserved PERFECT score…BRAVO!
Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko (Quickstep)
Calvin & Lindsay (Tango)
ink Calvin improved a lot as the season went on but, I am not as engaged in them as a partnership.
Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy (Foxtrot)
Elimination Time: It was so sad to see Terra and Sasha eliminated. They truly have been amazing all season, Terra showed the world nothing should ever hold you back from trying something you want to do. Sasha and Terra seem like they will be forever friends. It was one of those amazing partnerships you see develop on DWTS that you will always remember as truly special and Terra should be very proud of herself for a tremendous job on DWTS!