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DANCING WITH THE STARS - Yamaguchi for the win

She's brought home the Gold and now she's bringing home the Mirror Ball. 

Tonight Kristi Yamaguchi was crowned the champion of this season's Dancing with the Stars competition, a victory that seemed inevitable from the first time she hit the dance floor. 

Week after week The Guchi and her partner Mark Ballas delivered one dazzling routine after the other, raking in the high judges' scores and crushing the morale of her competitors.  Kristi was almost always at the top of the leaderboard.  She scored the most points of any DWTS competitor, and in the final week she and Mark pulled off three perfect dances for a total of 90 out of 90 points.  It just wouldn't have been right if she didn't win the competition - empirically speaking, she was the best dancer.

Some of you may be thinking that having Kristi Yamaguchi in the contest was not fair to begin with because she is a robot from the future.

I want to be clear:  the contest was perfectly fair.  Kristi Yamaguchi is not a robot from the future.  She is not an advanced scout from a race of perfect androids who want to invade us with an army from the future.

Oh!  Oh, you're thinking it's not fair because she was an ice skater?  And not just an ice skater, but the best ice skater in the world?  I have no comment. 

Kidding!  I kid.  Yeah, you have to admit that being an ice skater gave Kristi an um, edge.  But I think that argument minimizes Kristi's competition somewhat - Jason, Cristian, and Mario all seemed like worthy adversaries who were physically up to the challenge.  Man, I still can't believe Mario didn't make the semi-finals, that wasn't right.

At the end of the day, the fact is that Kristi Yamaguchi owned Dancing with the Stars this season.  She and Mark Ballas were totally entertaining and fun to watch, and that's enough for me.

 

--Dave Campbell 

DANCING WITH THE STARS - The Final Countdown

America, or at least my tiny corner of it, is gripped with Dancing with the Stars Finals mania as the three remaining couples dance for the right to take home the coveted shiny disco ball trophy.  Tonight they danced - but on Tuesday, May 20th judgment will be rendered.  Special musical guest Usher is going to perform and they'll also crown the Junior Ballroom Champions.  Those kids are darn cute. 

Since the championship is based of the combined total of viewer votes and the judges' scores for that week, Kristi Yamaguchi is once again in a position of strength.  She and her partner Mark Ballas, the most expressive dancer on the show, got perfect scores for each of their dances this week, so that puts them on top of the leaderboard with 60 points.  Cristian and Cheryl were a distant second with 52 points, while Jason and Edyta were in last place with a disappointing 51 points.

On Tuesday we'll see which couple pulled in the most votes, for you can't become a Dancing with the Stars champion with perfect judges' scores alone.  Still, perfect scores can't hurt. 

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - Eliminated!

Alas, Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur has danced her last rumba with her partner Tony Dovolani.  This week she was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars in the semi-finals, so the dance floor will no longer be graced by her bubbly personality and Tony's blindingly white teeth.  Seriously, that guy's teeth are bio-luminescent.

Marissa did a great job, overcoming some early low scores and delivering fun and entertaining routines week after week.  At the beginning of the season I wouldn't have bet that Marissa would make it to the semi-finals, but she really pulled it off.  She and Tony seemed to have built a real bond and were very supportive and positive with each other. 

Moving on to the final round of competition we have Kristi "The Guchi" Yamaguchi and her expressive partner Mark Ballas, Jason Taylor and the scantily clad Edyta Sliwinska, and injured warrior Cristian de la Fuente and veteran dancer Cheryl Burke. 

My money is still on The Guchi, but the shiny disco ball trophy is truly up for grabs.

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - The Semi-Finals

The semi-finals for this season's Dancing with the Stars competition is upon us this week.  The four remaining couples struggled to remain in the game as they performed two randomly selected dances Monday night.  On Tuesday's results show one of the four couples will be eliminated and the rest will advance to the ultimate and final challenge.

The Guchi regained the top spot on the judges' leader board with 57 out of 60 points, vindicating herself after some relatively low scores in Week Eight.  She and her partner Mark Ballas raked in a near perfect 29 for their dramatic and precise tango, but only got a 28 for their technically demanding jive. 

I thought Kristi deserved a higher score because for half the dance she had a big strand of hair stuck to her mouth, which must have been distracting.  Check it out (below).  Her lip gloss has incredible adhesive properties!

Cristian de la Fuente and his partner Cheryl Burke are in second place, with 56 points.  After tearing a tendon in his bicep during the samba in week seven, the couple have been choreographing around Cristian's injury, and pulling in high scores, too.  They were in first place last week and are only a point behind Kristi and Mark, so they're definitely making it to the finals.  They should, anyway.

The couple scored a 29 out of 30 for their samba and Cristian made it through without suffering a flashback.  The judges thought Cristian and Cheryl's Viennese waltz was pretty good, giving them 27 points.  I just have to say that the dress Cheryl Burke wore for the waltz was crazy.  Tom Bergeron made fun of it, comparing it to a weather balloon.  Don't take my word for it, judge for yourself:

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska dropped to third place this week with a total score of 55 out of 60 possible points. 

They danced a brilliant foxtrot that earned them 28 points, but their paso doble only got them 27 points.  I thought their paso doble was excellent, but what do I know?  I'm no Bruno.  But then, who is?

Finally, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are in last place with 52 points.  Both their foxtrot and their rumba scored 26 points.  I thought their foxtrot was great, the choreography seemed much more ambitious than any dance thye've done before.

In the live television gaffs department, Marissa and Tony experienced a little wardrobe malfunction as her skirt got caught on the sequined trim of Tony's pants.  Chivalrous Tom Bergeron shielded Marissa from embarassment while they resolved the crisis.  Fashion has its risks.

So who is going home this week? 

Marissa seems to be the most likely candidate, as she has the lowest score.  But the elimination is based upon the combined judges' score and fan votes, and I've predicted Marissa's ouster before and been wrong every time, so maybe she'll surprise us. 

Like life, Dancing with the Stars doesn't always happen the way you expect it to.

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - 100th Show

Dancing with the Stars celebrated its 100^th Show in style this week by kicking another couple off the show.  That’s how it goes in the savage world of competitive ballroom dancing.  Law of the jungle, baby. 

In a shocking twist, R&B star Mario and his smoldering partner Karina Smirnoff were eliminated this week.  Well, it was shocking to me, anyway. 

I sincerely thought that Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur and her homey Tony Dovolani were going home this week, but instead they are one of the four couples advancing into the Semi-Finals next week.  Also advancing are The Guchi, Jason Taylor, and Cristian de la Fuente, who rebounded from last week’s injury big time.

Next week:  no Def Leppard.  But more dancing!  Hey, they can't have Def Leppard every week; then it would be called Dancing with Def Leppard, and that would be weird.  Have you ever seen anyone try to dance a Viennese waltz to "Pour Some Sugar On Me?"  Not pretty.

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - Week Eight Update

Only five couples remained to dance in Week Eight.  Next week, the four surviving couples will dance in the semi-finals, where the pressure is soul crushing!  Unless you happen to be an Olympic medalist or the NFL Man of the Year, in which case the pressure is no biggie.

But Kristi Yamaguchi and Jason Taylor, the athletes who have enjoyed their time in the top spot, were both bumped from the top of the leaderboard by Cristian de la Fuente and his partner Cheryl Burke in a dramatic reversal.  Last week Cristian suffered a tendon injury in his arm while dancing, resulting in a big wipeout and low scores.  This week, dancing to special choreography designed to work around his injured wing, Cristian came roaring back and seized the top spot.

I'm not saying Cristian and Cheryl didn't deserve to be #1, but I think the judges were a little soft on them this week.  The Guchi, on the other hand, seems to be scored by the judges to a different standard - they don't overlook minor mistakes with Kristi like they do with the other dancers.  Bruno at least seems to score The Guchi consistently. 

Ah, well.  It's easy to second-guess the judges - and part of the fun.

Tune in for the Results Show and the 100th Show gala on Tuesday.  Amid all the festivites and nostalgia, somebody has reached the end of the line.  Is it finally Marissa and Tony's turn to dance the Dance of Shame?  Seems likely.  But as the past couple weeks have shown us - anything can happen.

--Dave Campbell

Dancing with the Stars - No More Tears

Actress Shannon Elizabeth's dramatic run on Dancing with the Stars came to an end this week when she became the latest celebrity eliminated from the competition. 

Rumors of a romantic hook-up between Shannon and her partner were swirling about all season, and the couple was plagued by relatively low scores.  The judges often took Shannon to task for lack of proper hip action and for seeming "gangly" and "awkward."   Last week she and Derek got mega-upset at the judge's comments and low scoring and staged a Class II Hissy Fit.  Shannon cried while Derek seethed at the perceived inequity in the judge's scoring.  They apologized later, but that scene couldn't have helped with the votes.

This week the judge's loved Shannon and Derek's tango, but had no love for the couple's mambo despite the presence of a prosthetic bum under Shannon's skirt.  I'm not kidding, she threw some extra weight back in the trunk, but it didn't work.  A lack of votes and a relatively low judges' score spelled doom for the young couple, so they'll be going home this week... together.

In other news, Cristian de la Fuente got checked out at the hospital after an injury destroyed his samba this week.  He ruptured a tendon in his bicep and needs surgery... after the competition is over.  He's determined to finish up, but will the injury hamper his chances at victory?  It seems likely.

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - Drama on the dance floor

Week Seven has been brutal. 

Each couple had to perform two numbers - a ballroom dance and a Latin dance.  Scores were low for just about everyone.  The judges were yelling at each other.  Len was in a mood, and the crowd revolted against him.  Thankfully nobody in the audience thought to bring rotten tomatoes to the show or things would have gotten ugly.  Kristi and Mark were knocked out of first place after receiving their lowest score yet - I knew that prop umbrella was a bad idea!  And to top it all off, disaster struck Cristian and Cheryl's samba in the most dramatic mishap yet.

Here's what happened:  After a graceful Viennese waltz that netted them 25 points, Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke danced a Samba for their second dance of the night.  Things started off great, lots of hip motion, very high energy... and then Cristian pulled a muscle in his arm.  At first it looked like he just messed up and missed a connection with Cheryl, but it quickly became obvious that something was wrong.  They ended up on the floor at the end of the routine:

(If you look carefully at the picture you'll notice somebody in the crowd who appears to be laughing.  That's cold!)

They cut to a commercial and put some ice on his arm and then took him to the hospital to get checked out.  The judges said they'd only judge their routine up until the point of the injury, but Cristian and Cheryl still ended up with a low 21 score.  I can't really blame the judges - it's not like they can give them nines and still remain fair to the other contestants.

Jason Taylor pulled past The Guchi for the first time this week with a fantastic quick step and an unusual paso doble set to the Monday Night Football theme music.  It sounds corny, but they actually pulled it off.  Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas were shoved down to second place - unjustly I thought.  Their cha-cha-cha was incredible, but Len docked them points because he didn't like the hip hop moves they did.  Oh, Len.  Don't ever change.

Here are this week's standings:

1. Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska - 55 points
2. Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas - 54 points
3. Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovoloni - 52 points
4. Mario and Karina Smirnoff - 51 points
5. Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough - 51 points
6. Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke - 46 points

Tomorrow at 9PM we'll see who gets kicked off the show during the Results Show.  And dude - Def Leppard is playing!  Come on over and keep me company at the Dancing with the Stars Live Blog, where I blog in real time with no bathroom breaks or anything!  The blogging begins at 9 PM Eastern Time.

-Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - Update

This week another couple was ground up and spit out by the ruthless Dancing with the Stars machine as Marlee Matlin and her partner Fabian Sanchez were sent packing during the Results Show. 

Marlee and Fabian were in last place after Monday night's awkward Mambo, and they just didn't end up with enough votes to counteract their low score from the judges.  Despite her ups and downs in the competition, Marlee remained relentlessly optimistic and determined to the last.  She was very classy and displayed a level of poise and grace in the face of some low scores that some others (*cough* Shannon and Derek *cough*) seemed to lack.

Now that Marlee has gone, the competition is just getting tighter and more high-stakes.  Kristi Yamaguchi and her partner Mark Ballas raked in this season's first perfect score this week, so they're looking pretty invincible at this point.  I've said it all along: nobody can defeat The Guchi.  However, there is a hungry second tier of couples who could move within striking distance of Yamaguchi in the weeks to come.  Mario and Cristian de la Fuente are looking strong, and although Jason Taylor had an off week, he's still a contender. 

Next week, the couples have to perform two different routines - BLINDFOLDED!  No, I'm kidding.  That would be cool, though, particularly if they were attempting some daring lifts.  They are performing two dances, though.  Tom Bergeron keeps promising that Def Leppard will play during a Results Show, so that alone is reason to watch in my book.

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - The Results!

Priscilla Presley was the latest star to fall gracefully from the Dancing with the Stars constellation. 

This week on the fateful results show, one of two low-scoring couples was going home.   Shannon Elizabeth and her partner Derek Hough were also at risk, but ultimately Priscilla Presley and her partner Louis van Amstel were eliminated.  Priscilla was very elegant and graceful, but ultimately wasn't competing at the same level as Jason Taylor or The Guchi.

Bonus!  This week we learned that Def Leppard is scheduled to play on an upcoming results show. 

DEF. LEPPARD. 

That is the coolest thing EVER.  My dream of watching dancers do the Rumba to "Pyromania" may almost be a reality...

--Dave Campbell