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'Dancing with the Stars': The Finals
This is it folks. It's Freestyle night on Dancing with the Stars which means we're just one day away from finding out this season's winner. Will Kristi Yamaguchi dazzle us? Will Jason Taylor finally master a Latin dance? Will Cristian de la Fuente hurt his other arm? Will anyone choke like they did last year? It's time to find out...live!
Spoilers!
1. All Couples
Dance/Song: Cha Cha - "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie
Cristian & Cheryl go first. He starts out by jumping off the stage and sliding on his knees across the floor to her. They also finish with a floor slide, Cristian on his knees and Cheryl in a dip in his arms. Pretty nifty. Cristian's got great hip action, such an improvement from how stiff he used to be. And he really looked like he was having fun. Jason & Edyta are next. There's a patti-cake type portion in the middle that reminds me of Footloose for some reason. They're good but so far Cristian was a little better which is not a surprise since Jason's always had trouble with the Latin dances. Last, Kristi & Mark. Kristi comes out and lays a kiss on Bruno in addition to clapping and playing towards the crowd. Very sassy Ms. Kristi. And I love her shimmy dress. To say the she schooled the other guys would be entirely accurate. She had the steps, the technique, and looked like she was having a good time. At the end, all the couples come out and finish with Jason and Cristian lifting Kristi in the air (Cristian with one arm). That was pretty dang impressive, even if Jason messed up a bit at the end.
Judges: All the judges agreed and their sentiments are the same as mine.
Score: Cristian - 26 (8-9-9), Jason - 24 (8-8-8), Kristi - 30 (10-10-10)
2. Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark
Dance/Song: Freestyle - "Working Day & Night" by Michael Jackson
Apparently, when Mark & Sabrina danced a Cha Cha in last year's finale, Mark dislocated his shoulder during the dance and finished the routine. Crazy. So Kristi's a little apprehensive about trying all the insane maneuvers Mark wants to put in. Enter Julianne (who used to dance with Mark professionally) to give her some pointers. And man, were those some good pointers. Wow. That was...wow. I lost count of the lifts. And it was a great mix of hip-hop and Ballroom.
Judges: Bruno waxed poetic as usual, Carrie Ann finished her spiel with a simple declaration, "Love it." Even Len, ever the grump, actually loved it. Even the hip-hop stuff.
Score: 30 (10-10-10)
3. Jason Taylor & Edyta
Dance/Song: Freestyle - "Miami" by Will Smith
Edyta is super excited because she's finally made it to the finals after being on the show since the first season. She's really pushing the envelope and got dropped a time or two for it. To help give Jason a boost, his family came in - the visit concluding with his wife Katina telling him he better win. But no pressure. The lifts were fantastic, including a no-handed helicopter. And, at the end, Edyta rips off Jason's tank top. Skin to win, Edyta, skin to win. Jason was funky and did a good job but it's tough to follow Kristi.
Judges: All the judges appreciated the funkiness and sense of humor and commented on the stellar lifts.
Score: 27 (9-9-9)
4. Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl
Dance/Song: Freestyle - "Suavemente" by Elivis Crespo
Cheryl wants to take it easy but Cristian wants to push it. He fell on his arm at one point and hurt himself, which freaked her out to no end but still, he pushes on. The one-arm lifts she put in are impressive. Just, overall, I gotta give it up to Cheryl for the great choreography. I admire how he really performed the heck out of the number and it was very entertaining. He was shaking it like a tambourine.
Judges: The general consensus was, and I paraphrase, "That was good, especially for one arm, but um...Kristi." And Len added that his lifts, while good, were not as impressive as everyone else's.
Score: 26 (9-8-9)
Projected Winner: Sure, it could be someone else but it's gotta be Kristi with Cristian the runner-up. Seriously. Kristi better win.
Woot First...
Thanks for the recap...
Was flipping through HIMYM and American Gladiators, missed some of the scores.
I hope Kristi wins.
Loved how everyone was trying to talk around Kristi working toward the "uncontested" female champ...makes ABC almost admit that they rigged first season's results...
I'm in the ABK camp...that would be Anyone But Kristi.
Yes, she is technically flawless. Yes, she hits all her marks. Still, I couldn't be more bored watching her. She's like a little dance robot who, for me, exudes zero passion. I watch...I guess I enjoy...I wish she had half the charisma of her mind-blowingly amazing partner Marc Ballas. I'm sorry, she just doesn't grab me. I think back to the sheer joy in every dance performed by fellow Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno and am reminded that technical perfection and genuine charisma can indeed go hand in hand. Besides, I still can't get past her...umm...quirky facial tics and odd expressions.
We are also long past the "I'm a woman and that makes me the underdog" BS. It's wholly insincere, especially after numerous 10-10-10 scores and three judges who clearly think she can do no wrong (even when she does...like that bizarro tango thing they had an orgasm for last week). Yeah, we get it...a woman hasn't won the show in five seasons. Girl power...Blah, blah, blah.
I agree Kristi did a great job in the cha cha cha face off (a new addition to the show I would like to see more of next season) but Christian is the one who had me smiling throughout his set. As for the freestyle number, I'm sorry but Kristi and Marc might have had lots of lifts but she hit most of her landings with a thud and let's just say that hip-hop is not her strong point.
Ron H. | May 19, 2008 8:44:42 PM | #Oh, one thing we can all agree on: the graceless, often rude and wholly annoying Sam Harris must go. If the always spot-on Tom Bergeron really needs a side kick, hold some open auditions and get us someone who knows how to conduct an interview and crack a joke. Harris looks amazing in a gold dress but that's where it ends.
Ron H. | May 19, 2008 8:54:19 PM | #I'm looking for Kristi to win. She is by far the better dancer and I think her personality does shine through in her dancing.
I also like how her & Mark's dances are about the dancing and not about who can wear the least amount of clothes.
As everyone agrees, Jason looks awkward dancing the cha cha. His arms in particular.
And as for personality, I don't think Jason shows that much personality through his dancing (what personality?). Whereas for Cristian, it's basically his strong suit (when compared to the other two finalists).
JC | May 19, 2008 9:29:16 PM | #Ron H: What show are you watching? I mean, I know we're watching the same show because we both agree that Sam H is bloody awful. I will say this in her defense, I think she has no skills interviewing or reading a teleprompter. I heard her on Adam Carolla's radio show and she came off as sweet, personable, and likable... and she didn't stumble over her words once! I think that since the producers make her rush for time it gets her flustered and she doesn't know how to handle it.
Now, when we're watching different shows is when Kristi is on. I think she's worked super hard on getting her personality to fall in line with her technical ability. The hip hop was awesome, it was fun, and she looked to be having a great time. This is DANCING with the Stars, not "I really enjoy watching personal growth and charisma with the stars." Kristi is the best dancer, bar none. That equals winner in my book. Just my two cents.
Soul Reaper | May 19, 2008 9:42:58 PM | #Kristi's the best, but I really hope she doesn't win. On Episode 1, my mom told me that Kristi was going to win and I told her she wouldn't based on the popularity contest/Sabrina effect. The bet is that if Kristi does win, I have to be her slave (in a doing cleaning everyday sorta thing!) I assumed that the finals would be really close, but with this much of a lead, I don't think even viewer votes will change anything!
Kevin | May 19, 2008 9:50:22 PM | #I've never watched this show before, but I saw tonight's episode. My rookie assessment:
Cristián is adorable and funny and I love his accent, I hope to see him on my TV again.
Kristi is an awesome dancer, but then she was awesome figure skater, so no surprise there.
Jason, or whatever his name is, is really hot. He should be a model. Cute kids too.
Don't care who wins, but I so need to start watching this show, I was very entertained.
Siansonea | May 19, 2008 9:54:15 PM | #JC -- Thanks so much for the voice of reason!!! I, too, am hoping Kristi wins. You're absolutely right - Kristi brings top-notch dancing AND personality
far above her fellow competitors. Thanks for bringing up the point that Kristi's about the dancing and not about how skimpy we can get our clothes or how much we can show off our chest and muscles. Kudos to Jason and Cristian for all their hard work and getting into the finals, but, sorry, hands down, Kristi deserves that mirrorball trophy. GIRL POWER - YEAH!!!
Ron H: You called Kristi flat-footed in her routine (she was wearing tennis shoes by the way) Flat-footed "my foot"- you try doing aerial lifts and spins wthout getting dizzy and still come out of them keeping step to difficult dance moves. She is a class act and may the "best woman" win- Go Kristi!!!
Mel | May 19, 2008 10:09:17 PM | #MEL...please do not misquote me. I defy you to find the term "flat footed" in my comment. I said her landings in the freestyle generally hit with a thud. Perhaps if you re-watch the routine you will see what I mean. She is a WORLD CHAMPION FIGURE SKATER. If she can't do spins and lifts without getting dizzy no one can. Part of doing a lift is completing the move and that includes the landing. Hers were awkward and she struggled a bit each time. Sorry you don't agree but "class act" or not, that was not a routine worthy of a perfect score.
Ron H. | May 19, 2008 10:56:16 PM | #I love how all the Kristi fans get so touchy when their favorite ice princess is critiqued. MEL invents things I didn't even write and a few others seem to think I like Jason and/or Christian because they wore skimpy clothes. Huh? Where did you get that from? Thankfully SOUL REAPER can agree to disagree without getting all crazy and putting words in my mouth. SR, I totally hear where you are coming from and respect your opinion. I just don't agree with it. Also, dear Kristi fans, I'm not saying she's a bad dancer. Technically, she is head and antlers above the rest. That is precisely my problem with her on this show. I just think she has a huge (and unfair) advantage that renders the whole point of DWTS moot.
I don't agree that Kristi has worked any harder than the rest of them. In fact, she has been acing the routines since show one. She is entirely within her comfort zone here. Figure skating and ballroom dance are practically kissing cousins. If you can dance on ice, you can dance on the ballroom floor (though the reverse is not necessarily true). While I fully agree with SOUL REAPER that this is not "I really enjoy watching personal growth and charisma with the stars" (BTW, SR...that made me chuckle!!!), why not populate the whole show with a bunch of quasi-celbs with mad dance skills and call it a day? The whole joy of DWTS is the unexpected and, to some extent, seeing a dark horse emerge and take the trophy. Point of fact, this show has never been strictly about who is the best technical dancer. Were that the case, several past winners should give back their trophy.
Okay Ron H - we get it - you don't want Kristi to win - geez!
KF | May 20, 2008 12:11:08 AM | #And KF, we now know you can read.
Ron H. | May 20, 2008 12:17:07 AM | #kristi has to win. it's not even close. the guys are just avg. at best. and if she doesn't win... the show loses a good deal of respect IMO
tom | May 20, 2008 1:47:20 AM | #Ron, cry baby!!!! please get over yourself. Go on the show and do what any of the competitors do and see how you would be judged. Kristi's routine was very good, fun to watch and entertaining. Her routine was 100% worthy of the scores given.
jazzy | May 20, 2008 4:32:23 AM | #OK...so Kristi didn't wow Ron...LOL.
Honestly, when I watched the Cha Cha number I was blown away by Kristi. I never expected her to show that much personality. I remember when she won gold at the Olympics. To be sure, she was and is a fantastic figure skater, I was never moved by her skating. Not like Michelle Kwan, Oksana Baiul, Dorothy Hammill...but I digress. Kristi's cha cha was flawless -- the complete package of style, technique and personality.
As far as the freestyle, I was impressed as well. First, they appeared to actually put some ballroom dancing steps in there -- I don't they didn't have to do that, but it was nice to incorporate that. The lifts were great. The whole dance was fun. I did like the cha cha better though.
I respectfully disagree with the assertion that being a figure skater automatically means you can ballroom dance. You know how to spin without getting dizzy, but I think the clear advantages end there.
Jason and Edyta's lifts were just SICK!!! I enjoyed his freestyle and he looked like he had fun, too.
And good for Cristian to push through the pain -- I can't even imagine how he did that, but I think what he accomplished is admirable.
Kristi deserves that trophy -- no question.
Kristi may not be perfect in her dances, but she's pretty darn close. Anyone who thinks she has it easy because she's a skater should strap on a pair of high heels and try some of those steps -- at the same speed she's doing them.
Dancing does help figure skaters -- many study ballet, mostly to help their posture, carriage, stamina, and flexibility. (Kristi did not study dance.) But it doesn't make them dancers -- esp ballroom dancers. Not even ice dancers (which Kristi is not) can switch back and forth between ice and floor with ease.
If you want to complain about somebody who should have done better, let me remind you that Shannen Elizabeth studied dance during her school years.
I voted for Kristi four times via telephone. Weren't we each supposed to get five votes? I'd have voted the fifth time but my number was blocked after the fourth call. And now the ABC website is not loading -- probably overloaded.
The reason I voted for Kristi is because she is the best non-pro dancer on the show. Not 100% perfect, just the best. And that is what winning is about. Period. But if I needed another reason to vote for her, it would be that she's the only one of the three finalists who kept the spirit of fun -- she didn't introduce politics (Jason) and she didn't make it an ethnic contest (Christian), unlike her two "gentlemen" competitors. Shame on them.
Seriously, Ron, you are the only one here who is ranting on and on with multiple posts - not the "touchy Kristi fans." Having done ballroom/latin dancing for years as an adult and figure skating for years as a youth, they are hardly kissing cousins. Ice skates don't allow for the motion through ones feet. Feet create hip action. I dare you to look at all of Kristi's competitive skates and find hip action. The irony is that people felt that Stacy (who should have won, too) had an advantage because she grew up doing ballet - that was actually a disadvantage because, again, hip action. Ballroom/Latin dancing is it's very own animal and EVERYONE has a learning curve.
That said - GO KRISTI!!! Anyone who doesn't think she should win is in DWTS for the popularity contest, not for the dancing.
Michelle | May 20, 2008 5:42:27 AM | #My five cents-:)
Chacha danceoff was a great idea, great way to compare. Cristian was pretty good, Jason looked really awkward, and Kristi was just terrific. Like they said, what a combo of technique and performance. Its all a matter of opinion, but its hard for me to understand those who think she can't perform and cant perform with her heart. She's been the best at feeling the spirit of each dance to me! Cristians freestyle had great energy and flair. I diagree with Len- the problem wasn't the lifts (which were great as one arm lifts) but the lack of content for him. Cheryl's did most of the dancing. That surprised me too because he has shown he is perfectly capable of moving his feet. Jasons was definitely smart- lack of clothes and pro Miami but lacked energy and spark in his delivery which has been his major problem with Latin all season. He doesn't sell his Latin performances and its a shame. Kristi again was terrific. Not perfect but they had so many lifts AND dance moves in that routine, wow- very difficult and fun dance.
.......
Obviously I want Kristi to win. Now second place is interesting. I like Jasons ballroom dances better than any of Cristians dances period, but Jasons latin dances are poor and Cristian is more well-rounded. He also has improved more than Jason. So its a toss up for me.
.......
As for the whole competition, it comes down to personal choice if the fact some stars enter with advantages makes a difference to you the viewer or not. I will say Kristi has a few advantages- but exactly how much isn't fair to say unless you have done at least both intermediate levels of dance and skating before. If someone has on here, please enlighten us! But regardless of any of that, for me, no one was even close to her in entertaining me all season. I would have been very bored this season without her. And I don't always vote for the 'best dancer'. I vote for who had the best choreography, partnering on the floor, and entertaining abilities along with being a solid technician. Sometimes all that equals the absolute 'best dancer' sometimes it doesn't. This year it does. I also appreciate Kristi's class and attitude. She could have done easier routines all season and still looked the best but she constantly pushed herself with difficulty, improved on every judge criticism and worked on the fine details of each dance. And Mark choreographed wonderful dances pretty much every time! No matter what happens, thank you Kristi and Mark. I've really enjoyed you all season!
Thanks for the comments on skating be dancing Michelle!
Erin | May 20, 2008 6:16:04 AM | #I voted for Kristi and Jason. I didn't like Christian, starting from the beginning of the season. And his fall didn't make me anymore sympathetic. I think he's dancing decently with one arm, but I just don't think that he should have stayed in after he got hurt - at that point he was dancing for an ugly mirror ball trophy and publicity. You're fans would understand not staying in and risking injury.
And there was the one part during the rehearsal video when it showed him fall and stay down for a minute, then you heard him say, "I don't want sympathy." Really? Huh.
So I'm hoping Kristi wins. But I did love Jason's freestyle and am happy for Edyta!
I think the judges finally figured out that they are responsible for the past season's upsets by being to hard in scoring for the top favs heading into the finals. So they corrected themselves and gave the top score to the best dancer to give them a lead into the public voting. Well done.
The World | May 20, 2008 7:22:36 AM | #I am not going to comment on who should will win, the only thing I want to say is it would have been nice if they did 2 dance face off last night, latin, ballroom and the freestyle.
It could have been easily accomplished if they did not use the other 40 minutes of non dancing time for filler.
They made a big deal out of Jason looking awkward and how they felt bad that it was Latin that was picked, well here is an idea then do both, make it a more even playing ground for all contestants.
Kendrawm | May 20, 2008 7:23:36 AM | #Who is this Ron B and why does he think his comments are better then everyone else?
Do we really need to read all that blah blah blah? Serious..calm down dude.
Sorry Ron H?
Baby B | May 20, 2008 8:07:46 AM | #
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