Finale for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ begins tonight
This is finale week for ABC’s all-star season of “Dancing With the Stars”! Tonight is the dancing, and tomorrow, the winner will be announced … And it should go to Melissa Rycroft- seriously. She’s amazeballs and the only one who hasn’t won the mirror ball yet. C’mon, don’t forget to vote tonight! The show begins at 7 p.m. Here’s a look at the finalists, with thanks to AP:
Kelly Monaco: The soap star was “DWTS’s” first champ in 2005, but she did it amid controversy and outcry that runner-up John O’Hurley should have won. “I was almost embarrassed (for) winning because I wasn’t the best dancer. And I was called out on my win, so it made me feel really insecure,” Kelly, 36, said last Monday. Working with pro Val Chmerkovskiy has boosted her confidence and improved her technical skills. But it’s their romance that has captured the audience. In Week 7, when their dance included Val proposing to Kelly as part of the number, host Brooke Burke Charvet said, “At the rate you two are going, what can we expect in the finale?” Replied Val: “Children!” While their relationship is no doubt a prize that’s come from the show, it’s ultimately a dance competition, and romance may not be enough to land Kelly a second mirror-ball trophy. (Note from me: She is awful. OK, she’s a good dancer, but the so-called childish “chemistry” between her & Val is truly hard to stomach. And that spark will fizzle in about five minutes.)
Shawn Johnson: The gold-medal gymnast, 20, knows how to train, how to endure pain and how to win. She took home the mirror ball in spring 2009, one of many athletes who have walked away as champs. “I’ve tried to hide it all season, that it doesn’t mean that much,” Shawn said last Monday. “But it does. I really want it.” The powerhouse performer is partnered with pro Derek Hough, himself a two-time champ. The judges have consistently praised Shawn’s technique, using words such as “shining,” ”heavenly perfection,” ”flawless,” and “one of the best dances, if not the best dance, … in 15 seasons.” But it isn’t all about a perfect paso. “Dance is sometimes more than just movement,” said judge Carrie Ann Inaba last week, adding that it’s about conveying the emotion of the moment, too. Was she laying the groundwork for a loss? (My note: She’s good, and she’s adorable, and her partner, Derek, is too hott to trot. They’re deserving, but Melissa is more.)
Melissa Rycroft: The reality-TV celeb may not have the steely determination of Shawn or the lovey-dovey back story of Kelly, but she has endeared herself to fans slowly and steadily, building each week in perfect finale timing. Judge Bruno Tonioli said last week, “She has exceeded all expectations.” Melissa, 29, did not win a trophy in 2009, coming in third behind Shawn. “I’m the only one left in the competition that knows how to lose in this competition. I know what that feels like,” she said on Monday, driving home that she’s the underdog. Her partner, Tony Dovolani, has never won either, and he has been on the show since the 2005 start; die-hard “DWTS” fans are rooting for him. Melissa and Tony have scored the most cumulative points, and the show and its fans like to reward effort. They might be in the perfect position to take the mirror ball. (My note: YEs! Yes! And YES! Tony deserves this so much- they are a wonderful team together and just outright fantastic dancers. She’s got, like, the best abs ever, too, so how can you not vote for that?)
