'Dancing with the Stars' 2011 Finals: Kirstie Alley Flips, Hines Ward Joins the Band

With less than 24 hours to go until the "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 season champ is crowned, the three hopefuls got down to business Monday evening with two dances each. Round one featured judges' picks, while round two boasted the ever-popular wild and crazy freestyle routines. Who wound up on top and who sank low, low, low? Here's a full, start to finish, no holds barred recap of every glittering moment.



Co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris (who was, incidentally, wearing a very tame little number for once) kicked things off by introducing the couples: Disney actress Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas, NFL star Hines Ward and Kym Johnson and actress Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmervkovskiy. The pair explained that the evening would consist of two rounds: Round one would feature dance styles chosen by judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba that would best show off each couple's assets, while Round two would be dedicated the freestylin'.



Up first with their judges' pick were Chelsea and Mark. Carrie Ann visited with the pair to help them to perfect their Samba. Chelsea worked to create "a more sensual vibe" in order to honor Carrie Ann's request that she show off "the woman she's become" on "DWTS". Mmmkay.



Chelsea's weird Big Bird gone female get-up didn't do much to enhance her sex appeal, but maybe that's just me. I guess if you're into birds it might've done it for ya. Also on the drove-me-crazy list? The hair in her face. Ugh, get a headband. But other than the appearance issues, it was a clean, smooth routine with plenty of bounce and shake. No complaints about content or quality. Va voom. Len declared "every step you take, every move you make, every rule you break, I'll be watching you" and called it "overall" a great number. Bruno called her "an ultra sexy bombshell" and praised their "firecracker of a samba". Carrie Ann yelled "hot hot hot, Chelsea is on fire!" and praised her getting "down" "dirty" and "sensual". Chelsea said she'd appreciated getting "a woman's perspective" on the dance. Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas' "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 finals round one results: 10, 9, 10 = 29.



Kirstie and Maks kept the finals action going. Bruno joined the pair to help them work on their judges' choice assignment: The Samba. Bruno called the samba "a parade" and told her to go for three tens by taking her moments throughout the routine.



Kirstie looked the part of a muted firecracker in her orange fringed number, though I worried all throughout that her assets would spill over. (They didn't.) It was a slow dance, much slower than Chelsea and Mark's, but it was age-appropriate. Hey, she's 60! And it had a nice, smooth quality to it, even if Kirstie did look tentative at times.



Bruno said "softer, rich, full of lively pleasures" and praised her feet and musicality, but chided her for looking at the floor at times. Carrie Ann noted that it's "funny" to watch her to do a Samba after Chelsea because they're such different performers. She deemed it "a really great Samba" and praised her "ooze factor". Len called it "less aggressive, less full on" than Chelsea's, but he appreciated the "choreography and mix of steps". He said it was "lovely" and finale-worthy. Kirstie hedged when Brooke asked about how it feels to dance after Chelsea, saying "we do what we do". Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 round one scores: 9, 9, 9 = 27.



Concluding round one were Hines and Kym, who met with Len to perfect their Quickstep. Len hoped to improve on the NFL star's footwork to make him 10-worthy instead of 7-worthy. He encouraged Hines to work on keeping his carriage correct and joked that it was a good thing that Bruno wasn't there to feel his deltoids. Ha ha.



Woo-Hines! He may be a football player, but he's a dancer in an athlete's clothing. He nailed the joy-factor and brought the crowd to its feet with some superquick fun. Carrie Ann called it "so much fun" and said "it makes me forget" I'm a judge. Len said "the best dancer is gonna win a Mirrorball" but called the dance "not quite there yet" but an improvement over the original that earned him a 7. Bruno praised his ability to "connect with the audience" and said it was "like watching a mega production on Broadway". Hines called the end of the show "bittersweet" and said he was "just thankful to be in the finals". Hines Ward and Kym Johnson's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 finals round one scores: 10, 9, 10 = 29.



With one round down, Chelsea and Hines sit atop the leaderboard. Well duh!



The freestyle round began with Chelsea and Mark. Chelsea told Mark during rehearsals that she was "so excited" because his freestyle routines had always been "off the charts". Chelsea called Mark's "fresh and edgy" choreography "frickin' scary", but Mark persisted in "going all out with this one". She ended her taped segment by addressing the competition: "I may not have a Superbowl ring or an Emmy, but I'm gunning for that Mirrorball trophy".



Chelsea and Mark's freestyle began, oddly enough, on a bicycle. At one point, the lights went down and their shoes and gloves flashed bright colors. Ooh, pretty. My kiddos would be impressed. Chelsea's shoes suddenly stopped glowing, but hey, live TV. It was full of energy, spins, lifts and hey, some actual dancing, but Drew and Cheryl's iconic dance lives on in dominance. Len acknowleged that people think he's a "fuddy duddy" but he called it "so full on" and "so much attack" and "fantastic". Bruno called it "electrifying" and said "it looked like you were plugged into the national grid". He loved how they pushed the limit. Carrie Ann said she couldn't find words to express her feelings, so she stood up and did a little dance. Chelsea turned to the camera and thanked viewers for carrying her into the finale and said "I've had the time of my life" and "I've met the coolest people". Chelsea and Mark's "Dancing with the Stars" finale freestyle scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30.



Kirstie and Maks kept it going with their Freestyle. Maks opined during rehearsals that Kirstie may be older than the competition, but she has "enough [ability] to whip" their opponents. The actress hoped that it would be "spectacular" enough to impress voters.



They began with the coolest spin I've seen all season: Kirstie looked totally weightless. Amazing. She took off her frumpy brown frock and revealed a black catsuit underneath. It wasn't the most connected dance ever, but hey, it was definitely unique. And the crowd loved it. Bruno said that 10 weeks ago he wouldn't have guessed she'd do lifts, and gave her mad respect for the effort. Carrie Ann called her "the new poster child for life as it should be lived at 60 years old". Len praised them for including elements of many differnet dances and taking a risk. (He actually noted "you've got to risk it for the biscuit." Meh. Silly British guy.) A breathless Kirstie said that it was great to get praise from the judges. Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 finale round two scores: 9, 9, 9 = 27.



Hines and Kym finished up round two with a "Drumline" freestyle. Hines wanted to reenact a halftime show, since he'd never actually been around for one. Kym noted that her partner was "very passionate" about his freestyle, and she hoped that they'd be able to deliver.



Band leader Hines, wearing Steeler black and gold, slung cheerleader Kym around the ballroom while showing off a number of dance styles. And the music? A live quartet of marching banders. Ha! Very fun. Carrie Ann called it "risky" and noted "it was the whole damn Superbowl". She called the lifts "insane" and said they're an "amazing pair". Len declared "the more you give, the more points you take. You've just given your all!" Bruno finished up the critique by declaring "you pulled all the stops and created a crowd pleasing event!". Hines said that he'd been disappointed about losing the Superbowl, but was excited about possibly taking the Mirrorball. He called Kym a "lifetime" friend. Aw. Hines and Kym's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 finale round 2 scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30.


With Chelsea and Hines entering the finale tied for the lead and Kirstie just a few points behind, it's literally anyone's game. Were I a betting gal, I'd give the win to Hines. I think Kirstie could well swoop in and take second, leaving Chelsea in third. Does she deserve better? Absolutely. But so did season 2's Stacy Keibler.

Watch tomorrow night's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 Spring finale at 9 P.M. on ABC. Sara Evans, the Black Eyed Peas, the Go Gos and one more special surprise guest will perform, and of course, the newest Mirrorball Trophy winners will hoist the glittering prize atop their heads. Of course, you could always just check in with me. You know I'll be watching.