Dancing with the Stars Spring 2008: Week Ten

This evening brought the final night of competition on Dancing with the Stars. Figure Skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Actor Cristian de la Fuente and NFL Man of the Year Jason Taylor faced off in grand fashion with two routines each, leaving it up to the judges - and America - to choose the competition's champion. Each couple danced a part of the same extended cha cha routine (called the Cha Cha Face-Off), and performed their own special no-holds-barred freestyle routines. How'd they fare? Find out.

The Cha Cha Face-Off, danced to Dancing on the Ceiling.

Part One.
The Dancers: Cristian and Cheryl
The Outfit: Mauve unbuttoned shirt and pants
The Performance: It was energetic and fun. He definitely tapped into his Latino blood.
The Scores: 8, 9, 9 = 26

Part Two.
The Dancers: Jason and Edyta
The Outfit: Tan button down tank top and dark pants
The Performance: It was a good dance, but it seemed like Jason went back to posing a lot. Latin dances just aren't his thing, it seems.
The Scores: 8, 8, 8 = 24

Part Three.
The Dancers: Kristi and Mark
The Outfit: Black, white and gray fringed dress
The Performance: Wow, lots of energy and so many spins. I'm impressed. Kristi really rocked that dance.
The Scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30

The Ending with all three couples... a HUGE lift! Kristi was way up in the air!

The Evaluation:
Len - "I loved it". He praised Cristian's "gear at the rear" and Jason's "elegance and style"; and he called Kristi "the complete package".
Bruno - "Cristian... You've really showed your improvement. Jason, always an imposing presence.... Kristi, honor class of your own."
Carrie Ann - "Cristian, I thought you were fantastic... but some of your movements were a little bit clipped. Jason... a lot of fun and a lot of excitement. But Kristi, I'm sorry, it's ladies' night, you won that hands' down."

The Always-Entertaining Freestyle Round

The Dancers: Kristi and Mark
The Dance: Freestyle
The Music: Workin' Day and Night
The Outfit: Black glittery pants and tank top - with a pinstripe-look.
The Performance: This dance featured some serious energy and an absolute mega ton of lifts. There were a few little awkward moments with all of the lifting that was going on, but wow, that was a truly blockbuster, power-packed performance.
The Evaluation:
Bruno - "You did not miss a beat.... You keep shining as bright as ever."
Carrie Ann - "You were the big crowd-pleaser, they were going crazy for you. I loved it."
Len - "I'm not a lover of hip-hop, but for me this held my attention from start to finish. It was slick, it was quick, it had energy in abundace, I absolutely loved it."
The Scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30

The Dancers: Jason and Edyta
The Dance: Freestyle
The Music: Miami
The Outfit: White jacket, pants, shirt and shoes
The Performance: I'm not quite sure what to say about this dance, actually. The lifts were amazing. But I have to admit that I found myself chuckling a little bit at times; it's not that Jason looked awkward, per se, just not like he usually does.
The Evaluation:
Carrie Ann - "Edyta, it is so nice to see you here in the finals. Who knew Jason Taylor could get funky."
Len - "I liked the humor that you brought into it. The lifts were fantastic."
Bruno - "It's like watching centerfolds. And the dance wasn't bad, either."
The Scores: 9, 9, 9, = 27

The Dancers: Cristian and Cheryl
The Dance: Freestyle
The Music: Suavemente
The Outfit: Green open tanktop and gray pants
The Performance: As my husband noted, "he dances well for a guy with one arm." It was a good performance overall, but it wasn't quite as kabaam! as the other two dances.
The Evaluation:
Len - "I like the Latin American flavor.... I have to take into consideration what I've seen from the other two, and as far as I was concerned some of the lifts weren't up to the standard."
Bruno - "For one arm, you did bloody well."
Carrie Ann - She praised him for continuing on despite his injury.
The Scores: 9, 8, 9 = 26

After tonight's dances, my long-held opinion not only stands, but has been solidified: Kristi should win this season of Dancing with the Stars. She was dynamic and energetic and spirited and just plain awesome. Not to take a thing away from Jason and Cristian's peformances, but Kristi was fabulous. So who will take it? Tune in to season finale of Dancing with the Stars tomorrow night to find out!