And the dazzling mirror ball trophy goes to...

Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 by Travis Cody in
17

Are you ready? There's a lot. Pace yourself.

Here we go.

In comments, Katherine said "...basically I think you've been in love with Marie for twenty years...and you are not the only one..."

Who knew? I certainly did not expect to become so nostalgic that I would pretty much ignore superior dancing skill in favor of the entertainment value of a cheesy vaudeville performer who makes me smile.

By the way...my infatuation with Marie goes back thirty years!

I was actually a little distressed when I read Katherine's comment. I know that wasn't her intent...she was making an observation that should have been clear to anyone reading these reviews over the last several weeks.

But then Pam said, "Babe, people call this a dance competition. And it is. But there are no careers at stake here. There's no huge money prize going to someone who has been training at dance since they were three years old and looking for their big break in the business. It's a bunch of celebrities getting the chance to take dance class from master professionals. And then they dance for our entertainment every week. It's fun and if Marie makes you happy, then dial that number."

Well there you go! Permission!

But then I read that Maks said that he would stake his reputation, and so would any other pro, that “there’s no way Marie can win this show.” He goes on to say...

"People are going to vote for their favorite whether the favorite [can] barely move or their favorite is an amazing dancer,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I love what Marie is about, I love what she represents. She is an amazing woman, amazing family, amazing story and she keeps adding to that story but this is a dance show.”


What a whiny baby.

OK gang...encores. Pam and I picked the dances from Monday's performance finale that we thought were best for each pair.

For Mel and Maks, we thought their Cha Cha Cha was technically outstanding. As we said in our recap post, we think they are the best couple and that she is the best dancer of all the celebrities. Maks is a fantastic teacher and he usually brings out the best in his partner. We thought he let Mel down just a little bit as he out-danced her, but over the course of the season they were the best pair.



For Marie and Jonathan, we thought their Samba was entertaining and charming. That is what the two of them have been all season. She danced for her fans. She had some great moments with her Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, and Paso Doble. I couldn't find a short clip of Monday's Samba, so scroll through to about 2:09 for the dance.



For Helio and Julianne, we thought they took some tremendous risks and did some really amazing lifts in their freestyle. Although none of the lifts was perfectly executed and the entire dance seemed a little disjointed, it still had all kinds of energy. Helio's strength all season has been his charm. It was in full force during this dance.



Alrighty then. Let's cue up that theme music and find out who gets the dazzling mirror ball trophy this season. Settle in now...it's two hours.



Here's the leader board after Monday's performances:

55 Mel
54 Helio
46 Marie

It's Celine Dion in the ballroom singing My Heart Will Go On, which could be the sappiest movie theme song of all time. Don't get me wrong...we like the song. But you must admit that you can actually get cavities just by listening to it.

Hey Matt! Cheryl had this gorgeous green backless number. And Vinny! Did you see the shoes???

The pros, as ever, beautiful dancing. In fact, let's have an encore with some of those pros shall we?



Yeah! Woooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Ruh roh. It's time for the first elimination. The third place finishers are...Marie and Jonathan. So now Maks' reputation is intact. And this is the right thing. We enjoyed her so much this season. Here is her wonderful Paso Doble.



Josie and Alec return with their only dance before being eliminated.

Now we're having giggle fits to the silly videos of the three final couples.

And now it's the return of Albert and Anna.

Wayne and Cheryl return, but Wayne will be unable to dance due to a health issue. Matty, this is for you...two time winning pro Cheryl Burke.



Floyd and Karina also won't be dancing. He's preparing for his fight on Dec 8 so he needs to stay focused and healthy for that.

Mark and Kym perform their Foxtrot. We actually enjoyed this when they performed it the first time, and we liked it again this time.

Pam and I are doing a lot of smiling, remembering how much we enjoyed this season.

Sabrina and Mark perform the Cha Cha Cha from the first week. This dance blew us away and we really thought she would make the final. But, as we discovered with Marie, it takes a combination of dancing and fans to get all the way through. But they really were fantastic. The best dance they had together was on the results show last week, dancing to Avril Lavigne.



Oh oh oh oh!! It's Ms Jane and Tony with their Viennese Waltz! Hehehehehehehe. Tony really did lift her that time on the spin. Bite me Carrie Ann!



We're loving the recap videos. But Cameron and Edyta are back to do the ridiculous Superman Paso Doble. This was our least favorite dance of the season. Oh for Pete's sake! Cameron just took off his shirt and gave it to Samantha. Sheesh. Pam needs a moment because now Cam is sitting there with a tuxedo jacket and vest but no shirt.



The photo is from Google Images and I posted it because Pam told me to.

Let's just settle down now!

Is everyone ok to continue? I mean really! Pull yourselves together. First it's Cheryl in a backless dress, then it's the shoes, now it's Cameron with no shirt.

Alright...let's move on.

Jennie and Derek are back performing their Mambo. Some have said she should have advanced to the finale instead of Marie. Maybe so. Jennie was certainly the most improved dancer this season.

Pam and I are hoping both Derek Hough and Mark Ballas Jr return next season. Both of them bring energy and outstanding youthful choreography to the ballroom.

Oh that's right! Dancing with the Stars has been nominated for a People's Choice Award.

Celine Dion is back now. I read today that she is very interested in dancing on the show. I was chatting with Julie earlier and she asked me what celebrities I'd like to see next season. I drew a blank, but then I thought of something. Pam and I will be going through some withdrawals from the show, so maybe we'll pose the question in a future post. Name the celebrities you'd like to see dance next season.

Vinny...I'm telling ya...the shoes. Did you see Celine's shoes??? Oh. My. THUMP!

Mel and Helio both get to perform their favorite dance of the season for judges' scores, and then we'll finally know who gets the dazzling mirror ball trophy. And this time they get to do lifts if they want and throw in all the tricks that will fit in 90 seconds.


First up, Mel and Maks dancing Mambo. Yeeeowsa! They chose to do the same dance as the did during competition, but they did it with more energy and fire and passion. It was hot and fast and outstanding, and they didn't bother mucking it up with any new tricks. Her technique has continued to improve all season. She is truly the best dancer of the celebrities, and with Maks they make the best team. Now the question is, did they get enough of the fans? Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. Of course it was perfect! And we really thought it was.


Now it's Helio and Julianne dancing Quickstep. We loved that dance the first time, and we loved it again. They decided not to change up with lifts or tricks either. Why mess with perfection? That was so much fun! The footwork was precise and fast and the choreography was so difficult. He is just so charming and he has learned so much. Plus he has learned how to entertain. Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. What? You didn't think the judges would rock the boat at this stage, did you????

Here is the final judges' leader board after 15 dances for our two finalists:

85 Mel
84 Helio

It might as well be tied.

Well gang. The moment of truth is upon us. Thank you for indulging me every Tuesday and Wednesday for the last couple of months. I would have done this even if nobody was reading. But I do appreciate everyone who has commented and shared the fun with me.

And now we get ready to finish off our final post for this season.

The dazzling mirror ball trophy goes to...Helio and Julianne!!


The photo is from ABC Television.

Julianne joins Cheryl as a back to back champion! We do feel bad for Mel and Maks.

We are so keyed up!

Thanks again for hanging with us and our silly obsession.

Later babies!

17 comments:

  1. I think it's sweet you are sweet on marie...don't be distressed...the fan base is a huge part of this show...

    I too liked to see the past season...

    Cameron without a shirt was indeed breath taking.

    it was a difficult choice between the two finalists for me...I just couldn't decide.

    (I did love that they handed Helio a carton of milk...that was cute.)

    thanks Travis for giving me a place to come and read and comment all season...NO ONE I know watches the show...I need you guys! smile

  1. Dancing, sheesh. Now I know why my hubman watches this! It's that Cheryl woman!!!
    Vah vah vah voom!

  1. TopChamp says:

    you're bad! I thought you were a best dancer voter til this season.... grr.

    Don't actually like Mel much so I understand it really.

  1. Schmoop says:

    God Bless You Travis...I do so love staring at Cheryl Burke. Cheers!!

  1. Julie says:

    OH Travis! Wonderful final post for a wonderful finale! It was just such a joy to spend two hours watching all the past dancers/stars and to smile so often.

    I'm like Katherine though as I have no one to share the fun with!

    Your Pam....yup! She's one smart girl about her rationalism regarding the voting! And Maks comment is kinda "jerky" but then he's one great dancer!

    I thought of you and your disdain for Cameron's superman dance as soon as I saw what they were gonna do. I thought "YIKES! Poor Trav and Pam" I SO wanted to see whatever dance they did that Edyta wore that slinky white thingy. Oh, did I just say that? **blushes** When Cameron took his shirt off he was just honoring his statement from weeks ago....what's the problem in that? LMOO!!

    Yes, I'm going to have to deal with withdrawal as well. I look forward to seeing everyone's thoughts for celebrities for the next season. It's not that far away!

    Thanks again Travis! Oh are we watching Dance Wars? Tee hee hee!!

  1. Uh oh...it's over?

    Are you ok?

    No, really-after I've been watching a show for a while and I connect with the characters, even though I know they aren't "real" I feel sad if it goes off the air or ends.

  1. so now what? sports? i think you and pam should take a cruise! and they have ballroom dancing classes on the ships!

    smiles, bee

  1. Well, I must admit, I didn't always read your dancing reviews since this isn't my cup of tea, but I enjoy your recounting of the events. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Also, when I read on CNN.com that Helio won, I wasn't surprised since you gave such thorough reviews.

    A guy friend of mine from church, Dan, just admitted that he was hooked on this show. I'm convinced now that you guys like this for the flesh and the shoes. Am I right?

  1. Well, I was on the Radio and the TV was on, but I missed the shoes....I will need to go to abc.com and watch it on my computer soon...

    I am glad Helio won...I think he really did (as one of the judges said) bring a perfect combination of Mel and Marie...he was very good technically and also brought fun to his performances...and it sure sounded like the studio audience was in his corner...

    Songbird...mainly the SHOES!

  1. I'm always sad to see it end :-(

    This was an interesting season and there was a LOT of talent. Although I was rotting for Mel and Maks I'm happy for Helio. He's a doll :-)

    Cannot wait to hear who will be on next season...LOL.

  1. Liz Hill says:

    I LOVE it that Helio and Julianne won!!

    I had to restrain myself and not spill the beans ;-)

  1. Katherine: I really had a good time with my recap posts. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Now we just have to wait for the spring season.

    Gracie: Well, it's Cheryl and Julianne and Edyta and Anna and Kym and...well, you get the idea.

    TC: Awwwww! You know I am when it comes down to So You Think You Can Dance. That's about a kid's career. But this time I went for the entertainment factor.

    Matt: And now you know you have a safe place to do it!

    Julie: Yup yup yup! I'll be checking out Dance Wars but I don't know if I'll give it this level of recap.

    Mags: It's very sad, but I'll get through my withdrawals.

    Bee: I agree that we should take a cruise. And I think we will either next year or the year after.

    Songbird: It's the shoes and it's the legs legs legs legs legs legs!

    V: Dangit! I missed the Doc B again. I was ok with anyone of them winning. And I went searching for pictures of the shoes, but they just weren't to be found.

    Kyra: Welcome back! Helio is a great champion.

    Turn: Wooooooooooo!!! I appreciate your restrain. **wink**

  1. Don't feel bad about your crush on Marie. I've also had a soft spot for her too. She is just tooo cute.

  1. John: Isn't she though? Can we still call her cute? She is dangit.

  1. BeckEye says:

    I actually watched the finale even though I didn't watch any of the season. There was nothing else on. :)

    I was surprised to see Marie go. She has such a huge fan base.

    I don't think anyone should get to be on the show who is any kind of "dancer." Sure, ballroom is a hell of a lot more involved than the Spice Girls' shimmying, but someone like Mel certainly has an edge over other competitors who don't have any major dance experience.

  1. Hi Travis. Thank you for posting these Dancing With The Stars updates for us. I enjoy the show, and have to miss it as I am busy on Monday and Tuesday evenings. I wouldn't have a clue what's happening on Dancing without you. Very well done each week. Way to go.

  1. Beck: I kind of agree with you about restricting the cast to celebrities who don't dance. But on the other hand, this was such an enjoyable season because every celebrity could dance - except Wayne, and he brought the entertainment value and personality.

    Alice: You're welcome. Keep an eye out for the spring show - maybe by then you can shift your schedule a bit and watch a little more.