Trav's Thoughts

I need a break and I'm taking it.

I have a couple of posts for specific dates in December, but other than that I'm going dark. I shall return when I do.

Joyous Yule to you all.

Yes, I know the Irish played their final home game of the 2009 season last Saturday. You'll recall that I was taking a short break last weekend. But I didn't want to let the occasion pass without mentioning the Irish seniors.

I certainly appreciate the show of solidarity last Saturday, when the seniors led Notre Dame onto the field before the game against UConn, arm in arm with Coach Charlie Weis. It was a fine show of support from some fine young men.

Whatever the fate of Coach Weis and the Notre Dame program at the end of this season, I salute the young men who have weathered the ups and downs of the last four years with determination, pride, and respect.

Last Saturday was Senior Day at Notre Dame. Congratulations to these young men, thank you for your dedication, and best wishes for your futures.

James Aldridge
Mike Anello
Chris Bathon
Sergio Brown
Bobby Burger
Brian Coughlin
Paul Duncan
Dan Franco
Barry Gallup Jr
Leonard Gordon
Ray Herring
Eric Maust
Kyle McCarthy
Raeshon McNeil
Paddy Mullen
Mike Narvaez
Eric Olsen
Robby Parris
Martin Quintana
Morrice Richardson
John Ryan
Evan Sharpley
Scott Smith
Toryan Smith
Chris Stewart
Sam Vos
Kallen Wade
Darrin Walls
Dan Wenger
George West Jr
Sam Young

And to these juniors who may consider that jumping to the next level now is the best option for their futures, I hope you reconsider and return for your senior seasons. But if you do move on, then I wish you all the best.

Armando Allen Jr
Jimmy Clausen
Golden Tate

GO IRISH!

My focus this week was on the finale of Dancing with the Stars. I haven't even watched the performances for So You Think You Can Dance yet. I have them recorded and I'll catch up over the long weekend.

I can report that Cat Deeley looked stunning in sliver and black, with the wild flowing hair and make up that enhanced her natural beauty rather than detracted from it or pasted over it. Mmmmmm....legsses too.

And I can report that Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo embraced their inner wacko with the opening number. It was strange, unusual, and fantastic.

I can also report that the bottom three couples this week are Karen and Victor, Mollee and Nathan, Ellenore and Ryan.

Finally, I can report that Karen Hauer...



...and Victor Smalley have been eliminated.



So the Top 10 dancers on the tour are:

Ashleigh DiLello
Jakob Karr
Noelle Marsh
Russell Ferguson
Kathryn McCormick
Legacy Perez
Ellenore Scott
Ryan DiLello
Mollee Gray
Nathan Trasoras

Now we start mixing up the partners, and getting down to the serious business of selecting America's Favorite Dancer as the fans take over sole responsibility for keeping their favorites in the running.

And I suppose I should get serious about recapping the show. My problem is that as much as I loved the idea of more dancing, this show just doesn't work with the two seasons so close together. At least it doesn't work for me.

That reaction surprised me. And it disappointed me too.

Maybe I'll get excited now that we're down to our Top 10, and now that the coveted and fabulous mirror ball trophy has been safely awarded.

Happy Feasting!

We award the fabulous mirror ball trophy live from Hollywood!



We've had our traditional Finale Feast...crackers with assorted cheeses, a nice little Robert Mondavi merlot, and Boston creme CAKE. Now it's time to sit back and enjoy a couple hours of frivolous entertainment while we wait to see who will take home this...

Will it be the technically proficient Mya? She and her partner Dmitry Chaplin have earned the highest judges' scores this season, consistently topping the leader board. She leads our three finalists after Monday's performance finale, with 87 points out of 90. Click here to enjoy their Paso Doble from Monday night, and here to enjoy their freestyle.

Will it be the consummate entertainer Donny Osmond? He has used the judges' criticism to improve his technique, and has worked effectively with his partner Kym Johnson to consistently delivery crowd pleasing performances. He is second after Monday's performance finale, with 85 points out of 90. Click here to enjoy their Cha Cha Cha from Monday night, and here to enjoy their freestyle.

Will it be the charming underdog Kelly Osbourne? She epitomizes what this competition can be as she has overcome her insecurities to shine on the dance floor. Her partner Louis van Amstel has helped her evolve from awkward to elegant. She is third after Monday's performance finale, with 76 points out of 90. Click here to enjoy their Argentine Tango from Monday night, and here to enjoy their freestyle.

And a bonus! Click here to enjoy the mega mix dance. It's the full clip with rehearsal footage. The dance begins somewhere around the 3:20 mark.

Hehehehehee...the opening video had a hiccup and they had to re-run it after commercial.

Would you believe it...Whitney Houston is in the ballroom. She's got a new single off a new album. She has destroyed her instrument. I've never really been a fan, but this woman used to have A Voice. Plus, whenever her hair flopped out of her eyes, she looked loaded.

And now...the parade of the eliminated. We begin with Ashley Hamilton and Edyta Sliwinska, plus a recap of the first three weeks of competition. Next up is Kathy Ireland with Tony Dovolani, then Macy Gray with Jonathan Roberts, and finally Debi Mazar with Maks Chmerkovskiy.

If you'll recall, Tom Delay had to withdraw due to a double foot injury and didn't get to dance his Texas Two Step. He and Cheryl Burke return to the finale to perform it. And we recap weeks four and five. Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya reprise their Tango, followed by Mark Decascos with Lacey Schwimmer dancing their Paso Doble. Bonus! A little martial arts dance off from the two fellas.

I'm skipping the Carolla bit...oh wait, I'm watching live. I can't forward through it.

Let's watch Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo reprise their wonderful Rumba, and a review of week six and seven. Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas show off their dance off Mambo.

Each of the finalists will get a chance to dance once more for judges' votes. They get to select a dance from earlier in the season.

Kelly and Louis return to the beginning with Viennese Waltz. I love to see her dance this with so much confidence. Absolutely enchanting. I don't know if there's ever been another celebrity I've enjoyed more. The crowd chanted for her.

Mya and Dmitry dance Jive. This was the dance that showed how determined she was to battle through Len's criticism and keep working to improve. It was great the first time they danced it and it was even better this time. She's one of the better celebrity dancers ever on the show.

Donny and Kym dance Argentine Tango. This was the dance that proved he was going to bring the dancing to go along with the Osmond fan vote. He may have had that huge fan advantage over the other celebrities, but you can't say he was a dancing disaster. He wasn't...and this Tango was outstanding.

And that's all the competitive dancing for Season 9.

The judges rank the pairs from first to last, adding the points to the tally from last night. As before it's 30 points for 1st, 28 for 2nd, and 26 for 3rd. How did the judges rank our finalists? Well I'll tell you!

Kelly was 3rd, Mya was 2nd, and Donny was 1st. YES!

Here's our absolute final leader board:

115 Mya and Dmitry
115 Donny and Kym
102 Kelly and Louis

I can report that Pam pestered me from the moment she knew the east coast broadcast was over, but I refused to let her cheat and find out who won. So at this point, we were still 30 minutes from the announcement of the winner.

So...let's get on with more fluff and filler!

Awwwww...it's a squee moment. Louis Vito returns with Chelsie Hightower. And Donny sings Puppy Love. First the kids Waltz to the classic love song, then they kick it into a Jive to a jazzed up version. That was great.

Would you believe there is a mirror ball ring for the winner of a dance off between Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova, and Jerry Rice and Anna Trebunskaya? There is. Both couples are dancing Paso Doble...Irvin is in Cowboy colors and Rice is in 49er colors. I have to be honest about this. Neither guy danced very well. But I shall always select Jerry over Irvin. The judges decide that Irvin won the dancing, but they give Jerry a ring as well. Silly.

Aaron Carter returns with Karina Smirnoff, dancing their Muppet Show Quickstep. This was my favorite dance of his, along with the Jive. And we get a recap of weeks 8 and 9.

Now we have quite the odd segment. We've got Miss Piggy, presumably as part of the whole Muppet theme from Aaron and Karina. Then it's a competition Mambo featuring Joanna Krupa with Derek Hough, Cloris Leachman with Corky Ballas, Jerry Springer with Edyta Sliwinska, and Steve Wozniak with Karina Smirnoff. As you might expect, Joanna and Derek win.

Pam is getting very impatient now, but she is behaving herself and not searching the result.

Whitney Houston returns to the ballroom, singing I Wanna Dance with Somebody. It is an absolute crime what that woman has done to her voice.

But finally! It's our pros! We just didn't get enough of our pros dancing on this finale, and that's my only complaint.

GAH! It's time! Here we go...final results.

Finishing in third place...it's Kelly and Louis.



Finishing in second place...it's Mya and Dmitry.



And that means...YES!!! Donny and Kym are Season 9 champions! Can I get a WOOOO and a SQUEEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!



And now it's all over until the spring for Season 10. Thanks again for putting up with my silly obsession.

Oh...just one more thing.

Uhm...I just have one itteh bitteh wish. It's a small thing, but maybe...perhaps it might not be too much to ask...but...could we maybe invite Ms Valerie Bertinelli to participate in Season 10?

I'd be forever grateful.

Later babies!

It's the performance finale and it's live from Hollywood!



Our three final couples will perform three dances for judges' scores and our votes as they vie for the fabulous mirror ball trophy. We get an individual dance that the couples haven't performed before, then a competition dance so we can compare the dancers side by side, and then the always fun show dance.

Here we go with round one.

Kelly and Louis dance Argentine Tango. Carrie Ann visits rehearsal to help with Kelly's intensity and passion. This is a grown up, sophisticated dance and Kelly is fully committed to the character and drama. Her footwork and frame is very good. She's proving she deserves this chance that the fans have given her. That was really outstanding. Louis' choreography was difficult and the dance had all the dramatic flavor that it should. It was intense, and Kelly found all the little details and emphasized them. She danced and she performed in this one. Well done. Judges say 9,9,8 for a total of 26. Geez Bruno...that was worth 9's across even if she did have a couple of odd hand positions.

Mya and Dmitry dance Paso Doble. If we were only talking about dancing here, Mya would be the gal to beat. I think she's clearly the best celebrity dancer on the floor. Len visited rehearsal, which could be a bit nervy for these two because he's been so critical of them all season. He demanded that she step up and bring the aggression to this dance. I didn't care for the music...We Will Rock You distracted me from the Paso. Dammit. I didn't like it and that's all to the music. I will say that she captured all the main elements that a Paso needs...drama, aggression, and passion. Plus as always she was technically great. But I didn't like the dance. Why couldn't they just have gotten a normal Paso song? Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. I can't argue whether it was perfect. I can only say that I didn't care for it.

Donny and Kym dance Cha Cha Cha. Bruno visits rehearsal to assist with technique. This was cheeky and fun, but also danced very well. The choreography was difficult too. He mixed technique with performance. This was as complete a performance as their Argentine Tango from week 5. That was so much fun to watch. Did you hear the squees from my girl??? Pam absolutely LOVED it! There were one or two issues with hand placement, but those were minor. Cha Cha Cha can trip you up, but Donny had it under control. He is rewarding his fans by dancing well and earning those votes. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.


Here's our leader board after the first dance:

30 Mya and Dmitry
27 Donny and Kym
26 Kelly and Louis

Despite my unfortunate reaction to Mya and Dmitry's music, I think all three couples had great first dances. Now we have the mega mix round with all three couples dancing identical choreography, side by side and back to back. It's Viennese Waltz, Samba, and Jive. Did you get that? The routines are choreographed by Nick Kossovich, and all three couples are dancing the same choreography. Then the judges will rank them 1 for 30 points, 2 for 28 points , and 3 for 26 points.

I like this! I can't judge it for squat, but I like the concept. Len agreed, saying they all were really close and it was difficult to judge. I thought Donny might suffer in comparison to the two professional men, but he held his own and did just fine. Both Mya and Kelly were actually a lot closer than I thought. It's great to see them dancing the same choreography like that. Judges rank Kelly and Louis in 3rd, Donny and Kym in 2nd, and Mya and Dmitry in 1st.

That makes sense. Mya really is the best dancer, but I thought Donny and Kelly weren't that far off. And at least from my perspective, I think that Donny and Kelly are each more entertaining when they dance. They are both competing just as much as Mya, but it doesn't seem as obvious with the two of them as it does with her.

Here's our leader board after the mega mix round:

60 Mya and Dmitry
55 Donny and Kym
52 Kelly and Louis

And now comes the show dance. Look for the judges to try and keep the scores very close together, provided nobody has a really bad mistake.

Kelly and Louis. I love that he put so much ballroom into his choreography. So often the pros go completely wild rather than play up the ballroom and Latin strengths of their celebrities. Louis resisted that urge. They had a little trouble with a trick in the middle of the routine. She has learned to work through it and not let it throw her off her game. And because of that, the mistakes just didn't matter. It was a great mix of Salsa and Disco. It was fun and showed off her personality. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. They had to mark down a little for the mistake on the trick...she did fall on her back side and it was awkward. That's too bad because it really was a terrific routine.

Mya and Dmitry. I have very high expectations for this dance because now Dmitry is encouraged to let loose with his creativity and artistry. HA! You Can't Stop the Beat! I thought she could have let it go a little bit more. Don't get me wrong...her dancing was fantastic. But I've seen dancing to this song that was wild and right on the edge. Adam Shankman's work to this kind of music is tough to top. And you know what? I'm gonna call Dmitry out here...he lifted whole parts of that choreography from the Tyce Diorio Broadway routine that Donyelle and Benji performed in Season 2 of SYTYCD. I'll bet I'm not the only dance geek that noticed. I'm very disappointed with Dmitry for doing that. Maybe they should have gone with Mya's Vegas idea after all. Judges say 9's for a total of 27.

Donny and Kym. Kym is going Broadway too, and this should be perfect for Donny. WOW! Pam is dancing her little jig because that was the best routine of the night! And I'm not just saying that. That was so good! He brought 46 years of show business performing to the ballroom floor and worked it. The choreography was perfect for him and this is definitely one of the all time best freestyle routines in the history of the show. I just knew that if he got to the finale, he was capable of pulling off a winning freestyle routine. I'm not even going to try and pull Pam down off the ceiling. She is ecstatic, and rightfully so. Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. YES YES YES YES!!!

Here's the leader board after all three performances:

87 Mya and Dmitry
85 Donny and Kym
76 Kelly and Louis

That's a shame that Kelly and Louis had the bobble on that trick. But her face was radiant after they performed and she couldn't stop smiling. Her fans will really have to come through to get her past Mya or Donny though. That 9 point gap is going to be tough to overcome.

Now let me just tell you about our last night of voting. Pam had both of our personal cell phones and both of our work cell phones...that's 20 votes and they all went to Donny. She did say that it was ok if I wanted to vote for Kelly. I really could have voted for any of the three celebrities.

Obviously Kelly has brought out a little father instinct I didn't know I had. And this is a well deserved place in the finale for Louis. They had three solid and entertaining dances.

Mya has been so good all season, and she's put up with so much from Mr Cranky Pants. Plus, Dmitry is a SYTYCD alumni and I always like to see those kids do well. I don't know if I can forgive that dance plagiarism though.

But come on! You think at this point I'm going to deprive my girl of 5 votes for Donny? After that freestyle? Nuh-uh. She supported me during my Marie obsession a couple seasons ago, so I dialed 5 times for Donny. And he really did earn it with a terrific night of dancing.

So there you have it friends and neighbors. We've almost reached the moment when that fabulous mirror ball trophy will be awarded. After those performances, I really have to say that it's anybody's game at this point.

Tune in tonight for 2 hours of frivolity on our way to crowning the champs.

Welcome to

We liked a lot last night.

We liked Ashleigh and Jakob. We liked Noelle and Russell. We liked Kathryn and Legacy. And we liked Ellenore and Ryan, which we thought was dance of the night.

The opening number was choreographed by Amanda and Wade Robson and it was typically amazing.

Oh...we have LEGSSES, but I am again underwhelmed by hair, make-up, and wardrobe.

As always we get right to results. Ashleigh and Jakob are safe. Ellenore and Ryan are safe. Noelle and Russell are safe. Kathryn and Legacy are safe.

Karen and Kevin are in the bottom three. Channing and Victor are in the bottom three. Mollee and Nathan are in the bottom three.

Nakul and NDM Bollywood Dance Productions puts on a fantastic display. Terrific! I hope this represents a trend of choreographers dancing on the show.

Here are the solos:

Karen - not much dancing, but she's more than her solo
Kevin - great tricks and control
Channing - just not connecting with me
Victor - definitely talented, but something is missing for me
Mollee - talented, but I don't care for her personality
Nathan - I expected more

I think any of these six could go home and I wouldn't blink.

First the gals. Nigel tells Mollee that she proven that she can dance with maturity. He tells Channing and Karen that it's about performance as well as technique. He says that Channing's personality isn't coming forward, and that Karen is a performer and a star for the season. Mollee and Karen will stay, and Channing is cut.



Now the guys. Nigel tells Nathan that he learned a lesson and proved that he has the ability. He tells Victor that his solo work was strong, but he should watch the reliance on pirouettes. He tells Kevin that he seems uncomfortable in the pairs work and that he has a long way to go. Nathan and Victor will stay, and Kevin is cut.



That puts Karen with Victor next week, which could be an intriguing partnership. So tune in next week for our Top 12.

Hey gang...this will be my last post until Tuesday's DWTS performance finale recap. I need a little bit of a break. Enjoy the rest of your week and the weekend!

Welcome to

Cat Deeley update...it's LEGSSES. Now that's more like it. Her hair is wild and flowing. Her make-up enhances her natural features. Her dress is WOW. And the shoes...THUMP-inducing.

Welcome as always to our permanent panel of judges...Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe.

Let's see if anybody wakes up the itch in my fingers to dial up and vote.

Ashleigh DiLello, a 26 year old ballroom dancer, is paired with Jakob Karr, a 19 year old contemporary dancer for Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo. Ashleigh's acting was outstanding. She held character through the entire piece. Both of them embraced the style. These are the hip hop pieces that I really enjoy...character and story are equally as important as movement. This was a strong performance from both dancers. Tab & Nap gave them steps, and then Ashleigh and Jakob took it to another level. This is really a powerful partnership. I'm impressed with them as a pair, and also individually.

Karen Hauer, a 27 year old American rhythm dancer, is paired with Kevin Hunte, a 23 year old hip hop dancer, for Broadway choreographed by Spencer Liff. Kevin danced very carefully. Karen seemed to embrace the joy from the music and movement more readily. But together they didn't really interpret the music as well as I would have liked. The choreography was straight out of a theatre. But what the pair of them were really missing was the lightness and the detail. This particular piece required exaggerated expressions. Congratulations and welcome to Spencer. If he had better technical dancers, this piece could have been a show stopper. Still, I do give both dancers credit. Kevin didn't dance badly...he did the steps and didn't make any major mistakes. Karen danced well. They just didn't interpret the story and character as well as they should have.


Noelle Marsh, an 18 year old contemporary dancer, is paired with Russell Ferguson, a 20 year old krumper, for Foxtrot choreographed by Eddie Simon. The first time they got this dance, Noelle was injured. So they get to dance it together for the first time even though they picked it once already. I lke the choreography. I liked some of the lines they made out of hold. I could tell that they enjoy each other, and that helps them interpret the music. I thought Russell's frame was outstanding and that he led Noelle through the steps quite well. And Noelle surprises me. She was smooth and classy, and her footwork was excellent. This was quite an imporessive dance for both of them. They were out of their own style, but you really couldn't tell because they danced with confidence and conveyed how much fun it was to do. Well done.


Channing Cooke, an 18 year old contemporary dancer, is paired with Victor Smalley, a 20 year old contemporary dancer, for Jazz choreographed by Tyce Dioreo. I could tell in the rehearsal footage that what Tyce wanted was staccato movement...very clipped and crisp. I didn't see that kind of movement in the performance. Both dancers seemed to soften what should have been sharp. They danced the movement they were given, but I wanted more of that crispness. If your character is a bird, then move like a bird does. I think these two have a lot of potential, but I don't feel like they are embracing the challenges every week. I wanted to like this piece, but I guess maybe it wasn't quirky enough. This seemed like the kind of choreography where the pair of them could really let go and just be dancers.


Kathryn McCormick, an 18 year old contemporary dancer, is paired with Legacy Perez, a 28 year old B-Boy, for Paso Doble choreographed by Tony Meredith. His control, posture, frame, footwork...all of it was impressive. This was difficult choreography and they handled it beautifully. Wow. That was really good. It had power, drama, passion, and intensity. The dancing seemed effortless. Last week I thought Legacy overshadowed Kathryn, but this week they were equals. They enhanced each other. There doesn't seem to be anything he can't do, and she is well suited to dramatic pieces like this one. Well done.


Ellenore Scott, a 19 year old contemporary dancer, is paired with Ryan DiLello, a 28 year old ballroom dancer, for Contemporary choreographed by Travis Wall. There's your moment for season 6, at least so far. That was absolutely stunning. As poorly as they fared with krump last week, this was an amazing marriage of dancers with choreography. All of the movement flowed so well that you couldn't tell where one step ended and another began. They portratyed character and story beautifully. The acting and dancing was seamless. They made some extraorinary lines, individually and together. Outstanding.

Mollee Gray, an 18 year old jazz dancer, is paired with Nathan Trasoras, an 18 year old contemporary dancer, for Pop Jazz choreographed by Lauriann Gibson. It was a gamble to put two very young dancers together. They have plenty of enthusiasm, and there is talent there. But for me they don't dance with any kind of maturity. And unfortunately this week I didn't care for the choreography or the music. I'm not realy a fan of Ms Gibson. So this dance was just a total bust for me. I think there's a ton of potential in both of them. I think in this instance, I prefer Nigel's approach to both of these kids. He reminds them that they need to mature quickly, whereas Mary continues to refer to them as a dream team. It's more to the dancers' benefit to be honest about where they are at this stage.

There were some intriguing performances this week. Some dancers were able to take advantage of the styles they had. We saw vast amounts of talent. We saw potential that was exceeded, and potential that wasn't quite reached.

I could have voted for Ellenore and Ryan this week. I thought they had the dance of the night.

Tune in tonight for results.

It's live from Hollywood!



It's the toughest elimination of the season now. Whoever goes home just misses out on dancing in the finale.

But let's have some encores first, shall we?

Mya was brilliant in all three of her dances with Dmitry. The Waltz was elegant and sophisticated, and somehow short of perfect by 2 points. The Cha Cha Cha was crisp and energetic, and only 1 point short of perfect. The Salsa that was one of the best dances I've ever seen on the show. That was the one that got the perfect score. Click on the names of the dances to enjoy them.

I haven't been a fan of Joanna, but I do have to give her credit for dancing a beautiful and storybook Viennese Waltz. Props to Derek for his choreography all through the season, and for putting Joanna in a position to win. Click here to enjoy this dance.

Donny had a rough night, but he did rebound from Kym's wardrobe malfunction. The Samba wasn't his best dance of the season technically, but it was fun. Click here to enjoy the dance.

Kelly has come so far and for me, she and Louis were the performers of the night even though her scores were only good enough for 3rd place on the judges' leader board. The Rumba was confident and sweetly romantic. She attacked the Cha Cha Cha, which was her nemesis early in the season. And she managed to keep up with Quickstep choreography that was fast and extremely difficult. Click on the names of the dances to enjoy them.

Well I guess you got enough clips to enjoy, eh??

Here's a reminder of our leader board after Monday's performances:

87 Mya and Dmitry
81 Joanna and Derek
78 Kelly and Louis
74 Donny and Kym

The judges select the Salsa from Mya and Dmitry as their encore.

Yikes...we've got results right away. But no. HA! Psych! They gave the normal set up, and then didn't reveal a result. Pam is a bit grumbly about that...she's very nervous for Donny.

We have a performance from the film Nine to the song Be Italian. Excellent! The film opens on 25 Dec.

Alicia Keyes is in the ballroom with her latest single, Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart. Meh. That's not really my kind of music, and I didn't get to see our pros dance.

I'm sure you'll forgive me if I fast forwarded through the silly video clips.

Oh...now we have some results. The first couple in the finale is Mya and Dmitry. That doesn't surprise anyone, does it? It's Dmitry's first trip to the finals in his second year on the show.

Leona Lewis is in the ballroom now, performing the first single off her new album. It's called Happy, and I didn't hate it.

Results. The second couple in the finale is Donny and Kym. YES! We have joyful squees! I have a very happy girl on my hands gang. Heheheheheee! This is Kym's third trip to the finale. She has finished second twice.

The Bee Gees are in the ballroom, performing You Should Be Dancing, accompanied by a plethora of pros including Tony, Cheryl, Chelsie, and a fella I didn't recognize. Then Melissa Rycroft joined Tony for a bit of Hustle. But she didn't have any shoes on! What's up with that?

Oh boy...here we go.

The third couple in the finale is...Kelly and Louis! YAY! Awwww...her reaction is just precious. She's shocked. This is Louis' first trip to the finale.

Unfortunately that means that Joanna and Derek are out.



There you have it. We've got two shows left until we award the fabulous mirror ball trophy. It's going to go to one of these three couples...

Mya and Dmitry
Donny and Kym
Kelly and Louis

Tune in next week! You just never know what those wacky fans are going to do!

It's the Final Four live from Hollywood!



Only one week left! Our Final Four must master three dances this week in the semifinal round. There will be two new dances, and then the mysterious "knock out" dance that the pairs have been working on for several weeks.

Also, the celebrities must dance a short solo in each of their Latin dances.

Donny and Kym dance Tango. May I just say this about Kym's gown...YEEEOWZA! Now that's cleavage. Donny had a lot of mistakes in that routine. Unfortunately it was not a WOW performance...well, the cleavage was WOW, but that wasn't really the point of the dance. The dance had potential, but it just didn't work from the beginning. It was completely flat. It started with a wardrobe malfunction and went downhill from there. Pam is very sad. There were no squees, just groans and a little bit of pouting. And then she reached for her phone. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. Those scores are very generous. I will say that they pushed through the problems, but that had to be so disappointing for them.

Joanna and Derek dance Viennese Waltz. I have said this before, but Derek's choreography impresses me so much. He has made another gorgeous piece here. Joanna overcame most of the things in her dancing that bug me, except for some wonky arms in a couple of spins. And she still doesn't understand how to reach from her arms out through her fingers. Carrie Ann said it...she doesn't seem to know why she is reaching, she just reaches because Derek gives her that move. Other than that, the dance was romantic and beautiful. That's the kind of dance a gentleman should have with his Lady at least once. It was elegant and sophisticated. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.

Kelly and Louis dance Rumba. Awwwww...one of those precious puppies Kelly had on the show last week, died this week. Wow. The dance was terrific. She didn't have any of those tentative moments. She did exactly what she said she was going to do...she owned that Rumba. She came into her own with that dance. She tells her story with every single performance. She certainly isn't the most technically proficient dancer, and she didn't have the erotic hip action that a truly sensual Rumba has. But she danced confidently and the performance was one of her best even if the technical parts of the dance weren't. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. As Kelly said herself, it was more of a spiritual Rumba rather than an erotic one...a dance representing the deep friendship that she and Louis have established. What? Of course I'm a romantic like that! Didn't you know?

Mya and Dmitry dance Waltz. Now those are the beautiful arms and complete extensions I love to see. The dance had wonderful rise and fall. It had romance. It had a story. And it was danced so well. I couldn't find anything to complain about. The choreography was artistic and classic. Dmitry's work rivaled Derek's that time. Simply stunning. I have no idea what Carrie Ann was talking about, other than for whatever reason she just has a different standard for Mya. Judges say 9,9,10 for a total of 28. Perhaps a better eye than mine could spot what was less than perfect about the performance. I thought the dance was exquisite and deserving of 10's across.

Here's our leader board after the first dances:

28 Mya and Dmitry
27 Joanna and Derek
24 Kelly and Louis
21 Donny and Kym

Here we go with our next round.

Donny and Kym dance Samba. He's going to have to step it up and get his judges' score a bit closer to the other pairs if that Osmond fanbase is going to have a chance to get him to the finale. Hehehehe...we're dancing Samba to One Bad Apple and he's having a great time. It was an entertaining performance, and I intend to forgive the fact that the Samba elements were a little sloppy. Pam doesn't care either. She had a smile on her face during the whole dance. Samba is a party dance, and that performance was fun. The judges forgave the technical issues too, and that's kind. Judges say 8,9,9 for a total of 26.

Joanna and Derek dance Cha Cha Cha. Wise move to cover up those rubbery legsses with the frilly pants. She's definitely come a long way, but there's still something I don't like in her Latin dancing. She just doesn't finish certain moves. I don't think she made any mistakes in the choreography, and she performed very well. But even so, she leaves me a little cold. I don't know why. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.

Kelly and Louis dance Quickstep. This one is tough...she needs to carry her confidence through it. Whoa! She's doing it. She's got her feet under her and she's hitting every step, keeping her tempo up. Woops...she did have a little mis-step. But unlike earlier in the season, she recovered and kept going. But even with that small mistake, the performance was outstanding. Wait...I'm having another fatherly moment...way to go baby girl! Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.

Mya and Dmitry dance Salsa. This is a professional dance. There are times when the pros pull my focus, but this time it was Mya who held my eye. Wow. That's one of the best performances I've ever seen on this show. Can we give that 11's across? Dang! It was HAWT y'all! Dmitry outdid himself with that choreography. That was a winning dance right there. Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. Yup yup yup!

And our leader board after the second round:

58 Mya and Dmitry
54 Joanna and Derek
51 Kelly and Louis
47 Donny and Kym

Now the mysterious third round. Each couple selected the music and style for this knock out dance, which is basically the dance they prepared for the dance off weeks just in case they were in the bottom and had to dance to stay in the competition.

Donny and Kym dance Jitterbug. This hasn't really been Donny's night. If he doesn't make the final three, you should all know that this season has been extra special for me because I've been able to watch Pam have so much fun. Jitterbug was a great choice. They finished really strong. The dance was fast and fun and had everything you want in a 45 second performance. This was what he needed to leave the fans with. It allowed him to entertain and show off his personality, and make you forget about the first disappointing dance of the night. That's how a pro leaves 'em wanting more. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. But if I'm being honest, I don't know that he did enough to make the finale.

Joanna and Derek dance Salsa. I didn't like the first Salso they did earlier in the season. I thought she relied too much on wiggling around the stage then. This time she danced for the most part. Unfortunately it looked like she lost the choreography about half way through it, due to another wardrobe malfunction. You'd think the costume folks could fit these dresses a little better. They had some problems with the steps. I didn't enjoy this routine as much as the other two they performed. But again being honest, overall I'd say she had a great night and did more than enough to make the finale. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. I think that's high, but there's a tradition of holding the scores fairly steady in this kind of round in order to let the fans have the greater say in who advances.

Kelly and Louis dance Cha Cha Cha. This was a dance she struggled with earlier in the season. But she has overcome all of the trepidation she started the show with. She didn't have the hip action she needed to really take the dance to another level. But she was perky and fun. Her musicality was excellent. Her technique was terrific. Her footwork was squared away. She made some great lines. Just outstanding. She had a fantastic night and deserves a spot in the finale, as does Louis. He deserves that reward for bringing Kelly so far. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Notice the pattern? Everybody is getting the same score to this point...someone would have to fall on their face to score lower than anyone else, or tower above the rest to score higher.

Mya and Dmitry dance Cha Cha Cha. Damn that girl can dance. She's technically excellent and she knows how to perform. My only issue was that I wanted more Cha Cha Cha and a little less gimmick. I can't believe I said that. But it's true! Still, the dancing they did was so good. I've run out of adjectives for Mya's work. She started the season with her focus on footwork and technique, and sometimes her performance with and connection to Dmitry suffered. But with these three dances she put technique and performance together in a fantastic night. Judges say 9,10,10 for a total of 29. Yup...they are on a slightly different level than the rest of the couples. I would be completely shocked if they didn't make the finale.


Here's our final leader board after all three rounds:

87 Mya and Dmitry
81 Joanna and Derek
78 Kelly and Louis
74 Donny and Kym

If we look at the dancing alone, the finals should come down to Mya and Joanna. In fact, that leader board is probably the order they should finish. But you just never know how the fans are going to go.

I supported my gal and cast my 5 votes for Donny. Do you want to know what my girl did? Promise me you won't hold it against her? Promise?

She voted 5 times for Donny on her cell phone. Then she got her work cell and voted 5 times on that too. Then she got my work cell and voted 5 times on it.

Don't tell anybody, k? After all, she's really just that little tween girl at heart, voting for her Teen Beat cover boy. You remember your teenage crushes, don't you? I know I do.

Tune in tonight when we find out the three couples who will advance to next week's finale.