Dancing With the Stars Finale: Another Opinion

Finally! After 10 long weeks the field has been narrowed down to the final three.  Kelly, Mya, and Donny will each perform 3 dances in the season finale.  The first dance is a new individual solo, followed by a “mega-mix” portion, and then the freestyle.

ROUND 1

Kelly & Louis: Kelly is not my favorite contestant, but I admit that she has come a long way.  If Most Improved counts for anything, Kelly is tops.  Her segment begins with her recapping her performances over the season, from her magical Viennese Waltz to her forgettable Tango.  For the finale each judge will join one contestant in their rehearsal and provide some suggestions for improvement.  Carrie Ann joins Kelly and Louis, who need more passion in their Argentine Tango.  When it begins I can tell that Kelly has taken Carrie Ann’s advice to heart, because I noticed the chemistry between her and Louis right away.  The musical selection was fitting, and I thought it was a sexy little number.  I’ve never been a fan, but Kelly looked great.  The judges thought so too.  Len said she’s had little to no dance training and epitomizes what the show is about.  Bruno said she is a revelation and she mastered the intricacy and embellishment of the dance.  However, his praise was tempered by criticism of her form and he also said it lacked sensuality.  They each gave her an 8.

Mya & Dmitry:  She’s been consistently great and I don’t expect tonight to be any different.  They will dance the Paso Doble, and Len is the judge stopping by with a few pointers.  In her recap Mya said that Len affected her season more than anyone else.  I agree, and it’s a stroke of luck that he will be the one helping her.  He’s predictably stern but this can only help her.  They perform to “We Will Rock You,” an awful choice and the first in a series of disappointments in the season finale for Mya.  The dance is technically sound.  Mya has the requisite power and character, but the performance does nothing for me.  The judges were pleased though.  Bruno said she was fearless and flamboyant with a power for all to see, amazing.  Carrie Ann dubbed her Queen of the Paso Doble.  She said it was dynamic and hot, just what she wanted from her.  Len said that one of his all-time favorite Paso performances belonged to Mel B and Maks, and that Mya’s was right up there with them.  She gets a perfect score.  So far the pecking order remains intact.

Donny & Kym:  The man I love to hate, but his dancing has been consistent and solid.  He recalls his early criticism and his breakthrough Argentine Tango.  He says he must find the perfect balance between technique and performance.  Bruno, of course, is the judge who will coach Donny.  He starts off by telling Donny that he doesn’t want him to win because of who he is but rather how he does.  He tells Donny to cut the Vegas showroom act and get serious.  Donny falls in line and they end up with a fun, crowd-pleasing Cha Cha Cha.  Carrie Ann raved about Donny’s hips, but noted that he had a misstep.  Len said that people think the Cha Cha Cha is a fun party dance, but it’s actually pretty hard.  Bruno praised Donny’s professionalism and was impressed that he quietly withstood his criticism for over an hour during rehearsal.  They each give him a 9.

ROUND 2

The mega-mix round will have the contestants dancing in sync, performing three seamless dances in unison.  After the dance they will be ranked from first through third.  As you might expect, Mya is head and shoulders above the rest, with Donny close behind while Kelly brings up the rear.  Before the performance Kelly handicaps by saying how much better and more experienced Mya and Donny are.  She initially thought she’d be in the bottom but told herself that she has a shot too. The performance begins with a Waltz followed by a Latin dance, ending with the Jive.  Mya and Donny’s pro partner Kym are in sync but Kelly is not.  All of the contestants’ stamina is impressive.  Kelly looked really bad in the Jive.  The judges praised all of them, particularly Mya’s Latin dance, Kelly’s Waltz and Donny’s overall technique.  They told Donny that he was barely distinguishable from the professionals.  They predictably rank Kelly third with 26 points, Donny second with 28 points and Mya first with 30 points.

ROUND 3

Next it was time for the moment we’d all been waiting for: the freestyle.

Kelly & Louis:  She chooses Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” because it represents her journey and the obstacles she had to overcome.  She looked lovely but her freestyle was sloppy and she lost her footing, which resulted in her playing the remainder of the dance for laughs.  I wasn’t impressed, but the judges were.  Carrie Ann gushed and Len said he enjoyed it.  Bruno kept it a little more real and criticized her hold, but he also said that she embodied all the glitz and glamour of the disco era.  They each give her an 8, to a chorus of boos from the crowd.  Come on guys, she did actually fall.

Mya & Dmitry:  During rehearsal when they are brainstorming about choreography, Mya tells Dmitry that she wants to swing for the fences and make history with their dance.  He would rather do something audiences are familiar with, and has the horrible idea to perform a routine inspired by Hairspray.  What a lame idea.  Mya relents and they go with Dmitry’s stinker.  Mya could have pulled off almost any choreography, but Dmitry made the costly mistake of playing it safe.  None of the judges thought the dance showcased Mya adequately.  Carrie Ann said Hairspray is already a classic, and that their dance didn’t measure up.  Len said he kept waiting for something big to happen and it never did.  Bruno complimented her dance ability but said that he wanted more.  Despite their harsh criticism they gave her 9s.

Donny & Kym:  With Kelly and Mya turning in underwhelming performances, the stage was set for Donny to dance right on in and steal the competition, and that’s precisely what he did.  Donny’s strength has always been his showmanship and ability to connect with the crowd.  Free of the constraints of formal dancing, Donny and Kym performed a piece that allowed Donny to shine and charm the audience.  The judges raved, giving him a perfect score.

RESULTS SHOW

If you’ve watched previous seasons of the show you know that the finale is jam-packed with inane filler while we all await a winner.  I won’t begin to recap those shenanigans here.  The results were fair, though a bit unlucky.  Kelly was eliminated first, with the judges highlighting her growth.  The final two came down to Mya and Donny, and Mya was no match for his widespread appeal.  She also didn’t do herself any favors with her freestyle.  Even if she’d turned in an awesome freestyle I still think Donny would have won because he has a huge fanbase.  I thought Mya was the best dancer in the competition from the outset, and she made it to the end but faltered when it counted most.  I blame her partner for letting her down with his choreography.  Dmitry just isn’t a strong choreographer like Derek or Cheryl or some of the past pro dancers.  Kym, on the other hand, assessed her partner’s strengths and crafted a dance that highlighted them.  It was an entertaining season that featured some memorable performances, and talented celebrities.  I didn’t get the winner I wanted, but it was a great finale.

For another opinion on this episode, read Keshaunta Moton’s review here.

Season 9, Week 10: Episodes 20&21 (originally aired November 23&24, 2009)

For more on Dancing with the Stars, click here.

Competition Mondays at 8/7C, ABC

Elimination Tuesdays at 9/8C, ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Larkey