« All News

Search RealityWanted News

Loading

 

 

 

 


 



 


 

 

 

Dancing With the Stars Season 14: Final Performance Recap

Posted on 05/22/2012 by Gina in Dancing with the Stars

| More

Dancing With the Stars Season 14: Final

 

by Kylene Hamulak

 

As Tom so gently put it - this is the beginning of the end. For Season 14, for our three finalists, and also for me, in my first season recapping this show. No tears, guys - let's just enjoy this, our last performance night together. Starting with the judge's pick of dances they wanted to see our stars improve upon...

 

Round 1

Team: William and Cheryl
Dance: Cha Cha
Bruno joins William and Cheryl in their cha cha rehearsal, which was also their first dance of the competition. I'm skeptical about whether letting Bruno near William without a table to hold him back is a good idea, but he's all business. Except for that whole "sex on legs" comment, but it's not like we weren't thinking it. The routine is great, and the highlight for me? The streamers at the end. Which are gonna be a pain to clean up before the next dance. Judges said:
10 - Len calls their routine "as good as I've ever seen in 14 seasons of cha cha cha."
10 - Bruno says it was an "intoxicating Cuban cocktail of naturally flowing moves"; he basically loved everything about it.
10 - Carrie Ann tells him that the magic of his first cha cha is still there, but now it's been joined by sophistication and musicality, as he has "grown miles."
Score=30

 

Team: Katherine and Mark
Dance: Paso Doble
Katherine and Mark welcome Len to their rehearsal, and he advises them to focus on keeping the finesse in the paso, since they were criticized last time they did the dance for being too aggressive. Katherine is aiming for that Ten from Len, and her effort pays off - their paso is both passion and grace. Judges said:
10 - Bruno describes the dance as "full of artistry, technical brilliance."
10 - Carrie Ann says it was like watching a prima ballerina.
10 - Len compared it to "a buffet of Spanish tapas: full of tasty tidbits to tickle your taste buds, very satisfying, fabulous."
Score=30


Team: Donald and Peta
Dance: Argentine Tango
With two perfect dances in the books, can Donald FINALLY get his? Carrie Ann joins Donald and Peta in rehearsals and warns them not to waste any of the choreography. Peta is wearing a magical dress that disappears when she turns sideways, and the dance looks great too, but is it enough? Judges said:
10 - Carrie Ann loved it and appreciated the crispness in Donald's moves.
9 - Len liked the intensity and the lifts in the dance, but thought it was a tad careful; still, a vast improvement over his last try.
10 - Bruno thought Donald's storytelling was very effective, and he liked it very much.
Score=29

 

Round 2
As always for finale performances, round 2 will be the freestyle competition, possibly the most important dance of the entire season. With no rules to hold them back, let's see what our stars and their pros have come up with.

 

Team: William and Cheryl
Cheryl's freestyle for William includes a mixture of the Argentine tango, salsa, and samba, but with a lot of lifts. Cue the montage of William dropping Cheryl from various heights. As they practice lift after lift, William (via badly dubbed voiceover) tells us that to make it this far and not win would be like getting in the boat from Cuba and not making it to America. I mean...we're not going to deport you William. It might be a tad dramatic to compare the mirror ball to, like, freedom and whatnot. Judges said:
9 - Len liked it, but thought it was too predictable; apparently he's fed up with William shaking his bum. And to that I say...it must be awfully lonely on that planet, Len.
10 - Bruno calls it "sinful, but ever so good!"
10 - Carrie Ann gestures wildly to show how much she liked it, and then begins arguing with Len as we throw to commercial.
Score=29

 

Team: Katherine and Mark
Mark wants to use Katherine's versatility for their freestyle. He also wants her not to make those odd grunting noises as she performs new moves. I absolutely loved their routine - it really did have a bit of everything, including Katherine singing, lots of wiggling, and a great swing sound. Honestly, how could you not want to get up and join them on the dance floor? Judges said:
10 - Bruno says it was a "fast and flamboyant tour de force through all the ages of swing...you were on the money all the way through!"
10 - Carrie Ann calls Katherine a fabulous performer, declaring it "the dance of a champion!"
10 - Len: "If I'm asleep and dreaming, don't wake me up. THIS is a freestyle." So he liked this one.
Score=30

 

(And I get the feeling it's only because the paddles don't go higher than 10.)

 

Team: Donald and Peta
As I've said before, my favorite moments with Donald are when he gets all strategic as a Dancing With the Stars fan - and that's what he does for the freestyle. Guessing (pretty much correctly) the styles William and Katherine would choose, Donald proposes they use a trick that was used way back in Season 2 - dancing to country music. It seems like a good idea until Peta starts bleeding, but they work through it. And on the dance floor? Mesmerizing. Full of energy and crazy lifts - if he doesn't get a Ten from Len now, he never will. And not just because it's the last performance show before the finale. Judges said:
10 - Carrie Ann "by far my favorite final, and by far my favorite dance tonight!"
10 - Len calls it FANTASTIC...with lots of exclamation points.
10 - Bruno says it was "a country inspired triumph!"
Score=30


(FINALLY!)

 

These performances were an awesome way to lead into the finale show, and Donald's routine was the perfect way to close the season. Regardless of whom that mirror ball goes home with for Season 14, he or she will be a deserving champion. They've all become respectable dancers, and William's got the hunk factor, Katherine has the grace, and Donald brought the personality - I don't want the season to end, but I can't wait to find out how it does!

 

 

Don't miss the live, FINAL results of Dancing With The Stars tonight on ABC!

 

(Image courtesy of ABC)


  


Rate this article

  • Currently 5.00/5

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast) (Log in to vote!)


blog comments powered by Disqus

Go back to the previous page