HOLLYWOOD—After 10 grueling weeks of competition, the pinnacle of all reality competitions “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” came to an epic conclusion. It was the first time in the series history, that an all-girl finale took place between Kelly Monaco (season 1 champ), Melissa Rycroft (season eight third place) and Shawn Johnson (season eight champion) dancing for their lives. The winner of “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” is Melissa Rycroft!
It was indeed a joyous moment to watch on the small screen. Melissa fought tirelessly for that coveted trophy and she absolutely deserved it. To see the jubilation on her face as well as Tony (his first time winning since being on the series since its beginning) was well worth the wait. The cast united around the champions who received the sparkling trophy.
The ceremony which lasted a little over two hours showcased highlights from the season and also saw the return of eliminated contestants who graced the dance floor one last time. Going into the night’s finale Melissa was atop of the leader board with a perfect 60/60 points. Following close behind was Kelly with 59/60 points and in third place was Shawn with 57/60 points.
Perhaps it’s just me, but going into the finale the judges are just so free with giving out those perfect 10’s; almost like the contestants deserve to receive them from working so hard up to this point. In a twist, each couple was forced to perform an instant dance during the live ceremony with only about 1 hour to perfect their selections.
After tallying the public votes and the judge’s scores, “GeneralHospital” alum Kelly Monaco landed in third place. I was secretly pulling forMonaco; she hadn’t danced since season one, so she was the rustiest of all the contestants and proved that she was indeed an all-star. WithMonacoout, it was a duel between Olympian Shawn Johnson and reality starlet Melissa. Shawn & Derek absolutely nailed their instant dance getting a perfect 30/30 from the judges. With that performance I told myself, there was no way Melissa could hoist the trophy, it just appeared the audience was wowed by what Shawn & Derek put together in such a short time frame.
As we eagerly awaited the winner, host Tom Bergeron revealed “And now they are winners too.” I wasn’t certain of what to make from that announcement. Was he saying that Shawn & Derek had won the trophy a second time? It was later revealed to be Melissa & Tony and the confetti roared across the dance floor with excitement.
Truly indeed a stellar sendoff for a great season; what will make the series take things to the next level is to have some of the biggest celebrities in showbiz grace the dance floor to earn money for their favorite charities. Wouldn’t it be exciting to see Jennifer Lopez or Angelina Jolie on the stage? It’s just a thought it may not happen, but you never know. Until next season “Dancing with the Stars” fanatics.
By LaDale Anderson
