Dancing with the Stars: At the Finale

Last night we went to the taping of the DWTS finale with our friend Dylan and got an up-close and personal glimpse at the show as it unfolded.

The front row star watch was probably the best part.

David Charvet and Brooke Burke, who were incredibly loving and adorably high-fived each other a few times (it was very Michelle and Barack), sat next to Viveca A. Fox, who had “tha vapahs” and kept fanning herself. She’s on the Li’l Kim plastic surgery bus big time. Too many more surgeries and she's gonna be the new Cat Lady. High School Musical’s Monique Coleman and newly anointed host of Dance Your Ass Off Marissa Jaret Winokur were next on the row. Behind them was Holly Madison, looking truly like a Barbie come to life, Tia Carrera and Leeza Gibbons. We noticed that Tom Bergeron made sure to flirt with and offer pecks to all the ladies, but Burke was the only one who got a mouth kiss, everyone else just got cheek pecks.

Ty Murray and Jewel got the loudest crowd applause when they walked in, taking their seats near Jeffrey Ross, while Debbie Matenopoulos, one of the most annoying people to ever barge onto our TV, arrived almost forty minutes after the show started and was ushered to her seat…in the sixth row.

That ain’t VIP.

Seeing the performances live, it was shocking how good Shawn Johnson is. Precise, sharp, explosive; she was far and away the best of the evening.

Melissa Rycroft stumbled during the group Paso, but was overly rewarded anyway, and her freestyle with Tony had us flashing back to our seventh grade dance. What were they thinking?

Gilles had all the ladies in the audience going nuts but he leaves us cold. He’s so cheesy and slimy. His freestyle was nothing but The Cheryl Show. Blech. What were they thinking?

Why did everyone have to try and be hip hop, with two of the three dances stealing the signature Step Up 2 move and one ripping off the JabbawockeeZ? Why didn’t the show’s producers step in and make sure there was more diversity?

Based on the crowd reaction, it seems the title belongs to Gilles but if it were our mirror ball trophy to give away, it would go home with the little Olympian.

Until tomorrow…

—Sasha Perl-Raver