<p>Hines does it!</p>
<p>I was really pleased that there wasn’t a clear winner. I thought it would be all over for Kirsty and Hines after Chelsea/Mark after they got that extra 15 points a few weeks a go. I thought Kirsty had the most “spunk” (although I really, really detested seeing Max with his shirt open everytime), I thought Hines looked “cool” (but wasn’t really the best dancer, still a bit stiff), and Chelsea/Mark a bit too twirly and flashy. I think, what really made a difference was that Kim was by far the best of all the professionals. Maybe it was also b/c Hines often spoke about his mom (the emotional vote?).</p>
<p>Hines and Kim had the best connection. The moment he cried after his tango, I knew he would win. At first the judges just gifted him, but by the end he really earned his scores and did improve and start dancing more. He desrved it. Did you see max’s disappointment? LOL. He hasn’t won once, only been to the finals. This might be his best finish… I kind of wanted Kirstie to be the winner.</p>
<p>I forgot to watch tonight, but glad to see Hines won. I have to admit that I still have no idea why Chelsea is a celebrity. I haven’t bothered to Google to see what she does. I know that Hines is/was a football player but that’s all I know about him. There were several this year who I had never heard of.</p>
<p>Football players have had a history of doing well on the show. Emmitt Smith (a past winner), Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor come to mind. I think athletes in general have done extremely well-- Apollo, Shaun, Kristi-- all winners. They are coordinated, train hard, AND they know how to compete under pressure! </p>
<p>I think that potentially horrific accident in practice must given Hines and Kym huge additional fan support, and deservedly so. I’m glad they won!</p>
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</p>
<p>WHAT?!</p>
<p>I thought that either Chelsea or Hines would have made a great winner. (I watch the show with my 87 year old neighbor and to vote online would be too much for her–so, I vote for the two of us, taking into account what we both think. For the finals, I voted 3 times for Chelsea–my vote–and twice for Hines–her vote.)</p>
<p>I think it would have been a travesty if the public would have voted Kirstie as the winner. She did fabulously, don’t get me wrong–and if you would have told me at the start of the season that she would be in the final and doing quite well, I would have laughed. But either Hines or Chelsea should have been the winner.</p>
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<p>I completely agree. The big problem with it for me was that Mark was doing the same moves right next to her, and showing how it SHOULD be done. She looked stiff and appeared to be frantically rushing through moves that she didn’t really understand trying to catch up to him. He completely out-danced her, instead of presenting her. he’s a great dancer, but his ego gets in his way. Imagine what Derek Hough would have done with Chelsea. (Who I bet had significant dance training of some kind…) When she and Mark were called out third you probably could have heard my whoop in LA. :D</p>
<p>I thought that some parts of Kirstie’s freestyle were absolutely beautiful, like the opening lift, although the whole thing was too fractured. Her final cha cha was just great. She should be really proud of herself. </p>
<p>Kim and Hines…what can you say? Kim did a great job presenting him in the freestyle. She showed the full range of what he can do AND created something that was uniquely him. (She also did a great job of appealing to his fan base!) The man is good in all styles. He can partner and solo. And he never danced before? Amazing. I mean, he’s not the second coming of Gene Kelly, but the man can dance. The man can hold a stage. And unless he’s a world class actor he has a great personality.</p>
<p>All in all, a good season of DWTS. This season was good in that there were only two REALLY bad dancers, a lot of dancers in the middle who were pretty even and pretty good, and not really any ONE dancer that was head and shoulders above the others.</p>
<p>And every season needs a dancer who comes from just awful and blossoms under our eyes–not just in dancing ability but in confidence (Kelly Osbourne, for example). This year it was Kirstie. I thought it might be Kendra who would blossom into a lady, but she didn’t last long enough to root out her trampiness.</p>
<p>Disappointment–this year didn’t have a freestyle that wowed me or a dance that could make the top 15 dances of all time.</p>
<p>While I’m at it, I don’t think Hines deserved his 30 either as his feet got all off at one point but it was as they were approaching the judges’ table so I don’t think they could see.</p>
<p>[“Dancing</a> with the Stars” 2012: Donald Driver, Martina Navratilova represent jockdom on the cast - The Early Lead - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/dancing-with-the-stars-2012-donald-driver-martina-navratilova-represent-jockdom-on-the-cast/2012/02/28/gIQA4yAUgR_blog.html?tid=pm_sports_pop]“Dancing”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/dancing-with-the-stars-2012-donald-driver-martina-navratilova-represent-jockdom-on-the-cast/2012/02/28/gIQA4yAUgR_blog.html?tid=pm_sports_pop)</p>
<p>The new stars have been announced. </p>
<p>Martina Navratilova…can she dance? She may be too much of a perfectionist to be able to let go. Gladys Knight…how old IS she? Urkel…I hope he’s funny. Melissa Gilbert and Maks…I hope she can put up with him. </p>
<p>Chelsea Hightower is back! I always liked her.</p>
<p>Urkel “stars” in Cee Lo Green’s video for Cry Baby. I guess you could say he has some dance moves. :)</p>
<p>[Cee</a> Lo Green - Cry Baby (Official Video) - YouTube](<a href=“Cee Lo Green - Cry Baby (Official Video) - YouTube”>Cee Lo Green - Cry Baby (Official Video) - YouTube)</p>
<p>I saw Gladys Knight recently and actually met her and shook her hand. 
She actually has a wonderful gospel choir that she leads and sings with. </p>
<p>Let’s just say that lady looks GREAT and sounds even better. We will see how well she moves…</p>
<p>I’m interested in seeing Gladys Knight. I think Tristan will be a good partner for her. If Urkel is any good at all, this might rehabilitate him. I am very curious to see Melissa and Maks (I happen to love Maks). It could be really good, but I don’t think it can be as bad as him and Hope. We’ll see if Martina can show her feminine side and how coordinated she is on the dance floor.</p>
<p>With a few exceptions, the stars aren’t shining too bright this season. That was certainly true last season, as well, and then along came JR. Hopefully, the same thing will happen again. I think I’m more familiar with some of Gladys’s Pips than I am with some of this season’s stars…</p>
<p>Hope and Maks–they were painful to watch! Don’t want to go through another season watching that kind of interaction… (Although Maks and Kirstie Alley were a great team…)</p>
<p>Well, Urkel has some moves…it will be interesting to see if he can summon the discipline that the ballroom demands (heaven forbid if your posture is bad).</p>
<p>I don’t know the football guy or the soap opera star. I have heard of Katherine Jenkins, the opera singer. She could be interesting…</p>
<p>I would love to see Jamie Lee Curtis dance on the show someday.</p>
<p>I didn’t recognize a few of the names. It pains me to see the word “opera” connected with Katherine Jenkins though.</p>
<p>Did I misuse the word in connection with Katherine Jenkins? How would you describe her?</p>
<p>She certainly doesn’t seem to be an actual opera singer. Has she ever actually appeared in an opera? Not that I can tell from wikipedia. I’ve never heard her, but she seems to fall more into Sarah Brightman territory, judging by her credits. She seems to record the occasional “popular” aria. Sounds like the term is being aplied to her to indicate that she has a “classically trained” kind of voice rather than a pop voice.</p>
<p>I’m afraid Martina is doomed, despite the fact that she will work harder than anyone. Tony just doesn’t have the choreography chops to win. I’m intrigued by Cheryl and her partner. Urkel does have some moves, but in the video the real dancers are clearly doing a lot more than he does. I think ellenemope hit the nail on the head with him. Has Melissa Gilbert fallen afoul of lip injections, or is it just the picture of her that I saw?</p>
<p>^^^^^No, you’re right. I have yet to see anyone who does that to their lips look good. I don’t understand why they do it.</p>
<p>We’ll be rooting for Donald Driver! </p>
<p>I had a crush on Jack Wagner many moons ago…</p>