Shawn Johnson Crowned DWTS Season 8 Champion
Dancing with the Stars, 811A
The May 19, 2009 episode of Dancing with the Stars, 811A, was the season’s finale. All of the celebrities from the season were invited back for one more dance with their partners, and the winner of the professional dancers’ competition was announced.
Final Chance to Impress
The finalists performed one last time for the judges.
Shawn Johnson and Mark performed the Cha Cha Cha. Shawn looked great. She really put all her great skills and moves on the table. You could tell she lost energy toward the end, though. Len said Shawn finally showed no lack of performance. Bruno said the performance was “spot on.” Carrie Ann said the performance was wonderful, and Shawn deserves to be in the top three. Score – 30
Melissa Rycroft and Tony performed the Samba. I think this is a favorite performance of Melissa’s for a lot of people. The choreography was so hot, and Melissa’s electric personality shines through. Bruno said the dance was even better the second time. Carrie Ann said she is a muse on the floor. Len said she has a great presence on the floor. Score – 30
Gilles Marini and Cheryl performed the Argentine tango. This was a great performance for Gilles and Cheryl because they could show off their strength, technique and amazing emotional connection. Carrie Ann said Gilles adds artistry to his dance. Len said Gilles and Cheryl have brought him the most pleasure to watch this season. Bruno called the performance “an Argentine triumph.” Score – 30
After all the votes had been tallied, it came down to Shawn and Mark and Gilles and Cheryl. Shawn and Mark were crowned the winner, and Shawn couldn’t get over the excitement. Less than one percent separated the two couples.
Performances
Lady Gaga began the night was an enticing performance of her hit Just Dance. She was electrifying, as usual. She also performed Love Games.
Welcome Back
All of the eliminated players were brought back, and each one got the chance to perform a piece of one of their dances one more time.
The eliminated players and other celebrities gave their opinion about who should win. The field was pretty even, and everyone was just overly excited to see who was going to take home the mirror ball trophy.
Professional Dancer Competition
After several rounds of competition, Anna Demidova was named the winner of the professional dancers’ competition.
Anna’s victory dance was the Quickstep. She performed with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and she had no problem showing viewers exactly why she won. Her dancing is so beautiful and graceful, and she is extremely fun to watch.
The Roast
Comedian Jeffrey Ross from season seven roasted the contestants.
He compared Tom Bergeron, the host, to Ryan Seacrest… and not in a good way. He called the three judges Smokin’, Croakin’ and Flamin’.
He joked that this was the first season there weren’t any stars in the finale.
“I Googled you people, and it said ‘Ehhh, ask Yahoo,’” he said.
He made a joke about Lil’ Kim’s jail time, which she appeared to love. He called Steve Wozniak’s dance the Nestle Quickstep. He told Belinda Carlisle she was dressed like a hooker from Battlestar Galactica.
Jeffrey called the final three the Underage, Unwed and Unpronouncable. He made fun of how important Gilles’ “part” was in his movie Sex and the City, he told Shawn she was too short to ride the rides in Disneyland and he asked the audience how ironic it would be if Melissa came in second on this show too.
The crowd really ate it up, and the performers were good sports.
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