Hi everyone,
Great season! It was a close race all the way to the finish line. Great finale dancers = an exciting finish! There was great artistry, beautiful passion, intense competition, graceful athleticism….moments of glory and special moments that will stay with us forever. I love Len and Bruno and have had a wonderful time working with them. Special thanks to our incredible staff and production team, who put our show together. Congratulations to the winners of season 8…
(SPOILER ALERT after the jump!)
….Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas!!!!! And, of course, to Gilles and Cheryl (who were nothing but grace at the end), and Melissa and Tony. And to everyone who joined us this season on our ballroom dance floor. It was a very special season. The people who make our show happen are not just the people in front of the camera but the many folks who work day in and day out to give you the entertainment you see on your TV. Our crew is incredible, both on the stage where we tape and behind the scenes, making the packages — and, of course, even the office. Anna Maria and Jojo (and sometimes Gail): thanks for doing the beauty thing each week. To the incredible wardrobe department: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! It’s been a good ride. Now it’s up to our casting team to put together another show for season 9…
To all of you who had good questions and had positive, sound, respectful commentary, I want you to know that I appreciated the open dialogue. I wish you all the best and hope that next season will be as interesting as this one was. I do hope that there will be less injuries though.
I have a very busy schedule today so I can’t write as much as I would have liked to. But thank you for joining us this season — and take care.
If you need a ballroom fix this summer, remember that Burn the Floor is doing a limited run on Broadway this summer at the Longacre Theatre. It’s going to be fantastic!!! And if you want to keep a discussion about dance going this summer, visit: THEDANCEINSIDER.COM.
Have a happy summer, and thanks for watching!!!!!
Best Regards,
Carrie Ann
EW.com covers Dancing With the Stars:
Carrie Ann’s previous blogs: Week 10, Week 9, Week 8, Week 7, Week 6, Week 5, Week 4, Week 3, Week 2
TV Watch: Annie Barrett’s ‘DWTS’ finale recap
Photo Gallery: Costume designer Randall Chrsitensen’s favorite looks
Hi Carrie Ann: Thanks for the blog! I have a couple of suggestions that you could perhaps pass on to the producers?
1. Give the couples enough time to say goodbye! It’s very rude to announce who is eliminated, then give them only 15 seconds to say goodbye (and Samantha babbles for 10 of those seconds). Please be more courteous and polite to the stars.
2. No more Jeff Ross! He’s not famous, he’s not funny, and he’s crude. It’s disrespectful to the stars and uncomfortable for the audience.
3. Dmitry! He had bad luck this season, but I hope to see him back next season. He’s gorgeous and a great dancer – I want to see more Dmitry.
Thanks for reading and blogging. Have a great break from DWTS. See you in the fall.
Shrek wom dwts!
Worse dancer of the three! Judges padded the scores for her and they were not deserved! Many viewers were lost!
The best two dancers of the season 8 were robbed!
Shrek won dwts season 8!
Birds,Good afternoon,Look what we got here? Is Mr,Birds the SORE LOSER!!!How are you? I`m thrilled shawn WON!!She deserved the trophy and you angry people who`s favarite didn`t win can all pout and ruin your lives,Who really cares,the world voted for shawn and she is the well deserved winner of this year DWTS!!!!!And all together shawn fan we BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to MR,BIRDS THE SORE LOOOOOSER!!!!!!!!MR,Birds go play with your cat!!!!!!
birdsofafeather—give it up. The season was exciting and very entertaining. Thanks CA.
birdsofafeather: After reading your many comments over the last several weeks, I feel your last couple of comments referring to Shawn as Shrek is not very classy at all. As you have stated over and over again, it is your right to an opinion and it is, but the old saying “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say it at all” certainly seems to apply here. Why you feel it necessary to attack Shawn’s physical appearance and a young 17 year old girl is beyond my comprehension. Shawn, along with the other two finalists made the season a lot of fun to watch. You might take a clue from Gille and Melissa in how you show joy when a person achieves success.
Great season! I kinda feel sorry for the next group of stars b/c they now have big shoes to fill.
ITA with DWTS fan’s suggestions. Another suggestion is getting better songs. I always feel sorry for the couples who get stuck with a lousy song. I think a song can make or break a performance.
CA, thanks for taking the time to blog.
Carrie Ann, great season I have to agree – but I can’t help but be disappointed with the results. Len was interviewed on Access and he said that the best dancer didn’t win. I’d have to agree. I love Shawn, but I’m sorry, I don’t understand how a few flips and tumbles in the free style compares to what Gilles has given the show over the entire season. I would have loved the BEST DANCER to have held up that trophy.
It was an amazing ride, nontheless. I hope the judges and the viewers get it right next time.
One more thing, yes, I’d have to agree – that roasting thing was crude, rude and less than funny. I don’t need that kind of comedy to be entertained. I’d be more than happy with Tom’s one-liners.
Carrie Ann, thanks for the blog, but I do have to say that you judges blew it. Len is right…the best dancer didn’t win and that was for no other reason than the lower score you and Bruno gave Gilles on the freestyle. Was it his best? No. But if Shawn’s quasi-gymnastics routine could score a perfect 10, then so could Gilles’ Flashdance routine. To me, the whole season now feels like it was fixed in the final few hours…
Thank you, Carrie Ann, for your wonderful sharing of your thoughts and views. Everyone did a wonderful job and that’s what made this year’s DWTS watchable. Finally … birdsofafeather can eat CROW!!! Yeah baby!!! I was pulling for not only Shawn but Mark. I love Mark. He and Derek are both #1 in my book. I am always pleased as punch when the underdog wins — just like Kris on American Idol.
Gille was good most of the season; he, like all of the dancers had some less than perfect weeks. I do feel that Shawn steadily got better as the season went on and in the end, deserved to win. I am one that enjoyed all three of the last dancers. I do feel that Mark’s superior choreography put Shawn over the top all season. Great season CA.
CA, just a little advice. First of all dont develop crushes on the contestants, because your bias shines through, and it really isn’t fair to the others. Also, bury the hatchet with Tony. He had a wonderful season this year, so hopefully you both can bury any hard feelings you two had for eachother, and start judging his partners fairly, please. Also, I still feel you owe Melissa an apology for saying she didn’t have work ethic. That was just wrong, and a complete slap in Melissa’s face. I am surprised she talks to you, I wouldn’t.
1. I believe there were two other couples other than the winner who both finished with total grace. Why single out one couple to praise?
2. Try not to let your bias show as much. Your and Bruno’s jumping around for Gilles is not becoming to either of you.
3. One week you tell someone to take the week off. The next week you say the same person needs to improve their work ethic. What the heck? I suppose it was just coincidence that Gilles discussed work ethic that week.
4. Bury your hatchet for Tony. Enough is enough.
I would feel more “respectful” towards the judging if the judges earned our respect, CA. Let’s look at the history, shall we? Every single season, the judges bail at the end and vote everyone the same, so their votes don’t cancel the masses’ votes. OBVIOUSLY A SET UP.
You know very well Shawn was one of worst dancers, not the best. That’s why the judges were trying to find anything good to say about her – you knew the votes were behind her each week, and you didn’t want to be honest about how poor she was.
Yes, she could remember the steps. About 3 beats behind Mark. No feeling, no grace, and not even that precision you kept talking about.
Okay, she can’t help it she’s so short, and built like a fireplug. (although, lose weight, anyone? She’s only 17!) But that surely is the type that can’t be a good dancer, with no lines, etc.
Honesty still counts, even in judging.