DANCING WITH THE STARS Showdown: The Final Five!

This Week's Judges' Scores:

Chelsea - 29/26: 55
Hines - 28/26: 54
Kirstie - 28/25: 53
Romeo - 27/25: 52
Ralph - 25/21: 48

Only five couples remain to compete for the DANCING WITH THE STARS title! Why, then, was the show still two hours long? Well, that's due to this week being "instant dance" week, in which the pairs choose what their second song will be from a random draw just before they go on and perform it. Who rose to the occasion and who fell flat? Let's find out!

Chelsea and Mark start off the night by laying down on the floor under an ocean projection, but end up giving a dance that was less about the concept and more about the technique than in their past performances. They earn 29 points, with the nine coming from Len. They also draw their instant dance song: Sean Paul's "Get Busy".

Next up is Hines, who'll pretend to propose to his dance partner, Kym, on the dance floor. "It's a forced proposal," Hines jokes. As always, Hines's personality shines through. He always seems genuinely happy to be there, and that - along with his athleticism - helps him to two nines and a ten from Bruno.

Romeo and Chelsie bring back the intensity that they were lacking last week, dancing among smoke and lasers which add a cool effect and a certain attitude to their performance. The judges note their improvement, and they earn nines across the board. For their instant dance, they select "Tequila" by Xavier Cugot.

Ralph - looking positively gothic in a high-collared black shirt and eyeliner - had struggled with a knee injury earlier in the week, and it was uncertain whether or not he would dance. But dance he does, and although his injury hampered his performance, he still ends up with two eights and a nine from Bruno. Ralph and partner Karina pick "Stuck in the Middle" by Stealers Wheel for their instant dance.

Despite what seems to be a little bit of tension between Kirstie and Maks during rehearsal, they pull together entirely for their routine. A noticeably slimmer Kirstie, decked out in vibrant red, earns her first 10 from Bruno and nines from the other two judges. They draw "Cobrastyle" by Teddybears to dance to later on.

Now it's time for the instant dances. Chelsea and Mark receive cheering on from last year's runner up, Kyle Massey, and Chelsea promises to channel her "inner Kyle Massey for the instant dance." Tom tells us after they're done that they had a jumped cue and were forced to start a little too quickly, but regardless, they do well with the challenge - and the judges agree, awarding them 26 points.

Hines and Kym look a little stiffer in their instant dance than Chelsea and Mark, but they more than make up for it with personality. The judges give them the same score as their predecessors.

Next to take on the challenge of the instant dance are Romeo and Chelsie, and Romeo reckons that he should have no problem with it because he can add "a little bit of Chelsie spice and a little bit of Romeo spice" to any song. Indeed, they weren't lacking any spice in their steps, but they were lacking a little technique, and receive 25 points.

Karina pretends to heal Ralph's knee in their instant dance, but while they give it a good effort, the combination of Ralph's inability to dance to his fullest and the song leads to a rather boring number. The judges acknowledge Ralph's perseverance but he can't overcome his injury, and the pair gets just 21 points. Still, "I made it to the end of the show," Ralph says, "And that was my goal."

The tension between Kirstie and Maks boils over during their rehearsal, but once again they bring their professional sides to the floor and with a few incredible flourishes from Maks and a huge effort on the part of Kirstie, they manage to impress the judges. (Kirstie apparently lets loose some choice words as Bruno tells her that they were out of sync, because Maks covers her mouth and the sound cuts out. "Don't worry about it, I do that all the time," Bruno tells her.) They receive 25 points to close out the show.

Who'll make the cut for the final four? Will Ralph's injury be the end of his show, or will the audience votes save him? Tune in tomorrow, with performances by Adele and Michael Bolton, to find out!

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. Wireless customers with AT&T may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" to the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast, until 8:00 a.m., PT the following day. Fans may cast the maximum limit of votes for each voting method.

"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Rob Wade is co-executive producer. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

 

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