Dance Your Ass Off – Week Ten (The Finale)
Aired 8-31-09
The finale episode began with all the eliminated contestants returning to the loft and I must say – they all looked fabulous. As they greeted each other with hugs and kisses, I was struck by how well they have got along with each other throughout this process. Unlike the vast majority of reality shows, DYAO didn’t play up the conflicts or competitiveness. It really has been a nice show about good people trying to get healthy.
Host Marissa Jaret Winokur arrived to announce that the whole group would be performing again AND they would be wearing their costumes from week one. A whole lot of tailoring had to be done as they have lost a combined 420 pounds. The best part wasn’t even how they looked. It was how they moved. They all were more limber, confident and faster than when their journey began.
For the final dance off, the three remaining contenders (Ruben, Shayla and Pinky) had two dances. Round one was a freestyle dance and round two was a dance chosen by the judges. Shayla was assigned the Rumba, Ruben got the Paso Doble and Pinky was given the Samba. Both rounds were done in random order.
Round One
Pinky & Mr. Lucky: Pinky injured her foot early in the week and was told to stay off it as much as possible. She switched her workouts to the pool and had to visually study her choreography. For the freestyle, Pinky chose her comfort zone – hip hop. It was definitely funky but the movements were very compact. That may have been the result of her injury. Judge Mayte Garcia said she could see the injury in the performance but still loved it and gave the dance a 9. Lisa Ann Walter also gave it a 9 saying she could see pain but also confidence, determination and sexiness. Danny Teeson thought it was the best hip hop Pinky has done this season and also gave it a 9. Average: 9.0.
Ruben & Hilary: This pair went into the finals feeling confident – as they should have. Ruben has placed first for a majority of the weeks. They did a country number to “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” and it didn’t really work for me. It reminded me of the winning freestyle done by Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke from season 2 of DWTS – but Ruben’s dance wasn’t nearly as exciting. I think it was a bad style choice for him. Mayte said it was clear Ruben was having fun and that’s what it’s about so she gave him a 9. Lisa Ann called it adorable and scored it a 9. Danny also gave it a 9 but questioned the style choice because he felt Ruben could have done so much more. Average: 9.0.
Shayla & Mario: Shayla said winning would definitely make all her pain and sacrifice worthwhile but she’d still do it all again in a heartbeat. She and Mario did a lyrical jazz number and I think it was the best freestyle of the bunch. It was a different style than we’ve been seeing and it included some very impressive moves. Mayte loved the partnering and the lines and gave it a 10. Lisa Ann gave it a 9 saying there was beautiful unity between the partners. Danny thought it was great but started a little slow so he gave it a 9. Average: 9.3.
In between rounds we had a little competition for the eliminated players. Marissa told them that the person who had the highest percentage of weight loss since the beginning of the show would win $5000. The results were as follows:
Warren: Lost 29.1 pounds for a total of 8.14%.
Angela: Lost 22.3 pounds for a total of 12%.
Mara: Lost 31.5 pounds for a total of 12.03%.
Tara: Lost 31.1 pounds for a total of 13.1%.
Brandon: Lost 21.5 pounds for a total of 9.33%.
Trice: Lost 39.4 pounds for a total of 14.33%.
Karla: Lost 23.8 pounds for a total of 13.61%.
That left just Alicia and Miles.
Alicia lost 48.2 pounds for a total of 18.71%.
Miles lost 45.3 pounds for a total of 17.3%.
Alicia won the $5000. In a shocking turn of events, Alicia cried. 
Round Two
Ruben & Hilary: Ruben was very thankful for his time on DYAO for a number of reasons. Chief among them, it gave him back his passion for performing. I’m sure their Paso was very good but the camera angles, cuts to reaction shots and flashing lights were all way too distracting. I couldn’t enjoy the performance. None of that was Ruben’s fault so it was really a shame. Mayte called it “mind-blowing” and gave it a 10. Lisa Ann loved the choreography and Ruben’s technique and gave it a 10. Danny said that he’d have given Ruben an 11 if he could, but would have to settle for a 10. Average: 10. Combined Average: 9.5.
Shayla & Mario: Shayla said this journey has changed her life forever. It certainly changed her health. When Shayla arrived she was pre-diabetic and that is all gone now. The Rumba is one of my least favorite dances but Shayla was very smooth and sexy. Mayte called it very sensual but wanted to see more partnering. She gave it a 9. Lisa Ann only gave it an 8 saying it was really more of a lyrical dance than a Rumba. Danny, like me, said he usually finds the Rumba to be a “snoozefest” but he was drawn into Shayla’s version and gave it a 9. Average: 8.7. Combined Average: 9.0.
Pinky & Mr. Lucky: Pinky has loved her body’s transformation and the discovery that she can be both a B-girl and an elegant lady. Pinky’s Samba was energetic to the point of being frenetic. She limped over to get her scores while crying from the pain. Mayte said she was speechless. The dance was everything she could think of and gave it a 10. Lisa Ann called Pinky a “party in a little, tiny package.” She gave it a 10. Danny also gave it a 10 saying he knew this was just the beginning of what Pinky’s going to do. Average: 10. Combined Average: 9.5.
The group then moved to the scales:
Shayla lost 4.0 pounds for a total of 2.29%. Total Score = 11.29.
Ruben lost 7.5 pounds for a total of 3.03%. Total Score = 12.53.
Pinky lost 4.4 pounds for a total of 2.73%. Total Score = 12.23.
Ruben won the $100,000 prize. It was a very appropriate conclusion given how many times Ruben placed first throughout the competition. Plus, he really came alive as the weeks went by. You could see his confidence and self-esteem grow.
This has been a fun show. It’s done very well for Oxygen so I’m sure there will be a season two. I’ll be watching.
Next Week: It’s the reunion show! Miles was on the “Today Show” yesterday and he was looking even better than he did in this episode. I expect there will be some other amazing transformations.
Sneakpeaks and bonus footage are available at Oxygen’s website here:
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