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Dancing Backstage: Was Maks Glad to Be Back?
Melanie Brown and Maksim Chmerkovskiy by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
It's a wonder they ever got the 100th episode of Dancing with the Stars off the ground: Imagine trying to wrangle more than two dozen kissing and hugging celebrities into their seats. Even the judges got into the act. Carrie Ann Inaba left the judges' table to wrap her arms around Drew Lacey. After the show, there would be a massive cake, a group picture and a celebration at a Hollywood hot spot. But the real party started on the dance floor, as six seasons' worth of stars and pros staged their own joyous reunion.
"Can everyone take a seat, please," pleaded warm-out comedian Bill Sindelar for the umpteenth time. (They ignored him, of course.) Sabrina Bryan needed to hug Wayne Newton. Joey Fatone grabbed pro Kym Johnson. Mark Cuban shook hands with Jerry Springer. "All my boys are here!" cried Johnson, who partnered Springer, Fatone and Cuban. "Except for Penn [Jillette], who had to do his show in Vegas."
For the studio audience — seeded with 100 fans from all 50 states who won a contest to be there — it was an amazing spectacle, a stellar night of star-gazing. "There's Apolo!" cried one woman as the Season 4 champ stood on the sidelines getting ready to dance.
"It's like I never left," says Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returned for a reunion dance with Spice Girl Mel B. "We're doing a samba and a mambo. The samba is new, and the mambo is the one we did on the show. I was thinking about doing something new, but it was a big hit on the show, so I decided to bring it back. The audience is going to love it."
Chmerkovskiy, who's been sorely missed this season, just opened a third dance studio on Long Island. He says the temporary break from DWTS was just what he needed to recharge his batteries. "No one supported me in this decision," he says. "Not one person was even understanding. They were like, 'We don't care if you're tired. People would kill to be in the spotlight like this. You're 28, suck it up.'"
But to Chmerkovskiy, who hadn't been home in two years, it was time to reconnect with his family, his students, and live life away from the cameras. He's still under contract and may return next season. But the break did wonders for his state of mind. "When the show started this season, I thought I was going to miss it," he says. "But I didn't have that feeling at all. I've been training, I've been on a schedule to work out, I've been experimenting with yoga and I love it. When the hell would I have time to do that?"
The only sad point in the evening was the ouster of Mario from the competition. The audience gasped when Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur was saved, knowing that it spelled doom for the R&B star. But Mario was smiling to the end, a class act who says he learned a lot in the past two months, including the finer points of listening to his partner, Karina Smirnoff. "I knew how to listen to a woman," says the 21–year-old. "But I learned how to appreciate what she had to say. Big difference."
Did he think he deserved higher scores? "A lot of people felt that way," says Mario. "But there was nothing I could do about it and I have to keep being the entertainer that I am. I was talking to some of the other dancers and we were saying if we'd had a month to learn all these dances, how amazing we all would be."
Mario pauses, then smiles. "What Karina taught me is that under pressure, you perform your best. I think I'm going to still ballroom dance. I'll continue." — Deborah Starr Seibel
Related:
• Dancing's Top 4: Who's Your Favorite Duo Now?
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May 7, 2008 10:06 AM
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For purely selfish reasons, I wish Maks hadn't left DWTS, but I completely understand why he did. He needed a break and wanted to get back to real life. I didn't realize how much I missed him 'til I saw him dance last night.
Maks, I'm glad you're enjoying your time away from DWTS, although I hope to see you back for, at least, one more season.
Great show!! I only wish it was an hour longer. I would've loved to hear from all of the alumni and see some more stars dance with their former partners.
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May 7, 2008 10:34 AM
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jeers and cheers to this show. cheers that sabrina was in the top 10, almost everyone came back. great loved it. jeers to the fact that stacy keibler was in the top 10. WHAT!! i barely remember her on the show. also drew's free style dance was 4th. no tatiana ali. who judged these dances?
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May 7, 2008 1:24 PM
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First of all, the person who wrote this story spelled Drews' name wrong. It is Lachey, NOT Lacey. Second, to nachojenn, it was Laila Ali, NOT Tatiana Ali. Tatiana Ali was the youngest daughter on Fresh Prince, whereas Laila is Muhammed Ali's daughter, and the one who was on DWTS. It was a good show, and I too wish more former stars had danced.
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May 7, 2008 8:27 PM
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Mario should have been the one to stay and Marissa should have been the one to leave. The judges have been unfair to Mario all season. I love watching Mario and Karina dance,,they are exciting on the floor. I truly miss Maks this season and hope he is back next season. I totally understand his need to spend time with his family and don't blame him for taking time off to do what he wants to do. Maks is also exciting to watch. Maks brings a lot to the dance floor and dtws. Hurry back Maks!
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May 8, 2008 12:21 PM
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the judges continue to lose my respect with their scoring. marissa's technicality can not compare to the other women who have danced yet they score her high, giving the audience a false belief she should receive their votes too. the same for jason taylor. he is overscored when he has done more posing than dancing, while mario danced but did not pose. at some point this show will pay for this inequity the same way american idol has by jumping the shark and losing viewers. we're not idiots. marissa should have disappeared before priscilla, shannon, and marlee, bubbly personality and ability to be lifted by tony not withstanding.
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May 8, 2008 9:02 PM
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I still hope Marissa, Christian, and Jason are the final three.
I just don't like Christie. .............One thing I know she will not win. Lacks the personality. It you look back on the other years, combined talent and/or personality won out every time.
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May 13, 2008 12:22 PM
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