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« All Things Dancing with the Stars
DWTS Backstage: No Hard Feelings Over Kristi's Win
Dancing with the Stars by Michael Desmond/ABC
How's this for a good time: Try sitting in the audience for the Dancing with the Stars finale next to designer Rami Kashou, runner-up on this season's Project Runway. "Love that," says Kashou, catching sight of redheaded pro Anna Trebunskaya as she arrives on stage to dance with Steve Guttenberg in a dazzling, fire-engine red gown. "That color is great for her."
There is a note-worthy connection between the two hit reality shows: Kit Pistol, another recent Runway contestant, is the stylist for Dancing cohost Samantha Harris. That means for the last ten weeks, Pistol has been scouring Los Angeles to find roughly one hundred gowns for Harris to try on, twenty of which made the final cut. Tonight, however, as Harris stands with host Tom Bergeron, Kashou is underwhelmed. "It's a little too stiff," he says of the pale lilac gown. "And the color needs to be a little stronger."
A fashion show, a dance show and a championship, all rolled into one. And Kristi Yamaguchi taking the crown? "It was no surprise," says last season's runner-up, Mel B. "But it's a good thing that a woman's won, that's for sure."
"If she had been on my season, I would've been like, 'That's not fair!'" says Season 4's Laila Ali, looking radiant as she expects her first child. "I consider her a dancer already, but on ice. The truth is the truth. But it all comes down to the viewers and who makes them want to pick up the phone."
"She was the best dancer, and the best sport," says pro Karina Smirnoff. "She was never conniving. She came in to do her job, she did the best job, and she took home the trophy. I take my hat off to her. She worked her butt off."
"I went to some of her rehearsals and she really did struggle," says pro Julianne Hough. "Nobody believes that, but it's true. She was so humble, so likeable, and she was hands down the best dancer."
Those sentiments are echoed by the two talented men Yamaguchi defeated: Jason Taylor and Cristián de la Fuente. "For me, the finale was perfect," says de la Fuente, who will finally have surgery on that ruptured tendon in his left arm Friday and is facing a six-week recovery. "Cheryl and I wanted to be with Jason and Kristi in the finals. We wrote it down ten weeks ago on a piece of paper, and here we are. Nobody deserved that trophy more than Kristi. She's been perfect since day one."
"You can't help but be happy for her," says Taylor. "She set the bar so high. The thing about Kristi is that she really did push us to do more and do better."
Yamaguchi, hugging her surprisingly heavy mirror ball trophy, has looked like a different woman from the moment the freestyle was over on Monday night — happy, relaxed, finally able to release all the tension and nerves and just enjoy herself. What will she tell her young daughters (Keara, 4, and Emma, 2) in ten years about doing this show? "That dancing can inspire people," she says. "My daughters dance all the time. Our favorite time of day is after bath. We put on music and the whole family dances around in the family room."
Her partner, Mark Ballas, can't wipe the smile off his face. Why did their partnership work so well? "We have a lot in common," he says. "We have the same attitude, the same approach to things. We know when to take a break and when to push it to the limit. I think it was a match made in heaven." — Deborah Starr Seibel
Poll: Who are your favorite all-time Dancing champs?
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May 21, 2008 10:12 AM
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I am so delighted with the results. I was worried that Kristi WOULDN'T win because people thinking she was a shoe-in might not vote, or because they felt she had an unfair advantage having been an iceskater. BUT, she'd been skating all of her life, ALONE, SOLO, not with a partner she had to follow and keep up with, AND she was expected to be better and do more, and her routines were so much harder than anyone else's because of the expectation level, and she HADN'T been a dancer before, so except for her grace and showmanship, she was on a par with everyone else. I think she was consistently great, and especially once her personality blossomed thru. I think Jason and Christian were fantastic competitors. Jason with his elegance, charm, and gentlemanly manor, and Christian with his drive, injury, sex appeal, and charm, and in my book they were all winners in the good sports department. AND did they ever become DANCERS. Great ending to a GOOD show!! They should have runner up trophies, but think the two guys gotta know they've won, too.
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May 21, 2008 11:47 AM
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I knew Kristi was going to win from week one! No big surprise, its just too bad she wasn't up against Mario who was 10 times a better dancing than sluggish Jason Taylor, it might have been more interesting TV if she had any real competition!!
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May 21, 2008 12:06 PM
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I am ecstatic about Kristi's win and feel it was well deserved. That said, I also think she had an unfair advantage from the get-go (probably the most unfair from all 6 seasons). I have to point out your error, Dorjean. You said Kristi skated "ALONE, SOLO, without a partner." That is incorrect. Kristi is a several-time US National champion in Pairs figure skating in addition to her accomplishments as a singles skaters. She has many, many years of practice working with a partner.
Still, she won it fair and square and I'm happy America agreed with the judges.
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May 21, 2008 12:14 PM
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I wish Jason and Cristian could've tied for 2nd place. They both were great in their own ways. I thought it was a classy moment when they hoisted Kristi on their shoulders for a victory lap after she was declared the champion.
I enjoyed this season. Can't wait for September.
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May 21, 2008 12:26 PM
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Congratulations Kristi and Mark!!! They totally deserved to win.
And kudos to all the other contestants. They're great too.
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May 21, 2008 12:29 PM
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To whomever stated that Kristi was a pairs figure skater and a National champion in that better check their facts again. That is NOT correct. She was an individual and she did NOT even do an ice dancing type thing so she was not a shoe in to win. Get your facts straight before you post!!!
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May 21, 2008 1:00 PM
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I can't help but feel that Kristi had an unfair advantage over everyone else at DWTS. Ice skating is dancing on skates no matter how you look at it. It's a long world away from say a football player or a magician. They need to even the playing field and use stars with no connection that would give them such a huge advantage. Jason deserved the title, he's the one that came the farthest and did the best. He got robbed.
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May 21, 2008 1:06 PM
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kbassweber, check your facts.
Kristi was a pairs skater for years w/Rudy Galindo, 1986-1990. She also did a bunch of those Stars on Ice shows.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945332/bio
When he went solo he mentioned how he and Kristi started out together and then she broke up the team to go solo.
So, check your facts b4 you post.
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May 21, 2008 1:15 PM
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It was no surprise to anyone that Kristi and Mark won because they have been in the top since day one. It was really quite predictible. Kristi is a dancer on ice and she had an advantage from the very beginnig becuase of her ice skating dance training background. She deserved to win because she was the best but I would have been just as happy if Jason and Edyta would have won.
I loved watching Jason and Edyta...they were just sheer heaven on the floor and brought a lot of fun and sexy wow!
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May 21, 2008 1:16 PM
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To kbassweber; you are wrong & oatbranbh is correct; see below: Birth Name
Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi
Nickname
Yama
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Mini Biography
Kristi was the Gold Medalist in figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. She was World Champion twice, in 1991 and 1992, and U. S. National Champion in 1992. Kristi was also U.S. National Pairs Champion twi ce, in 1989 and 1990, before deciding to focus on singles. In 1988, she won the World Juniors Championships in both singles and pairs.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Spouse
Bret Hedican (8 July 2000 - present) 2 children
Trivia
Skated pairs with Rudy Galindo
1986 Junior U.S. pairs national champ. with Rudi Galindo
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May 21, 2008 1:16 PM
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I would like to express my opinion on the way this program was set up with dancing with the stars this time around. Now I am not aganist Kristi Yamaquchi but this gal was very well balance and experience in her profession as a skater. Now you bring on other actors who really had no experience and it is different and difficult and harder to learn all these dances. But,Kristi had more on the experience side of her than the others. I found this to be not equal in the playing field. I think she was a winner the very first night she starting dancing. I love this show and have watched it right from the beginning when you started this program. But, I think its unfair to the other dancers who are trying for the first time to do their best. So maybe in the future you can at least put one against the other on the same playing field. The actors are given their best to even getting hurt. But, to place Kristi with all her experience even if she had to learn the dances she sitll was condition for it. And to place her with all the others who had no experience all I can say is shame on you for doing this. Try to have your program equal and fair. You have a great thing going and your entertaim is first class along with those who are dancing but try and have them all on the same level. Thank you. Sweetgalsmr
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Edited by sweetgalsmr at 05/21/2008 10:52 AM
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May 21, 2008 1:20 PM
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I know that Kelly was the first winner and Drew Lachey, Emmitt Smith, Helio Castroneves also won but if this is the sixth season, who was the other winner? I don't remember. Does anyone here know how someone can be suggested as a star to appear on the show, say another actor?
Laura
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May 21, 2008 1:25 PM
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soapsfan, Apolo Anton Ohno, the speed skater. With Julianne Hough.Before Helio.
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May 21, 2008 1:31 PM
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apollo anton ono was the other champion. he was season 4's champion with julianne hough.
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May 21, 2008 1:41 PM
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