Dancing with the Stars Spring 2008: The Eighth Elimination and 100th Episode Gala Celebration

This evening's edition of Dancing with the Stars was a unique one, as the second hour marked the hit reality show's 100th episode and was marked by much fanfare and fun (and of course, the elimination of yet another of this season's celebrity contestants).

The eight o'clock hour featured the judges' picks for the top ten perfect-scoring dances across the first five seasons of Dancing with the Stars. Wondering who made the cut? Wait no longer.

Number ten was season one champion Kelly Monaco's freestyle dance with partner Alec Mazo, introduced by Carrie Ann. I actually missed the first season (I know! Aren't you shocked?), so this was my first experience with Kelly's stylings, and to be honest, I was NOT impressed. How that received a 30 is completely beyond me; how Len could've called it "the performance of the season" is also beyond me. There were awkward pauses and beats missed a-plenty. I guess it goes to show that Dancing with the Stars has come leaps and bounds since its inaugural season.

Bruno then introduced number nine: Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas' Paso Doble from season five. I clearly remember this dance and all of its charged fury, and it made me sad to see it again, in a way. Sabrina should have won last season and her premature exit was a travesty. As Bruno said, she was "just incredible tonight".

Len said that although Emmitt Smith wasn't always technically perfect during his tenure on Dancing with the Stars, his Cha Cha Cha with partner Cheryl Burke during week nine of season three was a great dance, and certainly a good choice for dance number eight in the countdown. Thinking back, I clearly remembered being decidedly unimpressed with Emmitt, but watching this perfomance again, I was struck by how much fun he had out on the dance floor, and by how much energy he drew from the audience. His enthusiasm, his smiling face - just a pleasure to watch, even if he's not a perfect dancer.