'Dancing with the Stars' leaderboard topped by Chelsea Kane

Dancing with the Stars' eighth twelfth-season performance show ended up being a great night for Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane and  professional partner Mark Ballas


Kane and Ballas finished in first place with 55 out of 60 possible points on the judges' leaderboard during the live broadcast.

Monday night's show featured the competition's five remaining couples dancing one routine to their own choice of music and then performing a second "instant" dance in which they learned the music selection for their routine only 20 minutes prior to performing it live. Each dance was eligible to receive up to 30 possible points from Dancing with the Stars judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.

Kane and Ballas performed a waltz which received 29 points -- including the season's first pair of perfect 10's -- from the judges and an "instant" salsa that earned 26 additional points.

NFL football star Hines Ward and partner Kym Johnson finished just behind Kane and Ballas on the leaderboard with 54 total points.  They danced a foxtrot that received 28 points and followed it with an "instant" jive that earned 26 points.


Actress and former Kirstie Alley's Big Life star Kirstie Alley and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished in third place on the judges' leaderboard with 53 total points.

After dancing an Argentine tango that earned 28 points, Alley and Chmerkovskiy returned to the dance floor and performed an "instant" salsa that received 25 points from the judges.

Rapper Romeo and partner Chelsie Hightower finished fourth on the leaderboard with 52 total points.  They performed a tango which received 27 points and an "instant" salsa that earned 25 additional points.

Actor and The Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio and partner Karina Smirnoff managed to dance both their dances even though Macchio has been hampered by a ruptured cyst on the back of his knee the past week.  However, since the injury severely restricted their ability to practice, the couple finished in fifth -- and last -- place on the judges' leaderboard with only 46 total points.

Macchio and Smirnoff danced a Viennese waltz which received 25 points and followed it with an "instant" cha cha which received 21 points from the judges.


The judges' scoring and home viewer votes that were cast after Monday night's performances will now be combined and one of the five celebrity and professional pairings will be eliminated on Dancing with the Stars' seventh twelfth-season results show on Tuesday night.






About The Author: Steven Rogers