Kirstie Alley: Maksim "Forced Me to Do" Lifts!

USMagazine, Monday, May 23, 2011, 6:45pm (PDT)

Fly-high freestyle!

Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy surprised the judges Monday night on Dancing with the Stars when the duo executed aerial lifts in their freestyle performance.

VIDEO: Watch Kirstie's first ever DWTS performance

"Ten weeks ago, I would never have thought of you even attempting to do lifts and things that you've done," Bruno Toniloi told Alley, 60. "Respect, girl. Respect!"

Although judge Carrie Ann Inaba wasn't crazy about Alley's "alley oop" cartwheel, she raved about the actress' progress throughout the season. "You are the new poster child for life as it should be lived at 60 years old! Free, loving, poignant, crazy, wacky, unpredictable, and all of the above and then some."

VIDEO: Watch Kirstie lose a shoe mid-waltz!

Len Goodman agreed, applauding the former Fat Actress star for taking chances with her routine. "You gotta risk it, if you want the biscuit!"

Despite sparring in rehearsals from week to week, Alley gushed that it was her partner's tough love that helped get them to the finals: "He just forced me to do things every single week, and I just had to do what he says." 

PHOTOS: Incredible DWTS body makeovers

Alley and Chmerkovskiy, 31, received a 9 out of 10 from all three judges; the duo received the same scores for their samba performance earlier in the evening, giving them the lowest total scores of any contestant Monday night.

Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas received a 29 out of 30 for their samba and a perfect 30 for their freestyle. Meanwhile, Hines Ward and Kym Johnson -- who was seriously injured earlier in the month during rehearsals -- received a 29 for their quickstep and a perfect 30 for their freestyle.

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