'DWTS' Week 9: Who's likely 'Dancing' to the finale?

• Pro Chelsie Hightower helps handicap the semifinals
• She was 'surprised' by Gilles Marini's exit
• Who's looking likely to win the mirrorball trophy?

Five stars. Two weeks. It's almost mirrorball trophy time!

We've come to the Dancing With the All-Stars semifinals (ABC, Monday, 8 p.m. ET/PT). The performance show will be a battle, as the remaining five stars have proved they are all great dancers with seemingly solid fan bases. Each has landed at least one perfect 10 score from a judge at some point during this season, with the exception of Kelly Monaco.

We should also expect tonight's show to be crazy — think Fusion Week on steroids, as the celebs have been given wacky themes that must be incorporated into assigned dances for one of their numbers. The other dance will be a tribute to Michael Jackson, performed to a song from his classic Bad album.

With only three spots open for next week's finale, it's a double elimination week. Paula Abdul and The Wanted perform on Tuesday's results show. Dancing pro Chelsie Hightower, whose partner Helio Castroneves was eliminated in Week 3, helps assess the stars as they hustle and flamenco their way to the finish line. She was "surprised" by Gilles Marini's exit last week (as were a lot of our readers). "In my mind, he's been one of the front-runners. I definitely saw him in the semifinals." But she added something all loyal fans know: "You never know what to expect on the show."

Here's how the competition is shaping up:

Melissa Rycroft

The reality TV star has been a dark horse in this race. "She was already a great dancer before, but she's improved so much. She's had a boost of confidence and that confidence is very noticeable," says Chelsie. Melissa had perfect scores on two performances last week, so she's riding high. "She could definitely be a finalist and a contender for the mirrorball." Melissa and her pro, Tony Dovolani, must dance a "Caveman Hustle." The name pretty much says it all. Says Chelsie: "I think they're going to go a fun route." What else can they do?

Shawn Johnson

The Olympian is a firecracker on the dance floor, and Chelsie predicts we'll see her in the finals. But this week, Shawn and her amazing pro partner, Derek Hough, are tasked with dancing a "Knight Rider Banghra." Chelsie says a banghra Indian dance is "similar to Bollywood, which is a really, really cool dance." (Gilles and his partner were only a half point away from perfect scores with their Bollywood dance during Week 4.) The twist will be the Knight Rider part. But, as Cheslie points out, Derek will "make it look great no matter what." Derek has been tweeting photos of David Hasselhoff, who starred in the 1980s Knight Rider show.

Apolo Anton Ohno

"Third place is so up for grabs," says Chelsie, assuming Shawn and Melissa will make it to the finals. Apolo, Emmitt Smith and Kelly have "'been on the same level, I feel like, the whole season. Whoever can show the strongest dances will take the spot. But it's going to be really tight." With "Big Top Jazz" as their dance/theme, Apolo and partner Karina Smirnoff might do some clowning around on the floor. Jazz was a big dance in the 1990s, explains Chelsie, who says it's totally open to interpretation. "It's not a ballroom dance at all." No matter what happens, Apolo landed a spot on People's Sexiest Men Alive list, so even if he doesn't win the trophy, he can boast about that.

Emmitt Smith

Emmitt has been coasting this season in the ballroom. He's done a lot of hip-wiggling, and it has served him well. But it's his personality and fan base that have gotten the NFL star to the semis. "Emmitt is so charming and so charismatic, and has a built-in fan base already, (so) he's definitely a strong contender for the finale," says Chelsie. But "as far as dance goes, he's not the strongest in the competition." Still, she says, "At the end of the day, it's about who you are and how many votes you can get." Chelsie says Emmitt lucked out this week with his "Espionage Lindy Hop" dance/theme. "The Lindy Hop is a great dance for anybody. There's not a whole lot of technique, but it's high energy and fun." It bodes well for getting him to the finals.

Kelly Monaco

"To be honest," says Chelsie of the soap star and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, "I saw them going home." Kelly has been near the bottom of the pack and she's been near the top of the pack. "Nothing against Kelly, but Gilles is a natural dancer," says Chelsie. Gilles, however, didn't have a romance. "America really loves Kelly and Val's story. They've had chemistry from the beginning and America wants to see that. They could surprise us all." The biggest problem is that they've been given "Surfer Flamenco" as their dance/theme. "What a combination!" says Chelsie. "As long as they don't come out on surfboards. As long as they aren't doing the Flamenco in bathing suits!" But wouldn't that help get them votes? Yes. "After all, this is Dancing With the Stars," she says.

Chelsie's pick for No. 1? Shawn Johnson, who is also the odds-on favorite, according to the Bovada betting site. "My No. 1 has kind of always been Shawn, just because I think she's consistently had the best performances. She has really delivered. She's done things we've never seen before and she's adorable." But, Chelsie adds, "I adore all the contestants. I hope the best for each of them."