And the winning pair is...

For 12 weeks, we’ve seen three batches of celebrity contestants as they strut their stuff on the dance floor trying to win the nods of the judges, and to impress the studio audience and the TV viewers in what seems to be the grandest show on Philippine television today – Shall We Dance? The Celebrity Dance Challenge hosted by Lucy Torres-Gomez and Dominic Ochoa on ABC.

The show has produced three monthly champions: Angelu de Leon and Michael Gualvez, Angelika dela Cruz and Jorge Manansala and Sheryl Cruz and Kristian Sese. But during the show’s last monthly finals, host Lucy announced that there will be a fourth pair coming from the nine eliminated pairs who has the chance to compete in the finals. Viewers texted in their chosen pairs in the Wild Card and it’s Arnell Ignacio and Joy Tagalog’s pair who got the most number of votes. So, now the four pairs are complete and ready to compete for the grand title and the chance to win half a million pesos.

We also don’t want to be in the position of the three resident judges Blackpool champion Edna Ledesma, stage producer-director Audie Gemora and the country’s top choreographer Maribeth Bichara since their job is difficult especially during the finals.

First monthly champion Angelu and Michael came out strong among the first batch of contestants. Angelu said during the monthly finals that they’re the pair to beat in the competition. Judges comment the pair knew the meaning of competition and they will do all they can to win. Their performances were impressive.

Their advantage is their great chemistry. They were once dubbed as the "dancing couple" because they dance as one. They look good dancing together and one could easily see that they’re very at ease with each other.

With Angelika and Jorge, the first time batch two was introduced, we somehow knew that this pair could win. Judges say they have a great partnership. Their performances were breathtaking. Jorge brings out the best in Angelika. They’ve been consistent with their energy level. Their last dance, the Foxtrot, was outstanding.

Their advantage: they’re very energetic. They create original routines and style that they incorporate with traditional ballroom dancing. Angelika can easily adjust to any kind of dance – be it Foxtrot, Swing or Rumba.

Third monthly champion Sheryl and Kristian are the only pair who got a number of perfect 10 scores from the judges. They’ve consistently been on top of their game and there’s no sign of slowing down. Sheryl loves dancing. She studied ballet for seven years when she lived in the US. She also took up tahitian, modern jazz and ballroom dancing.

Judges say their partnership is solid. They are dubbed as the "dynamic duo" in Shall We Dance. They always come up with creative, dramatic and intricate routines but they always manage to impress the judges. Audie avers, "I’m always looking forward to what this couple will do next."

Their advantage is their chemistry. They always face up to the challenge. Their minds meet when they dance.

Wild Card pair Arnell and Joy is unique. They’ve proven that even though their performances are called "dance comedy," they’re serious enough to give their 100 percent whenever they perform. Judges say with the right choreography and more time for practice, they might give the other finalists a run for their money.

Their advantage is their uniqueness. Arnell and Joy exude buoyancy whenever they perform. Their dance comedy might even do the trick.

Who will be the ultimate dance champion? To find out, watch the live two-hour Shall We Dance? The Celebrity Dance Challenge grand championship night on Feb. 26, 9 p.m. on ABC 5.