Pfft - I checked other couples and two of the other lady finalists aren't listed in the NDCA registration list either: Jundzill and Larson. So, it isn't just Michelle who gets a special benefit there.
But, I'm getting my own thread off-topic . . . I'm still wondering about the actual dancing that judges are looking for. I hope that it's more than just a past reputation or that it's someone's "turn."