“The good news is it held my attention throughout,” said judge Len Goodman, who pronounced the performance, overall, “a disaster.”

“It was like a Teletubby going mad at a Gay Pride parade,” was Bruno Tonioli’s snarky assessment.

The third judge was kinder. “Steve, I think you are what this competition is all about,” said Carrie Ann Inaba. “You make us want to cheer for you.”

That Steve, of course, was Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer (AAPL), making his first — and probably his last — foray into competitive ballroom dancing, doing a cha-cha to “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet” with a wide showman’s grin and pink feathered boa.

He may not have wowed the judges — in fact he came in last on Monday night’s edition of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” — but the audience seemed to appreciate the incongruity of it all. He could still make it to the second round if he garners enough votes from his fans online. To cast your ballot, go here (login required).

Woz is said to have come to practice sessions on his comical Segway, but he clearly took them seriously. One is not born knowing how to do knee spins like that.

“He does 100% at every rehearsal,” said his dance partner, Russian ballerina Karina Smirnoff. And what special qualities did she think Woz brought to the dance floor? “You know,” she said, “he’s honestly the nicest man alive.”

And one of the bravest.

Below the fold, until the network gods remove it: the YouTube video of Woz and Karina’s cha-cha.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiGJMZjs0o]