Tonight was the night one of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” finale. The last three couples standing performed two dances, a redemption dance chosen by the judges and the much-anticipated freestyle. Each couple gave it their all, proving that they are in it to win it.
Redemption Dance
The night kicked off with two-time World Series champion David Ross and Lindsay Arnold performing the Viennese waltz. He originally did this in week four and was told to focus on tucking in his rear end--or think of squeezing lemons. He took the judges’ comments to heart and not only kept his rear end tucked in but also improved in other areas, including his footwork and overall performance.
While the judges, particularly Len Goodman, still wanted to see more, they gave him a respectable 33 out of 40.
Fifth Harmony singer Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy were up next with their quickstep. This was originally their debut dance during week one of the competition. She channeled her inner diva and gave it everything she had in terms of dance technique and performance. While Julianne Hough thought it lacked a bit in body contact, the judges all agreed that she improved in every other way, earning a 38 out of 40.
The first round ended with NFL free agent Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater performing the Viennese Waltz. It was breathtakingly beautiful, classy and left everyone in awe. The judges loved every moment and had nothing but good things to say about the much-improved performance.
It was no surprise that it got a perfect score.
Freestyle round
David and Lindsay returned with a baseball themed dance. It showcased some of his best moves, including him lifting and swinging Lindsay on a bat. The best part was seeing his personality shine for days. He just let go and put everything he had on the dance floor.
He received his first perfect score of the season.
Normani and Val performed a breathtakingly beautiful performance to What The World Needs Now. They added two little kids, which seemed to represent their youth or innocence. They completely shined on stage and left everyone breathless. They received a well-deserved perfect score.
Rashad and Emma’s dance was the perfect way to end the night. They added some funk to the dance floor with a high energy performance that was part hip-hop and part Richard Simmons. He seemed to have the most fun he has had all season and got his second perfect score of the night.
Tomorrow night we will see who will be crowned the season 24 champion. The fun begins at 8:30 pm EST.
