The hour that the first night of the season 24 Dancing WIth the Stars finale took place in was filled with tens and fun dancing that rocked the dance floor! The final three couples (David & LIndsay, Normani & Val, and Rashad & Emma) competed in two more rounds of dances before their final challenge, which is tonight!
Here with their thoughts on the show are Julia Delbel, dwtsdreams, and Paul Bentley!
Redemption Dances
The final three couples performed dance styles that they have already performed previously in the season to different songs with different costumes and choreography in hopes of improving from their original dances.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli]
David Ross and Lindsay Arnold
Viennese Waltz: Let’s Hurt Tonight by OneRepublic
Original Dance: Viennese Waltz from Week 4 (Most Memorable Year Night)
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 9, 8 (33/40) Lowest Redemption Dance Score
#TeamLadyAndTheGramp 1(800)868-3404
@TheBentleyNinja: We have seen one slow Waltz and two Viennese Waltzes from David and Lindsay, but I don’t mind seeing all of them from these two! David and Lindsay have such an inspiring and lovely connection with each other in this Viennese Waltz, making it superbly warm and gentle in the nature of the movements. However, the mistakes in the technique were still glaring while in hold, with David rushing the footwork and dropping the frame often. It was a bit hectic at parts, but overall, was a beautiful piece that started the show on a good note.
Bentley’s Score: 8
@dwtsdreams: David and Lindsay have such a beautiful partnership that captivates audiences all around the world watching. While David might not be the best dancer he has poise and works his butt off every week. He has a huge loyal fan base that has brought him this far so I wouldn't be surprised if he won.
Dream’s Score: 8
@juliadelbel: I feel like I’ve seen this routine every other week. I know David and Lindsay done several waltzes over the course of the season, but they’ve all felt so similar. David’s frame has improved but it still feels like he’s almost running to stay in step with Lindsay and his butt still sticks out quite a bit. With the scores for this dance and some of the ones from last week I don’t think he’s winning tonight, but it seems that he feels he’s pretty much already won just for still being here at the end of the season!
Julia’s Score: 8
Normani Kordei and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Quickstep: Check It Out by Oh the Larceny
Original Dance: Quickstep From Week 1 (Premiere)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 9, 9, 10 (38/40)
#TeamValMani 1(800)868-3410
@TheBentleyNinja: That was one speedy Quickstep! Normani and Val looked like they were racing on pogo sticks with the amount of bounce they implemented into the routine! I disagree with Len and Julianne about the spacing; I thought that the spacing was at an accepting spacing length, and if it were any closer, I think that it would look too tight. This dance had a ton of technique perfected in the short microseconds that they were performed, asserting the high amounts of energy and precision that Normani has. This was such a fun routine, and as far as I saw, all of the fire that the dance brought was contained appropriately.
Bentley’s Score: 10
@dwtsdreams: I understood why Len gave Normani because she lacked body contact but now I'm re watching it and there was so much loss of body contact in some parts. This dance had incredible energy and high amounts of poise and sharp movements. Unfortunately though the body contact outweighed the energy. I love Normani so much though and I am so glad she made it to the finals!!!!
Dream’s Score: 9
@juliadelbel: At first I was surprised at Julianne and Len’s comments for this dance, but watching it back I did see a lot of body contact issues and quite a bit of the choreography just wasn’t suited to a Quickstep. I really liked her footwork and character, though. One thing that confused me was the decision to put Normani in the catsuit for this routine. She looked FANTASTIC in it, but it exposed her technical flaws that a long dress may have been able to hide better.
Julia’s Score: 9
Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater
Viennese Waltz: Dark Times by The Weeknd featuring Ed Sheeran
Original Dance: Viennese Waltz from Week 2
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40) Perfect Redemption Dance Score
#TeamShadSquad 1(800)868-3411
@TheBentleyNinja: It was cool how this dance was like a sequel to Rashad and Emma’s Viennese Waltz from earlier in the season. It continued the story from week 2 with a new refinement in Rashad’s feet, with some newfound heel leads and less clunky transitions! I originally found it odd that Rashad and Emma did a Viennese Waltz for their redemption dance because their original one was already so good, but after seeing the new and improved one, I noticed, all of the little things that Rashad has worked on since the beginning of the competition. I’m so glad that this performance was the first perfect score ever for both Rashad and Emma!
Bentley’s Score: 10
@juliadelbel: Like David’s, this reminded me a lot of Rashad’s previous Viennese Waltz, but with these two the parallels were intentional. This decision was not only a cool creative choice, but it also shows how Rashad has improved over the course of the competition. His feet were even better than in the Rumba he did last week, and he really captured the sensual feel of the performance. Rashad and Emma have great chemistry, and I’m glad they got to showcase that one more time at the end of the season.
Julia’s Score: 10
@dwtsdreams: While watching this dance with my sister on Monday night I started to full on scream. Rashad IS KILLING IT. The one part when he fully extended his line and spun emma into 3 turns- ugh, I was dead. He has such great technique for a football player and is impressing me every week.
Dream’s Score: 10
Rankings of the Redemption Dances
@TheBentleyNinja
1. Normani & Val
2. Rashad & Emma
3. David & Lindsay
@juliadelbel
1. Rashad & Emma
2. Normani & Val
3. David & Lindsay
@dwtsdreams
1. Rashad & Emma
2. Normani & Val
3. David & Lindsay
The Freestyles
With all creative freedom given to the finalists, each couple performed a Freestyle routine to win over the audience’s votes and the judges’ scores.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli]
David Ross and Lindsay Arnold
Freestyle: It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, and Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Ronnie Neuman
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40) Perfect Freestyle Score
#TeamLadyAndTheGramp 1(800)868-3404
@TheBentleyNinja: Okay, wow! Not only did this Freestyle showcase David in the best way possible, but it was absolutely genius in the choreography! Lindsay did not go easy on David with the choreography at all, and David executed it as if he were a professional dancer himself! The section with the baseball bats was right up David’s ally, and it made for the perfect prop! David has found his footing on the show, and it is all because of his hard work and his and Lindsay’s masterful partnership!
Bentley’s Score: 10
@juliadelbel: I know I said some different things during last night’s podcast but right after we were done I went and rewatched this….and then again….and again! I loved it! When I first watched this I thought I saw something off at the beginning but I guess I was wrong. This theme and choreography were very well-tailored to David’s strengths, which is what a Freestyle should be. Lindsay created a routine in which David could hold his own among a sea of professional dancers, and gave him fun tricks to do to wow the audience!
Julia’s Score: 10
@dwtsdreams: This was a perfect representation of who David is! Lindsay delivered an incredible choreographed piece that showed off David’s strengths. He is the one contestant that everyone loves because he is so much fun to watch. He has so much gratitude for being on the show and it makes me so happy. David has improved week after week and I'm so impressed.
Dream’s Score: 10
Normani Kordei and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Freestyle: What the World Needs Now is Love by Andra Day
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40) Perfect Freestyle Score
#TeamValMani 1(800)868-3410
@TheBentleyNinja: I found this Freestyle to be emphatically powerful, especially after what occurred in the United Kingdom just hours before. The message was strong, and it reigned as a catalyst for the tone of the dance. Normani, as always, had beautiful lines that flew across the dance floor with tear-jerking lines and a stunning blend of different types of choreography. I loved the implementation of the children in the dance (maybe foreshadowing Dancing With the Stars Junior for next Spring?), who made the performance feel innocent and youthful. They added flair to Normani and Val’s routine, but they didn’t overshadow the shining star that is Nomani.
Bentley’s Score: 10
@juliadelbel: I thought Normani truly captured the essence of this piece and danced it beautifully. In fact, I wish this had been her Viennese Waltz last week (maybe minus the lifts) because I think I would have appreciated this routine under that label more than as a Freestyle. I know “Freestyle” means complete creative freedom, but I think it should be more than *insert regular Ballroom/Latin style here* with some lifts (and this isn’t even the first time a Val Freestyle has essentially been this). I also found out later that there was a performance on last season of Strictly Come Dancing that was VERY similar to this (same song, similar moves, and kids involved) which kinda makes me weary on this number. Now I really like the idea of a Ballroom Freestyle, but I would prefer to see something combining different Ballroom styles and making it into its own thing. Maybe we’ll get to see someone do that in the future!
Julia’s Score: 9
@dwtsdreams: This was so beautiful filled with rawness and realness. It made me so happy yet sad. On one hand, I was happy because it showed how we can bring light to another but one the other it was so sad because it was so real. Normani is the ONLY dancer in the competition that can bring real emotion to every single dance. She is a true performer. I have no words. Normani is a brilliant, wonderful human. I'm so happy she was on the show. She is truly a jem. Normani COULD definitely win with this dance.
Dream’s Score: 10
Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater
Freestyle: Let’s Go from Drumline (2002), and Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40) Perfect Freestyle Score
#TeamShadSquad 1(800)868-3411
@TheBentleyNinja: This was Rashad’s dance! This was the type of performance that put his moves to the best use! Rashad used every part of his body to the best of his abilities, not leaving a single stone unturned in his movements. The “Uptown Funk” vibe made this dance more than just an energetic and upbeat Freestyle, but a unique and catchy showstopper! This is the Freestyle that stood out the most to me from last night, and I think that this routine might have won him over quite a few votes from the audience! But the game’s not over just yet-- there’s still the 24 Hour Fusion Challenge!
Bentley’s Score: 10
@julialdelbel: I don’t want to jinx things, but I think last night clinched the win for Rashad and Emma. They combined different songs, dance styles, and tones to create a masterpiece in this Freestyle. I’m really happy to see both this dance as well as David and Lindsay’s getting so much love, because it seems that a lot of the super-fun, upbeat, “party” style Freestyles went out of fashion for awhile their, and the emotional Contemporaries and the like got much more praise. It was so awesome to see the fun make a triumphant return back to the Freestyle round!
Julia’s Score: 10
@dwtsdreams: That could be a winning dance because DAMN, Rashad. That was so fun and filled with energy. It truly showcased how Rashad was as a person. It was so upbeat and made me want to dance. Emma and Rashad could be the partnership to beat!
Dream’s Score: 10
Rankings of the Freestyle Dances
@TheBentleyNinja
1. Rashad and Emma
2. David and Lindsay
3. Normani and Val
@juliadelbel
1. Rashad & Emma
2. David & Lindsay
3. Normani & Val
@dwtsdreams
I can't rank these freestyles because Normani and Val’s were just so different and each freestyle had something different to offer.
Rashad & Emma: Best Use of Troupe, Best Display of Star, Most Energy!!!
Normani & Val: Best Representation of Journey, Best Elegant Freestyle, Most Heartfelt
David & Lindsay: Most Fun to Watch, Most Improvement, Best “Getting Out of Your Shell” Performance
Overall Comments on Night One of the Finale
@TheBentleyNinja: What is up with social media this season?! This is the first season in the past five seasons I have live tweeted about this show that I am tagged in posts directing hate towards the couples on the show and at other people. People need to realize that this is just a show, and just because something doesn’t go their way, doesn’t mean that exploding at people and cyberbullying them is the answer. I’ve also seen tons of tweets during the show saying that the judges are racist and anti-feminist, which kind of makes me scratch my head for obvious reasons, but to each their own, I guess. Nonetheless, that doesn’t stop me from loving to interact with all of the civil people on Twitter who have bold, yet respectable and open-minded opinions.
@TheBentleyNinja: I have also seen a lot of comments on Twitter saying what couples they feel “deserve” to win the Mirrorball Trophy, which kind of irrationally annoys me a bit because anybody who has put dedicated work into the show and made it through the competition fairly from the judges’ scores and the viewers’ votes, at least in my opinion, deserves to be on the show, whether I am rooting for them or not. I adore all three of the final couples, and I love how passionate they all are and how they thankful they are for being part of the competition.
@dwtsdreams: I have also seen so many comments saying that “This star deserved a high score because she was so much better than ____ that stupid, terrible ____, he shouldn't even be in the finals” or calling PEOPLE NAMES or HATING on one contestant so that yours will somehow be better. That is not okay, we are all a family here no hate is necessary.
@TheBentleyNinja: In my opinion, last night was the best round of Freestyles on DWTS in a while!
@juliadelbel: I agree that this was a very strong round of Freestyles. We had a slump from Seasons 20-22 IMO, but this season and the previous one seemed to be getting things back on track.
@dwtsdreams: I agree this round of Freestyles fully showcased all the contestants strengths and personality. It was so nice to see two party Freestyles and then one emotional one. In the past, most winners to have an emotional Contemporary style freestyle, but we will see!
Top 3 Finale Predictions
@TheBentleyNinja: For me, this is the hardest top three to predict in a while. It seems like all of the couples are receiving an outpour of votes, with David getting shout outs from different brands and celebrities left and right, Normani getting the support from her countless Fifth Harmony fans, and Rashad getting those power votes from football fans and those who thought that he has been underscored this season. Not only that, but the scores from tonight are relatively close, making it a probable for any of the final three couples to win in theory. But when it all comes down to it, as seen from patterns in recent seasons and the fact that I think people are mostly power voting for Normani and Rashad, plus the fact that David has the lowest overall score thus far, I think that David will come in third place, although at this point, it would not surprise me if he got second. Him getting first seems a bit unlikely from what I see. So as for Normani and Rashad, it all comes down to who has actually been voting. For most of this season, I have been predicting that Rashad would win this season, but with the fact that he hadn’t gotten a perfect score until week 10, and the fact that Normani fans have been more enthusiastic than any other fan base I have ever seen for a celebrity on this show, I have been starting to second guess that. However, with Rashad on top of the leaderboard for two weeks now (if you don’t count Simone for last week because she was eliminated), and with many Rashad fans realizing how much support Normani has, I think that Rashad might be able to come out on top. I think Normani fans realize how popular Rashad is, though, so I think that they are voting for Normani just like Rashad fans are voting for Rashad. So, I think the votes for the final two will be close, but, despite the massive margins I have seen depicting Normani to win this season (which are kind of inaccurate because it seems like Normani fans are the only ones who seem to retweet the polls), I think that Rashad will come in first place and Normani will come in second place. I would not be surprised if it was the other way around, though, all things considered.
@juliadelbel: I personally don’t find this top 3 as hard to predict as last season’s. I mean I figured Calvin would come third, but I was so unsure about the other two all day before the Finale. This season, I’m pretty sure it’s Rashad’s to lose, but I’m wondering about Normani’s fanbase and if they can overtake him. Based on the way the judges and production have acted this season I’m guessing they won’t but we’ll see. I think they may have done enough to stay ahead of David, who has a large margin to cover (about the same number of votes more than Normani as he had to get to beat Simone) but is probably getting more votes from the general public than Normani is (although I think Rashad is getting the most of the three). However, the Finals tends to have more people watching and voting than the previous weeks, so some of those people may have seen Normani as a stronger dancer and voted for her. In the end, I don’t think the combined totals will be as close as last season, but not as much of a blowout as when Bindi won.
@dwtsdreams: I predict this final to go one of two ways. Situation A: Rashad in first place, David in second, Normani in 3rd. Situation B: Normani in first place, Rashad in second, David in third. The reason why I think Situation A is a possibility is for shock factor. One, David does have a large fan base so that could propel him to second place. Do not underestimate the fans! This situation would have a shocking elimination with Normani. Normani is so good that people might not vote for her because they think she is already covered. David might get the “sympathy” or “ personality “ vote. Situation B is probable because there is a high chance Normani could win with Rashad coming in second and David coming in third.
MVP (Most Valuable Pro) Picks for Night One
@TheBentleyNinja: I have got to give my MVP pick to Lindsay Arnold again this time around. That Freestyle was absolutely phenomenal. And right when I think David has reached his peak in dancing ability, he and Lindsay prove me wrong with difficult choreography that is actually executed really well. Lindsay always works wonders on her partners, and I think she has used her magic the most efficiently with David in all of her time as a pro on the show.
@dwtsdreams: I have to give my MVP to Lindsay Arnold again! Lindsay continues to get non-dancers into the finals!
@juliadelbel: I’m choosing Emma Slater because she reached new heights with Rashad last night and created some of the best and most memorable dances of the season for the Finals.
Tonight. . .
It all comes down to this: the final episode of season 24 of Dancing With the Stars. Night two of the finale comes on tonight at 8:30 PM EST (7:30 PM CST) and ends at 11:00 PM EST (10 PM CST). For the final round of competition, the finalists will perform their dances for the 24-Hour Fusion Dance Challenge. After the first night of the premiere, each remaining couple received a song and two dance styles to fuse together to perform tonight on the show, having less than a day to prepare for it.
According to this week’s press release, the opening number tonight will feature all twelve couples from this season, along with all four judges and the hosts. Actress Hailee Steinfeld will also be performing her latest single Most Girls, and OneRepublic will perform their song No Vacancy with dancers Sharna Burgess and Gleb Savchenko. Lady Antebellum will perform their song You Look Good with dancers Witney Carson and Hayley Erbert as well. And, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the movie Dirty Dancing, Colt Prattes and season 10 DWTS champion Nicole Scherzinger will dance to DO You Love Me from the movie, which airs tomorrow on ABC. Plus, there will be a sneak peak for the upcoming DWTS tour Dancing With the Stars: Live! - Hot Summer Nights coming this Summer.
The professional guys and girls will perform in different dances, with the female professional dancers and female troupe dancers, along with Heather Morris, dancing to River by Bishop Briggs, and the male professional dancers and male troupe dancers dancing to That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars.
Finally, combining the judges’ scores and the viewers’ votes, third place, second place, and first place will be determined. One couple will win the Mirror Ball Trophy, and then that’s it-- the season will be over!
Playlist of the Finale Night One Dances: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK1f1bOs9XyehMSJcdC8rx2gdpVFCAwQO
What did you think of the first night of the season 24 Finale on Dancing With the Stars? Which couple do you think redeemed themselves the most from in the Redemption Dance round? Which Freestyle do you think was the most showstopping? Who do you want to win the Mirror Ball Trophy? Who do you think will come in second and third place tonight? Which couple do you think will win it all? What are you looking forward to in tonight’s episode of DWTS?
Tonight, the 24-Hour Fusion dances will be the final scored performances of the season. The winner will be crowned, and then it’s the Summer, which is when the new DWTS tour Hot Summer Nights will be running across the country! Then, this Fall, it will be season 25 of Dancing With the Stars!
Follow us on Twitter!
dwtsdreams: @dwtsdreams
Julia Delbel: @juliadelbel
Paul Bentley: @TheBentleyNinja
#DWTS #DWTS24
#DWTSFinale
No comments:
Post a Comment