DWTS INTERACT: Dancing With the Stars Season 24- Week 10, Night 2 (Finale) Dance Overviews

Controversy erupted from the results of night two of the Dancing With the Stars Finale, but that doesn’t eliminate the fact that the night was filled with fun and iconic performances!

Here, for the last time this season, are dwtsdreams, Paul Bentley, and Julia Delbel, giving their thoughts on the finale dances of the season!

The 24-Hour Fusion Dance Challenge

After night one of the finale, the final three couples were assigned two styles to fuse together into one dance to a specific song for their finale scored performances of the season, which they had less than twenty-four hours to rehearse!

[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli]

David Ross and Lindsay Arnold Runners-Up (Second Place)

Foxtrot/Salsa Fusion: Living by Bakermat featuring Alex Clare

The Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 (36/40) Lowest Fusion Dance Score

(Finale Total Score: 109/120) Lowest Overall Finale Score

#TeamLadyAndTheGramp 1(800)868-3404

@TheBentleyNinja: Salsa and Foxtrot were the perfect styles to put together for David and Lindsay’s finale dance because it allowed us to see his delicate frame, which is the strongest part of his dancing, and it also let him have fun with the Salsa content. . . and this couple had always thrived on fun! I can tell that David listened to the judges’ comments regarding how he rushes while in hold sometimes, but he ended up overcompensating by coming off as too careful. Nonetheless, this dance was more polished than I would have expected for a 24-Hour dance, and David’s form was fully paid attention to. As I have said before, I love everything that David and Lindsay have brought to the show, and apparently his massive fan base did, too! It’s incredible that this team had the popularity to become runners-up despite their lower scores as compared to Rashad & Emma and Normani & Val. It’s unfortunate that this Fusion dance was the last dance we are going to see from this couple, but at the same time, it is like David and Lindsay have completed telling us a wonderful story, and maybe it would be better for them to end their story where they did so it could be the perfect fairytale ending for them!

Bentley’s Score: 9

@juliadelbel: I was impressed a how Lindsay manages to blend these two very different styles together to fit the same music, and David’s footwork was pretty good. There were quite a few technical issues and he seemed rather stiff during the Foxtrot portions, but this was the Fusion round and that’s not really what these dances are about so there really isn’t that much point going on about it. I think last night proved that David had more than the Cubs fans voting for him, because no one can make it as far as second place without a good chunk of the general audience behind them. I was very impressed that these two managed to beat out EVERY SINGLE RINGER in a season chock full of them, but then again maybe it’s not too surprising considering the direction the audience has been leaning lately, and the fact that David was the first MLB player to ever do DWTS. A show that’s 12 years and 24 seasons into its run will naturally have a lot of repeated tropes and types of contestants, so it seems natural the audience would latch onto something new and fresh!

Julia’s Score: 8

@dwtsdreams: During one of the weeks of the show, Tom said to David that he was the best representation of the MLB they could have, and I agree. David is the definition of the core values that should be displayed in a contestant. He is hardworking, humble, deserving, and dedicated. Lindsay also proved herself again this season, showing that she can take anyone to the Finals. For the past couple of seasons, she has taken non-dancers to the Finals, which has been impressing me season after season. This Fusion was not the perfect mix of Salsa and Foxtro,t but it did show improvement. There were barely any Salsa combs, and it was mostly Foxtrot. Overall, though, I am so proud of David and Lindsay.

Dream’s Score: 9

Normani Kordei and Valentin Chmerkovskiy Third Place

Argentine Tango/Foxtrot Fusion: There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes

The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40) Perfect Fusion Dance Score

(Finale Total Score: 118/120)

#TeamValMani 1(800)868-3410

@TheBentleyNinja: The Fusion dance that Normani and Val performed for us showcased Normani’s strengths-- and she a lot of them! This Argentine Tango/Foxtrot combination flowed like water, showing both the light and the dark that Normani can bring in her dancing. I love how nostalgic this performance was of Normani and Val’s journey, including the nice touch of Val kissing Normani on the forehead towards the end of the routine. Even though this couple ended up in third place, there is no denying that Normani and Val kept raising the bar with their dancing each and every week! A lot of the audience, including Normani and Val themselves, seemed shocked by the elimination, but even then, Normani left with class and grace, allowing us to see how truly humble and kind Normani is as a human being!

Bentley’s Score: 10

@juliadelbel: I was very impressed by Normani’s performance in this Fusion dance and how Val managed to combine the two styles to create a whole new type of dance! I was kind of surprised these two ended up in third, but also kind of not because I’ve been concerned over her votes for awhile now (and the fact that David managed to beat her out by the same number he needed to pass Simone in the Semi-Finals makes me wonder how things would have played out had production not helped Normani out the way they did). Regardless, I’m glad Normani got to live out her longtime dream of competing on Dancing With the Stars!

Julia’s Score: 10

@dwtsdreams: YASSS, MANI!! To be honest, when the show announced that Normani was going to be a contestant, I wasn't that excited. I was not a Fifth Harmony fan at all and I was not looking forward to watching her because I thought she was not talented. I was so wrong. Normani is one of the most talented and humble contestants we have had on the show. She is talented and I fell in love with watching her. She quickly became one of my favorites, and I went from not really being a Normani fan to full on loving her. She became one of my favorite stars to EVER be on the show. Harmonizers, while sometimes you guys can get a little feisty and judgy thank you so much for the fans who supported DWTS during the time on the show. I know some Harmonizers are mad at the outcome, and have decided not to watch the show anymore, but I hope you guys enjoyed it in some way!

Dream’s Score: 10

Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater WINNERS (1st Place)

Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango Fusion: I Don’t Like It, I Love It by Flo Rida featuring Robin Thicke & Verdine White

The Judges’ Scores: 10, 9, 10, 10 (39/40)

(Finale Total Score: 119/120) Highest Overall Finale Score

#TeamShadSquad 1(800)868-3411

@TheBentleyNinja: Rashad brought a classy, yet funk routine for his final dance on the show! Fusing the Cha-Cha-Cha and the Tango together makes for the perfect party dance, and that’s exactly what Rashad and Emma brought to the floor! It’s always awesome to see Rashad’s swagger with the Latin style mixed in with some Tango flare for the ballroom aspect of it! Never in this season, as asserted in this Fusion dance, have I seen Rashad not feel the music throughout his body, which always makes it more of a pleasure to watch him! As I have stated last week, I had been rooting for #TeamShadSquad since week one, even though I love all of the finalists so much this season, and a part of the reason for that is because Rashad has the charisma, the personality, the drive, and the dance ability that I always look for in a good couple. I’m happy for both Rashad and Emma, considering how much they desperately wanted the win, and how much effort they put into every week (an extra one hundred hours compared to the other finalists, to be exact)! Rashad’s win is inspiring, especially with his story of how he managed to go from zero to hero all because someone believed in him. And that is something amazing.

Bentley’s Score: 10

@juliadelbel: These were two great styles for Rashad to showcase his multiple dancing talents he has developed over the course of the past few months! I agreed with Len on the issues he had with the Tango part, but he could have been nicer about it; this was his last dance of the season, after all. Of course, it turned out not to matter because a few minutes later, they won the Mirrorball anyway! I’m thrilled for the both of them and I believe they truly deserved it. Rashad came in with no team, no dance experience, and no real fan base, but managed to pull off the win in the end! And after several years of Emma getting shifted around, given no-hope partners, getting screwed over by the producers, getting screwed over by the audience, almost getting cut, actually getting cut, and barely making it back onto the pro roster, it was SO satisfying to see her finally win! (Though I’m glad the main focus has been on Rashad- the celebrity- as it should be!)

Julia’s Score: 9

@dwtsdreams: I have been a Normani fan, but I have grown to adore Rashad. This dance was a perfect representation of who he is, and I'm so glad he won!

Dream’s Score: 10

Rankings of the Fusion Dances

@TheBentleyNinja

1. Normani & Val

2. Rashad & Emma

3. David & Lindsay

@dwtsdreams

1. Normani & Val

2. Rashad & Emma

3. David & Lindsay

@juliadelbel

1. Normani & Val

2. Rashad & Emma

3. David & Lindsay

Other Performances From the Night

A number of guest performers and couples from this season entertained with various live dances and singing performances throughout the night.

Opening Number

The Season 24 Cast

Happy by C2C featuring Derek Martin

@TheBentleyNinja: I know that a widespread consensus about this season is that it has been a bit too serious and competitive, but I think I have to beg to differ. This was a really fun number to watch, and not just fun in the sense that it had upbeat music and fast dancing, but also in the sense that it actually felt like a premiere number with excitement that we would see for week one! Of course, I loved seeing the entire cast again and how they have improved from the beginning of the show, but I have to say that Simone and Sasha stood out to me with that awesome lift at the beginning!

@juliadelbel: The tone of the season did a 180 this week and I LOVED it! Where was this the other nine weeks? This was the best Finale in YEARS, and if this tone carries over into next season, I’m sure it’ll be amazing!

@dwtsdreams: I loved his opening number. It was full of REAL dance, performance, and fun! I am going to try to do Chelsea Q justice here but, I'm not going to do it as well as she does. I was SO disappointed in the lack of Erica this finale. I don't understand what is wrong with this strong and beautiful woman. The double standard this season killed me. There has been so much controversy this season when Erika was on and her being too sexy, and that blows my mind. Bonner came out week 1, thrusting, and the judges call him “so hot” and “sexy,” and Erika comes out, and she is critiqued. David comes out doing a Magic Mike dances, and is praised, and Erika does a little shimmying, and it is considered too sexy. I am sorry, producers, but it WASN'T her fault that you have her the same type of dance EVERY week, and, judges, if you complained that she was doing the same thing every week, then talk to the producers. Erika is a beautiful, strong woman, and that is that.

Girls Number

Female Troupe Dancers and Heather Morris

River by Bishop Briggs

@TheBentleyNinja: This is the kind of number I had wanted to see from Heather while she was still competing on the show! If she had a modern style and good music to dance to in order to create a performance like this while during her short time on the show, I think that she would have lasted longer! This was my favorite performance I had seen from Heather, which puts her in the same field as the other astonishing female pros, who all stood out with their sharp and emotional dancing. This number was interesting in the fact that that it was like a combination of Hip-Hop and Contemporary, which I have never seen executed that well before. These ladies absolutely owned this routine!

@dwtsdreams: EMMY NOMINATION RIGHT HERE! I love dance, and dancing Contemporary during performances and competitions is my favorite. Sometimes I don't like Contemporary on the show because it isn't real Contemporary, but this was incredible. This was a mixture of Jazz Funk, heel-style movements, and Contemporary. This is the best girl number we have ever had on the show. Witney did an incredible job choreographing it. I also heard Hayley helped, so incredible job, you two!

@juliadelbel: This was amazing and I am so proud of Witney (and whoever else helped with the choreography for this piece). I was so happy to see a female pro number that was actually about something rather than the usual bump-and-grind. I would love to see more pro numbers choreographed by the pros themselves like in the past, because I think we’d be seeing a lot more creativity and variety if they did!

Guys Number

Male Troupe Dancers

That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars

@TheBentleyNinja: Before this dance, I had never realized how much the male dancers outnumber the female dancers this season! How have I never noticed this before? But anyway, this dance was fun, although you really can’t consider it too much of a dance when the dancing is just flailing arms and slow swaying of the hips. Also, I think the guys’ pants might have been just a little too tight. . .

@juliadelbel: Okay, so this one WAS a bump-and-grind number, but I love this song so I was happy to get to see some actual good dancing to it this season after….well, you know.

@dwtsdreams: This was a fun number but there was no real dance, and the choreography was lacking. There was some Latin in there that didn't match, and that section seemed like everyone was kinda asleep.

Miscellaneous Performances

OneRepublic, Lady Antebellum, TLC, Hailee Steinfeld, Dirty Dancing Number, Charo, Mr. T Video, Repeat Dances

@TheBentleyNinja: Where do I begin?! Unlike most finale episodes of Dancing With the Stars, I actually found that last night’s finale really didn’t drag out at all with the refreshing and upbeat tone of the performances! First of all, I have got to say how much I loved Bruno and Len in Normani’s repeat Salsa; they didn’t interfere with the dance too much, but they made just enough of an appearance to make it iconic! Also, the Dirty Dancing number with Nicole Scherzinger and Colt Prattes was really good- and I mean really good! I love Broadway-like dances, especially when they are instant classics like that! Oh, and how good was Charo playing that guitar?! Incredible! OneRepublic, which is a band that I am quite fond of, was good with their first dance, but phenomenal with their second dance before we found out who was to come in third place; there is just something about that song I Lived that I love so much, let alone the fact that one of my favorite people to ever compete on the show, Noah Galloway, danced to that song in Season 20! And how could I forget that Mr. T song?! I want a copy of that song-- it’s too iconic to forget! I really wish that we would have seen more from him this season!

@juliadelbel: THE MR. T RAP GAVE ME LIFE! In fact, I may even have already watched it more than any actual dance from the season… lol.

@dwtsdreams: I loved all these numbers! The Dirty Dancing number was so upbeat and fun! Len’s addition to Normani’s number made it burst with fun and it was a great finale!

@juliadelbel: What was up with the singer from Ray Chew Live botching How Far I’ll Go that badly? Glad it didn’t throw Simone or Sasha off (and I liked the new tricks in that dance!).

@TheBentleyNinja: I mean, you can’t beat the original singer, but I didn’t think that the cover of the song was that bad!

Playlist of the Finale Night Two Performances: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK1f1bOs9Xyed_lEVFWiz9TZ9omqn7dAM