Season 25 is over, and Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold are this season’s champions! With final thoughts on the second night of the Dancing With the Stars finale, here are Paul Bentley, Julia Delbel, and Dwtsdreams!
Repeats of the Couples’ Favorite Dances
The final three couples each chose their favorite dance that they performed to repeat on the second night of the finale for points.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas
Repeat Jive
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
Original Performance: Week 3 (Guilty Pleasures Night)
Bentley Although Lindsey’s original Jive got all 9’s the first time, I actually ended up giving her my first 10 of the season on this blog. And in this repeat, Lindsey managed to keep that 10 from me! Even though I thought the original was already awesome, I think this time Lindsey and Mark were a lot looser, as Tom mentioned about all of the finalists on Tuesday. Lindsey still had her pro-like technique, and she brought out the same fun character that she had in Week 3. During Guilty Pleasure Night when this was first performed, it was hard to get the energy amped up for every couple because of the tragedy that occurred in Las Vegas just hours before. But the high energy of it being the finale made me enjoy this dance even more!
Oh, and as for Lindsey’s package before her dance, I think that it’s absolutely awesome how Lindsey managed to make it where she is now in life after all of the negative feedback she received beforehand! You show ‘em, Lindsey!
Julia I thought this was amazing the first time around and even better this week, with just a little more control, pep, and pointed toes from Lindsey!
Dream This dance was miles better than the first one, which is nearly impossible because the first time was great! Lindsey looked stronger and more powerful. She hit her movements with intent, and her technique was amazing. Her legs were straight through the knee without hyper extending and she created a visible difference between kicks and flicks.
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
10
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Bruno
10
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Total
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
10
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Dwtsdreams
10
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Julia
10
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Total
30/30
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#TeamSTARK 1(800)868-3407
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson
Repeat Argentine Tango
3rd Place
Angelica by Rodrigo y Gabriela
Original Performance: Week 5 (Disney Night)
Bentley Out of the three repeat dances on Tuesday, I think this dance showcased the most progression out of everybody, even though I think Frankie did have a journey that needed a little more progression than Lindsey and Jordan. It was still awkward to me at points, like how he went at the end of the beat at times while Witney was consistently on the beat throughout the whole dance. But still, Frankie was in the zone with his connection to both Witney and the music. The Argentine Tango might not necessarily be Frankie’s strongest dance, but he surely demonstrated more strength now than he did back during Disney Night.
Julia Unfortunately, Frankie being off beat was a problem that plagued multiple dances of his this last week, but he still had a respectable end to his season. Contrastingly to his Freestyle, he managed to gather enough intensity to command the stage during this performance, which made it awesome to watch!
Dream I think Frankie performs his best when he does high energy and fun routines. He does power routines well, but it still lacks the passion and intensity needed in power dances such as the Argentine Tango. His musicality was a bit off as he was off beat a couple times.
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
10
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Bruno
10
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Total
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
9
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Dwtsdreams
9
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Julia
9
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Total
27/30
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#TeamFranneyPack 1(800)868-3405
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold
Repeat Samba
Winners (1st Place)
Mi Gente by J Balvin & Willy William
Original Performance: Week 2, Night 2 (Latin Night)
Bentley I can never get enough of Mi Gente! Jordan and Lindsay’s Samba was nearly perfect the first time, and it was completely perfect the second time! The slightly incorrect footing he had during Latin Night was fixed, and it overall just had an extra layer of flavor that, much like Lindsey’s Jive, seemed to be because of the energy of the finale. I never really see Jordan and Lindsay as having sexual chemistry, but they brought out something close to it that was fun and smooth. It had Latin flair, but it was their own Latin flair!
Dream This dance was one of my favorite dances they did, and I was shocked when it was announced it was their repeat dance. It was nearly perfect the first time, but this time Jordan did a great job creating a Latin flair and not making it to Hip-Hoppy. This dance is full of spicy flavor and power, which I adore!
Julia This was underscored the first time they performed it (the only issue was some minor foot stuff and they got all 8’s), but this time everything was bang on and then some, and I’m so glad Jordan and Lindsay received the perfect score they deserved for it!
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
10
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Bruno
10
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Total
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
10
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Dwtsdreams
10
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Julia
10
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Total
30/30
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#TeamFishUponAStar 1(800)868-3406
The 24-Hour Fusion Dance Challenge
The final challenge of the season consisted of the final three putting together and then executing a dance in less than 24 hours that combines two different assigned styles. Then, the placings of the final three were announced, and the winning couple was given their Mirrorball Trophies!
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas
Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango Fusion
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Hot2Touch by Felix Jaehn featuring Hight & Alex Aiono
Bentley I’m really glad that Lindsey and Mark ended off the season with a fun and high-energy routine because it demonstrates the party-like vibe they have been able to capture through the season. During the very first week, I felt as though Lindsey didn’t open up to us as much as she could have. I really felt a lack in personality with her Cha-Cha during the Premiere, but as the weeks went on, I ended up seeing her become more comfortable and more experimental with her dancing. She made a complete turn around, and now she is a dynamic dancer, and not just a technically refined dancer. The Tango and Cha-Cha content blended together nicely in this dance, turning the intensity of the Tango into something more energetic to work better with the Cha-Cha. Lindsey was in complete control of herself in this Fusion dance, adding more Latin flair in this dance than in any of her other Latin performances. Lindsey might just be my favorite partner of Mark’s, although it is a toss-up between she and Paige VanZant from Season 22. There is something genuine about this couple, and it might stem from them already being friends before the show started, but I have definitely seen them become more in tune with each other as the season went on. I’m glad I was able to see more to Lindsey than just the dramatic side to her that we see with her violin. Now, I see her as the well-deserving runner-up of Season 25 of DWTS, and it’s pretty cool that I was able to witness that!
Dream Lindsey is an incredible dancer full of grace and strength. She performs slow dances such as the Waltz beautifully with such poise. Her technique is great in all styles, but sometimes she seems less powerful and more jiggly in high-energy dances. The best way I can describe it is Lindsey is like a ballet dancer doing Hip Hop. I would have liked her to be more of a powerhouse during this dance. In terms of technique, it was great though.
Julia I loved every single routine from Lindsey and Mark this season, including this wonderful Fusion! Mark did a great job mixing Cha-Cha and Tango steps together, while Lindsey nailed the technique and brought her own special flair to the performance!
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
10
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Bruno
10
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Total
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
10
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Dwtsdreams
10
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Julia
10
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Total
30/30
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#TeamSTARK 1(800)868-3407
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson
Foxtrot/Tango Fusion
3rd Place
Without You by Avicii featuring Sandro Cavazza
Bentley I’ve seen many people say this before, but I’m just going to reassert it: Frankie is one of the most relatable people to have been on this show. He has his insecurities, he has his awkward moments, and he has his ups and downs just like everyone else. But what is so refreshing about Frankie is that he embraces all of that about himself, using his quirks to add to his charm rather than letting it hinder him. He has been such a good sport all season, and through all of his dances and video packages, I feel like I’ve gotten to know him like a friend. He is so down-to-earth, and he overall just seems like a person that I would want to be around whenever I need a pick-me-up. And his Fusion dance kind of summed that all up in a way. He and Witney were cheeky as always, and this time around, they let of a sort of nostalgic feel with how they made their last dance on the show feel like the perfect way for them to end of the season. I thought Frankie’s Foxtrot sections were pretty solid and strong, but the Tango sections were a bit steppy. But at the end of the day, it was a nice routine with a good variation between fast and slow. And most importantly, it was a performance that had Frankie’s name all over it!
Dream Witney did a beautiful job marrying the “bouncy up beat” Foxtrot with the “strong more intense” Tango. Frankie did a great job embracing both styles and trying to marry each other to perform one cohesive dance. I loved the mix of fast and slow. He still is a bit “jiggly” but overall this was a cute dance.
Julia I liked Witney’s choreography for this, and Frankie did a decent job, though it was kind of uneven with the Foxtrot sections being noticeably better than the Tango ones. He still did a good job overall, though, and I hope he’s proud of his accomplishments this season. :)
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
9
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Bruno
9
|
Total
28/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
9
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Dwtsdreams
9
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Julia
9
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Total
27/30
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#TeamFranneyPack 1(800)868-3405
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold
Salsa/Paso Doble Fusion
Winners (1st Place)
Kill the Lights by Alex Newell, Jess Glynne, & DJ Cassidy with Nile Rodgers
Bentley Doesn’t Jordan seem like the nicest and sweetest person ever? Just watching him in the packages before his dances is nice to see with how emotionally connected he feels to everything in life. As for his Fusion dance, I loved it, of course! Both his Paso Doble and his Salsa from previous weeks this season were show-stopping in my book, and this final performance captured the best things about both of those performances into this one dance. The Paso Doble at the beginning was fierce yet hip, and the Salsa that it turned into was smooth and impressively technical. And not to mention that cool backflip towards the end of the dance! This was one of those Fusion dances that looks like it took more than 24 hours to rehearse because of how clean and polished it was, so major props go to both Jordan and Lindsey for managing to put all of that together! I’m really glad that these two won this season because not only do I think Jordan is probably the best celebrity to dance on this show, but he a good dancer and he is entertaining as hell! Sometimes dancers as good as Jordan can become boring at times, but I didn’t feel that way once with him! I’d say that a large portion of really good dancers on this show tend to be one-note, but that is the complete opposite with Jordan! With how much I loved his earlier routines, I thought that there would be no way that he would be able to top himself later in the season, but I was proven to be very wrong! Jordan and Lindsay kept topping themselves week after week in terms of both technique and performance quality, and that is something I can’t remember ever happening with another couple before on the same level as them. Jordan and Lindsay, especially after winning this season, are not only iconic-- they are legendary!
Dream I love this dance so much that I could write a whole page about it, but I want to save you all the time of reading about me obsess over Jordan. This dance was my favorite Fusion dance hands down. Jordan is an incredible dancer, and he performs like a professional!
Julia It looks like my tradition of giving the winning couple a 9 for their Fusion continues. Jordan performed this flawlessly (and he only learned the routine in an HOUR!) but like most of the other times I’ve done this, it was the choreography that bothered me. I understand one section of the song only lent itself to Paso, but Lindsay definitely could have fused both styles together in the more upbeat ending. I think I’m tired of the Fusion round because almost every season at least one couple doesn’t really fuse the assigned dances together. If the producers are going to continue this challenge, they definitely need to make more of an effort to choose songs that work for both styles the whole way through.
The Judges’ Scores
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Carrie Ann
10
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Len
10
|
Bruno
10
|
Total
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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Bentley
10
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Dwtsdreams
10
|
Julia
9
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Total
29/30
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#TeamFishUponAStar 1(800)868-3406
Dance Rankings
Bentley
1. Jordan & Lindsay’s Repeat Samba
2. Lindsey & Mark’s Repeat Jive
3. Jordan & Lindsay’s Salsa/Paso Doble Fusion
4. Lindsey & Mark’s Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango Fusion
5. Frankie & Witney’s Repeat Argentine Tango
6. Frankie & Witney’s Foxtrot/Tango Fusion
Julia
1. Lindsey & Mark’s Repeat Jive
2. Jordan & Lindsay’s Repeat Samba
3. Lindsey & Mark’s Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango Fusion
4. Jordan & Lindsay’s Salsa/Paso Doble Fusion
5. Frankie & Witney’s Repeat Argentine Tango
6. Frankie & Witney’s Foxtrot/Tango Fusion
Dream
1. Jordan & Lindsay’s Repeat Samba
2. Jordan & Lindsay’s Salsa/Paso Doble Fusion
3. Lindsey & Mark’s Repeat Jive
4. Lindsey & Mark’s Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango Fusion
5. Frankie & Witney’s Repeat Argentine Tango
6. Frankie & Witney’s Foxtrot/Tango Fusion
Week 10, Night 2 MVP Picks
Most Valuable Pro
Julia Mark Ballas did a wonderful job at fusing the style of Cha-Cha and Tango together to create an exciting and content-packed Fusion routine for Lindsey!
Bentley Lindsay Arnold ended off the season with yet another perfect routine for Jordan to just absolutely master! Not to mention that I still love the repeat Samba that really plays into the music! Looking at all of the work that Lindsay has done this season as well as some past seasons, I think I can declare that Lindsay is now my favorite professional dancer on this show! Her bubbly personality is infectious, and her choreography deserves the same type of recognition as Mark’s, which is very hard to live up to!
Dream Lindsay Arnold did beautiful job marrying the “up beat spicy ” Salsa with the “strong more intense” Paso Doble. She has done an incredible job all season and I am so proud of her for killing it this season and winning with Jordan!
Bentley So, about being able to vote live during the show on Tuesday… Why? First of all, it was completely unfair to let two finalists perform at the half point of the show but then not put a spotlight on the other one, and then let the audience vote some more. Sure, it might not have actually made a difference, but it’s really just the principle of it all. I know that Frankie would not have been able to do a musical number like Lindsey or Jordan, but the show could have A) had Frankie do something else, B) Not have the last-minute live voting at all, or C) have Lindsey and Jordan perform after all the votes are counted. I figured Frankie wasn’t going to win anyway, but what if things were a bit different? What if Frankie and Lindsey performed, but Jordan didn’t? Would the results have been different? I got a lot of strongly worded tweets from multiple people on Twitter saying that I was just being biased by thinking that way, but I guess if thinking that giving more airtime and performance time to only two of the three finalists is biased, then I guess I’m biased. XD
Julia I doubt the results would have been different even if Frankie performed, but they could have given him a segment a la Mr. T’s from last season or something, especially considering the live vote (which I also think was pointless but my guess is they included it in an attempt to dispel claims of the show being “rigged”).
Julia Speaking of results, they did that thing again with changing the order from Night 1 and Night 2 and knowing the patterns this show has developed in recent seasons it took all the suspense right out the window. It may have been different in early seasons, but it’s pretty obvious nowadays if you’re not one of the last two to dance in the Freestyle round you won’t win, and if you dance your Fusion first you won’t win. So it’s frustrating that in a season so close (much like Season 23) they’d have only one person be among the last two to dance on both nights. (Yes this season had online voting on the last night but TBH I don’t think it was ever gonna change the outcome.) It’s so frustrating when they pointlessly switch it up like that because it removes any suspense the show might have otherwise had. XD
Bentley Maybe I’m still just feeling the hype from the finale, but at this moment, I think that Season 25 of Dancing With the Stars might just be my favorite season yet. Sure, the level of dancing might have started out low this time around, but that made for some great story progressions along the way! Plus, the pros were absolutely phenomenal with their choreography this season, even more so than usual. Out of the three pros who made it to the second night of the finale, I think that all of them have created better dances this season than other season of the show. Mark always steps it every season he is on with mind-blowing creativity, Witney brought out so many different sides of Frankie that were fun to see, and Lindsay was able to consistently top herself with routines that were already show-stopping and memorable. And, as a personal observation, I think the production was a lot more hands-off this time around than usual, which is always a plus. There were so many nice and sweet personalities thrown into the mix this season (namely the finalists), and they all just meshed well with each other. There are without-a-doubt several dances from this season that I would consider to be iconic, especially from Jordan and Lindsay as well as Lindsey and Mark!
Week 10, Night 2 Stats
Dancing With the Stars Week 10, Night 2 Leaderboard
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Bloggers’ Scores
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Couple
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Dance Style
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Judges’ Scores
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Overall Scores
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Lindsey and Mark
(Runners-Up)
|
Quickstep
|
10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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140/140
|
10, 9, 8, 9 (36/40)
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
|
10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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Jive
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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Frankie and Witney
(Third Place)
|
Foxtrot
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10, 9, 10, 9 (38/40)
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134/140
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9, 9, 10, 9 (37/40)
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Freestyle
|
9, 9, 10, 10 (38/40)
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10, 9, 10, 9 (38/40)
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Argentine Tango
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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9, 9, 9 (27/30)
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Foxtrot/Tango
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10, 9, 9 (28/30)
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9, 9, 9 (27/30)
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Jordan and Lindsay
(Winners)
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Charleston
|
10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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140/140
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10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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Freestyle
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10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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10, 10, 10, 10 (40/40)
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Samba
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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Salsa/Paso Doble
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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10, 10, 9 (29/30)
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Next Season…
Dancing With the Stars is coming back for it’s twenty-sixth season next year in the Fall of 2018, but in the meantime, there will be a four-week all-athletes edition of the show coming in the Spring! What types of athletes would you want to see compete next season?!
And yes, this means that the announced spinoff Dancing With the Stars Jr. is no longer going to be running next year.
Check out DWTS Interact for this mini-season as we will blog about just like we do with every other season!
Links
Follow DWTS Interact on Twitter at @DWTSInteract, and follow the bloggers at @TheBentleyNinja, @juliadelbel, and @dwtsdreams!
