Finale night for Dancing With the Stars: Athletes came like a flash, and it ended with Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson reigning victorious! The entire season’s cast came back for a performance, plus the three remaining finalist couples competed in two rounds of performances, one of which was the Freestyle round!
Paul Bentley is blogging this week with special guest blogger Beth, who has been a reader of the blog for years now! Plus, for the last time this season, we put up a poll to see what you, The Readers, would have scored the performances. Once again, your scores are tallied in the total bloggers’ scores.
So here are our thoughts on this final night of season 26!
Round One
The couples each danced a style that they have not yet done on the show to reflect their journeys this season.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli]
[Order of the Bloggers’ Scores: Paul Bentley, The Readers, Beth]
Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber
Viennese Waltz
3rd Place
The Time of My Life by David Cook
Beth I will admit it’s been difficult watching Tonya these past few weeks. I’m not really a fan and I’ll leave it at that. I do love the Viennese Waltz and I think she did good. She did seem a little bit nervous at the beginning but it didn’t take long for that to fade away. She had great control of her movements. Good extension. However, I could feel the tension. Her shoulders were not very relaxed and it almost felt like they were rushing it. Very simple choreography but it was still beautiful.
Bentley I found this performance really sweet. It brought me back to Noah Galloway and Sharna’s Viennese Waltz from season 20, which is still one of my favorite performances to this day. As for Tonya and Sasha’s dance, it was certainly was a step up from their Foxtrot, but although her extensions were better this time around, Tonya’s arms were still not quite fluid enough. I can tell Tonya has gained confidence from being on DWTS, and it especially showed in this Viennese Waltz. Overall, it was her best dance yet (until she got to her Freestyle XD)!
The Judges’ Scores
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8
|
9
|
9
|
26/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
|
9
|
8
|
9
|
26/30
|
#TeamAxellent 1(800)868-3410
Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess
Foxtrot
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Conqueror by Empire Cast featuring Estelle and Jussie Smollett
Bentley It was so nice seeing Josh do his first and only ballroom dance of the season! And for it being his first one, he did one heck of a good job. He was very aware of every move he made, but kept his face in the character of the dance without seeming like he was counting steps, which was a bit worried of. Like I saw with Tonya, though, his extensions could have been better. And I know it is hard for Josh because of how different his build is compared to Sharna, but his frame was a bit tight. Other than that, it was a good Foxtrot that showcased strengths that we haven’t gotten to see from Josh yet!
Beth Josh was one of my favorites and I’m glad he made it to the finals! I think he did really well with the Foxtrot. He really seemed to be enjoying himself but could have loosened up just a bit. He looked a little tense and could have also extended his arms a little more. I noticed sometimes that Sharna almost overshadows her partners. Maybe just me? Overall, I thought it was well done and it’s a shame we never got to see more of him! I really think he would have killed the Argentine Tango!
The Judges’ Scores
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
27/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
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9
|
9
|
9
|
27/30
|
#TeamBackThatPassUp 1(800)868-3407
Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson
Jazz
Winners (1st Place)
Anything You Can Do from Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway
Bentley Oh, how I loved this dance! Without the use of a troupe or any props, Adam and Jenna managed to make their Jazz feel like a Broadway number! Jenna’s choreography was absolutely phenomenal for this, keeping everything classical and technical without the typical Jazz fluff we tend to see on the show. Usually I don’t like a whole lot of stop-and-go in choreography, but in this routine, that was part of the charm. Both Adam and Jenna crushed this, and it was absolutely deserving of the first perfect score of Dancing With the Stars: Athletes!
Beth Well, I think Bentley pretty much said it all! I loved this dance! It was so fun and entertaining and exactly what I love to see in Jazz. Well done!
The Judges’ Scores
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10
|
10
|
10
|
30/30
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The Bloggers’ Scores
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
30/30
|
#TeamJustFriends 1(800)868-3401
Round Two: The Freestyles
For their final dances of the season, the final three performed rule-free dances with their Freestyle performances.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli]
[Order of the Bloggers’ Scores: Paul Bentley, The Readers, Beth]
Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber
Freestyle
3rd Place
Hush Hush; Hush Hush by The Pussycat Dolls
Bentley This Freestyle was just so much fun! I was genuinely impressed by how athletic and put together this routine was. Sasha gave Tonya a lot of difficult choreography, but she held her own! I loved every second of this dance, but there were two sections where Tonya was off, so I can’t give it a perfect score. But props to Tonya for proving through her Freestyle that age is just a number! It’s no secret that there are mixed reactions towards Tonya, but there is no denying that she gave DWTS her all, and all of her hard work paid off! They ended up revealing after the show that this couple came third, which I assumed would happen, but I think Tonya appreciated being on the show and getting the support to make it to the finals the most. I can’t say she is the most amazing dancer ever, but she was quite an entertainer! I hope Tonya continues to not take herself too seriously after this show because when she isn’t in her head, she has the potential to be a showstopper!
Beth Wow! Tonya really impressed me with this Freestyle. I thought it was fun and highly energetic. Sasha did a great job with the choreography and showing off what Tonya can really do. I think it suited her well and even though there were points where they were off, it was still great. It is a Freestyle after all. Doesn’t have to be perfect. I still don’t think she was/is the best dancer, but she has potential. I say good for her and I’m glad she got the opportunity to be a part of this show (really, I am) …
The Judges’ Scores
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10
|
10
|
10
|
30/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
9
|
10
|
9
|
28/30
|
#TeamAxellent 1(800)868-3410
Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess
Freestyle
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Walk on Water by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Bentley This was the absolutely most perfect dance Josh could have ever done to highlight his personality and his time on the show. He exemplified the power and strength that I wanted to see a little more of in his Paso Doble, and it made him stand out from the crowd! Carrie Ann said that this was one of Sharna’s best choreographed dances, and I think she’s right! I know Bruno (and Beth!) wanted to see an Argentine Tango from this couple, but this Freestyle featured some elements of that, and it was outstanding! With only four weeks of competition, Josh was still able to show improvement, and he did so in every aspect. He and Sharna were a pleasure to watch, and I hope they aren’t too bummed out that they didn’t win, especially after such an iconic performance!
Beth Now THIS is a Freestyle!! It was phenomenal and fierce! WOW! By far the best of the night and one of the best I’ve seen from Sharna. I still love her Freestyle with Nick. Sharna is a genius when it comes to choreography. She is my favorite female pro and it still bums me out she hasn’t landed that mirror ball yet. Josh has an incredible and infectious personality and I think, had we been given a full season, he could have easily won this competition. So proud of them both! (One of these days Sharna!!)
The Judges’ Scores
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
30/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
30/30
|
#TeamBackThatPassUp 1(800)868-3407
Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson
Freestyle
Winners (1st Place)
Scooby Doo Pa Pa by DJ Kass
Beth While I love Adam & Jenna and I’m ecstatic that they won, I have mixed feelings on this Freestyle. When I had learned about the song choice, I wondered where they would go with it. I thought that for sure we would get some kind of Hip Hop-type Freestyle. However, that’s not what we got. What we did get made perfect sense. I get it. I do. Everything about this screams Adam. It was quirky, unique, eclectic... an artistic piece that we don’t usually see on Dancing With The Stars. Actually, we’ve never seen. I think maybe that is why so many people were turned off by it? Too modern? Who really knows. It seemed to me to be more of a fit for SYTYCD or maybe World Of Dance. I do appreciate Jenna’s out-of-the-box choreography and style, though. It wasn’t necessarily reflective of Adam’s short journey on the show and it didn’t really have to be. But it did suit his personality in so many ways. I do feel like he was spaced out at times and didn’t really seem to be into it.. but maybe that was part of the routine? I don’t know. What does it even matter. A Freestyle has no limits, no boundaries and it’s pretty much whatever. It wasn’t what I expected at all. I don’t know that the outcome would have been the same in a full season. I don’t think they would have won with this, at all. Because we all know that the Freestyle generally determines the winners. I really felt like they could have done so much more with this. It is what it is. That being said, congratulations to #TeamJustFriends!!
Bentley I’m with Beth on this one; this Freestyle gave me mixed feelings. There is no doubt that it was different and unique, but at the end of the day, I still ended up liking it. And I know a lot of people were not fans of the choreography, but I found it refreshing. I liked the costumes, too… even that wacky bowl wig Adam was wearing! XD I can understand that people looked at this dance differently from each other because it is a matter of taste with performances like these, but it made an impact nonetheless! There was a section where Adam and Jenna were off, and dare I say it was just the slightest bit sloppy? Well, whatever… they took Scooby Doo Pa Pa and turned it into probably the most original performance we have ever seen on the show! I know it was a bummer for Adam and Jenna to get the lowest Freestyle score, but I’m glad that that emotion turned into pure joy once they found out they were the winners! They were more than deserving of the Mirror Ball Trophy! I don’t want to say goodbye to this couple yet, so I hope to see them in some way, shape, or form perform together in the future!
The Judges’ Scores
|
9
|
9
|
10
|
28/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
27/30
|
#TeamJustFriends 1(800)868-3401
Additional Comments
Bentley I know there were time constraints being that this was just a one hour, one night finale and all, but I would have liked to have seen the cast featured a bit more in that number that featured all of the Dancing With the Stars: Athletes couples, especially because we got to see of little of them! Oh well, at least we got to see something from them!
Bentley This final episode just flew by, but it was jam-packed and ended up being my favorite night of the season (even though it was only four weeks)! It seems like a short season like this won’t ever happen again, and I’m kind of glad because even though there was a great cast this season with a surprisingly cool twist of all of the celebrities being athletes, there just wasn’t enough time to get to know everyone like we can in a full season, and it all felt very rushed. It is clear that Dancing With the Stars was an afterthought this season. But at least we are getting a full season in the Fall, as well as Dancing With the Stars: Juniors! I wonder how that is all going to play out…
Bentley It’s the end of the season, and once again I want to thank all of you for reading the blog during this crazy, short season! I liked seeing what you all thought of the dances in our score polls this season… I think I might just implement that into the blog next season, too! Also, a big thanks to the other people I blogged with this season. And thank you, Beth, for putting in your input this week! You are an OG DWTS Interact reader/tweeter (you were even around before we were called DWTS Interact XD), and it’s cool that you were able to come on to the blog this week!
As for what is happening next season on the blog, there is still some stuff we have to figure out, but we will, as usual, be covering season 27 every week with our thoughts on all of the dances, plus we will be writing about DWTS: Juniors, although that is going to be hard to schedule in… but it will happen nonetheless! This season was like a blink, so let’s hope next season will feel more like a real season, with lots of progression and improvement!
Beth Thank you so much for letting me guest blog this week! Honestly, I’ve never done this before… it was fun yet challenging for me. I’m terrible at putting my thoughts into words. Thanks for allowing me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.
Finale Dance Rankings
Bentley
1. Josh & Sharna’s Freestyle
2. Adam & Jenna’s Jazz
3. Tonya & Sasha’s Freestyle
4. Adam & Jenna’s Freestyle
5. Tonya & Sasha’s Viennese Waltz
6. Josh & Sharna’s Foxtrot
Beth
1. Adam & Jenna’s Jazz
2. Josh & Sharna’s Freestyle
3. Adam & Jenna’s Freestyle
4. Tonya & Sasha’s Freestyle
5. Tonya & Sasha’s Viennese Waltz
6. Josh & Sharna’s Foxtrot
Week 4 M.V.P. Picks
Who did we choose as this week’s Most Valuable Pro?!
Bentley After that Freestyle round, it was difficult to choose a pro as my last MVP of season 26, but I ultimately have to go with Sharna Burgess! Her cinematic style of choreography was the perfect fit for her Freestyle with Josh, and it made for a great final chapter of their time on the show! I have a feeling that Sharna might just win a Mirror Ball of her own one day!
Beth Definitely Sharna Burgess! She’s going to get that Mirror Ball! It’s long overdue!
Week 4 Stats
Dancing With the Stars Season 26, Week 4 Leaderboard
|
Bloggers’ Scores
| |||
Couple
|
Dance Style
|
Judges’ Scores
|
Overall Scores
| |
Tonya and Sasha
|
Viennese Waltz
|
8, 9, 9 (26/30)
|
56/60
|
9, 8, 9 (26/30)
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
9, 10, 9 (28/30)
| ||
Josh and Sharna
|
Foxtrot
|
9, 9, 9 (27/30)
|
57/60
|
9, 9, 9 (27/30)
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Adam and Jenna
|
Jazz
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
58/60
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
Freestyle
|
9, 9, 10 (28/30)
|
9, 9, 9 (27/30)
| ||
This Fall…
ABC confirmed that season 27 of Dancing With the Stars will air this Fall on ABC on Monday nights at 8/7c for two hours, as usual. Plus, a pre-recorded spinoff show, Dancing With the Stars: Juniors, will air ten hour-long episodes on Sundays at the same time.
Make sure you check out the DWTS Interact blog for our thoughts on both of those shows this Autumn!
Links
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What did you think of the special all-athletes edition of Dancing With the Stars? What was your favorite dance from season 26? Who do you think stood out the most during the finale? Which Freestyle do you think was the most show-stopping? What did you think of Tonya and Sasha coming in third, Josh and Sharna coming in second, and Adam and Jenna winning the Mirror Ball Trophy? Who do you hope to see compete on season 27 of the show? What do you think about the upcoming “Juniors” spinoff season?
#DWTS #DWTSAthletes
#DWTS26 #DWTSFinale
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