For the ninth and final episode of Dancing With the Stars: Juniors season one on Sunday, December 9, Ariana and Artyon of Team Brandon, Mackenzie and Sage of Team Gleb, Miles and Rylee of Team Lindsay, and Sky and JT of Team Alan performed two more dances for finale night! After repeat dances featuring the pro mentors and holiday Freestyles, it was announced that Sky Brown and JT Church became the first ever winners of the Juniors show!
The night also featured lots of dancing from the eliminated pro juniors this season along with the junior troupe, as well as the whole cast from this season performing in one large Christmas opening number!
With thoughts on the last episode of the season, here is Paul Bentley, along with scores given by The Readers, which was determined by an online poll!
Round One: Repeat Dances With Pro Mentors
For the first round of performances, the four remaining teams chose a favorite dance of theirs to repeat on the dance floor, but this time with the accompaniment of their pro mentor.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Val Chmerkovskiy, Mandy Moore, Adam Rippon]
Mackenzie Ziegler and Sage Rosen, Featuring Gleb Savchenko
Repeat Cha-Cha-Cha
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
What If by Johnny Orlando & Mackenzie Ziegler
Original Performance: Juniors’ Choice Night (Week 5)
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 10 (28/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: The change in the choreography from a couple dance to a trio dance was subtle, but it worked out because while it did add Gleb as a good accent, it still focused on Mackenzie as the star of the show. And not to mention, it shows how well Sage is at mirroring another pro, which didn’t go unnoticed by me! Just like during Juniors’ Choice Night, Mackenzie had a nice, sharp essence in her Cha-Cha-Cha, and that was even more apparent the second time around. I just think that Mackenzie needed an extra 30 seconds or so to compose herself before the music started, because there was more than one section where she was off-balance, and in a section with Gleb, she tripped on her own foot. So because of that, I’m giving this dance a 9… but it a high nine! XD
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamGleb
Ariana Greenblatt and Artyon Celestine, Featuring Brandon Armstrong
Repeat Jazz
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
Rolex by Ayo & Teo
Original Performance: Juniors’ Choice Night (Week 5)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: When Ariana is in character, she really sells it! This Jazz was so incredibly fun in week five, so I’m glad Ariana and Artyon chose to redo it with Brandon in the finale! Brandon was a nice addition, getting into the music as much as the kids did. Even as their mentor, Brandon choreographed this so he was equal to Ariana and Artyon, keeping the team spirit alive by Brandon trying to match the kids, and not the kids trying to match Brandon. Ariana was hard-hitting and truly feeling the beat of the music. There’s no wonder why the original routine got the first 10 of the season… and there’s no wonder why the repeat dance ended up being Team Brandon’s first perfect score of the season!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamBrandon
Miles Brown and Rylee Arnold, Featuring Lindsay Arnold
Repeat Salsa
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men
Original Performance: Premiere (Week 1)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 9, 9 (28/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: It is so amazing how much Miles had improved on DWTS: Juniors this season. For his Salsa in week one, I gave him a seven. And now, well, obviously, I gave him a ten! I probably sound so repetitive saying this, but Lindsay is just an awesome mentor, choreographer, and partner! She always gives every dance 100%, and she is always being innovative. She was also a great incorporation for this repeat dance, actually enhancing the routine with stand-out moments for everyone on the team! And I want to give a shout out to Rylee, who, just like her sister, has been such a charismatic and fun dancer all season long! Miles had a lot to pay attention to with the girls dance around him, but he kept up effortlessly. He himself is a pro now!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamLindsay
Sky Brown and JT Church, Featuring Alan Bersten
Repeat Salsa
Winners (1st Place)
Light It Up by Major Lazer featuring Nyla & Fuse ODG
Original Performance: Premiere (Week 1)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: My favorite thing about Team Alan is the friendships they made while competing on this show together. I love how much Sky and JT look up to Alan, and how much Alan genuinely cares about Sky and JT. Alan’s contribution to this repeat Salsa was one that didn’t get in the way of the couple, and was all about letting the kids do their thing while Alan hyped them up along the way! Sky has come out of her shell so much since week one, and this dance proved how much of a performer she has become! Sky and JT had the moves!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamAlan
Round Two: Holiday Freestyles
For the last round of dances this season, the finalists competed in the holiday-themed Freestyle dances, where the teams had no rules to restrict them from doing whatever they wanted for their festive, winter season performances.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Val Chmerkovskiy, Mandy Moore, Adam Rippon]
Mackenzie Ziegler and Sage Rosen, Mentored by Gleb Savchenko
Freestyle
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
Drummer Boy by Justin Bieber featuring Busta Rhymes
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: And that is how you dominate the Freestyle round, everyone! What a way for Team Gleb to end their journey on the show! This was by far my favorite dance from Mackenzie and Sage all season! This the exact type of dance that Mackenzie excels the most at, and boy oh boy, did she nail this routine! Everything about this performance was nonstop fun and intensity, and it surely stood out from the rest of the Freestyles. Mackenzie came into this competition with the expectations already so high on her, but she pushed herself all season long to expand from her comfortable styles, and brought us a variety of content to show the audience… and that is exactly what I like to see!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamGleb
Ariana Greenblatt and Artyon Celestine, Mentored by Brandon Armstrong
Freestyle
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch by Lindsey Stirling featuring Sabrina Carpenter
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 10, 9 (28/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I absolutely loved the theme for this Freestyle! Having Ariana as Mary Lou Who and Artyon as the Grinch was the perfect theme for these two! Team Brandon’s cheeky, fun spirit and wondrous charisma were exactly what a performance like this needs, and it was just overflowing with charm! They told a cute story with the props and troupe they had, which maybe the dancing feel sort of Broadway-esque. XD There was nothing I didn’t like about this dance! I love how Ariana and Brandon have had a blast this entire season, and I can’t believe we’re not going to get to see them perform together anymore! Brandon was excellent showcasing these two, which just further exemplifies his potential as a pro on the main DWTS show!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamBrandon
Miles Brown and Rylee Arnold, Mentored by Lindsay Arnold
Freestyle
Runners-Up (Tied for 2nd Place)
Sleigh Ride by District 78
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Miles and Rylee’s Freestyle was certainly the dance that captured the essence of the holiday season the best. The costumes, the set, the snow, and the music were all very Christmas-y, and showcased what everyone loves about the winter! Miles nailed his performance better than he has all season (which is saying a lot!), especially when it came to his solo section with the troupe. I loved the mix of styles of Hip-Hop, Charleston, and Jazz that Lindsay gave Miles and Rylee. Those are all powerful dances that, when done right, look amazing on camera… and it definitely was amazing! It was such a delight seeing the brilliant Lindsay Arnold work with her firecracker sister Rylee Arnold to create memorable routines with the show-stopping Miles Brown this season! XD
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamLindsay
Sky Brown and JT Church, Mentored by Alan Bersten
Freestyle
Winners (1st Place)
Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: For one last time this season, Sky and JT put another smile on my face with this Freestyle! It was clearly a great representation of Sky’s personality, and it also showcased how fun this couple is! It is evident how much joy Sky and JT got from performing with each other on stage, and that is why I think they won that star Mirrorball Trophy! They just make people so happy, and not to mention, they are fabulous dancers, too! Alan couldn’t have been a more supportive and caring mentor for these two to learn from. It was a team effort to earn that win, and they deserved every bit of it! I can’t wait to see what is in these juniors’ bright futures!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamAlan
Week 9 Scoreboard
Dancing With the Stars: Juniors Week 9 Scoreboard
| |||
Couple
|
Dance Style
|
Judges’ Scores
|
Overall Score
|
Mackenzie and Sage
|
Repeat Cha-Cha-Cha
|
9, 9, 10 (28/30)
|
58/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Ariana and Artyon
|
Repeat Jazz
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
58/60
|
Freestyle
|
9, 10, 9 (28/30)
| ||
Miles and Rylee
|
Repeat Salsa
|
10, 9, 9 (28/30)
|
58/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Sky and JT
|
Repeat Salsa
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
60/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Finale Awards
Most Entertaining Dance: Mackenzie and Sage’s Freestyle
That Freestyle from Mackenzie and Sage was off the charts! It was a nice twist on what we would consider to be “traditional” Christmas style, but it worked out really well. Both Mackenzie and Sage were fully invested in this routine, which made me invested in it, too!
Best Costumes: Ariana and Artyon’s Freestyle Costumes
I was absolutely living for Artyon’s festive Freestyle Grinch-wear! He suited the costume and the character of the Grinch to a T! And Ariana’s costume was festive and adorable, too! And who doesn’t love a bunch of Christmas tree costumes?! XD
Best Choreography: Miles and Rylee’s Freestyle
Lindsay threw in everything and the kitchen sink into this Freestyle, which is exactly what Miles and Rylee thrive on—lots of content and fast choreography! There was so much to this dance, and it all came together splendidly!
Strongest Couple: Sky and JT
From day one, Sky and JT were a stand-out couple that clearly had a fun and meaningful relationship with each other. You can’t make up a connection like they have! I love their friendship so much! It made their already amazing dances so much more amazing!
Most Improved Child Celebrity: Sky Brown
Sky has accomplished so much in her life. At ten years of age, she has become a professional skateboarder, which in itself is a major accomplishment, and on top of that, she has become a phenomenal performer, too! At the beginning of the season, she seemed a bit hesitant, but as the weeks went on, she found her footing and began to get her own unique groove to stand out from the rest!
Stand-Out Moment of the Night: Alan’s Skateboard Fail
This was sort of a minor thing, but for some reason, I just love the fact that Alan tripped on his skateboard at the beginning of the Salsa with Sky and JT. :P As Mandy said, it was actually sort of perfect that Alan messed that part up. Not everything goes to plan, and sometimes that’s okay! XD
Furthermore
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed Dancing With the Stars: Juniors this year. It was a nice switch-up from the regular show, and we got to see refreshing, young personalities show what they’re all about! I am so happy Sky and JT won the first ever season, even though all of the finalists proved themselves worthy of the Mirrorball Trophy. The entire cast from the junior celebrities, to the junior pros, to the pro mentors, to the hosts, and to the judges, were all great. I hope we get to see more from these kids in the future… they are all truly special in their own ways. And I truly mean that. :)
I will be doing a blog post soon about my overall thoughts on Juniors and DWTS 27 this Fall, so be sure to keep an eye out on Twitter for that.
The Future of DWTS: Juniors
As of now, there is no word on whether or not Dancing With the Stars: Juniors will be renewed for a second season, and, if the show will return, when it will come back. Neither DWTS: Juniors nor the main DWTS show will air in the Spring, but season 28 of Dancing With the Stars will air in the Fall of 2019. So for now, we just have to wait… and maybe we’ll have to wait a bit longer than usual. If there is another season of the Juniors show coming in the future, though, I will surely blog about it.
Thank you all so much for reading my blogs for both Dancing With the Stars season 27 and Dancing With the Stars: Juniors this year! It has truly been one hell of a ride!
Links
#Finale #DWTSJuniors
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