Season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars” had its last dance, which means a new king and queen of the ballroom have been crowned.
The five celebrities and their pro partners competing in the finale for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy were:
Earle has been our main tie to the season. Her mom, Alisa Maniaci, is from Wisconsin and her side of the family still lives here. Earle’s mom has been shown in the “DWTS” audience throughout the season. And, on finale night, when video messages from the stars’ loved ones aired ahead of the results, Maniaci had one for her daughter.
“You’ve been so determined and I just know you’re going to win the whole thing,” she said in the video.
For the finale, there were three rounds of competition: 1. “Judges’ Choice,” during which the judges provided coaching and insight as the pairs took on a final new ballroom or Latin dance style. 2. The “Instant Dance Challenge,” which co-host Alfonso Ribeiro said shows how well the couples improvise, keep time and naturally dance on demand. And, 3. The iconic Freestyle round.
Earle and Chmerkovskiy would be the only duo of the night to get a perfect score of 90, earning a 30 for each of their dances. Would that be enough?
In addition to the competition rounds, there were several special performances sprinkled throughout the show, including one from last season’s Mirrorball champs, former “Bachelor” Joey Graziadei — who has a Wisconsin tie, too — and his pro partner Jenna Johnson, Chmerkovskiy’s wife. At the end of the finale, they’d pass their trophies on to the new winners.
Who would they be? Here’s a recap:
Recap of Alix Earle’s and Val Chmerkovskiy’s dance for the Judges’ Choice round: A samba to ‘Hip Hip Chin Chin’ by Club des Belugas
While Earle and Chmerkovskiy reminisced over their season’s successes, Carrie Ann Inaba waltzed into rehearsal to reveal what dance they’d be doing for the Judges’ Choice round.
That would be: A sensual and celebratory samba.
“In a good samba, we want to see the great bounce action,” Inaba said in a cutaway. “It’s a party dance.”
The package cut in and out of rehearsal, with Inaba giving Earle feedback and pointers.
Earle said, in a cutaway, that she appreciates Inaba always being “so brutally honest” because she takes the critiques and thinks about them 24/7.
“I think that’s going to make our dance that much better,” she said.
If Earle puts everything she’s learned into the dance, Inaba said, “Boom! Mirrorball.”
What the judges had to say about the performance:
Earle’s and Chmerkovskiy’s score: 30.
How the other ‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebs and their pro partners did in the Judges’ Choice round
Alix Earle’s and Val Chmerkovskiy’s ‘Instant Dance Challenge’
A few weeks ago, the stars randomly drew one style from four ballroom and Latin dances they performed during the early weeks of the competition,.
During the finale, just five minutes before giving the performance, the duos learned which style they chose, the song they’d dance to and had to pick out their costumes.
During rehearsals, Earle and Chmerkovskiy practiced choreography for the cha cha, jive, quick step and Viennese waltz so they’d be ready for whichever they chose.
Out of four face-down cards, Earle, who was blindfolded, picked the cha cha card. That was Earle’s Week 1 dance, so it could be “a redemption,” she said.
Co-host Alfonso Ribeiro revealed that they’d be dancing to “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” by Raye.
What the judges had to say about the performance:
Score: 30.
How the other ‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebs and their pro partners did in the ‘Instant Dance Challenge’
Alix Earle’s and Val Chmerkovskiy’s freestyle
Going into the Freestyle round, Earle and Chmerkovskiy had the highest score out of the couples, a perfect 60.
“Coming in on Day 1, I was scared of my own shadow,” Earle told her partner, noting that they didn’t even hug when they met. “Now, I feel like a more confident person. And, even the moments where I did doubt myself, you were always there, reassuring me.”
“I am just as grateful to you,” Chmerkovskiy said. “You’ve elevated me 20 seasons into doing this thing. Together, I think we’ve taught each other to not underestimate each other, but also ourselves.”
In a cutaway, Earle said “DWTS” unlocked a new side of her and gave her confidence that’s going to change the rest of her life.
“We are pulling out all the stops and putting in very strong dance styles,” Earle said, including paso doble and Argentine tango. It was set to “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado and “Sports car” by Tate McRae.
“We are not playing a character,” Earle said. “It’s me as my most expressive, dominant self.”
What the judges had to say about the performance:
As Earle and Chmerkovskiy awaited their scores, co-host Julianne Hough asked Earle how the show has changed her life.
“It has changed me in so many ways,” Earle said. “But, I think the biggest thing, which we wanted to put out with that dance, is just like going for your dreams, being confident, don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. You have to believe in yourself first. That was just so special and so fun, literally like a dream performance. And, this has just been a dream. And, getting to work with Val has been the best dream of my life.”
Score: 30.
How the other ‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebs and their pro partners did in the Freestyle round
The judges’ leaderboard, combining the scores from the three finals performances
Who won ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 34?
After combining the judges’ scores with live fan votes, Irwin and Carson were crowned the winning couple of “DWTS” Season 34.
Julianne Hough said on the show that Earle and Irwin individually got more votes on finale night than anyone had ever received on “DWTS.” And, the gap between them was one of the tightest a “DWTS” finale had ever seen.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who won ‘Dancing with the Stars’? How did Alix Earle do?
Reporting by Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
