Dancing with the Stars “Season 22 Week 10” aka The Finals 

On ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, this was the first finals where I can honestly say it was anyone’s game. There were so many talented dancers this season it could have easily been a few other people. But it’s not. It came down to Ginger & Val, Nyle & Peta and Paige & Mark. Everyone says the Freestyle dance really determines the winner and I have always believed that myself. Let’s see how the couples did:

NIGHT #1

Round One-Redemption Dance
For this round, the couples tackled one of their previous dances they felt they could improve on in quality or score.

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Contemporary
Phone Number: 800-868-3404

• Ginger went into this finale with a back injury and had to miss some rehearsal. I thought her routine was nice. It wasn’t as exciting as some contemporary dances, however. Yet the lifts were incredible and Ginger did every move. She and Val did a medley of dance steps from different types of genres, which the judges said was a good strategy and I agree.

Score: Carrie Ann-9, Len-10, Bruno-9; Total: 28

Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Quickstep
Phone Number: 800-868-3409

• The last time these guys did the Quickstep, it was the first time we really saw Nyle lose his timing. This time around, the dance was a tiny bit out of sync in the footwork but I think that this guy keeps defying the odds.

Score: Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9; Total: 27

Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas
Dance: Salsa
Phone Number: 800-868-3410

• This was the best first round routine out of the three finalists. Paige looked like a professional with the other dancers. I saw a very slight mistake that only if you were looking real hard you would have seen it. But this was fabulous.

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-9, Bruno-10; Total: 29

Round 2- Freestyle

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy
Phone Number: 800-868-3404

• This Freestyle was a salute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I think that her back…held her back slightly. It was a great homage but was it going to win them the Mirror Ball?

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30

Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd
Phone Number: 800-868-3409

• This was an extraordinary Freestyle. It gave me chills and it made me tear up. Bruno said it best, “It was a work of art.” It was gorgeous from beginning to end. Peta had one of the best contemporary choreographers to help make this dance special and it was.

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30

Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas
Phone Number: 800-868-3410

• These two did another contemporary type of Freestyle. It was also a story of her journey from being bullied to her success on the show. This was not just another dance piece but a way of helping Paige to heal.

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30

NIGHT #2

Going into night two, the three finalists were really close in the judges’ scores and also there was a three-percent difference in the public vote. There was a stage in the ballroom and outside the ballroom. The whole cast came back and there was a huge dance number to open the show.

The couples danced, there were different performers, outtakes, silly taped videos but what it came down to was the 24-Hour Challenge.

24-Hour Challenge
The finalists only had the night before and part of the day to learn this dance which would be added to all the scores.

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Foxtrot/Argentine Tango
Phone Number: 800-868-3404

• There was some kind of mistake and it got weird for a second. It was difficult to tell exactly what happened because of the camera angle. Ginger did a fine job all season and this dance minus the mishap was very well done. But I realized that it probably wasn’t going to be Ginger getting the Mirror Ball this time.

Score: Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9; Total: 27

Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Cha Cha/Tango
Phone Number: 800-868-3409

• As always this dance was incredible. I can’t believe what this man has achieved. And shout out to Peta who should win an Emmy for her choreography this season. I was really worried that he was going to have a hard time since they had barely time to practice but once again Nyle showed all of us if you want something and you work hard, it will happen.

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30

Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas
Dance: Jive/Salsa
Phone Number: 800-868-3410

• I didn’t love the song choice but Paige has grown into a fine performer. As much as Mark tries to over shine his partners sometimes, Paige was right with him the whole time.

Score: Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30

Then a weird thing happened. The three final couples had to stand on stage as a singer sang and video of them was on the screen. It was so awkward to me.

The time finally came to find out the identity of the first elimination. The third place couple: Ginger & Val. I thought that was fair. It all came down to Paige & Mark and Nyle & Peta.

The new champions of Dancing with the Stars: NYLE & PETA! Well deserved and just an unbelievable season!

Favorite Quotes
Len: “People think I’m grumpy. I don’t have a nasty bone in my body.”
Tom: “You have to understand that Len is on his third hip.”
Tom: “We’re never going to get our deposit back on the piano.”
Erin: “You’re pulling my chord, calm down!”
Tom “Guaranteed it has hot air”
Tom: “Besides Len, nobody does crab better than Sasha.”
Erin: “Let me do the Tom Bergeron hand up.”

Another season goes by really quickly and we have new champions! In a season where a few people could have taken the top spot, Nyle & Peta deserved it.

 Dancing with the Stars Season 23 returns this fall on ABC. What are we going to do until fall? Who will be in the next cast? How is it already Season 23? Have a great summer!