The ballroom sparkled brighter than ever as “Dancing with the Stars” wrapped up its season with an electrifying finale on Nov. 26. With the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on the line, the five finalists delivered a redemption dance and a freestyle, giving it their all to claim the title of Season 33 champion.
Individual round recap
The recaps are formatted in order of appearance. The five finalists competed in a redemption round for their first dance and a freestyle routine for their second routine. Because nobody was eliminated during the semi-finals, both the scores and votes have been carried over from last week into the finale.
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold: Overall Score 112
Dance One: Quickstep (10, 9, 10)
Nedoroscik and Arnold performed their redemption quickstep to “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts. The judges complimented Nedoroscik’s improvement with the fast footwork, awarding them two 10s and one 9.
Dance Two: (10, 10, 10)
Kicking off the Freestyle dances, Nedoroscik and Arnold performed an emotional contemporary piece to “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. Nedoroscik included both his teammates from the U.S. men’s gymnastics team and his signature event, the pommel horse, to execute his final dance in the ballroom. The judges called the performance amazing and awarded the pair three 10s, their first perfect score of the season.
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson: Overall Score 117
Dance One: Cha Cha (10, 10, 10)
Graziadei and Johnson performed their redemption Cha Cha to “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake. The judges praised Graziadei for his consistency throughout the season, complimenting the duo’s quick rhythm and energy in the dance and awarding them a perfect score of three 10s.
Dance Two: (9, 10, 10)
For their final dance of the season, Graziadei and Johnson performed a tennis-inspired Freestyle to “Canned Heat” by District 78 featuring Jake Simpson. Carrie Ann Inaba called the routine “underwhelming,” but the other two judges called the dance phenomenal and inventive. They earned one 9 and two 10s for their performance.
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson: Overall Score 110
Dance One: Tango (9, 9, 9)
Gliding through the ballroom Amendola and Carson performed their redemption Tango to “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. The judges noted Amendola’s improvement, but slight hesitation throughout the dance, awarding the pair three 9s.
Dance Two: (9, 10, 10)
Inspired by “Barbie,” Amendola and Carson performed their Freestyle to “Pink” by Lizzo and “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling. Imitating Ken and Barbie, the duo performed a high-energy performance complete with multiple lifts and inspired moments from the movie. The judges awarded them one 9 and two 10s for the dance.
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten: Overall Score 114
Dance One: Jive (9, 9, 9)
Dancing their redemption Jive to “Shake A Tail Feather” by Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers, Maher and Bersten brought an energy-filled performance to the ballroom. The judges noted a hesitation in the execution, awarding them three 9s for the performance.
Dance Two: (10, 10, 10)
Maher and Bersten performed a Freestyle to “Femininomenon” by District 78 ft Mona Rue. The judges praised Maher’s performance and improvement throughout the season, calling her empowering and inspiring and awarding the pair three 10s, their first perfect score of the season.
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong: Overall Score 118
Dance One: Jive (10, 10, 10)
Earning praise from the judges for their high stamina and difficulty level, Kinney and Armstrong performed their redemption Jive to “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. Judge Bruno Tonioli called the jive “as good as it gets” and they were awarded a perfect score of three 10s.
Dance Two: (10, 10, 10)
In the last dance of the season, Kinney and Armstrong performed a Freestyle to “Hellzapoppin” by Eyal Vilner Big Band and “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield. Tonioli called the dance a celebration of the contributions of all Black artists in dance and awarded the duo three 10s for their performance.
Review:
Prediction:
Nedoroscik in fifth place, Maher in fourth, Amendola in third, Kinney in second and Graziadei taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Real Placement:
Amendola in fifth place, Nedoroscik in fourth, Kinney in third, Maher in second and Graziadei taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Nedoroscik’s freestyle was incredible, showcasing his gymnastic and dance abilities to the best of his ability. It was emotionally charged and easily his best performance to date. Arnold’s choreography at 19 years old is astounding, and for her to make it into the finale after only her second season is extremely impressive.
Kinney’s freestyle performance was history in the making, with her and Armstrong being the first Black couple to make it to the finale. Their dance honored the significance and impact of Black performers who came before them and showed gratitude to each other for their partnership throughout the season.
With this finale being both Arnold and Armstrong’s first time choreographing a freestyle, they both did a phenomenal job and stood out amongst the other contestants. The other three freestyles exuded both talent and lightheartedness, but Nedoroscik and Kinney’s were the standouts of the night.
The finale also featured eliminated stars returning to the dance floor, including Anna Delvey and Reginald VelJohnson. There was also a duet performance by Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber, and Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko, the two rumored romantic couples from this season. Though this comeback was entertaining, much to viewers’ dismay, the couples were still not confirmed.
Tuesday’s episode was filled with laughter, tears and chaos — everything a finale should have. Though a three-hour episode seemed exciting, it definitely could have been the same running time as the rest of the episodes this season, as a lot of the time was filled with flashbacks and commercials.
When the time came for the winners to be announced, everyone waited with bated breath. From the beginning of Season 33, Kinney and Graziadei were the frontrunners and expected to be the final two. However, things didn’t go as planned.
Amendola ended up placing fifth, which seemed fair regardless of his increase in fans over the last few episodes. Nedoroscik came in fourth, also to be expected. Third place, however, was a complete shock.
Kinney ended up placing third, leaving the final two to be Maher and Graziadei. Kinney, a contestant who has shown immense talent and performed an incredible freestyle in the finale, placing below Maher, a phenomenal person but a far less talented dancer, was shocking. It just goes to show how much of an impact viewer votes have on the winner.
In the end, Graziadei and Johnson took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy — a well-deserved feat. They had an incredible partnership full of improvement, charisma and love. Graziadei is the first male Bachelor Nation contestant to take home the Mirrorball, and Johnson was given the trophy by her husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, who won the competition last season.
Johnson and Chmerkovskiy’s relationship was not the only endearing part of Johnson winning the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy the season after her husband — the pair also played a significant role in the tribute to the late head judge.
Len Goodman, the former head judge of the show, passed away in April of 2023 shortly after announcing his retirement. In Season 32, past and present professionals performed a tribute dance to Goodman, with the show announcing the renaming of the Mirrorball Trophy during this season as well.
Season 32 winners, Xochitl Gomez and Chmerkovskiy, were the first to receive the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy; Graziadei and Johnson were the second. Fittingly enough, it was Johnson and Chmerkovskiy who choreographed the tribute dance to Goodman.
Overall, this season of “Dancing with the Stars” was extremely memorable, and Graziadei and Johnson were well-deserving of the trophy. There are still a few questions, however, that remain unanswered: are Nader and Savchenko dating? What about Tran and Farber? And most importantly, what do we do on Tuesday nights now?
