Just as it seems Season 34 began, it’s now drawing to a major close. The jam-packed 3-hour season finale of Dancing With the Stars is quickly approaching.
As the show reaches a new height of popularity (breaking multiple viewer and voter records across this season), many across the country may have never experienced the thrill of seeing a Mirrorball Trophy awarded.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the finale:
Who is Competing in the Finale?
The final five dancing duos that will be competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy are:
- Social media personality Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy
- Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson
- Reality TV star and content creator Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach
- Actress Elaine Hendrix (famously known for the film, The Parent Trap) and partner Alan Bersten
- Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa
While the finale is something of a regular occurrence for most of the pros on this list (4 of them also have at least one mirrorball under their belt), for the newest pro, Ezra Sosa, this will mark his first finale appearance.
Jordan Chiles also makes history as the first Black female gymnast to reach the finale and one of 12 Black women overall to make it to a DWTS finale.
Round One: Judges’ Choice
There have typically been two rounds of dancing for the couples. So, new and old fans alike were just as surprised to learned that there will be not two, but three rounds of dancing for the finalists.
This first round (which is common in either semi-final or finale episodes) pairs one of the judges with each couple, who then choose their dance style and receive personal coaching.
As of writing this, judging pairs have not yet been revealed to the public. Typically, they choose couples they have had a connection to throughout the season.
Round Two: Instant Dance Challenge
A new challenge was implemented in the middle of last year’s season, with overall viewer success.
Dance couples will be given a song and dance style only minutes before they have to perform it live. Their preparation is usually shown in real time on Dancing with the Stars’ TikTok livestream during the show.
Round Three: The Famous Freestyle Round
Round three, the main event, and every fan’s favorite part of the finale. The freestyle allows for any dance, theme, and movement. These are known to showcase a special part of a celebrity’s personality or life story.
In the past, these have ranged from a celebration of television’s past with former winner and now host Alfonso Ribeiro to an Olympic-sized tribute to the men’s gymnastics team last season with medalist Stephen Nedoroscik.
The Dancing With The Stars social media accounts have revealed the songs for each contestant (outside the instant dance round):
Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy:
- Judge’s Choice: A Samba to “Hip Hip Chin Chin” by Club des Belugas
- Freestyle Round: “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado and “Sports car” by Tate McRae
Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson:
- Judge’s Choice: A Quickstep to “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet
- Freestyle Round: “Black & Gold” by Sam Sparro and “The Nights” by Avicii
Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach:
- Judge’s Choice: A Paso Doble to “Stampede” by Alexander Jean featuring Lindsey Stirling
- Freestyle Round: “Something In The Heavens” by Lewis Capaldi
Elaine Hendrix and partner Alan Bersten:
- Judge’s Choice: A Rumba to “Take My Breath Away” by Jae Hall.
- Freestyle Round: “I Hope I Get It (from A Chorus Line)” by District 78
Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa:
- Judge’s Choice: A Paso Doble to “Breakin’ Dishes” by Rihanna
- Freestyle Round: “Motivation” by Normani
The Tour Preview
In between each round and dances, there will be additional performances by this season’s troupe dancers, eliminated contestants, and pros who will be going on the famous Dancing with the Stars tour next spring.
Last season’s winner and DWTS podcast host, Joey Graziadei, will also perform a routine with pro partner Jenna Johnson.
Who Will Take the Mirrorball?
The judges will score each round, and the combination of their scores plus viewer votes will determine the winner at the end of the night.
With Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt out of the running after her surprising elimination in the semi-finals, many have taken to redoing their finale prediction boards.
While this writer will be rooting for Jordan Chiles to take it home, many are predicting Robert Irwin as the winner, who has been a standout and fan favorite all season.
But with the last remaining Mormon Wives star out and a growing wave of support for underrated contestants like actress Elaine Hendrix (who even got a special callout when she was announced for the finale), it is truly anyone’s game.
—
The Season 34 finale of Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesday, November 25 at 8/7c on ABC.
Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Like us on Facebook!
Tatyana Marie
A screenwriter, social media professional and content creator, Tatyana Marie is a culture critic in the making. Challenging the status quo of the typical "fangirl", Tatyana strives to write and make content that showcases all of the facets of Black girlhood and media analysis, primarily through her content creator brand, Melanated Wise Girl. When she is not ranting about all things Percy Jackson and diverse media, she enjoys crocheting, long YouTube video essays, and playing cozy games on her Switch.