This article contains spoilers for DWTS season 33.
After nine thrilling weeks of dancing, the Season 33 finale of Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) aired on Nov. 26. This season has been one of my favorites! It’s been so much fun to watch all the dancers and their partners, who have all shown remarkable growth throughout the competition.
Each week, the bar kept getting raised, and the finale was no different.
For the second time ever in DWTS history, all five semifinalists advanced to the finale! In this year’s final episode, we saw the following couples compete: Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold, Danny Amendola and Witney Carson, Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong, and my personal favorites — Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson.
Each couple got the opportunity to dance twice. First in a redemption round, where one of the judges chose a previous dance style that wasn’t the couples’ strongest and had them revamp it for the finale. The redemption round was followed by the freestyle round, which I always adore watching.
It was also very exciting to see familiar faces back in the ballroom for this episode. Mark Ballas and Derek Hough partnered to go and perform one of the best Argentine tangos I’ve ever seen, and Season 32 winners Val Chmerkovskiy and Xochitl Gomez reunited to dance stunningly together one more time.
Now, let’s break down the highlights from this finale!
Round 1: Redemption
Stephen and Rylee
First up were Stephen and Rylee, who performed a quickstep to “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts. Their dance was a joy to watch, and I couldn’t help but smile the entire time. They received a score of 29 out of 30, which was a huge improvement from their initial quickstep in week three.
Joey and Jenna
Next, Joey and Jenna danced a cha-cha to “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake. This performance was meaningful and full circle for them, as they had first danced the cha-cha in the season premiere, and now they were doing it at the finale. Their performance was so much cleaner, and they deserved the perfect score of 30 out of 30 that they received from the judges.
Danny and Witney
Danny and Witney performed a tango to “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone. Danny was the underdog of this season, and he has come so far! This tango was a huge step up from their initial week one tango. All three of the judges commended his determination and hard work toward dancing. The couple scored a 27 out of 30.
Ilona and Alan
Ilona and Alan were up next, dancing a jive to “Shake A Tail Feather” by Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers. I adore Ilona, and in my opinion, she’s the most improved star we’ve seen this season. This dance was beautifully done with barely any mistakes and received a 27 out of 30.
Chandler and Brandon
The final pair to perform in this round were Chandler and Brandon. They performed a jive to “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. In their previous jive, the main critique was that their energy did not remain high until the end. However, that was not an issue in this redemption dance. They had a powerful performance and received a perfect score of 30 out of 30 from the judges.
Round 2: Freestyle
Then, the time came for the freestyle round, which could make or break the night’s results!
Stephen and Rylee
Stephen and Rylee danced to “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. This freestyle was amazing and I was so impressed with Rylee’s choreography. She was able to incorporate Stephen’s gymnastics background into dance, and it was beautifully done. It was a crowd favorite, and they received their first perfect score of 30 out of 30 from the judges.
Joey and Jenna
Joey and Jenna performed their freestyle dance to “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai (covered by District 78). Jenna choreographed a challenging routine, and Joey executed it brilliantly! They incorporated tennis rackets into their performance to highlight Joey’s background in tennis, making it a very creative dance.
Carrie Ann Inaba noted that their energy “dipped in the middle,” and fans were definitely not happy with her. But the other two judges disagreed and praised the pair’s performance. Joey and Jenna received two 10s and one nine, resulting in a score of 29 out of 30.
Danny and Witney
Danny and Witney danced to “Pink” by Lizzo and “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling. Watching their performance felt like I was watching Barbie (2023) all over again. Danny has come a long way this season, and he delivered some truly memorable dances. The judges loved this dance and gave them a score of 29 out of 30.
Ilona and Alan
Ilona and Alan performed a routine to “Femininomenon” by Chappell Roan (covered by District 78). This final dance from Ilona was truly special. She demonstrated why she deserves a place in the finale and serves as an inspiration to girls everywhere.
Ilona executed Alan’s choreography perfectly, and together, they portrayed their journey throughout the season in a unique way. The two of them received their first perfect score of the season with 30 out of 30.
Chandler and Brandon
To conclude, Chandler and Brandon danced to “Hellzapoppin” by the Eyal Vilner Big Band and “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield. These two always deliver a good dance, and this performance was no different. They paid tribute to the Nicholas Brothers in their routine and Brandon’s choreography was so impressive.
The judges loved their performance, awarding them their last perfect score of the season.
Who Won the Mirrorball?
Now, here’s the moment everyone’s been waiting for — to find out who won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Danny and Witney took fifth place, Stephen and Rylee in fourth, Chandler and Brandon in third, and Ilona and Alan as the runner-ups. Joey and Jenna were then announced as the Season 33 champions of Dancing With The Stars and would be taking home the Mirrorball!
It has been yet another amazing season of DWTS that’s been so much fun to watch! It’s so bittersweet to see it come to an end, but the excitement doesn’t stop here! I already can’t wait for Season 34 and to see who will come to the ballroom next. Let the countdown begin!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!