Only one star could win the mirrorball trophy! After the remaining Dancing With the Stars pairs performed two dances each on the Monday, November 22, season 30 finale, the winner was crowned.
Each pair first performed a fusion, taking two dance styles and combining them into one routine. Amanda Kloots and pro Alan Bersten were the first to hit the ballroom and “found the balance perfectly,” guest judge Julianne Hough said afterward. Bruno Tonioli complimented the pair’s “scolding” passion.
“A couple weeks ago, it all just clicked — the magic of this journey all of the work we’ve put in together,” the Talk cohost said. “It has literally changed my life, being on this show. It really has.” Though they didn’t get a perfect score for their first number, they did earn a 40/40 for their powerful and uplifting freestyle.
Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke combined a paso doble and cha cha, and while the judges agreed that they’d come a long way after their tough start during the season, they were given four nines. They made up for that during a wild freestyle, which earned them a perfect 40.
Meanwhile, both JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson and Iman Shumpert and pro Daniella Karagach earned perfect scores for both dances — and left the judges in awe.
The Dance Moms alum opened up about how much she’d gone through during the show, while her partner couldn’t help but praise her. “I always knew that this person was inside of you but I’m so happy she arrived,” Jenna told her.
“You’ve just proved it doesn’t matter if it’s two girls dancing together, two guys. If it’s good dancing magic happens,” Len Goodman told the pair before JoJo explained what taking home the season 30 trophy would mean to her. “Winning the mirrorball isn’t just for me or for us,” she said. “It’s winning it for so many people around the world who are maybe afraid to be themselves.”
Their freestyle, set to Lady Gaga‘s “Born This Way,” was meant to be a celebration — and that’s exactly what it was. For their background dancers, pro men danced with men and women with women, and the judges were all moved by the meaningful performance.
Last — but certainly not least — Iman and Daniella’s fusion really impressed the judges.
“Sometimes underdogs bite back and that’s what you’ve done tonight,” Len said of the first NBA player to make it to the DWTS finals. “There was no confusion in the fusion. It was really right on.” Julianne noted that since she’d been watching from home, she “never thought” of Iman as an underdog. Bruno later called him “the king of the ballroom.”
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The duo took it to another level for a very high-energy freestyle, which left everyone in shock. “I will go on record right now, that was my favorite freestyle I’ve ever seen in 30 seasons of Dancing With the Stars,” Julianne said before nearly crawling on the table. Carrie Ann Inaba also commended them for also giving Daniella the “chance to shine” as well during their routine.
In the end, only one pair could win … and the mirrorball trophy went to Iman and Daniella. JoJo and Jenna came in second place, followed by Cody and Cheryl in third and Amanda and Alan in fourth.
Scroll down for a breakdown of all the scores:
