“DWTS” Week 11 Recap: And the Winner Is…

We can hardly believe that Season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars” is over. We might say this every year, but we’re pretty sure this was one of the most dramatic seasons yet, complete with onstage injuries, wardrobe malfunctions, controversial eliminations (and shocking non-eliminations); the list goes on and on. 

But after all of that, we made it to the finale with our five fabulous finalists. For the finale, each remaining couple was asked to dance twice—once in a redemption round, where they would perform a style they had struggled with earlier in the season, and then, of course, in the freestyle round. And we at Dance Spirit are huge fans of the freestyle. After all, when you give the pros free rein, you never know quite what to expect.…

In case you somehow missed last night’s finale, here’s all the best dancing—and the couple who walked away with the first-ever Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. 

Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev

Last night’s performance gave Charity the chance to get back to her cheerleading roots, and we just have to say, “Yas, queen!” Charity’s freestyle, choreographed by her partner, Artem, was chock-full of cheer-tastic content and brought to the ballroom some of the most dazzling (and death-defying) lifts we’ve ever seen. 

But more than anything else, her freestyle gave Charity the chance to look totally, completely in her element. She was confident in a whole new way last night. The judges gave the performance three 10s, for a total of 30 out of 30 possible points. 

Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach

We’ve never seen Daniella Karagach, the queen of choreo, not knock it out of the park when choreographing a freestyle routine. And last night’s freestyle with Jason Mraz was no exception. It was pure Jason—fun-filled, extra-energetic, and just on the quirky side of classic. 

And Jason did more than enough to keep up with Daniella’s choreo. He brought all of the energy and focus to the ballroom for finale night, nailing every step—and there were some challenging ones thrown in there. The judges gave Jason and Daniella three 10s, for a perfect 30. 

Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov

We were beyond excited to see pro Pasha Pashkov’s first freestyle. After all, this is the first time our fave has ever made it to the finale. And it’s safe to say that Pasha exceeded all our expectations with the freestyle he put together for his partner, Ariana Madix.

Ariana and Pasha brought new meaning to the word “fierce” with their freestyle, a hip-hop routine set to a mashup of girl-power anthems. Ariana was comfortable, confident, and in control of both her movement and the ballroom. The judges gave the pair three 10s, totaling 30 points. 

Alyson Hannigan and Sasha Farber

If there was a “DWTS” award for most improved (and, hey, now that we say it, maybe there should be…), it would have to go to one person this season: Alyson Hannigan. We’ve seen the star come so far from her week-one performance, and we’re beyond happy we got to see her dance in the finale. 

Pro Sasha Farber choreographed to all of Alyson’s newfound strengths, giving her the chance to show off some serious skills in both ballroom and Latin forms. Let’s just say it was a truly enchanting performance. 

The judges gave Alyson and Sasha two 9s and one 10 for a total of 28 out of 30 possible points. 

Xochitl Gomez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy

We’ve seen Xochitl Gomez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy perform some seriously fun dances this season. But in last night’s performance, this dancing duo brought the intensity. We were prepared for the ballroom to go up in flames during this freestyle. 

As always, Xochitl performed with passion, completely committing to the routine. And even dancing alongside a bevy of pro dancers, she stood out—no small feat. The judges gave Xochitl and Val three 10s, for a perfect score of 30. 

So after all that dancing, who took home the first-ever Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy? Your Season 32 champs are…

…XOCHITL GOMEZ AND VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY!

We’re beyond thrilled for Xochitl and Val. Talk about a multiverse of mirror-ball madness!