The Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro finale is here! After last week, the winner felt like a sure thing. This season finale doesn’t offer any surprises in that regard. Deservedly so, Dancing with the Stars Season 35’s new pro is Adele Zaikman. Her partner for the finale is TV host Nēv Schulman, who placed second in DWTS Season 29 with his partner Jenna Johnson. Meanwhile, Selena Hamilton dances with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, who won the All-Athletes Season 27 with his partner Jenna Johnson. Finally, AJ Pritchard is partnered with Charli D’Amelio, who won Season 31 with her partner Mark Ballas.
Thankfully, DWTS: The Next Pro leans into the humor and sentimentality of Ballas seeing D’Amelio dance again with a different partner and judging her for it. The care and respect they have for each other shine in the episode’s package for AJ and Charli, as well as on the ballroom floor. That’s right; the season finale has video packages–and that’s not all! Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Season 1, Episode 8, “The Final Step: Finale with Derek Hough and Witney Carson,” emulates the original series in all the ways that count. That’s quite the surprising and thrilling departure from DWTS: The Next Pro‘s original format.
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The episode opens with a celebratory, high-energy dance number featuring the three finalists, as well as Mark & Shirley Ballas and returning guest judge, Derek Hough. Bringing him back for the finale is a smart decision. It creates this fantastic bookend to the season that complements the dancers’ arcs. I can imagine how exciting it is to see the dancers in the first week and then see their growth in “The Final Step: Finale with Derek Hough and Witney Carson.”
The episode also introduces two-time Mirrorball Champion Witney Carson as Robert Irwin’s dance partner and co-host. Seeing them dance side by side is still as thrilling as it was during DWTS last season! Like Hough, having Carson as a part of the season finale makes sense. She has been pivotal to three of the eight episodes. She has gone from mentor/guest judge to dance partner to host, and she wears every hat with ease. Expectedly, she’s a total pro!
Carson and Irwin also bounce off each other so well – both because of their pre-existing dynamic and familiarity with DWTS – as hosts that it makes me wish DWTS: The Next Pro did more with Irwin as a host over the last seven episodes. His connection with Allen Genkin still stands out, especially when Robert sits down with the finalists to discuss their journey so far. That segment is another great addition that aligns with DWTS and all the retrospection it offers during a season finale. Regardless, Irwin has the personable skills DWTS: The Next Pro needs to highlight the dancers’ personalities beyond their dances.
“The Final Step: Finale with Derek Hough and Witney Carson” gives them the space to show off their improved skills and unique personalities through a familiar DWTS season finale challenge. They have two dances: a Ballroom/Latin style and a freestyle. Whether it’s a style or a freestyle, Selena shows so much personality in her dances. Her jive with Adam is entertaining, and her freestyle is expansive and expressive. Robert is right to call it “poetry in motion.”
Unfortunately, AJ and Charli’s Viennese Waltz already has wild competition in Charli and Mark’s. It was so good that the late, great Len Goodman said it took his breath away. Mind you, Mark looks so proud of Charli while she’s dancing. It’s sweet, considering she starts the episode by saying, “I will forever love him from the bottom of my heart, and I hope I make him happy tonight.” AJ’s freestyle with Charli, though, is so jam-packed with choreography that it requires a level of stamina from both dancers.
Finally, Adele works with Nēv’s jet lag to create a memorable Samba and a fiery freestyle. It’s smart of her to call a rehearsal in favor of her celebrity’s rest and overall ability to compete at his best. That choice, which shows foresight for what she may have to do as a DWTS pro, pays off in her dances. As Shirley mentions, Adele doesn’t just dance around Nēv. He is all across the floor, keeping up with Adele’s fast-paced choreography.
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“The Final Step: Finale with Derek Hough and Witney Carson” having the structure of a DWTS episode – with all the bells, whistles, and live audience to match – means that by the time it gets to the results, it feels earned. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro commemorates this journey ending by folding into what we expect from and know about DWTS. So much so, the sound effects while waiting to find out the dancers’ placements made me nervous.
I could tell that Adele would win, and I was still nervous. Then again, I guess that’s to be expected after so many seasons of dragging that sound effect out, waiting for Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough to announce the results.
What are those results for Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro? Stunningly, Selena Hamilton takes third place, with AJ Pritchard as the runner-up. As mentioned, Adele Zaikman is the next pro! It’s actually seamless how all of this DWTS news lends itself to the rollout for the new seasons. Because, as Robert Irwin reminds fans, the reveal of the Season 35 partners is in two days! However, if you’re looking for more information about the season’s judges and hosts, well, that’s tomorrow. It’s officially Dancing with the Stars season!
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