'Dancing with the Stars' 2016: Ginger Zee, Paige VanZant & Nyle DiMarco battle it out on 1st night of finale
HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES -- The fierce battle for the coveted mirror ball trophy is coming to a close, but the competition is far from over for the three finalists in season 22 of "Dancing with the Stars."
Night one had Paige VanZant, Nyle DiMarco and Ginger Zee performing two dances each. But there was a "storm cloud" hanging over the ballroom as it wasn't yet determined if Zee could compete due to a pelvis injury suffered last week.
Fighting through the pain, Zee pushed on and said win or lose, she wanted to see this journey to the end.
All three couples performed the always fun freestyle, along with a "redemption" dance of their choosing. Here's a recap of Monday's dances, from highest to lowest scores:
- Paige VanZant -
Salsa: 29 out of 30
Freestyle: 30 out of 30
Total: 59 out of 60
Redemption comes for Paige and Mark in the form of the salsa dance. It's the dance where Mark injured his back earlier in the season and had to sit out that performance, so this was truly their first time doing the full routine. And they included the dreaded "move" that caused the disc injury in the first place. The saucy dance starts with troupe members and everyone in black. They rally around Paige and suddenly she's wearing a red and gold dress that reflected the song's theme of "Fireball" by Pitbull. Head judge Len Goodman thought the choreography was fantastic, but dinged them one point for lacking hip action. Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba thought Len was crazy and each gave the routine a 10. They earned the night's only perfect score for their freestyle. It was an emotional dance Mark choreographed to reflect Paige's journey. His fiancee BC Jean sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and the ballroom was in tears. Carrie Ann praised the way Paige grew throughout the season; Bruno called the dance a triumph; and Len said it had been an honor to have seen three different, but equally fantastic freestyles.
- Ginger Zee -
Contemporary: 28 out of 30
Freestyle: 30 out of 30
Total: 58 out of 60
We got a glimpse of the pelvic and back tweak that temporarily sidelined Ginger. It wasn't a major move, or a big lift, and Val didn't drop her. It was just an awkward movement. Luckily physical therapists were on hand to help Ginger throughout the week, and much of the pain seemed to be mind over matter. Ginger was just flat out determined to dance. Val re-did their contemporary routine and filled it with all kinds of dance content. Len complimented Ginger's improvement and fluidity; Bruno thought the routine showed off how much she'd blossomed; and Carrie Ann liked how Val combined power and refinement. For their freestyle, Val wanted to focus on dancing and not bells, whistles, fireballs or flips. Their inspiration was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and classic moves from the past. Len thought both numbers helped Ginger show her versatility; Bruno loved that they brought back a great legacy with great style; and Carrie Ann appreciated the routine gave viewers what the show was truly founded on... classy, elegant, feel good moments.
PHOTOS: "Dancing With the Stars" Week 10 - The Finals
- Nyle DiMarco -
Quickstep: 27 out of 30
Freestyle: 30 out of 30
Total: 57 out of 60
Nyle and Peta want to re-do their quickstep for the redemption dance because it's the routine the judges liked the least. They want to erase that earlier negative feedback and end on something positive. Bruno called their western-themed quickstep exhilarating and loaded with content; Carrie Ann and Len both liked the fun of the routine, but thought it was a bit hectic and out of sync. Any missteps they made on the first dance were quickly erased with the freestyle. Peta had a guest choreographer come in and help with their contemporary routine, which they performed to the Simon & Garfunkel classic "The Sound of Silence." Those in the crowd were brought to tears during the beautiful performance. Bruno called the dance pitch perfect and Carrie Ann said she felt it was the best dance she'd seen in all 22 seasons.
Tuesday night, the couples will perform a new routine as part of a "24-Hour Fusion Challenge." The remaining couples will fuse two contrasting dance styles, and they'll have less than 24 hours to prepare that dance for judges' points. At the end of Tuesday's show a new mirror ball champ will be crowned!
