Night one of the Dancing With the Stars finale aired on ABC last night, and three talented stars showed off their best for the audience and the judges to determine who will come out on top, as tonight, the winner of the coveted mirror ball trophy will be announced.
Good Morning America's weather anchor, Ginger Zee was able to perform with her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, even after a painful pelvic injury that occurred during rehearsals that made everyone question whether or not she would be able to compete that night.
She was able to perform without the back spasms that she feared would cause her to fall while she was dancing, and their "Redemption Dance" (re-creation of a low-scoring routine from earlier in the season) earned them a 28 out of 30, and their freestyle dance got three 10s- the first perfect score of the night.
Mark Ballas has brought the UFC MMA kickboxer, Paige VanZant a long way to the finale. Their Redemption Dance was a salsa danced to Pitbull's "Fireball." This dance earned the pair a 29 out of 30. Their 2nd dance, the freestyle was accompanied by Ballas' fiancée singing "Over the Rainbow." They also earned a perfect score for the dance, and Ballas was brought to tears when they talked to the judges.
Mark Ballas, wiping away tears, stated,"I'm not really a crier... I don't know what's happening to me right now. It's a really special moment. I've been on this show now 18 seasons in a row, and I'm so proud of this girl for how far she's come."
Carrie Ann and Bruno were also brought to tears.
Then there is Nyle DiMarco. Nyle, the former Math teacher at Gallaudet University, and the winner of America's Top Model, along with his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, received a 27 out of 30 for their first dance- which was a quickstep. Their freestyle dance received a perfect score and moved more to tears. They danced to Disturbed's rendition of the Simon and Garfunkel song "The Sound of Silence." People have been amazed at the talent Nyle has shown throughout the season as he can not hear the music at all, but still has performed beautifully.
Who will win the mirror ball trophy? The three contestants are really close in scores right now. It's up to America's voting now. Who are you rooting for?
Watch tonight's episode live on-line at 9/8c on ABC's website if you have a participating cable provider. You can also watch recaps of last night's performance and find other bonus features, too! New episodes are available on Hulu eight days after they air. Dancing With the Stars has been renewed for another season, and while the exact date has not been set, it will likely follow the end of The Bachelorette season, probably in September.
