‘Dancing With the Stars’: Who Had the Best Season 34 Freestyle? Ranking the 5 Finalists (POLL)

The freestyle dance is the most important of the season on Dancing With the Stars. Oftentimes, this final dance can make or break how a contestant fares in the standings at the end of the show.

Season 34 finalists Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles, and Elaine Hendrix all performed their freestyles during the November 25 finale. Everyone scored perfect 30s for the routines, which were all vastly different and catered to the strengths of the individuals’ dance abilities.

The judges clearly loved all of the dances, and I have to agree that they probably all deserved perfect scores, but who actually had the best freestyle of the night? Scroll down for our ranking and to cast your own vote!

5. Alix Earle (2nd place)

OK, in terms of the quality of dancing, there’s no doubt Earle was the best of all the finalists. Her pro partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, packed her freestyle with so much content. But, for me, a good freestyle is one that I’ll want to revisit in the future, and this just doesn’t do that for me.

I felt like the use of the extras was over-the-top and unnecessary at times, often taking away from Earle’s own talent. It didn’t feel like it had anything special that many of her regular dances had this season. I like when a freestyle tells a story and has a purpose, and while this highlighted Earle’s dancing, it didn’t have that WOW factor that goes beyond just being a good dancer.

4. Elaine Hendrix (5th place)

Hendrix’s freestyle was so cute and told such a fun story. The production was off the charts and Alan Bersten did such a great job at utilizing the extra dancers for a full-on show. I loved how she brought in her bestie, Lisa Ann Walter, as well as Andy Richter and more to highlight her longtime friendships and the connections she’s made on the show.

The freestyle allowed Hendrix to show off her acting chops, but I didn’t feel like there was necessarily enough dance content … and she can dance! I would’ve liked to see a little more content, but overall, it as a fun time!

3. Jordan Chiles (3rd place)

This powerful, athletic freestyle is just what I pictured from the Olympic gymnast, and Ezra Sosa did an incredible job for his first freestyle on the show. The addition of Normani, a former DWTS contestant, was so fun, and I loved that the routine highlighted styles of hip-hop dance that Chiles crushed, but hadn’t gotten to flex on the show.

There were a few moments where the performance felt a bit rushed and maybe even a bit disjointed, simply because there was just so much going on. But Sosa really played to his partner’s strengths and made her the highlight.

2. Robert Irwin (1st place)

I had no doubt that Witney Carson was going to choreograph something absolutely epic for Irwin. The routine really highlighted so many different styles of dance that Irwin has learned and excelled at this season. I also think this was the freestyle that had the best use of the extra dancers, using them to showcase just how well Irwin holds up dancing next to professionals.

The fact that Irwin performed this intense routine with an injured rib made it even more powerful. There was a perfect mixture of dancing, tricks, and transitions, and I absolutely loved it.

1. Dylan Efron (4th place)

I swear this is not Dylan Efron bias, but this contemporary routine just really struck a chord with me. It may have been the most simple of all the finale dances, but it’s the one that will continue to stick with me, and the one I will want to go back to and relive more than any of the others.

When I found out Efron was dancing a contemporary freestyle, I was worried he wouldn’t have the story to go with the routine, which always makes a contemporary pack that extra punch. But he really was able to make you feel something with this dance. Daniella Karagach deserves her flowers as a choreographer, truly, because this was perfection.

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She didn’t overdo it on the lifts, even though some of those were definitely the highlights, and she really let Efron shine. The way he conveyed emotion, which is something he’s not used to doing publicly, and showed off how far he’s come as a dancer was truly spectacular. Full body chills.

OK, now we want to hear from you … which freestyle was your favorite? Vote in the poll below and hop into the comments section to let us know how you feel about our picks!

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