Aly Raisman 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 16 Finale Performance VIDEO with Partner Mark Ballas: Samba, Cha Cha Cha, Freestyle
Dancing With The Stars had close score averages going into the final week of competition. Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas were in third place with an average of 26.4 for the previous nine weeks.
The duo had to compete in three dances for the first segment of the season finale. First up for Aly and Mark was the Samba. The pair took the floor bedecked in golden brown outfits, Mark with a bare chest and Aly wearing a layered golden necklace. Set to "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira the pair wowed the judges with significant improvement. According to Bruno Tonioli, Aly and Mark were "cleaner and slicker than ever" while Carrie Ann Inaba praised Aly's swagger, beautiful lines, and musicality. The duo received a 10 from Bruno and 9s from Carrie Ann and Len Goodman.
The second piece of the evening's competition was the Cha Cha Cha relay. In this dance, each couple was assigned to dance a different segment of the same song. Scoring ranged from 5 points for the pair who came in first to 2 points for the ones who came in fourth. Aly and Mark drew the third performance slot. The pair came in third and received 3 points.
Last came the much-anticipated freestyle dance. Competitors were free to chose whatever style and music they so desired. The duo started the routine on the dance floor and quickly moved up a raised platform to two vertical poles in an effort to capitalize on Aly's gymnastic training. Bruno praised the performance as exotic, unexpected, and an incredible risk. Aly and Mark received a 10 from each judge, leaving them with a perfect 30.
