A Focus on DWTS, Season 22’s
Fabulous Finalists
Season 22 of Dancing With The Stars saw several unforgettable moments and developments, turning sharply away from the familiar ease of the Program's stereotypical, biannual flow, and essentially rocking long established routines with the conveying of multiple history-making events: the gratifying return of the presumed retired Head Judge, Len Goodman, the Bismal Ballroom Departure of Glitter Dome Greats: Record-winning Pro (A gazillion times over!) and recent Reigning Mirror Ball Champion, Derek Hough, and his Sister, former-Pro-turned-Judge, Julianne Hough, and the elating crowning of DWTS' very first – and astonishingly incredible – Deaf Mirror Ball Champion, Nyle DiMarco, along with his supremely talented Pro Partner, Peta Murgatroyd, who joined the unique rank of only 6 other Professionals who have triumphantly hoisted the Mirror Ball Trophy more than once!
An uncharacteristically and staunchly Competitive 10 Week Atmosphere as well, Season 22 also saw the rapid rise – and eventual fall – of more than its fair share of Promising Mirror Ball Hopefuls, each one having been equipped with their own unique perspective on Dancing Know-how, and each with an equally great, exhilarating shot at winning the show's beloved Trophy, which acknowledgement brings this devoted dwtslover to another exciting and well-deserved installment of A Focus on the Finalists:
Ginger
& Val:
Kicking off their topsy-turvy Season with a Fun and Fast Jive that was met with rave
reviews from DWTS' Judging Panel, ABC's own high-hoofing Meteorologist, Ginger Zee, and her Professional
Dancing Partner, Valentin
Chmerkovskiy, were soon the talk of the Tabloids and the Toast of the
Ballroom’s sequined Town,
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Ginger & Val
DWTS Season 22, Week 01
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following up their successful first Act with a Week 02 Latin Night-inspired Samba, earning
the elated Couple a noteworthy, verbal pat-on-the-back from the show's
returning Head Judge, Len Goodman,
who praised the Routine – and Val
specifically – for its fullness of Content, also warning other Pros of the
Ballroom to take heed and follow suit.
A Romantic Contemporary Routine would soon follow
for Week 03’s Most Memorable Year Night, artistically telling the tale of Ginger’s Life, Love and
eventual Marriage with her Husband, Ben Aaron.
Week 04 saw a dramatic change in Judges' scores for
the Duo, submitting a Fun yet Elegant, Beauty
and the Beast-themed Foxtrot as part of Season 22’s Disney Night, tying the Couple
at the head of the evening’s Leader Board with a scoring of all “9”s!
Switching things around for Week 05’s Switch Up
Challenge, Ginger was paired – via Fan Votes – with 2-time Mirror Ball Champion
and one of Season 22’s Front Runners, Mark Ballas, submitting a High-energy,
Hip-swiveling Salsa.
Reunited once more, TeamGinAndJuice then took on a “Nasty”, Janet
Jackson-inspired Jazz Number for Week 06’s Famous Dances Night,
resulting in an unprecedented dip in the Judges' Approval.
Undaunted, however, Ginger and Val merely sprang right back again, taking home
the Season's first Perfect Scoring of all 10’s from the Judges, duly earned with the dancing of their Beautifully Graceful and Emoting Viennese
Waltz for Week 07 of the Competition!
The ecstatic Couple then followed up their success
with a Beyoncé-inspired, Guys-vs-Gals Team Freestyle!
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- Icons Night - Team Dances
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Week 08 saw Ginger and Val's second perfect score of
the Season, earned for their immaculate Argentine Tango,
an indisputable success that was then followed up with their light and kooky, Judges Team Up
Samba with Len Goodman and
fellow Season 22 competitors, Wanya & Lindsay!
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- Judges Team Up Challenge Round
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Up next for this rapidly rising Duo were Season 22’s
Spectacular Semifinals, during which Zee
and Chmerkovskiy teamed up
with DWTS Pro, Artem Chigvintsev, for a Dramatically-Designed Trio Dessert
Paso Doble,
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- Semifinals - Trio Round
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followed up with a Formidably-Framed Firecracker of a Quickstep!
Having made it to the Finals at long last, the surprising Team that was Ginger and Val seemed to deem this the best time for a look back over what had almost certainly been an exciting Season, Performing a Nostalgic Contemporary for Week 10’s Redemption Round
before closing down their first night of DWTS' 2-night Finale with a 1940’s-themed, Fred and Ginger-inspired Freestyle, for which they earned their fourth and final Perfect score of the Season!
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Ginger & Val
DWTS Season 22, Week 10
- The Finals, Night 01 -
Freestyle Round
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Submitting their last Performance for Night 02 of
Season 22’s Finale, as well as their last Dance of the Competition, Ginger and
Val closed down their whirlwind of a Season with the dancing of a 24-hour Argentine Tango/Foxtrot Fusion!
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Ginger & Val
DWTS Season 22, Week 10
- The Finals, Night 02
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“… I’m so grateful for Val,” Ginger noted upon Placing 3rd overall for the Ballroom’s Competition, “and I’m so grateful for just the opportunity to be here! … Thank you all so much for having me!”
