"Best Foxtrots from a man, ever!": Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough on Dylan Efron's Foxtrot to "Ordinary" that received a perfect score

Dancing with the Stars season 34 is finally coming to a close with its grand finale premiered on November 25, 2025, on ABC. The top five finalists and their pro dancers are performing for the last time after months of rehearsals, injuries, and competition. 

The final five couples: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, competed to win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The Dancing with the Stars finale saw each of the pairs doing three different routines in a Judges’ Choice round, an Instant Dance round, and a Freestyle round.

Dylan Efron, who entered the Dancing with the Stars finale with something to prove after landing at the bottom of the leaderboard in the semifinals, was determined to show just how far he had come.

And from his very first performance, walking into the finale, he proved it by getting a perfect score in the second round, where he did a Foxtrot to “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, which impressed the judges, and Derek Hough even noted:

"That was one of the best foxtrots from a man ever."

Dylan Efron's performance in the Dancing with the Stars season 34 finale explored

1.) Judges’ Choice Round – Paso Doble (Score: 28/30)

For the opening round, judge Bruno Tonioli selected a fierce paso doble for Dylan and pro partner Daniella Karagach, set to “Stampede” by Alexander Jean featuring Lindsey Stirling. 

Before even getting into his comment, Bruno could not help but admire Dylan’s physical presence on the dance floor. Celebrating his 70th birthday, he joked that:

"Let's be real, that torso, Michelangelo himself could not have sculpted a better shape," Bruno said. "Actually I'm speechless." he later admitted and calling the piece “beautiful shapes” that he “could watch… all over again.”

Carrie Ann Inaba focused on Dylan’s growth, saying,

“To think back to how far you’ve come is really incredible.” She noted that his hands got “a little flat” in moments but still called the performance “fantastic.”

Derek Hough also praised the performance, saying, “Your improvement has been remarkable… You are just amazing to watch,” he told Dylan, though he agreed that “the shaping” could have been stronger.

Dylan and Daniella received two 9s from Carrie Ann and Derek and a 10 from Bruno, giving him a strong score of 28/30 to start the night.

2.) Instant Dance Round – Foxtrot (Score: 30/30)

For the second round in the Dancing with the Stars finale, Dylan drew a foxtrot to “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, a dance he confessed he hoped he wouldn’t get, even though it was secretly the style he felt most comfortable performing. 

Carrie Ann was moved to tears as she said:

“Dylan, that was unbelievable… I don’t even think you know how amazing that was. You brought me to tears!” She praised the “beautiful hold” he maintained and told him he was “leading like a leading man.”

Derek went even further, clearly surprised by what he had just seen.

"The control, the way you used your ankles, your legs, your knees… I’m just gonna say that, for me, that was one of the best foxtrots from a man ever."

Bruno agreed wholeheartedly. “Len would adore it,” he said warmly, complimenting Dylan’s “quality of movement,” his heel leads, and the complete control he showed throughout the choreography.

The foxtrot earned Dylan his first perfect score of the night: 30/30.

3.) Freestyle Round – Contemporary (Score: 30/30)

The freestyle round was the emotional heart of the Dancing with the Stars finale, where Daniella created a contemporary routine to “Something in the Heavens” by Lewis Capaldi.

She explained that she would “represent the energy of dance,” while Dylan would simply play himself.

In rehearsals, Dylan got emotional, admitting he hadn’t been proud of his earliest weeks in the competition but now finally felt like he belonged on the dance floor.

The routine that followed was pure magic. Dreamy, moving, and deeply sincere, it brought not only the judges but the entire ballroom to tears.

Bruno was mesmerized after the performance, noting:

 “Beautiful, poetic… You really captured the elusive quality of a dream,” he said, describing images from the dance as something he would “never forget.”

Carrie Ann also praised the emotional weight of the moment.

“The emotionality was beyond,” she told him. The dance, she said, was “the perfect representation of what Dancing With the Stars is.”

Derek was visibly touched, as he said to Dylan:

“You embody this beautiful, sincere, kind masculinity,” he said softly. “It was so tender… so present. You were such a beautiful partner.” He ended with a heartfelt, “I love you.”

Up in the skybox, Julianne Hough revealed that everyone was crying watching Dylan’s final performance that perfectly displayed the transformation from his Week 1 “Milkshake” routine.

The freestyle earned him his second perfect score of the night. With all the scores adding up, Dylan and Danilla concluded their Dancing with the Stars performance with a remarkable 88 out of 90 scores.

Stay tuned for more updates.