I am undoubtedly one of the biggest “Dancing with the Stars” fans out there. For as long as I can remember, my mom and I watched a new episode every week, judging the celebrity dancers from our couch. Throughout the years, there have been incredible dances, wonderful partnerships and insane moments that have left audiences, including myself, with their jaws on the floor. Nothing could have prepared me, however, for the rollercoaster of emotions that I felt during this season’s finale. 

Let me set the scene. 

Season 33 was one of my absolute favorites to watch. Every celebrity who joined the show brought such a unique perspective and an eagerness to learn that made each episode enjoyable to watch. The pro dancers brought their A-game this season, beautifully coaching their celebrity counterparts and creating many viral moments. By the time the finale rolled around, there were five celebrities left — former football star Danny Amendola, US Olympic Rugby player and bronze medalist Ilona Maher, Olympic Bronze medalist and gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, actress Chandler Kinney and former Bachelor Joey Graziadei. The competition was close the entire season, but my favorites were Joey, Ilona and Stephen, so I went into the finale anxiously rooting for them.  

An hour into the finale, everything was going well. The couples performed incredible redemption dances and it was finally time for the beloved freestyles — a dance to encapsulate each celebrity’s journey on Dancing with the Stars with free rein to do whatever style they liked. Here’s where it gets interesting. 

Joey and pro dancer Jenna Johnson performed a freestyle celebrating Joey ’s first love — tennis. Dancing to the catchy “Canned Heat” by District 78 and Jake Johnson, the electric freestyle truly had it all. From an incorporation of many different dance styles to impeccable musicality and even light up tennis rackets, the freestyle showcased Joey’s amazing growth throughout the season. 

To my absolute surprise, not everyone loved the freestyle as much as I did. Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judges of DWTS, said that she thought the dance was underwhelming. I nearly jumped from my couch when I heard this comment, shocked at what she had said. Now, Carrie Ann has made controversial comments and has been known for her unpredictable scoring this season, but I never saw this comment coming. You could clearly see the hurt and shock on Joey and Jenna’s faces as they scored a 29/30 instead of a perfect score. I would be lying if I said this shocking score didn’t ruin a little bit of the finale for me. I immediately voted for Joey and made the rest of my family do so as well. 

When it came down to the final two of Joey and Ilona, I was fully expecting Ilona to win, especially after the mixed reviews of Joey’s freestyle. I was so thrilled and shocked when they called Joey’s name as the winner of the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Seeing him and Jenna hoisted upon the shoulders of the other contestants filled me with joy and reminded me of two things —not everyone is always going to like what you do, and criticism does not equal failure.  

After watching Joey and Jenna’s freestyle and hearing the mixed feedback, it reminded me that no matter how hard you work, not everyone will like the end result. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but an important one. Pro dancer Jenna politely responded to Inaba’s comments, saying, “To each their own,” which reminded me that it’s always best to take the high road when disagreements arise.

Especially as I write more in college, I am fully aware that not everyone may love my writing. You may not even like this blog post! I think I am finally learning to be okay with that. What’s most important is that if you like what you do, there’s simply nothing else you can do! So be proud of your own work, like Jenna was with her choreography, and block out the rest of the noise.  

Finally, the freestyle was another example of how constructive criticism isn’t failure, even though it may feel like it in the moment. I personally have always struggled with receiving criticism, most of the time taking the feedback entirely to heart. This semester of college has taught me the importance of criticism and that it’s not meant to tear you down but rather lift you up. As a writer for The Pitt News, I’ve learned to take the feedback I receive from the editors and use it to enhance my writing and learn for the future. 

I also faced constructive criticism in my public speaking class this semester. After our first two speeches, the teacher gave us constructive criticism directly out loud to us in front of the entire class. After getting over the initial anxiety and slight embarrassment, I realized just how helpful the criticism was and how much I have grown from that criticism. So, watching Jenna and Joey win the Mirrorball despite the critiques of their freestyle reminded me that criticism does not hinder one from succeeding, but rather it drives one even further to succeed.  

Once I got over my initial anger for Inaba’s criticism of the freestyle, I was reminded of the importance of remembering that you’re not going to impress everyone and to learn to graciously accept criticism. I carry these two reminders with me every day and I truly believe they have positively changed my perspective on my work and life.