"Just a good hip-hop": Maks Chmerkovskiy critiques Jordan Chiles' Freestyle performance in the Dancing with the Stars finale

Dancing with the Stars alum Maks Chmerkovskiy recently shared his take on Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa’s Freestyle routine in the season 34 finale, and he was not impressed.

Unlike the judges' and fans’ opinions of Jordan’s final dance in the ballroom, Maks felt the routine was underwhelming. In the November 28, 2025, episode of The Penthouse with Peta podcast, Maks said:

“It was just a good hip-hop. It was not a good Freestyle because Freestyle implies– well, that’s again, subjective, right? It’s a great hip-hop. It’s not a great Freestyle for Dancing with the Stars.”

Peta disagreed with his perspective, arguing that a Freestyle could be anything. However, Maks insisted that the routine was not suitable for a dance competition finale. He then recalled the “mistakes” he committed during his time on the ABC show, implying that Jordan’s Freestyle was a “mistake” as well. 

According to him, the “hip-hop and crump” choreography was not fitting for the finale and would not have helped Jordan win the Mirrorball Trophy. 

On the contrary, the judges, in particular Carrie Ann Inaba, while reviewing the act, called it one of the best Freestyle routines she had seen in the 20 seasons of Dancing with the Stars.

Dancing with the Stars alums Peta and Maks disapproved of the Normani cameo in Jordan’s Freestyle performance

While Maks and Peta had contrasting opinions on the choice of dance style, they agreed that Normani’s guest appearance during Jordan’s performance was unnecessary. 

For her final routine, Jordan brought out Fifth Harmony singer Normani, onstage, as they danced to Normani’s Motivation and Beyoncé’s Bow Down.

In an interview with E! News, published on November 26, 2025, Jordan revealed that she was good friends with Normani. 

She added that while she had been considering asking Normani to be part of one of her acts, it was Normani who volunteered to participate in her Freestyle dance if she made it to the finale.

Normani competed in season 24 of the ABC show, finishing in third place with Maks’ brother, Val.

Normani’s surprise appearance was well-received by the audience as well as the panelists, but Peta and Maks felt otherwise. 

“I didn’t need Normani in there. I love Normani. Val danced with her. She’s sensational. She’s insanely talented, but I didn’t need her. Added an extra amazing female next to her. Why? We don’t need it. She’s already amazing. It took away,” Peta opined. 

Maks felt the same, as he pointed out that Jordan’s final dance on the Dancing with the Stars stage should have been about her and her pro dance partner, Ezra. 

According to him, the routine should have celebrated the ending of Jordan and Ezra’s journey on the show, for which a Normani cameo was unnecessary.

Maks admitted he was so surprised by her arrival that it took him a second to recognize her.

“I thought it was one of the backup dancers just killing it,” he added. 

To him, the performance was “missing Ezra,” as he believed the act should not have reserved a segment just for Jordan and Normani. He further noted that Jordan did not make it to the finale on her own, and her final dance on the Dancing with the Stars stage should have reflected that. 

On top of that, given their choice of dance style, Maks found the performance underwhelming overall. He believed Jordan would have done better dancing a Rumba, a Paso Doble, or even a Tango. 

Regardless, he said that the performance would do well if presented during the Dancing with the Stars 2026 Tour. 

Stay tuned for more updates.