Dancing With the Stars Season 34 is finally coming to a close tonight, November 25. The last five celebrities will take the dance floor, performing the routines they’ve been perfecting for weeks. All eyes, however, are on Jordan Chiles, the gymnastics star who has amazed fans with her moves. But winning the Mirrorball trophy isn’t just about her; her partner, Ezra Sosa, will play a huge role.

If the duo impresses the judges and audience, Chiles could become only the third Olympic gymnast to win the show. So, who is Ezra Sosa, and could he be the secret to making her history-making win happen?

Who is Ezra Sosa? Background and career history on Dancing With the Stars

Ezra Sosa, 25, has already made a name for himself in dancing, having become a part of the DWTS troupe in 2021. Openly gay, he proudly honors his roots; his father is from Argentina, and his mother is from Mexico.

Sosa’s love for dance began almost as soon as he could walk. He has been dancing since around age two, training in styles from hip-hop and jazz to ballet and ballroom. His early years at Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem, Utah, helped turn his passion into a professional path.

Even as a pre-teen, Sosa showed his talent by becoming a three-time BYU national pre-teen Latin champion. His skills soon took him to television, where he competed on So You Think You Can Dance Season 16 and made it to the Top 6. He also appeared on World of Dance and auditioned for America’s Got Talent.

After SYTYCD, Ezra toured with the live show, danced for pop star JoJo Siwa, and worked on choreography, live events, and TV/film projects. And then his DWTS journey began in Season 30 as part of the troupe, performing with other dancers but without a celebrity partner. He returned in Season 31, gaining more experience and recognition, before being promoted to professional dancer status in season 33.

What is the DWTS Mirror Ball Trophy, and how is the winner decided?

Every season, the Dancing With the Stars champion receives the renowned Mirrorball Trophy. It is instantly recognizable and sparkles like a disco ball, but its origins are surprisingly modest. According to production designer James Yarnell, the original design was influenced by a basic lamp, and the “mirror ball” on top is still a simple, inexpensive invention. But to win it isn’t easy.

It takes more than just dancing prowess to win the Mirrorball. The final outcome is determined by a combination of audience votes and judges’ scores, each of which contributes 50%.

Each couple’s performance is graded by judges, and the results are translated into a percentage of the overall “judges’ pie,” which means that each couple’s portion is determined by how their score stacks up against the others. In the meantime, viewers cast their votes for their preferred couples, which are then translated into a portion of the “voting pie.” The couple with the highest total wins after the two percentages are combined.

There are now just five pairs remaining in Season 34, and they are all vying for the Mirrorball. The couples are Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Jordan Chiles with Ezra Sosa.

When did Ezra Sosa join DWTS as a professional dancer?

Ezra Sosa first appeared on Dancing With the Stars in Season 32, not as a pro, but as an associate choreographer. He even performed a cha-cha-cha with celebrity partner Charity Lawson in place of Artem Chigvintsev after Chigvintsev tested positive for COVID-19. He also contributed to the creation of the season’s opening number to Dua Lipa’s Levitating.

His big break came in Season 33, when he was made the first Latin dance pro on the show in more than ten years and officially promoted to professional dancer. That season, he was paired with Anna Delvey, a controversial entrant, but they were eliminated early in Week 2.

Despite the short run, Ezra has said that DWTS became one of the first places in his life where he truly felt accepted. “When I first joined the show, I had a huge sense of imposter syndrome because I wasn’t out yet,” he shared. “It wasn’t until this year when I realized the power, the power of being fruity and the power of just truly just being yourself.”

Now, in Season 34, Ezra Sosa is in his second season as a professional dancer, and this time, he’s made it to the finale with Jordan Chiles.  All his experience, from choreography to performing on big stages, could be what helps Jordan chase the Mirrorball trophy and make history.