In a ‘Dancing With The Stars’ finale defined by explosive energy, the biggest roar from the crowd wasn’t for a judge’s score. It was a 35-second cameo that stole the show. For weeks, Jordan Chiles had a secret weapon for her ‘Dancing With The Stars’ finale – one that even she wasn’t sure was real until it happened. When pop star Normani stepped onto the stage, it wasn’t just a surprise for the audience; it was the culmination of a plan hatched weeks in the making.

During a recent social media live, Jordan Chiles addressed it all and said, “It was so iconic. And then having Normani in it, which was even crazier. Like, oh my gosh! Like, I don’t even understand. ‘Cause like, she told me week 3, she told me she was like, she was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna be, you know, I should be in your freestyle.’ And I hadn’t even talked to her. So, I was like, ‘This is just wow.’”

Normani was on the stage with Chiles for only about 35 seconds. But she managed to garner quite a bit of attention. And that rose higher when she joined Chiles for an aerial and flipped out of the frame towards the end of those 35 seconds. For Chiles, it’s still surreal.

“She did do an aerial. That girl pulled out an aerial. I don’t know how I was able to get an aerial out of her. But girly pop.”

Chiles and Sosa choreographed their finale routine to ‘Motivation’ by Normani and ‘Bow Down’ by Beyoncé. It was a performance that merged Chiles’ athleticism into pop – an explosive floor routine but on stage. The judges and the audience had their minds blown (all puns intended). Even Chiles knew that her freestyle performance was “iconic.” Yet, she finished third in the competition. But her dance number topped the charts, fueled by Normani’s presence in it. 

Jordan Chiles has always been vocal about being head over heels for Normani. She even addressed the fans’ requests about choosing a favorite song. Chiles confessed her inclination towards ‘All Yours’, ‘Candy Paint’, and ‘Insomnia’. But choosing a favorite was pretty hard. The final choice, which was ‘Motivation’, happened because Chiles had a very special memory of her gymnastics career associated with the song – her first perfect score.

Previously, Jordan Chiles revealed that she didn’t really know that Normani was serious when she offered to be in her finale performance in late September. But when her manager called Chiles up, the Olympian knew she was serious. However, Ezra Sosa was already in on the plan way before Jordan.

Jordan Chiles’ DWTS partner weighs in on the mashup with Normani

It’s worth noting that Chiles and Normani have known each other since 2020. While Chiles claimed that Normani pitched the idea to collaborate in week 3 of the DWTS season 34, Sosa believed it happened way before that. 

“We were talking about this since the beginning of the season… It was a hypothetical, until we were getting closer and closer and closer. And Jordan was like, ‘I think she wants to do it.’”

Normani has her own history with DWTS. Like Jordan Chiles, she finished third during her participation in season 24. Her return to the dance show in any capacity was only a ‘matter of time’. And her desire reflected brightly when she took to Instagram to thank Sosa and Chiles. 

“I am SOOOOOO PROUD of you 🤍. Thank you for sharing your stage with me tonight, LOVE YOU BBY SISTER @jordanchiles @ezra.sosa.”

Now that the DWTS season has come to an end, what do you propose Jordan Chiles’ next move to be? We predict that she’d be back on the mats soon enough. Share your thoughts in a comment.