Lindsey Stirling Dances While Playing Violin in Mind-Blowing Freestyle in Night 1 of 'DWTS' Finals
Lindsey Stirling's freestyle on Monday's Dancing With the Stars was one for the ages.
The acclaimed violinist hit the stage during the first night of DWTS' two-night finale, and performed a number tailored specifically to her amazing talents.
Set to the powerful string composition of "Palladio," Stirling and partner Mark Ballas hit the stage in stylized leather conductor's outfits and delivered a show-stealing number that blew the roof off the theater.
Incorporating elements from every style of dance Stirling and Ballas have performed throughout the season, their lengthy freestyle saw them dancing intimately together, then suddenly surrounded by other performers who lifted Stirling high in the air, and then performing side by side yet again, without ever missing a beat.
At one point, the 31-year-old musician danced while playing her violin, and continued to play as she was hoisted in the air and spun around by her imaginative partner.
"The [idea] for our freestyle is that we are conductors, and then we get swept away by the music," Stirling explained during a pre-taped segment before the performance.
"This is meant to reflect you to a tee," Ballad explained. "The whole thing represents how you embody music, and how you can kind of command it and own it."
The bombastic, larger-than-life number received nothing but effusive praise from all the judges. Guest judge Julianne Hough said it was "like a Tim Burton quirky musical masterpiece of awesomeness," while Bruno Tonioli called it a "modern classic extravaganza, conducted and orchestrated to perfection."
The pair got a perfect 40 out of 40 for their efforts, which is the same score they received for the first dance of the night -- a quickstep set to "Barflies at the Beach" by Royal Crown Revue.
Between the two numbers, the couple earned a flawless score of 80, tying them with Jordan Fisher and his pro partner Lindsay Arnold.
Stirling and Ballas will be facing off against Fisher and Arnold -- as well as Frankie Muniz and his partner Witney Carson -- when the second night of the DWTS finals kicks off on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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