The semifinals of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ season 34 featured a stunning performance from Jordan Chiles, whose Argentine tango with partner Ezra Sosa secured their spot in the finals. After performing the Jive earlier in the night, the duo’s tango earned a perfect score of 30 from judges Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Derek Hough.
That flawless routine gave them a total score of 57 for the week, but it was a comment Chiles made afterward that sparked some confusion.
Why Did Jordan Chiles’ ‘Perfect Score’ Comment Confuse Fans?
The confusion began when Chiles mentioned in a post-show interview that this was her first perfect score in any discipline. “That’s my first perfect score in anything, I am so happy it came on DWTS, and now I am more confident of getting a perfect score in my sport,” she said.
This statement was puzzling to fans who know her gymnastics career well, as Chiles has earned several perfect scores of 10 for her collegiate team, the UCLA Bruins, in events like floor exercises and uneven bars. To clear things up, Chiles took to her X account to explain that she was referring to a perfect all-around score of 40, which would require a 10 in all four events: vaults, floor, bars, and beam balance.
“For everyone wondering what I meant about a perfect score, I meant a perfect 40 in gymnastics terms! Yes I’ve gotten a perfect score on an event, but not on every event all at the same time,” she wrote, reflecting that she has never achieved that all-around 40 in her career.
For everyone wondering what I meant about a perfect score I meant a perfect 40 in gymnastics terms! Yes I’ve gotten a perfect score on an event, but not on every event all at the same time. If you think about it each judge gives a 10 for perfection which is the same as a 10 on an…
— Jordan Chiles (@ChilesJordan) November 20, 2025
The American gymnast further clarified her analogy, apologizing for the mix-up. “If you think about it each judge gives a 10 for perfection which is the same as a 10 on an event so if there are 3-4 judges and they all give 10 then it’s a perfect score, same as if I get 10s on each event at the same time it’s a perfect score lol- sorry for the confusion everyone!!,” she added.
For context, during the 2025 collegiate gymnastics season alone, Chiles earned three perfect event scores of 10, with two on floor exercises and one on uneven bars.
READ MORE: Jordan Chiles Reveals What She Told Partner Ezra Sosa in Week 1 About Making DWTS 34 Finals
Throughout her time on season 34 of DWTS, Chiles and Sosa have delivered several memorable performances, including a heartfelt collaboration with her father for ‘Dedication Night’ that won over many fans. However, even for a world-class gymnast, adapting to the world of dance was not an effortless transition.
In a recent conversation, Chiles reflected on the subtle yet significant differences between gymnastics and dance. She said, “I think with dancers, performance comes from every movement. I discovered it in the Rumba. With gymnasts, it’s like sudden things, like our performance is like the big skills that we do. When I came onto the scene of gymnastics, people were so like, she can dance.”
Despite the learning curve, Chiles added that her gymnastics training and body awareness have helped her immensely in adapting to the demands of dance.
