Schlager Singer Anna-Carina Woitschack Wins 'Let's Dance' with Perfect Score

At the start of the routine, Woitschack and Vinokurov hung suspended from marionette strings. The piece ended with the pair collapsing lifelessly, a dramatic conclusion to a performance that juror Joachim Llambi described as a freestyle 'den wir in den letzten Jahren nicht einmal hatten' (the likes of which we haven't had in recent years).

Llambi delivered an emphatic endorsement of Woitschack's earlier Paso Doble, stating: 'Wenn du mit dem Tanz die Leute nicht überzeugt hast, dann weiß ich nicht, was wir hier noch machen sollen in dieser Veranstaltung. Dann können wir nach Hause gehen.' (If you didn't convince people with that dance, then I don't know what we're still doing in this event. We can just go home.)

Praise from the Jury and a First Victory

Vinokurov acknowledged the complexity of the winning routine. 'Auch für mich war das eine Herausforderung, das zu choreografieren,' (It was a challenge for me, too, to choreograph that) he said. The victory marked his first-ever 'Let's Dance' title.

Woitschack, who first gained public attention in 2011 through the RTL casting show 'Deutschland sucht den Superstar', reflected on her journey. 'Ich bin hier sehr über mich hinausgewachsen,' (I have really grown beyond myself here) she said, summarizing her months on the dance floor.

She also thanked her father, who provided the marionettes used in the performance. Woitschack noted that he is fussy about his puppets and always worries about the strings. 'Also, danke Papa,' (So, thank you, Dad) she said. She grew up with the puppet theater and lived in a caravan for years as her parents traveled with it.

Spider-Man and Elvis Round Out the Podium

Runner-up Milano delivered a crowd-pleasing Spider-Man-themed routine, wearing the superhero's costume and hanging upside down in the studio. His dance partner, Marta Arndt, portrayed Mary Jane, and the performance included a staged movie kiss.

Third-place finisher Joel Mattli performed as an Elvis impersonator, complete with a hair quiff, gold jacket, and hip swings. Llambi noted that Mattli danced 'sauber' (cleanly) and added, 'Man kann da nichts finden.' (You can't find anything wrong there.)

Moderator Victoria Swarovski stated that the final decision was extremely close. The trophy, shaped like a disco ball, was awarded to Woitschack, who succeeds Diego Pooth as champion. Pooth, the son of moderator and advertising icon Verona Pooth, won the previous season with dance partner Ekaterina Leonova.

The 'Let's Dance' format has now been running in Germany for 20 years. A total of 14 celebrities competed in this season.

Woitschack later appeared on other TV formats, including the RTL jungle camp. She was at one time in a relationship with moderator and trumpeter Stefan Mross, age 50.