Country of origin United States Original network ABC Professional winner Tony Dovolani | No. of episodes 19 Celebrity winner Melissa Rycroft | |
Original release September 24 (2012-09-24) – November 27, 2012 (2012-11-27) | ||
Season fifteen of Dancing with the Stars, called Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, premiered on September 24, 2012. Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet returned as hosts. The Harold Wheeler orchestra and singers provided music throughout the season. The returning members of the dance troupe for this season were Oksana Dmyrenko, Emma Slater, Sharna Burgess, Henry Byalikov, and Sasha Farber. Sonny Fredie Pedersen replaced Kiki Nyemchek.
Contents
- Couples
- Previous seasons
- Scoring chart
- Averages
- Highest and lowest scoring performances
- Weekly scores and songs
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3 Iconic Dances Week
- Week 4 Opponents Choice Week
- Week 5 Guilty Pleasures Week
- Night 1
- Night 2
- Week 6 Country Night
- Week 7 Dance Fusion Week
- Week 8 Veterans DayTrio Challenge Week
- Week 9 SemifinalsThemed DancesBad Tribute Week
- Week 10 Finals
- Dance chart
- References
Season 15 was the first to feature an "all-star" cast, in which previous celebrities who have competed on the show have another chance to win the competition. Six of the returning finalists, however, had already won the title in prior seasons (Kelly Monaco, Drew Lachey, Emmitt Smith, Apolo Anton Ohno, Helio Castroneves, and Shawn Johnson). Season eight saw the most returning contestants, with 3 out of the 13 contestants coming from that season (Gilles Marini, Shawn Johnson, and Melissa Rycroft). In addition, it was the only season to date to offer fractional (0.5) scores. Five contestants reunited with their original partners, while the other eight danced with new ones.
Season eight finalist Melissa Rycroft defeated season eight champion Shawn Johnson and season one champion Kelly Monaco to win the trophy. This also marked the first win for professional Tony Dovolani. Tony was also the third professional (after Kym Johnson and Peta Murgatroyd) to win after being eliminated first the previous season.
This was the first season to feature an all-female final three in the American series, which was seen again in season 18. Rycroft was the only celebrity to place higher than her original season (3rd to 1st) while everyone else ranked lower. Also, this is the first season where a couple performed a style of dance that no other couple performed: the waltz, danced only by Sabrina Bryan and Louis van Amstel.
Couples
The names of twelve returning celebrities were revealed on July 27, 2012. All 12 professionals from season 14 returned. A thirteenth contestant was chosen by the public, from either Sabrina Bryan, Kyle Massey, or Carson Kressley. Bryan was announced the winner on August 27, 2012 over Kressley and Massey. Louis van Amstel was partnered with Bryan, while the professional partners for the first twelve celebrities were revealed on August 13. Mark Ballas and Cheryl Burke were the professionals with the most returning partners (3) and each reunited with one.
Previous seasons
Mark Ballas and Cheryl Burke have the most returning partners this season with 3 each.
Scoring chart
Red numbers indicate the lowest score for each week Green numbers indicate the highest score for each week the couple eliminated that week the returning couple finishing in the bottom two (or three) the returning couple that was the last to be called safe the winning couple the runner-up couple the third-place coupleAverages
This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 30-points scale (guest judge Paula Abdul's scores from Week 4, Kirstie Alley's extra 2 points from the Country-Western group dance from Week 6 and the Swing Marathon dance scores from Week 7 have been removed).
Highest and lowest scoring performances
The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' 30-point scale are as follows:
Weekly scores and songs
Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3: Iconic Dances Week
Celebrities must choose an iconic routine from the previous fourteen seasons and perform it but try to make it as "iconic" as it was previously. There was also a double-elimination. Two couples were "in jeopardy" halfway through the hour, two more at the end, with one couple of each pair eliminated.
Week 4: Opponents' Choice Week
Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Paula Abdul, Bruno Tonioli.
All of the celebrities chose a dance style for one of their opponents, as well as getting their style of dance chosen by a fellow competitor. Paula Abdul served as guest judge. Hélio & Chelsie would have danced Broadway, chosen by Shawn & Derek, had they not been eliminated.
Week 5: Guilty Pleasures Week
The two couples with the highest total cumulative points/average became "team captains" and chose teams to join them in the Team Freestyle; these captains were Gilles & Peta and Shawn & Derek. Gilles & Peta's team consists of Kelly & Val, Emmitt & Cheryl, and Kirstie & Maks. Shawn & Derek's team consists of Sabrina & Louis, Melissa & Tony, and Apolo & Karina. Bristol & Mark would have joined the team who lost a member, had they not been eliminated. Due to a presidential debate on October 22, this week of competition consisted of two performance shows - October 22 and 23. There was no elimination, so all the couples returned to dance during Week Six.
Night 1
Night 2
Week 6: Country Night
Each contestant and their partner danced to a country song, hence the name "Country Night." Each individual routine included a solo portion by the celebrity member of the pair. After all individual routines were performed, all of the couples did a group dance. The couple that impressed the judges the most received 2 bonus points; that was Kirstie & Maks. Sabrina Bryan was eliminated again in week six, with nearly the same average. This is the third time in Dancing with the Stars history (after Willa Ford in season 3 & Maria Menounos in season 14) that the star with highest judges' score was eliminated the week they came in first place. Bryan also had, at the time of her elimination, the highest accumulative average. Bryan was eliminated on exactly the same day that she was eliminated when she competed in season 5 five years prior (October 30, 2007).
Week 7: Dance Fusion Week
On the Week 6 Results Show, dance styles were chosen by the couples for each other, as was done for Opponent's Choice Week. For this week, however, a pair of dance styles was chosen that were to be "fused" together. Due to the presidential election and effects of Hurricane Sandy for East Coast viewers, no elimination took place, so all remaining couples advanced to Week 8. There was also a Swing dance marathon. Mark Ballas danced with Shawn Johnson in place of Derek this week due to Derek having an injury in his neck. Sabrina & Louis would have danced a Tango Foxtrot fusion, chosen by Emmitt & Cheryl, if they had not been eliminated.
Week 8: Veterans Day/Trio Challenge Week
All seven couples chose one professional that was either previously eliminated or participates in the dance troupe, to perform with them in their Latin routine in an event known as the "Trio Challenge". There was also a double elimination. In honor of Veterans Day, the first round featured performances to songs that pay homage to servicemen and women.
Week 9: Semifinals/Themed Dances/Bad Tribute Week
The couples performed one unlearned dance to a song from Michael Jackson's album Bad and one dance chosen by the other couples. The theme of the last dance was also chosen by the other couples. Kelly and Val chose the "Caveman" Hustle for Melissa and Tony, Emmitt and Cheryl chose the "Knight Rider" Bhangra for Shawn and Derek, Gilles and Peta chose the "Big Top" Jazz for Apolo and Karina and Shawn and Derek chose the "Espionage" Lindy Hop for Emmitt and Cheryl. This left the "Surfer" Flamenco for Kelly and Val. Gilles and Peta would have danced the "Mad Monk" Merengue, chosen by Apolo and Karina, had they not been eliminated.
There is also another double elimination this week, due to the Finals.
Week 10: Finals
Emmitt & Cheryl as well as Apolo & Karina were eliminated in week nine, leaving Kelly Monaco, Shawn Johnson, and Melissa Rycroft to compete in the finals, the first time the finals have had three female celebrities. Each couple will perform their favorite dance of the season, along with a super-sized freestyle on night one, and an instant dance on night two in which they had to choose their dance style as well as their music the night of the competition. Each couple was allowed to bring in extra performers for their freestyle only.
Night 1
Night 2
Dance chart
The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week: