The thirtieth season of '' Dancing with the Stars'' premiered on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

on September 20, 2021, and concluded on November 22, 2021. This was the final season to air on ABC before the series moved to

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

in 2022. NBA shooting guard

Iman Shumpert Iman Asante Shumpert ( ; born June 26, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Shumpert was selected by the New York Knicks with the 17th overall pic ...

and

Daniella Karagach Daniella Karagach Pashkova (née Karagach) is an American dancer. Karagach and dance partner Leonid Juashkovsky are three-time United States junior I and II Latin champions. They were the 2007 junior II 10 dance champions. Abroad, they reached ...

were crowned the champions, while

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

personality

JoJo Siwa Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa (; born May 19, 2003) is an American dancer, singer, actress and YouTuber. She is known for appearing for two seasons on '' Dance Moms'' along with her mother, Jessalynn Siwa, and for her singles " Boomerang" and "Kid ...

and

Jenna Johnson Jenna Leigh Johnson (born September 11, 1967) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. As a 16-year-old, Johnson represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. She won three m ...

finished in second place,

Peloton In a road bicycle race, the peloton (from French, originally meaning 'platoon') is the main group or pack of riders. Riders in a group save energy by riding close ( drafting or slipstreaming) to (particularly behind) other riders. The reducti ...

instructor Cody Rigsby and

Cheryl Burke Cheryl Burke (born May 3, 1984) is an American dancer, model, and television host. She is best known for being a professional dancer on ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars''. She was the first female professional to win the show and the first prof ...

finished in third place, and '' The Talk'' co-host

Amanda Kloots Amanda Kloots (born March 19, 1982) is an American television personality, dancer, actress and fitness instructor. Since 2021, she has been a co-host of the daytime talk show '' The Talk''. Early life Kloots is the second youngest of five childr ...

and

Alan Bersten Alan Bersten (born 26 May 1994) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer. He was a contestant on the tenth season of ''So You Think You Can Dance'' and is currently a professional dancer and choreographer on ''Dancing with the Stars ...

finished in fourth.

Cast

Couples

On August 26, 2021, during the virtual

Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canada, Canadian television television criticism, critics, journalists and columnists who cover television television programme, programming for newspapers, ...

summer press tour, it was revealed that Suni Lee and

would be celebrity participants. On September 1, it was reported that

Olivia Jade Olivia Jade Giannulli (born September 28, 1999) is an American YouTuber, and daughter of fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin. While in high school, Giannulli began a social media career on YouTube and Instagram. As of ...

, and Matt James would join them. Before the cast was officially revealed,

TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...

reported that ''

The Real Housewives of Atlanta ''The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' (abbreviated ''RHOA'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired fourteen seaso ...

'' star Kenya Moore, NBA player

, and actor

Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, television personality and podcaster, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000). Green was al ...

would also compete.

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame ...

Jimmie Allen James Edward Allen (born June 18, 1985) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Broken Bow Records imprint Stoney Creek, for which he has released the two singles " Best Shot" and "Make Me Want To" and the 2018 album ...

, and Christine Chiu were also reported to be competing. The full roster of celebrity participants were officially revealed on '' Good Morning America'' on September 8. The season's 15 professional dancers, announced on September 2, had all performed on the show before, with

Lindsay Arnold Lindsay Arnold Cusick (born January 11, 1994) is an American professional Latin dance, Latin and ballroom dancer. She was a contestant on ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series), So You Think You Can Dance''. She is a professional danc ...

and

Witney Carson Witney Capri Carson McAllister (née Carson; born October 17, 1993) is an American professional Latin ballroom dancer and choreographer. She first gained attention in 2012, when the 18-year-old finished ladies' second runner-up in season nine o ...

returning after pregnancies. The lineup dropped

Peta Murgatroyd Peta Jane Murgatroyd (born 14 July 1986) is a New Zealand-born Australian and American professional Latin dancer. She performed in the international tour of the dance production ''Burn the Floor'', including its Broadway run. She is best known f ...

and

Keo Motsepe Keoikantse Motsepe (born 24 November 1989) is a South African dancer. His dancing styles are Latin and Ballroom. He is known for being the first black professional dancer on the ABC show ''Dancing with the Stars''. Life and career Motsepe sta ...

, who had competed in the previous season. For the first time in the series' history, one of the couples was same-sex:

pansexual Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their ...

celebrity participant Siwa and professional dancer

. On September 10, 2021, it was announced that Sofia Ghavami and Ezra Sosa would be joining the show as professional dancers. Both dancers were showcased as part of the competing couples' dances throughout the season as well as opening numbers, and were also prepared to step in if a pro were unable to compete. On September 26, professional dancer

announced that she had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

before the season's second episode and had to stay home and

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

for 10 days. In the episode, Burke and her celebrity partner Cody Rigsby were judged on rehearsal footage. Rigsby tested positive for COVID-19 a few days later, though the two continued to compete, dancing together via live feed in their respective homes during week three. As of October 6, Burke was cleared to return to the ballroom, and Rigsby returned in-person during the first "Disney Week" episode.

Hosts and judges

Alongside the season renewal announcement on March 30, 2021, it was revealed that

Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...

would return as host, with

Len Goodman Leonard Gordon Goodman (born 25 April 1944) is an English professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He has appeared as head judge on the television dance programmes ''Strictly Come Dancing'', a programme where various celebrities c ...

Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', w ...

Carrie Ann Inaba Carrie Ann Inaba (born January 5, 1968) is an American television personality, dancer, choreographer, actress, and singer. She is best known for her work on ABC TV's ''Dancing with the Stars'' for which she has served as a judge since 2005. She c ...

, and

Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli (; born 25 November 1955) is an Italian choreographer, ballroom and Latin dancer, and Television personality. He has appeared as a judge on the British television dance competition '' Strictly Come Dancing'' and American adaptatio ...

returning as judges. For this season, each of the four judges was allowed a single vote on which dancer they would like to save. In the event of a tie vote amongst the four judges, Len's vote was considered the tie-breaker. This rule change has caused some controversy in the way it's been explained on the show, as many saw this as Len having an unfair advantage in determining which dancer is eliminated. On November 16, a day after the semi-finals, Hough announced that he tested positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19. On November 22, 2021, it was announced

Julianne Hough Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...

would fill in for her brother Derek as a guest judge for the finale.

Scoring charts

The highest score each week is indicated in . The lowest score each week is indicated in . ;Notes * : The couples were scored on a 30-point scale due to

's absence. * : This was the lowest score of the week. * : This was the highest score of the week. * : This couple finished in first place. * : This couple finished in second place. * : This couple finished in third place. * : This couple finished in fourth place. * : This couple was in the bottom two, but was not eliminated. * : This couple was eliminated.

Highest and lowest scoring performances

The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' 40-point scale are as follows:

Couples' highest and lowest scoring dances

Scores are based upon a potential 40-point maximum.

Weekly scores

''Individual judges' scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right:

.''

Week 1: First Dances

The couples danced the

cha-cha-cha Cha cha cha may refer to: * ''Cha-cha-chá'' (music), a style of Cuban dance music * Cha-cha-cha (dance), a Latin American dance accompanying the music Film and television * ''Cha Cha Cha'' (film), a 2013 Italian crime film * ''Cha Cha Cha'' ...

, foxtrot, jive,

paso doble Pasodoble ( Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military march gave rise ...

, quickstep,

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

. Couples are listed in the order they performed. For the third time in the show's history, the official partnerships were revealed to the public during the live broadcast.

Week 2: First Elimination

The couples danced one unlearned dance; the

rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. ...

, samba, and

Viennese waltz Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...

were introduced. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

tested positive for

the day before the live show. As a result, Cody & Cheryl did not dance live and were instead judged on their studio rehearsal footage. ;Judges' votes to save *Derek: Christine & Pasha *Bruno: Christine & Pasha *Carrie Ann: Christine & Pasha *Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Christine & Pasha''

Week 3: Britney Night

''Individual judges' scores in the chart below are listed in this order from left to right:

.'' The couples danced one unlearned dance to songs by pop artist Britney Spears. The Argentine tango and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

were introduced. Couples are listed in the order they performed. Due to both Cody Rigsby and

testing positive for

and being in quarantine, their dance was performed via live feed from their respective homes.

also missed the live show "out of an abundance of caution" because he had a "possible COVID-19 exposure", although his test came back negative. ;Judges' votes to save *Bruno: Kenya & Brandon *Carrie Ann: Kenya & Brandon *Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Christine & Pasha''

Week 4: Disney Week

The couples had to prepare two new dances to be performed on two consecutive nights. On Monday, they performed routines inspired by the heroes of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

films, and on Tuesday, they performed routines inspired by the villains.

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

and

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

were introduced. Each couple was given the Mickey Dance Challenge where they had to incorporate dance moves that were given to them from Mickey Mouse. The judges decided at the end of the night who they thought incorporated the moves the best in their dance. The winners, Jimmie and Emma, were awarded two extra points. No elimination took place on the first night, but a double elimination occurred on the second night. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Heroes Night ;Villains Night ;Judges' vote to save * Bruno: Matt & Lindsay * Derek: Kenya & Brandon * Carrie Ann: Matt & Lindsay * Len: Kenya & Brandon ''(Since the other judges were not unanimous, Len, as head judge, made the final decision to save Kenya & Brandon.)''

Week 5: Grease Night

The couples danced one unlearned dance to songs from the musical '' Grease''. The Charleston was introduced. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Judges' votes to save *Derek: Olivia & Val *Carrie Ann: Melanie & Gleb *Bruno: Melanie & Gleb *Len: Olivia & Val ''(Since the other judges were not unanimous, Len made the final decision to save Olivia & Val.)''

Week 6: Horror Night

The couples dance one unlearned dance inspired by a horror film or TV series. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Judges' votes to save * Carrie Ann: Suni & Sasha * Derek: Suni & Sasha * Bruno: Suni & Sasha * Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Suni & Sasha''

Week 7: Queen Night

The couples danced one unlearned dance, and a dance relay with two other couples for extra points, to songs by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Notes ;Judges' votes to save * Bruno: JoJo & Jenna * Carrie Ann: JoJo & Jenna * Derek: JoJo & Jenna * Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save JoJo & Jenna''

Week 8: Janet Jackson Night

The couples danced one unlearned dance, and a dance-off for two extra points, to songs by Janet Jackson. Two couples were sent home at the end of the night in a double elimination. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Judges' votes to save *Derek: Melora & Artem *Bruno: Melora & Artem *Carrie Ann: Melora & Artem *Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Melora & Artem''

Week 9: Semifinals

During the first round, the couples performed a redemption dance to a new song that was coached by one of the four judges. In the second round, they danced one unlearned dance. Two couples were sent home at the end of the night in a double elimination. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Judges' votes to save *Carrie Ann: Amanda & Alan *Derek: Amanda & Alan *Bruno: Amanda & Alan *Len: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Amanda & Alan''

Week 10: Finale

''Individual judges' scores in the chart below are listed in this order from left to right:

.'' During the first round, the couples performed a fusion dance of two dance styles. In the second round, the couples performed a freestyle dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed. Because

tested positive for COVID-19,

filled in as guest judge.

Dance chart

The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week: * Week 1 (First Dances): One unlearned dance * Week 2 (First Elimination): One unlearned dance * Week 3 (Britney Night): One unlearned dance * Week 4 (Night 1, Disney Week: Heroes Night): One unlearned dance * Week 4 (Night 2, Disney Week: Villains Night): One unlearned dance * Week 5 (Grease Night): One unlearned dance * Week 6 (Horror Night): One unlearned dance * Week 7 (Queen Night): One unlearned dance & dance relay * Week 8 (Janet Jackson Night): One unlearned dance & dance-off * Week 9 (Semifinals): One dance & redemption dances * Week 10 (Finale): Fusion dance & freestyle ;Notes * : This was the highest scoring dance of the week. * : This was the lowest scoring dance of the week. * : The couple gained bonus points for winning this dance-off. * : The couple gained no bonus points for losing this dance-off.

Ratings

References

External links

* {{italic title, string=Dancing with the Stars 2021 American television seasons Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)