Season eleven of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

'' premiered on September 20, 2010, on the ABC network. Several changes were introduced this season, including an "Acoustic Week," in which couples performed either the rumba or the

Argentine tango Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as AB ...

while the audience was brought closer to the dance floor which was elevated and made circular. Contestants from previous seasons also came back as guest judges when the current contestants attempted re-created memorable routines in the 200th episode. These guest judges were Hélio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne,

Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...

, Drew Lachey, Gilles Marini, and

Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...

. Kristi Yamaguchi and

Apolo Ohno Apolo Anton Ohno (; born May 22, 1982) is an American retired short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist (two gold, two silver, four bronze) in the Winter Olympics. Ohno is the most decorated American at the Winter Olympics ...

also served as team captains for team dances. There was also a week dubbed "Instant Choreography," in which the couples practiced their routines for a week, but only received the music for their Latin dances 45 minutes before their live performances. Actress Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough were crowned the champions, while actor Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer finished second, and Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas finished third.

Cast

Couples

The cast was announced during the August 30 episode of ''

Bachelor Pad A bachelor pad is a home (''pad'') in which a bachelor or bachelors (single men) live. The exact standards on what constitutes a bachelor pad are often ambiguous and debated but one definition describes it as: "A 'bachelor pad' is a slang term ...

'' during a live press conference that included a Q&A session with host Tom Bergeron and co-host Brooke Burke and the new cast. There were twelve celebrity cast members this season. The pairs were announced on September 1; however, Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas were announced as a couple the day before by way of a ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

'' interview. This was the first season to feature no new professional dancers, as each of the twelve pros had appeared on at least one previous season. ;Future appearances Bristol Palin returned for the All-Stars season, where she was again paired with Mark Ballas.

Host and judges

Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke returned as co-hosts, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman returned as judges.

Scoring charts

The highest score each week is indicated in . The lowest score each week is indicated in . ;Notes * : Each couple each couple received two scores from the judges this week: one for technical and one for performance. * : 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 was eliminated.

Highest and lowest scoring performances

The highest and lowest performances in each dance according to the judges' 30-point scale are as follows.

Couples' highest and lowest scoring dances

Scores are based upon a potential 30-point maximum.

Weekly scores

''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.''