Season eight 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 Monday, March 9, 2009, on the

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 ...

network. The show generally followed the format of previous seasons, with thirteen couples, although there were some changes, including two new dances, 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 ...

and

Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many danc ...

, and an occasional dance-off between the bottom two couples, in order to determine who would be eliminated. Olympic gymnast

Shawn Johnson Shawn Johnson East (born Shawn Machel Johnson; January 19, 1992) is an American former artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also the 2007 al ...

and

Mark Ballas Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. (born May 24, 1986) is an American dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program ''Dancing with the Stars''. He began competing on the show ...

were crowned the champions, while

Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up i ...

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 second place, and

Melissa Rycroft Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland (born March 11, 1983) is an American television personality, host, and dancer. She is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and TV Personality. She has participated as a bachelorette on the thirteenth season of ...

and

Tony Dovolani Driton Dovolani (born July 17, 1973), commonly known as Tony Dovolani is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge. He is known for his involvement in the American version of ''Dancing with the Stars'' on ABC. Dovolan ...

finished third.

Cast

Couples

Originally, the season was advertised as the first American season where a husband and wife would compete against each other: rodeo champion

Ty Murray Ty Monroe Murray (born October 11, 1969), is an American nine-time World Champion professional rodeo cowboy. He was one of the top rodeo contestants in the world from the late 1980s to early 2000s. He is an inductee of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame ...

and singer-songwriter Jewel. However, just prior to the series, Jewel fractured both of her

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

s and was unable to compete. She was replaced by Holly Madison. Murray chose to continue on the show, while Jewel appeared during the season as a special musical guest.

Nancy O'Dell Nancy O'Dell (born Nancy Evelyn Humphries; 1966) is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show ''Entertainment Tonight'' from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019. E ...

, then co-host of ''

Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...

'', was also originally announced to be on the show, but was forced to withdraw from the competition due to a torn

meniscus Meniscus may refer to: *Meniscus (anatomy), crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity *Meniscus (liquid) The meniscus (plural: ''menisci'', from the Greek for "crescent") is the curve in the upper surface ...

, which required surgery. She was replaced by

, who had won season 13 of '' The Bachelor''. ;Future appearances Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini, and Melissa Rycroft later competed in the All-Stars season, where Johnson was paired with Derek Hough, Marini was paired with

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 fo ...

, and Rycroft remained with Tony Dovolani.

Host and judges

The show was again co-hosted by

Tom Bergeron Thomas Raymond Bergeron (born May 6, 1955) is an American television personality, game show host, comedian and actor, best known for hosting ''Hollywood Squares'' from 1998 to 2004, ''America's Funniest Home Videos'' from 2001 to 2015, and ''Danci ...

and

Samantha Harris Samantha Harris (born Samantha Harris Shapiro; November 27, 1973) is an American television presenter, model, and entertainment reporter and actress, known as the co-host of seasons two through nine of ''Dancing with the Stars'' with Tom Bergero ...

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 ...

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 adaptation ...

and

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 ...

returned as judges.

Scoring charts

The highest score each week is indicated in . The lowest score each week is indicated in . ;Notes * : 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 in the bottom two, but was not eliminated. * : 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 charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right:

.''

Week 1

Each couple performed either 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'' ...

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 wa ...

. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 2

Each couple performed either the

quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal a ...

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: A ...

. The two couples in the bottom two competed against each other in a dance-off to determine which would also be eliminated. Couples are listed in the order they performed. Due to an injury,

Steve-O Stephen Gilchrist Glover (born June 13, 1974), known professionally as Steve-O, is an American entertainer, television personality, stunt performer and YouTuber. His career is mostly centered on his performance stunts in the reality comedy tel ...

was unable to dance on the live show, so his rehearsal footage was shown and scored instead.

Week 3

Each couple performed either the

samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...

. The two couples in the bottom two competed against each other in a dance-off to determine which would also be eliminated. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 4

Each couple performed either the

. Two couples were eliminated at the end of the night. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 5

Each couple performed either the

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 ...

paso doble Pasodoble (Spanish language, 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 ...

. The two couples in the bottom two competed against each other in a dance-off to determine which would also be eliminated. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 6

Each couple performed either the jive or

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 ...

. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 7

Each couple performed one unlearned dance, and they all participated in a group

swing dance Swing dance is a group of social dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origins of each dance predating the popular "swing era". Hundreds of styles of swing dancing were developed; those that hav ...

. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 8

Each couple performed one unlearned dance, plus participated in a group dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed. Due to an injury,

was unable to perform her jive or participate in the team dance on the live show.

Lacey Schwimmer Lacey Mae Schwimmer (born June 28, 1988) is an American ballroom dancer and singer. She is best known as a fourth place finalist of the third season of ''So You Think You Can Dance''. She is the daughter of noted dancer Buddy Schwimmer, as well ...

filled in for her on the team dance, while Rycroft's rehearsal footage for her jive was shown and scored instead.

Week 9

Each couple performed two unlearned dances. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 10

Each couple performed two unlearned dances. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 11: Finals

On the first night, each couple competed in a group paso doble, where they each received their own set of scores, and then performed their freestyle routines. On the second night, each couple performed their favorite dance of the season. Couples are listed in the order they performed. ;Night 1 ; Night 2

Dance chart

The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week. * Week 1: One unlearned dance (cha-cha-cha or waltz) * Week 2: One unlearned dance (quickstep or salsa) * Week 3: One unlearned dance (foxtrot or samba) * Week 4: One unlearned dance (Argentine tango or Lindy Hop) * Week 5: One unlearned dance (paso doble or Viennese waltz) * Week 6: One unlearned dance (jive or rumba) * Week 7: One unlearned dance & swing group dance * Week 8: One unlearned dance & team dances * Week 9: Two unlearned dances * Week 10: Two unlearned dances * Week 11 (Night 1): Paso doble face-off & freestyle * Week 11 (Night 2): Favorite dance of the season ;Notes * : This was the highest scoring dance of the week. * : This was the lowest scoring dance of the week. * : This couple danced, but received no scores.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing with the Stars (American season 8) Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) 2009 American television seasons