Carrie Ann Inaba

Dancing With The Stars

ABC's Reality Television hit show

A history of the popular reality television show Dancing With The Stars written from a fan's point of view.

Dancing with the Stars has proved to be a huge success for ABC. The show began airing in the summer of 2005 and this September it will begin its seventh season. The show is produced by BBC Worldwide, which created Strictly Come Dancing, the British show on which Dancing with the Stars is based. Co-hosted by Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris, the basis of the show is to pair celebrities with professional ballroom dancers and have them compete against each other. The professional dancer trains the celebrity then the duo performs the dance live.

Judges

Each dance is scored and critiqued by a panel of judges. The head judge is Len Goodman, a former championship ballroom dancer who owns a dance studio in England. Len is also a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. He is joined by choreographers Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Carrie Ann has choreographed for many other television shows (including Miss American and American Idol) as well as toured with Madonna and Ricky Martin. Bruno, also a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, has appeared in numerous films, plays, music videos, concerts, and television shows.

Each week, the dancing couples tally an overall score that includes not only the judges scores, but also the viewing publics votes. Each week, the duo with the lowest score is eliminated until there is a winner.

Dance Professionals

So far the following dance professionals have appeared on Dancing with the Stars:

• Louis van Amstel
• Mark Ballas
• Cheryl Burke
• Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• Ashly DelGrosso
• Jesse Desoto
• Tony Dovolani
• Brian Fortuna
• Elena Grinenko
• Andrea Hale
• Derek Hough
• Julianna Hough
• Kym Johnson
• Charlotte Jorgensen
• Nick Kosovich
• Alec Mazo
• Jonathan Roberts
• Fabian Sanchez
• Karina Smirnoff
• Edyta Sliwinska
• Anna Trebunskaya

Season 1

Season 1 began on June 1, 2005. This pairing of six celebrities and professional dancers proved to be the biggest summer debut ever for an American reality series, bringing in over 13 million viewers. The show climbed to the #1 position in the ratings and remained there. With dances like the waltz, rumba, jive, foxtrot, and paso doble, the duos wowed the audience, but only one could win. Reality star Trista Rehn Sutter and her partner Louis van Amstel were the first pair eliminated. They were followed by heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield and his partner Edyta Sliwinska. Supermodel Rachel Hunter and Jonathan Roberts were eliminated next. New Kids on the Block member Joey McIntyre and Ashly DelGrosso was the fourth pair eliminated. The final was between actor John OHurley with partner Charlotte Jorgensen and actress Kelly Monaco with her partner, Alec Mazo. In a controversial finish, Kelly Monaco was named the first winner of Dancing with the Stars. Later, a special dance-off determined strictly by viewer voting was televised, with John OHurley and Charlotte Jorgensen winning.

Season 2

Season 2 began on January 5, 2006, with the number of couples increasing to ten. The first pair eliminated was ESPN anchorman Kenny Mayne and Andrea Hale. Joining them soon after was actress Tatum ONeal and her partner, Nick Kosovich. TV journalist Giselle Fernandez and Jonathan Roberts were the third couple to leave. Rapper Master P and Ashly DelGrosso were the fourth couple to leave the competition. They were followed by actress Tia Carrere and fan favorite Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Actor George Hamilton and Edyta Sliwinska were eliminated next. Lisa Rinna and professional partner Louis van Amstel left the show in fourth place. The third place finish went to former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler, who had been a favorite from the start, and Tony Dovolani. Second place went to NFL great Jerry Rice and Anna Trebunskaya. The winners of season two were 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke.

There was more controversy this season with Master P not logging as many training hours as the other dancers, yet remaining in the competition for several weeks. He was finally eliminated with a combined score of 10 the lowest score ever received by any dancer on the show. Fans were also upset when Stacy Keibler was eliminated in third place. She had received 15 perfect scores over the course of the season.

Season 3

Season 3 began on September 12, 2006 and proved to be one of the most exciting ever, with a finale that pulled in almost 28 million viewers. News anchor Tucker Carlson and Elena Grinenko were the first eliminated. Following them was former Miss USA and Playmate Shanna Moakler and her partner, Jesse DeSoto. Actor Harry Hamlin, (husband of Season 2 contestant Lisa Rinna) and Ashly DelGrosso found themselves out of the competition in ninth place. Actress Vivica A. Fox and Nick Kosovich were the next pair to leave. Pop singer Willa Ford and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy had great chemistry, but were still eliminated in seventh place. Country singer Sara Evans, who was partnered with Tony Dovolani, had to withdraw from the competition next, due to personal issues (divorce). Talk show host Jerry Springer was a fan favorite, but he and Kym Johnson could only make it so far and were eliminated in fifth place. Actress Monique Coleman and Louis van Amstel were the next pair eliminated. Joey Lawrence and partner Edyta Sliwinska were loved by the fans, but were eliminated in third place. The finale was between actor Mario Lopez (partnered with Karina Smirnoff) and NFL legend Emmitt Smith (partnered with Cheryl Burke). Cheryl kept her winning streak alive as she and Emmitt were crowned the winners on November 15, 2006. Season 3 was the first season to hint at romances with rumors of Willa and Maksim, Sara and Tony, and Mario and Karina being couples. Mario and Karina would finally go public with their relationship, which lasted two years.

Season 4

Season 4 began on March 19, 2007 and would be the season that resulted in the most 10s awarded by the judges. It was also the first year a physically challenged dancer appeared on the show (amputee Heather Mills). The first dancer eliminated was supermodel Paulina Porizkova and her partner Alec Mazo. She was followed by game show host and former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey and Brian Fortuna. The next dancer out of the competition was talk show host Leeza Gibbons and Tony Dovolani. Finishing in 8th place was former NBA player Clyde Drexler and Elena Grinenko. Next out was Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts. Actor John Ratzenberger and partner Edyta Sliwinska finished in sixth place. Fifth place went to country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff. Finishing in fourth was actor Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke. Boxer Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished third. Another boy-bander, N Syncs Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson finished second, with Olympian gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough winning Season 4.

Season 5

Season 5 began on September 17, 2007. Because co-host Samantha Harris had recently given birth, she was temporarily replaced by Season 2 champ Drew Lachey. The first contestant to be eliminated was model Josie Maran and Alec Mazo. Model Albert Reed and partner Anna Trebunskaya were out next. Entertainer Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke only made it slightly further in the competition before being eliminated. Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Katrina Smirnoff were eliminated in ninth place and billionaire Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson were eliminated in eighth place. It was a bit of a shock to everyone when Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas were eliminated next as many had predicted her to win Season 5. Actress Jane Seymour, who had lost her mother during the filming of the show, and Tony Dovolani were the next couple to leave the show. The next duo out were soap actor Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska. Following Cameron and Edyta was Jenny Garth and Derek Hough. Coming in third was Marie Osmond, who gave the audience a fright when she fainted live on air, and Jonathan Roberts. Second place went to former Spice Girl Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. On November 27, 2007, Indy racer car champ Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough were named the champions of Season 5.

Season 6

Season 6 began on March 17, 2008. This season also featured a celebrity who overcame a personal challenge Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin, who has been deaf since early childhood. The first results show was a double elimination. That night, illusionist Penn Jillette (with Kym Johnson) and tennis pro Monica Seles (with Jonathan Roberts) were both sent home. The next celebrity out of the show was actor Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya. Comedian Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough were eliminated in ninth place. Actress Priscilla Presley and her partner, Louis van Amstel, were the next couple eliminated. Leaving in seventh place was actress Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez. Actress and poker player Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough sparked rumors of an off-screen romance, but their on-screen partnership was cut short as they were eliminated in sixth place. Singer Mario and his partner Karina Smirnoff were the next duo eliminated. Coming in fourth place was Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur and partner Tony Dovolani. Cheryl Burke helped actor Cristian de la Fuente make it to third place even after he sustained an injury to his arm. NFL Man of the Year Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska finished in second place, with the win going to Olympic ice skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi and her partner Mark Ballas. Of the five perfect scores given in Season 6, four went to Kristi and Mark.

Season 7

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