Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars' leaderboard has been topped by not one but two new first-place couples.

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Reality TV star Melissa Rycroft and professional partner Tony Dovolani and soap star Kelly Monaco and partner Val Chmerkovskiy finished in a tie for first place on the judges' leaderboard during Dancing with the Stars' fifteenth-season third performance show on ABC Monday night.

The two couples topped the leaderboard after they received 27 out of 30 possible points from Dancing with the Stars' new scoring system, which features 0.5 intervals for the first time in the show's history, for their dances from Dancing with the Stars judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Both pairs earned the highest score of the All-Stars edition yet to date.

The All-Star celebrities were required to act as the creative directors behind their own individual dances Monday night. Asked by the judges to come up with never-before-seen dances with their partners, the celebrities were instructed to add their own unique spin, personality and showmanship to iconic routines from past seasons.

Rycroft and Dovolani, who was also partnered with Rycroft when she won Dancing with the Stars' eighth season in 2009, performed a samba routine. Monaco, who won Dancing with the Stars' inaugural season in 2005 with partner Alec Mazo, and Chmerkovskiy danced a paso doble. 

Reality TV star Bristol Palin and partner Mark Ballas, who was also partnered with Palin when she finished third on Dancing with the Stars' eleventh season in 2010, finished in eleventh -- and last -- place at the bottom of the leaderboard after they performed a paso doble routine which received only 22.5 points from the judges. However, 22.5 marked the couple's highest score of the season thus far.

Olympic gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson and partner Derek Hough landed in third place on Monday night's leaderboard following their quickstep routine which received 26.5 points from the judges. Johnson won Dancing with the Stars' eighth season with Ballas in 2009.

Fourth place on the judges' leaderboard represented a four-way tie between actor Gilles Marini, Olympic gold medalist speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, singer and former Disney Channel star Sabrina Bryan -- who was allowed to enter the competition after winning the "Viewers' Choice: All-Star" vote in August -- and IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves after they all earned 25.5 points for their dances from the judges.

Marini and partner Peta Murgatroyd danced the tango. Marini was previously paired with Cheryl Burke for Dancing with the Stars' eighth season in 2009 which he had finished in second place. Ohno, who won Dancing with the Stars' fourth season with Julianne Hough in 2007, performed a foxtrot routine with partner Karina Smirnoff.

Bryan and Louis van Amstel danced the paso doble. Bryan originally competed with Ballas her first time around on Dancing with the Stars' fifth season in Fall 2007. The pair had finished in seventh place after what was considered unexpectedly early elimination.

Meanwhile, Castroneves and partner Chelsie Hightower performed a quickstep routine. Castroneves won Dancing with the Stars' fifth season in 2007 with Julianne Hough.

NFL football star Emmitt Smith and partner Burke, who was also partnered with Smith when he won Dancing with the Stars' third season in 2006, finished in eighth place on the leaderboard after they received 25 points for their paso doble performance.

Former 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey and actress Kirstie Alley tied for ninth place on Monday night's judging leaderboard with 24 points apiece. Lachey and partner Anna Trebunskaya performed a cha cha routine. Lachey won Dancing with the Stars' second season with Burke in 2006.

Alley and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy also danced the cha cha. The pair originally competed together and finished as the runner-up couple during Dancing with the Stars' twelfth season in 2011.

Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars' third results show of the season will air tonight at 8PM ET/PT and feature a special double-elimination broadcast in which two all-star couples will be sent home.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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