Dancing with the Stars 21 (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Season twenty-one of the American television competition series Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 14, 2015.

On November 24, 2015, Bindi Irwin and her partner Derek Hough were crowned champions. Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess finished second, Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold placed third. This season set records for the total number of perfect scores awarded (23) and the number of stars to receive at least one perfect score with 7 (Bindi Irwin, Nick Carter, Alek Skarlatos, Carlos PenaVega, Tamar Braxton, Alexa PenaVega, and Andy Grammer). Irwin also set a record with 8 perfect scores (a record broken in season 25 by Jordan Fisher) and became the second youngest winner of the show at 17 years old (after season 8 winner Shawn Johnson, who was 3 days younger at the time of her win, and later slipped to third behind season 23 winner Laurie Hernandez, who was 16 years old at the time of her win). This also marked Hough's sixth competitive win, extending his own record for the most wins for a professional dancer on the series.

Cast

Couples

On August 19, 2015, nine professional dancers were revealed during Good Morning America. Karina Smirnoff, who did not appear in season 20 returned for season 21. Anna Trebunskaya and Louis van Amstel would be returning after a five-season hiatus. Additionally, Lindsay Arnold would also be returning after spending the last four seasons in the troupe. While Peta Murgatroyd (who was to be paired with Andy Grammer) was originally announced as a professional, was sidelined for the season by an ankle injury, Allison Holker replaced her spot in the cast; Artem Chigvintsev and Kym Johnson also did not return. Bindi Irwin was the first celebrity revealed on August 24, on GMA; other celebrities were revealed at different dates through different media. The full cast of celebrities and professional dancers was revealed on September 2, 2015, on GMA.

During the show, two celebrities (Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Tamar Braxton) withdrew during the competition due to health issues, marking the first time two contestants withdrew in midseason (Nancy O'Dell and Jewel both withdrew from Season 8 before the first episode).

Celebrity	Notability (known for)	Professional partner	Status	Ref
Chaka Khan	Funk & R&B singer	Keoikantse Motsepe	Eliminated 1st
Victor Espinoza	Jockey	Karina Smirnoff	Eliminated 2nd
Kim Zolciak-Biermann	Reality television star	Tony Dovolani	Withdrew
Gary Busey	Film actor	Anna Trebunskaya	Eliminated 3rd
Paula Deen	Celebrity chef & businesswoman	Louis van Amstel	Eliminated 4th
Hayes Grier	Vine & social media personality	Emma Slater	Eliminated 5th
Andy Grammer	Singer-songwriter	Allison Holker	Eliminated 6th
Alexa PenaVega	Film & television actress	Mark Ballas	Eliminated 7th
Tamar Braxton	R&B singer & reality television star	Valentin Chmerkovskiy	Withdrew
Carlos PenaVega	Big Time Rush singer & actor	Witney Carson	Eliminated 8th
Alek Skarlatos	Legion of Honour recipient & soldier	Lindsay Arnold	Third place
Nick Carter	Backstreet Boys singer	Sharna Burgess	Runner-up
Bindi Irwin	Wildlife conservationist & actress	Derek Hough	Winner

Hosts and judges

Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews returned as hosts, while judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, and Bruno Tonioli all returned this season. After twenty seasons, Len Goodman did not return this season as a judge; in a video message during the finale, Goodman announced he would return for season 22. Season 19 champion Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tom Bergeron on October 5, 2015, when Bergeron went to be with his ailing father Raymond Bergeron, who subsequently died on October 12, 2015. Leah Remini filled in as co-host on October 19 and October 26, 2015, while Erin Andrews covered the 2015 World Series with Fox.

Scoring charts

Couple	Place	1	2		3	4	5	4+5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Bindi & Derek		24	25	23	32	28	37	65	40	30+28=58	28	30+30=60	27+3+30=60	30+30=60	+30=90
Nick & Sharna		24	21	24	36	27	35	62	39	24+30=54	30+3=33	28+27=55	24+0+30=54	30+30=60	+30=90
Alek & Lindsay		22	23	22	33	24	29	53	30	25+28=53	25	24+24=48	30+0+27=57	27+30=57	+27=84
Carlos & Witney		23	24	21	31	25	39	64	38	28+28=56	27+2=29	27+24=51	28+3+29=60	30+30=60
Tamar & Val		23	24	25	33	27	29	56	40	24+30=54	28	22+27=49
Alexa & Mark		22	24	22	36	21	40	61	30	27+28=55	25+2=27	30+30=60
Andy & Allison		21	21	23	29	23	36	59	40	26+30=56	22+2=24
Hayes & Emma		21	22	23	30	27	30	57	32	26+30=56
Paula & Louis		15	19	18	20	18	26	44	24
Gary & Anna	10	15	18	15	25	16
Kim & Tony	11	12	19	18	"?
Victor & Karina	12	15	17	20
Chaka & Keo	13	13	15

Red numbers indicate the lowest score for each week

Green numbers indicate the highest score for each week

the couple eliminated that week

the returning couple that was the last to be called safe

this couple withdrew from the competition

the couple earned immunity, and could not be eliminated

the winning couple

the runner-up couple

the third-place couple

Average score chart

This table only counts dances scored on a 30-point scale; scores by guest judges are excluded. Extra points from the dance-offs are not included.

Rank by average	Place	Couple	Total points	Number of dances	Average
1	1	Bindi & Derek	474	17	27.9
2	2	Nick & Sharna	462		27.2
3	4	Carlos & Witney	426	16	26.6
4	6	Alexa & Mark	309	12	25.8
5	5	Tamar & Val	305		25.4
6	3	Alek & Lindsay	428	17	25.2
7	7	Andy & Allison	245	10	24.5
8	8	Hayes & Emma	218	9	24.2
9	9	Paula & Louis	123	7	17.6
10	12	Victor & Karina	52	3	17.3
11	10	Gary & Anna	82	5	16.4
12	11	Kim & Tony	49	3	16.3
13	13	Chaka & Keo	28	2	14.0

Highest and lowest scoring performances

The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' 30-point scale (scores by guest judges are excluded) are as follows:

Dance	Highest scored dancer(s)	Highest score	Lowest scored dancer(s)	Lowest score
Salsa	Nick Carter	30	Kim Zolciak-Biermann	12
Quickstep	Carlos PenaVega Bindi Irwin	30	Paula Deen	15
Cha-cha-cha	Bindi Irwin	27	Chaka Khan	13
Foxtrot	Carlos PenaVega	30	Chaka Khan	15
Jive	Nick Carter	30	Victor Espinoza	17
Rumba	Bindi Irwin	30	Paula Deen	19
Jazz	Andy Grammer Tamar Braxton Bindi Irwin	30	Gary Busey	16
Tango	Alexa PenaVega	30	Paula Deen Gary Busey	18
Paso doble	Carlos PenaVega Tamar Braxton	28	Gary Busey	15
Contemporary	Nick Carter Alexa PenaVega	30	Tamar Braxton	22
Waltz	Alek Skarlatos	30	Bindi Irwin	23
Charleston	Bindi Irwin Alexa PenaVega	30	Tamar Braxton	25
Samba	Nick Carter	29	Paula Deen	15
Viennese Waltz	Bindi Irwin	30	Andy Grammer	22
Argentine tango	Bindi Irwin	30	Nick Carter	24
Team dance	Nick Carter Tamar Braxton Hayes Grier Andy Grammer	30	Bindi Irwin Alexa PenaVega Carlos PenaVega Alek Skarlatos	28
Team-up dances	Bindi Irwin Alexa PenaVega	30	Alek Skarlatos Carlos PenaVega	24
Freestyle	Carlos PenaVega Alek Skarlatos Bindi Irwin Nick Carter	30	"?	"?
Fusion dance	Nick Carter Bindi Irwin	30	Alek Skarlatos	27

Couples' highest and lowest scoring dances

Scores are based upon a potential 30-point maximum (scores by guest judges are excluded).

Couples	Highest scoring dance(s)	Lowest scoring dance(s)
Bindi & Derek	Rumba, Argentine tango, Viennese Waltz, Charleston, Jazz, Quickstep, Freestyle & Argentine tango/Cha-cha-cha Fusion (30)	Waltz (23)
Nick & Sharna	Contemporary, Salsa, Jive, Freestyle & Salsa/Tango Fusion (30)	Jive (21)
Alek & Lindsay	Waltz & Freestyle (30)	Foxtrot, Quickstep & Rumba (22)
Carlos & Witney	Quickstep, Foxtrot & Freestyle (30)	Cha-cha-cha (21)
Tamar & Val	Jazz (30)	Samba (21)
Alexa & Mark	Tango, Contemporary & Charleston (30)	Foxtrot (21)
Andy & Allison	Jazz (30)	Foxtrot & Jive (21)
Hayes & Emma	Contemporary (27)	Cha-cha-cha (21)
Paula & Louis	Jive (20)	Quickstep & Samba (15)
Gary & Anna	Foxtrot & Tango (18)	Cha-cha-cha & Paso doble (15)
Kim & Tony	Quickstep (19)	Salsa (12)
Victor & Karina	Rumba (20)	Salsa (15)
Chaka & Keo	Foxtrot (15)	Cha-cha-cha (13)

Weekly scores

Individual judges' scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli.

Week 1: First Dances

The couples danced the cha-cha-cha, foxtrot, jive, quickstep or salsa.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music
Victor & Karina	15 (5, 5, 5)	Salsa	"G.D.F.R.""?Flo Rida feat. Sage the Gemini & Lookas
Tamar & Val	23 (8, 7, 8)	Quickstep	"Do Your Thing""?Basement Jaxx
Chaka & Keo	13 (5, 4, 4)	Cha-cha-cha	"I Feel for You""?Chaka Khan
Hayes & Emma	21 (7, 7, 7)	Cha-cha-cha	"Cheerleader""?OMI
Andy & Allison	21 (7, 7, 7)	Foxtrot	"Marvin Gaye""?Charlie Puth feat. Meghan Trainor
Paula & Louis	15 (5, 5, 5)	Quickstep	"Hey, Good Lookin'""?Carol Welsman
Carlos & Witney	23 (8, 8, 7)	Jive	"I Got You (I Feel Good)""?James Brown
Alexa & Mark	22 (7, 7, 8)	Jive	"Whistle (While You Work It)""?Katy Tiz
Kim & Tony	12 (4, 4, 4)	Salsa	"Hey Mama""?David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack
Bindi & Derek	24 (8, 8, 8)	Jive	"Crocodile Rock""?Elton John
Gary & Anna	15 (5, 5, 5)	Cha-cha-cha	"Dancing in the Street""?David Bowie & Mick Jagger
Alek & Lindsay	22 (8, 7, 7)	Foxtrot	"Ten Feet Tall""?Afrojack feat. Wrabel
Nick & Sharna	24 (8, 8, 8)	Cha-cha-cha	"I Don't Like It, I Love It""?Flo Rida feat. Robin Thicke & Verdine White

Week 2: Hometown Glory Week

Couples had to prepare two new dances to be performed on two consecutive nights. On Monday, the couples performed routines that celebrated the hometowns of the celebrities, with one couple being eliminated at the end of the show. On Tuesday, the remaining couples performed routines that celebrated the hometowns of the remaining pro partners, with another couple being eliminated. Charleston, contemporary, jazz, paso doble, rumba, tango, and waltz are introduced.

Running order (Night 1)

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Nick & Sharna	21 (7, 7, 7)	Jive	"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy""?The Andrews Sisters	Safe
Paula & Louis	19 (7, 6, 6)	Rumba	"Midnight Train to Georgia""?Gladys Knight & the Pips	Safe
Hayes & Emma	22 (8, 7, 7)	Foxtrot	"This Is How We Roll""?Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan	Safe
Chaka & Keo	15 (5, 5, 5)	Foxtrot	"Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)""?Frank Sinatra	Eliminated
Andy & Allison	21 (7, 7, 7)	Jive	"Only the Good Die Young""?Billy Joel	Safe
Kim & Tony	19 (7, 6, 6)	Quickstep	"Queen Bee""?Rochelle Diamante	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	23 (8, 7, 8)	Jazz	"Don't Stop Believin'""?Journey	Safe
Alexa & Mark	24 (8, 8, 8)	Salsa	"Que Es Lo Que Quiere Esa Nena""?El General	Safe
Victor & Karina	17 (6, 5, 6)	Jive	"La Bamba""?Ritchie Valens	Safe
Tamar & Val	24 (8, 8, 8)	Cha-cha-cha	"We Are Family""?Sister Sledge	Safe
Gary & Anna	18 (6, 6, 6)	Foxtrot	"Wouldn't It Be Nice""?The Beach Boys	Last to be called safe
Carlos & Witney	24 (8, 8, 8)	Foxtrot	"Home""?Blake Shelton	Safe
Bindi & Derek	25 (9, 8, 8)	Tango	"You Shook Me All Night Long""?AC/DC	Safe

Running order (Night 2)

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Hayes & Emma	23 (8, 7, 8)	Quickstep	"Are You Gonna Be My Girl""?Jet	Safe
Carlos & Witney	21 (7, 7, 7)	Cha-cha-cha	"Hound Dog""?Big Mama Thornton	Safe
Gary & Anna	15 (5, 5, 5)	Paso doble	"1812 Overture""?Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	Last to be called safe
Andy & Allison	23 (8, 8, 7)	Contemporary	"Heaven Is a Place on Earth""?Belinda Carlisle	Safe
Alexa & Mark	22 (7, 7, 8)	Rumba	"Somewhere in Time" theme"?John Barry	Safe
Paula & Louis	18 (6, 6, 6)	Tango	"Get Ready""?The Temptations	Safe
Bindi & Derek	23 (7, 8, 8)	Waltz	"Only a Man""?Jonny Lang	Safe
Kim & Tony	18 (6, 6, 6)	Foxtrot	"Come Home""?OneRepublic feat. Sara Bareilles	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	22 (7, 7, 8)	Quickstep	"American Girl""?Elle King	Safe
Victor & Karina	20 (7, 6, 7)	Rumba	"Girl on Fire""?Alicia Keys	Eliminated
Nick & Sharna	24 (8, 8, 8)	Foxtrot	"Coming Home, Pt. II""?Skylar Grey	Safe
Tamar & Val	25 (8, 8, 9)	Charleston	"Living in New York City""?Robin Thicke	Safe

Week 3: TV Night

Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Alfonso Ribeiro, Julianne Hough, Bruno Tonioli.

Couples performed one unlearned dance to famous TV theme songs; samba and Viennese Waltz are introduced.

After suffering a mini-stroke, Kim Zolciak-Biermann was able to rehearse, but her doctors refused to clear her for air travel. As a result, she was unable to attend the dress rehearsal and the live show, which, according to the show's rules, meant she would have to withdraw from the competition. Had she not withdrawn from the competition, either Andy & Allison or Paula & Louis would have been eliminated that night. Her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, performed their routine during the live show with stand-in Jenna Johnson. There was no additional elimination.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	TV show	Result
Carlos & Witney	31 (7, 8, 8, 8)	Jazz	"Thank You for Being a Friend""?Cynthia Fee	The Golden Girls	Safe
Paula & Louis	20 (5, 5, 5, 5)	Samba	"The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle""?The Eligibles	Gilligan's Island	Last to be called safe
Tamar & Val	33 (8, 9, 8, 8)	Tango	"A Beautiful Mine""?RJD2	Mad Men	Safe
Alexa & Mark	36 (9, 9, 9, 9)	Jazz	"Breaking Bad Theme""?Dave Porter	Breaking Bad	Safe
Andy & Allison	29 (7, 7, 8, 7)	Quickstep	"Bandstand Boogie""?Larry Elgart	American Bandstand	Last to be called safe
Gary & Anna	25 (6, 7, 6, 6)	Tango	"The Addams Family Theme""?Vic Mizzy	The Addams Family	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	33 (8, 8, 9, 8)	Tango	"Bad Things""?Jace Everett	True Blood	Safe
Kim & Tony	N/A	Samba	"Jeannie""?Hugo Montenegro	I Dream of Jeannie	Withdrew
Bindi & Derek	32 (8, 8, 8, 8)	Quickstep	"Movin' on Up""?Ja'net Dubois	The Jeffersons	Safe
Nick & Sharna	36 (9, 9, 9, 9)	Viennese Waltz	"Did I Make the Most of Loving You?""?Mary-Jess Leaverland	Downton Abbey	Safe
Hayes & Emma	30 (7, 8, 7, 8)	Jive	"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme""?Chuck Lorre & Dennis C. Brown	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Safe

Week 4: Most Memorable Year

Couples performed one unlearned dance to celebrate the most memorable year of their lives.

For the first time in the history of the program, Tom Bergeron did not appear as a host; he was absent to be with his ailing father. Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Bergeron.

Pro dancer Allison Holker announced that she was pregnant with her second child. She continued to dance with Andy Grammer until their elimination several episodes later.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Alexa & Mark	21 (7, 7, 7)	Foxtrot	"Mama Said""?The Shirelles	Safe
Gary & Anna	16 (5, 6, 5)	Jazz	"That'll Be the Day""?Buddy Holly	Eliminated
Tamar & Val	27 (9, 9, 9)	Rumba	"King""?Tamar Braxton	Safe
Hayes & Emma	27 (9, 9, 9)	Contemporary	"Stitches""?Shawn Mendes	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	24 (8, 8, 8)	Paso doble	"Wake Me Up""?Avicii	Safe
Nick & Sharna	27 (9, 9, 9)	Jazz	"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)""?Backstreet Boys	Safe
Carlos & Witney	25 (9, 8, 8)	Waltz	"Amazing Grace""?Ray Chew	Last to be called safe
Paula & Louis	18 (6, 6, 6)	Cha-cha-cha	"Respect""?Aretha Franklin	Safe
Andy & Allison	23 (7, 8, 8)	Cha-cha-cha	"Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)""?Andy Grammer	Safe
Bindi & Derek	28 (9, 9, 10)	Contemporary	"Every Breath You Take""?Aaron Krause feat. Liza Anne	Safe

Week 5: Switch-Up Night

Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Bruno Tonioli.

Couples performed one unlearned dance with a different partner selected by the general public; due to the nature of the week, no elimination took place. Argentine tango is introduced.

Tom Bergeron also returned to his hosting duties this week; the episode was dedicated to the memory of his father, Raymond, who died earlier in the day.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music
Tamar & Louis	29 (7, 7, 8, 7)	Samba	"End of Time""?Beyonc
Hayes & Allison	30 (8, 8, 7, 7)	Viennese Waltz	"Like I'm Gonna Lose You""?Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
Paula & Mark	26 (7, 7, 6, 6)	Jive	"Shake""?Otis Redding
Alek & Emma	29 (8, 7, 7, 7)	Rumba	"Let It Go""?James Bay
Bindi & Val	37 (9, 9, 10, 9)	Cha-cha-cha	"Hold My Hand""?Jess Glynne
Carlos & Lindsay	39 (10, 10, 9, 10)	Quickstep	"Bossa Nova Baby""?Elvis Presley
Alexa & Derek	40 (10, 10, 10, 10)	Tango	"Pompeii""?Bastille
Andy & Sharna	36 (9, 9, 9, 9)	Argentine tango	"Can't Feel My Face""?The Weeknd
Nick & Witney	35 (9, 9, 8, 9)	Paso doble	"Don't Look Down""?Martin Garrix feat. Usher

Week 6: Famous Dances Night

Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, Olivia Newton-John, Bruno Tonioli.

Couples performed one unlearned dance that paid tribute to iconic dance performances from films and music videos; Leah Remini filled in for Erin Andrews.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Hayes & Emma	32 (8, 8, 8, 8)	Jazz	"You're the One That I Want""?John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John	Safe
Andy & Allison	40 (10, 10, 10, 10)	Jazz	"Good Morning""?Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor	Safe
Alexa & Mark	30 (8, 7, 7, 8)	Cha-cha-cha	"I'm a Slave 4 U""?Britney Spears	Last to be called safe
Bindi & Derek	40 (10, 10, 10, 10)	Rumba	"(I've Had) The Time of My Life""?Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes	Safe
Paula & Louis	24 (6, 6, 6, 6)	Jazz	"Vogue""?Madonna	Eliminated
Carlos & Witney	38 (10, 9, 9, 10)	Rumba	"Pony""?Ginuwine	Safe
Nick & Sharna	39 (9, 10, 10, 10)	Samba	"You Should Be Dancing""?Bee Gees	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	30 (8, 8, 7, 7)	Jive	"Jailhouse Rock""?Elvis Presley	Safe
Tamar & Val	40 (10, 10, 10, 10)	Jazz	"Rhythm Nation""?Janet Jackson	Safe

Week 7: Halloween Night

Couples performed one unlearned dance and a team dance to Halloween themes and songs; Leah Remini once again filled in for Erin Andrews.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Nick & Sharna	24 (8, 8, 8)	Argentine tango	"Bring Me to Life""?Evanescence feat. Paul McCoy	Safe
Hayes & Emma	26 (8, 9, 9)	Waltz	"Once Upon a Dream""?Lana Del Rey	Eliminated
Alexa & Mark	27 (9, 9, 9)	Paso doble	"Hora Zero""?Rodrigo y Gabriela	Last to be called safe
Tamar & Val	24 (8, 8, 8)	Foxtrot	"People Are Strange""?The Doors
Andy & Allison	26 (9, 9, 8)	Paso doble	"The Beautiful People""?Marilyn Manson	Safe
Bindi & Derek	30 (10, 10, 10)	Argentine tango	"Cry Little Sister""?Gerard McMann	Safe
Alek & Lindsay	25 (9, 8, 8)	Viennese Waltz	"Haunted""?Beyonc	Safe
Carlos & Witney	28 (9, 10, 9)	Paso doble	"O Fortuna""?Carl Orff	Safe
Nick & Sharna Hayes & Emma Andy & Allison Tamar & Val	30 (10, 10, 10)	Freestyle (Team "Nightmare")	"This Is Halloween""?Danny Elfman
Bindi & Derek Carlos & Witney Alexa & Mark Alek & Lindsay	28 (9, 10, 9)	Freestyle (Team "Who You Gonna Call?")	"Ghostbusters""?Ray Parker, Jr.

Week 8: Icons Night

Couples performed one unlearned dance that paid tribute to a personal icon of the celebrity's; the couple with the highest score earned an immunity from elimination, while the rest of the couples participated in dance-offs for extra points. After a two-week absence covering the World Series for Fox, Erin Andrews returned as co-host.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Icon	Result
Carlos & Witney	27 (9, 9, 9)	Salsa	"Vali la Pena""?Marc Anthony	Marc Anthony	Last to be called safe
Alek & Lindsay	25 (9, 8, 8)	Contemporary	"Holding Out for a Hero""?Ella Mae Bowen	Chris Kyle	Safe
Andy & Allison	22 (8, 7, 7)	Viennese Waltz	"Isn't She Lovely""?Stevie Wonder	Stevie Wonder/Kathryn Grammer	Eliminated
Alexa & Mark	25 (9, 8, 8)	Argentine tango	"Viva la Vida""?Coldplay	David	Safe
Nick & Sharna	30 (10, 10, 10)	Contemporary	"Can't Help Falling in Love""?Haley Reinhart	Lauren Kitt	Safe (Immunity)
Bindi & Derek	28 (10, 9, 9)	Foxtrot	"Grace Kelly""?MIKA	Grace Kelly	Safe
Tamar & Val	28 (9, 9, 10)	Paso doble	"Born This Way""?Lady Gaga	Toni Braxton	Safe

For each dance-off, the couple with the highest remaining score picked the opponent against whom they wanted to dance; the chosen opponent was allowed to pick the dance style (cha-cha-cha, jive or samba). The winner of each dance-off earned two points. The couple who won immunity, Nick and Sharna, received a three-point bonus. For the first time, the general public helped to determine the winner of each dance-off via the show's official website.

Dance-offs

Couple	Judges' votes	Public vote	Dance	Music	Result
Carlos & Witney	Carlos, Carlos, Carlos	Bindi (64%)	Jive	"Travelin' Band""?Creedence Clearwater Revival	Winner (2 pts)
Bindi & Derek					Loser
Alexa & Mark	Alexa, Tamar, Tamar	Alexa (76%)	Cha-cha-cha	"Fun""?Pitbull feat. Chris Brown	Winner (2 pts)
Tamar & Val					Loser
Andy & Allison	Andy, Andy, Andy	Andy (54%)	Samba	"Lean On""?Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. M	Winner (2 pts)
Alek & Lindsay					Loser

Week 9: Showstoppers Night

Couples performed one unlearned dance and a musical theater-inspired team-up dance with another couple, which involved the celebrities dancing side-by-side to the same song and receiving the same set of scores from the judges for the routine.

During dress rehearsals, Tamar Braxton fell ill and was taken to the emergency room. She was unable to return for her contemporary dance; the judges' scores were based on dress rehearsal footage. Braxton did return just in time for her team-up dance with Nick & Sharna. However, she subsequently withdrew from the competition after her doctors discovered pulmonary embolisms in her lungs.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Alek & Lindsay	24 (8, 8, 8)	Salsa	"Back It Up""?Prince Royce feat. Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull	Safe
Alexa & Mark	30 (10, 10, 10)	Contemporary	"Make It Rain""?Ed Sheeran	Eliminated
Carlos & Witney	27 (9, 9, 9)	Argentine tango	"What Do You Mean?""?Justin Bieber	Last to be called safe
Bindi & Derek	30 (10, 10, 10)	Viennese Waltz	"Roses and Violets""?Alexander Jean	Safe
Tamar & Val	22 (8, 7, 7)	Contemporary	"Wicked Game""?James Vincent McMorrow	Safe (later withdrew)
Nick & Sharna	28 (9, 9, 10)	Quickstep	"A Cool Cat in Town""?Tape Five	Safe
Alek & Lindsay Carlos & Witney	24 (8, 8, 8)	Paso doble	"We Will Rock You""?Queen (from We Will Rock You)
Alexa & Mark Bindi & Derek	30 (10, 10, 10)	Charleston	"All That Jazz" & "Hot Honey Rag""?Kander and Ebb (from Chicago)
Nick & Sharna Tamar & Val	27 (9, 9, 9)	Rumba	"Hey Jude""?The Beatles (from LOVE by Cirque du Soleil)

Week 10: Semifinals

Couples performed one unlearned dance and a trio dance involving an eliminated pro or a pro from past seasons of the show. Midway through the show, the four couples participated in dance-offs, with the winners receiving three points to be added to their total scores.

Due to the unexpected withdrawal of Tamar Braxton earlier in the week, all four couples advanced directly to the finals.

Running order

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Bindi & Derek	27 (9, 9, 9)	Salsa	"You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile""?Sia	Last to be called safe
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Jazz	"Resolve""?Nathan Lanier
Alek & Lindsay	30 (10, 10, 10)	Waltz	"America the Beautiful""?Ray Chew	Safe
	27 (9, 9, 9)	Argentine tango	"Ex's & Oh's""?Elle King
Carlos & Witney	28 (9, 9, 10)	Contemporary	"Drag Me Down""?One Direction	Safe
	29 (9, 10, 10)	Charleston	"Booty Swing""?Parov Stelar
Nick & Sharna	24 (8, 8, 8)	Tango	"Scars""?Alesso feat. Ryan Tedder	Last to be called safe
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Salsa	"No Doubt About It""?Empire cast feat. Jussie Smollett & Pitbull

Dance-offs

Couple	Judges' votes	Dance	Music	Result
Carlos & Witney	Alek, Carlos, Carlos	Cha-cha-cha	"Fun""?Pitbull feat. Chris Brown	Winner (3 pts)
Alek & Lindsay				Loser
Bindi & Derek	Bindi, Bindi, Bindi	Samba	"Lean On""?Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. M	Winner (3 pts)
Nick & Sharna				Loser

Week 11: Finals

On the first night, couples danced a previously-learned style to a new song that was coached by one of the three judges, as well as a freestyle routine.

On the second night, the three remaining finalists performed a fusion challenge that was learned in only 24 hours.

Running order (Night 1)

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Carlos & Witney	30 (10, 10, 10)	Foxtrot	"The Hills""?The Weeknd	Eliminated
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Freestyle	"WTF (Where They From)""?Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams
Alek & Lindsay	27 (9, 9, 9)	Rumba	"The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore""?James Morrison	Safe
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Freestyle	"Marchin On""?OneRepublic
Nick & Sharna	30 (10, 10, 10)	Jive	"Runaway Baby""?Bruno Mars	Last to be called safe
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Freestyle	"Larger Than Life""?Backstreet Boys
Bindi & Derek	30 (10, 10, 10)	Quickstep	"Dr. Bones""?Cherry Poppin' Daddies	Safe
	30 (10, 10, 10)	Freestyle	"Footprints in the Sand""?Leona Lewis

Running order (Night 2)

Couple	Scores	Dance	Music	Result
Nick & Sharna	30 (10, 10, 10)	Salsa Tango	"Turn Up the Music""?Chris Brown	Runner-up
Alek & Lindsay	27 (9, 9, 9)	Rumba Tango	"A Sky Full of Stars""?Coldplay	Third place
Bindi & Derek	30 (10, 10, 10)	Argentine tango Cha-cha-cha	"All the Way""?Timeflies	Winner

Dance chart

The celebrities and professional partners will dance one of these routines for each corresponding week:

• Week 1: Cha-cha-cha, foxtrot, jive, quickstep or salsa
• Week 2: Two unlearned dances (Hometown Glory Week)
• Week 3: One unlearned dance (TV Night)
• Week 4: One unlearned dance (Most Memorable Year)
• Week 5: One unlearned dance (Partner Switch-Up)
• Week 6: One unlearned dance (Famous Dances Night)
• Week 7: One unlearned dance & team dances (Halloween Night)
• Week 8: One unlearned dance & dance-offs (Icons Night)
• Week 9: One unlearned dance & team-up dances (Showstoppers Night)
• Week 10: One unlearned dance, dance-off challenge & trio dance (Semifinals)
• Week 11 (Night One): Judges' choice & freestyle (Top 4)
• Week 11 (Night Two): 24-hour fusion challenge (Top 3)

Highest scoring dance

Lowest scoring dance

Not scored or danced by the celebrity

Gained bonus points for winning this dance-off

Gained no bonus points for losing this dance-off

Danced, but not scored

Guest judges

There were three guest judges during the course of the season. The first, season 19 champion Alfonso Ribeiro, was a judge for Week 3. Former pro dancer and season 18 champion, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, joined the judging panel for Week 5. The following week, Olivia Newton-John appeared as a guest judge for Famous Dances Night.

Guest performances

Date	Guest	Song(s)
November 23, 2015	Meghan Trainor	"Better When I'm Dancin'"/"Like I'm Gonna Lose You
	Who Is Fancy, Ariana Grande, & Meghan Trainor	"Boys like You"
November 24, 2015	Chaka Khan	"I'm Every Woman"
	Elle King	"Ex's & Oh's
	Andy Grammer	"Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)"
	Chaka Khan & Andy Grammer	"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
	Alexander Jean	"Roses and Violets"
	Nick Carter	"I Will Wait"

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen Ratings

Episode		Air date	Rating/Share (18-49)		Viewers (millions)	18-49 rank (Weekly)	Viewership rank (Weekly)	Ref(s)
1	"Week 1: Premiere"	September 14, 2015	2.1	7	13.13	8	4
2	"First Dances" (Clip Show)	September 15, 2015	1.1	4	5.70	21	19
3	"Week 2: Hometown Glory, Part 1"	September 21, 2015	1.8	6	11.46	"?	12
4	"Week 2: Hometown Glory, Part 2"	September 22, 2015	1.5	5	9.58		20
5	"Week 3: TV Night"	September 28, 2015	1.6	6	11.04		14
6	"Week 4: Most Memorable Year"	October 5, 2015	1.7	5	11.82	24	9
7	"Week 5: Switch-Up Night"	October 12, 2015	1.7	5	11.64	21	10
8	"Week 6: Famous Dances Night"	October 19, 2015	1.9	6	12.50	22	7
9	"Week 7: Halloween Night"	October 26, 2015	1.8	5	11.86	24	15
10	"Week 8: Icons Night"	November 2, 2015	1.9	6	12.09	18	9
11	"Week 9: Showstoppers Night"	November 9, 2015	2.0	6	12.63	17	6
12	"Week 10: Semi-Finals"	November 16, 2015	1.8	6	12.35	22	6
13	"Week 11: The Finals, Part 1"	November 23, 2015	2.1	7	13.29	12	6
14	"Week 11: The Finals, Part 2"	November 24, 2015	2.4	8	13.49	9	5

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