To get an idea of what Dancing With the Stars season nine has to offer, check out the official ABC press release for Dancing with the Stars and season nine photos below.
An
all new cast of celebrities hits the dance floor
on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" with the highly
anticipated two-hour season premiere, MONDAY,
SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on
ABC. With its biggest season yet, "Dancing with
the Stars" Season Nine introduces us to 16 new
stars, including an Osmond and an Osbourne,
two Grammy Award® winning artists, a Cowboy,
a model CEO and a former House Majority Leader.
Eight teams will strut their stuff on Monday
night, while the other eight teams will show
off their moves on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00
p.m., ET). On a special night and time, two
couples will learn their fate and be sent home
on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m.,
ET).
Following is the schedule for Season Nine (dates
and times subject to change):
"Dancing with the Stars," two-hour performance
show, MONDAYS beginning, SEPTEMBER 21 (8:00-10:00
p.m., ET) through NOVEMBER 16
"Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," one-hour,
TUESDAYS beginning, SEPTEMBER 29 (9:00 -10:00
p.m., ET) through NOVEMBER 17
"Dancing with the Stars," 90-minute performance
show, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23 (8:30-10:00 p.m.,
ET)
Season Finale, two-hours, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER
24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET)
"Dancing with the Stars" returns with new surprises
and all the elements viewers have come to know
and love, including the Pro Dancer Competition,
where world class professional dancers have
the opportunity to compete live on the "Results
Show" for a guaranteed spot on next season's
show. "Macy's Stars of Dance," which features
some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers
of our time, will also be back on "Dancing with
the Stars the Results Show." One of the Macy's
Stars of Dance performances will be the Stars"
returns with new surprises and all the elements
viewers have come to know and love, including
the Pro Dancer Competihe hugely popular "Design-a-Dance,"
where fans have the chance to select their favorite
professional dancers, dance styles and wardrobe
at www.abc.com. In addition, couples will once
again take part in a team formation dance, and
a variety of new elements will be incorporated
into routines involving all couples. Four new
dance styles -- the Bolero, the Charleston,
the Two Step and the Lambada -- are also going
to be introduced. The middle stages of the competition
feature the return of the "Dance Off," where
contestants will perform a dance style of their
choosing to fight for their spot in the competition,
and three consecutive double eliminations promise
the most dramatic period of "Dancing with the
Stars."
As announced this morning on "Good Morning
America," the 16 stars making their ballroom
dancing debut are:
AARON
CARTER -- Triple platinum selling music
artist/songwriter, producer, actor and younger
brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter,
Aaron Carter has established himself worldwide
as a pop and teen sensation. Beginning his career
at the age of eight, he is currently the youngest
solo artist to have four Top 40 singles. He
has released four studio albums since 1997,
two of which have been certified platinum, and
has appeared on several television series, including
"Lizzie McGuire" and "7th Heaven," as well as
making his Broadway debut playing JoJo the Who
in "Seussical the Musical" in 2001. He sang
vocals on soundtracks for Disneymania ("The
Lion King"), "Ella Enchanted," "Pokemon" and
"Rugrats the Movie." In 2006 Carter starred
in the E! reality show, "House of Carters,"
which featured all five of the Carter siblings
living in the same house.
NATALIE COUGHLIN -- Olympic swimming
gold medalist Natalie Coughlin is the most decorated
female athlete of both the 2008 Beijing and
2004 Athens Games. Coughlin has won a medal
in every single Olympic event that she has ever
entered, for a total of 11 Olympic medals. In
2008 she became the first American female athlete
to win six medals in one Olympiad, in addition
to becoming the first woman to win consecutive
individual Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke.
She is also the most decorated female swimmer
in World Championship history, with 16 medals.
Born and raised in northern California, Coughlin
attended the University of California, Berkeley,
where she earned a BA in psychology in 2005.
MARK
DACASCOS -- Famously known as "The Chairman"
and host of Food Network's "Iron Chef America,"
Mark Dacascos is also a trained martial artist
and an actor. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, his
passion for martial arts began at an early age
under the tutelage of his parents, who are both
former national champions and teachers. After
being discovered in San Francisco's Chinatown,
Dacascos began to establish a film and television
career playing not only martial artists but
a wide arrangement of other characters before
joining "Iron Chef America" in 2005. He has
appeared in several feature films, including
the internationally acclaimed French epic, "Brotherhood
of the Wolf," the cult classic "Only the Strong,"
"Cradle to the Grave", opposite Jet Li, "Only
the Brave," "Nomad" and "The Lost Medallion,"
to be released later this year.
TOM DELAY -- The former House Majority
Leader is a prominent Republican and conservative
firebrand. He was first elected to Congress
in 1984, and when Republicans took control of
the House, his colleagues elected him Majority
Whip, and later Majority Leader. His leadership
was characterized by his aggressive "Grow the
Vote" method of party discipline, where he never
lost a vote, leading the Washington Post to
nickname him "The Hammer." He and his wife,
Christine, also served as foster parents and
founded a community in Texas that serves as
a safe, permanent home for abused and neglected
children. DeLay is currently president of First
Principles LLC, a strategic political consulting
firm based in Washington DC and Houston, Texas.
MACY
GRAY -- Macy Gray first burst onto the music
scene with her debut album, "On How Life Is,"
and the hit single "I Try," both of which went
to number one. She has gone on to sell more
than 20,000,000 albums worldwide and has won
and been nominated for five Grammy Awards and
six MTV Video Music Awards. She has collaborated
on stage and in the recording studio with some
of music's greatest artists, including Justin
Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Erykah Badu, Fergie,
will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), John Frusciante
(Red Hot Chili Peppers) Nas and Natalie Cole.
Gray has also appeared in numerous films, including
"Spider Man," "Training Day," "Idlewild" (with
Outkast) and the award-winning HBO Film, "Lackawanna
Blues."
ASHLEY HAMILTON -- Actor, songwriter,
comedian and son of former "Dancing with the
Stars" contestant George Hamilton, Ashley is
a multi-talented, multi-hyphenate with experience
in film, comedy and television. An accomplished
singer, Ashley had a 2003 top 20 single released
by Sony, and as a songwriter co-wrote the top
10 Robbie Williams hit entitled "Come Undone."
He has writing credits for Hillary Duff among
other top acts. Hamilton has made various television
and film appearances in his career, including
a starring role in "Sunset Beach." Since 2007
he has been performing stand-up comedy at the
Laugh Factory, the Hollywood Improv, the Comedy
Store and Room 5 in Los Angeles.
MELISSA
JOAN HART -- Known for her starring roles
in the television series "Clarissa Explains
It All" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," Melissa
Joan Hart began her career at the early age
of four with television commercials and various
television appearances. She starred in the film
"Drive Me Crazy" alongside "Entourage's" Adrian
Grenier, as well as the ABC Family Original
Movie "Holiday in Handcuffs," opposite "Dancing
with the Stars" alumnus Mario Lopez, which was
the highest rated program in the history of
the network. In 2009 Hart starred in another
ABC Family Original Movie, "My Fake Fiancé"
that also garnered huge ratings. In 1993 she
started her own production company, Hartbreak
Films, and is set to release her first thriller
film, "Nine Dead," to DVD in January 2010. Hart
and husband Mark Wilkerson are the proud parents
of two sons, Mason, age three, and Braydon,
17 months.
KATHY IRELAND -- Kathy Ireland the super
model is now wife, mother of three, author,
Sunday school teacher and fashion CEO of Kathy
Ireland Worldwide® (KIWW)®. Forbes, Newsweek
and the Wall Street Journal celebrate KIWW®
as a $1.4 billion design empire. Ireland powerfully
supports many non-profits, including the Elizabeth
Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Feed the Children
and the Alliance for Christian Education. UCLA
has named her as one of the Top Ten Women's
Health Advocates in America.
MICHAEL
IRVIN -- Regarded as one of the most successful
wide receivers in the history of the NFL, former
Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin is a three-time
Super Bowl champion and former broadcaster for
ESPN's "NFL Countdown." Known as "The Playmaker"
and one of "The Triplets" alongside fellow Cowboys
Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin was a recipient
of the Dallas Cowboys' Ring of Honor in 2005.
In 2007 he was inducted into the Professional
Football Hall of Fame and has appeared in various
television shows, as well as co-starring in
"The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler and Chris
Rock. Last fall Irvin executive-produced/hosted
the reality TV series "4th and Long" for Spike
TV, in which one football hopeful was given
a shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster.
Most recently he appeared on the Hall of Fame
inductions on the NFL Network, and he hosts
his own radio show in Dallas for ESPN Radio.
JOANNA KRUPA -- Polish-born Joanna Krupa
was born in Warsaw and raised in Chicago. After
high school she moved to LA to pursue a career
in modeling and acting. Her hard work and positive
spirit led her to become one of the most requested
models/covergirls in the world. PETA's "I'd
Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign featuring
Krupa became a phenomenon. She's been featured
in E!'s The Sexiest as one of the sexiest women
in the world. In 2009 she was selected as the
cover model for Ocean Drive magazine, and Maxim
voted her among their TOP 100 women in the world.
Film and TV credits include "Six Days in Paradise,"
due in the fall, "Ripple Effect," "Las Vegas"
and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Most recently
she competed in ABC's "The Superstars," teaming
with Buffalo Bills NFL star Terrell Owens.
CHUCK
LIDDELL -- Chuck Liddell is the face of
the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the icon
of Mixed Martial Arts -- the fastest growing
sport in America. In 1998 he won his first UFC
Mixed Martial Arts fight. Soon after, Liddell
rose through the ranks to become the light-heavyweight
champion of the world. In July of 2009, he was
inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He is tied
for the most wins by a UFC fighter, with 16,
and also holds the most knockout wins with 10.
In 2008 Liddell penned his autobiography, Iceman:
My Fighting Life, which quickly became a New
York Times bestseller. He has a BA in Business/Accounting
from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also
wrestled.
DEBI MAZAR -- Debi Mazar's feature film
debut in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" set
the stage for an extensive career in both television
and film. She has consistently worked with notable
directors -- including Oliver Stone, Spike Lee,
Woody Allen, Michael Mann and Joel Schumacher
-- often portraying a sharp-tongued New Yorker
in both dramas and comedy. Her television credits
include "Friends," "Ugly Betty" and her own
sitcom, CBS' "Temporarily Yours." Mazar presently
stars as publicist Shauna on HBO's hit series
"Entourage." She also co-hosts "Under the Tuscan
Gun," a successful internet show focused on
Tuscan cuisine, with her husband. The couple
have two young daughters and presently reside
in both Los Angeles and Tuscany, Italy.
MYA
-- Grammy Award® winning multi-platinum artist
Mya, became a star at the age of 18 with her
eponymous debut album which yielded three Top
10 singles. In addition to releasing five full
length albums, one of which went platinum and
another gold, she starred in the acclaimed film
"Chicago." Since then Mya has appeared in several
other movies and signed a modeling contract.
Her fourth and fifth studio albums, "Liberation"
and "Sugar & Spice," respectively, have been
released in Japan, and her sixth studio album
is due to be released on her independent label.
A longtime advocate for young women, Mya founded
The Mya Arts & Tech Foundation, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged
youth growth and opportunity through arts &
technology education, where she serves as both
executive director and teacher.
KELLY OSBOURNE -- A singer, actress
and media personality, Kelly Osbourne's father
is rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, and her mother is
well-known TV personality Sharon Osbourne. Kelly
got her start at the age of 16 in the first-ever
"celebrity reality" TV show, "The Osbournes,"
with her famous family, which garnered an Emmy
Award® for Outstanding Reality Program in 2002.
That same year, Kelly released her debut music
album, "Shut Up!," which included a cover of
Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." Her second album,
"Sleeping in Nothing," was released in 2005
with its first single, "One Word," hitting No.
1 on all three Billboard Dance charts simultaneously.
She made her dramatic acting debut in a starring
role on the ABC series "Life As We Know It".
In recent years Osbourne has worked primarily
in the UK, where she's done theatre (including
a successful run in "Chicago" in London's West
End in 2007), hosted her own weekly radio show
on BBC Radio and presented numerous UK TV projects,
including "Project Catwalk," the UK's version
of "Project Runway."
DONNY
OSMOND -- Donny Osmond won the hearts of
millions as both a member of the Osmonds and,
with his sister (and "Dancing with the Stars"
alumna) Marie, as the youngest co-hosts in primetime
history on the iconic ABC variety series, "The
Donny & Marie Show." He and Marie are currently
performing at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel through
2012. For nearly five decades, Donny has been
a singer, musician, Broadway and film actor,
talk show and game show host, bestselling author,
and even a champion race car driver.
LOUIE VITO -- Professional snowboarder
Louie Vito is among the U.S.' elite snowboarders
favored to make the 2010 Olympic team. Competing
in both the Pipe and Slopestyle disciplines,
Vito continues to train for the Grand Prix qualifying.
The 21 year-old native of Bellefontaine, OH
turned pro in 2006 and has competed in multiple
Winter X-Games competitions. He is also a two-time
winner of the USSA Grand Prix Halfpipe Series.
Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite
teams via phone on Monday and Tuesday night
during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing
with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers
may also text message their votes by texting
the word "VOTE" and entering the number that
corresponds to the team they want to support
(standard text message rates apply). Viewers
may also vote online at www.abc.com starting
from the opening of each episode on the East
Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following
day.
Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest
Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("The Insider")
the celebrities will perform choreographed dance
routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom
judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers
Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
[Photo Credits: Copyright (c) 2009 (ABC/Craig Sjodin) . All Rights Reserved.]