Couples

This season featured eleven celebrity contestants. Damian Whitewood, from the Broadway dance revue Burn the Floor, joined the cast of professionals this season. Ashly DelGrosso Costa, whose last season as a pro was season three, also returned, while Edyta Śliwińska continued as the longest-tenured professional on the show, having appeared on all of the first ten seasons.

Future appearances

Pamela Anderson returned for the All-Stars season, where she was paired with Tristan MacManus.

Host and judges

Samantha Harris did not return as co-host for this season due to her commitments on The Insider and Entertainment Tonight. On March 8, 2010, Tom Bergeron announced on Good Morning America that his new co-host would be season seven champion Brooke Burke. Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli all returned as judges.

Week 1: First Dances

Each couple performed either the cha-cha-cha or Viennese waltz. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 2: First Elimination

Each couple performed either the foxtrot or jive. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 3: Storytelling Week

Each couple performed either the paso doble, quickstep, or waltz. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 4: Double-score Week

Each couple performed either the rumba or tango, receiving two sets of scores from the judges: one for technical and one for performance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 5: Movie Week

Each couple performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 6: Marathon Week

Each couple performed either the Argentine tango or samba, plus a swing dance marathon for extra points. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 7: Team Dance Week

Each couple performed one unlearned dance, plus a team cha-cha-cha. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 8: Race to the Semifinals

Each couple performed two unlearned dances, the second of which had to reflect the style of a particular era. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 9: Semifinals

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

Week 10: Finals

On the first night, the three couples performed two dances: a redemption dance selected by one of the judges, which was a style they had already performed earlier in the competition and their freestyle routine.^[2] On the second night, the final three couples performed their favorite dance, which for all three was the Argentine tango. After the third place couple was eliminated, the two remaining couples performed one final dance.^[3] Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Night 1

Night 2