Couples

This season featured twelve celebrity contestants. Eleven celebrities and their professional partners were announced on February 26, 2013, on Good Morning America, with Jacoby Jones' participation having been confirmed two days earlier during a network promo that aired during the 85th Oscars. Two weeks following the cast announcement, Sean Lowe as revealed as the twelfth contestant. Lindsay Arnold, a contestant from season nine of So You Think You Can Dance, was introduced as a new professional along with Sharna Burgess, who had been a member of the dance troupe. Gleb Savchenko, who had recently participated as a professional on season twelve of the Australian Dancing with the Stars, was also announced as a new professional. The dance troupe consisted of Oksana Dmytrenko, Henry Byalikov, Emma Slater, and Sasha Farber, along with new members Witney Carson and Julian Tocker.

Host and judges

Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet returned as co-hosts, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges. The Harold Wheeler orchestra and singers also returned to provide the music throughout the season.

Week 1: First Dances

Couples performed either the cha-cha-cha, contemporary, or the foxtrot, and are listed in the order they performed.

Week 2: First Elimination

Couples performed either jazz, the jive, or the quickstep, and are listed in the order they performed.

At the results show of this week, it was announced that Dorothy Hamill would be withdrawing from the show due to an injury she had suffered from during training prior to this week.^[1]

Week 3: Prom Night

All couples participated in a team freestyle, where Jacoby & Karina and Zendaya & Val each received two bonus points, plus one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 4: Best Year of My Life Night

Couples performed one unlearned dance celebrating the most memorable year of their lives. Each celebrity included a brief solo during their routines. Kyle Jacobs, Kellie Pickler's husband, performed his own song that he wrote for Kellie.^[2] Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 5: Len's Side-by-Side Challenge

Each couple had to select two other professionals that had either been eliminated, participated in previous seasons, or participated in the troupe; and then perform simultaneously with those professional dancers. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 6: Stevie Wonder Night

Each couple danced to a song by Stevie Wonder. Each couple also performed a team dance picked by the highest scoring couples: Zendaya & Val (Team Paso doble) and Kellie & Derek (Team Samba). Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 7: Latin Night

Each couple danced to a Latin hit. After having danced, the top scoring couple was saved from elimination that week. The remaining six couples then took part in a dance-off, where they competed against another couple doing the cha-cha-cha, jive, or rumba. For each dance-off, the judges chose a winning couple and added three bonus points to their scores. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 8: Trio Night

Each couple performed one unlearned ballroom dance as well as a trio dance. Each couple chose one professional who was either previously eliminated or had participated in the dance troupe to perform with them. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 9: Semifinals

Each couple performed two unlearned dances, one of which was chosen by the viewers through Twitter. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 10: Finals

On night one, each couple performed a dance chosen by one of the judges, a cha-cha-cha relay, and a supersized freestyle routine. On night two, one of the four couples was eliminated, and the remaining three couples then performed an instant dance of a style that they had already learned with music given to them just minutes before. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Night 1

Night 2