Season twelve of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 21, 2011, on the ABC network.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and Kym Johnson were the winners of the competition, while actress Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished second, and Disney star Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas finished third.
This season featured eleven celebrity contestants. The cast was revealed on February 28, 2011, during The Bachelor,[1] and the professional partners were revealed on March 2.[2] Hip-hop artist Romeo, who had been slated to appear on season 2 before he had to withdraw due to an injury, was one of the contestants to compete this season.[3] This was also the first season to feature a dance troupe, which consisted of six dancers: Oksana Dmytrenko, Tristan MacManus,[4] Peta Murgatroyd, Kiki Nyemchek, Nicole Volynets, and Ted Volynets.[5]
Kirstie Alley returned for the All-Stars season, where she was again paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman returned to the show as judges, while Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke returned as co-hosts.[1]
The highest score each week is indicated in bold green with a dagger (†), while the lowest score each week is indicated in italicized red with a double-dagger (‡).
Color key:
Individual judges' scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.
The couples danced either the cha-cha-cha or foxtrot. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples danced either the jive or quickstep. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Donnie Burns, Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.
The six couples were divided into two teams to perform a cha-cha-cha team dance, and each couple also performed one unlearned dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Each couple performed two dances. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Each couple performed two unlearned dances, plus competed in a "winner takes all" cha-cha-cha dance relay. Two couples faced off against each other, with the winners from each match competing against each other for fifteen bonus points. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
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. On the second night, each couple performed their favorite dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
The couples performed the following each week:
Dancing with the Stars tied with Modern Family, a sitcom which also airs on ABC, for the season's No. 5 spot in the age 18–49 demographic of viewers, and placed at No. 3 on the rankings of the overall season.[6]