| Dancing with the Stars (season 21) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 14–November 24, 2015 |
| Additional information | |
| Celebrity winner | Bindi Irwin |
| Professional winner | Derek Hough |
Season twenty-one of Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 14, 2015. Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews returned as hosts. Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges. Len Goodman did not return as a judge this season. The full cast was revealed on September 2.
On November 24, 2015, Bindi Irwin and her partner Derek Hough were crowned champions. Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess finished second, while 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 (7). Irwin also set a record with 8 perfect scores and became the second youngest winner of the show at 17 years old (second to Season 8 winner Shawn Johnson, who was 17 at the time of her win). This also marked Hough's sixth competitive win, extending his own record for the most win for a professional dancer on the show.
Couples[]
The official cast reveal took place on September 2, 2015. Bindi Irwin was the first celebrity to be officially announced as appearing on the season on August 24, 2015. Her celebrity partner however, was not revealed. Victor Espinoza was announced on August 25. Nick Carter was announced on August 26. Hayes Grier, Carlos Pena Jr., and Alexa Vega were announced on August 27. At 15, Hayes Grier is the youngest male to take part in the show. The previous record for males was held by Cody Simpson when he was 17. Also, he is the youngest by birth date by 7 days. Willow Shields was born on June 1, 2000 and Grier was born June 8, 2000. Pena and Vega are the first married couple to compete against each other on the show. Chaka Khan was announced on August 28. Andy Grammer was announced on August 31. Gary Busey was announced on September 1.
Returning professionals that did not compete last season are Karina Smirnoff, Anna Trebunskaya, and Louis van Amstel. Peta Murgatroyd, Artem Chigvintsev, and Kym Johnson were all on last season and did not return. Lindsay Arnold, who was on the troupe for the past 4 seasons makes a return as professional this season.
On September 1, 2015 it was announced that Peta Murgatroyd had dropped out of season 21 due to an ankle injury. Her partner was originally supposed to be Andy Grammer.
This is the first season where two celebrities withdrew during the course of the competition.
| Celebrity | Occupation / known for | Professional partner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaka Khan | Grammy-winning R&B & funk singer | Keoikantse Motsepe | Eliminated 1st on September 21, 2015 |
| Victor Espinoza | Triple Crown winning Jockey | Karina Smirnoff | Eliminated 2nd on September 22, 2015 |
| Kim Zolciak | Reality TV star | Tony Dovolani | Withdrew on September 28, 2015 |
| Gary Busey | Academy Award-nominated actor | Anna Trebunskaya | Eliminated 3rd on October 5, 2015 |
| Paula Deen | Celebrity chef & entrepreneur | Louis Van Amstel | Eliminated 4th on October 19, 2015 |
| Hayes Grier | Vine & Social Media Personality | Emma Slater | Eliminated 5th on October 26, 2015 |
| Andy Grammer | Singer-songwriter | Allison Holker | Eliminated 6th on November 2, 2015 |
| Alexa PenaVega | Film & television actress | Mark Ballas | Eliminated 7th on November 9, 2015 |
| Tamar Braxton | R&B singer, host, & reality television star | Valentin Chmerkovskiy | Withdrew on November 11, 2015 |
| Carlos PenaVega | Big Time Rush actor & singer | Witney Carson | Eliminated 8th on November 23, 2015 |
| Alek Skarlatos | Legion of Honor recipent & soldier | Lindsay Arnold | Third place on November 24, 2015 |
| Nick Carter | Singer & Backstreet Boys Member | Sharna Burgess | Runner-up on November 24, 2015 |
| Bindi Irwin | Wildlife conservationist, presenter & actress | Derek Hough | Winner on November 24, 2015 |
Partner Switch Up[]
During week 5, all celebrities switched up their partners. The new pairs were
Tamar Braxton & Louis van Amstel
Hayes Grier & Allison Holker
Paula Deen & Mark Ballas
Alek Skarlatos & Emma Slater
Bindi Irwin & Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Carlos PenaVega & Lindsay Arnold
Alexa PenaVega & Derek Hough
Andy Grammer & Sharna Burgess
Nick Carter & Witney Carson
Scoring chart[]
- This table will only count for scores given by the original judges. Guest judges scores will not be included.
| Couple | Place | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11A | 11B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bindi & Derek |
1 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 30+28=58 | 28+0=28 | 30+30=60 | 27+3+30=60 | 30+30=60 | +30=90 |
| Nick & Sharna |
2 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 24+30=54 | 30+3=33 | 28+27=56 | 24+0+30=54 | 30+30=60 | +30=90 |
| Alek & Lindsay |
3 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 25+28=53 | 25+0=25 | 24+24=48 | 30+0+27=57 | 27+30=57 | +27=84 |
| Carlos & Witney |
4 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 28+28=56 | 27+2=29 | 27+24=51 | 28+3+29=60 | 30+30=60 | |
| Tamar & Val |
5 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 21 | 30 | 24+30=54 | 28+0=28 | 22+27=49 | |||
| Alexa & Mark |
6 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 27 | 21 | 30 | 23 | 27+28=55 | 25+2=27 | 30+30=60 | |||
| Andy & Allison |
7 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 30 | 26+30=56 | 22+2=24 | ||||
| Hayes & Emma |
8 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 27 | 23 | 24 | 26+30=56 | |||||
| Paula & Louis |
9 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 18 | ||||||
| Gary & Anna |
10 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 16 | ||||||||
| Kim & Tony |
11 | 12 | 19 | 18 | ||||||||||
| Victor & Karina |
12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chaka & Keo |
13 | 13 | 15 | |||||||||||
Scoring Chart Key
- Red numbers indicate the lowest score for each week
- Green numbers indicate the highest score for each week
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The couple eliminated that week | |
| The returning couple finishing in the bottom two (or three) | |
| The returning couple that was the last to be called safe | |
| This couple won immunity | |
| This couple withdrew from the competition |
Average score chart[]
- Based on the traditional 30-point scale.
| Rank by average | Place | Couple | Total points | Number of dances | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Bindi & Derek | 474 | 17 | 27.9 |
| 2 | 2 | Nick & Sharna | 462 | 17 | 27.2 |
| 3 | 4 | Carlos & Witney | 426 | 16 | 26.6 |
| 4 | 6 | Alexa & Mark | 309 | 12 | 25.8 |
| 5 | 5 | Tamar & Val | 305 | 12 | 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 are as follows:
| Dance | Best dancer(s) | Highest score | Worst dancer(s) | Lowest score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cha-cha-cha | Bindi Irwin | 27 | Chaka Khan | 13 |
| Foxtrot | Carlos PenaVega | 30 | Chaka Khan | 15 |
| Contemporary | Nick Carter Alexa PenaVega |
30 | Tamar Braxton | 22 |
| Jive | Nick Carter | 30 | Victor Espinoza | 17 |
| Samba | Nick Carter | 29 | Paula Deen | 15 |
| Tango | Alexa PenaVega | 30 | Paula Deen Gary Busey |
18 |
| Rumba | Bindi Irwin | 30 | Paula Deen | 19 |
| Salsa | Nick Carter | 30 | Kim Zolciak | 12 |
| Jazz | Andy Grammer Tamar Braxton Bindi Irwin |
30 | Gary Busey | 16 |
| Waltz | Alek Skarlatos | 30 | Bindi Irwin | 23 |
| Quickstep | Carlos PenaVega Bindi Irwin |
30 | Paula Deen | 15 |
| Argentine tango | Bindi Irwin | 30 | Nick Carter | 24 |
| Paso doble | Carlos PenaVega Tamar Braxton |
28 | Gary Busey | 15 |
| Viennese Waltz | Bindi Irwin | 30 | Andy Grammer | 22 |
| Charleston | Carlos PenaVega | 29 | Tamar Braxton | 25 |
| Freestyle | Carlos PenaVega Alek Skarlatos Bindi Irwin Nick Carter |
30 |
Couples' highest and lowest scoring dances[]
According to the traditional 30-point scale. Team dances not included.
| Couples | Highest scoring dance(s) | Lowest scoring dance(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Bindi & Derek | Rumba, Argentine Tango, Viennese Waltz, Charleston, Jazz, Quickstep, Freestyle, & Fusion (30) |
Waltz (23) |
| Nick & Sharna | Contemporary, Salsa, Jive, Freestyle, & 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[]
Unless indicated otherwise, 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[]
Running order
| Couple | Score | 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[]
Running order (Night 1)
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick & Sharna | 21 (7, 7, 7) | Jive | "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"—The Andrews Sisters |
| Paula & Louis | 19 (7, 6, 6) | Rumba | "Midnight Train to Georgia"—Gladys Knight & the Pips |
| Hayes & Emma | 22 (8, 7, 7) | Foxtrot | "This Is How We Roll"—Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan |
| Chaka & Keo | 15 (5, 5, 5) | Foxtrot | "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)"—Frank Sinatra |
| Andy & Allison | 21 (7, 7, 7) | Jive | "Only the Good Die Young"—Billy Joel |
| Kim & Tony | 19 (7, 6, 6) | Quickstep | "Queen Bee"—Rochelle Diamante |
| Alek & Lindsay | 23 (8, 7, 8) | Jazz | "Don't Stop Believin'"—Journey |
| Alexa & Mark | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Salsa | "Que Es Lo Que Quiere Esa Nena"—El General |
| Victor & Karina | 17 (6, 5, 6) | Jive | "La Bamba"—Ritchie Valens |
| Tamar & Val | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Cha-cha-cha | "We Are Family"—Sister Sledge |
| Gary & Anna | 18 (6, 6, 6) | Foxtrot | "Wouldn't It Be Nice"—The Beach Boys |
| Carlos & Witney | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Foxtrot | "Home"—Blake Shelton |
| Bindi & Derek | 25 (9, 8, 8) | Tango | "You Shook Me All Night Long"—AC/DC |
Running order (Night 2)
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayes & Emma | 23 (8, 7, 8) | Quickstep | "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"—Jet |
| Carlos & Witney | 21 (7, 7, 7) | Cha-cha-cha | "Hound Dog"—Big Mama Thornton |
| Gary & Anna | 15 (5, 5, 5) | Paso doble | "1812 Overture"—Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| Andy & Allison | 23 (8, 8, 7) | Contemporary | "Heaven Is a Place on Earth"—Belinda Carlisle |
| Alexa & Mark | 22 (7, 7, 8) | Rumba | "Somewhere in Time" theme—John Barry |
| Paula & Louis | 18 (6, 6, 6) | Tango | "Get Ready"—The Temptations |
| Bindi & Derek | 23 (7, 8, 8) | Waltz | "Only a Man"—Jonny Lang |
| Kim & Tony | 18 (6, 6, 6) | Foxtrot | "Come Home"—OneRepublic feat. Sara Bareilles |
| Alek & Lindsay | 22 (7, 7, 8) | Quickstep | "American Girl"—Elle King |
| Victor & Karina | 20 (7, 6, 7) | Rumba | "Girl on Fire"—Alicia Keys |
| Nick & Sharna | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Foxtrot | "Coming Home, Pt. II"—Skylar Grey |
| Tamar & Val | 25 (8, 8, 9) | Charleston | "Living in New York City"—Robin Thicke |
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.
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | TV Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos & Witney | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | Jazz | "Thank You for Being a Friend" —Cynthia Fee |
The Golden Girls |
| Paula & Louis | 20 (5, 5, 5, 5) | Samba | "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" —The Eligibles |
Gilligan's Island |
| Tamar & Val | 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) | Tango | "A Beautiful Mine"—RJD2 | Mad Men |
| Alexa & Mark | 36 (9, 9, 9, 9) | Jazz | "Breaking Bad Theme" —Dave Porter |
Breaking Bad |
| Andy & Allison | 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) | Quickstep | "Bandstand Boogie"—Larry Elgart | American Bandstand |
| Gary & Anna | 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) | Tango | "The Addams Family Theme" —Vic Mizzy |
The Addams Family |
| Alek & Lindsay | 33 (8, 8, 9, 8) | Tango | "Bad Things"—Jace Everett | True Blood |
| Kim & Tony | N/A | Samba | "Jeannie"—Hugo Montenegro | I Dream of Jeannie |
| Bindi & Derek | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Quickstep | "Movin' on Up"—Ja'net Dubois | The Jeffersons |
| Nick & Sharna | 36 (9, 9, 9, 9) | Viennese Waltz | "Did I Make the Most of Loving You?" —Mary-Jess Leaverland |
Downton Abbey |
| Hayes & Emma | 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) | Jive | "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme"—Chuck Lorre & Dennis C. Brown |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
Week 4: Most Memorable Year[]
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexa & Mark | 21 (7, 7, 7) | Foxtrot | "Mama Said"—The Shirelles |
| Gary & Anna | 16 (5, 6, 5) | Jazz | "That'll Be the Day"—Buddy Holly |
| Tamar & Val | 27 (9, 9, 9) | Rumba | "King"—Tamar Braxton |
| Hayes & Emma | 27 (9, 9, 9) | Contemporary | "Stitches"—Shawn Mendes |
| Alek & Lindsay | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Paso doble | "Wake Me Up"—Avicii |
| Nick & Sharna | 27 (9, 9, 9) | Jazz | "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"—Backstreet Boys |
| Carlos & Witney | 25 (9, 8, 8) | Waltz | "Amazing Grace"—Ray Chew |
| Paula & Louis | 18 (6, 6, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Respect"—Aretha Franklin |
| Andy & Allison | 23 (7, 8, 8) | Cha-cha-cha | "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)"—Andy Grammer |
| Bindi & Derek | 28 (9, 9, 10) | Contemporary | "Every Breath You Take"—Aaron Krause feat. Liza Anne |
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.
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamar & Louis | 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) | Samba | "End of Time"—Beyoncé |
| 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.
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayes & Emma | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Jazz | "You're the One That I Want"—John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John |
| Andy & Allison | 40 (10, 10, 10, 10) | Jazz | "Good Morning"—Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor |
| Alexa & Mark | 30 (8, 7, 7, 8) | Cha-cha-cha | "I'm a Slave 4 U"—Britney Spears |
| Bindi & Derek | 40 (10, 10, 10, 10) | Rumba | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"—Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes |
| Paula & Louis | 24 (6, 6, 6, 6) | Jazz | "Vogue"—Madonna |
| Carlos & Witney | 38 (10, 9, 9, 10) | Rumba | "Pony"—Ginuwine |
| Nick & Sharna | 39 (9, 10, 10, 10) | Samba | "You Should Be Dancing"—Bee Gees |
| Alek & Lindsay | 30 (8, 8, 7, 7) | Jive | "Jailhouse Rock"—Elvis Presley |
| Tamar & Val | 40 (10, 10, 10, 10) | Jazz | "Rhythm Nation"—Janet Jackson |
Week 7: Halloween Night[]
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick & Sharna | 24 (8, 8, 8) | Argentine tango | "Bring Me to Life"—Evanescence feat. Paul McCoy |
| Hayes & Emma | 26 (8, 9, 9) | Waltz | "Once Upon a Dream"—Lana Del Rey |
| Alexa & Mark | 27 (9, 9, 9) | Paso doble | "Hora Zero"—Rodrigo y Gabriela |
| 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 |
| Bindi & Derek | 30 (10, 10, 10) | Argentine tango | "Cry Little Sister"—Gerard McMann |
| Alek & Lindsay | 25 (9, 8, 8) | Viennese Waltz | "Haunted"—Beyoncé |
| Carlos & Witney | 28 (9, 10, 9) | Paso doble | "O Fortuna"—Carl Orff |
| Andy & Allison Hayes & Emma Nick & Sharna Tamar & Val |
30 (10, 10, 10) | Freestyle
(Team "Nightmare") |
"This Is Halloween"—Danny Elfman |
| Alek & Lindsay Carlos & Witney Alexa & Mark Bindi & Derek |
28 (9, 10, 9) | Freestyle
(Team "Who You |
"Ghostbusters"—Ray Parker, Jr. |
Week 8: Icons Night[]
Running order
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Icon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos & Witney | 27 (9, 9, 9) | Salsa | "Valió la Pena"—Marc Anthony | Marc Anthony |
| Alek & Lindsay | 25 (9, 8, 8) | Contemporary | "Holding Out for a Hero" —Ella Mae Bowen |
Chris Kyle |
| Andy & Allison | 22 (8, 7, 7) | Viennese Waltz | "Isn't She Lovely"—Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder |
| Alexa & Mark | 25 (9, 8, 8) | Argentine tango | "Viva la Vida"—Coldplay | David |
| Nick & Sharna | 30 (10, 10, 10) | Contemporary | "Can't Help Falling in Love" —Haley Reinhart |
Lauren Kitt |
| Bindi & Derek | 28 (10, 9, 9) | Foxtrot | "Grace Kelly"—MIKA | Grace Kelly |
| Tamar & Val | 28 (9, 9, 10) | Paso doble | "Born This Way"—Lady Gaga | Toni Braxton |
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.
Running order
| Couple | Judge's Votes | America's Vote | Dance | Music | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos & Witney | Carlos, Carlos, Carlos | Bindi (64%) | Jive | "Travelin' Band"—Creedence Clearwater Revival | Winner |
| Bindi & Derek | Loser | ||||
| Alexa & Mark | Alexa, Tamar, Tamar | Alexa (76%) | Cha-cha-cha | "Fun"—Pitbull feat. Chris Brown | Winner |
| Tamar & Val | Loser | ||||
| Andy & Allison | Andy, Andy, Andy | Andy (54%) | Samba | "Lean On"—Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. MØ | Winner |
| Alek & Lindsay | Loser |
Dance chart[]
The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week:
- Week 1: Jive, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha-Cha, Salsa, or Quickstep
- Week 2: Two unlearned dances (Hometown Glory Week)
- Week 3: One unlearned dance (TV Week)
- Week 4: One unlearned dance (Most Memorable Year)
- Week 5: One unlearned dance (Switch-Up Night)
- Week 6: One unlearned dance (Famous Dances Night)
- Week 7: One unlearned dance & team freestyle (Halloween Night)
- Week 8: One unlearned dance & dance-off (Icons Night)
- Week 9: One unlearned dance & dance duets (Showstoppers Night)
- Week 10: One unlearned dance & trio dance (Semi-Final)
- Week 11 Night 1: Judges' Choice & freestyle (Top 4)
- Week 11 Night 2: 24-Hour Fusion Challenge (Top 3)
| Couple | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bindi & Derek | Jive | Tango | Waltz | Quickstep | Contemporary | Cha-Cha-Cha | Rumba | Argentine Tango | Freestyle | Foxtrot | Jive | Viennese Waltz | Charleston | Salsa | Samba | Jazz | Quickstep | Freestyle | Viennese Waltz | Fusion |
| Nick & Sharna | Cha-Cha-Cha | Jive | Foxtrot | Viennese Waltz | Jazz | Paso Doble | Samba | Argentine Tango | Freestyle | Contemporary | Immunity | Quickstep | Rumba | Tango | Samba | Salsa | Jive | Freestyle | Viennese Waltz | Fusion |
| Alek & Lindsay | Foxtrot | Jazz | Quickstep | Tango | Paso Doble | Rumba | Jive | Viennese Waltz | Freestyle | Contemporary | Samba | Salsa | Paso Doble | Waltz | Cha-Cha-Cha | Argentine Tango | Rumba | Freestyle | Jazz | Fusion |
| Carlos & Witney | Jive | Foxtrot | Cha-Cha-Cha | Jazz | Viennese Waltz | Quickstep | Rumba | Paso Doble | Freestyle | Salsa | Jive | Argentine Tango | Paso Doble | Contemporary | Cha-Cha-Cha | Samba | Foxtrot | Freestyle | ||
| Tamar & Val | Quickstep | Cha-Cha-Cha | Charleston | Tango | Rumba | Samba | Jazz | Foxtrot | Freestyle | Paso Doble | Cha-Cha-Cha | Contemporary | Rumba | |||||||
| Alexa & Mark | Jive | Salsa | Rumba | Jazz | Foxtrot | Tango | Cha-Cha-Cha | Paso Doble | Freestyle | Argentine Tango | Cha-Cha-Cha | Contemporary | Charleston | |||||||
| Andy & Allison | Foxtrot | Jive | Contemporary | Quickstep | Cha-Cha-Cha | Argentine Tango | Jazz | Paso Doble | Freestyle | Viennese Waltz | Samba | |||||||||
| Hayes & Emma | Cha-Cha-Cha | Foxtrot | Quickstep | Jive | Contemporary | Viennese Waltz | Jazz | Waltz | Freestyle | Contemporary | ||||||||||
| Paula & Louis | Quickstep | Rumba | Tango | Samba | Cha-Cha-Cha | Jive | Jazz | |||||||||||||
| Gary & Anna | Cha-Cha-Cha | Foxtrot | Paso Doble | Tango | Jazz | |||||||||||||||
| Kim & Tony | Salsa | Quickstep | Foxtrot | Samba | ||||||||||||||||
| Victor & Karina | Salsa | Jive | Rumba | |||||||||||||||||
| Chaka & Keo | Cha-Cha-Cha | Foxtrot | ||||||||||||||||||
Dance Chart Key
Guest judges scores do not factor in to this chart.
Bold indicates encore dance
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Highest scoring dance | |
| Lowest scoring dance | |
| Danced, but not scored | |
| Immunity | |
| Earned bonus points |
Guest judges[]
On September 22, it was confirmed that season 19 champion Alfonso Ribeiro would return to the show as a guest judge during Week 3.[17]
| Date | Judge | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| September 28, 2015 | Alfonso Ribeiro | Actor, TV Host, & season 19 champion |
| October 12, 2015 | Maksim Chmerkovskiy | Former pro dancer & season 18 champion |
| October 19, 2015 | Olivia Newton-John | Singer–songwriter & actress |