by Kylene Hamulak

 

After 14 seasons, Dancing with the Stars has developed an impressive roster of celebrity alumni with the skills to make a very interesting dance off for their All-Star edition. The next contest premiers on Monday, September 24, inviting previous champions and popular stars paired with some of the most successful dancing pros to compete for bragging rights and that coveted mirror ball trophy.

 

So who has signed up for the challenge? Here's the scoop on the dozen pairs already announced, with the final "Viewer's Choice" star to be announced live on Good Morning America on August 27.

 

Team: Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy
Star Season: One, 1st Place with partner Alec Mazo
Mirror Balls: One
Dancing With the Stars' first champion will have a unique challenge to face, as Kelly has been away from the competitive dance floor longer than the other stars. Things have definitely gotten more intense with each passing season, with both expectations and skills being pushed to a higher level. Additionally, due to the structure of the show's 7-week first season, Kelly never danced a Tango in competition. Even so, Kelly's natural ability as a dancer will certainly be showcased with new partner Val, and we can expect her to provide show-stopping moments - though for her sake, I hope they don't include any near-wardrobe malfunctions!

 

Team: Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunkskaya
Star Season: Two, 1st Place with partner Cheryl Burke
Mirror Balls: One
Like Kelly, I think we'll be getting some impressive routines from Drew, who was consistently lauded for his efforts in Season 2, when he and Cheryl battled Anna and her partner Jerry Rice right down to the finale. Drew isn't afraid to take chances, and he's an engaging performer. Like Kelly, he'll be facing a more intense dance floor and a longer season, but I think he's still capable of giving us performances on par with "Thriller" and "Save a Horse", which made him so popular in his previous appearance.

 

Team: Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke
Star Season: Three, 1st Place with partner Cheryl Burke
Mirror Balls: Two, one as a pair, and another for Cheryl in Season 2
Former NFL Star Emmitt was the first athlete to win the coveted mirror ball trophy, credited not only to his charming personality, but also to Cheryl's teaching skills. Emmitt is returning to the dance floor with Cheryl as his partner, which will certainly be an asset for him. Can they rekindle the chemistry that made them such an engaging pair back in Season Three?

 

Team: Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff
Star Season: Four, 1st Place with partner Julianne Hough
Mirror Balls: Two, one for Apolo and Julianne, one for partner Karina in Season 13
Season 4's champion moved his natural grace from the ice to the dance floor more than five years ago and added a mirror ball trophy to his collection of Olympic medals. Partnered with Julianne, the two brought a lot of charisma to every routine. Karina's intense style may match well with Apolo's athletic mentality - he's not one to shy away from a challenge.

 

Team: Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson
Star Season: Four, 2nd Place with partner Kym Johnson
Mirror Balls: Two, both Kym's (Seasons 9 and 12)
I'm not gonna lie - I'm rooting for Joey and Kym. It's not only because I remain a huge *NSYNC fan and hope some of his band mates will show up in the ballroom to root him on (is there anyone who DOESN'T think Lance already has his seat reserved?), it's also because this pair deserves that mirror ball if they can deliver performances like they did in Season 4. Their "Star Wars Remix" Tango remains a highlight on the show for me, and I think they'll continue with strong routines.

 

Team: Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower
Star Season: Five, 1st Place with partner Julianne Hough
Mirror Balls: One
Helio will take the challenge of the competition with a new partner, but, to his benefit, Chelsie seems to have a style similar to that which was so successful for him with Julianne back in Season 5. Helio had very strong performances to end his run towards the championship, and it will be interesting to see if Chelsie can continue that with him.

 

Team: Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough
Star Season: Eight, 1st Place with partner Mark Ballas
Mirror Balls: Four, one for Shawn (with partner Mark), three for Derek (Seasons 7, 10 and 11)
With the country still high on Olympic fever, Shawn has a lot of things working in her favor. Derek is a consistently strong pro, and Shawn's gymnastics training would give him a lot to work with even if she wasn't so darn cute. What's she got working against her? Well, besides the other talent on the dance floor, Shawn will also be in competition once again with her Season 8 co-stars, Melissa and Gilles, who she beat by less than 1% in the finale.

 

Team: Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd
Star Season: Eight, 2nd Place with partner Cheryl Burke
Mirror Balls: One, for Peta, the reigning champion
The Season 8 competition was so fierce, the title came down to a difference of 1% of the vote - Gilles might as well be considered co-champion. Peta, still fairly new to the Dancing with the Stars family, was impressive as a trainer during last season, and I think these two could be a pair to keep an eye on.

 

Team: Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Star Season: Eight, 3rd Place with partner Tony Dovolani
Mirror Balls: Zero
Melissa's previous entry on the show came as a late addition after an injury forced another star out of the competition, but she STILL managed to survive to take 3rd Place. It's fair to note that, as a former NFL cheerleader, it's not as though she was coming without experience, but she also missed out on the training other contestants have prior to starting the show. Now that she's had that practice? She may manage to bring Tony back to the finale, a place he hasn't been since Season 8 with Melissa.

 

Team: Pamela Anderson and Tristan MacManus
Star Season: Ten, 6th Place with partner Damien Whitewood
Mirror Balls: Zero
I'm a huge fan of Tristan, but I've got pretty minimal expectations for this couple. Not only is Pam the lowest ranking All-Star to return, but she also withdrew from the Argentinian version of the show just last year after four rounds. She'll have to start the competition strong if she wants any chance of improving on her Season 10 finish.

 

Team: Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas
Star Season: Eleven, 3rd Place with partner Mark Ballas
Mirror Balls: Two, both Mark's (Seasons 6 and 8)
I like to think that Bristol's addition to the cast is ABC's way to make Dancing with the Stars topical during an election season. I mean, is there any other reason to invite her back? She had a surprising run during her first appearance on the show, but with so many other exciting personalities in this cast, she may have a tougher time returning to the finale.

 

Team: Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Star Season: Twelve, 2nd Place with partner Maks
Mirror Balls: Zero
Kirstie is the star returning from the most recent season, having been named Runner Up just last year. Despite his popularity, Maks has yet to win a mirror ball, and he'll definitely push Kirstie towards perfection. While she has some stiff competition, I wouldn't count her out for a good run - personality and determination can carry a star pretty far in this competition, and this pair has a history of consistently scoring high.

 

The final contestant - either Sabrina Bryan, Carson Kressley, or Kyle Massey - will round out the cast before the premiere, but this lineup has me very excited for the show. How much will our stars have grown since their first appearances? Who will have the most trouble returning to the dance floor? Dancing with the Stars: All Stars promises to be the most exciting season of the show yet!

 

 

Dancing With The Stars premieres Monday, September 24th on ABC!

 

(Image courtesy of ABC)