ABC ANNOUNCES THE 12 CELEBRITIES JOINING THE FIRST-EVER “DANCING WITH THE STARS: ALL-STARS” CAST

Cast includes winner of Dancing With the Stars season 8: Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson

The 13^th Celebrity Joining the Cast Will Be Voted in by Fans as the “Viewers’ Choice: All-Star”

Professional Dancer Partner Pairings Will Be Announced Live on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” August 13

“Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” marks the first time prior contestants will return for another chance at winning the coveted mirror ball trophy for a very special All-Star season. From former champions to fan favorites, including a celebrity voted in by fans, the stars will return and will be paired with some of the world’s most decorated professional ballroom dancers for the most unforgettable season yet. Week to week these “Dancing with the Stars” alumni will once again compete to impress the judges and the viewers at home in order to be crowned the mirror ball champions.

In a show first, fans will determine who the final All-Star cast member will be. The three celebrities vying to fill the 13^th spot on the cast are Sabrina Bryan, Carson Kressley and Kyle Massey. Fans can vote for their favorite “Viewers’ Choice: All-Star” at www.ABC.com/DancingwiththeStars, presented by Diet Pepsi, starting today, Friday, July 27 at 10:30 a.m., PT through Friday, August 24 at 12:00 p.m., PT, to determine which of the three celebrities will be named the final All-Star contestant. Once voting has closed, the final cast member will be announced live on “Good Morning America,” on Monday, August 27.

The All-Star cast and their professional partners will take to the stage for the season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars,” MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) followed by the premiere of “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

As announced today, the 12 out of 13 All-Star celebrities returning to the dance floor this season are:

SHAWN JOHNSON – At 20 years old, gymnast Shawn Johnson has accomplished a lifetime of achievements, including an individual gold medal in the balance beam and three silver medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team categories at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In April 2009, Johnson was named the 79th Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Sullivan Award recipient, one of the most prestigious honors in amateur sports. At the age of 17, she became the youngest ever contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” where she danced her way to becoming the Champion of Season Eight. After a two-year hiatus from competitive gymnastics, Shawn returned to training in 2010 in an effort to make the 2012 Olympic Team. Just weeks before Olympic Trials, she was forced to withdraw due to injury and retired from the sport. Shawn hopes to attend an Ivy League school and would like to study business, medicine and to own a gymnastics facility some day. Her second book, Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far About Love, Faith and Living Your Dreams, was published in June 2012. Her first book, Shawn Johnson, Olympic Champion-Stories Behind the Smile, was published in January 2009. She is involved in a number of philanthropic activities such as working with animal and children’s charities, working with cancer charities, particularly those that affect women and children, and is a strong advocate of health and wellness initiatives. Shawn is also involved in programs that help build good character amongst youth across the country.

KIRSTIE ALLEY

PAMELA ANDERSON

HELIO CASTRONEVES

JOEY FATONE

DREW LACHEY

GILLES MARINI

KELLY MONACO

APOLO ANTON OHNO

BRISTOL PALIN

MELISSA RYCROFT

EMMITT SMITH

As announced, the three celebrity alumnus competing to be the “Viewer’s Choice: All-Star” are:

SABRINA BRYAN

CARSON KRESSLEY

KYLE MASSEY

The three contestants competing to be the “Viewers’ Choice: All-Star” will kick-off their campaign with their first television interview live in-studio on “Good Morning America,” Monday, July 30.

“Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” and “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars the Results Show” return this season with new surprises and all the performance elements viewers have come to know and love. “Macy’s Stars of Dance,” featuring some of the best choreographers and performers from the different styles of dance who offer viewers performances that represent the peach of achievement in their genres, will return. The show also welcomes the return of the “AT&T Spotlight Performance,” which features and celebrates people whose lives have been changed forever by dance. AT&T is also helping the search to find these performers by allowing fans to nominate potential dancers.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Brooke Burke-Charvet (“Dancing with the Stars” Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 60 minutes after the “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” performance shows. AT&T customers may also vote by texting the word “VOTE” and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Online voting at www.ABC.com is open from the start of each episode on the East Coast and closes at 8:00 a.m., PT/11:00 a.m., ET on Tuesday mornings. Additionally, fans can now vote on Facebook www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars. A custom Facebook app sponsored by AT&T will let fans vote, share who they voted for and why, as well as see who friends voted for. They can also access the “After Party: Dancing with the Stars” live stream, the DWTS Social Buzz page, and the AT&T Spotlight Performance and Casting Call from the app.

Also new this year is “After Party: Dancing with the Stars,” a 15-20 minute live show that takes place online at www.ABC.com/DancingWithTheStars, Facebook, and YouTube immediately following each Monday night performance episode. Sponsored by AT&T, this original online video show will feature a host, a panel of dance experts, show talent and celebrity guests breaking down the highlights of the night and answering questions via Twitter, Facebook and ABC.com

Posted in: Gymnastics, Press, Shawn Johnson |