A new, dynamic cast of celebrities are ready to hit the ballroom floor. The competition begins with the two-hour live season premiere (which is also the show's 400th episode!). Each couple will perform a tango, cha cha, salsa, Viennese waltz, and quickstep, vying for America's vote for the first time. At the end, the show paid tribute to Season 11 contestant, Florence Henderson who died three days after last season's finale.

After showcasing their first dances on last week’s exciting season premiere, the celebrities get another chance to impress the judges with a new style of dance, all the while knowing that one of them is going home at the end of the night, based on scores and votes from last Monday. Due to a calf muscle injury, Maksim Chmerkovskiy was unable to perform, so Heather Morris danced with troupe member Alan Bersten instead.

The 11 remaining celebrities are set to celebrate the allure of Sin City and take a gamble on dancing to some of the city’s iconic songs in Vegas Night. For the second consecutive week, Heather Morris danced with Alan Bersten again on account of Maksim Chmerkovskiy's injury.

The 10 remaining celebrities will take a stroll down memory lane and celebrate with a dance to a time in their lives that left a lasting impression, as they commemorate their most memorable year. For the third consecutive week, Heather Morris danced with Alan Bersten again on account of Maksim Chmerkovskiy's injury.

The Disney spirit shines as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, among other numerous Disney animated legends, adorn the ballroom and the couples bring the magic of Disney to life. For the fourth and final consecutive week, Heather Morris danced with Alan Bersten on account of Maksim Chmerkovskiy's injury. Donny Osmond sang "I'll Make a Man Out of You" live when Normani Kordei and Valentin Chmerkovskiy danced. Auli'i Cravalho sang "How Far I'll Go" live when Simone Biles and Sasha Farber danced.

The couples dance to boy band and girl group songs and Nick Carter is a guest judge. Maksim Chmerkovskiy returned to dance with Heather Morris after a four-week recovery period. Before the show began, the show paid tribute to Happy Days actress Erin Moran, who died two days earlier.

Mandy Moore will kick off the night with an exciting opening number, then each couple will attempt to capture the spirit of a specific movie genre. As an added bonus, Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson and Booboo Stewart perform a “Descendants” themed medley. The couple with the highest score earned an immunity from elimination, while the rest of the couples participated in dance-offs for extra points. 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 rumba). The winner of each dance-off earned two points. The general public helped to determine the winner of each dance-off via the show's official website. Judges are: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Mandy Moore, Bruno Tonioli.

The five remaining couples find themselves tasked with completing two full dances. In the first round dance, the pros will choose the song and dance style to complement their celebrity partner's personality, and for the second, the couples will perform in a Trio Round with a new twist, in which the judges have chosen the trio partners. Julianne Hough returned to the judging panel after a two-week hiatus.

The four remaining couples dance a Judges' Challenge. The couples performed a dance coached by one of the four judges, as well as an unlearned dance.

On the first night, the couples performed a redemption dance and a freestyle.

On the second night, the couples danced a fusion dance that fused two previously learned dance styles. A new champion is named!