Dancing with the Stars Season 30: Contestants, Themes, Judges, and Everything to Know

Dancing With the Stars has returned and the dancing competition is celebrating a milestone 30th season! There is a new cast filled with reality stars, athletes, actors, and more, and they have all been officially paired up with their professional partners. For the first time in DWTS history, there is a same-sex dancing pair, with JoJo Siwa pairing up with Jenna Johnson for the season. During a Q&A with the 2021 Television Critics Association summer press tour, host Tyra Banks said that having a same-sex couple is "so new and so exciting" and she thinks it is "going to change lives" and "going to save lives."

Below TV Guide has rounded up everything you need to know about the landmark Dancing with the Stars Season 30, including when and how to watch, pairs and partners, eliminations, and theme weeks. Check it out below. 

Premiere Date

Dancing With the Stars season 30 premieres Monday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. It no longer airs twice each week; instead, one pair is sent home at the end of every Monday broadcast except during the premiere episode. However, there will be a double-dose of episodes the week of Oct. 11 when Dancing with the Stars does their annual Disney week.

Cast

The 15 celebrities competing in Season 30 include:

Country singer Jimmie Allen, best known for his hits "Mercury Lane," "Best Shot," and "Make Me Want To." Allen might be familiar to viewers from his stint on "American Idol" season 11 where he was eliminated during Hollywood Week.
Pro Partner: Emma Slater

Singer Melanie C, who has sold more than 85 million records worldwide as part of the iconic British girl group the Spice Girls.
Pro Partner: Gleb Savchenko

Reality star Christine Chiu, who is a co-owner and founder of the Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery and the Regenerative Medicine Aesthetic Institute. She also stars on the Netflix reality show Bling Empire alongside her husband, Dr. Gabriel Chiu.
Pro Partner: Pasha Pashkov

Actor Brian Austin Green, best known for starring as David Silver on Beverly Hills, 90210. He has also made headlines in the past year for dating Dancing With the Stars pro Sharna Burgess. 
Pro Partner: Sharna Burgess

Actress Melora Hardin, who starred as Jan Levinson on The Office and earned an Emmy nomination for her role on Transparent. Hardin is also an accomplished singer, starring as Roxie Hart for the 2008 Broadway revival of Chicago.
Pro Partner: Artem Chigvintsev

Social media influencer Olivia Jade, who made headlines when her parents, designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin, were found to have gotten her fraudulently admitted to the University of Southern California on a rowing scholarship. Her lifestyle/beauty YouTube channel has nearly 2 million subscribers.
Pro Partner: Val Chmerkovskiy

Reality star Matt James, who became the first Black star of The Bachelor in 2021. His season was embroiled in controversy when the leaked winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, was found to have attended some racially insensitive parties in college. But the two are still together, telling Extra TV at the end of August that they are "in a really good place."
Pro Partner: Lindsay Arnold

TV host Amanda Kloots, who is a current co-host of The Talk and a former Rockette who has also danced on Broadway. In 2020, Kloots lost her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, to COVID. She now lives in Los Angeles with her young son, Elvis.
Pro Partner: Alan Bersten

Actor Martin Kove, star of the Karate Kid movies and current Netflix sequel show Cobra Kai. Kove has also appeared in the films Death Race 2000, Rambo II, Hard Ground, and Wyatt Earp.
Pro Partner: Britt Stewart

Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, who recently captured America's heart at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Lee took home the women's all-around gold medal, plus a silver medal in the team event and a bronze on the uneven parallel bars. 
Pro Partner: Sasha Farber

WWE superstar wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, who first burst onto the entertainment scene as a houseguest on The Real World: Back to New York. He would go on to appear on The Challenge, Total Divas, and Tough Enough before launching his own reality show Miz & Mrs. He has been wrestling for the WWE since 2004.
Pro Partner: Witney Carson

Reality star Kenya Moore, one of the fun and feisty cast members of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She also has her own hair care line and was the second Black woman to win the title of Miss USA when she was crowned in 1993.
Pro Partner: Brandon Armstrong

Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby, who might be the biggest wildcard since he is really only familiar to Peloton riders. But Rigsby has also been a backup dancer for the likes of Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, so look for him to be a dark horse on Dancing With the Stars.
Pro Partner: Cheryl Burke

NBA star Iman Shumpert, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Shumpert recently launched his own reality show with his wife, Teyana Taylor, called We Got Love: Teyana & Iman. The couple has two daughters, Junie, 5, and Rue, 1.
Pro Partner: Daniella Karagach

Pop star JoJo Siwa, who broke into the business on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and Dance Momsand went on to become a global pop superstar with her songs "Boomerang," "Kid in a Candy Store" and "Hold the Drama."
Pro Partner: Jenna Johnson

We also know the pro dancers will include: Brandon Armstrong, Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater, and Britt Stewart. 

Judges

Returning from last season are Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, plus fans will see the return of Len Goodman, who could not be a part of Season 29 due to global pandemic travel restrictions. They will be joined by Banks in her second year as the show's host. No guest judges have been announced ahead of the premiere.

Theme Weeks to expect

Oct. 4 -- "Britney Week"
Oct. 11 -- "Disney Week: Heroes Night" 
Oct. 12 -- "Disney Week: Villains Night"

How to Watch

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.