“Dancing with the Stars” is waltzing into its 20th year.
The reality dance competition, currently in its 34th season, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special episode on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The remaining couples dance to classic hits celebrating the legends of Rock, on the “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night” on “Dancing With The Stars.”
Christopher Willard/Disney
Celebrities and professional dancers from all seasons will come together on the dance floor to honor the show’s two-decade history, and the original “DWTS” host, Tom Bergeron, will serve as a guest judge.
Below, take a look back at some of the biggest moments in “DWTS” history over the past 20 years.
2005: 1st Mirrorball Trophy awarded
Kelly Monaco and her partner Alec Mazo hold up the Mirror Ball Trophy after winning on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2005.
Adam Larkey/ABC
“General Hospital” star Kelly Monaco won the first season of the show in 2005 with professional partner Alec Mazo. After scoring low in Week 1, Monaco quickly bounced back as the underdog and ended up taking home the Mirrorball Trophy.
Monaco would return to the ballroom seven years later, in 2012, for “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars,” where she placed third with professional partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
2006: 1st NFL player wins
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke pose with their Mirror Ball Trophies after winning on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2006.
Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
“DWTS” has seen several NFL players compete in the series, with four winning the competition.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith made history in 2006 as the first NFL player to win the competition.
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He and pro partner Cheryl Burke took home the Mirrorball Trophy in season 3, followed by Hines Ward in 2011, Donald Driver in 2012 and Rashad Jennings in 2017.
2013: 1st African American woman wins
Amber Riley and Derek Hough were crowned Season 17 Champions and awarded the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy, on the two-hour Season Finale on “Dancing with the Stars,” in 2013.
Adam Taylor/ABC
“Glee” star Amber Riley won season 17 alongside six-time champion Derek Hough, with whom she tied the record for the highest score for a Week 1 performance in “DWTS” history. The pair also scored a perfect 30 on their final dance.
2014: 1st double amputee contestant dances to 2nd place
Derek Hough and Amy Purdy perform a routine as part of a “24 Hour Fusion Challenge,” on Dancing With The Stars in 2014.
Adam Taylor/ABC
Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy competed on season 18, becoming the first double amputee contestant to ever appear on the show. Purdy and her pro partner, Hough, finished in second place.
2016: 1st deaf dancer wins
Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd celebrate after winning the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2016.
Adam Taylor/ABC
Actor, model and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco made history on season 22 as the second deaf competitor on “DWTS” — the first being Marlee Matlin in season 6 –and the first to ever win. He won the Mirrorball Trophy with pro partner Peta Murgatroyd.
2021: 1st same-sex pairing
JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson compete on Dancing With The Stars in 2021.
Eric McCandless/ABC
In 2021, the series made history with its first same-sex pairing, as dance and music star JoJo Siwa partnered with pro dancer Jenna Johnson to compete on season 30.
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The duo finished in second place, earning six perfect scores during the season.
2021: 1st NBA player wins
Daniella Karagach and Iman Shumpert pose with the Mirror Ball Trophy after winning on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2021.
Eric McCandless/ABC
In season 30, NBA player Iman Shumpert made history as the first NBA player to ever compete in the “DWTS” finals and ultimately win it all. Shupert won with his pro partner, Daniella Karagach, who was also a first-time winner in her second season.
2022: Legendary ‘DWTS’ judge Len Goodman retires
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, and Bruno Tonioli are shown on the set of Dancing With The Stars in 2015.
Adam Taylor/ABC
Len Goodman, head judge on “DWTS” since season 1, retired from the ballroom in November 2022 after 31 seasons, saying at the time that he wanted to spend more time with his family in the United Kingdom.
Just a few months later, in April 2023, Goodman died at age 78 after a battle with bone cancer. Following his death, the Mirrorball Trophy was renamed the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ by the numbers
Over the last 34 seasons, 51 professional dancers have appeared on the show, with many becoming household names in the process, including Derek Hough and Julianne Hough, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Mark Ballas, Kym Herjavec, Lindsay Arnold, Tony Dovolani, Louis van Amstel and more.
More than 400 celebrities have competed on the show over the last 20 years, ranging from actors and singers to athletes, social media personalities, reality TV stars and more.
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