Usually, Dancing With the Stars' professional dancers face the daunting task of training and partnering with celebrities who are novice dancers.
But the group of talented dancers should find the fifteenth season a bit of a reprieve; after all, it's an All Star season, featuring contestants who've already gone through the experience once before. In fact, a number of Season 15's returnees actually won their seasons, so they reflect the cream of the crop. Which should mean we'll see the best pair dancing of Dancing With the Stars history.
Meet the professional dancers who will be guiding the All Stars through their fancy footwork and battling it out on the dance floor:
1. Mark Ballas
ABC
Last season Mark Ballas came so close to the DWTS mirrorball he could have touched it. He and his celebrity partner, opera singer Katherine Jenkins, were early favorites but ended up in second place.
Although he's been a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars since the fifth season, Ballas has only taken the trophy once--when he won the DWTS title with Olympic skater Kristi Yamaguchi in Season 6.
On the 11th season, Ballas came in third with his partner Bristol Palin. Now the two reunite for the All Stars season. Will they do better than last time?
2. Cheryl Burke
ABC
Last season, Cheryl Burke was paired with Latin heartbreaker William Levy and the two came in third. Prior to that, she'd led two partners to winning seasons: Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith. Both Lachey and Smith have returned for the All Stars season, and Burke will again partner with former NFL running back Smith.
Although Burke has won twice, those back-to-back wins were her first two seasons. Can Smith help her claw her way back on top for the first time in more than 10 seasons?
3. Maks Chmerkovskiy
ABC
For the All Stars Season, Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy will once again pair up with actress Kristie Alley.
During Season 12, the duo made it into the finals and danced a perfect cha-cha-cha--but still lost to Hines Ward. Since he joined the cast of DWTS in the second season, Maks has been in the top three four times but never won the mirrorball trophy. Will this be the year to end his dry spell?
4. Val Chmerkovskiy
ABC
Valentin "Val" Chmerkovskiy was a 14-time US champion before he followed his older brother Maks to Dancing With the Stars.
In the All Star season Val is partnering with Kelly Monaco, who won the first season paired with Alec Mazo. This is only Val's third season with DWTS and he has yet to win, but he's one of the show's best Latin dancers so this could always be the year.
5. Tony Dovolani
ABC
Since Dancing With the Stars' Second Season, Tony Dovolani has been leading celebrities through their dance steps. Dovolani, who specializes in Rhythm, is reunited with Melissa Rycroft for the fifteenth season.
The couple came in third place when they danced together in Season 8, even though they'd been hampered by only having a few days to train when Rycroft was a last minute replacement for an injured dancer. This time will they win Dovolani his first mirrorball trophy?
6. Chelsie Hightower
ABC
For her second season on Dancing With the Stars, professional dancer Chelsie Hightower is paired with race car driver Helio Castroneves, who won Season 5 with Julianne Hough.
In Castroneves, Hightower--who also was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance--has a partner who was voted one of the ten best dancers from the first 10 seasons of DWTS, so maybe this will be her year to win.
7. Derek Hough
ABC
Although it was his sister, Julianne, who was first drawn to Dancing With Stars, Derek Hough has had the show to himself since her acting and music careers took off.
Since he joined DWTS in the fifth season, Hough has won three times, more than any other dancer. His winning ladies included Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey.
Pairing Hough with Olympic gymnast and Season Eight winner Shawn Johson for the All Stars season sounds like a winning combination. Can Hough break his own record and take home a fourth trophy? I wouldn't bet against him.
8. Kym Johnson
ABC
Since joining the cast of the U.S. version of DWTS Kym Johnson has won twice--with Donny Osmond and Hines Ward. But it's one of her runner-up partners, Joey Fatone, who Johnson will pair up with for the All Stars season.
The duo will have one more chance to beat Season Four winner Apolo Anton Ohno while Johnson is also trying to tie Derek Hough's record of three mirrorball trophies
9. Tristan MacManus
ABC
Tristan MacManus just joined Dancing With the Stars a few seasons ago and has yet to make the top three.
Unlike most of the other celebrities returning for the fifteenth (All Star) season, MacManus' partner, Pamela Anderson, did not place in the top three when she competed on Season 10. Instead, she and pro dancer Damian Whitewood spent a fair amount of time in the bottom two.
Can MacManus lead Anderson to a higher placement when they're up against so many season champs? We'll see.
10. Peta Murgatroyd
ABC
Last season, pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd led Donald Driver to the win, making it her title that is being defended.
This time around Murgatroyd is partnered with Season 8's Gilles Marini, who came in second to Shawn Johnson. Can Murgatroyd and the actor impress the judges enough to give her back-to-back wins?
