DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 9 Contestants

The time has come to check out the first pictures of all 16 contestants of Season 9 DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 9 which premieres MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

In alphabetical order, the 16 stars -- with their professional partners -- making their ballroom dancing debut are:

* AARON CARTER and KARINA SMIRNOFF
Triple platinum selling music artist/songwriter, producer, actor and younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, Aaron Carter has established himself worldwide as a pop and teen sensation. Beginning his career at the age of eight, he is currently the youngest solo artist to have four Top 40 singles. He has released four studio albums since 1997, two of which have been certified platinum, and has appeared on several television series, including "Lizzie McGuire" and "7th Heaven," as well as making his Broadway debut playing JoJo the Who in "Seussical the Musical" in 2001. He sang vocals on soundtracks for Disneymania ("The Lion King"), "Ella Enchanted," "Pokemon" and "Rugrats the Movie." In 2006 Carter starred in the E! reality show, "House of Carters," which featured all five of the Carter siblings living in the same house. He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her seventh season.

AARON CARTER & KARINA SMIRNOFF

AARON CARTER

KARINA SMIRNOFF

* NATALIE COUGHLIN and ALEC MAZO
Olympic swimming gold medalist Natalie Coughlin is the most decorated female athlete of both the 2008 Beijing and 2004 Athens Games. Coughlin has won a medal in every single Olympic event that she has ever entered, for a total of 11 Olympic medals. In 2008 she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympiad, in addition to becoming the first woman to win consecutive individual Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke. She is also the most decorated female swimmer in World Championship history, with 16 medals. Born and raised in northern California, Coughlin attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a BA in psychology in 2005. She teams with Season 1 champion ALEC MAZO, who returns for his fifth season.

NATALIE COUGHLIN & ALEC MAZO

NATALIE COUGHLIN

ALEC MAZO

* MARK DACASCOS and LACEY SCHWIMMER
Famously known as "The Chairman" and host of Food Network's "Iron Chef America," Mark Dacascos is also a trained martial artist and an actor. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, his passion for martial arts began at an early age under the tutelage of his parents, who are both former national champions and teachers. After being discovered in San Francisco's Chinatown, Dacascos began to establish a film and television career playing not only martial artists but a wide arrangement of other characters before joining "Iron Chef America" in 2005. He has appeared in several feature films, including the internationally acclaimed French epic, "Brotherhood of the Wolf," the cult classic "Only the Strong," "Cradle to the Grave", opposite Jet Li, "Only the Brave," "Nomad" and "The Lost Medallion," to be released later this year. He joins LACEY SCHWIMMER, who returns for her third season.

MARK DACASCOS & LACEY SCHWIMMER

MARK DACASCOS

LACEY SCHWIMMER

* TOM DELAY and CHERYL BURKE
The former House Majority Leader is a prominent Republican and conservative firebrand. He was first elected to Congress in 1984, and when Republicans took control of the House, his colleagues elected him Majority Whip, and later Majority Leader. His leadership was characterized by his aggressive "Grow the Vote" method of party discipline, where he never lost a vote, leading the Washington Post to nickname him "The Hammer." He and his wife, Christine, also served as foster parents and founded a community in Texas that serves as a safe, permanent home for abused and neglected children. DeLay is currently president of First Principles LLC, a strategic political consulting firm based in Washington DC and Houston, Texas. He teams up with two-time champion CHERYL BURKE, who returns for her eighth season.

TOM DELAY & CHERYL BURKE

TOM DELAY

CHERYL BURKE

* MACY GRAY and JONATHAN ROBERTS
Macy Gray first burst onto the music scene with her debut album, "On How Life Is," and the hit single "I Try," both of which went to number one. She has gone on to sell more than 20,000,000 albums worldwide and has won and been nominated for five Grammy Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards. She has collaborated on stage and in the recording studio with some of music's greatest artists, including Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Erykah Badu, Fergie, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Nas and Natalie Cole. Gray has also appeared in numerous films, including "Spider Man," "Training Day," "Idlewild" (with Outkast) and the award-winning HBO Film, "Lackawanna Blues." She teams with JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his seventh season.

MACY GRAY & JONATHAN ROBERTS

MACY GRAY

JONATHAN ROBERTS

* ASHLEY HAMILTON and EDYTA SLIWINSKA
Actor, songwriter, comedian and son of former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant George Hamilton, Ashley is a multi-talented, multi-hyphenate with experience in film, comedy and television. An accomplished singer, Ashley had a 2003 top 20 single released by Sony, and as a songwriter co-wrote the top 10 Robbie Williams hit entitled "Come Undone." He has writing credits for Hillary Duff among other top acts. Hamilton has made various television and film appearances in his career, including a starring role in "Sunset Beach." Since 2007 he has been performing stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory, the Hollywood Improv, the Comedy Store and Room 5 in Los Angeles. He teams with EDYTA SLIWINSKA, who is the only pro to compete in all nine seasons of "Dancing with the Stars."

ASHLEY HAMILTON & EDYTA SLIWINSKA

ASHLEY HAMILTON

EDYTA SLIWINSKA

* MELISSA JOAN HART and MARK BALLAS
Known for her starring roles in the television series "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," Melissa Joan Hart began her career at the early age of four with television commercials and various television appearances. She starred in the film "Drive Me Crazy" alongside "Entourage's" Adrian Grenier, as well as the ABC Family Original Movie "Holiday in Handcuffs," opposite "Dancing with the Stars" alumnus Mario Lopez, which was the highest rated program in the history of the network. In 2009 Hart starred in another ABC Family Original Movie, "My Fake Fiance" that also garnered huge ratings. In 1993 she started her own production company, Hartbreak Films, and is set to release her first thriller film, "Nine Dead," to DVD in January 2010. Hart and husband Mark Wilkerson are the proud parents of two sons, Mason, age three, and Braydon, 17 months. She teams up with reigning two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champ MARK BALLAS, who returns for his fifth season.

MELISSA JOAN HART & MARK BALLAS

MELISSA JOAN HART

MARK BALLAS

* KATHY IRELAND and TONY DOVOLANI
Kathy Ireland the super model is now wife, mother of three, author, Sunday school teacher and fashion CEO of kathy ireland Worldwide® (KIWW)®. Forbes, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal celebrate KIWW® as a $1.4 billion design empire. Ireland powerfully supports many non-profits, including the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Feed the Children and the Alliance for Christian Education. UCLA has named her as one of the Top Ten Women's Health Advocates in America. She teams with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his eighth season.

KATHY IRELAND & TONY DOVOLAN

KATHY IRELAND

TONY DOVOLAN

* MICHAEL IRVIN and ANNA DEMIDOVA
Regarded as one of the most successful wide receivers in the history of the NFL, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin is a three-time Super Bowl champion and former broadcaster for ESPN's "NFL Countdown." Known as "The Playmaker" and one of "The Triplets" alongside fellow Cowboys Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin was a recipient of the Dallas Cowboys' Ring of Honor in 2005. In 2007 he was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame and has appeared in various television shows, as well as co-starring in "The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Last fall Irvin executive-produced/hosted the reality TV series "4th and Long" for Spike TV, in which one football hopeful was given a shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster. Most recently he appeared on the Hall of Fame inductions on the NFL Network, and he hosts his own radio show in Dallas for ESPN Radio. He teams with Season 8's Professional Dancer Competition winner ANNA DEMIDOVA, who makes her debut

MICHAEL IRVIN & ANNA DEMIDOVA

MICHAEL IRVIN

ANNA DEMIDOVA

* JOANNA KRUPA and DEREK HOUGH
Polish-born Joanna Krupa was born in Warsaw and raised in Chicago. After high school she moved to LA to pursue a career in modeling and acting. Her hard work and positive spirit led her to become one of the most requested models/covergirls in the world. PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign featuring Krupa became a phenomenon. She's been featured in E!'s The Sexiest as one of the sexiest women in the world. In 2009 she was selected as the cover model for Ocean Drive magazine, and Maxim voted her among their TOP 100 women in the world. Film and TV credits include "Six Days in Paradise," due in the fall, "Ripple Effect," "Las Vegas" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Most recently she competed in ABC's "The Superstars," teaming with Buffalo Bills NFL star Terrell Owens. She teams with Season 7 champ DEREK HOUGH, who returns for his fifth season.

JOANNA KRUPA & DEREK HOUGH

JOANNA KRUPA

DEREK HOUGH

* CHUCK LIDDELL and ANNA TREBUNSKAYA
Chuck Liddell is the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the icon of Mixed Martial Arts -- the fastest growing sport in America. In 1998 he won his first UFC Mixed Martial Arts fight. Soon after, Liddell rose through the ranks to become the light-heavyweight champion of the world. In July of 2009, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He is tied for the most wins by a UFC fighter, with 16, and also holds the most knockout wins with 10. In 2008 Liddell penned his autobiography, Iceman: My Fighting Life, which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. He has a BA in Business/Accounting from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also wrestled. He teams with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her fourth season.

CHUCK LIDDELL & ANNA TREBUNSKAYA

CHUCK LIDDELL

ANNA TREBUNSKAYA

* DEBI MAZAR and MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY
Debi Mazar's feature film debut in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" set the stage for an extensive career in both television and film. She has consistently worked with notable directors -- including Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Michael Mann and Joel Schumacher -- often portraying a sharp-tongued New Yorker in both dramas and comedy. Her television credits include "Friends," "Ugly Betty" and her own sitcom, CBS' "Temporarily Yours." Mazar presently stars as publicist Shauna on HBO's hit series "Entourage." She also co-hosts "Under the Tuscan Gun," a successful internet show focused on Tuscan cuisine, with her husband. The couple have two young daughters and presently reside in both Los Angeles and Tuscany, Italy. She teams with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his seventh season.

DEBI MAZAR & MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY

DEBI MAZAR

MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY

* MYA and DMITRY CHAPLIN
Grammy Award® winning multi-platinum artist Mya, became a star at the age of 18 with her eponymous debut album which yielded three Top 10 singles. In addition to releasing five full length albums, one of which went platinum and another gold, she starred in the acclaimed film "Chicago." Since then Mya has appeared in several other movies and signed a modeling contract. Her fourth and fifth studio albums, "Liberation" and "Sugar & Spice," respectively, have been released in Japan, and her sixth studio album is due to be released on her independent label. A longtime advocate for young women, Mya founded The Mya Arts & Tech Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged youth growth and opportunity through arts & technology education, where she serves as both executive director and teacher. She teams with DMITRY CHAPLIN, who returns for his second season.

MYA & DMITRY CHAPLIN

MYA

DMITRY CHAPLIN

* KELLY OSBOURNE and LOUIS VAN AMSTEL
A singer, actress and media personality, Kelly Osbourne's father is rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, and her mother is well-known TV personality Sharon Osbourne. Kelly got her start at the age of 16 in the first-ever "celebrity reality" TV show, "The Osbournes," with her famous family, which garnered an Emmy Award (r) for Outstanding Reality Program in 2002. That same year, Kelly released her debut music album, "Shut Up!," which included a cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." Her second album, "Sleeping in Nothing," was released in 2005 with its first single, "One Word," hitting No. 1 on all three Billboard Dance charts simultaneously. She made her dramatic acting debut in a starring role on the ABC series "Life As We Know It". In recent years Osbourne has worked primarily in the UK, where she's done theatre (including a successful run in "Chicago" in London's West End in 2007), hosted her own weekly radio show on BBC Radio and presented numerous UK TV projects, including "Project Catwalk," the UK's version of "Project Runway." She teams up with LOUIS VAN AMSTEL, who returns for his fifth season.

KELLY OSBOURNE & LOUIS VAN AMSTEL

KELLY OSBOURNE

LOUIS VAN AMSTEL

* DONNY OSMOND and KYM JOHNSON
Donny Osmond won the hearts of millions as both a member of the Osmonds and, with his sister (and "Dancing with the Stars" alumna) Marie, as the youngest co-hosts in primetime history on the iconic ABC variety series, "The Donny & Marie Show." He and Marie are currently performing at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel through 2012. For nearly five decades, Donny has been a singer, musician, Broadway and film actor, talk show and game show host, bestselling author, and even a champion race car driver. He is paired with KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her seventh season.

DONNY OSMOND & KYM JOHNSON

DONNY OSMOND

KYM JOHNSON

* LOUIE VITO and CHELSIE HIGHTOWER
Professional snowboarder Louie Vito is among the U.S.' elite snowboarders favored to make the 2010 Olympic team. Competing in both the Pipe and Slopestyle disciplines, Vito continues to train for the Grand Prix qualifying. The 21 year-old native of Bellefontaine, OH turned pro in 2006 and has competed in multiple Winter X-Games competitions. He is also a two-time winner of the USSA Grand Prix Halfpipe Series. He joins CHELSIE HIGHTOWER, who returns for her second season.