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Meet the 'Stars' who will be dancing

Ann Oldenburg
USA TODAY

A new crop of celebrities will vie for the mirrorball trophy on ABC's Dancing with the Stars , returning Monday (8 p.m. ET/PT). USA TODAY surveys the field of contenders.

'Dancing with the Stars' opens a new season with two Olympic Gold Medalists, a game show host, a swimming legend and a teen pop star.

Sean Avery, 33

How you know him: He's a former pro hockey player, known for his penalty minutes.
Random detail: He was suspended by the NHL in 2008 and told to take anger management classes after publicly making comments about ex-girlfriends.
Pro partner: Karina Smirnoff, who won Season 13 with motivational speaker J.R. Martinez.

Candace Cameron Bure, 37
How you know her: She was D.J. Tanner, older daughter on Full House, which ended in 1995.
Random detail: She most recently stirred controversy by describing herself as having a "submissive role" in her marriage.
Pro partner: Mark Ballas, a two-time winner.

Drew Carey, 55
How you know him: He hosts The Price is Right.
Random detail: He lost 80 pounds in 2010.
Pro partner: Cheryl Burke, a two-time champ with boy bander Drew Lachey and NFL star Emmitt Smith.

Meryl Davis, 27
How you know her: She won a gold medal at the Sochi winter Olympics in ice dancing with Charlie White.
Random detail: When asked by Cosmopolitan magazine recently if she sees herself more as Disney's Belle or Princess Jasmine, she picked Jasmine. "I just think she is more interesting."
Pro partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who came in third with Erin Andrews, now a co-host.

NeNe Leakes, 46
How you know her: She stars in the Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Random detail: She got into a fight with Star Jones on Celebrity Apprentice in 2011 and quit the show without winning any money for her charity.
Pro partner: Tony Dovolani. He and reality star Melissa Rycroft were Season 15 champs..

James Maslow, 23
How you know him: He plays James Diamond on Nickelodeon's boy band series Big Time Rush.
Random detail: He was born in New York but raised in La Jolla, Calif. He likes the beach and snowboarding.
Pro partner: Peta Murgatroyd, who won Season 14 with Donald Driver.

Danica McKellar, 39
How you know her: She was Winnie Cooper on late 1980s hit The Wonder Years.
Random detail: She is a co-author of a groundbreaking mathematical physics theorem which bears her name.
Pro partner: Valentin Chmerkovskiy. He took Disney star Zendaya to second place on Season 16.

Diana Nyad, 64
How you know her: She swam from Cuba to Key West in 2013.
Random detail: She has said her determination comes in part from her anger over sexual abuse she experienced as a child.
Pro partner: Henry Byalikov, making his debut as a partner.

Amy Purdy, 34
How you know her: She's a snowboarder who lost both her legs at age 19 after contracting meningitis.
Random detail: She liked to clog dance as a kid.
Pro partner: Derek Hough, a five-time champ.

Cody Simpson, 17
How you know him: He's an Australian teen pop star.
Random detail: He recorded songs in his bedroom in 2009 and was discovered on YouTube.
Pro partner: Witney Carson is making her pro partner debut.

Charlie White, 26
How you know him: He's a mop-topped Olympian who stole our hearts when he won the gold medal for ice dancing in Sochi.
Random detail: He plays the violin.
Pro partner: Sharna Burgess, marking her third season as a pro.

Billy Dee Williams, 76
How you know him: From Broadway, films and television.
Random detail: He is known globally for his charming Lando Calrissian character in last two original films in the Star Wars trilogy.
Pro partner: Emma Slater made her partner debut last season with comic Bill Engvall.

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