ABC announces pairings for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ all-star season

Kirstie Alley and Maks will dance again. (Adam Taylor - ABC) With the all-star season of “Dancing With the Stars” a little more than a month away, ABC announced the pro dance partner pairings on Monday.

Some celebs, perhaps who the show producers perceive as heavy hitters, were matched with their same partners from the previous season: Kirstie Alley with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Bristol Palin with Mark Ballas, Melissa Rycroft with Tony Dovolani.

Here’s the announcement from ABC; the season kicks off Monday, Sept. 24:

• KIRSTIE ALLEY partners with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his 13th season.

• PAMELA ANDERSON teams with TRISTAN MACMANUS, who returns for his 3rd season as a professional partner.

• HELIO CASTRONEVES joins CHELSIE HIGHTOWER, who is returning for her 7th season.

• JOEY FATONE partners with two-time champ KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her 12th season.

• SHAWN JOHNSON joins three-time champ DEREK HOUGH, who returns for his 10th season.

• DREW LACHEY teams with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her 10th season.

• GILLES MARINI partners with last season’s champ, PETA MURGATROYD, who is returning for her 3rd season as a professional partner.

• KELLY MONACO joins VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his 3rd season.

• APOLO ANTON OHNO teams with Season 13 champ KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 12th season.

• BRISTOL PALIN teams up with two-time champ MARK BALLAS, who is returning for his 11th season.

• MELISSA RYCROFT joins TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for a 14th season.

• EMMITT SMITH partners with two-time champ CHERYL BURKE, who returns for her 14th season.