'Dancing with the Stars' preps for 21st opening number Monday

NEW YORK -- Gary Busey, Chaka Khanh and Bindi Irwin are just a few of the stars about to set the dance floor ablaze as the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday night.

For the kickoff to the 21st season, several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed to tape what's being called the biggest opening number in the show's history. Lucky fans were asked to participate, along with the 13 stars who are all set to go dancing this season.

Behind the glitz and glamour of "Dancing with the Stars" lies the fans who have kept it on the air, and this time some of them were asked to participate in the opening of a show with a simple appeal.

"We're here trying something a little different than what we're used to," Irwin said. "And we're hopefully going to inpire others to take that leap."

Like her late father, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Bindi's fame came outdoors.

"I have no experience when it comes to high heels," she said. "And I have to tell you I went into wardrobe for the very first time, and they dressed me up in these beautiful sequin outfits to see what worked for me, and

then put on high heels and I instantly fell over."

Bindi said she is lucky to be paired with five-time winner Derek Hough.

"He's been very kind to me," she said." He's giving me teenie-tiny heels to start with, and my goal is stay on the show long enough so I'm able to work my way up to higher heels."

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has been dancing onstage since the age of 12.

"I think it's a great opportunity for me to learn something about myself and become a better performer," he said.

Some, like Chaka Khan, have also been making moves for decades. Jockey Victor Espinoza follows other athletes who have done well on the show, and then there's a genuine hero in Alex Skarlatos, one of three Americans who took down a terror suspect on a train bound for Paris and an example of smart casting that has helped keep the show on the air for 21 seasons.

The anniversary season may be just a memory for most viewers, but not for Robert Herjavec, one of the entrepreneurs from "Shark Tank." He is still dating Kym Johnson, his partner on "Dancing with the Stars." So you don't have to win the Mirrorball Trophy to win on this show.