What Really Goes On Backstage
Dancing with the Stars is exciting and captivating. But there’s a lot more going on than what you see on screen. There are quite a few behind-the-scenes truths that are fascinating and flabbergasting.
Crazy Amounts Of Makeup
Zena Shteysel, the principal makeup artist, shared some dirty truths about how much makeup is used during the filming of the show. In every season, they go through 30 bottles of bronzer and “jugs upon jugs of glitter”.
Lookin’ Tanned
For every single season, Dancing with the Stars uses up to five gallons of spray tan. That amount would overfill the average bathtub.
Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT, Wikimedia Commons
Bronzed Beauties
Even if a participant highly dislikes being “bronzed from head to toe”—too bad. The rumor mill calls it “Spray Tan Sunday”. Every Sunday, Julie Nostrand flies from Loveland, Colorado to Los Angeles just so she can prep stars for taping.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Elegant Eyes
Dancers don’t just show up with gorgeous lashes. In 32 weeks of filming, makeup artists glue on 500 pairs of eyelashes—and go through 200 tubes of mascara.
Say Bye-Bye To Your Stylist
We all develop relationships with our hairdressers. We know them. We love them. DWTS doesn’t care. Stars who want to use their own stylist are told no.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Sky-High Price Tags
Outfits on the show are elaborately created and altered last-minute—and they aren’t cheap. The cost of each piece is shocking. Each costume is valued between $3,000 and $5,000.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Last-Minute Prep
Not only are outfits for the show super costly but they aren’t even ready until the last minute. Ballroom instructor Tony Dovolani shared that most times costumes aren’t released “’until an hour before the show begins’”.
Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leave Your Fit At Home
All outfits are chosen by the show. One celebrity had a particularly difficult time with this and offered up quite a bit of backlash. Known as an “outspoken scientologist” and a diva, Kirstie Alley didn’t want Dancing with the Stars to choose her wardrobe. She “’had a really hard time with it and really fought it’”. She wasn’t the only one to vex producers.
Another Diva
Former NBA player and rapper Master P replaced his son, Romeo, when the latter dropped out. Despite the show’s rules against clothing with logos during rehearsals, Master P insisted. When he “’threatened to leave’”, he got his way.
Bone-Weary Prep
Getting ready to perform for a competition and an audience is grueling. Businessperson and investor Mark Cuban stated—while taking a lie detector test—that DWTS was the most challenging thing he has ever done.
Seven Days A Week
Dancers and stars rehearse seven days a week. Amy Purdy—a former Olympian who earned bronze and silver medals in snowboarding—commented that there are “‘no days off’”.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Time Commitment
Training and rehearsals take A LOT of time. It can be equivalent to a full-time job. In Season 24, football running back Rashad Jennings and dancer Emma Slater spent 362 hours training. It worked out to about 36 hours a week.
Sure, They Get Paid
Stars and dancers all make money for their work. Contestants earn $125,000 for rehearsals. Pay is incremental—the longer they remain in the competition, the more moola they take home. Celebrities can make quite a bit of money on DWTS.
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The Victor’s Payout
The top weekly pay maxes out at $295,000. The professional dancers, however, don’t bring in close to what their partners do.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Unequal Pay
In comparison to the large payouts for celebrities, the dancers make very little. Salaries aren’t well-published but according to watchmojo, pros bring in about $5,200 a week.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Who Choreographs Routines
Considering they make substantially less money, professional dancers also have the job of choreographing routines. Sometimes they seek assistance. It’s not completely against the rules to ask another professional for help. Mark Ballas says, “it’s a loophole”.
Kristina Bumphrey, Getty Images
Rules, Rules, Rules
To help the show run as smoothly as possible, there is a long list of requirements. Some of them are quite surprising. One, for example, is that judges must write their score on a physical sheet of paper. Runners hustle that slip to the control room for verification as paddles are lifted and results revealed.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Scheduled Arrival
On the day of filming, dancers have to show up more than nine hours ahead of the live show. There are fittings, hair and makeup sittings, performance notes, a rehearsal, and consultations with the technical department regarding lights and music. This dress rehearsal is absolutely mandatory.
Last-Minute Live Music
DWTS pairs don’t get to dance alongside the live music until the day the show airs. The track music can differ from how the band performs, making it very challenging to keep up. It also adds even more stress to last-minute prep.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Who Wants On
Being on DWTS propels your stardom. Celebrities dream of being chosen. "’For your marketing, for your career, this is like Willy Wonka's golden ticket’". With almost 20 million viewers, the show offers a lot of exposure.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Careers Take Off
Being on DWTS is a huge deal for stars. Well before Chris Hemsworth acted in Thor, he placed fifth in the 2006 Australian version. Wendy Williams’ appearance in Season 12 rocketed her own talk show to greater fame. Mario Lopez got a hosting gig on Extra after his second-place finish in Season 3.
How Stars Are Chosen
A lot goes into picking which celebrities will be a good fit for the show. Casting director Deena Katz puts in an enormous amount of work. She has some unexpected habits that help her uncover the best fits. Nominated for nine primetime Emmys and two PGA awards, Katz knows what she’s doing. She rifles through endless gossip columns and juicy tidbits of news. She wants to know who’s “hot”. She scopes out other characteristics as well.
Fun And Funny
When deciding on whom to cast for the show, Katz puts weight on a few factors. She seeks celebrities whom she’d invite to “the best dinner party ever”—celebs who are goofy, entertaining, or wild cards.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Who Katz Really Wants
Katz has had her eyes on one specific VIP. She desperately wants him on DWTS and she’s begged him every single year to be a contestant. She even calls him her “personal white whale” since he has eluded her requests. Katz understands that he’s been busy, but she undeniably hopes that in one of the following DWTS seasons, Bill Clinton will surprise her with a yes.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Who The Audience Really Wants
DWTS fans have their white whale as well. Again and again fans demand one specific star: Jennifer Aniston. Katz has asked. To no avail. “’Trust me, I’ve tried. She can’t do it’”.
Being A Fan Helps
Being an avid admirer of DWTS can actually help celebrities earn a place on the show. Producers know that devotees are more likely to agree to appear.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
There Are Backups
Things happen. Sometimes participants need to drop out. DWTS makes sure to have backups for when these things happen. When The Sopranos actor Vincent Pastore left the show after only a week, Katz already had Cheers actor John Ratzenberger lined up as a replacement.
Movieguide®, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Backups Even Rehearse
Sometimes Katz is so worried that certain stars will back out that their replacement is practicing moves behind the scenes. Concerned that Master P wouldn’t show up for scheduled rehearsals, she had actor David Carradine learning moves. “’He had wardrobe and everything just in case’".
Same-Sex Couples Permitted
In its 30th season, DWTS had its first same-sex pairing. History was made when Jojo Siwa danced with Jenna Johnson. "’I think it breaks a wall that's never been broken down before,’" Siwa said.
Cast Classified
Celebs aren’t allowed to reveal that they have been cast on DWTS. The show has some very interesting methods of keeping who has been chosen top secret. In Season 31, cast members’ faces were hidden for the first few rehearsals. As they entered the building, they were required to wear heavy-duty face shields.
Age Limit
Surprisingly, there is no age limit to being on DWTS. The youngest participant was 14-year-old actor Willow Shields. The oldest was actor Cloris Leachman who danced her way to seventh place at age 82.
How Pairings Are Chosen
One rule is that the show always selects which star and dancer will be matched. The motive is somewhat surprising. The main purpose that the show puts two specific people together is due to logistics—height and size. But there is another reason. Dancing with the Stars doesn’t want melodrama and debacles. Professional dancer Mark Ballas explained, “They also try and make us compatible based on personality, and what they think will work well”. There have been problems in the past.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Love Encouraged
Spark and seduction look good on camera. Producers can’t force attraction, of course, but they certainly promote on-screen and real-life chemistry. Several couples have resulted in DWTS partnerships. Dancer Kym Johnson met her husband, investor Robert Herjavec. Pro Britt Stewart fell in love with her on-stage partner, actor Daniel Durant. She even learned ASL so that they could communicate without his interpreter.
Gossip Helps The Show
There are a lot of rumors concerning who is dating whom and which pairings are brawling. The gossip is intriguing. Mark Ballas, however, claims a lot of it is just that—gossip. "’I'd say about 98 percent [of the fights and romances] you read about are not true’”.
Hollywood To You/Star Max, Getty Images
The Song Choice Rule
Although the dancers have input into the song choice, they ultimately must settle for what the producers want. On a few occasions, the producer’s picks have been questioned.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Dumbo Controversy
Some fans were outraged at the music chosen for former NFL star Adrian Peterson and his dancing partner, Britt Stewart. During a Disney-themed week, the couple was assigned Dumbo. Supporters of Peterson believe he was being mocked.
Look Here, Look There
As if dancing wasn’t challenging enough, stars must make sure to glance and smile in the right direction. 18 cameras are located around the dance floor and DWTS expects participants to know the angles.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Interview Expectations
After every dance is completed, pros and stars are scheduled to speak with the host. Moderator Julianne Hough has gotten some grief over her methods.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Commercial Break Cut-Off
After finishing her routine, Bravo reality star, Ariana Madix, got quite emotional. Hough interrupted her just after Madix tearfully mentioned her late grandmother. Fans were horrified that host Hough chose that moment for a commercial break.
Unlucky 13 Feud
In Season 13, one pairing had an all-out clash. Dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy and soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo’s feud resulted in many accusations. Solo asserts that her partner slapped her in the face. He denied the claims, then elaborated on his dislike of Solo, saying, “’But, if you are just a bad person, you know what I mean? There’s no excuse for that’”.
Walt Disney Television, Flickr
Is He The Problem?
Chmerkovskiy also had issues with Kirstie Alley in Season 12, as well as judges Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba. In 2018, he decided that Dancing with the Stars was no longer in his future. You can still find him on television, though. He’s now a judge on So You Think You Can Dance—Fox channel’s rival to Dancing with the Stars.
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