All The Rules You Didn't Know 'Dancing With The Stars' Contestants Have To Follow
1) Stars have to get an offer from the casting director.
In Hollywood, DWTS is often seen as a great career move and celebrities clamor to get cast on it, but it's the producers's jobs to seek out only the most interesting celebs for the show. "For your marketing, for your career, this is like Willy Wonka's golden ticket," former DWTS executive talent producer Deena Katz told Slate.
2) They don't have to be a trending celebrity.
Sometimes the cast of DWTS reads like a crazy dinner party from a dream. That's because producers purposefully includes a mix of celebrities from across the entire pop culture zeitgeist, choosing nostalgia picks, people in the news, and even people who "the idea of them dancing makes you laugh," Katz told Slate.
3) Being a fan could help a star get cast.
Why? Producers specifically look for celebs who are fans of the show, because this increases the odds that the star will sign on and helps ensure a good attitude during the process.
4) Stars can't tell anyone they've been cast.
Sorry, but the show doesn't want any spoilers before their big reveal! During the first few rehearsals, the celebrities on season 31 wore face shields to protect their identity from paparazzi as they made their way into the studio.
5) They aren't locked into the show after the cast reveal, though.
With all the fanfare that goes into announcing the DWTS cast, one would think that the contestants would be locked into an iron-clad deal by the big reveal. Nope. There are always loop holes in show business that keep stars from actually filming.
6) Stars can (but shouldn't!) drop out at the last minute.
"Vincent Pastore was the guy from The Sopranos and was rehearsing with Edyta Sliwinska but had heart issues, so that's when John Ratzenberger joined. And Mark McGrath dropped out and Rocco DiSpirito came in," Katz told Glamour.
7) Some stars are cast as backups.
In the event that a celebrity contestant doesn't show up, there is usually a backup person to take their place. When producers were afraid Master P wasn't going to show, they had Kill Bill star David Carradine rehearsed and ready to go in a trailer on set, just in case.
8) There's no disclosed age limit.
Dancing with the Stars has never disclosed an age limit and the youngest contestant to ever compete was 14-year-old Willow Shields. ABC also produced a spin-off show, Dancing With the Stars: Juniors, for child stars and children of celebrities.
9) Stars are matched with their pro dancer strategically.
Ever wonder how the DWTS pairings come to be? Former showrunner Rob Wade told E! News it's a simple formula, "based on height, build and personality and compatibility."
10) Producers try to make sure partners like each other too.
After all, the stress and rigor of live ballroom dancing is enough to serve up plenty of drama for the cameras. "We don't pair people who aren't going to get on. It's too intense. It's not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn't do that," Wade told E! News. "You don't want to see two people who don't like each other."
11) Cast romances are encouraged.
Romances between contestants are a big topic of debate on DWTS and producers love them, because they help generate buzz for the show. While a host of legitimate relationships have come out of the reality show, most of the flings fade with the spotlight.
12) Stars don't get to choose their dancing partner.
"There are some celebs that have wishes, and we always say we can't guarantee," Katz told Glamour. In the end though, the producers have the final say.
13) Dancers don't get to choose their star either.
Although fans think they've spotted trends in partners — why are Mark Ballas's partners always young? — the professional dancers have no input on who they compete with.
14) Same-sex partners are allowed.
In 2021, JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson made history as the very first same-sex duo on DWTS. "I think it breaks a wall that's never been broken down before," JoJo told press during the Television Critics Association summer tour. "I think it's really special that, not only now do I get to share with the world that you're going to love who you want to love, but also you can dance with who you want to dance with."
15) Producers choose the music for the dances.
According to dancer Kym Johnson, the pros are allowed to suggest songs at the beginning of the season, but since there are so many pairs to coordinate performances with, producers take the lead on deciding who will dance to what.
16) Contestants can't choose their theme either.
Whether it's cha-cha night or all about Disney, the teams don't pick the themes and they vary from season to season.
17) Everyone on the cast gets paid.
Both the dancers and stars are compensated for appearing on the show. According to reports in 2019, celebrities earned a $125,000 signing bonus and could earn up to $295,000 in total.
18) Stars can compete for bonus payments.
How, exactly, do celebs make more than their $125,000 signing bonus? Their paycheck increases the more they advance on the show, with finalists reportedly earning up to $50,000 for the final two episodes. This creates an incentive to keep stars committed to the competition.
19) Pro dancers don't get paid as much as the stars.
It's been reported that the professional dancers make close to $5,200 per episode, which adds up to about $100,000 per season.
20) Teams have to practice seven days a week.
DWTS has a reputation for having a demanding rehearsal schedule and, as former Olympian Amy Purdy told The L.A. Times, there are "no days off." Celebrities meet and rehearse with their partner every day to prepare for the Monday night live show.
21) Stars have to use the show's hair and makeup teams.
The show receives a lot of pushback on this rule. "Women have had this fear about [wanting] to have their own hair and makeup artists, but you can't have that here. Our team is award-winning and fantastic. Kirstie Alley had a really hard time with it and really fought it. Now Kirstie uses our makeup artist for her. I get that fear, but they just have to take a leap with all of it. We promise they're going to look great," Katz told Glamour.
22) The same rule applies to wardrobe.
The wardrobe team is award-winning and is specially versed in ballroom dancing costumes. Because of this, the show insists that all wardrobe decisions are made by their team.
23) Being flexible with wardrobe is a must.
Former dancing pro Tony Dovolani says that costumes usually aren't finished until an hour before the show. "People don't get to wear their costumes until dress rehearsal," he told Glamour. "There are alterations being made from dress rehearsal until the live show."
24) Contestants have to get spray tans every week.
The show's rumored "Spray Tan Sundays" are all too real — or, at least they were. The show's former head makeup artist, Zena Shteysel, revealed to People in 2013 that each contestant was bronzed from head to toe once a week in preparation for taping. Who knows if that's still true today!
25) Teams have to arrive early on the morning of the live show.
Every pair must arrive at 7:45 a.m. ahead of the run through with the live band.
26) Pairs don't hear the band's arrangement until the day they perform.
On show days, couples are finally able to practice along to the live version of the song. "Sometimes the band's arrangement will be a little different from the track," former executive producer Joe Sungkur revealed to Insider. "So it's very useful for the couples, because they might give notes to the musical director."
27) The dress rehearsal is mandatory.
This is when producers and the show's director make sure the show is mapped out the way they want.
28) Know your angles.
Another important part of dress rehearsal includes camera blocking. With 18 cameras operating at once, dancers need to practice their movements (as well as understand the camera movements) so that every step is captured on-screen.
29) Producers can change anything in a performance.
During the dress rehearsal, producers and the director have control over the performance and are allowed to tweak any aspect of it — from wardrobe to lighting.
30) Stars are expected to contribute to the choreography.
While the pro dancers take the lead, celebrities aren't just along for the ride. Both team members are expected to contribute — which often ends up being a great source of drama on the show.
31) For the group number, stars don't get a say.
The group opening number that fans have come to love is choreographed by an on-staff head choreographer. Contestants don't have any say in the creative direction for this dance, but are required to participate each week.
32) Teams have to give an interview after every performance.
As soon as the pair steps off of the dance floor, they're thrown in front of the camera for an interview. While it may be a welcome distraction for some of the stars, as they wait for their scores to be determined, it's also necessary for the show to get their reactions to their performance.
33) Producers have control over the storylines.
However, Wade insists they only follow emerging storylines that develop from the contestants. To do this, producers keep a close eye on what’s going on with each team and build on any potential drama.
34) Dancers must be willing to be vulnerable on camera.
The show's producers told Glamour that the cast opening up to viewers is one of the key parts of the show. "You have to open yourself up to the process. Seeing Maks [Chmerkovskiy] at his most vulnerable with Meryl [Davis] made people want to see his journey," Sungkur said.
35) And the stars can't be camera shy either.
Both the judges and viewers loved watching Olympic gymnast Suni Lee break out of her shell in season 30. "Having Sasha, we’re complete opposites, he’s crazy outgoing and fun and all that and I’m super shy. I'm getting there," she told Access Hollywood at the time.
36) Contestants can't compete if they get injured.
DWTS has survived 31 seasons, but not without a few injuries. Sometimes contestants are cleared to dance, but if an injury is deemed too serious, they're forced to drop out of the competition.
37) Stars can be replaced.
Sometimes, the show must go on — with another star. In the case of Christie Brinkley, who broke her wrist and needed surgery, the model subbed in her daughter, Sailor Cook-Brinkley.
38) Contestants can't wear logos on television.
Due to licensing rights, no logos, brand names, or sports teams can be featured on any clothes on the show. But Master P got to break this rule. "I was at a couple of [meetings] when Master P threatened to leave," Sungkur told Glamour. "He wanted to wear this jacket with a logo on it and threatened to leave because of it, and I was like, 'OK, you can wear the jacket!'"
39) There's a strict no lift rule.
DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba has made it clear that she supports the ban, "which was to keep the playing field level for the older and less physically strong contestants so that all the dances didn't just become show dances with lifts and tricks," she wrote in an essay for FEMESTELLA in 2013.
40) The teams aren't just scored by the judges.
In 2019, DWTS debuted a new voting system, where live votes from the audience determines a bottom two and then the judges have the final say on who stays and who goes. This choice was QUITE controversial.
41) Scores must be verified before being announced.
After judges write their scores down, the papers are taken to the control room. "Standards and practices from ABC then verifies that everything is fair and checks those scores, and we then go to the judges to reveal their scoring and we double-check that the score they hold up reflects the score they wrote down," Sungkur told Insider.
42) Contestants have to be patient during live eliminations.
In 2020, host Tyra Banks infamously told the wrong couple they were in the bottom two, later saying it happened because of a mix-up in the control room. It's live television, after all, so the cast has to be prepared for anything!
43) Contestants have to promote the show.
There is a ton of press attention that goes with appearing on DWTS. From revealing the team pairings to weekly elimination updates, the cast has to agree to doing the morning talk show circuit.
44) The winners take home more than just bragging rights.
In addition to their salary and, of course, the title of DWTS champion, the winning team receives the Mirrorball Trophy, which they can take home and display wherever they like.
45) For some, the competition doesn't end at the finale.
ABC puts on a live tour after the season wraps. The tour means that some contestants, whether they were Mirrorball Trophy winners or not, get more time on the dance floor.
From the behind the scenes perks to grueling rehearsals, we're breaking down all of the rules that 'Dancing With the Stars' competitors have to follow.