Rules You Didn't Know DWTS Contestants Have To Follow
Fans tune into "Dancing With The Stars" each week to watch their favorite celebrities compete with one another as they bust a move on the dance floor. The show offers plenty of entertainment value to its viewers, but there are so many aspects about the series that fans have no clue about. For instance, the celebrities don't get to choose their professional dance partners (via Us Weekly). Instead, the producers choose which dancer to pair up with the stars, and they do so based on how compatible they believe the duo will be. "There are some celebs that have wishes, and we always say we can't guarantee it. That's why we meet all the celebrities and know all the dancers because some celebs think they know better," casting producer Deena Katz previously told Glamour. "We always want the best pairing because we know them so well," she added.
In addition, fans also don't get to see the way the scoring process works. "The judges have a piece of paper on their desk. After each dance they'll write down their score. The piece of paper is then run frantically to the control room," producer Joe Sungkur told Insider. "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."
Of course, the "DWTS" process can also be hard for the contestants as well as they're forced to follow strict rules regarding the show.
There are strict rules about glam and wardrobe
Us Weekly reports that the celebrity contestants on "Dancing With The Stars" must abide by some strict rules while competing on the show. Casting producer Deena Katz previously told Glamour that each star is required to use the official "DWTS" glam team. "Our team is award-winning and fantastic ... I get that fear, but they just have to take a leap with all of it. We promise they're going to look great," she said. In addition, the stars are supposed to arrive at the studio by 7:45 a.m. on the days the episodes air to do wardrobe fittings, get their hair and makeup done, and hear the band play their performance music for the night.
"We give a range of notes from lights, or it may be a straightforward wardrobe note that we hate the color of that tie," producer Joe Sungkur told Insider of the dress rehearsal rules. "It can be any range of things, but it's the final chance to really hone in on the creative and make sure that everybody's on the same page so you know what to expect when it comes to the live show," he added. Former pro dancer Tony Dovolani has also admitted that wardrobe is finalized until just before air time. "There are alterations being made from dress rehearsal until the live show," he said.
It seems that the "DWTS" team works harder than we imagined to pull off exciting and entertaining live shows on a weekly basis.