How Dancing With the Stars Cast Prepped for Season 34 Premiere

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It’s time to tango.

Before the 34th season of *Dancing With the Stars* began on September 16th, several cast members shared a look at their preparations for the show.

In a recent “Get Ready With Me” video, influencer Alix Earle showed her followers that she had to begin hair and makeup at 7:45 a.m.

The performer, 24, announced on TikTok that after final preparations and a full dress rehearsal, the show would begin.

I was there with Whitney Leavitt from *Secret Lives of Mormon Wives*, and honestly, we were both just trying to keep each other from falling apart. It was a really tense moment, and we needed to support each other.

Whitney shared details about her and partner Mark Ballas’s costumes for their dance. A TikTok video from rehearsal showed Whitney wearing a golden, shimmering skirt with a pink and gold bodysuit, and Mark will be in a black satin suit.

Dylan Efron, known from *Traitors*, shared a peek at his and dance partner Daniella Karagach’s light blue, see-through outfits on Instagram Stories. He posted the clip while enjoying a milkshake from Baskin-Robbins, which was fitting since their dance was set to Kelis’ song “Milkshake.”

Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin, shared a TikTok video showing him practicing with his dance partner, Witney Carson. The 21-year-old got so tired during rehearsal that he ended up falling to the ground.

Despite being tired, he found motivation in his sister, Bindi Irwin, who had previously won season 21 of the dancing competition.

In another TikTok, Robert said, “Check out who’s in my trailer!” He then showed a framed magazine cover celebrating Bindi’s win on *Dancing with the Stars*. He added, “That’s so cool – the whole family will be in the audience!”

 

He added, “It’s happening. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful to be here.”

 

Hilaria Baldwin, who is competing on the show with dance partner Gleb Savchenko, shared that she received support from Shangela, a past contestant who placed fourth in season 31.

 

I absolutely adore Gleb, and I was so thrilled when I saw that Hilaria was paired with him! I actually heard RuPaul say in a voicemail – it’s all over TikTok – how happy they were for Hilaria, saying she’d gotten a really fantastic partner. It just warmed my heart!

 

Shangela said the energy of the crowd is incredible, and encouraged everyone to savor every moment.

 

Read on to learn other behind-the-scenes secrets from the show. 

Robert shared a TikTok showing a framed magazine cover celebrating Bindi’s win on *Dancing with the Stars*, saying, “Look who’s in my trailer!” He added that his whole family will be in the audience.

He added, “It’s happening. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful to be here.”

Hilaria Baldwin, who is dancing with Gleb Savchenko on the show, shared that she received support from Shangela, a past contestant who placed fourth on season 31.

In a TikTok video, RuPaul shared a voicemail message with Hilaria, saying, ‘I really love Gleb, and I’m thrilled you two are dancing together. He’s a wonderful partner!’

Shangela said the energy of the crowd is incredible, and encouraged everyone to savor every moment.

Read on to learn other behind-the-scenes secrets from the show. 

As a big fan of *Dancing With the Stars*, I’ve always been curious about how much the celebrities earn! *Variety* reported back in 2019, based on their sources, that contestants get around $125,000 just for rehearsing and appearing in the first couple of weeks. If they stick around longer, they apparently get paid even more each week! The highest amount anyone could potentially make, according to those sources, was $295,000, though ABC hasn’t officially confirmed these numbers.

Details about how much the professional dancers earn aren’t widely available. However, like the celebrity contestants, it appears they make more money the further they progress in the competition.

Even pros who are eliminated early on still receive a guaranteed payment.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of *The Morning After* podcast, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that there’s a minimum number of weeks they’re paid for, though contracts can vary. She noted she couldn’t speak for all the pros.

It seems professional dancers on *Dancing with the Stars* don’t earn extra money for winning the show, despite what many might think. While they don’t receive a large prize like a million-dollar payout, making it to the finale *does* come with a financial benefit. Dancer Cheryl Burke, who has won twice with Adam Rippon and Joey Graziadei, explained on *The Morning After* podcast that pros are paid for the entire season if they reach the end, and also receive a bonus. The coveted Mirrorball Trophy-now named after the late Len Goodman-is more about the honor than the money.

Okay, so everyone thinks being on *Dancing with the Stars* is all glamour, but let me tell you, it’s not always pretty! I was listening to Jason Tartick’s podcast – seriously, I listen to everything about the show – and Lindsay Arnold was talking about how much her paycheck was slashed when they moved her from a pro dancer to just a troupe member. She said it was cut *more than in half*! Can you believe that? It just proves how cutthroat things are behind the scenes, and honestly, it makes me even more of a Lindsay fan. It’s awful that someone so talented was treated like that!

Professional dancers have very little say in who they’re paired with on shows like *Dancing With the Stars*. Lindsay explained on the *Hot Smart Rich* podcast that pairings are simply assigned, with dancers expected to make it work. Jenna added on *The Morning After* that the pairings are usually kept secret until the last minute to capture a genuine reaction – dancers don’t even know who their partner is beforehand, despite what people might think. The show aims for compatibility, considering height, body type, and personality, according to former showrunner Rob Wade. He told TopMob News that they avoid pairing people who are likely to clash, as the experience is too intense for everyone involved – the celebrity, the production team, and the viewers. They’ve learned from past mistakes where incompatible pairings created a miserable experience and weren’t enjoyable to watch.

Dancing with the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who danced with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the *Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis* that rehearsals typically last four hours – either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the work doesn’t end there; she often spends additional time meeting with producers, working on choreography, or studying dance routines. Rylee says her life is completely dedicated to the show, but she loves it and finds it incredibly fulfilling. It’s a demanding job with rehearsals happening almost every day. They perform on Tuesdays, then rehearse from Wednesday to Sunday, followed by camera blocking on Monday before another show on Tuesday.

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in a September 2025 Instagram video that they were mostly in agreement, but it involved working together with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to create a story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have just five days – often only half a day per costume, before even adding rhinestones – to make everything. The department employs around 20 people, plus an outside tailor shop, to manage this huge task.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, shared that dancers often don’t try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While they might reuse pants for male dancers, most outfits are custom-made each week.

Gschwendtner added that while they’ll reuse items for group performances or promotional photos, they avoid reusing anything for the actual competition. They aim to keep each dancer looking fresh and new every week to maintain excitement and visual interest.

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2025-09-17 03:47