Derek Hough Shares Top Advice for DWTS’ Season 35 Contestants

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Derek Hough wants these celebs to leave it all on the dancefloor.

With the cast of Dancing With the Stars season 35 slowly being announced, a judge who used to be a professional dancer offered some key advice to the new celebrities – including Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, and Jackson Olson – as they get ready to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy.

Hough playfully warned fans to prepare for hard work, while also hinting at a serious commitment. He shared this message with TopMob News on June 7th at the New York City premiere of his film, The Symphony of Dance.

Despite the three previously revealed celebrity contestants not seeming eager to push themselves physically, the 41-year-old isn’t worried about their commitment as they start training for the new season of the ABC reality show.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m seeing a real shift in what casting directors are looking for these days. It’s not just about talent, it’s about commitment! They want people who are truly passionate and ready to fully immerse themselves in the entire journey – the work, the growth, everything. So, if you’re thinking of auditioning for anything, be prepared to give it your all!

Hough pointed out to the celebrities that competing isn’t just about winning; the experience and personal growth are what truly matter.

He said you’ll find it incredibly rewarding if you dedicate yourself completely to it.

Although the premiere of Dancing with the Stars is still months away, Derek Hough is currently focused on promoting his new documentary, The Symphony of Dance, which he made with his wife, Hayley Erbert. The film offers a personal look at their 2023 tour and Hayley’s difficult health battle and recovery from a serious brain injury.

Though, according to Erbert, they didn’t initially set out to tell such a personal story.

We didn’t set out to make a documentary,” explained the 31-year-old, who shares 5-month-old daughter Everley with Hough. “Director Jason Bergh actually came to us and asked if he could film our first rehearsal. Then, he wanted to capture other moments, like a doctor’s appointment and more rehearsals. It organically evolved into a story, and it felt very genuine, which made it feel like the perfect time to share it.

Staying authentic was central to how the couple made their film, as Hough shared they aimed for a natural feel, avoiding anything that seemed overly polished or manufactured.

He said it felt genuine, and even if just one person found a little hope, encouragement, or inspiration in their work, that would be wonderful.

While fans wait for more cast reveals, keep reading for fascinating secrets behind DWTS.

In 2019, Variety reported that contestants on Dancing With the Stars initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show. According to sources, they receive additional payments each week they continue on the program, potentially earning up to $295,000 total.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

The radio host explained on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, in September 2025, that the show’s pay structure was unusual. They weren’t paid for the first episode, but earned $10,000 for the second. Payments then seemed to increase, going from $10,000 to $20,000 per episode. If someone stayed with the show long enough, they could eventually earn around $50,000 per episode.

In addition to a salary of about $110,000, Bones revealed he earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

Details about professional dancers’ earnings haven’t been widely released either. However, like the contestants, it appears they earn more the further they advance on the show.

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the The Morning After podcast, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that dancers are typically guaranteed work for a set number of weeks. However, she added that contracts vary and she couldn’t comment on the specifics of everyone’s agreement.

Apparently not.

Professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars, like Jenna Johnson, don’t earn extra money for winning the show—even though the trophy is now named after the late Len Goodman. Johnson, who has won twice—once with Olympic skater Adam Rippon and again with Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor—says making it to the final round is still rewarding, beyond just the prestige.

She explained on The Morning After that reaching the finale means you get paid for the entire season, plus a bonus. But winning isn’t about a big cash prize – you and your partner just receive a trophy.

That doesn’t appear to be the case.

In a 2022 appearance on Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold shared that her pay was reduced by more than half after she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

I was really struck by something Lindsay said on Maggie Sellers’ Hot Smart Rich podcast back in May 2025. She described how, in certain situations, you just don’t have a voice. It’s basically, ‘Here’s who you’re with, now figure it out,’ and there’s no room for discussion or input. It felt so real and relatable to what some people experience.

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

Jenna explained on The Morning After that the show’s producers deliberately keep the cast a secret until the live reveal. People often assume the show knows who will be paired up and is just pretending it’s a surprise, but that’s not the case. The producers don’t even tell the hosts who’s on the cast list, and they work hard to prevent leaks so the reactions are genuine when the contestants finally meet their partners.

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the show’s pairings weren’t random. In a 2015 interview with TopMob News, he explained that they considered height, body type, personality, and how well people would get along. They avoided putting incompatible people together because the experience was already so challenging for everyone involved – the celebrities, the production team, and the audience. Wade admitted they’d learned from past mistakes where they paired up people who just didn’t click, and that wouldn’t work because unlike shows like The Bachelor, creating that kind of discomfort wasn’t the goal.

Dancing with the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis that rehearsals are four hours long, typically 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 with producers, working on choreography, or studying dance videos. Rylee says it takes over her whole life, but she loves it and finds it incredibly fulfilling. The schedule is demanding, with rehearsals happening Tuesday through Sunday, camera blocking on Monday, and then another show on Tuesday. It’s a job that requires dedication and leaves no room for days off.

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 develop a unique story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have only five days – just half a day per costume, before even adding decorations – to create everything. The department employs around 20 people, plus a separate tailoring team, making it a large operation.

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

As Gschwendtner added, they do reuse items for group performances or promotional photos, but never for the actual competition. They prioritize creating fresh, new looks every week to keep things exciting for the audience and dancers.

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2026-06-08 19:48