Inside Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy’s Grueling DWTS Rehearsal

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Alix Earle and her Dancing With the Stars partner Val Chmerkovskiy are giving it their all.

So much so, the TikToker admittedly has shed a few tears during dance rehearsals.

You know, it can be really frustrating at times, but it’s actually allowing me to discover a completely different side of myself,” I shared exclusively with TopMob News’ The Rundown host Erin Lim Rhodes during a joint interview with Val. We were at the DWTS rehearsal space in Los Angeles, and I was being so honest about how far outside my comfort zone this whole experience has been!

It’s really annoying when Val makes something look effortless, and I think, ‘Okay, I can definitely do that too,'” the 24-year-old explained. “But then when I attempt it, I end up feeling like I look terrible – like a scarecrow, honestly.”

But the same can be said for Val. After all, he’s admittedly a “late bloomer” on TikTok.

“I put it off for a long time,” the 39-year-old explained to Erin. “But now, everyone interesting is doing it. So, here I am, trying not to seem out of touch.”

That’s how Alix describes their TikTok Night routine – it’s “a little bit of both” her and Val’s approaches to dance.

The dance will start with a little inspiration from TikTok and the kinds of moves I do there,” she said. “After that, the faster part-the quickstep-will be all Val because I’m not very familiar with that style.”

For Alix, her main challenge comes from within. She explained, “I’m really focused on improving and exceeding my own performance each week.”

It can be a bit daunting when you compare yourself to others, as everyone is incredibly talented,” the influencer said. “However, that competition also makes this a really exciting time. I feel a lot of pressure to improve and work even harder to stay on par with everyone else.”

And Val? He’s grateful he can always count on his wife, Jenna Johnson, who was unfortunately eliminated from the show along with her celebrity partner, Corey Feldman, during the first elimination round of season 34.

After being on the show for a long time, we’re both working to find a better balance between our personal and professional lives,” the three-time DWTS champion explained. “This project is really important to both of us, and we both feel strongly about it. Naturally, we support each other through it all.”

For more DWTS behind-the-scenes secrets, read on.

According to Variety, Dancing With the Stars contestants earned $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show in 2019. The publication also reported that they received additional money each week if they continued on the show, potentially reaching a maximum of $295,000.

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

On a September 2025 episode of Jason Tartick‘s podcast Trading Secrets, the radio personality explained the payment structure: “Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.”

Bones, who also received a base salary of around $110,000, added that he ultimately earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not officially confirmed these numbers.

Likewise, details about professional dancers’ earnings haven’t been widely released. However, similar to the contestants, it appears their pay increases the further they advance in the competition.

Even if a pro is eliminated early on, they still receive compensation.

“You’re guaranteed payment for a specific number of weeks,” Jenna Johnson explained on a June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester‘s podcast The Morning After. “Contracts vary, so I can’t speak for everyone.”

It doesn’t seem that way.

According to Johnson-who previously won season 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, and season 33 with The Bachelor‘s Joey Graziadei-professional dancers don’t receive a bigger payment for winning the trophy, now known as the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. However, she pointed out there’s still a good reason to reach the final round (beyond just being able to boast!).

“Making it to the end means you get paid for the entire season, which is fantastic, and you also receive a bonus for reaching the finale,” she shared on The Morning After. “Winning doesn’t mean you and your partner split a $1 million prize; it’s more about sharing a nice trophy together.”

Ugh, it’s just not true what they’re saying!

I remember watching Trading Secrets back in 2022, and Lindsay Arnold literally said her pay was cut “more than in half” when they moved her from a pro dancer to just being in the troupe. It was awful! I was so upset for her.

The professional dancers have very little say in who they’re paired with.

“You have no input at all,” Lindsay explained on a May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers‘ Hot Smart Rich podcast. “They just tell you, ‘Here’s your partner, now make it work.’”

Jenna added that the pairings are usually kept secret until the very last moment.

“They really want to capture your genuine reaction, so they don’t tell you who your partner is until you meet them,” Jenna said on The Morning After. “People often assume we know and are keeping it quiet, but that’s not true. They don’t even want us to know the full cast list. It often leaks, but they try to keep everything very secret until you meet your partner.”

What does the Dancing With the Stars team consider when making these matches?

“It’s all about height, body type, personality, and how well people will get along,” former showrunner Rob Wade told TopMob News in 2015. “We avoid pairing people who are likely to clash. It’s too stressful. It’s not like The Bachelor – we couldn’t do that. It would be a terrible experience for everyone involved-the celebrity, us, and the viewers. Nobody wants to watch two people who dislike each other, and we’ve definitely made that mistake in the past.

In short, it’s a demanding job.

“We rehearse for four hours each day,” Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik during season 33, explained on the September 2024 episode of the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis. “Rehearsals are either from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., or 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.”

The work doesn’t end when rehearsal is over, though. Rylee mentioned she often meets with producers or the creative team afterward, works on dance routines, or watches dance videos.

“Basically, my entire life revolves around this,” she said, “but it’s something I’m passionate about and truly enjoy, which makes me very happy.”

It truly is a job that requires dedication and effort every single day.

“We perform on Tuesdays, and then it’s rehearsals from Wednesday to Sunday,” Rylee added. “Mondays are for camera blocking, and then it’s showtime again on Tuesday.”

“Generally, yes,” Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in an Instagram video from September 2025, “but it’s being done together with the show’s producers.”

If you think the quickstep is speedy, you should see how quickly the costume department works!

“We collaborate with the set and lighting designers, the dancers, and the performers to develop a story for each couple,” costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider in 2017. “Then we brainstorm ideas. We have only five days, at most, to create all the outfits – that’s half a day per costume, and that doesn’t even include adding the rhinestones! We do the final fitting and adjustments later. Our department has around 20 people, and we also work with a separate tailor shop. It’s a large operation.”

Costume designer Steven Norman Lee mentioned that couples usually try on their costumes for the first time just hours before the show begins. While the department “may reuse a pair of pants for the male dancers,” he said, everything is typically made specifically for each week’s performance.

As Gschwendtner added, “We will reuse items for group routines or promotional photos, but not for the actual competition. We only reuse things if there’s a good reason to. We aim to keep everyone looking fresh and new in different outfits each week to maintain interest.”

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2025-09-30 00:18