Backstage with the stars. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times the “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancers spilled the behind-the-scenes tea.
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00:00and like we thought it was a joke. Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our
00:05picks for the times the Dancing with the Stars professional dancers spilled the behind-the-scenes
00:09tea. Do you get to suggest celebrities to try and get on the show? How is each pro selected
00:14for the celebrity? Number 10. Maxim Shmirkovsky could have been a judge. Max was never shy about
00:20sharing his feelings, often with a healthy dose of sass. So can you imagine him as a judge
00:26delivering his signature candid honesty? With all due respect, this is my show. You know,
00:30I helped make it what it is. I love every aspect of it. I love every professional that's ever been
00:35here and I love every celebrity that puts effort into every week. Well, that almost happened.
00:41After a brief break from the show, Max revealed he was offered a spot on the judging panel.
00:45Though he kept details scarce, he did say that he ultimately decided he wasn't ready to hang
00:50up his dancing shoes quite yet. Timing turned out to be everything as he just happened to be
00:55paired with Ice Dancer Meryl Davis that year. And well, we all know how that turned out.
01:04With electrifying performances and undeniable chemistry, they became one of the show's most
01:09unforgettable pairings.
01:189. Do the Pros Get a Say in Costumes?
01:22The costume team works wonders, designing outfits that are both stunning and perfectly
01:27tailored for each performance. Seriously, who wouldn't want these in their closet?
01:31These pros know their craft and it shows.
01:42While dancers may help explain the concept or story of a routine,
01:46that's usually where their input ends. Daniela Karagos said that while costumes are picked for
01:51them, the team typically knows what will fit just right and look flawless on stage.
02:07Tony Dovolani mentioned that performers often don't try on their costumes until dress rehearsals,
02:12with last-minute tweaks happening right up until showtime. If you're a celeb eyeing the
02:17dance floor, good news, apparently you can buy your costumes after the season.
02:318. Pros Might Not Know Their Celeb Partners Until Rehearsals Begin
02:36We mentioned earlier how Max was lured back to the dance floor by his exciting partner reveal,
02:41but producers like to keep things unpredictable, even for the pros.
02:54Pasha Pashkov revealed that in season 28, the pros were kept in the dark about their celebrity
02:59partners and had to wait until the first day of rehearsals to see who'd be waiting for them in
03:03that studio. They knew the celeb lineup, so it's not like the pool of possibilities was endless,
03:08but the suspense was real. Pasha, a self-professed huge fan of The Office,
03:22admitted he was thrilled and quote, totally starstruck when he met his partner.
03:32Unfortunately, not every pairing turns out to be so harmonious, but more on that later.
03:387. Showmances With all the close contact and countless
03:42hours spent together, it's no surprise that things can heat up off the dance floor.
03:55Showmances, real or rumored, make headlines nearly every season.
04:00But according to Mark Ballas, many of these stories are just that, rumors.
04:08That doesn't mean things never get hot and heavy. Heck, we've even listed the romance that began on
04:17the show. Cheryl Burke, who was often at the heart of these rumors, confessed that while the
04:21speculations are sometimes exaggerated, she has had a few showmances. Still, she recognizes that
04:27typically, although not always, they're not love but just two people getting swept up in the heat
04:32of the moment. 6. Who picks the songs
04:47If we made a playlist of practically every song featured in the series,
04:50we'd say we'd have one banging party on our hands.
04:53But have you ever wondered who's involved in choosing the music?
05:03Back in 2014, former pro Kim Johnson revealed during a Q&A, led by Season 19 winner Alfonso
05:09Ribeiro, that while the pros can make song requests, it's ultimately the producers who
05:13call the shots. She explained that they simply have a better grasp of the show's overall arc
05:27and might steer dancers away from songs that have been used too recently. This can lead to some
05:32creative challenges for the dancers, who have to whip up routines to tracks that might not fit
05:36their dance style for the week. 5. Not every partnership
05:48is a match made in ballroom heaven. Sometimes a dancer and a celeb will meet, hit it off,
05:53and their chemistry will carry them straight to the finals. Other times,
05:57the sparks between partners could light up the dance floor.
06:08Then there are moments where you could cut the frosty tension with a knife.
06:11We've heard plenty of backstage drama, but it's rare for the dancers to address
06:15these stories directly. However, Max didn't hold back about his Season 13 partner Hope Solo,
06:26describing her with some not-so-friendly language. Meanwhile, Tony Dovolani made his
06:31feelings about Kate Gosselin crystal clear. You can't throw two strangers together and always
06:42get magic. Maybe they need pro-celeb speed dating to see who clicks best.
06:474. The choreographing process Now that we know costumes and music
06:51are mostly out of the pros' hands, you might be curious, what about choreography? That's all on
06:57them. Emma Slater revealed that pros get little notice of their next routine if they make it
07:10through to the next week, so don't be surprised if you catch one choreographing in their kitchen
07:14well after midnight following a long day of camera blocking. Karagosh said she begins
07:19mentally choreographing, and her husband Pasha helps bring her vision to life.
07:29While there's some friendly competition, the pros often help each other,
07:33like when Ballas asked Eric Hough to help with his Charleston with Alexa Pennevega.
07:37Choreography is constantly evolving, with pros devising backup moves from A to Z, just in case.
07:503. What actually happened during the Ryan Lochte stage invasion?
07:56In one of the show's most dramatic moments, protesters stormed the stage while Ryan Lochte
08:01and Cheryl Burke were receiving feedback from the judges. On her YouTube channel,
08:05Burke recounted the ordeal, revealing how shaken she was by the incident,
08:09having gotten to know Lochte beyond the headlines.
08:12Though they were seemingly aware of some protesters in the audience,
08:20they performed their foxtrot anyway. Burke described the shock and tears that unfolded
08:25off-camera after the stage invasion, noting how rattled everyone was.
08:34Even host Tom Bergeron apparently got caught up in the crossfire.
08:38The whole incident left a lasting impression on Burke, who admitted it was one of the most
08:42unsettling moments of her Dancing with the Stars career.
08:552. Backstage drama
08:57We're not just talking about any behind-the-scenes drama. This is what allegedly went down backstage
09:02when Bristol Palin competed. On Cheryl Burke's podcast, Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans, Palin talked
09:19about the chaos that erupted when she made it to the finals despite her, on average, lower scores.
09:24The most explosive reaction apparently came from singer Brandi's mom,
09:28who was fuming after her daughter got booted in the semifinals.
09:32Burke described the scene as quote,
09:38like Jerry Springer in there, with Brandi's mom allegedly quote,
09:41up on her feet, foaming at the mouth. Palin confessed that the tension was so thick that
09:46she almost felt like she owed her an apology. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to
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10:08go into your settings and switch on notifications. 1. The pros can't choose their pairings
10:15According to Alan Burstyn, the producers are open to hearing which celebs the pros would love to
10:19partner with, but that's about as far as their influence goes.
10:27One of the biggest factors is height. Matching partners with similar stature probably makes
10:37routines easier to coordinate, though the opposite seems to be true for how they cast Daniela's
10:43partners. Another consideration is personality compatibility,
10:57though as we've seen, they don't always get it right. Ballas said they also try to pair
11:02celebs with pros whose teaching styles they think will suit them best. In a fan Q&A,
11:06Alan joked that producers like to choose pairings that'll stir up drama and grab headlines.
11:11And while they say all publicity is good publicity, we're pretty sure he's just kidding.
11:22Have you come across any other behind-the-scenes tidbits shared by past or present pros?
11:26Share them in the comments.
11:36Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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