7 Non-Negotiable Rules the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Cast Have to Follow

We’re just a few weeks away from Dancing With the Stars season 35 and the cast is already busy at rehearsals for the premiere on September 15. And apparently there are some pretty strict rules they have to follow!

You HAVE to Use the DWTS Hair and Makeup Team

It doesn’t matter how attached you are to your own glam, you’re required to use the in-house team. "Women have had this fear about [wanting] to have their own hair and makeup artists, but you can't have that here,” Deena Katz told Glamour. “Our team is award-winning and fantastic. Kirstie Alley had a really hard time with it and really fought it. Now Kirstie uses our makeup artist for her. I get that fear, but they just have to take a leap with all of it. We promise they're going to look great.”

You Have NO Control Over the Editing Process

Meaning, if you say something you regret on camera during rehearsal, you can’t ask for it to be cut. Katz added that, “The thing I say to all the celebs is, If you say it on camera...' Those are the moments the audience likes to see. But if something really awful happens or someone says something terrible, we're not going to use it.”

You Can’t Pick the Music

POV: You’re a celebrity on DWTS, it’s Disney night, and you have visions of yourself twirling around to “A Whole New World.” Well, you’re fresh out of luck because it turns out the DWTS cast—including pros—is not allowed to pick their own music. It’s fully up to the discretion of producers.

You HAVE to Practice 7 Days a Week

Dancing With the Stars is a huge time commitment and the celebs are expected to take it extremely seriously. They need to be in the studio seven days a week, and according to Amy Purdy in The L.A. Times (via Good Housekeeping), there are “no days off.”

You Can’t Wear Any Logos on Your Clothes

I guess DWTS isn’t about to start doing free advertising for brands!

There’s a Strict No-Lift Rule

This keeps the playing field even for people who aren’t able to do them. Though Judge Carrie Ann Inaba had to issue a reminder in Season 31, writing on Instagram Stories, “To all the semi-finalists: Please...No lifts tomorrow night. In watching the shows back, I see I may have missed a lift or two. The competition is very close so let's keep the rules in mind."

You Can’t Wear Your Costume Until Right Before Showtime

This is to avoid them getting destroyed. Costume designer Steven Lee confirmed to TV Insider that celebs step into their costumes for the first time “two hours before the show.”

Reminder that Dancing With the Stars Season 35 has a two-night premiere kicking off September 15!