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There's something extremely entertaining about seeing Buzz Aldrin do the cha-cha and Michael Bolton dressed in ruffles and that's exactly why Dancing With the Stars has remained a staple on ABC for the past 28 seasons. But what goes into the stars getting to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy? From the grueling rehearsals to the makeup guidelines that often get pushback, we're breaking down all of the rules the Dancing With the Stars competitors have to follow.

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You have to get an offer from the casting director.

Deena Katz works as the show's executive talent producer and her job is to seek out the most interesting stars for the show. In Hollywood, DWTS is now seen as a great career move and celebrities clamor to get cast on it. "For your marketing, for your career, this is like Willy Wonka's golden ticket," Katz told Slate.

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You don't have to be a trending celebrity.

Sometimes the cast of DWTS reads like a crazy dinner party from a dream. That's because Katz purposefully includes a mix of celebrities from across the entire pop culture zeitgeist. She chooses nostalgia picks, people in the news, and even people who "the idea of them dancing makes you laugh," Katz told Slate.

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Being a fan could help you get cast.

The show looks for celebrities who are fans of the show when scouting for potential contestants. This move increases the odds that the star will sign on and helps assure a good attitude during the process.

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You aren't locked into the show after the cast reveal.

With all the fanfare that goes into announcing the DWTS cast, one would think that the contestants would be locked into an iron-clad deal by the big reveal. Nope. There are always loop holes in show business that keep stars from actually filming.

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You can (but shouldn't!) drop out at the last minute.

"Vincent Pastore was the guy from The Sopranos and was rehearsing with Edyta Sliwinska but had heart issues, so that's when John Ratzenberger joined. And Mark McGrath dropped out and Rocco DiSpirito came in," Katz told Galmour. Producers even say some stars have kept them guessing if they were going to show until right before filming started.

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Some stars are cast as a backup.

In the event that a celebrity contestant doesn't show up, the show usually has a backup star who can take their place. When producers were afraid Master P wasn't going to show, they had Kill Bill star David Carradine rehearsed and ready to go in a trailer on set, just in case.

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There's no disclosed age limit.

Dancing with the Stars has never disclosed an age limit and the youngest contestant to ever compete was a 14 year old Willow Shields. ABC also produced a spin-off show, Dancing With the Stars: Juniors, for child stars and children of celebrities.

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You're matched with a pro dancer strategically.

Ever wonder how the DWTS pairings come to be? Showrunner Rob Wade told E! News it's a simple formula, "based on height, build and personality and compatibility."

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Producers make sure partners like each other.

After all, the stress and rigor of live ballroom dancing is enough to serve up plenty of drama for the cameras. "We don't pair people who aren't going to get on. It's too intense. It's not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn't do that," Wade told E! News. "You don't want to see two people who don't like each other."

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Cast romances are encouraged.

Romances between contestants are a big topic of debate on DWTS and producers love them, because they help generate buzz for the show. While a host of legitimate relationships have come out of the reality show, most of the flings fade with the spotlight.

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You don't get to choose your dancing partner.

"There are some celebs that have wishes, and we always say we can't guarantee," Katz told Glamour. In the end though, the producers have the final say.

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Dancers don't get to choose their star either.

Although fans think they've spotted trends in partners why are Mark Ballas's partners always young? the professional dancers have no input on who they compete with.

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Producers choose the music for the dances.

According to Kym Johnson, the dancers are allowed to suggest songs at the beginning of the season, but since there are so many pairs to coordinate performances with, producers take the lead on deciding who will dance to what.

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You can't choose the theme either.

Whether it's cha-cha night or all about Disney, the teams don't pick the themes and they vary from season to season.

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If you're part of the cast, you'll get paid.

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You can compete for bonus payments.

How do stars make more than their $125,000 signing bonus? Their paycheck increases the more they advance on the show, with finalists earning up to $50,000 for the final two episodes. This creates an incentive to keep stars committed to the competition.

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Dancers don't get paid as much as the stars.

It's been reported that the professional dancers make close to $5,200 per episode, which adds up to about $100,000 per season.

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You have to practice seven days a week.

DWTS has a reputation for having a demanding rehearsal schedule and, according to former Olympian Amy Purdy, there are "no days off." Celebrities meet and rehearse with their partner every day to prepare for the Monday night live show.

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You have to use the show's hair and makeup teams.

The show receives a lot of pushback on this rule. "Women have had this fear about [wanting] to have their own hair and makeup artists, but you can't have that here. 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," Katz told Glamour.

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Contestants have to get spray tans every week.

The show's rumored "Spray Tan Sundays" are all too real, as the show's head makeup artist, Courtney Zena Shteysel, revealed. Each contestant gets bronzed from head to toe once a week in preparation for taping.

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The same rule applies to wardrobe.

The wardrobe team is award-winning and is specially versed in ballroom dancing costumes. Because of this, the show insists that all wardrobe decisions are made by their team.

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You have to be flexible with wardrobe.

Former dancing pro Tony Dovolani says that costumes usually aren't finished until an hour before the show. "People don't get to wear their costumes until dress rehearsal," Tony told Glamour. "There are alterations being made from dress rehearsal until the live show."

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You have to arrive early the morning of the live show.

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The dress rehearsal is mandatory.

This is when producers and the show's director make sure that the show is mapped out the way they want.

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Producers can change anything in a performance.

During the dress rehearsal, producers and the director have control over the performance and are allowed to tweak any aspect of it, which could mean anything from wardrobe to lighting changes.

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Celebrities are expected to contribute to the choreography.

While the pro dancers take the lead, celebrities aren't just along for the ride. Both team members are expected to contribute which often ends up being a great source of drama on the show.

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For the group number, stars don't get a say.

The group opening number that fans have come to love is choreographed by an on-staff head choreographer. Contestants don't have any say in the creative direction for this dance and are required to participate each week.

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You have to give an interview after every performance.

As soon as the team steps off of the dance floor, they're thrown in front of the camera for an interview. While it may be a welcome distraction for some of the stars, as they wait for their scores to be determined, it's also necessary for the show to get their reactions to their performance.

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Producers have control over the storylines.

Although some claim that the show is faked or fixed by producers, showrunner Rob Wade insists that they merely follow emerging storylines that develop from the contestants. To do this, producers keep a close eye on whats going on with each team and build on any potential drama.

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You have to be willing to share on camera.

The show's producers told Glamour that there's a lot that doesn't make it onto TV, but the stars opening up to viewers is one of the key parts of the show. "You have to open yourself up to the process. Seeing Maks [Chmerkovskiy] at his most vulnerable with Meryl [Davis] made people want to see his journey," executive producer Joe Sungkur said.

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38 Rules 'Dancing With the Stars' Contestants Have to Follow - GoodHousekeeping.com