November 28, 2025 • 38 mins
There’s no harder working crew on TV than the fast-paced, always-on-call team behind Dancing with the Stars. And arguably, no one is under more pressure than the costume department.
Tasked with creating dozens of new outfits every week, it’s no surprise this team has seen its share of award show nominations. And helping lead the pack - costumer Daniela Gschwendtner!
Hear all about her creative process and how every single rhinestone has a reason. And what themes does she look forward to every year? And which does she dread?
Plus, find out which past costumes she considers iconic - all on a new Danielle With…
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello, everybody. I am Daniel Fischel, TV director, podcaster, mom
of two, and a multi time answer on Jeopardy under
the name of my nineteen nineties family sitcom character to
Panga Lawrence. But if you've been like millions of Americans
over the past few months, then you might recognize me
as a competitor on season thirty four of Dancing with
(00:37):
the Stars, the reality competition show. I was just recently
eliminated from making it all the way to the Elite
eight and along the way. Even now that I've been
ceremoniously removed, I am recording this podcast, creating a journal
of sorts detailing my life changing journey from zero dance
experience to some dance experience. Even if I didn't find
(01:00):
myself hoisting the Len Goodman mirror Ball trophy above my
head and victory, I do still have this here microphone.
I've been talking with pros, former contestants, fellow season thirty
four cast members, and wildly talented behind the scenes geniuses
in order to further understand the worldwide phenomenon that is
Dancing with the Stars, and this week I am chatting
(01:21):
with one of the most crucial components of that machine.
During my time on the show, so many aspects of
how It's run is both fascinating and basically unbelievable. And
as a part of the Celebrated Costumes division, she helps
run a team that makes everyone dancing look like a
million bucks, even when their footwork taps out around a
(01:43):
few thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And keep in.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Mind she is in charge of creating new costumes week
after week for at one point over a dozen different couples,
sometimes in theme, sometimes shinier than a Christmas tree, sometimes
numerous looks per show, all in less than The pressure
is immense, and yet every episode is filled with not
(02:05):
only beautiful outfits, but choice is made with care and elegance.
If you have only a few hours and need a
donkey costume that is both TV ready and danceable, well,
thankfully for allan, there's only one team on TV who
can pull something like that off. You can't step in
the ballroom without looking the part, which is why this
week I am absolutely honored to be speaking with a
(02:28):
true backstage legend of the show, someone who has proven
to accomplish the impossible week after week, year after year.
It's Emmy nominated costumer Daniella Schwentner.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Daniella hold out, Hi, Hi, Hi technology working.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
No, you the fabulous, you were here, You're ready, you
know exactly how to work the camera. You look gorgeous
as per usual.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I don't know about that. It's been a rough day
to day, has it? You know this room? Bells?
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I do?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I know that room.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I've stood there in many a hamstring brace yes in Yeah,
thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I
know just how grueling your schedule is as you approach
the semifinals, but I would like the audience to understand
this a little bit. How many costumes are you making
(03:22):
for just this week with the twentieth anniversary of the
show taking place Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well, you know, this is a mix now of things
that we restructure, things that we shop, things that we make.
So custom make is probably I don't I really don't know.
It's it's double dances. So with seven couples, I think
we are right now, so fourteen custom make from scratch,
But then a lot of things that just need to
(03:50):
be restructured, you know, and that's sometimes just as much
work as making it from you know, scratch, because our
stuff has rhinestones. Every alteration they have to peel of
rhinestones off, you know, scripts have to be changed. So
it's it's still a pretty big big.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
It's a big undertaking even if you buy something.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, in the end, I think now we're looking at
over two hundred costumes, you know, easily for just one week,
you know, oh my gosh. Yeah, because we just had
a show which unfortunately you left us. I know, I
left you, guys. I was so sad, I know, and
then the Christmas Special and now the twentieth where we
have so many returning people. So it's it's definitely been
(04:33):
a week.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
But yeah, we roll with it, and you and you
somehow find found time to say, how about this Sunday
at three pm? I can fit in a podcast. Maybe
you have a you maybe you enjoy the pain.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, I guess. So, yeah, this worked out kind of. Okay,
we have a dress rehearsal in an hour, so I think, okay,
half hour, I can sneak away.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Perfect have my radio on so in case some emergency
emergency happens. But okay, I want to start at the
very beginning. Were you a kid who was making dresses
for your dolls? When did you start to have an
eye for fashion.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I was more the kid who told her grandmother but
all a little bit. I didn't necessarily all make them myself.
But my grandma was a seamstress, and so I did
grow up with sewing and all. But I always was
a little bit like my ideas were a little bigger
than what I could sew myself. So I very early
(05:27):
on had people help me with that process because I'm
more the idea person. I draw it, you know, as
you know, I find the fabriak, I figure out with
you guys the rope map of what we're doing, and
then I have we have a fantastic team here, you
know if fought who cuts everything and puts it together
for me in the workroom, and then the ladies who
(05:47):
you know helped put it together and rhinestone and so
it's a big it's a big group of people who
help with this here.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You know, Yes, and your relationship and friendship with a
thought is one of my most favorite memories and experiences
of my time on Dancing with the Stars. The way
you two work together with so much respect and admiration
for one another and the exchange of ideas. I just
love both you ladies so much. Okay, So I love
(06:18):
that you are basically the big idea person and you
don't so much consider yourself to be the technician, the
actual person able to make your dream come true. Although
you do know how to sew, but that's not what
you don't spend your time doing that so much anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, I think, you know, I think my career always
took me into the design area, and then there were
people who were just you know, you have to do
something over and over to be really good at it,
you know. I mean, yes, there's a lot of people
who can do things, but to be really good, you
have to do it a lot. And I have a
team that is really good. So and there's also on
(06:57):
a show like this, no time, you know, between all
the meetings we have to do in the fabric shopping
in the fittings and and you know, the sketches and
talking to everybody about the sketches. You know, there's not
enough hours in the day for one person to do everything,
you know, So we I mean, obviously there's you know,
Steven leads the boys, I lead the girls, and and
(07:20):
we you know, then you have to delegate. There's fantastic
shoemakers that help us out. There's a man's tailor, there's women's.
You know, there's so many difficult hands on deck, all hands,
a lot of hands on every hand is needed.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You know, yes, how did this become a career for you?
Did you go to school for.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I did that? I did know. I always wanted to
be in fashion, and I always was, you know, drawn
to that. I went to school for it. I got
a fashion design and Merchandising degree, which really means not
that much when you get in the real world. But
I actually started as a stylist, and you know, one
(08:01):
day I decided I wanted to know more than just
purchasing clothes, and you know, I wanted to actually know
how to create them. And I was lucky I ended
up on shows that allowed that to learn that. And
then I landed here with with no dance experience whatsoever.
You know, I was like, I didn't know a possible
(08:21):
from a chart show and I started here. I was like,
what's that? You know, I'm sure you learned the dance
has taught a lot, and I learned a lot, and
you know, so it was an interesting journey to be
here where I am now.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And you actually started on scripted shows. Right, it was
one of your first shows, Charmed, which is a pretty
costume heavy show.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, that was my first show that I designed. Towards
the end, I took it over from another design. Eventually
I supervised and then I designed it. Yeah. It was,
you know, another one where I really got to learn
how to you know, make a fantasy costume, things that
aren't just out there, you know, just gone to shop
a banjee or you know whatever crazy demon our producers
(09:05):
back then came up with. So yeah, So that was that.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And so you joined Dancing with the Stars in two
thousand and nine. How did this opportunity come about to you?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
You know? It was actually funny enough. I think it
was partially s Steven because Stephen was an intern on
Charmed with me. And then I left town for New
Mexico and did a show there for three and a
half years, and then I came back and I was like,
I need a job, and he was like, well, it's
(09:39):
not a design job. I actually started as a key
on this show, which was not I had been designing
for I don't know how many years, probably eight years
at that point, but I had lost sort of my
contacts here in town, and everybody was telling me I
was committing career suicide because you don't go backwards in Hollywood.
And I was like, well, but I learned something, and
(10:01):
you know, learning something is always better than sitting at
home waiting for a phone call. Yes, so I ended
up joining this team, and I don't know, it happened
that they needed a designer for the Chooster Show and
you're of us, and they're like, you're a designer, design it,
and then eventually I became, you know, it became part
(10:21):
of the girls designing the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I love that. I love that, you know, because sometimes
it is you'll get advice from people and you think, oh,
am I doing the wrong thing, but your instincts told
you no, and also your desire to work and to
learn something, and you thought, okay, worst case scenario, I
go and work on a show and it's it's not
up to my standard of what I have been doing
(10:46):
for the last eight years, but I'm going to learn
something new. I'm going to enjoy it, and then look
what happens. Like that's such a good lesson for people
to trust your instincts sometimes, you know, I think.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
So because I really look back on that decision, and
it was I really never think that way, you know,
But listening to others, you're like, is this really bad
if I do this? You know, people think I go
really backwards, But for me, it was like I'm always
intrigued when I learned something new, and this was not
a jeans and T shirt show, you know, I was like,
(11:15):
obviously something, if nothing else, just how to rhinestone, which
I did back then, I'm of rhinestoning, and yeah, I
think that's the thing, you know, And now looking back,
I mean eighteen years on the show, I'm like, my
life would have gone a totally different direction if I
hadn't taken the.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Show right exactly, life changing moment for you right there,
real fork in the road. Okay, I wanted to speaking
of the rhinestoning, I have seen some of the rhinestoning
taking place outside. I think, is it really every individual
hand place and glued rhinestone?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yes, every single one is placed and yeah by hand.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, that is must be the most time consuming work.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Well, we have gotten pretty good at it. You know,
we have a system down. We use glues ve enges
in our girls. So again, as something you do a lot,
you get very good and fast ed, you know so.
But yeah, obviously that's a big element of the show,
which is why we have to push the girls through early.
(12:22):
As you know, when you come for your first fitting,
things don't look all that great yet they're just about
to get a shell on you. To get a you know,
make sure we have a guideline because we need at
the back end so much time to write stone it
so it does look beautiful, you know. That is what
takes our costumes then out of like the ordinary into
the spectacular. You know, it's the stones.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
So speaking of that that first fitting, let's go through
a typical week for you, and I know the week's change,
especially as you get later into the season and now
there become you know, group dances and two dances and
three dances. Let's start kind of at the beginning of
a season. What does a week look like for you?
At the very beginning? How does how does the week start?
You get the idea for the theme?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, you know, we we obviously we are in team
with the producers. I mean, there is a creative normally
given to us that kind of explains what the story
should be, what lighting we're doing, what maybe what story
we want to convey, you know, in the first in
the beginning, you know, normally we want to introduce our talent,
(13:24):
you know, the new celebrities that come on. If they
I mean, if they're a sports person, we want to
not given not to the sport therein for example, or
you know for everybody, or you had, like eventually on
the show a number where it was a not to
your show, and so you know, so every week has
those elements, and then you do the research or you
(13:46):
talk to you know, you and your partner, and there's
there's so much dialogue involved until we get to a
costume because we you know, there's the music, there's a
story we want to tell, there's what producers want it
to look like. Then we need to think for the women,
what skirts right for you? What can you do and
(14:06):
not do in that? What is your choreography? Then it's
normally for me, a sketch you know that I show
you and we look at a fabric that I think
is right for what we talked about, and then it
goes through the motions, it gets cut, it gets put together,
it gets fit for the first time. Then after the
first time, it goes back it gets you know, fine
tuned to the point where we start winstoning it and
(14:29):
then we fit it again then and dances.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
And you are always working on more than one week
at a time, because that first sketch and meeting happens
at least one full week before the week you're talking about.
But plus, when you're in production, you're actually doing the
fittings for the current outfit that you're wearing. So there's
never a time where you're not thinking about multiple costumes
(14:56):
for every single celebrity.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yes, for every girl dance and every female celebrity. That
that's true, and Dad was Dad. We're kind of used to.
What was the challenge this time was we had this
Christmas special also, so it was times when we had
three shows in our heads, and you know that it
gets a little confusing at times. You're like, but show,
what are you talking about? What show are you talking
(15:21):
about right now? Oh wow?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
And you of course obviously know all the materials that
make those costumes also danceable, because we're also limited by
the fact that we have to be able to move.
And so you know, thankfully you've been doing this long
enough that everything's made in a way that even though
you are very sucked in. You can still dance in it,
(15:44):
you can still breathe in it. There's usually room for
a mic pack, which is everyone's favorite conversation, where's the
mic pack going? Fun little tidbit for our listeners. Most
of the time, the pack itself is in your near
your butt, very very very close to your your butt,
and then occasionally, for whatever reason, it can't be near
(16:04):
your butt, it is in your breast, like in your
bra area, which is not everyone's favorite spot. Although I
actually preferred it to the one in my butt. I
did not like the butt.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Back like you like, what's the least offensive place exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So Also, I know this is not a very sexy topic,
but networks don't love spending tons of money, even on
a massive hit show like Dancing with the Stars, So
you still have to make all of this costuming for
all of these people happen within a budget, right, Yes,
But I.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Have to say that's been really good on the show
for okay, because I think everybody understands that besides the
dance and the dancer, the only other thing you really
see full on all the time is the costume. And
also it really does help the dance, so much, you know,
and when you have a beautiful flowing walt skirt versus
(17:08):
you know, I mean, we really do spend on the
good fabric there and the stes and rather than you know,
our producers are very good that way. They understand that
we really do need to make it look beautiful, you know,
because a big part of the beauty is how it
moves and how it fits and how it looks on
you guys. You know that's great good. I'm so glad.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
I'm so glad they're not waving a check book over
your head, going you can't do this. I will say
I never felt that way in any of in any
of the fittings. I never felt like there was something
we wanted or asked for and the response was anything
other than yes, we can do that. Speaking of which
I had to give you credit on my on my podcast.
I know you heard it a while back. There was
(17:52):
when we did for the Cha Cha I we originally
Daniella wanted to have straps on the dress and she
wanted it to feel feel different than my promo hot
pink dress that I had worn. And I loved my
promo dress so much, and it was a halter and
so I reached out to Danielle and I was like,
(18:13):
can we do a halter? I just felt like that
was so comfortable and I loved the way it looked,
and she was like, yes, we can do that, and
she told me her reasons why she wanted to do
the straps, and I was like, I think I still
want to do a halter. She said okay, And then
the night of the show, I put that dress on
and it weighed so many rhinestone pounds and it just
(18:38):
was completely hanging on me and we all watched it
during dress rehearsal and I immediately took it off and
said I was wrong. I was wrong, Danielle, I apologize.
I need to have straps put on this. And within
an hour I had a dress that had the straps
that Daniella originally wanted on the dress, and it fit
and worked so much better. So never never doubt you.
(19:01):
You You've been doing this a very long time. You
know what you're doing. Uh, And I just I wanted
to apologize again for thinking I knew better.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Oh please, though you didn't calculate in that that dress
weigh seven thousand more pounds than the Troma dressed because
I was all beaded fringe, and those are our heaviest dresses.
And especially when you move, you know, and you start
moving with beaded fringe, it just pulls poles and poles
and poles. Yes, that is true. That was an easy fix.
(19:30):
And you know the I mean, we do try to
make everybody. You know, if somebody really loves something, I
will always give it a try until you can see
maybe that it doesn't work. Then we fix it, and
then you fix it.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Then you go, okay, I already had those straps made up, Danielle,
I was ready to go. Do you look forward to
the theme weeks every week? Does the having a theme
(20:05):
help you with creativity or does it sometimes feel a
bit like a burden?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Yes? And no exactly. I mean, I think theme weeks
are good sometimes because they give us all a roadmap.
There's not so much like, oh, we could do this
or that or the other. You know, it's where you
when you when you design for an individual dancer, because
there's so many options you could go with, you know,
so the the theme weeks definitely limit that down. But
(20:34):
I personally I am not a fan of copying anything,
you know, so that's why sometimes I don't love that
when I have to copy with another designer, design doesn't
feel like as fun to me, you know, And especially
when it's like like Disney, where it's really supposed to
be correct, you know, like look like that character, so
(20:55):
you're copying pretty exact. That is that has its other
child challenges. You know. It's kind of like you look
at a color for ten times a day and you're like,
is it really to write blue? Is really to write blue?
Is it a little shade? Darker, lighter than you know?
So that has that challenge. But I mean both, you know,
(21:15):
the show has both and both we you just roll
roll with that, with all of it.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yeah, I want to talk to you a little bit
about Prince Week because I was very excited that if
I made it to Prince Week, we were doing bat
Dance we were going to do and I was so
excited about it because in the video for bat Dance,
Prince is wearing a purple joker suit, and I just
knew I was going to be able to hand over
(21:44):
that inspiration to you and that you were going to
come up with something incredible for that week. So what
are you what aspects of Prince Week in particular, are
you looking forward to what inspiration are you taking?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Well, you know, it was he also had such a
strong looked as like looks of we just really associate
with with him, so we're trying to, of course take
an essence from all of that. So it's fun because
it's it's taking a very creative personality and persons and
(22:22):
in trying to you know, put a spin on it
for dance room stars, which is always just an aspect
of that. So you take an element, you know. So
that's fun because there's so many elements. You know, sometimes
when we have a theme week or an artist that's
a little bit more limited. But I think we have
no limitations there really because there were so many different
(22:42):
cool looks that totally can use as inspiration and build
you know, build off of. So I think that's the
best part about it is that we don't land in
just one color theme or you know how we do
sometimes with certain theme weeks, like with Wicked we ended
up in all green pretty much, right, I don't think,
So this is a lot more you know, there's a
(23:05):
lot more versatility in the looks that we can emulate
there or take as a base for inspiration.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Now every year there are different theme weeks added, and
they change and everything, but one thing that pretty much
remains constant is Halloween Week. What is your feeling on
Halloween Week? Do you love it? Do you feel like
you have a lot of creativity that week?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah? I do. I mean again a little bit after
eighteen years, you've done a lot for looks, you know,
which is on one hand grade because we can build
off those again. You know, like that's something that I
feel like I'm learning to do now, is how can
it take something I've done already and modified into something
that it's new and which helps a lot because then
(23:48):
you don't have to you know, you don't have to
start so much from scratch, but you can use your
time to elaborate on something like you know, our when
we started our skeletons a little more basic. Now they
are real bondes and different. You again, the learning process.
You know, I love Halloween because it's you know, it's
(24:08):
it's fun and the looks are like a little bit
easy for us. Again when you have like something given
me know what a skeleton looks like? We know what
you know what those characters normally need to be whereas
you know, sometimes the hardest is something where you're completely
on your own with a look. Okay, I just want
(24:30):
a sexy Argentine tango, but that can be a million things,
you know, Like then I need to really think, who
are you? What is your body? What do you like
on yourself? What have I learned about you? Or the
last few weeks of knowing you? You know, so I
will maybe give you a halta like I did in contempores,
because I know that dress will work that way, so
(24:51):
you know, you just but I feel I do more
thinking when it's something original, you know, when it's something
that somebody doesn't tell me, Oh it has to look
like like this Disney character or like this Halloween character
or something. You know. I feel like we're more creative
when we don't have those guidelines.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
And so then what does happen to these beautiful costumes,
these one of a kind costumes when the season is over?
Where do they go? Where do ballroom costumes go to rest?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
They go into a storage area which is rather large,
and we keep most of it, I mean, because as
I said, you know, it's it's as we learn how
to build on things that exist, you know, with all
these teen dances group dances, we can bring things back
and modify them and you know, give them a new
(25:43):
life rather than it would be a shame. These costumes
are so time consuming, so expensive to make, it would
be horrible to just get rid of them. So of
course we all have you know, another life. We have
a dance and the stars tour, they go on that,
and then obviously we use things because it's the only
way to make the show happen, is you know, at
(26:06):
least we use a fully stone bodies and put a
different scord on it.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Or some of course, have you ever had an idea
for a theme on the show, maybe something they haven't
done yet, but as a costumer you would just die
to work on.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
No, I actually haven't think you Spoto like we should
do maybe a fashion designer inspired, you know now like
Chanel and like there's you know, har money and that's
a great idea, Utia. I mean, obviously there would be.
It would be very fun to you know, go into
(26:41):
these different looks of these designers and make those like
something else since we're already looking allotted fashion for the show,
you know, because that's the that's the fun part. We
have kind of married fashion with dance more and more.
M So it'd be fun to maybe look into the
you know, into the different fashion houses that maybe take
(27:02):
inspiration from what their signature looks are.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Oh, that's such a great idea.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Is there one costume in particular that you look back
on and you think, I cannot believe we pulled that off?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
No, there's many and many every week. I feel that sometimes,
but I honestly not even kidding. No, I think these
years now are better. There were many years when I
had to learn about you know, you made mistakes and
things didn't work and you know that stuff. I feel
like there were definitely times when fixing something that I
(27:38):
just had to learn that that doesn't work for dance,
or that is not as good as I thought in
my head it would be. I think that were more
the times where we scrambled. Now, I feel we know more.
You know, we won't do certain things anymore because you
know they'll get us in trouble.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yeah. While researching I was looking at some of the
costumes over your years on the show, and one of
my favorites was Lindsay Sterling and Mark Ballast for their
quick step dressed as butterflies.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, yeah, that heard one.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Dress was so beautiful. Do you have any favorites that
come to mind right away when you think of favorite costumes?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Well, there were there were some that stand out just
because they were kind of first on the show. You
know we did we did a dress actually for Sadie
robertson Long time back that we said it was all
rhinestones into a long skirt. So it was we we
counted was over twenty five thousand stones.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Oh my oh god.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
We were like, that's probably our most rhinestone dress ever,
which I think we have surpassed at this point, but
that stood out. I mean, I feel like the first
Flamenco pass. So we did stand out. You know, every
time you did we did something new that we hadn't
done before. That stands out in my mind a little
bit because we had to learn how to how does
(29:00):
that get put together? That's more thoughts doing, but also
what fabric do we use for that? You know, once
you have done it, you know all that worked or
it didn't work, and next time I won't do that anymore.
The first time you do any outfit is always you know,
you're like you have to learn something about it. Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
The Lend Goodman tribute in twenty twenty three was also
such a tall task for you, and you made an
absolutely beautiful moment with the costuming. What was that assignment
like for you?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Well, you know, truthfully, that wasn't that hard because it
was it was a traditional ballroom number, you know, which
is something we did for a long time on the show,
and then we stopped doing it for a little bit.
So if it was fun to bring that back out,
and as I said, we had bases that we could
you know, add feathers to and just dress up. So
(30:08):
it's actually a little easier than people think it was.
You know, it looked brand and beautiful, but because we
were able to use existing things and just stress them
up and make them more spectacular, it was actually, you know,
it was almost better than starting from scratch with that
because it looked much richer once you added feathers and
(30:29):
more stones, and you know, you elaborated on address that existed.
It just took that into that world that made it
so special. I think.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
So this Tuesday night, you have been handed another important
task to celebrate twenty years of Dancing with the Stars.
This podcast is going to be released after the show,
so you can feel free to spoil things. It won't
air until after. Talk about what everyone saw on what
was a very special night. How do you approach something
(30:59):
so bad like the twentieth anniversary of Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Well, I think, you know, we have people come back
from the past, which is really great. I think again,
it's more volume. Derek is choreographing that opening, So I
work with Derek a lot, so I kind of know
what he likes, you know, overall, and I think it
(31:24):
took just one zoom to kind of figure out the
direction because we had to jump on it really fast
because we had to make like, I don't know, twelve
feather skirts, and you know, it was things that we
couldn't even handle out of our department here. It had
to go to other places. So then I try to
find ways where somebody can follow a pattern, you know,
(31:45):
rather than having to develop something. So it worked out
actually kind of well too for us, because we had
something here that I knew would work, and then we
just copied that in another workroom. And then it's just
you know, going through the motions and getting it, making
some and pulling some and you know, it's it's what
(32:05):
we do. It's it wasn't necessarily more work than other
other weeks. Maybe more because it's more bodies a little bit,
but overall again, I mean for us, every week has
been right, every week thing like that. So we're just
a lot of bodies to dress that is, you know.
Then it becomes actually more of a logistical problem too,
(32:27):
because they all have you all have to rehearse and
when do we fit it? You know, when do we
get people so we can put things on their bodies
so we can keep moving. That I think is the
highest challenge when there's so much going on that everybody's
so busy they can't come see us. And the further
we push it close to you know, going life, the
(32:47):
less time we have to fix it, make it, change it,
whatever it needs for it to be good, you know.
So that's the biggest stress. I feel that was the
stress of this week to get the Christmas special organized thing,
get the twenty is also at the same time organized
and having all this parallel going and trying to fit
it and see when somebody was available, like I'm throwing
(33:09):
U s onn you right now. Yeah, it wasn't even
full outfits anymore. It was like this top and then
for another time. Because it all was in the morek summer,
I'm like, Okay, this is how we're doing it this week.
This week is going to be piece by piece.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yeah wow, you mentioned being you know, knowing Derek pretty
well and working closely with Derek.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Are there certain.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Pros that are very hands on about the costumes both
for them and their partner and others who are a
little more like, you're the expert, do whatever you want?
And if so, who are some of the more involved partners.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Well, I think it's definitely Derek Mark Val very involved,
you know. Then others are more like, you know, like
day La at asthmo duo thing. It depends, though, I
think it's I try to have a dialogue with everybody before,
you know. I'd never like to do a costume for
(34:05):
a celebrity women, for example, without checking with the pro
boy what's right for their dance because there's so many skirtstars.
I mean for the girls, the biggest part is the
skirt style. Am I doing the right thing for your choreography,
for your story, for what you want to express? If
I give you a soft flow, if skirt and you
(34:25):
want edgy, and yeah, then we're not. Like, it's not
going to work. And I need to know that, you know,
so I need to talk to the pro boys normally
all of them to some degree, to understand what are
you doing, what's right for your dance, what's right And
then I hope a lot of them trust me now
(34:46):
that I know what's right for their celebrity, for their body,
for you know that we're trying to make them understand.
You know, we're working with a person and they have
to like it on themselves, and they have to look
good in it, and they're body has to look good
in it, so you know, it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Of moving parts. Finally, the show has somehow found a
whole new audience and here we are in the middle
of a very unexpected renaissance for Dancing with the Stars.
As someone who has been there and seen it all firsthand,
why do you think Dancing with the Stars has been
(35:24):
able to speak to so many generations?
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Well, I think it's you know, first of all, it's
just really beautiful to the dancing music and you know,
the costume and everything. It is a little bit of
a fantasy world and most people do like dance and
music together. I think it's also we had, of course
(35:50):
a cast that came on lately that is heavily influencing
the younger generations, you know, so that brought a lot
of people I see, And I just think the reality
of it all, that this is a true reality show.
You can't fake it. You can't if you're not good
at dancing, or if you don't put in the time
(36:10):
to get good at it, and if you don't, if
the audience can't tell that you put in the time
to learn, and like, look at your journey. You know,
there's so much people have to learn and invest of
time and energy to be good at this show and
good at a dance and look good and have a
good performance. So I think people like to see that
because it is real. That's not something you can just
(36:33):
show up for and do. You have to actually really
be involved and do all the steps to get good
at it. And I think people like that they see that,
and it keeps it fresh and it keeps it interesting,
and you see people's journey and they have a good
week and a bad week, and it's just it's the
(36:53):
realness of it all. I think that really draws people in.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Yeah, I think you're right. I mean being well to
see where someone starts on day one and the attitude
or the energy that they have on day one versus
by week seven or week eight, and you see now
how far they've come in the relationship with their pro
and how that's developed. And yeah, it is like you,
it's impossible to not get sucked into the real story
(37:21):
of everyone who's on the show, and obviously you are
such an enormous part of that of showcasing us in
all the most beautiful, fantastic light. And so from the
bottom of my heart, just thank you so much for
the time we got to spend together and all the
wonderful work that you did for me. In particular, I'm
just so grateful. And I loved every single one of
(37:43):
my costumes. You already know that. I've already talked to
you about how I managed to have all those in
my closet. So we will talk about that more when
the season is over. I'm not going to bother you
with it before then. Danielle, thank you so much for
being here with me.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Thank you for having me law Bye Bye.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
Danielle with the Stars Produced and hosted by Danielle Fischell
Executive Producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge
of production, Danielle Romo, producer, editor and engineer Tara Sudebosch.
Theme song by Justin Siegel. Follow us on Instagram at
Danielle with Stars and vote for me
Hello, everybody. I am Daniel Fischel, TV director, podcaster, mom
of two, and a multi time answer on Jeopardy under
the name of my nineteen nineties family sitcom character to
Panga Lawrence. But if you've been like millions of Americans
over the past few months, then you might recognize me
as a competitor on season thirty four of Dancing with
(00:37):
the Stars, the reality competition show. I was just recently
eliminated from making it all the way to the Elite
eight and along the way. Even now that I've been
ceremoniously removed, I am recording this podcast, creating a journal
of sorts detailing my life changing journey from zero dance
experience to some dance experience. Even if I didn't find
(01:00):
myself hoisting the Len Goodman mirror Ball trophy above my
head and victory, I do still have this here microphone.
I've been talking with pros, former contestants, fellow season thirty
four cast members, and wildly talented behind the scenes geniuses
in order to further understand the worldwide phenomenon that is
Dancing with the Stars, and this week I am chatting
(01:21):
with one of the most crucial components of that machine.
During my time on the show, so many aspects of
how It's run is both fascinating and basically unbelievable. And
as a part of the Celebrated Costumes division, she helps
run a team that makes everyone dancing look like a
million bucks, even when their footwork taps out around a
(01:43):
few thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And keep in.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Mind she is in charge of creating new costumes week
after week for at one point over a dozen different couples,
sometimes in theme, sometimes shinier than a Christmas tree, sometimes
numerous looks per show, all in less than The pressure
is immense, and yet every episode is filled with not
(02:05):
only beautiful outfits, but choice is made with care and elegance.
If you have only a few hours and need a
donkey costume that is both TV ready and danceable, well,
thankfully for allan, there's only one team on TV who
can pull something like that off. You can't step in
the ballroom without looking the part, which is why this
week I am absolutely honored to be speaking with a
(02:28):
true backstage legend of the show, someone who has proven
to accomplish the impossible week after week, year after year.
It's Emmy nominated costumer Daniella Schwentner.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Daniella hold out, Hi, Hi, Hi technology working.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
No, you the fabulous, you were here, You're ready, you
know exactly how to work the camera. You look gorgeous
as per usual.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I don't know about that. It's been a rough day
to day, has it? You know this room? Bells?
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I do?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I know that room.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I've stood there in many a hamstring brace yes in Yeah,
thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I
know just how grueling your schedule is as you approach
the semifinals, but I would like the audience to understand
this a little bit. How many costumes are you making
(03:22):
for just this week with the twentieth anniversary of the
show taking place Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well, you know, this is a mix now of things
that we restructure, things that we shop, things that we make.
So custom make is probably I don't I really don't know.
It's it's double dances. So with seven couples, I think
we are right now, so fourteen custom make from scratch,
But then a lot of things that just need to
(03:50):
be restructured, you know, and that's sometimes just as much
work as making it from you know, scratch, because our
stuff has rhinestones. Every alteration they have to peel of
rhinestones off, you know, scripts have to be changed. So
it's it's still a pretty big big.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
It's a big undertaking even if you buy something.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, in the end, I think now we're looking at
over two hundred costumes, you know, easily for just one week,
you know, oh my gosh. Yeah, because we just had
a show which unfortunately you left us. I know, I
left you, guys. I was so sad, I know, and
then the Christmas Special and now the twentieth where we
have so many returning people. So it's it's definitely been
(04:33):
a week.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
But yeah, we roll with it, and you and you
somehow find found time to say, how about this Sunday
at three pm? I can fit in a podcast. Maybe
you have a you maybe you enjoy the pain.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, I guess. So, yeah, this worked out kind of. Okay,
we have a dress rehearsal in an hour, so I think, okay,
half hour, I can sneak away.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Perfect have my radio on so in case some emergency
emergency happens. But okay, I want to start at the
very beginning. Were you a kid who was making dresses
for your dolls? When did you start to have an
eye for fashion.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I was more the kid who told her grandmother but
all a little bit. I didn't necessarily all make them myself.
But my grandma was a seamstress, and so I did
grow up with sewing and all. But I always was
a little bit like my ideas were a little bigger
than what I could sew myself. So I very early
(05:27):
on had people help me with that process because I'm
more the idea person. I draw it, you know, as
you know, I find the fabriak, I figure out with
you guys the rope map of what we're doing, and
then I have we have a fantastic team here, you
know if fought who cuts everything and puts it together
for me in the workroom, and then the ladies who
(05:47):
you know helped put it together and rhinestone and so
it's a big it's a big group of people who
help with this here.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You know, Yes, and your relationship and friendship with a
thought is one of my most favorite memories and experiences
of my time on Dancing with the Stars. The way
you two work together with so much respect and admiration
for one another and the exchange of ideas. I just
love both you ladies so much. Okay, So I love
(06:18):
that you are basically the big idea person and you
don't so much consider yourself to be the technician, the
actual person able to make your dream come true. Although
you do know how to sew, but that's not what
you don't spend your time doing that so much anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, I think, you know, I think my career always
took me into the design area, and then there were
people who were just you know, you have to do
something over and over to be really good at it,
you know. I mean, yes, there's a lot of people
who can do things, but to be really good, you
have to do it a lot. And I have a
team that is really good. So and there's also on
(06:57):
a show like this, no time, you know, between all
the meetings we have to do in the fabric shopping
in the fittings and and you know, the sketches and
talking to everybody about the sketches. You know, there's not
enough hours in the day for one person to do everything,
you know, So we I mean, obviously there's you know,
Steven leads the boys, I lead the girls, and and
(07:20):
we you know, then you have to delegate. There's fantastic
shoemakers that help us out. There's a man's tailor, there's women's.
You know, there's so many difficult hands on deck, all hands,
a lot of hands on every hand is needed.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You know, yes, how did this become a career for you?
Did you go to school for.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I did that? I did know. I always wanted to
be in fashion, and I always was, you know, drawn
to that. I went to school for it. I got
a fashion design and Merchandising degree, which really means not
that much when you get in the real world. But
I actually started as a stylist, and you know, one
(08:01):
day I decided I wanted to know more than just
purchasing clothes, and you know, I wanted to actually know
how to create them. And I was lucky I ended
up on shows that allowed that to learn that. And
then I landed here with with no dance experience whatsoever.
You know, I was like, I didn't know a possible
(08:21):
from a chart show and I started here. I was like,
what's that? You know, I'm sure you learned the dance
has taught a lot, and I learned a lot, and
you know, so it was an interesting journey to be
here where I am now.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And you actually started on scripted shows. Right, it was
one of your first shows, Charmed, which is a pretty
costume heavy show.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, that was my first show that I designed. Towards
the end, I took it over from another design. Eventually
I supervised and then I designed it. Yeah. It was,
you know, another one where I really got to learn
how to you know, make a fantasy costume, things that
aren't just out there, you know, just gone to shop
a banjee or you know whatever crazy demon our producers
(09:05):
back then came up with. So yeah, So that was that.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And so you joined Dancing with the Stars in two
thousand and nine. How did this opportunity come about to you?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
You know? It was actually funny enough. I think it
was partially s Steven because Stephen was an intern on
Charmed with me. And then I left town for New
Mexico and did a show there for three and a
half years, and then I came back and I was like,
I need a job, and he was like, well, it's
(09:39):
not a design job. I actually started as a key
on this show, which was not I had been designing
for I don't know how many years, probably eight years
at that point, but I had lost sort of my
contacts here in town, and everybody was telling me I
was committing career suicide because you don't go backwards in Hollywood.
And I was like, well, but I learned something, and
(10:01):
you know, learning something is always better than sitting at
home waiting for a phone call. Yes, so I ended
up joining this team, and I don't know, it happened
that they needed a designer for the Chooster Show and
you're of us, and they're like, you're a designer, design it,
and then eventually I became, you know, it became part
(10:21):
of the girls designing the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I love that. I love that, you know, because sometimes
it is you'll get advice from people and you think, oh,
am I doing the wrong thing, but your instincts told
you no, and also your desire to work and to
learn something, and you thought, okay, worst case scenario, I
go and work on a show and it's it's not
up to my standard of what I have been doing
(10:46):
for the last eight years, but I'm going to learn
something new. I'm going to enjoy it, and then look
what happens. Like that's such a good lesson for people
to trust your instincts sometimes, you know, I think.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
So because I really look back on that decision, and
it was I really never think that way, you know,
But listening to others, you're like, is this really bad
if I do this? You know, people think I go
really backwards, But for me, it was like I'm always
intrigued when I learned something new, and this was not
a jeans and T shirt show, you know, I was like,
(11:15):
obviously something, if nothing else, just how to rhinestone, which
I did back then, I'm of rhinestoning, and yeah, I
think that's the thing, you know, And now looking back,
I mean eighteen years on the show, I'm like, my
life would have gone a totally different direction if I
hadn't taken the.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Show right exactly, life changing moment for you right there,
real fork in the road. Okay, I wanted to speaking
of the rhinestoning, I have seen some of the rhinestoning
taking place outside. I think, is it really every individual
hand place and glued rhinestone?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yes, every single one is placed and yeah by hand.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, that is must be the most time consuming work.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Well, we have gotten pretty good at it. You know,
we have a system down. We use glues ve enges
in our girls. So again, as something you do a lot,
you get very good and fast ed, you know so.
But yeah, obviously that's a big element of the show,
which is why we have to push the girls through early.
(12:22):
As you know, when you come for your first fitting,
things don't look all that great yet they're just about
to get a shell on you. To get a you know,
make sure we have a guideline because we need at
the back end so much time to write stone it
so it does look beautiful, you know. That is what
takes our costumes then out of like the ordinary into
the spectacular. You know, it's the stones.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
So speaking of that that first fitting, let's go through
a typical week for you, and I know the week's change,
especially as you get later into the season and now
there become you know, group dances and two dances and
three dances. Let's start kind of at the beginning of
a season. What does a week look like for you?
At the very beginning? How does how does the week start?
You get the idea for the theme?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, you know, we we obviously we are in team
with the producers. I mean, there is a creative normally
given to us that kind of explains what the story
should be, what lighting we're doing, what maybe what story
we want to convey, you know, in the first in
the beginning, you know, normally we want to introduce our talent,
(13:24):
you know, the new celebrities that come on. If they
I mean, if they're a sports person, we want to
not given not to the sport therein for example, or
you know for everybody, or you had, like eventually on
the show a number where it was a not to
your show, and so you know, so every week has
those elements, and then you do the research or you
(13:46):
talk to you know, you and your partner, and there's
there's so much dialogue involved until we get to a
costume because we you know, there's the music, there's a
story we want to tell, there's what producers want it
to look like. Then we need to think for the women,
what skirts right for you? What can you do and
(14:06):
not do in that? What is your choreography? Then it's
normally for me, a sketch you know that I show
you and we look at a fabric that I think
is right for what we talked about, and then it
goes through the motions, it gets cut, it gets put together,
it gets fit for the first time. Then after the
first time, it goes back it gets you know, fine
tuned to the point where we start winstoning it and
(14:29):
then we fit it again then and dances.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
And you are always working on more than one week
at a time, because that first sketch and meeting happens
at least one full week before the week you're talking about.
But plus, when you're in production, you're actually doing the
fittings for the current outfit that you're wearing. So there's
never a time where you're not thinking about multiple costumes
(14:56):
for every single celebrity.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yes, for every girl dance and every female celebrity. That
that's true, and Dad was Dad. We're kind of used to.
What was the challenge this time was we had this
Christmas special also, so it was times when we had
three shows in our heads, and you know that it
gets a little confusing at times. You're like, but show,
what are you talking about? What show are you talking
(15:21):
about right now? Oh wow?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
And you of course obviously know all the materials that
make those costumes also danceable, because we're also limited by
the fact that we have to be able to move.
And so you know, thankfully you've been doing this long
enough that everything's made in a way that even though
you are very sucked in. You can still dance in it,
(15:44):
you can still breathe in it. There's usually room for
a mic pack, which is everyone's favorite conversation, where's the
mic pack going? Fun little tidbit for our listeners. Most
of the time, the pack itself is in your near
your butt, very very very close to your your butt,
and then occasionally, for whatever reason, it can't be near
(16:04):
your butt, it is in your breast, like in your
bra area, which is not everyone's favorite spot. Although I
actually preferred it to the one in my butt. I
did not like the butt.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Back like you like, what's the least offensive place exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So Also, I know this is not a very sexy topic,
but networks don't love spending tons of money, even on
a massive hit show like Dancing with the Stars, So
you still have to make all of this costuming for
all of these people happen within a budget, right, Yes,
But I.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Have to say that's been really good on the show
for okay, because I think everybody understands that besides the
dance and the dancer, the only other thing you really
see full on all the time is the costume. And
also it really does help the dance, so much, you know,
and when you have a beautiful flowing walt skirt versus
(17:08):
you know, I mean, we really do spend on the
good fabric there and the stes and rather than you know,
our producers are very good that way. They understand that
we really do need to make it look beautiful, you know,
because a big part of the beauty is how it
moves and how it fits and how it looks on
you guys. You know that's great good. I'm so glad.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
I'm so glad they're not waving a check book over
your head, going you can't do this. I will say
I never felt that way in any of in any
of the fittings. I never felt like there was something
we wanted or asked for and the response was anything
other than yes, we can do that. Speaking of which
I had to give you credit on my on my podcast.
I know you heard it a while back. There was
(17:52):
when we did for the Cha Cha I we originally
Daniella wanted to have straps on the dress and she
wanted it to feel feel different than my promo hot
pink dress that I had worn. And I loved my
promo dress so much, and it was a halter and
so I reached out to Danielle and I was like,
(18:13):
can we do a halter? I just felt like that
was so comfortable and I loved the way it looked,
and she was like, yes, we can do that, and
she told me her reasons why she wanted to do
the straps, and I was like, I think I still
want to do a halter. She said okay, And then
the night of the show, I put that dress on
and it weighed so many rhinestone pounds and it just
(18:38):
was completely hanging on me and we all watched it
during dress rehearsal and I immediately took it off and
said I was wrong. I was wrong, Danielle, I apologize.
I need to have straps put on this. And within
an hour I had a dress that had the straps
that Daniella originally wanted on the dress, and it fit
and worked so much better. So never never doubt you.
(19:01):
You You've been doing this a very long time. You
know what you're doing. Uh, And I just I wanted
to apologize again for thinking I knew better.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Oh please, though you didn't calculate in that that dress
weigh seven thousand more pounds than the Troma dressed because
I was all beaded fringe, and those are our heaviest dresses.
And especially when you move, you know, and you start
moving with beaded fringe, it just pulls poles and poles
and poles. Yes, that is true. That was an easy fix.
(19:30):
And you know the I mean, we do try to
make everybody. You know, if somebody really loves something, I
will always give it a try until you can see
maybe that it doesn't work. Then we fix it, and
then you fix it.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Then you go, okay, I already had those straps made up, Danielle,
I was ready to go. Do you look forward to
the theme weeks every week? Does the having a theme
(20:05):
help you with creativity or does it sometimes feel a
bit like a burden?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Yes? And no exactly. I mean, I think theme weeks
are good sometimes because they give us all a roadmap.
There's not so much like, oh, we could do this
or that or the other. You know, it's where you
when you when you design for an individual dancer, because
there's so many options you could go with, you know,
so the the theme weeks definitely limit that down. But
(20:34):
I personally I am not a fan of copying anything,
you know, so that's why sometimes I don't love that
when I have to copy with another designer, design doesn't
feel like as fun to me, you know, And especially
when it's like like Disney, where it's really supposed to
be correct, you know, like look like that character, so
(20:55):
you're copying pretty exact. That is that has its other
child challenges. You know. It's kind of like you look
at a color for ten times a day and you're like,
is it really to write blue? Is really to write blue?
Is it a little shade? Darker, lighter than you know?
So that has that challenge. But I mean both, you know,
(21:15):
the show has both and both we you just roll
roll with that, with all of it.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yeah, I want to talk to you a little bit
about Prince Week because I was very excited that if
I made it to Prince Week, we were doing bat
Dance we were going to do and I was so
excited about it because in the video for bat Dance,
Prince is wearing a purple joker suit, and I just
knew I was going to be able to hand over
(21:44):
that inspiration to you and that you were going to
come up with something incredible for that week. So what
are you what aspects of Prince Week in particular, are
you looking forward to what inspiration are you taking?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Well, you know, it was he also had such a
strong looked as like looks of we just really associate
with with him, so we're trying to, of course take
an essence from all of that. So it's fun because
it's it's taking a very creative personality and persons and
(22:22):
in trying to you know, put a spin on it
for dance room stars, which is always just an aspect
of that. So you take an element, you know. So
that's fun because there's so many elements. You know, sometimes
when we have a theme week or an artist that's
a little bit more limited. But I think we have
no limitations there really because there were so many different
(22:42):
cool looks that totally can use as inspiration and build
you know, build off of. So I think that's the
best part about it is that we don't land in
just one color theme or you know how we do
sometimes with certain theme weeks, like with Wicked we ended
up in all green pretty much, right, I don't think,
So this is a lot more you know, there's a
(23:05):
lot more versatility in the looks that we can emulate
there or take as a base for inspiration.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Now every year there are different theme weeks added, and
they change and everything, but one thing that pretty much
remains constant is Halloween Week. What is your feeling on
Halloween Week? Do you love it? Do you feel like
you have a lot of creativity that week?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah? I do. I mean again a little bit after
eighteen years, you've done a lot for looks, you know,
which is on one hand grade because we can build
off those again. You know, like that's something that I
feel like I'm learning to do now, is how can
it take something I've done already and modified into something
that it's new and which helps a lot because then
(23:48):
you don't have to you know, you don't have to
start so much from scratch, but you can use your
time to elaborate on something like you know, our when
we started our skeletons a little more basic. Now they
are real bondes and different. You again, the learning process.
You know, I love Halloween because it's you know, it's
(24:08):
it's fun and the looks are like a little bit
easy for us. Again when you have like something given
me know what a skeleton looks like? We know what
you know what those characters normally need to be whereas
you know, sometimes the hardest is something where you're completely
on your own with a look. Okay, I just want
(24:30):
a sexy Argentine tango, but that can be a million things,
you know, Like then I need to really think, who
are you? What is your body? What do you like
on yourself? What have I learned about you? Or the
last few weeks of knowing you? You know, so I
will maybe give you a halta like I did in contempores,
because I know that dress will work that way, so
(24:51):
you know, you just but I feel I do more
thinking when it's something original, you know, when it's something
that somebody doesn't tell me, Oh it has to look
like like this Disney character or like this Halloween character
or something. You know. I feel like we're more creative
when we don't have those guidelines.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
And so then what does happen to these beautiful costumes,
these one of a kind costumes when the season is over?
Where do they go? Where do ballroom costumes go to rest?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
They go into a storage area which is rather large,
and we keep most of it, I mean, because as
I said, you know, it's it's as we learn how
to build on things that exist, you know, with all
these teen dances group dances, we can bring things back
and modify them and you know, give them a new
(25:43):
life rather than it would be a shame. These costumes
are so time consuming, so expensive to make, it would
be horrible to just get rid of them. So of
course we all have you know, another life. We have
a dance and the stars tour, they go on that,
and then obviously we use things because it's the only
way to make the show happen, is you know, at
(26:06):
least we use a fully stone bodies and put a
different scord on it.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Or some of course, have you ever had an idea
for a theme on the show, maybe something they haven't
done yet, but as a costumer you would just die
to work on.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
No, I actually haven't think you Spoto like we should
do maybe a fashion designer inspired, you know now like
Chanel and like there's you know, har money and that's
a great idea, Utia. I mean, obviously there would be.
It would be very fun to you know, go into
(26:41):
these different looks of these designers and make those like
something else since we're already looking allotted fashion for the show,
you know, because that's the that's the fun part. We
have kind of married fashion with dance more and more.
M So it'd be fun to maybe look into the
you know, into the different fashion houses that maybe take
(27:02):
inspiration from what their signature looks are.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Oh, that's such a great idea.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Is there one costume in particular that you look back
on and you think, I cannot believe we pulled that off?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
No, there's many and many every week. I feel that sometimes,
but I honestly not even kidding. No, I think these
years now are better. There were many years when I
had to learn about you know, you made mistakes and
things didn't work and you know that stuff. I feel
like there were definitely times when fixing something that I
(27:38):
just had to learn that that doesn't work for dance,
or that is not as good as I thought in
my head it would be. I think that were more
the times where we scrambled. Now, I feel we know more.
You know, we won't do certain things anymore because you
know they'll get us in trouble.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yeah. While researching I was looking at some of the
costumes over your years on the show, and one of
my favorites was Lindsay Sterling and Mark Ballast for their
quick step dressed as butterflies.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, yeah, that heard one.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Dress was so beautiful. Do you have any favorites that
come to mind right away when you think of favorite costumes?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Well, there were there were some that stand out just
because they were kind of first on the show. You
know we did we did a dress actually for Sadie
robertson Long time back that we said it was all
rhinestones into a long skirt. So it was we we
counted was over twenty five thousand stones.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Oh my oh god.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
We were like, that's probably our most rhinestone dress ever,
which I think we have surpassed at this point, but
that stood out. I mean, I feel like the first
Flamenco pass. So we did stand out. You know, every
time you did we did something new that we hadn't
done before. That stands out in my mind a little
bit because we had to learn how to how does
(29:00):
that get put together? That's more thoughts doing, but also
what fabric do we use for that? You know, once
you have done it, you know all that worked or
it didn't work, and next time I won't do that anymore.
The first time you do any outfit is always you know,
you're like you have to learn something about it. Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
The Lend Goodman tribute in twenty twenty three was also
such a tall task for you, and you made an
absolutely beautiful moment with the costuming. What was that assignment
like for you?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Well, you know, truthfully, that wasn't that hard because it
was it was a traditional ballroom number, you know, which
is something we did for a long time on the show,
and then we stopped doing it for a little bit.
So if it was fun to bring that back out,
and as I said, we had bases that we could
you know, add feathers to and just dress up. So
(30:08):
it's actually a little easier than people think it was.
You know, it looked brand and beautiful, but because we
were able to use existing things and just stress them
up and make them more spectacular, it was actually, you know,
it was almost better than starting from scratch with that
because it looked much richer once you added feathers and
(30:29):
more stones, and you know, you elaborated on address that existed.
It just took that into that world that made it
so special. I think.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
So this Tuesday night, you have been handed another important
task to celebrate twenty years of Dancing with the Stars.
This podcast is going to be released after the show,
so you can feel free to spoil things. It won't
air until after. Talk about what everyone saw on what
was a very special night. How do you approach something
(30:59):
so bad like the twentieth anniversary of Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Well, I think, you know, we have people come back
from the past, which is really great. I think again,
it's more volume. Derek is choreographing that opening, So I
work with Derek a lot, so I kind of know
what he likes, you know, overall, and I think it
(31:24):
took just one zoom to kind of figure out the
direction because we had to jump on it really fast
because we had to make like, I don't know, twelve
feather skirts, and you know, it was things that we
couldn't even handle out of our department here. It had
to go to other places. So then I try to
find ways where somebody can follow a pattern, you know,
(31:45):
rather than having to develop something. So it worked out
actually kind of well too for us, because we had
something here that I knew would work, and then we
just copied that in another workroom. And then it's just
you know, going through the motions and getting it, making
some and pulling some and you know, it's it's what
(32:05):
we do. It's it wasn't necessarily more work than other
other weeks. Maybe more because it's more bodies a little bit,
but overall again, I mean for us, every week has
been right, every week thing like that. So we're just
a lot of bodies to dress that is, you know.
Then it becomes actually more of a logistical problem too,
(32:27):
because they all have you all have to rehearse and
when do we fit it? You know, when do we
get people so we can put things on their bodies
so we can keep moving. That I think is the
highest challenge when there's so much going on that everybody's
so busy they can't come see us. And the further
we push it close to you know, going life, the
(32:47):
less time we have to fix it, make it, change it,
whatever it needs for it to be good, you know.
So that's the biggest stress. I feel that was the
stress of this week to get the Christmas special organized thing,
get the twenty is also at the same time organized
and having all this parallel going and trying to fit
it and see when somebody was available, like I'm throwing
(33:09):
U s onn you right now. Yeah, it wasn't even
full outfits anymore. It was like this top and then
for another time. Because it all was in the morek summer,
I'm like, Okay, this is how we're doing it this week.
This week is going to be piece by piece.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yeah wow, you mentioned being you know, knowing Derek pretty
well and working closely with Derek.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Are there certain.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Pros that are very hands on about the costumes both
for them and their partner and others who are a
little more like, you're the expert, do whatever you want?
And if so, who are some of the more involved partners.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Well, I think it's definitely Derek Mark Val very involved,
you know. Then others are more like, you know, like
day La at asthmo duo thing. It depends, though, I
think it's I try to have a dialogue with everybody before,
you know. I'd never like to do a costume for
(34:05):
a celebrity women, for example, without checking with the pro
boy what's right for their dance because there's so many skirtstars.
I mean for the girls, the biggest part is the
skirt style. Am I doing the right thing for your choreography,
for your story, for what you want to express? If
I give you a soft flow, if skirt and you
(34:25):
want edgy, and yeah, then we're not. Like, it's not
going to work. And I need to know that, you know,
so I need to talk to the pro boys normally
all of them to some degree, to understand what are
you doing, what's right for your dance, what's right And
then I hope a lot of them trust me now
(34:46):
that I know what's right for their celebrity, for their body,
for you know that we're trying to make them understand.
You know, we're working with a person and they have
to like it on themselves, and they have to look
good in it, and they're body has to look good
in it, so you know, it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Of moving parts. Finally, the show has somehow found a
whole new audience and here we are in the middle
of a very unexpected renaissance for Dancing with the Stars.
As someone who has been there and seen it all firsthand,
why do you think Dancing with the Stars has been
(35:24):
able to speak to so many generations?
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Well, I think it's you know, first of all, it's
just really beautiful to the dancing music and you know,
the costume and everything. It is a little bit of
a fantasy world and most people do like dance and
music together. I think it's also we had, of course
(35:50):
a cast that came on lately that is heavily influencing
the younger generations, you know, so that brought a lot
of people I see, And I just think the reality
of it all, that this is a true reality show.
You can't fake it. You can't if you're not good
at dancing, or if you don't put in the time
(36:10):
to get good at it, and if you don't, if
the audience can't tell that you put in the time
to learn, and like, look at your journey. You know,
there's so much people have to learn and invest of
time and energy to be good at this show and
good at a dance and look good and have a
good performance. So I think people like to see that
because it is real. That's not something you can just
(36:33):
show up for and do. You have to actually really
be involved and do all the steps to get good
at it. And I think people like that they see that,
and it keeps it fresh and it keeps it interesting,
and you see people's journey and they have a good
week and a bad week, and it's just it's the
(36:53):
realness of it all. I think that really draws people in.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Yeah, I think you're right. I mean being well to
see where someone starts on day one and the attitude
or the energy that they have on day one versus
by week seven or week eight, and you see now
how far they've come in the relationship with their pro
and how that's developed. And yeah, it is like you,
it's impossible to not get sucked into the real story
(37:21):
of everyone who's on the show, and obviously you are
such an enormous part of that of showcasing us in
all the most beautiful, fantastic light. And so from the
bottom of my heart, just thank you so much for
the time we got to spend together and all the
wonderful work that you did for me. In particular, I'm
just so grateful. And I loved every single one of
(37:43):
my costumes. You already know that. I've already talked to
you about how I managed to have all those in
my closet. So we will talk about that more when
the season is over. I'm not going to bother you
with it before then. Danielle, thank you so much for
being here with me.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Thank you for having me law Bye Bye.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
Danielle with the Stars Produced and hosted by Danielle Fischell
Executive Producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge
of production, Danielle Romo, producer, editor and engineer Tara Sudebosch.
Theme song by Justin Siegel. Follow us on Instagram at
Danielle with Stars and vote for me
Hosts And Creators
Will Friedle
Danielle Fishel
Rider Strong
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