Pulling off the spectacle of ABC's live "Dancing with the Stars" competition show takes hundreds of people and an around-the-clock schedule.
America's most-watched dancing competition gave Business Insider a behind-the-scenes look at one of its biggest episodes, Disney Night. An ode to the countless fantastical characters created by the ABC parent company, Disney Night featured the competitors and professionals tackling some of the most beloved musical memories in movie history.
"Dancing with the Stars" executive producer Joe Sungkur told Business Insider that it takes "a huge army of people" and a large amount of communication to pull together a night like that.
"Whether it be from a technical point of view or a creative point of view all have to come together so that we can really make sure that a unified vision is presented and that everyone is on the same page," Sungkur said.
BBC Worldwide Productions, which produces "Dancing with the Stars" for ABC, showed us what goes into Disney Night.
Here's what it takes to put together TV's most popular live dance competition:
7: 45 a.m. PT – It may still be dark outside, but the lights are on at the "DWTS" studio at Hollywood's CBS Television City. The crew is already hard at work setting up the "DWTS" stage.
"7:45 is when the couples come in and they're hearing the live band for the first time and the director's making the final adjustments for his cameras to really get ready for the show," Sungkur said.
It's also a beneficial opportunity for the competitors.
"Sometimes the band's arrangement will be a little different from the track," he explained. "So it's very useful for the couples, because they might give notes to the musical director. So it's a constant collaboration between all the technical departments to make sure that we are presenting these performances and all the elements in the show to the best of our abilities."
8:54 a.m. PT – Inside the immense wardrobe bungalow at "DWTS."
The team of seamstresses could work around the clock to finish the costumes for a live show. There can be constant fit issues to deal with and notes from the dancers and producers.
"One of the things that sets this show apart is the wardrobe," Sungkur said. "I don't think there's any other show on television that has the ability to convey such glamour and huge showbiz element with this amazing wardrobe that you can only get in ballroom and 09:24 dancing."
9 a.m. PT – It's always packed in the hair and makeup room.
There can be as many as eight hair and makeup artists at work on "DWTS." Women typically arrive around 9 a.m. and can spend as many as four hours in the chair. Men are way faster, though Sungkur said that "some of the guys like to spend a long time in the chair, as well."
"It's an amazing process," Sungkur said. "Not only do you have the regular hair and makeup, but our team has things like body makeup we have to consider on a show like this as well."
See the rest of the story at INSIDER
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