Despite impressing the Dancing With the Stars judges week after week, Maura Higgins still has moments where she wonders if she has what it takes to keep going.
“I know that I’m doing good, but I’m still like, ‘Am I gonna be able to do it next week?’” Higgins, 35, exclusively told Us after Yacht Rock Night on Tuesday, September 29. “Because it’s so new and it’s so scary, I just want to do well, and I want to do well for me and Mark [Ballas] and everyone that’s supporting us. I just want to do my best.”
On Tuesday’s episode of ABC’s reality show, Higgins and pro partner Ballas, 40, danced the quickstep to George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around.”
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli delivered a combined score of 22 out of 30, putting the pair on the top half of the leaderboard.
“This week felt so much better,” Higgins admitted to Us. “I relaxed more, and I didn’t have a freak-out like last week. … This dance tonight, I actually was singing along to the song while doing the steps.”
The former Traitors and Love Island star added, “I’m not good [at dancing]. I’m good because of [Mark] because he’s a phenomenal teacher, and I genuinely don’t know how he has me doing what I’m doing.”
During his time on DWTS, Ballas has been able to walk away with the mirrorball trophy after winning various seasons with Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson and Charli D’Amelio.
While every partner is different, Ballas is quick to give Higgins her flowers and share how much potential she has.
“I have seen a lot of improvement in coordination, in musicality, in being able to sit back in the pocket of the music, not rush ahead,” he told Us. “Actually really listen and know when the steps are timed. The frame is even better from the first dance.”
Although he admitted there is still “lots of room for improvement,” Ballas reminded viewers at home that his partner and all the contestants are only in week three.
“It’s an art that takes years. For all these contestants, it’s only week three,” he said. “We are still in the beginning phases. Today I could feel you relax. I could feel you take a breath, and I could feel that you were on time.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET with past episodes available to stream on Disney+.
