“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 still has yet to see its first 10s of the year. However, Irish model Maura Higgins and her partner Mark Ballas have earned the first 9.
Even after the excitement of the evening died down, Maura remained in disbelief. While speaking to the press, she opened up about her progress and what the high score means to her at this point in the competition.
Maura Higgins Reacts to Earning a 9 For Her Waltz
Maura Higgins was the first cast member announced for DWTS season 35. Right away, she requested Mark Ballas as her partner, and the producers granted her wish.
So far, viewers have been pleasantly surprised by her grace and elegance in the ballroom. The 35-year-old has no prior dance training and wasn’t quite sure if she would be up to the challenge.
Mark and Maura proved they are frontrunners in the competition after last night. They earned a 25/30 for their Waltz to “If It’s Over” by Mariah Carey in week four, including the first 9 of the season.
“All the confetti for @maurahiggins & @markballas! 🎉 They react to getting the first 9️⃣ of the season on #DWTS!” ExtraTV captioned their new interview with the pair.
“I don’t even know what to say about that,” Maura told the outlet in disbelief. “If I’m being totally honest, and I don’t want this to come across wrong because obviously I’m very hard on myself… I’m so happy, but also I’m like, ‘I know there’s way better dancers in this competition than me.’ And like I’m so new to it. I’ll take it, don’t get me wrong, but I’m still learning so much.”
The Irish model added that she worked incredibly hard on her spins this week and felt taken aback that the judges loved them so much.
“I’m so grateful and all I’m doing is my best,” Maura continued.
Mark Ballas added that his dance partner could’ve been wildly successful as a professional dancer if she took dance classes from a young age. Unfortunately, she didn’t have access to those in her rural Irish upbringing.
“I’ve done a lot of shows in my day, but this one is already the best one,” the model shared, noting that she’s having “the best time” dancing with Mark.
Mark Ballas Gushes Over His Partner’s Progress
Behind the scenes, Mark Ballas has kept fans updated on Maura Higgins’ progress. Ahead of “Mariah Carey Night,” he posted a video revealing that Maura was performing remarkably with her turns.
“New move unlocked… keep a look out for it 👀” the 40-year-old captioned the video. In the clip, Maura is all smiles as Mark walks her through her turns. She stumbles, then corrects herself and tries again. Fans applauded the effort, noting they couldn’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.
Mark Ballas and Maura Higgins advance to “Dancing With the Stars” week five. The theme for next week will be “Super Bowl Night,” so tune in and see what the pair has to offer.
The night kicks off at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, on ABC.
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Maura Higgins Is Still in Shock After Earning the First 9 of DWTS Season 35