Mark Ballas’ main goal when competing on “Dancing With The Stars” is always for his celebrity partner to “enjoy the experience and try our best.”
But when he found out that for Season 35, he would be partnered with his former “The Traitors” co-star Maura Higgins, he had to adjust a bit and learn how to trust her.
“‘The Traitors’ is a wild psychological experience,” the 40-year-old professional dancer and three-time Mirrorball champion tells TODAY.com. “And we made it to the last episode together. She made it further than me, obviously, to the last two (people). I think I made it to the last six or last five.”
Season 35 of “DWTS” will kick off with a two-night premiere on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. During the first episode, only the male celebrities will perform, while Ballas and Higgins will get to show off their skills on the second night when only the female celebrities get to compete.
Previously, the two appeared on the fourth season of “Traitors,” the hit Peacock competition series, which is famously known for its backstabbing and deceitful game play among contestants.
While the pair were both “Faithfuls,” contestants spend the duration of the season, unsure of whether they can trust their fellow players who may just be “Traitors” in disguise who will “murder” — aka eliminate — them.
“We got along, but at the same time we couldn’t fully trust each other because, I mean, there was a moment where I was convinced it was her and Rob (Rausch),” Ballas says, referencing his fellow competitors. “So much stuff didn’t make the edit on ‘The Traitors.’ (We had) so many conversations. However, we did have a laugh together … But you can’t trust each other in there. You’d be stupid to.”
The two, however, did bond during their time on “Traitors,” dishing on their European ties. Higgins is Irish and Ballas grew up in England with a Texan father and a British mother, both of whom were ballroom dancers.
He recalls Higgins, who also starred in “Love Island UK,” telling him while in the Scottish castle that she would love to compete on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I was like, “Girl, you can’t make it through a 45-minute challenge. You ain’t making it through ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” he jokes. “But she was like, ‘No, it’s different. I want to dance. I want to learn how to dance. I don’t want to carry gold pebbles in a backpack up a mountain.’”
After their “Traitors” experience, they saw each other at the reunion. Higgins also attended his “Chicago The Musical” show on Broadway.
But when he found out she was his partner, he thought, “‘This is hilarious,’ because she manifested this, right? I’m a big believer in manifestation.”
While Higgins has never had any dance training, he says “she’s a hard worker.”
“To my surprise, after seeing her in the challenges on ‘The Traitors,’ I’ve been impressed with how she’s putting a chin down and getting into it,” he says. “But she is a true beginner, which is exciting. I’m excited about that challenge. And we have to also establish real trust and friendship because in ‘The Traitors,’ unless you play that game, I can’t explain what it does to you mentally. It’s wild.”
For their competition debut, the pair will perform a foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. In preparation, Ballas has been making sure the reality star is diving into the experience.
Ballas’ No. 1 tip for aspiring dancers, regardless of experience? Don’t hold back.
“Take the dive off the diving board. Don’t be afraid,” he says. “If you’re signing up for something like this, really make sure you want to do it. And if you’re here, try your best.”
He hopes all his partners have felt like they’ve gotten the best experience they possibly could have with no regrets. As for Higgins, he calls her a “great personality” and has helped her loosen up by having her poke fun at him.
“I’m a very full-out, expressive person as it is. So when we’re learning moves, I’ll demonstrate a move and I’ll do it almost over the top, silly,” he shares. Then he will ask his partner to re-create the move “and nine times out of 10 when they do that, they nail it.”
In Higgins’ case, he says, “I was like, ‘Can you just make fun of me for a minute?’ And she made fun of me, did the face and threw her arms and I was like, ‘Yes, like that!’”
For now, he stresses that this is a once in a lifetime experience for the celebrities, encouraging them to really take it in.
“Think about it, it’s quite silly. Like, we’re ballroom dancing on telly and you get a new style every six days, and you’re just hoping that you make it to the end,” he says. “For me the mission is, every week just a bit better, as long as we last.”