Hilaria Baldwin says 'DWTS' journey can be 'embarrassing' — but we love how brave she’s being on the floor
With a score of 14/20, Hilaria Baldwin's 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 34 journey kicked off with a promising start. Along with dance pro Gleb Savchenko, Baldwin stunned fans with her maiden performance on 'Let's Get Loud' by Jennifer Lopez, making it clear that she is here to stay. However, the star wife revealed how the competition can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and the reason that kept her going.
At the 'DWTS' premiere on Tuesday, September 16, Baldwin opened up exclusively to PEOPLE about her return to dancing, sharing, "I mean, some of it is like visiting a familiar friend when you're older, and you've had a lot of children and broken some bones, if you can relate to that." Baldwin clarified, "However, some aspects of it are entirely new." [My partner], Gleb Savchenko, is asking me to dance on a much higher level than I ever danced.”
Baldwin also explained her approach to the competition, saying, "I'm really focusing on the quality, the footwork, and the authenticity of the dance. And being independent on my own, so I'm not just relying on him to throw me around the dance floor. He makes me do the routine on my own.” She also admitted that it's "uncomfortable and embarrassing sometimes." Still, she emphasized her purpose for joining the show, revealing, "I keep on reminding myself, I didn't sign up for this to be comfortable. I signed up for this to do hard things and to be brave. And [Gleb] is the perfect person to do that with."
Baldwin further expressed her excitement about tackling unfamiliar dance styles, saying, "I don't have any experience with the standard dances, so I'm nervous but also excited." She added, "Because I think when you try something that's brand new, it's a little liberating because you're like, 'All right, I'm going to try this.' And it's just that different expectation. As [Gleb] says, I'm very hard on myself. And so, I'm trying to learn to chill out a little bit. And I think I've done a better job at relaxing."
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Savchenko also praised Baldwin’s dedication, saying, "Hilaria's such a hard worker, and I'm just so impressed with the passion that she puts into it." He added, "She's such a perfectionist. You're working on little details, and she goes, like, 'No, let's do it again. Let's do it again.' She gets so frustrated with herself. And I'm like, 'It's okay. It was actually good.' [And she goes], 'No, let's do it again. And I love that, because that's the spirit of a true champion, and I really appreciate that. It's really inspiring."
'Dancing With the Stars' returned for its milestone 20th year with Season 34's premiere hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Carrie Ann Inaba missed the night due to illness, leaving only judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough to score the contestants, as per Variety. The episode opened with a group dance to Whitney Myer's 'Kill the Lights' and a troupe performance to Tate McRae's 'Just Keep Watching.' Ribeiro later announced that voting had already surpassed Season 33’s premiere and ultimately doubled last year's numbers. No eliminations took place, but combined votes and judges' scores from the first two weeks will decide which two couples face a double elimination next week.