The Rumor Mill Meets the Ballroom
Reality television stardom is a masterclass in navigating public scrutiny, and few figures understand this dynamic quite like Maura Higgins. Attention surrounding the model and television personality surged following an interview on Amanda Hirsch’s Get Real podcast as reported by Reality Shrine, where she directly addressed persistent whispers that she had been secretly training for months before hitting the dance floor.
In a television landscape where preliminary training advantages and casting leaks routinely spark online debate, Higgins faced specific speculation tying her to a professional dancer and casting doubt on her status as a novice. Her response was unequivocal: the rumors were entirely fabricated, and she deliberately chose to take zero ballroom classes before her official casting was put into motion. Viewers and commentators frequently scrutinize the backgrounds of incoming contestants, looking for any edge that might explain a strong early performance, which immediately catapulted her interview statements to the center of pop culture discussions.
Social media cycles thrive on unverified rumors about celebrity preparation, especially in competitive formats where fans look for unfair advantages. When a contestant is announced early, online speculation often accelerates, imagining clandestine rehearsal schedules months before cameras ever start rolling. Higgins's candid interview disrupted that standard narrative by confronting the gossip head-on rather than ignoring it, changing the tenor of the online conversation from cynical speculation to a direct discussion about how reality stars handle introductory phases of demanding physical competitions.
Why a 'Blank Canvas' Strategy Matters
For celebrity dance competitors, the temptation to sneak in early private lessons is understandable given the intense pressure of national television and the high-stakes environment of a live ballroom. However, Higgins explained her rationale for abstaining entirely from advance preparation during her Get Real appearance:
She intentionally didn’t take any classes because she didn’t want a different teacher’s instruction to confuse her and wanted to start the experience from the ground up with Mark since she has no dance experience.
Reality Shrine
Her professional partner, Mark Ballas, backed up this philosophy. Ballas noted that prior informal classes do not replicate the actual production pipeline, which relies heavily on bespoke song selection, tailored choreography, and camera blocking.
While past contestants like Dylan Efron have advocated for taking classes beforehand, Higgins leaned into her philosophy that what’s meant to happen is going to happen.
Even her prior athletic stint on Dancing on Ice—which successfully built her core strength and comfort with physical lifts—did not include traditional ballroom or Latin training, leaving her genuinely dependent on her partnership with Ballas once production officially commenced.
This deliberate choice to remain a blank canvas highlights a fundamental tension in modern dance competitions: the balance between raw instinct and technical instruction. By refusing outside instruction, Higgins gambled that starting from absolute zero under expert tutelage would yield a more authentic learning curve than trying to unlearn bad habits picked up from unverified preliminary coaches.
From the Runway to the Hardwood
The timing of these rehearsal rumors coincided with a remarkably busy period in Higgins's public profile. Prior to making waves on Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars, Higgins commanded attention at the 2026 SI Swimsuit Runway Show during Swim Week in Miami, modeling looks from labels like Capittana and L'AGENCE alongside various brand events and red-carpet appearances.
When the ABC competition kicked off its packed two-night premiere, splitting the contestants and introducing immediate elimination stakes, Higgins and Ballas debuted on Night 2, performing a dynamic foxtrot to Alannah Myles's Black Velvet
as detailed by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. The routine earned universal praise from the judges panel, pulling in all sevens for a total score of 21 out of 30. Judge Bruno Tonioli called the dance smooth as silk, Carrie Ann Inaba was mesmerized, and Derek Hough wanted more, instantly converting online speculation into tangible dance-floor credibility and silencing doubters who questioned her lack of preliminary preparation.
Ultimately, the juxtaposition of her high-fashion modeling commitments and her rigorous dance debut demonstrates how multifaceted modern celebrity schedules have become. Rather than hiding away to train in secret, Higgins was walking runways and attending high-profile events, making the logistics of secret multi-month ballroom training sessions practically impossible. Her strong premiere scores proved that natural athleticism, combined with targeted professional choreography, can overcome a complete lack of traditional dance background without requiring any clandestine rehearsal prep.