Danielle Fishel Reveals Dancing With the Stars Advice She Ignored

Danielle Fishel is going to do her own thing on Dancing With the Stars.

That’s why the former *Boy Meets World* star didn’t fully take the advice given by *Dancing with the Stars* contestant Sabrina Bryan when the show’s 34th season began on September 16th.

After the show, Danielle shared with Will Marfuggi of TopMob News that her best advice – which she didn’t take – was to avoid watching the packages.

The 44-year-old explained that the video packages shown before the dances can be surprisingly moving. Sabrina had advised her not to watch them before performing, as they could distract her and affect her focus.

Danielle recounted someone telling her to ignore a package and focus on her dance partner. However, she admitted she couldn’t help but be curious about what was inside. (For more from the *Dancing with the Stars* cast, watch *TopMob News* tonight, September 17th, at 11 p.m.)

Danielle and her dance partner, Pasha Pashkov, performed a tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and received a score of 12 out of 20. Despite her nerves, Danielle said watching the pre-performance video package actually helped her focus on the dance itself.

You know, one thing I’ve been really focused on lately is personal growth. I’ve been seeing noticeable improvements week after week, and it’s incredibly motivating! When I think back to where I was just three weeks ago, the progress I’ve made is really clear. It’s a great feeling!

Danielle said she’s excited to continue developing her skills with Pasha’s help, and she’s looking forward to what the future holds.

However, Danielle doesn’t expect winning the Mirrorball Trophy to be easy. She admits to being “extremely nervous” about facing her fellow competitors.

“I do not mean any disrespect to other seasons,” she quipped, “but I do not remember ever watching a for a premiere episode of Dancing with the Stars and being like, ‘Oh, so just every person’s better than the next person.'”

Danielle teased that Robert Irwin feels like her biggest competition. She and her partner, Pasha, keep getting moved to a separate area of the studio whenever Robert performs with his partner, Witney Carson.

She admitted she hadn’t fully appreciated the animal conservationist’s work yet, even though it received a very high score of 15 out of 20, but she planned to watch a recording of it later.

Who else is Danielle up against this season? Keep reading to find out.