Why DWTS’ Mark Ballas Thinks Maura Higgins Has an Edge for Season 35

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Mark Ballas knows Maura Higgins’ time on Dancing With the Stars will be en pointe.

The professional dancer, currently playing Billy Flynn in the Broadway show Chicago, really admires how his Traitors co-star prepares for the upcoming 35th season of the dance competition, describing them as a ‘blank canvas’ open to anything.

You know, I’ve been following Mark for ages, and I totally agree with what he told TopMob News! He said the key to doing well on Dancing With the Stars is to come in with an open mind, just have fun, and basically be ready to learn – a ‘blank slate,’ as he put it. It’s such a smart approach, and I think it’s exactly what contestants need to succeed!

He said there will be exciting and energetic times, and moments where you’ll just be thinking, ‘Wow, I’m actually on Dancing With the Stars!’

However, she also pointed out that it won’t always be easy. There will be tough, stressful, and exhausting times – particularly after the first six weeks, which she refers to as the most challenging period.

But he thinks the Love Island alum has an edge.

Mark believes Maura has a great attitude and is enthusiastic, which he thinks will be key to her success. He’s confident she’ll do very well.

Mark, who will be a judge on the upcoming show Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro starting July 13th, also shared that he’s ready to support Maura however she needs.

He said he’ll always be there to offer support and advice whenever she needs it, but he’s confident she’ll do great.

As for Maura, the Love Island USA: Aftersun host certainly felt like she had manifested her casting. 

As a lifestyle expert, I’m a huge believer in the power of visualization, and that’s why I create a new vision board every year. This past New Year’s Eve was a little different for me – I actually stayed in! It was the first time I’ve spent the evening completely alone, and honestly, it was perfect. I made myself a simple but comforting meal – pasta and a glass of red wine – and spent the night focused on crafting my vision board for the year ahead. It was a really grounding and intentional way to start the new year.

I knew Dancing With the Stars was going to be a focus because it had been popular the previous year,” she said. “I just added five more episodes to the schedule.

And it would appear that the manifestation really helped settle her plans for the rest of the year. 

Maura explained that if you really want something, you should keep trying – around five or six times – and eventually you’ll succeed.

Despite knowing the show, the reality star was surprised to learn she’d be appearing on the next season of Summer House with Ciara Miller.

She admitted she even cried, which is unusual for her. She explained that she rarely gets very enthusiastic unless it’s something she’s truly desired for a long time, and Dancing With the Stars was exactly that. She felt like she had made it happen through positive thinking.

For a deep dive into all the behind-the-scenes secrets about Dancing With the Stars, keep reading.

In 2019, Variety reported that contestants on Dancing With the Stars initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show. According to sources, they then receive additional payments each week they continue competing, potentially earning up to $295,000 total.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

The radio host revealed on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, in September 2025 that the show’s pay structure starts low. They explained that the first episode doesn’t pay anything, the second pays $10,000, and then it increases to around $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, and $20,000 per episode. If you stay on the show, you could eventually earn $50,000 per episode.

In addition to a salary of about $110,000, Bones revealed he earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

Details about professional dancers’ earnings haven’t been widely released either. However, like the contestants, it appears they earn more the further they advance on the show.

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the The Morning After podcast, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that dancers are typically guaranteed work for a set number of weeks. However, she added that contracts vary and she couldn’t comment on everyone’s specific agreement.

Apparently not.

Professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars, like Jenna Johnson, don’t earn extra money for winning the show – even though the trophy is now named after the late Len Goodman. Johnson, who has won with both Olympic skater Adam Rippon (season 26) and The Bachelor‘s Joey Graziadei (season 33), says reaching the finale is still a valuable goal, beyond just the prestige of winning.

She explained on The Morning After that reaching the finale means you receive full-season pay plus a bonus. However, winning isn’t a large cash prize; it’s simply a shared trophy with your teammate.

That doesn’t appear to be the case.

In a 2022 appearance on the Trading Secrets podcast, Lindsay Arnold shared that her pay was reduced by more than 50% after she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

I was really struck by something Lindsay said on Maggie Sellers’ Hot Smart Rich podcast back in May 2025. She explained that, often, people in these situations aren’t given any choice at all. It’s just… ‘Here’s who you’re with, now figure it out,’ which sounds incredibly difficult and unfair.

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

Jenna explained on The Morning After that the show aims to keep the cast a complete surprise until the reveal. People often assume the show knows who’s participating and intentionally keeps it under wraps, but that’s not true. The producers don’t even share the cast list with the hosts! While leaks sometimes happen, they work hard to maintain secrecy so the reactions are genuine when contestants meet their partners for the first time.

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the show’s pairings weren’t random. In a 2015 interview with TopMob News, he explained they considered height, body type, personality, and how well contestants would get along. They avoided pairing people who clearly wouldn’t connect, as the experience is already very demanding. Unlike shows like The Bachelor, forcing incompatible matches would create a negative experience for everyone involved – the celebrity, the production team, and the audience. He admitted they’d made that mistake in the past, pairing people who simply didn’t click.

As a dedicated follower of Dancing with the Stars, I’m always amazed by the sheer amount of work these pros put in! Rylee Arnold, who danced with Stephen Nedoroscik, recently shared on the Lightweights Podcast just how intense it is. They have four-hour rehearsals every day – either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.! But it doesn’t end there. After rehearsals, she’s often meeting with producers, working on choreography, or even studying dance videos. She said her whole life revolves around the show, but she loves it, and that’s what makes her happy. It truly is a job where there are no days off. She explained that they perform on Tuesdays, then it’s straight back to rehearsals Wednesday through Sunday. Then on Monday, they do camera blocking before another show on Tuesday. It’s incredible how much dedication goes into each performance!

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in a September 2025 Instagram video that they were mostly on board with something, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to develop a unique story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have just five days – often only half a day per costume, before even adding rhinestones – to create everything. With a team of around 20 people plus an outside tailor shop, it’s a massive undertaking.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, revealed that dancers often don’t try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While some basic pieces might be reused, most costumes are custom-made each week.

As Gschwendtner added, they do reuse items for group performances or promotional shoots, but never for the competition itself. They aim to keep the looks fresh and new each week to maintain visual interest.

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2026-05-02 03:47