We’re weeks into Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, and Robert Irwin has established himself as a clear frontrunner in the cast of celebrity contestants.
“I just want to remind people he has absolutely no dance experience,” Irwin’s pro partner Witney Carson tells TV Insider. “I don’t think people realize how hard that is. From literally not knowing a single thing, not even moving to music at all, and to just do what he’s doing, is a testament to his hard work and our hard work together as a team. I just want to point that out.”
Carson, who launched her brand new dance coaching app, Finesse (available in the app store now), on September 29, adds that she and Irwin (featured on the app) are holding themselves to a “high standard,” but also notes that some of the other cast members are “actual dancers” (Whitney Leavitt majored in dance in college, while Hilaria Baldwin was previously a competitive ballroom dancer).
Scroll down for more from our chat with Carson, including her thoughts on possibly having Irwin’s sister (and former DWTS champion), Bindi Irwin, join them on the dance floor. Plus, everything to know about the Finesse app, what it’s been like working with the Australian conservationist this season, and much more!
Do you think you’ll be able to incorporate Bindi into any of your dances?
Witney Carson: First of all, I would love that. I think it would be a beautiful moment if we could incorporate her in some way. I know she’s been dealing with her health and taking care of herself, so I don’t know if that’s a possibility, but I’m definitely putting it out there and putting out hope for that.
Of the dances you haven’t performed yet, which do you think will be more difficult for Robert?
I think, naturally, Robert is just a strong performer, so he’s very much sharp and clean, which is really, really good. We just have to start getting those hips moving. I think some of the Latin dances might be a little more difficult just because it’s very foreign to move that way and to move your body in that way, especially for a male to have that flexibility and that weight transfer. I feel like maybe one of the Latin dances will be our most challenging because it’s the most foreign. And we only have five days to do it. Five days. We work extremely hard, and I know that he’ll get it, but I definitely foresee one of those being the most difficult.
What is the rehearsal schedule like?
We’re only allowed four hours at this point. Him and I both would love more because it’s very stressful going on live television. Not only do you have to remember the steps that you’re so foreign to, but you also have to have the technique that comes with it. That just requires muscle memory. You have to do it enough that you’re not thinking about it and that’s kind of impossible with four hours a day, five days a week. That’s the amount of rehearsals that we have for now and then it will get more as time goes on.
You’ve been part of the show for so long. This week’s elimination (Lauren Jauregui) was shocking. That’s kind of how it goes. It isn’t always about the scores. What was your reaction, and how did things feel in the ballroom afterwards?
We were backstage, a lot of us who had been announced that we were safe. All of us were back there. When they said Lauren and Brandon [Armstrong] were going home, our jaws just dropped. I think all of us were very shocked. I think being on the show as long as I have, I understand. Milo [Manheim] and I, when we lost to Bobby Bones, it was a big eye opener of this show isn’t just about dance. It’s really about who you fall in love with as a person. There’s so many layers to it. So of course we were all shocked, but I think for me, I understand it. I’m shocked, but I understand it at the same time. Andy [Richter] is so lovable and people really wanted to pull for him. I think it’s great if he has this opportunity. People have to remember it’s more than just a dance show.
Tell me about how you came up with the idea for your Finesse app and how it started to come to fruition?
I’m really very excited about this. This feels like something I’ve been building for a really long time. We started building it at the beginning of this year. I just really wanted a space for people to go who just really love to dance. They love watching dance, they want to be in the community, but they don’t really have access to it, or maybe it’s too costly, it’s not affordable, or they just don’t have the accessibility. This was kind of a way for me to give back to the dance community that’s given me so much and just an opportunity for everybody to get involved in the comfort of your home. It’s really just a space for everybody to kind of have fun. Anybody who loves dance can be in this app and thoroughly enjoy it.
What makes this app different from other similar platforms?
Our app is really cool in the fact that we have so many different types of content here. If you’re a beginner dancer, this is for you. I actually break down combinations of my exclusive choreography, exclusive combos to really popular music. I think most apps don’t have popular music or access to it. We actually break it down for the beginner, so if you know nothing about ballroom, nothing about dance, you can take it step by step and actually really learn.
We also have a really cool train technology that we call the “Mirror Me” feature, where you can actually dance side-by-side with me. It’s similar to a duet on TikTok, but this is really advanced technology, so it’s a lot better. You can really dive into your own technique and your performance compared to a professional.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Then we also have a section called “Hit List.” That’s really just for people who are looking for a good workout, a good movement of the body. You don’t necessarily want to learn a dance, but you want to still feel the music and want to still have a little bit of a dance aspect to it. I’ve actually used that a lot during the season, just quickly pulled something up and did it.
We also have this backstage section where you can get exclusive content and you can really kind of browse. We wanted to kind of make it a section for people who really want to be entertained. There’s performances on there. There’s a series called “Skill Swap,” where I trade performances with my celebrity friends and it’s kind of like a master class in the fact that they teach me their talent and I teach them a little dance. We’ve got four people on there now. Danny Amendola, my last partner, that’s a really, really fun skill swap. We also have exclusive behind-the-scenes of Robert and I this season.
The last little tab is called “Compete,” where we’ll hold competitions. This is really for anyone who wants to try and win these prizes and opportunities. We’ll just be having a bunch of different styles of competitions.
Are you continuously adding content?
We’re definitely always updating it. We actually just uploaded the jive tutorials from mine and Robert’s jive from the first week. You can actually learn our favorite little kick section together. Robert will tell you some of his favorite things about it and how he learned it. Just some tips and tricks on there. Also our little trust fall from the jive we have on there as well. We’re also putting up some of our salsa tricks, too. We’re always constantly updating things on here, which is so fun.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)