Ariana Madix on “Biggest Mistake,” “Hardest Dance” on ‘DWTS’

Credit: Michael Simon/Shutterstock

Ariana Madix hosted a Dancing With the Stars-themed Q&A with her fans and followers on her Instagram Story on Sunday night, where she opened up about her experience on the show and her partner, Pasha Pashkov.

As the Vanderpump Rules cast member, 38, responded to questions from her online audience, she revealed her “biggest mistake” and “hardest” performance on the dancing competition before sharing who she’d pick if Pasha wasn’t her partner and gushing over his coaching.

On November 26, someone asked Ariana about her “biggest mistake so far.”

“I spent way too many hours in the beginning rehearsing in shoes that didn’t fit properly and it nearly took me out! For some reason I told myself it’s normal to push through it but it was not the move,” Ariana replied, along with a laughing-while-crying emoji.

Another person wanted to know what was her “hardest dance so far.”

“Rumba or paso doble for different reasons,” Ariana responded. “Rumba [because] it’s deceptive. Watching it seems slow and simple but there’s so much complicated technique going on to make it right … Paso double [because] the body has to move in such unnatural ways to achieve the proper technique! It’s a SPRINT and a back breaker.”

Ariana was then asked who she’d want as her DWTS partner if Pasha wasn’t available.

“If Pasha wasn’t your partner, who would you choose?” they asked.

“[Daniella Karagach]!” Ariana responded, giving a nod to Pasha’s wife of nearly a decade.

Also during her Instagram Story Q&A, Ariana was asked to “describe Pasha as a dance partner/teacher/coach.”

“[Pasha Pashkov] is a ray of light and anyone would be lucky to be partnered with him!” Ariana began.

Then, she shared a lengthy message, detailing exactly why she’s so fond of her partner.

“Dance partner: so fun, creative, and so present when we are performing … Teacher: literally no one is as patient and good at explaining things. Pasha has metaphors upon metaphors to describe something until it makes sense to YOU and never shows he’s frustrated if you aren’t getting it (even if he probably is),” she wrote. “Coach: the most positive and encouraging person. We are never too serious and when I’m having a full blown anxiety moment, he’s so good at being able to talk me out of being in my head.”

As Pump Rules fans may have seen, Ariana spoke of how DWTS has helped her cope with her anxiety during an interview with Life & Style magazine earlier this month.

“Every time before we perform, I’m, like, incredibly nervous,” Ariana admitted. “I’m out here, like, shaking my hands, trying to do deep breathing or whatever. And even though I feel that, somehow it still comes together. So I think that that’s something that I’m learning – that I can feel that way, but that doesn’t mean everything is going to fall apart. I can trust myself.”

“I think that it translates in the sense that I can just breathe through it and keep going,” she explained. “I can trust myself to handle it.”

Dancing With the Stars season 32 airs on ABC on Tuesdays at 8/7c.