Someone’s excited for Season 21 of Dancing With the Stars! Pro Derek Hough is returning to the ballroom bash, and he is super enthusiastic — to put it mildly — about hoofing it with animal activist Bindi Irwin.
The dancer, 30, shared a sweet black and white Instagram pic of the two together with some very sweet words on Wednesday, Sept. 2. “Meet my new amazing partner @bindisueirwin,” he captioned the image. “This girl’s energy and lust for life is incredible. Her passion for wildlife is second to none. She’s on a mission to make a difference on our planet and now it’s my job to turn this Wildlife Warrior into a dancer. Let’s go BINDI!!!”
The new dancing partners finally met for the first time on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at The Wildlife Learning Centre in Los Angeles after the latest cast was announced. Irwin showed off her special touch with animals by posing with a python, which she also helped Hough handle.
But when it comes to the ballroom, it’s Hough who’s got the skills. If anyone can turn a non-dancer into a serious contender for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, it’s the five-time champ, who also boasts an Emmy for his choreography on DWTS.
The late Steve Irwin’s 17-year-old daughter is ready for the challenge too.
Feeling extremely blessed to be working with @derekhough for this journey to come. Ready to take on these next few weeks & work my heart out
— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) September 2, 2015
Her competition better be ready, because Bindi has already started preparing for the competition. On Saturday, she shared a selfie on Twitter of herself in the rehearsal studio.
Spending my days in the #DWTS studio! Finally getting into the swing of things and loving it. Let’s go @DancingABC ???????? pic.twitter.com/bietbkUXgQ
— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) August 29, 2015
Other stars participating in Season 21 include Paula Deen, who is paired with Louis van Amstel; Kim Zolciak, whose pro is Tony Dovolani; Tamar Braxton, who’ll be dancing with last season’s champ, Val Chmerkovskiy; Nick Carter, who’s with Sharna Burgess; and more.
Dancing With the Stars kicks off on Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.