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Nyle DiMarco on ‘DWTS’ Debut: ‘I Didn’t Want to Make a Fool of Myself’

Nyle DiMarco‘s amazing Dancing With the Stars debut alongside Peta Murgatroyd on Monday, March 21, didn’t just get the thumbs-up from the judges — social media went wild about the pair’s amazing cha-cha. 

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Proving without a shadow of a doubt that deaf dancers are at no disadvantage, America’s Next Top Model star DiMarco admitted to Us Weekly after his performance that he had been really nervous.

DiMarco and Murgatroyd Adam Taylor/ABC via via Getty Images

And while he’s evidently got no problems when it comes to keeping the beat, the hunky performer admitted he didn’t really know whether he’d be any good on the show until he started dancing with his pro partner.

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“Before I started DWTS, I knew it was going to be a huge challenge for me, but the first day that I met Peta, in our first rehearsal, I thought, ‘Hey, this isn’t really that challenging! I can dance!'” he said, via his interpreter.

“It’s not all about hearing, it’s about our connection and Peta’s pace and following it, and it’s really becomes not too bad. It wasn’t a challenge today and I’m glad the world knows that now, that we can dance and I can dance with Peta!”

Despite looking like an expert, DiMarco insists he’s not had much practice on the dance floor.

“Growing up I didn’t dance at all, and I wasn’t sure if I could. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself as a deaf person. If I made a fool out of myself I think the world would have that negative perception that a deaf person can’t dance, and it’s important for me to do so well so that I can preach to the world that deaf people can do anything,” he added.

DiMarco’s partner, Murgatroyd, admitted she didn’t know what to expect at first, but is having the best time now that they’ve actually started working together.

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“I think at first when I found out he was 100 percent deaf, I was really nervous, really scared and I kind of went home and thought about it a little bit and tried to wrap my brain around how I was going to work this. But I’m loving it, I have to be a better teacher,” she said. “[We’re having] so much fun.”

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