Hilaria Baldwin Says ‘DWTS’ ‘Can Be Uncomfortable and Embarrassing’ (Exclusive)

Hilaria Baldwin is getting real about her experience on Dancing with the Stars.

The entrepreneur, 41, who is currently competing on season 34 of the iconic reality dance series, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the premiere in Hollywood, Calif. on Tuesday, Sept. 16. During the conversation, Baldwin — who danced in her younger years — revealed that returning to activity can be “embarrassing” at times.

“I mean, some of it is like visiting a familiar friend when you’re older, and you’ve had a lot of children, and broken some bones, if you can relate to that,” she began, explaining, “But also, some of it is brand new. [My partner], Gleb Savchenko, is asking me to dance on a much higher level than I ever danced.”

“[I’m] really focusing on the quality, the footwork, the authenticity of the dance. And being independent on my own, so I’m not just relying on him to throw me around the dance floor. He makes me do the routine on my own,” she continued.

The Baldwins star added, “And it’s uncomfortable and embarrassing sometimes.”

However, the reality star said that she didn’t sign up for the rigorous live competition series to do something easy. “I keep on reminding myself: I didn’t sign up for this to be comfortable. I signed up for this to do hard things and to be brave. And [Gleb] is the perfect person to do that with,” she said.

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Savchenko, who also spoke to PEOPLE exclusively at the event, raved about Baldwin’s work ethic. “Hilaria’s such a hard worker, and I’m just so impressed with the passion that she puts into it,” the professional dancer, 42, said. 

He added, “She’s such a perfectionist. You’re working on little details, and she goes, like, ‘No, let’s do it again. Let’s do it again.’ She gets so frustrated with herself. And I’m like, ‘It’s okay. It was actually good.’ [And she goes], ‘No, let’s do it again.’ ”

“And I love that, because that’s the spirit of a true champion, and I really appreciate that. It’s really inspiring,” Savchenko continued.

Baldwin, who performed a cha-cha-cha to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez for the first week of the show, shared with PEOPLE that she is most excited to work on dance styles she’s never done before. “I don’t have any experience with the standard dances, so I’m nervous but also excited,” she explained. 

She added, “Because I think when you try something that’s brand new, it’s a little liberating because you’re like, ‘All right, I’m going to try this.’ And it’s just that different expectation. As [Gleb] says, I’m very hard on myself. And so, I’m trying to learn to chill out a little bit. And I think I’ve done a better job at relaxing.”

Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC and simulcasts on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.