A mover and shaker in the fashion industry, entrepreneur Nadia Bartel admits dancing was a skill that did not come naturally as she prepares to grace the Dancing with the Stars stage for the first time.
Claiming the timing had been off when previously asked onto the show, the mother of two suggested all the stars had aligned this time around.
“This year all the timing was right and I just thought it’d be nice to try something that was very much out of my comfort zone, because I’d never even done dance as a kid or child, and I’m not that coordinated,” she revealed.
Co-hosted by Aussie TV darlings Sonia Kruger and show newcomer Dr Chris Brown, Bartel will join eleven other celebrities as they hope to catch the eye of four discerning judges when the show launches on July 7.
With sequined gowns, spray tans, and their dance partners’ expertise to hide behind on stage, Bartel was shocked at the competition’s intense training standards and physical requirements.
“They do absolutely throw you in because you’re basically forced into a room with your dance partner, and just told to go and figure it out and learn,” she said.
Entering the competition without a clear goal or expectation, the co-founder of clothing label Henne said she battled with the fear of “stage fright” and harboured anxiety over “forgetting her steps”.
Paired with returning dancer Lyu Masuda, a smooth-moving Latin American dance expert, it’s not quite two left feet Bartel’s leading man had to contend with.
“It’s really hard for me to get my hips to move in the right way. I think that just might be from pregnancies,” she admitted.
“The Cha Cha was so hard for me.”
Hoping her hips don’t lie when she lets her dancing do the talking, the mother admitted it was a “juggle” to balance learning new dances with maintaining her endeavours away from the limelight.
Opening her second Henne store earlier this month in Sydney while raising her boys, the busy fashionista and model has learned the term ‘hustle culture’ can easily be applied to professional dancers.
“They’re so active and hours are so long sometimes, you’re training for 10 hours a day.”
Although maintaining lithe, enviably lean figures, her partner’s diet and habits came as a surprise.
“They actually eat a lot. For dancers, they were non-stop. I think they need so much energy. You’d look at him (Lyu), and he’s such a fit-looking guy that he doesn’t stop eating, which suited me.
“From morning til night, we’d be training, and then they’d have to go off and even learn other moves to their specific dances.”
Flexing his pecs and work ethic on the floor, Bartel’s leading man wasn’t her only co-star to relish getting their rig out in the name of television.
“Ant Middleton for me was amazing. He loves having his top out and getting it out there. Shane Crawford always likes getting his top off as well,” she joked.
Lauding the homegrown talents of singing “pocket rocket” Samantha Jade, another quick-stepping local product drew the designer’s gaze.
A Brownlow medallist like her ex-husband Jimmy Bartel, Bartel noticed footy golden boy Ben Cousins had brought his signature charm and training standards to the fore.
“Ben was amazing. He was such a great vibe to have around,” she said.
“You can see how, obviously, all the hard work that he put into becoming such a big footy star, he definitely took that onto the stage as well.”
With no shortage of worthy competitors, former Olympian Nova Peris will strut her stuff, along with actors Lisa McCune and James Stewart.
Rounding out the dynamic dozen are comedian Nikki Osborne, chefs Hayden Quinn and Julie Goodwin, and resident builder turned TV star Adam Dovile who will look to turn heads.
With plans to expand her fashion label nationwide in the coming years, Bartel will be hoping to attract new local fans to her already rich customer base in Perth when she hits the stage.
Recalling she was “blown away” by WA’s scenery on her sole trip west years ago, the Melbourne local hasn’t ruled out a return trip west for work, with a stop in Margaret River.
“I’m not sure exactly when the timing would be, but it definitely is on the cards for us.”
Dancing with the Stars is set to premiere Sunday, July 7 on Channel Seven and 7plus.