Jordin Sparks Says She Previously Turned Down DWTS : 'Mentally, I Wasn't in the Right Space'
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Jordin Sparks took her time joining Dancing with the Stars — but is happy she finally stepped onto the dancefloor.
The American Idol winner, 32, told reporters including PEOPLE after Monday night's show that despite being asked she was always "too scared" to join the show in the past because she "wasn't ready."
"The timing just didn't go right. Mentally, I wasn't in the right space," added Sparks.
Thankfully, that all changed when DWTS came calling in 2022 and Sparks said she thought "'You know what? Yes. Why not?'"
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she added of the show, which "doesn't happen very often anymore."
"There's not a lot of firsts," she continued. "So it's nice to be able to do something and stretch my brain."
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While competing on the show has remained just as scary to her, Sparks said she's learned to cope by gradually shifting the way she thinks about dancing in front of millions of people every week.
"I had to change my mentality about it, cause I was really scared. It's really scary to do something you don't know and put yourself out there like that," she said Monday. "I had to change my mentality [to be like], 'Just have a good time. Like, this… When is this going to happen to me again?'"
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Sparks has been vocal about how her main motivation for joining the competition is her son, 4-year-old Dana Isaiah Jr, who she said she hopes to inspire by pushing herself to do something so nerve-wracking.
He and Sparks' husband, Dana Isaiah, have been supporting her in the audience throughout the season, and Monday night's Disney+ episode was no different as they watched her and partner Brandon Armstrong perform a jazz routine to "Remember Me" from Disney Pixar's Coco, a song she often sings to her son at night.
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Sparks began the routine by singing to her son and husband in the audience before transitioning to the dance. The judges liked her performance, calling it her best to date, with Bruno Tonioli praising Sparks for being "so connected" during the "fluid and dynamic" dance.
After the show, the No Air singer was proud of herself for achieving her highest score so far in the competition, sharing that she is holding herself to a high standard when it comes to her performances.
"I don't do things unless I think I can do them well, unless I think I can get to a level of the standard that I hold myself to," she said when asked if she thinks the Mirrorball trophy is in her future. "Listen, I've already visualized myself holding this Mirrorball, okay."
While she has high hopes for the season, her body is feeling the consequences of her expectations. "My feet hurt, okay? My body hurts. I physically haven't pushed myself like this ever in my life," she told reporters. "Everything has been a challenge, but it's been a good one. I'm really, really enjoying it."
Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.
