LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Derek Hough says "awesome" dance partner Bindi Irwin reminds him of "the magic of living life."
The choreographer penned a blog post released Tuesday on TV Guide.com raving about his Dancing With the Stars partner and 17-year-old daughter of late television personality Steve Irwin.
"Bindi is awesome. I cannot say enough great things about her," Hough wrote. "She's always present and in the moment. And she's teaching me to love all animals!"
The Australian conservationist and actress wowed spectators during Monday night's premier of Dancing With the Stars. She and Hough earned the highest score of the night to tie with competitor Nick Carter and his partner Sharna Burgess.
"This experience," Irwin wrote on social media after her big debut. "I am grateful beyond words for tonight. Thank you all and especially my life coach and dance partner."
Hough says the teenage star's transformation from their first rehearsal to her Monday performance is "miraculous." In reaction to fans' compliments regarding Irwin's dancing, Hough says "I wanna be like, 'if only you saw our first rehearsal...' If you had seen her the first couple days, you would have been like, 'OK, that's a completely different person.'"
