'Dancing With the Stars' Hands Out First '10' of Season 30

By Stephanie Downs

The competition on Dancing With the Stars just got taken to the next level. On Tuesday night's episode, Len Goodman handed out the first score of 10 of the season to one of the competitors. His score went to The Office alum Melora Hardin and her partner, Artem Chigvintsev, for their jazz routine. 

Hardin has quickly emerged as one of the frontrunners in Season 30 of DWTS. After performing a jazz routine to "Mother Knows Best" from Tangled, the judges flooded the pair with praise for their flawless routine. But, it was Goodman that seemed to be the most impressed of them all, as he gave the routine a perfect 10. The other judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, all gave the pair a 9. In total, Hardin earned a score of 37 out of 40, which placed her at the very top of the leaderboard. The pair also did incredibly well the night before, as they earned 36 out of 40 for their quickstep routine. Between their two routines, Hardin and Chigvintsev had no trouble earning the top spot on the leaderboard.

In late September, Hardin spoke to Us Weekly about what competing on DWTS has been like. She explained that she was prepared for the physicality of the show, but she wasn't as prepared for the "emotional toll" that it would take on her. The actor said, "I knew that I was taking my body [to another level], but I wasn't sure how much [of an] emotional toll it would take. I think that it's just, you know, the schedule is very tight. I haven't had a day off since I started."

Even though competing on DWTS hasn't been entirely smooth sailing, Hardin did note that her background as an actor has been incredibly helpful for her performances. She said that when performing, "you got to feel it and enjoy it and dance it." The Bold Type star went on to say, "You're putting on a show. So, the actor in me gets ignited, and then I'm trying to bring something to it. It's a little bit like, 'Do I know this?' And, 'Do I have enough confidence that I can get through it?' Then you're trying to bring that other element."

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