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Kelly Monaco on Dancing with the Stars Return: I Haven't Danced in Seven Years!

By Tim Nudd

09/25/2012 at 05:30 PM EDT

Winning Dancing with the Stars means you become a dancer for life, right? You keep up with your new hobby and break out the moves at every opportunity?

Wrong!

Kelly Monaco, the winner of season 1, is nervous about returning for the all-star season – because she's out of practice in a big way.



"I haven't danced in seven years!" the model and actress, 36, tells PEOPLE. "It's going to be intense."

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Monaco, who won with since-departed pro Alec Mazo, is paired with Val Chmerkovskiy for the all-star season. Asked what she learned in her winning season, she said it's all about hard work.

"If I can do it, anyone can do it," she says. "I just don't know if you can do it twice. It's like being struck by lightning twice."

She's not putting too much pressure on herself, though and says she's just lucky to be "meeting new people and making new relationships and going on another journey ... I think it's just all in good fun, really. So bring it on!"