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Ilona Maher channels “Encanto” character Luisa Madrigal on “DWTS” Disney night

Ilona Maher wowed the jury with her powerful performance on “Disney Night” of “Dancing with the Stars” on October 22nd.

The Olympic rugby player, 28, and her professional partner Alan Bersten, 30, performed a jazz dance to “Surface Pressure,” a song from Disney's 2021 film “Encanto.”

Maher's powerful movements were based on the character of Luisa Madrigal, who is known in the film for her superhuman strength.

She effortlessly lifted Bersten, who was wearing a full donkey costume, over her shoulders, a nod to the way Luisa lifts donkeys in the cartoon.

The rugby star also showed off her strength during a freestyle group number titled “I 2 I” from “A Goofy Movie,” as she picked up and flipped fellow competitor Chandler Kinney.

Before the performance, Maher shared a sweet message on X about what her “Encanto” dance meant to her.

“Tonight I'm dancing for that little girl (me) who would have loved Luisa,” she wrote, sharing a throwback photo of herself posing with a character actor from “Snow White.”

Maher and Bersten scored 9 points for the first time ever for their performance, finishing “Disney Night” with an overall score of 25/30, which secured them a spot in next week.

Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher on “Dancing with the Stars”.Eric McCandless/Disney

Fans were amazed by Maher's strength and charisma on stage, both in her “Encanto” performance and her group performance.

“I love a good 4 person tango group and the LIFTS,” one person wrote on X. “Your honor, I JUST LOVE ILONA MAHER.”

Chandler Kinney, Ilona Maher, Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran on Dancing with The Stars.
Chandler Kinney, Ilona Maher, Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran on “Dancing with the Stars.”Eric McCandless/Disney

“ILONA, THE WOMAN YOU ARE!” another person wrote on X.

A fan on Instagram also praised what Maher is setting an example for young women with her performance.

“I loved that! “My daughter was a competitive dancer until she got to high school and decided to play cheer and flag football,” the fan wrote. “She was always compared to the smaller girls, but in our eyes she is perfect and is thriving better now. They show that there is so much beauty in every woman and young lady. When I was younger, I wish we had the same young ladies to look up to.”


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