Elaine Hendrix danced through her pain, the very embodiment of determination on the dance floor. During the October 21st episode of Dancing with the Stars' Wicked Night, she and her partner Alan Bersten performed a contemporary routine to "Defying Gravity," leaving the ballroom in tears. As she explained, every day on the show, she was defying her own odds due to injuries sustained from a 1992 car accident. "I have a titanium joint in my right foot," Elaine shared during her introduction, "which renders half my foot unusable. Every week, my body shifts into a new pain spot, but I don't want it to stop me."
The choice to dance to the powerful "Defying Gravity" was deliberate, as Alan wanted the 54-year-old to realize "she can trust herself," reminding Elaine that "she is stronger than her injuries." As they took to the floor, they immediately cast a spell on the audience, especially as Elaine literally defied gravity, being raised while holding a broom at the end of the number.
The audience was enchanted, with host Alfonso Ribeiro noting, "The ballroom is literally on their feet." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba was incredibly moved by the piece, jumping up to say that they all witnessed "something special." "I just burst into tears just because you were so purely in this moment," she continued. "There are these moments that happen on this show that are magical—that no one will ever forget how it made them feel. When you danced and you reached—and that passion. It was beauty, elegance, and you just dug into my soul and I am so proud of you."
Judge Bruno Tonioli gushed that Elaine and Alan "went into orbit," adding, "You had the toughest number because it's the highest, the biggest in the show, and you killed it." And as for Elaine herself? As she put it, "I am feeling like I am defying gravity." Once the scores came in—all nines from Bruno and Carrie Ann, as well as judge Derek Hough and guest judge Wicked director Jon M. Chu—Elaine couldn't believe she earned her first nines of the season. "I'm so grateful," she shared before proudly announcing, "I am 54, I am injured, and I just did that!"
