As week six of Dancing with the Stars rolled out, Illona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten hit the stage with a whole new vibe! Illona, in the rugby world, is known for bulldozing her way through defenders on the pitch. However, in this episode, she transformed herself into a jazz queen as she performed “Surface Pressure” from Encanto. This was not just another performance for Illona; it was something deeper and personal.

As Illona herself puts it, “When I first saw Luisa, and whenever I watch ‘Surface Pressure,’ I start crying because I truly feel that way many times—the pressure I put on myself to be great, to help others.” But it wasn’t just about the jazz steps or fancy footwork. Illona’s performance is about pushing boundaries in more ways than one. Over the course of DWTS, Illona has come under the awful eyes of online scrutiny many times.

And the criticism has often been about the way Illona looks or how she is not feminine. Without paying heed to any of it, she continued to perform. However, this decision to continue did not come easy. After the world saw Illona make a stiff-arm move and knock a Japanese player away during the 2021 Olympics, imagining her dancing seemed like something that did not fit! The persona that lived of Illona was of a strong and daring rugby player.

Well, that persona has sure changed as Illona Maher danced her way into becoming the fit! As Illona Maher danced and threw things in the air, she redefined what the original Disney character put across. The interpretation of the same saw wide acceptance. Not just from judges and her father but also from her Rugby Sevens teammates like Kristi Kirshe, who was on the set during the same. For a change, Kristi was cheering from the stands instead of heading into the battle with Illona. This wasn’t, however, the first time that her rugby teammates had been on the DWTS cheering her.

In fact, during week five’s “Dedication Night” performance, multiple players were seen on set. Big names like Stephanie Rovetti, Sammy Sullivan, Lauren Doyle, Spiff Sedrick, Sarah Levy, Nicole Heavirland, and Alena Olsen joined other players. This time, instead of rallying for a tackle, they were there to celebrate her growth as a performer. The fandom and Illona’s teammates were not the only ones to take notice and hype up the transformation!

A Performance to Remember for Illona

All three judges of DWTS also took note of this transformation! But their praises were not without some feedback. Illona Maher’s week six performance shocked Derek Hough in all the right ways. However, he had a bit of constructive criticism to offer, asking her to “balance storytelling and dance” to reach her full potential. Derek was not the only one to be taken aback.

Bruno Tonioli went on to say, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the strongest of them all? (points to Illona) I’m telling you, no pressure on her—she could lift a rhino with a finger. Totally true to character.” Yet despite the praise, he too went on to say that there was more room for dance in the performance. Meanwhile, Carrie Ann Inaba praised Illona for an entirely different reason.

Carrie Ann went on to say, “When you dance, what’s so spectacular about you is you change the storyline in other young ladies’ heads. You are telling them a different story, and that is so impactful. A dance is not just a dance; you have an impact in this world.” So, what made this such an impactful performance? As Illona herself puts it, “It was so fun to get to slip into this role because, at times, it didn’t feel like a role; it felt like myself. I love that girls get to see her as a character and maybe see me as well as somebody to look up to.”

Despite Carrie Ann singing the loudest praise of them all, even she pointed out that dance was perhaps a bit lost in the storytelling. The performance earned Maher and Bersten a score of 25 out of 30, with eight from Derek and Bruno. With week six done, Illona Maher has made it through another week without elimination. The world is eagerly awaiting week seven. As the world waits, one thing is certain. Ilona Maher is not done surprising on both the rugby pitch and the dance floor.