"Whole man on one shoulder" - Ilona Maher opens up on undergoing tough training to pull off a stunt during "Disney Week" at DWTS

Ilona Maher spoke about undergoing tough training before her challenging performance for "Disney Week" at the 2024 Dancing With The Stars. Maher and her dance partner, Alan Bersten, delivered a great performance in the fifth round of the show, where all performers completed routines inspired by Disney films.

Maher and Bersten's performance was inspired by the character of Luisa Madrigal from the movie "Encanto," released in 2021. The character was known for her muscular strength. Following their jazz act based on the character, the couple earned a score of 25 out of 30.

After their performance, the rugby star was asked about how it felt to portray Luisa, a role that fans had previously campaigned for her to play. Maher responded (via Entertainment Tonight),

“I’ve always seen myself in Luisa and it felt so right. And I think people always saw me as Luisa, even when the movie came out. So, to get to embody her in this way was really special for me and I think for them.”

During the performance, Ilona Maher lifted her dance partner Bersten, who was portraying a donkey, on her shoulder. The interviewer also asked her how her shoulder was holding up following the act. Maher mentioned having undergone rigorous training for the routine:

“Uh, good. There was a time when it was a little sore. And when you have a whole man on one shoulder... I did it for you guys. Training for Olympic rugby is very very hard. But this week was tough. I looked tired sometimes when we were practicing it. So I guess it’s okay to look tired in rugby, you know? You just ran meters, but in dance, you gotta look good to do it, yeah.”

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Ilona Maher shares glimpses from her visit to Disney World before "Disney Week" performance at DWTS

Ilona Maher (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Before her "Disney Week" performance on Dancing with the Stars, Ilona Maher shared glimpses from her visits in childhood to Disney World. She took to her Instagram to share the images, captioning the post:

“In honor of Disney Night, here are some pics of me having the time of my life at Disney World. I’m doing this dance for this little girl who would have absolutely loved Luisa. Last pic is me not enjoying someone disrupting my brekky.”

In the post, one can view adorable pictures of her, posing with Disney characters like Snow White, Mickey Mouse, and Ariel.

Ilona Maher is performing on season 33 of DWTS, following her increased popularity not only for her contributions to the USA’s bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics but also for her work promoting body positivity.