Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin, joined the 21st season of the popular television show “Dancing With The Stars” in 2015. She was partnered with Derek Hough, the brother of Julianne Hough, and for their sixth performance, the pair danced to the classic song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the movie “Dirty Dancing”.
During rehearsal, they were surprised by Jennifer Grey, who played Baby in the original 1987 film. After giving the pair words of encouragement, Bindi and Hough continued practicing the famous “lift” move that the movie is known for.
On the day of the performance, Bindi was dressed in a glamorous outfit, similar to Baby’s in the movie, and her hair was styled in an 80s updo. The audience began clapping along to the music as Bindi and Hough danced flawlessly, but the crowd was jittery with anticipation waiting to see if they would be able to pull off the famous “lift” move. With the encouragement of the audience and backup dancers, Hough lifted Bindi up into the air, just like in the movie, and the crowd went wild.
Despite making it look easy, Bindi and Hough faced a wardrobe malfunction just seconds before taking the stage. Bindi’s dress kept sliding up during practice, which could have caused her to fall down during the “lift”. Hough quickly ran to the wardrobe and requested that the dress be sewn to Bindi’s underwear to prevent it from sliding up.
Bindi and Hough eventually won the 21st season of “Dancing With The Stars”, and they dedicated another stunning performance to Bindi’s father. Both Patrick Swayze and Steve Irwin would have been proud of Bindi’s tribute to “Dirty Dancing”.