“A Disney Princess Come Alive”

Dancing with the Stars Season 31 is already a can’t-miss season — and it just started. The show’s grand Disney+ premiere included quite possibly the strongest lineup of dance numbers of any season premiere in the show’s history, with a whole lot of 7s — and even some 8s — handed out. But beyond the high scores, one of last night’s dances highlighted the grace and beauty of human perseverance — and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. That number belonged to Selma Blair and her partner Sasha Farber.

As Blair’s intro video went into, the movie star (Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, Hellboy) was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August 2018. The autoimmune disease, for which there is no known cure yet, affects the nervous system. In Blair’s case, this has affected her movement, balance, vision, and speech. Blair didn’t let this dissuade her from joining Dancing with the Stars. In fact, it emboldened Blair to turn her participation into a message of hope. “I hope that by doing this show that I could show people with disabilities the joy that can be found in ways you never expected.” Paired with professional dancer Sasha Farber, who just so happens to be Blair’s neighbor, Blair made her DWTS debut dancing the Viennese waltz to David Cook’s “The Time of My Life.”

And they absolutely nailed it.

From the starting moment, where Blair — dressed like a graceful Disney queen — left her cane behind to the end, where Blair glided around the floor in sweeping circles before landing in her partner’s arm, every moment was magical and everyone was crying.

The judges agreed. Bruno Tonioli said that Selma and Sasha “created magic tonight” and that the routine’s climactic moment with the snowflakes looked like a “moment out of Frozen III, starring you, a Disney princess come alive.”

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba — who is herself part of the invisible illness community and lives with Sjögren syndrome, lupus, and fibromyalgia — called Blair a “true artist.” Tearfully, Inaba added that she loved “seeing you come out here with your circumstances and just making everyone aware that you are fully able to do and achieve anything.”

Judge Len Goodman told Blair, “don’t underestimate yourself,” and said that she “danced beautifully, lovely” and with “lyrical movement.”

And judge Derek Hough said Blair was the “perfect example of somebody that doesn’t let their illness define you, because what defines you is your strength and your courage that you showed us tonight.” His only note? “It wasn’t longer.”

The pair scored straight 7s from the judges for a total of 28, which placed them tied for third for the night. Blair, who kept saying that she was just so grateful for this moment, will be back for next week’s all-Elvis challenge.

New episodes of Dancing with the Stars premiere on Disney+ live on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.