The Dancing with the Stars season 34 premiere saw Elaine Hendrix wow viewers right out of the gate. She performed a cha cha routine with some major throwback moments to Parent Trap after teasing the “intense” partnership she had with Alan Bersten.
The actress is best known for her role as the villainous character in several 90s films, including Evian in Superstar and, most notably, the evil stepmother Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap.
Now, in a season that is sure to be competitive, she has proven she is in it to win it, bringing the nostalgia to a routine that quickly saw her not landing at the bottom of the leaderboard.
The actress was the third celebrity to dance during the episode, following Jordan Chiles and Dylan Efron.
She quickly impressed, appearing on stage with an iconic wide-brimmed black hat on her head, throwing things back to Meredith’s first introduction in the hit movie.
Midway through, she and Bersten also recreated the famous handshake Lindsay Lohan‘s English character, Annie, performed with her butler, Marvin, and taught her twin sister, Hallie.
The two incorporated the hand and hip movements, sending fans into a further frenzy.
“Meredith blake welcome back to the ballroom,” one person said.
“The Parent Trap references were stunning,” another added.
In the end, the references paid off for Elaine and Alan, as they briefly topped the leaderboard, earning 12/20 from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba was absent from the episode, announcing just hours before the premiere that she was sitting it out due to being under the weather.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC.Â