Actress Elaine Hendrix marked her Dancing with the Stars Season 34 performances as a personal milestone at age 54, reflecting on her early dance roots, professional journey, and continued commitment to the craft.
During an interview with Citizen Tribune, Hendrix said,
“I’m amazed and quite proud of what I’m doing. I’m 54 and I never thought I would train at this level again. I’m using this opportunity to show just how far I can go.”
Her participation in the show represents her first return to structured dance training in three decades.
Elaine Hendrix was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and spent her early years in Morristown.
She shared that her upbringing in East Tennessee shaped her connection to dance and community.
“I think that East Tennessee in general is beautiful. I love nature and animals and we have plenty of it there. I felt like Morristown was close enough to Knoxville to have a big city experience," Hendrix said.
While in Morristown, she studied under local dance instructor Gail Noe-Kilgore, who continues to encourage votes for her former student.
Hendrix described Gail as very special and said she hopes to have the same "energy" as her as she grows older.
She explained that Noe-Kilgore and her mother were close friends and that Gail was her first dance teacher.
Hendrix also shared that her introduction to dance did not come easily, recalling that her mother and Gail had to "bribe" her to take classes.
She admitted that she was not initially interested in dance but eventually grew to love it. She lived in Morristown until the age of 15, when her family moved to Atlanta after her mother received a new job opportunity with the American College Test.
Hendrix’s early dance training was interrupted by a major accident when she was 21 years old. While riding a bicycle in Los Angeles, she was struck by a drunk driver and sustained injuries that forced her to stop dancing.
She explained that getting hit by a car “changed everything” for her, leading to a year of recovery in Atlanta, including eight months of physical therapy, before she gradually shifted her focus to acting.
Her acting career began in 1992, leading to roles in major projects such as The Parent Trap, where she portrayed Meredith Blake alongside Lindsay Lohan and Dennis Quaid. Hendrix said of her career path,
“I didn’t plan my acting career, but looking back, it’s been epic. I’ve had incredible opportunities that I am grateful for.”
She later portrayed Alexis Colby in the Dynasty reboot, a role first made famous by Joan Collins. Hendrix explained that she put “everything” into performing the part.
Hendrix joined Dancing with the Stars Season 34 after receiving an invitation from the producers.
She explained that she had not practiced dance in nearly 30 years and described ballroom dancing as the “opposite” of the modern and contemporary jazz styles she trained in earlier in her career.
According to her, ballroom routines involve assigned partners, which differ greatly from her past solo training.
She performs with professional dancer Alan Bersten and noted that the training process is demanding but ultimately fulfilling.
During Dedication Night, Hendrix and Bersten performed a Foxtrot to This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole, which she dedicated to her close friend and Parent Trap co-star Lisa Ann Walter.
Hendrix acknowledged the experience as a rare opportunity. She said,
“Enjoy every moment. This experience has only proven to me that your dreams may not unfold how you planned, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening.”
Stay tuned for more updates.
TOPICS: Dancing with the Stars Elaine Hendrix, ABC, Disney+, Hulu, Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars season 34
