Robert Irwin is proving — again — that music and dance both have the power to heal.
In Us’ exclusive sneak peek of the Monday, July 20, episode of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Robert, 22, sits down with contestant Allen Genkin before an emotional challenge.
“I wanted to visit Allen today because I know he’s telling a very important story and a story that’s hard to tell,” Robert shares. “I want to see if I can help him through it.”
For this week’s challenge, the remaining 10 dancers must bring a personal story to life through dance. While dancing the Rumba to Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” with fellow contestant Adele Zaikman, Allen, 36, hopes to honor his late mom.
“My mom died when I was 15. I lost my best friend,” Allen shares while trying to hold back tears. “Twenty years have gone by and they say time heals all wounds, but it really doesn’t. The only way I can really do it justice is to really showcase it through art and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Robert begins to recall his experience on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars when he honored his mom, Terri Irwin, and late dad, Steve Irwin, during Dedication Night.
To this day, Robert still remembers the emotions he felt after dancing a contemporary routine to Phil Collins’ ballad “You’ll Be in My Heart.”
“As soon as the music stopped, my mom joined me on stage and I completely broke down,” Robert recalls in the preview. “It’s like you’re facing something for the first time in your life that you’ve never had the strength to face. Movement and dance is the thing that gives you the ability to face that.”
Robert Irwin, Allen Genkin Maarten De Boer/Disney (X2)
Although it’s only week two in the competition, Allen has impressed the judges and viewers with his dance moves.
While attending the Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Watch Party on July 13, Allen explained why he wanted to make his mom proud throughout the competition.
“My mom’s dream when Dancing with the Stars came out was she said, ‘One day, I envision you on a main stage like that,’” Allen exclusively recalled to Us from The Palm & The Pine in Hollywood. “I kept that dream alive. I kept that story alive, and it pushed me to this moment now. I’m going to keep fighting until I get to that goal.”
As the competition continues, the San Jose, California-based dancer hopes his late mom is able to witness the latest milestone in his dance career from the great beyond.
“I have an angel looking after me and she’s guiding me through all of this,” Allen told Us. “God, I hope she’s watching. I hope she’s proud. I hope I make her proud. That’s all that I care about.”
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. with episodes available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
