Robert Irwin brought his "Dancing With the Stars" training home when he invited his four-year-old niece, Grace, to join him for a jive practice session.

In an Instagram video shared on September 20, the 21-year-old conservationist-turned-dance-contestant guided Grace through the kicks and flicks from his Season 34 premiere routine.

In the clip, Robert wears his trademark khaki pants and moves alongside Grace in their living room. He counts out beats as he demonstrates a kick-ball change: "Bum, ba-bum, and then we're going to move over here," he instructs. Grace follows along, beaming at every step. When she asks, "Did I do it?" Robert replies with delight, "You did it! That's it!"

Behind the camera, Bindi Irwin, Robert's sister and the Season 21 mirrorball champion, cheers him on. "Loved it!" she exclaims, prompting her brother to respond, "The mirrorball champion has given her stamp of approval, so that's a good dance." As they end the routine in a playful pose, Grace asks, "Did I win?" and Robert crowns her the victor: "Everyone else can head home now. Grace has won."


Robert's partnership with professional dancer Witney Carson earned them a score of 15 out of 20 for their jive to "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf on premiere night, tying them for the top spot on the leaderboard. He later said that he could almost feel his late father, Steve Irwin, cheering him on. "After experiencing this, I believe he would be thrilled," Robert said.

He also shared that the highlight of the evening was seeing Grace's reaction in the audience. "The look on my niece's face, Grace, that made the night for me," he said. "She looked at me and she was like, 'Yes!' And I'm like, 'If Grace is happy, I've won.'"

The Irwin family has shown up in full force to support Robert on his ballroom journey. Bindi, her daughter Grace, and their mother, Terri Irwin, temporarily relocated from Australia to Los Angeles so they could cheer him on each week. As Robert continues to balance his passion for conservation with dance rehearsals, he says he feels "incredibly fortunate" to share these moments with the people who mean the most to him.

Tags
Dancing with the Stars, Instagram