Celine Dion Steps Out for a Rare Performance Amid Health Battle

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Celine Dion just reminded everyone why she’s a legend.

The 56-year-old “Queen of Power Ballads” took the stage at the 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab fashion show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, November 13 — her third performance since revealing she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in December 2022. (Dion performed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and a surprise set at the City of Hope’s 2024 Spirit of Life Gala in Los Angeles last month.)

According to the National Institute of Health, “Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare progressive and often underdiagnosed immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system.” Characterized by “rigidity and triggered painful spasms,” the disorder slowly gets worse over time, making life increasingly difficult for those living with it.

Dressed in a floor-length pink sequined gown, Dion brought the crowd to their feet with a powerhouse performance of “The Power of Love.” She also performed a rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” The celebration was to honor Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s 45-year fashion career.

“Being here for the first time is kind of a dream come true,” Dion gushed to Hello magazine before going onstage. “And Monsieur Elie Saab and his entourage and his beautiful family has welcomed us here — my manager, my son and all the people that I needed to support me to be here.”

She continued, “His generosity, his talent, he has been singing with me because I’ve been wearing his dresses, his talent for many, many years. Wearing his extraordinary talent is one thing, meeting him and being with him and having a chance to have a bit of chat with him was very touching for me. So being here is just wonderful. So we’re very, very privileged and very honored to be here.”

The day after the performance, the five-time Grammy winner took to Instagram with a few words of gratitude. “Wow, what a night,” she wrote. “Thanks to everyone at @paris2024, @olympics and @dior who helped make this dream come true. And now, it’s already time to go! I will miss you Paris!”

Although Dion only shared her diagnosis a couple of years ago, she’s been dealing with symptoms since a 2008 concert in Germany. In an NBC News interview with Hoda Kotb on Today earlier this year, she explained how tough it was to keep her struggles a secret.

“I had to raise my kids. I had to hide. I had to try to be a hero [while] feeling my body leaving me, holding on to my own dreams,” the mom of three explained. “And lying [to my fans], for me, the burden was too much. Lying to the people who got me to where I am today, I could not do it anymore.”

Despite her health challenges, Dion remains undeterred. “I’m going to go back onstage, even if I have to crawl,” she declared. “Even if I have to talk with my hands, I will. I will.”