Canadian singer Celine Dion continued her slow re-emergence after a nearly two-year break from the public eye due to her battle with the debilitating Stiff-Person Syndrome to perform a dazzling two-song set on Wednesday at the “1001 Seasons of ELIE SAAB” event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 56-year-old ‘Queen of Ballad’ took the stage among a parade of statuesque models wearing a flowing pale pink floor-length sequined gown with a billowing cape and her hair pulled back in a bun at the celebration of a Lebanese designer 45th year fashion career
Dion commanded the stage, performing her titanic 1994 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “The Power of Love”, her signature power vocals sounding undiminished.
She encouraged the crowd to put their hands together as she busted another fan favorite, 2002’s “I’m Alive,” as the final group of models walked by, with some extending their hands to greet the pop superstar.
The singer put her hand over her heart, turned her back to the audience and then slowly spun around for a final hip-swiveling dance and a dramatic flourish, shooting her right hand over her head before accepting a pair of cheek kisses from the night’s honoree.
The Wednesday mini-set was just Dion’s second performance since her lauded comeback at the opening ceremony of this summer’s 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, followed by a surprise set at the City of Hope’s 2024 Spirit of Life Gala in Los Angeles in October.
Dion has largely been out of the public eye since Dec. 2022, when she revealed her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis; the rare neurological disorder can cause uncontrolled muscle spasms that make it hard to move, with Dion saying that sometimes they were so intense that they caused broken ribs.