Kate Miller-Heidke defied gravity at her Eurovision dress rehearsal and people are going wild

This is not a drill: Kate Miller-Heidke will be airborne at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Nothing's holding her down: Kate takes flight at the Eurovision rehearsal in Tel Aviv. Source: SBS Eurovision

Kate Miller-Heidke's Eurovision journey is well underway, with Australia's representative taking to the stage at her Semi-Final 1 dress rehearsal in Tel Aviv, Israel, overnight. 

The singer-songwriter's performance of her poperatic hit Zero Gravity at Eurovision - Australia Decides was dramatic enough, but Team Australia has kicked things up a notch for the Main Event, and now Kate will be performing the song atop a bendy pole.

Reactions to this new development were swift, and extremely encouraging:

WiWi blogs: "Contender to win semi finals"

In its reaction video the go-to destination for Eurovision obsessives declared: "It feels Cirque du Soleil. This feels like the first moment we've had in rehearsals.
Everyone clapped.
Contender to win semi-finals.
She wears a crown because she's a Queen. 
Way to come up from downunder. Glinda the Good Witch, Defying Gravity.
No doubt she is qualifying, the question is, how far will she go?

Eurovoxx: "This has blown it out of the park"

"Australia are so far the best literally they got two massive applauses in the run throughs.
She's brought her voice, the choreography, staging and she's delivered.
It's a potential winner I see. In both run-ups I got goosebumps.
It's literally a perfect performance and she is still holding back.
I thought the national final performance was epic but this has blown it out of the park."

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Kate takes the stage for the live Semi-Final 1 from 5am (AEST) Wednesday 15 May. Watch it live at SBS On Demand (and vote for your favourite performer). The Semi-Final 1 show will be broadcast on SBS Australia at 8.30pm pm Thursday 16 May.