Paula Abdul, champion, gets back up again Image by Getty Images

“The LORD said to Joshua: ‘Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?’” — Joshua, 7:10

“I get knocked down, but I get up again/You are never gonna keep me down” — Tubthumping, Chubuwumba

Veteran performer Paula Abdul proved that she knows how to get right back on the horse — the 56 year-old dancer was on stage in Biloxi, Mississippi, frankly killing it, when she took a fall. Marching towards the front of the stage with the sex appeal and enthusiasm of a URJ song leader, she appeared to misgauge her distance from the lip of the stage, falling face first into the audience.

Now. This is where we must separate fake news from Real News Written By Paula Abdul Fans.

Other publications are reporting merely that Abdul fell on her face, as shown in this amusing, though starting video.

A longer clip shows that though Abdul did fall, she almost instantaneously ricocheted back up with the help of her backup dancers. Hand in a gracious second position and foot beveled, she chuckled, “I’m a klutz, I’m a klutz,” and then went seamlessly back into a full dance routine. “Thank you for saving my life back there!” she bellows.

Paula, thank you for giving us life back there.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

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