Hilaria Baldwin Fights Back Tears Following Stellar 'DWTS' Debut

Hilaria Baldwin is happy to get back to her ballroom roots on "Dancing With the Stars" ... so much so, she practically burst into tears after her big debut.

Check it out ... an emotional Hilaria chokes back tears while celebrating her stellar Cha Cha routine with Gleb Savchenko.

When host Julianne Hough asks Hilaria to explain her teary-eyed reaction, the yoga instructor explains she never thought she'd be here, given she said "goodbye" to ballroom dance 16 years ago after a hip injury.

And so, being a part of Season 34 has left Hilaria feeling "grateful."

Hilaria certainly made a splash with her first performance on 'DWTS,' donning a neon green number while Cha-Cha-Cha-ing to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez. They earned a score of 14 out of 20 for their routine ... landing them in 2nd place after night one.

HB was cheered on by husband, Alec Baldwin, and 2 of their 7 children ... who looked on proudly after Hilaria hit the ballroom floor.

Despite her ballroom past, Hilaria isn't necessarily a shoo-in to take home the Mirrorball Trophy ... given Robert Irwin made a splash with his jive to "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf -- judge Derek Hough called the "best first dance" in the show's history.