The Dancing With The Stars on Tuesday night lit up for the semi-finals. And Stephen Nedoroscik and his dance partner, Rylee Arnold, got on stage yet again! The duo is coming off last week’s Viennese waltz, which saw them have a strong third-place finish. This week, well, they decided to kick things up a notch. So much so that their combined score this week was 54 points! So what happened next?

The semi-final week called for two performances. Stephen and Rylee first did the cha-cha to ‘Bailer.’ The performance brought dramatic dips, high-energy spins, and an iconic split from Rylee. However, the performance was not without critique. This meant that Stephen couldn’t leave any scope for the same in the next performance. And then came their second dance!

A tango to ‘Sweet Disposition’. This time, Stephen and Rylee focused on precision and using his athletic frame to his advantage. And boy-oh-boy, did Rylee’s choreography mastery come through! The duo synced strides and spins to redeem their night. And redeem what they did, as they finished with 28 points for the tango! So what does that mean? Well, simply put, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold are officially DWTS finalists! And guess what? Stephen had some tea to spill about the journey that got them to the finale.

Stephen Reveals Rylee Arnold’s alter ego that pushed them to the finals!

It turns out Rylee Arnold isn’t just a brilliant dancer but also a “drill sergeant” when it comes to coaching. And Stephen couldn’t stop praising her for the same! The two seem to have found the perfect balance between friendship and guidance. So how do they do it? As Stephen puts it on The Squeeze podcast, “Rylee is an amazing person. Like both of us on a personal level, we get along so well. We are great friends. But she is a good coach, and she knows that sometimes it’s drill sergeant Riley time.” But why even channel the elusive “seargent” in the first place?

Over the weeks, the world has seen layers of the Rylee-Stephen personas being peeled back. And this wasn’t always pleasant. But through it all, the part that kept the boat afloat was the dynamics they shared. The two have been critiqued often by the judges for issues with Stephen’s timing and musicality. From their early lapses in jazz to cha-cha criticism, Rylee has been focusing on one thing. Finding the rhythm!

And it seems like she sure did a great job! As Stephen sees it, “Sometimes you just need a coach who grabs your leg and says, ‘Do it right, or I’ll get mad.’” A no-nonsense approach that seems to work really well with Stephen! And perhaps it was this that allowed the progress that the world has seen in the duo’s performances. Even during their recent Tango in the semis, Rylee absolutely saved the performance!

During their Tango performance, Stephen’s glasses slipped off mid-dance. And guess what his coach and confidant Rylee gestured? She asked him to toss the glass. And this just added a whole new flair to their routine! Now, that’s the kind of coach a non-dancer like Stephen needs. “She really does have both sides of the coin,” Stephen explained. “She’s fun but knows how to get things done, and that’s why I think we’ve made it this far.” And their improvement is not an ambiguous one either!

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold started their first week with just 21 points. Then, in week 3, they performed the Foxtrot to “Easy” — Commodores. And their scores? It was 24 this time. And by the time the duo reached week 6, they scored 28 doing the Argentine Tango! Well, week 7, then, saw them get their first perfect 10! The rollercoaster has been on a journey upwards. But now the clock is ticking, and it’s time for the final bow. So what lies ahead?

What lies ahead for the Stephen Nedoroscik-Rylee Arnold duo?

Tick-Tock, the finals are almost here! Stephen is pulling out all the stops. “Now it’s time to really lock in,” says Stephen. He is putting his Olympic focus into use and strategizing for the finals. Stephen feels like the mirrorball trophy is within reach, and he’s treating the finale as his biggest stage since the Games. “No holding back,” he promised. Meanwhile, the upcoming week is a milestone for this partner, Rylee Arnold!

As the world already knows, this is Rylee’s second senior Dancing with the Stars season. She was previously on the show in 2023 and had partnered with Harry Jowsey. Unfortunately, the two made it to the quarterfinals and were eliminated. But this time? Well, the trophy is right around the corner, and Rylee is on cloud nine as she makes it to her first finals. So, what are her plans for the finals?

Well, up next, the world will get a taste of freestyle dance. Here, the stakes are rather high. So the only question that remains is, will Rylee Arnold and Stephen Nedoroscik win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy? Or will they only leave with a friendship? Either way, now, as they move into the finals, their bond as friends combined with the “drill sergeant” orders might just be their secret weapon to winning!