2024 Olympic double bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik and his dance partner Rylee Arnold really brought the heat on the Halloween Nightmares-themed episode of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” They wowed everyone with their first perfect score of the season, and it was no surprise given their killer performance. Nedoroscik tapped into his fear of the dark, transforming into what he called “a nightmare character that lurks in the dark” for a contemporary dance to Hidden Citizens’ eerie take on A Flock of Seagulls’ classic hit, “I Ran (So Far Away).”

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave them a glowing 10, while Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli followed up with 9s, showing just how far they’ve come. It’s especially impressive considering they hit a rough patch just a week before that during “Disney Night,” where they fell from third to sixth place with a score of 24 out of 30. So, to suddenly bounce back and earn a perfect score? That’s huge! Fans are buzzing about how quickly things turned around, and even a former contestant has jumped into the conversation. She recently spilled the beans on how Stephen managed to push through and come out on top.

Cheryl Burke reveals shocking insights about Stephen Nedoroscik’s dance journey!

On October 31st, during the episode titled “Dancing With The Stars Season 33 Show #7 Recap“ on the podcast S**, Lies, and Spray Tans, former pro-Cheryl Burke shared her thoughts on Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold’s Halloween-themed performance, which she described as their breakout dance. She was full of praise, saying, “Their contemporary. Okay, this was definitely their breakout dance for sure. The choreography was amazing. Good job, Rylee! It was super intense, and he was really throwing her around the floor like he meant it.” Burke pointed out that while Nedoroscik’s musicality has often been in the spotlight, his posture and smooth transitions have sometimes held him back. She emphasized, “It’s the middle part of each step that kind of loses its fluidity because of not continuing the contact.”

The Halloween theme allowed Nedoroscik to tap into a grungier character, which worked to his advantage. Burke commented, “He can get away with a grungy bad posture type feel and even get away with maybe not being the most graceful.” She also highlighted their growing connection on the dance floor, stating, “You can tell they’re developing trust with one another. I mean, some of that, as far as the partnering goes, and him doing a half-handstand using her knees and legs to get up took a lot of strength.” It was clear that he was there for Rylee, and Burke appreciated that dynamic in their partnership.

Burke made an insightful point about how Halloween performances often bring out vulnerabilities in contestants. She noted, “Even if you’re not wearing a literal mask, it tends to really bring out people’s vulnerability in a good way.” She compared Nedoroscik’s gymnastics experience to acting, suggesting that while actors thrive on storylines, athletes need straightforward direction to improve.

“I find with actors they need a storyline no matter what dance it is. And with athletes, they just need to be taught what they need to do so they can go home and come back better the next day. That’s just my preference,” Burke explained. For Nedoroscik, already a star in gymnastics, diving into dance adds a whole new layer to his journey and challenges him to step outside his comfort zone. However, just before the Halloween-themed episode, Stephen faced a tough week; despite delivering an impressive dance, he struggled to meet his own expectations and achieve his best performance.

The truth behind his timing issues

On October 23, during DWTS, all three judges acknowledged the enthusiasm of Stephen Nedoroscik following his performance. Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold received a score of 24 points for their Charleston to “A Star Is Born” from Disney’s Hercules on the show’s Disney Night. While the judges praised Stephen’s growth and confidence, they urged him to improve his timing, pointing out that he was slightly ahead of the music throughout the routine. Carrie Ann Inaba noted, “You danced that like a hero, but a little bit off-time hero,” emphasizing his overall progress despite the timing issues.

Later in the episode, Nedoroscik and Arnold participated in a group dance that earned them an additional 24 points, bringing their total to 48 points and placing them in a three-way tie for sixth among the remaining pairs. Despite feeling a bit disappointed, Nedoroscik accepted the critiques as motivation, expressing his commitment to improve. “I’ve been working on my timing a whole lot, so I’m a little disappointed I didn’t perform it the way I’ve been training it,” he stated. “But I’ll get back to it. I’ll just really grind it. I want to do it right.”

Cheryl again discussed Stephen Nedoroscik’s timing issues during his dance performance and expressed her admiration for his honesty regarding his vision challenges. She said, “I appreciate Steven’s vulnerability and the issues he’s had both genetically and with his diagnosis.” If you didn’t know, Nedoroscik, who’s known as the “pommel horse guy,” faces two eye conditions: strabismus, which makes his eyes misaligned, and coloboma, which means he’s missing some eye tissue.

Cheryl pointed out that while bright lights can be a bit distracting, dancers really need to lean on their other senses. She concluded with a powerful thought, stating that “there are no excuses,” showing her belief that Stephen can totally shine despite these hurdles. She’s really hoping this performance could be the one where he breaks out!