Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher channeled their inner athletes the last time they graced the Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) stage. While the gymnast pulled out the pommel horse amid his tango routine on Dedication Night, Maher’s rumba was an ode to her Team USA Rugby compatriots. But it’s now time for the annual DWTS Disney Night, and here’s what the two pairs would be grooving to!

Stephen Nedoroscik’s dance partner, Rylee Arnold, took to her Instagram and added a story with the gymnast, making the revelation. An ecstatic Arnold screeched, “Guys! It’s Disney Week, which I am so happy about!” Nedoroscik wore Mickey’s ears while the 19-year-old was donning Minnie Mouse headgear. As she segued into the details, “We are going to be dancing a Charleston to a Star is born from Hercules; I am so excited!”

She then turned to her partner and asked, “Stephen, you are going to be Hercules. So what are you going to bring about this character? What are you gonna get to people what they want?” That’s when Team USA’s Clark Kent answered, “Hercules, he’s a funny guy, so I am going to try to bring some of that positivity to the dance. And also maybe hit some flexes,” he added, curling his bicep.

The Charleston was a popular dance form in America in the 1920s. An African-American vernacular dance, it basically involves a lot of arm swinging, foot twisting, and shuffling movements, a perfect opportunity for Nedoroscik to bank on his flexibility, energy, and stamina. But to possibly amp up the aesthetics of this jazz-styled version, Rylee suggested, “Maybe even a spray tan?” which garnered a positive, “Oh, that might be in the near future” from Stephen Nedoroscik. Meanwhile, Stephen and Rylee’s performance on the Dedication night earned high praise from the judges.

Stephen paid tribute to the sport that propelled him into stardom on “Dancing with the Stars” last night, even performing his signature pommel horse moves. “What’s feeling different is I really bought into the character and I became this serious man. I’ve been showing Steve the guy, and now it’s Steve the man,” he said of his Argentine tango with professional dance partner Rylee Arnold.

The duo danced to The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” that ranked third among the nine couples for the evening. Judge Bruno Tonioli acknowledged Nedoroscik’s steady progression during the season.

“Now you have the determination. You were focused. You’ve changed. You were leading the dance. You were in character. You were making the decision, and we were all there with you,” Tonioli said. While judge Carrie Ann Inaba noted that Nedoroscik was “still a tiny bit wobbly,” she said his performance was nonetheless memorable.

“That dance had impact. I will not forget that. I’m always looking for something that stands out and pops,” she said. Judge Derek Hough praised Nedoroscik for his command of the routine, which began with Nedoroscik’s pommel horse moves before he joined Rylee on the ballroom floor.

“At this stage in the competition, it’s time to step it up, and you did just that. That choreography was very challenging. There was a lot of risk, and sometimes you’ve got to risk it to get the biscuit. You did. Usually it’s like Stephen the boy but tonight was Stephen the man,” Hough said. Three-time DWTS champion Mark Ballas, the fourth judge on Tuesday’s panel, offered Nedoroscik some technical tips after praising his development. “Seeing you in this role with more intensity is so cool. What a transition,” Ballas said.

On another note, Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten will perform a jazz dance to Surface Pressure from Encanto. Ilona Maher voiced that she’s really excited for this act because she’s always seen herself in the character. “I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself; I always wanna be the strongest,” and thus she was excited to play the part, she said with the Madrigal dolls in her hand. She honored her Olympic teammates with her performance on the Dedication night.

“We did so much together, and we went through a lot together to get a medal. We got it not just for ourselves, but for our country and the girls that are gonna come after us,” Maher said. She with her dance partner Alan Bersten danced to “My Way” by Yseult. The song is somewhat special to Ilona.

“At the closing ceremonies they performed this song, I just remember understanding what my team and I had done at the Olympics. They are my sisters. They are my rocks. I really want to do this for them,” Ilona revealed. However, beyond their performance, Ilona and Stephen did something special for the show itself.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona contribute to a major DWTS feat

After the dedication night tango, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee bagged a 33, their highest score in a single performance so far. While Ilona and Alan bagged a decent 32, which left them a tad disappointed. However, amidst all this, the two contributed to the 33rd season of Dancing With The Stars, touching a major record.

Amidst the ABC and Disney+ broadcasting tug of war, there has been no negative impact on the show’s viewership, luckily. In fact, per Conrad Green, the number of viewers has skyrocketed recently. Especially since the September 24 episode recorded over 14 million voters dropping in their votes on a single day. Now that’s absolutely dramatic!

From this, Green discerned, “The record number of votes that week suggests to me that a lot of our audiences are very passionate about a lot of our stars this year.” And a major contribution towards this comes from the Paris Olympics stars, Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher, who have climbed the rungs of superstardom lately.

But for Nedoroscik, conditions weren’t always this pleasant. His mother recently revealed how his choice of Florida for a college gymnastics program was because he had bills to pay and EVO offered him the chance to train and make money at the same time. Thus, if we look at it, Stephen Nedoroscik’s life story comprises of the real-life ebb and flow that protagonists are shown facing in stories. What do you think? Let us know below.