Stephen Nedoroscik wants to be a DWTS winner, and he is pretty serious about it! Bringing his Pommel Horse focus to the dance floor, the Clark Kent lookalike’s inclination towards dancing even made him skip the Simone Biles-led Gold Over America Tour. Now, that’s some serious commitment. Kicking off the Season 33 pilot, together with partner Rylee Arnold, ‘The Pommel Horse Guy’ twisted and turned to Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’ Moving on… 

Coming into week 2 with a score of 21, the first male gymnast to appear on the show—following a long line of successful female Olympians, including Mirror Ball Champions Shawn Johnson and Laurie Hernandez—will want to up the ante. Judges Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and Carrie Ann Inaba, each scored him 7 out of 10. There’s definitely much for the 25-year-old to learn, especially how his over-zealous self left him a bit inconsistent early in his first routine. Incorporating gymnastic elements into their routine, his pro partner Rylee Arnold has been considerate about his lack of prior dance experience when she said, “We’re starting from the very bottom.”

The electrical engineering graduate, however, has put his “mathematical brain” on, it seems. In last week’s post-performance interaction, Judge Inaba urged him to point his toes. Hough and Tonioli too pointed to some problems with technique and a rushed beginning primarily due to “an unstoppable explosion of energy.” The score of 21 tied the duo, fittingly dubbed Arnold-Pommel, for third place on the judges’ leaderboard. So, what about Episode 2’s Oscars Night theme? Don’t forget it was a double elimination round, the first in this season! 

Before going into Night 2, Arnold said, “Last week, Stephen did a jive, which was upbeat and happy. Paso doble is a complete switch. He has to be intense, bold, and strong.” But boy, did he deliver! Making use of the hype around his Clark Kent similarity, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist pulled out a John Williams’ Superman-themed paso doble by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, a form of dance that his partner believed is unnatural for his body. So, how many points did they score?

The duo earned a score of 22 out of 30, as he received two 7s from Hough and Tonioli and an 8 from Inada, totaling 43 points! Nedoroscik made a class entry to the stage in a true Clark Kent fit with the suit, jacket, and glasses. Smoke filled the air. Seconds later, he reappeared in a sparkly red United States-themed outfit, throwing the glasses aside, much like his week 1 routine, kissing his biceps and walking out to meet Arnold with a great deal of swank!

As Arnold had already pointed out, Stephen too marked the differences from last week’s routine. “This dance was just so different. I had to be serious, I had to be stiff, I had to put my hips out. Honestly, it was really fun learning it because of how different it was. So I really enjoyed this journey, and I’m proud of what I just did.” So, how did the judges react this time?

“From bronze to golden!” judge Carrie Ann Inaba said. “The likability factor in your routine is so amazing, and it’s because you do everything full out.”
“So many things jam-packed in there. Just a few little things of kryptonite,” Hough said.
Following up on the critique from last week, Tonioli complimented Stephen for fine-tuning his energy and movements.

As far as who were eliminated from the competition, Arnold-Pommel were declared safe. Stars, Anna Delvey and Tori Spelling, were sent home. 

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold received a “55-minute ovation” from a fan  

As soon as Nedoroscik’s performance ended, fans flocked over to social media. Exaggeration and excitement reached its peak when this fan wrote, “BREAKING NEWS: Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold’s paso just received a 55 minute standing ovation from me in my bedroom after watching it for the 4927th time.” Could this be because the dance routine was as intense as it was? Leaps, spins, and parades across the dancefloor, Stephen added a spinning leap, inspired from his pommel horse routine, before he spun his partner across the ground and walked on his knees across the floor back to her. What drama!

Another X user was impressed by Stephen Nedoroscik’s intense focus before performances on DWTS. They suggested that the show’s “All Access” feature return to capture behind-the-scenes moments. “dwts needs to bring back all access this season so we can witness stephen nedoroscik locking tf in right before his dances”, read the comment. This seemed to be a reference to the viral meme that captured Stephen meditating and focusing as he prepared for this one routine on pommel horse – the last one of the men’s team final for the U.S. that would ultimately result in bronze, the country’s first men’s team medal since 2008. In fact, in the preview video before his Week 2 dance, Stephen said, “I would never have been here if it weren’t for that meme.” Isn’t that true! 

Another comment revealed the deep admiration that fans hold for Stephen Nedoroscik. Watching his Superman-themed performance on DWTS the netizen wrote, “Im proud of what I just did” Stephen Nedoroscik just won’t stop being the cutest American boy””.

“Stephen Nedoroscik’s Superman-Captain America mashup on #DWTS made dreams come true!! You will always be a star!!!”, commented another user. The fan suggested that his blend of superhero elements resonated deeply with viewers, making his dreams of success on the show feel achievable.

With things going great for Nedoroscik, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain the same tempo and win the competition or not. But as things currently stand, nothing suggests that Stephen isn’t going surprise his fans in the coming weeks!