From the 33rd Olympic Games to Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher are proving that Olympians are pretty much unstoppable. Both jumped into DWTS fresh off bronze medal wins—Stephen with his double Olympics bronze hardware in men’s gymnastics and Ilona in rugby sevens. But when they first hit the ballroom, no one really expected these sports champs to be frontrunners for the Mirrorball Trophy.
With zero dance backgrounds, the odds weren’t exactly in their favor. But here we are: Stephen and Ilona just danced their way into the semi-finals this week, and fans are loving it. Team USA’s page on X celebrated the big news, posting, “OUR PARIS OLYMPIANS ARE STILL DANCIN’ and are headed to the #DWTS semis!” Talk about making Team USA—and their fans—proud!
For her part, Ilona Maher slayed a quickstep with her partner Alan Bernstein. She looked like she’d been doing it for ages, and the judges agreed. She scored a season-best 28, with Carrie Ann handing her first perfect 10! Meanwhile, Stephen Nedoroscik kept the crowd in a trance with a stunning Viennese waltz alongside Rylee Arnold, following up his Halloween week success. He scored a 29, his highest yet, thanks to two perfect 10s (though Bruno Tonioli’s 9 kept him just shy of perfection).
Now, with these two headed to the semi-finals, it’s looking like they’re here to make ballroom history just like they did in sports. So how did the night unfold? On one hand, Stephen Nedoroscik, fresh off a show-stopping Halloween week, brought the house down with a Viennese Waltz alongside Rylee Arnold. Dancing to Joji’s “Glimpse of Us,” he wowed both fans and judges with a display of slow, graceful movements.
Bruno Tonioli was floored, saying, “Growing up in front of our eyes! Look at this young man. Polished, elegant, smart, and I love you finally understand the lyrics, how to use the music, and expand it. You gave us an arabesque there, which is really, really wonderful. You should be proud.” But despite all the love, Bruno tossed out a 9, holding them just short of a perfect 30. They closed the round with a near-perfect 29, thanks to two 10s from Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough.
In the second round, Stephen and Rylee chose an instant jive to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Love is Embarrassing.” Bruno noted his growing style, even with one slip-up (which Rylee admitted was her fault). Carrie Ann praised Stephen’s progress, saying she was happy to see his growth, while Derek pointed out a few timing issues but added he recovered quickly. The scores? A nine and two eights, for a round total of 25 and an overall score of 54.
On the other hand, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten took on a quickstep inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold’s Season 25 performance to “Chuck Berry” by Pharrell Williams. Carrie Ann was so taken aback, she was practically speechless. “That was it. That was yours,” she said, complimenting Ilona’s clean, stunning lines. Derek called it fantastic, admiring her comeback from last week, and Bruno applauded her strong lead and improved footwork. The couple earned a 10 from Carrie Ann and two nines, rounding out their score at 24.
For their second dance, Ilona and Alan picked an instant salsa to “Da’ Dip” by Freak Nasty. Derek thought it was impressive, with Bruno noting some rough spots: three crash landings, but also praising the parts that hit. Carrie Ann added that while the lifts didn’t quite land, it was still a clean performance. They walked away with a set of straight eights, scoring 24 in this round for an overall total of 52. Despite the scores, fans were left a little unsatisfied. They loved both Stephen and Ilona’s performances—and wanted those numbers to reflect it!
Fans can’t get enough of Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher’s amazing dance routines
Fans have always shown endless love for Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher, and this week, they’re all beaming as these two dance their way into the DWTS semifinals! One enthusiastic fan summed it up perfectly, tweeting, “The country said we all had a hard week, and we can all agree that America’s sweethearts deserve to stay on #DWTS Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher. WE ALL LOVE YOU!” With all the drama surrounding the general election results—and the surprising re-election of Donald Trump—seeing Stephen and Ilona succeed was a breath of fresh air for DWTS fans across the board.
It’s been a season of ups and downs for both Olympians, and they’ve fought their way back to the top. Ilona was even reduced to tears earlier on after a jive mishap cost her big points. Meanwhile, Stephen took some heavy criticism during Disney Week, where he found himself teetering at the bottom of the leaderboard. So, their recent success feels all the sweeter. “This country is divided in many ways, but we can all agree that a happy and thriving Stephen Nedoroscik makes everyone happy,” said another fan.
To add a little extra magic to their Viennese Waltz, Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner, Rylee Arnold, called in DWTS legend Mark Ballas for a bit of expert guidance. Known for his mastery of the Viennese Waltz, Ballas was the perfect coach to help Stephen polish his performance—and it paid off.
Their dance left fans teary-eyed, with one writing, “Stephen Nedoroscik Viennese Waltz was absolutely so beautiful! I was crying watching that dance! That was so elegant that it made me so emotional! I loved it! That is my favorite dance of the night! Stephen & Rylee both deserve to be in the semifinals!” He scored a show-high 29, just shy of perfection thanks to Bruno Tonioli, who held back a 10. One fan playfully raged, “BRUNO, HOW COULD YOU?!! STEPHEN DESERVED THAT PERFECT SCORE.”
Ilona, on the other hand, hit her own high note with a season-best 28, finally earning her first perfect 10 from Carrie Ann Inaba! After being blown away by her performance, Carrie Ann didn’t hesitate to reward her with that magical 10. Fans went wild: “ILONA GOT HER FIRST 10 OF THE SEASON!!!!!! AND HER HIGHEST SCORE SO FAR !!!!!!”
Now, both Stephen and Ilona have set their sights on the elusive perfect 30 as they head into the semis. They might just follow in Laurie Hernandez’s footsteps and snag that Mirrorball Trophy as Olympians!
