Pommel Horse on Dancing With The Stars
Comparing Stephen Nedoroscik's jive with his pommel horse routine.
Tuesday night, Stephen Nedoroscik competed a Paso Doble to the tune of Superman on Dancing With The Stars.
He was asked if he applied the same mental fortitude to his televised dances as he did to his Olympics pommel horse routines. Judges quipped about his Olympic medal count, while also critiquing Stephen’s aggressive dance style, recommending that he tuck in his hips and differentiate his pacing next week.
At least they didn’t tell him to point his toes like they did last week. Come on, Stephen!
(What’s next? Derek Hough tells you that you need more amplitude on your kicks? Bruno Tonioli addresses the skew on your counter-turn?)
With all the comparison between Stephen’s pommel horse expertise and his (shocking?) dancing success, it got me thinking.
How does Stephen’s jive from Week 1 stack up against his Olympic pommel horse routine?
1. The Salute
Stephen became famous for his “sleeper agent” meditation, closing his eyes while he waited for his change to compete. But just as recognizable as his eyes-closed preparation is his trademark stare.
Stephen has been quoted saying he doesn’t need to see to be able to do pommel horse, which, as a pommel horse alumnus myself, is a categorically unreal statement. You definitely do need to be able to see, if you’re anything less than the USA GOAT.
He takes the glasses off for his dance as well. Does this man just…not need to see at all? The parallels are already clear, though the vision may not be.
Most importantly, he is enjoying these moments so much. However manufactured in the face of pressure, this dude looks like he’s having fun whenever the lights come on.
2. Wu
Stephen competes a Wu travel (+0.5), which involves two Russian spins while also traversing the length of the horse. He throws a triple Russian (+0.4) after it to build his difficulty score, and somehow does seem at all dizzy. The Wu is the skill where he had a small form break in the team final, but he was perfect in the event final later that week.
His choreographer opted to do the spinning travel early in his dance, going for one full turn and a leap down the length of the stairs. I have no idea what this means for his difficulty score on DWTS.
3. Full Kehr
Stephen’s most impressive skills are his Sohn (+0.5) and his Bezugo (+0.5), both full Kehrs that involve spinning all the way around the pommel on just one hand. If you look closely, you’ll see that he puts his hands down almost backwards, contorting his wrists just enough to make it back to his second hand.
On DWTS, Stephen opts to do the full turn before putting all his weight onto one hand. You’ll see that he does use that leverage in order to return to a two-handed grasp, this time with partner Rylee Arnold, instead of another pommel.
4. Flops
Stephen combines elements on one pommel to create flops. In his Olympic routines, he competed Loop-Loop-Stockli-Stockli (+0.4). You may notice that the elements look similar, as he repeats them in rapid succession.
On the dance floor, he creates a similar effect by repeating the same move without interruption. Surely he conceptualizes whatever this move is called the same way he thinks about his single pommel work.
5. Mikulak
NCAA and Olympic legend Sam Mikulak pioneered the skill that Stephen opens his routines with— it’s a scissor element that travels the length of the horse. It’s critical to complete the move without any discernible pause, and it’s extremely difficult not to bend your knee when it comes into contact with the horse. Stephen’s is magnificent.
In the show, he goes for two different skills in the scissor element group.
It’s possible that he’s not used to doing these elements so late in the routine. Gymnasts sometimes feel like scissors take them out of their rhythm, yet Stephen seems right at home here.
But please, Stephen! Point your toes!
6. Magyar, Sivado
The Magyar (+0.4) Sivado (+0.4) is a tried and true combination. Innovators of the sport (like Stephen) are tinkering with turning them into flairs, or sometimes taking them out altogether. But for years and years, no horse routine was complete without going down the horse and coming right back. It’s a lot of hand placements, which leave lots of room for deductions. But it’s hard to build an elite pommel routine without that combination.
I don’t know what makes a jive a jive. But what I’m seeing here looks like something you probably have to do in a jive. Lots of steps, lots of room for deductions (?). But it seems like it belongs there.
7. Dismount
Stephen flies right up to handstand and pirouettes down the horse effortlessly. It’s the part of his Olympic routine that casual gymnastics fans think is unbelievable, but is replicated by almost everyone in the elite field.
But even though it looks much, much harder than most gymnasts would tell you, I understand where the public is coming from. I mean, it does look awesome.
And he joy on his face is still so affecting. I’ve seen it countless times. I still can’t imagine how relieved he must have felt.
I’m guessing that Rylee Arnold might be thinking, This jump looks cool, but it’s not technically that hard. And probably it’s the move that the casual fan (DWTS’ entire demographic) remembers most from the routine. That, and the infectious, familiar joy at the end of the routine.
Looking Ahead
Stephen has a whole toolbox full of pommel horse upgrades that I’m already excited to see in LA 2028. I’m expecting him to add the Busnari; I hope he flairs the Mag-Sivado.
Is there an arsenal of moves coming out next week on DWTS? A tango? A dramatic dip? A Crank That Soulja Boy? A waltz?
Keep smiling and point your toes, man. We love seeing you in the spotlight.