Levy Continues to Wow on DWTS

It may be only the second week of Dancing with the Stars, but William Levy is already building some serious momentum in his quest to win the coveted mirror ball trophy.

Following last week’s top-tier premiere performance of the cha-cha, the 31-year-old Cuban telenovela star returned to the stage on last night’s show to perform a quickstep return with his partner Cheryl Burke. And, Levy didn’t disappoint. The “Brad Pitt of Latin America,” who receives the loudest catcalls from the audience every time he takes the stage, impressed the judges with his dance to George Gershwin’s “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

William Levy on Dancing with the Stars

Bruno Tonioli called Levy a “matinee idol” who reminded him of Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin from The Artist. Carrie Ann Inaba dubbed him “the Harry Connick Jr. of the ballroom,” adding, “William, you know how to turn up the heat in this ballroom.”

Levy—who earned 25 points for his quickstep—ended the night at the top tier of the leaderboard behind Katherine Jenkins and Roshon Fegan, who both earned 26s.

“We improved from last week and that’s my goal, to slowly climb up the leaderboard and that’s what we did,” said Burke. “I think he has both styles. He can really do the ballroom and the Latin really well. He obviously needs some work, but it’s only week two. This show is about if you’re good at both styles.”

Meanwhile, Levy is taken aback by the overwhelming adoration he’s received since joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars.

“I have no words to explain how good it feels,” Levy told reporters after his performance. “When I was a little boy and I was in Cuba, my dream was to come to America, like 3 years old. And today to be at this position in my life to receive this kind of love in this country, it’s amazing. It’s crazy.”

Levy Receives a Standing Ovation Following His DWTS Performance

William Levy may not have received the highest scores during last night’s Dancing With The Stars premiere… But the heartthrob did manage to get the biggest cheers!

Following his performance of the cha-cha to a cover of Pitbull’s “International Love” with partner Cheryl Burke , the 31-year-old Cuban-born telenovela star and model received a lengthy standing ovation and hysterical screams from the audience.

William Levy on Dancing With The Stars

Levy, known as the “Latin Brad Pitt,” nabbed the second-best score of the night, receiving 24 points out of a total 30. And he even got some high praise from the judges.

Bruno Tonioli called him “the hottest package of the season.” Said a fawning Carrie Ann Inaba: “I’d like to thank ABC for my job. … You can dance. … I really like the way you move.” Len Goodman praised his control, saying “Well done.”

Said Levy of the chaos in the audience: “I appreciate the love.”

Sharing the premiere’s top score of 26 were two celebrities were former child star and Family Matters actor Jaleel White (a.k.a. Urkel) and British opera singing sensation Katherine Jenkins.

The night’s lowest scores belonged to Gavin DeGraw, Melissa Gilbert and Martina Navratilova, who all grabbed just 20 points.