Dancing With The Stars Lindsay Arnold is a professional ballroom and latin dancer and choreographer who found fame after being a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance.
Lindsay gives us the low dance on Dancing With The Stars, the highlights, challenges and what she loves most about ballroom dancing.
What age did you start dancing, and when did you know you wanted to be a professional ballroom dancer?
I started dancing when I was 4 years old and started out just taking ballet and jazz classes. When I was 8 years old I started to notice the older girls at my dance studio competing in ballroom and it really excited me and made me want to do that!
I got a partner that same year and started competed and never stopped since then. The moment I knew I wanted it to be my profession was when I made it on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance.
What do you love the most about ballroom dance?
I love the connection I feel with my partner when dancing, you really have to rely on each other. I also love how it makes me feel! I feel so confident as a woman when I am dancing ballroom and have really learned a lot about myself through gaining that confidence.
Did you study any other forms of dance?
Growing up I trained in many styles such as; jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, ballroom, Latin, and tap.
What do you feel is the most important element of ballroom?
Confidence. You can tell the difference in dancers who have confidence and those who don’t. Being confident in who you are and what you bring to the stage is what sets you a part from others.
What has been your greatest experience on Dancing With The Stars?
I have loved every season that I have had on DWTS so it’s hard to pick a favorite. My favorite experience each season is seeing the progression of my partner over the weeks. At the end of the season I like to go back and watch each weeks dance starting with week 1 so that I can see how much improvement was made and it is always so rewarding as a teacher to realise how much you were able to teach someone.
What challenges have you found on Dancing With The Stars?
There are many challenges on this show and every season brings something different, but one thing I always try to focus on is adapting to my partner. Every partner I have had has different skill sets, different movement abilities, and different personalities so it’s extremely important for me to adapt to who my partner is in order to be the best teacher I can be.
How do you establish a rapport with a partner that you haven’t danced with previously?
Getting to know each other is the most important part to creating a healthy partnership. I always like to sit down with my partner and just talk and share stories get to know each other because it makes it so much more comfortable moving forward if you really know who the other person is.
As a professional dancer, how do you work with non-professional dancers to prepare for the shows?
Take everything one day at a time. DWTS is a crazy, challenging, and amazing experience all at once and I have found the best way to prepare my partners is to take each day one at a time and not get overwhelmed too fast.
You’re also a choreographer, can you tell us about your work?
I love choreographing and have learned a lot through my years on DWTS. The biggest thing I have learned is how to choreograph a dance to show someone’s strengths and make them look strong.
You’ve won many awards, what advice would you give for other dancers preparing for competitions?
Be confident. When you step on that stage don’t let any doubts get in the way of you doing what you know how to do. Also, have fun!!