As a ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro, Rylee Arnold Is Making Her Mark

Rylee Arnold was destined to become a Dancing With the Stars professional dancer. Having been on the cast for four years now, she’s learned a lot about herself.

Rylee’s older sister, Lindsay Arnold, appeared on DWTS as a pro for 11 seasons, winning season 25 with Jordan Fisher in 2017. One year later, Rylee joined the show’s family alongside her sibling on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors , the spinoff that spotlighted younger stars and dancers.

Rylee became the first Juniors alum to join the main cast in 2023 for season 32, at a mere 18 years old, also making her the youngest pro ever cast. She tells The Hollywood Reporter she graduated high school a month before she was offered the job, and she’s grateful for that early career opportunity. Related Stories TV 'The Kardashians' Season 8 Trailer: Kim Reveals Health Scare That Landed Her in the Hospital, Kendall Denies Cara Delevingne Romance Rumors TV 'Dancing With the Stars' Caps Off Season 35 Premiere With the Female Celebrities and an Elimination: See the Scores, Who Went Home

“I feel like looking back at that time, I was a completely different person,” she says. “But I also love that Rylee so much, because I feel like she went through a lot and she learned a lot about herself. And because of that, I’m here now.”

Fast forward a few years, and Rylee has undoubtedly contributed to the show’s resurgence, by becoming the first pro to utilize social media to garner fan attention and also entice a younger audience to watch. And that intrigue hasn’t slowed down; if anything, it’s rising as each new episode comes out, and as the DWTS pros and celebrities post new pieces of content, inviting audiences into their world.

Below, Rylee chats with THR about her journey to the main series after Juniors , what she’s learned in her last four years on the show, her season 35 partnership with Connor Wood and what to expect on Viral Hits Night.

You were on Juniors before the mainstay Dancing With the Stars , but I would love for you to talk about the pathway to you becoming a pro, because I know you graduated high school just a few months before you joined the cast.