# Rylee Arnold

Rylee Arnold (born June 5, 2005) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer. She first gained recognition for her appearances on the children's television series Dancing with the Stars: Juniors (2018), where she finished as a runner-up with actor Miles Brown. After the program was cancelled, Arnold joined the main competition series as a pro in 2023.

## Early life

Rylee Arnold was born on June 5, 2005, in Provo, Utah, to Joshua and Melinda "Mindy" Arnold (née Peay). Her father is a physician assistant and former defensive back for the BYU Cougars, while her mother is a physical therapist. She was raised Mormon with her three older sisters: Lindsay, Jensen, and Brynley.
Arnold was inspired to follow in the footsteps of her eldest sister, Lindsay, after watching her perform on the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars. She graduated from Timpview High School in May 2023.

## Career

Arnold began training and competing in ballroom dance competitions at a young age. When she was nine, she placed third at the 2014 World DanceSport Championships in Paris. She ranked fifth at the 2019 WDC World Championships in Dublin.

### Dancing with the Stars: Juniors

On August 1, 2018, Arnold was announced as a professional dancer for the children's competition series Dancing with the Stars: Juniors; a spin-off of the main celebrity talent show franchise. She was paired with actor Miles Brown under the mentorship of her sister, Lindsay Arnold. The couple made it to the finals and finished as one of three runners-up; tying with Ariana Greenblatt and Artyon Celestine (with mentor Brandon Armstrong) and Mackenzie Ziegler and Sage Rosen (with mentor Gleb Savchenko).
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Salsa | "Who Let the Dogs Out" — Baha Men | 7 | 8 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 2 | Argentine tango | "I Don't Want to Be" — Gavin DeGraw | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston | "One Jump Ahead" (from Aladdin) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba | "I Want Candy" — The Strangeloves | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 5 | Jazz | "Space Jam" — Quad City DJ's | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" — Marvin Gaye | 9 | 9 | 8 | 26 | Safe |
| 7 | Jive | "Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His Comets | 9 | 9 | 10 | 28 | Safe |
| 8 (Semifinals) | Cha-cha-cha | "Shake Señora" — Pitbull feat. T-Pain & Sean Paul | 9 | 10 | 9 | 28 | Safe |
| 8 (Semifinals) | Jazz & Samba (Team fusion) | "Party in the U.S.A." — Miley Cyrus | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 9 (Finals) | Salsa | "Who Let the Dogs Out" — Baha Men | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | Runners-up |
| 9 (Finals) | Freestyle | "Sleigh Ride" — District 78 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Runners-up |

#### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Mandy Moore, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Adam Rippon.

### Dancing with the Stars

Arnold was the only pro from Dancing with the Stars: Juniors to be cast in the main competition series following its cancellation. She was announced as a professional dancer for season 32 and was partnered with media personality Harry Jowsey. Despite consistently earning low scores and criticism from the judges, audience voters allowed the couple to stay in the competition until they were eliminated during the quarterfinals on November 21, 2023, finishing in sixth place.
For season 33, Arnold was paired with Olympic artistic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. They reached the finals and finished in fourth place on November 26, 2024, making Arnold the first Dancing with the Stars pro born in the 21st century to advance to the finale. Arnold and Nedoroscik's contemporary-based freestyle routine to Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" was acclaimed by critics and viewers. Rebecca Iannucci from TVLine named it the best dance number of the year.
| Season | Partner | Place |
| 32 | Harry Jowsey | 6th |
| 33 | Stephen Nedoroscik | 4th |

#### Season 32

Celebrity partner: Harry Jowsey
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Rock Your Body" — Justin Timberlake | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | Safe |
| 2 | Salsa | "Arranca" — Becky G, feat. Omega | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | "Easy" — Commodores | 6 | 5 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep | "You've Got a Friend in Me" (from Toy Story) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 5 | Contemporary | "Keep Your Head Up" — Andy Grammer | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 6 | Argentine tango | "Blinding Lights" — District 78 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 6 | Hustle & Charleston Marathon | "Stayin' Alive" — Bee Gees & "Grim Grinning Ghosts" — Kris Bowers | — | — | — | 1 | Safe |
| 7 | Jazz | "It's Gonna Be Me" — NSYNC | 6 | 6 | 6 | 64 | Safe |
| 7 | Freestyle (Team Young'n Style) | "Gangnam Style" — Psy | 10 | 10 | 10 | 64 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese waltz | "I Have Nothing" — Whitney Houston | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 8 | Rumba (Dance-off) | "One Moment in Time" — Whitney Houston | Loser | Loser | Loser | 0 | Safe |
| 9 (Quarterfinals) | Rumba | "August" — Taylor Swift | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | Eliminated |
| 9 (Quarterfinals) | Jive (Dance relay) | "Shake It Off" — Taylor Swift | Loser | Loser | Loser | 0 | Eliminated |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee also received a score of 7 from guest judge Michael Strahan.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee also received a score of 7 from guest judge Niecy Nash-Betts.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee received one bonus point in this dance marathon.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee also received a score of 6 from guest judge Paula Abdul.
* ↑ This team also received a score of 10 from guest judge Paula Abdul.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee also received a score of 7 from guest judge Billy Porter.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee received zero bonus points for losing this dance-off.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee also received a score of 8 from guest judge Mandy Moore.
* ↑ Harry and Rylee received zero bonus points for losing this dance relay.

#### Season 33

Celebrity partner: Stephen Nedoroscik
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Jive | "Don't Stop Me Now" — Queen | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Paso doble | "Superman — Main Theme" (from Superman) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep | "Superstition" — Stevie Wonder | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | "Here I Go Again" — Whitesnake | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 4 | Argentine tango | "Seven Nation Army" — The White Stripes | 8 | 9 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 5 | Charleston | "A Star Is Born" (from Hercules) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 48 | Safe |
| 5 | Freestyle (Team Roar) | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (from The Lion King) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 48 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary | "I Ran (So Far Away)" — Hidden Citizens | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | Safe |
| 6 | Salsa (Dance-off) | "Jump in the Line" — Harry Belafonte | Loser | Loser | Loser | 0 | Safe |
| 7 (Quarterfinals) | Viennese waltz | "Glimpse of Us" — Joji | 10 | 10 | 9 | 54 | Safe |
| 7 (Quarterfinals) | Jive (Instant Dance) | "Love Is Embarrassing" — Olivia Rodrigo | 9 | 8 | 8 | 54 | Safe |
| 8 (Semifinals) | Cha-cha-cha | "Bailar" — Deorro feat. Elvis Crespo | 8 | 8 | 9 | 53 | Safe |
| 8 (Semifinals) | Tango | "Sweet Disposition" — The Temper Trap | 10 | 9 | 9 | 53 | Safe |
| 9 (Finals) | Quickstep (Redemption Dance) | "I'll Be There for You" (from Friends) | 10 | 9 | 10 | 59 | Fourth place |
| 9 (Finals) | Freestyle | "Viva la Vida" — Coldplay | 10 | 10 | 10 | 59 | Fourth place |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Stephen and Rylee also received a score of 8 from guest judge Rosie Perez.
* ↑ Stephen and Rylee also received a score of 8 from guest judge Gene Simmons.
* ↑ Stephen and Rylee also received a score of 8 from guest judge Mark Ballas.
* ↑ Stephen and Rylee received zero bonus points for losing this dance-off.

## Reception

Arnold has been credited with "revitalizing" Dancing with the Stars by utilizing social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to generate audience engagement. Conrad Green, its showrunner, noted that Arnold's ability to draw her own audience, especially among Generation Z, has turned her into a social media consultant to other celebrities and pros.

## Personal life

Arnold is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In order to compete on Dancing with the Stars, she relocated from Utah to Los Angeles. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 15 years of age, after nearly falling into a diabetic coma. Arnold began dating USC Trojans tight end Walker Lyons in October 2024.