# Lindsay Arnold

Lindsay Arnold Cusick (née Arnold; born January 11, 1994) is an American professional dancer and choreographer. Specialized in Latin and ballroom styles, she was the seventh female contestant to be eliminated during the ninth season of the reality competition series So You Think You Can Dance.
Arnold joined Dancing with the Stars as a pro in 2013, as one of the youngest pros in history. She won its twenty-fifth season with singer-actor Jordan Fisher and set the record for the most perfect scores earned in a single season, with nine.

## Early life

Lindsay Arnold was born on January 11, 1994, in Provo, Utah, to Joshua Arnold, a physician assistant and former defensive back for the BYU Cougars, and Melinda "Mindy" Arnold (née Peay), a physical therapist. She is the oldest of four daughters; her siblings Jensen (b. 1997), Brynley (b. 2000), and Rylee (b. 2005), are also dancers.
Arnold began dancing when she was four years old. As her sisters followed in her footsteps and dance dominated their household, their mother opened The Vibe, a dance studio in Lindon, Utah that offered a "family environment" for them to perform in. Arnold trained under head director Rick Robinson and other teachers in a variety of mediums, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, Latin and ballroom. Most of her training, however, was with her main ballroom coach, Shirley Ballas. After graduating from Timpview High School, Arnold planned to study physical therapy at Utah Valley University on a full academic scholarship.

## Career

By the age of eight, Arnold found a ballroom partner and began entering dancesport competitions. She placed first in the U.S Open Youth Latin Championships and the U.S. Open Junior Latin Championships, was a top three finalist in the World Junior Latin Team Match, and was a top five finalist at the World Cup Latin Junior Championships and U.S. Junior National 10 Dance Championships.

### So You Think You Can Dance

Arnold auditioned for the ninth season of the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance on February 23, 2012, in Salt Lake City. She was named one of the season's top twenty contestants and was first partnered with martial arts fusion dancer Cole Horibe. As the season progressed, Arnold was paired with contemporary dancer Jakob Karr and ballet dancer Alex Wong. She was ultimately eliminated alongside contemporary dancer Will Thomas on August 29, 2012, finishing within the top eight. Arnold later performed on the series' accompanying tour from October to December 2012.

### Dancing with the Stars

Arnold became a professional dancer on season 16 of the reality television series Dancing with the Stars; becoming the second-youngest pro dancer in the show's history at the time. She was partnered with professional boxer Victor Ortiz. They were eliminated during the sixth week of competition on April 23, 2013, finishing in eighth place. Arnold was demoted to the dance troupe from season 17 through season 20. She was promoted to pro for a second time for season 21 and was partnered with Legion of Honor recipient Alek Skarlatos. They reached the finale and finished in third place on November 24, 2015.
For season 22, Arnold was paired with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men. They were eliminated during the semifinals alongside NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess on May 16, 2016, finishing in fourth place. In season 23, Arnold was partnered with NFL wide receiver Calvin Johnson. They reached the finale and finished in third place on November 22, 2016.
The following season, Arnold was paired with former MLB catcher David Ross. They also reached the finale, but were named the runners-up on May 23, 2017, behind former NFL running back Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater. In season 25, Arnold was paired with singer-actor Jordan Fisher. One of the highest-scoring couples in Dancing with the Stars history, they won the competition on November 21, 2017, while setting the record for the most perfect scores earned in a single season, with nine.
For the Athletes season, Arnold was partnered with former NBA center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They were eliminated during the second week of competition alongside Notre Dame basketball player Arike Ogunbowale and Gleb Savchenko on May 7, 2018, finishing in seventh place. In season 27, Arnold was paired with former NFL linebacker DeMarcus Ware. They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition alongside actor-singer John Schneider and Emma Slater on November 7, 2018, also finishing in seventh place.
During season 28, Arnold was paired with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Despite consistently earning low scores and criticism from the judges, home audience votes allowed the pair to stay in the competition until they were eliminated during the quarterfinals on November 11, 2019, finishing in sixth place. Arnold returned to the show in season 30 and was partnered with The Bachelor star Matt James. They were eliminated by judges' votes during the fourth week of competition alongside actor Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess on October 12, 2021, finishing in twelfth place; Arnold's lowest placement to date.
| Season | Partner | Place |
| 16 | Victor Ortiz | 8th |
| 21 | Alek Skarlatos | 3rd |
| 22 | Wanya Morris | 4th |
| 23 | Calvin Johnson Jr. | 3rd |
| 24 | David Ross | 2nd |
| 25 | Jordan Fisher | 1st |
| 26 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 8th |
| 27 | DeMarcus Ware | 7th |
| 28 | Sean Spicer | 6th |
| 30 | Matt James | 12th |

#### Performances

Season 16 with celebrity partner Victor Ortiz
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Daylight" | 6 | 6 | 6 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Runaway Baby" | 6 | 6 | 6 | Bottom two |
| 3 | Contemporary / "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" | 8 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso doble / "We Will Rock You" | 6 | 6 | 6 | Bottom two |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "Never Tear Us Apart" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Bottom two |
| 6 | Rumba / "I Just Called to Say I Love You" Team Paso doble / "Higher Ground" | 6 7 | 6 8 | 6 7 | Eliminated |
Season 21 with celebrity partner Alek Skarlatos
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Hough | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Ten Feet Tall" | 8 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jazz / "Don't Stop Believin'" Quickstep / "American Girl" | 8 7 | 7 7 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango / "Bad Things" | 8 | 8$^1$/9 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso doble / "Wake Me Up" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5$^2$ | Rumba / "Let It Go" | 8 | 7/7$^3$ | 7 | No elimination |
| 6 | Jive / "Jailhouse Rock" | 8 | 8/7$^4$ | 7 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Haunted" Team Freestyle / "Ghostbusters" | 9 9 | 8 10 | 8 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Contemporary / "Holding Out for a Hero" Samba dance-off / "Lean On" | 9 No | 8 extra | 8 points | Safe |
| 9 | Salsa / "Back It Up" Team-Up Dance (Paso Doble) / "We Will Rock You" | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 10 Semifinals | Waltz / "America the Beautiful" Cha-cha-cha Dance-off / "Fun" Trio Argentine Tango / "Ex's & Oh's" | 10 No 9 | 10 Extra 9 | 10 Points 9 | No elimination |
| 11 Finals | Rumba / "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" Freestyle / "Marchin' On" Rumba & Tango Fusion / "A Sky Full of Stars" | 9 10 9 | 9 10 9 | 9 10 9 | Third place |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro.
$^2$ This week only, for "Partner Switch-Up" week, Skarlatos performed with Emma Slater instead of Arnold. Arnold performed with Carlos PenaVega.
$^3$ Score given by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
$^4$ Score given by guest judge Olivia Newton-John.
Season 22 with celebrity partner Wanya Morris
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Motownphilly" | 8 | 7 | 8 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "Echa Pa'lla (Manos Pa'rriba)" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Waltz / "The Star-Spangled Banner" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba / "Circle of Life" | 8 | 9/9$^1$ | 9 | Safe |
| 5$^2$ | Tango / "Hold Back the River" | 8 | 7/7$^3$ | 8 | No elimination |
| 6 | Jazz / "Bye Bye Bye" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Foxtrot / "I Say a Little Prayer" Team Freestyle / "Super Bad", "Living in America" & "I Got You (I Feel Good)" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Jive / "Can You Do This" Team-up Dance (Samba) / "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)" | 8 10 | 8 9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Trio Paso doble / "Explosive" Charleston / "Shame on Me" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Eliminated |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Zendaya. $^2$ For this week only, as part of "America's Switch Up", Morris performed with Witney Carson instead of Arnold. Arnold performed with Von Miller. $^3$ Score given by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. $^3$ Due to Goodman being the judge coaching Morris' team during the team-up dance, the viewers scored the dance in his place with the averaged score being counted alongside the remaining judges.
Season 23 with celebrity partner Calvin Johnson Jr.
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Hough | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "That's What I Like" | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "As Days Go By" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Viennese Waltz / "It's a Woman's World" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe (Immunity) |
| 4 | Charleston / "Bella Donna Twist" | 8 | — | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Jazz / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | No elimination |
| 6 | Argentine Tango / "Hotel California" | 9 | 10$^1$ | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Jive / "Good Golly, Miss Molly" Team Freestyle / "The Skye Boat Song" | 9 10 | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Dr. Bones" Jive Dance Off / "The Purple People Eater" | 10 No | 10 Extra | 10 Points | 10 Awarded | Safe |
| 9 | Waltz / "Memory" Team-Up Dance (Paso Doble) / "No Good" | 9 9 | 9$^2$ 9$^2$ | 10 10 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 10 Semifinals | Tango / "Seven Nation Army" Trio Salsa / "Limbo" | 8 10 | — — | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 11 Finals | Viennese Waltz / "I Am Your Man" Freestyle / "Please Mr. Postman" & "I Want You Back" Jive & Quickstep Fusion / "Tutti Frutti" | 8 10 10 | 9 10 10 | 9 10 10 | 9 10 10 | Third Place |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Pitbull. $^2$ Score given by guest judge Idina Menzel
Season 24 with celebrity partner David Ross
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Hough | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Quickstep / "Go, Cubs, Go" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Bust a Move" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Jazz / "Candy Shop" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese Waltz / "Forever Young" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Jive / "Ride" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | Safe |
| 6 | Argentine Tango / "I Want You Back" Team Freestyle / "Dancing Machine", "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" & "Best Song Ever" | 7 8 | 7 8 | 8$^1$ 9$^1$ | 7 8 | Safe |
| 7 | Salsa / "Universal Mind Control" Jive Dance Off / "Gimme Some Lovin'" | 8 No | 8 Extra | 8$^2$ Points | 8 Awarded | Safe |
| 8 | Waltz / "Humble and Kind" Trio Paso Doble / "Gangsta's Paradise" | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 8 | 9 7 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Foxtrot / "You Make Me Feel So Young" Tango / "Castle on the Hill" | 9 9 | 8 9 | 9 9 | 8 9 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Viennese Waltz / "Let's Hurt Tonight" Freestyle / "It Takes Two" & "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" Foxtrot & Salsa Fusion / "Living" | 8 10 9 | 8 10 9 | 9 10 9 | 8 10 9 | Runners-up |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Nick Carter $^2$ Score given by guest judge Mandy Moore
Season 25 with celebrity partner Jordan Fisher
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Tango / "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" | 8 | 7 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Viennese Waltz / "Count On Me" Samba / "Mi Gente" | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "The Glory Days" | 9 | 7 | 9 | No Elimination |
| 4 | Contemporary / "Take Me Home" | 10 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "You're Welcome" | 10 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Rumba / "Supermarket Flowers" | 10 | 9/10$^1$ | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble / "Animals" Team Freestyle / "Monster Mash" | 10 8 | 10 8 | 10 8 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Chuck Berry" Trio Salsa / "Que Viva La Vida" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 | Argentine Tango / "Brother" Jive / "Proud Mary" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 | Charleston / "Bad Man" Freestyle / "Puttin on the Ritz" Samba / "Mi Gente" Salsa & Paso Doble Fusion / "Kill the Lights" | 10 10 10 10 | 10/10$^2$ 10/10$^2$ 10 10 | 10 10 10 10 | Winners |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Shania Twain. $^2$ Score given by guest judge Julianne Hough.
Season 26 with celebrity partner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | 6 | 5 | 6 | Safe |
| 2 | Salsa / "La Malanga" Team Freestyle / "...Baby One More Time" | 7 8 | 6/7$^1$ 8/9$^1$ | 6 8 | Eliminated |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Rashad Jennings.
Season 27 with celebrity partner DeMarcus Ware
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Sweet Sensation" | 8 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "The Boy from New York City" Quickstep / "Ladies Man" | 8 8 | 8 7 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Argentine Tango / "Lux Aeterna" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Trio Paso Doble / "Fire" | 7 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Charleston / "A Star Is Born" | 9 | 8 | 9 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Salsa / "Under Your Spell" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Tennessee Whiskey" Team Freestyle / "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 9 | Eliminated |
Season 28 with celebrity partner Sean Spicer
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Salsa / "Spice Up Your Life" | 4 | 4 | 4 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "Shut Up and Dance" | 6 | 5 | 5 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-cha-cha / "Night Fever" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Bamboléo" | 5 | 6$^1$/5 | 5 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "You've Got a Friend in Me" | 7 | 6 | 6 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Somebody to Love" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 7 | Jive / "Monster Mash" Team Freestyle / "Sweet Dreams" | 6 8 | 6 8 | 6 8 | Safe |
| 8$^2$ | Jazz / "Come Sail Away" Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" | 7 No | 7 Points | 6 Awarded | Safe |
| 9$^2$ | Argentine Tango / "Bills, Bills, Bills" Foxtrot / "Story of My Life" | 7 6 | 6/7$^3$ 6/6$^3$ | 6 6 | Eliminated |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Leah Remini. $^2$ Due to Arnold being unable to perform weeks 8 and 9, Spicer danced with Jenna Johnson instead. $^3$ Score given by guest judge Joey Fatone.
Season 30 with celebrity partner Matt James
| Week | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Hough | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Give It to Me Baby" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | No elimination |
| 2 | Samba / "Levitating" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango / "Scream and Shout" | 7 | 6 | - | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep / "The Incredits" Paso doble / "Jungle" | 6 8 | 6 7 | 7 8 | 7 8 | Eliminated |

## Personal life

Arnold was raised Mormon, and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She announced her engagement to her high school sweetheart, Samuel Cusick, in December 2014 during a trip to Africa. They married on June 18, 2015, in a private Mormon ceremony at the Salt Lake Temple. Arnold's fellow Dancing with the Stars pros Brittany Cherry, Jenna Johnson, and Emma Slater were among her bridesmaids; with Witney Carson serving as her maid of honor.
On May 13, 2020, Arnold announced that she and Cusick were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Sage Jill Cusick, was born on November 2, 2020, via Caesarean section (C-section). Following a period of fertility struggles, Arnold announced exclusively with E! News that she and Cusick were expecting another child. Their second daughter, June Cusick, was born on May 3, 2023, through another C-section.