Rylee Arnold is an American dancer and actress known for reaching fourth place with Stephen Nedoroscik on Dancing with the Stars. She first gained recognition as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors and has also appeared in the television series Reading Rainbow.
Personal life
Arnold is the youngest of four sisters, including Dancing with the Stars professional Lindsay Arnold, as well as Jensen Arnold and Brynley Arnold. Lindsay served as her mentor on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, and Arnold has cited her older sister as an inspiration for pursuing ballroom dance. Arnold is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Arnold was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15 after nearly falling into a diabetic coma. She began dating college football player Walker Lyons on October 20, 2024. Her dance career has required her to split her time between Utah and Los Angeles.
World DanceSport Championships
Arnold began training and competing in ballroom dance at a young age, with Latin ballroom as her specialty. She placed third at the 2014 World DanceSport Championships in Paris when she was nine years old.
She later placed fifth at the 2019 WDC World Championships in Dublin. These competitive results preceded her television career and established her as a young ballroom dancer before she joined the Dancing with the Stars franchise.
Dancing with the Stars: Juniors
Arnold was announced as a professional dancer for the first season of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018. She was paired with actor Miles Brown, while Lindsay Arnold served as their mentor.
Arnold and Brown reached the finale and finished as runners-up. The series was canceled after its first season, but Arnold became the only professional dancer from the junior series to later join the main Dancing with the Stars cast.
Dancing with the Stars
Arnold joined the main competition for season 32 in 2023, becoming the first professional dancer from Dancing with the Stars: Juniors to move to the flagship series. She was partnered with media personality Harry Jowsey, and the pair were eliminated in the quarterfinals after finishing sixth.
For season 33, Arnold danced with Olympic artistic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. They reached the finale and finished fourth, with their contemporary freestyle to Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" receiving strong critical and viewer attention. Arnold and Nedoroscik's result made her the first Dancing with the Stars professional born in the 21st century to advance to the finale.
Arnold partnered with Scott Hoying of Pentatonix for season 34. They were eliminated in the sixth week and finished in tenth place.
Social media and audience engagement
Arnold has used Instagram and TikTok to build an audience alongside her television career. Her social media reach has been credited with helping bring younger viewers, particularly members of Generation Z, to Dancing with the Stars.
The show's showrunner Conrad Green described Arnold's audience-building ability as significant enough for her to serve as a social media consultant to other celebrities and professional dancers.
Acting and other appearances
Arnold is credited as an actress in the 2025 television series Reading Rainbow. Her other listed screen appearances include Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, Dancing with the Stars, Live with Kelly and Mark, Sherri, The Jennifer Hudson Show, Extra, and the American Idol Official Podcast.
She and her sisters also run the collaborative YouTube channel The Arnold Sisters. Arnold has additionally danced with Justin Bieber.
Quick facts
- Arnold placed third at the 2014 World DanceSport Championships in Paris when she was nine years old.
- She placed fifth at the 2019 WDC World Championships in Dublin.
- Arnold and actor Miles Brown finished as runners-up on the first season of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.
- She was the only professional dancer from Dancing with the Stars: Juniors to later join the main Dancing with the Stars series.
- Arnold and Harry Jowsey finished sixth during season 32 of Dancing with the Stars.
- Arnold and Stephen Nedoroscik finished fourth during season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.
- Arnold became the first Dancing with the Stars professional born in the 21st century to advance to the finale.
- Arnold and Nedoroscik's freestyle to Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" was named the best dance number of 2024 by TVLine critic Rebecca Iannucci.
- Arnold was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15 after nearly falling into a diabetic coma.
- Her social media audience has been credited with helping Dancing with the Stars reach more Generation Z viewers.
- Arnold has been described as a social media consultant to other celebrities and professional dancers.
- She and her sisters run the collaborative YouTube channel The Arnold Sisters.
FAQs about Rylee Arnold
Who is Rylee Arnold's partner?
Rylee Arnold began dating college football player Walker Lyons on October 20, 2024.
Who was Rylee Arnold's first partner?
Her first televised competition partner was actor Miles Brown on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018. They finished as runners-up.
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