Lindsay Arnold

Early life

Lindsay Arnold, the eldest of four sisters, was born on January 11, 1994, in Provo, Utah. Her father, Joshua, is a physician assistant and a former defensive back for BYU, while her mother, Melinda, works as a physical therapist. All of her sisters—Jensen (b. 1997), Brynley (b. 2000), and Rylee (b.

2005)—also dance. Arnold started dancing at age four, and her mother later opened The Vibe studio in Lindon, Utah, to provide a family-oriented space for her daughters. She studied ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, Latin, and ballroom under head director Rick Robinson and other teachers, with most of her ballroom training coming from Shirley Ballas. After graduating from Timpview High School, she planned to study physical therapy at Utah Valley University on a full academic scholarship.

Career

By age eight, Arnold found a ballroom partner and entered dancesport competitions, placing first in the U.S. Open Youth Latin Championships and the U.S. Open Junior Latin Championships, and finishing as a top three finalist in the World Junior Latin Team Match and a top five finalist at the World Cup Latin Junior Championships and U.S. Junior National 10 Dance Championships. She auditioned for the ninth season of So You Think You Can Dance on February 23, 2012, in Salt Lake City, becoming one of the top twenty contestants.

2012: So You Think You Can Dance

She was first partnered with Cole Horibe, later with Jakob Karr and Alex Wong, and was eliminated on August 29, 2012, finishing in the top eight. She performed on the series' tour from October to December 2012. Arnold became a professional dancer on season 16 of Dancing with the Stars, the second-youngest pro in the show's history at the time, and was partnered with Victor Ortiz; they were eliminated during the sixth week, finishing in eighth place.

2013–2021: Dancing with the Stars

She was demoted to the dance troupe from season 17 through season 20. Promoted to pro again for season 21, she partnered with Alek Skarlatos and finished in third place on November 24, 2015. In season 22, she was paired with Wanya Morris and finished in fourth place on May 16, 2016. For season 23, she partnered with Calvin Johnson and finished in third place on November 22, 2016.

The following season, she was paired with David Ross and became the runner-up on May 23, 2017. In season 25, Arnold was paired with Jordan Fisher; they won the competition on November 21, 2017, setting the record for the most perfect scores in a single season with nine. For the Athletes season, she was partnered with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and finished in seventh place on May 7, 2018. In season 27, she was paired with DeMarcus Ware and finished in seventh place on November 7, 2018.

2018–present: Business ventures

During season 28, she was paired with Sean Spicer and finished in sixth place on November 11, 2019. She returned in season 30 with Matt James and finished in twelfth place on October 12, 2021, her lowest placement to date. In 2018, Arnold launched L.A.C, a lifestyle brand of makeup, cosmetics, and accessories. She became a certified personal trainer and founded The Movement Club, an on-demand fitness and wellness program, in December 2020.

Personal life

Arnold belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She got engaged to her high school sweetheart, Samuel Cusick, in December 2014 during a trip to Tanzania, and the couple married at the Salt Lake Temple on June 18, 2015. Her bridal party included fellow Dancing with the Stars pros Brittany Cherry, Jenna Johnson, and Emma Slater, with Witney Carson as maid of honor. Arnold and Cusick have three children, all delivered via Caesarean section: two daughters born in November 2020 and May 2023, and a son born in June 2026.