Rylee Arnold knows her way around the Dancing with the Stars ballroom. But she also knows a thing or two about TikTok. 

And there’s no denying she’s influenced the show’s recent resurgence that’s been majorly boosted by the social media platform. After joining the series in 2023 as one of the youngest pro dancers in the show’s history at 18-years-old (while currently standing as the youngest member of the recurring cast), Arnold began documenting her journey on DWTS for her TikTok audience. 

“I was super motivated to do day in the life [and] get ready with me [style videos] to talk about this experience, because it isn’t talked about enough,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I feel like that really, really picked up and resonated with the rest of the pros, with the show, with people online and we really got together a younger demographic of people.”

So, who better to speak on DWTS’ very first “TikTok Night” than Arnold? Below, THR chats with the pro dancer about the role she played in attracting a younger audience to the show, why DWTS finally caught up with the times and began casting social media stars, how she navigates the many opinions of viewers who are obsessed with the competition and her favorite trend from this season (so far). 

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It feels like the prevalence of social media, specifically TikTok, has revamped Dancing with the Stars and brought it into this new modern era. Would you agree?

Oh for sure. I think TikTok has become literally a part of Dancing with the Stars. I think it’s a perfect way to showcase who these partnerships are, what our relationships are like, what this show is about and the BTS of it all. Because it’s hard to only see a show once a week and get engaged with it. But because we have TikTok, people are able to get into our life to see how it all goes down. And I think [TikTok is] such a cool way to share that.

Is there a specific moment or season you can pinpoint where social media changed Dancing with the Stars?

When I first had my season as a pro on season 32, that’s when it really started. I remember when I came into the show, I just posted silly TikToks just for fun. I was super motivated to do day in the life [and] get ready with me [style videos] to talk about this experience, because it isn’t talked about enough. And I feel like that really, really picked up and resonated with the rest of the pros, with the show, with people online, and we really got together a younger demographic of people, and the people who go on TikTok every day, they [saw] the Dancing with the Stars content. It only brought more young people to the show. And then the next season, Ezra [Sosa] came on [as a pro dancer] and did the same thing. He just incorporated so much TikTok into everything, did so many behind the scenes things — he really got so engaged and involved, and I think really just kind of showed that people love it. People love when we share stuff online.

When Charli D’Amelio was cast on the show in [season 31], that was a pretty shocking moment, not because she wasn’t worthy of taking up a spot, but it felt like Dancing with the Stars was finally coming around to this new avenue of celebrity, which is social media stars. Do you think Charli’s casting was also a defining moment that changed the course of Dancing with the Stars?

Oh, for sure. I think that was such a smart move to have Charli on the show. She was so amazing and she is such a big TikTok star, so that was honestly so perfect. And I think it just, again, brought all of her fans and the people that love her to come and watch the show, and then they stuck around because it was super fun and exciting to watch. I think she made a huge change in the whole demographic of bringing younger people to the show and also involving TikTok, because she did so well, she won.

As a pro dancer, what do you think shifted for the powers that be at Dancing with the Stars to begin casting more social media stars? 

I think they just saw that a lot of us were bringing in the younger demographic. I think that was something Dancing with the Stars had a hard time [navigating]. I remember when my sister [Lindsay Arnold] was on [the pro cast], she always told me, “It’s always the old ladies watching Dancing with the Stars,” which I love and I think is so amazing. I, as a dancer, watched Dancing with the Stars when I was super young, but that’s what she would always say to me. And now suddenly we have girls in colleges throwing watch parties [for] Dancing with the Stars, which is an audience that Dancing with the Stars wasn’t able to get quite yet. I think they saw that and just noticed how much of a broad spectrum it was bringing to the show.

I’m looking forward to TikTok night, but what does that mean? Is everyone going to be doing ballroom hybrid TikTok dances or dancing to viral TikTok songs? 

We’ll be dancing to viral songs from TikTok. Whatever songs match the style of ballroom, there’s a bunch of different styles that are going to be happening. It just depends on the song and what style works with that song. It’s just like any other week on Dancing with the Stars where we all do different styles, but we’re just going to be dancing to viral TikTok songs.

How much of your rehearsal time is spent filming TikTok videos? 

Honestly, Scott [Hoying] and I are really good at learning a TikTok super quickly and doing it, which is awesome because he’s just so good at content. We can zoom out a good amount of TikToks in, like, 20 minutes. It’s pretty fast.

Looking at the reach of social media on the show, what are some ways you could pinpoint that TikTok has negatively impacted the show and competition?

I don’t think there’s been a negative impact. I think it’s always been super light and just fun and exciting to do. But no, I haven’t noticed a negative impact on any of us for the show.

With this new widespread reach of the show online, a lot of people are now sharing their opinions, and it seems like everybody is a ballroom dance critic. Does it get frustrating when everybody wants to be in on the conversation and come down on the pros for varying things, [including the pro dancer’s] choreography, when the show is, like you said, meant to be a light, fun show?

I think sometimes it can be tricky. When you go home from rehearsal, all you can think about is your job and what you are doing, and you just kind of want to breathe. And you come home and you open TikTok, and there’s people being critical about the choreographer you are, or the person that you are, or the dancer that you are. And I think for anyone, that can be hard. But at the same time, I think for me, I just try and remember that I am putting myself out for other people’s opinions. I am on a show that is for judging, that is for wondering if our dance is good or scoring our dance — that’s the whole premise of this show. So understanding that and understanding that that is what comes with it, and not taking things to heart, just being super lightweight about it, and being careful with not reading too much or going into too much things.  Because in the grand scheme of things, it’s a super fun dancing show that I am genuinely just so grateful to be a part of, so I want to enjoy every second.

Because social media is a major part of your career now, how do you balance being tapped into what everyone’s saying online, but also stepping away for your mental health and making sure that social media doesn’t consume what you do as a choreographer and also in your everyday life?

I like to find content creators that really just bring me lots of peace. (Laughs.) I love watching people’s videos; that just makes me happy. And so whenever I go on social media, I just follow a lot of my friends and people’s content that I love a lot, and that helps a lot to just help with the things I see on my For You page. Anytime I see a negative video or comment towards me, I’ll just turn off my phone and let it rest and sit, because there’s no reason to go on those things. I feel confident in who I am and in what I’m doing, and I feel like that’s what matters most. I look at people that I love, I watch my sister’s content of their cute little babies, and I just ensure that everything that I’m looking at is positive and happy and not diminishing anything.

Lindsay is a former pro dancer and each week, she posts her daughters, your nieces, reacting to you and Scott’s dances. What does it mean for you to have their support?

It means so much. I think it is so amazing that I have Lindsay by my side, and just all my sisters. They are my best friends and they are so supportive. But it is so cool that Lindsay has been through basically everything that I’m doing right now, so she always has the best advice for me and can always help me and guide me. It’s just cool because I had Sage [Lindsay’s daughter] come to my first camera blocking, and she was loving it, like, so obsessed, wanted to go out on the stage and dance. I hope I can inspire them, because they’re just the cutest little precious things that I care so much about. So I hope I can be an inspiration to them, but I’m also so grateful for them, because they’ve been such a support and have genuinely helped me do this job, and have helped me stay in it for as long as I have.

Rapid fire: Who is your favorite TikToker?

My favorite TikToker is Emilie Kiser. I love her so much. I love her content, and I just think she is such an amazing person. 

Is TikTok your favorite social platform? Or do you have another favorite?

TikTok is definitely my favorite.

Which social platform do you engage with fans the most?

Probably Snapchat or TikTok.

Which social media platform do you think Dancing with the Stars needs to lean into more?

I feel like they are going into every avenue. Maybe Snapchat. If Dancing with the Stars created a Snapchat page and posted a bunch of [behind the scenes content], I think that could be really fun.

What has been your favorite TikTok trend so far from this season of Dancing with the Stars? 

Oh, I would have to say “Milkshake” (laughs), the KATSEYE Gap ad. I thought that was such an iconic dance. Me and Scott did it together, and I just love it so much.