"It gave me a push" — Dancing with the Stars alum Chandler Kinney reflects on her comeback performance

Dancing with the Stars' Chandler Kinney and professional dance partner, Brandon Armstrong made a solid comeback in the latest episode, aired on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. They found themselves at the top of the leaderboard after finishing in the bottom three the previous week.

In an interview with Us Weekly, published on October 23, 2024, Chandler credited her comeback to the judges whose criticism the previous week pushed her to tap into her full potential.

"I think last week was super important for my journey here. I think it gave me a push that I needed. I think I did have to look inside and see what was missing. I don't ever want anybody not connecting with anything that I do," Chandler said.

Last week, the Dancing with the Stars judges were critical of Chandler's dance during Dedication Night. They urged the Disney actress to dig deeper and leave a lasting impression on them by revealing a more vulnerable side on stage. Chandler was told her performance failed to captivate them.

In the interview, Chandler confessed the feedback helped her navigate her journey and return stronger than before, setting a bar for herself and her competitors.

---

Dancing with the Stars' Chandler says she took the judges' remarks personally

While reflecting on her Dedication Night performance review, Chandle confessed she took the judges' comments personally because she considered herself "an artist" and a storyteller. Consequently, she wanted to ensure her stories were coming across or her efforts were all in vain.

Chandler explained that the skills required to perform a routine in the ballroom and film as an actress differed dramatically. To shoot a film scene was "different than being on a live stage under bright lights," which was why she believed she needed the "little extra push" from the judges to rework herself.

The Dancing with the Stars contestant was grateful for the criticism because it helped her externalize her skills more impactfully.

After performing to Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance last week during Dedication Night, judge Carrie Ann Inaba motivated Chandler to "really let it out," hopeful that the Disney star would captivate them with her act. Meanwhile, guest judge Mark Ballas encouraged her to "dig a little deeper" in her connection with Brandon.

The feedback left Chandler wondering how she could meet the judges' expectations. However, she knew she had to come back stronger and change the judges' perspective about her and her professional partner, Brandon.

Chandler made a mesmerizing return during Disney Night, donning the character of Willa from the Zombies franchise, dancing a Paso Doble to her own film, Zombie 2's We Own the Night. The Dancing with the Stars alum confessed the performance "helped her bring out her emotions."

"Willa embodies confidence and she's fierce, ferocious, fabulous werewolf. Those are all things that I want to be on the ballroom floor and also traits that perfectly lend themselves to the Paso Doble," she explained.

Chandler's performance earned her and her pro-partner 9s from all three judges, bringing her total to 27 out of 30. Since the pair had the highest scores from the judges throughout the season, they were allowed to advance to the next round of the competition with an added immunity from the coming week's dance-off.

While reflecting on their feat, Brandon confessed it was a "blessing" to return to the ballroom each week, despite facing competition from the other Dancing with the Stars contestants.

"We know that there's a ton of people that are in the running for it and a ton of people that people want to vote for. So as long as we get to stick around, we're happy to be here," he added.

---

Dancing with the Stars will return with a new episode on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 8 pm ET, exclusively on ABC and Disney+.