Chandler Kinney shares what she took away from the judges’ controversial comments on ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Chandler Kinney quickly became a name to keep an eye on this season of Dancing With the Stars.

The actor, who has appeared in Disney’s “Zombies” film series and “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” made a splash in the season premiere alongside dance pro Brandon Armstrong. Their tango to “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan earned the pair a 23/30 from the judges, their highest score of the night.

While tThe two have remained at the top of the leaderboard throughout the season, still in the hunt for the coveted perfect jury score, and missed by just one point in the final episode with their Viennese waltz to the “Pretty Little Liars” theme song.

“I think people don’t realize that ballroom is its own beast,” the actress told HuffPost, adding that learning dances for the show “couldn’t be more different” than the things she does in the has done in the past. “The first few weeks meant breaking habits from my childhood.”

Having appeared in music projects like “Zombies,” which included big dance numbers, doesn’t automatically lead to an environment like “DWTS,” she said.

“You know, there are a million takes on set – maybe not a million, but there are a few. The live performance aspect of this show was so scary for me because you only get one opportunity to do it,” she said.

Still, Armstrong acknowledged that there are “big advantages” to working with a star who has danced before: “knowing how to count music, how to hold yourself, certain things like with your feet and legs.”

But Kinney’s experience, Armstrong said, is “the reason we were able to set the bar so high for her.”

Coming in with dance knowledge can be a divisive prospect for the show’s fans, some of whom enjoy watching a complete newcomer develop over the weeks.

“I think people love it or hate it or whatever, but you can’t help but appreciate the value and quality that it brings to the dance floor,” added Armstrong, who is in his seventh season as a professional dances. “I think she even has a hard time understanding how nice it is when you get someone like that.”

Although the two delivered strong performances every week, the judges’ reviews occasionally fell flat. In Week 4, judge Carrie Ann Inaba asked Kinney to “dig a little deeper” while commenting on a contemporary dance she dedicated to her mother. Then, two weeks later, Inaba stopped short of giving Kinney a perfect 10 for her Viennese Waltz, saying, “I wouldn’t call that one perfection just because of the demands of the dance,” which drew boos from the audience.

“Specifically after Dedication Week, I realized that – this isn’t necessarily something I was criticized about specifically, it was more my conclusion from the criticism I got – was that I think dance in many ways “It’s kind of like a representation of something,” Kinney said. “And that, I think, requires an extra level of externalizing emotions that I normally never think about as a TV and film actor. You never think about the perception of the story you are telling. You just live in the moment.”

“With dance, you want the person sitting on the floor right next to the performance to have the same experience as someone up in the rafters,” she added. “I think that’s one of the biggest gems I’ve picked up in the last few weeks.”

“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+