ABC Lindsay Arnold.
Lindsay Arnold is a fan-favorite professional dancer on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” but it’s possible the dancer could be out after season 30.
During a late January 2022 interview with Jason Tartick on his podcast “Trading Secrets with Jason Tartick,” Arnold opened up about her experience on “Dancing With the Stars” and shared that she is not under contract for any additional seasons, and that even under contract, sometimes dancers aren’t chosen to return.
Read on to learn more about what Arnold said during the podcast.
Arnold Negotiated Her Own Contract
Tartick talked to Arnold about the contracts on the show, saying that he thought it was interesting that the dancers were given such a long contract even though the show can back out.
The first time she signed a contract, Arnold said that she didn’t read it, she just signed it because it was a “dream job.”
“My contract was up about a year and a half ago, so it’s a whole new story,” Arnold shared, saying that she knows much more now and will always read contracts now.
She added that she negotiated her most recent contract all by herself because she wanted to “get the things I thought I deserve.”
“If you know how much you’re worth… then, the conversation’s gonna go much differently,” Arnold shared.
She did not say whether she is still under contract or not.
Arnold also said that, now that she’s gotten so much other stuff under her belt, she’s no longer required to do “Dancing With the Stars” to make her income. Instead, she said she gets to choose whether or not she wants to continue on the show in the future.
She currently runs a workout clothing label, a new tanning lotion, and a dress brand.
“I’ve just been doing new passion projects,” Arnold shared.
Some Fans Think Arnold is Not Under Contract
Arnold did not share during the podcast whether she was still under contract with the show or not, but some fans on Reddit thought she said that she was no longer on a contract with the show, which makes them believe she may not return.
“she is no longer on contract with DWTS and negotiated her last season on her own. And because of her social media and businesses she did the season because she wanted to and not because she had to,” one person commented.
Some people said that they’d be upset if she didn’t return for another season of the show.
“Lindsay is a very good choreographer and teacher! It would be a shame for her to go!” one person commented.
Arnold Says Dancers Are ‘Not Guaranteed’
Even though dancers on “Dancing With the Stars” do sign contracts, sometimes for seven years, that does not mean they’re guaranteed to continue being called back to the show, Arnold shared.
“You always kinda want to have something else going because you never know what’s gonna happen. There’s never a guarantee for anything,” Arnold said. She also said that if she were just a backup dancer on the show, she would have something else going on in order to pay all her bills.
Arnold took some time on the podcast to talk about the pay structure on “Dancing With the Stars” when it comes to both the troupe and the professional dancers.
“Basically, you get paid per week,” she shared. “And as a troupe member, you’re working every week. You get paid every week on the show. As a professional dancer, you get paid per week, and when you’re eliminated, you don’t get paid anymore.”
Tartick added that he thought the professional dancers were “hyper-competitive” and asked if that’s why the professional dancers are like that. Arnold said that that was part of it, but also that professional dancers just want to win.
“On the show, it’s your livelihood. It’s now how you provide for your family. If you make it an extra week, that’s a couple weeks of rent,” Arnold said.
She added, “It’s very much a driving factor in the show and why we want to do well.”
The professional dancer also said that the people who make it to the finale do get a bonus, though the winner does not get paid more than the other professional dancers in the finale of the season.
She also said that the longer she lasts on television, she’s able to keep her name out there and on TV, which helps her with brand recognition and her other endeavors.
“Dancing With the Stars” has not yet been renewed for season 31. If it does get renewed, the show will return sometime in mid-September of 2022.
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