Lindsay Arnold Reveals What Inspires Her Choreography for ‘DWTS’

There have been few Dancing With the Stars teams this season as consistent as pro Lindsay Arnold and Hamilton star Jordan Fisher.

Not only did the duo earn a perfect score last week for their Moana-themed Foxtrot, they’ve been delivering dances that have been getting continually better throughout the season in the judges’ eyes.

Coming up with new choreography that’s a hit every week is no easy task, but Arnold revealed that her inspiration actually comes mostly from the person she’s paired with each season.

Up Next: [SPOILER] Was Eliminated From ‘Dancing With the Stars’

“It’s actually really interesting for me with that because most of my growth comes from being in the rehearsal space with my celebrity,” Arnold told Just Jared Jr. this week. “Growing up, I trained and it was hours and hours on end to train for one dance. You’d think that with choreography. … I’m sure it works for others that way that they need to train that way and practice choreography. For me, being in that room, under the gun and under the pressure — that’s when I find I grow the most.”

Having partners with different personalities and skill levels also helps her shake it up.

“It’s never been similar every season, no one partner has been like the other and season after season and week after week, I’m adjusting to my partner’s abilities and think of new ways to do a cha cha. How many times can you choreograph a cha cha? You have to make it look different and that’s where the challenge comes and where I’ve grown.”

While the pro dancer said she would love to have more time to go and take classes to brush up on some of her different styles, being the person teaching often acts as a refresher for her.

“Being on the show and teaching someone else, I’m also reminded of the things that I know,” she said. “I’ll have little moments where I’ll be like ‘wow, I forgot I knew how to do that’. I remind myself what I’ve learned by teaching it to someone else.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.