Chandler Kinney chats with THR alongside partner Brandon Armstrong at the 'Dancing With the Stars' premiere and says her first performance was "way more of a rush than I ever could have imagined." Plus, they talk about feeling the pressure to perform since day one.
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00:00First date of the season, that's incredible.
00:03All right, now that you have the first episode here
00:05in the books, was it what you imagined?
00:07Was it easier or harder?
00:08What are you thinking?
00:10It was way more of a rush than I ever could have imagined.
00:13I was shocked when I got up to the skybox.
00:16I was like, I heard my voice, like, wavering.
00:18And like, it was just because I was so, like, out of my body
00:22and, like, vulnerable, but also the best experience ever.
00:26And I, like, want to do it again already.
00:29OK, so having the highest score,
00:31does that kind of, like, take the pressure off?
00:33Because you're like, oh, OK, I got this?
00:35Or does it add?
00:37I got to be honest.
00:37I think we've been under pressure from the second
00:40we were announced.
00:41So I don't think it changes anything.
00:43I think, if anything, there was more pressure for me coming
00:46into this week one, because I felt like I had to prove
00:48that she was good.
00:49And people knew she was good, so I felt
00:51like I had to, like, prove that.
00:53Now people know that she's good.
00:54We all know that she's good.
00:55I know that she's good.
00:56And that's a benefit to us.
00:57We're just trying to enjoy week to week,
00:59special moments, and hope people enjoy it.
01:01Absolutely.
01:02Ditto.
01:03Everything Brandon said.
01:04He is a genius.
01:06You're one of the younger competitors in this season.
01:10Do you feel like your dance style
01:11is going to be very different from some of the other casts?
01:13Or how do you feel like that's going to showcase
01:17during this season, as we progress?
01:19I don't know.
01:20I mean, I just think everybody, I say this,
01:22and I know it sounds like such a cliche answer, but I mean it.
01:25Everyone has something special to bring to the competition.
01:28I was just talking with Reggie.
01:29He has the best energy.
01:31And I told him, I was like, when you smile,
01:32everyone in the ballroom smiles.
01:34And so, like, and then you have Steven,
01:37who's like all arms and legs and can just, like, whoo.
01:40So it's, I don't know.
01:42There's everyone.
01:42Everyone has something special.
01:44And so it's just fun, like, getting
01:45to see everyone do their thing and be
01:47inspired in different ways.
01:48So, yeah.
01:49That's awesome.
01:50In your personal life, do you have
01:51anyone who's been the biggest cheerleader for you so far?
01:54My mom, probably.
01:56She birthed me.
01:58It's a lot of work.
01:59No, she's been by my side literally
02:01every step of the way.
02:02So she was the last person I texted
02:04right before the show started.
02:04I was like, I love you, and thank you for getting me here.
02:07Love that.
02:08And then so, how do you compare learning
02:10a script between learning choreography during the week?
02:14How is it?
02:14Harder?
02:15Easier?
02:17Just different.
02:18I don't know.
02:19It's just different.
02:20It's like a different part of your body that you're working.
02:23I told Brandon, like, just when we got off the stage,
02:26she was asking me about how it differs from being on set.
02:30And obviously, this is live.
02:32So when you're on set, if you need
02:34to be really vulnerable or whatever,
02:35it's like you're just with the person in the scene.
02:37But this is with millions of people.
02:40And you have one go.
02:41So in that way, it feels very vulnerable.
02:44And if you make a mistake, it's like everyone sees it
02:46in real time.
02:47But I try not to psych myself out about it.