Chandler Kinney Questions What DWTS Judges Expect From Her

Chandler Kinney has respect for the Dancing With the Stars judges — but she doesn’t understand their criticism on Dedication Night.

During the Tuesday, October 15, episode of DWTS, Chandler, 24, and pro Brandon Armstrong performed a contemporary dance to “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack and dedicated the dance to her mother. They received a 32 out of 40 but several of the judges expressed that Chandler wasn’t showing enough emotion throughout the dance.

“First, we are relieved that we made it through. I did get really nervous,” Chandler exclusively told Us Weekly. “I just want as many opportunities to dance as possible.”

The actress admitted she was “disappointed” because their performance wasn’t their “best,” adding, “We both knew it as soon as we finished. So I was nervous to hear what they had to say and I think they picked up on a few things that we already felt.”

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Acknowledging that they have respect for Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and guest judge Mark Ballas‘ criticism, Chandler and Brandon, 30, had some questions.

“The tricky thing for us was the emotional aspect of it because I felt fully in the dance. It was true and authentic to me and how I feel about the song and how I feel about my mom,” Chandler noted. “It was truly a celebration.”

Chandler questioned what the judges thought she wasn’t bringing to the table. “I don’t know what their expectation of me was emotionally tonight,” she continued. “But for me — as someone who holds myself to a very high standard — I met it. So it’s just a little difficult.”

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Brandon subsequently explained why he was “very black and white” with his response.

“For me, it’s not even a matter of if I agree or disagree. It is what it is. I think that I’m always looking for criticism and critique. That’s what makes you better,” he shared with Us. “I don’t think we can go through this life all soft and patented. It’s just not the way it is. So I like this critique. I think it’s good. Every season there’s somebody like that.”

While reflecting on past winners, Brandon pointed out that past couples received harsh critiques before returning to the top of the scoreboard.

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“If there’s something that is lacking from us, we want to be able to identify it and develop it. That’s where we get a little frustrated — when we feel like we can’t even pinpoint what it is. It’s hard,” he continued. “It’s like I’ve said it a million times tonight, but we’re shooting at a moving target. We just want the target to stay still, so we can actually achieve progress.”

The pair aren’t letting the recent decline in their scores get them down. “We’re both motivated to do it,” Brandon concluded. “There’s been a fire that’s been lit. So we’re going to try to do it.”

Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the next day.

With reporting by Carly Konsker