Brandon Armstrong (dancer)

Last updated

Brandon Armstrong
Born
Brandon Kelly Armstrong

(1994-06-05) June 5, 1994 (age 30)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • choreographer
Years active2006–present
Television Dancing with the Stars
Spouse
Brylee Ivers
(m. 2022)

Brandon Kelly Armstrong (born June 5, 1994) [1] is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer best known for his appearances on the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars . [2]

Contents

Early life

Brandon Kelly Armstrong was born on June 5, 1994, in San Francisco, California. He identifies as mixed race; he is half African American and half Polynesian. [3] Armstrong was adopted at birth by a white military family and was raised Mormon in Napa, California. [4] He moved to Lehi, Utah and began dancing when he was twelve years old; [5] he trained with Corky Ballas, Shirley Ballas, and Mark Ballas. [4] [6] After graduating from high school, Armstrong served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. [4]

Dancing with the Stars

Armstrong started working on the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars as a troupe member on season 24, and remained in that role until season 26. [7] He was promoted to pro in season 27 and was partnered with singer-songwriter Tinashe. [8] [9] Despite consistently receiving high scores and praise from the judges, they were eliminated during the fourth week of competition on October 15, 2018, finishing in 10th place. [10] [11]

In season 28, Armstrong was partnered with Mary Wilson of the Supremes. [12] They were the first couple to be eliminated from the season, finishing in 12th place; Armstrong's lowest placement to date. [13]

In season 29, Armstrong was partnered with television host Jeannie Mai. [14] They withdrew from the competition on November 2, 2020, after Mai was hospitalized for epiglottitis. [15] [16]

In season 30, Armstrong was partnered with actress Kenya Moore. [17] They were eliminated during the sixth week of competition on October 25, 2021, finishing in 10th place. [18]

In season 31, Armstrong was partnered with singer-songwriter and actress Jordin Sparks. [19] They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on October 31, 2022, finishing in 9th place. [20]

For season 32, Armstrong was partnered with social media personality and singer Lele Pons. [21] They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on November 7, 2023, finishing in 8th place. [22]

Armstrong had a breakthrough performance in season 33 with his partner, television actress and singer Chandler Kinney. [23] Despite inconsistent remarks from the judges, [24] especially from Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough, [25] the couple earned both the highest cumulative points and the first perfect score, of the season. [26] [27] Armstrong and Kinney are the first Black couple in Dancing with the Stars history to advance to the finale. [28] [29] Their freestyle routine to "Hellzapoppin'" and "Move On Up" was the show's first performance to feature an ensemble cast of all-Black dancers. [30] Armstrong and Kinney ultimately finished in third place on November 26, 2024; Armstrong's highest placement to date. [31]

SeasonPartnerPlace
27 Tinashe 10th
28 Mary Wilson 12th
29 Jeannie Mai 9th
30 Kenya Moore 10th
31 Jordin Sparks 9th
32 Lele Pons 8th
33 Chandler Kinney 3rd

Season 27

Celebrity partner: Tinashe

WeekDance / SongJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaGoodmanTonioli
1 Jive / "I'm a Lady"87823No elimination
2 Argentine tango / "New Drop. New York"98926No elimination
Cha-cha / "Circus"98926Safe
3 Rumba / "2 On"99927Bottom two
4 Tango / "Hit Me with Your Best Shot"98926Eliminated

Season 28

Celebrity partner: Mary Wilson

WeekDance / SongJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaGoodmanTonioli
1 Foxtrot / "Baby Love"65617No elimination
2 Cha-cha / "Think"55515Eliminated [32]

Season 29

Celebrity partner: Jeannie Mai

WeekDance / SongJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaHoughTonioli
1 Salsa / "Tell It to My Heart"66618No elimination
2 Cha-cha / "Roses"66618Safe
3 Viennese waltz / "Married Life"77822Safe
4 Tango / "Seven Nation Army"77721Safe
5 Jazz / "Like a Virgin"88824Safe
6 Rumba / "You Gotta Be"88925Safe
7 Paso doble / "Maneater"89825Bottom two (later withdrew) [15]

Season 30

Celebrity partner: Kenya Moore

WeekDance / SongJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaGoodmanHoughTonioli
1 Foxtrot / "Kiss Me More"766726No elimination
2 Cha-cha / "Hot Stuff"666624Safe
3 Tango / "Womanizer"77N/A1721Bottom two
4 Contemporary / "How Far I'll Go"778729No elimination
Viennese waltz / "Dangerous Woman"778830Bottom three
5 Rumba / "There Are Worse Things I Could Do"999936Safe
6 Argentine tango / "Take My Breath"888832Eliminated

1 Derek Hough was absent so score was given out of 30.

Season 31

Celebrity partner: Jordin Sparks

WeekDance / SongJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaGoodmanHoughTonioli
1 Cha-cha / "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"766726Safe
2 Quickstep / "Hound Dog"767727Safe
3 Rumba / "Licence to Kill"777829Safe
4 Jazz / "Remember Me"988934Safe
5 (Night 1) Salsa / "Let's Get Married (ReMarquable Remix)"888933Safe
5 (Night 2) Contemporary / "No Air"
Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon / "Hot Stuff" & "Jump, Jive an' Wail"
9
Awarded
8
3
9
Extra
9
Points
35
38
Safe
6 Foxtrot / "You Make Me Feel So Young"9891 / 8943Safe
7 Tango / "Oogie Boogie's Song"
Team Freestyle / "The Witches Are Back"
9
8
9
8
9
9
9
8
36
33
Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Michael Buble.

Season 33

Celebrity partner: Chandler Kinney

WeekDance / SongThemeJudges' scoreTotalResult
InabaHoughTonioliGuest
1 Tango / "Hot to Go!"Premiere87823No elimination
2 Rumba / "What Was I Made For?"Oscars88824Safe
3 Cha-cha / "It's Tricky"Soul Train9999136No elimination
4 Jive / "We're Not Gonna Take It"Hair Metal8889233Safe
5 Contemporary / "I Hope You Dance"Dedication8888332Safe
6 Paso doble / "We Own the Night"Disney99927Safe
Team Freestyle / "I 2 I"99927
7 Viennese waltz / "Secret"Halloween Nightmares9101029Safe
8 Argentine tango / "Para Te"500th Episode Celebration10101030Safe
Instant Cha-cha / "Apple"10101030
9 Salsa / "Spicy Margarita"Semifinals1091029No elimination
Foxtrot / "Too Sweet"9101029
10 Jive / "APT"Finals101010303rd place
Freestyle / "Hellzapoppin" & "Move On Up"10101030

1 Score awarded by guest judge Rosie Perez
2 Score awarded by guest judge Gene Simmons
3 Score awarded by guest judge Mark Ballas

Personal life

Armstrong began dating social media manager Brylee Ivers in 2021 after meeting through Instagram. [33] They got engaged on March 7, 2022, [34] [35] and were married on July 30, 2022, in the mountains of Draper, Utah. [36] [37]

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References

  1. Ivers, Brylee [@bryleebug6] (June 5, 2022). "Happy birthday to my love @brandonarmstrong 🫶🏼 The day I met him, my life changed forever! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I get to marry him & celebrate the rest of our birthdays together. I love you the most B!" . Retrieved June 5, 2022 via Instagram.
  2. "Meet the new Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Brandon Armstrong". Good Morning America . September 11, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  3. Kinney, Chandler [@chandlerkinney] (September 6, 2024). "TEAM CHAN & BRAN YAP SESH #1 👯🗣️" . Retrieved December 3, 2024 via Instagram.
  4. 1 2 3 Vulpis, Joe (October 2, 2024). "Brandon Armstrong & Chandler Kinney of Dancing with the Stars! Weekly Recap, Wife, and Tabloids". Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis (Podcast). YouTube . Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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Awards and achievements}
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) third place contestant
Season 33 (Fall 2024 with Chandler Kinney)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) last place
Season 28 (Fall 2019 with Mary Wilson)
Succeeded by