‘Dancing With the Stars’ Family Members Who Joined the Show: Rylee Arnold and More

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'Dancing With the Stars' Family Members Who Joined the Show: Rylee Arnold and More

Rylee Arnold isn’t the first family member — let alone sibling — of a Dancing With the Stars pro to enter the ballroom. Julianne Hough was the first dancer to face off against her brother, Derek Hough, in the competition. After Julianne got her start on the series in season 4 in 2007, she was joined by Derek the following season. Much like Derek and Julianne, Maksim Chmerkovskiy — who made his DWTS debut in season 2 — was later joined by his younger brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, as a pro in season 13. While siblings seemed like the most likely family match-up for the performers, DWTS flipped the switch when they brought in Mark Ballas' father, Corky Ballas, to compete against his son in season 7. In addition to siblings, many of the pros have been joined in the ballroom by their significant others. Some dancers even found The One while competing on the show in the first place. Keep scrolling to see which DWTS pros have family members in the cast:

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Derek and Julianne Hough

The Hough siblings were the first relatives to compete against one another on DWTS in season 5. Throughout their time as pros, Julianne took home two mirrorballs, while Derek — who had a longer tenure on the competition — won six seasons. In 2020, Derek became a judge for the competition. In 2023, Julianne was announced as the replacement host for Tyra Banks for season 32.

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Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy

While Maksim joined the show in 2006, Val didn’t make his debut as a pro until five years later. However, the Chmerkovskiy brothers did perform and work together on the series before Val was an official cast member. Maksim has taken home one win throughout his 15 seasons, while Val has won twice. 

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Rylee and Lindsay Arnold

Lindsay joined the series in 2013 for season 16 and even mentored Rylee when she competed as a "junior pro" on the 2018 spinoff series Dancing With the Stars: Juniors.  

In September 2023, it was announced that Rylee would be joining the DWTS cast after her sister took a break from the series to focus on her family. (Lindsay welcomed her second child, daughter June, in May 2023 with husband Sam Cusick.)

“[Lindsay] gave me a lot of advice, but I feel like the best advice I got from her was just to be myself and to just show who I am and just to make it an enjoyable experience and enjoy every part I can,” Rylee exclusively told Us Weekly after it was announced that she would be partnered with Too Hot to Handle alum Harry Jowsey for her debut season.

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Corky and Mark Ballas

The father-son duo competed against one another in seasons 7 and 11. Before stepping foot on the DWTS stage, Corky trained Mark plus several of the show’s iconic performers including Julianne, Derek, Karina Smirnoff, Tony Dovolani, Edyta Sliwinska and others. 

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd

While on the show, Maksim began dating Murgatroyd in 2012 and ultimately got engaged in December 2015. The couple welcomed son Shai in January 2017 and tied the knot seven months later. They welcomed their second son, Rio, in June 2023.

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Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson

Like his brother, Val also found love on DWTS with fellow pro Johnson. The twosome wed in April 2019 and welcomed their first child son, Rome, in January 2023. 

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Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov

Before Karagach and Pashkov even joined the DWTS family, the duo worked together as competitive dance partners and married in 2014. Pashkov made his debut as a pro on season 29 in 2020 while Karagach joined the following season.