‘Dancing With the Stars’ Semi-Finalists Explain Why They Were Paired With the Perfect Pro

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Emmy-winner Deena Katz, Dancing With the Stars executive producer, has been pairing celebrities with pros since the show’s inception. She must be a bit of a clairvoyant because Katz couples up folks who develop strong relationships on the dance floor. Some pairings result in lifelong friendships—and a few romances have been born, too.

TV Insider chatted with DWTS’s Season 33 semifinalists about why they feel Katz made the right call by matching them with their particular pro dancer. Read on to get their thoughts!

Joey Graziadei on Jenna Johnson

There’s no simple answer here. “I will say that Jenna’s brilliant. She comes up with the best choreography every single week. Sure, I might be biased, but actually, I don’t think I am because other people say it, too. She’s a total sweet soul and every single week she makes me feel welcome. Without her, I would not be able to do this. I wouldn’t be here without her. We have similar humor. We did something the other day where we actually finished each other’s sentences,” Graziadi said with a laugh. “We really are sharing a brain cell at this point.”

Chandler Kinney on Brandon Armstrong

Kinney sees her pro partner as her “guy” because “we are both very hungry and super-ambitious. I think that shows in the way that we work together. We’re always testing new things, doing trial and error. We’re always going for the best and then some. We have a fire. It might be where we both feel that we have something to prove. It’s a good push that we put into every single rehearsal and every dance that we do.”

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Stephen Nedoroscik on Rylee Arnold

“The first thing I noticed about Rylee is that she’s a very positive person. She also has a level of creativity that other people may not have,” said Nedoroscik, speculating they get along because she’s young and new to the show. “She’s an amazing coach and an amazing person. I’m very lucky to have her as my coach.”

Danny Amendola on Witney Carson

Amendola pointed to Carson’s overall temperament. “She has an ability to coach, to teach. I think her perspective on dance helps her to relate to my past football career. She’s easily relatable. It’s been an absolute pleasure,” he shared, and it’s something that’s been true from the start. “We had a great relationship and connection from the beginning.”

Ilona Maher on Alan Bersten

For Maher, Bersten is the only one she could have been paired with. “I don’t know what [Deena] saw in us. Alan and I are similar and I think that works in our favor. We may butt heads at times but we’ve also created this really open line of dialogue and communication,” she said. “I just can’t imagine there’s anybody else who would push me the way he does and who is also allowing me to express myself the way that I’ve been doing whether that’s on the dance floor or online. It’s been really fun. Deena’s awesome.”

Dancing With the Stars, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC