Witney Carson | |
|---|---|
Carson at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards | |
| Born | Witney Capri Carson October 17, 1993 American Fork, Utah, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse |
Carson McAllister (m. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Witney Capri Carson McAllister (née Carson; born October 17, 1993) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer and choreographer. She first gained recognition as a contestant on the ninth season of the reality competition series So You Think You Can Dance.
Carson then joined Dancing with the Stars as a troupe member, and was promoted to pro in 2014. She won the nineteenth season with actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro, and the thirty-fourth season with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin. For her work on the series, Carson earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography.
Witney Capri Carson was born on October 17, 1993, in American Fork, Utah. She is the first child of Jill Carson (née Johnson), a travel agent, and Tyler Carson, a software developer. She was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with two younger brothers and a younger sister. Carson began her dancing career at the age of three and was trained in a variety of dance styles, such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, tap, Latin and standard ballroom. After graduating from American Fork High School, she briefly studied ballroom dance at Utah Valley University.
On February 23, 2012, Carson auditioned for the ninth season of the Fox competition series So You Think You Can Dance in Salt Lake City. She was one of the top twenty contestants and was paired with ballet dancer Chehon Wespi-Tschopp. As she progressed in the competition, Carson partnered with Nick Lazzarini, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, and Marko Germar. She was ultimately eliminated during the semi-finals on September 5, 2012. Carson returned the following season as an all-star and partnered with contestants Paul Karmiryan and Du-Shaunt "Fik-Shun" Stegall.
| Week | Pair(s) / type | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meet the Top 20 (June 27) |
Lindsay Arnold, Nick Bloxsom-Carter | Cha-cha-cha | "Dance Again" — Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull | Jason Gilkison | No elimination |
| Top 10 Girls | Contemporary | "Where the Light Gets In" — Sennen | Travis Wall | ||
| Top 20 | "Eyes (Coachella Live 2012 version)" — Kaskade | Mia Michaels | |||
| Week 1 (July 11) |
Group Dance | Modern | "Architect of the Mind" — Kerry Muzzey | Christopher Scott | |
| Chehon Wespi-Tschopp | Samba | "Jump" — The Cube Guys & Luciana | Louis van Amstel | ||
| Week 2 (July 18) |
Group Dance | Jazz | "The Beautiful People (District 78 remix)" — Marilyn Manson | Nappytabs | Bottom 6 |
| Chehon Wespi-Tschopp | Bollywood | "Tandav Music" — Aatish Kapadia | Nakul Dev Mahajan | ||
| Week 3 (July 25) |
Group Dance | Contemporary | "The Here and After" — Jun Miyake | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Chehon Wespi- Tschopp | "I Will Always Love You" — Whitney Houston | Stacey Tookey | |||
| Week 4 (August 15) |
Group Dance | "Hanging On" — Active Child | Mia Michaels | Safe | |
| Chehon Wespi-Tschopp | "Calling You" — Celine Dion | Mia Michaels | |||
| Week 5 (August 22) |
Group Dance | Broadway | "The Cool World Stomp" — Mark Isham | Tyce Diorio | Bottom 4 |
| Nick Lazzarini | Jazz | "Sing It Back" — Moloko | Travis Wall | ||
| Solo | Samba | "You'll Find a Way (Switch & Sinden remix)" — Santigold | N/a | ||
| Week 6 (August 29) |
Group Dance | Contemporary | "Run Boy Run" — Woodkid | Peter Chao | Bottom 4 |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-hop | "My Homies Still" — Lil Wayne feat. Big Sean | Luther Brown | ||
| Solo | Cha-cha-cha | "Where Have You Been" — Rihanna | N/a | ||
| Week 7 (September 5) |
Group Dance | Jazz | "Scream" — Kelis | Sonya Tayeh | Eliminated |
| Marko Germar | Lyrical Jazz | "No Nothing" — Curtis & Reinhard feat. Blaire | Ray Leeper | ||
| Solo | Paso doble | "Malagueña" — Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special | N/a |
In March 2013, Carson joined the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars as a member of the troupe for the sixteenth season. She remained in the troupe for the following season and was promoted to pro on season 18, partnering with singer Cody Simpson. They were eliminated during the fifth week of competition on April 14, 2014, finishing in ninth place. For season 19, Carson was partnered with actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro. They won the competition on November 25, 2014, making Carson one of six professional dancers to win the Mirrorball Trophy within their first two seasons.
For season 20, Carson was partnered with The Bachelor star Chris Soules. They were eliminated during the eighth week of competition on May 5, 2015, alongside Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson; the former couple finished in fifth place. Carson later starred in David Winters's musical film Dancin': It's On! opposite Gary Daniels. For season 21, Carson was paired with Big Time Rush singer and actor Carlos PenaVega. They reached the finale, but were eliminated during its first night on November 23, 2015, finishing in fourth place.
For season 22, Carson was paired with NFL linebacker Von Miller. They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on May 2, 2016, alongside Kim Fields and Sasha Farber; the former couple finished in eighth place. For season 23, Carson was paired with rapper Vanilla Ice. They were eliminated during the fourth week of competition alongside Babyface and Allison Holker; both couples finished in tenth place. For season 24, Carson was partnered with comedian Chris Kattan. They were the first couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in twelfth place on March 27, 2017; Carson's lowest placement and earliest exit to date.
For season 25, Carson was partnered with Malcolm in the Middle actor Frankie Muniz. They reached the finale and ultimately finished in third place on November 21, 2017. For the Athletes season, Carson was paired with Olympic luger Chris Mazdzer. They were eliminated during the third week of competition on May 14, 2018, tying in fourth place with Jennie Finch Daigle and Mirai Nagasu and their partners Keo Motsepe and Alan Bersten. For season 27, Carson was partnered with actor Milo Manheim. They reached the finale and finished as the runner-ups on November 19, 2018, behind Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess. For season 28, Carson was partnered with Nickelodeon actor and comedian Kel Mitchell. They also reached the finale and finished as the runner-ups on November 25, 2019, behind Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten. During the season, Carson served as the card dealer of the GSN game show Catch 21, which reunited her with Alfonso Ribeiro.
For season 30, Carson returned to the show and was partnered with WWE wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin. They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on November 1, 2021, finishing in ninth place. For season 31, Carson was partnered with comedian, actor and television personality Wayne Brady. They reached the finale and finished in third place on November 21, 2022. Carson did not return for season 32, but came back for season 33 and was partnered with NFL wide receiver Danny Amendola. They reached the finale and finished in fifth place on November 26, 2024. For season 34, Carson was partnered with wildlife conservationist and television presenter Robert Irwin. They won the competition on November 25, 2025, exactly eleven years after Carson won her first Mirrorball Trophy.
For season 35, Carson was partnered with Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez. She was four months pregnant when she announced her return, becoming the first professional dancer to enter an installment of Dancing with the Stars while pregnant, and the first to compete that far in her second trimester. Their first dance, a cha-cha-cha to "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight, earned one of the lowest scores in the series' history. Although they earned the lowest cumulative points of the season, audience votes allowed Rodriguez and Carson to advance to the halfway point of the competition. They were eliminated on October 13, 2026, finishing in eleventh place.
* The average has been adjusted to be out of 30, not 40
| Season | Partner | Place | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Cody Simpson | 9th | 23.80 |
| 19 | Alfonso Ribeiro | 1st | 27.70* |
| 20 | Chris Soules | 5th | 22.05* |
| 21 | Carlos PenaVega | 4th | 26.63 |
| 22 | Von Miller | 7th | 22.88 |
| 23 | Vanilla Ice | 10th | 19.69* |
| 24 | Chris Kattan | 12th | 14.63* |
| 25 | Frankie Muniz | 3rd | 26.00* |
| 26 | Chris Mazdzer | 4th | 23.50 |
| 27 | Milo Manheim | 2nd | 27.54 |
| 28 | Kel Mitchell | 2nd | 25.47 |
| 30 | The Miz | 9th | 22.69* |
| 31 | Wayne Brady | 3rd | 27.11* |
| 33 | Danny Amendola | 5th | 25.07 |
| 34 | Robert Irwin | 1st | 26.97 |
| 35 | Guillermo Rodriguez | 11th | 13.20 |
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentine tango | Robert Irwin | 38 | Carlos PenaVega Milo Manheim |
27 |
| Cha-cha-cha | Alfonso Ribeiro | 38 | Guillermo Rodriguez | 10 |
| Contemporary | Milo Manheim | 40 | Von Miller | 20 |
| Foxtrot | Robert Irwin | 40 | Guillermo Rodriguez | 15 |
| Freestyle | Alfonso Ribeiro Wayne Brady |
40 | Danny Amendola | 29 |
| Instant dance | Robert Irwin | 30 | Danny Amendola | 24 |
| Jazz | Alfonso Ribeiro | 40 | Von Miller | 24 |
| Jive | Alfonso Ribeiro | 40 | Danny Amendola | 21 |
| Paso doble | Robert Irwin | 38 | Guillermo Rodriguez | 12 |
| Quickstep | Carlos PenaVega | 39 | Frankie Muniz | 24 |
| Rumba | Carlos PenaVega | 38 | Kel Mitchell | 20 |
| Salsa | Alfonso Ribeiro | 39 | Chris Mazdzer | 21 |
| Samba | Wayne Brady | 40 | Guillermo Rodriguez | 13 |
| Tango | Wayne Brady | 33 | Kel Mitchell | 16 |
| Trio dance | Alfonso Ribeiro (with Lindsay Arnold) | 40 | Frankie Muniz (with Alfonso Ribeiro) Milo Manheim (with Riker Lynch) |
29 |
| Viennese waltz | Kel Mitchell | 40 | Vanilla Ice | 23 |
Season 18 with celebrity partner Cody Simpson
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Timber" — Pitbull feat. Kesha | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | Safe |
| 2 | Tango | "Yeah 3x" — Chris Brown | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Jazz | "Surfboard" — Cody Simpson | 9 | 8 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot | "I'm Yours" — Jason Mraz | 8 | 7 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (from The Lion King) |
9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Eliminated |
Season 19 with celebrity partner Alfonso Ribeiro
Season 20 with celebrity partner Chris Soules
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jive | "Footloose" — Kenny Loggins | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha | "Time of Our Lives" ― Pitbull & Ne-Yo | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 21 | Safe |
| 3 | Argentine tango | "Dangerous" — David Guetta feat. Sam Martin | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba | "The Book of Love" — Gavin James | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep | "Zero to Hero" (from Hercules) |
7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese waltz | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" — Olivia Newton-John | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| Freestyle (Team Trouble) |
"Trouble" — Iggy Azalea feat. Jennifer Hudson | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 39 | ||
| 7 | Foxtrot | "Five Minutes More" — Frank Sinatra | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| Foxtrot (Dance-off) |
"Orange Colored Sky" — Nat King Cole | Loser | 0 | |||||
| 8 | Contemporary | "Lay Me Down" — Sam Smith | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | Eliminated |
| Paso doble (Trio dance) |
"Outside" — Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | ||
Season 21 with celebrity partner Carlos PenaVega
Season 22 with celebrity partner Von Miller
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxtrot | "My House" — Flo Rida | 8 | 6 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha | "Ain't Too Cool" — LunchMoney Lewis | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | Safe |
| 3 | Contemporary | "In the Air Tonight" — Phil Collins | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese waltz | "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (from Cinderella) |
8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Jive | "Hips" — Beans & Fatback | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 6 | Jazz | "Bad" — Michael Jackson | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 7 | Salsa | "A Little Less Conversation" — Elvis Presley | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Eliminated |
| Freestyle (Team James Brown) |
"Super Bad", "Living in America" & "I Got You (I Feel Good)" All by James Brown |
9 | 9 | 10 | 28 | ||
Season 23 with celebrity partner Vanilla Ice
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Ice Ice Baby" — Vanilla Ice | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot | "Love and Marriage" (from Married... with Children) |
6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso doble | "Save Tonight" — Zayde Wølf | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 23 | Immunity |
| 4 | Viennese waltz | "La Nouba" — Benoît Jutras | 8 | N/a | 7 | 8 | 23 | Eliminated |
Season 24 with celebrity partner Chris Kattan
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "What Is Love" — Haddaway | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | Safe |
| 2 | Jazz | "Hey Ya!" — OutKast | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 22 | Eliminated |
Season 25 with celebrity partner Frankie Muniz
Season 26 with celebrity partner Chris Mazdzer
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salsa | "Mr. Put It Down" — Ricky Martin feat. Pitbull | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Viennese waltz | "Next to Me" — Imagine Dragons | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| Freestyle (Team 1950s Tennis) |
"...Baby One More Time" — The Baseballs | 8 | 8 | 8 | 37 | ||
| 3 (Semifinals) |
Foxtrot | "I Got Rhythm" — Ray Chew | 8 | 7 | 9 | 33 | Eliminated |
| Salsa (Dance-off) |
"WTF (Where They From)" — Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams | Loser | 0 | ||||
Season 27 with celebrity partner Milo Manheim
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Free Free Free" — Pitbull feat. Theron Theron | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | Safe |
| 2 | Charleston | "Living in New York City" — Robin Thicke | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 | Safe |
| Tango | "Ashes" — Celine Dion | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 | ||
| 3 | Jive | "Can You Do This" — Aloe Blacc | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 4 | Salsa (Trio dance) |
"Adrenalina" — Wisin, feat. Ricky Martin & Jennifer Lopez | 10 | 9 | 10 | 29 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep | "Incredits 2" (from Incredibles 2) |
9 | 8 | 10 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary | "Toxic" — 2WEI | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | Foxtrot | "Born to Love You" — LANCO | 10 | 9 | 10 | 29 | Safe |
| Freestyle (Team HayNow) |
"9 to 5" — Dolly Parton | 10 | 9 | 10 | 29 | ||
| 8 (Semifinals) |
Argentine tango | "Pray for Me" — The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| Cha-cha-cha | "Good Feeling" — Austin French | 9 | 9 | 10 | 28 | ||
| 9 (Finals) |
Charleston | "Living in New York City" — Robin Thicke | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Runners-up |
| Freestyle | "Ain't No Sunshine" (Lido remix) — Bill Withers | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | ||
Season 28 with celebrity partner Kel Mitchell
Season 30 with celebrity partner Mike "The Miz" Mizanin
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Butter" — BTS | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 2 | Tango | "Nothin' but a Good Time" — Poison | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 3 | Salsa | "Oops!... I Did It Again" | 7 | 7 | N/a | 8 | 22 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep | "Friend Like Me" (from Aladdin) |
8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| Argentine tango | "Be Prepared" (from The Lion King) |
9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | ||
| 5 | Jive | "Greased Lightnin'" — John Travolta & Jeff Conaway | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 6 | Paso doble | "Wicked Games" — RAIGN (inspired by Hellraiser) |
9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| 7 | Foxtrot | "Radio Ga Ga" — Queen | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Eliminated |
| Jive (Dance-off) |
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" — Queen | Loser | 0 | |||||
Season 31 with celebrity partner Wayne Brady
Season 33 with celebrity partner Danny Amendola
Season 34 with celebrity partner Robert Irwin
Season 35 with celebrity partner Guillermo Rodriguez
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Mr. Big Stuff" — Jean Knight | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | Safe |
| 2 | Paso doble | "Where Have You Been" — Rihanna | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" — Rupert Holmes | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba | "Obsessed" — Mariah Carey | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa | "Tití Me Preguntó" — Bad Bunny | 6 | 5 | 5 | 22 | Eliminated |
Carson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was diagnosed with melanoma before her debut appearance of Dancing with the Stars. She underwent two successful surgeries to remove the cancer and hid her diagnosis from the producers, due to fear that it would cost her the season.
On October 3, 2015, Carson announced her engagement to mechanical engineer Carson McAllister, her high school sweetheart, after four years of dating. They were married on December 31, 2015, through a civil ceremony in Salt Lake City, and held a religious ceremony the following day at the Salt Lake Temple. Carson and McAllister have two sons together, and are currently expecting their third son. The family resides in Orlando, Florida.
| Award | Year | Recipient(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2015 | Carson | Outstanding Choreography (for "369", "It's Not Unusual" and "Sing with a Swing-Apache") | Nominated |
Birthday: October 17, 1993; Middle name: Capri
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