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As a collective, members of Gen Z are dynamic trendsetters and culture shifters.
Like many young actors, Kinney spent time on Disney Channel (ZombiesandK.C.
Now, Kinney is introducing a new talent to fans as a top contender onDancing With the Starsseason 33.
You trained at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and the Los Angeles Ballet Academy as a child.
How has that training helped you onDWTS?
Getty Images / Byrdie
“In those studios, I learned discipline more than anything.
Of course, the dance experience is there.
It’s been over 10 years since I’ve properly trained [as a dancer] in any capacity.
Chandler Kinney / Byrdie
Have your skills as an actor helped you on the dance floor?
“My acting experience helps a lot because I approach each dance as a story.
In each world that we create, I have a little character that I play.
Chandler Kinney / Byrdie
I think that translates directly into the performance part of it.
And that requires showmanship, it requires personality, it requires story and narrative.”
Getty Images / Byrdie
Competing on national television requires a lot of you, mentally and physically.
What are your wellness practices?
“It’s a work in progress.
Things that have helped me are mostly mental and emotional practices.
A lot of it is unplugging, unwinding, and not underestimating the impact that has on me.
I love to work, but the work has to stop at a point in the day.
Rest and play have to come in to create an equilibrium.
So that’s been my goal.
I’m protecting my time with friends and family outside this competition and getting some light.
I’ve also given my feet a few ice baths, so that’s helped.”
You have to spend hours in glam, whether dancing or acting.
Tell me about your routine to keep your skin healthy.
I love Osea’s Seabiotic Water Cream.
I’ve also beendouble-cleansingbecause it gets all the little gunk andblackheads[off my skin].
I start withTatcha’sThe Camellia Cleansing Oil).
And drinking water [is important].
Hydrate inside and out.”
Chandler Kinney / Byrdie
It’s so important to see natural hair represented on TV.
Do your feel fans feel seen or inspired by your hair?
And it brings me so much joy because it is something I have fought for.
I was so grateful to be in this space and said ‘yes’ to everything.
I had a lot of heat damage growing up.
I was so sad because I thought I’d lost mycurl patternforever.
And then, funny enough, the pandemic hit, and I was not working.
It gave my curls time to heal and grow out again.
[My character] Willa, our fierce werewolf queen onZombies, has a mane of curls.
I’ve had so many kids and parents talk to me about how they love their curls now.
I was not expecting it, so it means the world."
Do you have any favorite curly hair products or tips?
It’s been so fun teaching him about hair care.
The first thing to do is to wear abonnet.
It just prolongs the longevity of your curls and the integrity of the definition.
For products, I’ve been usingKenra’s Curl Defining Cream.
I love the mousses from Lottabody and Nairobi.Diffusinghas helped me a lot, too.
It was recently announced thatPretty Little Liars: Original Sinisn’t returning for a third season.
What is your biggest takeaway from that experience?
“The biggest thing I’ve taken away is to embrace insecurities and imperfection.
That was such a fast-paced show.
What’s one tip that has helped you be more confident?
“Everybody says, ‘Be you.’
I’m starting to understand why they say that.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
That’s what’s been my experience.
It’s human nature to want what everybody else has, but everybody has something cool going on.
So, I’m just trying to focus on my thing.
And that’s made me feel a little bit more confident.”
