Brandon Armstrong Is The New Pro On 'DWTS' This Season

Dancing With the Stars is usually about the stars rather than the pros, but in Season 27 longtime troupe member Brandon Armstrong became a certified pro for the first time, and that’s kind of a big deal. But since he’s a new face for most fans, you’re probably wondering, who is Brandon Armstrong on DWTS? The newest pro has worked his entire life for this gig and trained under Mark Ballas, who he replaced, so don't underestimate the talent of the newbie. Especially since he’s not exactly a newbie, just new to being able to complete for the Mirrorball trophy — that he seems dead set on winning his first year as a pro.

Armstrong has been dancing since he was 10 years old when he had his first big recital, and it was just three years later, when he appeared on a DWTS kids edition and won, that he realized he could dance for a living. So, Armstrong has a long history with the show as a dancer and being promoted to pro seems like the most natural next step for his career. He also performed on the Dancing with the Stars: Live! Light Up the Night tour, but before DWTS came into his life, Armstrong trained other potential dancers back in Utah.

Although he’s deep into DWTS stardom now, just a few years ago, Armstrong was posting flyers on his Instagram, urging his social media followers to take dance lessons from him. He taught ballroom dance lessons at the Millenium Dance Complex in Salt Lake City. Not long after, he competed on Season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance. He auditioned to be on the show in 2012 with none other than Lindsay Arnold, a current DWTS pro. And although he was too young to progress during the season at the time, he was told to come back when he hit 18. He spent the next couple of years doing mission work and at age 20, he auditioned with Arnold's younger sister. This time, he got his ticket to Vegas. Although he didn't win the season, it helped Armstrong get his foot in the door. Well, a bigger foot. Soon after, he was brought on as a DWTS troupe member.

He always appears to be grateful for the opportunities the show has given him over the years. "This is such a dream come true," Armstrong said on Good Morning America after the DWTS Season 27 premiere. "I grew up watching the show, I was on the show when I was younger, I grew up with all these pros as mentors. So to be able to compete with them and then also to do well is just a dream come true."

Ahead of the DWTS season premiere, he spoke to Just Jared Jr. and said that he’s "single, [and] wanting to get married. So let’s make it happen." I’m not sure how serious he was about that, but it makes you want to root for him on DWTS even more — or for a potential romance with one of his costars. He also revealed that he loves country music and that he’s "a HUGE mama’s boy." Once again, I’m finding it harder and harder not to want him to win the Mirrorball his first season as a pro.

I’m sure fans will get to know him better as the season progresses, provided he and partner Tinashe continue to rake in high scores. And if he’s anything like his fellow pro dancers, both past and present, he has a long career ahead of him on DWTS.