“When I was 18 years old, it was a lot harder for me to understand,” the 28-year-old continued, explaining that there “wasn’t really any justification” given in her role change. “In hindsight, I know it was because I wasn’t quite ready. I think I needed more time to mature—first of all—and to really find out who I was as an entertainer. You really have to come into your own and figure out who you are as a person.”
The self-discovery journey for the So You Think You Can Dance alum also involved learning how to budget. As a teen “going from one salary and having that cut more than in half,” that was the time when she finally learned how to appreciate the little things.
“I never had a job growing up because literally my whole life was school and dance, so I had never had to pay for my own gas,” she explained, adding she was “just starting to barely experience money and pay checks” when her salary took a dip. “It’s an interesting thing that you have to learn.”
As a background dancer, Arnold found herself putting in more time at the studio than a pro because she was working “on the show’s schedule,” which required her to be” always on call, ready to go.” She recalled of the job, “It’s a total pay cut, but it’s still great.”
