Image Source: Getty / Steve Granitz [1]
Every season, there is one contestant who takes Dancing With the Stars [2] by storm, and this time it's Lindsey Stirling. During the show's season 25 premiere on Monday, the violinist wowed the audience [3] as she effortlessly performed the cha cha with her partner, Mark Ballas. Seriously, she looked less like one of the stars and more like a professional. After picking up our jaws from the floor following her showstopping number, we couldn't help but want to find out more about her. If you're just as intrigued as we are, keep scrolling for these basic facts about the talented 30-year-old.
- She started taking violin lessons when she was 5. There's a reason Lindsey is so good at what she does — she started practicing violin at a very early age. Due to her family's financial limitations, they found an instructor who could give her half lessons [5].
- She was a junior miss. When she was in high school, she wrote and performed a solo violin rock song for Arizona's Junior Miss [6]. After winning the title, she went on to earn the Spirit Award in America's Junior Miss Finals competition.
Image Source: Getty / Mauricio Santana [7]
- She was a finalist on America's Got Talent. Lindsey was a quarter-finalist for the show's fifth season. She was dubbed a "hip-hop violinist" by incorporating dancing into her performances.
- She's a Mormon. During college, she served as a missionary in NYC for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2013, she was featured in the church's I'm a Mormon campaign [8].
- She has a Billboard Music Award. This year, she took home best top dance/electronic album for Brave Enough.
- She previously danced with Mark Ballas's best friend. Before Dancing With the Stars [9], Lindsey performed with former pro Derek Hough in her music video for "The Arena."