Derek Hough has become a cherished dancer and choreographer in recent years, thanks mainly to his success on Dancing with the Stars.
About Derek Hough
Born on May 17th, 1985 in Salt Lake City, Hough comes from a devout Mormon family that includes his also famous dancing sister Julianne. In 1998, when Derek was only 13, he and Julianne moved to London to further expand their dance training and work under the guidance and expertise of the famous dancing couple Corky and Shirley Ballas.
Derek Hough is also an alumni of Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, which is a prestigious arts academy in the United Kingdom. He returned later to serve as a teacher at the campus, and his education launched him into a rich career working in television, on stage and on the competitive dance circuit.
Many theatre buffs will know Derek Hough as playing the role of Ren in the UK and West-End productions of Footloose the Musical. This show met great success, and Hough played the role for approximately 7 months. He also has played the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar and worked as a dancer in the London production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Returning to his ballroom dancing roots, he became a World Youth Latin Champion and has won various accolades including the New York Dance Alliance Outstanding Dance award and the LA Outstanding Dancer of the Year. Finally, he has served as a judge on the BBC show DanceX.
Derek Hough is probably most noted for his work on the popular ballroom dance competition show, Dancing with the Stars. He started working on the professional side of the team during Season 5, being paired up with Jennie Garth. They made it to the semi-finals. He then danced with Shannon Elizabeth for Season 6, and the couple went on to date for over a year before parting ways in August of 2009. During Season 7, Hough danced with Brooke Burke, and they went on to nab both the mirror ball trophy and the winning title of the season. This success launched him into Season 8, where he was matched up with Lil' Kim. Finally, in Season 9, he danced with Joanna Krupa.
Music Endeavors
Outside of dancing, Derek Hough also loves to sing. He dueted with his sister on her self-titled debut album, singing a song entitled "Dreaming Under the Same Moon". Hough also worked together with Mark Ballas to form a band entitled the Ballas Hough Band; he has also been featured in a music video of his former dance partner, Lil' Kim.
Surely there will be many more accomplishments to come from this talented singer and dancer with so much life left ahead of him. From more Dancing with the Stars successes to the progression of his band, Derek Hough is busy and in demand, with a faithful legion of fans supporting him every step of the way.
