This Sunday, March 20, Derek Hough returns to partnering with celebrities and teaching them routines for ABC’s Step Into… The Movies with Derek and Julianne Hough. The Oscars special was a throwback to his years as a pro on Dancing With the Stars, which he did for 17 seasons, starting in 2007, winning six Mirror Ball trophies. And while he now contributes to the show as a judge, Hough does pine a bit for those days of being partnered with a dance novice celeb.
“My favorite part of that whole process is seeing that ‘a-ha’ moment in their eyes when they say, ‘I can do this!’” he gushes. “[Doing Step Into…] gave me that feeling again where I was showing somebody something and they felt, ‘We did it.’”
ABC/Eric McCandless
Naturally, that begs the question — does Hough ever see himself taking a break from the judges’ table and returning to the reality show as a pro?
“I don’t know,” he muses. “I like having the best of both worlds where I get to be a part of the show as a judge and do performances but also have time that allows me the freedom to do other projects.”
Hough will continue to get his fix as a performer when he returns to his Las Vegas show Derek Hough No Limit at the Venetian which runs from May 18 to September 22 this year. “It’s a great show,” he says. “I did it last year for six weeks and it wasn’t enough!”
Step Into…The Movies With Derek and Julianne Hough, Sunday, March 20, 10/9c, ABC