Hurting Hough struggles with being sidelined
Injuries ‘really worried’ Dancing With the Stars talent
NEW YORK — Derek Hough, who was recently injured while rehearsing a dance routine, says it’s not in his nature to take it easy.
Hough suffered a broken toe on his right foot and sprains and bone bruising to his left ankle while rehearsing for ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.
The injuries left him unable to fully perform on Dancing (he worked himself into a routine last week where he was mostly seated throughout or standing on one foot) or to appear as a lead in the New York Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
“When it first happened I was really worried,” the 29-year-old said in a recent interview. “I knew instantly what it meant at least short-term.”
He was flying back and forth between New York and Los Angeles to perform in both shows. His schedule was carefully worked out so he could be in Dancing and the Spring Spectacular while staying in “top form physically.”
“I’ve never felt better, so for this to happen was like going from 100 miles an hour to zero,” he said.
Hough talked about his recovery and his experience shooting Mark & Derek’s Excellent Flip on HGTV with his friend and fellow dance pro Mark Ballas, which followed the pair as they renovated a house to sell. Q Do you think you’ll be back for the Spring Spectacular before the show ends its run on May 7? A I’m honestly just taking it one day at a time. Q Has it been hard to sit out of things? A I never want to let anybody down. I want to make sure that I fulfil my commitments, not just from a business standpoint but from a personal standpoint. I like to keep my word and follow through. ... My big concern, too, was the tour this summer. That’s something I’ve been really looking forward to and I’m really, really excited about. It’s gonna be an amazing show and physically to do that show. ... I have to be in exceptional shape. Q Have you been injured before while dancing? A Oh, yeah. Many times. Q Has this given you more time to prepare for your summer tour? A That’s been one of the good things. We’re going over music and the creative and set design and effects. Q How does it feel to go back out on tour with your sister? A It’s incredible to think some kids out of Utah are going through this whole journey in their life and are kind of living that sort of rock star dream but through dance. Q
Will the dances be original? A For the most part it’s brand-new, fresh choreography, fresh routines. We have the best creative team. We’ve got (choreographers) Nappytabs (Tabitha A. D’umo and Napoleon Buddy D’umo). They’re so connected with what’s new and what’s fresh. We’re very fortunate to have them be a part of the team because I’ve always been a fan of their work and their creative minds. Q What was it like to film Mark & Derek’s Excellent Flip? A It was fun. You use the same muscle to flip a house as you do with dance.