Singing, dancing siblings bring new tour to Oklahoma City
Derek Hough prefers to stay on the move, even when he becomes a bit unsure of his current destination.
A record six-time victor on the ABC series “Dancing with the Stars” and a two-time Emmy Awardwinning choreographer, Hough and his sister, fellow multi-hyphenate Julianne Hough, have plenty of opportunities to remain in motion on television and in movies. But the dynamic duo also is on the road this spring on their “Move —Beyond” live tour, which will stop in Oklahoma City for a June 4 show at the Civic Center Music Hall. The show is an add-on to OKC Broadway’s current season subscription.
“Even though sometimes I don’t know where I am in the morning, we love going into people’s cities,” he said laughing, after figuring out that he was in Jacksonville, Florida. “We love going into ... their local towns and bringing a show to them. Essentially, that’s kind of what we’re doing on television: We’re bring a television show into your living room. And this is bringing a show — a live show — into your city. We just love it. We love the energy. We love the electricity, the vibe. It’s amazing. It’s amazing to me.
“Julianne and I, it’s funny, ‘cause during our meet and greets when we’re meeting people and we’re hugging them ... people are asking us like, ‘Oh man, don’t you get tired of this?’ I’m like, ‘Actually, this is part of the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing. This is part of the reason why we’re actually on the road is so we can have these interactions, so we can have these
one-on-one experiences and face-to-face moments with people who’ve been watching us and who’ve been supporting us. It’s our way of sort getting to meet you and connecting.’ So we love that.”
Putting on a show
Both favorite professional hoofers on “Dancing with the Stars,” Derek and two-time winner Julianne have become bigger names than many of the contenders they’ve partnered with on the hit ABC series. Both siblings sang and danced last year in live TV musicals: Derek played Corny Collins in NBC’s production of “Hairspray,” and Julianne starred as Sandy in Fox’s staging of “Grease.” While Julianne has recently acted in movies including “Safe Haven,” “Dirty Grandpa,” “Rock of Ages” and the “Footloose” remake, Derek will appear as a judge alongside Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo on the new NBC dance competition “World of Dance,” premiering May 30.
But their live tours give the Houghs the freedom to create a show that taps into all their skills, including dancing, singing and, in Derek’s case, even some drumming.
“When we first started on tour, our first tour, there wasn’t a touring dance show like this, and trying to convince people and theaters and promoters, it’s difficult. They’re like, ‘What is it?’ And we’re like, ‘Well, it’s a rock concert for dance.’ They’re like, ‘Oh, I don’t get it. Are people gonna come and see this?’ And here we are third tour and it’s just incredible. The audiences have just been electric,” he said by phone during a tour stop.
“What’s wonderful about it is that it’s something for all ages. We have several different acts within the show, and each one touches on a different style, a different energy, a different feeling.”
The new stage production is inspired by elements of nature: earth, wind, fire and water. The Move Company Dancers join the stars for group performances in styles ranging from ballroom and tap to Latin and hip-hop.
“We wanted every number to be a standout,” Derek said. “We put a lot into it: a lot of heart, a lot of soul, a lot of time, a lot of blood, a lot of sweat. ”
Working as siblings
Boosting the show’s thrills meant enhancing a favorite segment in which Derek and Julianne pay playful homage to sibling rivalry. He said they drew inspiration for the new number not just from their relationship but also from their hosting gigs on various “The Wonderful World of Disney” television specials.
“We created this massive Disney medley, but we changed all the words and created all these different lyrics. It’s definitely a wonderful moment. It’s really fun to do, and it’s really fun to get to sing all these amazing songs but at the same time poke fun at each other,” he said.
Although Derek, 32, and Julianne, 28, also are close to their three older sisters, he said the pair shares a special bond.
When he was 13 and Julianne was 10, they left their home in Salt Lake City, Utah, for rigorous training at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
Their parents were going through a divorce at the time, and they initially lived with family friends Shirley and Corky Ballas, whose son Mark also became a professional dancer on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“We looked out for each other, and we were like a little team. We’ve worked together for so long — for all these years — but we’re all pretty close, my whole family,” he said. “Not just (in) dancing, but also just like in life, we were able to speak the same language and speak the same vocabulary ... and it definitely helps.”
The siblings again cocreated, choreographed and produced “Move — Beyond,” reteaming with another star choreographer team: Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs. “We have an amazing team to start with ... but really I think it’s just our passion. We just dream big, think of what we want to do and how we want to dance and how we want to feel up on that stage and what our audience to experience, what we want them to feel. For us, it’s enjoyable to dance, to just perform and get people on their feet,” he said.
“Julianne and I whenever we have, like, little arguments or we’re not agreeing on something, they’re very, very short-lived because we know ... we’re both on the same mission. We’re both just doing what we love, and we’re very grateful for it.”