Siblings sharing a passion
There isn’t much that Dancing With the Stars champions and siblings Julianne and Derek Hough don’t do: They dance. They sing. They act. They choreograph dizzyingly elaborate routines for the stage, prime-time television and even Olympic ice.
Now they’re bringing their assorted talents to town with “Move Live on Tour,” a reprise of last summer’s sold-out, 40-city tour. It hits Casino Rama July 16 and 17. But this time, the pair says, they’re planning an even bigger and bolder spectacle: a whirlwind “rock concert for dance” that has the duo and their dancers stomping and spinning through a range of styles, everything from hip hop to Latin to contemporary, with vocal performances and skits in between.
Like last year, the Hough siblings have partnered with So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo to mastermind the show’s highenergy movement.
Emmy Award-winning choreographer Derek chatted about his eclectic career, dancing with his sister and their latest tour.
What’s it like to perform with your sister and to have all of these artistic passions in common? Is there ever any sibling rivalry at play?
Not really. I think it’s more like it’s kind of cool to be able to share something that you love with somebody you love. I think we look out for each other.
Last year, Julianne was really injured, so when I danced with her I would be very careful and kind of protect her neck, and do things to help her. I’m her older brother, so I look out for her.
You choreographed the incredible routine that helped Olympic ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White win the gold medal. What was it like to choreograph a routine for ice instead of the stage?
It was one of those opportunities that kind of came up and they asked me to choreograph it, and I was honoured and flattered, but I was also kind of worried. I wasn’t sure if I knew what I was doing since it was on ice. But it turned out to be great, and obviously they won and it was extremely exciting. They’re the sweetest, kindest people.
This show is incredibly fast paced and involves a ton of different dance styles. How do you train and prepare for such a high-intensity tour?
It really is just about getting organized and just rehearsing over and over again. Repetition is the mother of all skill so, you know, it’s just a matter of doing it over and over again.
And we have an amazing team and that’s obviously helped tremendously.
You’re doing a little of everything in this show: dancing, singing, interacting with the audience. Is there any particular part of the performance you enjoy most?
Every number is different and exciting in its own way, and I genuinely enjoy the whole thing. There are some especially cool moments. In the opening routine, we kind of do this . . . hip-hop number and it’s sort of a mash-up. There’s Latin dance in it as well as contemporary, and I just love being able to go hard when that beat drops.
I have to ask: You’ve danced with so many celebrities on Dancing With the Stars. Have you had a favourite partner or any that stood out from the others for any reason?
The season with ( American Idol star and country music singer) Kellie Pickler, because it was the season when I kind of came back to the show with a different outlook and a new perspective, and so for me it was almost like joining the show for the first time again. That season was special.