Born on May 17, 1985 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Derek Hough is a professional dancer and choreographer, former Latin-American Dance world champion best known for her stint on the ABC television series Dancing with the Stars. He is the older brother of Dancing with the Stars season 4 and 5 champ Julianne Hough. When he was 12 years old, he moved to London in order to sustain and develop his talent for Latin-American Dance. He studied and eventually became an instructor at the Italia Conti Academy, specializing in theater arts. His subsequent career from this starting point has included competing professionally, doing work for television, and performing at the West End theater. He has also been featured in the track Dreaming Under the Same Moon courtesy of his sister’s self-titled debut album.
As a competitive dancer, Hough has performed at a professional level alongside Polish dancer Aneta Piotrowska, who appeared in the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars. He has also emerged victorious at the New York Dance Alliance with Outstanding Dance awards, as well as being crowned LA Outstanding Dancer of the Year. He has taken on the role of Ren McCormack in both the West End and UK Tour productions of the musical Footloose, as well as the titular Messiah in Jesus Christ Superstar. Hough also appeared in the movie Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. In 2005, he and fellow Dancing with the Stars dancer Mark Ballas formed a band called Almost Amy.
On season 5 of Dancing with the Stars, Hough was paired with actress Jennie Garth , where they were the 9th team eliminated. On season 6, Derek Hough is paired with actress Shannon Elizabeth. The two become the seventh couple eliminated.