By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Renowned dancer Derek Hough says fans will see a fresh and unexpected show when he comes to Comerica Theatre on Sunday, June 2, on his first solo tour.
“This show is different from anything else I have done,” says Hough referring to the “MOVE” tours with his sister, Julianne. “I have a live band on stage. It’s going to give it that live concert feeling. I also have this amazing all-star cast of dancers, some of which were on ‘World of Dance.’”
During his 90-minute show, the Emmy winner will cover a slew of dance styles including contemporary, Latin, hip-hop, tap and flamenco. The musical setlist matches that with big band music, Spanish tunes, Motown tracks and classic rock ‘n’ roll.
“Deciding to have a band was an organic move,” says Hough, who’s planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro after the tour. “When I go to a concert and I hear a band play, there’s nothing like hearing that kick drum live. I think that’s because dancing comes from the music, and it’s live and authentic and in the room with us.”
On top of it, Hough will share his vocal prowess.
“I’ll be singing ‘Singing in the Rain’ this time around,” he says. “I re-created the dance routine. I did a video for it recently. I’ll be singing Michael Bublé kind of songs, the big band stuff. It’s going to be a full-out, high-energy show.”
Creative team and two-time Emmy winners, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs have co-created, directed and supervised choreography for the tour.
The New York Times best-selling author of “Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion,” Hough is the only six-time champion of “Dancing with the Stars.” Hough is best known for “Dancing with the Stars,” for which his celebrity partners included Brooke Burke, Jennie Garth, Ricki Lake, Maria Menounos Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley, Amy Purdy and Bindi Irwin.
He began dancing in his hometown of Salt Lake City at the age of 11. A year later, he moved to London to train and attend the prestigious Italia Conti performing arts school where he studied theater, music and dance.
Hough parlayed those lessons into spots in film, television and stage projects as an actor, in films like “Make Your Move” and he had a recurring role on “Nashville.”
He returned to London to appear in the West End production of “Footloose,” and in December 2016, he starred with Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Martin Short and Harvey Fierstein in NBC’s “Hairspray Live!”
In May 2017, Hough joined Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo at the judges table for the NBC series “World of Dance,” a dance competition show that features solo artists competing against duos and crews in all genres of dance, including hip-hop, tap, ballet, break dancing and ballroom competing for a million-dollar prize.
Hough is looking forward to his tour and seeing fans who have watched him on television.
“I believe that dancing is primal,” Hough says. “I think it’s something we can all relate to. Look at a little baby. Before they can walk or crawl, you put on music and they’re bobbing their head. You hear music and your body moves and becomes in sync with the music. It’s a beautiful thing. I just hope to share that with thousands of people.”
