Choreography in Honor Dancing with the starsThe 20th anniversary was something only Derek Hough could deliver. Hough joined the ABC series as a professional dancer in 2007 before transitioning to host in 2020. The final season of the reality competition series celebrated two decades on the air with a birthday party-themed episode in which Hough was tasked with choreographing an opening dance that not only commemorates the show’s past, but defines its future.
“It was really important that [embody] “It’s the idea of passing the torch from the professionals that really started this thing to this new group of dancers,” Hough says of the performance by the original dancers from the show’s first season.
The act is set to a modified version of the show’s classic song, with different sections performed in different dance styles. “The theme song is the one constant that’s been a throughline for all these seasons, so I thought, ‘Why don’t we dance to the theme song?’ But let’s mix it up and honor the different genres and styles that… Dancing with the stars “Displays,” Hough explains.
Another element of nostalgia in the performance saw former host Tom Bergeron return to the dance floor. “The first thing that comes to mind is Tom Bergeron,” says Hough. “When I knew he was coming back, I said, ‘There has to be a moment within the issue where it’s revealed, and it has to be the right setup to lead him to that moment.’”
This setting was a sequence choreographed and danced by Ezra Sosa and Riley Arnold in honor of the late Len Goodman, who served as a judge on DWTS from 2005 through 2022. The spotlight shined directly on Goodman’s empty seat as a series of ballroom dancers performed in white gowns and tuxedos to a musical version of Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way.”
“The way I described it was this moment where we’re thinking of Len and we’re thinking of this beautiful auditorium show, and then there’s this figure walking through the backlight with smoke, and we’re not sure who it is, because we’re in our Len feelings, and then we see Tom,” Hough explains. “When I was asked to do this piece, I took it very seriously. I wanted to capture these different moments that really honor the show and capture the essence of 20 years.”
With a record-breaking 34th season, 35 will mark another milestone for Dancing with the stars. It’s unclear whether the next installment will include another anniversary celebration, though Hough is “excited” about how the plans will be worded.
“We have a really good staff. There are some people I know waiting in the wings. I’ve been told some people will be involved in next season. It’s going to be great,” he joked. “We’ve gotten this momentum from the last couple of seasons. The celebrities are so excited to be on the show, to dance, to compete, to really have the full experience, and that dynamic that celebrities have that want [to win] And really embracing it, that’s what creates great seasons.
This story first appeared in the June standalone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To obtain the magazine, click here to subscribe.
