Dancing with the Stars: Julianne Hough’s 10 Best Dances!
When it comes to Dancing With The Stars, Julianne Hough has done it all. She’s been a pro, won two mirrorballs, whacked out 10s on the judges’ panel, and now, she’s joined Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro as co-host of Season 32.
But no matter what role Hough held on the show, one thing for sure was that she was always dancing. From her winning performances to some special sibling moments, here are Julianne Hough’s 10 best dances on DWTS (spoiler alert: there’s a lot of Derek!).
10. Tango with Apolo Anton Ohno – Season 4
This list is also going to consist of a lot of Julianne’s performances with her Season 4 winning partner, Apolo Anton Ohno, because this partnership was iconic and forever memorable.
Their Week 8 Tango was, sure, technical and powerful and fun and whatever other weird word Carrie Ann Inaba probably used to describe it, but what makes it stand out is the song. I mean, how could a dance set to “Jessie’s Girl” not be amazing?
9. Argentine Tango with Riker Lynch and Allison Holker – Season 20
Season 20 saw each judge choose a couple and assign them a dance they would like to see them perform, and Riker Lynch and pro partner Allison Holker got lucky enough to have Julianne choose them.
Julianne assigned them an Argentine Trio Tango, if you will, for which she not only trained them, but joined them on the dance floor (or platform, rather) for the performance. While Julianne only appears for the first half of the routine, her presence during her portion is of a whole other caliber.
8. Jitterbug with Cody Linley – Season 7
Season 7 turned into a scary one for Julianne when she started battling health issues halfway through, causing her to bow out of the competition for three weeks, leaving her celebrity partner Cody Linley paired with Edyta ?liwi?ska.
But before their season took a turn, the pair performed a super cute Jitterbug. Themed around I Love Lucy, Linley’s dancing really shined during this choreography, and further proves Julianne’s talent for dances in the Jive family (as you’ll soon learn about).
7. Cha Cha with Apolo Anton Ohno – Season 4
This list easily could have been filled only with Apolo and Julianne’s dances, they were that good together. The second dance on this list from the Season 4 winners is their Cha Cha — specifically, their Semi-finals Cha Cha.
While their Week 1 Cha Cha was definitely good for the first week, the Cha Cha they did in the semi-finals showed Ohno’s growth as a dancer thanks to his natural chemistry with Julianne, which ultimately led to Julianne’s very first mirrorball.
6. Jive with Derek Hough – Season 13
The list is almost all Hough from here on out, because Julianne and Derek Hough are basically the Sharpay and Ryan of the ballroom.
In Season 13, The Houghs joined forces for a Jive for a second time (keep reading to see their first). Both dressed in suits and suspenders, the siblings shook their tail feathers for a remarkable routine that earned them a standing O (but what else is new?).
5. Paso Doble with Apolo Anton Ohno – Season 4
Now, if you’ve ever read one of my DWTS live blogs, you’ll probably know of my aversion to Paso Doble. It’s hardly ever a dance I enjoy watching, but Apolo and Julianne’s is a rare exception.
Not only is this Paso full of content and fun to watch, but it became so iconic that Frankie Muniz and pro partner Witney Carson recreated it during Season 25, almost right down to the outfits!
4. Contemporary with Derek Hough – Season 24
Leave it to The Houghs to get the waterworks flowing from the audience. Season 24 saw the sibling duo come together on the dance floor to promote their tour and perform a Contemporary number themed around the way their parents’ divorce tore them apart as children.
Danced to “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors, they use child dancers to represent their younger selves as they dance around the still scene, revealing their true emotions for the heartbreaking time in their lives.
3. Freestyle with Apolo Anton Ohno – Season 4
As this list reveals, plenty of Julianne’s dances with her first winning partner Apolo are memorable, but their Freestyle with a whole other level of incredible.
Incorporating elements of Hip Hop, Jazz, and even Breakdancing, this dance showed a whole new side of the pair that wasn’t all about Latin motion or being in-hold. More than anything, this dance is FUN, and will definitely leave you wanting to also bust a move!
2. Group Dance with Male Pros – Season 19
To celebrate her return to the ballroom as a judge in Season 19, Julianne did a special performance with that season’s male pros, including Mark Ballas, Val Chmerkovskiy, Artem Chigvintsev, Sasha Farber and of course, her brother Derek, among others.
Aside from the fact Julianne is the luckiest girl in the world to get to dance with all of these guys at once, the routine itself is stunning from all ends, and keeps the focus on its star at all times. Despite the minor fumble she and Val had during a lift at the end, this dance still ranks near best.
1. Jive with Derek Hough – Season 7
In all 32 seasons of DWTS, this dance is one I’ve always remembered. Jive has always been my favorite dance on this show, and Julianne and Derek have always perfected it, whether they were doing it together or with other partners.
Handpicked by viewers for Season 7, The Houghs were chosen to perform a Jive together, and they blew the audience away with not only their talent, but their creativity. I can attest that dancing a dance like this in heels is not easy, and Julianne did it on top of a piano! The talent is unreal with these two, and it’s always a treat when they showcase it together on the show.
