Julianne Hough Biography

Julianne Hough (born July 20, 1988) is an American professional ballroom dancer and country music singer. She is most-widely known for being a two-time winner of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for choreography. ABC's 20/20 called her one of the "very best dancers on the planet." Hough's brother, Derek, is also on Dancing with the Stars and is a winner himself. Hough was signed to Mercury Nashville Records in December 2007. Her self-titled debut album was released May 20, 2008, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and #3 on the Billboard 200. It sold 67,000 copies its first week, and has sold over 300,000 total copies. On October 12, 2008, she released a holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, which as of January 5, 2009, had sold 157,000 copies.


Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion grew up with her 10 siblings in Utah – one of which was brother Derek, a future dancer on the ABC show as well. A born entertainer, she has always loved singing, dancing and acting, so at the age of 10, she left her home and family to move to the other side of the world to live and train with her coaches in London. While living there, Hough partnered Mark Ballas (the son of her world renowned coaches Corky and Shirley Ballas). It was with Mark that Hough won all of her titles.

Hough is the youngest (and only) American dancer to have become both International Latin Youth Champion and Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion. After graduating high school, Hough moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of acting, dancing and singing. She landed a role as a dancer on ABC’s game show, "Show Me The Money," and shortly after joined the "Dancing With The Stars" first tour as a company dancer. When "DWTS" dancer Kym Johnson injured her arm, Hough stepped in as her replacement and Cha Cha cha’d across America with season one competitor, singer Joey MacIntyre. She was also Assistant Choreographer on Gwen Stefani’s "Wind It Up" video. Some of her other professional accomplishments include International Latin Youth Champion, Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion and United States National Latin Youth Champion. Hough’s first season on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ) was quite successful. Her and partner, Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, were the season 4 champions. She took her next sports figure to the top in season five, helping Indy race car driver, Helio Castroneves to win the title in season five – back-to-back wins like fellow professional, Cheryl Burke before her. Coming off her success on the show, Hough is currently recording her debut country album and her single, "Will You Dance With Me" made it to #8 on the itunes country charts.