Derek Hough Opens Up About Growing Up as a ‘Boy Dancer’
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Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough recently took to social media to share his experience growing up as a “boy dancer.” Hough reacted to a video from a young male ballet dancer who loves his art form.
Derek Hough Remembers Growing Up as a ‘Boy Dancer’
In a video posted on TikTok and Instagram, Hough reacts to a video from an 11-year-old ballet dancer named Gabe, who says people respond negatively to his interest in dance. However, Gabe is proud to be a dancer, saying, “It’s not only a sport. It’s an art.”
Hough wrote about his own experience as a young dancer in his Instagram caption, saying he “would get teased, feel embarrassed and didn’t feel like I fit in.” He added that he “had amazing mentors and dance teachers who helped me realize how special being a dancer was.”
“I am so proud to see how far the appreciation of dance has come in the last 15 years,” Hough wrote. “I’ve seen understanding and admiration of dance grow each and every year and it warms my heart to see young kids know their worth and be supported in their passion.”
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Hough Has Put Pressure on Himself in the Past
Last year, Hough was a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he talked about the pressures of being a competitive dancer. When he was younger, Hough said he would wonder, “Am I enough? Am I good enough?”
He added that he thought he would only be enough if he won. Hough eventually realized that “it’s not really about what we achieve in this life that really matters.” Rather, he said it’s “about who we become as a person along the way.”
Hough competed on Dancing with the Stars as a pro dancer from 2007 to 2016, winning the Mirrorball trophy a record-breaking six times over the years. He’s since joined the panel as a judge.
