Sunday, September 13, 2015

Nastia and Derek

Nastia and Derek{and Sasha} landed in fourth{bohoo. I liked them}.
Anastasia Valeryevna "NastiaLiukin born October 30, 1989) is a retired Russian-American artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic individual all-around champion, the 2005 and 2007 world champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 world champion on the uneven bars. She is also a four-time all-around U.S. national champion, winning twice as a junior and twice as a senior. With nine World Championships medals, seven of them individual, Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller and Simone Biles for the second-highest tally of World Championship medals (among U.S. gymnasts).[4] Liukin also tied Miller's record as the American gymnast having won the most medals in a single non-boycotted Olympic Games.[5]
Liukin was a key member of the U.S. senior team. She represented the United States at three World Championships and one Olympic Games. In October 2011, Liukin announced that she was returning to gymnastics with the hopes of making a second Olympic team.[6] Liukin did not make the 2012 Olympic team, after several falls at the Olympic Trials and other pre-Olympic events, and retired from the sport in 2012. Liukin was born on October 30, 1989, in MoscowRussia SFSRSoviet Union. She is the only child of two former Soviet champion gymnasts: 1988 Summer Olympics gold medalist Valeri Liukin and 1987 world clubs champion in rhythmic gymnastics Anna Kotchneva.[7][8] Liukin and her family are members of the Russian Orthodox church.[9] Her nickname Nastia is a Russian diminutive for Anastasia. The family moved to the United States when Nastia was two and a half years old, after the breakup of the Soviet Union,[10] and settled first in New Orleans before moving to Texas. In 1994, Valeri Liukin teamed up with another former Soviet champion athlete, Evgeny Marchenko, to open the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Plano, Texas.[7]
Liukin is fluent in English and Russian.[7][11] She graduated from Spring Creek Academy, located in Plano, Texas, in the spring of 2007. She enrolled as a freshman international business major at Southern Methodist University in January 2008, and took a leave from classes to concentrate on preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. She returned to campus in spring 2009, but her travel schedule and professional commitments caused her to withdraw before the end of the semester. She stated that she hoped to continue her studies at New York University in the future.[12][13] Nastia's signature color is pink, hence her pink leotard worn during the 2008 Beijing Olympics all-around competition.[14][15]
Liukin updates a blog on her official website and regularly posts on Twitter as @NastiaLiukin. She has a line of GK Elite leotards and grips and a line of pink gymnastics equipment from AAI.
People Magazine claimed that Liukin was in a relationship with American figure skater Evan Lysacek in a February 2010 article,[16] but Lysacek denied the rumors in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, stating that the two were just "very close friends."[17] On February 22, 2010, the two acknowledged they were dating when Liukin came to support Lysacek during his Olympic gold medal performance. In January 2013, Liukin began college at New York University, where she is studying sports management and psychology.[18]
On June 1, 2015, Nastia Liukin became engaged to her boyfriend, Matt Lombardi. She announced the engagement on Instagram, with a photo of her ring and her fiance in the background, with the caption "So this just happened..." [19]

Junior career[edit]

Liukin began gymnastics at the age of three because she was "always hanging around in the gym" with her parents, who could not afford a babysitter to look after her while they were working as coaches.. Liukin's parents initially did not aspire for their daughter to become a gymnast, knowing the pressure of high-level competition firsthand, but relented when they noticed her aptitude for the sport.[7][11][20]
Liukin competed in her first National Championships as a junior in 2002, at the age of 12 and a half. In contrast to her WOGA teammates Carly Patterson and Hollie Vise, who finished first and second, respectively, Liukin suffered a fall on the uneven bars that rendered her unable to finish the routine. She continued through the rest of the competition and, despite the incomplete bars set, finished 15th, which landed her one of the final spots on the U.S. National Team.[10][21] She was chosen to compete with the U.S. team at the 2002 Junior Pan American Championships, where she contributed to the team gold medal and placed second on the uneven bars and balance beam and in the all-around.
By 2003, Liukin was one of the strongest junior gymnasts in the United States. She won the junior division of the U.S. National Championships, as well as gold medals on three of the four events: uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. She repeated these accomplishments in 2004. Liukin was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. team at the 2003 Pan Am Games; she took second place in the all-around behind fellow American Chellsie Memmel. She also won the all-around in the junior division of the 2004 Pacific Alliance Championships.[22]
Born in 1989, Liukin was ten months too young to compete as a senior in 2004, and thus was not eligible for a place on the U.S. team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Her scores in the junior division at the 2004 U.S. National Championships were competitive with those being posted by the seniors, and Marta Karolyi, the U.S. national team coordinator, has said that if Liukin had been eligible, she would have been named to the Olympic team.[7][23]

Senior career[edit]

2005–2006[edit]

In 2005, Liukin won her first senior National Championships and, once again, earned gold medals on the bars and beam. At the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne, she finished second in the all-around behind teammate Chellsie Memmel with a score of 37.822.
In event finals, she won the gold on the uneven bars and balance beam and the silver on the floor exercise.[24]
In March 2006, Liukin placed first in the all-around at the American Cup.[25] At the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships, Liukin tied with teammate Memmel for first in the all-around, won the uneven bars title and a silver medal on beam, and contributed to the U.S. team's gold-medal performance.[26] She competed at the 2006 U.S. Classic as the defending all-around champion, but falls on the uneven bars and floor resulted in a fourth-place finish. However, she scored extremely well on the balance beam and was the only competitor in the meet, junior or senior, to earn a score over 16.00 on this event.[27]
In late August, at the 2006 U.S. National Championships, Liukin successfully defended her all-around, beam and bars titles, becoming a two-time senior national champion. She was named to the U.S. team for the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, and was expected by many to be a strong contender for the all-around title. However, because of an ankle injury sustained in training before the competition began, she was only able to compete on one event, the uneven bars. In spite of her injury, in the qualification round, Liukin's bars set earned a 16.2, the highest score of any competitor on any apparatus in the meet. Her bars routine in team finals scored a 15.7 and helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. Liukin also qualified for the event finals on bars, where she took a small step on her dismount and finished with a 16.05, earning a silver medal behind Britain's Beth Tweddle.

2007[edit]

Liukin's ankle injury required surgery, and the recovery period kept her out of both national and international competition for much of the year. In July 2007, although she was still recovering from her injury, she returned to competition as a member of the American team for the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro. She competed only on bars and beam, contributing to the team's gold-medal finish and winning individual silver medals in the uneven bars and balance beam finals.[14][28]
Despite limited training time on floor and vault in the summer of 2007, Liukin opted to compete all-around at the 2007 U.S. National Championships. She posted the highest score of the entire meet on bars and the second highest score on beam on the second day of competition, winning the senior bars title for the third year in a row and placing second on beam. However, she also suffered several falls and errors on floor and vault, and finished in third place overall, more than five points behind Shawn Johnson, the all-around gold medalist.[29]
Following Nationals, Liukin was named to the American team for the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, where she competed all-around in the team qualifying round and on bars and beam in the finals. Liukin's score for her bars routine in team finals was a 16.375, the highest score of the day and, in the end, the entire World Championships. However, at the end of her beam routine, her foot slipped while she was setting up her dismount, prompting her to change her usual skill, a two and a half twisting salto, to a simple back tuck. While she lost credit for her dismount, she also avoided a deduction for a fall, and earned a 15.175. The team recovered from this and other mistakes to finish first overall with 184.400, nearly a point ahead of the silver-medal Chinese.[30]
Liukin's struggles with the balance beam continued in the all-around final, where she fell from the apparatus during her flight series. In spite of a 16.100 on bars, the highest score of the day from any competitor on any event, she finished the competition in fifth place. In the event finals, however, Liukin rallied and regained her world champion title on the balance beam with a score of 16.025. She also earned a silver on the uneven bars behind Russia's Ksenia Semenova, scoring a 16.300 after taking a step on her dismount.

2008[edit]

Liukin in competition
Liukin performs on the balance beam at the 2008 U.S. National Championships.
Liukin performing on the balance beam at the 2008 Olympics.
Liukin's first meet of the 2008 season was the American Cup in New York City, where she defeated 2007 winner Shawn Johnsonto regain her title. She posted the highest score of the meet, a 16.600 on the uneven bars. In March, Liukin competed at the Pacific Rim (formerly Pacific Alliance) Championships in San Jose, where she led the American team to a gold medal and won the all-around and balance beam titles. In the team competition, Liukin posted an all-time high score of 16.650 on the uneven bars, but in event finals, she fell on her Gienger release move and took a step on her dismount, earning a 15.225 and taking second place.[31][32]
At the 2008 U.S. National Championships in Boston, Liukin fell on the floor on her double front tuck the first day of competition, but had a strong meet on her other events and placed second in the all-around behind Shawn Johnson. She regained her national champion title on the beam and defended her national title on the uneven bars for the fourth consecutive year, scoring a 17.050 in preliminaries and a 17.100 in finals, the highest recorded score for any American gymnast at any event since the advent of the new Code of Points. In June, Liukin competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Philadelphia, finishing second behind Johnson and earning a berth on the American team for Beijing.

2008 Olympics[edit]

Liukin performed all-around in the qualifying round of competition. She fell on her dismount from the uneven bars, but nevertheless qualified to the all-around final with a score of 62.375, which ranked her second among all competitors and 0.35 points behind Shawn Johnson, her friend and Olympic roommate.[33] Liukin also qualified to three event finals: beam, uneven bars (in spite of the fall) and floor exercise.[34]
In the team finals, Liukin performed on three events: beam, bars and floor exercise. Her uneven bars score of 16.900 was the highest mark awarded in the entire Olympic competition. Liukin performed second on balance beam, matching her qualifying score of 15.975.[35][36] On floor exercise, she stepped out of bounds on her first tumbling pass, incurring a 0.1-point penalty, with a final score of 15.200.[36][37] The American team earned the silver medal, 2.375 points behind China.
On August 15, Liukin performed clean routines on all four events (sticking her landings on three out of four events) to win the all-around gold medal with a final score of 63.325.[38][39][40] Shawn Johnson took the silver medal with a score of 62.725. The win marked the third time that an American woman had won the Olympic all-around title; Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson were the two previous American gold medalists. It was also the fourth time in the history of the Games that two athletes from the same country had taken first and second place in the women's all-around. The last time this was accomplished was the 2000 Olympics, when Romanian gymnasts won gold and silver; Soviet gymnasts also won gold and silver all-around medals at the 1952 and 1960 Games.[41]
"Liukin is simply breathtaking [on balance beam]. From the moment she puts her fingertips onto the beam and presses herself up into the splits, her long legs unfurling like the petals of a flower, every movement is performance art. In one front somersault she lands without ever putting one of her feet on the beam, brushing it back until her leg is fully extended behind her. It's incredibly difficult – few other people even try it – yet she does it as easily as a cartwheel."
USA Today, 2008[42]
In the event finals, Liukin displayed a beautiful routine to earn a surprising bronze medal on floor exercise with a score of 15.425, behind Shawn Johnson, with 15.500, and Romanian Sandra Izbasa, with 15.650.[43] On uneven bars, Liukin and China's He Kexin both posted final marks of 16.725 and earned identical A- and B-panel scores of 7.70 and 9.025, respectively. However, He Kexin won the gold medal, and Liukin was awarded the silver, after a tie-breaking calculation that took into account individual marks given by judges on the B-panel.[44][45] In the balance beam final, Liukin scored 16.025 to claim silver behind Shawn Johnson's 16.225.[46] With her fifth Beijing medal, Liukin tied Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller for the most gymnastics medals won by an American in a single Olympic Games.[5][47]
Following her success in Beijing, Liukin was named the USOC Female Athlete of the Month (August) and ultimately USOC Co-Sportswoman of the Year alongside swimmer Natalie Coughlin; the Women's Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year; FIG Athlete of the Year and USAG Sportswoman of the Year. In addition, she was ranked third in the Associated Press' 2008 Female Athlete of the Year voting.
In March 2009, Liukin was announced as one of 12 semifinalists for the AAU Sullivan Award. The annual award honors the athlete who best represents "the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism." On April 15, 2009, Liukin's Olympic teammate Shawn Johnson won the AAU Sullivan Award.[48]

2009[edit]


Nastia Liukin in 2009
Liukin decided that she was not done with gymnastics and made her first post-Olympics competitive appearance at the CoverGirl Classic, where she competed only on balance beam. She placed second behind teammate Ivana Hong. Liukin thought about competing uneven bars and beam at the U.S. Championships, but decided to once again just perform on beam. She placed fourth and looked on track to possibly make a fourth World Championships team. Liukin was added to the national team and included in the World Championships selection camp. However, she pulled out of Worlds selection consideration because she felt that she was not quite up to World Championships standards.

2012[edit]

After several months of conditioning, training, revamping routines and showing readiness at summer training camp, Liukin petitioned for a spot at the Visa National Championships. In order for the petition to be granted, she had to show readiness by scoring at least a 14.0 on one apparatus at a qualifying event (the U.S. Secret Classic) on May 26. She did so, scoring a 14.9 on balance beam, and her petition was thereby accepted by USA Gymnastics and the selection committee.
On beam at the Visa Championships, Liukin scored a 15.1 on night one, followed by a 14.1 on night two to place sixth on the event. On bars, she placed a disappointing 20th after scoring a 13.150 on night one and 13.650 on night two.[49] Despite this, Liukin was chosen to compete at the Olympic Trials.
Liukin's gymnastics career came to an end after the 2012 Olympic Trials. On the final night of competition, she fell off the bars on her Gienger release, but got back up to finish her routine and landed her first competitive dismount since her comeback. After falling, she was helped up by her coach (father) to continue her routine.[50] Her bars routine received a 13.950. After she finished her beam routine, which scored a 14.950, she received a standing ovation from the 18,000 fans in the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Despite the end of her gymnastics career, Liukin went to London as the athlete representative for the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).[51]

Routines[edit]

Liukin was known for her long, expressive lines and flexibility. While considered weak on vault and lacking in power, she excelled at bars and beam. As of 2008, Liukin performed the following skills on these apparatus:
ApparatusSkillsD scoreTop score in competition
VaultYurchenko 1½5.515.100 (Olympic Qualifications)
Uneven barsGlide kip cast to handstand [KCHS], stalder shoot to high bar [Ray]; KCHS, pike stalder 1/2 to eagle grip (D), eagle Endo (D), Ono (E), Healy (E), Ono 1/2 (E), Gienger (D); KCHS, pike stalder (D), Tkatchev (D); KCHS, Pak salto (D); KCHS 1/2, toe shoot to high bar; KCHS, giant 1/2 to eagle grip, double front 1/2 dismount (D)7.717.1 (2008 Visa Championships Day 2)
Balance beamPress to handstand mount, arms by ears; front aerial walkover, back flip flop, layout stepout; full turn w/ leg at horizontal; switch leap 1/2; split jump, sheep jump; side salto tucked; Onodi, wolf jump 1/1; salto forward piked, take off from one leg landing on one foot to scale [Liukin]; switch split ring leap; round-off, 2½ twisting dismount6.716.400 (2008 Pacific Rim Championships)
Floor exerciseFront handspring (FHS), front layout 1/1, front 2/1; FHS double front; switch ring, split leap full; round-off 1½ -1½; double turn w/ leg at horizontal; switch leap 1/2; round-off 2½ dismount6.215.850 (2008 Visa Championships Day 2)
Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Liukin had a skill on beam named after her in the 2005–08 FIG Code of Points. The "Liukin" was rated as a D and was described as follows: salto forward piked, take off from one leg to one foot landing to scale, hold for two seconds. Changes in the 2009–2012 FIG Code of Points meant that the skill was no longer considered appropriate; however, it was reinstated in the 2013-2016 FIG Code of Points.[52]
In her 2012 comeback, Liukin performed the following skills on these apparatus:
ApparatusSkillsD scoreTop score in competition
Uneven barsFree jump to high bar; stalder 1/2 (C), Ono (E), Healy (E), Ono 1/2 (E), Gienger (D); kip cast to handstand [KCHS], Pak salto (D); KCHS 1/2, Toe shoot to high bar; KCHS, giant 1/2 to eagle, double front 1/2 dismount (D)6.514.05 (2012 Olympic Trials Day 1)
Balance beamSplit mount; front aerial walkover, back flip flop, layout stepout; switch leap 1/2, Onodi, sheep jump; split jump, sissone; full turn w/ leg at horizontal, full turn; side salto tucked; aerial cartwheel; switch ring leap; round-off, 2½ twisting dismount6.315.1 (2012 Visa Championships Day 1)

Floor music[edit]

  • 2006–2008: "Variations on Dark Eyes"
  • 2004–2005: "Second Kill" and "Building the Bullet" by Luis Bacalov
  • 2001–2003: "Rondo Capriccioso" by Camille Saint-Saëns

Nastia Liukin Cup[edit]

Main article: Nastia Liukin Cup
The Nastia Liukin Cup is an annual gymnastics competition held in the United States that is hosted by Liukin. The inaugural edition was contested in 2010. The competition is open to Level 10 gymnasts, who can only qualify to the event at designated invitationals across the country.
There are both junior and senior fields for the competition, and the competition takes place the Friday prior to the AT&T American Cup, which occurs on the next day, Saturday. The incentive of the competition is to give pre-elite athletes the experience and opportunity to compete on a raised podium surface as well as in a large arena, which is not the norm for average USAG Optional competitions.
Many former competitors at the Cup have gone on to elite competition and even international competition, with 2012 Olympic Champion Gabby Douglas having competed in the 2010 edition. Ashton LocklearMykayla Skinner and Kayla Williams have also participated in the event.

Media appearances[edit]

Film and television[edit]

Outside of competitive gymnastics, Liukin had cameo roles in the April 2006 Touchstone Pictures film Stick It,[53][54] a 2008 episode of Gossip Girl[55] and a quick cameo appearance on the Bravo TV show NYC Prep. She has expressed a desire to become an actress in the future. Following the Beijing Olympics, Liukin appeared on many talk shows in the United States, including The Tonight Show with Jay LenoLate Night with Conan O'Brien and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
She also appeared in the second season of Make It or Break It.

Liukin on the cover of the April 2008 edition of International Gymnast Magazine.
Liukin was on The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, which was broadcast nationwide on MyNetworkTV. Tapings of the second show of the tour were included in Frosted Pink with a Twist, a television special about women's cancers. The TV special aired on ABC on October 12, 2008, and featured singers Jesse McCartneyKenny LogginsCyndi Lauper and Carole King.[56][57]
Liukin also guest starred on The CW series Hellcats.[58]
On the April 16, 2012 episode of The Price Is Right, Liukin appeared as a guest model.
On February 24, 2015, Liukin was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer and five-time champion Derek Hough.[59] They made it to week 9 (the semi-finals), but were then eliminated on May 12, 2015, despite receiving the highest scores of that week and consistently earning high scores throughout the season.[60]
On May 4, 2015, Liukin was announced as the grand marshal for the 99th Indianapolis 500.[61]
Liukin serves as an analyst for NBC Sports Group during their coverage of gymnastics events and was a contributor for NBCOlympics.com during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.[62] She was also a special correspondent for NBC during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.[63] During the Sochi broadcast, she presented daily features for “The Olympic Zone,” a 30-minute daily show for NBC affiliates, covering all aspects of the Games.
Liukin is also a professional speaker on such subjects as Olympians and women in sports.[64]

Professional alliances[edit]

Liukin has her own line of gymnastics equipment, which includes mats, bars and balance beams in her signature pink, produced by American Athletic, Inc.[65][66]
Liukin's corporate sponsors include VisaAT&TGK Elite Sportswear and Longines. She appeared in an Adidas commercial with Nadia Comăneci that ran during the 2004 Olympics and a 2008 commercial for Visa Inc. She signed an endorsement deal on March 15, 2010, and appears in commercials for Subway.[67] After the Beijing Olympics, she was signed to be one of four American Olympians featured on Wheaties cereal boxes.
Liukin has expressed interest in the fashion world; she has served as a Longines Sports Ambassador of Elegance since 2006[23][68][69] and, along with her teammates Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone, was one of the first female athletes ever to be signed as CoverGirl spokesmodels. She also collaborated with Vanilla Star Jeans to create a junior girls' clothing line and has modeled for Max Azria.[70] In June 2010, she launched a line of girls' wear called Supergirl by Nastia for department store chain JC Penney.[71]
Liukin is also a major aide for victims of natural disasters. In October 2008, Liukin partnered with World Vision to help her home state of Texas recover from Hurricane Ike.[72] In November 2012, she helped raise money and donated food to victims of Hurricane Sandy.[73]

Competitive history[edit]

YearEventAATeamVTBBUBFX
2002U.S. National Championships (junior)1555
Junior Pan American Championships2nd1st2nd2nd
2003U.S. National Championships (junior)1st1st1st1st
Pan American Games2nd1st1st3rd3rd
2004U.S. National Championships (junior)1st1st1st1st
Pacific Alliance Championships (junior)1st1st1st1st1st
2005U.S. National Championships1st41st1st2nd
World Championships2nd1st1st2nd
American Cup1st6
2006U.S. National Championships1st1st1st7
World Championships2nd2nd
Pacific Alliance Championships1st1st2nd1st
American Cup1st
2007U.S. National Championships3rd2nd1st12
World Championships51st1st2nd
Pan American Games1st2nd2nd
2008U.S. National Championships2nd1st1st8
Pacific Rim Championships1st1st1st2nd4
American Cup1st
U.S. Olympic Trials2nd53rd1st2nd
Olympic Games1st2nd2nd2nd3rd
2009U.S. CoverGirl Classic2nd
U.S. National Championships4
2012Secret U.S. Classic3rd
U.S. National Championships619

U.S. Olympic Trials710





Derek Hough (/ˈhʌf/; born May 17, 1985)[1] is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancerchoreographeractor, and singer-songwriter. He is known for his work, since September 2007, on the ABC dance-competition series Dancing with the Stars, on which he has won a record five seasons. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography in 2013 for three routines that he choreographed for the show.
Hough acted in several stage productions such as in the 2006 original production of Footloose: The Musical at the Novelo Theatre in London's West End. He also starred in Make Your Move, a 2013 Romeo and Juliet-inspired South Korean-American independent dance film. In 2014, he guest appeared at ABC's musical drama Nashville.

Early life[edit]

Derek Hough grew up the fourth of five children in a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) family in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City.[2] He is the son of Marianne and Bruce Hough, and has four sisters, Sharee, Marabeth, Katherine, and Julianne.[3] All of his grandparents were dancers, and his parents met while on a ballroom dancing team in college in Idaho. He is a cousin to RikerRydelRocky, and Ross Lynch from R5.[4]
When Hough was 12, his parents sent him to London to live and study with dance coaches Corky and Shirley Ballas. Hough's sister Julianne joined him in London several months later. Originally intending to stay for a year, Hough remained in London for ten years. (Julianne returned after five years.) The Ballases helped tutor the two Hough children alongside their own son, Mark Ballas, schooling them at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. They received training in song, theater, gymnastics, and many forms of dance, including jazz, ballet, and tap. The three children formed their own pop music trio 2B1G ("2 Boys, 1 Girl") and performed at dance competitions in the UK and the U.S., and showcased UK television show.[5][6]
Derek subsequently taught at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.[3][7]

Career[edit]


Hough and his sister Julianne Houghat the 2014 Kaleidoscope Ball

Dancing[edit]

Hough is a former IDSF World Youth Latin Champion (2002) as well as a Blackpool U-21 Latin title (2003) for Poland with Aneta Piotrowska. He has won the LA Outstanding Dancer of the Year and the New York Dance Alliance Outstanding Dance awards.[6]
Hough is one of Bruno Tonioli's panelists on BBC One's DanceX, the first episode of which aired on July 14, 2007.[8] Hough choreographed and performed in Cheryl Cole's Parachute music video, after being introduced to her by Tonioli.[citation needed]
On April 18, 2013, Hough announced that he had started working with world champion ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White[9] on a number for their short dance program that had to contain quickstep and foxtrot rhythms.[10][11] Davis and White went on to win the gold medal in the Sochi Olympics with the routine. About this opportunity, Hough said:
I started working on a very special routine that's not for the show [Dancing with the Stars]. I'm choreographing a number for our world champion ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White to perform at the Olympics next year. They graciously asked me to do it and how could I say no? It's truly an honor and they're amazing.[9]
On September 22, 2013, for the first time, the category for Outstanding Choreography for the Emmy Awards was moved to the Primetime Live Show, and all of the nominees in the category were to create and perform a number with the host of the show, Neil Patrick Harris. Hough, who was nominated for Dancing with the Stars, was part of that number, along with the other nominees.[12] Ken Ehrlich, the executive producer of the show, stated, "It's definitely going to be an original number, something that hasn't been done before. It's going to utilize the talents of all of them to put this number together as choreographers."[13] Hough then went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.[14]
On March 18, 2014, Hough, along with his sister, Julianne, announced a summer tour to over 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada, called "Move Live on Tour", which would include dancing and singing from both of them.[15] The tour kicked off on May 25, 2014 in Park City, Kansas, and for the choreography of the tour, they worked with Nappytabs.[16] Due to the success and the show being sold out in many cities before the tour even started, the Houghs decided to add one more show in Los Angeles (their final stop on July 26, 2014), which had also been sold out.[17]

Dancing with the Stars[edit]

Hough made his first appearance on Dancing with the Stars in season four (week 6) as a guest instructor with Julianne and Apolo Anton Ohno.[18] He then joined the cast of professional instructors in season five and was paired with Jennie Garth.[19] Hough and Garth were eliminated in the semi-finals finishing the competition in fourth place.[20]
For season six, Hough was paired with actress Shannon Elizabeth.[21] They were eliminated from the show on April 29, 2008, finishing the competition in sixth place.[22]
For season seven, Hough was partnered with model/TV host Brooke Burke.[23] In rehearsal on October 4, 2008, Hough tripped and fell, hitting his head on the floor and momentarily blacked out. He was sent to the hospital, but sustained no injuries.[24] Hough and Burke earned the mirror ball trophy and won season seven on November 25, 2008.[25]
For season eight, Hough was paired with rapper Lil' Kim.[26] They were eliminated on May 5, 2009, from the show finishing in fifth place.[27]
For season nine, Hough was partnered with model Joanna Krupa.[28] They were eliminated during week nine, the semi-finals, on November 17, 2009, finishing fourth.[29]
For season ten, Hough was partnered with Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer from the singing group Pussycat Dolls and former member of Eden's Crush.[30] The couple reached to the finals and won the competition on May 25, 2010.[31] That was the second win for Hough.
For season eleven, Hough won for the third time with actress Jennifer Grey, known for her film roles on Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, on November 23, 2010.[32]
Hough did not participate in season 12 in order to be a part of the film COBU 3D (later renamed to Make your Move 3D).[33] For season 13, he was partnered with actress and TV host Ricki Lake, known playing the original Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray.[34] Lake scored consistently high the whole season and ended up in third place.[35]
For season 14, Hough partnered with television personality Maria Menounos.[36] In week seven, the couple earned the first 30 of the season and topped the leader board the first time in the season.[37] The couple made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated after they finished at the top of the leader board.[38] Menounos became the second celebrity in Dancing with the Stars history to be eliminated on a night where she came in first place with the judges (the first was Willa Ford in season three).[citation needed]
For season 15 (All Stars), Hough was paired with season eight champion, Shawn Johnson.[39] They were runners-up to Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani.[40]
On July 27, 2012 Hough announced that season 15 would be his last, calling it his "last hurrah".[41] Few months later, on February 22, 2013, Hough announced that he would be back for season 16, stating on his Twitter account, “Wasn’t sure if I was able to do this season because of my other projects, but worked it out so I can do both. #pumped.”.[42] He was partnered with country singer and former American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler.[43] On May 21, 2013, Pickler was crowned season 16 champion, marking the fourth time Derek won the Mirror Ball trophy, and made him the only pro to have won four Mirror Balls.[44]
On August 2, 2013, Hough confirmed that he would be back for season 17 via an interview with Access Hollywood.[45] The cast for season 17 was announced on September 4, 2013. Hough's partner for season 17 was Glee star Amber Riley.[46][47] Riley was crowned season 17 champion, historically marking the fifth time Hough has won the Mirror Ball trophy, and made him once again the only pro to have won five Mirror Balls.[48]
For season 18, Hough was paired with paralympic snowboarder, Amy Purdy.[49] In the finale on May 20, 2014, the couple was runner-up for the season, behind Meryl Davis and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.[50]
On August 13, 2014, ABC announced that Hough would be back for the season 19[51][52] and in September, it was announced that he would be paired with YouTube personality Bethany Mota.[53]
On February 24, 2015, Hough was announced as one of the returning professional dancers on season 20 despite previously reporting he would not be taking part in this season. He was partnered with gymnast Nastia Liukin.[54] They made it to the semi-finals, but were subsequently eliminated on May 12, 2015, finishing in fourth place.[55]
Records[edit]
Hough's DWTS pro average is 26.75.[citation needed] Joanna Krupa's Argentine Tango and Shawn Johnson's Fusion are not included in his average.
He is the only professional dancer to win five Mirror Ball Trophies, and the first who achieved back-to-back wins twice. He has earned 37 perfect scores and 208 perfect 10s over the seasons. (The perfect score and tens Johnson got with Ballas and the perfect scores Liukin got with Farber are not included.)
Hough is the only professional who never lost a team/group dance that he was part of during the seasons; he has 12 wins and one tie.
Hough is the only professional dancer to score a perfect 10 with each one of his celebrity partners.
Hough is the only professional to be the Creative Director for Macy's Stars of Dance and to choreograph for it three times in season 18.
Hough won Macy's Stars of Dance: Design-a-Dance four out of eight times (in seasons 7, 8, 11, and 13, sharing the honor in season 8).
He holds the record for earning the most perfect scores (6) in one season. Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Valentin Chmerkovskiy tied this record in season 18 and season 20.
Hough has advanced to the DWTS finals 9 times and made trips to the semi-finals 12 times out of 14 seasons on the show. This is far more proportionally than any other professional.
Hough is the only professional who has taken all his multiple partners past the halfway mark in the competition. Out of 14 partners, he has taken 12 to week 9 or beyond.[56]
Hough and Riley, his dance partner for season 17, got a 27 in the first week of competition, dancing the Cha cha. This is the highest score ever given in the first week on the show. It was only given once in the past to Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas on season six, when they danced the foxtrot. Later, on season 18, Charlie White also got the same score for his first dance.
Celebrity partners[edit]
SeasonPartnerPlaceAverage
score
5Jennie Garth4th25.7
6Shannon Elizabeth6th24.5
7Brooke Burke1st27.1
8Lil' Kim5th25.8
9Joanna Krupa4th25.5
10Nicole Scherzinger1st27.5
11Jennifer Grey1st27.2
13Ricki Lake3rd26.7
14Maria Menounos4th26.8
15Shawn Johnson2nd27.9
16Kellie Pickler1st27.4
17Amber Riley1st27.8
18Amy Purdy2nd27.9
19Bethany Mota4th36.3
20Nastia Liukin4th36.6
Performance history[edit]
Season 5: celebrity partner Jennie Garth; average: 25.6; placed: 4th
Season 6: celebrity partner: Shannon Elizabeth; average: 24.5; placed: 6th
Season 7: celebrity partner: Brooke Burke; average: 27.1; placed: 1st
Season 8: celebrity partner: Lil' Kim; average: 25.8; placed: 5th
Season 9: celebrity partner: Joanna Krupa; average: 25.5; placed: 4th
Season 10: celebrity partner: Nicole Scherzinger; average: 27.5; placed: 1st
Season 11: celebrity partner: Jennifer Grey; average: 27.2; placed: 1st
Season 13: celebrity Partner: Ricki Lake; Average: 26.7; Placed: 3rd
Season 14: celebrity partner: Maria Menounos; average: 26.8; placed: 4th
Season 15: celebrity partner: Shawn Johnson; average: 27.9; Placed: 2nd
Season 16: Celebrity partner: Kellie Pickler; average: 27.4; placed: 1st
Season 17: Celebrity partner: Amber Riley; average: 27.8 ; placed: 1st
Season 18: Celebrity partner: Amy Purdy; average: 27.9 ; placed: 2nd
Season 19: Celebrity partner: Bethany Mota average: 36.3; placed: 4th
Season 20: Celebrity partner: Nastia Liukin average: 36.6; placed: 4th

Acting[edit]

Hough starred as Ren in the 2006 original cast production of Footloose: The Musical at the Novelo Theatre in London's West End, as well as on the 2006 UK national tour.[57] Hough's West End performance earned him a nomination as The Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards.[58] Hough made his Broadway debut on January 8, 2010, starring with Kym Johnson and Mary Murphy in Burn the Floor for the final four performances of the show's Broadway run.[59]
Hough's other theatre work include playing the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Millfield Theatre, and dancing in the company in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.[60]
Hough made two cameo appearances; one in 2001 in the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone[61] and one in 2012 in the movie Rock of Ages, where his sister Julianne was playing the female lead role.[62] In 2011, Hough took one season break from Dancing with the Stars to star in his first movie Make Your Move(original title Cobu 3D)[33] that premiered three years later, on March 31, 2014 in Los Angeles.[63]
On April 25, 2011, Hough made a guest appearance on the ABC show Better with You as a dance instructor.[64] On August 14, 2014, it was announced that Hough would join the cast of the ABC TV series Nashville for a multi-episode arc as Noah West.[65][66]
On January 13, 2015, it was announced that Hough would appear in the New York Spring Spectacular, at Radio City Music Hall.[67][68] Due to the production, it was announced that Hough would not return for the 10th anniversary of Dancing with the Stars, however, during the cast announcement, Hough and partner Nastia Liukin were revealed as surprise contestants.[69]

Miscellaneous[edit]

Hough was founding member of the Ballas Hough Band (formerly Almost Amy) and he shared lead vocals, played guitar and had several songwriting credits on the band's self-titled debut CD that was released by Hollywood Records in March 2009.[70]
Hough directed Mark Ballas' music video for his song "Get My Name" that was released on MTV on May 14, 2014.[71][72][73]
Hough's first book Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion came out on August 5, 2014[74][75] and managed to enter The New York Times Best Seller list on August 24, 2014.[76]
Along with Ballas, Hough bought a house in order to flip it for profit. The process of the home renovation will be broadcast as a four episode series on HGTV and it will be called Mark & Derek's Excellent Flip. The show is due to air in the early 2015.[77][78]

Personal life[edit]

Hough dated India de Beaufort from 2000 until 2008.[79] In 2008, he began dating actress/model Shannon Elizabeth, after they met each other as partners on Dancing With the Stars. Their relationship lasted until August 2009.[80] Hough's subsequent relationships have included Cheryl Cole (2010–11) and Nina Dobrev(2013).[79][81][82][83]
Hough is an avid animal lover and can often be spotted out with his rescue dog Romie.[84]
On February 22, 2014, Hough was part of the "Bust a Move" event for breast health that took place in Ottawa, Canada, where he led a fitness session.[85] During the event, $1,048,258.60 was raised for breast cancer.[86]

Filmography[edit]

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHogwarts schoolboyUncredited role
2012Rock of AgesCameo appearance
2013Make Your Move 3DDonnyThe movie's first title was Cobu 3D
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2007DanceXHimselfPanelist; BBC One channel
2007–presentDancing with the StarsHimself5-time winner; Emmy winner
2011Better With YouPhilip (dance instructor)Episode: "Better With Dancing"
2011When I Was 17HimselfMTV; season 2, episode 35
2013Family Dance OffHimself/HostABC
2014NashvilleNoah WestRecurring role; 3 episodes
2015Mark & Derek's Excellent FlipHimselfHGTV; 4 episode series
Music video
YearTitleRoleNotes
2008"That Song in My Head"Cameo appearanceArtist: Julianne Hough
Single: "That Song in My Head"
2009"99 Times"Principal maleArtist: Kate Voegele
Album: A Fine Mess
2009"Download"Artist: Lil' Kim
Single: "Download"
2010"Parachute"Main dancerArtist: Cheryl Cole
Album: 3 Words
2013"Someone Somewhere Tonight"Main dancerArtist: Kellie Pickler
Single: "Someone Somewhere Tonight"
2014"Get My Name"DirectorArtist: Mark Ballas
Single: "Get My Name"

Theatre[edit]

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005Chitty Chitty Bang BangLondon's West End debut
London Palladium
2006Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus ChristMillfield Theatre in London
2006Footloose: The MusicalRenNovelo Theatre
London's West End
2010Burn the FloorBroadway debut
2015New York Spring SpectacularJackRadio City Music Hall
March 26 - May 3

Awards and honors[edit]

Hough is a one-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Choreography and has earned six Emmy Award nominations in total for his work on Dancing with the Stars.
On April 10, 2014, Hough and his sister, Julianne, were honored at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA's second annual Kaleidoscope Ball with the Kaleidoscope Award, an award that is given to people of the entertainment industry who bring light and laughter into the lives of children through their professional achievements and personal humanitarianism.[87][88]
On October 17, 2014, GLSEN during its annual Respect Awards honored Hough with the year's Inspiration Award; "[Hough's] new book, Taking the Lead: Lessons From a Life in Motion, epitomizes GLSEN’s commitment to storytelling and serves as a testament to the power of a strong work ethic, dedication to one’s craft, and a spirit of perseverance. His bravery in speaking out against bullying through the lens of personal experience has positioned him as an invaluable advocate and ally for youth."[89]
YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2009Primetime Emmy[90]Outstanding ChoreographyHimself and Julianne Hough – "Great Balls on Fire"Nominated
2010Primetime Emmy[91]Outstanding ChoreographyHimself – "Living on Video"/"Anything Goes"Nominated
2010Primetime EmmyOutstanding ChoreographyHimself and Chelsie Hightower – "Malaguena"Nominated
2013Primetime Emmy[92]Outstanding ChoreographyHimself – "Hey Pachuco"/"Para Los Rumberos"/"Walking on Air"Won
2013Primetime EmmyOutstanding ChoreographyHimself and Alison Holker – "Stars"/"Heart Cry"Nominated
2014Kaleidoscope AwardHimself and Julianne HoughHonored
2014Primetime Creative Arts Emmy[93]Outstanding choreographyHimself – "Human"/"Too Darn Hot"/"Ameksa"Nominated
2014Young Hollywood Awards[94][95]Hottest Body (of work)HimselfWon
2014Young Hollywood Awards[94]Best BromanceHimself and Mark BallasNominated
2014GLSEN AwardsInspiration AwardHimselfHonored
2015World of Dance AwardsBest Choreography on TelevisionHimself – "Ameksa"Nominated
2015Reality Television Awards[96]Outstanding PerformanceHimself and Amy PurdyNominated
2015Primetime Creative Arts Emmy[97]Outstanding ChoreographyHimself, Julianne Hough, and Tessandra Chavez – "Elastic Heart"Pending
2015Teen Choice Awards[98]Choice DancerHimselfPending

info credit to wikipedia





No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for leaving a comment! It should post immediately and I WILL delete ANYTHING that I find to be inappropriate or offending.