PLAIN TWP − Derek Hough took a question from a local dance studio that inspired him to raise from his seat and lead the audience in a motivational exercise.
A young dancer asked him for advice on how to motivate yourself to train and perform.
Hough, the 40-year-old champion dancer and television celebrity from “Dancing With the Stars,” stood on the stage at First Christian Church on April 23 and led an around 2,000 people in an uplifting chant.
“Today is the day I’m at my peak!” he bellowed.
The charismatic Hough repeated the words, imploring those in attendance to fulfill their destiny. Raising his voice, he drove his fist through the air, leaned forward and contorted his face with emotion.
The moment was emblematic of Hough’s hour-plus presentation as the featured speaker in the Stark Library’s Speaking of Books Author Series.
Hough is a six-time champion dancer on the “Dancing With the Stars” television show and Emmy award winning choreographer. Hough now is a judge on the show.
He’s also author of the New York Times bestseller “Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion.”
Moderated by Maureen Ater, CEO of ArtsinStark, Hough was engaging, energetic and passionate regardless of the subject − from being bullied as a child and learning to dance in London as a young boy to the challenges of his wife’s health crisis, and the importance of both physical and mental health.
Fans and admirers of Hough were gleeful to see him up close, not merely through a television screen. But they also were riveted as he wove deeply personal stories about his struggles and triumphs both in dance and life.
Here’s a look at the highlights of Hough’s presentation, as well as thoughts from some of those in attendance.
‘Rhythm was just in me.’
Hough’s early life wasn’t easy.
Other kids in his Utah neighborhood harassed and abused him, he said. Even hanging him upside down from a tree and leaving him hogtied in a field for what seemed like hours, Hough said.
“Bullying isn’t even the word for it,” he said, describing it as “torturous.”
Homelife was far more positive, with his mother fostering creativity.
“I had a lot of energy, and my mom really channeled that into activities,” Hough said.
Dance became a natural outlet and passion.
“When I got to dance, rhythm was just in me,” he said infectiously. “… I just got into it. I loved the community. … It feels like I’m connected to something that’s powerful and strong and grounded.”
“That was something that really saved me in a way and created so many opportunities in my life,” Hough said of dancing.
‘I had to be No. 1.’
Despite his prolific success as a dancer, Hough admitted to battling moments of insecurity.
As a competitor, he was subject to scrutiny and criticism, often leading to self-doubt.
“In order for me to feel like I was worthy of love, I had to succeed, I had to win, I had to win the trophy, I had to be No. 1, and only then would I feel I was enough and I was worthy,” Hough said.
Hough said he learned there’s more to life than winning and material success. He said he learned that just being himself was “enough.” And to live in the moment and enjoy the beauty in the world.
‘The greatest joy I’ve ever felt.’
Hough recounted when his wife Hayley Erbert nearly died from a health emergency in 2023.
A doctor told Hough his wife might not survive, and if she did, she likely wouldn’t be the same person he had known.
Erbertwasdiagnosed with a cranial hematoma due to a burst blood vessel, TODAY reported.
Forty percent of her skull was removed. Seven staples were on the back of her head. Tubes were connected to her body to keep her alive. Her face was swollen beyond recognition.
“That’s the greatest joy I’ve ever felt in myself,” he said of her recovery following brain surgery. “To see her smile (was) the greatest joy I’ve ever felt.”
He was amazed at his wife’s attitude.
“She could have been living in fear and could have said, ‘Why me,?’ “And she wasn’t … she was incredible.”
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson
Following questions and answers with the moderator, Hough fielded audience questions.
He was asked to name three people, living or deceased, whom he would like to have dinner with.
“Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, the greats,” Hough said before pausing and then flashing a smile. “And why not? Michael Jackson. The movie just came out. What I’ve always admired about him was he was a student. When you look at the moonwalk − the suit, the lean, that’s all Fred Astaire. … They were all things he took and really made them his own and immortalized them in his own way.”
IPAC dance studio
The group of young dancers who spurred Hough to lead the audience in a motivational exercise was Inspire Performing Arts Center (IPAC) from Jackson Township.
Co-owners Brandi Lowery and Molly and Connie Weidig said they never expected to have a moment in the spotlight during Hough’s presentation.
The dancers, ages 10 to 18, were invited on stage afterward for a group photo and the opportunity to mingle with the dance pro for a while.
“I feel like this is really inspirational for our dancers,” Lowery said. “I feel like he has a lot of the same values that we do at the dance studio.”
Molly Weidig said Hough sets a “great example of someone who is so disciplined and worked so hard and lived out his dream.”
Mom and daughter
Renita Watson, 52, of Plain Township and her daughter Mykenzie Weygandt, 27, of Plain Township, waited in one of two long lines that stretched outside First Christian Church.
“I’ve watched ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for years,” Watson said. “He was one of my favorite and just fun to watch.”
Added Weygandt with a grin: “And he’s fun to look at.”
Mom admitted Hough is a hunk, but she was more interested in hearing his life story.
“You feel when you watch someone you know them, but you don’t know them,” Watson said. “I’m not just here to fan girl over the way he looks. I’m hear to hear more about his story.”
‘Fred Astaire kind of suaveness’
Brooke Boal, 45, of Jackson Township had already seen Hough on a dancing tour a handful of times in Akron and Pittsburgh. She was wearing a tour T-shirt to prove it, emblazoned with an image of Hough.
“I’m happy he’ll give some of his testimony,” the nurse anesthetistsaid prior to the event. “He is so creative and unique. I think he stands out because he’s a pioneer in bringing dance to a whole new generation, but he also has a Fred Astaire kind of suaveness.”
Courtney Wacek, 29, of Dover, said her mom is a bigger fan of Hough than her, joking that she’s obsessed.”
Living room judges
Caitlin Dishman, 27, of Canal Fulton and Carly Scheetz, 29, of Clinton are dedicated fans of “Dancing With the Stars.”
The friends even hold up scorecards during the show before the judges reveal their numbers.
Waiting for Hough to step onto the stage, Scheetz admitted to being a little starstruck.
“There’s something about him being in the same room,” she said with a bright smile.
Added Dishman: “I think it’s great to see him in real life.”
Reach Ed at @ebalint@gannett.com and follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Derek Hough of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ inspires Stark Library crowd
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
