“Dancing With the Stars” head judge Derek Hough can never say enough lovely things about his team of professional dancers.
The 41-year-old took a talented ensemble with him on his Symphony of Dance tour over the summer, including “The Next Pro” finalist Selena Hamilton. Now that the tour has drawn to a close, the performers are thoughtfully reflecting on their time on the road this summer.
Time after time, Derek Hough has uplifted his ensemble. On Instagram, he quickly corrected a dancer who thought she only had a small part to play.
Derek Hough Shines a Spotlight on Kailyn Rogers
Though the Symphony of Dance tour has come to a close, it’s left a lasting impact on attendees and performers alike.
“The final bow!!!” former DWTS troupe member Kailyn Rogers shared on Instagram, reflecting on her wonderful journey on the Symphony of Dance tour. She attached several stunning photos and clips from the show.
“The most grateful to have been a small piece in the story this show has held for @derekhough & @hayley.erbert & what a gift it was to be back on the stage each night with you both again after all these years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, 🤍” Kailyn added, going on to thank the cast.
However, Derek Hough disagreed with one part of the post. He uplifted the dancer and insisted she played an integral part on the tour.
“Small part? Girl, you played a huge part in so many ways,” the 41-year-old corrected Kailyn. “A true professional in every sense of the word. An amazing, talented and powerful dancer! And a true leader!”
Plenty of other fans and professional dancers agreed with Hough.
“You are absolutely amazing in every way. Loved watching you 🫶🏼” DWTS troupe member Kamri Peterson chimed in.
“So proud of you! I loved getting to see you perform with Derek again after all these years and can’t wait to see what’s next for you🥰” a fan added.
The DWTS Judge Always Has His Dancers’ Backs
Unfortunately, injuries are common in the dance world. During the Symphony of Dance tour, one of Derek Hough’s performers tore his Achilles tendon. Keaton Kermode addressed fans in an Instagram video, sadly explaining that he was no longer able to perform on the tour.
Many fans left encouraging comments for Keaton, including Derek and Hayley Hough.
“This breaks my heart brother,” the “Dancing With the Stars” judge wrote. “I’ve been following you for a while and finally sharing the stage with you, seeing your power and leadership up close, has been incredible. This is a tough setback, but I got your back through all of it, rehab and everything. Until you’re back at 100% , I got you brother ❤️”
“We love you so much, Keat! It hurts my heart to not have you out there with us, but I just know you’re going to come back stronger than ever! Here for you always 🤍🤍” Hayley Erbert Hough added.
Derek Hough returns as the head judge when “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 kicks off at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, on ABC.
