Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough
File:JH-Album.jpg
Born	(1988-07-20) July 20, 1988 Provo, Utah
Occupation(s)	Professional dancer, Country music singer

Julianne Marie Hough (born July 20, 1988) is an American professional ballroom dancer, and television celebrity, referred to by the newsmagazine 20/20 as one of the "very best dancers on the planet." She has won multiple international titles, is the youngest professional dancer to have ever competed on the televised competition Dancing with the Stars, and won the overall title in her first year on the show, as she coached her amateur dancer partner, Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, to win the competition. She is currently competing in her second season, this time paired with Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves, and in competition with her own brother, Derek Hough.

Biography

Julianne Hough was born in 1988, one of five children to an LDS family. She has a predisposition to dancing -- all four of her grandparents were dancers, and her parents met while on a ballroom dancing team at a college in Idaho. Hough has been dancing since she was a child, often partnered with her brother Derek Hough, who is three years older. She started her formal dance training at Center Stage Performing Arts in Orem, Utah, dancing with Josh Murillo in Latin Ballroom, and was dancing competitively at age 9. However, a year later, her parents divorced, and she and her brother were sent to London, England, to study dance and live with their coaches, world Latin Dance Champions Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas, who raised the Hough children along with their own son Mark Ballas Jr. Hough was later sent to train at Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts. She became the youngest and only American to gain the titles of Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion and International Youth Champion. Hough was also trained in singing.

At age 15, Hough returned to her hometown in Utah. After graduating from Alta High School, she relocated to Los Angeles, California in the hopes of building her singing, acting and dancing career. She was an assistant choreographer on Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up" music video.

The Hough siblings and Ballas had their own pop music trio called "2B1G(2 Boys 1 Girl)".

Television appearances

Hough appeared in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, a televised ballroom dance competition. In her first year, she won with her partner, Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, making Hough the youngest professional dancer both to compete, and to win on the program. She is also the third professional (Alec Mazo and Cheryl Burke were the first two) to win a Dancing with the Stars championship in his/her first season with the show. In 2007, she is currently competing against her brother in Season 5, and is paired with two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves.

She also made guest appearances on other shows such as Show Me the Money, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The View.

Personal life

Hough was engaged to Zach Wilson and originally planned to marry on August 8, 2007 in an LDS temple, but has postponed her marriage. She has also been romantically linked with Kevin Connolly of Entourage fame, who recently gave her a diamond ring and admitted that he is "actively pursuing" Julianne, although Julianne denies a romantic relationship. [1][2]

Music

Hough released her first country music single "Will You Dance With Me" on iTunes in May 2007. The song rose to #8 on the iTunes "Top Country Songs" chart.(source iTunes) The record was produced by Nashville producer David Malloy, who has worked with Reba McEntire and Eddie Rabbitt.{First In Country, Westwood 1, May 25, 2007}

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	iTunes 100	iTunes Pop	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Country	Album
2007	Will You Dance With Me	86	8	100	TBA	Will You Dance With Me

External links

• Julianne Hough Fan Site Great resource of Video's of Julianne Hough, Bio, and latest results as she competes on dancing with the stars.
• Julianne Hough at IMDb
• DancePedia
• DancerPedia
• DancingPedia
• UtahPedia
• Got Milk Poster with Apolo
• "Show Me The Money" ABC-TV Dancer
• Center Stage Center Stage Performing Arts
• Video of Julianne and Helio Castroneves and Apolo Anton Ohno from Dancing with the Stars