Derek Hough On The Greatest Lesson He’s Learned From Judging World Of Dance

Derek has written a cool piece for TV Insider for why he decided to judge “World Of Dance” and more. You will love this. Read on and see the link for more.

As the judges score the contestants, we break the performances down for choreography, creativity, execution and audience connection. I like that we can touch on all those things instead of just giving a general number. Many times I had somebody going through to the next round, but the other judges didn’t and the contestant went home. Some weeksI was disappointed in the result—I went home and was sick to my stomach for days. You get invested. But I guess that’s what makes it good TV. We have different opinions and we’re going to disagree.

When it comes time to vote on the winner, I will be freaking out. We are making a decision that will change someone’s life! I definitely feel that pressure.

The greatest lesson I have learned from the experience was to really listen to my instincts and trust my opinion. This is my first time judging, but it felt very natural. I love coaching. I love teaching. I love learning and seeing things I’ve never seen before. Watching people push their limits inspires me. I’m not done dancing, by any means—I’m certainly here as a judge, but I’m very much still in the peak of what I’m doing in my career. These dancers inspire me. They fuel me. They excite me.