Here's the Sioux City Journal review "Hough's Wow Sioux City Audience"
SIOUX CITY | Even if you have never seen Derek and Julianne Hough on ABC’s reality show, “Dancing with the Stars,” and aren’t a big fan of dance in general, their Move on Live Tour performance Saturday at the Orpheum Theatre had everything an Ed Sullivan show could have provided, ratcheted up about three notches.
Right out of the chute, the brother-and-sister pair with 10 support dancers brought on their high-impact, aerobic workout to a medley of tunes, with a bass sound that vibrated the walls, floor and seats.
“Sioux City, you guys are awesome!” Julianne shouted at the end of the song.
“We feed off of your energy,” Derek pointed out. “So the more energy you have, the harder we will dance for you.”
The presentation showcased the legendary footwork of Derek, 29, and Julianne, who will turn 26 on July 20, which resulted in seven mirror ball trophies for the pair.
Ballroom purists may have been hoping for some “slow, slow, quick, quick” foxtrot steps or “cotton eye Joe” country moves. But the incorporation of a variety of dance styles, special effects, fabulous video projections and spectacular lighting was outstanding on a simple set that had a nine-step staircase and several large black cubes for different levels of dancing.
Derek was particularly strong in a shirtless number as were his backup male dancers with their own six-pack abs. Their moves were so precise and provocative, it was hard to decide whether to hold up a paddle (like the DWTS judges) or go out and have a cigarette.
Not to be outdone, Julianne – in a breath-taking, red sequined dress – performed a Latin dance with her support dancers. Then, Derek joined her, still shirtless, as a toreador, and they flawlessly danced a paso doble, with Derek doing some fancy twirling of Julianne’s skirt, as if he were preparing for a bullfight.
Costumes that would forgive no figure flaws were a large part of the evening, especially for Julianne, who changed numerous times. Derek served as the show’s emcee while his sister changed, but there were several times when it was the support dancers who got the chance to show off their prowess.
In addition to the dancing, Derek and Julianne showed off their vocal chops in a mesmerizing, harmonizing duet of “Say Something.”
What really tickled the crowd was a rendition of “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)," illustrating their numerous career achievements and a quick comparison to another Utah brother/sister act, Donny and Marie Osmond.
Even the audience got into the act as Derek pulled Kansas Cityan Marisa Parkhurst, formerly of Bancroft, Iowa, out to move in the aisle to “Mustang Sally.”
“I texted my husband and told him I danced with Derek Hough,” she said.
His response?
“He wondered if he was single,” she said with a laugh.
Again, not to be outdone, Julianne got several men on stage, including Freddie Linden, 11, of McCook Lake, S.D., who said he could now die and go to heaven.
“We usually don’t bring children on stage,” Julianne assured the crowd and possibly toned down the gyrations a bit as she danced with the young man, who turns 12 on Tuesday and enters sixth grade at Dakota Valley school in the fall.
One would think after nonstop dancing – even the slower moves had intensity and athleticism – the finale would give everyone a chance to catch their breath, but the dancers knocked it out of the ballpark – literally throwing huge, white beach balls into the audience.
They ended the evening emphasizing their theme of “Motion = Emotion” and urged everyone to dare to be inspired by what they love.
It was clear in a 90-minute show, the Houghs have plenty of motion, emotion and inspiration
