“It’ll be 160 people I think, something like that, and about 155 of them are all my nieces and nephews,” Derek joked with Parade.com in this exclusive interview. “I have a big family. We’re looking within the year.”
Derek also says he will be a part of the planning when it comes to color schemes, flower arrangements, and, of course, the music, and not leave it all to his fiancée to arrange.
“Being a choreographer, a creator, and with everything I do with production, I will definitely want to be involved,” he said. Especially when it comes to the all-important first dance. We’ve seen enough movies where couples take lessons to make the first dance a special moment, but for a couple who met dancing, there has to be an added stress in making that moment memorable.
“You know, I didn’t really want to have the pressure of having to perform,” Derek admitted. “I was like, ‘You know what? I want other people to perform for us. But after sitting on it for a few months, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I think there might be an expectation, we need to do a first dance.’ So, we’ll probably do a first dance, and it’ll be beautiful.”
In addition to Dancing with the Stars, Derek is also involved in the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards Teach the Love Campaign, which will afford three teachers, who are selected from a group of nominees for the grand prize, the chance to pick from five education-packed destinations and have all their expenses paid to one of the following programs: Maui, Hawaii for marine biology fans; Chicago for fine arts and architecture lovers; Washington, D.C., for American History buffs; Palm Springs, California for geology fanatics, or Nashville, Tennessee for music connoisseurs.
“There are two things about this that I’m very passionate about,” Derek said. “One is education because I’m a forever student and I love to learn. I look back at the teachers in my life that have impacted my life. But I also love travel, and I really find for me that traveling inspires me, it motivates me.”
Anyone over 18 can nominate a teacher who has gone above and beyond for their students, someone who has really impacted their students’ lives. To nominate them go to Chase.com/TeachTheLove.
“The contest opened on World Teacher Day,” Derek says. “So, it’s a perfect correlation to give back to teachers. I love giving opportunities to teachers, who’ve worked so hard, especially this past couple of years when they’ve been absolute superheroes to this country, to give back to them. To give them an opportunity to go travel, to be inspired, is just fantastic because education and vacation are combined into one.”
Also during our chat, Derek shared his thoughts on the new season of Dancing with the Stars since its move to Disney+, including the return of the co-host and the skybox, the return of old favorites like Mark Ballas and Louis van Amstel, and the special number he will be performing later this season on Michael Bublé night.
What’s it like to be back on the judges panel?
ABC/Eric McCandless
It’s great and the season feels great. It’s been a huge success, this transfer to Disney+. We were all a little bit uncertain about it, excited but uncertain. But these past weeks have shown that it’s been bigger than ever, so we’re just thankful. So thankful to the fans, and to the audience, and people who’ve followed us from the beginning who’ve come along with us. It’s a beautiful thing and we’re just really so appreciative.
How do you think this season of celebs is doing?
I think it’s great. It feels like a vintage Dancing with the Stars where there’s such an eclectic group of people at different levels. I think it’s really important to have that combination of people from beginners to pretty good dancers, to see the arc, because different people gravitate towards different things, right? They want to see good choreography and great dancing, but some people want to see people starting at ground zero and then working their way up.
So, it evens itself out, but I think that they’re a great group who all love being there. You feel that, you feel that passion, that excitement. But also, they’re just interesting people. So, it’s really cool. With Daniel Durant, I’m in awe of him. I forget that he’s deaf and his musicality’s incredible, it’s wild. Or Selma Blair, what’s she’s able to do, it’s extraordinary.
How do you feel about the return of the co-host and the skybox? It almost takes us back to the beginning.
You took the words out of my mouth. It feels nostalgic. It feels like vintage Dancing with the Stars. It feels like the Dancing with the Stars that we all know and we all love. And having Alfonso Ribeiro as a co-host and having that skybox where we’re able to actually talk to the celebrities and get to know them a little bit more, it feels more alive. Which it is, it’s actually more live than it’s ever been in 30 seasons because the West Coast feed and East Coast feed, it’s all out at the same time.
What’s it like to have Mark Ballas back in the ballroom? You two are like brothers, right? What’s it like to judge him?
Oh man, it’s actually funny. The truth is we’re never really judging the pros, we’re judging the celebrities. So, it doesn’t feel weird to me to judge. Actually, when I’m talking, I’m really talking to [his partner Charli D’Amelio], I’m really judging her and critiquing her. But it’s great to have him back, like I said, to have that nostalgic feeling. Because I think he puts his all into it, he really does. He puts all of his ideas and creativity into things, so it’s great. But it’s great to have Louis van Amstel back as well, and Witney Carson.
Without commercials on Disney+, there’s going to be more time to fill as the couples are voted off. So, what are your plans for entertaining us? Will you be back doing a number maybe with Hayley?
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Yes, so we’re actually having a Michael Bublé week. Michael Bublé is a dear friend of mine, so I may or may not have made that happen, but he’ll be here. He’ll be guest judging with us, he’ll be performing, and I’ll be creating a whole piece to one of his songs. Actually, I have a meeting after this to go plan it, how I want to use the cameras and stuff, so it’ll be a big performance coming up.
You did a fabulous job on the “Higher” video with the combination of Busby Berkeley-type dance elements with modern elements. Do you want to do more videos like that? Or was this one special because you and Michael have worked together before?
I’ll be open to doing more work and directing things in the future. I’m actually working on something right now that we’re filming on Tuesday. And that’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a really beautiful piece. I’m using some new technology I’ve never used before, so I’m trying to learn the new technology that’s out there and available to continue growing and furthering my creative aspirations.
How hard is it when the judges are trying to decide which of the bottom two couples to save? And then Len has the final word?
No, I think it’s good. He has that seniority over us, and I think it’s good. Week before last was interesting because usually we’re unified in who we think, but I think we all had very different opinions about it [when it was Teresa Guidice and Cheryl Ladd]. So, it actually was quite interesting, and you could have argued for either one of them, so it worked out.
I will say though, I would hate to have seen Cheryl leave, in hindsight now, on that night because it did go wrong, and you just felt for her. You were just like, “Agh!” If you go, you want to go out on a high, not wishing or hoping that you could have done better.
Dancing with the Stars streams Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.
Next, The Competition Is On! Louis van Amstel on the Returning Pros Getting Ready to Trash Talk Their Dancing with the Stars Arch Nemesis!
