Apparently Julianne Hough says that she didn't intend to return to the current series, and only did so to dance with her boyfriend Chuck. She also says she will not be back next series because she wants to concentrate on her music.

Derek Hough has also mentioned wanting to do "more with his music" so could he be leaving as well? (Derek & Julianne, together with Mark Ballas, used to have a singing act called 2Bs1G).

Anyone is the US know more on this story?

That would be very sad as they are all (Julianne, Derek & Mark) such good dancers. I can't see that they will ever be as successful as singers or in a band. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems such a shame when they have spent such a large part of their life as dancers.

Derek and Mark have a band, which used to be called Almost Amy but now it's BHB (Ballas Hough Band). There's some other people in it, a girl named Emily I think, and another guy or two. I think they all went to school together in London at the Conti School (is that the name of it?)

And Julianne just won an award as the most promising new female country singer (Country Music Awards or some such.)

I think all three of them have said they prefer singing/playing/composing music to dancing and that's what they want to emphasize.

To tell you the truth, I'm tired of them, and I really love our newbies Dmitry Chaplin, Chelsie Hightower, and Lacey Schwimmer, who were all on So You Think You Can Dance.

But otoh, they are really talented dancers - and my only real problem with any of them this season is Julianne dancing with her boyfriend Chuck, who I can't stand, so if they come back, so I'd be fine with it. (My bet is they will be back because being successful in the music industry is no walk in the park -- but lucky them to have irons in many fires -- Derek is being considered for a remake of Footloose I think -- he toured England in the lead role a couple years ago.)

Yeah, BHB has just (March, I think) released an album.

Julianne won two top ACM awards (Academy of Country Music) - Top New Artist and Top New Female Artist - so I'd say she's doing well for a 20 year old. There's much more money to be made as a recording artist so I'm not surprised she's changing direction now - I think she sounds great and you can here clips of her album here.

I think she'll be missed big time on DWTS as she is such a bright button.

Derek & Mark are the lead singers in BHB (Ballas Hough Band) and they have just released an album, but it is a pop album not country - haven't heard any of BHB's music. According to Wiki during this series of DWTS, BHB are doing free concerts at The Grove of Los Angeles every Tuesday after the Results Show (until 12 May). They play about 6-8 songs per concert and have special celebrity guests at each concert. After the concert there is a free meet and greet.

Sounds to me like Derek and Mark are testing the water for a music career too.

You are right about the school - The Italia Conti is very famous in London.

I would be very sad to see all 3 drop out of dwts as I don't think the newbies are in the same league. I can't understand - given the huge number of pro dancers in US - why they have taken inexperienced pros from So You Think..... Chelsie seems sweet; Dmitry is good looking; but how I really really wish they would drop Lacey!

Derek was excellent in Footloose. Not a great fan of the show itself, and only went to see it because he was is in it!

I don't think Lacey is as good as the other pros and I'm not keen on a lot of her choreography. I think all three of them going would be a major change for the worse. I had hoped if Julianne or Derek left DWTS it would be to do a spell on SCD. I like Chelsie with Ty, but we haven't seen her choreograph a routine for a celeb with real ability like Gilles (I know he is exceptional but you know what I mean). I wonder if the pros who have left DWTS did so because they wanted to or were not asked back?

I don't think it is a case of leaving as every contract is for the one series only. And some are still involved with the show, even if not dancing with a celeb. Although Louis van Amstel, for example, hasn't danced with a celeb for quite a while, he still choreographs and dances in the pro dance routines. Also, as there are 2 series a year, if the pros did all of them, it would tie up a huge chunk of the year (although I know some of them do).

I have to said it's sad to see Juliane not doing DWTS and the possibilities of Derek and Mark won't be doing it either. But at least is because they want to do other things and not because the Sow want them to go.

I like them, because they are great dancer and choreographies wise they are good, especially Derek.

The show is suffering of "ratings needs" so they are kin to replace most of the older pro for younger ones, even if they don't have any expereince with ballroom dancing.
I like Chelsie, I know she is a trained ballroom dancer, and she has trained with Corky Ballas and Karina Smirnoff.
Dimitri is ok, I haven't seen enough of him to make a right judgement.
But I'm sorry I don't like Lacey. Don't like her ballroom dancing or her Choreography.
I wish the bring Elena Grinenko, who was rank 7 in the world latin ballroom, but she's 33 and I don't think that won't happen.

I suspect it is contract work with SCD too, but that's what I mean. Do you think that the pros who did not return to dance (I mean on the main show) did so through their choice or because they were not offered another contract? I wondered if the producers ask the pros if they want to come back and then the producers fill any vacancies or if the producers have total control over the pros?

Obviously a lot of the pros are part of a professional couple so that has to be taken into account, but I'd love to know how the pros are chosen each season.

lady latina did you know Elena Grinenko was a pro on seasons 3 & 4?

Well, I'm no insider, but I've been avidly following DwtS on the boards for years. I'm pretty sure they all sign a multi-contract season -- I've read for 5 years (but it may mean 5 seasons, since we have two per year.)

The show decides, a few months ahead I guess, each season which pros they want for that season. Louis van Amstel posted on his blog that a lot of considerations go into their casting decisions - and he was sorry that he wasn't selected this season. I believe his last season was Priscilla Presley, whenever that was - but pretty recent I think, and it came out later that she requested him specifically (Priscilla's good friends with a former partner of his, Lisa Rinna.) Wayne Newton requested Cheryl Burke - maybe others have had the clout to pick the pro they want.

Having the dancers on contract enables ABC also to request - well, probably, "demand" that they perform on the results show's pro dances whenever ABC wants them to.

I think it's been the show's, not the dancer's, decision every time one hasn't been asked back - like Louis or Nick or Inna or Alec or Brian Fortuna (though he got picked up by Strictly -- plus he did the DwtS summer tour after his only season on Dwts with beauty pageant contestant Shandi Finnesey.)

Maks "claims" he requested time off and got it - and maybe he got away with it because he's like their main hunk - but I don't think the others can take a season off, just because they want to. I think it's up to ABC, as long as they're still on contract.

Years ago, I read the dancers make about $7000 per week - plus an additional payment for every "pro dance" they do ($1500 maybe?) Oh I don't know -- and even if these were correct, it was several years ago. At the time, I think the celebs got $25,000 for every week they stayed in - with some sort of guaranteed minimum - and a $100K bonus for winning ?? Oh those figures may be way off, it was just someone posting on a message board quoting the figures, and they're out of date. But the "ballpark" may be about right.

Oh and I think they paid Kelly Monaco a million dollars to do the "re-match" with John O'Hurley after season 1 because she didn't want to do it (she won the first season but the fans weren't used to the "system" and there were a lot of complaints that she had made a mistake on her perfect-score free-style or some such.)

Thanks for posting all this great information!

Five year/season contracts!

They certainly spend a lot more money on DWTS than on SCD when it comes to salaries. I think the pros on SCD get paid per series, but they are involved all the way through as there is a pro dance in every results show and a pro couple dance during the guest star spot - rumour has it they get £35K.

I'm sure I remember Len saying he got £250k or $250k (big difference I know but a lot of money either way) for doing DWTS and that was a few years ago now. He said then the money was just too good to give up, but I'd be surprised if he does the next series of DWTS on at the same time as SCD .

Poking around, I found this from "TMZ" about Shawn Johnson's contract. TMZ is a stalker-type tabloid-video outfit so take it with a grain of salt, but sometimes they actually get their hands on some scoop:

"TMZ recently uncovered her contract, which was filed with the LA Superior Court for a special process involving minors in the entertainment industry, and it’s filled with salary details. These figures not only explain why celebs are dying to join the show, but they likely are making lawyers and agents dance, too.

Anyone representing a potential cast member for next year now knows how much money to demand. It’s called a precedent! Here are the details on her salary:

* Shawn gets a guarantee of $125,000 for appearing on the show.
* By surviving the first elimination, she gets an additional $10,000 a week for weeks 3 and 4.
* The rate doubles to $20,000 a week for weeks 5, 6 and 7.
* For weeks 8 and 9, she makes $30,000 a week.
* In weeks 10 and 11, if Shawn makes it through, she gets $50,000 a week.
* If she makes it to the final two, she gets $365,000!

If anyone told me that Julieanne wanted to leave before the start of this season, I would have been sad. I loved watching her dance with Helio and Apolo, but am getting the impression she's being a bit self-indugent this series. I'm sure it wasn't 100% her idea to dance with her other half and I am no dance expert, but I don't feel like she's choreographing the routines to suit him. That probably makes no sense, but just a gut feeling I have.

And that's amazingly daft amounts of money for Shawn. I know she's a massive name in the States, but, hey, if you can command that sort of cash, good on you girl!

That's a lot of money!


It is weird but my impression of Julianne with Chuck is that she's a bit disappointed and frustrated in training with him, like she thought he'd be better than he is. I thought it was quite telling the other week when we saw their training for the foxtrot on the VT for and he was messing about and she said he was getting it right when he was messing about (he clearly thought he looked too girly).

I suspect she hoped she'd go on out a high by winning with her boy friend!

I completely agree with you about Julienne. Whether she asked to dance with Chuck, or was told she was going to, I don't know, but it doesn't seem to be working. If it wasn't for the fact they are a life-couple, I would say they don't even seem to like each other. Not sure whether Julienne feels under extra pressure, or maybe, because she is leaving, she isn't trying quite so hard?

I guess, given both their jobs, it's probably the most time they've spent with each other in their entire relationship. I know I wouldn't like to have to train my other half up in what I do for a living - and definitely not in front of a few million people It's a bit of a shame because she was clearly so very into the whole show in previous series. Maybe it is the right time for her to move on. Would be sad to see Derek & Mark go too, if those rumours are also true.

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There were rumours last season that Julianne wasn't going to dance this time (around the time she her appendix out), so I was glad to see her back.

Without trying to start a rumour, on a VT clip (for which I have unsuccessfully hunted high and low for) Chuck said something about most people not knowing who he is and that did make me think twice about why she is dancing this season - maybe as a bit of PR for both of their music careers?

I don't see them being a couple for life tbh!

I guess it'll be interesting this week with Julianne and Chuck - they've got the Rhumba and as a real life couple you'd think they would be able to put the romance and passion into the dance much much more than just a pairing for DWTS - can't wait to see if they can pull it off or whether the cracks will show.

Also, I wonder how long their romance will last after DWTS - as Kaycee said, it really doesn't seem to be working (IMO) and I wonder if it's going to be a kill or cure for them once they get eliminated.

Found it very interesting that Sam asked Chuck about going down on one knee at the end of the dance last week and he almost bit her head off with a sharp 'No' - very telling I think.

Out of interest any one know how long they've been a couple?

Come on over to Strictly Come Dancing, Julianne!

That would be great, but unfortunately it's not to happen as she wants to quit dancing to concentrate on her singing career. I think we should insist they send us Mark - after all, he is English!

I SO agree with you Kaycee - send us Mark.

I think this series has really shown how good Mark is (and how good looking her is too!) and he'd be great on SCD!

Mark and Julienne (as you probably know) used to dance together ..... which was the main reason Julienne & Derek came to England .... and I can tell you they were amazing. It was a huge loss to Latin dance as a whole, but especially to the British dancing competitive scene, when all 3 decided to ditch dancing in favour of stage work. It was great that they went back to it to do dwts, but I would much rather have seen them still competing.