Long before sequins, spotlights, and Emmy-winning routines, Derek and Julianne Hough and Mark Ballas were just kids with oversized dreams and worn-out dance shoes. Before America knew their names through Dancing with the Stars, the trio was learning the language of movement in living rooms and rehearsal halls, forging a bond that would later redefine ballroom for a global audience.
Most fans don’t realize that the story of DWTS’s golden era began not in Hollywood, but in London in the late 1990s. Derek and Julianne, sent from Utah by their parents to train under world-class coaches Shirley and Corky Ballas, moved into the Ballas household at just 10 and 13 years old. There, they not only trained but grew up alongside Mark Ballas, the coaches’ son, who quickly became more than a housemate—he was family.
“As kids, we fought, we laughed, we grew up together,” Julianne once recalled. What bound them together was not just friendship, but discipline. Schoolwork filled their mornings, while six-hour rehearsals consumed their evenings. Even dinner was a lesson in posture and poise. Behind the polished routines were nights of homesickness, exhaustion, and quiet tears. Julianne admitted she often cried herself to sleep, while Derek, the eldest, stepped into the role of protector and motivator, keeping both her and Mark grounded.
Their dedication paid off. Derek and Julianne began racking up wins in international competitions, while Mark juggled training with a growing passion for music and guitar. Though they didn’t know it then, those parallel tracks—dance and music—would one day merge into unforgettable performances that pushed ballroom beyond its traditional boundaries.
When Dancing with the Stars premiered in 2005, the trio wasn’t instantly in the spotlight, but their time came quickly. Julianne joined in Season 4, Derek in Season 5, and Mark in Season 5. Together, they injected a new energy into the show—youthful, fearless, and experimental. Their years of shared training became the foundation for groundbreaking choreography. Derek and Mark fused futuristic styles into paso dobles, while Julianne elevated storytelling in her routines. For audiences, it wasn’t just about dance steps—it was about watching a dance family reunite in front of millions.
Their success is staggering: Derek with six Mirrorball Trophies, Julianne with two, and Mark with three—including his winning comeback in Season 31 with Charli D’Amelio. Beyond the trophies, they created Emmy-winning choreography and inspired countless young dancers worldwide.
Hidden in old VHS tapes and YouTube archives are glimpses of where it all began: Derek and Mark in sparkly shirts competing as teens, Julianne twirling in a pink fringe dress at age 11, and photos of all three crammed together on a couch, surrounded by trophies, sweaty but smiling. “If you told teenage us that we’d all be choreographing for a global TV audience one day,” Derek once joked, “we’d probably have been too busy arguing over the stereo to listen.”
Looking back, their story isn’t just about perfect technique or glittering stages—it’s about resilience, friendship, and an unbreakable bond formed in the crucible of youth. Derek, Julianne, and Mark didn’t just grow up together—they built a dance dynasty from the ground up. And in many ways, their story is still being written, each performance carrying echoes of the kids who once rehearsed until midnight in London living rooms, dreaming of something bigger.
