Derek Hough Had a Special Guest in DWTS Audience

“Dancing With the Stars” judge Derek Hough shared a special moment with fans on social media. On the show’s semifinals night, Hough’s former dance teacher was in the live audience.

“Tonight, I had the honor of having my very first dance teacher, Rick Robinson at the show.
Rick made dancing cool for me as a kid, sparking my passion with his encouragement and motivation,” Hough captioned an Instagram post on November 19.

“Many of his unique sayings still echo through me when I’m coaching, mentoring or judging (My man). I’m incredibly grateful for his impact on my life. Love you, Rick! So good having you there tonight,” he added.

Hough first shared the pic on his Instagram Stories.

Derek Hough’s DWTS Family Loved Seeing Rick Robinson in the Ballroom

Robinson is well known in the world of dance and many of the DWTS pros past and present are familiar with him and his teaching style.

After Hough shared the photo of him and Robinson on social media, many of his fellow “Dancing With the Stars” pals commented on the post.

“Rick is THE MAN!!!! Love him and the impact he had on so much talent coming out of Utah,” wrote former DWTS pro Maks Chmerkovskiy.

“Slick Rick the fkin legend! His name was echoed on the east coast in sweaty dance studio in Brooklyn and Jersey,” added ballroom pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

“Tears seeing this pic. Slick is the best out there,” former pro Lindsay Arnold said.

“No one better,” read a comment from Witney Carson.

Rick Robinson Fostered a Love for Dancing in College

In a blog post by Dance Vision, fans can learn more about Robinson. He attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he first decided to take ballet.

“Ballet taught me balance, coordination, and flexibility,” he said, per the blog post. It was in these lessons that Robinson built a foundation for other dance styles.

“You are using [cross-training] to better your style of dance—do not let it dominate your [main] style. Use other styles to enhance the greatness of your ballroom, not to overtake it,” he said.

He encourages his students to “get to different teachers, explore their various styles, and take advantage of YouTube! If you’re serious about your dancing, your cross-training will be frequent because you will make time for it. Find what works for you.”