Derek Hough Is Busy Without 'DWTS'

Dancing With The Stars is back for its 24th season. That's 24 seasons of celebrities learning to dance in sparkly outfits with the world watching. And, while the celebrities come with their own fans, the Dancing With The Stars professionals have grown in popularity over the years. Arguably, one of the most popular professional dancers on the show is Derek Hough. He has choreographed some of the most breathtaking dances on the show, even winning an Emmy for his work. So, why isn't Derek Hough returning to Dancing With The Stars this season? Well, he is swamped with a handful of new projects.

Over the years, Hough has become more of a celebrity than even some of the celebrities that appear on the show. Getting Hough as a partner is a golden ticket to making it far into the competition. He's is the only pro to take home the mirror ball trophy five times. And, Hough's break from the show this season is not the first hiatus he's taken. He took a break from the show for season 22, citing similar reasons of having other projects to work on. With a lot on his plate, it's not surprising Hough needs another season off.

One of the many things keeping Derek busy, is dancing on his sister's tour. Julianne Hough is a judge on Dancing With The Stars and, in between filming that, she travels around the country with her brother in their Move Beyond tour. Derek is having fun supporting and dancing with his sister. He posted the below Instagram captioning it: "MOVE:Beyond is coming in hot. Multiple Sold Out Shows already. Make sure you grab yours soon, we want to see you there!!! Extremely grateful to be sharing our passion with you. Are you ready to MOVE?"

Touring is demanding both time wise and physically. It would be unfair to give a celebrity only a portion of his attention. It makes complete sense that he's bowing out of training a new celebrity this season. But, Julianne's tour isn't even close to his only project.

Derek will be a judge on Jennifer Lopez's new show World Of Dance. The show features professional solo artists, duos, and crews competing for a million dollars and bragging rights forever. Why dance and be judged when you can be the one judging? While World Of Dance doesn't premiere until May 8, prepping for the show should keep Derek busy. It's just another project the star is adding to his already busy schedule, even without a new season of Dancing With The Stars.

Derek continues to surprise his fans with new projects. Seriously, he's popping up everywhere these days. According to Us Weekly, Derek recently directed and danced in Michael Bublé's new music video for his song "I Believe In You." The video, posted above, tells the story of an aging couple staying in love. It's just one of his new projects that combines dance and storytelling. It's beautifully done and is just another successful project to add to a growing resume.

So, no, Derek will not be on season 24 of Dancing With The Stars because of all these projects. Time will only tell if he returns to the program. For now, enjoy catching Derek pretty much everywhere else.