New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



Derek Hough – Symphony of Dance: Encore

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm



Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960

Get ready to move! Following the sold-out successes of Symphony of Dance, Dance for the Holidays, and Live: The Tour, Derek Hough is back with his most dynamic live experience yet — DEREK HOUGH SYMPHONY OF DANCE: ENCORE. From the EMMY® Award-winning mind of Derek Hough, this brand-new production brings fresh, high-energy choreography, breathtaking stage design, and Derek’s signature showmanship to cities across the country. Fans will experience a thrilling fusion of dance and music — from ballroom and tap to salsa, hip-hop, and beyond. Creative visionaries Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo (known as NappyTabs), two-time EMMY® winners recognized for their work with Jennifer Lopez and the GRAMMYs®, join Derek to co-create, direct, and choreograph this unforgettable production.

Emmy Award winning and New York Times Best-Selling author Derek Hough started dancing in his hometown of Salt Lake City, UT, at age 11. Just one year later, he moved to London to live and train with the top dance coaches in the world and attend the prestigious Italia Conti performing arts school where he studied theatre, music, and dance.

As a four-time Emmy Award winner and 13-time nominee, Hough holds the record for most choreography nominations in Television Academy history. Hough has also appeared in film, television, and stage projects as an actor. He made his feature film debut for director Duane Adler and producer Robert Cort in the feature film Make Your Move and had a recurring role on the ABC series Nashville and in High School Musical The Musical for Disney+. His stage performances include Radio City Music Hall’s Spring Spectacular costarring alongside the Tony Award winning Laura Benanti and the critically acclaimed production of Footloose in which he starred as the male lead in London’s West End. In December of 2016, Hough starred with Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Martin Short and Harvey Fierstein in NBC’s Hairspray Live!

As part of the 34th season of the hit ABC series Dancing with the Stars, Hough is part of the judging panel alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno.  A multi-talented entertainer and the only six-time champion in franchise history, Hough had previously performed on the show as a pro-dancer. His mirror ball wins came with celebrity partners that included Brooke Burke, Jennie Garth, Ricki Lake, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley, Amy Purdy and Bindi Irwin.

In May of 2017, Hough joined Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo at the judges table for the NBC series World of Dance. The show, which he was part of for 4 seasons, launched as the highest rated summer show in over ten years and was unparalleled dance competition that featured solo artists competing against duos and crews in all genres of dance, including hip hop, tap, ballet, break dancing, ballroom, and more competing for a million-dollar prize.

Hough can also add best-selling author to his list of credits. His memoir Taking the Lead; Lessons from a Life in Motion hit stands in August of 2014 and rapidly was named to the prestigious New York Times Best-Seller list during two non-consecutive time periods, a rare feat.

In November of 2024, Hough launched his first ever holiday tour, Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays which visited 40 cities. The holiday tour followed Hough’s second solo tour, Derek Hough Symphony of Dance which featured stops in 60 cities across the United States and Canada. His first tour, Derek Hough Live: The Tour was in 2019 and prior to that, Hough and his sister Julianne teamed for a live stage dance concert MOVE Live on Tour performing in 50 cities around the country, in 2015 they toured again selling out scores of venues on their 47-city outing. In 2017 they again performed a sold-out tour of 48 cities around the United States with their show Move – Beyond – Live on Tour.

In 2021 and 2022, Hough headlined his residency Derek Hough: No Limit in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. The critically acclaimed dance- centric show at the Venetian Resort takes Fans on a journey through a true fusion of dance and music, as Hough explores styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa, hip-hop and everything in between.




For information on how your event can be listed, click here



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater Announces 2026 Season

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater has unveiled its 2026 subscription season which will run from June 11th to August 1st, featuring an exciting lineup of three mainstage pieces and a family-friendly musical. Productions include Barefoot in the Park, The 39 Steps, True West, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.



Crossroads

Crossroads Theatre Company presents "Sizwe Banzi Is Dead"

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Crossroads Theatre Company presents Sizwe Bansi Is Dead from May 19 - June 14, 2026 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. This is a powerful, funny, and deeply moving story about identity, survival, and the extraordinary ingenuity of ordinary people navigating an unjust system.



Zoopraxic

Zoopraxic presents "In the Devil's Hands" by Helen Banner

(LONG ISLAND, NY) -- In the Devil's Hands, Helen Banner's riveting new play will extend its run to 21 performances running between May 20 and June 14, 2026. Set in the Channel Islands in the 1940s, this intimate and immersive production will have its world premiere at the new micro theatre space Zoopraxic in Long Island City (first stop in Queens).



"Slanted

"Slanted Floors" returns to its Greenpoint Apartment

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Following critical acclaim and sold-out performances, Slanted Floors — hailed by the Daily Beast as "one of New York's most unique and exclusive pieces of theatre" — returns for a strictly limited five-week engagement in its original Greenpoint apartment setting. Performances will run May 26 through June 26, 2026, with 150 seats available.



Arden

Arden Theatre Company presents "Dear Evan Hansen"

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Arden Theatre Company brings the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, to the F. Otto Haas Stage this spring. Featuring a book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the production is directed by Terrence J. Nolen and co-conceived by Jorge Cousineau and Nolen. Performances begin May 21, the show opens May 27, and runs through July 5, 2026.






 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info




LATEST COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Junky Eyes" by Greg Amici

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Junky Eyes," the latest video from Central Jersey-based singer-songwriter Greg Amici's 2025 solo debut LP, "Tragicomic."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 06/04/2026

"I am absolutely wonderful," laughed the always gracious and warm Bill Medley. "How are you doing? We're out here doing our thing, enjoying it, having a ball. I can't figure it out; well I know why people are showing up, they want to hear those songs." 




BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 6/1/26

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Songbird, Allison Strong, Hexagon Cat, Sleep Station, and Lily Vakili. Plus a look back at "Everything Explodes" by Joshua Van Ness.




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas