“Derek made one of my dreams come true!!!” – Move Live On Tour 2015 Guest Blog By ElmariL

Every Guest Blog of the Move Live On Tour has been so unique and special. The one you are about to read by ElmariL is no different. Not only does she take us back to this fabulous tour this past summer of the last shows in California, she just about made me pass out with her account of Derek dancing with her? 😯 WHA? Yes, it’s true. She sent us some awesome video footage as well. Be sure to thank her and send her some love. From Miss Heidi and I, (((((THANK YOU, Elmari))))!! You rock! And you and Derek are so cute!!!xxxx

“Derek made one of my dreams come true!!!” – MOVE LIVE ON TOUR 2015, Oakland & Los Angeles
ByElmariL

It’s now been a month since I attended my MOVE shows in Oakland and Los Angeles and I’m finally finishing my blog from my whirlwind trip to Southern California! I was lucky enough to be able to attend two shows this summer, while last summer I was spoiled and went to 3 shows that were all close by to where I live in the Bay Area. I bought my ticket to Oakland during the pre-sale and bought my ticket to LA on a whim about a month before the show (both non-VIP)…. lucky me that I was able to get FANTASTIC seats for both shows! I centered my trip to LA around the concert but I also planned to go to Disneyland and see some close friends that I have been promising to visit for such a long time. I also decided to drive and literally left for LA right after the Oakland show. That was really rough! So I had a crazy busy schedule from Wed Aug 5 (night of the Oakland show) to Sun Aug 9… and that’s why I only now recovered from all my adventures! Haha! So here’s a snapshot of my trip: MOVE show in Oakland on Wed night; started driving to LA at 2am; Disneyland all day and night Thursday; visit friends in Downtown LA and attend MOVE at Nokia Theater on Friday; see more friends in LA & drive to Fresno on Saturday; spend the rest of the weekend in Fresno with my best friend and family; drive back to the Bay Area on Sunday… Go back to work on Monday! It was crazy hectic, but so worth it after all the memories I made in those few days! Now on to the stuff that you want to hear about…. 😉

Let me start off by saying THANK YOU to Derek, Julianne, Nappytabs and their producers for going back on tour this summer! It really is an incredible gift for fans to see Derek and Julianne dance, sing, and perform live because these two are born to entertain. I’m sure that Derek and Julianne would also say it was an incredible gift for them to do what they love for their fans on a live stage! But seriously, anytime there is an opportunity for me to see Derek Hough perform live, I am definitely going to go and support him because he’s worth all the time, money, and effort… 😉 Am I right Houghahlics?!!?

Some of my general thoughts on this year’s MOVE show was that THEY WERE RIGHT! The show was definitely bigger, better, and just more of everything. But I really couldn’t choose between last year’s show and this year’s show because I loved both so much for different reasons! Derek is just the ultimate and consummate dancer, showman, and entertainer on stage. He just radiates so much energy, passion, character, and charisma when he performs. It truly is a privilege to see this man do what he loves best, live and in front of your face! Julianne was incredible in this show. My first love about Julianne is her dancing and she just exceeded all of my expectations and made me miss her so much as a professional dancer on DWTS. I hope she continues to find ways to dance for her fans because there is no one that can move like her…. well, maybe Derek! LOL!

I love how the company dancers are all diverse in their ethnicity and in their dance skills. They really killed it on stage every night and seized this opportunity to make so many new fans. It’s amazing to know that MLOT has been a platform for many up-and-coming dancers to go on to bigger opportunities. I know that Nika Kljun is a dancer for Justin Bieber and Jake Kodish is on the Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour. As we all know, Brittany Cherry went on to become a part of the DWTS troupe and went on the winter/summer tour. Paul Karmiryan was a familiar face on DWTS all last season also. This year Hayley Erbert is going to be on DWTS as part of the troupe. I saw Devan Smith perform on the MTV Video Music Awards during Justin Bieber’s performance! It’s wonderful to see Derek and Julianne mentor and help these young dancers advance in their careers and set such a successful example for them after being in the business for almost 10 years. The company dancers were such an incredible part of the show and I am glad they had their few moments to shine with Derek and Julianne, but this leads me to a very strong observation that I had watching the MLOT performances all summer…

My favorite performances from the show were: 1. Elastic Heart, 2. Run Boy Run Paso Doble/Argentine Tango, 3. Tap Dance Battle into Hey Daddy-O, 4. Beyond the Sea Foxtrot. I love these dances because they were dances with such a strong energy/connection between Derek and Julianne. What my observation is (and I discussed this with Jennie after the LA concert) that it’s always great fun to see Derek and Julianne perform with other professional dancers (either solo or group) because they can go full out as opposed to when they dance with celebrity partners. But there is absolutely NOTHING in this world that can compare to what you feel/see/experience when you see Derek and Julianne dance with each other. They are like the male and female versions of each other when it comes to dance. Like Julianne said in the program, Derek is the ying to her yang, therefore together they create a balanced entity. They challenge each other, push each other, match each other to go past their best and go to another level when they dance together. They probably can just look at each other on stage and they know what the other needs done. This component of their combined energy was made quite tangible for me during this show versus last summer’s. They would make you forget they were siblings because they were so committed to the character of the dances. I appreciate that so much about them! I can totally watch a 90 minute show of just them dancing with each other and be perfectly happy and satisfied. That for me would be the ultimate!

A few more observations about the show…. I loved the music they chose! They had a little bit of everything and it transitioned so nicely from one performance to the next. I thought Nappytabs did an excellent job staging the show and creating the flow of the show from dance to dance. They definitely had better technology and video effects this year which did make the show feel bigger. I really loved the show…. buuuuuuut it wasn’t perfect…. lol! Some suggestions for a future tour…. Please sing more Derek!!! We want to hear your voice and your songs more! I wouldn’t mind seeing Derek do a solo dance, like by himself. 😉 Maybe with a pole… LOL!!!! I felt like last year’s show had a tad more Derek focused dances in it than this year’s show and I think that may have been due to his injury and or his DWTS/NYSS commitments. I just felt like Julianne by herself was featured more in this show versus last year. I don’t know if I am just being selfish or what, but I go to these shows for Derek, so I want to get as much Derek as I can. Can I get an ‘Amen’ Houghaholics?! LMAO! But all in all, I am just grateful that they went back out on tour and that I was lucky enough to attend two shows that were close by to where I lived. Now I’ll just share a few fun details about each show I went to. =)

Move Live on Tour, Paramount Theater, Oakland, CA – Wed, August 5

Well…. the only thing ya’ll need to know about this show was that I DANCED WITH DEREK and it was a dream come true…. 😉 Mmmm-Hmmm, still haven’t washed my favorite blue jean shirt that still smelled like his cologne afterwards! But with that said, I haven’t worn it either! Haha, it’s just hanging in my closet!

Anyways, I met up with fellow Houghaholics Joanna (@raggydoll222) and Andrea (@AndreaM1969) at this show, but we didn’t sit together. The Paramount Theater is a historic theater in downtown Oakland and was a decent size, not too big. I was very happy with my seat that I purchased during the Amex pre-sale which was orchestra right, 3 rows from the pit, and on the aisle. Of course, seasoned Hough fans now know which seats are the best…. 😉 Joanna was in the middle of center orchestra and Andrea had a front row seat. Last year, I took so much video at the MOVE shows that I went to that I felt that I wasn’t living in the moment. So I decided that I would take minimal video and pictures this time around and just enjoy the show. =) And that’s why I don’t have any video of Derek and I dancing on my own phone!!! =P

Fast-forward to Jailhouse Rock! I knew Derek was going to run into the audience to interact with fans and find someone to dance with. When he ran off the stage, I just immediately jumped up and started grooving and held my hand up hoping to get a high-five when Derek would run past me. (Let me just say THANK GOD that I wrote about this experience the next day when I got to Disneyland so that I wouldn’t forget the small details!!) When Derek ran towards my area and saw me, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a dance!! I was like “ WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT!?!??!?!?!?!?” in my head of course! I didn’t say that out loud to him…. 😉 But I knew he usually runs around first to get the audience into a frenzy and then chooses someone. I was hella surprised that he chose me so fast! Seriously, my mind completely went to mush and I didn’t know what to do so I just started to throw my hands in the air and shake it like I didn’t even care! LOL! I remember looking straight into Derek’s eyes at the beginning of the dance and I totally forgot that we were in front of thousands of people. Wait, I do remember looking in Joanna’s direction when Derek first took my hand and pulled me into a dance because I was unsure of what was really happening and I saw her standing with her arms in the air and her maybe mouthing “DANCE WITH HIM!!! GO FOR IT!!!”. I just remember her making motions encouraging me to dance with him and I was like “Yeah!!!! I am going for it!!!!!”. LMAO!

So I think Derek tries to do some salsa steps with me and I am just going crazy…. haha! I feel like I’m a good dancer…. in the club…. after a few tequila shots! Well, I started to take Derek’s lead and do his dance moves, but I guess I just kept doing my own thing…. So Derek just turns around and backs his booty into me!!! It was hilarious and he did it twice!!!! I remember putting my arms around him and just going along with the ride….LOL! I was having so much fun and I couldn’t believe that I was dancing with the Derek Hough and it seemed like we danced for a while too… like 30 seconds! Oh yeah, and he does smell amazing even when all sweaty, but we all knew that already. 😉 And then it ended and he ran towards the back of the theater and all the girls around me were congratulating me and asking me how did I know that Derek was going to run into the audience… Hahaha! I did my research at purederekhough.com!!

Some other little tidbits I observed finally seeing MOVE live…. Derek and Julianne are like perfect physical specimens of their gender. Derek’s upper body is unbelievable, you can see every muscle beneath his skin and he’s like one of those perfectly sculpted Greek God statues. Julianne got hella toned this summer… her six pack was on display just as much as Derek’s! Their bodies are to die for! LOL! I totally cried during Elastic Heart….. the emotion, pain, frustration on their faces was real. I could watch that performance over and over again. During the dance battle, Julianne brought up female audience members to dance with the male dancers and that was so much fun to watch! Glad I got to see something different at my show. Before I knew it the show over, but I did buy Derek’s book before the show so I could meet him and get it signed. =)

The signing was in the lobby and it was VERY crowded because people were trying to either get in line or leave the venue. Finally got organized, but Derek’s security was very strict and would repeatedly say you have to have a book in hand to be in line, no photos, and move along. Once Derek arrived, the line did actually move quite quickly, so I think each person had just a few seconds with Derek. I brought my New York Spring Spectacular program for him to possibly sign. Unfortunately, Derek was already injured when I went to NYC to see the show so I was hoping to get him to sign it. When it was my turn to go to Derek, I wasn’t nervous at all… 😉 He was so handsome in a plaid shirt and his newsboy cap. He greets everyone with a smile on his lips and in his eyes. I thanked him for choosing me to dance with him and said it was a dream come true since I had been a fan of his since 2007. I don’t remember if he said anything as he signed my book, but I was about to hand him the NYSS program and the security guard had the audacity to try to pull it out of my hands!!!! I quickly said “Derek, can you please sign my NYSS program?” and then he looked up at me and said “Sure….. you went?” with a look of surprise in his eyes. I said yes and he looked happy at that and said “Thank you!” with a lovely smile goodbye.

Joanna, Andrea, and I met up just right outside the theater to wait at the buses which were literally right in front of the exit. I took public transportation BART from South San Francisco to Oakland, so I knew I had to be careful time-wise because I might not be able to get home. In the end, Joanna and I waited 20 min and decided to leave because we were very happy with our experience and we already had special memories meeting Derek the previous summer….. so we were all good! Plus, I had to start driving to LA in just a few hours…. =P

Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t able to take video of Derek and I dancing together on my phone…. but THANK GOD for the fans around me who took video of that moment and offered to send me the video!!! Yes, I have proof! Hahaha! I just want to thank Rachel and Judy for taking video of me dancing with Derek and emailing the videos to me. I also want to thank donamadrina for her help in converting them and sending copies to me while I was at Disneyland. =)

I also took video of “I Lived” because I love hearing Derek sing this song.

A video posted by @maguyon on Aug 5, 2015 at 8:37pm PDT

Move Live on Tour, Nokia Theater/Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles – Fri, August 7

Somehow I got myself down to LA after everything that happened on Wednesday night… I had read that apples can give you more energy than a cup of coffee, so I found myself eating multiple apples on that 7 hour drive because I didn’t want to stop and take bathroom breaks! Haha! Let me tell you that apples DO WORK! Believe me…or not!!! Hahaha! Spent all of Thursday day and night at Disneyland and spent Friday daytime catching up with college friends. I headed to the Microsoft Theater (aka Nokia Theater) early so that I could meet up with my friend Jennie (@jl2285) with whom I saw Derek perform with the Philharmonic Orchestra a few years ago.

There was a nice digital billboard promoting Derek and Julianne’s ‘Move Live on Tour’ in front of Microsoft Theater and a looooooong line of people waiting to enter the venue. A worker said there was another entrance with a very short line, so I headed in that direction. I entered the venue and found myself at the front of the theater, stage right. This info will be relevant later. I knew that Jennie was already inside and I quickly found her and her lovely sister-in-law right in front of the massive stage. It was SO nice to be reunited with Jennie and she and I caught up. She told me that there was no book signing for Derek’s book for this show. =( She brought her book to be signed and I was very thankful that I got my book signed in Oakland. In hindsight, we knew that there was an afterparty after the show with all their friends.

The theater is huge!!! It felt like 2-3 times bigger than Paramount Theater in Oakland. It was fun to think that there were many award shows and high-profile concerts that happened here. Julianne and Derek can say that they sold out Nokia Theater on their very own tour!!! Jennie was sitting very close to the stage in the pit, probably 5 rows from the stage. Like I mentioned before, I bought this ticket on a whim just a few months before the show and just got “best available”. Little did I know how awesome my seat would be!! Sometimes it works out when you are going by yourself! When I found my seat, I was center orchestra 8 rows from the pit, ON THE AISLE AGAIN! It was quite a perfect view for me because I could see the entire stage, but still felt close.

Anyways I sit down and just start observing. I felt like I was going to see many of Julianne and Derek’s friends and family there since they are based in LA. I first saw Shirley and her boyfriend Yegor sitting directly in front of me 7 rows down! I love Shirley, so I went over to talk to her. She was so lovely and beautiful and was very gracious to take a photo with me. =) Last year, I met Marriann and this year I met Shirley on the tour! Later on during intermission, I saw her taking with Corky and one of Derek’s agents (?) Sue Madore. I go back to my seat and that’s when I started to notice EVERYBODY. I saw Julianne’s close friends Nina Dobrev, Ziah Colon, Molly Thompson, Makenna Bree, and her gorgeous fiance Brooks Laich 3 rows in front of me. Then people started taking pictures with the man who was sitting directly in front of me, which happened to be Tommy Chong! I saw Paula Abdul and Kenny Ortega chatting with others in front of their seats which were in front of the pit. When the show began, I saw Maria Menounos sneak in with her friend a few rows ahead of me. =) I was able to get a photo with Maria during intermission and told her I voted for her all night every week on DWTS! She got a huge smile on her face and said “Thaaaank you!!!!” with a high-five! =) Maria is incredibly nice and approachable. I also got to meet Nappytabs (Napoleon and Tabitha D’Umo) during intermission. I was so excited to meet them because I was ⅓ of the team behind @MakeYourMove3D and had communicated with Napoleon a few times privately on social media. When I told him that I was one of the people behind @MakeYourMove3D, he got a huge smile and said ‘Thank you!’. I am so happy to have met them and take a photo with them! When the show was about to begin from intermission, I saw Nicole Scherzinger take her seat a few rows in front of me in the same row as Maria, Nina and friends, and Brooks. I didn’t know she was there until then! I was a massive Houghzinger fan and I was very excited to see her there. =) I was like dammmmmmn, I’m hella starstruck right now! I definitely felt it was worth it to drive down to LA and see the show there because I felt like I got a show within a show. =) I just have to say that all their celebrity friends were there to see the show, but they were all so nice and gracious to fans who recognized them and wanted to take photos. I saw a lot of photo-taking during intermission and after the show. =)

Now on to the show…… I think I tweeted out that this show was on steroids compared to the Oakland show. They couldn’t fit the entire set in the Oakland theater, but they had room to spare at the Nokia Theater. They also had massive jumbotrons on each side of the stage. The energy was amazing at this show. I think Derek, Julianne, and their dancers amped it up (as if that’s possible!!) even more for this show because so many of their family and friends were in the audience. During Jailhouse Rock, Derek did run down my aisle first, but I didn’t try to motion for him because I didn’t want to be selfish… 😉 LOL! Some lucky ladies several rows behind me got to have some fun with Derek. Confetti rained over us at the end of “Land of a Thousand Dances” which led us into intermission. They ended the show with balloons AND streamers! I just had sooooooo much fun at this show. It totally felt like it could be their last show, but they had Vegas the next night. The audience was going crazy at the end of the show. I am glad it was a very lively audience that was really into the show. Julianne and Derek definitely felt the love from their fans at their LA show.

When the show ended, it was sort of chaotic leaving the theater, so I exited stage right where I had entered instead of going to the back exit where most people entered. That’s where I saw a roped off area with security where some people were going to go backstage. I saw Nina, Brooks, and their whole group go backstage. I decided to just stand by the stairs to see whole else I could see. I saw Paul Karmiryan there with friends and taking pictures with fans. I also saw Armen Way head in that direction. I also Elizabeth Berkeley and her husband go back stage. That was the last of my celebrity sightings… 😉 I then went to go find Jennie and her sister-in-law to talk more and hang out after the show. We ended up going to Starbucks right outside the theater to discuss the show and we ended up seeing Paula Abdul walking past our table about 45 min after the show! Jennie, her sister-in-law, and I spent an hour talking about the show afterwards which was really nice. =)

I think I am finally at an end to my blog….. LMAO! I had done and experienced so much in such a short period of time and it was all because of Derek and Julianne. I hope they continue to find ways to connect with their fans every year, even if they are unable to tour. I hope that Derek returns to Broadway and shows the world what an incredible singer and actor he can be. I hope that Julianne finds ways to keep up her dancing while she pursues movies and other projects. I also hope that they can go on tour together again in the future, if they are unable to do it next summer. Thanks for reading my blog!

I did take some video at the LA show, but I’m the the worst photo/video taker at concerts. Sorry for the shakiness and the non HD-quality…. ;-P