Dancing with the Stars' Hough shares stage with Kirby fans
Dancing with the Stars six-time champion Derek Hough shared the spotlight with audience members Wednesday night at Wilkes-Barre's F.M. Kirby Center during Symphony of Dance: Encore, inviting fans—including a 10-year-old birthday girl—on stage for a night of ballroom, tributes, and family entertainment.
Key Takeaways
- Derek Hough, a six-time Dancing with the Stars mirror ball champion and Emmy winner, performed Symphony of Dance: Encore at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.
- The show mixed styles from paso doble to Viennese waltz and featured wife Hayley Erbert Hough plus dancer Selena Hamilton.
- Audience members, including 10-year-old Vienna McGarry celebrating her birthday, joined Hough on stage.
- Executive Director Joell Yarmel called it the Kirby Center's favorite show, citing music, dance, comedy, and family memories.
- Hough's next scheduled stop was Friday in Hershey.
Before the curtain rose, fans and aspiring dancers got an exclusive meet-and-greet with the star. Hough spoke openly about childhood bullying and the intense training he endured at dance school in London.
That personal candor set up a night that felt less like a distant celebrity appearance and more like a shared celebration—exactly the kind of unexpected, crowd-pleasing moment readers chase in Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage.
What happened during Symphony of Dance: Encore?
Hough moved through a wide range of styles and genres, often sharing the stage with his wife, Hayley Erbert Hough. Ensemble dancer Selena Hamilton—a current contestant on the 2026 spin-off Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro—delivered sharp choreography, including a somersault off a double bass.
Instruments became part of the spectacle: trumpets flew across the stage and saxophones filled the theatre. Tributes honored Gene Kelly, Hough's dancing inspiration, and the late Len Goodman, his friend and colleague.
According to Yahoo Entertainment's report on the Wilkes-Barre stop, the inventive staging kept the F.M. Kirby Center crowd locked in from start to finish.
Who joined Derek Hough on stage?
Hough pulled audience members into the performance. Among them was Vienna McGarry, who turned 10 that day.
"Derek jumped over me, and it's my tenth birthday. It was very exciting!" Vienna said.
Moments like that—pro dancers handing the spotlight to everyday fans—are why Symphony of Dance: Encore landed as more than a standard tour date for Luzerne County theatergoers.
Why did the F.M. Kirby Center call the show special?
Joell Yarmel, executive director of the F.M. Kirby Center, said the production is her favorite of the venue's roughly 100 events each year.
"This is my favorite show that we have here at the F.M. Kirby Center. It really just encompasses everything that we are," Yarmel said. She described the theater as a place for music, dance, comedy, and families making memories together.
Hough also used the platform to advocate for peace, kindness, and hope amid the lights, color, and motion. His next performance was set for Friday in Hershey, giving Pennsylvania fans another chance to catch Symphony of Dance: Encore on the road.