Julianne Hough: “Dancing with the Stars” in “Burlesque”!

We enjoyed super talented dancer Julianne Hough [pronounced Huff] on “Dancing with the Stars”, especially when she led cute Olympian Apollo Ohno in a sexy samba! Now, as a redhead, the multi-talented star is making a big impression as a character and lead dancer in the new movie musical Burlesque and she’s sharing a stage with Cher and Christina Aguilera!

After Burlesque, you can next catch Julianne as the female lead in the re-make of the popular 1980’s movie Footloose about a town that has banned dancing. Now, we are chatting with the currently brunette dancer/actress/singer about tearing up the stage as a burlesque dancer. Picture this pretty girl you may remember as a blonde, with long, light brown hair and wearing a demure brown, puffy-sleeved blouse and cute skirt. Her sweet, little girl voice makes her seem vulnerable.

TeenHollywood: How was being a redhead in the film?

Julianne Hough: I loved it! It was so fun. I felt like a vixen with the red hair and as a blonde, I feel really bubbly and the brunette [as she has today] makes me feel a little younger. This was for Footloose where I played 17 years old. So I definitely still feel like my character a little bit with this hair.

TeenHollywood: Did your character Georgia in Burlesque start to change once you got the part?

Julianne: Oh absolutely. In fact, it was rewritten so many times, it was like 'well, let's see what's she's going to be like today’. You take your character and you make her your own even if the dialogue changes. But, I think my interaction with Cher in the bathroom scene where I tell her I’m pregnant, that was one of the first scenes I did in the movie and that was great.

TeenHollywood: Were you star struck around Cher or was she generous with you?

Julianne: She was wonderful. I was definitely intimidated like most people would be. But she was just so down to earth. She really makes people feel so comfortable. Even Kristen (Bell) said the same thing, 'She just knows exactly what to say to get you to that place where you should be in that moment.' It's pretty cool.

TeenHollywood: Was it as much work as "Dancing With the Stars"?

Julianne:Yes! The difference is with "Dancing With the Stars”, we choreographed, we danced, we taught it to the partner and then we were like their therapists. Then we were doing dances that, for the star, were hard but not that challenging for me. So coming to do this was like getting back to the grind and really pushing myself to my limit to do as much as I could do keeping up with the other professional girl dancers. It was really fun for me.

TeenHollywood: What did "Dancing With the Stars" exactly do for you?

Julianne: It opened every door imaginable. I moved out to L.A. when I was eighteen to sing and act. But, the dancing was an avenue to get to where I want to be. It was a wonderful opportunity and I just went for it. I never realized the success it was going to have and especially the opportunities it was going to bring for me.

TeenHollywood: When did you first get really noticed and kicked up a notch on the show?

Julianne: It was my first season with Apollo [Anton Ohno, Olympic Gold medalist] and it was our Samba. I came out and was wearing that tiger outfit. That was like the coming out party for Julianne! After that number I felt a little more on the radar. I got calls. For Maxim magazine, I remember, I was like 'Dad won't approve of that too much.' That was the first thing I did after I came out in that outfit.

TeenHollywood: Have you kept up with the show? Who do you think will win?

Julianne:Yeah. I was shooting Footloose so it was very hard to watch each week. But, I would catch it here and there. Now that it's the last four, I can't believe it.

TeenHollywood: I can't believe Bristol Palin is still in it.

Julianne:That's the thing I was a little confused about. That definitely goes to show what that show is about. It's not necessarily about the dancing. It's about the fan base and the people watching. I can definitely testify to that. I would not be where I'm today without the fans of the show. They've followed me since day one. I hope my brother (Derek Hough) and Jennifer (Grey) win. I think she's fantastic. But, Brandy's pretty good too. I hope my brother wins because I'm biased but, at the same time, I kinda hope he doesn't because right now we are tied. We both have two. So, maybe he'll have three. Nah. I'm kidding.

TeenHollywood: In Burlesque, you get to dance with Alan Cumming, a great Broadway star especially for “Cabaret”. Do you now want to do Broadway?

Julianne: Not right at this moment but oh my goodness I would love to originate a role on Broadway. Maybe not even do a musical but do a straight play out there. I think that would be fun. I’m focusing on film right now rather than Broadway. But I definitely want to go there some at some point.

TeenHollywood: How was Christina Aguilera as a dancer in this film?

Julianne: It's crazy. You see her shows and you see her music videos and she dances. But there are so many people around her to distract from that. This was the best dancing she's ever done. I know she says it's the hardest she's ever done. She really worked hard and she did a great job and she was great on set. We have the same management so we had met each other a couple of times and been able to interact before. So we kind of knew each other a little bit. I think people will be surprised and taken aback by her. She's so stripped down and really real. I think people see her just as this “voice” and this fantastic music artist.

TeenHollywood: Whose career do you look up to?

Julianne: When I first met my music manager, before I was ever on "Dancing with the Stars," I said 'You know, maybe not the style of music or anything or the same movies but I like Olivia Newton John or like a country version of J-Lo’. Same type of thing. I want to be able to do all three [act, sing, dance] without people saying’ you're going to have to choose one. Which one do you like better?’ Well, I love all of them. They all mean something to me and I couldn't do one without the other.

TeenHollywood: Your Burlesque director has called you the best dancer in the world.

Julianne: That is so sweet.

TeenHollywood: What was it like to get up there with a bunch of other girls and dance in a group? It’s a different kind of dancing.

Julianne: It is completely different. For me it was more fun in a way because I really got to push myself. I got to focus on me for once and not focus on my partner and make sure he's okay. When I would do that style I would kind of bring my dancing down so we looked equal so it was so over the top where I'm dancing rings around him. So, it was fun for me to feel like I was among great dancers and I got to shine. I got to push myself and challenge myself.

TeenHollywood: How did you get picked as the female lead in Footloose? Was that after doing this film?

Julianne: Actually, Footloose has been an ongoing thing for the last year-and-a-half. It was going to be more of a musical. It was going to be Zac Efron, then Chance Crawford and now it’s a guy named Kenny Wormald. He's an unknown and he's fantastic. I was attached to Footloose before I was attached to Burlesque. I was glad it happened the way it did because I got to do Burlesque first which really helped prepare me for Footloose because I had a supporting role in this film and I got to ease my way into it, learn the logistics of filmmaking and that world and have fun and take it all in. With Footloose, it was all about the performance.

TeenHollywood: Is this new Footloose going to be radically different from the one in the '80s?

Julianne: No. Very similar.

TeenHollywood: It’s the town where teens aren’t allowed to dance?

Julianne: Yes but with more explanation. You understand why there is a ban on dancing. You see an accident happen. In the first one you know something happened but you don’t really know what. This is much deeper. If the name "Footloose" was gone, it would be a movie about the relationships between parents and the kids and trusting and wanting freedom and wanting to rebel. And then also having that moment of [adults saying] ‘Okay. We are going to do this for you guys. We want to give you those wings. We don't want to hold you too tight’. It's definitely a drama with dancing in it like the original. It's not a dance movie. I’m in three dances but you don’t see me dance too much. It’s all about the acting performance for me.

TeenHollywood: We’re asking the cast about holiday plans. Do you have any yet?

Julianne: Every year we always get together with family and friends. It's a big to do. I live in Nashville but my hometown is in Utah. There’s a lot of us in the family.I’ll be in New York for New Years and then going home to Utah for the first week of January.