Derek Hough and the 'DWTS' Pros Dish on Dancing in the Len Goodman Tribute

'Dancing with the Stars' pros

Dancing with the Stars has already honored late head coach Len Goodman by renaming the Mirrorball Trophy in his honor, but this Tuesday night, judge Derek Hough, co-host Julianne Hough, the current troupe of DWTS professional dancers, and eight former pros will return to the ballroom to perform a spectacular dance tribute to “Moon River” by Henry Mancini.

“I think it’s just a beautiful representation of all the people that he’s impacted,” Derek exclusively tells Parade. “I think that all the dancers that will be returning, we really grew up on the show. Not just figuratively, but literally grew up learning how to teach, how to choreograph, how to be on TV, and Len was always that steady hand that we respected, we trusted and we loved. To be here to honor him in a way with a dance, a song that we knew he loved, and to a dance that we hope he would like, no riffraff, no messing about, just a clean, simple waltz. I think that we’re looking forward to that to honor him in the best way possible.”

Related: Len Goodman's Official Cause of Death

Which pros are dancing in Len Goodman tribute?

Among the returning pro dancers will be Kym Johnson, Anna Trebunskaya, Karina Smirnoff, Edyta Sliwinska, Tony Dovolani, Louis van Amstel, Maks Chmerkovskiy and Mark Ballas.

Related: Jenna Johnson Dishes on Her DWTS Exit, Her Future on the Show, Rooting for Hubby Val Chmerkovskiy and More

Who choreographed the Len Goodman tribute?

The tribute will be choreographed by the husband-and-wife team of pros Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson.

“No pressure, right?,” Jenna tells Parade. “I think there’s going to be so much emotion involved, which is my favorite way to create is with passion and emotion behind it. I’m really, really excited and I can’t wait to see everybody on the floor together. I think it’s going to be just gorgeous.”

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“It means a lot to be part of the Len tribute,” Val adds. “It’s an incredible compliment that we were given this responsibility. I’m excited to get the OGs back in the ballroom, my brother included. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to do a classic dance that I think Len would have loved to see and loved to perform himself. It’s a very Len-like performance. It’s going to be very traditional, very beautiful and very heartfelt.”

The Real Reason Cheryl Burke Wasn't Invited to the Len Goodman Tribute

In a threads post, Cheryl Burke revealed that she wasn't invited to participate in the tribute to longtime pro Len Goodman. Burke quit the show at the end of Season 31 in 2022. She was among the longest-tenured pros with 26 seasons and two Mirrorball Trophy wins.

"For those of you asking if I’ll be a part of Len Goodman’s tribute next week on DWTS, unfortunately, I wasn’t invited however, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on!" she said in the post.

No official reason has been given but there are several possible explanations. In 2022, Burke made it clear that she was interested in taking Len Goodman's spot behind the judges' desk. ABC decided not to replace the irreplaceable Goodman and to stick with three judges for Season 32. Perhaps they thought it would be awkward to invite her back to the ballroom after she didn't get the job.

Another more likely reason has to do with her new DWTS podcast. The prolific podcaster launched Sex, Lies and Spray Tans in September to coincide with the show's 2023 premiere. She has yet to reveal anything truly scandalous but the name certainly keeps folks listening each week for possible tea. Her previous podcast was Burke In The Game.

Related: How Dancing with the Stars Will Honor Len Goodman

Parade also caught up with several of this season’s pros in the ballroom after last week’s Disney100 Night on DWTS and here’s what they had to say about what it means to them to perform in a dance tribute to Len:

Gleb Savchenko: “Oh, my gosh, Len is the heart of the ballroom. We all miss him; we all love him and it’s amazing that the producer had such an amazing idea to bring all the OGs back. I just can’t wait to share this floor with them and perform an amazing opening number and many more."

Brandon Armstrong: “I think Len was a huge part of the Dancing with the Stars family, not only because he was here from Season 1 but also because he brought such a valuable insight to actual ballroom dancing. He had a long career in ballroom dancing. I think it’s going to be beautiful for us as professionals to be able to show a tribute to him through our skills that we were taught from people like him. I think it’s going to be amazing."

Related: All the Songs and Dances for Most Memorable Year Night on Dancing with the Stars

Artem Chigvintsev: “There is still a void of his presence on the judging panel. I think he brought something that I feel like the judges are trying to grasp it but they haven’t quite yet. It’s important. He was the heart and soul of the show. He was there from the beginning. He made it what it is. So, it’s important to do him justice and make him smile. I think it’s going to be some proper ballroom dancing happening, especially with the people coming in from the past and being part of it.”

Daniella Karagach: “It’s a big deal to honor Len. He’s an icon. We’re bringing back some of the older pros and I never got to dance with them – ever – so that was pretty cool to find out that they’re going to come back. I used to look up to them as a kid, so watching them on the TV screen, watching them in ballroom competitions was huge for me. To dance with them is going to be an honor. It’s going to be so beautiful. Jenna and Val’s choreography is always amazing and I’m so excited to dance it.”

Related: Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Dish on Dancing with the Stars Host, Future of Show and More

Pasha Pashkov: “It’s hard to describe, but Len was the one person who truly welcomed me to the show. I think he really saw something in me, and he really welcomed me and he made it very obvious and clear. We miss him.”

Rylee Arnold: “Len was just such a big part of the show and he deserves every tribute. He just made such a big contribution to the show and the way it was strictly ballroom. He was always such a tough judge, but always so good for the contestants. I think it’s really important that we give him a tribute because he was such a special person and really helped Dancing with the Stars grow.”

Dancing with the Stars simulcasts live across both ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and next day on Hulu.

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