HBO has officially unveiled the highly anticipated 10-part documentary event JULIANNE HOUGH — “DANCING WITH SOUL” — a stunning cinematic exploration of one of the most dynamic, beloved, and influential dancers of her generation.

This landmark series will premiere in breathtaking 4K Ultra HD, taking audiences inside the life, artistry, and evolution of a woman who transformed movement into an expression of power, emotion, and grace. From her early days competing in ballroom competitions to becoming an Emmy-nominated choreographer and Dancing with the Stars champion, Julianne Hough’s journey unfolds as a symphony of rhythm, resilience, and reinvention.

Through rare rehearsal footage, unseen home videos, and intimate interviews, “DANCING WITH SOUL” uncovers the story behind the spotlight — exploring the passion, sacrifices, and relentless drive required to live a life devoted to dance. Friends, partners, and family share candid memories, painting a portrait not just of a performer, but of a woman who channels every emotion into movement.

💬 “Dance has always been my language — my way of healing, expressing, and celebrating,” Julianne says in the series trailer, her voice layered over moments of rehearsal halls, quiet backstage reflections, and triumphant curtain calls.

It’s more than a biography — it’s a meditation on artistry itself. A journey through performance, personal growth, and mastery; how one woman turned motion into meaning and transformed every stumble into triumph.

🎬✨ A once-in-a-generation portrait — of the heart and soul behind the stage.
Coming soon, only on HBO.

The announcement dropped like a perfect lift at dawn on November 23, 2025, HBO’s socials igniting with a teaser that crashed their servers in 12 minutes flat. Directed by Emmy-winner Lisa Clarke (The Defiant Ones), “Dancing with Soul” isn’t your standard celeb doc—it’s a visceral voyage, shot over 18 months with unprecedented access to Hough’s world. From the sweat-soaked studios of her West Hollywood KINRGY empire to the quiet corners of her Utah childhood home, the series peels back the sequins to reveal the sinew and spirit of a woman who’s pirouetted from prodigy to powerhouse.

Born July 20, 1988, in Sandy, Utah, to devout Mormon parents Bruce and Marriann Hough—founders of a family dance dynasty—Julianne was a whirlwind from the cradle. Episode 1, “First Steps,” dives into those formative years: a toddler twirling to Tammy Wynette in the family band, shipped off at age 10 to London’s Italia Conti Academy alongside brother Derek, training under the Ballas dynasty (parents of fellow pro Mark Ballas). Archival VHS crackles with Marriann’s voiceover: “She danced before she walked—fierce, free, full of fire.” But it’s the unseen grit that grips: young Julianne navigating homesickness, the 1998 parental divorce that scattered the siblings, and her first competition blackouts from sheer exhaustion. “I learned early: dance doesn’t wait for you to catch up,” Julianne narrates, her voice a velvet thread through the montage.

By Episode 2, “Mirrorball Magic,” we’re in the Dancing with the Stars vortex. Hough’s 2007 debut as the youngest pro ever catapults her to glory: back-to-back wins in Seasons 4 (with Apolo Anton Ohno) and 5 (with Hélio Castroneves), the latter earning her first Emmy nod for choreography. Rare footage shows her appendix rupture mid-Season 8 jitterbug with partner Chuck Wicks (her then-boyfriend), a health scare that sidelined her but sparked her advocacy for women’s wellness. “That pain? It was my wake-up waltz,” she reflects, intercut with her triumphant return. The series doesn’t shy from the spotlight’s shadows: the 2013 endometriosis diagnosis that forced a hiatus, the tabloid frenzy over her 2017 marriage to Brooks Laich (ended amicably in 2022), and her raw 2019 Women’s Health essay on sexual fluidity—”I’m not ‘straight’—I’m fluid, and that’s freedom.”

HBO’s masterstroke? Intimate interrogations. Episode 4, “Family Floor,” features Derek Hough in a tear-streaked duet recount: “Jules taught me vulnerability—her waltzes were whispers of what’s possible.” Julianne’s sisters—Sharee, Marabeth, Misty—unpack the Hough hustle: five kids crammed in a van to gigs, Marriann’s post-divorce pivot to artistry. Val Chmerkovskiy, her Season 16 partner, jokes, “She lifted me—literally and figuratively—out of my comfort zone.” But it’s the unseen gems: a 2008 home video of Julianne and Derek freestyling to country tunes, pre-DWTS innocence; a 2024 therapy session clip where she processes infertility’s ache, tying to her egg-freezing journey at 35.

Musically, it’s a toe-tapper triumph. Hough’s 2008 country album (Julianne Hough, #3 Billboard 200) gets a remix revival in Episode 6, “Sound of the Spotlight,” with archival ACM Awards footage (Top New Female Vocalist, Top New Artist). Her Broadway bows—Footloose (2011), Grease: Live (2016 as Sandy)—pulse through Episode 7, “Stage Soul,” intercut with Rock of Ages (2012) rehearsals, where Tom Cruise calls her “a force of nature.” The 2015 Emmy win for her and Derek’s “Elastic Heart” routine with Sia? A pinnacle, dissected in slow-mo glory.

Yet, “Dancing with Soul” shines brightest in reinvention’s rhythm. Episodes 8-10 chart her post-DWTS evolution: hosting America’s Got Talent (Season 14), co-founding Ovation Dance Tour with Derek (2025’s 40-city juggernaut), and launching KINRGY—a wellness revolution blending dance, breathwork, and therapy. “Endometriosis stole my certainty,” she confesses in Episode 9, “Healing in Motion,” her voiceover over a solo contemporary that weeps. The finale, “Encore Eternal,” culminates in a live 2025 Ovation performance: Hough, radiant in red, channeling her memoir Everything We Never Knew (2025) into a group number with global dancers, symbolizing “movement as medicine.”

The airing schedule? A Sunday-night symphony starting January 19, 2026: Episode 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, weekly drops through March 23, with bonus director’s cuts on Max. HBO teases interactive extras: AR dance filters, virtual KINRGY classes. Critics are already swooning—Variety calls it “the Won’t You Be My Neighbor? of dance docs,” while The Hollywood Reporter hails Hough as “the Fred Rogers of footwork.”

In a fractured feed of fast fame, “Dancing with Soul” is Hough’s heartfelt hoedown: raw, rhythmic, redemptive. As she spins in the trailer, arms wide: “Every step’s a story—mine’s just getting started.” Tune in, America. The floor’s open, the soul’s calling, and Julianne Hough leads the way—one graceful, groundbreaking glide at a time.