Julianne Hough Leaves "Dancing With The Stars" For Music Tour

January 23, 2009 9:00 a.m. EST

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion Julianne Hough announced at the end of last season's "Dancing" that she would be taking a leave of absence from the reality dancing show to focus on her other passion: country music.

Celebrity News Service has learned the dancing star has hung up her dancing shoes for now to hit the road as an opening act for Toby Keith. She will open for Keith at a few dates next month and she also plans to open for George Strait.

It looks like Hough's schedule with Keith will include performances on February 6 in Louisville, Kentucky and February 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. She will also take part in George Strait's summer tour, which is scheduled to kick off May 15 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hough has said she will probably return to ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in the future, but for the time being she wants to be taken seriously as a musician which requires her to put her energy into singing.