I thought I'd start a thread for Mark since he's one of our new professionals this season. I am so excited to see him dance. His family is legendary and I hope he lives up to the name.

Mark is partnered with Sabrina Bryan (from The Cheetah Girls) this season.

His father trained the Houghs, right?

Both his father and mother were the Houghs' coaches. Mark and Julianne won the Junior and Youth World Championships together.

I knew I had seen him somewhere before. I was looking at his myspace and thinking, "This guy looks familiar..." Now I know where. What has he been up to recently? I haven't heard much of anything from him since he won.

I would post videos of him dancing, but all what that video website gives me is vids of his band. Which coincidentally, also features Derek.

After SYTYCD this summer, I thought DWTS would be a huge let-down. But with Julianne, Derek AND Mark Ballas? This should be interesting. I'm keen on seeing them rather than the so-called stars. I'm glad they got young guns like Derek and Mark, too, otherwise it might have been the Julianne Hough show.

His Myspace. Do you think he sort of likes London? I can't tell from his page.

None of the new male pros introduced the past few seasons have stuck around. First there was poor Jesse, who was stuck with Shanna Moakler and left the second week. Then the weird orange man who was with Shandi last season. I hope Mark will have more success.

waitasec. Who crowned him prince? That crown is reserved for Maks. :p

I absolutely agree, provencal. I'm more excited for the new professionals than any of the stars, though that may change. ;)



I hope so, too. However, the fact that he and Julianne won at Blackpool makes the chances of him being a keeper, exceptionally good.



LOL! Well, Mark is from England and his parents are the closest thing to ballrooom royalty that we have currently. Hence, the title of this thread. Maks, isn't a crown prince type...he's a firey Russian czar type. He's too explosive to be an English Crown Prince. ;)

Not getting into this fight, except that Russia had princes, too. Veal Prince Orloff, anyone?

arlykeeno, you are correct, Russia did have princes. It wasn't Russia not having princes that made me think of Maks as a Czar. It was because I just thought he'd, of course, have to be the King, not a lowly prince. I don't think we were fighting, as so much, just having fun naming all the lovely newbies we have this season. ;)

I guess this is Marky singing the song on his myspace -- the song is by his band Almost Amy -- and I don't think it sounds like Derek (though it may be):

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendid=13231243

And he says he met the "love of his life" at age 12. That's really gotta be Julianne, doesn't it, since she met him when he was 12 (and she was 10!)? Though I realize he's got Fiona now. And I don't think Julianne links to Mark's myspace on hers though she does to Derek's.

I think I've regressed to age 12 but what the heck. Can't dance, might as well obsess...

Interesting quote, Elsa. It does seem more than likely that it was Julianne, if he met her when he was 12, and that's when Julianne moved in with them. I wonder if they are on good terms, huh? If they aren't, it could make it uncomfortable for them when they have to dance together, which I am sure they will this season or it could possibly have the effect of bringing them closer again. Then, they can get past whatever made them grow apart in the first place and become friends again.

All speculation aside, I am really excited to see them dance together. I'm sure there is a very good reason, as a pair, they won the junior and youth international titles. Is it Sept 24th, yet? ;)

I had such high hopes for Mark when I saw his Myspace. Even more when I saw his gorgeous body and handsome face on the show. Then he started with the happy, hyper, peppy, 1950's overexuberance, and he made Julianne seem like Daniele Donato.

He needs to take it way down, because people don't like that cheeriness. He should tell his partner the same thing.

Oh, I don't know about that. Benji Schwimmer won with just that kind of cheeriness/goofiness.

Benji had a contrasting partner in Donyelle, and Benji had a chance to endear himself to viewers because they saw his backstory. SYTYCD has a younger audience. I'm not sure if viewers here will tolerate too much perkiness. Putting him with someone even more overbearing was a bad idea.

I loved Mark's enthusiasm. I have some dance instruction videos by Corky and Shirley Ballas and Mark not only resembles his father in appearance but they have similar personalities. Since this was his first show, I think some of the excess energy might be nerves and he'll burn it off as the competition continues.



I think Sabrina's personality, sort of the excitable teenager type, makes both seem even more hyper. I think Mark did a great job with Sabrina and I loved the energy in the routine (ymmv).

<somewhat off topic>
What I would love to see is Corky and Shirley make a guest appearance on the show to do a performance.

I really enjoyed the "dancing ninja" and I loved his enthusiasm and energy. I thought he was absolutely adorable and refreshing. I thought it was cute when he was "teaching" her the difference between hip-hop and Latin.

As for Sabrina, meh. She's got a strong personality and she'll probably need to tone that down, but she doesn't annoy me (then again, I'm a pretty big fan of SYTYCD and I'm used to the big personalities). The actual routine was pretty fun and sharp, but yeah the hip-hop was kind of out of place.

This couple was my pick as far as the ladies are concerned and I was not disappointed. They did not need the hip hop and hopefully learned that the judges don't like when you change the dances. That said, it was the dance of the night and I would not be surprised if it is the encore dance, if they are still doing that.

I recall way back in the 1990s watching PBC where Mark Ballas' Mom and Dad did the most fun routines. The pair always blended the more traditional elements of the dance with something playful. For me, it was a joy to watch. So I see where Mark gets that penchant for adding non-traditional moves.

Besides, I'm tired of Len's old fogey ideas about "proper" dancing. (YMMV....)

All Len needs is a hairpiece, and we can start calling him "Barry".

how is anyone not commenting on the plethora of kisses he planted on Sabrina? It was pretty scandalous IMHO, for the first episode!! unless everyone already knows that they are a couple? this is my speculation. I'm using the term 'scandalous' loosely here.

EH, Tony kissed Stacy first week and Sara after the samba or something. Maks kissed Tia after the Tango.

This is totally random....The jacket he wore last night looked like the same one Louis wore for his S3 mambo with Monique.

Hey...Mark Ballas' thread is on page 3? What is up, people? This guy needs more attention!
I figured out why he is so attractive when he dances -- unlike many other male dancers like Derek Hough, Mark dances masculine. I doubt you will hear people wondering if he is straight. All the pros are dynamic and talented, but Mark has got testosterone.

I really liked him but could not bring myself to vote for Cheetos girl. She annoyed me to no end, with her perma-smile, overdone hair extensions and overall personality. Blech...

Mark, on the other hand... yummy!

She was kinda Cheetos-y... very orange.
Heaven help me, but I'm inclined to believe the rumours that are flying about them. Mark did look smitten to me in the off-stage interview, and she probably knows a good thing when she sees it.

Oh, don't dash my daydreams just yet, provencal. I choose to believe it was a platonic, affectionate kiss. It is nice to see him be so affectionate to her and for her to look like she's enjoying the attention, though. Good chemistry counts for a lot.



Hee. Actually, he reminds me more of the Strictly Ballroom Dad. Put glasses on him and I bet he's there.

I rewatched the video from their segment, he gave her flowers, pink roses to be specific. And when she commented that they are her favorite, he said he had done his research. She maybe Cheetos-orange but that orange glow hasn't blinded her to his yumminess.

There is so much to love about this guy. And about the hugs and kisses - he does it so nonchalantly, like she's an old friend, or like someone who's very touchy-feely with everybody. I'm not getting anything more out of it - if there were something going on, this soon, I think there'd be more reticence - or more of a reaction from her when he does it - it would be more electrically-charged if that makes any sense. It's just something warm and sweet that he does. It's just his way, imo. Deliciously gallant.

But anyhow, romance, faux-showmance, who cares? This guy's scrumptious. He and Albert are the sex kings, imo, when I expected Helio to be (he's debonair and cute as a button but I'm not reading sexy yet but maybe when he hits the Latin numbers...) And with Albert, he's sexy to look at but a bit distant or distracted or something? Marky's the sexy type that you want to DO, not just ogle. Well, YMMV of course, lol.

And sooo right, provencal, about the masculinity thing. He's so damned young that it's completely unexpected - and he, like Albert, doesn't dodge the goofy/dorky bits, but in Marky's case even more than Albert's, it doesn't make a dent in the machismo. I think some of it is a deep confidence in his ability, but it can't be all of it. Whew lordy. Maybe his quick sense of humor, the easy smiles and laughter, and the free-floating playfulness and joie de vivre. And now that I rethink it, maybe some of it actually IS the fawning and kissing, lol. When Julianne twirled around into his lap or whatever, he put his hands all over her legs and waist, while Derek let his hang down by his own side, not coming into contact with Cheryl (sitting on his lap) any more than was necessary. I think Marky just does that by instinct - and he's not tentative about it either. In practice, he was grabbing her hips to adjust her movement, kneeling down and holding her foot in his hand - twisting it for her to demonstrate technique - he was all over her, but fearlessly/nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal. Nothing bashful or tentative about that guy. Hell, he's not tentative about ANYthing, which adds to the tough-guy thing he's got going on.

I watched his face very carefully (as I always do, lol) when Len said he was going to deduct a "few points" for the hip hop. In a nervous-nelly type, you'd see a flicker of concern. Mark's face erupted into a huge natural grin and I think he looked over at somebody in the audience, like he thought that was funny -- he didn't flinch a bit. He's a cool customer - and I think he's hotter than a firecracker for it (and all the rest.) And it doesn't hurt that his body's solid and not over-wiry/skinny like several of the others. Oh, and he doesn't over-perform or over-wiggle like I think Alec, Derek, even Tony has a tendency to do. And he doesn't over pose and compete w/his partner for attention like Maks does. He's just damned near perfect! I really hope she does well with the smooths -- I'm anxious to see him do them too. If you're a champion Latin dancer (which I assume he was w/Julianne), does that mean you still spend a good bit of time learning Waltz, Foxtrot and the like too?? I mean, I can't imagine him being anything but a fabulous dancer, but just how much time do the Latin specialists spend on the non-Latin ballroom dances?

Josie made me sad and I cried when she left (I know - I'm a total idiot.) I might just take to my bed in hysteria if Marky leaves. Well, I exaggerate, but I don't know if I'd have the heart left to keep watching. It's such an exquisitely titillating pleasure to watch that guy dance!! (And I like Sabrina too -- I keep looking for what's rubbing people the wrong way and I guess I just don't see it -- she's plucky but I wouldn't call her arrogant or even sassy (like Mel B - whom I adore, but she's much more feisty during training that Sabrina.) When Drew said she made a higher score than he did, Sabrina reached her arm over to put it on his back in like an automatic reaction of concern, and she's seemed really excited/happy for the other dancers. And she seems very attentive and malleable, trying to do exactly what Mark wants her to, without griping or whining or making excuses - she just throws herself into learning it. Maybe what people don't like is that touch of hip hop trash talk or something? -- whatever, I like it. I wish more girls had her type of confidence and never-say-die determination. I wish I'd had it when I was her age.

Elsa you are really cute with all of your Mark-love. Of course, I am right there with you. I know it's early but this guy is really winning me over. I tape the show so that I can fast-forward to the dances but I made a point of going back to watch his and Sabrina's rehearsal footage. That very slight English accent is adorable and he actually looked good doing those hiphop moves.



I vaguely remember reading that Mark also competed in Standard as a youth so I'm thinking that he should do quite well by Sabrina in terms of teaching her.

From what I've observed, the kids who are on the pro-track start out learning all 10 dances for Latin and Standard (or 9 if they are doing Rhythm and Smooth). As they get older they usually choose to concentrate on Latin or Standard OR they might choose to become 10-dancers and compete at both. I think concentrating on one style leaves little time to perfect your technique on the other which is why some of our Latin pros don't look as great comparatively when they they do the Standard/Smooth dances with their celebs. Of course, they still look a million times better than most of us would, but you can definitely see a difference between Alec dancing the Foxtrot and Jonathan dancing the Foxtrot.



She's bouncy and perky which can annoy some people. It usually annoys me too, but she really just seems to be one of those people who is genuinely happy and excited about things so I'm not really bothered by it.

Oh and count me in as one of those who is very much looking forward to seeing Mark dance the Paso Doble. Matador indeed.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't want to hang out with her IRL just because then I'd have to interact with all that bouncy perkiness and I also find that annoying, but on TV it doesn't bug me either. It doesn't seem to be an act, she just really is that energetic. I can't hold it against her. Now if only she would go easy on the tanning...

I was wondering about Mark giving her the pink flowers and when he said, "I did my research." I thought that the first time the pros knew who their celebrity partners were was when they met for the first time? Somebody said that this was so that the pros wouldn't do research on the celebrities and quit if they thought they wouldn't get very far. What gives? Do the pros know, but the celebrities are kept in the dark?

It is so plainly obvious that ABC loaded this girl into the mix despite her professional training. She can play all the happy-girly-talk she wants to fool us, but this gal is a pro working to further her career like the Fat-one. ABC just can't resist, can they?

Mark's dance style seems to follow the trend away from ballroom standards and into circus moves like the Houghs. That trend saddens me and will keep me from voting for this couple.

I see your point, greenknees. I think I read somewhere that Marky's parents, Corky and Shirley, were famous for incorporate "innovations" into their dancing -- which you might want to call something else :) So maybe at least he comes by it honestly. I think I remember Bruno saying the cha cha they did was "impeccable" (sp?) so maybe there will be a good bit of straight dancing, according to rules, in their dances, especially after they were chided pretty sternly about the hip hop. Mel B and I think Floyd did some hip hop and nobody said a word, so they might could get away with it, but I'm not sure Sabrina could, at this point. Not being a ballroom person, I actually like show-dancing/tricks and stuff - I think it's exciting - but I get that purists would be annoyed. Oh, and didn't they take some points AWAY from Joey on his waltz when he wasn't "showy" enough (well, Carrie and Bruno did - Len didn't but Len didn't give him a 10 on his waltz either.) If I were a competitor, I wouldn't be sure that I should stick to basics. From watching the show, I think that razz-ma-tazz does better than strictly-by-the-book. Maybe it shouldn't but I think it does.

I'm also of two minds about the fairness issue and prior training. To me, the least fair thing, short of having a fulltime professional ballroom dancer being one of the "stars", is the age difference. How can a 65 year old, pot-bellied retired actor like John Ratzenberger be considered a reasonable opponent for a 24 year old, currently-training Olympic gold-medal speedskater? Like in what universe is that fair?

For that matter, how can women compete against men because what they're doing is a basically a different sport (doing the woman's part compared to doing the men's)? It's like the difference between men's and women's gymnastics, which is huge!

And a woman who performed with the Kirov Ballet Company isn't a ringer? And Mario Lopez, Stacy Keibler, dancing-boy-banders Joeys & Drew, dancing-girl-banders Scary Spice and Sabrina, there are SO many with lots of show-biz DANCING experience. I think they decided that if their dancing background wasn't specifically ballroom training then they were o.k. And I think she fits the letter of that law. And funny that none of the ringers (except Drew?) has won, so maybe people factor that in with their voting?

It looks like she isn't going to run away with the vote:

"The DialIdol ranking, after women's night, based on raw score and votes is:

Jane & Tony
Marie & Jonathan
Melanie & Maksim
Sabrina & Mark
Jennie & Derek
Helio & Julianne
Josie & Alec"

Helio wasn't even dancing but got more votes than Josie :(

How is this different from anyone else on the show? No one is doing this show out of the goodness of their hearts or because the prize is a sparkly ball on a stick. That goes for pros as well as stars.

DialIdol isn't very accurate at this early point in the competition. Towards the end, sure. But at the beginning they don't even make predictions on who is going home based because the results are too close, or it is impossible to call.

At this point other than knowing Josie and Mark were obviously pulling less viewer votes than the others, it is impossible to tell who is getting the most or least votes.

I'm glad to hear that, msrayrudd. And I was wondering how Helio could get more votes than Josie when Tom Bergeron said the men's lines wouldn't be open?

Oh, if anybody's interested, I found I nice topless picture of Mark Ballas:

http://www.markballas.com/spgm/index.php?s...=19#spgmPicture

And a whole slew of pictures of him and Julianne at that site, winning a bunch of competitions - Blackpool, whatever that is, London, etc.

Wow. Thanks Elsa for the link to Mark's website. Its amazing. He has lots of videos with Derek and Juliane when they were all young. There's also a vid of them spoofing Smooth Criminal.

Love the guy. He is just too adorkable.

When he is just talking, he seems his age. When he's dancing, though...he's MY age (my type, my everything!).
The videos show just how young the Hough kids and Mark really are. Only a few years ago, they were young prodigies, the kind you see at school talent shows and go, "whoa!". Now they're on TV, and you see them as professionals. Their parents must have done a good job because they seem to be well-adjusted, happy people.

". . . funny that none of the ringers (except Drew?) has won, so maybe people factor that in with their voting?. . ."

Good point. I hope you are right. It truly takes the fun out of the show to have some of them with observably greater experience -- e.g., Sabrina and Joey F. I wasn't paying much attention before that.

I had never heard of Mark Ballas before DWTS, but I'm really loving him. He's so cute and a really great dancer. Even though I'm not a huge fan of Sabrina, I like them together. Plus, well, he has assets to rival Maks. Does anyone else see a resemblance between him and Michael Urie (aka Marc from Ugly Betty? When I was watching the results show, it was almost scary how similar he looked.

Oh, me too. I loved the part where he was showing Sabrina what was hiphop and what was ballroom.

Thanks Elsa for the link. It was a gold mine of photos and videos. For those who can stand to re-watch the cha cha, on the home page (www.markballas.com) there is a video where EW interviews Sabrina and Mark that was interesting.

Boy, that trio, Derek, Julianne, and Mark, are super-talented and seem so sweet that I'm glad they are doing the show this season. I was pre-disposed to liking Mark because I loved his parents and he has not disappointed.

There is a possibility that the Mark/Sabrina pairing could reach the finals. I'm waiting to see what Sabrina can do with the standard dances. But if they do, I see Mark choreographing a hip hop routine since that's what Sabrina would want to do. I'm a little sad that it could be that predictable. But I'd like to see what Mark can do choreographically when he isn't constrained as with the ballroom dances since he's limited by what Sabrina can learn in a short time period.

I still think Mark is one of the best pros they've ever had for his debut season. He's overshadowed by Sabrina, but he's more than a match for her and most of the others would probably have a hard time containing her energy. He's great to watch on the dance floor.

I like Mark too - I think he is perfect for Sabrina out of any of the male pros.

I think he's really great. I like his flashiness - with her, I think it's just right because she needs someone strong for balance as she's such a dynamo. I can't imagine her doing as well with any of the other pros so she's really lucky he came along. And he's lucky to have her too because that girl can deliver and seems to work really really hard. Not to mention the fact that she makes him look tall.

I didn't understand Len's criticism. What is it that he wanted to see more of? The couple stopping and the girl doing more under-arm twirls? I noticed they didn't do much of that, which you usually see a lot of. What else do you do when you slow down a quickstep? Or maybe he meant something else - more speed changes? I really didn't get it. But I never got Len's criticism of Julianne's choreography on Rumba 2 not being romantic enough - after complaining their Cha Cha was too raunchy and their Tango had no passion.

I also read somewhere that Len didn't like (or didn't get along with) Corky Ballas. It was just a post on a message board (maybe here) but I can't get it out of my mind. Last season I wondered if that's why Julianne's choreography bothered him.

Oh well, I was delighted with Mark and Sabrina's Quickstep and didn't think I would be. Now I'm worried about Sabrina and the really slow dances, like the Waltz and Rumba, especially after Len's comments (and the way he kept fussing at Julianne last season for being too "hectic".) But I was stupid to worry this time, so I'm hoping Sabrina proves me wrong.

I agree with this completely, MarkC99.



I couldn't begin to get in Len's head so I'll just pretend to take what he said at face value. Given that, I was trying to think about this too, Elsa. I can see how Len might want more of all the above...more oversways, more variation in the tempo of the steps by using other patterns, etc. In principle, I even agree with his general criticism. Perhaps another more experienced choreographer could've incorporated more "light and shade".

But, then, I (who admittedly am no choreographer) tried to rewatch it again to see where I'd put it in --- and I kept coming to the conclusion that the music was fairly relentless. They DID put in a few moments where it didn't fight the music. But, overall, the beat was a driving one and was played that way by the band - as one might expect from this band. Where, exactly, did Len want changes that a beginner - even a beginner such as Sabrina - could reasonably do?

I think Mark made a completely understandable choice. He had a partner who was capable of doing so much closed partnering fast work and it was their first time out. Why not show it off instead of fight the music? Clearly, he's decided to play to her strengths these first two weeks. I'm not sure if he should continue to do so (at least, so overtly) but they've definitely interested me enough to want to see what happens next.

Good point. I think the "experienced" part is also really important to note and that we sometimes forget how young these kids are. Mark is only 21. With all that youth and energy, I am not surprised that he, Julianne (only 18), and Derek (also 21 I believe) go for the "highlight after highlight, knock your socks off" style of choreography. Yes, they were all trained by the same people but I really do think that their ages play a part in it. As they get older and gain more experience, I think their choreography will mature. Personally, I love all three of them but I can definitely see how their style would wear on some people.

It would be nice if the producers would go back to allowing the pros to bring in outside help to advise and make suggestions. As you said, a more experienced choreographer could suggest where to incorporate those "quieter" moments. I think Louis and Charlotte J. would be so perfect for this.

HAHA, this is hilarious but to keep things on topic, I love Mark! He's adorably perfect. I've been reading this thread from the beginning and I had no idea he danced with Julianne. Makes sense that they have the highest scores with Sabrina and Helio. I can't wait to see them dance together!

Does anyone remember that website with dances from all the seasons? I'd like to see the first pro dance again and watch out for Mark.

Kerri, I heard somewhere that entire episodes will be on You Tube? And last season they were at ABC.com but I'm not sure about this season. The guy, Raphael, who used to do them isn't doing them this season :(

BTW, I was reading an interview from this past week, and Sabrina said that Marky is a champion in Jive and has never lost in international competition in that dance! He and Derek are both assigned Jive so I hope it's a great week for the best-buds, adoptive brothers, roommates, band-mates, or whatever they are (all those things, I think.)

Not sure where you got this info, but Raphael DOES broadcast the shows live on his webcam every week, plus has all of the dances on his website. I know because I've watched them (at work... ssshhh....).

Kerri - here's Raphael's site

And this is the 900th time I've posted this, but yes, the entire episodes ARE posted on abc.com's "full episode player." There's even a link to it from their DWTS homepage. It takes about a half-day for them to post it, but I watched last night's results show at about 11 am today.