Mark Ballas was born in Houston Texas on May 24, 1986. He is a dancer, choreographer, singer, musician, actor, and songwriter. Although he is American, he spent much of his childhood in the UK as his mother is of English heritage. He studied first at the Rosemead Preparatory School in South London before he earned a full scholarship to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts at the age of 11. He is best-known as one of the professional dancers on the ABC dance competition ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in which he has appeared since 2007. He is now one of the most successful pro dancers since the series began. Here are five more things that you probably didn’t know about Mark Ballas.
1. He Inherited His Parents’ Talent for Dancing
While his own hard work is one of the reasons why Mark Ballas is such a talented dancer, it is also likely that he inherited genes from his parents that made him such a phenomenal performer. Both his parents, Corky and Shirley, are successful dancers with a string of wins and achievements behind them. Not only did they own their own dance studio in Houston, they also won the Dancesport Championship in England. They also encouraged their son in every way to achieve his dream of becoming a professional dancer and follow in their footsteps.
2. Ballas Was an Extra in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’
Mark Ballas had a role as an extra in the first of the Harry Potter series of films, known in the UK as ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. He dressed as a member of Hufflepuff house for the scene with the ‘Sorting Hat’.
3. He is Married to BC Jean
In 2015, Ballas got engaged to BC Jean, whose real name is Brittany Jean Carlson. The couple then married in Malibu, California, on November 25, 2016. BC Jean is an American singer and songwriter who is best-known for writing ‘If I Were a Boy’ which was sung by Beyoncé. Ballas and BC Jean form a singer -songwriter duo called Alexander Jean.
4. He Founded a Charitable Organization
Despite his busy schedule, he has found time to help those in need. He is passionate about raising awareness of mental health issues and suicide. His inspiration to found a charity came from the death of his uncle who committed suicide after suffering from mental illness. The charity is called ‘The Ballas Foundation’. One of his main aims is to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illness and to set up suicide prevention programs across the United States.
5. His Grandfather is an Inventor
Ballas is not the only talented member of his family. His grandfather, George C. Ballas, invented a contraption called the Weed Eater. He came up with his invention while using a car wash. It made him think how the mechanism worked to clean a car and how he could adapt this concept and apply it to a gardening tool. He founded a company that produced a string trimmer in 1971.
Follow Us
