Shirley Ballas will be joining the ballroom tonight as a guest judge on “Dancing with the Stars.” The professional dancer will be using her years of experience to cast a beady eye over the horror-movie-themed week, including her son Mark Ballas and her partner Maura Higgins.
The duo recently worked together on the spin-off series “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” with Ballas admitting his mother is a tough critic. She currently acts as head judge on the UK version of the show, “Strictly Come Dancing.”
Mark Ballas Has Immense Respect For His Mother
Mark Ballas’ parents are both internationally renowned ballroom dancers. She is known as “the Queen of Latin” and, with her then-husband Corky Ballas, won numerous dance competitions.
“My mother is one of the most elite Latin American dance coaches in the world,” Mark Ballas told Good Morning America earlier this year, when speaking about the “Dancing With The Stars” spin-off. “Having her level of expertise on the panel is always an asset. No one knows the craft more than her.”
“She’s been on the side as a judge, and I’ve always been on the side as the pro,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of disagreements out in the field … but we also agreed a lot. She’s very good at what she does, she’s very direct. And when you’re improving on being a professional in this field, you need that.”
But He Has A Warning For His ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Colleagues
In an interview with Extra this week, Mark Ballas jokingly warned everyone on Dancing With The Stars to prepare for Shirley’s judging as a Horror Movie Night judge. He laughed, “Buckle up! Buckle up! I say that to myself!”
“All jokes aside, my mom is a very prestigious mentor and coach,” Mark added.
“Been in the business a very long time. She’s trained many of us here. She’s one of the best dance diagnosers in this genre I’ve ever seen.” Shirley has coached multiple “Dancing With the Stars ” Season 35 cast members, including Mark, Derek, and Julianne Hough, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Val Chmerkovskiy, Brandon Armstrong, and Rylee Arnold.
Mark revealed that he still seeks his mother’s advice as a choreographer. “She gives it to you straight. She gives it to you direct. And it’s always constructive. And she’s a really great help. Even still to this day when I need something figuring out, I’ll send it to mom, and she’ll be like, ‘It’s this, this, and this,’ and I’m like, ‘Yep. You’re right.'”
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Inside Mark Ballas and Mom Shirley’s Relationship Before She Judges Him on DWTS