Mark Ballas Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 6 in |
Weight | 70 kg |
Date of Birth | May 24, 1986 |
Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Spouse | Brittany Jean Carlson |
Mark Ballas is an American dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and television personality who has been a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC show Dancing with the Stars. He was nominated for an Emmy for “Outstanding Choreography” in 2011. As a musician, he has been a member of the duo Alexander Jean, alongside BC Jean. The duo has released extended plays and tracks like For Anybody Wondering, So Bad, Head High, Coming Down, Roses and Violets, High Enough, O Holy Night, Stampede (ft. Lindsey Stirling), Paper Planes, Highs & Lows, Waiting for You, We Three Kings (ft. Casey Abrams), Nevermind, and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.
Born Name
Mark Alexander Ballas Jr.
Nick Names
Mark, Alexander Jean
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
Houston, Texas, United States
Residence
Laurel Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Mark studied at Rosemead Preparatory School in South London.
When he turned 11, he earned a spot for full-time academic and vocational training at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
For higher education, Mark acquired a scholarship to continue studying in the Italia Conti Arts Centre for a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre.
Occupation
Actor, Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Dancer, Choreographer, Reality TV Personality
Family
- Father – Mark Alexander Ballas Sr. aka Corky Ballas (Professional Ballroom Dancer, Competitive Latin dancer)
- Mother – Shirley Rich (Ballroom Dancer, Dance Teacher, Dance Adjudicator)
- Siblings – He has no siblings.
- Others –
- George A. Rich (Maternal Grandfather)
- Audrey Rich (Maternal Grandmother)
- David Rich (Maternal Uncle) (Expired)
- Mary Rich (Cousin)
- George Charles Ballas, Sr (Paternal Grandfather) (Bombardier in World War II, American Entrepreneur)
- Maria Louisa Marulanda Ballas (Paternal Grandmother) (Singer / Dancer)
- George Ballas Jr. (Paternal Uncle)
- Michelle Ballas Pritchard (Paternal Aunt)
- Maria Ballas Jamail (Paternal Aunt)
- Lillian Ballas Miles (Paternal Aunt)
Manager
Mark has been repped by –
- Tara Joseph, J.A.M (Manager)
- Kaedian LLP (Law Firm)
- Keith Naisbit, Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California (Agent)
- Rona Menashe, Guttman PR, Beverly Hills, California (Publicist)
Genre
Pop, Rock, Folk
Instruments
Vocals, Steel String Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums
Labels
- Hollywood Records
- HitPlay Records (Red Music, Sony)
Net Worth
His net worth had been $3 Million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 6 in or 168 cm
Weight
70 kg or 154 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Mark Ballas has dated –
Race / Ethnicity
Biracial (Predominantly White, part Hispanic)
His father has Mexican, Greek, and Spanish ancestry while his mother comes from English and Irish lineage.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Thick, curly hair
- Two prominent moles on the right cheek and one on the right temple
- Several tattoos on the body and has his left forearm completely covered in tattoos while the right arm has a full tattoo sleeve
Shoe Size
9 (US) or 8.5 (UK) or 42 (EU)
Brand Endorsements
- He promotes the following guitar brands:
- Martin Guitars
- Kremona Flamenco Guitars
- He quit smoking and shared his story through an ad campaign issued in the public interest by being a spokesperson for Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK). Mark encouraged other smokers to get over their addiction by using Blueprint to Quit, a nicotine replacement therapy created by GSK and promoted in partnership with Walmart in 2013.
- Mark frequently promotes a drink called Keto Max on his social media accounts.
Best Known For
- His long stint as a choreographer in the reality dance competition called Dancing with the Stars.
- Mark started with season 5 of the show and competed for all the forthcoming seasons till season 22 (2016) after which he took a break for two seasons.
- From seasons 5 to 22, he won the show twice (season 6, 8), was declared second 3 times (season 14, 19, 22), and finished in the third-place 3 times as well (season 11, 12, 18).
First Album
As a part of Ballas Hough Band also known as Almost Amy, Mark released BHB (March 2009) which was the debut and only album of that group.
As a solo artist, his first album was HurtLoveBox (March 2011).
As one half of Alexander Jean duet, he first released an EP called Head High (June 2016).
First Film
An uncredited role of a Hogwarts schoolboy in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001).
First TV Show
As an actor, Mark had 1 episode of appearance as Mateo Romero in Samantha Who? in 2008.
Personal Trainer
- The biggest lifestyle change made by Mark to improve his fitness was to quit smoking in his late 20s when he realized he frequently got out of breath during dance rehearsals.
- He revealed getting over his dependence on cigarettes was a long, slow process that required a lot of perseverance considering that he started smoking after he turned 16 and could easily smoke up to a pack of cigarettes a day in his teens.
- Sometimes, he takes up fight training at a place like True Warrior Fitness, for a change of pace from his usual routine.
- 4 to 5 hours of daily dance rehearsals are more than enough cardio for Mark, so he primarily hits the gym to focus on strength training.
- Since he has a lot of injuries, he needs a personal trainer to customize a program that rehabilitates his weaknesses and sustains his body’s ability to withstand his rigorous lifestyle.
- Hence, along with free weights and a TRX suspension trainer, Mark does a variety of core exercises.
- Since 2016, Mark actively started favoring a Ketogenic diet.
- From Thanksgiving to the Christmas holidays is the only time, Mark tends to slack in his strict diet and exercise routine.
- To lose the holiday pounds quickly, Mark’s strategy in the past has been to start his day with a cold-pressed juice followed by an apple and a handful of organic nuts such as almonds/cashews before hitting the gym.
- Post-workout, he consumes a very dense protein shake that is made up of:
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
- 1 tablespoon organic peanut butter
- 2 medium bananas
- 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg
- 6 ounces of water
- After a long day of mainly a liquid diet, he consumes a heavy dinner such as grilled organic chicken with vegetables.
- He schedules a cheat meal to eat whatever he wants for dinner after his performance on Dancing with the Stars.
Mark Ballas Favorite Things
- Color – Lime Green, Turquoise
- Guilty Pleasure – Pizza, Pasta
- Pizza Brand – Domino’s Mighty Meaty
- Cuisine – Italian, Mexican
- Dance Forms – Jive, Lindy Hop, Cha-Cha, Samba
- Dream Vacation Spot – Bora Bora
- Sport – Soccer
- Sports Team – Manchester United
- Band – Nirvana
- Musical Influences – Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Sia
- Contemporary Artist – Ed Sheeran
Source – USA Today, Daily Burn, US Magazine, InStyle
Mark Ballas Facts
Featured Image by Justin Higuchi / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
ncG1vNJzZmiglZa5tbTYnJylnZJjsLC5jqaYq6Ndl66tuMCsZg%3D%3D