ABC/Andrew Eccles Mark Ballas DWTS
Mark Ballas made a surprise announcement about his “Dancing With the Stars” return during the Thursday, September 8, 2022 cast announcement on “Good Morning America.”
Ballas first joined “Dancing With the Stars” during season five of the show and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011, and it was a surprise to fans that he was set to return after a five-year absence.
For the upcoming season, Ballas has been partnered with TikTok superstar Charli D’Amelio. Read on to learn about why he chose to return to the ballroom dance competition.
Ballas Wanted to Return Because Conrad Green Called Him
Conrad Green was an original executive producer on “Dancing With the Stars,” and he returned ahead of season 31.
Ballas said he was in once Green called him to return.
“I got a call from Conrad Green,” he said in an interview with Us Weekly. “I worked with Conrad back when I joined, back in the day, and he was like, ‘would you be down to do it?’ and I was like, ‘it sounds like fun,’ and that’s why I’m here.”
In the interview, Ballas said that D’Amelio’s dance experience may be a hindrance rather than something good for the team.
“Sometimes with that different discipline, you kind of have to go in reverse,” he shared. “But so far we’ve been having fun… She works very hard.”
He also shared that he missed the “creative aspect” of working on the show, so he’s excited to get back to that.
Fans Think Ballas & D’Amelio Will Win
D’Amelio boasts the second-highest following on TikTok with 145.7 million followers. There, she posts dance videos as well as updates fans on her life and products that she loves. The star also joins the roster of celebrities who have dance experience. She’s been taking dance lessons since she was a young girl.
After the partnership was announced, fans took to Reddit to discuss their chance of winning.
“Ok, so Charli and Mark are winning this, right? Excited to have Mark back but also can’t wait to see how the rest do,” one person wrote on Reddit after the partnerships were announced.
Another person wrote, “i would be shocked if they didn’t win, they’re definitely at least going to be top 3.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to root for Charli, but Mark is my favorite ever and I’m so happy he’s back,” one person wrote.
Many are going to root for D’Amelio because she was partnered with Ballas.
Most agree that they believe the partnership will at least make it to the finals.
“Charli + Mark, Wayne + Witney, Jordin + Brandon, Daniel + Brit,” one person predicts about the finale.
Another commented that it would be “obvious” that they make the finale.
Here are the partnerships you’ll see in the ballroom this season:
- Britt Stewart & Daniel Durant
- Cheryl Burke & Sam Champion
- Mark Ballas & Charli D’Amelio
- Peta Murgatroyd & Jason Lewis
- Emma Slater & Trevor Donovan
- Koko Iwasaki & Vinny Guadagnino
- Daniella Karagach & Joseph Baena
- Witney Carson & Wayne Brady
- Val Chmerkovskiy & Gabby Windey
- Alan Bersten & Jessie James Decker
- Artem Chigvintsev & Heidi D’Amelio
- Gleb Savchenko & Shangela
- Louis Van Amstel & Cheryl Ladd
- Brandon Armstrong & Jordin Sparks
- Pasha Pashkov & Teresa Giudice
- Sasha Farber & Selma Blair
Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” premieres on Monday, September 19 on Disney+. The show will be the first live competition show to stream on the platform.
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