While many of you probably know him for his famous footwork on our ABC Network hit show "Dancing With the Stars", some of you might not be aware of his critically acclaimed music
.Mark Ballas, the musician, has earned high marks around the globe for his well written, melodically pleasing songs.
We caught up with him during a show at The World Café Live.
He shared his candid thoughts on his music, fans, and of course, his success on "Dancing With the Stars".
He then went on stage to wow the crowd with his music which included songs from his second solo EP "HurtLoveBox", which is slated for release in February. Please enjoy his biography.
Biography Mark Ballas was born May 24, 1986 in Houston, Texas.
His parents are Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas-two of the most successful and well known ball room dancers to ever compete. Mark is an only child. In 1990 the family moved to London where Mark attended the Italia Conti Academy. At the age of 11 Mark earned a full time slot at the Academy, as well as earning a full scholarship to the college.
In 2005, he was awarded "Performer of the Year". He then moved on to win championships at The British Open to the World, The US Open to the World and The International Open to the World with two different partners.
With his former partner Julianne Hough, he won the Junior Latin American Dance Championship and the gold medal at the Junior Olympics Dancing with the Stars.
On the 5th season of Dancing with the Stars, Ballas was partnered with Cheetah Girls star Sabrina Bryan.
In their first week, they scored 26 out of 30; at the time the highest score earned on the first week by any contestant.
On week 4 of the show, they set another record by scoring 30/30 from the judges for their Paso Doble. On October 30, 2007, the pair was voted off the show.
The announcement was met with shock from the judges and the live audience. An AOL poll voted their elimination "2007's most shocking TV moment." For the second-to-last week, Bryan and Ballas were invited back to the show to perform; another first for any couple.
For the 100th show, their Paso Doble was chosen as number 9 on the top 10 dances of the first five seasons. According to Tonioli, their elimination was the biggest shock of season 5, and this dance was a glimpse of what they could have accomplished. Bryan and Ballas were the only couple in the top 10 that did not make it to the finals.
It was announced that Ballas' partner for Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars was Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.
In the first week, Kristi and Mark received a 27 out of 30 for their foxtrot. This was the highest score to be received on the first week in the entire series. Together, they continued to top the leaderboard for 6 weeks straight, a new record on DWTS.
Kristi and Mark were at the top of the leaderboard for 8 of the 10 weeks of competition; a new DWTS record. They also maintained the highest average as of Week 10 with a 28.3 average including a perfect 90/90 score for the finale; these were both DWTS records. Kristi and Mark's lowest score, a 26, was also the highest "low" score for any contestant throughout the seasons. On May 20, 2008, Ballas and Yamaguchi won the 2008 Season of Dancing with the Stars.
On August 25, 2008, ABC announced the cast of the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and Mark was paired with reality television star Kim Kardashian. They were the second couple eliminated on September 30, 2008.
Mark returned for the eighth season and was paired with Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson who, at age 17, remains the youngest competitor to have appeared on the show to date. On May 19, 2009, Shawn and Mark were crowned champions of season eight. As a result, Mark became the first male pro to win two championships.
For season nine, Mark was paired with actress Melissa Joan Hart, They were eliminated week six.
Season ten found Mark teamed with actress Shannon Doherty. They were the first couple eliminated. After their names were announced, it was revealed that Mark was injured and would have been out for six weeks had they continued in the competition.
Season 11 debuted 9/20/10 and Mark was teamed with Bristol Palin. Team Ballas made it to the finals and finished the season in third place.
Mark Ballas-Musician As a teenager Mark performed in the group 2B 1G with friends Derek and Julianne Hough. Later Mark and Derek formed the group Almost Amy with fellow musicians Emily Grace, Sam Marder, and Harry Sullivan.
The band performed in London and then in 2008 relocated to the United States. Almost Amy was signed by Hollywood Records in the summer of 2008 and changed their name to Ballas Hough Band. Their first single "Do It for You" was released 12/20/08. The CD Ballas Hough Band was released 3/10/09 On November 3, 2009, Mark and Derek performed the single "Move" on Dancing with the Stars as Ballas Hough.
In March 2010 Mark released his first solo EP "Waiting for Patience".
Mark has just finished his second solo EP "HurtLoveBox which should be released in February 2011.
You are now Tuned In to Mark Ballas!
More on the web:
www.markballas.com
www.myspace.com/markballasmusic
More on the venue: www.worldcafelive.com
