Mark Ballas Reveals How Mom Shirley Keeps Him Honest on 'Dancing With the Stars: Next Pro'

Mark Ballas revealed that his mother, Shirley Ballas, remained the first person he turned to for honest feedback.

"She’s trained me my whole life, and it’s whenever I want a very straight, honest, direct opinion about my own work, that’s the first call I make," Mark told People at the Dancing With the Stars: Next Pro Premiere Watch Party on Monday, July 13.

He said, "[It’s] great. Just another day in the office for me."

The mother-son duo served as judges on the new competition series, where 12 dancers competed for a professional spot on Season 35 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.

They are joined by a rotating guest judge each episode, including Derek Hough and Witney Carson, while Robert Irwin hosts the series.

Mark explained that he brought a new perspective to the judging panel after nearly two decades as a professional dancer.

"I’ve been a pro for so long, so I feel for the contestants. I understand," he said.

He also noted that his mother’s approach was different because her background was in competitive ballroom dancing, not judging.

"Whereas my mom has only been a judge on Strictly. She was a professional competitive dancer her whole life, but on Strictly... she’s only come at it as a judge," he explained.

Mark said, "I’m a current pro. I just came off. There’s moments where I’m proud and I’m excited. There’s moments where I feel for them. There’s moments where I expect more."

He shared that his goal was to help contestants improve rather than criticize their performances.

"But I think my whole role is to serve as someone who’s like, ‘Yo, I’ve done this job many times," the 40-year-old revealed.

Mark continued, "I’m on your team. I’m gonna give you constructive feedback. It’s not always gonna be what you wanna hear, but that’s how I was raised and coached by my mom."

Shirley welcomed Mark in 1986 with her then-husband, Corky Ballas. The pair trained him from a young age in London alongside fellow dancers Derek and Julianne Hough before Shirley and Corky split in 2007.

Despite their divorce, the family has continued to support Mark's career.

After he and Charli D'Amelio won Dancing With the Stars in November 2022, Shirley told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that she and Corky celebrated during a family FaceTime call.

Shirley became head judge on Strictly Come Dancing following Len Goodman's departure in 2017. According to Mark, his mother’s biggest strength as a judge was that she explained her critiques instead of giving vague opinions.

Speaking with WABC, he said Shirley focuses on giving dancers feedback they can actually use.

"My mom’s not going to tell you, ‘Well, I don’t like it,'" he admitted. "She will tell you, ‘I don’t like it. Here’s why.'"

"Because she’s so accomplished in her field. She is so knowledgeable about Latin American ballroom dancing that she can give you constructive feedback that is simple, concise and to the point that you can take further," Mark said.