Mark Ballas Announces Official Retirement From Dancing With the Stars

It’s the end of an era as Mark Ballas says goodbye to Dancing With the Stars. During the final stop on the Dancing With the Stars tour, in which Ballas made a few appearances with celebrity partner Charli D’Amelio, he performed some of their standout pieces from the season and made his announcement.

Before performing this season’s freestyle, and, ultimately, his last dance, Ballas took the mic first to thank his parents and wife, who were in attendance that night. Then, he thanked the fans who’ve supported him on his 16-year journey as a pro and his music career.

Sorry for the wait here’s the video https://t.co/0vVwbOKsOc pic.twitter.com/Wjb53sYEZF

— Aya (@BeanBallas) March 13, 2023

“I started this journey when I was 21, 22. Honestly, being able to dance and perform for you fans, you guys are the best fans. Thank you,” he began.

“So, I just wanna finish by saying this will be the last time you see me dance in this capacity. I’m coming to a close tonight. This is gonna be my last dance…I had the best time ever this season, and this freestyle was just a great way to finish it off. This song means the world to me; Charli means the world to me; the D’Amelio family, you guys mean the world to me. Thank you for everything,” the professional dancer continued.

I love them so much!! 💜💙 @charlidamelio @MarkBallas pic.twitter.com/IZFjYEwlev

— emms (fan acc) (@charliupdatezs) March 11, 2023

“I’m not saying this is the end, [but] this is the last time I will be dancing with a [celebrity] partner,” he clarified. “And I wanted to finish this with Charli, and I appreciate you guys so much. I wanna do this freestyle for you one more time. Thank you for everything; I appreciate it,” Ballas ended. 

His announcement prompted a standing ovation from the crowd, tears from D’Amelio as well as the rest of the pro dancers on the stage. Later on that night, Ballas took his final bow and officially closed his DWTS chapter.

Ballas’ statement is upsetting for fans but not a complete shock. The last time Ballas competed on the show was in season 25, where he and celebrity partner Lindsey Stirling took second to Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold. Therefore, his return this season was a huge surprise as fans thought he was already done with DWTS; however, there is no better way to leave than to leave on top.

Mark Ballas now has a legacy that will live on at DWTS! We will remember all the awesome dances he gave us and this isn’t the end, this is only the beginning of a brand new era! 💚

— M.B 💚 (@HoughKin) March 14, 2023

Throughout his time on DWTS, Ballas partnered with several notable stars like Melissa Joan Hart, Christina Milian, Paige VanZant, Kim Kardashian, and Sabrina Bryan, winning the Mirrorball trophy three times with Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, and Charli D’Amelio.

Over the course of 20 seasons, Mark Ballas was known for his laundry list of uber-creative routines like Sabrina Bryan’s stunning Cha Cha, Sadie Robertson’s Super Mario-themed freestyle, Willow Shields’ Contemporary inspired by The Hunger Games, and Charli D’Amelio’s Contemporary that portrayed her journey with anxiety.

Ballas’ departure makes it the third “DWTS OG” departure this year as pro dancer Cheryl Burke and judge Len Goodman also announced their retirements this season. This only means that a new chapter of Dancing With the Stars is about to begin, and fans can’t wait to see what awaits.

Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars is set to premiere sometime this September, but for now, season 31 is available for streaming only on Disney+.