Mark Ballas Endorses Same Sex Couple Dancing On Dancing With The Stars (TAKE POLL)
Mark Ballas tells Rob Shuter of Pop Eater that even though there are some disadvantages, he’s fine if he were to get partnered with a male partner on Dancing With The Stars. Rob mentions the possibility of Ricky Martin dancing with him which Mark is open too. Mark also mentions another dream partner >>> PIPPA MIDDLETON!! Now, that would be a cool person to get on the show as well. More below and at the link.
“We have eight male professional dancers and one is gay,” Mark tells me. “I never dealt with the stigma, I was at a performing arts school, so it wasn’t an issue. I always thought if I were ever confronted about it, I’d just say, “Well, while you’re on the football field with a bunch of dudes, I’ll be dancing with a bunch of girls.”
Mark says straight men that are reluctant or just generally scoff at the idea of dancing should break out of their comfort zone.
“It doesn’t make sense that men wouldn’t want to dance,” he says. “How can you not want to dance with your girl? How can you not want to do that?”
Mark tells me that his first choice of celebrity dance partner next season would be Royal sister, Pippa Middleton, but would be totally fine with the idea of being the first American cast member to dance with a same sex partner.
“I would be totally cool with it,” Mark tells me. “There are other competitions where they have same sex couples. I’d support it. There is a slight inherent disadvantage. Two girls and two men just can’t move like a man and a woman. But you can try.”
So what about if he was partnered with Ricky Martin next season, “I’d be down!” says Mark.
So, what do you think? I’d love to see Ricky Martin dance on the show too…even if it’s with a male partner. This article makes me wonder if the show isn’t seriously considering the idea of a same sex couple dancing for next Season? If so, would you be game? Vote in our new Poll below if interested.
well, well, well!! I thought Mark was GAY already or at the least bi-sexual. I guess not. My sister swears Maks is so far in the closet that he does everything to hide it. She thinks Dennis D his former room mate was really his boyfriend. I know Louis is openly gay but like Mark said I don’t think Louis could ever bring the sesuality to a rhumba or any dance with a man like he did with Monique (high school musical). The pairing of same sex couples is inherently unatural and not pleasing aesthetically. It will turn off a lot of viewers. BTW, I think Maks should have chosen Yana.
I mean sensuality. Sorry about the typo. LOL
NO, NO, Absolutely NO!!!!!!
I dont give a rip about anyones sexuality, but DWTS is doing just fine as it is. No need to change a thing, you know the old saying, ‘If its aint broke dont fix it’…
Maybe Mark is trying to tell us something????
Well in the episode of Melissa and Joey he did he had to dance with Joey Lawrence and honestly it was quite funny. They have also done male partners on SYTYCD for a certain style which work for there show. Not sure how it will work on DWTS with out being too cheesy.
@ Amanda, the difference with SYTYCD having two guys or girls dancing is the style of dance. on DWTS it’s is ballroom and I don’t think it would go over. I’m not prejudice but I would not like to see it on DWTS.
I’m giving this one a resounding “No!” and it has nothing to do with my feelings towards homosexuality – love is love to me. This topic has come up before, and it seems like a lot of us agreed that there’s still enough anti-gay sentiment in the US that it wouldn’t be fair to a same-sex couple to have to go up against it on the show. Maybe in 10 years attitudes will change…who knows. But now is not the time.
In addition, the very notion of a same sex couple kinda goes against the cardinal principle of ballroom dancing: women dancing like women and men dancing like men. Women are expected to move in a feminine manner, and men in a masculine one – each dance is meant to illustrate the relationship between the masculine and the feminine. The combination of masculine & feminine is still expected in a same-sex partnership – so either one of the men is going to move femininely, or one of the women is going to have to move masculinely. Not exactly the prettiest picture, considering women’s & men’s bodies are designed to move differently. Now I’ve seen some pretty damn good same-sex ballroom in my day – there was a very good couple a few seasons back that auditioned for SYTYCD, and during my days on my college ballroom team, many of the competitions we went to had “just for fun” same sex rumba contests. But none of those same sex couples have ever been taken seriously as competitors by the judges – the concept is novel, yes, but no amount of fantastic technique can make up for the fact that you’ve got people dancing against the grain of what’s expected from their gender. Attitudes have changed, yes; but this has been a tenet of ballroom for hundreds of years, and it’s likely going to take a LOOOOONG time to undo those expectations – if ever.
I’ve been to a same sex ballroom competetion and it just didn’t seem to work. The rules were different, the lead kept changing, roles were not defined, it was confusing to think of it in terms of ballroom standards. Perhaps it’ll create a new genre in ballroom like cabaret or exhibition with its own set of criteria, I just don’t think you can judge a same sex couple against a male/female couple. And men and women just move differently, because their bodies are different.
Agree – am not at all against homosexuality, but don’t think it suits the dance style of ballroom. Some of my favourite dances on SYTYCD have been two men – but they are not partner dances like on DWTS.
Think if TPTB do make this decision, it will be for ratings and not because they really think two men should dance together. After all the recent controversy of the last two seasons, I would like a simple dance contest where we get to see the personality of the stars through their relationship with the pros and watch them grow as dancers. My favourite season of the show was Season 5 when there were so many good couples, but you really felt you got to know their personalities.
My first thought reading this was “of course, Mark would enjoy being the pro for the same sex couple, think of all the attention he would get.” Second thought was “no” although, like Lisa W. upstream, I have enjoyed the same-sex dances on SYTYCD.
If the producers want to shoot up ratings that badly, they’ll do it lol.
I would have to agree that doing same sex dancing for anything other than comedic affect is not likely to work for a variety of reasons. But Mark and Derek have done it on comedy shows (and danced with each other on tour when the women were playing a trick on them – they couldn’t figure out who was leading – it was hilarious) and I don’t think a willingness to play a part is a sign of anything other than just that – willingness and a lack of fear. Which is commendable, IMO. I think Mark’s willingness to do it on DWTS has more to do with the publicity that would be generated.
I think that the same sex pairing would also diminish the “romance” of ballroom dancing for a lot of people. The majority of the country is heterosexual and look at ballroom through a romantic lens – which is why there is so much “shipping” between partners by viewers/fans. It follows logically that a same sex pairing would be less likely to appeal to that group of people and it has little to do with homophobia at all. It just wouldn’t be pleasing to them.
I also liked the same-sex dancing last season on SYTYCD. There was one memorable Paso, but I don’t remember who the two guys were that were dancing. I do think that the choreographers seemed to have a much more difficult time with the choreography, when they had to choreograph same-sex ballroom/Latin dances.
No, Oh please…. I think if they want a GAY dancing show,do it on there own, not on dwts. Barf,barf,
as well, as i know there are and have been gays dancing, judging,and pros, but thats not what they do on the show, they dance with a oppsite sex and ,I hope they judge the dance and not the dancer. and keep this a family show…which is why its so popular now.
^^ Having a same sex couple wouldn’t make it not a “family show.”
Personally, I’ve been less and less thrilled with the way DWTS has gone the last 2 or 3 seasons. I’ve gone from being a FAN – wouldn’t even think of missing a show – to just enjoying the show…if I don’t have anything better to do. It’s gone down-hill as it tries to ‘change’ and get better. Personally, I think if they DO have same-sex dancing they will have “jumped the shark” and that would be the last season of the show. I know it would be the last time I watch.
Same sex couples? Absolutely NOT. I’m not homophobic, and it does seem to work in other styles of dance..but I don’t think it will work in ballroom. For me, as a viewer, watching a male and a female’s bodies move together in some of those ballroom dances is very beautiful and seductive. I just can’t imagine 2 males or 2 females moving together that beautifully.
Ok so Mark’s not gay but one of dream partners is RICKY FRIGGIN MARTIN??? Mark would also love the attention heck as freaky as he’s been the last 2 season I wouldnt be suprised if he just wants to dance with man as I stated above. Totally against the idea of same-sex couples. Sorry to those of you who are for it but going by the poll results most people aren’t ” for their own diffrent reasons ofcourse “.
I always have to guffaw a bit when people try to argue that DWTS is a “family show”. I don’t ever recall it being labeled as such. Skimpy costumes, suggestive dance moves, Bruno’s questionable innuendos – that hardly screams family values to me. So I don’t really think a same-sex couple would all of a sudden make the show unsuitable for family viewing – but hey, that’s just me.
Zach, what’s wrong with Ricky Martin? I LIKE HIM!
C, I agree! How is a same sex couple dancing any different than the skimpy outfits and some of the things Bruno (and even Len) says sometimes?
Watch your step there, Phyllis. Having two men dancing together would NOT suddenly make it a non-family show – unless you think there is something terribly wrong with being gay. There are plenty of reasons for it to not work – that is not one of them. Lots of gay people have great, long lasting families themselves.
LOL Court – and with the way Derek gyrates those hips at times, I also have a hard time with the “family” label. 🙂 I was just watching his a Brooke’s Samba that Len labeled “too erotic” – and I find it hard to argue that it ISN’T erotic. I just don’t have a problem with it. 🙂
Firstly, In no way am I homophobic but that is not a good idea. Love is love and everyone dsereves to marry whomever they want to and live their lives and get their happily ever afters but this is not a good idea 4 the show. Its a jump the shark kind of thing. Just because it worked in some international version of DWTS does not mean that the US version needs to adopt the idea too. The US version is fine the way it is and hte changes they added already are enough. Honestly, if Ricky Martin wants to do the show let him be paired up with a female pro like Lance Bass was during hisseason.
You have a point Vin – I think most would see it as the biggest ratings grab attempt in history and that usually is a “jump the shark” moment. And of course, that is the only reason they would do it.
It has already happened – does anyone else remember Steve Guttenberg’s “Mango” with Jonathon from season 6 week 3 (results show)? I am sure it was done as more of a “fun” dance, and I wasn’t uncomfortable with it at all, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to have same sex couples for a ballroom dancing show.
Why does everyone have to point out that they are not homophobic when the disagree with this stupid idea?
Well, Martin, because there are narrow-minded, ignorant readers out there who falsely assume that not wanting to see a same-sex couple on DWTS means that you hate gay people, period. Trust me – I’ve encountered them before. One batshit-crazy girl on Twitter was ready to report me to the ACLU a few seasons back because I said I didn’t like Louis. Apparently I was unaware that saying anything negative about people that just happen to be gay automatically equates to hate speech. Ridiculous. So if anyone wants to preface their opinion on same-sex couples with a disclaimer of not being homophobic, I have no problem with it. Do you?
Seems like gay people generally have a problem with anyone having an opinion that isn’t exactly like theirs, especially if it happens to touch on a gay or possible gay topic. Now I’m not homophobic (lol), but I guess that makes me HomoQuestionPhobic?
Boy, Mark got exactly what he set out to do……ATTENTION!!! As long as the name Mark Ballas keeps coming up in articles and message boards then his mission has been completed. So Mark says hes open to dancing with Ricky Martin, Would he feel the same if his partner was Ross Matthews? Probably not.
Wonder what he will come up with for next week?
I’m sick of political BS getting thrown into everything. Ballroom dancing is based on traditional movements that are best suited to using people of different genders. As is often stated the male is the frame and the female is the picture. I’d hate to have that dynamic lost. It’s an artform
While there are exceptions–most woman don’t have the strength to perform the traditional male role in the various dances and and even fewer men would be able to take on athe traditional female role in the dances performed on this show.
Having a m/f dance together has nothing to do with their sexual preferences. It’s about teamwork–not sex.
Two women dancing would be so hot, but two men NOT!!!
I told my mom about this article and the first thing she said was “Does Mark really need the attention that badly?” LOL