How Is Mark Ballas Connected to ‘Gilmore Girls’?
Gilmore Girls aired the final episode of its original run way back in 2007. The series has found a much larger loyal fandom in the years since. The endless rewatches have led to plenty of lore about the show, and Lauren Graham is teasing some of what fans will learn in an upcoming documentary. One piece of juicy Gilmore Girls lore involves Dancing with the Stars pro Mark Ballas.
Mark Ballas Jr. was mentioned in a season 4 episode of ‘Gilmore Girls’
Mark Ballas Jr. was still just a teen when season 4 of Gilmore Girls hit the air. He was years away from becoming a household name, but he was mentioned in the series. In the 2003 episode “Ballrooms and Biscotti,” Emily Gilmore holds Rory Gilmore hostage on the evening before she leaves for Yale. During the episode, she talks Rory into watching reruns of ballroom dancing competitions, noting that they feature Corky and Shirley Ballas. She even makes mention of “Corky Jr.”
Viewers in 2003 likely didn’t think twice about it. But the couple Emily described are real dancers, and their son is Mark Ballas, who went on to become a champion on Dancing with the Stars. Corky Ballas, whose full name is Mark Alexander Ballas Sr., is a retired competitive ballroom dancer who holds several Latin dance championship titles. Shirley later became head judge of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, taking over from Len Goodman in 2017. Corky, meanwhile, has also competed on Dancing with the Stars. Mark Ballas Jr., famed dance pro, is their only son.
A reference that aged remarkably well
In a series filled with obscure pop culture references, the Ballas family name drop is particularly unique. The throwaway line seemingly predicted Mark Ballas Jr.’s rise to fame. When the episode aired, Mark was still a teenager training in London. He attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts on a full scholarship, and in 2005 he was named “Performer of the Year.” Only later did he move on to championships at the British, U.S., and International Opens.
He joined Dancing with the Stars in 2007, the year Gilmore Girls went off the air. He went on to become one of the show’s most recognizable professionals, winning the Mirrorball Trophy with Kristi Yamaguchi and Shawn Johnson.
While the reference is a fun piece of Gilmore Girls lore, Mark Ballas Jr. has never discussed the random name drop. With the upcoming documentary, we can only hope he might eventually. When we’ll see that documentary, however, remains anyone’s guess.
While HBO Max announced the project months ago, there is no official release date yet. Lauren Graham updated fans in September on the project’s status, insisting that filming is absolutely underway. Graham is also working on a book about the series with show creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino.
