Charli D'Amelio, the Season 31 champion of 'Dancing With the Stars' ('DWTS'), wished her pro partner Mark Ballas a happy birthday on Instagram with a heartfelt message that included a series of short videos from their outstanding dancing practices with some much more impressive falls, staged and otherwise.
Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer who competes on ABC's 'DWTS'. He debuted on the show in season five and he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography. Ballas also released his debut solo CD, HurtLoveBox.
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'Happy birthday...'
"Happy birthday to the one and only @markballas forever thankful to have you in my life my dance partner forever," D'Amelio captioned the post. With the knowledge that the most recent season of 'DWTS' was likely Ballas' last, the post takes on new significance. Ballas announced his departure from 'Dancing With the Stars' after 20 seasons, at the Pearl Concert Theatre of the Palm Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the show's final tour date for Season 31.
"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 stated in a fan's recorded video. "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," he added.
'I had the best time ever'
Ballas made the announcement while on stage alongside D'Amelio, with whom he had won his third and final Mirrorball Trophy. "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, and the D'Amelio family, you guys mean the world to me. Thank you for everything," Ballas remarked.
"I'm not saying this is the end, [but] this is the last time I will be dancing with a [celebrity] partner. 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," popculture reported.
Ballas hints at retirement from 'Dancing With the Stars', saying he stays present in the moment to create his dances. He will let us know if he will return in six months.