Extraordinary Health Magazine EH Magazine VOl 34 | Page 18

Measure of a Man
The Superhuman Discipline of
Mark Ballas
On the surface, being Mark Ballas appears a charmed life,
brimming with all the joys that come along with being a celebrity.
He’s married to the beautiful and talented BC Jean. He is a
chart-topping recording artist. He danced his way into America’s
hearts for 18 seasons on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
by Kelly Merritt
Ballas makes it look so easy. But becoming a
multi-faceted performer who sings, dances, acts,
choreographs, plays guitar, writes songs and
everything in between, doesn’t happen by accident.
Most of all, the road to becoming Ballas is paved with
a tireless work ethic and commitment to reaching
so far beyond what most of us can comprehend, it
seems unattainable to mere mortals. Ask Ballas how
he got to this point in his life, and he will answer in
much the same way all successful people do. It’s
all about discipline and how much you’re willing to
sacrifice to get what you want.
Ballas credits his parents, award-winning Latin
American dancers “Corky” and Shirley for instilling
how he manages his work and personal life.
16 Vol 34 • Extraordinary Health ™