‘Dancing With the Stars’ Fans Think Beloved Pro Dancer Is Returning After Years Away

A Dancing With the Stars alum might be eyeing a return to the ballroom.

Fans of the dancing competition series are convinced that former pro Mark Ballas is coming back after a hiatus.

Ballas was a pro on DWTS from 2007 to 2022 and won three times. He returned last season as a guest judge and also performed a routine with fellow former pro and current judge Derek Hough. It has not been announced yet which pros will be part of the Season 34 cast, but people are speculating that Ballas might be returning. The fan-favorite pro posted an Instagram video of him and fellow pro and most recent Mirrorball champ Jenna Johnson dancing together alongside the caption, “Going back to basics is not a step backward. It’s often the first step to progress.”

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While it isn’t unusual for DWTS pros to dance together, it’s more so what was said in the comments. After a fan wrote, “Would love to see mark on this season,” Ballas’ dad, Corky Ballas, responded, “u never know” with some pretty happy emojis. Additionally, fans on Reddit couldn’t help but notice that Ballas was doing a lot of ballroom dancing, with one saying, “In my bones I know mark isn’t coming back but he is sure doing a lot of ballroom training.”

Some are thinking it could just be for a special anniversary number for the show, but most would rather see him as a judge or even a mentor of some sort. Ballas was last on the show for Season 31, where he was paired with influencer Charli D’Amelio and the two won the Mirrorball Trophy. He has stated in the past that he was retiring after that season, so it’s quite possible that he was just dancing with a friend or training for something else. At the very least, it’s not entirely impossible for him to be a full-time judge on the show, so you never know what could happen.

It’s anyone’s guess as to who will be competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, but with Season 34 premiering on Sept. 16, it shouldn’t be long until a full cast is announced. Some of the celebrity contestants have already been announced, meaning it’s only just a matter of time before more join them.