Ready for the next chapter. Mark Ballas took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 31, to explain his absence from season 23 of Dancing With the Stars by sharing a photo of a handwritten note.
“I wanted to hand write this letter to personally thank each and every one of you for the support over the years. I am incredibly moved and grateful for all of your messages over the past 24 hours,” the ballroom champ, 30, wrote. “I know many of you are concerned and curious. I want to wish my DWTS comrades luck this season. I’ll miss competing and creating outside the box.”
As previously reported, ABC announced on August 30 which professional dancers will be foxtrotting their way through the upcoming season of DWTS. Ballas — who placed second with UFC fighter and model Paige VanZant on season 22 of the competition series — was noticeably missing from the roster. But fans shouldn’t worry; Ballas (who has competed every season since 2007’s season 5) teased an exciting new project in his emotional ’gram.
“However, I am looking forward to this new chapter and venture that is beginning shortly,” he continued. “I will soon have news for you all where to find me. I hope to see many of you there.”
The Texas native concluded: “I love you all so much and couldn’t be more grateful for your loyalty and support. You mean the world to me.”
Though Ballas won’t be returning for ABC’s next round of rumbas, Derek Hough and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who previously took a break from the show, are making their way back to the dance floor.
“I decided to return to DWTS because I had an amazing time dancing with my brother this summer during our tour. It felt great,” Chmerkovskiy, 36 — who is expecting his first child with pregnant fiancée and fellow DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd — tells Us of his decision to come back. “Getting back into shape allowed me to entertain this idea.”
Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC for its 23rd season on Monday, September 12, at 8 p.m. ET.
