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Dancing With the Stars pro Mark Ballas and wife BC Jean made their first trip to New York City without 2-year-old son Banksi in tow — and he’s unbothered by his parents’ absence.
“This date night is, like, usually there’s one with us,” Ballas, 40, told Us Weekly exclusively while attending the 2026 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 7, “He was like, ‘See ya, whatever.’ He’s having the best time [without us].”
Banksi might not have been around for this red carpet moment, but Ballas and Jean, 39, told Us that he’s already displaying signs of following in their musical footsteps.
“I think we have a drummer on our hands,” Ballas said. Jean added, “I said that when he was in the belly.”
Ballas continued, “He’s always hearing drums and me isolating them. When the drums are going he wants to be involved in that.”
Jean also told Us that Banksi is “definitely loving being in the studio” as the couple records their upcoming album.
“Every instrument, he likes to touch all of them and hear the sounds,” Jean continued, “[He’s] starting to move a little bit.”
Sports could also be in Banksi’s future.
“He also has an arm,” Ballas said. “For a 2-year-old, you should see him throw a ball. It’s pretty impressive.”
Jean added, “We’re proud parents.”
While they’re celebrating their son’s milestones, Ballas and Jean are also gearing up for a major milestone of their own. The couple will be celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary this upcoming November.
“For us, I don’t know if there’s a secret. I feel like it’s marry your best friend,” Jean told Us about their relationship. “Not just someone that you love, but someone that you can fight with and get through the hard times with. Mainly someone that you can laugh even through the dark stuff.”
Ballas agreed, noting that being “best friends” was the “root” of their relationship.
“We do a lot of things together,” he added. “I love her more and more every day. It’s just marry your best friend.”
Part of their longtime romance will be showcased on their upcoming album, Jean teased.
“During the pregnancy and since having Banksi, we have been creating this album,” she said. “The other day we were listening to our songs, trying to be like, ‘OK, which ones are making the album, what are we thinking? What are we missing from the album? What do we want to do?’ We’re just actually really proud. We’re excited to share it.”
