Shirley Annette Ballas (née Rich) was born on 6th September 1960 in Wallasey, near Liverpool.
Her father, George Rich, left the family when Shirley was two years old. She was raised by her mother, Audrey, and her loving older brother, David.
Shirley began ballet and tap classes when she was just three years old. From the ages of eight to twelve, she attended ballroom classes every Saturday at St. Chad’s Church, competing with another little girl as her partner.
Later, her mother took her to a studio in Liverpool, and when Shirley turned 14, she moved to Shipley, West Yorkshire, to live with the family of her new dance partner, British Ballroom Champion Nigel Tiffany. They danced together for two years. Her first dance teacher was Margaret Redmond.
Professional Competitive Career
At 16, Shirley moved to London with Nigel, though their partnership ended soon after. Dance teacher Nina Hunt encouraged Shirley to audition to partner with Sammy Stopford and turn professional. Shirley and Sammy married when she was 18; their relationship lasted five years.
At just 22, Shirley became the youngest-ever British Open Professional Latin Champion, winning the prestigious title in 1983. That same year, she and Sammy also won the International Professional Latin title and became UK Professional Latin Champions in 1984.
In 1985, Shirley married American dancer Corky Ballas. The couple moved to Houston, Texas, to compete in the U.S.
Their only child, Mark Ballas, was born in 1986. Like his parents, Mark became a professional ballroom dancer, a Dancing with the Stars U.S. champion and an accomplished musician.
Shirley and Corky won the Professional Latin title at the British Open in 1995 and 1996. She is the only female Latin dancer to have won the British Open with two different partners over a span of 13 years, earning her the nickname “The Queen of Latin.”
The couple also won the International Professional Latin title in 1995 and were 7-time U.S. Professional Latin Champions. They divorced in 2007.
By the age of 21, Shirley had won nearly every major title she competed in worldwide and was a multiple-time British National Champion. In total, she reached the finals of the British Open an impressive 17 times.
Teacher, Coach, Educator and Adjudicator
Shirley retired from competitive dancing in 1996 to become a coach, lecturer and judge in both Ballroom and Latin American dance.
Today, she is one of the top dance teachers and adjudicators in the world. For decades, she has coached many top-level competitors, yet she brings the same passion and care to beginners and senior dancers alike.
Her teaching methods are known for being clear, supportive and highly effective—she is considered a true magician in the field. Shirley regularly lectures at prestigious dance education congresses and has judged the most important dance competitions worldwide.
She has also produced several dance music CDs — Passion, Passion Too and Passion Jam. Her instructional CD Turns and Spins in Style is another valuable contribution to the dance community, along with over 30 other instructional videos created with Corky Ballas, covering everything from basic syllabus steps to advanced routines, rhythms and choreography.
Strictly Come Dancing
In 2017, Shirley was appointed Head Judge on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing, replacing the legendary Len Goodman.
Just over a year later, she founded her own company, Dance With Passion Ltd, to promote the beauty and value of dance.
Her popularity in the UK and abroad is outstanding, with over 364,000 Instagram followers. She remains a powerful ambassador for ballroom dancing.
TV Shows and Stage Performances
Since 2018, Shirley has appeared in numerous television shows and stage productions in various roles—as a guest, narrator, judge, panellist, expert and dancer.
Her most notable TV appearances include: Cooking with the Stars, Portrait Artist of the Year, Matchmaker Mountain, Catchphrase, The Jonathan Ross Show, Through The Keyhole, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars, Family Fortunes, Countdown, Blankety Blank and Our School Summer Camp.
In recent years, Shirley has also returned to the stage multiple times. She captivated audiences in Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Strictly Come Dancing tours and continues to engage fans with her show An Audience with Shirley Ballas.
In all her appearances, Shirley brings professionalism, talent and glamour—helping elevate ballroom dance far beyond the competition floor.
Shirley’s Books
Shirley is also a best-selling author.
Her first book, Behind the Sequins: My Life, was published in October 2020. Her second, a mystery novel titled Murder on the Dance Floor, was released in October 2023. Her third book, Dance to the Death, came out in 2024.
Her fourth book will be published in September this year.
Charity Work
In 2003, Shirley suffered a heartbreaking loss when her brother David took his own life at the age of 44. To this day, he remains deeply present in her thoughts and in conversations with her mother. David was her rock, her idol and her greatest supporter. In his memory, Shirley now dedicates herself to raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention and mental health support.
She serves as an ambassador for several charities and is actively involved in causes close to her heart. Shirley works closely with the mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), as well as Macmillan Cancer Support, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, the RSPCA, Centrepoint and Suicide&Co. She consistently provides resources and support to those in need, using her platform to amplify important messages.
In 2019, Shirley was one of nine celebrities selected for BBC1’s Kilimanjaro: The Return, during which they climbed the 5,895-metre mountain to raise funds for Comic Relief-supported projects in the UK and abroad.
ISTD President
As President of the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing), Shirley serves as a global figurehead for the Society. She attends events, makes media appearances and advocates for dance education worldwide.
Founded in 1904, the ISTD aims to educate the public in all forms of dance. Today, the Society continues to strive for excellence in dance teaching and education.
Shirley, together with her colleagues, works to maintain and improve teaching standards in schools, academies and performing arts settings around the world.
Awards
At just 22 years old, Shirley received her first Carl Alan Award—often referred to as the “Oscars of the dance world”—in 1982, alongside her then-partner Sammy Stopford.
Her second Carl Alan Award came in 1995, this time with Corky Ballas. The third was awarded to Strictly Come Dancing, which she accepted on the show’s behalf.
Shirley has also received the Teacher of the Year Award, the Variety Club Legends of Industry Award and has been inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame in both the United States and Great Britain.
Daughter, Mother and Grandmother
Shirley’s mother Audrey gave her daughter the strength of a tiger and has supported her throughout her life. Audrey also helped raise Shirley’s son Mark from the time he was 18 months old.
Today, Shirley and Audrey are both grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Mark and his partner BC Jean welcomed their son, Banksi Wylde Ballas, on 5th November 2023.
As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Mark Ballas won the Under 21 Latin title in 2004 before moving to the United States, where he became a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars from 2007 to 2022. During his time on the show, he won three seasons and received an Emmy nomination for choreography in 2011. In addition to dancing, Mark is also a musician and actor, having performed on Broadway in Jersey Boys and Kinky Boots.
In 2016, he married Brittany Jean Carlson, known professionally as BC Jean—a singer-songwriter and actress best known for co-writing Beyoncé’s hit If I Were a Boy. She released singles such as Just a Guy (2010) and later joined forces with Mark to form the pop-rock duo Aleksander Jean.
Personal Note
I’ve admired Shirley’s strength, determination and devotion to ballroom dancing from afar for decades.
During the COVID pandemic, we studied together weekly for a year in an online course, Psychology in Dance, with our shared mentor, Ruud Vermeij. In those sessions, I came to know many other sides of Shirley — her vulnerability, sense of humor, warmth and loyal companionship.
This is the Shirley I will always carry in my heart. A beautiful soul who feels close to me, even though we rarely meet in person.
Enjoy the podcast with Shirley on Spotify - Barbara's dance Room.
