Alexa and Carlos PenaVega say Witney Carson and Mark Ballas split rehearsal space

During a 2015 run on Dancing With the Stars, professional dancers Witney Carson and Mark Ballas refused to share a rehearsal space, according to former contestants Alexa and Carlos PenaVega. The married couple discussed the behind-the-scenes friction during an episode of their LexLos podcast, pagesix.com reported.

At the time, Witney and Mark were not getting along at all, Alexa said during the podcast. They refused to be in the same room together.

Rehearsal Space Split During Season 21

The PenaVegas made history in 2015 as the first and only married pair to compete against each other on the reality competition series. The split between their respective professional partners disrupted the couple’s original plan to train as close together as possible.

The whole point of doing the show was, We’re going to go in, and we’re going to do this together as much as possible, Alexa recalled. And the second we go in, boom, Mark and Witney refused to be in a room together.

Alexa explained that the situation forced them to adapt their schedules. We thought we were going to be rehearsing in the same room, and now we have to be so separate, she said. We have to dance around whatever’s going on with them.

Competition Dynamics and Partner Work Ethics

Despite the challenges in the studio, Carlos described a positive experience working alongside Carson. He noted that he was there to win, but acknowledged that Ballas shared a similarly intense drive.

He’s very creative, and he wants to do things outside the box, which require a lot of work, Carlos said of Ballas. Regarding his own partnership, he added, Listen, I had a great work ethic with Witney. She put up with a lot ’cause it was really hard, but we had a lot of fun.

Alexa also praised Ballas as a partner while contrasting their learning styles. She noted that Carlos picked up choreography much faster than she did.

Carlos, they would teach him something, and he would know it immediately, Alexa said. He would learn a dance, and it would be so good right away. In contrast, she said, Mark would teach me something, and I’d be like, All right, got it. I would have it, and then an hour later, I’d be like, I actually don’t remember any of that.

Alexa and Ballas in Sixth, Carlos and Carson in Fourth

When the competition concluded, Alexa and Ballas finished in sixth place, while Carlos and Carson reached the finale to place fourth behind winners Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough.

Both Carson and Ballas have continued their involvement with the franchise. Carson won Season 34 with Robert Irwin and competed with Guillermo Rodriguez, while Ballas has continued his tenure on the dance floor in subsequent seasons.

More on Witney Carson: Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson eliminated on Dancing With the Stars