Pasquale La Rocca Interview for Performers Stuff Pro Series: Dancing with the Stars

Written by: Mark Pawsey

October 26, 2020

Performer Stuff Pro Series host, Mark Pawsey catches up with Pro Ballroom & Latin Dancer, Pasquale La Rocca, two-time winner of Dancing with the Stars firstly in Belgium (2019) and most recently in Ireland (2020). Pasquale shares with Mark his passion and dreams for dance and what it means to win DWTS.

Who is Pasquale La Rocca?

Two-time Dancing with the Stars Champion,  Pasquale La Rocca Originally from Italy and now based in London, Pasquale La Rocca is an Italian Ballroom and Latin American Champion, representing Italy at the World Latin American Championship in 2007. Dancing since he was 9 years old, he has since become a specialist in Ballroom and Latin America dancing and has also trained in Jazz, Commercial and Musical Theatre.

In 2014, Pasquale joined the Broadway production of “Burn the Floor,” touring London, China, Australia, Japan, and South Africa as Principal Dancer and Dance Captain. Following UK tours of “Tango Moderno” and “Here Come the Girls,” as a leading male dancer, Pasquale joined Dancing with The Stars – Belgium in 2019, partnering influencer Julie Vermeire. Immediately after winning the competition and lifting the famous Mirror Ball Trophy, Pasquale joined the Irish cast of Dancing with the Stars, partnering Broadcaster Lotti Ryan. Remarkably he was able to dance to victory again and lift the Mirror Ball Trophy for a second consecutive time.

WATCH: Pasquale La Rocca Interview for Performers Stuff Pro Series: Dancing with the Stars

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Mark is British and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London winning the Liverpool Playhouse Award and an honors diploma in Stage Management. He spent 15 years in London’s West End working on shows such as “Steel Magnolias”, “Taboo – The Boy George Musical” and original productions of “The Woman in Black” “Buddy” and “The Phantom of the Opera”. In 1998 Mark joined the acclaimed “Cirque du Soleil” troupe, touring the world with “Alegria”, “Quidam” and “Amaluna”. He moved to Las Vegas in 2004 to take up residence with them on “Zumanity” and then to Tokyo in 2010 with “ZED” where he became Artistic Director. He gave a TEDx Talk in Edmonton, Canada in 2013 on “The Future of Inspiration” and left Cirque after 16 years, in 2014. However, he stumbled upon an opportunity with Norwegian Cruise Lines which led to a fortuitous partnership with Joyce Arbucias and The Imagination House in Orlando, where he has been a Producer of Live Entertainment for the past 3½ years.