TV Watch

Mark Ballas Jokes Partner Melissa Joan Hart Couldn’t Handle Maksim

10/12/2009 at 12:00 AM EDT

With last week's strong showings by Mya and Natalie Coughlin, Melissa Joan Hart and her pro-partner Mark Ballas may have an uphill climb to that mirror ball trophy, and it will take less talk, more action!

"I call her 'Tangent,' " Ballas tells PEOPLE with a laugh, " She can talk ... a lot, and about the most random things, because one thing will set her off, and she will talk about that forever, and that will link to something else, and that will link to something else ... and then twenty minutes will go by."

The dancing duo, appearing together on Friday night at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards are still getting to know each on the dance floor, but, as far as any chemistry issues, think old, married couple, with a lot of give and take.



When asked if she had come up with a moniker for her dance instructor, Joan Hart quickly shot back with, "Bossy," which elicited an eye-roll from Ballas. "She thinks that I'm mean," he said, "she wouldn't last five minutes with Maks Chmerkovskiy." -- Reagan AlexanderAdam Larkey/ABC