Maksim Chmerkovskiy
| Maksim Chmerkovskiy | |
|---|---|
Chmerkovskiy in 2007
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| Native name | Russian: Максим Александрович Чмерковский |
| Born |
January 17, 1980 Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer, instructor |
| Known for | Dancing with the Stars (2006–present) |
| Partner(s) | Peta Murgatroyd (fiancée) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Valentin Chmerkovskiy (brother) |
| Website | maksimchmerkovskiy |
Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (Ukrainian: Максим Олекса́ндрович Чмерковський, Russian: Максим Александрович Чмерковский, pronounced [mɑkˈsɪm olɛkˈsɑndroβ̞ɪtʃ ˈtʃmɛrkou̯sʲkɪj]; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-AmericanLatin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two. In his 16 seasons as a competing pro on the show, Chmerkovskiy made it to the final round five times, with two runner-up and two third-place finishes. Then on May 20, 2014, Chmerkovskiy, paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, won his first Dancing with the Stars title. Chmerkovskiy has also starred in the Broadway productions of dance shows Burn the Floor and Forever Tango.
Chmerkovskiy was born January 17, 1980, in Odessa, Ukrainian SSR to parents Aleksandr "Sasha" Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya. He has a younger brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy (born 1986), who is also a professional dancer. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian, and he has described himself as Jewish.
He began dancing at age 4 when Chmerkovskiy's parents enrolled him a school of aesthetic education. The aim of the school was to train children to become young gentlemen or ladies, and the education included manners and ballroom dance. He eventually began competing in ten-dance, which includes both ballroom and Latin dances. As a child Chmerkovskiy also participated in tennis, soccer, and swimming.
At age 13, he broke his right leg in a skiing accident and had a titanium rod put in to stabilize his leg. Doctors foresaw long-term difficulties and little possibility of a dancing career; however, he recovered and was dancing again six months later.
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