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Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maks-Promo25
Dancer Profile
Birth Date 17 January 1980 (1980-01-17) (age 44)
Hometown Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Partner(s) 2: Tia Carrere (6th)
3: Willa Ford (7th)
4: Laila Ali (3rd)
5: Mel B (2nd)
7: Misty May-Treanor (10th)
8: Denise Richards (12th)
9: Debi Mazar (12th)
10: Erin Andrews (3rd)
11: Brandy (4th)
12: Kirstie Alley (2nd)
13: Hope Solo (4th)
14: Melissa Gilbert (5th)
All-Stars: Kirstie Alley (7th)
18: Meryl Davis (1st)
23: Amber Rose (9th)
24: Heather Morris (8th)
25: Vanessa Lachey (7th/8th)

Maksim Aleksandrovich "Maks" Chmerkovskiy was a professional dancer in Dancing with the Stars.

Biography[]

Originally retrieved from abc.com
Internationally renowned ballroom dance champion, choreographer and seventeen-time Dancing with the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy quickly became one of America's most watched and most beloved cast members of the smash hit series. The Ukrainian-American heartthrob, often affectionately referred to as the "bad boy of the ballroom," won the show's coveted Mirrorball Trophy in 2014 and made it to the final round five times, with two runner-up and two third-place finishes. Not one to limit himself, Chmerkovskiy also appeared in a number of hit television shows in the U.S., including guest stints in General Hospital and the Netflix reboot Fuller House.

Chmerkovskiy began dancing at age four and eventually began competing in Ten Dance, which includes both ballroom and Latin dances, quickly realizing his natural ability and talent for competition. After his family immigrated to Brooklyn in 1994, he rededicated himself once again to professionally dancing, competing in the International Latin category, where he ranked second in the U.S. and seventh in the world among professional international Latin couples with his partner, Elena Grinenko, who would later join him as a pro in Dancing with the Stars.

At age sixteen, Chmerkovskiy and his father opened a youth-oriented competitive dance studio, Rising Stars Dance Academy, in New Jersey on the second floor of a building his father owned in Ridgewood, New Jersey. In addition to Rising Stars, Chmerkovskiy owns several social and competitive dance studios under the brand Dance with Me, which has seven locations nationwide, including outlets in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Connecticut.

Chmerkovskiy's professional choreography work includes three numbers in the world famous water-based stage production, Le Rêve, at the Wynn Las Vegas; the Dancing with the Stars: Live! 34-city tour; a national commercial for Propel water; and he provided choreography for hot up-and-coming actress Zendaya's music video for the song "Neverland" from Broadway's Finding Neverland.

Chmerkovskiy is no stranger himself to Broadway, having starred in the inaugural production of the live dance show Burn the Floor when it opened in the summer of 2009 with his former Dancing with the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff. A few years later, he re-teamed with Smirnoff again for the Broadway musical Forever Tango, which opened in the summer of 2013.

Shortly after his summer on Broadway, Chmerkovskiy started performing in Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Westbury, New York. Earlier this year, Maks and his brother Val embarked on a 45-city live tour titled Maks & Val Live On Tour: Our Way, which ran for the entire summer of 2016 and is an autobiographical tale of the brothers' lives through dance.

Fueled by his intense love of fitness, Chmerkovskiy is always finding new ways to boost his immune system and stay active and healthy. He began working with LivOn Labs a few years ago and is now a spokesperson/celebrity ambassador for the first company to bring Liposome Encapsulation Technology (LET) dietary supplements to market.

Chmerkovskiy is one of the creators and directors of Dance Team USA, a nonprofit educational and charitable organization dedicated to recruiting, supporting and training future DanceSport participants. He is also actively involved with Child Help which assists victims of child abuse.

Chmerkovskiy primarily lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey, also spending time in Los Angeles with his wife and fellow Dancing with the Stars pro, Peta Murgatroyd, who gave birth to their first son Shai in January 2017.

Dancing with the Stars 2[]

In Season 2, Maksim was partnered with Tia Carrere. They placed 6th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Waltz / "What a Wonderful World" 6 7 7 Bottom two
2 Rumba / "Emotion" 7 8 7 Safe
3 Tango / "Por Una Cabeza" 9 8 9 Safe
4 Foxtrot / "Dream a Little Dream of Me" 9 8 8 Bottom two
5 Samba / "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
Group Salsa / "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You"
7
No
7
scores
8
given
Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 3[]

In Season 3, Maksim was partnered with Willa Ford. They placed 7th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "True" 7 7 8 Safe
2 Mambo / "Get Busy" 7 8 8 Bottom two
3 Jive / "SOS" 7 7 8 Safe
4 Waltz / "You Light Up My Life" 9 9 10 Safe
5 Rumba / "Every Breath You Take" 9 9 9 Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 4[]

In Season 4, Maksim was partnered with Laila Ali. They placed 3rd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" 7 8 8 No elimination
2 Mambo / "Maracaibo Oriental" 9 9 9 Safe
3 Tango / "Goldfinger" 7 7 7 Safe
4 Paso Doble / "Les Toreadors" 7 7 7 Safe
5 Rumba / "Put Your Records On" 9 10 9 Safe
6 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hold On, I'm Comin'"
Swing / "Rock This Town"
9
No
9
scores
10
given
Safe
7 Quickstep / "Part-Time Lover"
Samba / "Brazil"
10
10
9
10
10
10
Safe
8 Waltz / "May Each Day"
Jive / "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
9
9
9
8
9
9
Safe
9
Semi-finals
Quickstep / "Walk Like an Egyptian"
Cha-Cha-Cha / "She's a Lady"
10
10
10
10
10
10
Safe
10
Finals
Paso Doble / "España Cani"
Freestyle / "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"
Mambo / "Maracaibo Oriental"
10
9
10
9
8
10
10
9
10
Third Place

Dancing with the Stars 5[]

In Season 5, Maksim was partnered with Mel B. They placed 2nd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "A Deeper Love" 8 8 8 Safe
2 Quickstep / "Take on Me" 7 8 8 Safe
3 Jive / "Sweet Soul Music" 9 9 9 Safe
4 Viennese Waltz / "Breakaway" 8 9 9 Bottom two
5 Samba / "Spice Up Your Life" 10 9 10 Safe
6 Rumba / "A Woman's Worth"
Rock 'n' Roll / "Rockin' Robin"
10
No
10
scores
10
given
Safe
7 Foxtrot / "Jimmy Mack"
Paso Doble / "Free Your Mind"
8
10
8
10
8
10
Safe
8 Tango / "Personal Jesus"
Mambo / "Mambo Jambo"
9
9
9
10
9
10
Safe
9
Semi-finals
Viennese Waltz / "Somebody to Love"
Paso Doble / "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
10
10
10
10
10
10
Safe
10
Finals
Cha-Cha-Cha / "Car Wash"
Freestyle / "The Way I Are"
Mambo / "Mambo Jambo"
9
9
10
9
9
10
10
9
10
Second Place

Dancing with the Stars 7[]

In Season 7, Maksim was partnered with Misty May-Treanor. They placed 10th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)"
Mambo / "Black Mambo"
6
7
8
7
7
7
Safe
2 Paso Doble / "Take Me Out" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Jive / "Shake It" Suffered an injury Withdrew

Dancing with the Stars 8[]

In Season 8, Maksim was partnered with Denise Richards. They placed 12th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Nothin' but a Good Time" 6 6 6 No elimination
2 Quickstep / "We Go Together" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Samba / "Take a Picture" 5 6 5 Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 9[]

In Season 9, Maksim was partnered with Debi Mazar. They placed 12th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Salsa / "Complicacion"
Foxtrot Relay / "The Best Is Yet to Come"
6
Awarded
5
six
5
points
Safe
2 Tango / "El Tango de Roxanne" 7 71 7 Bottom two
3 Samba / "Love Is in the Air" 6 5 6 Eliminated

1 Score given by stand in judge Baz Luhrmann.

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 10[]

In Season 10, Maksim was partnered with Erin Andrews. They placed 3rd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tik Tok" 7 7 7 No elimination
2 Foxtrot / "Love Story" 8 7 8 Safe
3 Waltz / "See the Day" 8 7 8 Safe
4 Tango / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" 6/7 6/7 6/7 Safe
5 Jive / "You Never Can Tell" 7 7 8 Safe
6 Samba / "When I Get You Alone"
Swing Marathon / "In the Mood"
9
Awarded
7
nine
9
points
Safe
7 Team Cha-Cha-Cha / "Holiday"
Quickstep / "Dancin' Fool"
8
9
8
9
8
9
Bottom two
8 Argentine Tango / "Una Musica Brutal"
Rumba / "Missing You"
9
8
10
8
9
9
Safe
9
Semi-finals
Viennese Waltz / "February Song"
Paso Doble / "U Got the Look"
9
10
9
9
9
10
Last to be called safe
10
Finals
Samba / "Mi Swing Es Tropical"
Freestyle / "Alone"
Argentine Tango / "Una Musica Brutal"
10
9
Awarded
10
8
26
9
9
points
Third Place

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 11[]

In Season 11, Maksim was partnered with Brandy. They placed 4th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Viennese Waltz / "Cry Me Out" 7 8 8 Safe
2 Jive / "Magic" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Samba / "Put It in a Love Song" 8 8 8 Safe
4 Rumba / "This Woman's Work" 7/9 8/8 7/9 Safe
5 Quickstep / "I'll Be There for You" 9 9 9 Safe
6 Tango / "Holding Out for a Hero"
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon / "La Grange"
8
Awarded
9
ten
9
points
Safe
7 Team Cha-Cha-Cha / "Bust a Move"
Foxtrot / "Fever"
9
9/9
9
10
9
9
Safe
8 Waltz / "Dark Waltz"
Cha-Cha-Cha / "Teenage Dream"
9
9
10
9
10
10
Last to be called safe
9
Semi-finals
Paso Doble / "Firework"
Argentine Tango / "Taquito Militar"
9
10
9
10
9
10
Eliminated

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 12[]

In Season 12, Maksim was partnered with Kirstie Alley. They placed 2nd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Forget You" 8 7 8 No elimination
2 Quickstep / "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" 7 6 7 Safe
3 Rumba / "Over the Rainbow" 7 7 7 Safe
4 Waltz / "The Flower Duet" 7 7 8 Safe
5 Foxtrot / "American Woman" 8 7 8 Safe
6 Samba / "Baby One More Time" 8 9 9 Safe
7 Team Cha-Cha-Cha / "We R Who We R"
Jive / "La Bamba"
7/7
9/7
8
6
8
8
Safe
8 Argentine Tango / "Cite Tango"
Salsa / "Cobrastyle"
9
8
9
9
10
8
Safe
9
Semi-finals
Viennese Waltz / "One and Only"
Paso Doble / "White Room"
Winner Take All Cha-Cha-Cha / "Walkin' on the Sun"
9
9
Lost
9
9
this
9
9
event
Last to be called safe
10
Finals
Samba / "Magalenha"
Freestyle/ "Perfect"
Cha-Cha-Cha / "Forget You"
9
9
10
9
9
10
9
9
10
Runner Up

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 13[]

In Season 13, Maksim was partnered with Hope Solo. They placed 4th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Viennese Waltz / "Satellite" 7 7 7 Safe
2 Jive / "Girlfriend" 6 7 6 Safe
3 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tonight I'm Lovin' You" 8 8 8 Last to be called safe
4 Foxtrot / "You've Got a Friend in Me" 8 8 8 Safe
5 Tango / "Livin' on a Prayer" 8 8 8 Last to be called safe
6 Rumba / "Seasons of Love"
Broadway / "Big Spender" & "Money Money"
7
No
6
scores
7
given
Last to be called safe
7 Samba / "Werewolves of London"
Team Paso Doble / "Bring Me to Life"
8
9
8
8
8
9
Safe
8 Quickstep / "Valerie"
Instant Jive / "The Best Damn Thing"
9
8
9
9
9
8
Safe
9
Semi-finals
Paso Doble / "Can't Be Tamed"
Argentine Tango / "Whatever Lola Wants"
Cha-Cha-Cha Relay / "I Like How It Feels"
7
8
Awarded
7
8
four
7
8
points
Eliminated

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 14[]

In Season 14, Maksim was partnered with Melissa Gilbert. They placed 5th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" 7 6 7 No elimination
2 Quickstep / "Dancing with Myself" 7 6 7 Safe
3 Jive / "Dog Days Are Over" 8 8 8 Safe
4 Paso Doble / "Conquest" 7 8 7 Safe
5 Salsa / "Aguanile" 7 7 7 Safe
6 Viennese Waltz / "Ooh Baby Baby"
Motown Marathon / "Nowhere to Run"
8
Awarded
8
six
8
points
Safe
7 Argentine Tango / "Marriage of Figaro"
Team Paso Doble / "O Fortuna"
7
9
7
8
7
9
Safe
8 Foxtrot / "Maggie May"
Samba (Trio Challenge) / "Hard to Handle"
8
9
8
9
8
9
Eliminated

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 15[]

In Season 15, Maksim was partnered with previous partner, Kirstie Alley. They placed 7th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "Set Fire to the Rain" 6.5 6 6.5 Safe
2 Jive / "Non Non Rien N'a Changé" 7.0 7.0 7.0 Safe
3 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Moves like Jagger" 8.0 8.0 8.0 Safe
4 Charleston / "42nd Street" 7.5 7.5 7.51/7.5 Bottom two
5 Quickstep / "Mrs. Robinson"
Team Freestyle (Gilles) / "Gangnam Style"
8.5
9.0
8.5
9.0
8.5
9.0
No elimination
6 Rumba / "Home"
Group Country Western / "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" & "I Play Chicken with a Train"
9.5
Awarded
8.5
two
9.5
points
Safe
7 Quickstep & Samba / "Sir Duke"
Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing"
8.0
Awarded
8.0
four
8.0
points
No elimination
8 Viennese Waltz / "Hallelujah"
Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Bring Me to Life"
9.0
8.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
8.0
Eliminated

1Score given by guest judge Paula Abdul.

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 18[]

In Season 18, Maksim was partnered with Meryl Davis. They placed 1st.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "All Night" 8 8 8 No elimination
2 Swing / "Big and Bad" 8 9 8 Safe
3 Foxtrot / "All of Me" 10 9/101 10 Safe
42 Jive / "Love Me Right!" 8 8/83 8 No elimination
5 Samba / "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" 9 9/94 9 Safe
6 Tango / "Feel So Close" 10 105/10 10 Safe
7 Salsa / "Adrenalina"
Team Freestyle / "Livin' la Vida Loca"
10
10
106/9
106/9
10
10
Safe
8 Rumba / "Read All About It, Pt. III"
Celebrity Dance Duel (Samba) / "I Luh Ya Papi"
9
8
9/87
9/87
10
9
Safe
9
Semifinals
Jive / "Hound Dog"
Viennese Waltz / "Just a Fool"
10
10
10/108
10/108
10
10
Last to be called safe
10
Finals
Argentine Tango / "Montserrat"
Freestyle / "Latch"
Foxtrot & Cha-Cha-Cha (Fusion) / "Glowing"
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Won

1Score given by guest judge Robin Roberts.
  2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up" week, Chmerkovskiy performed with Danica McKellar instead of Meryl Davis.
  3Score given by guest judge Julianne Hough.
  4Score given by guest judge Donny Osmond.
  5Score given by guest judge Redfoo.
  6Score given by guest judge Ricky Martin.
  7Score given by guest judge Abby Lee Miller.
  8Score given by guest judge Kenny Ortega.

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 21[]

In Week 5 of Season 21, Maks served as a guest judge.

Dancing with the Stars 23[]

In Season 23, Maks was partnered with Amber Rose. They placed 9th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance / Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "Here" 6 6 6 6 No elimination
2 Viennese Waltz / "Game of Thrones Theme" 6 6 6 6 Safe
3 Salsa / "Booty" 7 6 6 6 Safe
4 Argentine Tango / "Tickle Tango" 8 8 8 Safe
4 Samba / "Woman Up" 8 8 8 No elimination
5 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Bla Bla Bla Cha Cha Cha" 7 71 7 7 Eliminated

1Score given by guest judge Pitbull.

Dancing with the Stars 24[]

In Season 24, Maks was partnered with Heather Morris. They placed 8th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance / Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Viennese Waltz/"Make Something Beautiful" 7 7 7 7 No elimination
21 Jive/"Grown" 8 6 8 8 Safe
32 Tango/"Toxic" 9 8 8 8 Safe
43 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Shut Up and Dance" 8 9 9 9 Safe
54 Jazz/"For the First Time in Forever" 8 8 9 9 Safe
65 Rumba/"Waterfalls"

Freestyle Team Girl Group

10

8

10696 10

8

10

9

Eliminated

1Heather danced with Alan Bersten.
2Heather danced with Alan Bersten.
3Heather danced with Alan Bersten.
4Heather danced with Alan Bersten.
5Heather returned to her original partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
6Score was given by guest judge Nick Carter.

Dancing with the Stars 25[]

In Season 25, Maks was partnered with Vanessa Lachey. They placed 7th/8th.

Scores[]

1Score was given by guest judge Shania Twain.

Performances[]

Trivia[]

  • Maksim is the older brother of fellow professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy and the brother-in-law to Jenna Johnson.
  • He dated fellow professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd in 2012. They broke up in 2013, but got back together sometime in 2015.
    • They became engaged 5 December 2015 when he proposed while onstage for a performance of Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Miami, Florida.
    • They were married 8 July 2017 at Oheka Castle in Long Island, New York.
    • On 29 June 2016 they announced that they were expecting their first child.
      • On 9 August 2016, they revealed they were having a boy.
      • On 4 January 2017, at 5:34 a.m., they welcomed their first son, Shai Aleksander Chmerkovskiy.
    • On 13 January 2023, they announced that they are expecting their second child, due in June.
      • On 27 April 2023, they revealed they were having another boy.
      • On 18 June 2023, they welcomed their second son, Rio John Chmerkovskiy.
    • On 5 February 2024, they announced that they are expecting their third child.
  • He dated SI swimsuit model Kate Upton.
  • He was engaged to fellow professional dancer Karina Smirnoff.
    • In 2011, they tied for the most weeks competing on Dancing with the Stars, at 19. (eliminated in the semi-finals of one season, and advanced to the finals in the other, albeit they were both the last called safe in their perspective latter. The season Maks made it to the finals is 12; Karina did so in 13, and in fact, won.)
  • He is good friends with fellow professional dancer Tony Dovolani.
  • In 2011, he starred in the Ukranian version of The Bachelor. He later said he regretted doing the show.
  • Maksim's native language is Russian, but he can understand a little Ukrainian.
  • During Week 2 of Season 24, he suffered a calf injury that forced him to sit out. His partner Heather Morris danced with Alan Bersten instead. He also sat out Weeks 3 through 5.
  • In Seasons 11 through 15, when either he or Mark Ballas were eliminated, the other guy was the last one safe.
    • Season 11 - Maks is out Week 9
    • Season 12 - Mark finishes in third place in Week 10
    • Season 13 - Mark is out Week 3
    • Season 14 - Maks is out Week 8
    • Season 15 - Mark is out Week 4
  • In both seasons in 2012, Maks was eliminated Week 8 after totaling 51 out of 60 (consisting of a 24 and a 27). Both the eliminations were double eliminations.
  • He appeared in the first season of The Masked Dancer as the Sloth and finished second place in the competition.

Other Pics[]

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