Maksim Chmerkovskiy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
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| Максим Чмерковський | |
Chmerkovskiy in 2007
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Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy
January 17, 1980 Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Valentin Chmerkovskiy (brother) Jenna Johnson (sister-in-law) |
Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (born January 17, 1980) is an American champion dancer, choreographer, and teacher. He is most famous for being a professional dancer on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. He first appeared on the show in its second season. Maksim competed for 17 seasons and reached the final round five times. He finished second twice and third twice. On May 20, 2014, Maksim and his partner, Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, won their first Dancing with the Stars title. Maksim has also performed in Broadway dance shows like Burn the Floor and Forever Tango.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Beginnings
Maksim Chmerkovskiy was born on January 17, 1980, in Odesa, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His parents are Aleksandr "Sasha" Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya. He has a younger brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who is also a professional dancer. Maksim has said he is Jewish.
He started dancing at age four. His parents enrolled him in a special school that taught children manners and ballroom dance. He began competing in "ten-dance," which includes both ballroom and Latin styles. As a child, Maksim also enjoyed tennis, soccer, and swimming.
When he was 13, Maksim broke his right leg in a skiing accident. Doctors thought he might have trouble dancing again. However, he recovered quickly and was dancing just six months later.
His family moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1994. It was a challenging time because of money and language barriers. Moving to the United States gave Maksim a chance to focus on dance again. At 15, he started working at a Russian restaurant, dancing for entertainment. He decided that winning dance competitions would help him earn more money.
Competitive Dancing Career
Maksim competed professionally in the International Latin dance category. With his partner, Elena Grinenko, he ranked second in the United States. They also reached seventh place in the world among professional Latin dance couples.
Dance Titles Won
- 2005 Yankee Classic Professional Latin Champion
- 2004 Manhattan Dancesport Professional Latin Champion
- 2004 Nevada Star Ball Champion
- 2003 All England Champion
- 2003 Ohio Star Ball Latin Champion
- 2003 La Classique du Quebec Champion
Opening Dance Studios
At 16, Maksim and his father opened a dance studio called Rising Stars Dance Academy. It was for young dancers who wanted to compete. Maksim chose to open the studio in Ridgewood, New Jersey, because he wanted a fresh start away from other studios in Brooklyn. The studio moved a few times and is now in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.
In 2001, Maksim had a big success as a teacher. He helped his brother, Valentin, and Diana Olonetskaya become the first U.S. dance pair to win a world junior championship. Maksim also taught other dancers who later appeared on So You Think You Can Dance.
Besides Rising Stars, Maksim owns several "Dance With Me" studios. Most of these are in the New York metropolitan area.
Dancing with the Stars Journey
Maksim Chmerkovskiy competed as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars for fifteen seasons. He was sometimes called "the bad boy of the ballroom" because of his strong personality.
Early Seasons (2–6)
Maksim first appeared in Season 2 with actress Tia Carrere. They finished in sixth place. In the next season, he and singer Willa Ford came in seventh. In Season 4, he partnered with boxer Laila Ali and they reached third place. In Season 5, he and Melanie Brown (Mel B) finished in second place. After this, Maksim took a break from the show for Season 6.
Middle Seasons (7–9)
He returned for Season 7 with Olympic volleyball player Misty May-Treanor. They had to leave the competition early in Week 3 because Misty injured her Achilles tendon. They finished in 10th place.
In Season 8, Maksim was paired with actress Denise Richards. They were eliminated second, finishing in 12th place. For Season 9, he danced with actress Debi Mazar and they were eliminated fourth.
Later Seasons (10–18)
In Season 10, Maksim partnered with TV host Erin Andrews. They had a great connection and finished in third place.
For Season 11, Maksim danced with singer Brandy. They made it to the semi-finals and finished fourth, which surprised many viewers because they had been consistently high-scoring.
In Season 12, he was paired with actress Kirstie Alley. They had some funny moments, including a fall and a lost shoe, but still finished in second place.
For Season 13, he danced with soccer star Hope Solo. They finished in fourth place.
In Season 14, Maksim partnered with actress Melissa Gilbert. Melissa suffered a mild concussion during a dance, and Maksim also pulled a muscle. They finished in fifth place.
Maksim returned for Season 15, an All-Stars season, with his former partner Kirstie Alley. They were eliminated in Week 8, finishing seventh.
After taking a break, Maksim returned for Season 18 and was paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis. They won the competition on May 20, 2014! They had the highest average score of any couple on the show that season.
Final Seasons (23–25)
Maksim returned for Season 23 with model Amber Rose. They were eliminated in Week 6, finishing ninth.
In Season 24, he and actress Heather Morris competed. Maksim missed four weeks due to an injury, but they still finished eighth.
For Season 25, he was paired with TV personality Vanessa Lachey. They finished seventh. In April 2018, Maksim announced he was officially done as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars.
Results on Dancing with the Stars
| Season | Partner | Place | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tia Carrere | 6th | 23.0 |
| 3 | Willa Ford | 7th | 24.4 |
| 4 | Laila Ali | 3rd | 27.0 |
| 5 | Melanie Brown | 2nd | 27.6 |
| 7 | Misty May-Treanor | 10th | 21.0 |
| 8 | Denise Richards | 12th | 18.3 |
| 9 | Debi Mazar | 18.0 | |
| 10 | Erin Andrews | 3rd | 24.6 |
| 11 | Brandy Norwood | 4th | 26.0 |
| 12 | Kirstie Alley | 2nd | 24.7 |
| 13 | Hope Solo | 4th | 23.3 |
| 14 | Melissa Gilbert | 5th | 22.9 |
| 15 | Kirstie Alley | 7th | 24.2 |
| 18 | Meryl Davis | 1st | 28.4 |
| 23 | Amber Rose | 9th | 20.6 |
| 24 | Heather Morris | 8th | 25.0 |
| 25 | Vanessa Lachey | 7th | 24.4 |
Guest Judge Appearances
Maksim has also been a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars several times. He judged during the semifinals of Season 17. He returned as a guest judge in Week 5 of Season 21 and Season 22.
Dancing with the Stars Performances
- Season 2 – With celebrity partner: Tia Carrere (Average – 23.0) (Placed: 6th)
| 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)" | 7 | 7 | 8 | Eliminated |
- Season 3 – With celebrity partner: Willa Ford (Average – 24.4) (Placed: 7th)
| 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 |
- Season 4 – With celebrity partner: Laila Ali (Average – 27.0) (Placed: 3rd)
| 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 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hold on, I'm Comin'" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 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 9 10 |
10 9 10 |
Third Place |
- Season 5 – With celebrity partner: Mel B (Average – 27.6) (Placed: 2nd)
| 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" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 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 |
- Season 7 – With celebrity partner: Misty May-Treanor (Average – 21.0) (Placed: 10th)
| 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 injury | Withdrew | ||
- Season 8 – With celebrity partner: Denise Richards (Average – 18.3) (Placed: 12th)
| 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 |
- Season 9 – With celebrity partner: Debi Mazar (Average – 18.0) (Placed: 12th)
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Salsa / "Complicacion" Foxtrot Relay / "The Best is Yet to Come" |
6 Awarded |
5 6 |
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 |
| 1Score by guest judge Baz Luhrmann. | |||||
- Season 10 – With celebrity partner: Erin Andrews (Average – 24.6) (Placed: 3rd)
| 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 9 |
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 8 |
10 8 9 |
9 9 9 |
Third Place |
- Season 11 – With celebrity partner: Brandy (Average – 26.0) (Placed: 4th)
| 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 10 |
9 Points |
Safe |
| 7 | Team Cha-Cha-Cha / "Bust A Move" Foxtrot / "Fever" |
9 91 / 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 |
| 1Score by guest judge Gilles Marini. | |||||
- Season 12 – With celebrity partner: Kirstie Alley (Average – 24.6) (Placed: 2nd)
| 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" |
71 / 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 |
| 1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns. | |||||
- Season 13 – With celebrity partner: Hope Solo (Average – 23.3) (Placed: 4th)
| 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" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 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 ... 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 4 |
7 8 Points |
Eliminated |
- Season 14 – With celebrity partner: Melissa Gilbert (Average – 22.9) (Placed: 5th)
| 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 6 |
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 |
- Season 15 – With celebrity partner: Kirstie Alley (Average – 24.2) (Placed: 7th)
| 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 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Moves like Jagger" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston / "42nd Street" | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.51 / 7.5 | Bottom Two |
| 5 | Quickstep / "Mrs. Robinson" Team Freestyle / "Gangnam Style" |
8.5 9 |
8.5 9 |
8.5 9 |
No Elimination |
| 6 | Rhumba / "Home" Group Country Western / "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" & "I Play Chicken with a Train" |
9.5 Awarded |
8.5 2 |
9.5 Points |
Safe |
| 7 | Quickstep & Samba / "Sir Duke" Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing" |
8 Awarded |
8 4 |
8 Points |
No Elimination |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "Hallelujah" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Bring Me to Life" |
9 8 |
9 8 |
9 8 |
Eliminated |
| 1Score by guest judge Paula Abdul. | |||||
- Season 18 – With celebrity partner: Meryl Davis (Average – 28.4) (Placed: 1st)
| 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 | Argentine Tango / "Too Close" | 10 | 9 / 103 | 10 | 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 10 / 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 / 8 |
10 9 |
Safe |
| 9 Semi-Finals |
Jive / "Hound Dog" Viennese Waltz / "Just a Fool" |
10 10 |
10 / 108 10 / 10 |
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 from guest judge Robin Roberts 2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up", Davis did not perform with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and instead performed with Valentin Chmerkovskiy. 3Score from guest judge Julianne Hough. 4Score from guest judge Donny Osmond. 5Score from guest judge Redfoo. 6Scores from guest judge Ricky Martin. 7Scores from guest judge Abby Lee Miller. 8Scores from guest judge Kenny Ortega. |
|||||
- Season 23 – With celebrity partner: Amber Rose (Average – 28.4) (Placed: 9th)
| 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 | Last to Be Called Safe |
| 4 | Argentine Tango / "Two Two Tango" | 8 | – | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Woman Up" | 8 | – | 8 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Bla Bla Bla Cha Cha Cha" | 7 | 71 | 7 | 7 | Eliminated |
| 1Score from guest judge Pitbull. | ||||||
- Season 24 – With celebrity partner: Heather Morris (Average – 33.4) (Placed: 8th)
| 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" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango / "Toxic" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-cha-cha / "Shut Up and Dance" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Jazz / "For the First Time in Forever" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Rhumba / "Waterfalls" Team Freestyle / "My Boyfriend's Back", "No Scrubs" & "Boss" |
10 8 |
10 8 |
102 9 |
10 9 |
Eliminated |
| 1Chmerkovskiy was injured from weeks 2 to 5, so Alan Bersten performed with Morris instead. 2Scores from guest judge Nick Carter. |
||||||
- Season 25 – With celebrity partner: Vanessa Lachey (Average – 24.4) (Placed: 7th)
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Woman" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Hit Me with a Hot Note" Salsa / "Instruction" |
8 8 |
8 8 |
8 7 |
Safe |
| 31 | Jazz / "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Waltz / "Un jour mon prince viendra" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Quickstep / "Let's Be Bad" | 9 | 9 | 92/9 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Game of Survival" Team Freestyle / "The Phantom of the Opera" |
8 10 |
8 10 |
8 10 |
Eliminated |
| 1Chmerkovskiy was unable to perform that week, so Alan Bersten danced with Lachey instead. 2Score from guest judge Shania Twain. |
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Theater and Live Shows
Maksim has choreographed and performed in many live dance shows. He worked on the water-based show Le Rêve in Las Vegas, creating dance numbers like "Tango" and "Paso Doble." He also choreographed for a new part of the show in 2014.
Maksim choreographed and performed in the Dancing with the Stars Tour in 2008-2009. In the summer of 2014, he appeared in the touring show "Ballroom with a Twist."
Broadway Performances
Maksim was a dancer in the Broadway show Burn the Floor, which opened in 2009. He danced with Karina Smirnoff and later with Kym Johnson. They learned their dances very quickly!
From July to August 2013, he starred in Forever Tango, another Broadway musical. He danced on stage with Karina Smirnoff again.
Sway: A Dance Trilogy
In 2014, Maksim started performing in Sway: A Dance Trilogy in New York. This live ballroom dance show was his father's idea. It stars Maksim, his brother Valentin, and Tony Dovolani. Other professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance also perform. The show tells a story through different dance styles.
Maks and Val on Tour
In 2016, Maksim and his brother Valentin announced a live tour called Maks & Val Live On Tour: Our Way. The show tells the story of their lives through dance. It started on June 15, 2016, and visited 45 cities.
Other Choreography Work
Besides his work on Dancing with the Stars and Le Rêve, Maksim has choreographed for other projects. He created dances for a Propel water commercial. He also choreographed the music video for Zendaya's song "Neverland" from the Broadway musical Finding Neverland.
Other Activities and TV Appearances
Maksim is one of the people who created Dance Team USA. This is a non-profit group that helps find, support, and train young dancers for DanceSport competitions.
Television in the United States
In 2009, Maksim won the ABC sports show "The Superstars" with freestyle skier Kristi Leskinen. He also appeared as himself on the CW reality show H8R in 2011. In 2012, he acted in an episode of the TV Land series The Exes. Maksim played Anton Ivanov on three episodes of General Hospital in 2013, dancing with Kelly Monaco's character. In 2016, Maksim and his brother Valentin had small roles in the Netflix series Fuller House.
In 2021, Maksim competed on The Masked Dancer as "Sloth" and finished in second place. In 2024, he was a contestant on Peacock's The Traitors. In December 2023, it was announced that Maksim would be a judge on Season 18 of So You Think You Can Dance.
Television Around the World
In 2011, Maksim starred as "The Bachelor" in the Ukrainian version of the dating reality show. He later said he regretted doing the show. In 2012, he hosted the Ukrainian version of the game show The Cube.
Maksim has also been a judge on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa," which is India's version of Dancing with the Stars. In 2021, he was a judge on the Ukrainian Dancing with the Stars called “Tantsi z zirkamy”.
Personal Life
Maksim Chmerkovskiy speaks Russian and understands Ukrainian. He did not speak English when he first moved to the United States. He says he learned English by reading street signs in Brooklyn. He lives mainly in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
He was engaged to fellow DWTS dancer Karina Smirnoff for nine months in 2009. In 2012, Maksim started dating another DWTS pro, Peta Murgatroyd. Their relationship ended in 2013 but they got back together in October 2014. Maksim and Peta got engaged on December 5, 2015, when he proposed during a Sway: A Dance Trilogy performance. Their first son, Shai Aleksander, was born in January 2017. They got married on July 8, 2017, in Long Island, New York. Their second son, Rio John, was born in June 2023. Their third son, Milan Maksim, was born in July 2024.
In March 2022, Maksim confirmed he had left Ukraine for Poland because of the Russian invasion. He shared updates on social media and supported the "#StandWithUkraine" movement.
See also
In Spanish: Maksim Chmerkovskiy para niños
