Valentin Chmerkovskiy facts for kids

Valentin Aleksandrovich "Val" Chmerkovskiy (born March 24, 1986) is a professional dancer from Ukraine and America. He is most famous for being on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. Val has won the show three times! He is also a two-time World Latin Dance Champion and has won 14 U.S. National Latin Dance championships.

Early Life and Dance Career

Valentin Chmerkovskiy was born in Odesa, a city in Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. His parents are Aleksandr "Sasha" Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya. Val has an older brother, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who is also a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars.

In 1994, Val's family moved to the United States. Two years later, in 1996, his brother Maksim and father Sasha opened a dance studio in New Jersey. Val became one of their students. By 2001, Val and his dance partner, Diana Olonetskaya, made history. They were the first American dance team to win a world junior championship title.

Val's Dance Achievements

Val has achieved many great things in his dance career. He has won the IDSF World Latin Dance Champion title twice. He was also a 14-time US National Latin Champion in different age groups. In 2005, he won the Blackpool Open U21 Latin competition. He has also been a finalist in other big dance events like the Blackpool Dance Festival.

Dance Studios

Val Chmerkovskiy also helps run nine dance studios called "Dance With Me." These studios teach people how to dance. Six of them are in the New York metropolitan area. The other three are in Southlake, Texas, The Woodlands, Texas, and Summerlin, Nevada.

Personal Life

Valentin Chmerkovskiy started dating fellow Dancing with the Stars dancer Jenna Johnson in 2015. They got engaged on June 15, 2018, and were married on April 13, 2019. On July 15, 2022, Val and Jenna shared exciting news: they were expecting their first child. Their son, Rome Valentin Chmerkovskiy, was born on January 10, 2023.

Dancing with the Stars Journey

Val Chmerkovskiy has been a big part of Dancing with the Stars for many years. He first appeared on the show in 2006 during season 2. He was a student dancer with his brother. Later, he returned for special performances and dance-offs.

Early Seasons as a Pro Dancer

Val became a professional partner on the show in season 13.

• In season 13, he danced with actress Elisabetta Canalis. They finished in 11th place.
• For season 14, Val partnered with comedian Sherri Shepherd. They came in 10th place.
• In season 15, he danced with Kelly Monaco, who had won season 1. They reached the finals and finished in third place.
• For season 16, Val teamed up with Disney Channel star Zendaya. They were very popular and finished in second place.

Winning the Mirrorball Trophy

Val has won the coveted Mirrorball Trophy three times!

• His first win was in season 20 with actress and singer Rumer Willis. They were crowned champions on May 19, 2015.
• His second win came in season 23 with Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez. They won the title on November 22, 2016.
• Val's third victory was in season 32 with actress Xochitl Gomez. They won the title on December 5, 2023.

Other Notable Seasons

Val has had many other memorable partnerships on the show:

• In season 17, he danced with actress Elizabeth Berkley. They finished in sixth place.
• He partnered with actress Danica McKellar in season 18, also finishing sixth.
• In season 19, he made it to the finals with actress Janel Parrish, finishing third.
• He danced with R&B singer Tamar Braxton in season 21. They had to withdraw due to health issues.
• In season 22, he partnered with meteorologist Ginger Zee, finishing third.
• He reached the finals again in season 24 with singer Normani, finishing third.
• In season 25, he danced with Paralympic swimmer Victoria Arlen, reaching the semi-finals and finishing fifth.
• He returned for season 27 with actress Nancy McKeon, finishing 11th.
• For season 28, he was originally paired with Christie Brinkley. When she got injured, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook stepped in. They finished ninth.
• In season 29, he partnered with cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, finishing seventh.
• He danced with influencer Olivia Jade in season 30, finishing eighth.
• In season 31, he reached the finals with The Bachelorette star Gabby Windey, finishing second.
• Most recently, in season 33, he partnered with reality TV personality Phaedra Parks, finishing eighth.

• Val has had a similar journey on Dancing with the Stars to his older brother Maksim. Both were eliminated early in their first two seasons, got third place in their third season, and were runners-up in their fourth season.
• Val shares a record with Mark Ballas for having the most celebrity partners (four) who never scored less than 8 from any judge.
• Val is the only professional dancer to go three seasons in a row (seasons 16, 17, 18) without any of his partners scoring less than an eight.
• Val and his season 19 partner Janel Parrish hold the record for getting a perfect score (all 10s) very early in the competition, during Week 3.

See also

In Spanish: Valentin Chmerkovskiy para niños