Val Chmerkovskiy

Many viewers knew Val Chmerkoskiy for his physical prowess as a professional dance partner on the series "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005-). Born in Ukraine in 1986, Chmerkoskiy grew up learning about the principles of dance from his older brother Maskin. When the Chmerkoskiy family emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1994, Chmerkoskiy began formally training in dance at the New Jersey dance studio Maskin owned and operated with their father. Chmeroskiy danced competitively as a teenager, and was part of the first American dance team to win a world junior championships title. His brother Maskin eventually found a home for his talents on "Dancing with the Stars," and he soon brought Val into the fold as well. Chmerkoskiy made his first appearance on the show in 2006, and in 2011, he became a fully fledged member of the cast, dancing with partner Elisabetta Canalis. He would invest his energy in other avenues as well, co-owning a chain of dance studios under the name Dance with Me, but "Dancing with the Stars" would remain his largest focus. He would win first place on the series for the first time with partner Rumer Willis in 2011, and then again with Laurie Hernandez in 2016.