Maks Chmerkovskiy. Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas
World-renowned ballroom dancer and choreographer Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy chatted about his latest endeavors.
He spoke about the digital age, fatherhood, his latest dance experience in Napa Valley, his career-defining moments, and being proud of his Ukrainian roots, where he stands with Ukraine.
Maks also recalled his experience on the popular reality dancing competition “Dancing with the Stars,” and paid homage to the late Len Goodman.
Personal life
Maks shared that he has been “great,” “busy,” as well as “raising babies.” In mid-June, his second son, Rio John, was born. He is married to fellow ballroom dancer Peta Murgatroyd. “Life has been beautiful, the kids are great,” he asid.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Maks said with a sweet laugh, “Child No. 2.” “That’s the chapter right now,” he admitted. “It has been great and busy for our family. Peta is doing an awesome job with the kids. Our son Shai is doing amazing, he is in camp. Our new baby, Rio, is the most important part of this chapter.”
‘Savor After Hours’ project
He spoke about his latest project, “Savor After Hours,” which he launched with his brother, Val, who is also a professional dancer. This new dancing experience stars the dancing duo with special guests at the JaM Cellars Ballroom in Napa Valley, California. “It has been great. This special has been special, interesting and different,” he said.
“It doesn’t have me and Val as the centerpoint. It is just a beautiful dance show with a twist. It’s a wine tasting experience, so it’s not really about us at all. It’s about the wine, and we are the supporting cast,” he said.
“This is a very unique and personal experience. It is a very intimate opportunity, where people can drink, if they want to, and it is also for enthusiasts of art. Honestly, I am personally enjoying performing and doing this type of dance and movement. It is different and immersive, and it has been beautiful,” he said.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he remarked, “Immigration, most of all. I wouldn’t be in this career had it not been for that period of time, and the way it all played out for me. I would probably be doing other things.”
“Growing up in Ukraine, I wasn’t very good in dance. I was decent amongst thousands of people. Here, we immigrated in the ’90s, and all of a sudden, we are decent amongst nobody. Our ‘decent’ became the base standard, and then, we had the free reign to educate a lot,” he said.
“Brooklyn became the mecca for the Eastern European ballroom immigrants. Val and I got together, and we grew this opportunity and sport in this country. I produced couples and competitors that went from little kids to professionals. I think Val and I contributed a lot to this,” he added.
“Immigration was definitely a deciding factor for me, and the type of career that I would pursue,” he acknowledged.
‘Stand with Ukraine’ movement
Last year, in March of 2022, Maks noted that he fled from Ukraine to Poland due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, he joined the “Stand with Ukraine” movement.
“By the end of the first week when I was in Kiev, I looked at it and realized that this was not going to end fast. It was a huge Armada coming in and I realized how little we knew about the war just from some news and some books. The cleanup is going to take a long time,” he said.
“We live in a world of conflict,” he said, prior to expressing his love for his homeland. “My perspective and my stance is very clear. I know exactly who I am rooting for, and whose side I am on. I will support and I will do my best, as an individual and as a voice that people can listen to.”
Maks and Val’s family ties to Ukraine inspired them to raise humanitarian aid for the refugees being displaced from their homes. Their nonprofit organization Baranova 27 as part of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund has shipped over 500,000 pounds of supplies to those in need with the help of hundreds of volunteers. “I am trying to contribute to the rebuilding process of Ukraine as well. We started working on a lot of projects and with a lot of beautiful people, and I want to continue doing that,” Maks said.
‘Dancing with the Stars’
On being a part of “Dancing with the Stars,” he said, “I had a great time on it. I even judged ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in Ukraine, and I really enjoyed judging. I realized it was time to transition, and I would have loved to have transitioned here.”
“I am having amazing opportunities with my projects and to continue staying creative, that is where I want to be, and we will see what the future holds,” he added.
Remembering ‘DWTS’ judge Len Goodman
He also paid his respect to the late “Dancing with the Stars” judge Len Goodman, who passed away from cancer on April 22, 2023, at the age of 78. “Len was a good man,” he said. “Len contributed to dance worldwide globally, and he contributed to our careers too.”
“For the success of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ each one of us had to play a role, and he played his role great. We played the roles that we were given very well. I feel that the longevity of the other judges on the show [Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli] was directly related to Len’s longevity,” Maks elaborated.
“Len was the cornerstone of the show, and he held down that judging trio for sure,” Maks added.
The digital age
On being a dancer and public figure in the digital age, he said, “It was always going that way. During the pandemic, everybody was learning the new tech and everything that came with it, both the good and the bad. If you have good moral standards, a family around you, and a good head on your shoulders, then that’s important.”
“With digital media, we can get to know anybody at any time, while before, meeting new people was a mystery. I’m a touch and feel type of person in my relationships, while people are turning into virtual relationships. There are some things that humanity will need to figure out,” he said.
Superpower of choice
On his superpower of choice, Maks responded, “My superpower would be clarity of understanding and communication. Whoever I am talking to or working with or looking at, I hope they understand me clearly and absolutely.” “I would want people to understand me better,” he said with a sweet laugh.
Track and field
If he were to do any track and field event, he shared that he would be a “sprinter.” “I’m not a long-distance or a marathon guy,” he said. “I would do the 100 meters, 200 meters, or the 400 meters. Let’s drag this thing out, it’s going to be great. I am big fan of fitness and physical ability.”
In swimming, he revealed that freestyle and butterfly are his favorite strokes. “I love swimming, it is great for the body,” he admitted.
“I love working out, and working on me, I actually really like the process,” he added.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Maks said, “Success is when your loved ones being taken care of and doing my part in that. When I successfully created an opportunity for my kids to be better than me. At the moment, success is not the end result, it’s the journey to get there.”
To learn more about internally recognized dancer and choreographer Maks Chmerkovskiy, follow him on Instagram.