Val Chmerkovskiy

Val has won two Mirrorball Trophies during his tenure on the show — with actress Rumer Willis and Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez. He joined the cast of professional dancers in 2011.

Val's role at Dance With Me is as co-founder and Art Director — he sets the curriculum, standards, and instructor training rather than holding a regular teaching schedule. Every lesson at our studios is taught by an instructor trained inside the system he built. Start with a $49 private intro lesson at your nearest studio and we'll match you with the right teacher for your goals.

Val was born in Odessa, Ukraine, immigrated to New York at eight years old, and grew up in Brooklyn. He is fluent in Russian and English.

Val's competitive background is in International Latin and Ballroom — Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive, alongside the standard ballroom styles. He also choreographs for television, live tour productions, and wedding first dances, and is a classically trained violinist who has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Yes — Maks Chmerkovskiy is Val's older brother, and the two co-founded Dance With Me Studios together. They toured 50 cities together on the Confidential tour alongside Peta Murgatroyd.