Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Maksim Chmerkovskiy has carved out a significant niche in the realm of dance as a Latin-ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. His most notable involvement has been with "Dancing with the Stars," where he has graced the stage for 17 seasons, reaching the final round five times and winning the title in 2014 alongside Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis. Beyond his television appearances, Chmerkovskiy has also demonstrated his skills on Broadway with roles in the dance shows "Burn the Floor" and "Forever Tango."

Chmerkovskiy's prowess is not only confined to the dance floor. He has earned impressive ranks at a professional level in the International Latin category, securing the position of 2nd in the United States and 7th in the world. Furthermore, he operates several social and competitive dance studios under the brand "Dance With Me." Chmerkovskiy's diverse experience in the field of dance, coupled with his extensive involvement in competitive dance reality shows, has earned him the nickname "the bad boy of the ballroom."

Outside of his dance career, Chmerkovskiy has also made his mark in several television series and Broadway productions. He won the sport show "The Superstars" in 2009 and made appearances in "The Exes," "General Hospital," and the Netflix series "Fuller House." In 2021, he competed on "The Masked Dancer" as "Sloth" and finished in second place. In addition to these appearances, Chmerkovskiy also became a judge on the 18th season of "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2023 and was featured on season two of Peacock's "The Traitors."

Chmerkovskiy was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1994. Chmerkovskiy lived and worked in Ukraine on various shows in recent years and was in Kyiv when the current war started. He was able to return to the United States and has since started a Humanitarian Aid Fund, Baranova27, with his father and brother. They have shipped over 140 tons of aid along with raising money to build residential units for the citizens of Ukraine. Additionally, Chmerkovskiy is actively involved with ChildHelp, to assist victims of child abuse and neglect through prevention, intervention, and treatment and the Alfalit International, providing literacy and educational programs to the poorest and neediest populations around the world.