Maksim Chmerkovskiy
| Maksim Chmerkovskiy | |
|---|---|
 Maksim Chmerkovskiy on May 2, 2007 |
|
| Born | Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy January 17, 1980 Odessa, Ukraine |
| Occupation | Dancer Choreographer Instructor |
Maksim (Maks) Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (Ukrainian: Максим Олекса́ндрович Чмерковський, Maksym Oleksándrovych Čmerkovsʹkyj, pronounced [mɑkˈsɪm olɛkˈsɑndroβ̞ɪtʃ ˈtʃmɛrkou̯sʲkɪj]; Russian: Максим Александрович Чмерковский; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two. In his ten appearances on the show, Chmerkovskiy has made it to the final round four times, with two runner-up and two third place finishes.
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[edit] Early life
Born on January 17, 1980, in Odessa to Aleksandr and Larisa Chmerkovskiy, he began dancing at the age of four. His brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, is also a champion dancer.[1] His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian.[2][3]
The challenges of immigration for Chmerkovskiy and his family included financial and language barriers. A skiing accident as a child broke Chmerkovskiy's right leg. Doctors informed him that there would be difficulties with his leg and that dancing might not be possible.[4] He made a successful recovery and went on to become a professional Latin Ballroom dancer.
Chmerkovskiy owns four dance studios in the New York City area, one of which is the Rising Stars Dance Academy (RSDA).[5] The other three studios are social dance studios located in Ridgefield, New Jersey, and Glen Head, New York, as well as the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan. He has been a resident of Edgewater, New Jersey.[6]
Chmerkovskiy is one of the creators and directors of Dance Team USA, a non-profit educational and charitable organization dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and training future DanceSport participants. This sport is particularly popular with Eastern European families. Through his company Maksim Chmerkovskiy Productions, he organizes performances globally.
A ballroom and DanceSport choreographer, among his professional works is the Wynn Las Vegas's water-based show Le Rêve.[7] He implemented ballroom-inspired numbers in the Franco Dragone production.
[edit] Superstars
Chmerkovskiy and freestyle skier Kristi Leskinen won the 2009 edition of Superstars.
[edit] Dancing with the Stars
Chmerkovskiy first appeared in the 2nd season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars partnered with actress Tia Carrere. They finished in sixth place. The following season, he and partner singer Willa Ford came in seventh place. Chmerkovskiy returned to Dancing with the Stars in March 2007 for Season 4, this time partnered with boxer Laila Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali. They made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars, he was partnered with Mel B and had his best finish to date; the couple received second place. Chmerkovskiy did not participate in Season 6, although he and former partner Mel B made an appearance for the 100th episode.
He returned for the show's 7th season, this time paired with two-time Olympic volleyball gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor. Chmerkovskiy and May-Treanor were forced to withdraw from the competition in Week 4 on October 6, 2008. During a practice for their jive, May-Treanor ruptured her Achilles tendon and required surgery. Her withdrawal gave them a finish in tenth place.
On February 9, 2009, on Good Morning America it was announced that he would be paired with Denise Richards for the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars. They were eliminated second in the competition, on March 24, 2009, giving the pair a finish of 12th place. In the ninth season, he was paired with actress Debi Mazar, during which they were eliminated 4th. In season 10, Chmerkovskiy, returning for his 8th season, was partnered with Erin Andrews.[8] They ended up coming in 3rd place during the two hour finale on May 25, 2010.
For season 11, Chmerkovskiy partnered with singer and actress, Brandy. They made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated on November 16, 2010, giving them a 4th place finish.[9] For Season 12, he was paired with actress, Kirstie Alley. On week 3, his leg gave out causing the couple to fall, earning 21 out of 30. The next week, Alley's shoe fell off during their routine. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba called Alley The Queen of the Unexpected Mishap; they earned 22 out of a possible score of 30. They made it to the finals and finished in second place.
For season 13, he was partnered with Hope Solo and they finished in 4th place.
| Season | Partner | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | N/A |
| 2 | Tia Carrere | 6th |
| 3 | Willa Ford | 7th |
| 4 | Laila Ali | 3rd |
| 5 | Mel B | Runner Up |
| 6 | None | N/A |
| 7 | Misty May-Treanor | 10th |
| 8 | Denise Richards | 12th |
| 9 | Debi Mazar | 12th |
| 10 | Erin Andrews | 3rd |
| 11 | Brandy | 4th |
| 12 | Kirstie Alley | Runner up |
| 13 | Hope Solo | 4th |
| 14 | Melissa Gilbert | TBA |
[edit] Dancing titles
- 2005 Yankee Classic Professional Latin Champion[10]
- 2005 Blackpool Dance Festival Semi-Finalist
- 2004 Manhattan Dancesport Professional Latin Champion
- 2004 Nevada Star Ball Champion
- 2004 World Masters Finalist
- 2004 Moscow Kremlin Cup Finalist
- 2004 Philadelphia Dancesport Festival Champion
- 2003 All England Champion
- 2003 Ohio Star Ball Latin Champion
- 2003 La Classique du Quebec Champion
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson |
Dancing with the Stars (US) runner up Season 5 (Fall 2007 with Mel B) Season 12 (Spring 2011 with Kirstie Alley) |
Succeeded by Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska |
| Preceded by Joey Lawrence & Edyta Śliwińska |
Dancing with the Stars (US) third place contestant Season 4 (Spring 2007 with Laila Ali) Season 10 (Spring 2010 with Erin Andrews) |
Succeeded by Marie Osmond & Jonathan Roberts |
[edit] References
- ^ Moreno/Lyons Productions, LLC. "America's Ballroom Challenge: Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/ballroomchallenge/competition-s2-ep4.html. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ http://mobile.twitter.com/MaksimC/status/51027110982197249
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21996599/ns/travel-travel_tips/t/spin-around-floor-maks/
- ^ "Maksim Chmerkovskiy". Maksim Chmerkovskiy. http://www.maksimchmerkovskiy.com/content.php. Retrieved 2010-07-17.[dead link]
- ^ Bonchak, Jean (Thursday, January 22, 2009). "News Pros diggin' the dancing teen". The News Herald, local news, sports and weather serving Lake County and Northern Ohio Serving Northern Ohio. http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/01/21/news/doc497805f058640813185763.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ Staff. Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Bio, Us Weekly. Accessed March 17, 2011. "He is an owner of three dance studios in the New York City area and resides in Edgewater, New Jersey."
- ^ Rocchio, Christopher (2008-02-19). "'Dancing' professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 'I'll be back next season'". WWW.realitytvworld.com. http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/dancing-professional-maksim-chmerkovskiy-ill-be-back-next-season-6572.php. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ "Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy — Maks a Romantic Defender?". National Ledger. April 16, 2010. http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272631362.shtml. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
- ^ "'Dancing' cuts yet another front-runner"
- ^ Mirador, Sthanlee (THURSDAY NOVEMBER 01, 2007). "The Sexy Men of Dancing with the Stars". People Magazine. http://www.people.com/people/package/gallery/0,,20154290_20155819,00.html. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
