Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (Ukrainian: Максим Олександрович Чмерковський [mɐkˈsɪm olekˈsɑndrowɪtʃ ˈtʃmɛrkou̯sʲkɪj]; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American[1] Latin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely 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 17 seasons as a competing pro on the show, Chmerkovskiy made it to the final round five times, with two runner-up and two third-place finishes. On May 20, 2014, Chmerkovskiy, paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, won his first Dancing with the Stars title.[2] Chmerkovskiy has also starred in the Broadway productions of dance shows Burn the Floor and Forever Tango.
