Val Chmerkovskiy Thinks You Should Be Dancing, and We Agree With Him

If Val Chmerkovskiy says you should be dancing, then girl—get your butt on the dance floor.

And we don’t mean a little side shuffle at your cousin’s wedding. We’re talking about throwing yourself into life, movement, and joy, with the passion that made Val one of the greatest dancers to ever grace the Dancing with the Stars stage.

And if you caught his recent appearance on The Squeeze, you know exactly what we mean. Because this wasn’t just a fun interview, it was a masterclass in culture, resilience, artistry, and fatherhood—and why dance, in all its forms, can be the key to surviving and thriving.

Where is Val Chmerkovskiy from?

Valentin Aleksandrovich “Val” Chmerkovskiy was born in 1986 in Odesa, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. He immigrated to Brooklyn at age 8 and vividly remembers the moment: “I remember landing at JFK. I remember the smell. It just smelled like a different world.”

Odesa, he explains, was known as the “New Orleans of the Soviet Union,” a city full of music, comedy, jazz, and color. But chaos crept in with the fall of the USSR in the early ’90s. His parents, “idealistic and incredibly brave,” left behind a life of comfort in search of something bigger—and more stable—for their kids. “We downgraded in social status. But we upgraded in spirit,” he says.

From Ukrainian immigrant to DWTS Champion

What started as a community ballroom dance program in Ukraine became a legacy once the family hit American soil. At just 15, Val became the first American to win a World Junior Championship title. He would become a two-time World Latin Dance Champion and a 14-time U.S. National Latin Dance champion. Today, he’s a three-time Dancing with the Stars winner and co-owner of the Dance With Me studios across the U.S.

Still, he never flexed too hard as a kid. He says, “even though on the side, I was one of the best ballroom dancers this country has ever seen, I didn’t walk around saying it. It gave me pride, but I didn’t carry it with me.”

His mindset? Dancing wasn’t fluff or sparkle—it was sport. “I was trying to be a Michael Jordan, not a Michael Jackson,” he says. “To me, three seconds on the clock was: ‘And now, jive.’”

Val sees dance as an extension of self. It’s not just work, it’s therapy. “It’s a safe haven for me. A place I go to distract, to reset, to remember who I am.” He doesn’t need to be on stage or on tour (although he loves both). Sometimes, he dances just for himself. “Not everything I do in dance makes me money. Sometimes, it just makes me better—or happy.”

That passion? Still burning. That sense of responsibility? Stronger than ever. Especially now that he’s someone’s dad.

Val Chmerkovskiy as a father and his role model

Val and his wife, fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson, welcomed their son Rome in January 2023. Val says the transformation has been wild and grounding. “At first, it was just changing diapers. Now I’m having conversations with him. He’s got a personality. He’s slapping people. It’s dynamic!”

But fatherhood also made him appreciate his parents even more. “My dad’s a hero. I’m lucky I got to grow up with him as a role model, even though I’ve already spent more physical time with my kid than he was able to spend with me at that age. That’s just life.”

Still, Val credits his father for investing in the future, even when it meant sacrificing pride. “My dad started the Dance With Me studios when he wasn’t even a dancer. He believed in me and my brother. That’s why I want to put my son in dance—not for medals, but because sharing space with another human being teaches empathy.”

Beyond DWTS: Val’s reality TV journey

Now in his 20th season of Dancing with the Stars, Val has done it all—from performing with Zendaya to winning the mirrorball with Rumer Willis and Xochitl Gomez. But his recent stint on Hulu’s Gotta Get Out was different.

Unlike DWTS, which Val says “isn’t reality TV—it’s just a show where I get to do what I do best,” this show placed him in a house full of strangers, money, and strategy. “You’re in a house for ten days. Money’s going up. You gotta escape.”

It sounds simple—until you realize you’re living with people who are low-key spiraling over game theory and alliances. “The normal people were the least normal in the house,” Val joked. “But the wild part? I made lifelong friends. We still have a group chat.”

Oh, and in case you were wondering, he was one of the few people who didn’t pull a hamstring. “I wasn’t the fastest, but I was one of the last runners standing.”

Val Chmerkovskiy’s dance philosophy

Val doesn’t dance for the trophies. Or the applause. Or even the paychecks.

“Dance is the reward,” he says. “It’s not just what I do. It’s who I am.”

And that’s why you should be dancing too. Maybe not professionally. Maybe not even in public. But there should be movement, rhythm, and joy somewhere in your life, just like Val.