Maksim Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-American professional dancer and choreographer.

He was born in Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) to Aleksandr Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya.  His father is Jewish, his mother is Christian, and he identifies as Jewish.

Chmerkovskiy began dancing at the age of four, when his parents enrolled him in an aesthetic education school. The school’s goal was to train children to be young gentlemen or ladies, and the curriculum included manners and ballroom dancing.

He eventually started competing in ten-dance competitions, which include both ballroom and Latin dances.  He moved to the United States with his family when he was a teenager and continued pursuing his passion for dance.

Maksim and his younger brother Valentin Chmerkovskiy formed a successful dance partnership and competed in numerous dance competitions together.

In 2006, Maksim joined the cast of the ABC reality show “Dancing with the Stars” for its second season. He has made it to the finals several times and won the competition in Season 18 with his celebrity partner, Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis.

Aside from “Dancing with the Stars,” Maksim has also appeared on other television shows, including “General Hospital” and “Chasing Life.”