Valentin Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-born professional dancer, author and television personality. A 14-time US National Champion and two-time World Dance Champion, Val rose to stardom as a fan-favorite professional and eventual two-time winner of the hit series Dancing with the Stars. He has since appeared on numerous television shows, including Netflix’s Fuller House and Fox’s Flirty Dancing, as well as served as a judge on the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.

Val is the co-founder and owner of Dance With Me studios, a leading, nationwide network of dance studios with the mission of making dance accessible to all people regardless of skill level. Val is a nationally recognized dance educator and advocate for keeping kids active, healthy, and creative through dance. Val is a philanthropist who supports numerous charities, including the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of LA and Pencils of Promise. He also spent time mentoring kids at the KIPP Scholar Academy in South Los Angeles.

In 2018, Val released his first memoir titled “I’ll Never Change my Name,” which detailed his life, career and experience as an Eastern European immigrant. As a classically trained violinist, Val has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Val was born in Odessa, Ukraine to an engineer mother and marine merchant father and immigrated to Brooklyn, NY at 8 years old. He is fluent in Russian and English.