Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy[a] (born January 17, 1980) is an 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.

[4] The aim of the school was to train children to become young gentlemen or ladies, and the education included manners and ballroom dance.

Working at the restaurant, Chmerkovskiy decided winning competitions as a dancer would be a way to argue for higher pay.

"[3] In 2001, Chmerkovskiy had his first major success as an instructor when he helped his brother, Valentin, then 16, and Diana Olonetskaya, 15—became the first U.S. dance pair to win a world junior championship.

"[23][24][25] Chmerkovskiy first appeared in the second season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars partnered with actress Tia Carrere.

[18] Chmerkovskiy returned to Dancing with the Stars in March 2007 for Season 4, this time partnered with boxer Laila Ali.

He returned for the show's seventh season, this time paired with two-time Olympic volleyball gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor.

[32] On February 9, 2009, Good Morning America announced that he would be paired with Denise Richards for the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars.

In April the show aired a rehearsal outtake of Chmerkovskiy giving a monologue which resulted in him often being referred to as "sex on a stick.

In week 4, while performing the paso doble, Gilbert hit her head on the dance floor and suffered a mild concussion.

Prior to the full cast announcement, US Weekly reported Chmerkovskiy would return to Dancing for season 18 after a two-season break.

[51] The full cast was officially announced on August 30, at which point ABC confirmed Chmerkovskiy was partnered with model Amber Rose.

[57] On ABC News with Robin Roberts Chmerkovskiy defended his comments adding "I have nothing to apologize for to Len, certainly not to Carrie Ann".

[59] His professional work includes choreographing for the Wynn Las Vegas's water-based show Le Rêve.

[60] By 2008, Chmerkovskiy's contribution to Le Rêve included choreographing three numbers: "Tango", "Paso Doble" and "Piece Montèe".

[64] In the summer of 2014, Chmerkovskiy appeared in multiple performances of the touring dance show "Ballroom with a Twist.

[67] Chmerkovskiy was partnered with Karina Smirnoff for the first three weeks of the show's Broadway run before both left to return to Dancing with the Stars.

Sway is a live ballroom dance show starring Maksim, his brother Valentin, and Tony Dovolani.

[43] In addition to his choreography on Dancing with the Stars and La Reve,[61] Chmerkovskiy has worked as a choreographer on other projects.

[76] Chmerkovskiy is one of the creators and directors of Dance Team USA, a nonprofit educational and charitable organization dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and training future DanceSport participants.

In 2009, he participated in the ABC sport show called "The Superstars" and was paired with Freestyle Skier Kristi Leskinen.

[79] Chmerkovskiy appeared on three episodes of General Hospital in March 2013 playing the role of Anton Ivanov, who dances with Kelly Monaco's character Sam Morgan during the Nurses' Ball.

[82] In December 2023, it was announced that Chmerkovskiy would be a judge on the 18th season of So You Think You Can Dance alongside Allison Holker (and Nigel Lythgoe who eventually did not participate).

[87] Chmerkovskiy has also appeared as a judge on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa," India's version of Dancing with the Stars.

[91][92] Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd became engaged on December 5, 2015, when he proposed while onstage for a performance of Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Miami, Florida.

[93] Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd's first son, Shai Aleksander, was born in January 2017[94] and they were married in a contemporary ceremony in Long Island, New York on July 8, 2017.