Maksim Chmerkovskiy revealed he hated dancing! The "Dancing with the Stars" pro confessed that he was not a natural dancer and was only pushed by his parents to learn the art of dance.
"Dancing with the Stars" champion-turned-business owner, Maksim" Maks Chmerkovskiy, who is a partner in the Dance with Me Dance Studios chain, claims he was not a natural dancer. Even worse, he hated it. Just the same, his parents pushed him to learn so he could more easily assimilate after emigrating from Ukraine to Brooklyn in 1994, when he was 14. His parents wanted him to make use of this particular profession as his ticket from Ukraine to Brooklyn.
He told CNBC that when he arrived in America, the only English he knew was "Hello" "Goodbye" "F* you" and "No parking," which he learned from a Hasidic Jew on the plane ride over. Because Chmerkovskiy didn't have language to communicate, he found he could express himself through dance.
In an Instagram post with a link to his new CNBS special, Maksim said: "Just some of my personal views on life and business. Nothing more, nothing less! I believe in @dancewithmeusa and its core people. I believe in succeeding beyond expectations and without limits. I believe in overcoming political, physical, language or any other barriers you might encounter. I believe in a worry-free life of abundance and moral integrity. But, most of all, I believe in me! You call it 'self-centered', I call it 'leading by example'....Bottom line: Get your ass moving...literally!"
Chmerkovskiy, 35, is currently dating his co-pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars, 29 year old Peta Murgatroyd. They were seen heading to lunch at Cecconi's in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. He was hugging her around the shoulders and sometimes clutching her hand in his. Maks and New Zealander Peta quietly re-sparked their romance at the start of this year, managing to avoid the spotlight.
That 14 year old boy from Ukraine who hated dancing is now building his "Dance with Me" brand. He said: "I have goals of just being the next biggest name in dance education-across the U.S. and maybe even the world."
One of the ideals his dad pushed was that you have to be successful, no matter what you do, says Chmerkovskiy. "The goal wasn't to be on TV," he said. "The goal was to be successful."
Join the Conversation