OUR MOM MAKES US WORK TOGETHER!

How the dancing pros keep the peace as their family business continues to take off

Since they were kids, siblings Val and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have practiced their dance moves side-by-side. Decades later, they’re still perfect partners, launching their wine-tasting cabaret show, SAVOR After Hours, in June and continuing to grow their dance company, Dance With Me. “We do it mostly because of our mom,” says Maks, 43, with a laugh. “She’s like, ‘You have to work together!’” Jokes aside, the Dancing With the Stars alums (Val is returning for Season 32 in September) say they love being partners. “We’re lucky we’re related,” says Val, 37. Here, the Ukraine-born stars talk to In Touch’s Fortune Benatar about family (Maks and his wife of nearly six years, Peta Murgatroyd, share son Shai, 6, and are expecting their second child in June; Val and wife Jenna Johnson — who wed in 2019 — are parents to 5-month-old Rome), their future with DWTS, and who made them starstruck.

How do you handle it when things get testy or competitive on the job? 

MAKS: Growing up in the same household helps us see things in a certain way.
VAL: You learn how to share.
MAKS: Also, I work with Val not because I have to but because he’s one of the best artists in the industry.

You’re both dads to boys. Would you like them to follow in your footsteps?