Valentin (Val) Chmerkovskiy of Dancing With The Stars & Dance With Me Studios: Craving Italian Cuisine, Self-Expression, and Dancing “Our Way” through Quarantine

We're craving your support, DWTS fans: Enjoy learning more about our crowdfunding campaign here and become one of our awesome funders!

LIVE, from Hollywood, this is Dancing with the Stars!!!  

(Oh wait, that’s not our show…!) 

LIVE, to your earbuds, THIS is Creative Cravings podcast! featuring multi-talented dancing champion & professional storyteller, Valentin (Val) Chmerkovskiy!

It was such a joy for us to video chat with Val a couple weeks ago, and it’s surreal to release this episode after putting in so many hours of hard work to produce this entertaining, meaningful show.  

In today’s episode, Val talks with us about all of his cravings: from his love of Italian cuisine, to his cravings to express himself through dance, music, and writing after spending his early years in Odessa, Ukraine, to his craving to be the very best teacher & coach he can be. And, he dishes out his secret ingredients for living a healthy, fulfilling life! 

We had a lot of fun connecting over what it’s like to create with your sibling, too! In Val’s case, he has inspired, educated, and entertained millions, and has created extraordinary dance shows with his older brother, Maksim (Maks) Chmerkovskiy, like the OUR WAY Tour. They may be 6 years apart, and we may be twins, but the dynamic of working together seems eerily similar…

Thank you SO MUCH to you for listening to our show, and to Val for seeing our potential, for spending time with us during quarantine (#quarantinewithvalentin), for his dedication to teaching people all over the world to dance, for creating choreography that moves audiences, for delivering authentic performances, for graciously giving back, and for inspiring individuals & siblings like us to share our stories, “our way.” We’re pumped that we made this conversation happen and feeling so grateful, ready, and a little sleep deprived as we finally share this with everyone.

If you’ve been craving Italian food, expressing yourself creatively, or learning to dance, this episode is for Y-O-U.

Listen to Val’s episode anywhere you get your podcasts!

This week’s Creative Challenge:

1. Participate in the creative cravings challenge we announced at the end of the episode. Use #VolarewithVal if you want to spread the good energy & share about it on your social media

2. This Thursday, JOIN US for #ThursdayTrivia inspired by this episode!!! Go to @creative.cravings Instagram Stories 4/23 at 6pm CST. You’ll have 24 hours to play along.

3. Get in touch with us after you tune in to this dope episode and on Instagram, tag us and someone who you want to have a virtual dance party with!!! 

4. Chicagoans, enjoy learning the art of ballroom and latin dance at Fred Astaire Dance Studios East Lakeview

Follow @creative.cravings to stay up to date on everything we create! Access it all right HERE!

Food for Thought mentioned in this podcast episode: 

• Boost your energy with our Spotify playlist, curated by us (your show hosts), our guests, and YOU, our listeners! Val’s “Livin’ Life to the Fullest” song is at the top of the list.

• We’re doing podcast trivia in our Creative Cravings Community Facebook Group (private, so request to join!) and on Instagram Stories Thursday, 4/23 at 6pm!

• Did you know? Sari & Lauren have a way for you to support the show! Head to Creative Cravings Crowdfunding Page to contribute and help us reach our next goal by Monday, March 7th. Your funds help us in so many ways (listed on our page). 

• Loving what you’re learning about us, our guests, and yourself? Please leave us a rating & review when you subscribe

• Join our email list here at creativecravingspodcast.com (scroll to the bottom) for exclusive info and fun surprises

• Enjoy some food photos & recipes, inspiration, behind the scenes, and more @creative.cravings on Instagram. Feel free to DM us!

• Thanks so much for listening, sharing, & being a part of this community.

Ways to support Val & his work:

• If you can, donate to Dance With Me Cares Fund to support DWM dance teachers and staff, after you take their virtual dance classes!

• Read or listen to his memoir, I’ll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant's American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars

• Get your tickets to Motion Pictures Tour with Val & Maks, featuring their incredibly talented wives, Jenna Johnson & Peta Murgatroyd.

• Watch Val and friends’ moving performance for DWM’s Dancing In The Crowd “The Men That Drive Me Places”

Subscribe so you never miss a 'beet', and connect with us on our Facebook page to meet other like-minded, entrepreneurial, creative, food-lovin’ people! If you have any questions for us or comments for the show, click here or simply email us [email protected].