Getty Maks Chmerkovskiy visits Build to discuss the dance tour "Maks, Val & Peta Live On Tour: Confidential" at Build Studio on March 10, 2020
Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Jenna Johnson may be married to fellow cast member Val Chmerkovskiy, but it’s the story of the first time she met his brother Maksim Chmerkovskiy that has us in stitches. Read on to find out the totally awkward reveal Johnson recently made on Instagram.
Jenna and Maks Met When She Was 10 Years Old!
In a recent Instagram video from Dance & Co., the online video platform where your favorite Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance dancers perform, Johnson and brother-in-law Maksim Chmerkovskiy were going to teach a class but instead, Johnson revealed a funny story that her mom just reminded her about.
“Fun fact: One of my first memories of traveling to an out-of-state ballroom competition was to the crazy place in New Jersey. We flew out a few days early so we could take private lessons with some out-of-state coaches,” said Johnson. “I had a lesson with you when I was like eight. My dance teacher Miss Kim, she’s like there’s this greatest guy, his name is Maks Chmerkovskiy. I was like eight years old, no, I was probably 10. I had just started ballroom dancing.”
“I don’t actually know that story. That’s a great story,” said Chmerkovskiy.
But wait! There’s more!
Johnson also revealed that there were several other Dancing With the Stars professional dancers at the same competition — Witney Carson, Lindsay Arnold, Britt Cherry, and Brandon Armstrong.
“Lindsay Arnold was there too. Witney was there, Britney was there, we were all there. I had a lesson with you!” said Johnson. “My mom just reminded me of this.”
She also said the competition was Kiki Nyemchek’s father’s competition — Nyemchek was part of the Dancing With the Stars troupe in seasons 12, 13, and 14 — to which Chmerkovskiy responded, “It’s all in the family. This is all very much close-knit, super tight community.”
He then cracked, “And ‘you’re welcome,’ I think, is the correct response to this. You’re welcome, Britt’s welcome, Lindsay — you’re welcome Linds.”
We don’t know if Val Chmerkovskiy, who is Maks’ younger brother and is married to Johnson, has heard the story just yet, but Maks’ wife Peta Murgatroyd posted seven crying-with-laughter emojis on the video.
Johnson and Chmerkovskiy Married in 2019
Johnson, 26, and Val Chmerkovskiy, 34, were married in April 2019. If she was 10 when she met Maks, he would have been 24, in case anyone is wondering.
Johnson and Chmerkovskiy recently bought a house together but they had to quarantine separately while competing on Dancing With the Stars season 29 due to COVID-19 safety precautions. So when Chmerkovskiy was eliminated from the competition with his celebrity partner Monica Aldama, he said the silver lining was that he and Johnson could live together again.
Maks Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd were married in 2017 after having been together on and off since 2012. They welcomed a son, Shai, in January 2017.
Dancing With the Stars season 30 should return in 2021 but ABC has not announced when it will premiere yet.
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