Val Chmerkovksiy Pens Blog On Brother Maks And Samba With Danica McKellar
If you head to Today, you can read a new blog by Val Chmerkovksiy. A majority of his blog is written about Maks. Maks should have won with Mel B? Really? Look for more from Heidi after you read the take below…
I’m very happy that my brother Maks is back this season. It’s awesome. He’s having a lot of fun, and I’m glad that people are seeing that side of him. Everyone has an opinion on Maks! But he’s a product of the process. He’s a very positive, loving and loyal person.
In my opinion, he should have won the mirror ball trophy with Mel B in season 5. Maybe that would have changed everything? Now, it’s like there’s this huge boulder on his shoulder. He’s done the show for 15 seasons and has never won. I’m not saying he deserved it every season, but I think that once you’ve won you’ve — in a sense — proved yourself.
It’s easy to judge someone but you don’t know what they’ve gone through until you’ve put yourself in their shoes. I got to do that with Maks over the last few seasons. I think I have a little bit more composure in my reactions to certain things. But Maks and I are different people. I don’t want him to change. I want him to be just as honest and passionate about what he believes in as he’s always been. He’s been that way for as long as I remember.
It was very exciting the last few seasons to watch Maks venture into other things. But having him back on the show this year is amazing. It’s a privilege for me to spend time with him doing something as incredible as this. We’re very close. He came running into my bedroom after the earthquake hit on Monday morning and said, “Did you feel that?”
More at Today including Vals’s thoughts on he and Danica’s new dance.
Heidi: It’s like Val has actually learned something!! He talks about other people’s scores, but he doesn’t mention any names. It’s a miracle!! 🙂 Seriously, the one thing he hasn’t learned in all his time (and Maks’ time) on the show is that the scores aren’t relative to other dancers. They never have been. How often has a great dancer gotten the same score as a Kirstie Alley, for example. Or a Bristol Palin. Somehow, when they’re the ones dancing with Kirstie, they don’t have any complaints. Shocking. 🙂 As for Mel B? Maybe she should have won. But Shawn should have won Season 15. Sometimes, shit happens. 🙂
If I can remember correctly, I believe I only voted for Sabrina season 5 and when she was kicked off, didn’t vote again that season. But if I could go back in time to vote against Mel B and vote FOR Helio, I’d do it just because I’m so freaking sick of this family and their fans complaining how Mel and Maks were robbed. I just want to rub salt in the wound a little more, LMAO! It’s been a popularity contest along with dancing since the first season. Pros that keep harping on how they were robbed just look bitter and immature. This is your job your’re paid to do. If you don’t like that it’s unfair, go find another job.
I feel plenty of times the best dancer or person I was rooting for lost. But I don’t keep harping in it years after the fact. Maks’s fans need to get a grip.
I was hoping that I’d get to read about the Val’s teaching process, how he transfers his knowledge/expertise to his student, and how he prepares her for the actual performance, and most importantly, what he learns from this whole process with a new celeb. There was practically none on that. I was disappointed, but not really surprised.
Nobleze, while I don’t disagree with you, I’ll bet that the most frequently asked question to Val is how he feels about Maks being back.
I agree Nobleze. You’d think he’d write more about Danica. Jess, so true.
@jess, I can understand that and I like that he’s so supportive of his brother. I guess I wasn’t expecting his blog to be 90% Max and 10% Danica, his partner. And even the last two paragraphs weren’t really about Danica. It was about him. Next time I read his blog, I won’t have expectations anymore, LOL.
“I don’t want him to change. I want him to be just as honest and passionate about what he believes in as he’s always been.” – I’m sorry, but that’s a lame excuse to treat your partners like a piece of s**t.
#1 I guess Maks fans harp on Season 5 because pretty much everyone thought Mel should have won, so when ppl discuss how he never won a mirror ball in 15 seasons (!) it’s always, BUT he should have won Season 5 with Mel. Which IMO he should have.
I wish Val would shut up about this though, he keeps talking about Maks finally winning the mirror ball, and I almost feel like he is trying to psych him out or something lol. Maks seems to be trying not to think about it which I think is a good idea for him, frankly. Maks seems nice now but in the past that has often fallen away as the competition progresses…
In my humble opinion, it comes down to,”you either got IT or you don’t”. Maks has just never had a broad enough appeal. He is not going to win until he focuses on his partner and being a partnership. Val appears to be picking up on the same weakness. More about his brother not winning and less about his partner and their rapport. Focus boys, focus…….
I loved Mel B. I remember her saying, I think it was about the Argentine Tango, “It’s like ‘I love you, I hate you, I love you, I hate you’ — that’ll work for Maks and me.” But even assuming that he “should have” won that season, that’s one time out of 13 or 14 — it doesn’t seem to me like a winning argument for the proposition that Maks is such a fabulous teacher/choreographer/dancer. It totally speaks to their tone-deafness that Val used his blog to write about Maks. And, of course, if you went to the whole article, you saw the ubiquitous mention of parents and grandma. This is at least part of their problem — the celeb always winds up being a kind of side show to the Maks/Val main attraction. That is for sure not the way to win. I just don’t know if they will ever be able to get enough over themselves to do it right.
Maksim & Valentin Wolowitz alert!!! Mom/Bubbie name drop. 😛
Susan, Sad, but so true about the C-brothers’ celebs playing bit parts with Maks and Val in the starring roles (and their other family members as the supporting cast). Oh never mind, silly me, I always forget it’s Maks’s show.
Thanks Courtney!!
I am so beyond sick of these two. They just drop these statements like they aren’t slapping another pro in the face and dissing Julianne and Helio because they won. GET over it, that’s who the audience voted for and isn’t that how it’s supposed to work. Arrogant and narcissistic that’s what is the specialty of both of these a$$e$, NOT DANCING. With all their haughty talk about how their background etc is supposed to make them so much better and more legitimately trained than SNIFF-SNIFF “American” dancers…they don’t even really care about that. They just like the sounds of their own voices….for them it’s all about winning some 29.95 mirrored trophy. Please get off this show so I can go back to enjoying it !
You see Chermokowskys, that is part of the Hough’s secret. As you watch them compete you always had the idea that they really enjoyed it, loved dancing and just to be able to perform instead of glaring intensity and competitiveness to the point of being nasty and overbearing to their partners. People like to enjoy it right along with them, not sit at home and squirm wondering just how uncomfortable and awkward you are going to make them feel.
The one thing I think has happened is that maks and val seem to keep friendships going with most of their partners after the show is over. Does that happen with the other pros?
Season 5 was the first season I watched. I know, hard to believe, right? lol I have to say I thought both couples did really well, but and I’d like to paraphrase Mel B. here from America’s Got Talent; You can’t be just good, you have to have that special something that makes you stand out as different from them that are also good. To me, and again let me say this is way before Derek was on my radar Helio and Julianne had that. There was simply something about them when they hit the dance floor. Mel was good, maybe technique wise she was better, I’m not a dancer I don’t know. All I can say is in my humble opinion Julianne and Helio had that extra special something…some sort of joy that just resonated from them when they danced. They were awesome and like someone else said I initially really wanted Sabrina to win….so there ya go.
I do wish they would get over it. If they simply danced for the love of dancing they are always saying they are filled with….they would probably win. Hope you boys read this because I swear even I could be turned around by something like that…but I’m not sure you have it in you.
Every season and every week I think maybe Val will be different. I always read his blog and I’m always disappointed in what he says. Season 5 was THIRTEEN SEASON AGO. If they’re not over it by now, clearly they never will be. Maybe once they realize that the show is about more than dancing they might actually win an MBT.
@Lea- I don’t think they’re closer with their partners than any other pro. I think they’re just a bit more vocal about it.
Season 5 was a hard one for me because I liked Helio and Julianne but I loved Mel and Maks. I actually think M&M would have won if their Freestyle was better. It wasn’t too horrible but compared to the high energy and flash of H&J’s Freestyle it underwhelmed. That’s where they lost it. Both Val and Maks need to get over it.
It’s okay to keep your eyes on the prize, but if you make the prize the only thing that matters you’re missing out on all the little pleasures that make a journey worthwhile.
Val really needs a super laid back zen personality as a partner next time. Someone who can just give him the stankeye when he starts that super-competitive winning is everything attitude.
To contrast Val’s blog take a look at Candace’s and Diana’s. Particularly Diana about her dress last week which was pretty unflattering and how embarrassed she was. Thing is this show is about the celebs and their journeys. Some pros seem to forget that imo.
Since Val is competing this season with his own partner, you would think he’d be more about HER winning than his brother the pro.
All the talk of Maks and no win reminds me of Tony and his whining during the All Star season that he never won. I never cared for Maks, he makes me uncomfortable, I never know if he is going to be rude to his partner, the judges or groom his eyebrows by licking his fingers. Last week a new move fogging the camera lens and picking something out of his mouth. Sorry I did what Val did, all about Maks!
I’d rather hear about Val’s teaching process or better yet outline Danica’s dance training to put that issue to bed early in the season.
Of course, Lea.
Maybe if Maks did a better freestyle they would have won. Same way Zendaya had a better chance if he did a better freestyle. Now he is handled a winner in Meryl. Let’s see if he brings it.
Oops pressed enter too soon.
I am tired of the whole deserves to win because he has been on awhile, etc. Look, there many great athletes who never won a championship or Olympic medal. It happens but no one sees them any less successful or not a legend. Like Dan Marino. Now if they kept whining or being bad sports, then people would see them differently. That is where Maks need to start