I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant's American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars

by Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Foreword)

"Val embodies what it means to live the American dream." — Robin Roberts, Good Morning America

Valentin Chmerkovskiy, the world championship-winning and beloved Dancing with the Stars ballroom dancer invites fans into his life as never before, sharing the experiences, including the failures and successes, that have shaped him, from his early childhood in Ukraine to growing up as an immigrant in the U.S. to his rise to international fame.

Val has captivated viewers of Dancing with the Stars since his first performance in 2011. While DWTS demonstrates Val’s beautiful physicality, this moving memoir illuminates his soul, revealing a deep, thoughtful person who channels his emotions and socially conscious views through his art. The beloved dance champion and choreographer assesses his life and career so far—where he’s come from and where he hopes to go.

For the first time, Val looks back at his childhood in Odessa, Ukraine, and his Jewish family’s immigration to the United States—including what it was like to grow up as a stranger desperate to fit into a different culture, how he worked to become a premiere dancer, and, of course, the collaborations and competitions with his brother and fellow DWTS sensation, Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy.

Val speaks warmly of his close-knit family and shares intimate and inspiring stories meant to offer hope and motivation not only to fans but to everyone with a dream. Enduring anti-Semitism in their native land, Val’s parents wanted a better life for their children—a desire that led them to leave everything they knew and start again thousands of miles away in a foreign country. It was a gamble that paid off—after years of practice and discipline, Val, along with his older brother Maks, have reached the pinnacle of success. Though he admits he sometimes still feels like an outsider, Val expresses his enduring gratitude for everything that America represents and pays homage to his adopted nation and the opportunities it has afforded him and his family.

Inspiring, heartfelt, and compulsively readable—and showcasing sixteen-pages of never-before-seen photographs, as well as a foreword by brother Maks—Val’s memoir is filled with the moments that have moved and shaped him, and is sure to touch readers’ hearts as well.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Ukraine, Autobiography

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2018

About the author

Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy was born in Ukraine, immigrated to the United States at the age of eight, and grew up in Brooklyn. He is the first American to have won two IDSF World Championships, one in Juniors and one in Youth. He is also a fourteen-time US National Champion, a classically trained violinist, and a mentor. Val is a cofounder and creative director at Dance with Me Studios, a national chain of dance studios, which he cofounded with his brother and fellow DWTS pro, Maks. Most recently, Val won the Season 23 Mirrorball Trophy with Olympian Laurie Hernandez. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've put off writing this review for a couple of days because this is a hard one for me. I'm a fan. I've followed Val since he first appeared as a guest on Dancing With the Stars. I've watched him grow as a teacher and coach. I've admired his relationship with Maks, there is no doubt it is genuine. I've seen him with children with special needs or who are ill and they just love him.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. I liked that he didn't hide the struggles his family had. It wasn't all easy when they migrated to America but they put in the blood sweat and tears to get where they are today. The love for his adopted country also comes through although I found it interesting that nothing was mentioned about actually becoming a citizen. I also like the way he respected his dance partners when discussing his time with them. Other authors haven't been as kind. What I didn't like, first the profanity could have been toned down. As Val would say, it was extra. It didn't necessarily offend me, it just detracted from the story he was telling. With his creativity and background, I think he could have got his point across with a whole lot less of it. Second, he comes across as arrogant and cocky. I'm not saying to some degree he isn't, but he is also so much more and I feel that got lost.

For a fan it was an enjoyable read with a few insights I didn't already know.

[Elizabeth7781 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled up this book in three airplane flights. On one leg, my seatmate, a 10 y/o boy remarked, ‘wow. You read fast. You’re the only one in our row who didn’t watch a movie’. I tried to tell him what pleasure there was to be had in reading, but he wasn’t buying it.

I can’t think of many 30ish authors whose autobiographies are worth reading. But here is one of them. Bias alert: I am quite a fan of the brothers Chmerkovskiy and squarely in their camp. This book is frank (let me repeat, candid as in nothingheldback candor, the kind that made me realize the age gap between Val and me. My proper Bostonian mother would have been mortified had I written a book this truthful at that age). But Val is authentic and dishes out his life just as it has been served to him - straight up and fast.

Val connects with people - very well. To his thinking, there is not much purpose in a life without connection and helping others. His large and generous heart beats true on every page. I appreciate his love, pride and loyalty for his family (see #familyovereverything). His life is an immigrant’s patriotic love story for America. He’s a hugely accomplished ballroom dancer and one of the great delights of the book, having followed Val for some years now, were the behind-the-scenes backstories on his partners, their triumphs and trials. Val also provided insight into the mind-boggling elements of choreography (he makes it look so easy!). He melted me with the line, “I paint with movement”.

In 2016, I had the pleasure of seeing Val and his brother Maks’ dance tour. During the performance, there were women with their smartphones held up for much of the show, catching it on video. (I should mention these women were in the first two rows of the audience!). Maks and Val actually asked them - WHY are you doing this?! Wouldn’t you rather be IN THE MOMENT, savoring the sheer joy of an artist’s live performance?

Val mentions this 21st century issue in his book - that being on a cell phone is taking us out of the moment, away from actually living and experiencing life. This is a lesson worth learning young.

[TeagzReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that it’s narrated by the author, and it’s interesting insight into some of the DWTS partner dynamics I’ve always wondered about. It goes back and forth from his childhood to partnerships he had on the show. So you get his backstory mixed in, which I think helped hold my interest. He does maybe overshare a little and come off arrogant a few times, in an oblivious kind of way. I think if you like DWTS you might enjoy this, but if not it may not hold your interest.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspiring

[Allison Iles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this since I’m fully in my DWTS era. Love that it was read by Val, with the forward read by Maks. The order of the chapters was a little odd to me since it kept going back and forth time wise (little confusing). Interesting to learn more about their family and background. Would love another memoir by Val now that he’s married, a father, won again, etc.!

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love any chance to pull back the curtain, and this memoir didn't disappoint. I takes a lot of guts to lay out the good, the bad, and the ugly in a telltale memoir, but the sincerity and passion ov Valentin came shining through. (I would have liked to know a bit more about Val's relationship with Jenna, but maybe there will be a part 2)

[Becca Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved and admired this man long before I’ve read this book. After reading his book I feel a deeper love and admiration for him. Getting to read about his upbringing and how he started compared to where he is now was so inspiring. Forever proud of Val.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really let us get a glimpse of the man behind the ballroom shoes. I've always felt like Val puts up his most professional side, as anyone should ... really. But with his book, written in his words? I got more of a complete picture. He's a man with a lot of charisma, and he's been through a surprising amount. And side note ... I've never in my life read a book where the sexiness of the individual comes through in the written word quite as well as this. Holy hell, Val.

I thought he did a great job with the audiobook, and I'd definitely listen through this again at some point.

[Jackie Lantern · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn! Boring read, not particularly engaging or well-written. Just trading on the supposed fame of the author.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Val's story and how he told it. I couldn't get my hands on an actual copy of the book, but I got the audio version and I loved that Val narrated it! I feel like it made it more real. I think the fact that he didn't shy away from saying his feelings about all the people he's danced with or almost danced with (or could've possibly married 🤣🤣 ) made it interesting. I had no idea that him and Julianne Hough almost partnered up. That story was interesting and the outcome kind of hmm worthy. Several years ago, momma and I went and saw him and Maks on tour and you could see their bond through their dancing. Everything that Val tells makes that bond even deeper. And yeah Val still gives off his cocky attitude, but that's who those boys are and I'm glad he didn't dim it down for the story!

Family means a lot of the Chmerkovskiys and I love that so much because I feel the same way ❤❤

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Val on DWTS. I also really enjoyed listening to his book about his experiences leading up to and including DWTS. I was surprised how the first 1/3 of the book felt like it was a tribute to his brother Maks, but he did a good job of explaining how very instrumental Maks was in shaping his life and career. As such, I can see dedicating so much of the book to his appreciation for his brother.

I love that he read the book himself as I love hearing how an author means various comments to be intended in the author’s voice. He’s funny, intelligent, and brash at times. Overall, I enjoyed listening to his book and was thankful I invested the time listening to it.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dancing has been a passion of mine since I was a kid, so it is no surprise that I'm a complete fan of "Dancing with the Stars," and, consequently, the dancers on it. This book is a combination of information about the show, the Chmerkovskiy family's immigration, and Val's personal life.

You've heard of tell-alls? Well, Val definitely tells ALL. Sometimes that is fascinating, and sometimes that is a little uncomfortable. That said, I truly enjoyed reading his book.

[Sandra Noon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Val! Love his story! I listened to this book on audible read by Val himself and that definitely contributed to the enjoyment! Took me a while to finish because I only listen in my car on longer rides but there was nothing better than driving along with Val by my side!
It was a good balance of stories from all aspects of his life along with his family (especially Maks!). If you’re a Chmerkovskiy fan, I highly recommend the audible version of this book!

[Nicole Tuckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a great read and really exactly what I wanted out of this book.

learning about his background with dance and how he rose in the ballroom world with the partner drama and then discussing his time on DWTS and how each partner had an impact on his was awesome. I wish we got more jenna and more dwts but he said there will be other books so i’ll wait

[Marijana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened and enjoyed! He’s a character and also very inspiring and hard working!

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a lot about competitive ballroom dancing and Valentin Chmerkovskiy but the profuse profanity detracted from the story. In terms of the quality of writing let's just say that Val is my favorite Dancing with the Stars pro.

[Lauren Brown]

This is how I would imagine talking to Val would be like - he is chaotically flipping the timeline throughout the book and cracking jokes constantly. I really loved this, hearing about the sacrifices that Maks, Val, and his whole family made to get to where they are on DWTS. 100% must do the audiobook version of this!!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of DWTS, and the Chmerkovskiy brothers in particular, this was an interesting look into what brought them to where they are now.

[Mary]

This was such a fun listen. Val narrates, so it feels like you are sitting in a room with him telling you his life story. I realized while listening that I remember old seasons of DWTS more than I thought I did lol.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly engaging. Surprisingly well written. If you’re a fan of DWTS, can highly recommend this autobiography.

[S ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 1 out of 5]

It sounds like the example essay your teacher gives as a rubric to you in 6th grade- some of the…details… would not be appropriate for most… it was also really bad….but no hate and good for him.

[Rosalyn Fisher · Rating 1 out of 5]

All time DWTS fan who previously liked Val, but came away from this book with a much more negative feeling about him. Although he said/wrote all the right words about thanking people and being humble, I found the entire book (including his Best Man's speech at Maks' wedding!) to be totally self-serving and egocentric. I'm cure that was not Valya's intent, but it's how I perceived it.

Book itself described incidents totally out of order. Jumped around a lot...not my style for a memoir.

Sorry I read it.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an avid fan of "Dancing with the Stars" and was ecstatic when Val Chmerkovskiy decided to join his brother, Maks, on the show. Knowing Val's many talents including his music, I expected this book to be phenomenal. Perhaps my expectations were too high in that regard. Although I did enjoy the book, it wasn't the most exhilarating for me. There were points in the middle where I had to put the book down for a while and return to it later. It wasn't that the topics were particularly heavy at that stage, but that I had no incentive to keep reading. I understand how the setup worked, switching back and forth between entertainment world and personal world, but I felt that made the story disjointed at points. I would have preferred a chronological progression but I can understand that authors would not want readers skipping parts of the story to get to others. I have seen a few reviews that complained about the amount of profanity in the book, but I felt that added authenticity. I could hear Val's voice in my head (no, I did not purchase the audiobook) as I read the story. It helped me to get the flow of the story and made the sarcastic moments that much better. (By the way, the sarcasm was my favorite part!) Overall, I found this to be a good book, but not one that stands at the top of my favorite memoirs.

[Mediaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can a sidekick dancer write one of the more interesting recent memoirs? My expectations were low when starting this book but this is an engaging book (written with a lot of help from Gil Reavill) that wisely places the author's season-by-season experiences with dance partners as the focus of many chapters. Instead of just starting with his life story in Ukraine he uses the first fifth of the book to tell stories about how he got on Dancing with the Stars and what it was like to work with celebrity partners. After the first few chapters he then mixes in his life story with that of his time on the show, making for mostly entertaining reading.

This man is deeply dedicated to his family and we get to know them well here. The early years in Ukraine are interesting (though there could have been more details) and when the family moves to the Bronx it's a shock that they encounter more violence and insults in America than they ever did in Russia. The book becomes half about his famous dancing brother as well, with the two boys in competition with each other. Val goes overboard teasing his brother, putting him down, revealing embarrassing stories (he could have skipped the part about Maks filling his pants on the airplane when they moved to America!), and bragging that Val the younger had become equal to the elder. But through it all there is demonstrative love, with family first above everything else in life.

If there's one problem with the book it's that Val brags about himself way too much and has a bigger ego than any I've ever encountered before in a book. He thinks incredibly highly of himself and makes sure you know about his successful dance career. He repeats mentions of his awards over and over, and the book starts to drag as he goes into too much detail about his world competitions or successes. Cutting out 30 or 40 pages would have made the read a little smoother and made the reader appreciate the author more. We don't need to have him continue to tell us how great he is--we got it the first time it's stated on the very first page!

I actually learned a life lesson from the book. Val had to make a distinction between the children he taught at the family's dance studio in New Jersey and the adults that he coached on the TV show or in their adult dancing clubs. The kids that wanted to become champions were disciplined strictly and barked at in order to improve, but that would have only upset adults that were dancing for fun who needed to be finessed with lower expectations and a lot of personal charm. I took away that when teaching someone you have to think about the expectations of the audience (the student) and adapt the goals or teaching style to what they're there of, even if you're training multiple groups the same thing.

Also what's interesting is what Val doesn't say in the book. There are a couple of his celebrity partners that he basically ignores (Danica McKellar must have been trouble because he quickly skips past her while devoting a dozen pages to each of most stars). There are also some private details that he leaves out (his dad's shifty finances, implying that the Mafia was involved in some of his family's business dealings, and failing to talk much about women Val was involved with). But overall it's a surprisingly good book that has a lot of depth and in the end is turned into an inspirational story.

[Vin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 7/3/2018: So far Val has explained how he met Laurie, how Maks got onto DWTS, how he got onto DWTS, complained that he screwed up with Elisabetta Canalis, how he redeemed himself with Sherri and Kelly, and how he creepily went on chat forums to defend Maks. And all I kept thinking was "He isn't as into himself as I thought." Yet at the same time, I had this reaction:

Don't get me wrong, yes he redeemed himself after his first season but at the same time it kinda strikes me as hilarious that he and Kelly faked their romance angle so much just to stick around. You weren't fooling anyone Val....we knew it was fake. The thing that bothered me more was that he still comes across as a bit over confident still.
Update 7/4/2018: His family story/background is amazing. I never knew some of this. It was touched upon on DWTS but now I'm getting why Maks and Val are different in a sense.

Update 7/5/2018: The stuff about his partners on the show in this section was VERY enlightening. Kinda feel bad for Janel to be honest though. She must have thought "boyfriend and a great experience" and like Val said, they were quickly overtaken media-wise with the romance angle. But at the same time they could have stopped it. Just could have went instead of writing about it and complaining. Just a thought:

Elizabeth was a fun section since she did this on the show:


Danica was a sweetheart. Boring but a sweetheart. LOVE her Hallmark movies though.
Rumer falls into the same catagory as Danica but anyone that can do this and look that good doing it....you have my respect.

And Zendaya......oy. Ok so I hated this pairing on the show because I still think she was over scored. She definitely had an experience though according to Val. Kinda weird she went from this to this though at the drop of a hat:


The stuff about how his life in America when he was younger was captivating. I have to give him credit on one thing in particular: He can do it all. Dancer? check. Media personality? check. Rapper? check. Writer? Check. Violin player? Check. Basketball player? Apparently so.
The insight about Maks is just eye opening though. Maks has softened a bit as he got older it seems.
His insight into Italian first names is SPOT ON.
Update 7/6/2018: The sections about competitions and Dance With Me were captivating. Not so much the section about the Ukranian version of the Bachelor. But it gave me my favorite quote from the memoir:

"According to the concept of The Bachelor , Sasha was the supposed love of Maks's life. She lasted with my brother for all of two days."

The chapters about the remainder of his celebrity partners were great. He and Tamar were a fun pairing but I still got the sense from Val that he liked that season a bit more than others. Plus they did this:

Ginger is the perfect example of unexpected. She is a gem.

Laurie is the highlight of the past couple of seasons of the show in my opinion and it seems like he loves her as much as the rest of the world does, which is great.

Normani was a tough section and season for me due to two reasons: 1)Overscored and 2)Overrated in general. She has a great voice but she isn't that good of a dancer and America must have picked up on that since she came in third and"shocked" everyone. Nice that Val made the band have fun on tour though? In hindsight, not a surprise the band broke up.

Only minor complaint I had about the ending was that he should have just added a bit more about Victoria but I guess the next book will have more about her experience on the show?
Final Review
This was an unexpected treat and he is a great writer. Saying that, I cannot wait for his next one.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve watched Dancing with the Stars (DwtS) off and on over the years. Who wins doesn’t really matter, and I don’t vote for anyone. I don’t care for the manufactured melodrama and suspense elements of the show; when I watch, it’s only for the dance performances. I’m not much of a dancer myself (though sometimes I’d like to be), and some steps/styles appeal to me more than others. I’ve never heard of many of the “stars” before their appearances on the show. Val isn’t my favourite of the pro dancers, but I don’t say that to be mean; it’s just that I’m not a fangirl. I never gave any previous thought to what sort of life Val (or his somewhat infamous brother, Maks) had beyond the show. But I was browsing the library shelves one day in a “let’s see what’s here”/“maybe I’ll try something different” mindset, and I ran across this. I thought: “Immigrant from Ukraine? Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
Turns out things on DwtS are even more contrived than I figured. And Val’s not crazy about that aspect of it, either.
“When someone labels you, it means they can stop thinking about you as a human being” (page 11). Val explains that he’s writing to reveal different aspects of himself and others and to show the patriotism of a grateful immigrant. He hopes to be inspirational, or at least entertaining. He believes in being encouraging to others, as he was given encouragement and opportunities throughout his life.
There’s not enough of some things and a little too much of others. Val’s over-the-top but big-hearted. His unique voice definitely comes through. He’s funny. And he achieves his goal of showing that people have many aspects and of being entertaining at times. Some of the stuff about competition was lost on me. He says he believes personal growth (whether his own or his dance partner’s) is more important than winning a competition, he likes to win, too. The humble brag can get a bit old.
Anyone hoping for any really juicy gossip or nasty comments about celebrities won’t find it here. Val keeps it positive and doesn’t get into graphic details, which is absolutely fine with me.
Overall, I liked it enough that, if he does write another book--as he says he’d like to--I’d be up for checking it out.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings about this book. I am a fan of DWTS and pro dancer Val. It was interesting learning about his early life, and I admire him for how he has survived through so much at such a young age. I enjoyed the light and fluffy parts where he discussed his time on DWTS. I appreciated how he divided up his book going back and forth between growing up and DWTS/ current things. However, things became out of order and took a few pages to catch back up. I thought that the foul language was unnecessary at times and distracted from his story. I know this is how he grew up and who he was —BUT there were times where the foul language seemed forced and like I said earlier, unnecessary. There were times he came off arrogant and brash - other times he was genuinely humble and loving. There were a few times where his description of some of his earlier partners was bordering on distasteful. But the majority of the time, he showed the utmost respect for his partners. Again, mixed feelings.
Overall, a good book: slow at some points, but learned more about Val and the incredible things he is doing.

[Valerie Roehling · Rating 4 out of 5]

- obviously love Val as a pro on dancing with the stars so I was biased before I read this, but I always felt like I was more attracted to his vibe and this book kind of sealed that for me
- I loved getting a better feel for who he is as a person and his interests outside of dance! Seems like someone that is genuinely curious about other people and wants genuine connection with the people around him
- as a dancing with the stars fan, it was cool to hear about the dynamics, not only between celebrity and pro but also between the pro couples in the jealousy that one would assume they have but to hear that that’s true in the obvious emotions that come with the intimacy dance was interesting to hear about. He mentioned in this book writing another one years later, and I would love to see that happen now that he’s had much more experience with dance, has married a professional pro on the show and started a family of his own.
- also really cool to hear about the fan experience and how that is important to him as someone who has a ticket to meet him later this month
- of course, also loved his immigration and family story and hearing about his love for both countries.

[Jennifer Brass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book rating: 3.5 stars
I won the ARC version of this book through goodreads giveaways.

I was looking through a list of all good reads giveaways and saw this title. There was no book cover photo. From the blurb, I assumed it was a fictional immigrants story. I was excited when I found out that I had won a copy because the book sounded like it had a good premise. Imagine my shock when I saw Val’s picture on the book! I am a casual GWTS fan and was excited that I had won the book. In the beginning he writes about how his parents discussed about immigrating to America. He talks about how difficult it was to get traveling papers and such. He goes on in a linearly style, talking about comming to America, meeting and living with family who lives in America and that he and his brother Maks each being gifted something they were surprised and excited to be given. I enjoyed the story and sympathized with Val and Maks when they were unwelcome by other kids in their neighborhood. The story about how Val and Maks became dancers and how their parents became owners of a dance studio was very interesting. Val gives an expert understanding of why Maks is so hard on the celebrity dancers. It has nothing to do with dislike or anything else I thought. Honestly until he worked with Kirstie Alley, I thought he was a smug and arrogant jerk. He really worked with her and I saw a teacher trying to really help his student. Van gives the reader a greater understanding of why his brother teaches the way he does. I do still consider him a little arrogant, but now I understand why he is that way. I enjoyed learning about them and their parents. Some of the stories were very interesting.
Overall I liked the book but I just couldn’t finish it. I stopped about half way through. There were some problems I had with it. Mainly, I am someone who prefers to read a book that is in the progression from beginning to end. This book jumps all around going backwards and fowards. In the beginning there is a linear progression but than the book changes from someone writing to someone talking. It goes from deciding to go to America to being immigrants to Maks getting a call from GWTS to him working on DWTS back to when they were teens than back when they first immigrated and than to when he was writing the book. Annother problem I had was because the book went from event to event and time to time I was often confused as to what year the event he was talking about was taking place. The book is written as more of a long conversation/monologue rather than in a normal written format. It may be better to use audible rather than to read it.
My cleaning lady found the book while doing her job and asked me about it. I gave it to her after I stopped reading it. She was very happy. I did ask her if she would post a review on Amazon, hopefully she will enjoy it more than I did and leave a good review. If I were to recommend this book to someone, I would suggest they use audible as they may enjoy Val reading his book more than trying to read it themselves. I applaud Val for not using a ghost writer. He did a good job for someone who has never written anything before.
*EDIT*
I gave the book to a friend of my parents who saw the book on my coffee table. She asked me a lot of questions and I could tell she was intrested in the book. I gave it to her as I just couldn't finish it. She returned it two weeks later. She told me that she couldn't finish because of the same problem I had. The book goes from the past, to the future and back again which is very confusing to read. It is now sitting on my burow. My brother vacations at a time share. The time share has a lending libary. Next time he goes, I will ask him to add this book to their shelves. My hope is that someone who can read the whole book finds it and enjoys it. I also hope for Val that if there is a person like that, they review it and pass the book on.