Val Chmerkovskiy is back and excited about the 19th season of Dancing With the Stars. The brother of longtime DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Val is paired this season with Pretty Little Liars star Janel Parrish.
Val recently spoke with Time magazine about Janel and their season 19 competition.
“Janel is one of those kids who grew up having a natural flair for performance,” Val told them. “She did singing and acting, but musical theater was the thing she really loved to do. She took some dance classes to complement that. She knows how to move and has some stage presence and she kept up with it, so she has been introduced to dancing before, but has never worked on ballroom dancing in her life.”
How A-mAzing was @JanelParrish's performance on @DancingABC?! #DWTS
— Pretty Little Liars (@ABCFpll) September 16, 2014
Val Chmerokovskiy is well aware that their combined resumes may indicate to fans and audience members that their performances should be stellar, and recognizes that it would behoove them as a dancing pair to exceed those expectations.
“I am humbled by the fact that people have a lot of expectations for her and myself. I want to surpass those expectations,” he says. When asked if he thinks he and Janel have it in them to take home the Mirror Ball Trophy this year, he diplomatically replies: “I think everybody on the show should think that way about their partners and their opportunities.”
“I’m not obsessing about the result as much as the process. I want to make this season great for her,” he also added.
Bang Bang! Digging @iamValC and @JanelParrish's crazy jive? Vote! http://t.co/UahEt9zkaz
— Official DWTS (@DancingABC) September 16, 2014
NorthJersey.com asked Val Chmerkovskiy if he’s sad he’ll be the only Chmerkovskiy on DWTS this season.
“I’m ecstatic about that,” Val laughed. “Finally, he’ll stop hogging the spotlight.”
But, in all seriousness, the younger Chmerkovskiy recognizes a special time has ended if they are never “DWTS” pros together again.
“I’m definitely going to miss being able to share such a platform with him,” he said. “We’re constantly together, so it’s not something where I’m never going to see him again. But in terms of the blessing that was both of us being on the show, for our family, that was a huge privilege — for our grandparents, for our parents, for our friends. To be able to make it to this level in the profession is one thing, but to be able to do it with your brother is something that happens very rarely. I don’t take that for granted. I really appreciated that. But all good things come to an end.”
Even after just one night’s performance thus far for season 19 of Dancing With the Stars, Val Chmerkovskiy has already pegged a frontrunner.
“Alfonso Ribeiro is a great performer and I’m sure he’s going to be a highlight,” said Chmerkovskiy.
Are you a Val Chmerkovskiy fan? Will you be cheering him and his partner Janel Parrish on during Dancing With the Stars’ 19th season?
