The next generation of dance recital with his brother, Maks, and his sister-in-law, Peta Murgatroyd. Maks and Peta began dating in 2012 when they met as pro dancers on the show. Although they broke up after ten months, they reunited in 2014 and got engaged in 2015. They got married on July 8, 2017. Peta gave birth to their son, Shai Aleksander, on January 4, 2017.
The Chmerkovskiy family has a long history with Dancing With The Stars. Maks first appeared on the show in 2006 during season 2, and danced for fifteen seasons, until he announced in 2018 that he was officially done with the show. He won season 18 with his partner Meryl Davis. Val followed in his brother's footsteps and ed the show as a pro dancer in season 13 after appearing in other roles for a few years. He won in season 20 with partner Rumer Willis, and again in season 23 with Laurie Hernandez. He married fellow pro dancer, Jenna Johnson, in 2019. Jenna began as a pro dancer on the show in season 23 after dancing with the troupe for seasons 18-22. She placed first in season 26 with Adam Rippon. Val is rumored to be retiring from the show after season 30. Peta Murgatroyd ed the show as a pro dancer in season 13 after dancing in the troupe in season 12. She won the show in season 14 with Donald Driver and in season 22 with Nyle DiMarco. She left after season 29 to focus on her family and other projects.
In a reel on Instagram set to "Get Down On It" by Kool & The Gang, Val hugging his brother.
Val captioned the reel, "Next one up," with laughing and dancer emojis, acknowledging how Shai is following in his father and uncle's dancing footsteps. He continued, "Came to my nephew at his first dance recital. Oh how quickly time flees, him just being a thought and now he’s the center of our world. Proud of all the kids, teachers, and especially all the parents that their kids and give them a chance to live a beautiful life. A life that maybe they didn’t have." Val's post indicates that he enjoyed the show and wanted to acknowledge the hard work of everyone involved. In the comments, Peta wrote to Val, "Love you thank you for coming,"and Maks posted three heart emojis. It is evident that they appreciated Uncle Val's of Shai.
The Chmerkovskiy family has a ion for dance that is now being ed down to the next generation. Whether Shai continues to pursue dance or not in the future, he has a strong system with his parents and uncle. Val's statement that Shai is the "center of our world" shows how much his nephew means to him and the family. Perhaps one day Shai will pursue a career in dance like his mom, dad, uncle and aunt and bring home a Mirrorball Trophy to add to the family's impressive collection.
Source: Val Chmerkovskiy/Instagram