Dancing with…Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Summary

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Pod Meets World – “Dancing with…Maksim Chmerkovskiy”

Original Air Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Maksim Chmerkovskiy

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Episode Overview

In this special crossover episode branded “Danielle with the Stars,” Boy Meets World’s Danielle Fishel interviews the legendary Dancing with the Stars professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The conversation weaves through Maks’ journey as an immigrant and TV star, his candid thoughts on the realities of DWTS, the high-pressure nature of celebrity competitions, and practical, unfiltered wisdom for first-timers like Danielle herself currently on season 34. The episode also offers both nostalgia for ‘90s TV fans and dance competition insights for both newbies and veterans.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

Maksim’s Immigrant Experience & Early TV

• Maks arrived in the U.S. in 1994 at age 14 – his cultural foundations were set outside America, leading to a unique way of relating to TV, including Boy Meets World.

  • “My foundation was set in late mid, late 90s...so that's Family Matters. That's Batman on channel 11 back then. That's you guys. That's all this, you know, I can name couple of shows that are fundamental for me.” (05:43)
  • He didn’t grow up with American cartoons, but he still felt the “vibes” of shows, especially noticing Danielle as a teen crush:
    “I saw this hot chick when I was a teenager. Who. Is that you?” (06:11)
    (Danielle laughs: “Just wanted to make sure we clarify that.”)

• Maks asserts he was never a perfect fit for the public TV “mold.”

  • “I'm just not the person you want to, I guess, hire if you just want him to be very quiet and say exactly what you suppose, you know, I mean, like, that sort of mold is not my thing.” (06:28)

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Inside Maks’ Dancing with the Stars Mindset

• Maks dispels myths about the pro’s job on DWTS: His initial understanding was that a pro gives the celebrity the best shot at winning—only later did he learn it’s about giving them the best experience.

  • “I was told my. Your job is to give celebrity the best chance at winning Dancing with the Stars. Okay, great. Right?...That's not the job. Are you crazy? ...The job is to give the celebrity the best time on Dancing with [the] Stars. Not the best chance at winning.” (08:00–08:21)

• Pros work with huge variables, from personalities and backgrounds to dance levels.

  • “If I get given, you know, X and she has no chance...now I'm just pulling that dead body across.” (08:52–08:59)
  • Danielle jokes: “Very similar to my leg right now, you know, pulling this dead body behind me. I really can relate.” (09:00)

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The 34th Season: Dance Level & Casting

• This season is notably strong, with few weak links—everyone can “dance or put on a show.”

  • “I have to admit. Yeah. It's a. Everybody can dance.” (12:47)
  • “I feel like everyone who on the board was a maybe turned out to be they can dance.” (13:31)
  • Maks singles out Allen's partner Elaine Hendrick as a surprise reveal: “She whipped it out and was like, holy. Wow, that was amazing.” (15:25)

• Physical Toll & Self-Care: Danielle details her hip pain, the repetitive strain, and asks for self-care advice. Maks and Danielle trade injuries and advice about training load, emphasizing the importance of physical prep and recovery.

  • Danielle: “We were able to do full runs with this dance for four hours for probably eight days in a row of just, like, 32 hours straight of high kicking and lunging.” (16:45)
  • Maks: “You're gonna have a lot of repetition, which is the right thing. You need to be clean.” (17:07)

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Maks’ Strategy for Winning DWTS

• It’s not a pure dance competition; success demands strategy, politics, and a holistic focus:

  • “Absolutely.” (When asked, “Is there a strategy to winning DWTS?”)
    Danielle: “What's the strategy?” Maks: “Politics.” (28:21–28:23)
  • “A lot of people get lost in the source of this being a TV show...it's what you say. It's how you say it. It's the interview, babe...This is just the tip of the iceberg—the show, the dance itself.” (30:44–31:33)
  • “The biggest key...it's not about how you start, it's how you finish. And this isn't a race. It's a marathon. And so if you show small incremental growth every week, you're gonna actually trigger this emotional, you know, emotional recognition from people watching.” (32:12–32:18)

• The Celebrity/Pro dynamic matters:

  • Pasha (Danielle’s partner) is praised for letting the celebrity be the star:
    “He let you shine. That's very important...you want to be seen in the best possible light and way. And so I think that he'll provide that perfectly.” (29:47–29:58)
  • “Pasha said to me that his entire job is to be the frame and that I am supposed to be the picture, Right?” – Danielle (30:02)

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Self-Care and Wellness for Dancing

• Maks’ essential self-care regimen:

  • Prioritizing cold plunges over icing for recovery:
    “But cold plunge. 100. One of the best things that, that I can heavily recommend...” (35:08–35:17)
  • Thermal compression pants (NormaTec), elevation, and supplements for muscular recovery.
    “Compression pants... I would do it before bed...with legs elevated...run that and it'll renew.” (36:32–36:51)

• Nutrition, supplementation, and bone broths as further recommendations:

  • “Supplements, like, you can't not eat. You cannot eat, but you have to supplement. You have to keep your energy level up.” (36:00–36:20)
  • Endorses local CBD creams, broth, and “brothy things” for recovery.
  • “CBD cream. Okay, great. I've been using that on this like as pain relief.” (56:01)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On teaching and growth (Maks):
  • “I'm just not the type that's...excuse me, I need to walk around the block a little bit. I'll be like, I'm leaving. You can go walk around. I'm not coming back.” (26:17)
  • “It’s not about this one thing. And so, yeah, I'm a big part of, but I'm a big part of bigger thing...So this is not a max show by any means.” (09:24–09:59)
• On the show’s recent resurgence (Maks):
  • “The biggest platform in social media history...TikTok...was founded on short form dance videos.” (11:57)
• On “Best first dance ever” claim:
  • Maks is indignant when Derek Hough declares Robert Irwin’s first dance the best ever:
    “Come on. Derek Hough with the best first dance ever...at least not with us in the room. At least let us leave.” (40:56–41:16)
• On fairness and dance experience:
  • “We have to have dance be represented by high level professional performances every show. Because if you don't have that and everybody sucks...people will tune out.” (46:14–46:53)
  • Danielle: “The show is not called teaching people how to dance. It's not called that.” (47:04)
• Advice to Danielle:
  • “Just dance, man...you got a good one to teach you.” (34:49)
  • “Put an effort...this for you is a dance experience. So you just got to prioritize, you know what it is.” (34:19–34:31)

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“Tetiakappa” Vodka and Life Beyond Dancing

• Maks’ new business venture:
  • Shares the story of launching Kappa Vodka, a clean, small batch spirit designed and produced in Napa Valley:
    “I'm the only spirit in distribution that has a Made in Napa label on earth. And I'm very proud of that.” (53:44)
  • Hosts Kappa Nights event at the Mulholland, Calabasas—an evening of dance, food, and (of course) vodka.
    “There will be dancing and there will be, you know, you dancing and there will be shots and there will be caviar and there will be hors d' oeuvres and four course sit down meal and it's going to be great...” (55:13–55:27)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [05:01–07:06] Maks on growing up as an immigrant & relating to 1990s American TV
• [08:00–09:07] The real job of a pro dancer on DWTS: “give the best time, not the best chance at winning”
• [12:40–15:37] The unusually high dance level among the new DWTS cast
• [17:34–18:24] Danielle’s physical challenges and embracing the struggle
• [28:21–32:30] Actual strategy for winning DWTS: “Politics,” progress, and the importance of interviews
• [35:04–37:23] Maks’ detailed self-care advice: cold plunges, supplements, compression
• [46:14–47:29] Fairness and the role of prior dance experience in the competition
• [53:44–55:27] Maks discusses Kappa Vodka and his event, combining dance and spirits

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Episode Takeaways

• Dancing with the Stars is about much more than dance: The true job of the professional is to give the celebrity a transformative experience, both on and off the dance floor.
• Winning involves politics, persona, and authentic progress—not just steps.
• Self-care is critical: Recovery, nutrition, and smart training are as important as the choreo.
• Maks remains as candid and direct as ever, giving both Danielle and listeners hard-won wisdom with some signature humor and a dash of humility.

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For New Listeners/Fans

Whether you’re tuning in for Boy Meets World nostalgia or looking for behind-the-scenes DWTS guidance, this episode delivers honesty, camaraderie, and bite-size advice from two pop-culture icons who know showbiz is never just about what you do on stage.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Danielle with the Stars. I am Danielle Fishel, a TV director, a podcaster forever Topanga, and a mom of two. But right now, I am an aspiring ballroom dancer competing on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, airing every Tuesday night on ABC and Disney. And throughout the process, I am recording a podcast called chronicling my journey to win my very own mirror ball. And along the way, I am hoping to chat with other contestants and professionals from not only the current iteration of Dancing with the Stars, but its past. And today, I am honored to welcome true ballroom royalty to Danielle with the Stars. This Mirrorball winner appeared on 17 seasons of the show, becoming one of the most recognizable fan favorites of all time.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And.

[Danielle Fishel]

And a major reason I kept up with the show for years. His trophy came in season 18 alongside partner Meryl Davis. And it's worth noting he also has two second place finishes. And I don't care what they say, close does count. I'll accept it. He is synonymous with the show that I'm hoping to conquer. So this might just be my key to the finals. Or if I fall short, he can supply the booze. See, since his Tetia Kappa vodka made right at home in Napa Valley, is taking the spirits world by storm. And soon Calabasas, where On Thursday night, September 25, he will hold Kappa Nights at the Mulholland, an event you're going to want to attend. I am thrilled to welcome to the show the legend Maxim Chmerkovsky. Max, thank you so much for coming on my podcast. I am a huge fan of yours. I've been a fan for decades.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is crazy.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are one of the main reasons I started watching Dancing with the Stars. And I know that you have a more strict approach to teaching. It was always my absolute favorite to watch.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

That's amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's amazing.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You're part of a specific time in an immigrant's life. I am, yes. Because when I came in, 94.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. All right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And there was a lot of things that I wasn't privy to. And, you know, I was 14 already, so the foundation wasn't set here, it was set somewhere else.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So that. That cartoon, that Tom and Jerry, the blah, blah, blah. Like, I didn't. I didn't have that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But I. So I have this sort of the. The bcad. Right. But I have the before us and then after.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so my foundation was set in late mid, late 90s with whatever was available to us, which wasn't Internet based. There was few channels.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Prime time television.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Tv. And my prime time is what, like after I come from school. So it's like three to six, seven.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So that's the, you know, that's Family Matters. That's Batman on channel 11 back then. That's you guys. That's all this, you know, I can name couple of shows that are fundamental for me. Your show was a fundamental time. I didn't speak English. I was not understanding. I saw this hot chick when I was a teenager. Who. Is that you?

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, thank you. Just wanted to make sure we clarify that.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Amazing. The whole thing. And then I, you know, it took me later years to understand what the show was about because it was like. It was literally like coming of age and, you know, and growing up. And I didn't understand the verbiage, but I understood the vibes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So, you know, having Topanga tell me she's a fan. Are you crazy? Are you crazy? And also, like, I don't know how I. I know how I come across. I shouldn't, you know, 20 years later. But that's not me. You know, I've essentially. That's not me. It's me, but it's not. I'm just not mo. You know, the right mold for the public, you know, TV and all that stuff. Like, I would be a awful politician, you know, I. I would just, you know, I'm not the person you want to, I guess, hire if you just want him to be very quiet and say exactly what you suppose, you know, I mean, like, that sort of mold is not my thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

So what is your thing? How would you describe yourself? You're very straightforward. You're super honest. What is it? What are the things that you would say are make you who you are?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

My Dancing with the Stars career, that's what we're referencing for the most part, is started in a way that didn't work for. For me. Now that I'm an older person, all the person say it, but I'm a father of three boys, and so I'm trying to do my best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, regardless of what I did in my past, I want to make sure that this part is not, you know, it's perfect. And. And so now I'm watching all these things and I'm analyzing a lot of stuff which probably I wasn't doing in my twenties.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Who.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Who should.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, so I remember when Dancing with the Stars started for me, it was an. It was a conversation with Executives at that time. And, and I asked one simple question. What is my job? You know, as, as I would. I just want to know what's my direction.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And I was told my. Your job is to give celebrity the best chance at winning Dancing with the Stars. Okay, great. Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Awesome. That's not the job.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, you're right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

That's not the job. Are you crazy? How would you say that to a pro dancer who's like ripping ground trying to win? It's not the job. The job is to give the celebrity the best time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

On Dancing with this. Not the best chance at winning. The chance. Whether they win or not, it's up to them. Their background, the dance background. It's not how fast they learn because nobody learns how to dance in a week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, if you had it as a kid, you're going to have an up leg up. If you are, you know, older in age, you're going to have a, you know, like down. Whatever.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, whatever that was.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, so these things are simple.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So it's not about winning because if I get given, you know, X and she has no chance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, now I'm just pulling that dead body across. You know, she's, she's not even.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, helping.

[Danielle Fishel]

Very similar to my leg right now, you know, pulling this dead body behind me. I really can relate to it anyway.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But I feel like just to, just to say, first of all, no, because you didn't look it, honestly, but we'll get there. But also it's not so the. Halfway through my experience, towards the end of my experience, actually not halfway through, I was told that that's not the job.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, and so my, my view changed, my outlook changed, my personality didn't change. It's, you know, still attitude and all that. But I definitely looked at it different. And then another point of awareness came when I realized that the show can also be looked at as curtain up two hours, you know, stage performance that you're watching as a viewer and you seeing all this stuff happen and all these things happen and then curtain down and you walk away with this feeling of what you just experienced. You. It's not about this one thing. And so, yeah, I'm a big part of, but I'm a big part of bigger thing, you know, so my part is. Is limited to seven, what I counted seven and a half minutes of live tv. So this is not a max show by any means. You know, when, when I said that nonsense, it was part of a longer sentence. Anyway, that's how I feel now. It's a sort of full circle. I, I now yesterday I was watching you guys and whatever, let's just call it at a premiere. I had a great time. Did you completely unaffected. Unrelated on, you know. No. No. Sort of like, you know, historic attachment to this particular thing or that or the person or whatever. Just, just chill time with Peter outside the house.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you, what did you think of the premiere? I mean you've now but you've been a part of a, you were at 17 seasons on the show. So you did 17 premieres yourself. That there have been 34 seasons. So I'm sure you've seen all the premieres at this point. What did you think of last night's premiere compared to others?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I mean, I'm just honestly, you know, it's, it's dancing season. You know, it's festive that it's back. It's like Christmas, you know, it's coming back and then it's gone. And then you're like, well, this wasn't a good Christmas. This was not the, this wasn't the best Christmas I've been a part of.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't get what I wanted, you.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Know what I mean? Like, but it was still, you know, it's that every year and it keeps coming back. I'm not saying that it wasn't a good premiere. I mean we've had premieres that were just, you know, through the roof excitement, this, you know, skin crawling and just people and the buzz around it. I feel like I may not have felt that these levels.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But me personally, I was just happy to be there, you know, and the fact that it's still there and it's still around.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And it's having a resurgence, you know, the numbers announced and all that stuff. It's cute.

[Danielle Fishel]

Does it surprise you at all that there's been a resurgence or do you think social media is just the best help Dancing with the Stars could ever have?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I mean the biggest platform in social media history say history short but you know, the TikTok and all that, it was founded on short form dance videos. Right. So like you got. How you gonna borrow my industry, make your industry and then use your industry to help mine to my help my. You know what I mean? So like, you know, dances through line and I think Dancing with the Stars has to stick around. It was part of, you know, Strictly Come Dancing British version that birthed it all. Was what, running 60 years and you know, every Saturday people would tune in and watch that. So I'm hoping that Dancing with the Stars will be around for a long time.

[Danielle Fishel]

What were your thoughts of my dance? It was great last night. Okay, thanks.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It was great. I have to admit, I. You know this. I'm going to repeat it a bunch of times. I think it's one of the strongest dance level wise casts.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Oh, for sure.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. And so, and you, you, you say it because you have to. Everything is very close near sighted for you. I get. I'm preview now to a little wider spectrum and But I just, I have to admit. Yeah. It's, it's a. Everybody can dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so when, when you cast people and you know, miss, Ms. Katz does an amazing job every season, but I guess you kind of, you can now see like fill in the blanks type of vibe. So we're gonna have this one, the dancer. This one, the dark horse. This one, the maybe. This is the like real big maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

He's probably gonna go first. I feel like everyone who on the board was a maybe turned out to be they can dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, at least they can put on the show. So testament to the pros that know what they're doing 100%. Everybody's sort of like aware. Some new pros got a lot to, you know, live up to. I think the bars raised very high.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Your specifically dance when you came out, it's like, damn, she can dance. Thank you. So you have that reaction. You know, you got the same reaction, but again, it's a big pool. I'm just telling you the reality here is that as the pool starts to get smaller, the eyes are becoming a little more focused on individuals.

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You're not going to have that for a second.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But you just got to live through these few weeks and get into the first week. There's going to be a big test which is week three.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So this one, you've already had your dance kind of mapped out at the very least. And I'm not saying everybody. Some people start the second dance just now, you know, in reality. But a lot of us would have had two dances done by the premiere.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so now you'll be cleaning and the next dance will be the first time you get to do something in three days, four days, whatever it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

That's going to be a big test. And then let's see whose levels are going to stay up then.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Yeah. I really feel like this season, maybe more so than other seasons, I've paid attention to where it feels like it's very split between zero dance experience and. And a lot of dancing, because there.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Was a middle ground set with all the maybes, and they all tend. Turned out crazy. Allen's partner. I forgot her name. I'm sorry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Elaine Hendrick. Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yes. So she was. I mean, I was shocked, but she also kind of, like, when that question came up, she's like, well, actually, I started my career as a dancer. Everybody's like, wait a minute.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And then she whipped it out and was like, holy. Wow, that was amazing. So that was that. Maybe that. You know what? Possibly, probably. She may. May not. And then it's bam. Now it's. Everybody's like, oh, damn.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Everybody can dance. To tell you if you. If you want. If you care, you danced. And then I was watching. I was like, she needs to roll out her T bands. And I'm not. I'm. Now I'm not. I'm just. First of all, did you feel the. The pain when you dance?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I mean, the adrenaline. Obviously, the adrenaline got me through the actual dance.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Did you feel like you were. When you were doing stuff. Steps, let's say, with side. Whenever you were stand. Stepping laterally, did you feel any discomfort or you were just kind of going through it?

[Danielle Fishel]

My left hip keeps locking up, like, in my iliacus and my psoas.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

So inside that hip bone, you know, like. And that's because my ronde, my kick, and my lunges were all with my right leg. So my right leg was being extended and my left leg kept extreme.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. No, you guys definitely, like, heavy on one side. I did that with one partner, and she had the same exact sweat thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did she?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I swear to God, I did the same exact lunge down. I was like. And you go, bam. And she. And again. And then one more time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And two days later, she's like, look.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Well, that was. That's what I said, truthfully, was that we had too much time with this dance. Like, we were able to do full runs with this dance for four hours for probably eight days in a row of just, like, 32 hours straight of high kicking and lunging. And even if you're gonna, like, try to market, it's hard to not go 100. I know.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Cleaning. But you also. You know, I'm not gonna step in on Pasha's turf at all because you guys have Having conversations and. And he has a plan, but you're gonna have a lot of repetition, which is the right thing. You need to be clean.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, there's so much oh, you did that?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, and, and then it's a big thing out of really nothing, to be honest. But like you have to show zero of that. Exactly. So, yeah. I mean, listen, I hope you enjoy it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I've never had more fun doing anything ever in my entire life. If someone said to me, hey, Danielle, do you want this to be your full time job from now on? I'd be like, yes, thanks. Thank you. I will take that. Like, it's insane. I'm, I'm actually, I'm physically dissolving and I'm like, when can I do it again? Like, I love it.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. No, if you feel welcome it and if you, if you like that process, you're gonna have an incredible benefit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

The is physically, you know, you guys melt into shapes you've never had. I'm just being honest. You know, I've, I've, I've been privy to some of my partners that would go through crazy transfer. I had some athletes that didn't need to lose anything or thrown anything either, you know, but I've had some people that, that definitely had life changing, life altering experiences on the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's what I'm trying, I'm trying to avoid a tummy tuck. So I did Dancing with the Stars.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, this is it.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is. That was my plan. I was like, have two and then tummy tuck or Dancing with the Stars. And I chose Dancing with the Stars.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Oh, man, you chose wisely. This is great.

[Danielle Fishel]

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Vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply. A new NFL season means a fresh start and fresh styles. @nflshop.com you'll find the latest jerseys, hats and sideline gear to rep your team all season long. From rookies making their debut to legends, NFLShop.com has it all score exclusive styles you won't find anywhere else and show up ready for every kickoff and big play. Fan like a pro and shop [e-mail].

[Commercial Narrator]

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[Danielle Fishel]

What do you remember about your very first show? Did you feel like you fit right in? Did you feel like there were a bunch of mistakes you made? What did you think of your performance after your first.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I felt great. Tia Carrera. Damn. I just saw her. I just saw her in, in the new Lilo and Stitch. I was like where did I just see her? Shy. Just played. My 8 year old just had that movie play. I'm like oh my God, that's. That's Tia. He's like papa, who's Tia? I'm like, this is, you know, mama work. He's like, yes. Dancing with the Stars. I'm like, so that was my first partner, Dancing stars. I mean, it was just like computing going on in his head. He's like, oh, I remember, I was just, you know, she was amazing. I remember this, the, the way they lived. She just had a baby, she just had a kid. And so it was her friend who was a tango dancer that she was, she was having lunch with when she was like, what do you think? Should I do this? And he's like, are you crazy? Hell yeah. And this was season two, mind you, season one, nobody saw, right. You know, it was a pilot season and then season two was kind of like the first big thing. So, yeah, he was just a dancer. Was like, you need some dancing in your life. You just had a baby. Go do that. Unbeknownst that she was going to get me.

[Danielle Fishel]

How do you know what to do in your first season as a pro chore? Yes. Like, how do they don't give you a book that says, okay, I told you. I know you asked, what do I do? And they said, you're going to make her win.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. So it bites two. By 2005, I'm a 25 year old, right. Retired dance professional. I've done, I've danced since I was five years old.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I competed this entire time. I went through the entirety of the, the, the career that a dancer has from kid to kid who sucks to young adult who's not very good either, to an under 18 where I blasted into under 21 where I had some, some. Yeah, and I'm talking about, you know, worldwide to. Then I didn't do so well in amateurs. And then I just had a great career in professional Latin. And so by the time I finished, I went all the way through the world, you know, final stage, top whatever, 12, 6, 10 couples in the world. So I've done all that. But I also, since 2017 to 2005, I had a, one of the best dance studios in the country. I produced a lot of talented ballroom, specifically Latin dancers, including, you know, I'm gonna claim Val as, you know, my student.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So, you know, I did a lot of stuff. I did a lot, you know, a couple of dance, your favorite TV dance personalities, somebody who I taught as well. So I had that education in educating, I just never had education in educating adults.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so I came in from like, I'm gonna make your world champion, you eight year old prodigy to this lady who is, you Know, significantly older than me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And just had a child, and I'm like, lady, we're here to win. She's like, wait, What?

[Danielle Fishel]

Wait, I'm sorry.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Hold on a second.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm here to lose some baby weight.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. I can't. My, you know, my. My ADD Actors don't work yet. I'm like, don't worry about it. There's a split, and we're going to start with Argentine Tango. I mean, bro, she got me at the worst. Oh, man. Bless her heart. She was. She's a homie, though. She's amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's so great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Somehow. I have to admit, somehow through the show, there was ups and downs. Obviously, some people don't really have a good memory of me at all. Neither do I of them. But Tia.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

No matter what, no matter how, like, I remember, I. It was. She must have been. It must have been difficult because I also wasn't really sure what we were doing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. You know, you're figuring it out as you go.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And she. And we still have a great relationship, and she really does remember me the, you know, fondly, so. It's awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. There's just certain, you know, you can't. You can't pick chemistry. And some people learn. Some people are visual learners. Some people are auditory learners. Some people respond really well to somebody who's going to be exacting and demanding and. And drive a hard bargain. And other people are going to need someone who's like, yeah, maybe you just need to walk around the block for a little bit. So, yeah, you know, it's like, you don't have to be for everyone. You just need to be you, and the people who are meant for you will find you.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. I'm just not the type that's. If you're going to come to me, like, excuse me, I need to walk around the block a little bit. I'll be like, I'm leaving. You can go walk around. I'm not coming back. But you're right. Over time, I realized, like, yeah, no, you could have. You could have implemented a couple of things that would have made rehearsal easier in the time, more enjoyable. Like I said, man, incorrect information. I was told this is not the job description.

[Danielle Fishel]

To be fair, do you think they thought that that was the point of the show when it started? Okay. Yeah. They were like, the hook when they sold the show was, we're gonna make a celebrity win.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's not their fault. The way they said it. Yeah. No, I'm just saying my interpretation is very simple. Like, yeah, There's a finish line. Cross it first.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

The show got it.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you're competitive, so of course you're like, no matter what, my goal is to be the person holding my celebs hand at the end of that finish line.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Got me at the time 2005. I plans of being in LA. Didn't want to do the show. Didn't want to have anything to do with tv. I wanted to win professional Latin championships, worlds, whatever, British open. And I was scratching the. I was in the final, scratching the top six. And so it's just. It's time effort, you know, I'm 25. I know I was the. One of the youngest in pro field. I was a baby. And so I had the 10 years that I could have spent on it. It. I looked at it when I got the call and I thought about this dancing career and the fact that I've only danced and I've been to all these cities. Didn't see any of that. Just saw the ballroom. Maybe I'm gonna make the right choice if I give this a chance. That was my train of thought. But I. When I got to LA and I saw this, I was like, this is definitely not what I want to do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So this was always like, okay, fine, I'll do one season. Yeah, okay, fine, I'll do one season.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. And then you just kept going back?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Well, kept not going back and then coming back and then not coming back and then coming back. And I'm like, oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were in a really unhealthy situation.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Very unhealthy situation. Yeah. I was like, couldn't make up my mind.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is there a strategy to winning Dancing with the Stars?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Absolutely.

[Danielle Fishel]

What's the strategy?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Politics.

[Danielle Fishel]

Tell me more.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

What do you think you're dancing here?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, do you think this is a dance show?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

No. I think you're in a great position, to be fair. I think you're awesome partnership between with you and Pasha. I think you guys fit well. I think he's a great partner for you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And. And I think. And I think he's great for you to also shine. You know, Pasha is a great. Is great at being a great foundation. You know, he's a fan. I think he's one of the best teachers on the cast, for sure. Because of the way he approaches dance, and we grew up together, by the way. He's from my neck of the woods, so I know him since babyhood.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ye.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But anyway, so Pasha, you know, and his career was that and his dance was that. So he's giving you exactly what I would want to give my partner to learn a dance quick. You know, he has the shortcut to, like, okay, here's what we're gonna dance as a Whatever. Here's how I'm going to teach her dance. You know, the basic Is how I'm gonna introduce the. I think he's doing all the correct things so you're not a mess in your head. You're structured, and the dance is presented well. And you're not just learning steps. You're actually learning how to do a quick step or how to do a cha cha.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So you have that advantage. It's a great partnership. You guys look great together. He let you shine. That's very important. You know, there's some dudes on the cast that you just can't help it, but, like, look at the dude.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, and same with girls. Right? But you don't want that as a celebrity on dancing with stars. You want to be seen in the best possible light and way. And so I think that he'll provide that perfectly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Pasha said to me that his entire job is to be the frame and that I am supposed to be the picture, Right?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Exactly. I looked at tia Carrera, said, hi. My job is to make you win. Let's go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Get to work. Get to work.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

That's the difference. And she's like, what? Yeah, don't worry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just do what I say.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Do what I say. Exactly. Yeah. With this heavy accent, too. I was like, damn, man. At least try a little bit. So, yeah. Do you see how drastically different the experiences were?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, very.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So. So. So if this interview is like, hey, you know, you have tia and, you know, and. And. And Danielle talking about dancing with the stars, Right. That. That. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. So. Yeah. Enjoy.

[Danielle Fishel]

So outside of the fact that I have the wonderful teacher pasha, what else.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Is part of the strategy to winning the dance? Man, you just have to be all in to dance. A lot of people get lost in the source of this being a TV show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so it's what you say. It's how you say it. It's the interview, babe. It's about. It's about what you do on. On. On Tuesday night. That's it. You can say whatever you want. You can be. You can be. You know, you can do this. You can. You know, there's a lot. But people won't know. Right. Until you tell them is that this is just the tip of the iceberg the show, the dance itself. How many interviews have you done so far? The. The Constant, the endless OTFs. And yes, you know, we have to pull you for that. Pull you for that. You got a fitting. You got this. You got a dad. Yeah. I don't know what the setup is now. Maybe they'll come to you guys. No, no, because if you gotta go to them, it's a drive. It's this. Do you eat? When do you snack?

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Never.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know what I'm saying? So, like. And then the mood thing kicks in because you're hungry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And you don't know that because you forgot that you didn't eat since yesterday.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So all those things is going to be managed. And that's also key to this whole thing. You're competing against somebody who's younger, potentially, they don't have.

[Danielle Fishel]

Significantly younger, significantly hotter, significantly better.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You're going to be amazing. You're going to show great progress. That's the biggest key. The last thing I'll say is it's not about how you start, it's how you finish. And this isn't a race. It's a marathon. And so if you show small incremental growth every week, you're gonna actually trigger this emotional, you know, emotional recognition from people watching. They may not be at Topanga fan who's not. I don't understand.

[Danielle Fishel]

What is wrong with you if you're not a Topanga fan? What. Where have you been living?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But it's also. It's also. They're gonna seem like, wow, she's. She's getting better, and she's doing this and that. So, you know, I think Pasha has a plan.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But anyway, T bends. It's these things.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. What is this? What do I. You mean I need to roll this out? Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Well, it just has to be. It just has to be toned to where. When you do these sort of lateral things and lunges, I've noticed that you. You kind of like, I'm ahead, keeping it small. And now I understand that you probably knew that you had an injury. So when that goes away, just to, you know, allow the step to be a little bigger and, you know, the foundation to be what, you know, comfortable. So you look confident and comfortable. And that when you did a run day and that kick, how impressive was that? Right. You saw your dance back?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Did you see what it looked like?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And it was like. And then whack. And you say, oh, this is great. So that's that, like, fast twitch muscle, like, action. Right. So you got to do that every step.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, it shouldn't be soft. You know, I got there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right, right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And you'll get there with, you know, your muscles are going to get a little toned, your stamina is going to get a little better. Your, your, you're going to be able to do more faster. You know, we're going to tone up a bit just because that's what it does. It's not necess necessity, it's just what's going to happen. Your body's going to change.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, because of the amount of time you put into it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So you're going to feel it anyway. But just hone in on that and, and, and go off the dance. Don't go after like the way I look on tv.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, I always said people don't realize this because you again you in it and now cameras in your face and all these especially the, the likes that come from TV world already. The, the understanding is that that's the most important part, the way I look and all that. Yes. But you know, but the most important part is the way you look on Tuesday.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And it takes so much time to get there. You don't want to cut any corners.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And, and, and that's the, you know, kind of the, the biggest thing is just put an effort.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, and also again, this isn't a TV experience. You've, you have that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, this for you is a dance experience. So you just got to prioritize, you know what it is. Somebody who don't have that job. You know, for them it's different. They're like oh my God. Cameras. What else do I do? Like for them it's a different strategy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You just focus on first of all your leg right now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

A couple of days. Because you have that. Because of the sec. It's just the second week and then after that just, just dance man. Yeah, you got the, you got a good one to teach you.

[Danielle Fishel]

What are some self care things I should be doing besides taking care of my leg?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Icing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, Icing regularly. What about cold? Do you cold plunge?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yes. I wouldn't even. So for me icing is not a thing. It's just to, to deflate a little bit. Like I feel like if I'm really hot. But cold plunge. 100.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

100. One of the best things that, that I can heavily recommend if you're in this room, weho area, you know, whatever. Not a, this is not a commercial. But then you know, they Better. They don't even. I don't even get free membership over there anyway. Voter spa on Santa Monica. I highly recommend Voda. Voda.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's a place where I know you. You can walk in, get the hot. Traditional, hot ste. Not steam, but hot sauna. Hot sauna, but traditional heat. Right. Where it's a dry heat. So you. You get that lymph drink. Exactly. Effect. And then a really, really, really cold, cool, cold plunge.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And I would do that if I could. I would do it after almost every rehearsal because you need to. You need to go into something really cold and get your body deflamed and have all these healing processes going. And supplements, like, you can't not eat. You cannot eat, but you have to supplement. You have to keep your energy level up. You can't.

[Danielle Fishel]

What supplements do you take?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I mean, we could do this off air.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I, you know, honestly, like, you know, I'm into all of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, there are a lot of things. Compression pants.

[Danielle Fishel]

I would highly recommend I work. I'm. I'm putting them on when I leave. Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Okay, great. So all this, by the way, you can go just to Theragon. They have. They have everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, because they started with just a compression gun, but now it's everything there. The pants, the sleeves, the arms, whatever. Were highly recommended. I would do it before bed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

With legs elevated and then just, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Are you talking about like The Norma tech?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

NormaTec?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay, great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But just like elevate your legs a little bit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Perfect.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But just run that and it'll renew, by the way. You can carry it with you. And so let's say halfway in your rehearsal in the middle of the season when shit gets crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And you want to put in three, four hours on that. Four, five, whatever you want to do. You'll be like, okay, give me a second. Put them on 15 minutes, another five to walk it off, and you'll feel like you have fresh legs for rehearsal.

[Danielle Fishel]

Great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Because you don't want to be, you know, you don't want to be fatigued at the end when you have to keep learning something.

[Danielle Fishel]

Especially when you're doing like three dances, if you make it that far and.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You'Re doing that type of stuff. Yeah, but that's later.

[Danielle Fishel]

You'll. I know. That's significantly later. You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options, and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Spooky season is quickly approaching, so time to stock up on all your favorite treats. Now through October 7th you can get early savings on your Halloween candy favorites when you shop in store and online. Save on items like Hershey's, Reese's Pumpkins, Snickers Miniatures, Tootsie Rolls, Raw Sugar, Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Jack O' Lanterns, Brock's Candy Corn Charms, Mini Pops and more. Offer ends October 7th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details. Hello, it is Ryan and we could all use an extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we? Just to make up for things like sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, counting your steps. You know, all the mundane stuff. That is why I'm such a big fan of Chumba Casino. Chumba Casino Casino has all your favorite social casino style games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere with daily bonuses. So sign up [e-mail] that's chumbacasino.com no purchase necessary. VGW Group void we're prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply. A new NFL season means a fresh start and fresh styles. @nflshop.com you'll find the latest jerseys, hats and sideline gear to rep your team all season long. From rookies making their debut to legends, NFLShop.com has it all. Score exclusive styles you won't find anywhere else and show up ready for every kickoff and big play. Fan like a pro and shop [e-mail].

[Commercial Narrator]

Since 1983, Nissan has been building award winning vehicles right here in America, so there's no need to cross the pond, the river or even your neighbor's driveway to find real quality. And this summer, Nissan is making it easier than ever to upgrade your ride. No new tariffs, just lower MSRPs on the bestselling Rogue and Pathfinder so you can finally wave goodbye to that old car with the mysterious dashboard rattle and the tape holding that bumper together. Whether you're craving advanced tech that feels like the future, serious comfort for those long drives, or the peace of mind that comes with driving something that doesn't squeak every time you Turn left, these SUVs have you covered. But don't snooze on this. These offers are only here for a limited time and while supplies last, it's just one more reason why Nissan is ranked number one for the new vehicle quality among mainstream brands. If you've been waiting for the right moment, consider this your opportunity and head over to your local Nissan dealer before these offers disappear. Learn more and find your New [e-mail] For J.D. power 2025 award information, visit J.D. power.com Awards.

[Danielle Fishel]

How about Robert Irwin's performance last night? What'd you think?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Great. Great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exciting, right?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Great. I just. I wouldn't be max if I didn't, you know. Come on. Derek Hough with the best first dance ever.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone seemed a little offended. Alfonso was offended.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I mean, he had better, you know, like, come on now, you know, at least not with us in the room. At least let us leave. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's a bunch of us that were with it. Wait a minute, bro. Come on. He did a great job yesterday. Again, I didn't understand why Carrie Ann couldn't. Couldn't.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know that she's never missed a show. She's never missed a show. Yesterday was the first show she's ever missed.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So that. So let's just leave a nasty spot.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, it felt very weird. It felt very weird. And her and her presence was missed. I don't know why. I don't know if they tried to get a replacement and couldn't or if they just made the decision not to. Would you have been available to have been a replacement if they asked?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I was literally right there to the left of Derek, you know, and you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Were two seats over.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. I mean, Bruno did look at me when he said. When Derek said that, Bruno looked over like this. I was like, this is your partner now, buddy.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're on your own, sir.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You're on your own. Come on, Derek Hoff. Not like I said. When he said it, I was like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

We. We almost made it to the end of the show with. Without anything for me to talk about.

[Danielle Fishel]

So close. You know what?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I'm glad that Whit did a sick job with him, I think. Representing what? And again, like, it was. It was. You know what it was. It wasn't just having Robert the celebrity, you know, come and be part of Dancing with Stars. No, it was that Robert.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, we all were there when. When. When Bindi was killing it, you know, and he was in the audience every day, and he was a baby and they were so cute. And there's such a awesome, polite family. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. They're just. He is the gem of a human being. What about her?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

She's this.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'VE never met her, but I'm sure she's lovely.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So it's the mom, the dad, rest in peace is the this, the that. It's the everybody. And so for him to come back, I guess, again with Derek and their connection and us and Bindi and all this stuff like that, we all felt it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, it was emotional.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. It was somebody we really know we saw grow up, and we kind of saw him now finally here now, and he's killing it. So it's like elevated emotions. But, you know, I don't know about the best dance of all time. Of the bet. I am so proud of him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

I'm proud that he was prepped for this, for this project. I'm not saying that he was out there practicing dancing, but I'm saying that whatever he did, he's in great shape. He's in great, obviously, spirits and all that. And he has a fantastic partner. And I think Whitney is going to pull it out.

[Danielle Fishel]

What did Meryl Davis have that made.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Her a champion Olympic gold medal?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, okay. Darn. I don't have one of those.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Figure dancing, figure skating. Meryl had absolutely every attribute that I would hope for. Like, if I were to, you know, put a list of things and all the check marks, and if you check off everything, dude, you winner. She had all of that. You know, the only problem was that that same exact season, it was like, oh, you know, I got Meryl. I thought, no, there's. There's got to be something here. Like, they're not gonna just give me a winner. I walked into the room, I swear to God, this was our first meeting was. I walked in, I was like, I'm definitely. I'm in the wrong room. Because we all saw Meryl win.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, and I'm already accustomed to. I'm like, I'm. Look, I'm gonna get somebody I'm gonna really do my best with.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But again, when I got. When Aaron Andrews and I danced that same season, I. I met Aaron, I was like, there's no way we're taking it down.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And then, oh, Derek and I got Nicole Scherzinger on the show. I was like, wait a minute. And then Evan Lysachek is on the show, who just won figure skating, you know, Olympics as well. So you never know. I walked in, I saw Meryl. I was like, no, no, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is gotta be something too good to be true.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And Derek has Amy Purdy, and she's a double amputee, and they have the most. Some of the most amazing dance performances that we've seen in tv. And I'm like, no, come on. Like, if I'm voting, I'm not voting for me, you know, so the whole season was all the things were checked, but it was probably most stressed that I've been. Although the dancing part was easy, I was like, you can, you know, you never know. And if I can't win with Meryl Davis, I'm like, you have no business of being on the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, you did, so congratulations.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Thank you. Somehow I don't know how that happened. She was amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now this year, as we talked about the season feels like it's really split down the middle between people who have a ton of dance experience and people who have no dance experience. Where do you fall on whether or not it's fair to come in with a lot of dance experience?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

We just talked about. We just talked about some, some seasons that I was a part of. And you're gonna ask me about how I feel about this being fair or not? I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Honestly, I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's not me being cute and trying to avoid the answer. It depends on where you are. If you partnered with that, you like, damn, this is awesome. And we have to have dance be represented by high level professional performances every show. Because if you don't have that and everybody sucks, I'm just being black and white. Everybody's not good. The dance level is not good. People will tune out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because he wants to watch bad dancing.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So it's kind of like that, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But at the same time, it's not about dance experience. But at the same time, you want to see a show that has great dancing in it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So which is it? I know people. It's true.

[Danielle Fishel]

The show is not called teaching. Teaching people how to dance. It's not called that. So.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah. Because you can't. It's like, so. So you have a casting job. Right. That requires you to put on the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And also give people trajectory and also give people some sort of end result. So we know that Whitney and, and. And Robert and Mark.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, Brittany and Mark. Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Are gonna be there in the end.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, but who else is going to be there at the end? What else will happen in the next nine weeks?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, who else is gonna, you know, steal your attention? You know, I think my perfect example was, you know, my first season with Kirsty Alley. We were, we were trying to win. Talk about the level of dancing at that season. We were trying to Win. And in the. I think in the semifinal. Oh, man. I just. It slipped my mind that the guy who won, he was a football player with. With Kim Johnson, and he. In rehearsal, he fell on her.

[Danielle Fishel]

Emmett Smith.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It was after Emmett. He fell on Kim, and I guess they had a fall. She hurt her neck. And so for the next week and a half, leading into the finale, she's rehearsing with the neck brace, rhinestones on it. Kimmy, I love you. She's not. We. You know, I did. I'm not saying it like that, but what it did is it's created this. This last second right before the finish line, where maybe Kirsty and I had the momentum. It took the momentum away. It's not like I'm like, kirsty, quick, hurt yourself.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Like, we're not gonna go that. So it. It. Right before the finish line. Things sometimes happen too, so you never know. But again, the level of dancing is high. People that we weren't sure about are phenomenal, you know, you included. Again, we weren't sure because we don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But the partnership works. You guys look great, I think. Also, Daniela, Pasha's wife with Dylan. Dylan, yeah. What? She's doing fantastic, amazing job, but she's like, look, we're not gonna compete.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's what Pasha said about me too. We're not gonna compete with dancing.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But what we're gonna do. And I don't know if she did that. What I've noticed is that Chacha is unusually hippie, and this isn't how you. We normally just do the steps. We introduce it, but not that much. So I think what she did was like, look, we're gonna make you. We're gonna hone in on all the things that, you know, highlight him. So let's not run after. Like, if everybody have to run, and you're not a fast runner.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Let's not try to run.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

You know, let's just go this way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so I think that's also strategic. She's a great pro. She knows what she's doing. You guys have these approaches that you could see this. There's a strategy to it. And then you have a couple new pros that. That don't really seem like they have a strategy. But I don't want to say that. I don't want to go that far and wish, you know, Ezra and everybody else all the luck. But this show requires a lot of thinking, a lot of planning, and a lot of. Yeah. Strategy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Strategic thinking. You're exactly right. So would. Is there a universe where you would ever come back as a judge or.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Maybe, like I said, I was sitting as a pro.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know you would have been so great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

So much. He's so easy as a mechs. Can you come sit right here and be like. Yeah, just up, sit and show continues? I would love to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

As a pro, it's just. It has. Has to be. I don't know how Mark does it, you know, who. Who he knows, but it has to be great connection, you know, with a partner and a awesome partnership. You know what I mean?

[Danielle Fishel]

Because you're saying you'd want a ringer.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Why not?

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Who doesn't? Who wouldn't want that? I want to talk to you about your vodka because I might need it soon. I don't even drink, but I might start.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

No, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah, no, I.

[Danielle Fishel]

How do I pronounce it? Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Oh, yeah. So it's Aunt Kappa.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's a love child. I've designed everything about this. I can't. You know, I'm not in alcohol industry at all. Val and I, my brother Val and I, we were doing a show in Napa a couple years ago. We started a wine tasting immersive experience, written and directed by a good friend. And. And so we had this awesome, like, immersive production where we have a flight of wine and we introduce you to. It's a wine tasting experience.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

And so instead of telling you, like, the taste, the working title was tasting notes. We ended up calling it Savor after hours. And you come in, you have a flight of wine. And through the show, we. We dance. You may show you how it makes you feel instead of telling you like this. And we spent three months being Napa Valley locals. I met a lot of incredible people. What a community. What an amazing part of the world. And I met my partner in the SWAT because he's a. He's a local. My claim to fame here is that on the shelf amongst the category, I'm the cleanest product with the least amount of. Well, the least amount. We don't add anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's a. A blend Sauvignon Blanc and winter grains to represent my Ukrainian roots and how far we made it. You know, Napa, I designed the label, I designed the bottle. I designed all the elements about this. And most importantly, like I said, I don't want to be a hypocrite. I also don't advocate, you know, that lifestyle anymore. But I think that we also got And I was thinking about how to promote vodka, of all things, at the time when alcohol sales are down. And, you know, we've all changed our ways and all that stuff. But I think that what needs to happen is we shouldn't be canceling categories. We should be canceling the additives and. Yes, you know, things that. That make these products what they ended up being, you know, causing sort of, you know, health issues and all that stuff. So, you know, this is vodka. Yes. But it's handmade. It's small batch. I'm the only. I have a wonderful partnership with Napa Valley Distillery. I'm the only spirit in distribution that has a Made in Napa label on earth. And I'm very proud of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm so excited for you. You also have an event coming up in my neck of the woods. You're going to be at the Mulholland. At the Mulholland. I live in Woodland Hills.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're going to be right down the street from me. So the name of the event, Kappa Nights. Kappa Nights at the Mulholland. And you have a. Your first. Is it going to be ongoing? I know your first one. September 25th.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yes. We're going to try this. Try this out. This is. This is what I used to, you know, this is what I'm used to in terms of, like, off screen. You know, I have my dance studios. We always cater to a lot of clients. I've done, you know, my professional career started in Eastern European restaurants, Brighton, you know, dancing for money. So, like, we know how to entertain, how to put on shows and venues of that sort. By the way, I just said it on the. On an interview here, but it just came to me, like, some of the more, you know, personable and, you know, enjoyable experiences that I have on stage, probably like in somebody's bat mitzvah or, you know, dancing somebody's wedding, you know, because. And I always thought about that because, like, by the nature of the event, they would want it to be so special. You part of something really special. Anyway, with this event at the Mulholland, the idea is that when I come to promote vodka, I'm not there to dance. People expect dancing. So instead of confusing the message, oh, you're not gonna dance for us today? No, lady, I'm here with the vodka. You know, have a shot. Have a shot. Yeah. She's like, oh, you know what? I love you from that thing. So I decided we're gonna. We decided we're gonna put on an event. We're gonna close it down for very small group. 60 people we're trying to do it with. And there will be dancing and there will be, you know, you dancing and there will be shots and there will be caviar and there will be hors d' oeuvres and four course sit down meal and it's going to be great time with yours truly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sounds amazing. You can get your tickets now. It's September 25th at the Mulholland in Calabasas. You can get tickets@kappa nights.eventbrite.com and you can learn more about Tetiakapavodka [e-mail] that's K A K PA thank you so much for being here with me. I just feel like I've learned so much from you. I'm gonna roll out my T bands. If you had one, one final piece of advice for me or even a couple CBD cream. CBD cream. Okay, great. I've been using that on this like as pain relief.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Which one?

[Danielle Fishel]

It's one my chiropractor gave me. It's a 5 milligram, so it's not an over the counter one. It's like a. I don't know what it's called called though. Yeah, I mean, do you have one you recommend?

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Well, you give. Well off air. You give it to me.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

It's a local witch up. No, I'm just kidding. No, no. Papa Papa and barley I think is the brand and they're, you know, very much a cbd, you know, led. But again, it's soft tissue. So you, you. It's. It's the. I mean there's some. Some real big injury treating processes, but you don't need that. Your muscle just shocked, you know, you strained it with, with whatever. But like I said, we have done this to my partners before. It'll go away.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, exactly. I'm not worried about it, but.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

But again, with treatment with cold plunge. I'm just trying to think of like some brothy things, you know, bone beef, bone broths and stuff like that. It'll always help. Okay, but you. Yeah, all fair. I'll tell you some other stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

Thanks.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sounds great. Thank you all for joining us for this episode of Danielle with the Stars. I'll see you next time. Danielle with the Stars Produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel Executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman Executive in charge of production Danielle Romo Producer, editor and engineer Tara Sudbaksh Theme song by Justin Segal. Follow us on Instagram @DanielleWithStars and vote for me.

[Commercial Narrator]

Check out the new season of Reasonable Doubt, now Streaming on Hulu, L.A. s most successful attorney, Jack Stewart, defends a young actor accused of murder. Follow Emma Yatsey Coronaldi, Morris Chestnut, Joseph Sakura and guest stars Kash Doll and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Lori Harvey as they fight their personal.

[Commercial Narrator]

Battles in the spotlight of the year's most sensational trial. In the pursuit of justice, every move counts. Reasonable Doubt, Season 3, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers.

[Danielle Fishel]

Terms apply At Hill's Pet Nutrition, we know that pet parent guilt is real. Leaving too long, playing too little. New homes, new bab babies, Waking them up when they look so comfy. Running out of patience, running out of treats, Running the vacuum. You can only do so much. That's why there's hills. Science led nutrition to help you give more love than humanly possible. Because you're only human. There's hills. Find the right [e-mail] ScienceDoesMore this is Danielle Fishel from Podmeats World. Parents, quick question. When is the last time you won snack time? The other day I handed my son a perfectly portioned Pinterest level snack and he traded it for a Mott's Applesauce pouch. I'm not mad, just impressed. And that's why Mott's no Sugar added Applesauce pouches are perfect to keep on hand. They're made with real apples packed in a super easy pouch, perfect for tossing in a lunchbox, keeping in the car, or grabbing as you're running out the door. Plus, they're a good source of vitamin C and kids love them. Win, win. Make sure your kid wins Snack time with Mottz. Real apples make real good applesauce.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Learn [e-mail] hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Cough and cold season is coming, so make sure you're prepared and stock up on your family's favorite personal wellness products. Now through October 7th. Shop in store and online for savings on products like Mucinex, Kickstart Combo, Zyrtec Allergy Relief Tablets or Liquid Gels, Hall's Cough Drops and Mucinex Fast day and night so you and your family are armed and ready for the season ahead. Offerings October 7th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Maxim Chmerkovsky]

This episode is supported by FX is the Lowdown starring Ethan Hawke. Allow us to introduce you to Lee Raybon, a quirky journalist, rare bookstore owner, slash unofficial truth seeker who is always on the tail of his latest conspiracy. This time, his most recent expose puts him head to head with a powerful family that rules Tulsa. Meaning only one. He must be onto something big. FX is the Lowdown. Premieres September 23rd on FX, stream on Hulu.