This is Dramatic with Val and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

This is the most traumatic podcast ever and iHeartRadio podcast. Chris Harrison coming to you from the home office in Austin, Texas. I have a great show today. I can brag because it's the guests that always make the show, and today Val and Max Chimmerkowski. You know him, you love him from Dancing with the Stars, obviously married to Jenna and Peta also Dancing with the Stars, fame and I have

Yes, thanks for having us, Chris, and yeah, we have some great things doing.

It's so good to see you guys. First of all, it's been a while since I've seen you. Obviously, we got to know each other during your days on Dancing with the Stars, both of you. We may have played a little golf from time to time together, Max, But it's good to see you guys together and doing so well.

Thank you so much, Thank you so much. Yeah, we're very excited for our latest product, project Rather and yeah, it's a lot of fun up here.

How fun is this to do together? I won't we won't talk about what Savor is yet, but just you guys have worked together, I mean, is it your entire lives?

This is a twenty fifty year.

Since the first time we actually made money together and had perform as performers on stage where I called him out because I had a three couple show in Brooklyn and we were performing in restaurants up and down right in Beach and one of my couples pulled out and I had a twelve year old brother who.

Was one of the best dances.

In the US, and I was like, well, you know what Chach is, Chacha, you want to come do this?

He's like, sure, what are you paying?

He didn't ask, he said sure, he danced and then I paid him and it's like, oh damn, Like this is this is a great exchange. So you know, the guys, the commerce and he was born and the producer me was kind of like, yeah, but it's been twenty five years since and we're still here. And not only that, but this is the best project yet. And another, you know, something that moves the needle and something that people say.

Hey, this is very unique.

It's very different, and in our industry, you know, to come out with something that is unique and.

It's a huge fee, it's a huge feet.

Yeah, and yeah, well we'll get right into it since we're already teasing it up. It's called Savor and as in like the the tasting notes of savor this wine or savor this food is the term, and so Savor is going to be kind of after Ours Cabaret in Napa Valley. Explain what we're doing.

So Saber app to Ours is a wine tasting show, but we do our tastings a little different at saber. Every performance you see at our show in the evening is inspired by the very wine that you will be drinking throughout the evening. You get four distinctly different servings that are complemented by distinctly different performances throughout that tasting experience.

So you guys are gonna pair the dance with the wine.

Yeah, that's the relationship that our creative director and the creator of the show, Mark swan Hart built, And and and kind of that was the inception of the idea for this is he was having a glass of wine, which is where kind of he has most of his muses, and he kind of, you know, he writes most of his shows over a glass of wine, and in this particular moment, he was like, why don't I just write the show around wine? Yeah? And yeah, No. It was an amazing process to even witness.

It was forty years ago that he called us and said, and you know, the project back then was called Tasting Notes. It was very on point. It was very simple and clear and unique. And again it was we got hoped and we we couldn't wait to see it. It's pretty much exactly as it wasn't back then in his head and to see it come to fruition. Not only that, but you know the response that we got trying to we needed the wine, right and this this is the pouring.

It's an add on, right, obviously it's at first.

It's a show, but also this experience, right, Yeah, the seating is not a precedium seating, it's not a beer seating. It's more about four tops for tabletopund tables.

Our stage were allowed ourselves.

Creativity of just like let's just build stage out into the audience and you know, dancing between the tables and have this experience for a moment where it's happening around you.

So you know, there was a lot of very interesting components of the show that we never got to play with before.

And again, the response from the local winemakers was amazing. We got two different It's been incredible to see that we're welcomed here. Kind of nervous for the response, but so far soft opening, responsive exactly.

How well and wine is so experiential it's you taste it, and it's always been are depending on who you're with, what you're doing, and it does take you to places. And it's interesting because I'm a big wine guy and you work with a chef, and the chef wants to taste the wine and that will take his palate to what he wants to serve you. I'm interested. A. Are you guys wine guys? And B do you taste the wine and then choreographed to what you have felt from

No. First of all, I mean, again, I enjoy wine. I'm not as as well versed as you sound like you are. I mean you've already used like five words and I just learned last week. But you know, I think that the relate the connection between my part because you'll talk, you know, on his own behalf. For me, the relationship stems from It's what you said. It's wine brings people together and it allows people to you know, it's not just about getting intoxicated. It's about having an experience,

Over over, celebrate the moment.

Celebrate the moment, you know. And so I'm like, wow, we built a kind of a Mama Mia inspired essence about the fact that we are coming together, that theater feels like one giant party, and so I'm more from that element, really excited about the show. I love that element, the fact that I get to be in the audience on stage around you know. But as far as our passion for wine, Max will take over.

Oh no, I think our passion is for like I keep going back to just human interaction and people's service. We started with service industry, you know, twelve eighteen. We're in the restaurant just presenting this while people are eating, they still having dinner.

There's also a sophistication about it that I think pairs well with our essence, believe it or not.

You know, hair aside, Hey, I like you use the word pairing weller parents.

And as far as the creative, you know, I think it isn't as simple as we taste the wine and then we choreographed what happened, was Mark Swanheart, the director, Yes, he tasted the wine and he envisioned the story out of it, right, because again, wine tells stories and people tell their story overwined. And so there's a few pieces that, first of all, are such a riot. There's a few

Max has never met a shirt that he couldn't take off. Will he have a shirt at any point during these shows?

Yes, that's a great way to position that that question, but no mystery.

Yes, And by the way, talk about real you know, real estate is everything, right, location, location, location, You guys have the greatest location in naw But you're going to be right downtown, right on Main Street and first in the middle of it all at above jam Seller, I believe, is a location.

We are we are in cells.

Okay, you're in jam Seller so just down from the Archer Hotel, which is spectacular. It is on the main drag.

Talking about jam Seller's the tasting room. We're talking about jam Seller's ballroom that's above the.

Lunar right, so the theater itself. Yes, And I just want to piggyback that that was the whole point. Hey, there's wine show idea. Let's just simplified. And that was you know, this conversation happened four years ago and since then it was like, well.

This has to be in in a wine producer, I mean show. Yeah, it will be like just different, you know, a little different what I had to go straight to hard liquor show.

But this was so unique and you know, and it took it took a mind of an individual who's a producer, you know, who had the vision Lee Marshall with magic space and the way they approached it and it was together in lightning speed.

I'm telling you.

Once you get people that get it together at one table.

It goes fast, and so we took.

A long time trying to get here and in a lightning preproduction speed. I am now a resident of Napo, so is Valve with his family, and we're so grateful. The local community saw on the show a couple of times. They can't say enough about it. And this was our goal.

Pay a marsh to the farmer, paying marsh to the the.

Process, process that the grape, make sure that they are not offended by what we're doing with it.

And that was exactly two of the greatest performers. We know, you guys, no doubt, are going to put on an amazing show that people will love. And just selfishly, I find it perfect because when you go to NAPA, obviously there's wine tasting and there's great food and yet but there's really nothing to do later. There's nothing, as you say, after hours. So what a perfect position to give people a little something to do with the end of the day.

Thank you, And and I just wanted to mention you know, first of all, the theater used to be the Napbook Opera House, so this isn't like the location is grant. We built it specifically for the show, so we extended the stage. It's I mean, man, it like sometimes throughout the night it feels like you're in a mid you know, sixteenth century Parisian like tavern. It's like, wow, it's awesome. And to kind of as far as the entertainment of it,

How did I not get that gig in Napa? Damn it?

And we have a cast of just extraordinary dancers and performers as well that they are kind of all all featured in the show. We have a magician and there also up magic and it's not me at.

Once making his shirt disappear. I get it. You mentioned your families are there with you. And by the way, val belated congratulations on baby Rome born. I think January right, Yeah, thank you so much. You and Jenna, Max, You are you and Peta already parents expecting baby number two?

Now?

Yes, like any moment.

Like actually within the next five days.

Yes, no way, that's so you already have baby shy uh? And do we have a name.

We do have a name.

Have we announced it?

I wasn't ready. It's not my decision, you know, you know I got to go make a phone call.

No, I do not want to get in trouble with Peta, and I don't want you to get in trouble. Don't cross a pregnant woman, especially on the day she's about to give birth. Just let's let's leave it. But congratulations val on first becoming a dad, and you and Pete God bless you guys on a safe, healthy birth in the next week or so.

Thank you so so much. We can't wait to see you on host on our show.

I just want to add to what Ball was saying, is that theaters you need got to rebuild it. This seating on stage, we have a we have a bar kind of runway the seating over that as well.

So I would like a lap dance.

I would recommend people, I'm just kidding into the.

Same afterhours dot com just to see tickets, not into like purchase, but to see what it is and understand.

What we're trying to say. It's a fully immersive opportunity.

I want to talk to you guys more too, about family, how brothers clearly so at six years apart. Now now that both of you are dads. Has your relationship changed? How have you guys seen each other change?

I think our relationship has constantly been evolving. And uh, you know, as somebody that have shared a life but also then share the dance floor, shared lot of our interests together, that became business partners and continued. You know, we've we've had our ups and downs and ultimately now as as fathers, it kind of yes, propelled us to a new level of a friendship and relationship. But yeah, I wouldn't say that that was the pivotal moment that

Yeah, well it's not easy. Well, you're married to Jenna Max Mary Peter from the show Lauren Ziema and I my fiance. Obviously, you guys know from antainment tonight we kind of you know, work together and fishing off the company pier. Some people say, you know, don't eat where you know where you work, but it worked for both of you. Guys, I was.

About to say, That's what I was trying to say.

Like, so we've been been here for a week, and uh, this is our second week in Napa.

We got here seven.

Days ago, and and you know, we went into the first day of tech run and we had a very gem production. It's very it was heavy schedule and we just tied and just weren't exhausted. Hey, you want to come over for dinner? Yes, and come over the Okay, you want to stay over? Yes, I'll stay over. We're fifteen minutes apart, by the way, just where we're staying here. And we ended up I ended up staying over his house that he and Jenna have here for the summer,

And uh, and that's literally us and it's our relationship.

We just went on a trip with my brother. We shared a room. It's like I wanted to be with my brother. It's like it's my boy, it's my best friend.

But yeah, it's as far as working with our significant others, you know that there's an incredible amount of respect for them. As their own artists and entities. And yeah, it's again our close proximity is we've also been not challenging for them, but it's also something different for them to see. But that is all part of now our little world. You know, everybody understands that. And there are things that I do

These these are different, I feel like to me, there are different products. The maxim bell is one and the Bell and Jen is a beautiful different dance product. And you know, relationship with Peter and maxis have their own sort of like line going on.

But I love that we're.

Still doing it together and we're kind of finding our niches. We're not with floral ident two identical couples. We identical in dancing in the world that we're from and where we came from. Like you would think, right it's pretty different.

We were well because there are a lot of similarities, but there's also a lot of really important differences, and I think figured out a way to support those differences.

Would you want your kids to dance? Would you push them in that professional world?

My kids dancing? Shy?

You know a year ago you asked me that question, and and and you know there's a story how he said, you know you're doing a lot of things.

Well, don't you want to do I asked him. He said, I don't like that. I was like, okay, I'll never ask you that again. That you know, he stuck with it. He dances ballroom.

So he's got his recital with his bolroom partner that he does like twice a week, and it's turned into this is what you're doing, and he doesn't mind it and actually getting great at it and led me a couple of times.

So I was shocked and surprised.

But he also has passion for hip hop, which is like, not one of our things. And he drags Peter to West Hollywood with Melbourne, so she has to shlip every Saturday for that one class that he just wanted to do. He just had to recital, and I was like, we're watching his ear two year smile.

I can't believe that.

You know, this has been my baby and now it's this person and he has his own track line and he knows where he's.

Going with it.

So cool.

I want to give it to him to choose, like with our parents who are trying to tell us, you know, he has his tendence, he's got his soccer, his dance, he's got his academics, you know, searching whatever. It is my responsibility with Peters just to make sure that he has these, you know, things to to achieve and then he'll have more choice to pick trom what he wants to do.

I would love to put I would I would love to have my kid dance. You know, I don't know if I you know, the rest will you know, time will tell. But whether he pursues it professionally or not is regardless of why I would want him to do dance. I think it's really good for your mental health, physical health, and social health. Is just a really really awesome thing that everybody should put their kids into.

You guys will be together for a Father's Day. I assume you'll be up there and nap it together.

I mean, yeah, we're here on schedule. We're here for the rest of the summer. That's actually a real thing. The only time I might not be here is in the next seven days.

This is where value you're gonna get, like a weird gift from baby Rome that Jenna has put together, like a bad like a bad tie or a bath towel or something weird. And then but you're gonna hold on to it forever because you'll remember that was like.

A swe that's say that says father.

Yeah, I was best dad in the world. But this is your first. This is your first. So happy Father's Day to you.

Thanks man, thank you. It's it's a great title. It's the best.

It really is. I want to talk to you guys too about Dancing with the Stars, obviously helped by you know, the writer's strike and the need to bring stuff back, but it's coming back to ABC. Thoughts on that.

Thoughts, Oh, it's awesome. I think there's a lot of folks that we left behind, you know. I'm glad that well, I've already heard the response, you know. Ever ever since the announcement was made, Uh, everybody that stops me that right, ignizes me from the show. They all mention how happy.

They are that it's coming back to But some of the big changes. First and foremost, host Julianne Huff is going to be taking on that role. I think her and Alfonso Roberto correct, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love Alfonso and I love well, I love Julianne as well. What do you guys think of the hosting duo.

I think they're going to be great. I mean they both have rapport with all the dancers, right, I think that's really important because well, they have report with the dance, they have rapport with the space. You know, as soon as you walk into a space you're familiar with, as soon as you are surrounded by people you're familiar with. I mean, it just changes the energy in which you conduct yourself, in the way you conduct those interviews. And so I think Alfonso is going to be an incredible host.

Obviously, huge shoes to fill. On a sad note, Len Goodman, the brilliant judge. I know you guys love and respect it. Everybody did passed away. This will be the first season without Land. Who could fill that role and can you fill that role moving forward?

I mean a big.

Loss obviously, but Len was kind of like on his way out just yeah, fashion well I believe that he did step away for season or two then came back to the inaugural season.

It was awesome to have him back. To be honest with you, he came you know, when he came back, it felt like, Okay, that's what was missing type of thing.

Yeah, but the show is also going through some changes, and from a side view, it felt like it was going up and down. Now the show is back. You know, it's incredible that it's sustained itself. I love that it's back when you see personally, I love that it's a fun kind of deal.

Well because he would still watch it on uh yeah, because it's like just it's just more, you know, it's not like or it's just an end, and that's always better.

And it also I feel like in terms of Land, some things that just not necessarily need to be replaced, maybe there's something that can come that's different, you know, maybe something that could change in the dynamic of the judging panel.

And you know, people can grab onto this and say, oh, who do you want fire? This isn't what I'm saying, brilliant. Everything changes, everything.

Goes through ebbs and flows, and so I feel like with the permanent see in Land missing right from here on out, I feel like there won't be a question of when is he going to come back? Or will replace him with someone like that? Now it's sort of like an open discussion of who can be the next you know, to fill that role.

Could we see a Chimmerkowski in the judges scene?

I will I would love to fill that role. Can just say that finally, and you know that way.

I will probably not going to be on the show as dance as a pro, but if there's an opportunity for me to step into the role of a judge and adjudicator, absolutely absolutely, because I would love to bring.

Value to that position as well in a in a way that I feel like.

He wanted, and continue with the bringing the brand and continue helping the brand, because you know, we're all part of that came from there where I'm sitting here because of that show, and so I love seeing it be back in the familiar kind.

Of yeah, now what about you?

Well, in what sense what I want to judge the show.

Yeah, could you see yourself ever sitting in that seat?

Of course, of course I love you know, I love dance. I love dance. I teach dance, I perform dance. I grew up with dance. I preached the gospel of dance.

Yeah, I mean, look, you guys are such characters. Not a bad idea to put you both on the panel and let you go at each other a little bit.

That that'd be a good dyeamic it would be awesome, or the answer with the stars should invest in a spinoff? There you go, and we don't have to have to replace anybody, you know, we don't have to change ourselves to kind of fill a certain role. And at the same time, to see this.

Ridiculous, well what I like, I do like with and appreciate what you said, Max, and I believe that for all legends, it's that no one's going to fill that void necessarily. You can't try to be land. You're just going to go in and do what you do and you'll you'll put your own thumbprint on it and your own spin on it, and that's an important way to approach it. Whoever takes that role.

Right cool. I also think that it'll be fun to have somebody maybe completely outside of this world to come in and be a judge, you know, essentially from a different.

Genre of things, you mean, like Tom Brady, Like what are you talking about?

Not of tom Brady, but but again, if we want to expand this this style of two more markets, you know, potentially boys that is from a different genre of either movement or.

I see what you're saying.

Yeah, in entertainment again, and we've had guest judges and they don't always they don't always fly.

It's not easy. It's not easy.

Oh, it's not again, I don't know what the answer is. Yeah, but I'm excited for the show because as much as I'm celebrating it coming back to ABC, I do have to give credit to Disney and that move because even though World One Family, it did feel like us moving to Disney. Plus, I saw billboards, I saw an excitement, I saw a change and energy that really I think revived the show.

Yeah, I would be remiss if we didn't talk a little bit before you guys go. You are Ukrainian out Ukrainians obviously the war Lingers on what is your emotional state on this what do you guys hear from back home. Are you still connected with It's it's.

It's it's emotional, you know.

Speaking for me, I'm I mean we have different ties, opportunity, you know, conversations, connections, but overall we're kind of like in the same place. But it's emotional, you know. I'm I'm able to disconnect, to be honest, or do I want to, But it feels like it's the length of this tragedy. It's just it takes more and more, you know, more and more out of out of you, I feel.

Anyway, the current news is that the blowing up of the dam in Zaparisia.

I mean, you know, we we now are just, in my opinion, just globally waiting for a disaster that is so big that it is starts to affect the outside of your brain.

And I think that that's when it's going to start to kind of like, okay, so maybe it's just step in.

But what's happening internally, it's so devastating and it's just so hard to watch, and it's such a soap opera, just like we're all in that sort of fish saying.

I felt I spoke hoping somebody a couple of days ago, and I feel.

Like we're all in the zoom, just kind of like watching the animals go at it, and I'm like, this is just so heartbreaking, and you know, I wish for the world to oversee some rules and regulations globally and try to, you know, end it. And it has to be ended by giving back to your brain.

It's theory.

Well, Max, you were there and you documented some things before you got out, and you did such a brilliant job of that. Are there two kind of sides to you? That part of you probably wishes you were still there so you could be kind of involved and connected somehow. But then part of you is probably like, I'm glad my family is safe and we're out, and there may be may even be a little guilt involved with that.

I mean, it's a beat up phrase at this point, with the survivor's guilt.

But you know, it's it's been a year and a half later, and you know I've spoken to enough people and understood enough about this, and I was also helped along the way, supported and you know, motivated and also educated in a lot of ways.

So you know, I'm a different meet today. I know who I am I know who I'm not. I know who I'm not and what I'm not a part of, but I'm.

A global citizen and my connection to your brain is just is not a choice at the point at this point, it's it's something that the.

Strategy tragedy also kind of.

You know, allowed me to reconnect with that that part of Ukraine you need, you know, and so I feel very proud to be a part of this in that sort of way.

I hate that I that this has ever happened.

I don't think I was documenting anything out of key if I was just honestly it was a cry for not cry for help, but it was like.

Am I the only one seeing this? Like how common of its really running?

But today, like I said, it's up to powers to be Our job is to you know, help support the person, you know, the training person that's not it's not in their choice and they're the ones suffering. So we continue in humanitarian efforts. Burn Over twenty seven with our Dad is still operational and we're working on some big events to help you know, fundraise at the time when people already stopped doing that.

So yeah, I know we're still in it, and we'll be here for the long hold.

Well, I'm gonna give you a chance before we say goodbye, you know.

Might take even even with our charity and fundraising and things like that, you know, the subject matter became politicized, just like everything else in this country. And I just want to emphasize that besides, you know, right and wrong, you know, just on some like human level. You know, because when we started fundraising, our warehouse was in New Jersey, Nor Jersey, and we in two days we had a close to a thousand people show up to help organize

It's not lose sight of the people. Yeah, absolutely, speaking of two good people, Max and Vale. Right here, I'm telling you talk about the American uh you know story right here.

This is it.

You guys have been so successful and crushed it and it's been fun to watch you guys and get to know you gosh over the last decade your new venture Savor. After ours spectacular wine tasting dance show at Napa Valley, everybody is going to be wanting to know how to get tickets. So tell us again, where do we go to check it out and buy tickets?

Well, you can go to save half the hours dot com and all the details of where, when, tickets, all of that will be there.

All right, fellas, go go check them out if you're in Napa Valley. I'm definitely gonna be there and I will be there front row. I don't know if I'll be on the stage, but you know close, Chris, Well.

We'll talk about me. We'll take you on on the stage.

I don't know if I want all of Max's sweat on me. No, fellaws. Hey, it's good to see you again. I'm glad you're doing well. And again Val congrats and prematurely Max to you and Pete. God bless you guys, and good luck to you. I know you're expecting baby number two any day now.

Thank you so much and good luck to you. We're also big fans and followed your career and thank you for the.

Con words always boys, Y'll take care. I'll talk to you soon.

Thank you.

Thanks for listening. Follow us on Instagram at the most dramatic pod ever and make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. I'll talk to you next time.