I'll Never Change My Name
Page 31
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Redefining the term blood, sweat, and tears. All three are real in this picture at dress rehearsal with Zendaya, it was a great season.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
One of the more important times on Dancing with the Stars, not a time that I won but a time that I lost.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Me doing my best version of Zack Morris alongside the real-life Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkeley).
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Doing the samba with the pretty little liar herself, Janel Parrish.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Hitting that perfect 90-degree angle, with Danica McKellar. It all adds up.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
A really awesome moment celebrating our victory with Rumer’s family who supported her every step of the way.
Image courtesy of the author.
A little comfort, a little sass, and Tamar and I are still friends to this day.
Image courtesy of the author.
Ginger assuming mommy duties straight after her performance. Moms really are the best.
Image courtesy of the author.
Laure bringing out the kid in me.
Image courtesy of the author.
Guiding Normani through her breakthrough performance.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Proving to the world with Victoria that you don’t have to be able to walk to be able to dance.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
Still a kid at heart, paying it forward at the Kipps Scholars School.
Image courtesy of the author.
Inside the Hammerstein Ballroom with Jenna Johnson — we sold out the place.
Image courtesy of the author.
Inside the Hammerstein Ballroom with Maks — we sold out the place.
Image courtesy of the author.
Who did it better? Just being bros on the set of DWTS.
Photo by Dave Levisohn
This was a number to Fiddler on the Roof in our tour, Our Way. The dance symbolized us moving to America.
Image courtesy of the author.
Thankfully, smiling is legal in the U.S. This was taken at my thirtieth birthday, surrounded by my parents, Maks, Peta, and my grandmother.
Image courtesy of the author.
My father. My hero. He can finally smile.
Image courtesy of the author.
About the Author
VALENTIN “VAL” CHMERKOVSKIY was born in Ukraine, immigrated to the United States at the age of eight, and grew up in Brooklyn. He is the first American to have won two IDSF World Championships, one in Juniors and one in Youth. He is also a fourteen-time US National Champion, a classically trained violinist, and a mentor. Val is a cofounder and creative director at Dance with Me Studios, a national chain of dance studios, which he cofounded with his brother and fellow DWTS pro, Maks. Most recently, Val won the Season 23 Mirrorball Trophy with Olympian Laurie Hernandez. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City.
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Copyright
I’LL NEVER CHANGE MY NAME. Copyright © 2018 by Valentin Chmerkovskiy. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-book.
FIRST EDITION
“Freedom”
Words and Music by Kelvin Wooten, Anthony Hamilton, and Elayna Boynton
Copyright (c) 2012 EMI Blackwood Music Inc., Musty Attic Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Horny Guy Music, Tappy Whyte’s Music, Cauliflower Ear Music, and Pepper Honey Music
All Rights on behalf of EMI Blackwood Music Inc. and Musty Attic Music Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219
All Rights on behalf of Horny Guy Music and Tappy Whyte’s Music Controlled and Administered by Songs of Universal, Inc.
All Rights on behalf of Cauliflower Ear Music Controlled and Administered by Universal Music Corp.
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC amd Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
All photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
Front cover photograph by Matt Sayles/CPi Syndication
Digital Edition MARCH 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-282049-5
Version 02202018
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-282047-1
ISBN 978-0-06-287122-0 (B&N MD signed edition)
ISBN 978-0-06-287123-7 (BAM signed edition)
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