I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant's American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars - Paperback

by Valentin Chmerkovskiy (Author)

"Val embodies what it means to live the American dream." -- Robin Roberts, Good Morning America

Valentin Chmerkovskiy, the world championship-winning and beloved Dancing with the Stars ballroom dancer invites fans into his life as never before, sharing the experiences, including the failures and successes, that have shaped him, from his early childhood in Ukraine to growing up as an immigrant in the U.S. to his rise to international fame.

Val has captivated viewers of Dancing with the Stars since his first performance in 2011. While DWTS demonstrates Val's beautiful physicality, this moving memoir illuminates his soul, revealing a deep, thoughtful person who channels his emotions and socially conscious views through his art. The beloved dance champion and choreographer assesses his life and career so far--where he's come from and where he hopes to go.

For the first time, Val looks back at his childhood in Odessa, Ukraine, and his Jewish family's immigration to the United States--including what it was like to grow up as a stranger desperate to fit into a different culture, how he worked to become a premiere dancer, and, of course, the collaborations and competitions with his brother and fellow DWTS sensation, Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy.

Val speaks warmly of his close-knit family and shares intimate and inspiring stories meant to offer hope and motivation not only to fans but to everyone with a dream. Enduring anti-Semitism in their native land, Val's parents wanted a better life for their children--a desire that led them to leave everything they knew and start again thousands of miles away in a foreign country. It was a gamble that paid off--after years of practice and discipline, Val, along with his older brother Maks, have reached the pinnacle of success. Though he admits he sometimes still feels like an outsider, Val expresses his enduring gratitude for everything that America represents and pays homage to his adopted nation and the opportunities it has afforded him and his family.

Inspiring, heartfelt, and compulsively readable--and showcasing sixteen-pages of never-before-seen photographs, as well as a foreword by brother Maks--Val's memoir is filled with the moments that have moved and shaped him, and is sure to touch readers' hearts as well.

Front Jacket

Poet. Dancer. Immigrant. Artist. Son. Brother. There's always more than meets the eye. . . .

In his revealing, nationally bestselling memoir, I'll Never Change My Name, Val Chmerkovskiy bares his soul, illuminating the thoughtful person he is on and off stage. Val shows readers some of the most notable moments from his childhood in Odessa, Ukraine, and his family's immigration to the United States--including learning English as a stranger desperate to fit into a different culture, becoming a premier ballroom dancer, and collaborating and competing with his brother and fellow DWTS sensation, Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy.

Val expresses his enduring gratitude for the opportunities America has afforded him and his family, and for everything this country represents--offering hope not only to fans, but to everyone with a dream. Heartfelt and compulsively readable--including sixteen pages of never-before-seen photographs and a foreword written by brother Maks--I'll Never Change My Name contains Val's honesty, insight, and moments that will touch readers' hearts and inspire us all to keep moving.

--Laurie Hernandez, New York Times bestselling author of I Got This: To Gold and Beyond

Back Jacket

Poet. Dancer. Immigrant. Artist. Son. Brother. There's always more than meets the eye. . . .

In his revealing, nationally bestselling memoir, I'll Never Change My Name, Val Chmerkovskiy bares his soul, illuminating the thoughtful person he is on and off stage. Val shows readers some of the most notable moments from his childhood in Odessa, Ukraine, and his family's immigration to the United States--including learning English as a stranger desperate to fit into a different culture, becoming a premier ballroom dancer, and collaborating and competing with his brother and fellow DWTS sensation, Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy.

Val expresses his enduring gratitude for the opportunities America has afforded him and his family, and for everything this country represents--offering hope not only to fans, but to everyone with a dream. Heartfelt and compulsively readable--including sixteen pages of never-before-seen photographs and a foreword written by brother Maks--I'll Never Change My Name contains Val's honesty, insight, and moments that will touch readers' hearts and inspire us all to keep moving.