(201) Gold Coast March 2016 | Page 37

People and Places CHAMPIONS OF THE BALLROOM The Chmerkovskiy brothers both won the coveted Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Maks (left) won with figure skater Meryl Davis on season 18 and Val (right) won with actress and singer Rumer Willis on season 20 of the hit ABC show. DWTS: COURTESY OF ABC/ADAM TAYLOR C atching up with Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy isn’t easy. The brothers, who are best known for their graceful footwork – and good looks – on ABC’s long-running hit Dancing with the Stars, are busy building an empire anchored in dance. “We’re either going a hundred million miles a second or nothing, you have to catch the down time when you can,” says Maks, who along with Val, splits his time between Los Angeles and Fort Lee. Down time for either of them is rare these days. Maks, who appeared on DWTS for 14 seasons and won season 18 before retiring from the show, recently launched Cantamessa Man, a line of men’s jewelry, and is currently developing and producing original television productions. He’s also the celebrity ambassador for LivOn Lab