DWTS professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy takes his role very seriously, but his partner Gabby Windey is not rattled by his strong personality.
Dancing With The Stars professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy is known for being intense during rehearsals, and now he reveals that his celebrity partner, The Bachelorette season 19 star Gabby Windey, does not take it personally. Val and Gabby have had an impressive first two weeks on DWTS season 31. In week 1, they placed third with a score of 28 out of 40 for their jive to “As It Was” by Harry Styles. They tied with Shangela and Gleb Savchenko for their salsa to “When I Grow Up,” by the Pussycat Dolls and Selma Blair and Sasha Farber for their Viennese waltz to “The Time of My Life” by David Cook.
For DWTS Elvis Night in week 2, Gabby and Val tied for first place with their Viennese waltz to the classic Elvis Presley love song “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” They earned 32 points out of 40, along with Wayne Brady and Witney Carson for their jive to “Burning Love,” and Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas for their quickstep to “Bossa Nova Baby.” Val and Gabby have had a wonderful time together so far, and Val’s wife Jenna Johnson has pointed out that they are the perfect partners for each other.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Val revealed that Gabby does not get upset with him when they are rehearsing, something which is important because of his strong personality. He said that Gabby is a “great student” who “knows how to take direction” and “doesn’t take things personally.” Val admitted that there is a very clear difference between being hard and demanding accountability in DWTS rehearsals and “being cruel and just being a d***.” He said, “I try not to venture into being a d*** as much as I can.” However, Val confessed that because of lack of preparation or decisiveness or him questioning himself, “I do have d*** moments, but she thankfully is patient enough to understand that.” Val said that he and Gabby communicate really well together and that they have mutual respect for each other. He asks for the same patience from his partners with his frustrations as he has with them as they learn his choreography. He said that he will always try to “make it right and apologize for it” after his worst moments. Val gushed that Gabby has been “wonderful to work with, and I’m only as good as my partner.”
Val Wants Gabby To Have The Best DWTS Season
Val went on to say that he hopes that becoming a dad will soften him. His wife, Jenna, is pregnant with a baby boy who will be born in January 2023. He admitted that being a dog dad has already softened him. He also said that as he gets older, he has changed and grown in his approach as his perspective has shifted and changed. However, he explained that he believes that it is “good to get into the grit of things,” and have a “full spectrum of experience” on the show, including heartache, disappointment, and tension, as long as it can be resolved. Val said that he told Gabby that their rehearsals are a safe space, and she can always speak out if there is anything that she does not like. He said that he is at her service and wants her to have “the best season that she ever imagined for herself.” He acknowledged that Gabby is a big DWTS fan, and that his “ego is secondary” to the type of season that she wants to have for herself. Val shared that they have one rule–“let’s not disrespect each other.”
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Throughout her time with The Bachelor franchise, Gabby was known for having a great sense of humor, along with immense compassion for others. This matches well with Val, who can be intense, but also respects people who put in the hard work necessary to succeed on the show. Because of this, Gabby and Val are sure to make it far on Dancing With The Stars.
