I'll Never Change My Name - Signed/Autographed Copy - Hardcover

Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062871234 ISBN 13: 9780062871237

Publisher: Dey Street Books, 2018

Synopsis

SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, 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 US to his rise to international fame. Val has captivated viewers of DWTS 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. For the first time, Val looks back at his childhood in the Ukraine, and his Jewish family's immigration to the US, 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, the collaborations and competitions with his brother and fellow DWTS sensation, "Maks". Val speaks warmly of his family and shares intimate and inspiring stories meant to offer hope and motivation 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 a foreign country. It was a gamble that paid off--after years of practice and discipline, Val, along with 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 Val's poetry and 16-pages of never-before-seen photographs, as well as a foreword by brother Maks--it's filled with the moments that have moved and shaped him, and is sure to touch readers' hearts as well.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dey Street Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062871234
• ISBN 13: 9780062871237
• Binding: Hardcover