Chmerkovskiy was born January 17, 1980, in Odessa, Ukrainian SSR to parents Aleksandr “Sasha” Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya. He began dancing at age 4 when Chmerkovskiy’s parents enrolled him in a school of aesthetic education. The aim of the school was to train children to become young gentlemen or ladies, and the education included ukrainian dating tips and ballroom dance. He eventually began competing in ten-dance, which includes both ballroom and Latin dances.

As a child Chmerkovskiy also participated in tennis, soccer, and swimming. At age 13, he broke his right leg in a skiing accident and had a titanium rod put in to stabilize his leg. The family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York in 1994. The challenges of immigration for Chmerkovskiy and his family included financial and language barriers.