Refusing to hold back, DWTS alum Mak Chmerkovskiy slammed Taylor Swift back-up dancer, Jan Ravnik, stating he has “no business” being a pro on the show.
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While appearing alongside his wife, Peta Murgatroyd, on her podcast The Penthouse with Peta, Chmerkovskiy discussed the performances during the show’s Wicked-themed night. He quickly turned his attention to Ravnik, who is a new pro on the show.
“He’s learning,” Murgatroyd said about Ravnik. “He’s learning slowly. It’s his first season. We have to give him grace for not understanding foxtrot technique. It’s very hard to watch.”
While Murtgatroyd was more lax with her critique of Ravnik, Chmerkovskiy wasn’t as understanding.
“No, we do not have to give him grace,” Chmerkovskiy stated. “Are you kidding me? I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing with the Stars. There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership.”
He then pointed out, “Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd.”
The dancer, who was a DWTS pro for 17 seasons, also said, “This is unreal, how blind we have to be, and, God forbid, say what’s obviously there – he had no idea what [a] foxtrot is supposed to look like.”
Chmerkovskiy continued his criticism, stating he was wondering whether anyone would explain to Ravnik what he was missing as a choreographer and teacher for his partner, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck.
However, the DWTS alum did compliment the newcomer. He pointed out that one dance did deliver “some sort of direction.”
“He is going the right direction as long as he has that help and foundation,” Chmerkovskiy said about the one unspecified dance. “And then it just [went] off the cliff.”
Maks Chmerkovskiy Said He Has “Zero Against” the New DWTS Pro Despite His Criticism
Meanwhile, Maks Chmerkovskiy made it clear that while he was critical of Jan Ravnik, he had “zero against” the new DWTS pro.
He also called Ravnik’s casting a “missed opportunity.”
Agreeing with her husband that Affleck is at a “major disadvantage with Ravnik as her partner, Murgatroyd said, “I feel bad because she’s not getting taught the basics that she needs to. She’s not getting taught the base of the dance.”
Despite his criticism, Chmerkovskiy said it’s “not” Ravnik’s fault. “They hired him, babe,” Murgatroyd pointed out. “He’s a Taylor Swift dancer. It’s the obvious reason why he is hired.”
Murgatroyd ended up complimenting Ravnik during the episode. “Apart from that, he’s a lovely guy. He looks great. He obviously is a great dancer,” she added. “Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”