Maks Chmerkovskiy is calling out “Dancing With the Stars” for casting Jan Ravnik as a pro dancer on the hit dance competition series.
“I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” the Season 18 mirrorball champion said on wife Peta Murgatroyd’s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast last Friday.
“There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional,” he continued.
“It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”
Chmerkovskiy attempted to substantiate his claims by using Ravnik’s choreography for last Tuesday’s “Wicked Night” as an example.
He was clearly not impressed with the routine Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dancer created for his pro partner, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck.
“He had no idea what foxtrot is supposed to look like,” the Latin–ballroom dance champion, 45, claimed.
“How are you going to expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing? We had this criticism weeks ago, and I’m like, ‘Bro, is anybody going to explain it to him?’” he added.
Chmerkovskiy said he has no personal vendetta against Ravnik but is more upset about his hiring.
“Jan, whoever he is, I have zero against him whatsoever,” he confessed. “No way, this was a missed opportunity.”
Murgatroyd, who has won “DWTS” twice, said Affleck, 26, “has a major disadvantage” in the ABC dance competition because Ravnik is leading her weekly.
“I feel bad because she’s not getting taught the basics that she needs to,” she claimed. “She’s not getting taught the base of the dance.”
The “Faith, Hope & Love” actress alleged that Ravnik was only cast due to his ties with Swift.
“They hired him. He’s a Taylor Swift dancer. It’s the obvious reason why he is hired,” she claimed.
“Apart from that, he’s a lovely guy. He looks great. He obviously is a great dancer. Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”
Page Six has reached out to reps for both Ravnik and ABC but did not immediately hear back.
