Artem Chigvintsev has been a staple on Dancing With the Stars since 2014.
Artem, who previously won the U.K.’s Strictly Come Dancing with Kara Tointon, was initially tapped to join the DWTS troupe for season 18. The next year, he was tasked with teaching Back to the Future star Lea Thompson how to dance.
“I loved it,” Artem said on Good Morning America in 2014 after their elimination. “Plus, having Lea as my partner was just phenomenal. I loved every minute of it [and] too bad it’s over.”
According to Lea, her teacher made the journey a “great experience.”
Mirrorball champs or not, Dancing With the Stars has featured some impeccable professional dancers in the years since the ABC competition series premiered in 2005. Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are among the talent who have lit up the ballroom. Some of the show’s stars went on to achieve major success in their careers while […]
“We had a blast together,” she said. “Sometimes they didn’t show it in the packages — they kind of had us arguing all the time — [but] we were always laughing and having a great time. He’s an amazing choreographer. For being the first time on the show, he did amazing.”
Artem and the actress finished in sixth place. In the successive seasons, Artem was consistently asked back as a pro. Season 25 was even how he met his now-wife, retired wrestler Nikki Garcia, three years before he won his first mirrorball trophy.
Keep scrolling to revisit Artem’s complete history on DWTS — and what the stars had to say about his teaching style:
Season 19: Lea Thompson
Placement: Sixth
Artem and Lea danced together every week except for one when the show introduced “Switch-Up Week.” The Russia native was re-partnered with Pretty Little Liars alum Janel Parrish for a steamy burlesque number. Lea, meanwhile, did a jazz routine with Janel’s partner, Val Chmerkovskiy. In rehearsal footage, Lea and Val got jealous of the steamy performance.
Season 20: Patti LaBelle
Placement: Eighth
For Artem’s second season, he was partnered with the legendary singer. During Week 4, Artem asked that she do “more” actual dance moves, which got rave reviews.
“That was out of control,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba gushed during the episode. “Your legs are fierce!”
Season 22: Mischa Barton
Placement: Eleventh
The O.C. alum and Artem didn’t last long on season 22, battling illnesses during the process.
“We both got sick since last week which wasn’t great, so on antibiotics, trying to get through the dance, through our cha cha and stay positive,” Barton told Us and other reporters in February 2018. “You have five days to learn it and get through it, and when you’re not feeling 100 percent from the last dance, [it’s tough]. I just feel like this whole week just psyched me out, and maybe now it’s time to just attack it with positivity.”
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Season 23: Maureen McCormick
Placement: Eighth
During his season with the Brady Bunch alum, they got close. In one clip from the October 2017 premiere, McCormick gushed about his looks.
“First impression of Artem? Well, hot!” she quipped. “Really cute. Um, wow — the body! I mean the body on all these people is, like, freaking me out. Hopefully, I just want to be an open, blank canvas that he can paint. I’ll do anything you want, Artem.”
Season 24: Nancy Kerrigan
Placement: Seventh
Artem partnered with the figure skater, who frequently gushed about their performances on social media.
“Had a blast in my first #DWTS performance with @artemchigvintse,” Kerrigan tweeted in March 2017. “Thank you all for the support and here’s to many more!”
Since its 2004 debut, Dancing With the Stars has awarded many mirrorball trophies — and has led to engagements, babies and lasting love. In 2017, former WWE wrestler Nikki Bella was partnered with Artem Chigvintsev. They started dating in 2019. “I have never met anyone who’s so supportive and I have no fear that he’s […]
Season 25: Nikki Garcia
Placement: Seventh
One year after the show, Nikki broke up with fiancé John Cena and Artem reached out to check in on the athlete. The pair eventually started dating, getting married in 2022 two years after welcoming son Matteo.
While Artem continued filming seasons of DWTS, Nikki stayed with Matteo in Napa Valley, California, which often caused friction.
“I would be lying to say, ‘Oh, it’s great.’ It has definitely been a struggle for us,” Nikki exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021. “It’s hard. We have so many ups and downs. It’s been so difficult on our relationship because I need so much from him, but he’s, like, torn between his job that requires so much from him and then us at home.”
She added, “After Dancing, we’re going to start classes as a couple because we’ve realized that we both feel like we’re not listening to each other. … We finally both just said, like, ‘We need to bring someone in to help us so we don’t get [back] into that place.’”
Season 26: Jamie Anderson
Placement: Tenth
Artem was paired with the skier on the all-athletes season of DWTS.
Season 27: Danielle Umstead
Placement: Twelfth
The Paralympic champion was the first blind competitor to appear on DWTS. In September 2018, Artem told Access Hollywood that his teaching process for Danielle was “trial and error.”
“You have to really be there for her,” he said. “When music plays, I’m constantly, like, ‘You OK? Are we gonna do this?’”
Danielle also brought her guide dog into every practice.
Season 29: Kaitlyn Bristowe
Placement: Winner
Kaitlyn exclusively told Us in 2022 that she no longer keeps in touch with Artem.
“I haven’t really talked to him, which is kind of sad. I don’t know. He’s busy. He’s dancing every day,” she recalled. “He’s got a little sweet boy at home, and he just got married, which I was so excited for them.”
One year later, Kaitlyn warned fellow Bachelorette alum Charity Lawson that many of the male DWTS pros were “d–ks.”
“[Kaitlyn] told me to have a lot of patience — which I do — but also that he’s just such a great teacher and that I’m going to learn so much, and I already have,” Charity told Us in September 2023.
Artem, meanwhile, had no ill will toward Kaitlyn.
“Look, it’s all with a good intention,” he told Us. “Because I know sometimes when we have someone who has a great potential, you want to bring it out of them. It worked for Kaitlyn — she won the mirrorball trophy.”
Season 30: Melora Hardin
Placement: Sixth
The Office alum told Us in September 2021 about the hours that they put into rehearsals.
“I am a hard worker and Artem is too. So, we both work hard, and we work well together,” Melora said. “We’re really both [very] committed. But I can’t sleep very well because I’m doing the dance in my head every night. It’s difficult to try to figure out the pace. … Right about the time you get it, you gotta learn something new that you’ve never had before.”
Season 31: Heidi D’Amelio
Placement: Eighth
Artem taught TikTok star Charli D’Amelio’s mother how to groove, where they went up against her daughter head-to-head. (Charli and partner Mark Ballas ultimately won.) At one point, Heidi was ready to throw in the towel but didn’t inform Artem of her plans.
“I had no idea she was quitting,” he told Us and other reporters in September 2022. “I was like, ‘What?’ … I honestly [found] out when they were talking to [cohost] Alfonso [Ribiero] and I was like, ‘Should I say something? Should I not?’ … [I decided] I’m gonna ask her afterward.”
According to Heidi, she was battling “self-doubt” but chose to continue on with the competition.
Season 32: Charity Lawson
Placement: Fourth
Artem danced with Charity in 2023, who told Us that Kaitlyn had stressed how much she’d learn from the ballroom pro. They are still on good terms, with Charity congratulating Artem and Nikki on their second wedding anniversary in August 2024.
“Happy anniversary you two!!! So sweet,” Charity gushed via an Instagram comment, replying to Artem’s tribute to his wife.
