Former Dancing With the Stars professionals Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd have raised a strong criticism over the show’s decision to cast Jan Ravnik as a pro dancer in its 34th season. He also questioned his ballroom credentials and experience.
Speaking on their podcast The Penthouse With Peta, the couple discussed their doubts about Ravnik’s qualifications. “Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars,” Chmerkovskiy stated. “There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, or understanding of the partnership.”
Murgatroyd expressed his sentiments, saying she felt “bad” for Ravnik’s celebrity partner, Jennifer Affleck of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. “She’s not getting taught the basics that she needs,” she added, calling the decision to hire a non-ballroom dancer “outrageous.”
Ravnik, a Slovenian-born performer who spent nearly two years dancing on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, joined DWTS as a professional in August 2025. He and Affleck went through several rounds before being eliminated in the show’s Halloween-themed episode. After their exit, Ravnik simply said, “She’s a rockstar, that’s all I’m gonna say.”
The controversy regarding Ravnik’s casting has sparked wider debate within the DWTS community, with some defending his contemporary and commercial dance background while others argue the show is drifting too far from its ballroom roots.
Neither Ravnik nor the show’s producers have publicly responded to the criticism.