Saturday was a lucky day for ATXgossip as we got to meet and chat with Val Chmerkovskiy from Dancing With the Stars.

The DWTS pro had a whirlwind weekend that started with the iHeart Music Fest in Vegas on Friday. Early the next morning, it was on to Charleston, SC, for the Southern Women’s Show, followed by a flight back to LA as soon as his SWS appearance was completed.

We spoke with the Russian born dancer about his responsibility to partner Laurie Hernandez, growing up a dancer in America and his respect for all women.

Val also talked briefly about how reality TV has sparked a renaissance of dance in the USA.

And for those of you wondering, he could not have been more friendly and down-to-earth.

You can watch Val Chmerkovskiy and Laurie Hernandez (aka #TeamValaur) every Monday and Tuesday on Dancing with the Stars on ABC.