Napa cabaret show mixes ‘Dancing with the Stars’ pros, local wines

Napa Valley wines are the star of a new performance in downtown Napa that’s entertaining audiences this summer with a mix of dancing and wine tasting.

SAVOR After Hours, starring a cast of professional dancers led by brothers Maksim “Maks” and Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy from the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” opened June 3 and runs weekends through Sept. 3 at JaM Cellars Ballroom.

Each weekend features a program of cabaret-style performance paired with four selections from a different Napa Valley winery.

Tickets start at $44, with wine tasting flights available for an additional $75.

“We do our wine tasting a little different,” star Val Chmerkovskiy said. “Every performance that you see throughout the night is inspired by the wines that are served.”

The show’s first two opening weekends included wines from family-owned Peju Winery, followed by wines from Raymond Napa Valley June 16-18. Upcoming featured wineries include LVE by John Legend, June 22-25; the Duckhorn Portfolio (Duckhorn Vineyards, Paraduxx and Migration), June 30-July 2; and Venge Vineyards & Croix Estate, July 7-9.

“I don’t want people to think that you come in, you get a drink and you watch a show,” Val said. “The wine is the main character of our show.”

Savor After Hours was created and directed by Mark Swanhart, a choreographer, writer, director and producer for stage, film and TV who worked with the Chmerkovskiy brothers on the “Dancing with the Stars Live” tour.

The show adjusts every week to the wines being poured, according to Val, by adding bolder, spicier or sweeter dance routines depending on the wine’s flavor.

“The performances will make you laugh, and there’s also heartstrings that will be pulled,” Val said of the show. “And wine has a tendency to do that, right? It makes people want to share stories, makes people fall in love and makes people come together and celebrate life.”

For Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy, the summerlong series is the latest highlight in a whirlwind dance career that began in their native Ukraine and includes 15 seasons on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Younger brother Val Chmerkovskiy said his parents enrolled him and his brother in ballroom dancing classes so the boys could become “little gentlemen.”

In 1994, the family moved from Odesa, Ukraine, to Brooklyn, New York, where Val and Maks excelled in both ballroom and Latin dancing classes and competitions.

“It wasn’t as popular in America as it was in Europe, so I actually accelerated quickly,” Val said. “Me doing well at these competitions perpetuated me continuing to dance.”

Soon, Val and his brother both were representing the U.S. in international competitions. In 2001, Val and partner Diana Olonetskaya, both then 15 years old, became the first American dance team to win a world junior championship title, during a competition held in Turin, Italy, in the Latin category.

“I got a chance to put the American flag on a pedestal where it has never been risen before,” Val said. “It was a moment that validated me and my family as immigrants in this country. That’s one of the proudest moments of my career.”

These days, the brothers are known for performing with celebrities on “Dancing With the Stars,” where they’ve collectively won three of the show’s 31 seasons. Maks won with partner and Olympic champion Meryl Davis on the show’s 18th season, while Val won with partners Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore) and with Olympian Laurie Hernandez on the show’s 20th and 23rd seasons.

“(The show) allowed me to grow as a dancer and as a performer,” Val said. “I got way more into other genres of dance. Now, I’m becoming an all-around performer instead of strictly a dancer.”

Even with his extensive career, Val said the chance to perform in an original cabaret show in Napa is a new and exciting opportunity.

“For someone who’s been fortunate enough to dance from Radio City Music Hall to Hollywood and in huge arenas,” Val said, “to be able to come to such a historic place and share my talents with this community is a huge honor for me and my brother and the entire cast.”

For more information and tickets, go to savorafterhours.com.