Peta Murgatroyd Religion: Does Dancing With The Stars Contestant Practice Jewish Faith? Family Ethnicity

Peta Murgatroyd is a celebrity dancer and choreographer. The 36-year-old talented performer follows Judaism along with her husband, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Peta joined the cast of Burn the Floor in 2004 and performed on their international tour for six years. She was the lead female dancer when the show landed on Broadway in 2009. 

She is best known for appearing on Dancing with the Stars – American edition. Peta teamed up with her husband and won the competition twice.

Peta Murgatroyd Religion And Ethnicity: Is She Jewish?

Peta is Jewish by religion. Her husband, Maksim, is also a Jew. He was born in Ukraine to a Jewish father and Christian mother and has described himself as Jewish.

When their son was born in June 2016, the couple happily named him Shai Aleksander Chmerkovskiy. Peta said they called him Shai because it means gift in Hebrew. 

She believed that the name was a perfect fit because they always felt like the little life they made was the most precious gift granted by God.

She also mentioned that the middle name was critical because Maksim did not have a middle name, and Aleksandre was borrowed from Maksim’s father’s name. It took months to find a name that was special and meaningful.

Besides, the DWTS stars wed in a fairy-tale traditional Jewish wedding in a 300-person ceremony. Moreover, Peta is White and is an American citizen.

Let Us Know Peta Murgatroyd Family And Childhood

Peta Murgatroyd was born on July 14, 1986, to parents Derek and Suzanne Murgatroyd in Auckland, New Zealand.

Other than their names, no further details about Peta’s parents are available.

Peta is a mix of New Zealanders, Australians, and Americans. She was born in New Zealand and migrated to Australia at the age of one and a half.

She was raised in Perth, Western Australia, and considered herself more of an Australian. Peta achieved American citizenship in October 2019.

Peta was always into Dancing. She studied classical ballet at age four and trained for 12 years under Madame Lubov Nikonorenko, former principal dancer of the Kirov Ballet.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury at 16 forced Peta to give up ballet. She then started to do Latin Dancing.

How is Peta Murgatroyd Marriage and Relationship?

Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy married on July 8, 2017, at Oheka Castle in Long Island, New York. Around 300 guests, including several of their friends from Dancing With the Stars, attended the wedding. 

The bridal party included professional dancers like Maksim’s brother, Valentin, and friend Rumer Willis.

Peta and Maksim first met while performing in Burn the Floor. They had known each other for many years as professional dancers and choreographers while appearing on Dancing with the Stars.

Before that, Maksim was engaged to his dancing partner Karina Smirnoff. The couple broke off their engagement in 2009 and refused to perform together in the production.

Peta had been dating Maksim off and on since 2012. In 2015, Maks confirmed the relationship. They got engaged in December 2015, when he proposed on stage during a Sway: A Dance Trilogy performance in Miami, Florida. 

The couple gave birth to their son, Shai, on January 4, 2017, before deciding to become husband and wife.

Maks and Peta continued to perform on Dancing With the Stars for another couple of seasons. They enjoy spending time as a family.

Born on January 17, 1980, Maksim is currently 42 and 6 years older than Peta.

Previously, Peta dated Australian professional ballroom dancer and former DWTS cast member Damian Whitewood for five years before parting ways in 2012.

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