Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has updated fans on his health after vertigo caused him to miss a stop during the show’s ongoing live tour.
Although the dancer shared Sunday in an Instagram video that he was able to push through the condition for one performance, he later had to be hospitalized and missed a show at the Prairie Home Alliance Theater in Peoria, Illinois.
“I’m just spinning everywhere. And so, on the bus when it’s moving, and I woke up, and I couldn’t get myself together,” he said at the time.
Following his hospital visit, Chmerkovskiy posted a follow-up video to tell his followers that he was diagnosed with BPPV, also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
“What up, my beautiful people?” the clip began. “So, I got BPPV, which isn't too bad, thank God. There’s no tumor in my brain, God forbid. And thankfully, it's not related to my neck injury.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo. It causes sudden feelings of spinning or dizziness. The feeling is created by crystals in the otolith organs inside a person’s ear. The otolith organs detect head movement to maintain balance, but when the crystals move out of place, they can create mobility issues.
Chmerkovskiy continued, saying he now felt “a lot better” and would be able to return to the stage despite still having vertigo, although not as extreme.
“I'm still a little fuzzy here and there, but good enough to perform. And I’ll see you all tonight,” he said ahead of the tour show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This past season on the ABC competition series, Chmerkovskiy was partnered with influencer Alix Earle. The pair finished in second behind Witney Carson and her celebrity partner, Robert Irwin.
The Dancing with the Stars live tour typically takes place after the season finale, featuring a lineup of the professional dancers and a select group of the celebrity finalists and fan-favorites who are asked to join as special guest co-hosts.
Aside from Chmerkovskiy, other pros on the tour include Emma Slater, Daniella Karagach, Hailey Bills, Brandon Armstrong, Britt Stewart, Alan Bersten, Ezra Sosa, Jenna Johnson, and Pasha Pashkov.
Contestants from the most recent season confirmed to appear include Earle, Andy Richter, Elaine Hendrix, Dylan Efron and Jordan Chiles.
