Cheryl Burke is an American professional dancer, choreographer, television personality, author, and podcast host whose career has reached far beyond the ballroom. She became widely recognized after joining Dancing with the Stars and making competition history with two early championship victories. Her journey also includes stage productions, television appearances, entrepreneurship, writing, and advocacy for healthy body image and mental wellness. With decades of dance experience behind her, she has built a reputation for discipline, resilience, and reinvention. Her story continues to interest fans because it combines entertainment success with personal growth, creative projects, and a determination to encourage others.
| Quick Bio | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Cheryl Stephanie Burke |
| Profession | Dancer, choreographer, television personality, author, podcast host |
| Known For | Dancing with the Stars |
| Dance Background | Ballet, ballroom, Latin, International Standard |
| Major Achievement | Two-time Dancing with the Stars champion |
| First DWTS Win | Drew Lachey |
| Second DWTS Win | Emmitt Smith |
| Television | Dancing with the Stars, I Can Do That, Dance Moms |
| Book | Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life |
| Podcast | Burke in the Game |
| Career Focus | Dance, entertainment, wellness, personal development |
Early Life and Childhood
Cheryl Burke developed a passion for movement when she was very young. According to her official biography, she began ballet lessons at age four and performed around California’s San Francisco Bay Area. At eleven, she discovered ballroom dancing and shifted her focus toward competitive training. That decision became a defining moment because ballroom offered a combination of athleticism, performance, discipline, and storytelling that suited her personality. By her teenage years, she was already competing and traveling internationally. Her early training established the technical foundation that later helped her succeed on television and become one of the best-known professional dancers associated with Dancing with the Stars.
Cheryl Burke and Her Dance Training
Cheryl Burke’s training was not limited to one ballroom style. She developed skills in both International Standard and Latin disciplines while competing at a high level. Her competitive years required extensive practice, physical conditioning, precision, and an understanding of musical timing. Before television fame arrived, she had already earned recognition in the competitive dance world. Her accomplishments included a World Cup Professional Rising Star title and success in major British and American competitions. This background distinguished her from performers who entered television without extensive ballroom experience. Her competitive foundation became a major advantage when she began teaching celebrities how to perform complicated routines under intense public pressure.
Cheryl Burke Joins Dancing with the Stars
At age 20, Cheryl Burke became part of the breakthrough cast of Dancing with the Stars. The program introduced professional ballroom dancers to a huge mainstream audience by pairing them with celebrities who often had little or no dance experience. Her ability to teach, choreograph, encourage, and perform helped her quickly become a standout professional. She was not simply responsible for creating routines; she also had to help partners develop confidence while working under demanding rehearsal schedules. Her early seasons established a winning reputation and transformed her from a competitive dancer into a recognizable television personality. The show became the central platform of her early entertainment career.
Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey
One of the defining moments of Cheryl Burke’s career came when she partnered with singer Drew Lachey. Their chemistry, entertaining routines, and strong competitive performances helped them win the second season of Dancing with the Stars. The victory was particularly important because it demonstrated that Burke could successfully transform a celebrity partner’s strengths into a competitive ballroom performance. Their partnership also helped establish her reputation as an effective teacher and choreographer. Rather than relying solely on technical perfection, she understood how to build memorable television moments. Their championship became the first of two consecutive victories that placed her firmly among the show’s most successful early professional dancers.
Cheryl Burke and Emmitt Smith
The following season brought another major milestone when Cheryl Burke partnered with NFL legend Emmitt Smith. Their contrasting backgrounds created an entertaining challenge: Smith brought athletic ability and charisma, while Burke provided detailed ballroom instruction and choreography. Together, they won the competition and gave Burke her second consecutive championship. Becoming a two-time champion so early in her television career made her one of the program’s most recognizable professionals. The achievement also showed that her success was not dependent on one particular celebrity partner. Her ability to adapt her teaching style to different personalities became one of her most valuable professional skills.
Cheryl Burke’s Competitive Style
A major part of Cheryl Burke’s appeal has always been her competitive mindset. Ballroom performance requires coordination, stamina, musical interpretation, posture, and emotional expression, but television competition adds another layer of pressure. Professional dancers must teach routines while also helping partners feel comfortable in front of cameras and judges. Burke became known for combining technical training with entertainment value. She could create routines designed to showcase a partner’s strengths while minimizing weaknesses. This strategic approach helped her work successfully with athletes, singers, actors, comedians, and reality personalities. Her career demonstrates how choreography can involve psychology and communication as much as dance technique.
Cheryl Burke’s Return to the Ballroom
After taking time away from the program to explore other opportunities, Cheryl Burke returned to Dancing with the Stars in 2016. Her return demonstrated that her connection with the series remained strong even after pursuing projects outside the ballroom. Over subsequent seasons, she worked with partners including Ryan Lochte, Terrell Owens, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Ray Lewis, AJ McLean, Cody Rigsby, and Sam Champion. Each partnership presented a different teaching challenge. Her later seasons also showed a more mature professional who had gained experience in television, choreography, production, and personal development since her earliest appearances.
Cheryl Burke and Cody Rigsby
One of the memorable later partnerships came with Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby during season 30. Their journey reached the finals and ended with a third-place finish. The partnership attracted attention because Rigsby brought a strong fitness personality and energetic presence, while Burke contributed years of ballroom expertise. Their performances demonstrated how successful reality-competition partnerships depend on trust and adaptability. Reaching the finals after such a long career on the program added another notable achievement to Burke’s television record. Her work with Rigsby also reflected her ability to connect ballroom technique with modern fitness and entertainment culture.
Cheryl Burke’s Final Season as a Pro
Cheryl Burke’s final season as a regular professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars came with season 31. She partnered with meteorologist Sam Champion, and the season represented the closing of a major chapter in her career. After the season concluded, Burke announced her retirement as a professional dancer on the show. Leaving a program after so many seasons was a significant transition because the series had been central to her public identity for years. Her decision reflected an interest in exploring other creative opportunities and developing a career that was not limited to weekly ballroom competition.
Cheryl Burke as a Television Personality
Cheryl Burke’s television career extends beyond ballroom competition. In 2015, she appeared on NBC’s I Can Do That, a variety program that challenged celebrities and performers to explore unfamiliar skills. She also became part of Dance Moms during its seventh season, taking on a coaching role. These experiences allowed her to demonstrate different sides of her personality, from performer to mentor. Television helped her develop communication skills that became useful in interviews, speaking engagements, podcasting, and other projects. Her ability to move between competition, entertainment, coaching, and hosting has contributed to her longevity in the public eye.
Cheryl Burke and Love on the Floor
In 2016, Cheryl Burke created, produced, and starred in Love on the Floor, a live stage production combining professional dancers with Olympic and world champion ice skaters. The show premiered internationally in Tokyo and featured notable performers from the worlds of dance and skating. Its successful debut demonstrated that Burke’s ambitions extended beyond television. She was involved not only as a performer but also as a creative force behind the production. The project showed her interest in combining different performance disciplines and creating large-scale entertainment experiences. It also gave her valuable experience as a producer and project creator.
Cheryl Burke as an Entrepreneur
Cheryl Burke has also explored entrepreneurship throughout her career. She opened a dance studio in 2008 and later developed projects connected to clothing, fitness, and lifestyle. Her CeeBee activewear line launched in 2015, reflecting her interest in creating products suited to active women. She later collaborated on fashion-oriented loungewear and other lifestyle products. These ventures demonstrate an important aspect of her career: she has consistently looked for ways to turn her expertise and public platform into broader creative opportunities. Entrepreneurship allowed her to build an identity that was not dependent entirely on television appearances or competitive dance.
Cheryl Burke as an Author
In 2011, Cheryl Burke released Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life. The book explored experiences that shaped her personal and professional development. Rather than presenting dance only as a glamorous career, she discussed difficult periods and lessons related to confidence, relationships, body image, and resilience. Writing gave her a different way to connect with audiences because it allowed her to discuss personal experiences in greater depth than a televised performance could. The book remains an important part of her broader story because it connects her dance career with themes of personal growth and self-discovery.
Cheryl Burke and Body Image Advocacy
Body image and self-esteem have become important themes in Cheryl Burke’s public work. Her official biography notes that she has spoken openly about criticism surrounding weight and appearance and has used her platform to encourage healthier attitudes toward the body. These conversations are especially relevant in entertainment industries where performers can face intense scrutiny. Burke has used speaking opportunities to encourage people to develop confidence without allowing unrealistic expectations to define their self-worth. Her advocacy adds another dimension to her career because it transforms difficult experiences into messages intended to support others.
Cheryl Burke’s Mental Health Advocacy
Mental wellness is another subject that has become increasingly visible in Burke’s work. Her podcasting and speaking activities have provided opportunities to discuss emotional challenges, personal growth, and life transitions. Her official website describes mental health advocacy as an important part of her current professional direction. This focus reflects the evolution of her career from competitive dancer to a broader media personality interested in conversations that extend beyond entertainment. By discussing vulnerability and resilience, she has encouraged audiences to recognize that professional success does not eliminate personal struggles. Her current work therefore combines entertainment experience with a more reflective and educational approach.
Cheryl Burke’s Podcast Career
Podcasting has become a significant part of Cheryl Burke’s post-Dancing with the Stars career. She previously co-hosted Pretty Messed Up with AJ McLean and René Elizondo, where conversations covered entertainment and personal subjects. She later developed her own podcast, Burke in the Game. Podcasting provides her with more freedom than traditional television because long-form conversations can explore personal experiences, relationships, wellness, and career changes in greater detail. It also allows Burke to maintain a direct connection with listeners. Her transition into podcasting illustrates how established television personalities can adapt their skills to modern digital media.
Cheryl Burke’s Awards and Recognition
Recognition for Cheryl Burke has included competitive dance championships as well as television-industry honors. The Television Academy lists two Emmy nominations connected with Dancing with the Stars choreography in 2006. Her early competitive achievements also included major international ballroom honors. These accomplishments show that her reputation was built on both athletic performance and professional choreography. Awards are only one measure of a career, but they provide useful evidence of the level at which she worked. Her combination of competitive titles, television success, and industry recognition has helped establish her as a notable figure in American ballroom entertainment.
Cheryl Burke’s Influence on Ballroom Television
Cheryl Burke helped make ballroom dancing accessible to mainstream television audiences. Her role was especially important because professional dancers on competition programs must translate complex techniques into routines that viewers can understand and enjoy. She demonstrated that ballroom could be energetic, emotional, humorous, dramatic, and contemporary. Her long association with Dancing with the Stars also helped normalize professional dancers as television personalities rather than simply supporting performers. Her influence can be seen in the continued popularity of dance competition programming and in the public interest surrounding professional dancers’ careers. Her television legacy is closely connected to this broader cultural impact.
Cheryl Burke’s Approach to Celebrity Partnerships
Working with celebrities requires flexibility because every partner arrives with different abilities, personalities, schedules, and fears. Cheryl Burke’s career offers many examples of this challenge. Some partners had athletic backgrounds, while others were entertainers or television personalities with little formal dance experience. A professional must determine how quickly a partner can learn choreography and which performance qualities can be emphasized. Burke’s long career suggests a strong ability to adapt her teaching methods. She has repeatedly transformed individual personalities into routines that communicate clearly to audiences, which is one reason her partnerships have remained memorable across many seasons.
Cheryl Burke’s Personal Growth
Personal growth has been an important theme throughout Cheryl Burke’s story. Her career has moved through several stages: competitive dancer, television professional, choreographer, producer, author, entrepreneur, podcast host, and advocate. Each transition required her to develop new skills and become comfortable outside familiar territory. Leaving the regular Dancing with the Stars professional lineup was another major change, but it also created room for different projects. Her journey demonstrates that a successful career does not have to remain tied to one role forever. Reinvention can become an important part of professional longevity, especially in entertainment.
Cheryl Burke’s Later Television Appearances
Although she retired as a regular professional dancer from Dancing with the Stars, Burke has continued to maintain a connection with the program. She returned as a guest judge during the show’s 34th season in 2025, demonstrating that her relationship with the ballroom remained active even after her professional retirement. Her appearance also highlighted the experience she had accumulated across decades of competitive and televised dance. As the show continues into its 35th season in 2026, her previous contributions remain part of its history.
Cheryl Burke’s Career in 2026
In 2026, Cheryl Burke’s professional identity extends well beyond her original role as a competitive dancer. Her official website highlights her podcast, mental-health interests, and creative projects, while her current public presence continues to connect entertainment with personal development. Her career illustrates how a performer can evolve after leaving a long-running television competition. Instead of depending on one recurring role, she has developed multiple platforms through which she can communicate, create, teach, and entertain. This flexibility has helped keep her relevant in a changing media environment where audiences increasingly follow personalities across television, podcasts, social media, and live events.
Cheryl Burke’s Lasting Legacy
The lasting legacy of Cheryl Burke is rooted in more than two championship trophies. She helped establish professional ballroom dancers as major television personalities and demonstrated how dance can become a pathway into producing, writing, entrepreneurship, coaching, and advocacy. Her career also reflects persistence through professional changes and personal challenges. From beginning ballet at four to becoming a celebrated television professional, her story shows how early discipline can create opportunities decades later. Her influence continues through the people she has taught, the audiences she has inspired, and the conversations she now leads about wellness, confidence, and personal reinvention.
Why Cheryl Burke Remains Inspiring
Cheryl Burke remains inspiring because her story is not limited to fame or competition victories. She has repeatedly adapted when circumstances changed, moving from dance competitions to television, stage production, entrepreneurship, writing, and podcasting. Her willingness to discuss confidence, body image, and emotional wellness makes her career relatable to people who may never step onto a professional dance floor. Her achievements show the value of preparation, while her transitions demonstrate the importance of recognizing when it is time to pursue something new. For many fans, that combination of discipline and reinvention is the most meaningful part of her journey.
Cheryl Burke: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Cheryl Burke? — Answer: Cheryl Burke is an American professional dancer, choreographer, television personality, author, and podcast host best known for her long association with Dancing with the Stars.
2. How many times did Cheryl Burke win Dancing with the Stars? — Answer: She won twice, first with Drew Lachey and then with Emmitt Smith.
3. What is Cheryl Burke known for besides dancing? — Answer: She has worked in television, stage production, writing, entrepreneurship, podcasting, coaching, and mental-health advocacy.
4. Did Cheryl Burke retire from Dancing with the Stars? — Answer: She retired as a regular professional dancer after season 31, although she later returned as a guest judge.
5. What podcast does Cheryl Burke host? — Answer: She currently hosts Burke in the Game, a podcast connected with her broader work in media and personal development.
Final Thoughts
Cheryl Burke’s journey is a powerful example of how talent, discipline, adaptability, and perseverance can create a career that continues evolving long after an initial breakthrough. From competitive ballroom dancing to television championships, stage production, entrepreneurship, writing, podcasting, and advocacy, she has consistently expanded her professional identity. Her story also demonstrates why lasting success requires more than recognition: it requires the courage to grow, change direction, and use experience to help others. Readers who want additional background can explore the related Wikipedia page for Cheryl Burke for further biographical and career information.
