With her athletic moves, exotic beauty and exuberant personality, this professional ballroom dancers won viewers’ hearts and votes to become a two-time Dancing With the Stars champion. Although the California native initially studied ballet, Burke ultimately switched her focus to ballroom and by age 13 she was strutting her stuff across the globe. During a 2005 competition opposite her then partner/love interest Jose De Camps, she caught the eye of an ABC talent scout and became a prime-time player on the smash reality series, earning several Emmy nods for choreography in the process. In the show’s second season, she and former boy-bander Drew Lachey danced away with the trophy, and the next year, Burke and retired NFLer Emmitt Smith won the coveted title. Cheryl has remained with the reality show and is consistently in the running for the mirror ball. Burke expanded her interests in recent years with the opening of a series of California dance studios, the creation of a line of activewear and most recently the launch of her new book Dancing Lessons: How I found passion and potential on the dance floor and in life.
LR: Where did you grow up and what were you inspired by as a child?
CB: I grew up in the Bay Area in San Francisco, my childhood inspiration and still is today, dance.
LR: How did you get your start in the entertainment industry?
CB: When I was 21, I was invited to be a cast member on dancing with the stars.
LR: What’s a typical day like for you? I
CB: I usually start my day by checking e-mails and looking at what the day has in store for me. I work out, run a few miles or put in a Jazzercise DVD. I’ll then get up to speed on what’s going with my Cheryl Burke Dance studios and then during the DWTS season I head to rehearsal.
LR: What is your secret to multi-tasking?
CB: I’m not entirely convicted that I know that secret yet so if anyone does I’m listening!
LR: What gets you out of bed every morning?
CB: I’m motivated to get out of bed because I have goals. Being on Dancing With the Stars is not the end of my path, in addition to writing my book
LR: What advice do you have for those who are trying to make it in the industry? where do you suggest they start?
CB: Work hard, have passion and don’t give up. Take the words “no” and “I can’t” out of your vocabulary.
LR: How do you stay in touch with friends and family with all traveling and busy schedule?
CB: E-mail
LR: How do you apply creativity in your everyday life and work?
CB: I’m lucky enough to work on a a very creative show. Every day we need to come up with new routines, design costumes and looks that match what we envision but sometime doing too much burns me out. Luckily I just went to Argentina to take Tango lessons to get reinspired.
LR: Which artist of today would you like to work with in the future?
CB: I love Jennifer Lopez, I think she’s amazing and very business savvy. I also find Beyonce fascinating so I would love to work with either or.
LR: What person has influenced you most in your career?
CB: My mother. She’s a business woman (not a dancer) she always reminds me to stay focus on my goals.
Chery Burke Fast Facts:
– Of Filipino, Irish and Russian descent
– Frequently makes it to the finals on DWTS, including in Season 6 ( with actor Cristian de La Fuente ) and Season 8 ( actor Gilles Marini)
– Made her TV acting debut in a 2006 episode of Disney Channel sitcom “The suite life of Zack and Cody”
To learn more about Chery visit her site at www.striclycheryl.com or follow her on twitter @cherylburke
