Cheryl Burke

Cheryl Stephanie Burke is a prominent American professional dancer, model, and television host.

She is most recognized for her extensive career on the ABC competition series, Dancing with the Stars. During her tenure, she competed for twenty-six seasons. Burke achieved significant milestones in the show's history. She became the first female professional to win the series. Additionally, she was the first professional to win two consecutive championships. Her career spans various roles, including dancing, coaching, and hosting.

Professional ballroom dancing requires mastery of diverse technical styles and intense physical training. Burke performs a wide array of dances, including the Cha-cha-cha, the Quickstep, and the Jive. She also executes more dramatic styles such as the Tango, the Paso Doble, and the Samba. In her role on Dancing with the Stars, she must train celebrity partners to execute these complex movements. Her expertise extends to choreography, such as her work on the Paso Doble for the film Toy Story 3. She also co-instructed fitness videos centered on Latin dances with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Burke's competitive history is marked by both high scores and various placements. In her second season, she won her first mirror ball trophy with partner Drew Lachey. She secured a second consecutive championship in season three with Emmitt Smith. Throughout the seasons, she achieved several high rankings. She placed second with Rob Kardashian in season thirteen. She also finished as a runner-up with Gilles Marini in season eight. In season thirty, she reached the finals again with partner Cody Rigsby, placing third.

Her career has faced challenges due to the physical demands placed on her partners. In season nine, Tom DeLay and Burke had to withdraw because DeLay suffered stress fractures in both feet. During season twenty-eight, Burke and Ray Lewis also withdrew from the competition. This occurred after Lewis suffered a torn tendon in his foot during the third week. Despite these interruptions, Burke has maintained a consistent presence on the program. She often returns to the show after taking breaks to pursue other professional projects.

Burke's personal background is a blend of different cultural heritages. She was born on May 3, 1984, in San Francisco, California. Her father, Stephen Louis Burke, was Ashkenazi Jewish. Her mother, Sherri Burke, is Filipina. Following her parents' divorce when she was an infant, her father eventually moved to Thailand. Her mother later established a healthcare company. During middle school, Burke legally changed her name to Cheryl to move past experiences with bullying. She later attended Menlo-Atherton High School.

Beyond the ballroom, Burke has expanded her influence into other television formats. In 2015, she competed on the NBC series I Can Do That, where she finished in second place. She also transitioned into a coaching role on the show Dance Moms. In this capacity, she replaced Abby Lee Miller as the primary dance coach in 2017. These roles demonstrate her ability to apply her technical dance knowledge to different instructional and competitive environments.

Burke's impact on the dance community is reflected in her longevity and versatility. She has transitioned from a competitor to a mentor and even a guest judge. On October 28, 2025, she returned to Dancing with the Stars as a guest judge for Halloween Night. Her career illustrates the connection between physical discipline and entertainment. By mastering various dance forms, she has shaped the landscape of professional ballroom television for over two decades.