Cheryl Burke has competed in more seasons of Dancing with the Stars than any other professional dancer.
This means that she has danced with just about every kind of celebrity imaginable.
With so many partners to choose from, Cheryl said recently what type of star she prefers to partner up with on the show.
Cheryl prefers athletes on Dancing with the Stars
In an interview with Parade, Cheryl Burke said that being partnered up with a star is like an arranged marriage.
The pro gets no say in who they partner with, but the producers try to match them up with someone they should get along with.
“Basically, you get thrown into this, and this is going to be your partner,” Cheryl said. “When two people are dancing together, you have to trust one another because without trust, how can you perform and have chemistry?”
However, in an interview with E! News Daily Pop, Cheryl said there is one specific type of star that she prefers.
“I prefer almost the athletes, because when you have dance experience and it’s not ballroom dance, it’s like you have to un-train your brain, and it’s a lot harder to develop new habits when you’ve been doing something for so long,” Cheryl said.
Cheryl talked about how hard it was to work with someone like AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys, because he had dance experience that was very unlike ballroom dancing.
“With AJ, that was our challenge as a couple was to get rid of those hip-hop postures,” she said.
Cheryl’s track record with athletes on Dancing with the Stars
Cheryl Burke has competed on 24 seasons of Dancing with the Stars. This is the longest run of any DWTS pro.
However, she hasn’t won since Season 3, which was back-to-back wins for her.
What is interesting is that she won with both kinds of stars. Her first win in Season 2 was with singer Drew Lachey. Her second was with the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, Emmitt Smith.
Since then, she has reached the finals with actors and athletes.
She came in fourth place with former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, fourth with Emmitt again in the All-Star season, and third with Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby in Season 30.
Dancing with the Stars is on hiatus. The show should return to ABC in late 2022.