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by Caroline Roberts Published: March 16, 2006
Burke, Drew Lachey's professional dance partner on Dancing With the Stars, could easily be describing herself. On television, she has revealed a combination of creativity and discipline that earned her and Lachey the top prize for the hit reality show. Even though she is only 21, Burke has devoted her life to perfecting her moves. Early on, she fell in love with Latin dancing, and she has accumulated honors such as the 2005 World Cup Latin Professional Rising Star Champion. Reaching the professional level took years of work. Burke says the hardest dance for her to learn was the paso doble, and it took her three years to feel comfortable with the dance. She also continues to push herself, and she says, "Nothing's perfected yet. You always grow as a dancer." That kind of dedication was visible immediately on Dancing With the Stars. Burke was a tough taskmaster from the beginning. At one point on the show, an exhausted Lachey exclaimed that he was in the "depths of dancer purgatory." But, despite the tough times, Burke and Lachey became good friends. Burke says they call each other twice a week, but they aren't getting together to dance. She laughs, "Drew's dancing career is over!" Burke and Lachey quickly stood out on the show, not just because Lachey's dance moves were improving but also because of Burke's innovative choreography. While doing the paso doble to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Burke threw in some spooky moves worthy of Michael Jackson's video. During the finals, she turned the dance floor into a down-home country bar with the freestyle dance she and Lachey developed for Big & Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." The success of their routines stems from Burke's focus on the music. When developing the choreography of a dance, Burke started her work by listening to the music, and then she worked on moves that fit. She says, "Musicality is the first priority." At first, that may seem difficult given the songs the producers assigned to each couple for the week. Some couples had to shape routines to rock songs such as Europe's "The Final Countdown" or Blondie's "One Way or Another." Yet Burke was up to the challenge because, to her, the music made ballroom dancing seem more accessible to the audience: "People should relate to the music; that's why the show did so well." When the couple had the opportunity to choose a song for their freestyle dance, Lachey suggested Big & Rich. Burke isn't a huge fan of country music, but "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" inspired her, and she says, "We both knew [the dance] was going to be completely original." The chemistry between Burke and Lachey also added to their success. Technical skill is obviously important, but Burke stresses that "you need that charisma on the dance floor." Since the couple looked like they were having so much fun, audiences found them even more appealing and started phoning in their votes. Now that the show is over, Burke is bringing her fresh perspectives on dance to Los Angeles. She is open to new opportunities regarding choreography and videos, but she is still teaching, dancing, and performing at shows and events. She has also developed a website, www.strictlycheryl.com, where fans can find out what she will be doing next. Although she is not competing right now, Burke emphasizes that she is "not permanently retired from competition" and is open to a return, and she says it is possible that she will work with Louis van Amstel, Lisa Rinna's partner, in the future. As for Dancing With the Stars, Burke hasn't signed up yet for a third season, but she is definitely interested in participating, so celebrities with dancing dreams should gear up for some tough, but rewarding, work. |
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