Former DWTS Cast Member Seems to Shade Ballroom Pros

Heavy Cheryl Burke was critical of newer DWTS pros.

A former professional dancer from “Dancing with the Stars” recently spoke about differences she senses in today’s pros versus those from earlier seasons of DWTS. Cheryl Burke shared her thoughts in a recent podcast episode.

Burke opened up about how she approached training new “Dancing with the Stars” partners. She admitted she doesn’t sense the same type of thorough approach taking place these days.

“A lot of people don’t take that training seriously,” Burke said.

Cheryl Burke Focused on Teaching Her Partners Ballroom Fundamentals

Burke shared her take during the October 11 episode of her “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast.

“I can tell by the newer pros, you know, your celebrity is a direct, basically, outcome of what you have taught this person,” Burke noted.

She continued, “So as far as I’m concerned, when I see anything that’s not technically right, let’s say, you know, frame, no heel leads, a little fragmented when it comes to not working on transitions, I can tell they’re not being taught right.”

Burke insisted that proper ballroom dancing can’t be faked. Then, she shared a brief anecdote from when she was still with the show. In earlier seasons, Burke explained, she worked with show executives to audition potential new pros.

“I was like, why are we just seeing them dance to their maximum ability? We need to see them get the secretary from the front desk and teach her how to dance in less than an hour,” she said she’d suggested.

She explained that as a “Dancing with the Stars” pro, she initially spent rehearsal time teaching her partner ballroom dancing basics. Burke recalled partnering with former NFL star Emmett Smith and noted they had six weeks of rehearsals before the premiere.

Burke explained that during that time, she’d “build the foundation” of all the different dance styles. That way, when the time came to learn a new style of dance in just a few days, the celebrity already understood the basics.

To Burke, taking the time initially in a new partnership to teach basics was a core part of her strategy. She noted, “But a lot of people don’t take that training seriously.”

DWTS Fans Didn’t Necessarily Agree With Burke’s Stance

Some “Dancing with the Stars” fans suggested on Reddit that the show has changed, and

“I don’t like that Cheryl has it out for the younger dancers,” a “Dancing with the Stars” fan suggested in the show’s subreddit after listening to the podcast.

“I don’t know that she has it out for them as much as she can’t appreciate the show has changed,” another Reddit user replied.

That Redditor added, “She critiques highly on technique and rules of ballroom and that just isn’t the show anymore.”

In another thread on the “Dancing with the Stars” subreddit, a Redditor noted, “She is very old school and doesn’t like the modernization of the show.”

“Cheryl isn’t being constructive and is very negative as a whole. She has burned bridges and seems to not understand her role in her relationship with the show,” read someone else’s comment.