ABC/Eric McCandless
Each season of Dancing With the Stars features new and old faces in the ballroom, and each year some professional dancers decide to put away their ballroom shoes for good.
This year, it looks as though pro dancer Cheryl Burke might be getting ready to leave the ballroom for good following the season. On Monday’s episode of the podcast Chicks in the Office, she hinted at possibly retiring from the show in the near future.
“My hips don’t lie, and I’m starting to get tendonitis,” she shared. “For a woman, as far as ballroom dancing competitively goes, normally in their 30s [they retire].”
She added that she’s been on the show since 2006 on and off, competing in a total of 22 seasons since then. The 36-year-old said her age means that it might be time to put her dancing shoes away sooner rather than later.
Burke Said She Doesn’t Know How Long She Has Left on the Show
In the same podcast appearance, Burke talked about another reason she might consider retiring in the near future, saying she doesn’t want people to start expecting the same choreography from her year after year while she slows down.
“I also don’t want to, I guess, be a dancer and have my partner having to be like, ‘Can’t lift.’ … there’s a time and a place for it all,” she added.
It’s possible that even after she retires from competitive ballroom dancing, Burke would still be a fixture on the show for the long run. She shared that she would love to join the judging panel one day, much like Derek Hough has after he competed on the show for many years.
“It would be really great for me just to use my mouth and not my body,” she said. “I mean, four judges? It’s fine! Just give us each five seconds.”
Burke and AJ McLean Dedicated Their Performance to Those Struggling With Addiction
Last night, Burke’s team dedicated their dance to people who may be struggling with addiction.
“What a wild night,” she wrote on Instagram. “First off, thank you to each and every one of you who voted us through to next week. AJ and I see all the love and support you guys give us each night and can’t believe how lucky we are.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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