Getty Dancers Keo Motsepe, Witney Carson, Lindsay Arnold, Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Sharna Burgess pose with a fan at The Grove Hosts Dancing With The Stars Dance Lab With pros Val Chmerkovskiy, Whitney Carson and Sharna Burgess
A “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer has admitted that she’s dying to be a judge on the U.S. version of the show. Sharna Burgess isn’t sure if she’ll be back for the show’s 31st season after giving birth, but she says she “would love to be a judge” on the show.
Sharna Said Judging Just Feels ‘Right’
In an interview with US Weekly, Sharna was asked about returning to the show for season 31, which would start rehearsals eight to 10 weeks after she gives birth to her first child in July 2021. She said she’s not sure, but when asked about judging, Sharna immediately gave a hard yes.
“Yeah, let’s be a judge! Yeah, let’s do that! I would love to be a judge,” said the professional dancer. “I judged the Australian ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and it was just such an amazing experience and it felt right, you know? It felt exactly where I wanted to be, I’d love to do it here.”
Sharna definitely has judging experience, as she mentioned. The Aussie “Dancing With the Stars” has actually featured three U.S. pros on its judges’ panel — Kym Johnson Herjavec in seasons 13, 14 and 15, and Sharna and Tristan MacManus in seasons 16 and 17.
The “Dancing With the Stars” judges’ panel is a little full at the moment, with all four judges — Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough presumably returning for season 31 if the show gets renewed — but maybe in the future?
As for coming back right away like her good friend Peta Murgatroyd did in season 24, Sharna said she hopes she can but she has to wait and see.
“I would love to get back dancing really quickly for my soul, but I’ve got to listen to my body after birth and seeing how that adventure goes because, again, there could be curveballs,” said Sharna. “Listen to my doctors and my body. But I’m hoping, fingers crossed, that I do bounce back quick and get back to feeling my fit self because that’s also what makes me feel good.”
Sharna added, “Seven weeks [after giving birth], Peta Murgatroyd was doing a season of ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ I was like, ‘You’re a machine! You’re not human!’ But she did say it was really hard.”
Sharna also said that not only does she have to be physically ready to come back, but she has to be emotionally ready as well.
“I would love to come back to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ this year. I mean, I’m definitely not done dancing, but I’m also gonna be a mum for the first time, so I don’t know how my soul is gonna feel about it and I don’t know how my body is gonna feel about it. But it’s definitely a conversation that I’ll have with [the producers] and if I’m not there dancing every week, maybe I could choreograph a couple of group numbers,” said the dancer.
Sharna is Doing a Lot of Working Out to Prepare for the Baby
In the interview, Sharna detailed how she is doing “all the things” to stay fit and healthy so that she hopefully will bounce back from giving birth quickly.
“[I’m doing] he pilates, the core, the kegels, all the stuff to keep my body really engaged and strong, to help not just bouncing back but birth and delivery and all those things are really healthy, but how I’m going to bounce back, I have no idea. I’m sure women plan for everything with pregnancy and then the unknonwn happens, so I just have to be open to change, whatever that is,” said Sharna.
She went into more detail in an Instagram story on April 7 where someone asked her what her go-to pregnancy workouts are. She said pilates is crucial but it is just as important to find an instructor who is experienced in working with pregnant women.
“I absolutely recommend reformer pilates and mat pilates. But find an instructor that is well-educated in working with women during all stages of pregnancy. This is SUPER important,” wrote Sharna.
She added, “At the very least, get yourself into yoga as well as your walking. You want the stretching and opening that will help your body with delivery and recovery.”
Sharna Said Other ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Are Being So Supportive of Her
When asked if the other “Dancing With the Stars” pros who have children are giving her advice, Sharna said it’s not so much advice as it is unconditional support, which is so great.
“It’s not necessarily even advice, it’s just checking in. Genuine checking in and loving on the stuff that I’ve been sharing or then sharing other stuff with me, maybe my post sparked a memory for them,” Sharna explained. “And if I have any questions, obviously they’re ready with the advice.
“But they’re really just so excited for me. So many of them have watched me for so long now want this and be really searching for that fairytale in a sense and meeting Bri was wonderful and that love and our love and our story has just been so cool and now to have this happen too, they’re all just over the moon for me, they’re really excited.”
Sharna and boyfriend Brian Austin Green were partners on season 30 of the show after having been dating for just over a year. Their baby boy is due July 4, 2022.
“Dancing With the Stars” has not yet been renewed for season 31. If it is renewed, it will return in September 2022.
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