DWTS Cheryl Burke Interviewed About New Partner, Goals For The Season, The New Promo, and More

Cheryl Burke tells Parade.com it’s “nice and refreshing” having DL Hughley as her new partner for Dancing With The Stars Season 16. Cheryl also talks about his dance ability, their rehearsals, and who is his biggest competition. She also discusses the cast’s goal for the new season in bringing back the fun….

On working and rehearsing with Hughley.
“We’ve only done two rehearsals so far, and it’s just been really fun. It’s my first time having a comedian on the show, so it’s nice and refreshing to not take things too seriously. But he definitely does want to go far in the competition and he says he wants to win, so he’s working hard. There’s a great balance.”

On Hughley’s dancing ability.
“He’s doing good. He’s very rhythmic, which is a very good sign. It’s always too early to tell when you’ve just rehearsed a couple of days, but he’s just trying to get used to the dance shoes, and loosening his hips up, and coordinating everything together. It’s just those first baby steps. I will know more later if he has potential or not. Right now, we’re just focusing on learning how to walk. We’ll see what happens.”

On who their biggest competition is.
“D.L. thinks his biggest competition is Andy Dick. You have the two comedians there and they’re probably going to be head-to-head.”

On how this season will compare to past years.
“I think it’s fresher. We’re trying to bring the fun back into the show. I think past seasons have been a little too competitive, so I think people just want to bring back that fun and friendly family show that they’ve seen in the past. All Stars was a little too much. At the end of the day, this is an entertainment show, and there’s no need to be that competitive. We’re not on Survivor or anything!”

More at Parade.com including Cheryl’s thoughts about the pros who weren’t asked to come back to dance, the new Pitbull promo, and more.