DWTS – Cheryl Burke’s Press Tour For New Book “Dancing Lessons” (Excerpt from Book)

Cheryl is making her rounds on TV (Good Morning America, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, and The Ellen Show) today. Here she is on Good Morning America this morning.

You can also read this exclusive excerpt from her new book “Dancing Lessons” where she writes all about her life, her love, and Dancing With the Stars. Much more of the excerpt at Good Morning America.

The Freestyle: Finding Myself in the SpotlightThe freestyle dance is not restricted by any conventional steps or required choreography. It is simply a dance in which the dancer can showcase whatever movement or emotion seems appropriate.

I’ve always been kind of a play-by-the-rules girl; I tend to like things structured, predictable, and sometimes even a little boring. But all of that changed on February 26, 2006, the last night of my first season on Dancing with the Stars. It was an evening when all of my rules went out the window and everything in my life suddenly changed for the better. Yet I almost missed out on what has been the greatest adventure of my life so far because I was afraid to break out of the comfortable mold in which I was living. I know it sounds unbelievable to say that I almost turned down the opportunity to star as a professional dancer on the hit reality dance show, but that’s the truth.

Six months prior to that February night, I was living in New York City with my boyfriend and ballroom dance partner when suddenly I received a phone call from one of the show’s producers, who wanted to talk to me about the show on ABC. The dancer Louis van Amstel, whom I knew from the ballroom dance world, worked on season one of the show, and he recommended that the producers get in touch with me. I didn’t have an agent at the time; some of the producers just saw me perform at a competition in Los Angeles and agreed that I might be exactly what they were looking for, so Louis passed along my number.

My immediate reaction was to turn them down because of my strong fear of cameras. But the more I thought about it, the more I figured, “Why not? Give it a chance, at least, before you turn them down.” So I went to Manhattan for the meeting, but even then I was not bowled over with enthusiasm. I kind of downplayed it to my dancer friends, who were as skeptical as I was.

Extra also interviewed her. Note what she said about being on the show this upcoming Season in bold text.

Cheryl decided to go public with her painful story in her new book, “Dancing Lessons,” which is also an account of her lifetime struggle with her body image, and the travails of enduring two abusive exes. “I had no self-esteem. I had no self-confidence.”

The dancer also recalled gaining 10 pounds and receiving negative attention from the media. “And then the next day I had to go and perform in front of millions of people in skimpy outfits.” During that time, Burke revealed she did not have the support of Max and Louie, her co-stars on “Dancing.” “That was very hurtful, but we are at peace now and everything is fine.”

Burke went on to tell Adrianna that she has “a good feeling” she will be back for season 12 of “DWTS,” but has yet to find out who her new partner will be. The new cast will be announced on February 28.

And here she is on The Ellen Show. I love some of the pictures from the book they show in this.

Entertainment Tonight also interviewed HERE.