What do you think?
Rate this book
Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life
The inside story of the life of Cheryl Burke, professional dancer, choreographer, and two-time champion on the top-rated TV hit series Dancing with the Stars Cheryl Burke has been dancing since the age of four and competing since she was thirteen years old. Over several exciting seasons, she has captivated audiences of Dancing with the Stars with her incredible dance performances, Emmy-nominated choreography, high energy, and bright smile. In Dancing Lessons, she takes you from her childhood years into the world of competitive ballroom dancing and on to Dancing with the Stars. In each chapter, you will discover a depth of passion in Cheryl's life that perfectly matches the commitment she displays on the dance floor. Cheryl's accounts of being a powerful woman putting her talent to work will inspire everyone to pursue their own dreams.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2011
18 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl Burke
1 book2 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Cheryl Stephanie Burke has been dancing since the age of four and competing since she was thirteen years old. Over several exciting seasons, she has captivated audiences of Dancing with the Stars with her incredible dance performances, Emmy-nominated choreography, high energy, and bright smile. In Dancing Lessons, she takes you from her childhood years into the world of competitive ballroom dancing and on to Dancing with the Stars.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Cheryl Stephanie Burke has been dancing since the age of four and competing since she was thirteen years old. Over several exciting seasons, she has captivated audiences of Dancing with the Stars with her incredible dance performances, Emmy-nominated choreography, high energy, and bright smile. In Dancing Lessons, she takes you from her childhood years into the world of competitive ballroom dancing and on to Dancing with the Stars.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 20, 2011
Even though I am a professed Dancing With The Stars addict, I picked this book up at the library as a joke. Then I found myself without a book to read as I was going to bed, so I started flipping through it and really enjoyed it. You think you know someone just becuase you see them week after week on TV, but you don't. It was so interesting to "hear" what goes on inside Cheryl's head, her fears and frustrations, her preception of her strengths and weaknesses, her stories about her celebrity partners, and then it was nice to hear about her upbringing and what brought her to dance. A nice read. I wish it had more pictures though.
June 24, 2020
Cheryl's a great dancer. Is she a great writer/storyteller? No, not so much.
I think the main problem is, she was way too young (she was in her late 20s when this book was released) to write her life story. She didn't have a whole lot to say in this book, and lacked a lot of life experience at that point to create a whole book. I could have created a drinking game of how many times she wrote the word "branding" and repeated sentences such as "we stayed for hours, and had a blast." Her mother, on the other hand, sounds like a fascinating woman. I would have rather read her mother's life story than Cheryl's.
I do, however, applaud Cheryl for speaking about the childhood sexual abuse she endured. That cannot have been an easy topic for her to revisit. I also like the way she had something nice about each of the partners that she'd had up to that point on Dancing with the Stars.
At the time of this book, Cheryl was still single and struggling with relationships. Now, she is a married woman and no longer appears regularly on Dancing with the Stars since her contract expired a few years back. I wish she'd waited a few years to write this book- it would have probably had more content at this point.
I think the main problem is, she was way too young (she was in her late 20s when this book was released) to write her life story. She didn't have a whole lot to say in this book, and lacked a lot of life experience at that point to create a whole book. I could have created a drinking game of how many times she wrote the word "branding" and repeated sentences such as "we stayed for hours, and had a blast." Her mother, on the other hand, sounds like a fascinating woman. I would have rather read her mother's life story than Cheryl's.
I do, however, applaud Cheryl for speaking about the childhood sexual abuse she endured. That cannot have been an easy topic for her to revisit. I also like the way she had something nice about each of the partners that she'd had up to that point on Dancing with the Stars.
At the time of this book, Cheryl was still single and struggling with relationships. Now, she is a married woman and no longer appears regularly on Dancing with the Stars since her contract expired a few years back. I wish she'd waited a few years to write this book- it would have probably had more content at this point.
May 18, 2019
Dancing Lessons / Cheryl Burke
3.25 stars
Cheryl is a professional ballroom dancer who has appeared on Dancing With the Stars since season 2. There were plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, more about her partners, rather than the other pros on the show. Of course, there were stories about her life, as well: growing up painfully shy, her hard-working Filipino mother, how she got into dancing to begin with, relationships (some abusive), her career including and since her DWTS fame.
I don’t usually read celebrity biographies, but this one fit a challenge and I’d been considering reading it. It’s fairly short and entertaining for someone who is a fan of the show. I stopped watching DWTS a few years ago, but I still enjoyed the stories, and I certainly remembered most of the celebrities she was talking about (I even looked a couple of the dances up on youtube after I finished the book so I could watch again!). It was interesting to read about her life, the bits and pieces that she included. She is a very positive person, so there was no “dirt” dished out about the show or the people on it.
3.25 stars
Cheryl is a professional ballroom dancer who has appeared on Dancing With the Stars since season 2. There were plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, more about her partners, rather than the other pros on the show. Of course, there were stories about her life, as well: growing up painfully shy, her hard-working Filipino mother, how she got into dancing to begin with, relationships (some abusive), her career including and since her DWTS fame.
I don’t usually read celebrity biographies, but this one fit a challenge and I’d been considering reading it. It’s fairly short and entertaining for someone who is a fan of the show. I stopped watching DWTS a few years ago, but I still enjoyed the stories, and I certainly remembered most of the celebrities she was talking about (I even looked a couple of the dances up on youtube after I finished the book so I could watch again!). It was interesting to read about her life, the bits and pieces that she included. She is a very positive person, so there was no “dirt” dished out about the show or the people on it.
August 1, 2017
Like others have said, the book was very repetitive and could have benefited from better structure. However, I still enjoyed learning more about Cheryl. She has been a pro that I was am less familiar with, and it was nice to hear more about her life. Her book is also a very quick read; I finished it in less than a day.
January 2, 2024
This was an interesting book. I picked it because I knew Cheryl from watching her on DWTS and I’m a big DWTS fan. Plus I had it for a while and wanted to go on and read it. She basically tells stories about her life and life lessons based on a few different dances she’s done in the past. She’s had some really good partners on the show. There were some things I read that I didn’t know about her.
May 7, 2021
I heard a book review for this on Cheryl Burke's youtube channel so I had to read it. It is a great story and tells a lot about Cheryl's upbringing and passion for dance. My main issue with it is some aspects are a bit dated now and I am surprised these aspects weren't considered by the author.
May 4, 2022
I definitely enjoyed this book. And, while I was reading it, I learned allot about Cheryl Burke & Dancing With The Stars, which is my very favorite show.
December 6, 2011
Yes, I really did read it, and yes, I really am admitting it here. On an unexpectedly lovely fall day, I decided to shake off the office with a lunchtime walk and wound up at a nearby branch of the public library, where I saw this displayed on a "new books" shelf. I found the idea of someone as young as Cheryl Burke writing her "life story" to be more than a little ridiculous, but on the other hand, I am a total sucker for that damn show, so I said "what the hell" and grabbed the book.
I do absolutely love Dancing with the Stars -- much as I dread to say so among some of the misguided egghead intellectuals of my acquaintance -- and Cheryl Burke is my favorite among the female dancers. She has phenomenal skill as a dancer, of course, but I also admire the seriousness about her art that comes through on the show. She has a special gift for teaching, as evidenced by the dancing transformations most of her celebrity partners on the show have made. And I especially appreciate the fact that she is not one of the dime-a-dozen tall, blonde, Barbie-doll women that Hollywood churns out, but rather a beautiful real woman.
I'm always rooting for her on the show, and I thought, if nothing else, the book would be a chance to learn a little bit more about her. Well, I wasn't wrong. I did learn a little bit more about her life -- emphasis on little. As a fan of the show and of hers it feels disloyal and unfair to criticize (and it's not really her fault, to a certain degree, since she really is so young to be writing this) but to be frank, with one notable exception, the book is really just a bunch of fluff with a few pictures in the middle. There's not enough story here to fill a respectably-sized magazine article, and even then it wouldn't have enough substance to land any higher than the "Parade" supplement in your local Sunday paper. Unless it was only meant as a promotional piece for her non-DWTS endeavors, Cheryl would have done better waiting a decade or two to try her hand at autobiography. I was particularly sorry that she didn't devote more time to her mother's story. Throughout the book, Cheryl often refers to her mother, who provides her with excellent career advice drawn from her own experience as an entrepreneur and independent businesswoman. Cheryl clearly values her mother's guidance, but it just seems there's a story with much more depth and interest waiting to be told about her mother's life.
The one thing Cheryl deserves a great deal of credit for in this book is her discussion of the sexual molestation she suffered as a small child at the hands of a family friend, who was eventually prosecuted and convicted. Cheryl, her sister, and a friend, both older but still both children, had to testify in court. It is so important for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse to speak out and break the silence around abuse, especially as the perpetrators are always among the most trusted individuals around a family -- and so many times, they are family. Sadly, parents are often resistant to that truth, and find myriad ways to discount what they hear if children tell them about inappropriate behavior by trusted friends and family. It is only by getting that message out that adults can learn to really listen if children are telling them something they don't want to hear about a family member. I also appreciated that Cheryl wrote about her confusion and guilt she went through as a child too young too understand what was going on -- she quickly understood that something bad had happened, but could only feel that she had done something wrong somehow. Children need to be taught clearly about "good touching" and "bad touching", and that they should never feel bad or guilty if an adult's attention makes them uncomfortable; rather, it's the adult who is doing something wrong by breaking the "touching" rules. By sharing what is undoubtedly a painful part of her personal history, Cheryl takes an important step for prevention of sexual abuse.
I do absolutely love Dancing with the Stars -- much as I dread to say so among some of the misguided egghead intellectuals of my acquaintance -- and Cheryl Burke is my favorite among the female dancers. She has phenomenal skill as a dancer, of course, but I also admire the seriousness about her art that comes through on the show. She has a special gift for teaching, as evidenced by the dancing transformations most of her celebrity partners on the show have made. And I especially appreciate the fact that she is not one of the dime-a-dozen tall, blonde, Barbie-doll women that Hollywood churns out, but rather a beautiful real woman.
I'm always rooting for her on the show, and I thought, if nothing else, the book would be a chance to learn a little bit more about her. Well, I wasn't wrong. I did learn a little bit more about her life -- emphasis on little. As a fan of the show and of hers it feels disloyal and unfair to criticize (and it's not really her fault, to a certain degree, since she really is so young to be writing this) but to be frank, with one notable exception, the book is really just a bunch of fluff with a few pictures in the middle. There's not enough story here to fill a respectably-sized magazine article, and even then it wouldn't have enough substance to land any higher than the "Parade" supplement in your local Sunday paper. Unless it was only meant as a promotional piece for her non-DWTS endeavors, Cheryl would have done better waiting a decade or two to try her hand at autobiography. I was particularly sorry that she didn't devote more time to her mother's story. Throughout the book, Cheryl often refers to her mother, who provides her with excellent career advice drawn from her own experience as an entrepreneur and independent businesswoman. Cheryl clearly values her mother's guidance, but it just seems there's a story with much more depth and interest waiting to be told about her mother's life.
The one thing Cheryl deserves a great deal of credit for in this book is her discussion of the sexual molestation she suffered as a small child at the hands of a family friend, who was eventually prosecuted and convicted. Cheryl, her sister, and a friend, both older but still both children, had to testify in court. It is so important for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse to speak out and break the silence around abuse, especially as the perpetrators are always among the most trusted individuals around a family -- and so many times, they are family. Sadly, parents are often resistant to that truth, and find myriad ways to discount what they hear if children tell them about inappropriate behavior by trusted friends and family. It is only by getting that message out that adults can learn to really listen if children are telling them something they don't want to hear about a family member. I also appreciated that Cheryl wrote about her confusion and guilt she went through as a child too young too understand what was going on -- she quickly understood that something bad had happened, but could only feel that she had done something wrong somehow. Children need to be taught clearly about "good touching" and "bad touching", and that they should never feel bad or guilty if an adult's attention makes them uncomfortable; rather, it's the adult who is doing something wrong by breaking the "touching" rules. By sharing what is undoubtedly a painful part of her personal history, Cheryl takes an important step for prevention of sexual abuse.
November 24, 2011
So. I love CB and DWTS. Her book, however, left me feeling a little less enthusiastic about her though. She is very repetitive. That's VERY repetitive. The writing is not great. Other comments alluded to that, so I wasn't surprised by it really.
And I'm happy for her that she is diversifying herself for longevity, but if I never here the word "branding" again it won't be too soon. I get it. You want to have a career that spans longer than DWTS. Most people just call that planning for your future. Hollywood types call it branding. CB seems to fit right in now that she has that lingo down. I think I'll look into my own branding opportunities soon as well...
I think the part I find most interesting is this almost inauthentic connection to the fans. She has a couple stories in the book about meeting some fans that are ill. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt that their illnesses touched her and she definitely went out of her way to make those meetings happen. That seemed very clear and also very genuine. What kinda threw me is that she said she wanted to do more--spend more time, make more of an impact. Yet there is no indication that she actually kept in touch with either of these people, giving both them and her that extra time and attention. She mentions how Gilles kept in touch with one of them, and, by extension, she heard about his health, but it didn't seem like she had first hand contact with him. Maybe her busy schedule prevented her from doing this, but without that actually candidly expressed, she comes off looking a little superficial.
The best part of the book--yeah, of course it's the behind the scenes and talk of her partners. No real gossip or anything, just stories that give insight into how the show, and the relationships, work.
Although I've focused on a lot of the challenges in the book, it does seem that CB has gone through a lot of challenges and it's nice to hear about her working through them to be a successful and healthy woman. I wish her early life wasn't glossed over so much (especially her early competition days), but I guess she had to start branding herself. (See what I did there? Repetition with the branding! Go me!)
And I'm happy for her that she is diversifying herself for longevity, but if I never here the word "branding" again it won't be too soon. I get it. You want to have a career that spans longer than DWTS. Most people just call that planning for your future. Hollywood types call it branding. CB seems to fit right in now that she has that lingo down. I think I'll look into my own branding opportunities soon as well...
I think the part I find most interesting is this almost inauthentic connection to the fans. She has a couple stories in the book about meeting some fans that are ill. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt that their illnesses touched her and she definitely went out of her way to make those meetings happen. That seemed very clear and also very genuine. What kinda threw me is that she said she wanted to do more--spend more time, make more of an impact. Yet there is no indication that she actually kept in touch with either of these people, giving both them and her that extra time and attention. She mentions how Gilles kept in touch with one of them, and, by extension, she heard about his health, but it didn't seem like she had first hand contact with him. Maybe her busy schedule prevented her from doing this, but without that actually candidly expressed, she comes off looking a little superficial.
The best part of the book--yeah, of course it's the behind the scenes and talk of her partners. No real gossip or anything, just stories that give insight into how the show, and the relationships, work.
Although I've focused on a lot of the challenges in the book, it does seem that CB has gone through a lot of challenges and it's nice to hear about her working through them to be a successful and healthy woman. I wish her early life wasn't glossed over so much (especially her early competition days), but I guess she had to start branding herself. (See what I did there? Repetition with the branding! Go me!)
June 21, 2013
Dare I say that this book was a bit boring? I hate to be so critical, because Cheryl is a dancer, not a writer - but I have to be honest and say that it took me 2.5 months to finish it (and it's a short book!). I read half of it a couple of months ago and then set it down to read something else... and never picked it up again until a couple of nights ago, just to get it over with.
When I saw that that Cheryl had written a book, I thought it possibly had great potential; she's a fan-favorite of Dancing with the Stars, she's good at what she does, she works hard, and she's undoubtedly had to overcome some trials and tribulations (haven't we all?) in order to rise to the very top. But it fell flat - it just didn't hold my interest, make me feel inspired, or create an emotional connection for me at all. I guess it included somewhat interesting, surface-level information about Cheryl's life, as well as a little bit of behind-the-scenes info about Dancing with the Stars, but there was nothing earth-shattering about any of it.
I'm giving it a generous 3 stars.
When I saw that that Cheryl had written a book, I thought it possibly had great potential; she's a fan-favorite of Dancing with the Stars, she's good at what she does, she works hard, and she's undoubtedly had to overcome some trials and tribulations (haven't we all?) in order to rise to the very top. But it fell flat - it just didn't hold my interest, make me feel inspired, or create an emotional connection for me at all. I guess it included somewhat interesting, surface-level information about Cheryl's life, as well as a little bit of behind-the-scenes info about Dancing with the Stars, but there was nothing earth-shattering about any of it.
I'm giving it a generous 3 stars.
August 16, 2012
We are HUGE Dancing with the Stars fans, so I picked this up because I thought it would be a fun read and give some background info about the show. It did... so much spray tanning! Makes me wonder what the rest of us could look like after a full day of tanning, hair, and make up every week. I could have probably read it in one sitting, but she wrote about so many of the dances that she did with this star or that, that I found myself you tubing each of those dances over again so that I could remember the details again. In that way, it is a fun book. Oh, and my ALL time favorite star on the show was Gilles. Her descriptions of him made me fall for him all over again. Loved, loved, loved watching them dance together. Downside, it's written by Cheryl so the writing is a 2 and she's really too young to have learned enough about life to write a memoir so that's a two. Entertaining nonetheless.
August 17, 2011
Mark and I love our "DWTS", so when Cheryl Burke's memoir turned up on a couple "best of" lists, I decided to read it. The good news is: she didn't have a ghost writer. The bad news is: she didn't have a ghost writer. The book is short, pretty fast-paced and has a positive vibe. Unfortunately, it isn't very well-written, and the phrase "it felt/was/looked awesome" is found on nearly every page. The stories about the show were interesting, although there was NO gossip or even a hint of snarkiness directed at anyone on the show. Sigh. Also, the chapters about her starting her own dance studios and clothing line were pretty snooze-worthy. However, it was a sweet little book, and I'm not going to hate on her for it.
August 24, 2012
I am a big fan of Dancing with the stars and I was looking for a kindle book to read on my long trip to Prague and I was able to find this book on the library website. I found myself very comfortable with her writing style and her behind the scenes view of the show was very enlightening. I wasn't a big fan of the dancing tips at the end of each chapter. They seemed like throw aways. I did feel that there was a sincerity in her writing that I found very refreshing. I thought that linking each partner to a dance style was smart. I fully endorse this book and its author.
May 8, 2013
This is a book written by Cheryl Burke from Dancing With The Stars. I was interested in reading about her background and how she got into dancing and then was invited to dance on the TV show. She did talk a bit about some of the celebrity stars she has danced with on the program. She seems to have something nice to say about each and every one of them. I didn't think this book was unusually revealing but it is a good book for a young person who is interested in dancing and might want encourage to follow their dreams.
April 23, 2014
I read this book in two days. As I got further and further into the book, the more I decided that I absolutely love Cheryl Burke. This book chronicles her journey to the top. It was nice to see Cheryl as a normal person. She has overcome a lot of obstacles in her life and is still a positive role model. It was also interesting how Cheryl organized the book around dance styles. Each chapter starts with an introduction to the dance style and then she tells whatever part of her life story that fits in with the dance style. It is a very creative way of organizing the book.
February 18, 2011
OK, I just couldn't resist this book since I am a big fan of Dancing. It was a light weight book that you can race through. Nothing learned except that during the dress rehearsal Tom Bergeron is even funnier and more outrageous than in the live broadcast. Cheryl has or had a lot of angst, but overcame most of her issues with help from her dancing partners and her mother, who knows how to market a product.
February 24, 2011
Oh Cheryl, I still love you, but you should probably stick to dancing. I think they were trying to be cute and creative but it came off as a bad high school essay, complete with the urge to red pen all over it! There's just not enough there yet to be a memoir, maybe in a few years. Although the last chapter where she talked about her partners was pretty interesting. Gilles is just as awesome as I thought and Chad Ochocinco...hmm...
July 27, 2012
I saw this at the library and it is my official "fluff read" of the summer. As a former ballroom student and huge DWTS fan the book was too tempting to leave on the shelf.
I think it would be a great book for a 15 yr old girl who is a dancer. But Cheryl is a little too young to have a life story and the perspective to truly write with any depth. But it was a fun, quick read.... Sort of like reading People magazine if it were written by her instead of about her.
I think it would be a great book for a 15 yr old girl who is a dancer. But Cheryl is a little too young to have a life story and the perspective to truly write with any depth. But it was a fun, quick read.... Sort of like reading People magazine if it were written by her instead of about her.
September 1, 2014
Read this (via Audio,in the car,on the way to lessons at the dance studio where Emit did his training with Cheryl) because I'm practicing for the Paris Texas Dancing with the Stars. I couldn't put it down and was surprised at how much I like it. Inspirational, honest, informative, I not only got dance tips, I got to hear about a young woman's journey. If you are looking for a little inspiration, this is a good one.
November 12, 2015
An okay story, but way to much filler. Desperately needed an editor.
Very repetitive, large font, and extra wide leading used to take up enough space to make it a book. It really felt like the publisher just wanted to capitalize on Ms Burke's moment of fame instead producing a meaningful story. With a good editor, this 272-page book could probably have been 100 pages and still communicated everything needed.
Very repetitive, large font, and extra wide leading used to take up enough space to make it a book. It really felt like the publisher just wanted to capitalize on Ms Burke's moment of fame instead producing a meaningful story. With a good editor, this 272-page book could probably have been 100 pages and still communicated everything needed.
November 3, 2011
quick read and easy to finish in a day; found it interesting that cheryl has accomplished so much professionally (owns her own dance studios, franchising, and dancewear line, etc) when she is so young.
her memoir is basic and meant inspirationally, drawing parallels from life to her dancing, not about overcoming abuse or anything else specifically though she does touch on it briefly.
her memoir is basic and meant inspirationally, drawing parallels from life to her dancing, not about overcoming abuse or anything else specifically though she does touch on it briefly.
April 28, 2012
Got to meet her at the LA Times Festival of Books at USC last weekend. Kind of interesting memoir of her experiences in dance, but nothing is explored in much detail and at times it reads more like a press release.
The book gave me an appreciation for what it takes to be a successful dancer. When I get my invite to be on "Dancing With the Stars", I hope Cheryl is my partner.
The book gave me an appreciation for what it takes to be a successful dancer. When I get my invite to be on "Dancing With the Stars", I hope Cheryl is my partner.
January 17, 2016
Cheryl Burke gives a very open and honest look at her dancing career, parts of her childhood and adult life. It is not a complete Autobiography but it does give enough to understand why she is the person she is today. Her love of dancing shines through. I love that with each chapter she names it after a dance style. Very good book.
March 4, 2011
I must admit I only wanted to read this book because I had heard so much about her being molested as a child. It was a VERY tiny part of the book. I expected to read more about her life. This book is strictly for dancing fans only.
April 14, 2011
I have no idea why I read this book since I have never watched "Dancing with the Stars"- but I was looking for some mindless beach reading. I found Cheryl's book to be interesting and somewhat inspirational.
October 12, 2011
I really like her on Dancing with the Stars, and so I was interested in reading about her. I enjoyed reading about her life, her family, and her love of dancing. It just wasn't written very well. Sorry Cheryl.
November 27, 2011
I enjoyed how she went into depth about the description of the dances and also about her own personal experience on and off the dance floor. I kinda want to buy it now! (since I checked it out from the library)
September 27, 2013
After reading this I found it so difficult to think about 'rating' someone's memoir. I liked reading about her journey, struggles and all. The behind the scenes of the show were interesting too. She's is brave and strong and smart.
Read
January 2, 2014Engaging mix of advice, autobiography, dance tips, and sneak peeks at the making of Dancing with the Stars! Cheryl inspires us with her positive attitude and warm heart, as she reveals herself as a survivor of child molestation and some hard knocks we all deal with.
September 14, 2015
Nice memoir. I liked how Cheryl categorized different parts of her life under different dance styles. As a fan of DWTS, I also enjoyed the behind the scenes tidbits, and the different relationships she had with her celebrity dancers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews