The two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner says leaving dance has changed her relationship to beauty and makeup.

Why Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke left dance for beauty

The two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner says leaving dance has changed her relationship to beauty and makeup.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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May 4, 2026 2:20 p.m. ET

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Cheryl Burke on 'Dancing With the Stars''. Credit:

ABC/Craig Sjodin

- Cheryl Burke is admitting that dance is "not as much" a part of her life as it once was.

- The* Dancing With the Stars* alum left the show in 2022 to pursue her interest int he beauty industry.

- Burke says her relationship to makeup has changed now that she is no longer "hiding behind my mask."

Cheryl Burke has no regrets about foxtrotting into the world of beauty.

The *Dancing With the Stars* alum, who exited the show in 2022 after nearly 17 years as one of its pro dancers, recently revealed that these days, dance is "not as much" a part of her life as it once was.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Burke shared that she has found a new passion to pursue. "I am now actually into the beauty space," she said. "I'm still figuring life out, and the transition has been different for me, but it's also been really fun doing new things."

The two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner is currently celebrating her status as part of the 2026 Sephora Squad, which has seen her welcomed aboard as an ambassador for the beauty brand.

"I have always had a passion for beauty," Burke said. "All the glam that we use — we are honestly so privileged to have amazing makeup artists."

Cheryl Burke in 2026.

Michael Tullberg/Getty

She added that while makeup was a huge part of her life in the realm of dance, her relationship to beauty has changed significantly since stepping away from the dance floor.

Burke explained that in dance, wearing makeup was "more about hiding behind my mask," while she now has the chance to discover "who I am underneath it all and really trying to enhance my beauty instead of hide it."

She continued, "I'm so used to illusions — how do I make my lips bigger, how do I make my cheekbones stand out more, especially when you’re doing stage makeup. Now it's about embracing what I was given, with a couple of eyelashes still."

Burke joined *DWTS* in its second season, and that same year won her first Mirrorball trophy with 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey. She became the first pro to win two consecutive seasons the following year, when she took season 3 with retired NFL star Emmitt Smith. She went on to compete in seasons 4 through 19, and then again in seasons 23, 25, and 27 through 31. Over the years she also joined her fellow *DWTS* pros on the road for several seasonal tours.

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In 2022, Burke announced that she was hanging up her dancing shoes and officially walking away from *DWTS*.

"This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one," she wrote. "This has truly been the experience of a lifetime. I'm looking forward to this next chapter of my career, but man will this one be hard to beat! Until next time…Love you all, always & forever."

Since then, Burke has thrown herself into the realm of beauty and wellness. That has, however, come with some frustrating commentary from detractors. Earlier this year, Burke had to warn commenters to "back off" about how she decides to do her makeup.

Cheryl Burke and Chad Ochocinco on 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2022.

ABC/ADAM LARKEY

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"For those that keep saying, 'Why do I have my eyebrows all the way down to my cheeks?' This is just my bone structure," she said in a Feb. 19 video.

She similarly slammed haters in a TikTok video a year prior, telling viewers to quit commenting on her body.

"I'm not on Ozempic. I'm not sick. I didn't get 'a new face,'" she said. "Stop dissecting women's bodies like they belong to you. This is YOUR reminder: I don't owe you an explanation for my healing or for anything quite frankly. Let this be the last time I have to say it."

She added, "The assumptions are just exhausting as hell. The accusations are completely cruel and the fact that so many of them are actually coming from women, that's what is so shocking and hurtful, to be quite honest. I have been in the public eye since I was 21 years old. My body has changed over the past 20 years. My face has changed, because I've changed."

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