Cheryl Burke talks physical, mental toll of being professional dancer for decades
Burke said the fact that she's dancing at her age is "pretty unheard of."
Cheryl Burke opened up about how being a professional dancer has taken a toll on her physical and mental health on Monday's "Tamron Hall."
During a conversation moderated by Hall around "the cost of being famous," the 37-year-old "Dancing With the Stars" pro, who first joined the show in 2006, discussed how it might soon be time to say goodbye after decades in the ballroom.
"You know as a dancer, especially as a woman, our career, it doesn't last very long," she said. "The fact that I'm 37 and still sambaing out there and shimmying is pretty unheard of."
Burke added that her years in the business have resulted in "arthritis" and "body dysmorphia."
"So there's all that that I have to deal with. Then I have to think about ... OK, it's not just me now, it's me and my husband [Matthew Lawrence], and what do we want for our future?" she added.
Now, headed into her 24th season of "DWTS," Burke said it might be time for her to stop cha-chaing for good as she and Lawrence, whom she married in 2019, want to start a family.
"I do know in my heart, I feel like 24 seasons is a huge accomplishment and I am grateful for that experience, but I'm not like these other girls who just had babies and can just bounce back," she said, adding that she knows her body and, with her "body image issue," knows it's important to prioritize her mental health.
Burke hinted at retirement last November during an episode of the "Chicks in the Office" podcast.
"Dancing With the Stars" season 30 premieres Monday, Sept. 20, on ABC.
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