Cheryl Burke
I went through child abuse, and I also went through abuse with dating a couple of boyfriends in high school. I also have gone through a divorce.Collection: Dating
My mom is Filipino and my dad is half Russian and half Irish.Collection: Mom
You have to embrace your body, whether it's curvy or whatever you may be. You have to embrace who you are. Beauty comes from the inside not out.Collection: Beauty
When you obsess about fitness goals they become unhealthy and impossible to achieve.Collection: Fitness
I just want everyone to know you are beautiful in your own skin.
I was partnered with the singer Drew Lachey of the popular group 98 Degrees. Drew and I complemented each other with our strengths. I was good at dancing and teaching dance, and he was a good student and a natural-born ham for the cameras.
I've been so unlucky with dates for myself. So why not have someone else pick them for me?
I've been lucky enough that some designers let me borrow their dresses to wear to events. And companies such as So Low and Tart have given me items to wear to rehearse in. I wish I could take more credit for the clothes that I get to wear!
My mom has always said that you have to do other things besides going to school, other extracurricular activities, so she made me do everything from basketball to, well, you name it. But for some reason, dance was the thing I always wanted to go and do.
I live by green tea with lemon and honey.
It's important for me to keep my cardio up, especially for my body type, or I'll gain weight so fast.
I know I'm not fat, but when people keep telling you that, you have to think about it.
Sometimes it's harder to untrain somebody with dance experience than it is to teach somebody with a new skill.
At the end of the day, dancing is something that brings people together.
Listen, you can never take the bedazzle away from me.
By the way I also don't know anybody, so I would have to Google almost every single partner of mine - other than Ian Ziering because I used to watch '90210.'
Because I have been bullied and attacked about my body, body image has always been an issue for me.
You don't have to be a size zero to be beautiful.
I lived in a bubble as a kid.
I'd like to maybe be a judge. I could be pregnant and judge. I just can't be pregnant and dancing!
I don't necessarily view myself as a 'famous' person, I look at like Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts and think to myself, now that's a celebrity.
I have two sisters and neither one of them are dancers.
I actually don't really like shopping but I do love clothes!
I'm not one of those girls that's like, 'I have to be married by the time I'm 35 and I have to have six babies when I'm 38.' No, I'm just fine it's all good.
I want to try new things and just see what's out there.
There are all different types of people out there who are going to say all kinds of things, online and in real life. The important thing is to know which ones to listen to.
It sounds crazy, but I'm so married to my work that I rarely meet new people.
It's tough... My real father - I have my stepdad, my mom remarried - but my real father lived in Thailand, so I barely saw him as it is. So it was really hard for me to go back there and just, I feel like I have a lot of unanswered questions.
There's not one second that I don't think about my dad.
After doing 'Dance Moms,' I've been super inspired and motivated to work with girls.
I've always had that naturally curvy body since I was 11 years old.
Tommy Chong is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.
It's like, either you're a great dancer and you're going to do great, or it doesn't come naturally to you.
It's so hard for me to talk about this, because I owe my life to 'Dancing with the Stars.' They've changed my life completely. They're my family and it's always hard to say goodbye.
I always wear fake lashes - they just look so darn good on camera!
In my day-to-day life, I have lash extensions.
A little moisturizer and I'm out the door. I don't even need to put on mascara anymore because of my lash extensions.
We're basically sewn into our costumes on 'DWTS.'
It's important to me to have a healthy tan with so much skin showing.
Don't underestimate the value of a great hair dryer.
Everyone always asks me how to get the most mileage out of a spray tan. I'm spoiled and I get a fresh one every week; but my best advice for the rest of the girls out there is to wax a day in advance of your spray tan.
I swear by lash extensions. They cut my makeup routine time in half.
I wanted to eat what I wanted but I made sure that portion control was basically half of what I normally would eat.
When you have a buddy to work out with, you don't want to flake on that person.
Turning 30, you see changes. You have to work harder as you get older.
I always lose weight - around 5 to 7 lbs. It's because of our strenuous rehearsals and long hours, which is not relatable to anybody because you're working out 8 to 10 hours a day.
We will all face criticism throughout our lives, no matter where we live and what we weigh.
My weight fluctuates, just like any other person's does, and there will always be critics.
You've got to tune out the other people and tune in to what's going on inside. Love yourself. Nourish your body.
Dancing is the best exercise. Not only is it great cardio, but it works everything, strengthening your whole body.