Arts & Entertainment
VIDEO: Dancing with the Stars' Cheryl Burke Talks Bombshell-Laced Book at Bookends Signing
The dancer and celebrity gave a quick Patch interview at Bookends after signing copies of her new book–one that reveals a dark, traumatic past.
Being a ballroom dancer doesn't always mean life's a ball, especially for Cheryl Burke, award-winning dancer on chart-topping show Dancing with the Stars. Burke was at on Wednesday night answering fan questions and signing copies of her new book Dancing Lessons, which exposes a dark, painful past hiding behind the grace and glam American families see on the screen.
Her autobiography, she said, delves heavily into her childhood, one in which Burke says she was molested as a five-year-old and chronicles her struggles to overcome the trauma.
The man she says molested her as a child, a former mailman and family friend, was recently released from prison and in an interview with People Magazine, Burke said knowing he's out on the streets "creeps me out."
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"My worst nightmare is to run into him. Not until he dies will I be able not to worry," she said in the interview. Ultimately, Burke said she's been able to overcome her ghastly experiences with drive and ambition.
"You can really do anything with goals and dreams and I'm living proof of it," she said Wednesday night at Bookends.
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Burke also talked about her other gig–her ten-plus season run on Dancing with the Stars, which includes two championships. "It's amazing to see people still want to tune in and see a show after so many seasons," which she said is both a credit to it being "a family show" and the intrigue viewers get in seeing celebrities without any more experience than themselves transform into skilled dancers.
Fans crowded into Bookends–many of whom took time off from classes or work–and couldn't exclaim enough glowing statements about the dancing queen.
"She was so friendly, she answered any questions you would want to know about her," said Tom McGrogan, a fan from Clifton. "That's all you could ask for," he added.
"It was a great experience; I'm glad I came," chimed in another fan, an autographed book held close to her chest.
After her interaction with fans at the packed book nook, a smiling Burke waltzed out of 211 East Ridgewood Avenue to skip over for a sit-down interview with CNN anchor Piers Morgan later that evening.
See Patch videographer Matt Owen's interview with Burke for more detail.
