It will be a season of surprises in what promises to be the biggest and most demanding season ever, as 13 celebrities take the ballroom floor on the hit series “Dancing with the Stars,” which returns with a three-night premiere event, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. All new surprises and twists will await viewers each week. Season Seven marks the largest cast assembled to date, the oldest and youngest competitors ever, and includes two Olympic Gold medalists, a Grammy®-winning singer, a television legend, an Oscar® winner and a Super Bowl champion. Additionally, all four professional dancers who’ve previously tasted the thrill of victory return to compete against one another for bragging rights. Can one of them reclaim the mirror ball trophy? Cheryl Burke returns to the dance floor, while Carrie Ann Inaba continues judging the the dance moves on the floor.

Cheryl is the first two-time winner of Dancing with the Stars. Cheryl and her partner singer Drew Lachey stole the show on Season 2 and sensationally won the competition. Season 3, Cheryl was partnered with football legend Emmitt Smith, and together they won the competition. Season 4, Cheryl made it to the semi-finals with actor Ian Ziering, placing fourth. In Season 6, Cheryl and Cristian de la Fuente made it to third place, while in Season 5, Cheryl and Wayne Newton finished 10th. This season she partners up with Maurice Greene.

Growing up in San Francisco, California, Cheryl came from a family who all loved to dance. At four years old, she began taking ballet lessons and performed throughout the Bay area until she was ten. It was at that time that she discovered that ballroom, “wasn’t just for old people” and decided to change her focus. She hung up her ballet shoes and began training in both standard and Latin. By the age of 13, Cheryl was traveling and competing throughout the world, later moving on to win several championships.

In the spring of 2008 Cheryl opened her first dance studio, the highly successful Cheryl Burke Dance, in San Francisco and has plans to open another studio this fall.

Carrie Ann is a former professional dancer turned choreographer and director in the television and film industry. She has choreographed numerous televised events, including American Idol Christmas 2003, Miss America 1998-2001 and 2003, All-American Girl 2003 and Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, among many others. She has acted and danced in such films and television series as In Living Color, Showgirls and Flintstones 2: Viva Rock Vegas!, and had featured roles in Austin Powers II & III, Monster Mash and Freak.


Inaba has toured with Madonna (The Girlie Show International Tour) and twice with Ricky Martin (Living La Vida Loca Promo Tour and Shake Your Bon Bon).

Inaba is also skilled in hula, videography, editing, singing, martial arts and Japanese.

Cheryl Burke and Carrie Ann Inaba back on Dancing with the Stars