celebforum - Sharna Burgess

Sharna May Burgess (born June 21, 1985) is an Australian ballroom dancer who is best known for being a professional partner and troupe member on the ABC series Dancing with the Stars.

Early life

Sharna Burgess was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia to Ray and Lucy Burgess. Despite being a tomboy, Burgess found a love for dance. Growing up, she was involved in several sports and different styles of dance. At the age of five, she began training in ballet, jazz and gymnastics. When she turned eight, her study of ballroom began, and she went on to win many local and national titles. At age 15, she was chosen to represent Australia at the World Championships in both the Standard and Latin styles, and performed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony.
Career

At age 18, Burgess moved to London, where she collected numerous titles and appeared in a UK tour with the show, Simply Ballroom. Post Simply Ballroom, choreographer Jason Gilkison gave her a spot on tour with Burn the Floor. She was in the cast for six years. Burgess was a member of the Burn the Floor cast when the show moved to Broadway.

Burgess' first television appearances were on the Australian Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance (Belgium and the Netherlands). She joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars season 13 as a troupe member. While on the troupe, she also assisted So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Jason Gilkison on both the Australian and American versions of the show. She remained on the troupe until the end of season 15. For season 16, Burgess was bumped to regular pro and was partnered with Andy Dick. She returned as a professional for season 17, this time partnered with retired NFL star Keyshawn Johnson. They were the first couple eliminated. For season 18 she was paired with Olympic ice dancer Charlie White. They were eliminated during Week 9 (the semi-finals) and ended in 5th place despite raves from the judges and high scores throughout the season. Sharna was then confirmed for season 19 on August 27. For season 19, she paired with talk-show host Tavis Smiley. They were eliminated on Week 2, finishing in 12th place. For season 20, Burgess was paired with combat veteran and motivational speaker, Noah Galloway. The pair made it to the finals and finished in third place. For season 21, she was paired with Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter. The couple made it to the finals and ended in second place. For season 22, she is paired with NFL player Antonio Brown.