Sharna Interview with Entertainment Television.
Professional dancer Sharna Burgess admits she's "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," when it comes to the competition TV series Dancing with the Stars.
But the 31-year-old Aussie native - who was runner-up (for a second time) with Canadian Indy race car driver James Hinchcliffe, losing to Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy during the most recent DWTS season - hasn't given up on winning the Mirror Ball trophy yet.
"It will happen when it's meant to," says Burgess, who confirms she'll be dancing on the show's next season.
"There were so many other things to win that season. One of them was my friendship that sparked with James and the friendship I have with Laurie. All of us in that final really became so close. We had such a fantastic time. A lot of that is worth more than the Mirror Ball. But it doesn't mean I don't want to win [it] one day!"
You and James had undeniable chemistry. Did that surprise you?
James was certainly just an incredible partner and now an incredible friend of mine. Working with him throughout the season was a joy day. It was one of those seasons where I absolutely loved every single minute of every day. We never had a fight. We never had an issue, regardless of our setbacks, like my knee injury and so forth.
Was he a natural on the dance floor? (He was called the best amateur male dancer ever on the show by judge Julianne Hough.)
I wouldn't agree that he was a natural talent. He was just an incredibly hard worker. At the start of every week, I would joke about how awkward it was. On Friday or Saturday, the light at the end tunnel shone and it clicked for him. But what made James great was his work ethic. The fact that he would watch videos with me; [make] notes with me; go home; practise on his own; and then come back the next day even stronger than he was in rehearsals - that was James' asset.
Do you and the other female dancers on DWTS feel like you get your due given how some of the male dancers - Derek, Mark, Val and Maks - have become big stars outside of the show?
Yeah, absolutely I do. It's tough with the boys. Predominantly, our audience is women. And the boys, they all are very pretty. They're all very talented. And I get it: We've got some incredible strong male dancers on the show. But I do think the ladies, we hold our own. We're a group of very tal-ented, strong women that like to get out there and do the very, very best that we can. I think we're much more nurturing than the boys - but I think that's a female quality.
Do you feel the love on tour?
We most certainly feel the love from all of [our fans]. I wouldn't say that there is a difference between the men and the women and how we're received on tour. It's equal love all around and it's kind of wonderful.
Why do you think DWTS continues to work so well in terms of high ratings?
I think there's just something so incredible about seeing these celebrities that, to be honest, a lot of the time get put up on these pedestals and we [assume] their life is either great or life is easy. We get to watch them through something very public, bare their souls, and also share some of their story of how they got to be who they are and the journey that it took for them to be who they are. That's incredibly inspiring. I think DWTS is one of the very last family, feel-good shows left on TV.
Do you have a celebrity wish list for future partners on DWTS?
I generally don't think in those terms. I used to joke about it being Hugh Jackman because, 'Why not?' He's incredibly talented, good-looking, he's Australian and he can already dance. He'd be a shoo-in. But to be honest, I don't put expectations on it. What I want out of my partner is exactly what James was - he was the perfect partner. For him to come in, give it 150%, have a laugh at the same time, but enjoy the experience and just see how far we could get. The most enjoyable seasons that I've had are the ones that haven't been about winning. And somehow they're the ones that you end up going the furthest.