NBC Steals Cheryl Burke From ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, Pro Dancer To Star In New Variety Series

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Cheryl Burke recently announced her retirement from Dancing With The Stars and now we know why.

PEOPLE.com is reporting that Burke, a two-time mirror ball trophy winner will be taking her dancing shoes to NBC for a new project in 2015. While little is known about Burke’s new venture, it’s said to be a variety series of some sort and that some sort of competition will be involved.

“I never thought I’d be able to walk away,” Burke told PEOPLE. “But after a decade of something, it’s time for me to move on and try something different, to be challenged, to feel inspired. Dancing with the Stars will always be a part of my life. Dancing is what I’ve done since I was a little girl. But it was very clear the show only wanted me back as a dancer. They weren’t interested in using me for other things and letting me grow.”

Burke made her decision based on the fact that she wanted to be taught new things instead of continuing to teach celebrities how to dance.

“Instead of teaching people how to dance, I need to be taught something,” Burke said. “I need to feed my brain with other knowledge. This was a perfect opportunity. My contract was very restrictive on Dancing with the Stars so I couldn’t do anything else. I’ve been waiting to add to my résumé now for years.”

The dancer revealed that she wasn’t interested in being a judge on her former series, a position her colleague Julianne Hough assumed this season.

“I would rather judge in America’s Got Talent than Dancing with the Stars,” she explained. “They are my friends. I’m blunt and very honest. We all take it personally. It would be very hard for me to judge my friends.”