Sharna Burgess

Sharna May Burgess is an Australian professional ballroom dancer and choreographer. She gained public prominence through her appearances on television dance competitions, notably the American and Australian versions of Dancing with the Stars as well as the Belgian-Dutch adaptation of So You Think You Can Dance.

Burgess was born on 21 June 1985 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, to parents Ray and Lucy Burgess. From an early age, she engaged in athletics and multiple dance disciplines, beginning training in ballet, jazz, and gymnastics at age five. She transitioned into ballroom dancing at age eight, earning several local and national titles. At fifteen, she represented Australia at the World Championships in both Latin and Standard categories—competing despite a torn knee ligament—and danced during the Closing Ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

At eighteen, Burgess relocated to London, securing various dance titles and touring the United Kingdom with the production Simply Ballroom. She was subsequently cast by choreographer Jason Gilkison in the touring show Burn the Floor, performing with the troupe for six years, including its run on Broadway. During this era, she also worked on television broadcasts in Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and assisted Gilkison on both the Australian and American editions of So You Think You Can Dance.

In the United States, Burgess entered the cast of Dancing with the Stars during its thirteenth season as a troupe dancer before advancing to a professional partner in season sixteen. Over subsequent seasons, she competed alongside numerous celebrity partners, placing third with motivational speaker Noah Galloway in season twenty, second with singer Nick Carter in season twenty-one, and fourth with football player Antonio Brown in season twenty-two. In season twenty-three, she placed second with race car driver James Hinchcliffe, missing two weeks of competition following a knee injury during rehearsals.

Burgess achieved additional top finishes in subsequent seasons, including a second-place result with football player Josh Norman in season twenty-six. In season twenty-seven, she won the competition partnered with radio personality Bobby Bones. In 2019, Burgess joined the judging panel for the Australian iteration of Dancing with the Stars alongside Craig Revel Horwood and Tristan MacManus. She later returned to the American show for season twenty-nine with actor Jesse Metcalfe and season thirty with Brian Austin Green.

Burgess was previously in a relationship with dancer Paul Kirkland from 2010 to 2015. In 2020, she met actor Brian Austin Green through mutual friends. The couple welcomed a son in June 2022 and announced their engagement in September 2023. Burgess officially became a citizen of the United States in October 2022.