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Get a free taste of Jennie-O’s California turkey burger this weekend at Hollywood & Highland.

Most of the time when a celebrity sits down with the press to talk turkey, it is merely a figure of speech, but Cheryl Burke wants to do it literally.

As part of a promotion with the turkey company Jennie-O, the former “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer, who spent nearly a decade on the durable ABC reality show, will appear at the Make the Switch booth at Hollywood & Highland (near Sephora) on Friday for a meet-and-greet with fans in order to advocate switching from red meat to a healthier, lower-fat option. Each attendee will be able to get a taste of Jennie-O turkey with a few full-sized California turkey burger.

As one would expect from a dancer who has been performing since the age of 4, Burke is a strong advocate of a healthful lifestyle, which she gained from her family.

“I don’t really believe in diets,” Burke insists. “I believe in a healthy lifestyle, and turkey is a better choice. I was always raised that way.”

She has a natural exuberance when talking about the benefits of the food, and even though it is inevitably a requirement as a paid spokesperson for Jennie-O, Burke’s enthusiasm when she lists the various ways to prepare turkey never seems forced.

Cheryl Burke

Even though Burke left “Dancing with the Stars” two years ago after its 19th season, the long-running competition remains the show for which Burke remains best known. Burke claims she will always be a fan of the show that she left in 2014, but she has not left the world of televised dance competition completely behind. This summer, Burke will travel to Tokyo for a premiere of her next venture, which will be titled “Love on the Floor.” Unlike the show that made Burke famous, this new venture will depart from the traditional ballroom style that dominates “Dancing With the Stars” for a format she calls a more “interpretative, contemporary kind of show” that has been her baby for the past several years.

“It’s a dance show,” Burke explains. “But it is about different emotions that we go through in relationships. Everything is going to be defined through movement. It’s going to be a whole story from beginning, middle and end. Emotion and love is universal, and I hope every person up there will be able to relate to it somehow.”

To prepare for the show, Burke recently auditioned 400 dancers for the series in Los Angeles and will return to Tokyo to begin the show before it eventually reaches the United States.

“Love on the Floor” may have some marked differences from “Dancing With the Stars,” but Burke has enlisted some of the talents who have appeared on her previous series to appear on her new series. She will again work with Olympic champion figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Davis, both of whom won their respective seasons of “Dancing With the Stars,” to appear along with Davis’ ice dancing partner Charlie White and Japanese medalist Daisuke Takahashi.

Cheryl Burke will appear at Jennie-O’s Make the Switch booth at Hollywood & Highland shopping center on Friday, April 15 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The Make a Switch booth will be at the center through Sunday, April 17. For more information, visit jennieo.com/mts/losangeles.

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