A pulled hammy wouldn't let Carla Beaurline do the "very sizzling rumba" she practiced for the "6th Annual Dancing with the Twin Cities Celebrities Charity Ball" sponsored by the metro's Arthur Murray studios.

The owner and host of Cable Channel 6's "Around Town," a high-profile venue for products and services in Twin Cities that she said "airs almost four times a day, 20 times a week, 60 times over three weeks."

She has a very full work and family life that is missing one party — a man. She tells me here exactly what she is looking for companion-wise.

The entrepreneur is a study in contradictions. She's super fit but also a regular at the Golden Arches and she is not eating the salad. She said she doesn't like beauty contests but once competed in Miss Minnesota America contest. She said she doesn't like beauty contests but once competed in Miss Minnesota America contest. She didn't want her frenemy and former TV shopping channel colleague Wendi Russo to be a judge at the dancing event but she herself tried to be a judge in a pageant in which Russo was a contestant last year.

Beaurline said last Saturday's dance event was the first thing she's done for herself in 20 years that have been jam-packed with work and taking care of her parents, Carl and Sandy Beaurline.

Her "very sexy, sizzling rumba" routine was restricted by Beaurline pulling her hamstring doing the splits the afternoon of the event, but she performed: "Everything I've always done was more the girl next door, cheerleading, baton, very involved in the community more the all, American gal and here we are."

Beaurline was pleased with what she did. "I helped add tomorrows to those battling Cystic Fibrosis by raising the second highest amount [$4,320] of any celebrity who participated in this event."

Q: What did twirling a baton teach you that was important in adult life?

A: [laughter] Absolutely nothing. No. Actually, when most people see a parade and they see a baton­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ twirler marching down the street, that's no baton. Baton is a combination of gymnastics and dance all rolled up into one. It actually takes more out of the advanced competitive baton twirler on the national level than it takes out of the Olympic runner to run the mile. So what it taught me, all those years, was dedication and being competitive, just that drive where you work hard for a goal, that sense of accomplishment afterward.

Q: How many years did you twirl the baton?

A: [Laughter] I started when I was a little girl, about 2 or 3 in dance class. But I didn't start competing on the world level until I was 11. The last time I performed was in the Miss Minnesota Miss America program when I was 24.

Q: So it essentially taught you nothing?

A: It helped finance my education.

Q: Really.

A: Yes, it did. I was offered scholarships out of state to be a featured twirler. I ended up staying in Minnesota but through the Miss America program in which I used [baton] as my talent, I earned a $15,000 scholarship. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Q: Why are you letting little girls think they can get through life on their looks by becoming president of the Miss Teen America pageant?

A: Miss Teen America is almost 100 percent academically based. There is no swimsuit, no talent, all personal achievement, development, service. And you can be my little quote [air quotes] "Fresh off the farm with no makeup" and win.

Q: I'm anti beauty queen, you know?

A: So am I. We'll get along really well. [Laugh]

Q: You're anti-beauty queen?

A: Uh-huh.

Q: That's all this is?

A: I'm going to have you judge.

Q: No. Lord have mercy. That will never happen.

A: [Laughter] You'd be impressed.

Q: If being a beauty queen is such a good thing, why aren't men beauty kings?

A: You know why pageants started? Because, I'm going with the scholarship part of it, because all these men were getting scholarships for athletics. I would have played hockey. They didn't have that back when I was younger, so I [was a cheerleader].

Q: See, even you grimace when you say cheerlead?

A: Yeah, but I loved sports and I wanted to be part of it.

Q: How can you be in such great shape while eating a McDonald's Happy Meal a day?

A: Well, I don't eat the whole thing. I don't eat them every day. But I had one on the way here today — and I'm going to kill you [she said to Lighthouse Marketing & Associates' Julia Tice, handler for the celebrity dance whom Beaurline had asked to sit in on our interview]. Going through the drive-through, they always ask Do you want a boy's toy or a girl's toy and I so want to say, 'Well, I never married. What do you think?' But I don't.

Q: What don't you eat from the Happy Meal?

A: I eat half the fries and half the cheeseburger and part of the Coke.

Q: You save it for later in the day?

A: [She throws it away, she gestured]

A: Tell me about your professional dating life?

Q: What professional dating life? Nonexistent. I'm president of Miss Teen America, running my own media company and TV show, caregiving full time to parents and this. When is there time to date? Midnight to 7 a.m.?

A: Tell me about your weirdest date, a war story.

Q: I do have a cute one. I was at Lake Minnetonka about three years ago and I met this person and we went on a date to Lord Fletcher's. I thought he was 37-38. At the time I was 44. The person thought I was 37-38 until we sit down. He was turning 32? It was like, "Thank you very much, good night [and they shook hands]." But we've been friends ever since; he donated to the cause.

A: What are you looking for in a man?

Q: My folks met when they were 5 and they are madly in love.

A: You've already met the person you met at 5. If he hasn't rediscovered you by now, it's not looking good.

Q: I know. But the whole true love. Somebody who can pay their own bills [laughs] and is funny. And it's such a cliché [but] just a good person. I know he's out there; you have to have time to find them [laugh].

Q: Have you thought about putting the Millionaire Matchmaker on the case?

A: I never thought about it. But you know I don't need a millionaire. I just need a good guy [laugh].

Q: If he never shows up, then what?

A: Well, I'm happy. I have a great life full of joy and happiness. This dance thing has really been good for me. First time in two decades I've done something for me. I'm usually taking care of my client, family and friends.

Q: What did you do to get Wendi Russo dropped as a dance judge?

A: I didn't actually. A year ago I was judging Mrs. Minnesota and she was competing and she had me dropped. Wendi has sent some not-so-nice texts and e-mails to me. I figure that's not somebody I would want to be judging me. I'm not sure why she dislikes me. I'm sure, not everybody in Minneapolis likes me and she's one of them. But I don't know about any other enemies.

Interviews are edited. To reach C.J. try cj@startribune.com and to see her watch Fox 9's "Buzz."