'Dancing with the Stars' Season 29: Meet the pro dancers from the new season of ABC reality show
For the uninitiated, 'Dancing with the Stars' is based on the British TV series 'Strictly Come Dancing'. The highly successful show is scheduled to return in Fall 2020 and while we await details on the release date and celebrity contestants who will be a part of the show (Kaitlyn Bristowe of 'Bachelorette' fame is the only confirmed celebrity at this point), the pro-dancer line-up has been confirmed and here's what we know about these brightest stars of the ballroom.
Brandon Armstrong
California bred Armstrong moved to Utah to begin to learn dance at the age of 12 and trained with Mark Ballas, Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas. He is trained in all styles including jazz, hip hop and contemporary. Brandon has traveled the world over to compete professionally, especially in Latin Ballroom. Armstrong joined to cast of 'DWTS' as a troupe performer for Season 24. He appeared in the 'Dancing with the Stars' Live! Light Up The Night Tour. He also appeared on Season 27 where he partnered with Tinashe and they were placed at Number 10.
For the Juniors season, he was the mentor for Artyon Celestine and his partner Ariana Greenblatt and they were placed second. For Season 28 that premiered in September 2019, Brandon was paired with Mary Wilson and they were placed 12th.
Alan Bersten
Bersten started dancing at the age of seven and he acquired proficiency in contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, Bollywood and Broadway styles of dancing. His diverse dance styles led him to win Youth Championship and Under 21 National Titles, according to ABC.
Bersten was a finalist on Season 10 of 'So You Think You Can Dance' and finished in the Top 6 Males where he performed a never done before memorable blindfolded contemporary piece. He toured through North America with 'So You Think You Can Dance' and then joined 'Burn the Floor' for their world tour. After touring the world, he received a recurring role as part of the show choir, Vocal Adrenaline, on season six of 'Glee'.
After being a part of the professional troupe on five seasons of ABC's 'DWTS', it was on Season 24 where he was paired with celebrity Heather Morris for four weeks, to fill in for Maksim Chmerkovskiy who was injured at the time. Later, Bersten went on to make his debut as a pro-dancer in the next season and was paired with singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson. He was also a part of the pro-dancer lineup on 'Dancing with the Stars: Athletes' with Mirai Nagasu. In Season 27, he was paired up with Alexis Ren and in Season 28, he won the show along with celebrity partner 'Bachelor' star Hannah Brown.
Sharna Burgess
Burgess is one of the biggest names on the pro-dancer lineup. The Australian performer is trained in ballet, jazz and gymnastics from a very young age. By the age of eight, she had already started training in ballroom and won numerous local and national titles while growing up. She was chosen to represent Australia at the world championships when she was 15 years of age. She also earned the honor to perform at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony.
She appeared on 'DWTS' since Season 16 and continued her run till Season 27. Last year, she decided to opt-out to focus on other options in her career, however, the superstar is coming back home and audiences will have to wait until season premiere to know which star she's been paired up with.
Cheryl Burke
Burke is one of the most experienced dancers on the pro-dancer lineup. Her dancing experience spans 25 years and she has several championships titles under her belt. The Emmy-nominated dancer has appeared on 21 out of the show's 28 seasons and will also be a part of the upcoming Season 29. She is the first pro-dancer to have won the show twice in a row in Seasons 2 and 3.
Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Chmerkovskiy joined the cast of 'DWTS' as a pro-dancer in 2011. He is a noted name in the world of competitive dancing and has won US National Champion 14 times and has been a two-time World Dance Champion. He won the show alongside celebrity partner Rumer Willis in Season 20 and in Season 23 alongside Laurie Hernandez.
He's also a philanthropist and supports numerous children and educational charities including Children's Hospital. He also serves as an ambassador for Pencil's of Promise. Val has also helped build two schools in Ghana, according to ABC.
Keo Motsepe
Motsepe was born with a natural talent for dancing and his parents were quick enough to realize it, after which they enrolled him in dance school. Within a year, he was catapulted onto the competitive amateur dance scene and by the age of 11, he was already representing his home country South Africa in International Latin ballroom dance competitions. Like Chmerkovskiy, Motsepe too believes in philanthropy. He spends his time volunteering at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Hospitals of Los Angeles. He also set up his own philanthropic venture in 2018 called 'Thank the Angels', which is a gifting service that provides boxes of food, clothing, blankets and other must-haves to local missions, shelters and homeless people around Los Angeles on Thanksgiving. 'DWTSs' first Black pro-dancer is yet to win a season.
Other pro-dancers who will also be a part of the show for Season 29 include Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater and Britt Stewart.