'Dancing With The Stars': A look at pro-dancer Alan Bersten's track record, showmances
When it comes to consistent records on 'Dancing With The Stars', Alan Bersten has something to write home about. The pro dancer and choreographer who has been a part of the show since Season 25 has always managed to land in the top 5. He even bagged a win on Season 28, with 'The Bachelorette' star, Hannah Brown.
Now, with Season 30 finally here, Bersten will now be teaming up with Amanda Kloots, in the hope of winning the title yet again.
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Who is Alan Bersten?
Alan Bersten is a professional Latin and ballroom dancer, who is currently a dancer and choreographer on 'Dancing with the Stars'. He also competed on 'So You Think You Can Dance' and made it to the Top 20. Bersten was born on 26 May 1994 in Minnesota, where he was raised. He began dancing at the age of 7 and was encouraged by his parents to pursue dancing. They even opened a ballroom dance studio to help encourage their kids to take up the art form.
"We're Russian, and I feel like just dancing is such a beautiful art form and sport, so my parents were like, why don't we just try it?" he said while talking to Mpls St Paul. "My brother is seven years older than me, my sister is two-and-a-half years older than me, and they forced us all to go in together. It was just a big family community we had, and it was a lot of fun. I've never looked back." he explained.
Having taken up dance from a young age, Bersten eventually realised that he wanted to turn this into a career. However, it was easier said than done. "To get to that level, there's a lot of sacrifices you make. I didn't have many friends growing up just because I was in the studio all the time and I was training," he said.
"But these (dance) shows didn't even exist until 2005, and once they started to pick up and I did start to watch them, it was like, 'what if one day I was on that?' And to me, that's just crazy that you can manifest something like that." he added.
His 'DWTS' partners and track record
Bersten joined 'Dancing With The Stars' during Season 20 as a part of the troupe. During this time, he performed with Paige VanZant on Season 22 when her partner, Mark Ballas suffered an injury. He also performed with Heather Morris on Season 24, when her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy had to take time off due to an injury.
On Season 25, Bersten became a regular partner on the show. On Season 25, he was partnered with Broadway actress Debbie Gibson. The duo placed 12th. On season 26, he paired up with Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu and they placed 4th.
On Season 27, he partnered with model Alexis Ren and the couple placed 4th. On Season 28, he paired up with 'The Bachelorette' star Hannah Brown and they went on to win the Season. On Season 29, he partnered with Disney Channel star Skai Jackson and they placed 5th.
This Season, he will be dancing alongside Amanda Kloots, the co-host of The Talk. The star, who lost her husband, Broadway star, Nick Cordero, to COVID-19 last year plans on honouring her husband through her performances.
"I wanna dance to Nick's song," she said while talking to ETOnline. "I want that moment. I know he'll be with me on the dance floor every single time... I know it'll be tough, but in a weird way, I kind of really look forward to that moment where I get to dance to his music." she added.
Is Bersten dating?
It's not uncommon for the stars and their choreographers to feel some sort of chemistry while performing. If anything, for certain dance forms, like salsa, it helps sell the performance. However, this can often turn into quite a romance as well. Bersten is no stranger to reel and real-life romances, seeing that he was previously romantically linked to his partners. As reported by US Weekly, Bersten dated his Season 27 partner Alexis Ren, after the pair shared a steamy kiss on the show. However, they broke up shortly after. Ren addressed their relationship via an Instagram comment.
"Feelings aren't black and white and neither is life. We're focused on our careers and growing as individuals," she said back in 2018. "He's an amazing person and I'm grateful he came into my life. He's on his own journey and I respect that." There was also speculation that he was dating is Season 28 co-star, Hannah Brown.
"We knew people would talk and assume, especially because she was the Bachelorette, and I'm still single," he said. "So we expected it, but we didn't really let that get into our heads." he added, dispelling rumors. He was also previously linked with Paige VanZant, with who he performed on Season 22. Regarding his love life currently, Bersten is allegedly single.
Season 30 of 'Dancing With The Stars' premieres on September 20 at 8/7c on ABC. You can also stream the episodes on abc.com and Hulu.