Alan Bersten
American professional dancer

Alan Bersten
Born (1994-05-26) May 26, 1994 (age 31)
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.
OccupationsDancer, choreographer
Years active2013–present
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)

Alan Bersten (born May 26, 1994)[1] is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer. He was a contestant in 2013 on the tenth season of So You Think You Can Dance and is currently a professional dancer and choreographer on Dancing with the Stars. He was the winner in 2019 of season 28 of Dancing with the Stars with his celebrity partner, The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.[2]

Personal life

Bersten was born and raised in Minnesota. His family heritage is Russian Jewish. He started dancing at the age of 7.[3] He graduated from Hopkins High School in 2012.[4]

In 2018, Bersten was on tour with Dancing with the Stars when he began to have severe stomach pain. A blood test showed he had symptoms of a tumor on one of his parathyroid glands called hyperparathyroidism. He underwent surgery the next day to remove his left parathyroid. Bersten returned to work after only a week of recovery.[5]

As of April 2025, Bersten is in a relationship with fellow Dancing with the Stars member Emma Slater.[6]

Dancing with the Stars

Performances

Bersten started working on Dancing with the Stars in season 20 as a member of the troupe. He remained in that role for four more seasons until he made his debut as a professional partner in season 25.

During the second week of season 22, Bersten danced a salsa with Paige VanZant, as VanZant's regular partner, Mark Ballas, suffered a back injury during rehearsals. Bersten learned the entire dance routine on one day's notice and performed the dance for the live show the following day.[7] In season 24, Bersten danced with Heather Morris for four weeks while Morris's regular partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, was recovering from an injury.

Bersten was promoted to a professional partner in season 25, where he was partnered with 1980s singer-songwriter and Broadway actress Debbie Gibson.[8] They were eliminated in the second week and took 12th place.[9] Bersten was also featured on the official promotional poster for the show that season alongside fellow cast member Sharna Burgess.[10]

For season 26, Bersten was partnered with Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu.[11] They were eliminated in the third week of competition, tying for 4th place with Chris Mazdzer and partner Witney Carson and Jennie Finch Daigle and partner Keo Motsepe.[12]

For season 27, Bersten was partnered with model Alexis Ren.[13] The couple reached the finals and took 4th place.[14]

For season 28, Bersten was partnered with The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.[15] They reached the finals and were crowned the season's champions on November 25, 2019.[2]

For season 29, Bersten returned to compete again and is paired with Disney Channel star Skai Jackson.[16] They were eliminated week 10, finishing in 5th place.[17]

For season 30, Bersten was partnered with The Talk co-host and dancer Amanda Kloots.[18] They reached the finals and finished in 4th place.

For season 31, Bersten was partnered with country music singer Jessie James Decker.[19] They were eliminated week 6, finishing in 10th place.[citation needed]

For season 32, Bersten was partnered with Zoey 101 actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears. They were eliminated on the second week of competition and finished 13th; Bersten's lowest placement to date.

For season 33, Bersten was partnered with Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher. They made it to the finale and finished as the runners-up on November 26, 2024.[20]

For season 34, Bersten was partnered with actress Elaine Hendrix.[21] The couple made it to the finals and finished in 5th place.

Season Partner Place
25 Debbie Gibson 12th
26 Mirai Nagasu 4th
27 Alexis Ren 4th
28 Hannah Brown 1st
29 Skai Jackson 5th
30 Amanda Kloots 4th
31 Jessie James Decker 10th
32 Jamie Lynn Spears 13th
33 Ilona Maher 2nd
34 Elaine Hendrix 5th

Season 25

With celebrity partner Debbie Gibson

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot "Lost in Your Eyes" — Debbie Gibson 6 5 6 17 No Elimination
2 Quickstep "This Is My Time" — Amy Stroup 7 6 7 20 Safe
Argentine tango "Havana" — Camila Cabello, feat. Young Thug 7 7 7 21 Eliminated

Season 26

With celebrity partner Mirai Nagasu

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Salsa "No Excuses" — Meghan Trainor 7 8 8 23 Safe
2 Foxtrot "It's a Small World" — The O'Neill Brothers 9
9 		9
9 		9
9 		37[a] Safe
Team Freestyle "Instant Replay" — Dan Hartman 9 9 9 37[b]
3
(Semifinals) 		Quickstep "BO$$" — Fifth Harmony 9 8 9 35[c] Eliminated
Jive Dance-off "Johnny B. Goode" — Chuck Berry N/a N/a N/a 0[d]

Notes

  1. ^ Mirai and Alan also received a score of 10 from guest judge Rashad Jennings
  2. ^ The team freestyle also received a score of 10 from guest judge Rashad Jennings
  3. ^ Mirai and Alan also received a score of 9 from guest judge David Ross
  4. ^ Mirai & Alan received votes from David and Len, but lost the dance-off.

Season 27

With celebrity partner Alexis Ren

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Jive "Good Golly, Miss Molly" — Little Richard 7 7 7 21 Bottom Five
Jive "Shake the Room" — Gamu 7 8 8 23 Safe
2 Argentine tango "Swan Lake Suite" — Ray Chew 8 9 8 25 No Elimination
Salsa "Booty" — Jennifer Lopez, feat. Iggy Azalea 8 8 8 24 Safe
3 Contemporary "How to Save a Life" — Ray Chew 9 8 9 26 Safe
4 Trio Tango[a] "Move Your Body" — Sia 8 8 9 25 Safe
5 Foxtrot "Just Around the Riverbend" — Judy Kuhn 10 9 10 29 No elimination
6 Jazz "Candyman" — Christina Aguilera 9 9 9 27 Safe
7 Samba "Ladies in the ’90s" — Lauren Alaina 9 10 10 29 Safe
Team Freestyle "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" — Luke Bryan 9 8 8 26
8
(Semifinals) 		Waltz "Water" — Bishop Briggs 9 9 10 28 Safe
Jive "Yes" — Merry Clayton 10 10 10 30
9
(Finals) 		Argentine tango "Swan Lake Suite" — Ray Chew 9 9 9 27 Fourth Place
Freestyle "Head Above Water" — Avril Lavigne 10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Joined by Maddie Ziegler

Season 28

With celebrity partner Hannah Brown

Week Dance Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" — Whitney Houston 7 7 6 20 No Elimination
2 Viennese waltz "Lover" — Taylor Swift 8 8 8 24 Safe
3 Rumba "Hold On" — Wilson Phillips 7 7 7 21 Safe
4 Paso doble "I Love It" — Icona Pop, feat. Charli XCX 8 8 8 32[a] Safe
5 Foxtrot "A Whole New World" — Zayn & Zhavia Ward 9 7 9 25 No Elimination
6 Samba "Southbound" — Carrie Underwood 8 8 8 24 Safe
7 Jazz "Bad Girls" — Donna Summer 8 9 8 25 Safe
Team Freestyle "Somebody's Watching Me" — Rockwell 9 9 9 27
8 Quickstep "American Girl" — Elle King 10 9 10 29 Safe
Salsa Dance-off "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" — Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine N/a N/a N/a 2[b]
9 Salsa "No Scrubs" — TLC 8 8 8 32[c] Safe
Tango "Boy with Luv" — BTS 10 9 10 39[d]
10
(Semifinals) 		Rumba "Dancing with a Stranger" — Sam Smith & Normani 9 9 9 27 Safe
Contemporary "Lose You to Love Me" — Selena Gomez 9 9 9 27
11
(Finals) 		Viennese waltz "Lover" — Taylor Swift 10 9 9 28 Winners
Freestyle "Girl on Fire" — Alicia Keys
"Hollaback Girl" — Gwen Stefani 		10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Hannah and Alan also received a score of 8 from guest judge Leah Remini
  2. ^ Hannah and Alan were awarded two bonus points for winning the dance-off
  3. ^ Hannah and Alan also received a score of 8 from guest judge Joey Fatone
  4. ^ Hannah and Alan also received a score of 10 from guest judge Joey Fatone

Season 29

With celebrity partner Skai Jackson

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Tango "Super Bass" — Nicki Minaj 7 7 7 21 No elimination
2 Samba "Miss Independent" — Ne-Yo 5 5 5 15 Safe
3 Jive "Almost There" — Anika Noni Rose 6 6 6 18 Safe
4 Foxtrot "Ordinary People" — John Legend 10 9 9 28 Safe
5 Jazz "The Power of Love" — Huey Lewis and the News 8 8 8 24 Safe
6 Cha-cha-cha "Say So" — Doja Cat, feat. Nicki Minaj 6 6 6 18 Safe
7 Argentine tango "Everything I Wanted" — Billie Eilish 9 9 9 27 Safe
8 Salsa "Work It" — Missy Elliott 8 9 8 25 Bottom Two
Samba Relay "Levitating" — Dua Lipa, feat. DaBaby N/a N/a N/a 2[a]
9 Paso doble "If" — Janet Jackson 9 9 9 27 Safe
Salsa Dance-off "The Cup of Life" — Ricky Martin N/a N/a N/a 2[b]
10
(Semifinals) 		Cha-cha-cha "Move Your Feet" — Junior Senior 9 9 9 27 Eliminated
Viennese waltz "Lonely" — Noah Cyrus 10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Skai and Alan were awarded two bonus points
  2. ^ Skai and Alan were awarded two bonus points for winning the dance-off

Season 30

With celebrity partner Amanda Kloots

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Tango "Dance Again" — Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull 7 7 7 7 28 No Elimination
2 Foxtrot "It Had to Be You" — Ray Chew 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
3 Cha-cha-cha "Circus" — Britney Spears 8 8 N/a 8 24[a] Safe
4 Rumba "You'll Be in My Heart" — Phil Collins 8 8 8 8 32 No Elimination
Paso doble "Call Me Cruella" — Florence and the Machine 9 9 9 9 36 Safe
5 Viennese waltz "Beauty School Dropout" — Frankie Avalon 10 10 9 10 39 Safe
6 Argentine tango "Paint It Black" — Ciara 9 9 10 10 38 Safe
7 Jive "Don't Stop Me Now" — Queen 8 8 8 9 33 Safe
Viennese waltz Relay "We Are the Champions" — Queen N/a N/a N/a N/a 1[b]
8 Jazz "Miss You Much" — Janet Jackson 10 10 10 10 40 Safe
Cha-cha-cha Dance-off "Together Again" — Janet Jackson N/a N/a N/a N/a 2[c]
9
(Semifinals) 		Tango "Titanium" — David Guetta, feat. Sia 9 10 10 10 39 Bottom Three
Contemporary "Live Your Life" — Lenii 10 10 10 10 40
10
(Finals) 		Viennese waltz & Paso doble Fusion "Never Tear Us Apart" — Bishop Briggs 9 10 9 10 38 Fourth Place
Freestyle "A Sky Full of Stars" — Coldplay 10 10 10 10 40[d]

Notes

  1. ^ Due to Derek Hough's absence, scores were given on a 30 point scale
  2. ^ Amanda & Alan received one point from Derek.
  3. ^ Amanda and Alan were awarded two bonus points for winning the dance-off
  4. ^ Due to Derek Hough's absence, Julianne Hough filled in on the judges panel

Season 31

With celebrity partner Jessie James Decker

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha "Sweet Home Alabama" — Lynyrd Skynyrd 5 5 5 5 20 Safe
2 Foxtrot "Trouble" — Elvis Presley 7 6 6 6 25 Safe
3 Rumba "Goldfinger" — Shirley Bassey 6 6 7 7 26 Safe
4 Jive "One Way Or Another" — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy 8 7 8 8 31 Safe
5 Tango "Blue Jeans" — Jessie James Decker 7 7 8 7 29 No Elimination
Viennese waltz "Breakaway" — Kelly Clarkson 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon "Hot Stuff" — Donna Summer
"Jump, Jive an' Wail" — The Brian Setzer Orchestra 		N/a N/a N/a N/a 11[a]
6 Salsa "Come Dance with Me" — Michael Bublé 9 8 8 9 41[b] Eliminated

Notes

  1. ^ Jessie & Alan received 11 points for winning the dance marathon.
  2. ^ Jessie and Alan also received a score of 9 from guest judge Michael Bublé

Season 32

With celebrity partner Jamie Lynn Spears

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Tango "Don't Call Me Up (Zac Samuel Remix)" — Mabel 5 5 5 15 Safe
2 Cha-cha-cha "Shake Señora" — Pitbull, feat. T-Pain & Sean Paul 6 5 5 16 Eliminated

Season 33

With celebrity partner Ilona Maher

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" — Shania Twain 6 6 6 18 No Elimination
2 Salsa "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" — Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes 7 7 7 21 Safe
3 Foxtrot "Lady Marmalade" — Labelle 8 7 7 30[a] Safe
Jive "Cum On Feel the Noize" — Quiet Riot 7 6 6 26[b]
4 Rumba "My Way" — Yseult 8 8 8 32[c] Safe
5 Jazz "Surface Pressure" — Jessica Darrow 9 8 8 25 Safe
Team Freestyle "I 2 I" — Tevin Campbell & Rosie Gaines 9 9 9 27
6 Tango "Psycho Killer" — Miley Cyrus 8 8 8 24 Safe
Cha-cha-cha Dance-off "Ghostbusters" — Ray Parker Jr. N/a N/a N/a 0[d]
7 Quickstep "Chuck Berry" — Pharrell Williams 10 9 9 28 Safe
Salsa "Da' Dip" — Freak Nasty 8 8 8 24
8
(Semifinals) 		Paso doble "Unholy (Orchestral Version)" — Sam Smith & Kim Petras 9 10 9 28 No Elimination
Viennese waltz "Golden Hour" — Jvke 10 9 10 29
9
(Finals) 		Jive "Shake a Tail Feather" — Ray Charles & the Blues Brothers 9 9 9 27 Runners-up
Freestyle "Femininomenon" — District 78 feat. Mona Rue 10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Ilona and Alan also received a score of 8 from guest judge Rosie Perez
  2. ^ Ilona and Alan also received a score of 7 from guest judge Gene Simmons
  3. ^ Ilona and Alan also received a score of 8 from guest judge Mark Ballas
  4. ^ Ilona and Alan received zero bonus points for losing the dance-off

Season 34

With celebrity partner Elaine Hendrix

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha "Woman" — Kesha, feat. the Dap-Kings Horns N/a 6 6 12[a] No elimination
2 Jive "Hey Mickey" — Toni Basil 7 7 7 21 Safe
3 Tango "Gnarly" — Katseye 7 7 7 21 Safe
4 Quickstep "Space Mountain" 8 8 8 24 Safe
5 Foxtrot "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" — Natalie Cole 8 7 8 30[b] No elimination
6 Contemporary "Defying Gravity" — Cynthia Erivo, feat. Ariana Grande 9 9 9 36[c] Safe
7 Argentine tango "Bad to the Bone" — 2WEI & Bri Bryant 8 8 8 32[d] Safe
Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon "Murder on the Dancefloor" — Sophie Ellis-Bextor
"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" — Fergie, Q-Tip, & GoonRock 		N/a N/a N/a 0[e]
8 Viennese waltz "What the World Needs Now is Love" — Dionne Warwick 9 9 9 37[f] Safe
Team Freestyle "Celebration" — Kool & the Gang 9 10 9 38[g]
9 Salsa "It Takes Two" — Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock 9 9 9 36[h] Safe
Quickstep Relay[i] "I Get a Kick Out of You" — Michael Bublé N/a N/a N/a 0[j]
Foxtrot "I Wanna Be Your Lover" — Prince 9 9 9 27 Safe
10 Paso doble "When Doves Cry" — Prince 10 10 10 30
11 Rumba "Take My Breath Away" — Jae Hall 10 10 10 30 Fifth Place
Quickstep "You Can't Hurry Love" — The Supremes 9 9 9 27
Freestyle "I Hope I Get It" — District 78
(from A Chorus Line) 		10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Due to Carrie Ann Inaba's absence, scores were given on a 20 point scale
  2. ^ Elaine and Alan also received a score of 7 from guest judge Kym Johnson
  3. ^ Elaine and Alan also received a score of 9 from guest judge Jon M. Chu
  4. ^ Elaine and Alan also received a score of 9 from guest judge Cheryl Burke
  5. ^ Elaine and Alan did not receive any points from the marathon due to her absence
  6. ^ Elaine and Alan also received a score of 10 from guest judge Flavor Flav
  7. ^ The team dance also received a score of 10 from guest judge Flavor Flav
  8. ^ Elaine and Alan also received a score of 9 from guest judge Tom Bergeron
  9. ^ Elaine danced with season 24 winner Rashad Jennings for the relay.
  10. ^ Elaine and Alan did not receive any bonus points for losing the relay round.

Dancing with the Stars: Juniors

Bersten joined the first season of Dancing with the Stars spin-off series Dancing with the Stars: Juniors as a professional mentor.[22] He formed Team Alan with junior professional dancer JT Church and 10-year-old professional skateboarder Sky Brown. Team Alan ended up winning the Juniors Mirrorball trophy on December 9, 2018.

Week Dance Song Judges' score Total Result
Chmerkovskiy Moore Rippon
1 Salsa "Light It Up" — Major Lazer, featuring Nyla & Fuse ODG 8 7 7 22 Safe
2 Cha-cha-cha "Just Dance" — Lady Gaga, featuring Colby O'Donis 7 7 8 22 Safe
3 Contemporary "How Far I'll Go" — Auliʻi Cravalho 8 8 8 24 Safe
4 Jive "Little Shop of Horrors" — Kidz Bop 9 9 8 26 Safe
5 Samba "The Greatest" — Sia 8 8 7 23 Safe
6 Foxtrot "Unconditionally" – Katy Perry 9 10 10 29 Safe
7 Charleston "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" — Fergie, featuring Q-Tip & GoonRock 9 9 9 27 Safe
8 Argentine tango "Thunder" — Imagine Dragons 10 9 10 29 No elimination
Jive and Foxtrot Fusion[a] "369" — Rhett George 10 9 9 28
9 Salsa "Light it Up" — Major Lazer, featuring Nyla & Fuse ODG 10 10 10 30 Winners
Freestyle "Underneath the Tree" — Kelly Clarkson 10 10 10 30

Notes

  1. ^ Performed with Ariana Greenblatt & Artyon Celestine

Awards and achievements

References

  1. ^ @Dance10Alan (11:32 PM PT May 25, 2016, 2:32 AM ET May 26, 2016). "It's my birthday! 22 and I still have that duck! (Tweet) – via Twitter. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Alexander, Bryan. "'Dancing With the Stars': Hannah Brown crowned new champion after nail-biting finale". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "Get Out There: Q&A with Dancing with the Stars' Alan Bersten". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "Local dancer takes the national stage". Adams Publishing Group. July 24, 2013.
  5. ^ "'DWTS' Pro Alan Bersten Reveals He Needed Surgery for Hyperparathyroidism". Self. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Serna, Vanessa (April 20, 2025). "'DWTS' pros Emma Slater and Alan Bersten seemingly confirm relationship with onstage kiss". Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  7. ^ Harris, Scott (March 29, 2016). "Paige VanZant Dazzles on 'Dancing with the Stars' Despite Partner Injury". Bleacher Report.
  8. ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' season 25 celebrity cast: Frankie Muniz, Barbara Corcoran, Nick Lachey and more". ABC News. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "Debbie Gibson eliminated from 'DWTS'". Newsday. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Tooley, Heather (September 5, 2017). "Official 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 25 Poster Released, See Which Dancers Are Featured". Inquisitr.
  11. ^ "'DWTS' Athletes: See the Season 26 Cast With Their Partners". Us Weekly. April 13, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  12. ^ "Mirai Nagasu 'Grateful' for Time on 'Dancing With the Stars' Despite Unexpected Elimination (Exclusive) | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Murphy, Desiree (September 12, 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 27 Cast Revealed -- Meet the Celebs and Their Pro Partners!". Entertainment Tonight.
  14. ^ Henderson, Cydney (November 20, 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' finals: Bobby Bones crowned the winner of Season 27". USA Today.
  15. ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 28 Partners Revealed". Us Weekly. September 17, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  16. ^ America, Good Morning. "'Dancing with the Stars' 2020: Pairs for season 29 revealed". Good Morning America. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  17. ^ Bonner, Mehera (November 17, 2020). "Skai Jackson Reacts to Last Night's Shocking 'Dancing With the Stars' Double Elimination". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "Dancing With The Stars Season 30: Full List Of Dancing Couples". ScreenRant. September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  19. ^ "Dancing with the Stars: Teresa Giudice, Wayne Brady, Selma Blair and More Celebs Join Season 31". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  20. ^ Bloom, Mike (November 27, 2024). "The Winner of 'Dancing with the Stars' 2024 Is Revealed". Parade.
  21. ^ "'Dancing with the Stars' Season 34 Cast Revealed: Danielle Fishel, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron and More Set to Compete". People.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  22. ^ Goldstein, Micheline (August 1, 2018). "Mentors and Junior Pros Announced". ABC.
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