The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
He’s dancing on top of the world
Alan Bersten goes from ‘DWTS’ troupe member to top dog
During the most recent season of “Dancing With the Stars,” professional dancer Alan Bersten learned with a little bit of rhythm he could get to first place. Paired up with Hannah Brown from “The Bachelorette,” Bersten for the first time was crowned Mirrorball champion.
“It’s a dream come true — and crazy — to be able to call myself a Mirrorball champion,” said Bersten, calling from Los Angeles. “Hannah did such a good job. I’m just so lucky that I was able to partner with someone so enthusiastic about dance. “What stood out to me this season was honestly the work ethic that she brought to the room and the dances that we were able to accomplish.”
During the season, the duo danced everything from a Viennese waltz (“Lover” by Taylor Swift) and the rumba (“Hold On” by Wilson Phillips) to paso doble (“I Love It” by Icona Pop), the samba (“Southbound” by Carrie Underwood) and salsa (“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” by Gloria Estefan).
While Bersten knew Brown had talent, he admittedly was unsure how far they’d go in the competition.
“In the beginning, you never know what to think,” Bersten said. “I thought we were going to get eliminated in the semifinals because you never want to get your hopes up, so you kind of set the bar low.
“It was a great surprise when we made it to the finals, and then it was a further surprise when they called our name as the winners. I’m still on cloud nine.”
It’s been a memorable rise for Bersten, who spent five years as a troupe member on the ABC reality show before Season 24, when he was tapped to partner with celebrity dancer Heather Morris for four weeks due to dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s injury.
Making the most of the opportunity, Bersten the following season was bumped up to professional dancer.
The years the Minnesota native spent as a troupe member, showing off his dancing and choreography skills, proved pivotal in his career, which began at age 18 as a finalist on the tenth season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“It was a dream of mine to be a part of such an amazing show like ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ but when I joined I was really young,” Bersten said. “To be fair, if they would have made me a pro at 20, I would have done a good job, but it would have been with a lot of struggle.
“Being a troupe member, I was able to see how different pros teach their celebs. It was a strong learning curve for me. It was a great way for me to dip my toes in the water.”
Bersten has been showing off his talents this winter as part of “Dancing With the Stars — Live Tour 2020,” which comes through Northeast Ohio for a show Feb. 4 at the Akron Civic Theatre.
This marks his sixth tour across the country. The only difference this time is he’s taking a victory lap with guests Ally Brooke, Lauren Alaina, Kel Mitchell and Kate Flannery, along with world-renowned dancers Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson, Sasha Farber, Emma Slater, Gleb Savchenko, Brandon Armstrong, Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach.
“I enjoy the tour almost a little bit more than the live show because I get to dance without any stress,” Bersten said.
“I can just go out there, make eye contact with the audience members and invite them into the journey that we’re having onstage. It’s a more personal approach. It’s such an amazing show.”