Alan Bersten (born 26 May 1994)[1] is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer. He was a contestant 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 is the winner of season 28 of Dancing with the Stars with his celebrity partner, The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.[2]

Alan Bersten
Born (1994-05-26) 26 May 1994 (age 30)
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer
Years active2013 - present
Height6 ft (183 cm)

Personal life

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Bersten was born and raised in Minnesota. His family heritage is Russian Jewish. He started dancing at the age of 7.[3]

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.[4]

Dancing With The Stars

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Performances

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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.[5] 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.[6] They were eliminated in the second week and took 12th place.[7] Bersten was also featured on the official promotional poster for the show that season alongside fellow cast member Sharna Burgess.[8]

For season 26, Bersten was partnered with Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu.[9] 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.[10]

For season 27, Bersten was partnered with model Alexis Ren.[11] The couple reached the finals and took 4th place.[12]

For season 28, Bersten was partnered with The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.[13] 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.[14] They were eliminated week 10, finishing in 5th place.[15]

For season 30, Bersten was partnered with The Talk co-host and dancer Amanda Kloots.[16] They reached the finals and finished in 4th place.

For season 31, Bersten was partnered with country music singer Jessie James Decker.[17] 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.[18]

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

Season 25

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With celebrity partner Debbie Gibson

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot / "Lost in Your Eyes" 6 5 6 17 No Elimination
2 Quickstep / "This Is My Time"
Argentine Tango / "Havana"
7
7
6
7
7
7
20
21
Safe
Eliminated

Season 26

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With celebrity partner Mirai Nagasu

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Salsa / "No Excuses" 7 8 8 23 Safe
2 Foxtrot / "It's a Small World"
Team Freestyle / "Instant Replay"
9
9
9/101
9/101
9
9
37 Safe
3 Quickstep / "BO$$" 9 8/92 9 35 Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Rashad Jennings

2 Score given by guest judge David Ross.

Season 27

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With celebrity partner Alexis Ren

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Jive / "Good Golly, Miss Molly"
Jive / "Shake the Room"
7
7
7
8
7
8
21
23
Bottom five
Safe
2 Argentine tango / "Swan Lake Suite"
Salsa / "Booty"
8
8
9
8
8
8
25
24
Safe
3 Contemporary / "How To Save A Life" 9 8 9 26 Safe
4 Trio Tango / "Move Your Body" 8 8 9 25 Safe
5 Foxtrot / "Just Around the Riverbend" 10 9 10 29 No elimination
6 Jazz / "Candyman" 9 9 9 27 Last to be called safe
7 Samba / "Ladies in the ’90s"
Team Freestyle / "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)"
9
9
10
8
10
9
29
26
Safe
8
(Semifinals)
Waltz / "Water"
Jive / "Yes"
9
10
9
10
10
10
28
30
Last to be called safe
9
(Finals)
Argentine tango / "Swan Lake Suite"
Freestyle / "Head Above Water"
9
10
9
10
9
10
27
30
Fourth place

Season 28

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With celebrity partner Hannah Brown

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" 7 7 7 21 No Elimination
2 Viennese Waltz / "Lover" 8 8 7 23 Safe
3 Rumba / "Hold On" 7 7 7 21 Safe
4 Paso Doble / "I Love It" 8 81/8 8 32 Safe
5 Foxtrot / "A Whole New World" 9 7 8 24 No Elimination
6 Samba / "Southbound" 8 8 8 24 Safe
7 Jazz / "Bad Girls"
Team Freestyle / "Somebody's Watching Me"
8
9
9
9
8
9
25
27
Safe
8 Quickstep / "American Girl"
Salsa Dance-Off / "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You"
10
Awarded
9
2
10
Points
29 Safe
9 Salsa / "No Scrubs"
Tango / "Boy with Luv"
8
10
8/82
9/102
8
10
32
39
Safe
10
(Semifinals)
Rumba / "Dancing with a Stranger"
Contemporary / "Lose You to Love Me"
9
9
9
9
9
9
27
27
Safe
11
(Finals)
Viennese Waltz / "Lover"
Freestyle / "Girl on Fire" & "Hollaback Girl"
10
10
9
10
10
10
29
30
Winners

1 Score given by guest judge Leah Remini.

2 Score given by guest judge Joey Fatone.

Season 29

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With celebrity partner Skai Jackson

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Hough Tonioli
1 Tango / "Super Bass" 7 7 7 21 No Elimination
2 Samba / "Miss Independent" 5 5 5 15 Safe
3 Jive / "Almost There" 6 6 6 18 Safe
4 Foxtrot / "Ordinary People" 10 9 9 28 Safe
5 Jazz / "The Power of Love" 8 8 8 24 Safe
6 Cha-cha-cha / "Say So" 6 6 6 18 Safe
7 Argentine tango / "Everything I Wanted" 9 9 9 27 Safe
8 Salsa / "Work It"
Samba relay / "Levitating"
8
Awarded
9
2
8
Points
25 Bottom two
9 Paso doble / "If"
Salsa Dance-Off / "The Cup of Life"
9
Awarded
9
2
9
Points
27 Safe
10
(Semifinals)
Cha-cha-cha / "Move Your Feet"
Viennese waltz / "Lonely"
9
10
9
10
9
10
27
30
Eliminated

Season 30

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With celebrity partner Amanda Kloots

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Tango / "Dance Again" 7 7 7 7 28 No Elimination
2 Foxtrot / "It Had to Be You" 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
3 Cha-cha-cha / "Circus" 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
4 Rumba / "You'll Be in My Heart"
Paso doble / "Call Me Cruella"
8
9
8
9
8
9
8
9
32
36
No Elimination
Safe
5 Viennese waltz / "Beauty School Dropout" 10 10 9 10 39 Safe
6 Argentine tango / "Paint It Black" 9 9 10 10 38 Safe
7 Jive / "Don't Stop Me Now"
Viennese waltz relay / "We Are the Champions"
8
Awarded
8
1
8
Extra
9
Point
33 Safe
8 Jazz / "Miss You Much"
Cha-cha-cha Dance-off / "Together Again"
10
Awarded
10
2
10
Extra
10
Points
40 Safe
9
(Semifinals)
Tango / "Titanium"
Contemporary / "Live Your Life"
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
39
40
Bottom three
10
(Finals)
Viennese waltz & Paso doble Fusion / "Never Tear Us Apart''
Freestyle / "A Sky Full of Stars"
9
10
10
10
91
101
10
10
38
40
Fourth place

1 Julianne Hough filled in for Derek Hough.

Season 31

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With celebrity partner Jessie James Decker

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Inaba Goodman Hough Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Sweet Home Alabama" 5 5 5 5 20 Safe
2 Foxtrot / "Trouble" 7 6 6 6 25 Safe
3 Rumba / "Goldfinger" 6 6 7 7 26 Safe
4 Jive / "One Way or Another" 8 7 8 8 31 Safe
5 Tango / "Blue Jeans"
Viennese Waltz / "Breakaway"
Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon
7
8
Given
7
8
11
8
8
Extra
7
8
Points
29
32+11=43
72
Safe
6 Salsa / "Come Dance With Me" 8 8 91/8 8 41 Eliminated

1 Score given by guest judge Michael Buble.

Season 32

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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)" 5 5 5 15 Safe
2 Cha-cha-cha / "Shake Señora" 6 5 5 16 Eliminated

Dancing With The Stars: Juniors

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Bersten joined the first season of Dancing With The Stars spin-off series Dancing With The Stars: Juniors as a professional mentor.[19] 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" 8 7 7 22 Safe
2 Cha-cha-cha / "Just Dance" 7 7 7 21 Safe
3 Contemporary / "How Far I'll Go" 8 8 8 24 Safe
4 Jive / "Little Shop of Horrors" 9 9 9 27 Safe
5 Samba / "The Greatest" 8 8 7 23 Safe
6 Foxtrot / "Unconditionally" 9 10 10 29 Safe
7 Charleston / "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" 9 9 9 27 Safe
8 Argentine Tango / "Thunder"
Jive-Foxtrot Fusion / "369"
10
10
9
9
10
9
29
28
No elimination
9 Salsa / "Light It Up"
Freestyle / "Underneath the Tree"
10
10
10
10
10
10
30
30
Winners

Awards and achievements

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) winner
Season 28 (Fall 2019 with Hannah Brown)
Succeeded by
Preceded by
N/A
Dancing with the Stars: Juniors (US) winner
Season 1 (Fall 2018 with Sky Brown & JT Church)
Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) runner-up
Season 33 (Fall 2024 with Ilona Maher)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) fourth place
Season 27 (Fall 2018 with Alexis Ren)
Season 30 (Fall 2021 with Amanda Kloots)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dancing with the Stars (US) semi-finalist
Season 26 (Spring 2018 with Mirai Nagasu)
Season 29 (Fall 2020 with Skai Jackson)
Succeeded by

References

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  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. ^ "'DWTS' Pro Alan Bersten Reveals He Needed Surgery for Hyperparathyroidism". Self. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Harris, Scott (March 29, 2016). "Paige VanZant Dazzles on 'Dancing with the Stars' Despite Partner Injury". Bleacher Report.
  6. ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' season 25 celebrity cast: Frankie Muniz, Barbara Corcoran, Nick Lachey and more". ABC News. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Debbie Gibson eliminated from 'DWTS'". Newsday. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. ^ Tooley, Heather (September 5, 2017). "Official 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 25 Poster Released, See Which Dancers Are Featured". Inquisitr.
  9. ^ "'DWTS' Athletes: See the Season 26 Cast With Their Partners". Us Weekly. April 13, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. ^ "Mirai Nagasu 'Grateful' for Time on 'Dancing With the Stars' Despite Unexpected Elimination (Exclusive) | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  11. ^ Murphy, Desiree (September 12, 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 27 Cast Revealed -- Meet the Celebs and Their Pro Partners!". Entertainment Tonight.
  12. ^ Henderson, Cydney (November 20, 2018). "'Dancing With the Stars' finals: Bobby Bones crowned the winner of Season 27". USA Today.
  13. ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 28 Partners Revealed". Us Weekly. September 17, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  14. ^ America, Good Morning. "'Dancing with the Stars' 2020: Pairs for season 29 revealed". Good Morning America. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  15. ^ Bonner, Mehera (November 17, 2020). "Skai Jackson Reacts to Last Night's Shocking 'Dancing With the Stars' Double Elimination". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  16. ^ "Dancing With The Stars Season 30: Full List Of Dancing Couples". ScreenRant. September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  17. ^ "Dancing with the Stars: Teresa Giudice, Wayne Brady, Selma Blair and More Celebs Join Season 31". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  18. ^ Bloom, Mike. "The Winner of 'Dancing with the Stars' 2024 Is Revealed". Parade.
  19. ^ Goldstein, Micheline (August 1, 2018). "Mentors and Junior Pros Announced". ABC.