Even after more than a decade in California, Alan Bersten is often identified as a Midwesterner for his quiet and caring demeanor. “Minnesota Nice is a very real thing,” he says. “I don’t know any different … I feel like everyone in Minnesota is very compassionate and nice, and I feel like it helped shape me in a really good way.” Photo: Chris Emeott
Growing up, Alan Bersten understood where his talent could take him.
But that early understanding had its price—the ability to cultivate a wide social circle. Thankfully, he had three close friends who understood his talent and passion. “But growing up, a lot of kids made fun of me for dancing because, back then, it was not very cool to be a ballroom dancer who was a boy, you know?” Alan says.
Today, the cultural shift is undeniable. “Now, it’s cool. Now, Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) is like [one of] the biggest shows, and it’s amazing for me to be part of something like that,” says Alan, who has been a professional on the ABC hit program since 2015. “And, hopefully, it inspires other kids to follow their dreams.”
Season 35 of DWTS premieres this month and might include Alan and a celebrity partner. (Watch for a special show announcement on Good Morning America.) The former Minnetonka resident started with DWTS as a troupe member for four seasons (two years), later appearing on the show as a professional dancer, starting in Season 25. (He and celebrity partner Hannah Brown won the coveted mirror ball trophy in Season 28.)
Hitting the professional dance floor isn’t a quick or easy leap. For Alan, the story began after his parents immigrated to the United States from Belarus, and the family, including his brother, Gene, and sister, Melani, called Minnetonka home. Alan recalls those early years, visiting Lake Minnetonka, attending school in Hopkins and remembering “a nice little Dairy Queen by my house.” Other recollections hold a firmer grasp. “I grew up dancing my whole life, so literally, my memories all have to do with dance,” he says.
Alan’s parents realized their children’s passion for dance required more than casual lessons. They brought elite instructors to Minnesota and helped build a competitive ballroom community from the ground up, opening the now-closed Magic Ballroom. “I think they realized that we loved it so much and maybe it wasn’t as prominent in Minnesota yet, so they figured out ways to … bring outside instructors into Minnesota for the weekends, and they really facilitated a great environment for us to learn,” he says. Alan started dancing at 7, traveled monthly for dance competitions by 13 and taught at his family’s dance studio at 16.
Lindsay Arnold and Alan Bersten perform in December 2016 during Dancing With the Stars Live in Hollywood, Florida. “If you’re going to commit, do it,” Alan Bersten says. “And if you fail, you fail, but at least you tried. So I would encourage everyone, not just kids, to just go out there. If you are passionate about something, try it, and the worst that can happen is it doesn’t work out. But the best thing is like, ‘Oh, that was fun. I’m going to do it again.’ And you keep doing it, and you keep getting better.” Photo: ZUMA Press / Alamy News
Though their parents hoped the siblings would attend college, that wasn’t in the cards for Alan and Gene. “For me, dance was the priority,” Alan says. After school, he’d head to the studio, do his homework and then dance. “From the very beginning, it’s just something that I loved and thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be my life,’” Alan says. It’s Gene’s life too, making his own way into the dance world. Today, he and his wife, Elena Bersten, own Dance With Us America in Edina.
For Alan, his career passport includes touring with productions, such as Burn the Floor, appearing on So You Think You Can Dance, and performing, choreographing and touring with DWTS—where those days as a troupe member served him well. “I think you learn a lot from being on the troupe,” he says. “Being a pro is very, very hard. If you’re just thrown into it, you might get lucky, but unless you … really understand that it’s more than just dancing. It’s more than just teaching. You have to really connect to your partners and facilitate a journey for them.”
Being a DWTS professional doesn’t just include dancing and teaching one’s partner. Professionals are tasked with developing choreography week after week—or as long as the judges and voting public keep them on the show. “I love being able to create,” Alan says. “I love being able to hear a song and try and connect the story to it. I don’t know if everyone feels the same way … I think you just have to feel it.” Being surrounded by other artists helps the creative process. “You get inspired from each other, so I love it,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best parts about being on the show is being able to create new stories every week.”
Alan has spent the last 11 years with a packed DWTS schedule, but he prefers it that way. “I don’t like to take a lot of time off. I like to stay busy and dance,” he says. Following each DWTS season, the team typically embarks on a U.S. tour. In the past, that has been followed up for Alan with teaching and making public appearances. For those asked back to the show, rehearsals then fire up for the next DWTS season. A busy schedule, indeed. “I think, when you love what you do, you don’t burn out … it’s the biggest blessing,” he says.
Pouring out creatively and physically requires the need to replenish oneself. For Alan, performing fills his cup; being active and dancing brings him happiness. “I think one of the reasons I love dancing is I’m able to bring joy to people that are watching in a way that, you know, if I was a comedian, I would probably feel the same way doing comedy,” he says. “I’m just not that funny.”
Thankfully, for dance fans and aspiring dancers—including boys—Alan doesn’t have a knack for comedy, so dancing it is—making him and so many fans very, very happy.
Alan Bersten
Instagram: @alanbersten
Dancing With the Stars
Instagram: @dwtstourofficial
