Another “Dancing With the Stars” couple found love in the ballroom. After years of friendship, Emma Slater and Alan Bersten have cultivated a beautiful romance.
After keeping their relationship quiet for months, they shared a public kiss on stage during the 2025 Live tour. Now, they’re fondly remembering the early days of their romance and how their love blossomed into something wonderful.
Alan Bersten & Emma Slater Built Their Relationship on the Foundation of Friendship
GettyThe “Dancing With the Stars” 2026 Live tour concluded in May, leaving the pro dancers free to pursue other projects and relax until season 35 begins in the fall. Emma Slater and Alan Bersten are enjoying time together outside of performing.
E! News caught up with the couple to chat about the start of their romantic connection.
“It’s one of those things where you just look and you’re like, ‘Why haven’t we?'” Alan told the outlet. “And then it’s just been so special.”
Emma joked that her dance moves truly caught Alan’s eye. But at the end of the day, their relationship was truly built upon their friendship.
“We’ve always been really good friends, and now we have a great relationship. It feels really good,” she added.
The couple spent months together in close quarters while on the “Dancing With the Stars” Live tour. But even amid their busy work schedule, they found time to enjoy each other’s company.
“We get to travel a lot,” Alan revealed. “And we try to enjoy the cities and the moments, the dinners and just our little dog Jeff as much as we can. And that’s what really grounds me.”
However, Emma emphasized there’s quite a bit to enjoy about the busy moments as well.
“If you find enjoyment in that, and you’re able to support each other whilst doing seemingly stressful things, it’s not so stressful,” she told the outlet.
The Couple Detested Hiding Their Romance
Emma Slater and fellow DWTS pro Sasha Farber were married from 2018 until their 2024 divorce. She knew fans would have strong feelings about her new relationship with Alan Bersten, so they hid it for quite some time.
“You know it’s hard when you are in this limelight, people, they know your life,” Alan shared during an appearance on the “Chicks in the Office” podcast. “And it was like, we just want to enjoy life together. Like it’s hard going on a vacation and we can’t really post together, so I was like, ‘We need to do it.’ And it was the best thing ever.”
“I feel like I was living in fear for quite a bit, and I just hated feeling like people were just judging me all the time,” Emma revealed on the show. “And I didn’t realize what an unbearable weight that was.”
Fans can catch Emma Slater and Alan Bersten back in the ballroom when “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 kicks off in September. “The Next Pro” premieres on Monday, July 13, on ABC.
