‘Dancing With the Stars’ Couple Seemingly Confirms Relationship: Emma Slater and Alan Bersten Kiss

A surprise romantic gesture during the final performance of a nationwide tour has apparently confirmed what fans have suspected for months between two professional dancers. Emma Slater and Alan Bersten, longtime cast members of ABC’s popular competition series Dancing with the Stars, appear to have officially unveiled their relationship with an unexpected public display of affection.

The dancing duo concluded their DWTS: Live! 2025 tour with a memorable finale on Saturday, April 19, when they shared a mid-routine kiss during their closing show in Rosemont, Illinois. The spontaneous moment, which occurred during an intimate dance sequence, drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience, People reports.

An audience member captured the exchange on video, later sharing it on TikTok with the caption: “Not to be dramatic but watching this live made my entire life,” describing the moment as “the greatest hard launch of all time.” In the footage, the pair can be seen gliding across the stage together before pausing briefly for the kiss, with Bersten’s arm encircling Slater’s waist while she embraces his neck.

Though neither performer has issued an official statement confirming their relationship status, their public affection seems to confirm months of speculation about a romantic connection. Representatives for both dancers did not immediately respond to media inquiries on Sunday, People notes.

The apparent confirmation comes with an interesting backstory, as both professionals have previous romantic ties to the Dancing With the Stars community. Slater, 36, was previously married to fellow professional dancer Sasha Farber until their separation in 2022 and subsequent divorce in 2023. Despite their split, the former couple maintained a professional relationship, continuing to work together on the show. Meanwhile, Bersten, 30, previously dated model Alexis Ren, his celebrity partner during the show’s 27th season, though their relationship ended in 2018.

Dancing With the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro provided additional insight into the situation, revealing to People that the romance itself wasn’t surprising to those close to the dancers. “Emma’s my sister and she’s at my house several times a week. So, clearly, my household knew what was going on. We just didn’t know that they had made the decision to launch,” Ribeiro explained at a Disney event on April 22.

The veteran host suggested that the public acknowledgment made sense given existing speculation, adding: “When people find something that they enjoy — enjoy it, live it. Why live a lie?”

Fellow host Julianne Hough offered a different perspective, admitting she was unaware of the development. “I live under a rock,” she told People. “I don’t know anything.” However, Hough noted the natural progression of relationships in the dance world, explaining: “There’s so much trust that has to be built with a partnership and so, there’s instant chemistry in an attraction way, but the chemistry that’s built is usually built off of trust.”

The ballroom-born romance continues a tradition of relationships forming within the Dancing With the Stars community, though Slater had previously expressed contentment with single life following her divorce, telling People last year that she “couldn’t be happier” and was “truly dating myself.”