The original article was published on the E! Online website.
Alan Burston tells how he realized it was time to take a big step.
A professional dancer from the show "« Dancing with the Stars» spoke about the moment when he realized that he and his co-star on the set Emma Slater can become more than just friends.
«"It's one of those things where you just look at it and think, 'Why didn't we do that?'" Alan exclusively told E! News at the 33rd annual Race to Erase MS charity gala on June 5 in a joint interview with Emma. "And it became something special.".
And Emma, who jokingly said it was her "cha-cha-cha dancing" that caught Alan's eye, added: "We've always been really good friends, and now we have a great relationship. It's really great.".
And although this couple, who recently completed a tour of the show «Dancing with the Stars »"Due to their busy schedules, they don't have much free time, but they make sure to find special moments for themselves.
«"We travel a lot," Alan said. "And we try to enjoy cities and moments, dinners, and just our little dog, Jeff, as much as possible. And that really helps me find my footing.".
As Emma put it, "even the most intense moments are fun, too." Moreover, she emphasized that life's best dance is when she and Alan are together.
«"If you're having fun," Emma explained, "and you can support each other through seemingly stressful things, then it's not so stressful.".
Although it's only been a year since they first publicly acknowledged their romance when they kissed onstage during last year's DWTS finale, Alan and Emma are proving they're in it for the long haul.
After all, Emma, 37, recently said in a birthday message to her boyfriend that she was looking forward to a future with Alan, 32.
«"You are a pure soul, and I love nothing more than laughing with you. I hope we get to do this many more times throughout our life together," she wrote in an Instagram post on May 26. "I already know that everything you want and strive for is already yours or will inevitably come to you, so on this birthday, I wish you to continue to follow your happiness, wherever it leads. I know you will! I love you.".
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As Emma put it, "even the hard times are fun, too." Moreover, she emphasized that all the ups and downs in life are better when she and Alan are together.
«"If you're having fun," Emma explained, "and you can support each other while doing seemingly stressful things, then it's not that stressful.".
Although since the first public acknowledgement of their romance, when they kissed on stage during the final night of last year's show DWTS , Just a year later, Alan and Emma are proving they're committed to a long-term relationship.
After all, Emma, 37, recently said in a birthday message to her boyfriend that she was looking forward to a future with Alan, 32.
«"You are a pure soul, and I love nothing more than laughing with you. I hope we get to do this many more times throughout our life together," she wrote in an Instagram post on May 26. "I already know that everything you want and strive for is already yours or will inevitably come to you, so on this birthday, I wish you to continue to follow your happiness, wherever it leads. I know you will! I love you.".
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
What else is especially dear to her? The show "Dancing with the Stars"« . And the professional dancer has made it clear that she has no plans to leave the ABC reality show anytime soon.
«"I'm going to be on this show for as long as I can," Emma told E! News at the Race to Erase MS event. "As long as I'm here, I'm going to give this show everything I have. It made me who I am. It sounds a little weird to attribute that to the show, but I grew up with these people. I grew up doing what I love. And I have such an amazing platform.".
«"It brings me so much happiness," she added. "I'm very, very happy here. And I don't plan on leaving this show.".
While fans wait to see which stars Emma and Alan will be paired with in the 35th season of the show «Dancing with the Stars, which returns this fall, check out other contestants who took their romance beyond the dance floor.
Gleb Savchenko and Brooks Nader
Emma Slater and Alan Bersten
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In April 2025, the show's participants «Dancing with the Stars» shared a kiss onstage on the final night of their 2025 tour during their show-closing duet dance, confirming months of romance rumors.
A show-off romance or true love: true love, as their colleague wrote Ezra Sosa «"FINALLY" in response to a video of a couple kissing.
Gabby Windy and Vinny Guadagnino
Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran
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Professional dancer and former contestant show "Bachelorette"« were in a romantic relationship while participating together in Season 33 «Dancing with the Stars »" in 2024. However, their off-screen relationship fizzled out by June 2025, shortly after Jen returned to Miami to finish her master's degree.
A show-off romance or true love: Not confirmed.
Emma Slater and Sasha Farber
Which brings us to these two. After dating on and off since 2011, the professional dancers got engaged live on the show in October 2016 and married in March 2018. However, in August 2022, E! News confirmed that Slater and Farber were separating after four years of marriage.
A show-off romance or true love? Despite the outcome, their relationship remained genuine, and after their separation, they maintained a close friendship and companionship, keeping in touch with each other.
«"It's not a nightmare at all," Emma exclusively told E! News. "We're very supportive of each other, and I wish Sasha all the best. We support each other genuinely, sincerely.".
Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson
Val and Jenna dated in 2015, before she became a professional dancer. They became engaged in June 2018 and officially married in April 2019. In July 2022, they announced they were expecting their first child. Their son was born in January 2023. Rum Valentin .
«"Life is good," Val told E! News in May 2023. Becoming a father has "definitely increased my joy in life, my joy for my family, and I learn something new every day being a dad.".
A show-off romance or true love? True love, friends!
Chrishell Stause and Keo Motsepe
In December 2020, E! News learned that the star of the series «Selling Sunset» is dating a professional dancer from the show "« Dancing with the Stars, although they participated in the 29th season separately.
However, after two months of dating, E! News exclusively confirmed that they had split. At the time, a source close to the realtor said, "They were having a good time together, but ultimately decided it was best for them to separate. They remain friends and maintain a friendly relationship. It wasn't a messy breakup; they just weren't right for each other and the timing wasn't right.".
Since then, Chrishell has found love in her partner G Flipa .
A sham romance or true love We believe that Chrishell and Keo's romance is true love.
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev
Throughout their time together on the show Total Bellas in 2017, where they took seventh place, a platonic relationship, but after her breakup with John Cena In 2018, Nikki and the former professional dancer from Dancing With the Stars They got back together. Nikki confirmed her relationship with Artem in May 2019, and they got engaged later that year.
The WWE Hall of Famer found out she was pregnant shortly after getting engaged in Paris, and they welcomed a son in 2020. Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev .
Unfortunately, the couple is no longer together. Nikki filed for divorce in September 2024, two weeks after Artem's arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. Ultimately, the Napa County District Attorney's Office announced it had decided not to charge him "after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and a careful assessment of the evidence presented to the District Attorney's Office.".
Nikki and Artem settled their divorce in November 2024, with Nikki's rep noting that they also dropped "protective orders filed against each other for domestic violence in order to move forward and co-parent their son.".
Show-off or true love? True love.
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten
Model Alexis and relatively new professional dancer Alan actively flirted throughout Season 27, and Ren admitted to being attracted to him on the show. A source even told E! News at the time that they were "really enjoying each other's company" and "seeing where it goes.".
A show-off romance or true love? Unfortunately, this was mostly just for the cameras. In December 2018, many media outlets reported their breakup, blaming it on their long-distance relationship and busy schedules.
Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas
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In season five, the partners began a romance, but they broke up a few months after their unexpected departure. However, Sabrina and Mark remained friends, and the group's star The Cheetah Girls even returned to the dance floor to support him the following season.
Show-off or true love: true love.
James Maslow and Peta Murgetroyd
Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
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The professional dancers got engaged in 2009, just six months after their split from Mario Lopez. Sadly, they broke off the engagement later that year. However, the couple remained friends and even vacationed together.
Show-off or true love: true love.
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov