Dancer and actress Jenna Dewan is giving Alan Bersten his flowers after he stepped in to help her compete on Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
Jenna praised the pro dancer for rising to the occasion after Val Chemerkovskiy‘s suspension left the pair with just days to prepare their routine.
During an appearance on Good Morning America, Jenna and Alan opened up about their experience working together and how they made the last-minute partnership work.
“We had less than a week,” revealed Jenna of her time actually working with Alan.
“We had about two and a half days.” Being the consummate professional, Jenna reminded the fans, “the show must go on, even when unexpected circumstances require a quick pivot.”
“Your mental game is what you’re in control of,” she continued.
Jenna was complimentary of her subsitute dance partner. “I walked in, and Alan really stepped up.”
Alan quickly played along with Jenna’s unintentional pun, responding, “I had to Step Up!” The exchange was a fun nod to the 2006 dance drama starring Jenna, which helped introduce audiences to her dancing talents.
“You rose to the occasion, truly. You were so amazing, and your heart was present the entire time,” Jenna told Alan.
The actress added that they made the experience work while still enjoying themselves, calling the performance beautiful.
Alan also explained that he and Jenna were in communication with Val Chmerkovskiy throughout the process. Since Jenna is Val’s regular dance partner, the transition required some collaboration.
“He was like, ‘Change whatever you want. Do whatever you want. Just enjoy,’” Alan recalled, noting that there was plenty of back-and-forth between them.
Val also took to social media to thank Alan for stepping in and doing such an amazing job. He praised Jenna’s performance, adding, “Jenna looks so good,” before emphasizing that she was “most importantly happy.”
Val even appeared to address fans’ observations about his social media activity, joking to Alan, “You’re my new favorite follow 😉.”
