Dancing With the Stars pro Alan Bersten didn’t hold back while discussing his connection with season 34 partner Elaine Hendrix.
After judge Carrie Ann Inaba claimed that Hendrix, 54, was “too independent,” she admitted she understood the criticism. “She’s not wrong. I learned the tango in five days,” Hendrix told Us Weekly following the Tuesday, September 30, episode. “It’s an incredibly intricate dance, and that’s not an excuse.”
“It’s just that there’s so much to think about, and I feel like at any given moment, I’m with him, and then I got to think about my heel, and then I got to think about my shoulder. It’s juggling a lot,” the Parent Trap actress added.
Fans recently watched Hendrix and Bersten, 31, dance the tango to “Gnarly” by Katseye during the show’s TikTok week. Following the performance, they received a score of 21 out of 30 from judges Inaba, 57, Derek Hough and Bruno Toniolo.
“You are incredible. You are powerful. You are strong, but you’re being too independent,” Inaba told Hendrix during the latest episode. “This is my small note. I know you’re working to dance together but I actually still feel a little bit of fighting. Just trust your partner a hair more so all the strength is working together.”
While Bersten said he always likes to take the judges’ feedback, he also made it clear that he’s loved getting to work with Hendrix.
“Honestly, we’re gonna take the notes of the judges and make sure to work on that connection, because we do have such a great connection,” he told the outlet. “I think the tango is just such a powerful dance that we were like, let’s just nail the power for our next dance. We’re just gonna enjoy it.”
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The professional dancer also reflected on surviving another week on the competition show. “When they don’t call your name right away, it is — I know they say no particular order — scary,” Bersten said. “We’re so grateful to be safe. Honestly, we’re having such a great time, and Elaine’s doing such incredible dances week after week. It’s sad to see anyone go. I’m shocked Brandon and Lauren went home. Everyone deserves to be here.”
Bersten and Hendrix may have made it through the latest episode, though fans were shocked to learn that Brandon Armstrong and Lauren Jauregui had been eliminated.
Viewers can continue to watch their partnership evolve as DWTS airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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