Jamie Lynn Spears and her Dancing With the Stars partner, Alan Bersten, have the full support of her two children.
“Yeah, the daughters are so proud,” Bersten, 29, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 20, while discussing the launch of his Berst10 Fitness program.
The professional dancer noted that he even attended Spears’ eldest daughter Maddie’s pre-homecoming festivities earlier this month and several of her softball games. “Jamie Lynn is such a good mom and she’s so in their lives that I just tag along sometimes,” he gushed.
Spears shares Maddie, 15, with ex Casey Aldridge and Ivey, 5, with her husband, Jamie Watson. The Sweet Magnolias star primarily resides with her family in her native Louisiana, which is where she and Bersten have kicked off their DWTS season 32 training.
“It’s been nice. Jamie Lynn’s awesome, and we’re able to just work and not really get distracted,” the DWTS season 28 winner told Us. “She is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, honestly. We have a lot of fun rehearsals, but she really cares [and] you can’t ask for anything [better] in a partner.”
Bersten further gushed that he has such a “fun” dynamic with Spears, which makes their rehearsal time fly by.
“[We] get a lot done, but at the same time, it’s like everything is so enjoyable about it,” he said. “There’s something about Jamie Lynn’s energy that there’s not a lot of toughness. It’s not really hard. It’s all just kind of flowing really easily, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Spears is one of the 14 competitors on DWTS season 32, which was slated to premiere on Thursday, September 28. The schedule is now in limbo amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
As Bersten teaches his partners, like Spears, to dance, he is careful to tailor the experience to their individual journeys.
“[I try] to really cater [each season] to each celebrity [and] I think it’s more about allowing them to be themselves in the rehearsals and just reassuring them that they’re going to be able to do it no matter what,” he told Us. “Everyone is completely different, but some people, they either make expectations for themselves or they think that other people [have] expectations for them. I think as long as everyone’s growing and you’re just out here trying to do your very best, that’s all that matters.”
He continued: “At the end of the day, none of them are ballroom dancers [and] no one’s done this before, so they’re very vulnerable and, to me, there’s literally nothing better than just hard work. If I see somebody cares about it, it’s so inspiring and Jamie’s been so inspiring this whole rehearsal process so far because she cares so much and she tries so much.”
In addition to working on DWTS, Bersten launched his Berst10 Fitness program last month. Its website went live in August and apps via both the Apple Store and Google Play are coming out later this year. Interested users can sign up for a 7-day free trial for unlimited plans starting at $12.99 monthly or $120.99 yearly.
“I think the hardest thing about fitness is starting and this, I guide you through it, I make it doable, I make it manageable and I make sure that everyone feels comfortable in their own home doing it,” Bersten told Us of the program, which features 10-minute workout tutorials. “You can literally do it anywhere, [on your] phone, on your TV, on your laptop and it’s just a way to either start your fitness routine or just continue and supplement it. As long as you’re having fun and being active, that’s the best.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
