Jenna Dewan reportedly plans a Viennese waltz with Alan Bersten for the Oct. 20 “Dancing with the Stars” Dedication Night, Page Six reported, citing Us Weekly for the routine. Parade reports that rehearsal footage shared on the show’s official Instagram Story showed Bersten beside Dewan as she described their planned dance to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” She said she would dedicate it to her mother, Nancy.
In an Instagram caption reproduced by TV Insider, Dewan called her mother, whom the outlet identifies as Nancy Bursch, her “biggest cheerleader.” She wrote that her mother first encouraged her love of dance and that she would dedicate a dance to her that Tuesday. The caption did not mention her usual partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy; Parade says neither Dewan nor Bersten addressed his suspension in the rehearsal footage.
Bersten is stepping in after “Dancing with the Stars” producer BBC Studios said Chmerkovskiy would not participate in the next show. In a statement , the company called his social media post “inappropriate” and said it did not reflect the standards expected of people connected with the show. Deadline reports that Chmerkovskiy posted, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized a performance by his wife, fellow dance pro Jenna Johnson. Deadline described the post as seeming to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. In a subsequent Instagram Story , Chmerkovskiy said his instinct was to defend his wife, called the reference a poor decision and said its other implications were not his intention.
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