Getting their groove on! Alan Bersten and Alexis Ren instantly hit it off upon meeting for the first time on Dancing With the Stars. “What do you do?” Bersten, 24, asked Ren, 21, in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek. “I’m an influencer on social media,” she replied. The professional dancer then teased that he’s “pretty big on social media” as well. “I don’t want to brag, but I have, like, 213,000 followers,” he boasted. “How many do you have?” Ren laughed before revealing her impressive following. “I have about 12.7 million,” she said. Bersten quipped back, “Let’s see if you’ve got any moves.” The professional dancer then taught the supermodel a salsa number and the twosome showed off the swing in their steps. Us confirmed earlier this month that Ren would be partnered with Bersten for the ABC series’ 27th season. “I hope mom is watching and smiling from above,” Ren wrote in an Instagram post on September 12, honoring her late mother who died of cancer in January 2014. “Excited to be apart of @dancingabc let’s do this @alanbersten.” Bersten is ready to hit the ground running with Ren too. “Words can’t describe how excited I am to be dancing with @alexisren on @dancingabc season 27!! !” he gushed alongside a photo with the California native via Instagram. He later shared more snapshots of the duo in workout gear during their rehearsals. Click here to meet the other teams competing alongside Ren and Bersten! Dancing With the Stars season 27 premieres on ABC Monday, September 24, at 8 p.m. ET.<doc-sep>Since the start of Dancing With the Stars season 27, a bit of controversy has been brewing over one of the cast members. It all started when Alexis Ren, a prominent social media influencer, performed a fun ice cream shop-themed jive for week one with her pro partner Alan Bersten. Despite overwhelming positivity from the judges and viewers at home, a few fans began taking issue with the social media star's ballet background. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. On her Instagram post, one fan asked "Why isn't anybody complaining about her dancing experience as a ballet dancer?" While another lamented, "I thought [sic] this show was for stars that never danced before?" On Twitter, one user declared that she was "calling it now" that Alexis was going to win because she is a "classically trained ballerina." This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. As confirmed in her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit interview this year, Alexis grew up taking ballet lessons and is, in fact, now a classically trained ballerina. She was so good at her craft that she was even ready to audition to join a ballet company, but ultimately chose to pursue modeling instead. The outlet points out that "she's as flexible as ever" because of her background. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Ballet or not, let's make something clear: Alexis has done absolutely nothing wrong. Several other DWTS contestants (and winners!) in the past had also dabbled in the dance world before being on the show. For example, season 25 winner and Broadway star Jordan Fisher had dance training for many of his projects. And, of course, let's not forget season 11 contestant/champion Jennifer Grey who definitely had some experience on the floor — you know, starring in Dirty Dancing and all. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Dancing background debate aside, the most important takeaway is that Alexis and Alan have crushed it throughout the competition. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>
Alexis Ren is already a star on social media. But will her Internet stardom translate into success on Dancing with the Stars? The model will be paired with a well-known professional dancer and face off against several other celebrities as the 27th season of the popular dancing competition TV show premieres tonight, September 24. Here’s everything you need to know about her. Model Alexis Ren is paired with dancing professional Alan Brensten on Season 27 of DWTS Who is Alexis Ren? Alexis Ren is a model and Internet celebrity set to compete on the 27th season of Dancing With the Stars. She was born and raised in Santa Monica, California on November 23, 1996. Ren reportedly started modelling at age 13, working at Brandy Melville. Later, she appeared in ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein and also in advertisements for the mobile game Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire. She was later named as the Maxim cover girl for their August 2017 issue and as the cover model for the Maxim’s Mexico edition for March 2018. Ren was also named as a 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue rookie model. Over the course of her career, Ren has utilized social media extensively to build a large, global following, obtaining 12.8 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million followers on Twitter. In addition to her successful modelling career, Ren has also launched her own line of active wear called Ren Active. She’s slated to compete in the upcoming 27th season of Dancing With the Stars. How old is Alexis Ren? Alexis Ren is 21 years old. She was born on November 23, 1996. Alexis Ren on Dancing with the Stars Alexis Ren will compete on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, being paired with professional dance partner Alan Bernsten. The show, which premieres on Monday, September 24, will see her compete with other celebrities like former NFL star DeMarcus Ware, radio personality Bobby Bones and Paralympic athlete Danelle Umstead.