Dancing With The Stars contestant, Amanda Kloots, credited her pro partner Alan Bersten with helping her "move forward" after the death of her husband, Nick Cordero. Amanda, 39, lost Nick to COVID-19 on July 5, 2020, when he was just 41 years old. The couple had been married since 2017, and their son, Elvis, was born in 2019. Viewers watched Amanda's journey through her grief as she used dance to navigate through her feelings. With the help of Alan's choreography, she was able to tell Nick's story, and also progress forward in her own life.
Amanda and Alan first paid tribute to Nick in Week 2 when they danced a foxtrot to Amanda and Nick's wedding song, "It Had To Be You." In the semi-finals, Alan choreographed a stunning contemporary dance to Nick's song, "Live Your Life," which he wrote before his brave battle with COVID-19. The performance had everyone in tears as Amanda and Alan told Nick's story through dance. Alan, 27, was especially moved during the experience, and the ballroom was filled with Nick's spirit as Amanda shared a piece of his life with the audience. Amanda was also able to grow in dances that were not about Nick, and viewers saw her become more confident and open as the competition progressed.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Amanda shared what Alan means to her, saying, "He’s become a lot more than a dancing partner to me. He’s become a best friend." She explained how Alan helped her cope with her grief. She said, "This was an unexpected thing for me, but I lost Nick, and when you lose that person in your life, you become very independent again." She confessed that the loss raised many questions for her about her future, causing her to wonder, "'When will I be able to trust somebody again? When will I have, like, a great connection with somebody, again? When will I feel comfortable with somebody hugging me again?' Or, you know, just all of the things that come with getting close to somebody, especially a male, after losing her husband." Having Alan as a partner allowed Amanda to begin to cope with these feelings.
Alan's understanding and gentle personality helped Amanda to feel at ease with the closeness that comes from dancing with a partner. She said that she told him that, "'this experience … how wonderful you’ve been has really helped me like bridge that gap. It’s been so nice getting to know you and feeling comfortable with you and seeing you every day and trusting you and crying with you and going for goals with you.’ … I said, ‘It’s really helped me move forward in my life and that I did not expect to happen.'" She explained that their "close bond" formed so quickly over the ten weeks of the competition, and there were some moments, which were aired on the show, that got intense. However, Amanda appreciated how Alan pushed her. She explained, "Alan is a tough teacher. He has been tough on me, but he’s really good at reading people and reading my personality. … [But he was] able to push me hard. I like tough."
Although Amanda and Alan placed fourth in the season, they gained something that will last them far beyond Dancing With The Stars. Their friendship is a gift that gave Amanda the confidence to move forward with her life in ways she never expected. With the help of Alan, Amanda emerged from the competition feeling healed and changed. Their beautiful and heartfelt dances transcended the ballroom and will be remembered forever.
Source: Us Weekly