Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten Pose for Adorable Photos on SI Swimsuit Red Carpet

The pair are gearing up for their semi-finals performance on Season 33 of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ next week.

Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher / Jason Sean Weiss/BFA.com

Over the past few months, professional dancer Alan Bersten has been outspoken in his praise for Dancing With the Stars Season 33 partner Ilona Maher. Each and every episode, the 30-year-old manages to make his appreciation for the rugby athlete known.

Take his Instagram post following their Disney Night performance, for example. The pair performed a spectacular jazz dance to the song “Surface Pressure” from Encanto, and Bersten was brimming with pride in his partner after the fact. “Some moments exceed everything you thought it would be,” Bersten wrote in his post. “Last night was absolutely magical! @ilonamaher embodied and portrayed Luisa’s character perfectly. I am so proud of you! You inspire so many people around the world and I know so many people look up to you, just like me. I am so happy to be your partner !!”

Where Maher’s ability to inspire is concerned, Bersten couldn’t be more right. Throughout the past few years, the two-time Olympian has built a social media following with the help of her fun-loving demeanor and her commitment to body positivity. Followers swarm to her social media channel for her witty one-liners and stay for her insightful reflections on beauty standards and the like. And it’s no surprise that Bersten can recognize all of that. After all, the pair have spent almost every day together since Season 33 kicked off in September.

Last night, at SI Swimsuit and Maybelline’s joint event at Dante Beverly Hills, Bersten joined Maher on the red carpet, where they posed for some adorable photos and he dished on what makes their relationship tick. “There are so many best parts [about working with Maher], honestly. She is the most down to earth person ever,” Bersten tells the team. “She works really hard. She just exudes vibrance and energy and just makes everyone smile.”

Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher / Jason Sean Weiss/BFA.com

The night was dedicated both to the 60th anniversary of SI Swimsuit and to Maher herself, the brand’s September digital cover star. And the pro athlete certainly felt the love from her fellow SI Swimsuit talent and the current Dancing With the Stars cast, some of whom showed up to support her. “Dancing With the Stars is such a family, it’s such a family show, and also we are a family on the show, whether it’s the pros or celebrities,” Maher explains. “So to have them here supporting me, there is no question that they’d want to be here. So it’s amazing.“