Denitsa Ikonomova’s journey resembles a novel. Revealed to the general public in Dancing with the starsthe 39 year old dancer and choreographer experienced much more on this floor than victories. She is also found love, twice. After Rayane Bensetti, her partner during season 5 who led them to the title before a breakup in 2021, it was François Alu who made her heart capsize. The 32-year-old prima ballerina was juror of the show in 2021 and 2022 when their story began. started at the end of 2024, they became. parents of a little girl. A life which then took on a whole new dimension.
In his interview with CloserDenitsa Ikonomova first returns to what makes the particularity of Dancing with the starsthis intense three-month bubble where emotions accumulate at dizzying speedand where the bonds that are created between partners can naturally spill over into personal life. She explains it without pretense, knowingly. But when it comes to discussing her relationship with François Alu, she wants to ask something important: their relationship is not just about dancing. “Dancing linked us, but this is not what nourishes our relationship on a daily basis“she said. A precision which says a lot about the solidity of what they have built together.
What unites them day to day is ultimately much more ordinary and much more beautiful for that. “We read a lot and we discuss our readings. He talks to me about his conferences, about his method that he created, and I about my passions, notably animal welfare and animation.” Two artists who find themselves elsewhere than on stage. And behind this fulfilled life as a couple, there is a woman who also took the time to find herself.
Denitsa Ikonomova: leaving DALS allowed her to see everything differently the second time
In 2022, Denitsa Ikonomova chose to leave the show that made her famous. Not on a whim but following a carefully considered decision. “I needed to explore other areasanimation, photography, and also to create my family with my partner”she explains. His return, announced at the end of 2025 with undisguised joy, was done in a radically different state of mind. “Before, I had a competitive side. This time, I lived the adventure for the human.” A sentence that alone sums up the path traveled.
And then there is this confidence, the most beautiful of the interview: “My trophy was waiting for me at home: my daughter became my first love.” Denitsa Ikonomova, the one who lifted the DALS mirror in season 5, says today that her real victory has nothing to do with a television set.
A second child? Maybe, but not right away
The question of expanding the family with François Alu is not closed, far from it. But Denitsa takes the time. She still evokes the post-partum periodwhich she experienced intensely, taken by surprise by her own emotions. And there is also the professional organization to findbetween his commitments in the show, his personal projects and the family life to build on a daily basis. At 39 years old, Denitsa Ikonomova gives the image of a woman who knew how to make choices and who fully assumes them. Between François Alu, their daughter, and this return to the court Dancing with the stars lived differently, she seems to have found a balance that really suits her.
