LEWISTON — Tom Bergeron figures he learned how to be himself in a South Paris barn.

On stage at the Celebration Barn Theater, the thin kid from Haverhill, Mass., learned to strip away the too-easy affectations, to relax and get comfortable even when everybody's watching, he said.

And it has stayed with him.

Decades later, the host of TV's “Dancing with the Stars” and “America's Funniest Home Videos” still credits barn founder Tony Montanaro with making him a better performer. That's why he still returns from time to time, to see a performance and visit with Tony's widow, Karen.

Tony Montanaro died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 71.

“It really was meeting Tony and studying with him that did indeed have a profound impact and actually influenced everything I've done since ,” Bergeron said Thursday in a phone interview.

On June 26, he plans to sign copies of his memoir, “I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can! Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood,” before a show at the barn.

The book even includes a chapter about his experiences with Montanaro, titled “I'll always have (South) Paris.”

“You often encounter teachers who teach you only about 85 percent of what they know because they want to keep a little in their back pocket,” Bergeron said. “Tony wasn't like that. He was willing to teach you everything he knew. He was an extremely generous, intuitive and gifted teacher.

“His goal was for you to create your own style, your own voice, your own unique approach to expressing whatever your worldview was,” Bergeron said.

He attended the school when he was in his early 20s, having passed up a scholarship to Emerson College so he could work at a radio station outside of Boston.

But he was also becoming a performer, getting praise for his work as a mime and his impressions of Dick Van Dyke.

Friends told him about Montanaro, who opened his school in 1972.

“He had a performance radar gun or something in his head,” Bergeron said “He immediately sized me up and knew what was me and what was pretending to be Marcel Marceau or Dick Van Dyke. He had an amazing ability to intuitively cut to who you were and then help you chip away at the stuff that was sort of lazy.

“I swear to God, I'd be on stage in his class, and if I went with an easy choice or a false impulse, he'd nail me right away,” Bergeron said.

The work helped Bergeron when he returned to Boston. He would become a popular voice on radio, spending more than 10 years at WBZ.

“I miss it,” Bergeron said. “I just love sitting in a radio studio. It's a lot looser and more intimate.”

Of course, he's a busy guy.

He has hosted "America's Funniest Home Videos" since 2001 and began on the ratings-leading "Dancing with the Stars" in 2005.

He watches as the critiques of the dancers fly.

“I think Tony would have been most like Len (Goodman),” said Bergeron, referring to one of the show's three judges. “Len, with a twinkle in his eye, is always very focused on the false notes in a performance. Len's interest is not that they dance the way he would. It's that they would find the best expression within the particular dance disciplines for them.

“I think Tony and Len, particularly, would get along really well,” he said.

For the summer, Bergeron, 55, is trying to take it easy.

“This is sort of my vacation time,” he said, though it's a rare vacation. “I'll be filling in for Whoopi on 'The View' on Monday.”

After his book signing, he plans to watch the show at the Celebration Barn Theater. And he'll chat with fans, who often seem a little surprised by the guy they've grown accustomed to seeing in their living rooms.

“One of the nicest comments I get is, 'You seem so much like yourself,'” Bergeron said. “Well, thank you very much.”

dhartill@sunjournal.com

Meet Bergeron at the Celebration Barn Theater

PARIS — On Saturday, June 26, Celebration Barn Theater will present three fundraising events featuring world-class performances and a book signing with Barn alumnus Tom Bergeron, host of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

At 6:30 p.m. Bergeron will sign copies of his memoir, "I'm Hosting As Fast As I Can." Admission to the book-signing is free. Paperback copies of the book will be sold for $15; hardcover books will be $25.

A family show at 4 p.m. will feature physical comedy, mime and juggling designed to captivate the imaginations of young people. Tickets are $10.

At 8 p.m., the Big Barn Spectacular will present a variety show, including storytelling and acts from Broadway and Cirque du Soleil. Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and children.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the shows and at 6:30 p.m. for the book signing. Seating is general admission. For tickets, call 743-8452. Celebration Barn Theater is on Stock Farm Road, just off Route 117. For more information, visit www.CelebrationBarn.com.