When 12 fat people gyrate in front of TV cameras wearing fishnet stockings, spandex and glitter, they don’t demand attention–they command it!
“Dance Your Ass Off” Oxygen’s latest addition to reality TV is being marketed as “the Biggest Loser” meets “Dancing with the Stars” meets “Big Brother.”
While the show that debuted Monday night isn’t exactly original, it doesn’t disappoint, if guilty pleasure’s your thing.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: DANCE YOUR A** OFF
On the ten-week show, hosted by Tony award-winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, full-figured contestants are paired with skinny professional dancers and required to perform everything from hip-hop to salsa while losing weight.
After each dance, contestants receive a score based on how well the judges’ rated their performances and how many pounds they’ve lost.
Each week the person with the lowest overall score is eliminated. The winner gets $100,000.
While the thought of dancing, yet alone stepping on to a scale on TV might terrify most of us, these ultra-confident contestants aren’t afraid to strut their guts.
“I’m not a size five, or anything like that, but I’m shaking what my mama gave me!” said contestant Trice. The 274-pound Chicago native made Beyoncé look like a novice Monday.
She ended her premiere performance with a split after which she gyrated what her mama gave her into the ground.
“Judging from that booty shake, I know where you can make $100,000 if you don’t win it!” said one of the judges of Trice’s stripperesque pose.
This is probably a taste of what viewers should expect to see later in the season when contestants take on pole dancing (yes folks, pole dancing)!
If Monday night’s premiere is an indication of what’s to come, it’s fair to say these contestants can seriously move and have compelling stories.
Pinky, for example, the 29-year-old contestant from Phoenix, AZ. grew up dancing and her brothers are members of a street dance crew.
However, Pinky has not been able to join the crew because of her weight. She hopes her participation on the show will change that.
While saying mum, for obvious reasons, on which contestant dropped the most, choreographer Lisa Ligon says viewers can expect to see dramatic results.
Working with a team that included professional dance partners, nutritionists, and choreographers, the 12 contestants who weighed nearly 3000lbs at the start of the show, learned more than flashy moves.
They learned keys to healthy living that are apparently outlasting the reality show.
“They’re still losing weight,” said choreographer Lisa Ligon who’s been keeping in touch with contestants since taping wrapped up several months ago.
“One guy is so skinny he has a 32-inch waist. Another girl lost 40 more pounds after the show,” Ligon said proudly.
While viewers may roll their eyes at “Dance Your Ass Off,” host Wintour says it’s tougher than some other reality dance shows out there.
Wintour, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum who has battled weight loss and gain said: “They’re getting on a scale at the end of the day.”
And these days when about a third of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, dancing your ass off may in fact be no small feat of courage.
The show airs Mondays on Oxygen at 10/9c.
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