TRENTON — When LaToya James auditioned for the Oxygen Network show, “Dance Your A** Off,” her goals were modest: She intended to lose only 20 pounds.
“I was in denial about how obese I was,” she said.
The self-described “Trenton girl” more than exceeded her expectations by landing in the finale and pirouetting away with the $100,000 prize Monday night.
“I am in awe right now,” she said in a telephone interview yesterday.
“I am speechless and overwhelmed with excitement. I am overjoyed. Words cannot express how excited I am. I lost my voice last night.”
When the competition began June 7, James weighed 217 pounds. By Monday’s finale, she had shed 63.6 pounds. That, and her combined dance scores, made her the clear-cut winner.
“I absolutely never thought I had it in the bag,” she said.
James competed against 11 other contestants in the battle of weight loss. Each week, the contestants, who lived together in a house stocked with food — some healthy, some tempting — were paired with professional partners and learned various dance styles from Latin to jazz to hip-hop, burlesque and ballroom. They also participated in weigh-ins, much like those on “The Biggest Loser.”
This season, hosted by Spice Girl Melanie Brown (otherwise known as “Mel B” or “Scary Spice”) and judged by Danny Teeson (an American Idol choreographer) and dancers Mayte Garcia and Lisa Ann Walter, definitely had its share of drama, and lots of excitement for viewers in New Jersey.
At one point, Katie Fanok, from Skillman, was called back in a wild-card round for the reunion show, in which three eliminated contestants who have lost the most body weight got a chance to dance to be the third finalist. It seemed the two Garden State competitors seemed to be heading to the finals together.
“We were like, yeah! Two Jersey girls back in the finals,” James said.
By the finale, James was the last girl standing against Las Vegas makeup artist “Addame” and Virginia’s “Michael,” a contestant who previously toured with Britney Spears.
James’ all-encompassing routine, set to Alexandra Burke’s “Broken Heels,” featured multiple styles of dance and a chance to “express myself as a dancer.” James scored perfect scores of “10.”
“Danny T. got choked up for the first time this season ever,” she said of the judge’s reaction after one of her dances.
She credited host Mel B for her words of encouragement throughout the season for getting her through the intense competition.
“Every time we were standing up there waiting for the judge’s critiques, she had great words of encouragement,” she said. “She understood the struggle because she gained 70 pounds and lost it on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ She is a breath of fresh air and a very nice lady.”
James had tried dancing from the time she was 10 years old, signing up for lessons at
Watson Johnson Dance Theatre in Ewing and continued until she enrolled in college. She even earned a dance scholarship to Howard University. She had a self-described “breakup” with dance over personal issues, and filled that void with food.
Ms Carol, founder and teacher @ Watson-Johnson Dance Theatrehas influenced many young dancers in the New Jersey Tri-State area. Call for registration 609-403-8476 or 609-937-2201. The school offers ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, and zumba. Ms. Carol is available for consultant, choreography, solo and company performances, master classes, artist in residence, workshops, tours, fashion shows, fundraisers, t.v., print etc. "Twenty Years of Excellence"
Over 50 years of dance and acting experience started dancing at age 3 took Latoya underher wings at 10 years old as she had done for hundreds of other dancers in Trenton NJ. Ms. Carol ishighly respected throughout the church and educational community. She owns and operates one of the most prestigious schools in the area. She accepts students from age 3 to adults.
Now, James is going back to Los Angeles in September to pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional dancer.
“I want to see all that the industry has to offer,” she said, adding that she plans to go on dance auditions as soon as possible.
“Going on this show was a life-changing journey for me,” she said. “This was a second chance to redo that part of my life and recreate my dreams ... .
I have a new-found look on life. It really is a dream come true.”
A second season of shaking and shimmying, weighing and winning has led to the crowning of another Dance Your Ass Off champion on Oxygen’s weight-loss competition. The final routines pitted the spirited Adamme against a determinedLatoya.
Who won? Spoiler alert!
Losing close to 60 lbs. and moving with fluidity and verve, Trenton, N.J., dance instructor Latoya James, 26, became theDYAO season 2 champ on Monday night.
“My future is looking so bright and it’s a little overwhelming,” James tells PEOPLE. “You just never think in a million years that you will get a second chance to do some things you’ve always wanted to do in your life.”
At the age of 14, James received a scholarship for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and studied for many years at Waton-Johnson Dance Theatre until she quit dancing at 21, unable to deal with criticism. Though she eventually became a dance instructor, she hadn’t found fulfillment in teaching or dancing.
“Going through this journey, I learned a lot about myself,” James says. “When the weight continued to come on, I became very angry inside. I wasn’t that same, joyous person I used to be and I didn’t realize that until I came to the show. I was hiding behind a mask for so many years to maintain the cover that I was happy when I really wasn’t … But this change in life has helped me become a better person, and I love who I’ve become.”
Now, James is just 10 lbs. away from her target range of 140-145 lbs. “When I look at myself in the mirror, I remind myself of how far I have come,” she says. “I see the picture of the first time we weighed in at 217 lbs. and I keep that picture on my refrigerator every time I want to go there to get something unhealthy, I say, ‘No, no, no, no, no!’ I have pictures on my treadmills of what I used to look like, and that’s my motivation when I don’t want to do that extra mile. “
With her $100,000 grand prize, James hopes to start a dance school. “I want to give back,” she says. “I want to give inspiration to young dancers and share my testimony with them so that they don’t have to go through some of the things I went through.”
In the meantime, she is re-dedicating herself to dance instruction. “Going back and teaching now is definitely different,” James says. “The students that I teach, I can just see the excitement in their eyes, like they believe in me and the words that I’m saying to them. They see the new body and they say, ‘You look like you’re in high school, like you’re our age, Miss Latoya!’ It’s really exciting because the way I was going when I was teaching a move before when I was 217 lbs., it was so hard to get across what I want to have done. I can show them the moves now!” –Cynthia Wang
On Monday's finale of Oxygen's Dance Your A** Off,LaToya and Adamme are among the final three competing for the top prize -- and UsMagazine.com has a peek at their impressive weight transformations.
Latoya, 26, of Trenton, NJ: She always wanted to dance -- she even won a prestigious dancing scholarship at age 14 -- but she ruled out the profession because she was always ridiculed for her size. Weighing in at 217 lbs, she is now an impressive 162.7 lbs. She tells Us, "I feel like I'm on top of the world - mind , body and soul!"
Adamme, 31, of Las Vegas, NV: With a starting weight of 301.8 lbs., the professional make-up artist says his appearance has kept him from ever stepping foot on stage (he dreams of being a performer). His final weight: 213.9 lbs. "I finally feel like my new body represents my inner 'Glam Rock Star,'" he tells Us. "In this new body, I have a new found world of neverending love for myself and for everyone else."
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Bring the Entire Family!
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W.D.C.J.N. is one of the first American Jazz Networks to embrace the remaining truly great Jazz legends of our times and upcoming Jazz great through today’s social media.
The W.D.C.J.N. is now internationally reaching Jazz musician, enthusiasts and aficionados, promoters, festivals of Jazz around the world. A real eye opener for people researching the history and present day development an evolution of America’s only original art form and historical legacy.
I fully endorse this institution and encourage anyone that is fond of Jazz to visit the Washington D.C. Jazz Network; today and become a member or make a donation to a worthy cause.
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A second season of shaking and shimmying, weighing and winning has led to the crowning of another Dance Your Ass Off champion on Oxygen’s weight-loss competition. The final routines pitted the spirited Adamme against a determinedLatoya.
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