Trenton dancer steps into $100,000, sheds over 63 pounds on television show

[WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK]

https://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/index/logo.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; line-height: normal; background-position: 100% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">

Trenton dancer steps into $100,000, sheds over 63 pounds on televis...

LaToya James of Trenton won $100,000 on the TV show ‘Dance Your A** Off’ on Monday.

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. 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 Theatre has influenced many

young dancers in the New Jersey Tri-State area. Call for registration 609-403-8476 or 609-937-2201. Twenty years of Excellence. 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.

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.”