Amanda: I didn't get a lot of jobs because of the way I look
and people would like laugh at me when I come to auditions. But I have a pretty thick skin.
So you know I just kind of brushed it off.
I think I've proved people wrong. I just dance.
And it doesn't matter if people don't like it because I'm feeling it. And I look amazing.
Hi, my name is Amanda LaCount. I'm an 18 year old professional hip hop dancer
that lives in sunny Los Angeles.
Dance has always been the thing I love most.
My go to move is a middle split. I do that all the time. And people are always like,
and I'm like, yeah plus size people can be flexible, okay.
I also do this one handed stall that always catches people off guard too.
Because they're like, oh, bigger people could do a handstand. I never knew.
And I'm like, yeah, we're like you.
But I flip my hair a lot and people really like it. I think it's because I go so fast.
People can't whip their hair as fast as me.
The most annoying thing that people can say to me is you're a great dancer for your size,
or I wasn't expecting that from you.
Those are the two worst comments. It's like a backhanded compliment.
What why can't you just say I'm a good dancer, period.
You know, I don't get why they always have to have the for your size or like,
I was so in shock that you could dance.
I'm like, why? I don't get it.
You know, they always have this stereotype that people who are bigger or different
can't dance like everybody else. And it really annoys me.
Everyone is very shady in LA.
And there's a lot of fake people. That's why I have three best friends.
I met them, not in the industry. And so I know that they're my friend because we like each other.
I think I'm going to get the Oreo like cup normal ice cream.
This is the cool part, they write my name on ice cream.
I've always been this size, you know, it's not like I was really skinny that all the sudden I ate
like 100 donuts, and then I became this size. I was like this size since I was four years old.
And so I've never known what it was like not to have people question me.
So it's kind of just part of my life.
Something kind of interesting, you know, people always assume that people who are
bigger, it's like a choice. And it's not.
I mean, yes, there are those people who just eat whatever they want.
And so they look that way. But there's also people like me.
I'm a pretty healthy eater, like, I don't go around eating fast food every day.
And just because I'm bigger, they automatically assume that.
As long as I'm healthy on the inside, that's fine. Whatever I look like, it doesn't matter.
I've been dancing my whole life basically.
Jill: She was two years old. And her two older sisters were dancing.
And she just stood outside the window of the dance studio and kept bouncing up and down.
She wanted to be in the room.
So I knew right then that's where she belonged.
Amanda: I knew that I wanted to keep doing it. And I never wanted to stop doing it.
Jill: When she was seven or eight, she did a recital.
And a parent came running after us when we were taking all the costumes to the car
and said, Oh my god, I could not take my eyes off your daughter. Even when my daughter was on stage.
I couldn't take my eyes off your daughter. I go like okay, this is really weird, kind of scary, weird.
And I talked to the studio director and she said no, Amanda has 'it'.
I said "what do you mean she has it?" And she said, "she has it.
You'll see. She's going to make it. She has 'it', this performing gene in her."
Amanda: And I just knew that it was what I was going to do.
But people definitely questioned it along the way.
I've had dance teachers, parents of dancers I danced with.
Everyone pretty much has questioned my abilities and my decision to be a professional dancer.
I'm really excited for class. I haven't taken Nicole in a while.
She's very fun high energy.
I would definitely say that when I go to audition,
it's either just me or there's one other like bigger person.
It's a little frustrating. And I feel a little bit like vulnerable
because literally I'm the only one that looks like me there.
So I literally stick out like a sore thumb. But it's also a positive thing because I stand out from the crowd.
I am lucky and I do work a lot. But compared to the opportunities that
this sounds really bad, but like skinny dancers get. I have a 50th of that.
I was in Katy Perry's swish swish video. I was on Ellen. I was on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine,
the November 2018 issue.
I danced with Lizzo Coachella. I danced with Meghan Trainor at the radio, Disney Music Awards.
I've done a lot of stuff. And I'm very thankful.
But I've also worked very hard for it. So I deserve it.
I think I've proved people wrong just by the videos I post on social media.
People are so quick to assume that I can't dance because of my size. And then as soon as they watch the
first 10 seconds of the video, they're like, what?
I think I love dancing so much because I kind of turn into a different person.
I am 100 times more confident than I am in my daily life.
I feel like I'm untouchable. And no one can say anything to me. And I'm just flawless
and perfect even though obviously not but I feel that way whenever I'm dancing, especially hip hop.
There's no rules to it.
I just dance and it doesn't matter if people don't like it. I don't really care because I'm feeling it, and
I look amazing.
I’m dying.