WHAT do you get if you combine “The Biggest Loser” and “So You Think You Can Dance?”
One of the most fun competition shows to come along since Swing was king — the first time.
“Dance Your Ass Off: The Weight Is Over” is Oxygen’s first reality/competition show that doesn’t pit women against each other or demean everyone involved. In fact, all you will want to do is scream and cheer for everyone because, so far at least, there isn’t anyone to hate — which is such a relief it’ll make you want to get up and dance. Or, at least, that’s how I felt.
Q&A: Marissa Jaret Winokur: Heavy Girl Makes Her Mark in Size Zero World
Twelve very-overweight-to morbidly-obese competitors are competing. Some have dance or cheerleading backgrounds and some — like one virginal young man who’s never danced with a woman before — have zero experience shaking their booty.
But just because they are wildly overweight doesn’t mean they are wildly out of shape or have become fat because they can’t bust a move.
When they arrive, each contestant is given (thank you, God!) their own loft space, and their own choreographer to work with. The competitors range from the 20-year-old 230 -pound Brandon, the virgin from Ohio; to 27-year-old life-long athlete Shayla from California; to 29-year-old 357-pound Warren from Utah; to 43-year-old, 314-pound Ruben from Las Vegas.
Every week, after six days of grueling dance rehearsals, the contestants go out and dance their asses off in front of a live audience and the three judges.
The judges are actress, dancer and exec producer of the show, Lisa Ann Walter; dancer, choreographer and Prince’s ex Mayte Garcia, who lists Britney Spears among her students; and, in the role of the ever-present English guy, is dancer Danny Teeson, whom you may remember from “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and who now works as creative director for Carrie Underwood.
The chemistry among them is just terrific — and Mayte is so gorgeous it’s hard to take your eyes off her.
Host Marissa Jaret Winokur, who created the role of Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” on Broadway and was a finalist on “Dancing With The Stars,” does a credible enough job smiling her way through the sometimes heartbreaking task of booting off each week’s loser.
And that’s the tough part. Contestants get a combined score of their partnered dance moves (in front of a live audience) plus their weight loss which they show by getting on a scale right after the dance. Tough! And exciting. And a lot of fun.
If you don’t cheer your ass off for these folks, you need a heart transplant – because the one you’ve got isn’t any good.
“Dance Your Ass Off”
Tonight at 10 on Oxygen