BRISTOL, Va. – Michael Brooks has battled self-doubt, bad eating habits, 11 intense competitors, emotional highs and lows and more to be among the three finalists for tonight’s “Dance Your A** Off” competition on the Oxygen cable network – but the Glade Spring, Va., native said one challenge has clearly ranked as his toughest.
“For some reason, I get a lot of hip-hop music to dance to, and I’m a country boy, through and through,” a laughing Brooks said in a phone interview from Hollywood. “That’s been extremely challenging for me. So anytime I’ve gotten a chance to do ballroom-style dancing, I’ve welcomed it with open arms, believe me.”
But a proud, excited Brooks hasn’t let foreign dance moves – or much else – get in the way of making the final cut for “Dance Your A** Off,” a reality show requiring contestants to both lose weight and excel at dancing in a 13-week competition.
“This has been an amazing experience for me,” said Brooks, a 1991 graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Glade Spring.
“This show has literally made me a new person. It’s changed me both inside and outside. It’s really strengthened me in so many ways.”
During tonight’s final, airing at 10 p.m. on Oxygen, Brooks and fellow finalists Adamme and LaToya will once again team up with professional dance partners for their performances and hold official weigh-ins.
The three will receive overall scores based on their performances and weight losses, which will be used to crown a final winner, who will receive $100,000.
Brooks, who has lived in California for 11 years and done announcing work for the likes of entertainer Britney Spears, said he couldn’t reveal his current weight until tonight’s final.
But Brooks said he’s dramatically improved his physical condition and overall outlook since beginning “Dance Your A** Off” at 286 pounds.
“When I first entered the competition, I just wanted to dance and prove I was a big guy who could still move,” said Brooks, 37.
“But I had to settle into the idea that I had to be serious about losing weight, and a lot of it, to compete with all these talented people. Now, I feel like I’ve worked too hard to ever go back to where I started.”
Unlike the other two finalists, Brooks had to endure an unusual twist to reach the last round: He was originally eliminated from the competition during the semi-finals, but won his way back in when judges decided to include a third, “wild-card” finalist, based on a dance-off.
“The funny thing was, when I was eliminated, it wasn’t a sad time for me at all,” Brooks said. “I was just so happy I’d accomplished all I had. But once they said the third spot was open, I made up my mind to fight for it.”
Brooks has the same upbeat, level-headed approach about tonight’s final. “The reward I’ve gotten from doing this show isn’t just making the finals,” he said. “It’s been getting an opportunity to change my life, too.”
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
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