Amanda LaCount’s audition on America’s Got Talent was a spectacle of exuberant dance energy, body-positivity, and empowerment. Dressed to impress, this plus-sized female dancer broke into a dynamic hip-hop routine and shattered all the judges’ expectations of what this young girl had to offer. Amanda’s audition was a defiant response to those who’ve expressed prejudice towards her size, a vibrant display of confidence and an inspiration to all those who’ve been told they’re “too big to dance.”
Amanda was 19 when she appeared on the 15th season of America’s Got Talent, but she claims to have been singing and dancing since the age of 2. She grew up in Colorado before moving to LA as a teenager. Amanda performed in multiple musical theatre shows before applying for AGT. In her audition, she mentions, “I represent the people that feel like they’re not heard or not seen. I want to help make them feel beautiful and powerful,” — and she executes this vision perfectly.
Covering her sports bra and yoga pants combo with a bold, fluffy vermilion coat, Amanda’s audition exhibited a shame-free attitude to beauty and size, redefining “sexy” on the world stage while serving glamour and absolute fearlessness.
With her mother watching through nervous tears from the sidelines, Amanda LaCount earned the respect of judges Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara. Howie Mandel stirred the crowd with his comment, “I don’t know if I would go to see a whole show of you doing that. I don’t know if it’s spectacular enough to make it off this stage.” — Heidi agreed, pressing her red buzzer halfway through Amanda’s routine.
But these sweet and sour critiques paled under Simon Cowell’s radiant support for her vision of plus-size empowerment. He added, “I loved every moment of the audition. Your joy and enthusiasm was so contagious.” Despite winning three out of four “Yes” votes from the panel, Amanda was eliminated during the Judge Cuts.
Amanda’s 2019 audition has gained over 8 million YouTube views, launching her career as the body-positive influencer, hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and plus-size model she is today. With 614k followers on TikTok and 314k on Instagram, Amanda LaCount lives by the motto of her social media campaign, #breakingthestereotype. She has performed at Rihanna’s “Savage X Fenty” show, RuPaul’s DragCon, the Emmys, The Ellen Show, live on stage with Lizzo and Meghan Trainor, and starred in music videos for Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. She’s also the face of multiple beauty campaigns including Sephora’s “We Belong” and Dove’s “#showus,” dismantling negative stereotypes with every dance routine.
If you would like to see more from the exuberant and fearless dancer Amanda LaCount, be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel and follow her on Facebook. Watch as Amanda breaks barriers and redefines beauty on the world stage.