'I've been told hundreds of times that I am not pretty enough': Talented plus-size dancer, 17, hits out at cruel haters while performing to an empowering hit from The Greatest Showman
- Amanda LaCount, 17, from Fort Collins, Colorado, posted the video of her dancing to Keala Settle's song This is Me to Instagram
- She revealed in the accompanying caption that the song brings a 'tear' to her eyes as it reminds her of every time she has been told she couldn't make it
- Amanda also shared that she was frequently told she wasn't pretty enough to be a dancer and didn't have the right body
- Undeterred she persevered and has since appeared on Dancing With The Stars, The Voice and was hand-picked by Katy Perry to appear in her Swish Swish video
- She is now hoping to inspire others to embrace body positivity through her online movement #breakingthestereotype
A talented teen actress and dancer has taken to Instagram to call out those who told her she didn't have the 'right body' to be a performer.
Amanda LaCount, 17, from Fort Collins, Colorado, has danced in TV shows including Dancing With The Stars, The Voice, and the movie School of Rock.
She has also appeared in music videos for artists Walk The Moon, Krewella and MattyB and last year, was hand-picked by Katy Perry to appear in her hit Swish Swish video after she discovered her on Instagram.
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Tribute: Amanda LaCount, 17, from Fort Collins, Colorado, has posted a video of her dancing to This is Me by Keala Settle on Instagram
Inspirtion: Amanda revealed that she was inspired by the lyrics of the song that appears in the movie The Greatest Showman as she's been told she doesn't have the right look to make it
Defying the odds: The teen also shared that she has been told she isn't pretty enough to be a dancer and doesn't have the right body shape
My way: Amanda has ignored naysayers and has carved out a successful career that includes appearance on TV shows including Dancing With The Stars and The Voice
However, Amanda's road to success hasn't been an easy one, and the entertainer has revealed how she was told she would never make it in LA.
Posting a video of her dancing to Keala Settle's hit This is Me from The Greatest Showman to Instagram, Amanda captioned it with: 'This song brings tears to my eyes whenever I listen to it. It is such a powerful song.
'I have been told hundreds of times how I don't have the right body to be a dancer and that I am not pretty enough, but I have been doing pretty well as far as my career goes.'
Settle plays Lettie Lutz, the bearded lady, in the musical-movie, which is based on circus showman PT Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, and her song is meant to give a voice to those who feel bullied or belittled.
And the video sees Amanda lead two back-up dancers in an energetic hip hop inspired routine.
This is Me has already won the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Original Song and and is on the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song, and Amanda added that she hopes to meet Settle one day.
However, this isn't the first time the young artist has used social media as a platform to express her desire to encourage body positivity in her industry.
Swish swish: Amanda was also hand-picked by Katy Perry to appear in her Swish Swish video
Brave: She has also set up her own hashtag #breakingthestereotype to encourage others to embrace body positivity
Driven: Amanda, seen here in Katy Perry's Swish Swish video, belives hard work and a belief in yourself pays off in the end
Amanda has created the hashtag #breakingthestereotype and has shared on her Instagram account that her goal is 'to inspire others to go do what makes them happy and not worry about what other people may say or think.'
However, she has had to deal with her fair share of cyber bullying and revealed to Being Our Future that trying to create change doesn't come easy.
However, she is undeterred.
'If you dance from the heart and work hard people will begin to recognize and appreciate your talent and drive,' she explained.
'Support all dancers and enjoy the message they are giving when they dance. Don't judge a dancer by how they look. Dance is an emotional art form and tells a story much like a play.'
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