The Truth About Amanda Kloots' Dance Experience
They say that getting knocked down is the perfect time to start over, and this is advice that fitness guru and entrepreneur Amanda Kloots has taken to heart. In 2020, the Ohio native lost her husband, Nick Cordero, a Tony-nominated Broadway star, due to complications from COVID-19, per the Los Angeles Times. But instead of letting the tragedy weigh her down, the mother of one is trying to navigate life with positivity and enthusiasm.
Kloots is competing in Season 30 of "Dancing with the Stars," which premieres in September, alongside a star-studded cast that includes "Bling Empire" actor Christine Chiu and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee. Kloots, who has experience in ballroom dancing and Broadway dancing, admitted to Us Weekly that she sees "DWTS" as an opportunity to revisit familiar territory while opening a new chapter in her life. "When 'Dancing With the Stars' called, I was like, 'Yes,' because I want to find that part of me again," Kloots told Us Weekly. "I want to do that. It's going to feel so good. It'll be so cathartic and therapeutic for me. So I'm looking at it like that. I want to find myself again."
Kloots will definitely be someone to watch out for, considering she has loads of professional dance hours under her belt. Keep reading to learn more about Kloots' dance experience.
Amanda Kloots used to be a Radio City Rockette
Before finding fame as a fitness trainer, Amanda Kloots was already active in the performance and dance industry as a member of The Radio City Rockettes, an American dance company that was founded back in 1925. According to their official website, the Rockettes are "an iconic part of American history" known for performing their spectacular kick lines at the Radio City Music Hall.
Although she has since parted ways with the company, Kloots still thinks fondly of the time she spent as a Radio City Rockette, and is featured on the Successful Rockette Women page of the company's website. "Becoming a Radio City Rockette was a dream come true! You have to strive for perfection every day, every show, every dance! It isn't about being an individual when you are a part of the No. 1 precision dance group," Kloots said on her blog, as cited by The Radio City Rockettes' website. "It is about becoming one and being a team. The women are strong and the hardest working dancers I know!"
While she hasn't danced professionally for a moment, Kloots is always incorporating dance into her life. Find out how below.
Amanda Kloots incorporates her background in dance to her fitness routines
Beyond finding her groove as a performer and dancer, Amanda Kloots is one of the few lucky ones who has discovered a way to make money while doing what she loves. The "Ted 2" star revealed that she decided to start her own full-time fitness business at just 32 years old while balancing a closing notice from Broadway and a marriage that was falling apart, per an essay she wrote for Time in 2018. "I found myself in my thirties without a job, without a husband and without a plan," Kloots wrote. "I had an overwhelming desire to take control of my life. I'd spent the last ten years having my happiness and my job determined by a row of casting directors in an audition room. I needed to do something for myself."
Luckily for Kloots, her jump into the unexpected paid off, and her jump rope-centric classes at Studio B in New York City were sold out after only eight months, according to Time. Taking inspiration from her background, Kloots' official website promises that her classes feature "a mix of dance and cross training" that showcases her "radiant persona and empowering attitude." Several of her products, like the LIVE AK! Dance Class, zero in on dancing as the main method to exercise. It seems like Kloots is someone that doesn't forget her roots that easily!