Whitney Way Thore Takes on Belly Dancing: 'I've Never Done a Dance Performance That Was so Intimate'
Whitney Way Thore is a dancer with hours of training and performances under her belt - but she’s never done a show quite like this.
After taking a belly dancing class, the instructor challenged Thore to do a routine in a public restaurant, in front of her parents.
“I’m thinking, Friendly, not sexy. Friendly, not sexy,’ ” Thore, 32, says of shimmying in front of her parents in this exclusive clip from Tuesday’s episode of My Big Fat Fabulous Life. “So, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I’m fairly certain I blacked out, so.”
She gets through her first performance, and for round two, she has to stand even closer to her mom and dad.
“When we got out we have our spots, and mine is just in front of my parents. And I have the farthest distance to go, and I just feel like everyone’s looking at me,” Thore says. “I feel like a little tint of embarrassment. I’ve never done a dance performance that was so intimate. They’re like, just a couple feet from me and they’re eating.”
“Hey mom. Hey dad,’ ” she jokes, while shaking her chest. “Just casual.”
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But regardless of the awkwardness, Thore is proud she conquered her fear.
“I feel so excited, because I was so scared of this, and 30 minutes ago I thought it was impossible, and now I’m totally pumped to be doing it,” she says.
That is, she was happy, until a minor wardrobe malfunction.
“All of a sudden, just as I am leaving, my skirt comes off,” Thore says. “It’s not like I’ve never shimmied out of my clothes, but usually my parents aren’t there.”
My Big Fat Fabulous Life airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on TLC.