“Amanda Montoni’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of passion and resilience… Her experiences have shaped her into a beacon of inspiration, both in the studio and through her writing.

/  Harness magazine  /

Who would I be without it?

What would my life be like? Who would I be?

That thing you're thinking of, that's the thing that makes you uniquely you. 

For me that thing was storytelling and it all started with dance. There are a ton of stories I can jam into this text for you to read. 

I could tell you all the details and totally over theatricalize — is that even a word? — the moment I wrote my first poem.  I could tell you my journey with storytelling the sequential way, stating each and every detail from the dance world into the theater world, into the directing world, all while having a hand in the writing world. 

I could tell you how I fell in love with acting and how that branched into co-founding a reputable community theater group in Queens, NY,  how I became an award-winning choreographer and Broadway World nominated director, but I thought I'd spare you all that reading and tell you one particular story that sums up why I'm here and why I do what I do. 

Why storytelling is the all-encompassing hat I wear on top of the other hats stacked upon my head. You ready? 

If you want the short version, keep reading. I take skimmers like you into consideration. 

Dance was everything to me. But I was not everything to it. I learned a hard truth early on:  in the performance world, no matter how good you are, no matter how much training you have, no matter how many awards you win, this world could decide to chew you up and spit you out if it judged you unworthy. 

What made me unworthy? My weight.

I wasn’t always the fat girl in dance class. Neither did I become fat because of my eating habits. But when I hit puberty, my family’s genes kicked in along with an intense awareness of my changing body and the pressure to look perfect. 

I was told to stop drinking soda, stop eating junk food. I didn’t consume much of either. As a young girl, all I heard was “You are too fat to be a dancer,” which translates to “you are unworthy of the thing you love.” 

It took me tons of inner work and fighting the weight of impossible societal standards, but I said after a self-love epiphany, “screw you. I love my extra goodies,” and ended up becoming an award-winning choreographer, a dance teacher, and a children’s book author. 

My heart prevailed. It is strong, and I never wanted any young dancer to feel the way I did. 

When I became the fat dance teacher at my school, I strived to create an environment that let my students be free and comfortable with themselves. To create a place they loved going to learn new things and have fun doing it - free of the pressures to be perfect. 

How did I do it? By being a living breathing story. Stories have the power to challenge constructive thought, open up the eyes, and move the heart. 

When I wrote Bella the Buck-Toothed Ballerina, I wrote it for all of the dance dreamers out there. To tell them that your heart, your work ethic, and your passion is what will make your dreams come true, not the way you look. It is possible. Just look at me. You’re beautiful the way you are. True beauty is revealed from within. 

Well, that certainly sounds like a story full of sweetness and madness. Yes, it is, and such is life. 

Welcome, new friend. I hope you find a home here because you’re always, always, welcome. Take a look around. 

Writer & Author Hat

Published Works

• Trains, New York, and the Love (or Lack thereof) That Goes Along with Them

• Thoughts while singing

• a Grayscale love affair

• Bella the buck-Toothed Ballerina

Featured Anthologies

Director & Choreographer Hat