Billy Blanks Jr. used to peer out of the window of his room at the 777 Motor Inn to make sure no one was looking, then fast-walk with his wife, Sharon, through the outdoor common area and into the parking structure of the trendy Sherman Oaks Galleria.
When the couple emerged from the other side, they acted as though they’d just come from one of the Acuras or Range Rovers parked in those spaces, and not from a budget motel.
After they walked into the 24 Hour Fitness, they laughed and shook their hips as they led a high-energy aerobics class. No one had any idea the Blankses were living on the edge, and just steps away from being homeless.
Fast-forward a year, and the couple is living with their 6-year-old adopted son, Elijah, in an apartment in Woodland Hills. They also teach the popular “Dance With Me” workouts at various 24 Hour Fitness locations. They have two “Dance With Me” DVDs in stores, with a deal for four more.
Asked during a recent interview how he and Sharon made it through those tough times, Billy looked at his wife and said simply, “It was love.”
“I’d go back and look at it all and through all of it, it’s been constant that I love her and she loves me. We have this connection. Even when we were staying in the hotel, we knew we’d be able to move out.”
If his name sounds familiar, it’s because the 32-year-old San Fernando Valley resident is the son of Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks, whose combination of tae kwon do and boxing kicked off a 1990s fitness craze.
The younger Blanks has the same passion as his father for helping others get fit, but his method is drastically different. While Tae Bo is based on a regimented combination of martial arts and boxing, the younger Blanks’ calorie-burning routines incorporate dance moves and fun.
“I’m most proud of the DVDs, because most fitness DVDs are pretty much the same with different people,” Blanks said. “I thought, `We ought to do what we do.’ We used some real people, a stay-at-home mom and a married couple. They captured the fun of the workout.”
Although the ultimate goal is fitness, Blanks said, the difference between “Dance With Me” and Tae Bo has strained the relationship with his father.
“I wouldn’t say we’re estranged, I’d say distant,” said Blanks, who attended Reseda High but graduated from the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center.
Efforts to reach Billy Blanks through his production companies were unsuccessful.
The elder Blanks divorced Billy Jr.’s mom after 33 years of marriage – their son says he learned of the split on TMZ.com – then married his Japanese interpreter and moved to Japan.
Although father and son haven’t seen each other for three years, and only recently began e-mailing one another, Blanks has a deep respect for his father.
“The good part of having the name is that it’s a respected name in fitness,” he said. “I got that from him. What else I got from him is determination.
“I may not have any money or the sort of stuff he has. He came from a big family with nine sisters, and he struggled. I watched him do what he wanted to do and fight to get it.
“Sometimes, it’s been hurtful and harmful. You have the last name, and people expect different things from you. They think you’re rich and you have a free ride and never have I chose that. I chose a different path.”
Married for seven years, Billy Jr. and Sharon are quite a duo. Their students have even dubbed them the Sonny and Cher of the workout room.
They had one spot on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2007, which garnered the attention of DVD producers and gave the couple their big break.
Despite the national attention, the Blankses remain humble. They thank their students at the beginning of each “Dance With Me” class, and Sharon starts with breathing exercises and these encouraging words: “Dance like it’s Friday night!” before launching into the musical cardio workout, in which participants can burn 760 calories in an hour.
During every class, the Blankses gather everyone in a big circle for one song, and Billy motions for one or two people – he seeks out those who avoid his gaze – to join him for a move or two.
“Oh my God, the Blankses have completely changed my life,” said Traci Lambert of Tarzana, a 41-year-old mother of 19-month-old twins, who has been taking the class since August.
“I’m a happier person, a happier mom and a happier wife. A bunch of moms are in the class, and we became friends and we walk out and feel happy,” she said. “It is one hour I know I’m going to have fun.”
Lambert started a Facebook page called, “Mommies Love Dance With Me” and her new gym friends have girls’ nights out.
“Dance With Me is my drug of choice,” Lambert said. “I’m an addict. I would follow them anywhere they go.”
Jennifer Kenworthy, a 29-year-old mother of one, has lost 40 pounds since taking the class and hopes the “Dance With Me” sessions will help control her diabetes.
She does what she calls a three-peat on Thursdays – taking Dance With Me in the morning in West Hills, followed by the Blankses’ evening classes in Sherman Oaks and then Northridge.
“They make me love to work out,” Kenworthy said. “And I hate to work out.”
The loyalty of their following was demonstrated recently when Billy, Sharon and their intern Eric Shjoi were stuck in traffic and arrived 30 minutes late for their class in Sherman Oaks after Billy and Sharon got out of the car and ran to the gym.
“Nobody had left,” Billy said. “Everyone stayed.”
The help they extend to their followers is to be unflaggingly perky, bubbly and inspirational – an attitude they adopted even when they didn’t have a place to call home.
“We’ve been through hard times,” Sharon said. “I feel so grateful because in the worst time, we had some light at the end of the tunnel. I feel grateful all the time, but that doesn’t mean I want to go through it again.
“I can walk into a room, and I can spot a hungry person. What Billy and I want is to be that person’s relief.”
Added Blanks Jr., through tears: “Someone can say, ‘Oh, I’m fine, but we’ve learned. It can bring me to tears.”
He is emotional when discussing his father, too. Their relationship is far from perfect, but Blanks is like most any other child, seeking approval from a parent.
“I hope he’s proud,” he said. “I don’t need that, but I would love to have that answer. That’s the question everyone asks me.
“I can look and say that I’m proud of what he’s done. Every person wants to be accepted by their parents and to hear that they’re proud of what you’re doing.”
