YANIS MARSHALL
The choreographer, dancer and teacher on donning heels in a Deadpool suit, his coming out experience, and who he considers his ultimate LGBTQ icon.
His place on Britain’s Got Talent made him a viral sensation, and ever since choreographer, dancer and teacher Yanis Marshall has continued to sashay his way towards stardom. After recently appearing as Deadpool with Celine FUCKING Dion, he shares his coming out experience, and who his ultimate LGBTQ icon is.
Ever since he sashayed his way onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage for a girl power high-heeled routine, Yanis Marshall has captured the attention of millions of people around the world with his fieeerce collection of YouTube chronicled dance numbers.
He came to wider attention in May when he appeared as Deadpool, the pansexual “merc-witha-mouth” in Celine Dion’s video for Ashes – heels and all. Not only that, he’s the new choreographer of Cirque du Soleil’s Humanity show in Las Vegas, so it’s safe to say Yanis is having a fan-fuckingtastic year so far.
Here, we speak to Yanis about sashaying onto the dance floor in heels, what it was like meeting Celine Dion and Ryan Reynolds, and who he considers his ultimate LGBTQ icon. You’ll be shocked to know it’s not Madonna...
SD: How did your video with Celine Dion come about?
YM: It was Blake Lively’s idea to begin with. Apparently, she was watching a bunch of my videos for a while. She started showing it to Ryan [Reynolds] and then he suested that it would be a great idea if Deadpool danced in heels.
SD: Imagine having Blake Lively as a fan!
YM: I’m actually exchanging a bunch of messages with Blake right now. She was like ‘It was my dream to put you in a Deadpool suit! I’m glad it turned out well!’
SD: What was it like meeting Celine and Ryan? YM: Ryan is the most lovely guy ever, he’s so funny and sweet. It was a twelve hour shoot and it was only the three of us. It was pretty chill, and Celine is a diva, and super classy. She’s a little crazy, and super nice. All of them were really so humble, more than usual people are! It was a great experience.
SD: What do you think it would mean for the LGBTQ community if Deadpool ever had a male love interest?
YM: That would be fucking great, and I think he’s more than capable of having one! I’m sure it’s something the gay fans would enjoy.
SD: How was your coming out experience? YM: My coming out experience was a little weird when I was a kid. I was very young. I was dating someone really older, and my mom found out about it, so it wasn’t a nice process. But I’ve always been very much ‘I don’t give a fuck. I’d rather lose my mom over who I am’. I was always like that.
SD: There’s a stigma in the gay community where being femme is seen as a negative. Have you ever experienced this?
YM: Not really. Aside from when I dance, I dance in heels and all, but in life, I’m not gonna say I’m masculine, but in life I don’t wear heels. I’m just another gay guy y’know what I mean? Outside of my job, I’m just me. I’ve never really paid attention to all of that, like none of it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be where I am today if I paid attention to what people say or think. I’ve always said ‘Do you, and fuck everyone else.’ I’ve stuck to that my whole life.
SD: You mentioned dancing in heels. Do you think male dancers should perform in heels more often?
YM: That is my thing for sure. I love dancing in heels, it gives me that kind of confidence that I don’t have inside. It’s a side of me, but it just brings another side of my personality that’s unapologetic and it brings out the Madonna in me! That’s what I do, I teach women mostly to dance in heels, not just guys. Some guys come because they like it and take it seriously, but mostly my job is to teach women.
SD: Do you think the lines between gender
based fashion will dissolve?
YM: I think it’s already changing a lot. I mean, I just saw Versace had a guy in heels as a male model. I think it’s changing a lot, I mean look at Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Celine Dion’s recent videos!
SD: Can you tell me a little bit about your upcoming project with Ellen Pompeo and RuPaul?
YM: I can’t really say anything about it to be honest! It’s gonna happen soon enough. Everything’s happening really fast in my life right now, so it should be official for me to say what it is after summer. It’s gonna be about dancing in heels. If I say too much I’ll get in trouble!
SD: What does Pride mean to you?
YM: It means being free! The funny thing is, I’m obviously part of the gay community and I work for it and I’m proud of it, I always have been, but I don’t go out and protest. I just wait for the day that we don’t need to do that, that it’s all accepted. I do fight in my own way but putting myself out there in heels and by saying ‘Fuck you’ to everyone. That’s the way I fight.
SD: Who is your ultimate LGBTQ icon?
YM: Barbra Streisand. I can’t express why! Everyone thinks it’s Madonna, I mean, she’s definitely my icon too, but Barbra just touches my soul. I’ve seen her live, and it was my dream to see her live. I just think she’s beyond, out of this world. I don’t think anyone can fuck with Barbra Streisand. Then Madonna, I just love her because of who she is, what she’s done for the LGBTQ community. She’s probably the one who’s inspired my most throughout my career, and still does. It’s very different. Barbra is something private, what she does to me, and Madonna is really more related to my job and what I do.