TELEVISION

DASHAUN WESLEY

King of Vogue

It’s been a legendary year for Dashaun Wesley. After portraying Shadow Wintour on Pose, the “King of Vogue” burst onto the reality television runway as the master of ceremonies on HBO Max’s Legendary, a competition between eight voguing houses. Wesley is no stranger to this scene; he has danced and commentated in the New York City ballroom arena since he was a teenager. He’s since showed off his moves on America’s Best Dance Crew, BET’s Hit the Floor, and Magic Mike XXL. Wesley describes his job as being “one of the best pilots in the flyer’s seat for the style of voguing” who helps “guide passengers on the path of success with performances, education, and knowledge of the underground ballroom scene.” His most recent productions have brought the world of ballroom to living rooms around the world, garnering a new generation of fans and practitioners. Wesley predicts ballroom culture will continue to grow over the next few years, “not only in numbers but in visibility.” He expects changes to the competitive format as well. “I see more of a fixed and structured playing field for the newcomers and spectators. The rule system to be adjusted to give a better understanding to the lingo, categories, and titles given to the hard-working participants,” he says. He also hopes to see the creation of a “marked historical location for the scene like a museum or building that we store our history and archive our legacy.”

@dashaunwesley

JAMAL SIMS

Choreographer

Jamal Sims first danced onto the scene in the late ’90s, choreographing hit hip-hop videos for artists like Usher and Dru Hill. Since then, he has become one of the hottest choreographers in Hollywood, parlaying his talents into the world of film and television.

Sims, who says being out “means freedom,” has remained dedicated to creating LGBTQ+-inclusive content throughout his 20-plus-year career. He’s dabbled in producing and acting — and became an award-winning director with 2018’s documentary When the Beat Drops. His dazzling choreography in last year’s Aladdin live action reboot starring Will Smith blew audiences (and critics) away.

These days, Sims is probably most recognized as a longtime resident choreographer (along with Todrick Hall) across several of the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchises. Though 2020 has been a challenging year, he says there were some wonderful highlights, like “reintroducing me to myself, spending quality time with my family, and falling in love.” Sims says his hope for 2021 “is that we all can heal from 2020.”

@jamizzi

CHEYENNE JACKSON

Actor, Singer

A bona fide Broadway star, Cheyenne Jackson made and .