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- [00:00]
A
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B
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A
Off, when Beyonce says, you take care of my daughter and coach her up.
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B
That part in the movie, I was even shocked. I was like crying. I was like, what? Oh my goodness. Because it was very natural. How that all happened was natural blue. As you have seen, she's at all the rehearsals, naturally, and she's always dancing. She's a dancer. So it wasn't nothing new for us to see her on the sidelines doing the choreography and everything. But then I realized that there was always one part she was, you know, practicing, which was the part that you saw. And they had told me, like, hey, she wants to perform this part, but we're gonna see how everything goes. And that was my choreography.
- [02:21]
A
The tour ratio. Okay though the tour Rachel okay though that might that gave me the best question I've ever been asked.
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B
You's a phenomenal person. I mean you legendary. I am a fan of you. My brother.
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A
Amari Marshall, AKA Amari Monster, was a co captain on Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour. She also was part of Beychella she was part of Rihanna's halftime show. This is one of the great dancers in the world. I was so excited to talk to her about working with Beyonce, about working with Rihanna, about being an amazing dancer. Let's get into it. It's Amari Marshall, AKA Amari Monster on Toray show. Amari, how are you?
- [03:22]
B
I'm feeling, well. Swell. Awesome. It's an amazing time today.
- [03:27]
A
Tell me what it means to be a great dancer. Like, when you're looking at other dancers or at yourself, what is indicating to you? Okay, she's great. He's great.
- [03:40]
B
One is the confidence. Two, the ability. A great dancer to me is the ability to make people feel what you feel.
- [03:51]
A
Mm.
- [03:52]
B
The ability to bring that story of the song to life or whatever story you're trying to convey. It can be sad, it can be mad. It can all types of stuff. It's. It's that. It's the feeling that's a great dancer because there's a lot of people that can do moves, but there's not a lot of people that can emote such emotions that makes them believe, like, oh, I totally understand what you're talking about. I get it. I get beginning, middle, and end, and that's a great dancer to me.
- [04:23]
A
Yeah. There's people I see, and I don't quite know why, but I am captivated by the way you move.
- [04:31]
B
It's the aura. So, like, when people see me dancing, it's more than just a move. It's like, the feeling. They're like, I just. You were calling out to my soul.
- [04:40]
A
Yeah. You have a force and a power in the way you move on stage. It's very. It definitely gives me that, like, sense of pride, sense of lion, sense of, like, you know, I am strong.
- [04:55]
B
Yes. It's my Capricorn energy. I'm very much an earth sign. And I really call on my ancestors. Like, I call on them to move through me, like, in a way that people have never seen before, and sometimes I haven't even seen before. So every night on Renaissance, when I have my solo, that's complete freestyle. I freestyle every single time, and I'm just like, God, whatever you want to happen, let's just.
- [05:26]
A
So it's. It's. It's. Lose yourself.
- [05:29]
B
Mm. I. Lose yourself in the moment type situation. Yeah.
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A
Is there not a lot of pressure in doing a freestyle in front of 40, 50, 60,000 people?
- [05:42]
B
Yeah, but I'm, like, trembling, shaking. I literally have to go into a whole nother zone, and I've been preparing for this for such a long time. I'm naturally. I came from a freestyle background. I started off as Krumper. So through the years and I'm a part of this all female collective called the Council. It's five women founded by Cleopatra. She's like a goat in the freestyle community. So I'm a around freestylers all the time. So I just imagine in this crazy way, I'm just at a freestyle session. But this time I just need to give all my best moves though. Yeah. So I would be nervous, but then I just remembered why I'm there. There's no one like me. And I don't want to lose this spot either. So I'm going to bring it every single time.
- [06:40]
A
So you've been with. You were with Beyonce on Homecoming. So Renaissance is not your first time working with her.
- [06:48]
B
I did Bachelor back in, I think 2016. Most people know me by the part. Baby boy. That was me and my real sister. We had did that part together. And that was an amazing experience in itself.
- [07:03]
A
Yeah. Bachchella was extraordinary because Beyonce was extraordinary. The crew around her was extraordinary. And this love of HBCU dance culture, band culture was like, wow, it was so black.
- [07:24]
B
Yes, it was cool. Cause I'm from the South. I'm from Jacksonville, Florida. So homecoming fam you. All that energy, that type of culture, I was introduced to it at a young age. So even though I wasn't in it, I didn't necessarily go to college. I knew what that was. I knew what that felt like, the energy. So to see someone so high profile pay homage to that. Because a lot of the dance moves and just the way that we act with the hair and the back, you know, the walks that comes from. That comes from them. So to be able to do that on a big stage, representing for that was just epic.
- [08:08]
A
So you helped choreograph Renaissance.
- [08:11]
B
Yes.
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A
So talk about the vision that you guys had. What, what did you. What did you set out to do as far as the choreography and the dance?
- [08:22]
B
So for choreography and the dance, we had already kind of created a blueprint for the visuals. And now it's just like for the tour, taking it to another level. So under the direction of Fatima, we have Fatima Robinson. That was our head choreographer, creative director alongside Chris Grant, who is my mentor. I've known him for since I was 13 years old. And he was the one that had brought me into the camp for Renaissance. And then we had Adrienne Tia. There was different choreographers that were a part. It was just, how can we bring the spirit of ballroom as well, because that was such a big influence on the album. Plus have be then, you know, with me, okay, we need the monster. We need the masculine. How can we bring all these different worlds together in the name of B? Making it something that's fresh, new, but still has that traditional B flair in essence. So we all just work together to just find different ways to, you know, have the ballroom essence, but still in a Beyonce flair.
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A
You're from that ballroom culture as well.
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B
I know. Well, I want to say I'm a part of the ballroom culture. Even though I was representing for the thickies, for the body.
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A
For sure. For sure.
- [09:50]
B
In the ball and I, when Fatima was just like, amari, we're gonna have you for body. I was like, what? Oh, my goodness. Because I respect the culture. I respect all dance styles, all dance genres, and I'm doing something that you may had not grew up in or was educated in, trained in. It can be a little tricky doing it. So I definitely was talking to Honey a lot, like watching videos, talking to Narita, another dancer in our cast that had a history of doing ballroom in Carlos, he did choreography as well. Just making sure that I represented for that category. Right. And the great thing that I love about working with Bea and just the whole team, they give us the initial idea, but then you can be free and do anything. So it was cool being able to do body and do body in a different way that you usually don't see it because it can be more vulgar and sexy and, you know, you're just standing there. But I'm a dancer. I'm a mover, so I'm like, I gotta take it up a notch. They want to see the jiggle, so let's show the jiggle.
- [11:07]
A
The whole renaissance moment when you enter the tour, for me, it's so welcoming. It's right. And it's like, everybody is welcome here, and you are part of that. The audience is part of that. But you're part of that because your success on the stage. Right. Is making us feel like all bodies are welcome, plus size. Women are celebrated here. And that's a really important part of the message.
- [11:36]
B
Yes. It shows that we can all win. And I saw your interview with Amber Riley and how just for her experience. I loved her interview because it's true. When she. She was out with Glee, there was nobody really on TV like her. And even seeing her on TV during Glee, that was a really big impact for me. Even though I didn't want to be an actor, but just to See myself inspired you inspired me. And so I knew every time I walked on that stage, there's going to be thousands of men and women that look just like me that have never seen themselves on stage with this artist. I've literally. I had someone, I was sitting down with my. At my friend's house and her boyfriend was just like, yeah. Talking about being was like, yeah, she only has this. You'll never see. He literally said, you'll never see a door. A short, dark skinned girl with Bea. And I was like, hmm, that's different. Because I actually have danced with Bea. And then now, years later, thinking about that very moment and thinking about how we just broke those, the society norms and what people think plus size dancers look like or dance like. It was really good to break that and to show like, hey, everybody is welcome and everybody is appreciated and everybody is beautiful.
- [13:11]
A
Yes, yes. No. It's an important, welcoming, affirming message that really matters, that makes you feel loved. Yeah, right. And free and welcome. And it's, you know, it emanates from the music and the vibe of Renaissance and then you play it out on the tour. You know, we see in the movie how hard Beyonce works. If you've seen the tour, the movie takes it further. Right. You still want to see the movie because it's not just from the stage or from the audience, but it's all the behind the scenes. So we see how hard she works, we see how smart she is, we see how aware she is of everything that's going on and how she's pushing people to be better, to be their best. Talk about working with her and Beyonce in this regard and how she's not easy, she sets the bar high, but she gives you a lot as well from herself.
- [14:16]
B
I absolutely loved working with her because I'm a perfectionist too. I take my job very seriously. Like everything that I do, I give 100 commitments. So to work for an artist that holds that same commitment for themselves, it only pushes me to be better. So I appreciated that she set the bar high because that's why we're here. We're here to continue setting the bar high and keep on setting the standards. So I didn't expect anything less. Honestly, if she was really. I call her auntie. She's just so chill, so amazing, funny, super cool, super down to earth. But it's just like, hey, when it's time to work, we working. And I get it.
- [15:05]
A
Did she ever look at you like, come on, Amari, step it up.
- [15:08]
B
Ah, I can't tell those Stories. Yes, you can.
- [15:11]
A
Yes, you can.
- [15:12]
B
Yes, you can.
- [15:12]
A
There must have been some moment where you're crushing it. But she's like, I know you could do a little better.
- [15:18]
B
No, I'm not set. No, she. It's always been. It's always been love. And if. If she ever had to look at me like that, something was wrong. Because I'm my biggest critic. So I will always push myself more before anybody has to look at me.
- [15:37]
A
You'll notice it before anyone. Do you watch back the shows, the concerts?
- [15:43]
B
Do you know? I had never seen any of the shows until the movie. I had never. I saw.
- [15:49]
A
Cause I think as a perfectionist, I'd be like, all right, I'm gonna watch the show to make sure I was right.
- [15:54]
B
I was watching all the clips that I was. I was in just a few on Instagram. It's so crazy that you said that. I am a perfectionist. I was always rehearsing, but for some reason, when it came to social media and watching back, I tuned out. I didn't watch anything because I think the knowing how the world was receiving it and giving in to that pressure would have just overcame me because it was already so much on my plate while I was doing the show. If that makes sense.
- [16:26]
A
You've done, I would imagine, so much mirror work that you know what it looks like.
- [16:33]
B
Exactly. Cause I'm always, every night in my room, I'm always practicing. I can tell. I'm already critiquing myself while I'm on stage. I already know while I'm doing this piece, I'm like, ah, I could have done that better. But it's okay. Still gotta move forward. But tomorrow we won't make that same change.
- [16:52]
A
That's really important that I can critique myself without getting down on myself. I know we're gonna do it better next time.
- [16:59]
B
Right?
- [16:59]
A
You know you can and I will. So you stay positive while you're giving yourself a note.
- [17:04]
B
Yeah, because nobody's. Even though we're perfectionists and we're working towards perfection, we're not perfect. Everybody has hiccups here and there. So that's life. If you. And this is such a fast paced type of situation, you can't get stuck on that. You have to just learn from it, take it, and then we move on to the next thing.
- [17:25]
A
So listen, I want to talk about some of the dancers in the show, but first let's talk about Beyonce as a dancer. She is an extraordinary dancer.
- [17:34]
B
Incredible. Love it. She be working. And when the stage, it's just. It's cool seeing. It's amazing seeing her in rehearsal. But then it's one thing to be with her on stage, because that's when she unleashes. It's just something as an artist, and I get it. We all know, like, when you step on stage, you got the audience, you got everything. You just become this different. Be so feeling that, you know, riled me up so much. I was. She made me better, for sure. Because I'm a Capricorn. She's a Virgo. I got Virgo in my chart. It's the earth sign thing, you know, I'm like, okay, you go, okay. I can match it too. Yes.
- [18:19]
A
Is she nervous before the shows?
- [18:21]
B
I don't know. She be in the back, she be praying, and then she come up on stage.
- [18:26]
A
See, you know, you're good. If we were in a criminal conspiracy together, I know Mari's not saying nothing. I tell you what I did. I don't know what Torre did. I know what I did. I don't know nothing about nothing.
- [18:38]
B
I know she was good. She was on stage. She made it happen.
- [18:41]
A
I love the about Beyonce's always on beat, right? Because it speaks to her as a dancer, as a rhythmic person, as a black person. And it's like, it's sort of a beautiful thing.
- [18:55]
B
Oh, no. Cause she is Beyonce. And it just. It's like class. You're always learning. She's such a teacher, and you see how she handles a lot of situations just with grace. We, as everybody saw, we had the music cut out. We just. Different things. And then to go downstage and be like, we gotta make this a moment. Outfit change, boom. I can apply that to my own thing too. It's just like, okay, if my inners go out or one time, my heel broke in the middle of diva. I can't run off stage. I gotta stay on stage. And I'm learning these type of techniques because I'm seeing the way that she's handling her own situation. So it's just like, how can I apply that to myself to make me a better performer and a better artist? Because things are always gonna happen all the time. But it's how you handle the situation that really makes you a true professional. So she is a teacher. Like, she literally, no matter what, she's going to be on beat and the vocal cords will be on going up.
- [20:11]
A
Prices keep going up. These days.
- [20:13]
B
It feels like being on an elevator.
- [20:15]
A
That only goes up, going up. But not at Metro. We're pushing the down button.
- [20:21]
B
Going down.
- [20:23]
A
We've lowered prices.
- [20:24]
B
Get one line of 5G data for $40 period.
- [20:27]
A
That's 20% lower. And you get a free 5G phone when you bring your number only at.
- [20:32]
B
Metro five year guarantee on eligible plans exclusion supply. See website for details. Not available at Metro with T Mobile in the past six months Tax supplies.
- [20:40]
A
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- [20:44]
B
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A
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- [20:57]
B
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- [20:59]
A
Enterprise Mobility moving you moves the world. Find your road@enterprisemobility.com so part of the beauty of the Renaissance show was that there were other dancers who got spotlights, right? Which just speaks to the importance of dance in this whole universe. Sometimes you have other singers come out and do a show, but I remember a show had so many other dancers coming out. And so let's talk about the twins.
- [21:30]
B
The twins. The Le twins, Larry, Laurent, my bookies.
- [21:34]
A
They are extraordinary.
- [21:36]
B
They're crazy. That was really cool being on the shot with them as well. Growing up, watching them dance, just like all of us dancers, to be in their presence was really cool and really awesome. They have just a lot of experience in this world. A lot of experience with her and the team. They really, honestly became my brothers. Like, we really developed an emotional little brother, big brother, little sister type relationship, which was something I was not expecting to develop with them. So even to this day, we'll check up on each other. And they were just awesome. They loved on my family. And it was really cool seeing them work too.
- [22:23]
A
I feel like they have taken in like all styles of dance.
- [22:29]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [22:30]
A
And created their own thing. And they might give you a moment of ballet or krump or this or that, you know, and it's like all melanged together within them.
- [22:39]
B
Yes, they have. It was even cool. While we would always have freestyle sessions too, during tour. And to see, I think it was Laurent, he would do dambolo, which is a certain African style. And I'm just like, oh, I didn't know you knew how to do that. Okay. And so they're very well versed. It's just there's so much to them. And even just props to them. They're one of the. There's only a handful of dancers that go from being a backup dancer to an actual star star. You know, seeing as a celebrity, seeing someone that you put on the forefront, you have them freestyle a whole song by Themselves, that is really hard to do. So for them to be able to cross over to do that.
- [23:27]
A
And they're so funny.
- [23:28]
B
Yeah. They're so comfortable.
- [23:30]
A
They have a way to make the dance funny and fun and, like. I'm laughing. You just.
- [23:36]
B
They're so in tune with performing with the audience. They just know what people want. And the great thing about that, too, is still them. They're not doing it in a way that makes you feel like they're trying to be someone else. Right.
- [23:54]
A
Right. What do you call the thing they did when I want to say, like, they're on the big sticks that, like, flow back and forth. What do you call that?
- [24:04]
B
Swing poles. I think the swinging poles.
- [24:06]
A
I mean, I'm scared for them. I know they're strapped in, but I'm still scared.
- [24:09]
B
Oh. In rehearsals. Cause it was them and some other people that tried it. I don't know how they did it. And they did training, but you would think this is years of training that they had on these things, and it wasn't. And they just did it so effortlessly. And even I asked. I'm like, y'all okay? Because they're tall, too. Even though they're skinny, it's still. That's a long body, that. And they're having to climb, like, climb themselves up there every single day, strap them their own selves in, and then boom, boom, boom.
- [24:46]
A
There's fearlessness.
- [24:47]
B
Oh, yeah. There's some daredevils. They're crazy.
- [24:50]
A
Okay. Because I watched Legendary. I knew who Honey Balenciaga was, my girl. And I was ready for her when I saw her in social media. And then when I saw the show, I mean, like, the presence is so big.
- [25:07]
B
She's off the bearning.
- [25:08]
A
Talk about her Honey.
- [25:11]
B
I love Honey. This was my first time actually getting to work with Honey during the tour. And I already knew who she was. I had seen her as well on Legendary and Nike campaigns and things of that nature. So walking in, Ms. Mona was. It's just kind of like, hey, I'm here. I'm like, okay. She always had her fur, always had the glasses, the hood, the furry boots. She's very much honey. 20. I say 25. 8. All the time.
- [25:43]
A
For sure.
- [25:44]
B
All the time. And I really appreciated her and Carlos for just every day educating us about the ballroom community, making sure that they were being represented correctly because they're in it, you know? So this is all their life's work now, being put on stage. And she was very much on it. She was always doing tricks I had never seen before.
- [26:09]
A
And there's an it factor. She just walks out, and I'm like, eyes are focused.
- [26:13]
B
It's boom. She's a star.
- [26:15]
A
You know, the twins have been rocking with Beyonce for a while, so I felt like you've been on whatever plateau you are on for a minute.
- [26:23]
B
Mm.
- [26:24]
A
But I watched Honey come up out of nothing on Legendary, and now you're with Beyonce. So I'm like, you're kind of like. I don't want to say lottery, but, like, you won at life and you're. I'm seeing you ascend. Like, this is the highest level professionally you've been at in your life. And I'm like, look at you go like, wow.
- [26:46]
B
It's like Cinderella stories. We had a lot of Cinderella stories on the tour. Honey being one, it's a testament to whatever's supposed to be for you will always be. And just to stay in your lane, like, whatever you're doing, just keep on being the best of that. And you just. You really don't know where it's gonna take you. So Honey's been killing it in the voguen scene for years. So it just so happens now we have the biggest artists, you know, going into this world. If we're gonna do it, we gotta bring them along. Bring her along. So it was really cool. And even for Trinity, she was my opposite for a lot of the routines during the show. She had gotten found off of Twitter and. Yes. And, you know, Bea has seen her and audition led one thing to another, and she was on the tour. So she's from Detroit. And imagine, like young from Detroit in the hood, and then now you're traveling the whole entire world.
- [27:50]
A
Are there any other dancers on the show that we should talk about?
- [27:57]
B
That we should talk about? Honestly, we could talk about all of them. I love them all. Darius, he's phenomenal. Zaeveon. I'm just gonna go through Hannah. We definitely have to shout out Hannah. Hannah is our other captain. Hannah Douglas. She was. Her and I were the longest standing dancers, I think, on the tour like, that have worked with Bea. So Hannah had been around for 12 years, and she was captain as well with me. And it was really cool having us together because our dynamics, like, I'm new.
- [28:34]
A
What does it mean to be the dance captain? What does it mean?
- [28:37]
B
What does it mean to be the dance captain? What are the responsibilities to make sure everything. All the dancers are together. Anything that our choreographers needed, like Chris or Fatima, any notes that we would get from. From them, and then just making sure between all the Different. Dang, I lost the word departments. We're the spokesperson for the dancers. So wardrobe, management, production, we would be the people to talk to and be there to assist me.
- [29:11]
A
What color are your nails?
- [29:12]
B
Blue.
- [29:13]
A
Speaking of blue, what about dancing with her?
- [29:15]
B
My little. Oh, you took that.
- [29:18]
A
I'm trying to get you. But that was an incredible, incredible subplot, let's say through the Renaissance tour and in this social media world we all saw. Oh, here she is in Sweden, right? Oh, here she is in Paris. Here she is. And it's getting better. It's getting deeper. We're watching the development of her. And that was your baby, right? I mean, there's an incredible moment in the movie where Beyonce's like, okay, you're gonna take care of my baby, so I trust you. But also, don't fuck it up.
- [29:52]
B
Yeah. Pressure.
- [29:54]
A
Oh, but the love and trust between you and Bea that she's like, I am putting my daughter. And, you know, I think some people might have thought before the movie, this is something that Beyonce wanted to do. And we learn. No. Beyonce said no. And Blue kept asking and Beyonce no. And finally, she could not say no anymore. Like, all right, I'll let you do it once. And then it kept going.
- [30:19]
B
Yeah.
- [30:19]
A
So just first off, when Beyonce says, you take care of my daughter and coach her up.
- [30:27]
B
That part in the movie, I was even shocked. I was, like, crying. I was like, what? Oh, my goodness. Because it was very natural. How that all happened was natural Blue. As you have seen, she's at all the rehearsals, naturally, and she's always dancing. She's a dancer. So it wasn't nothing new for us to see her on the sidelines doing the choreography and everything. But then I realized that there was always one part she was, you know, practicing, which was the part that you saw. And they had told me, like, hey, she wants to perform this part, but we're gonna see how everything goes. And that was my choreography, not my power, but the African part, dance break afterwards. And so I think she's always in our dressing room. She was just, like, practicing or whatever, and I'm like, I finally went over to her because I feel like she always wanted to talk to me about it, but maybe was too nervous. So one thing led to another, and I was just like, hey, if you want to do it now, it's time for us to directly work together. And every time we rehearsed, it was just more of encouraging. I've been teaching for years, so from young to old, so working with kids is nothing new to Me. And there's definitely a language that you have in a type of loving energy you have to have with kids. And I understood the pressure she was under. I understood nerves she was feeling. So every time in rehearsal, it's just like, hey, this is all about you, but if we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it. So if this is what you wanna do, there's a certain type of hard work and energy that you have to put into this. And it was. She never questioned it. She was always very attentive. She was always just there. Nobody told her to come to our rehearsals. When we're rehearsing on stage, she would just show up, or they'll text me like, hey, Blue's ready to rehearse. I'm like, okay, work. Let's do it.
- [32:33]
A
You know, I felt Beyonce's pain when, before the first show. And she's like, oh, my God, she's nervous. What have I done? And it's one thing for me, seasoned performer, to be nervous before we go out, but I'm exposing my baby to the fear of anxiety, of I'm about to perform in front of 40,000 people, plus the Internet.
- [32:56]
B
It's a lot of pressure being on that stage and then to be a baby at that. And you're doing that. The only way you're gonna make it through is feeling as comfortable as possible. So always, me and Zayveon always just made sure, like, hey, we are right here with you, right beside you, like, nothing's gonna happen. Nothing's gonna happen. And, you know, the choreo.
- [33:22]
A
Yeah, that. What. What was. What is the message before we go out? How are we coaching her up right before we're about to go?
- [33:29]
B
Actually, I was running from the stage to back of the stage, going up. As I'm power passing her, I'd be like.
- [33:38]
A
And then thumbs up, you got it.
- [33:40]
B
Thumbs up, you got it. But no, I tried to every time. We always practice before the show, and I'm just like, hey, you got this. You can do this. Remember who you are. Like, you got this. Literally, you just have to keep on telling her, you got this. Because she is already such a hard worker and very much a captain Corn like myself. I can tell she's already critiquing herself already, so you don't want to add to that. It's just, like, only encouragement. Of course, if there's some things that I feel like she need to work on, we'll talk about that beforehand. But when it's time for the show, I'm like, hey, just tune everything out.
- [34:20]
A
But afterward, she's a child, but she wants to do this.
- [34:23]
B
She wants to do this.
- [34:25]
A
How do we give notes to the child so that she can receive it in the right way?
- [34:30]
B
It's just how you're talking to your kids. Like, positive, reinforced affirmations, like, hey, I saw you did it like this, but I know you can do this maybe a little bit better. And then you'll just be surprised. Take it. Like, next day, it kills it. I'm like, we're good, we're good.
- [34:53]
A
But you did good. And she did well. Because we saw a development night to night.
- [35:00]
B
Right. She's training. You have to practice for that. You have to. I always told her, as we progress, it's going to get better, but we have to stay committed to the rehearsals and to tune out what everybody's saying. Practice.
- [35:15]
A
Don't listen.
- [35:16]
B
Yeah, don't listen. They're not up on that stage. They're not doing what we do. Practice makes perfect. So the more that we practice and she literally, it was blowing me away every day, just making improvement, really taking in the notes that either Mint myself would give her, Chris would give her, and just really applying it, but then putting her own little flair to it. So the.
- [35:42]
A
Yeah.
- [35:43]
B
I'm like, okay, let's make that a moment.
- [35:46]
A
It's the same dance, but the relaxed, the spirit, the sense of comfort in it grows more and more over time.
- [35:55]
B
Yeah. It's just a testament that kids are not too young. What?
- [36:00]
A
But also when she finishes and Beyonce comes out and you see the pride, that's a great moment, too.
- [36:08]
B
It was. It was a really beautiful mother daughter moment. You could tell that it was very clear that that was a very important, a special thing for their relationship that they'll always remember. It's a moment in time for them as mother and daughter, their relationship. And it was really beautiful to watch and experience. I feel like every night I wanted to cry just to. After just seeing her because I knew how hard she was working and to every single night, overcoming her fears and inspiring so many kids, too, to believe that they can be on a stage like that and do that as well. It was really powerful.
- [36:58]
A
It was very powerful. And it was. And there was two big subplots to the rent. Right? How's Blue gonna do tonight? And how long will the silence be when we. Everybody on the right. Can we. Can we be longer than everybody else or somebody gonna screw it up for all of us? And so, I mean, it was. It was interest. I mean, like, you would counter the show already knowing part of the show. Right. I mean, you come to New Jersey. We know Atlanta was quiet for, you know, six minutes. Can we go long? Right?
- [37:34]
B
Oh. When it came to the mute challenge, that was hilarious. Because there would be a few cities. I don't remember which city, but there was someone. They had screamed. She had said mute, and they said scream. I'm like, can we get a second, please? And it was such an interactive show. The audience naturally just did that. And then we just kept on making it a thing.
- [38:01]
A
Oh, really? So that came from the audience?
- [38:04]
B
We had. We did. There was a mute, so we were quiet, but it became a thing. Yeah, we had did a whole. It was a part of the set. And then we would just go back. But then it became like. When we said mute, everybody's just like. And it's just like, oh, okay, so make it bigger. Let's make it a thing.
- [38:28]
A
Interesting. Are there other things that, like, developed from the audience as we were going along?
- [38:34]
B
I definitely think, like, the clack, clack, like, the fans, that just became its own natural thing. I'm trying to think, too. The bees, when we had did. Was it honey? I'm trying to think. There's so many.
- [38:58]
A
I know in Jersey. When I saw the show, there were definitely people in different sections who took it upon themselves to be like, okay, we're gonna be quiet now.
- [39:08]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [39:09]
A
Like, get ready. Like, it's coming. I don't want to hear none of y'all.
- [39:12]
B
The Beehive was so engaged. Shout out to the Beehive. I love you guys. They did not play.
- [39:20]
A
It was a beautiful. The Beehive was a beautiful part of the Renaissance tour experience. Cause I felt, even as a straight person, welcomed and loved. As I'm walking into the whole thing, as I'm behind getting a drink or a pretzel or whatever, and everybody is doing their thing, and you are welcome in whatever way you want to come to this experience.
- [39:46]
B
Yes. It was really cool to see the whole queer community involved in the show and just the diversity within it, too, mixed in with her normal fans as well. And it was just. Even to see my own dad. And that's beautiful. Just there engaged with everybody, having a great time up on his feet. It just showed that nothing was off limits. Like, everybody was there. Everybody was there for the same thing, and it was really fun.
- [40:23]
A
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- [41:25]
A
Iconic moment that you were part. Because you were part of Rihanna's halftime.
- [41:28]
B
Show at the Super Bowl. Yeah, Super Bowl. Uh huh.
- [41:30]
A
So let me make a confession, okay. Because I watched it, of course. Like, Rihanna's gonna perform. And I'm like, what the fuck is going on? I don't get it. What is happening? This is crying. And I think it was. My wife was like, no, she's the egg and they're the sperm. And I'm like, oh, my God, this is genius.
- [41:50]
B
The sperm and the egg sends me. I heard marshmallows, I heard clouds.
- [41:56]
A
Because of course we're like, oh my God, she's pregnant. But like, no, we're representing pregnancy in the dance. I'm like, oh, now this is genius.
- [42:08]
B
That's what you got. I'm scre. That is not it. What you think we were supposed to be the eggs?
- [42:16]
A
No, she's the egg and all the white dancers wear the sperm.
- [42:20]
B
No. What you mean no?
- [42:21]
A
No. What do you mean no? What do you mean?
- [42:22]
B
It's just fashion. What? Yes. Now you're blowing my mind the other direction.
- [42:28]
A
Like, no, this makes perfect sense that she's red, they're white, they're chasing her.
- [42:35]
B
No. Oh, I am not about to play with you.
- [42:39]
A
You.
- [42:39]
B
Wait, what?
- [42:40]
A
No, you are playing with me, right?
- [42:42]
B
No, I have never heard this before.
- [42:46]
A
Which is blood red.
- [42:47]
B
It's just fashion.
- [42:53]
A
Wow. Cause I had arguments with people the next day, like, no, you don't understand how brilliant it is. Cause she was the egg and they were the sperm. What?
- [43:01]
B
I thought it was a joke. Nobody told us that. That was. It was just fashion.
- [43:09]
A
Okay, but they're chasing her and there's elevation. And I'm like, oh, we're moving through the stage of Pregnancy while she's.
- [43:17]
B
I'm about to throw my shoe at you.
- [43:20]
A
Bring it. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it. So what was it for you?
- [43:25]
B
Oh, that was super cool because I had always wanted to do Super Bowl. I couldn't do the one the year before, so. And I've worked with Rihanna during doing Savage Fenty. I've done a whole bunch of those shows under the direction of Paris. So Paris had. She was the choreographer for super bowl, and everybody knows Paris is. She's perfectionist. And we're gonna go hard. So I already knew this super bowl was gonna be off the chain.
- [43:54]
A
It was extraordinary.
- [43:55]
B
It was extraordinary, and it was a lot of hard work, only because I would say our hours for rehearsals were always through the night. So you're talking about starting at maybe five or six, and we're getting done at, like, three or four. So it was just a lot on the body, but it really conditioned me because shortly afterwards is when we had started with the tour for Renaissance. So I had a great time doing that, and I was really happy to do that because it challenged me as a dancer, just with getting used to moving across the stage like that and just a heavy outfit. As you can see, we had the glasses, so we were completely covered. It was like an extra 10, 15 pounds on us. So it really helped condition me, and it was great to check that off the books, like, to be able to do a Super Bowl.
- [44:55]
A
It was such an epic performance.
- [44:57]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [44:57]
A
The air and the reveal.
- [45:01]
B
And those girls were dancing up there. They were like, 70ft in the air, and the only thing that's holding them is this, the string in the back.
- [45:11]
A
I mean, you have to get through your fear and show the monster. Right. The power.
- [45:17]
B
And they're like, but I'm way high. I'm scared. Yeah. They asked me to go up there. I said, absolutely not. I'm good. I will stay on the floor. Or, you know, I'm saying.
- [45:27]
A
But I'm like, you could do anything.
- [45:29]
B
Oh, yeah. If I. If someone asks me again now to do something like that, I'll probably cry before making the decision. But I would do it.
- [45:39]
A
Cause I feel like you're fearless.
- [45:41]
B
Oh, yeah. I try to be as much as possible.
- [45:43]
A
Yeah.
- [45:44]
B
There'd be some situations like that. I'm like, okay.
- [45:49]
A
I'm okay.
- [45:50]
B
I'm okay. But I do want to go skydiving.
- [45:52]
A
So I'm like, skydiving is dope. You wanna do solo or a tandem?
- [46:01]
B
Tandem. I don't think Solo. I don't think so.
- [46:04]
A
Cause a tandem. I did it. Scary as hell.
- [46:07]
B
Yeah.
- [46:08]
A
Tandem. You're just going for a ride. You don't do anything. You jump out of the plane. Now, that is hard.
- [46:14]
B
That's good for me.
- [46:15]
A
Cause everything in your brain is going, don't jump out of the plane. You'll die. And you have to override that. That's like trying to keep you alive. And you're like, no, no, it's fine. Shut up. And like. What do you mean, shut up?
- [46:28]
B
I just wanna jump out.
- [46:29]
A
But you just.
- [46:30]
B
And then land.
- [46:31]
A
You just. You're just. The other person is on your back.
- [46:35]
B
And they're doing all the work.
- [46:37]
A
They pull the cord.
- [46:38]
B
Cause me, I'm gonna forget to pull the cord.
- [46:42]
A
You won't forget to pull the cord.
- [46:44]
B
Cause your life at the right timing, though. But I won't be able to take in the experience of what's happening.
- [46:51]
A
The guy who taught me said, I'm gonna give you a chance to save your life. Right. Cause you're dying until you pull the cord.
- [46:58]
B
Yeah.
- [47:00]
A
You can't take it in the first time you do it. Too much is happening for your mind to be able to conceive. I did it like three times the first time. Right. Tandem. And then you solo. I did. I did.
- [47:14]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [47:15]
A
And, you know, you're wearing an altimeter that tells you where you are in space. But basically, after 40 seconds, you pull the cord. But it's too much for your mind to take in of what's happening. But I'll tell you what. When I put. And when you pull the cord, doesn't hurt, right? You stop. But it's. It doesn't hurt or anything. You just feel like I was going super fast and now I'm going super slow.
- [47:36]
B
How is it to you to land?
- [47:38]
A
Oh, the landing is nothing because you have a huge parachute. It just. You don't need shoes. I mean, like, either you die or you live. There's no in between. You're not gonna hurt your feet. You just land like a feather. But I'll tell you, when I was 4,000ft in the air and pulled the cord and the parachute is unfurled. To see the earth from so high, and gigantic buildings are like ants. And you get a perspective, and I'm like, there must be a God, because this is so gigantic. There must be something larger than us that is not like some guy with a white beard that's going. You win, you lose. But like, some. There must be some guiding force, because this is so Much larger than we can conceive.
- [48:24]
B
Exactly. And do you feel after that you're willing to take risks, which is opened up?
- [48:32]
A
Yes. Yes. And that risk in particular. Now, I get on a plane, and I'm like, well, I could go out that window with a parachute. I'd be fine. Right. Like, I've done that. I know what that is now. If you said, we're gonna do it again, you're still like. Cause you're still in your mind. Like, don't jump out the plane. Cause you'll. But, like, you know, consciously, like. But I have done it before. Yeah. And it's. I. It's fine. I'll serve.
- [48:58]
B
I'll.
- [48:58]
A
I mean, there's. No. No, you don't get injured. I mean, like, if you get a small. If you get really good and you get a small parachute, so you pull lower and you go fast, like, maybe. But for the most part, you either live or die. Mm.
- [49:11]
B
And that's. And you know what's so crazy? After tour, that's how I felt about life.
- [49:20]
A
Mm.
- [49:21]
B
Now that I've done this, I can do anything.
- [49:23]
A
Mm. Interesting.
- [49:25]
B
Because there was. It took so much to get there. Just thinking about my journey from my hometown, Jacksonville, all the way up until now, it's just like, if I can do this, I can literally do anything. Nothing can stop me. And so that's why I feel like I'm gonna do that.
- [49:45]
A
How many shows did you do? Renaissance.
- [49:47]
B
How many shows?
- [49:48]
A
Yeah. How many shows did you.
- [49:51]
B
I only miss about, I think four. Cause my brother had passed away while on the tour, so it was before our Europe leg ended, but I think we had, like, 56. I had. Did. I pretty much did all of them. I just missed that last couple shows for the year of leg to go back to the States.
- [50:13]
A
But it's tiring, right? After a show, you're kind of dead.
- [50:18]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [50:18]
A
Like, I need to sleep in the bed for, like, a day and a half.
- [50:22]
B
Beat. Beat up. I. I am a party girl. I will say that. But during that tour, I was knocked out. We'll have our own little things, but my body was so exhausted because, one, we're wearing heels, and then you're traveling around this huge stage. We have, like, seven outfit changes. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold. So your body is super fatigued. I got a massage, like, every week.
- [50:52]
A
Yeah. Talk about, how did you recover after each show to be ready? Because it's like, three days in between each show, right?
- [50:58]
B
Two days in between sometimes. Yeah. We would have Two to three days in between each show. Some days we would drive, and then we're in the next city the next day. It's just a lot of sleep. I don't know how we did it.
- [51:10]
A
Did you stretch?
- [51:12]
B
Oh, yeah, we would stretch. Shout out to Natalie. She was our PT on tour. She really saved my life. That's who. Really Anything that I needed. I never had ankle problems before until the show. Just the repetition, the wear and tear. But eating right, stretching, the sauna is my favorite person. And then drinking. Actually drinking a lot of water and staying up on top of your vitamins will really help you recover.
- [51:39]
A
Really do protein shakes?
- [51:41]
B
Yes, Actually, I would take a protein shake before each show. It would be hard for me to want to eat, eat. So I would do proteins.
- [51:50]
A
So you working on Act 2, that tour?
- [51:53]
B
You know, I can't talk about.
- [51:56]
A
You can do anything you want to do, you know, I can't just sit. Just blink if you're already working on it. Just. She's not blinking. I'm not telling you nothing. Wow. We could tell her the national secrets. She could get captured. She ain't telling nothing. I don't know.
- [52:14]
B
I don't know. I don't play about her. I don't. I don't know nothing.
- [52:18]
A
You must be in rehearsal, right?
- [52:20]
B
I don't know. You know?
- [52:21]
A
Cause y'all going out tour next year, right? Are you just say, are you busy next year?
- [52:24]
B
You're not. Why are you trying to get me Much fun?
- [52:29]
A
Do you have a cowboy hat? Do you have 10?
- [52:31]
B
You know, I got my cowboy shoes. You know, I kind of look kind of cowboy now, but I got everything, you know?
- [52:39]
A
Kenny. Mm. You're good, though. You're good, though. The trust is deep. Cause you're good.
- [52:46]
B
I love her.
- [52:47]
A
You're good. But the kids are like, oh, they're. Please don't come back. Cause I can't afford another. I'm still broke for the last tour.
- [52:54]
B
I know when she dropped that album, I was like, here we go.
- [52:57]
A
And when she talked about in the movie, it took, like, three, four years to prepare for renaissance. So I'm like, so you're already working on the Cowboy Carter tour?
- [53:11]
B
It's everything. There's a. She just has a master plan that has just been in fruition and planning for a long, long time. So y'all just gonna have to wait and see.
- [53:22]
A
So what's Act 3 about?
- [53:28]
B
It's him. It's him. It's him.
- [53:33]
A
Is it rock? Is it gospel? Tell us. Tell us something.
- [53:37]
B
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
- [53:44]
A
I love you. What do you want to do because you've accomplished so much? What are the further dreams? Like, what is the further level that you want to get to?
- [53:56]
B
What I'm trying to get to right now is my empire, the domination, the Amari Monster experience. So right now I've been really building up my own businesses. I have my little monster experience, which is like my kids classes, developing them. I do a lot of work in South America, so I have my black escape experience, where it's shows, and I have a show that's directed and choreographed by me. And I just have tons of dancers from the South America community. And my big, big dreams right now is creative directing. I love interior design, so I'm getting into that and helping, doing more projects with my family right now. My little sister, she has her own podcast, and my little brother and I, we curate mixes for her podcast. So it's been really cool to do something with them now. It's just been about, like, just developing my own things, making sure that what I'm doing is still at a high level, just like how I'm doing it for other people's dreams and other people's ideas.
- [55:09]
A
But doing Renaissance especially, I mean, there's so many glittering things on the resume, but doing renaissance in particular elevates your profile, elevates people's trust in you and that you can provide excellence. So I would imagine, you know, rocking with Beyonce in this way, the phone is ringing harder. Like more people are like, you know, you want to do this, you want to do right. Does it change your career in a tangible way?
- [55:40]
B
Absolutely. It changed my life completely. Just years of being overlooked to now you're the one they're looking at. So it's just been. My mind has just been blown by the opportunities I've had, by the support I've just been receiving. It puts you up on this high level, and now I'm just making sure I don't give in to that pressure of trying to stay there. It's just, hey, Amari, you're here because you've been yourself. So just continue doing that. Continue being the great person that you are, and all of the right energies and the right people will come to you. So it's hard. Even with your previous questions, like, what's the ultimate? I thought dancing for Beyonce would be that ultimate, and it is, and it's amazing. But now it's just unleashed so many other dreams now that makes me want to keep on pushing forward. So it just keeps on evolving. I Thought I would only want to be a backup dancer, but now I want to be a creative director. Now I want to direct. Now I want to help other people bring their visions to life. With my production company, it's just. It's ever evolving. It's just always just. I'm feeling really inspired and now relocating to New York and being around this New York energy and being around. I live in New York. Where do you live now? I'm in Brooklyn. Best eye.
- [57:13]
A
Oh, I live in Fort Greene.
- [57:14]
B
Okay, cool.
- [57:15]
A
Neighbors come to.
- [57:20]
B
I'm gonna come to four Green.
- [57:22]
A
Yeah, it's just.
- [57:23]
B
It's cool. Everybody's so innovative. So you can tell the movers and shakers here, they're really trying to discover new things, like, been there, done, now what's new? So it just has me going like, okay, what can we do in dance that hasn't been before? So never been done before? So I'm really excited to see this new journey. I'm about to do another dance film, and, yeah, it's gonna be crazy beautiful.
- [57:55]
A
So I asked people who come on the show, what does being black mean to you, and where does it show up in the work? And I definitely get black dancer from you and the way you move.
- [58:09]
B
I love being black. It's just. I love it. It's more than the skin color. It's the essence. It's our pride. It's our beauty. It's our artistry, the knowledge, our history. It's just royal. Being black is being royal. We're royalty. We come from royal knits. Like it. We have a hard history, but it shows our strength and our love for each other. It's just great.
- [58:36]
A
That's beautiful. And there's an incredible history of black dance.
- [58:42]
B
Yes.
- [58:43]
A
Famous, not famous. In between.
- [58:46]
B
Oh, my goodness. The pioneers, like, shout out. You have people like Debbie Allen, first and foremost. She is like my idol. I want to be my own version of Debbie Allen. She has. She went from a dancer. She's just a philanthropist. She's a director. Everything. It's just the sky is the limit. And when you have people like her, you have Jaquella Nye. You got Chris Grant, Fatima hi Hat, Rhapsody, Shonique, Calvin, all these Danielle Polanco, Leomi Mizarayi. What she's done for the ballroom community, it's just all these beautiful black choreographers, black dancers that just keep on paving the way and breaking down these doors and showing us that there's just so many more space. There's a lot of space for us in this industry. And in this society, hell yeah. Yeah.
- [59:40]
A
Beautiful.
- [59:41]
B
Thank you. Thank you for having me. B. He was trying to get me to talk about it. He was not about to get me in trouble.
- [59:50]
A
Maybe we'll talk about it after we stop.
- [59:53]
B
Thank you.
- [59:55]
A
Thank you so much to Amari for a great interview. And thanks to you for listening. Torre's show gives you fuel to power your dreams. Because you can use your dreams like a rocket ship to blast you into a life you never imagined. You can make your dreams a reality. Maybe this show can help. You can find me on Instagram orayshow. Torre show is written by me, Torre, and produced by Ashley Hobbs. Our editor is Ryan Woodhull. Our booker is Ray Holiday, and we're distributed by DCP Entertainment. And we will be back on Wednesday with more amazing guests because the man can't shut us down. Download.