Dashaun Wesley is an American dancer, [1] [2] actor, [3] [4] choreographer, [5] and ballroom performer, [6] [7] MC, [8] [9] and commentator. [10] [11] He is known for hosting the voguing competition series Legendary [12] and for his appearances on the television series America's Best Dance Crew [13] and Pose. [14] He is often called the "King of Vogue". [15] [16] [17] [18]
Wesley was born in Brooklyn, New York [16] and grew up in its Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. [19] He began dancing at age four. [20] Wesley first encountered voguing at 14 [21] and became involved with the ballroom scene as a teenager. [16]
Wesley has worked as a dance [7] [22] and vogue instructor. [23] [24]
Wesley became involved in ballroom as a teenager in the late 1990s [18] and has competed in balls frequently since then, [19] also hosting [18] and commentating at balls. [25] He began emceeing balls in 2003, [14] and first performed voguing "in front of a big crowd" in 2005 or 2006. [19] Wesley has been a member of a number of houses, including the House of Latex (which he joined in 2000), [19] the House of Evisu, [26] and the House of Lanvin, [27] in which he was a father. [28] [18] He is the founder [29] and father [30] of the House of Basquiat, which debuted on the second season of Legendary in 2021. [31] Along with the House of Garçons, he was featured in the 2023 Capital Pride parade in Washington, D.C. [32] [33]
He is a ballroom legend [34] and received icon status in 2018. [35]
In 2009, Wesley competed on the fourth season [36] of America's Best Dance Crew as a member of the group Vogue Evolution. [37] In 2013, he appeared as a dancer [38] on Hit the Floor. [39] In 2015, Wesley appeared in the film Magic Mike XXL, [40] for which he also instructed Channing Tatum in voguing. [41] Later that year he was an ensemble member in The Wiz Live! [42] Wesley played Shadow Wintour (also known as Shadow Khan) [43] in seasons two [44] and three of Pose on FX. [19] In 2020, he was announced as the host of the HBO Max ballroom competition series Legendary, [45] and served as host and MC [46] over the show’s three seasons. [3] In 2022, he was featured in Billy Porter's [47] performance at the BET Awards. [48]
In 2013, Wesley was featured as a dancer in the music video for Fergie's song " A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)". [49] In 2015, he performed as a vogue dancer [50] and commentator for FKA Twigs' show "Congregata". [24] Wesley was a dancer for Rihanna's 2016 Anti world tour [51] and featured in Teyana Taylor's 2018 K.T.S.E. tour. [52] He also appeared in the music video for Taylor's song "Work this Pussy". [35]
Wesley is a member of MikeQ's label Qween Beat [53] [13] and was featured on the track "Walk" on its 2016 collection Qweendom. [54] In 2023, he was featured on the song "Giant Bird in a Man Suit" on the cast recording of the off-Broadway musical Lewberger: The Wizard of Friendship. [55]
Wesley is gay [17] [56] and lives in Los Angeles. [57]
Dashaun Wesley is an American dancer, [1] [2] actor, [3] [4] choreographer, [5] and ballroom performer, [6] [7] MC, [8] [9] and commentator. [10] [11] He is known for hosting the voguing competition series Legendary [12] and for his appearances on the television series America's Best Dance Crew [13] and Pose. [14] He is often called the "King of Vogue". [15] [16] [17] [18]
Wesley was born in Brooklyn, New York [16] and grew up in its Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. [19] He began dancing at age four. [20] Wesley first encountered voguing at 14 [21] and became involved with the ballroom scene as a teenager. [16]
Wesley has worked as a dance [7] [22] and vogue instructor. [23] [24]
Wesley became involved in ballroom as a teenager in the late 1990s [18] and has competed in balls frequently since then, [19] also hosting [18] and commentating at balls. [25] He began emceeing balls in 2003, [14] and first performed voguing "in front of a big crowd" in 2005 or 2006. [19] Wesley has been a member of a number of houses, including the House of Latex (which he joined in 2000), [19] the House of Evisu, [26] and the House of Lanvin, [27] in which he was a father. [28] [18] He is the founder [29] and father [30] of the House of Basquiat, which debuted on the second season of Legendary in 2021. [31] Along with the House of Garçons, he was featured in the 2023 Capital Pride parade in Washington, D.C. [32] [33]
He is a ballroom legend [34] and received icon status in 2018. [35]
In 2009, Wesley competed on the fourth season [36] of America's Best Dance Crew as a member of the group Vogue Evolution. [37] In 2013, he appeared as a dancer [38] on Hit the Floor. [39] In 2015, Wesley appeared in the film Magic Mike XXL, [40] for which he also instructed Channing Tatum in voguing. [41] Later that year he was an ensemble member in The Wiz Live! [42] Wesley played Shadow Wintour (also known as Shadow Khan) [43] in seasons two [44] and three of Pose on FX. [19] In 2020, he was announced as the host of the HBO Max ballroom competition series Legendary, [45] and served as host and MC [46] over the show’s three seasons. [3] In 2022, he was featured in Billy Porter's [47] performance at the BET Awards. [48]
In 2013, Wesley was featured as a dancer in the music video for Fergie's song " A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)". [49] In 2015, he performed as a vogue dancer [50] and commentator for FKA Twigs' show "Congregata". [24] Wesley was a dancer for Rihanna's 2016 Anti world tour [51] and featured in Teyana Taylor's 2018 K.T.S.E. tour. [52] He also appeared in the music video for Taylor's song "Work this Pussy". [35]
Wesley is a member of MikeQ's label Qween Beat [53] [13] and was featured on the track "Walk" on its 2016 collection Qweendom. [54] In 2023, he was featured on the song "Giant Bird in a Man Suit" on the cast recording of the off-Broadway musical Lewberger: The Wizard of Friendship. [55]
Wesley is gay [17] [56] and lives in Los Angeles. [57]