O’Shae Sibley, Brooklyn man slain in clash over voguing, used his talent as a professional dancer to teach and advocate for social change
O’Shae Sibley, the Brooklyn dancer slain in a clash with a group of Muslim men who said that they were offended by his voguing, used his art of movement to affirm his identity as a gay man and as an advocate for social justice.
The 28-year-old Brownsville resident was murdered Saturday night in Midwood after fight with a group of men who said his dancing offended their faith, but to those who knew him and his talents, he was awe-inspiring.
Sibley was a favorite of director and choregrapher Kemar Jewel, who has worked with the Philidelphia-born dancer for more than a decade and described him as a virtuoso skilled in various forms of modern dance.
“He was really good at adding ballet stuff to a tap number or voguing to a hip hop number,” said Jewel. “You probably can find dancers that are versatile, but you won’t always find dancers that are good at mixing styles seamlessly.”
Jewel notably featured Sibley in his 2021 video “Soft: A Love Letter to Black Queer Men,” a nearly seven-minute performance that the Brooklyn dancer co-choreographed, which uses the art of contemporary dance to portray black feminine energy.
“He really, really loved Soft,” said Jewel. “He helped to talk me through it and breath life into it.”
Jewel would tap Sibley again for a performance set in Greenwich Village against the backdrop of NYC Pride in 2022, using Vogue — a type of dance that incorporates poses that would typically grace the pages of the style’s namesake magazine — to advocate against hatred of black trans women.
The deceased dancer had a passion for mixing dance with advocacy, according to Jewel.
“He was out at a lot of marches, a lot of protests,” said Jewel. “He was excited to be outside on the front lines, using his body as a way of protest.”
Lincoln Center would feature Sibley in Jacolby Satterwhite’s dreamlike digital media exhibit “An Electric Dance to the Movement of Time” in 2022 as well.
Before moving to Brooklyn in 2019, Sibley took great pride in serving as a member of the prestigious Philadelphia dance company, Philidanco.
“He was a member of the principal cast of the Philadelphia dance company,” said Jewel. “In the art world, in Philadelphia, that’s very prestigious.”
Jewel said that Sibley moved to New York from Philadelphia three years ago, shortly after he did, because he enjoyed the city’s 24-hour vibrancy.
“We just enjoy the vibe better because we’re night owls and love to go out to the club and there was just more to do. And also we’re also all professional artists.”
He said that Sibley had the gift of making people happy.
“He was goofy and funny and full of life and energy. And he always knew how to make people smile. I think that those are his best attributes — that he made everyone smile.”
Sibley also liked to share his enthusiasm and his gift for dance.
“He also volunteered at dance studios to help teach folks. He volunteered at youth centers and he offered free classes and stuff. He definitely loved to give back.”
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