You don’t see it every day, but here she is: Amari “Monster” Marshall, in front of a room full of dancers, TikTok creators, and fans of the muse, showing steps on how to dance “gully” in the Red Bull Creator Space curated by Red Bull Dance. Her body moves fluidly, with technique, to a trap beat alongside her sister, Joré Marshall. When the beat drops, Marshall’s movement looks and feels ancestral; she attributes that to her spirituality and honoring her ancestors before a performance, so they speak through her. Also, she emphasizes “breaking down generational chains or doing things for future descendants.” The 5’2 Jacksonville native has become a household name in the entertainment world and has yet to stop.
Surrounded by parents who stood “ten toes down” and a colorful community that encouraged Marshall to master her craft, she found her true inspiration through her late brother Andre and Rising Starts of Tomorrow—an inner-city children’s dance studio where she blossomed. Marshall’s parents were inspired to host incentives and LA and NYC choreographers to coach the young performer. She recalled these moments where mentors appreciated her light and the true talent she possessed, leading her to step into dance full time.
“Everybody always looked at Andre, but the ones that were like, ‘Amari has something special,’ I didn’t fully believe it at that moment, but it planted the seed of, hey, this could be for me,” she told EBONY. “All of that contributed to the success of me later being able to have the courage when I got the opportunity to go to LA and really pursue it full time.”
Defining Jacksonville as a melting pot of Caribbean, Asian, and traditional Southern influence, Marshall’s dance style embodies her hometown. Still, she said many of her dancehall moves are connected to nightlife. In her late teens, she hosted afters; now in her 30s, her social meter has dwindled somewhat, but the vibrancy of celebrating dance culture carries over into her newest after-hour project with DJ Alberto Reyes, The Lair NYC. A mutual friend introduced the duo during Marshall’s self-discovery in finding more community in New York. Unlike grandiose stage performances, Lair is an homage to ballroom, where a mix of choreography and the hottest mixes illuminates the dance floor.
To the dance aficionado, the term “movement artist” defies the parameters and stereotypes society confines to dancers. The Council’s founder and creator of the term, Sheopatra, developed an organic partnership with Marshall when they met as talent for a dance reality TV show. As a star member of this empowerment collective, Marshall praises the phrase because she’s more than the average dancer; she lets her body’s unexpected motion flow with the rhythm, the beat, and her surroundings.
Marshall’s career transcended becoming a choreographer for Beyoncé. She credits God, manifestation, and hard work with landing the gig. Having danced to the superstar’s music her entire life, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity became tangible when her peer, Chris Grant, advocated for her and Joré in rooms, then eventually hyped them up, leading them to dance side by side with Beyoncé at Coachella during the “Baby Boy” set. Though she embraced this momentous moment, she confessed she relied on God after feeling burnt out and lost. Years later, Grant reconnected with Marshall to contribute to the choreography team for Renaissance after the team studied her craft post-Coachella. Seeing her dance under pressure, mesh with the team, and mentor youth through her Little Monsters program, Marshall’s “mothering energy” came full circle when she coached Blue Ivy Carter during the tour.
“I know how kids and teens can get in that age. I’m gonna meet you at your level, but at the same time, I’ma push you too,” she said. “It’’s my job to make sure you look good. It was a beautiful time and experience with [Blue Ivy] to now see her shutting it down, it was always there was just needing the right attention, the right amount of time, and for her to have that confidence within herself.”
A miracle and a slight ambush, Marshall was put on the spot to choreograph the tail of Janet Jackson’s Billboard Icon performance after a rehearsal. For her, it was a career-defining moment, especially after a “beautiful black girl heart-to-heart” conversation in which the late performer, Donyelle Jones, encouraged her to seize the moment. “[Janet] had them put me on the top with her for the actual performance behind her, doing the choreo, and that was a real core moment for me,” she said.
Marshall was skeptical that her creativity would open doors to lucrative opportunities. She bet on her ability to just dance without another career path. She was destined to monetize her moves and knew she could do more than work a regular job, even if she needed multiple jobs in the creative space to make ends meet. From serving as a dance captain on Beyoncé’s tour to masterminding Rihanna’s Savage Fenty show and her halftime show, to striking Nike campaigns, Marshall’s monster alter ego is personified through her constant grind and shining talent.
“Where artists and dancers get messed up is they’re not able to open up the horizons of what all they need to do. Yes, I’m making money with my dance jobs, but when I’m not booking as a dancer, I still have my teaching jobs. When I don’t feel like teaching, people still know that I host and produce,” she said. “I have the seven streams of income mindset. I’m always looking within myself and my own resources.”
The dance curator says her mood is sexy at any size. During her workshop, Marshall discussed learning to take up space as a curvy girl. She reiterated it’s her purpose, especially exploring how body positivity has shaped her influence through touring and creative direction. Growing up, she despised that curvy dance artists were underrepresented. Now, embodies the daily reminders to be a positive role model for the plus-size community. “Sometimes I lose weight, sometimes I gain weight—but one thing you going to see me as is a bad b*tch. Look to me as a hot girl,” she said.
Despite her accolades, she wants her legacy to personify love. Marshall confessed she had to prioritize her personal life. Using discipline, faith, and perseverance throughout her journey, Amari advises her fellow proteges to do shadow work, make hard decisions, and build better habits.