This article was originally published by Them.
Tributes to O’Shae Sibley, a Black gay dancer fatally stabbed after vogueing at a Brooklyn gas station, have poured in following initial reports of his death, painting a picture of a dedicated dancer who was beloved by his family and community.
Sibley, who was 28 years old, was filling up a car with friends while dancing to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” late on Saturday night according to the New York Times. They were approached by a group of men who told them to stop dancing and used anti-gay slurs; when the fight escalated, one man pulled a knife and stabbed Sibley. Although his friend, Otis Pena, pressed on the wound to attempt to stop the bleeding, Sibley was pronounced dead at Maimonides Medical Center. The New York Police Department is investigating the murder as a possible anti-gay hate crime, and are searching for a 17-year-old who is believed to be responsible for the stabbing.
Beyoncé herself paid a small tribute to Sibley, updating her website with the message “Rest in Power O’Shae Sibley.” Others who worked with Sibley similarly posted about their memories of the dancer and his love of ballroom culture. His father, Jake Kelly, wrote that Sibley “not only was the glue to this family, he was a great dancer and performer for the majority of his life.”
“His spirit lit up every room he stepped in. His smile was contagious!” Kelly wrote in the description of a GoFundMe for his son’s funeral costs. “To know him, was to live [sic] him. He did not deserve this. Everyone loved his spirit.”
Sibley studied at the Philadelphia Dance Company, or Philadanco, starting at the age of 14 thanks to a scholarship, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sibley was at Phildanco until he was 22 or 23, then he moved to New York to audition for Broadway shows and continue dance lessons.
Philadanco founder Joan Myers Brown told the Inquirer that despite leaving for New York, Sibley always stayed in touch. “He called me every week to say, ‘Hey JB, or Hey, Aunt Joan, and he would tell me about his auditions,” she told the publication.
Content creator Kalen Allen posted about his own encounter with Sibley six years ago in Philadelphia, where Allen was asked to narrate a piece that celebrated ballroom culture. He called Sibley “a phenomenal dancer and performer who lit up the room with his passion for the arts and his culture.”
“Growing up in Kansas, ballroom was new to me and O’Shae was nothing but gracious and kind in teaching and opening my eyes to a world I had yet to discover,” Allen wrote. “I am heartbroken and furious at the injustice that transpired this weekend! It is our natural born right to vogue, dance, laugh, smile, feel joy, and simply exist, but no one on this planet has the right to take those things away from us just because they don’t ‘agree’ with who we are.”
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Many posted videos of Sibley doing what he loved best: dancing. One Twitter user wrote that in 2016, he choreographed a piece that Sibley danced in.
“He had such a gentle soul, was so hardworking, and just a great energy to be around,” the user wrote. “The news of his murder is quite jarring. And all because a group of men didn't like his dancing. it's painful.”
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Director and choreographer Kemar Jewel said that the two had met when Sibley was 16. “He was a bright eyed and goofy young man who had talent beyond anything I’d seen before,” Jewel wrote in an Instagram post. “He could sing, he could do hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap, anddddddd he was an incredible voguer! That’s how we became close.”
Jewel called Sibley “one of the closest things to family that I ever had.” Of the eight music videos that Jewel has directed, Sibley starred in six of them. “Anyone who ever met O’Shae was very blessed to know him. He was funny, unique, charismatic and always knew how to have a good time,” Jewel wrote. “Most importantly, he loved HARD!!! He went above and beyond for his loved ones and made sure no one was ever sad around him. As I write this, tears are running down my face thinking about his beautiful smile and his child-like energy. I can’t believe that I have to live the rest of my life without hearing him calling me ‘Uncle’ in one of his funny voices.”
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