Up-and-Coming Legend FAME CHANEL

Miyonnee: Thank you for coming to the Ballroom Portrait Series photoshoot and the interview. We are just going to ask you a few questions to learn more about you and your history in Ballroom and in community.

So the first thing we would like to know: What is your name, your pronouns, the category you walk, and how long you’ve been a part of Ballroom?

Fame Chanel: My name is Fame Chanel, I have been a part of Ballroom since I was 16, I am now 32. I walk Vogue Femme, I walk Runway, and anything else I can get my hands on. What was the other question?

Miyonnee: Pronouns.

Fame Chanel: My pronouns are—I don’t care.

Miyonnee: [Laughs]

Fame Chanel: Just call me something, just acknowledge me. I really don’t care about “he/she/they or them”—

Miyonnee: I don’t care, just call me something, go crazy. [Laughs]

Fame Chanel: [Laughs] Just go crazy! Like—

Miyonnee: [Inaudible] go so crazy.

Fame Chanel: I’m okay—

Miyonnee: Just call me something!

Fame Chanel: I’m okay with that! That truly makes me comfortable.

Miyonnee: That’s cool!

Fame Chanel: Rather than you like trying to force your literature on me. Like child, no. No thank you. [Laughs]

Miyonnee: Okay, next question is: What community do you come from?

Fame Chanel: I come from several billion communities. Like—

Miyonnee: [Laughs]

Fame Chanel: Truly, I was a part of every community that I could get my hands in, because ... as a leader in my community, I wanted to be a part of everybody’s community.

Miyonnee: Mm-hmm.

Fame Chanel: And I wanted people to know that I would be the bridge between all communities. [Laughs]

Miyonnee: Yeah. Yeah. That’s a blessing, that’s absolutely a blessing. Okay, next question is, what’s your Cinderella story? How did you get to the ball?

Fame Chanel: Um ... honestly, I went—I dropped out of high school, I went to an alternative school, and I met Terrell. And Terrell was like “You can dance right??” and I’m like “Yeah!” and he was like “You know how to vogue?” and I was like “What’s that?”

We went to his house, when he stayed on Kingshighway, and showed—and him, MooMoo, and Ahnna showed me what voguing was. And then three days later, we was in Doug’s car, and we went to the ball.

Miyonnee: Okay now Gracie, do you have any questions you want to ask?

Grace: I guess, just—how have you found your role in Ballroom?

Fame Chanel: I found my role in Ballroom when I start seeing the lesser of me and my community kinda struggling. And not struggling in a way to where it’s like, financially or physically or anything like that. They just couldn’t find their way. And Ballroom for a lot of people kind of molded them and pushed them towards a way, no matter what way it was—good, bad, or whatever. You still had somewhere to go.

Miyonnee: Mm-hmm.

Fame Chanel: You still had a roof over your head, between family or with friends or with your lover, whoever you was doing it with that night, honey, you still had somebody, and there was always somebody there.

Miyonnee: Mm-hmm.

Fame Chanel: No matter what.

Miyonnee: Absolutely.

Grace: That’s beautiful, that’s really special, and—

Fame Chanel: It truly is, like, being in a place where you know that you are loved, no matter—like, you assume that people don’t know you, or you assume that people don’t care about you. People in Ballroom community, we care about each other, like we will not let each other fall. Like we—we protect each other just like how we protect our families. We ... it is what it is.

Grace: And what do you think that your role is?

Fame Chanel: My role is … I’m a leader! I have taken this role because most people look to me not for help, but for guidance. I have been through a lot, I have experienced a lot, and I have witnessed a lot. So I have the knowledge, and I have the literature, to teach. I just need the time. And now I have the time, that I am an adult. I’ve learned so much throughout the years of Ballroom, and I’m just ready to pass that torch to my next generation of kids. I wanna see my community stride forever.

Miyonnee: Absolutely, that’s the goal.

Fame Chanel: Cause nobody else really gives a fuck. Right? [Laughs]

Miyonnee: [Laughs] Seriously.

Fame Chanel: Like honestly, if it wasn’t for us, we wouldn’t have us.

Miyonnee: Yeah.

Fame Chanel: And that’s the truth.

Grace: Do you have a day job?

Fame Chanel: My day job, I work as a barista. I have—I’ve worked at every major coffeeshop in St. Louis, outside probably like four or five. I’ve worked at Coffee Cartel—

Grace: Oh my god.

Fame Chanel: I’ve probably—

Grace: Rest in peace. [Laughs]

Fame Chanel: I’ve probably served you liquor at 4 in the morning. [Laughs]

Grace: Yes!

Fame Chanel: So that was probably me. [Laughs]

Grace: Oh my god, thank you.

Miyonnee: Yes!

Fame Chanel: I work at coffee and I dance professionally. Um, makeup came with Ballroom ... but dance is forever.

Miyonnee: Okay! So last question—where do you see Fame Chanel in the next ten years?

Fame Chanel: I see Fame Chanel in the next ten years … happy. I don’t want to see my forbidden future because if I see it and I manifest it, it’s something that I’ve already wanted. And it’s something I’ll stop at once I get it, you know what I’m saying?

So I—I wish for the best for my next ten years, and I wish for a full happy life. That’s it.

Miyonnee: That’s amazing. Thank you so much for doing this interview, and for coming to the Ballroom Portrait Series and participating, and ... this was amazing!

Fame Chanel: Thank you, I appreciate that!