Meet the ‘Marvelous’ Atlanta-based dancer now on tour with Usher Raymond and Chris Brown

As Usher Raymond and Chris Brown take the stage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a record-breaking five-night run of The R&B Tour in Atlanta November 5- through November 11, so, too, will an Atlanta-based dancer named Marc “Marvelous” Inniss.

Inniss — or “Marv,” as he is affectionately referred to — lives in Atlanta but was born in Flatbush, a community in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. He was given the stage name “Marvelous” by his cousin sarcastically to mock him as what his cousin called a “crazy hood dude” who everyone knew was failing to become a rapper. The nickname became fuel for Inniss, who said it reminded him to work hard to live up to the moniker.

Inniss’ family and cultural roots run all the way to the island of Barbados, and anyone who is familiar with Flatbush knows that Caribbean culture is rich and vibrant there. The music and culture of Flatbush are both separated from and influential on American mainstream culture. Communities like Flatbush regularly give us dance, music, food, fashion and, in the case of “Marv,” a marvelous dancer.

Inniss’ story begins at Andries Hudde Junior High School on Nostrand Avenue, a street known for its culture, art and for cutting through the heart of Brooklyn. It was at this magnet school that Inniss would find dance, his first love. 

Inniss was encouraged to enroll in a dance class by one of the teachers who recognized his unrealized talent. She was right. It did not take long for a spark to ignite within him. Inniss was soon immersed in his passion and newfound purpose. He went from dancing at family functions and entertaining friends to taking the subway into the city, alone, to attend “the good classes,” he remembered. 

Things happened fast, and because he was only around 12 or 13 years old at the time, his mother grew increasingly uncomfortable letting her young son ride off into the city on the subway by himself. She put a stop to the classes, so Inniss spent the majority of his time playing football instead.

Even though young Inniss was on the gridiron, fate had connected a thin golden thread to his heart, and there was an undeniable call to one day return to dance. That opportunity came through Brooklyn Community Access Television (BCAT), which produced talent shows called “What’s the Flex?” 

Marc joined a few other dancers to form a crew called Safari, which became the flex everyone was asking about. The saying “What’s the flex?” was more than just a trendy phrase — it eventually became the seed for a totally new style of dance that Inniss and his crew created. 

Inniss drew inspiration from dance legends such as Mr. Wiggles and the influences that were spreading throughout Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush from the Jamaican “Bruk Up” style. “Bruk” is a Jamaican patois word meaning broken, and the style was pioneered in Kingston, Jamaica, by George “Bruk Up” Adams. 

Adams had serendipitously developed the style after a bone infection caused him to dance in jerky, broken movements that incorporated pauses in the flow and closely resembled popping and locking. Inniss recalled how he and his crew referred to their dance style as “pausing” or “flexing” because of the breaks they would incorporate into the movement. 

Inniss’ movement style was also greatly informed by two Michael Jackson videos: Thriller and Ghosts. “There was something very specific about the way the dancers moved in those videos,” Inniss said. “And it eventually became the basis of my style.”

The natural progression of his life led Inniss to Los Angeles, where he found an agent and lots of opportunity. By this time, his parents had retired and moved to Atlanta, where he would frequently travel to visit his family. At a party during one of those trips in 2009 he met Aakomon Jones, an industry legend most recently known for his Academy Award-winning work on Ryan Coogler’s films Sinners and Black Panther. Jones asked if Inniss could train an artist to prepare him for an upcoming tour. Though at the time Inniss was working with Britney Spears, he figured out a way to make it happen, and that decision became a defining moment in his career and life. 

The artist he was being brought in to train was none other than Usher Raymond. Inniss’ personal training sessions with Raymond eventually resulted in a spot on the R&B singer’s Daddy’s Home tour. He was one of only two male dancers on the tour, alongside established dancer Rio. Inniss and Raymond have had a professional relationship ever since; Inniss is currently on tour with Raymond, dancing on stages across the globe.

Inniss said Raymond has always had a preference for long, intensive rehearsals because he strives for perfection. Inniss is a match; he is known for carrying an aura of excellence. He is not just talented — he is determined. His skills have been forged in the crucible of hard work over time. 

Over the years, Inniss has become a highly sought-after dancer in the commercial dance industry. He has performed on stage for the MTV Video Music Awards, in the Super Bowl halftime show and with superstars Rihanna, Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas. Jamaica Craft, Atlanta’s dance and choreography legend, once said to Inniss, “You are the Fred Astaire and the Gene Kelley of our time. What makes you like them is that you care about being the best dancer.” 

When asked what the  greatest moment of his performing career has been, Inniss answered confidently: He was recently cast in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael as a zombie dancing in the Thriller scene. He got to perform as one of the very zombies who had inspired him so much as a kid. It was a full-circle moment.

Inniss’ journey is definitely not over, but it is about to take some new turns, he said. This coming spring, he will focus on the return of Camp Marvelous, a commercial dance intensive he created to help aspiring young dancers, giving them a window into a world they yearn to see.

Though Inniss travels often, he’s proud to call Atlanta home.

“Atlanta is the mecca of Black success,” he said. “It is a place where I feel like I can rest and see what God has done for me.” 

Atlantans can see Inniss on stage November 5 through November 11 with Usher Raymond and Chris Brown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased at here.

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Daryl L. Foster is an Atlanta dance artist, educator and producer. He currently works as an arts administrator for the city of South Fulton, Georgia, and runs his nonprofit dance company, Black Warrior Dance Inc. The company houses EMERGING (a course and showcase for emerging choreographers) and LIFT (a dance company featuring the movement stories of Black men).