Leiomy Maldonado


Leiomy Maldonado, known as the "Wonder Woman of Vogue", is a transgender Afro-Puerto Rican dancer, instructor, model, activist, and ballroom dancer. She was a member of the dance troupe "Vogue Evolution," which was featured on Season 4 of America's Best Dance Crew. She has worked with artists such as Willow Smith, Icona Pop, and CocoRosie.

Career

Leiomy Maldonado was born on April 28, 1987, in the Bronx. She has been an active member of the queer ballroom scene in New York since the age of 15. She is the first-ever openly transgender woman to appear on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. Maldonado choreographed and appeared in Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" music video. Leiomy's signature hair flip move, "The Leiomy Lolly", has been adopted by musicians and celebrities, such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears. She was featured in Icona Pop's "All Night" music video, which paid tribute to the 1991 documentary Paris is Burning. Maldonado was the star of the Nike "#BeTrue" advertisement, in support of Pride Month 2017; she is only the second transgender athlete to be featured in a Nike video advertisement. She was filmed in the music video of Russian pop singer Philipp Kirkorov "Цвет настроения синий". She appears in the second episode of the docuseries My House and is the "mother" of Tati 007; she also is the choreographer for the ballroom scenes in the show Pose. She also appeared in Pose playing the character Florida Ferocity. Leiomy cites Ballroom icons Yolanda Jourdan & Alloura Jourdan Zion as her main influences behind her vogue.
Maldonado is one of the judges on the HBO Max show ''Legendary.

Filmography

Television