Hot off the heels of Logo’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race" Lady Gaga reveal, the network announced today the first of the Logo Documentary Films for this year will be “Strike a Pose,” which will premiere on Logo on Thursday, April 6 at 9pm. The film catches up with seven young male dancers – 6 gay, one straight – on Madonna’s controversial Blond Ambition tour and her subsequent “Truth or Dare” documentary, as they unwittingly become icons for gay rights and sexual freedom. Twenty-five years later, the dancers reveal the truth about life during and after the tour and the significance of their courageous but harrowing journey to, as Madonna sings, “Express Yourself.” The critically acclaimed documentary, from filmmakers Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan and the Emmy Award-winning Logo Documentary Films, was an official selection at the 2016 Tribeca, Berlin and Hot Docs Film Festivals.
“These
seven dancers from the Blond Ambition tour inspired a whole generation.
From the halls of the ballrooms to center stage, their bold
self-expression was a true pop-culture inspiration,” said Taj Paxton, VP
of Logo Documentary Films.
“We’re proud to showcase the men behind the woman and to stir the next
generation of leaders and tastemakers in the LGBTQ community.”
Carlton Wilborn -
In “Truth or Dare,” Carlton became the personification of proud
self-expression – laughing loud, dancing wild and jumping into Madonna’s
bed bare-naked. But carrying a big secret, his extrovert personality
was more a pose than true confidence.
Luis Camacho -
In the 1980’s, Luis and his dance partner Jose Gutierez were striking
poses in Harlem’s house ballrooms - a gay and drag scene in which men
compete against one another for their dancing skills, style and catwalk
presence. He and Jose taught Madonna how to vogue and performed the
infamous “Like A Virgin” number with her during the tour.
Salim “Slam” Gauwloos -Born
in a small Flemish town by Belgian-Moroccan parents, Salim made an
impression in “Truth or Dare” by kissing fellow dancer Gabriel Trupin –
the first gay kiss ever to be shown in a major movie. It is only lately
that he has come to see what both the tour and “Truth or Dare” have
meant to people around the world: “We helped the world to come out of
the closet!”
Kevin Stea -
Only when another dancer was kicked off the tour by Madonna was Kevin
asked to come on board as a dancer and dance captain. He now sees the
tour as both his coming-of-age and coming-out party. Kevin has worked
with stars like Prince, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Cher, David Bowie and
Lady Gaga.
Gabriel Trupin - Gabriel,
the most quiet and least outgoing of the dancers, died in San Francisco
in 1995 at the age of 26, after losing a silent battle with AIDS.
Gabriel kept his sickness a secret until he could no longer hide it from
his mother and close relatives. When Gabriel heard that the famous
“Truth or Dare” scene of him French-kissing with Slam was to be part of
the film, he begged Madonna not to use it. When she did, he sued her
for forced outing, and the case was settled out of court.
Jose Gutierez -
Jose continued to work with Madonna for years after the Blond Ambition
Tour and was featured in the “Justify My Love” video. Jose & Luis
choreographed the “Vogue” video, resulting in a nomination for an MTV
Award. Jose is still a renowned figure in the voguing scene and teaches
it to LGBT youth in New York and worldwide. He recently contributed to
the Baz Luhrmann series “The Get Down.”