"Madonna told me, 'Ok, I am falling in love with you, you have to be in the show!'"
Here at Loverboy, we would call ourselves a casual Jessie Ware fan. But thanks to the fierrrrce moves, glamorous ensemblés and sheer talent of one Nicolas Huchard, we’ve not been able to stop watching Jessie’s ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ dance video.
And when he’s not sprawling himself out on a bed in a cheap hotel, Nicolas is a choreographer and dancer, recently working with Madonna on her Madame X show before going on tour with her. We speak with Nicolas about wanting to change the world, his connection with Madonna and being part of the iconique House of Ninja.
Hey Nicholas, whereabouts are you right now?
I’m actually walking through the streets of Nation in the East of Paris. There’s not much happening. I just came back from Formentera. You have to go. It’s so beautiful. The highlight? Just being myself, naked by the beach.
We will need to see this photographic evidence!
I have some, actually I have a lot! But I’m not sure I’m sharing them with Loverboy!
Shade! I discovered you via your video for Jessie Ware’s ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ I am in love. Congratulations! How did that all come about?
The project’s Artistic Director, I COULD NEVER BE A DANCER, actually gave me my first job when I was really young and we’ve stayed in contact ever since. This time they contacted me to ask if I wanted to work with them on the video. They sent me a bunch of music and told me to pick the one I liked. I knew instantly that it would be ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ We shot the video during quarantine, so there were just three of us and we went to a very shitty, trashy hotel and just shot it there.
Shitty? Trashy? You were selling that hotel!
Oh thank you so much. It was really fun.
And did you choose all the looks?
Yes, the outfits were already mine, the wig too! I had worn the clothes in a couple of images on Instagram. I think Jessie saw the shots and said, ‘I would love you to wear this…’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I can wear it again. I’ll just change a few things…’
And did you create an elaborate backstory for each of the characters?
I don’t really think about that. When I wear something, for example a dress, it makes me feel some type of way. It’s about the fabric, or the accessory, like I had a riding crop in one look. The look just takes you there when you put on the clothes – you don’t think about it.
But every way I moved for each character was so different. It all depended on what I was wearing. For me as an artist, it’s really important to embody someone else, something else that I am. That’s why it’s important to change clothes and show my personality…or my personalities! I have many!
Who was your main visual point of reference?
Grace Jones down! Always. She is my mother.
Have you worked with her?
No, never! That would be my dream.
Let’s manifest it. I think my most memorable moment of 2019 was attending The Olympics Ball in Paris last year. What is it about Paris that makes it have such a unique relationship with Dance, than say, London?
Paris is as multicultural as London. But when they created voguing, they obviously knew that Paris was going to burn at some point, right? So back then it was them who were manifesting it and now it has come to light.
I’m telling you, manifesting works! How are you involved with the voguing scene?
I am a member of The House of Ninja, it’s one of the biggest houses, definitely one of the oldest. It was created in the 80s and is still here. But being involved in a house is very complicated because you have to be present, you know? I work outside of the ballroom scene a lot and travel for jobs too. I was away from Paris the whole of last year, working with Madonna on the Madame X show and then touring with her. So it’s really hard for me because I am not participating in the house as much as I want. They are really like my family and I want to be there to support them. It breaks my heart sometimes but at the same time I am working and having fun so that’s good too.
Let’s talk about Madonna. What surprised you the most about her?
Well, first of all I was not supposed to go on tour with her, so that was a big surprise. I was originally there as a choreographer. But she saw me at work and said, ‘OK, I am falling in love with you. you have to be in the show.’ So I was like, ‘Um….ok!’
She has a reputation for being a bit “froid”. But you both had a connection, right?
Yeah, we do have a connection. When you meet her for the first time, she’s very impressive. She is so clever and quick. But you just have to act normal, make jokes with her and everything is fun. She was very distant with me at first because we didn’t know each other but then we got closer and closer. I can’t really explain how it happened. But if she likes you, if she believes in you, she’s going to give you everything. She’s very generous. But at the same time, if she doesn’t really like you, she will let you know! She’s Madonna, come on!
Madonna obviously took voguing to the mainstream and although she has helped the LGBT scene massively in general, I wondered if she had directly helped the ballroom scene?
The voguing scene is always very tense. They always feel like people are stealing from them and not giving back. But with Madonna it’s very different because she introduced voguing to the world. I think that is a very good payback. That’s my opinion. But I also understand people saying that she is not giving back but she is also on to the next thing because she is always moving on.
What’s next for you?
I want to start my own company. I would still love to work with very young artists and help them develop and grow. It’s always been my dream to inspire people. As a black, gay man, I grew up in a suburb of Paris, which was not a rich area but now I am here. I know there are a lot of young gay guys out there, still in the closet and I know it is hard for them. I want to be that figure that helps them to move forward. I want to change the world. I created the P90.615 foundation and we do events with artists to raise money to give back directly to people that need it, like those who suffer racism, homophobia…all kinds of discrimination.
Loverboy is named after the infamous Mariah Carey song, the biggest selling single of 2001, no less. So we always ask, what is your favourite Mariah song?
Ooh, let me see. I think for me it would be ‘Heartbreaker’ because it’s funky and I love her titties in the video clip – they’re what I remember most! I love how she looks in that video. She looks so fresh. She looks so free. To me she’s like, ‘OK, I don’t give a shit.’
