Today we’d like to introduce you to Torie Balmain.
Hi Torie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As it comes to “MY STORY” geesh Umm…. lol!! I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Growing up it was myself, my mother, stepfather, older sister and younger brother. My passion for performing sprouted when I was in elementary school, specifically second grade. In elementary school, we would have a guest teacher come once a week and teach our class dance, choir, theatre, etc. I remember how I couldn’t wait week after week for this specific class. I wouldn’t have missed that class for anything. Ever since that first class, I participated in every talent show, dance team, play and musical there was until I graduated from high school. Once I graduated from high school, I took a step back to focus on stabilizing life by attending college and securing me a job.
When I turned 21, I finally came out, well forced out. LOL. I was caught by my sister while hanging out with friends at Dave & Buster’s. LOL. But, around the age of 21, I was introduced to the underground ballroom scene. 21 was the first time I opened myself up to going to and experiencing LGBTQIA+ anything. Once I was introduced into ballroom, I immediately fell in love with ballroom community and the essence of VOGUE. Shortly after being introduced to ballroom, I joined my first ballroom house THE HOUSE BLAHNIK. A few years later I made a major decision to switch ballroom houses and I joined THE HOUSE OF BALMAIN.
After joining the house of BALMAIN, I was approached about being a part of a pilot for a tv show based on ballroom culture. That show about 2 years later became what we know as the hit TV show “LEGENDARY” on HBO MAX. On “LEGENDARY” I competed alongside my house chapter father and 3 of my house siblings, winning season 1 and becoming the first house in Ballroom history to win $100,000. After “LEGENDARY’ I began performing at PRIDE events, bars, clubs, doing brand campaigns, music videos, hosting/MC events, pop-up vogue classes and teaching seminars about ballroom and vogue at different Universities.
Now what got me to this point in life, I couldn’t have done it on my own. The acceptance and support of my biological family and ballroom family, most importantly the acceptance of myself allowed me to knock down doors or sit at tables I could only dream about. I AM NOT DONE YET!!! There is so much more for me to experience and do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey down the road of life so far had its bump now and then. But it hasn’t been more than I could handle. I was able to overcome each one in some shape or form. From the beginning, the suppression of my true self or being what some would call “down low”, didn’t allow me to be the best “ME” I could be. I grew up in an urban community were being gay was not accepted nor tolerated. Also, within my family, at first, it was something I had seen to be not accepted nor tolerated. So, I was forced to mask myself, to do things that people considered what “BOYS” do even though I had zero interest. I did all that to appear a certain way around my family, friends and neighborhood.
At another point of my life, I was hit with multiple speed bumps back-to-back. For almost a year of my life me and my family were homeless. During this hard time, we got the news that my mom was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lung cancer. All this at one time was literally putting me on the edge of a full meltdown or breaking point. Any other bad news would have been the final straw for me. Almost a year plus after receiving that news about my mother she, unfortunately, passed comfortably at home.
This put me in one of the darkest places I have ever been in mentally. Most do not know this but literally two days after my mom passing, I had to be on set to film the pilot for “LEGENDARY”. I went on set emotionless but had to put a fake smile on and dance and film like nothing happened. I am 31 now and as I look back over my 20s I can see it was really a testing time for me. Going through these situations helped shape me for where I am at today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My name is Torie Balmain and I am a professional Voguer. I am most known for starring in and winning Season 1 of HBO MAX hit show legendary, also for being the current California Father of the $100,000 House of BALMAIN. I am most proud of stepping out on faith and finally doing something for ME and no one else. When I decided to go on Legendary, I had to make a very tough decision. It was to go to Connecticut for up to four months to film Legendary and lose my current job at the school I was working at, or, to stay at home in Los Angeles with my job and wish my house member the best and miss out on an amazing opportunity. I made the decision to go and film and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a hot head, very slick at the mouth. But I always loved hard. I always wanted to be the center of attention everywhere I went. I used to have a major interest in football. I actually used to really good at it too. I use to play an offensive lineman and also even played as running back (Fullback). I have the trophies and photos to prove it. lol. But my passion for performing arts just took over. Besides dancing, I loved musical theatre and even playing in the school orchestra. I was really good at that too. LOL. My main instrument was the violin. But I soon learned how to play the Alto Saxaphone. I caught on to those instruments really fast and my teacher pushed me to learn how to play the sisters and brothers of those instruments. I then learned how to play the cello, soprano and tenor saxophone. Outside of school I simply loved hanging with friends and going roller skating at the iconic world on wheels. Besides that, I was always dancing and singing,
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @toriebalmain
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TorieBalmain
- Twitter: @toriebalmain
- Youtube: t0r1e2henry
