While New York was basecamp for the 30-year-old Clearwater native, the Bay area is where he started to shine, first as a charismatic student for Pinellas County Center for the Arts at St. Pete’s Gibb’s High School, (PCCA) but also at Dundu Dole Urban African Ballet, and the Straz Center’s Patel Conservatory. He collaborated with local crews led by the likes of Alexis Feacher, aka YungBBQ, and 10 years ago appeared onstage at Mahaffey Theater for “Family Blessing,” a milestone for any aspiring local dancer. In 2021, he danced alongside The Weeknd in the Super Bowl LV halftime show at Raymond James Stadium.
“It’s actually more than a full circle moment for me,” Floyd, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a phone call in late-February. Many of the productions he was involved with locally are flourishing now, and the skills he learned prepared him to perform for thousands of people every night.
“It’s another rite of passage for me. It’s a spiritual awakening. It is another affirmation that I really achieved, and that everything that I manifested has really come into the forefront,” he said, adding that he couldn’t wait to reconnect with students, his old studios, plant new needs and watch them grow.
His grandparents on both sides of the family were supposed to catch him onstage with the Broadway production. His mom was headed down from Georgia, along with his siblings including his brother who’d never seen him perform. Kids at St. Pete’s Kali Kali Dance Company, which he ran with his godsister Gwenetta Martin, were coming, too.
“So my spirit is just really, really, really bright. It’s really full. I can’t wait to just get back,” Floyd said.
Those plans changed on Sunday, March 23 when Floyd died suddenly, leading the company to postpone performances for two nights.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Marquis Floyd, a cherished member of The Lion King North American tour company. In the three years Marquis was with the tour, he brought his extraordinary talent to the stage and shared his warm humanity off stage,” Anne Quart, Producer of “The Lion King,” wrote in a statement. “On behalf of The Lion King company, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and friends. He will forever be part of our Pride.”
Details of his death were not shared, but a celebration of Floyd’s life will be held next Saturday, April 12 at St. Petersburg’s First Baptist Church at 1900 Gandy Blvd. N.
“He was such a light, and every time I saw him, he was always smiling,” Feacher wrote in a tribute. PCCA dedicated its spring dance concert last weekend to Floyd, too.
In his conversation with CL, Floyd talked about some of the ups and downs of making it as an actor and dancer, and thought about the kids trying to do the same in the Bay area where they might not be as many opportunities to see professional dance.
“I truly believe that we have to dream more,” he said, admitting that just allowing yourself to do that takes strength and courage.
Manifestation, he explained, involves planning how to get there, allocating resources, and speaking up for yourself. Floyd’s learning drive pushed him to every show he could possibly see, to read the pages of books and magazines, and talk to people doing the things he aspired to.
“Put yourself out there and just be like, ‘Hi. I’m really interested in this. I see that you’re doing this. Is there any way that you could just give me any words of wisdom or help me along the way?,” he said. “Don’t limit yourself and don’t box yourself in. Just because it may seem like there are limitations, the opportunities are literally everywhere.”
He pointed to Tampa rapper Doechii, a Blake High School graduate fresh off a Best Rap Album Grammy, who accepted her award and told every A&R in the world to look at Tampa where the culture is waiting to be elevated. “Tampa has so much talent. Labels, go to Tampa. There is talent there,” she said.
Floyd told CL he fully resonated with Doechii’s sentiment, and that sometimes creatives in the Bay area think that no one is watching or that there’s not enough resources.
“There’s so much talent here, and it’s because of the heart of the city, there are so many talented people that come from the Tampa Bay area,” he said, adding that the challenges are necessary, forcing anyone who wants it for themselves to step out.
“Be as loud as you want,” he said. ”Love on yourself. Give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself, and just show up in every room in your most authentic way.”
Floyd did that until the end and was enamored with his role on “The Lion King” where he relished bringing South African culture to audiences across the continent. He felt a spiritual connection with so many elements of the production. “Every night, it’s new. You breathe life into it in a different way,” he added.
He was not aloof to the attacks on diversity that affected many of his castmates, but resolute to keep on going. “The Lion King,” Floyd added, is a show that has diversity, equity and inclusion all over it.
“The way that I operate is within true faith and knowing that I will always be protected no matter what,” Floyd added.
More than anything, he wanted people to be able to get lost in the show when they arrived in the theater, and tap into the story of someone becoming their own and stepping into their power and perseverance.
Simply put, according to Floyd, “I want to inspire them to just continue, to keep pushing.”
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This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2025.