Marc Edgar Alexander Cameron

Sources

1. World champion dancer 'Big Chocolate' goes from big stage to BYU classroom, Daily Universe (BYU - Provo, Utah), December 18, 2018.
2. Utah dance studio owner/instructor arrested for alleged abuse of young girls, KSL, June 30, 2025.
3. Former BYU dance instructor in custody after allegedly sexually assaulting underage students, ABC4, June 30, 2025.
4. Affidavit of Probable Cause, Utah Xchange, June 30, 2025.

• 1. World champion dancer 'Big Chocolate' goes from big stage to BYU classroom

  • 18 Dec 2018
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  • Daily Universe (BYU - Provo, Utah)

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  The Fall 2018 urban dance styles class poses at BYU. Marc Cameron teaches urban dance styles every semester at BYU. (Ty Mullen)

  Walking around campus in a durag and snapback, with tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves, Marc Cameron doesn't look like a typical BYU instructor. Not many instructors go by the nickname 'Big Chocolate' either.

  But Cameron fits his nickname well. At 6 feet 4 inches he is big but is undeniably smooth when he dances. At least Cameron said that was the reason his dance crew gave him the nickname.

  Cameron is proficient in most hip-hop dance forms but has earned the most fame through popping, a street style dance where dancers flex their muscles in time with the music to create a popping effect.

  Cameron teaches urban dance forms at BYU, the only hip-hop class that can be taken for credit. The two-time world champion popper teaches students about hip-hop dance forms and the culture surrounding them.

  Cameron said he first fell in love with dance when he was 4 when he watched Michael Jackson’s performance of 'Billie Jean' during the Motown Awards when he was 4 years old.

  'My grandma had a VHS player, and I just remember rewinding and replaying the moonwalk over and over again,' Cameron said. 'I wasn’t necessarily dancing per se, but I was moonwalking everywhere.'

  Living an hour from London without a car in the 80s, Cameron's only access to dance was through music videos, especially Michael Jackson’s videos like 'Beat It.'

  Camero's love for dancing was cemented at his first school disco, when he was 8. It was one of his first times performing in front of a large crowd, and their reception was positive.

  'I remember the music coming on and me just doing what I had seen in the videos,' Cameron said. 'The whole school crowded around. Afterward, the DJ gave me the vinyl, and everyone there carried me on their shoulders throughout the school.'

  These feeling were short-lived for Cameron. During adolescence, he gradually danced less and less often in front of others due to peer pressure. However, he kept practicing at home and would dance with his uncles and family.

  The 1990s involved a great expansion of hip-hop with artists such as Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, who prominently featured dancing in their music videos. Isolated from the culture, Cameron would watch these videos and figure out the dances on his own.
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  BYU hip-hop instructor Marc Cameron has been one of the premier dancers in Utah. He is the owner and director of the Dance Project SLC and gives presentations and classes to at-risk children. (Marc Cameron)

  Turning 18 was a turning point for Cameron. As an adult, he could finally work and make his own money, buy his own clothes and ditch his welfare clothes. He went to clubs looking how he wanted, and those feelings he first got as an 8-year-old at the disco returned.

  Despite being a popular local dancer at the club scene, Cameron did not walk into a dance studio until he was 21. He found himself there because his girlfriend at the time was taking a jazz dance class. The teacher told him he either had to dance or leave, so he danced.

  The teacher of the class liked his style, according to Cameron, and invited him to start teaching some of his moves to the class. According to Cameron, the teacher thought he had a knack for teaching, and Cameron got his certificate to teach dance.

  He was officially a jazz teacher, but Cameron taught his students his style of dance. He would eventually create one of the premier dance academies for hip-hop in the U.K.

  'Even though it was the start of something great, I wasn't teaching authentic hip-hop,' Cameron said. 'I had a bit of a slump because I did not know how I could get to my next level.'

  Cameron said he was hungry for the next level and started to get more involved in the hip-hop scene, joining his first crew 'Nemesis.' He left the crew after some time, shortly before the crew would become the first hip-hop crew on 'Britain’s Got Talent' that made it to the finals.
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  BYU hip-hop instructor Marc Cameron was a member of the hip-hop crew 'Nemesis' when this picture was taken in 2007. (Marc Cameron)

  The year before, Cameron had failed to make the finals of the U.K. hip-hop championships, and he said he was convinced his chance had already come and gone. He was not planning to compete and was only there for his students competing, but he was convinced he needed to be an example for his students.

  Cameron ended up winning the U.K. championships and then went on to the European championships. The U.K. did not have a popping representative, so the role fell to 'Big Chocolate.' He ended up not only winning the European championship but the world championship too.

  'It was the most surreal thing because I didn’t know what I was actually doing or how I was winning,' Cameron said. 'It was because of my freedom to do it my own way rather than having too much of a structure.'

  After winning his first title, Cameron realized how big the world was and how little he knew about hip-hop. During that year, he immersed himself in the culture and dance of hip-hop and came back to win the popping world championships the next year.

  Meanwhile, at BYU, the chair of the dance department expressed a desire for a hip-hop class to be taught.

  'I jumped on right away to do it to make sure that we did it right,' said Graham Brown, a former BYU dance teacher. 'It’s easy to teach quote-unquote 'hip-hop,' but I wanted to connect to the true form.'

  Originally, Brown intended to teach the urban dance class by attending workshops and using his basic appreciation of hip-hop. However, Brown’s acquaintance at Arizona State University gave him the idea that would make the class possible: invite guest teachers from the local community who truly embodied hip-hop culture.

  Brown found the Bboy Federation, a local organization for break dancers and other hip-hop dancers, during the summer before Fall 2015. By that time, Cameron had moved to Utah after his baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and began putting down roots into the Utah hip-hop scene. That was how he first found himself inside a BYU classroom teaching popping.

  Brown said he felt the original organization of the class was unsustainable with him being the instructor in name only and wanted to bring on someone more permanent who could teach the techniques and culture with authenticity.

  'Marc was such a great teacher, an all-styles dancer, was LDS and had the credentials,' Brown said. 'He was the perfect candidate.'

  During his interview to teach the BYU class, Cameron said he realized he needed to reassess how he taught his class. He made sure his class was factual, addressed misconceptions of hip-hop and was relatable to the students' lives.

  Cameron said he hopes his class helps students along their own path of self-discovery, much like how hip-hop culture helped himself.

  During his very first semester teaching, a student in his class was hung up on doing everything correctly and copying moves exactly like 'Big Chocolate.' However, at the end of the class, he grew to the point where he would throw himself across the floor and do things Cameron said he would have never expected from him at the beginning of the semester.

  'At the end of the course, he came up to me and gave me a big hug and said, 'Marc, thank you so much for this. You helped me realize a lot about myself and how I need to let things go,'' Cameron said. 'He didn’t mention anything about dancing.'

  BYU industrial design major Jayden Lauti has taken the class twice now. He signed up for the class as soon as he learned about it and decided to take it again because of how much he grew during the class.

  'This class has given me more confidence,' Lauti said. 'Although I may not be the best at one thing, I can strive to do what I can with confidence and trust that it is enough.'

  Lauti said he appreciates how it is an opportunity to relieve his stress physically by dancing with other people who share his interest. The class provides him with an opportunity to increase his vocabulary and techniques.

  Cameron said he understands his gift for dancing is from Heavenly Father to teach a class based in hip-hop in a way that reflects gospel principles.

  'In the Bronx, where there was no church. There were drugs and killings, and these guys had to go through all that pain and hurt to find some form of truth and something to stand by as a moral code,' Cameron said. 'They had to find their own rod to hold on to.'

  BYU provides a space to explore how to teach hip-hop in a safe and encouraging way, according to Cameron. He finds the best parts of hip-hop and tries to separate them from some of the negative parts that can come with the culture.

  The best parts of hip-hop allow people to come together and grow in confidence, according to Cameron. Lauti said he has seen how dance has united people through the class and truly brought people together.

  'Dance has the power to unite, uplift and encourage positivity, growth and confidence. Dance is a universal language that can break down walls and barriers that no other method could,' Lauti said. 'Dance is a way of life that fosters love, growth, social interaction and confidence in an individual's as well as others' abilities.'

• 2. Utah dance studio owner/instructor arrested for alleged abuse of young girls

  • 30 Jun 2025
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  • KSL

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  COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A dance studio owner and instructor has been arrested after allegedly abusing young girls enrolled in his program.

  Marc Edgar Alexander Cameron, 46, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Sunday for investigation of three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

  At least two girls, now teenagers, reported being inappropriately touched by Cameron several years ago, according to a police booking affidavit.

  "The victims in this case were in elementary (school) at the time (Cameron) committed the offenses," the affidavit states.

  The investigation began in February when a girl told police her alleged abuse happened in 2019. She said, while attending his dance studio, Cameron took her into his office, locked the door, put her on his lap and inappropriately touched her, according to the affidavit.

  "Another occasion, the victim had a private lesson with (Cameron) at the studio in Cottonwood Heights. (He) showed the victim a hip-hop piece with the victim on his lap … (and) asked the victim to take off her shirt," the affidavit states.

  In May, investigators talked to a second teen girl.

  "The second victim disclosed on one occasion she was scared to get out of the car when she arrived for dance. (Cameron) came out to the car, picked her up and put her on his hip, and took her to his office. (He) closed the door and locked the door behind them" and inappropriately touched her, according to the affidavit.

  "Multiple witnesses were interviewed during the investigation, and they disclosed other inappropriate behaviors exhibited by (Cameron). Some of the behaviors included sending direct messages to the minor girls via social media, spending time with juveniles who attended the dance studio and (his) dance crew outside of the confines of dance, and speaking about his personal problems to the juveniles. (Cameron) sent some of the minor girls' social media posts that contained sexually suggestive material," the affidavit states.

  According to police, Cameron in January admitted to officers "he had multiple juvenile females sit on his lap in his office at the studio he owned."

  Cameron "has known ties to the United Kingdom and Jamaica," and police fear he will flee if released on bail, the affidavit states.

  "According to information obtained during the investigation, it was alleged (he) had intimate relations with a 16-year-old when he resided in the United Kingdom" and fled the country once an investigation was started and has "altered the spelling of his name since he relocated to Utah," police stated in their affidavit.

• 3. Former BYU dance instructor in custody after allegedly sexually assaulting underage students

  • 30 Jun 2025
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  • ABC4

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  Update 1:50 p.m. (6/30/2025): A spokesperson with BYU confirmed that the arrested suspect is not currently employed by BYU. ABC4.com is still awaiting information regarding the employee’s history at the university.

  COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (ABC4) — A local dance instructor was arrested Sunday afternoon after a years-long investigation into allegations of sexual assault at a dance studio in Cottonwood Heights.

  Marc Edgar Alexander Cameron, 46, was booked in the Salt Lake County Jail on three first-degree felony charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

  In Feb. 2025, the Cottonwood Heights Police Department was notified of an incident that allegedly occurred over five years ago. Police said the victim reported multiple incidents that claim Cameron inappropriately touched a young, female student.

  Following multiple alleged sexual assaults, the victim quit going to dance classes. After quitting, the victim told police that Cameron called her mother, then visited her house. She told police that Cameron proceeded to touch her inappropriately once again, this time in her home. The victim told officers that he touched her when her mother was not present in the room.

  According to records obtained by ABC4.com, Cameron is connected to a business called “The Dance Project SLC,” located in Cottonwood Heights.

  In a 2019 post from Aspire Dance’s website, Marc ‘Big Chocolate’ Cameron is named as a “mentor, advisor and member” of Utah Urban Dance Organization, The Dance Project SLC, and Urban Dance Fairytalez.

  The website also lists Cameron as a course developer and teacher of the BYU hip hop program, although there is no evidence that any of the alleged incidents occurred at BYU.

  A spokesperson with BYU confirmed to ABC4.com that Cameron is not currently employed by the university.

  According to court documents, multiple witnesses disclosed other “inappropriate behaviors” exhibited by Cameron during the investigation, including sending direct messages to underaged female students on social media, spending time with female students outside of class, and sending students social media posts that contained “sexually suggestive material.”

  Police said Cameron admitted that he had “multiple juvenile females” sit on his lap in the office at his studio.

  Court documents also say young male and female relatives of Cameron are among the alleged victims.

  During the investigation, police said Cameron is believed to have family ties to the United Kingdom and Jamaica. Witness statements also alleged he had intimate relations with a 16-year-old when he resided in the United Kingdom.

  Cameron is currently being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail.

• 4. Affidavit of Probable Cause

  • 30 Jun 2025
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  • Utah Xchange

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  [Warning: contains descriptions of alleged child sexual abuse. Floodlit has redacted portions of the PC affidavit to remove certain graphic descriptions of abuse, and to preserve the anonymity of alleged victims.]

  On February 19, 2025, the Cottonwood Heights Police Department was notified of a late report sexual abuse that occurred at the dance studio the A/P owned in Cottonwood Heights over 5 years ago.

  On March 17, 2025, a forensic interview was conducted with one of the victim's, a fourteen-year-old girl, at the South Valley Children's Justice Center. The A/P was in a position of trust over the victim, because the A/P was the dance studio owner and a dance instructor at the studio the victim attended enabling the A/P to exercise undue influence over the victim; [redacted]. The victim began attending the dance studio owned by the A/P when she was five and stopped dancing at the studio when she was in sixth grade.

  During the forensic interview, the victim disclosed when she attended the dance studio the A/P owned, he took her into his office to speak with her. After the victim entered the office, the A/P locked the door. The A/P asked the victim if she wanted a chocolate bar, then picked her up, and put her on his lap. The A/P placed his hand on her thigh, then [redacted] rubbed her [redacted] over her clothes. The A/P talked to her and then put her down.

  Another occasion, the victim had a private lesson with the A/P at the studio in Cottonwood Heights. The A/P showed the victim a hip hop piece with the victim on his lap. The A/P held the phone in one hand while his other hand rubbed the victim's thigh, stomach, and [redacted] over her clothes. The A/P asked the victim to take off her shirt. The victim took off her shirt and she only had a sports bra on. The victim felt weird that the A/P asked her to take her shirt off.

  The time the victim remembered most was when she and the A/P were in the small studio at the dance studio. The A/P pulled the victim aside after class. He put her on his lap, and the A/P placed his hands on her hips and squeezed her hips with his hands. The A/P moved his hands lower to the sides of her thighs.

  The last incident the victim remembered was at nationals in Arizona with the A/P. The A/P picked up the victim after she performed a solo dance. The A/P and the victim took a photograph together; during the taking of the photograph, the A/P placed his hand over the victim's crotch. On a date after the photograph was taken, the victim saw the photo of her and the A/P with his hand over her crotch.

  On May 22, 2025, a forensic interview was conducted with a second victim, a fourteen-year-old girl, at the South Valley Children's Justice Center. The A/P was a position of trust, because the A/P was the studio owner and a dance instructor at the studio the victim attended enabling the A/P to exercise undue influence over the victim.

  The second victim disclosed on one occasion she was scared to get out of the car when she arrived for dance. The A/P came out to the car, picked her up and put her on his hip, and took her to his office. The A/P closed the door and locked the door behind them; the A/P did not typically lock the door when she went into his office. The A/P sat on the chair in the office, and he turned her to sit on his lap. As they sat together the A/P showed her shoes on the computer. The A/P began touching her legs on her inner thighs, and it scared her. The A/P went up her leotard, and touched her stomach and he moved his hands across her [redacted] one time. The victim's stomach hurt, it felt like butterflies were in her stomach, and her legs were shaking. She thought the A/P knew she was scared because her legs were shaking. The A/P stopped touching the victim when she said she needed to go, and she wanted to change.

  The victim quit going to dance after the A/P touched her in his office, because she was scared to go to dance. After she quit, the A/P called the victim's mother and then went over to their house to talk to them. The victim spoke with the A/P in the kitchen; the victim's mother was upstairs, but she was not in the kitchen with them. The A/P picked the victim up and took her downstairs after he asked if she wanted to go downstairs. The A/P sat the victim on his lap. The A/P looked around as if he was looking for someone. The A/P talked about having private lessons with just her. As they spoke the A/P rubbed her arms and legs. The victim could not remember how things ended, but the A/P told the victim's mother he would take victim to get a treat, but the victim's mother said it was not necessary.

  Multiple witnesses were interviewed during the investigation, and they disclosed other inappropriate behaviors exhibited by the A/P. Some of the behaviors included sending direct messages to the minor girls via social media, spending time with juveniles who attended the dance studio and the A/P's dance crew outside of the confines of dance, and speaking about his personal problems to the juveniles. The A/P sent some of the minor girls social media posts that contained sexually suggestive material.

  On January 29, 2025, the A/P admitted post-Miranda that he had multiple juvenile females sit on his lap in his office at the studio he owned. The A/P admitted one of the juvenile females who sat on his lap multiple times was [redacted].

  I believe these to be additional condition(s) for continued detention: The current offense is a felony. There is substantial evidence to support the charge, and through clear and convincing evidence that ? would constitute a substantial danger to any another individual or to the community, or is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court if released on bail.

  The victims in this case were in elementary at the time the A/P committed the offenses. [redacted]. The A/P poses a substantial danger since he has continued access to [a female minor] that is near the same age as the ages of the victims when the offenses occurred.

  In August 2024, a report was taken by Sandy City Police about [a woman] walking into [a] bedroom, and [a boy] was pulling up his pants and underwear with [a girl] behind him. According to the police report, the children were quiet and appeared nervous. When asked what they were doing the [boy] admitted he pulled his pants down, and the [boy] [redacted]; the [boy] told the [woman] that it was something the A/P showed them, and it they were supposed to keep it a secret.

  There are concerns the A/P will flee the jurisdiction if he is released. The A/P has known ties to the United Kingdom and Jamaica. The A/P has family and other ties in the United Kingdom, and the A/P has family in Jamaica

  According to information obtained during the investigation, it was alleged the A/P had intimate relations with a sixteen-year-old when he resided in the United Kingdom. An investigation was initiated, and the A/P fled to the United Kingdom. Witnesses stated the A/P has altered the spelling of his name since he relocated to Utah.