Jonathan Van Ness Showed Off His Gymnastics Skills In A Sneak Peek Video Of His Comedy Tour
Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness is one of those people who reminds you that life doesn't have to be so serious all the time, and that a little bit of fun can be infused into everything you do — especially if you're willing to try new things, like, I don't know, learn gymnastics and figure skating for your upcoming comedy tour, just because. And yes, the hair and skin guru did exactly that. If you're itching to get a taste of what his stand-up performances might include, you have to check out Jonathan Van Ness' Road to Beijing video on Instagram, which, IMO, just might be the greatest thing to grace the internet this week.
From what I can tell, the premise for JVN's comedy tour also happens to be just as brilliant and inspired as the man himself: According to PEOPLE, his goal is to "become a figure-skating prodigy in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing," hence the name and theme of his stand-up tour. In his sneak peek clip of the show, the 31-year-old performer showed off his gymnastics chops, and let's just say that his moves are beyond impressive. I mean, a back flip? Really!? He is a freaking queen.
JVN wrote in his Instagram post,
Official leaked footage of her first JVN: Road to Beijing show, starring a very iconic piece of floor routine music, who knows what QUEEN used it? Hint it was @alyraisman
And yes, Van Ness totally shouted out Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman in the video, who apparently performed to the same song in one of her own floor routines. Raisman commented on JVN's Instagram video, "Omgggggg @jvn loveeeee. We need to meet." Uh, how haven't these two met already? They're basically destined to be best friends.
For real, though, how cool does Van Ness' comedy show look? As you can see in the Queer Eye star's Instagram video, he's not just relying on his comedy chops and sparkling stage presence to entertain audiences (though, TBH, that'd probably be enough for me). He's going all in, showcasing his many unique talents, and incorporating some movement-based performances to accompany his stand-up routine. Van Ness told PEOPLE,
After having had such a blast on my hotels.comedy mini tour last summer, I realized that standup is something I’m really passionate about. I’m really excited to develop that craft and bring that energy into 2019, and spend a bit more time on stage by building out a longer set. I also wanted to bring some of my on-ice training, and living room gymnastics training, and yoga flows to the stage.
While JVN is a total ham on camera, he shared with PEOPLE that he actually feels most himself and most on-point when he's performing onstage.
My brain waves function differently onstage. I’m at my funniest onstage, and I’m connected to another part of me. It’s really thrilling for me and hopefully it will be for you too!
If you, like me, definitely want to get your butt in some Road to Beijing seats, JVN's tour starts on Feb. 28 in Philadelphia. Throughout the spring, he'll be performing, dancing, back-flipping, and charming his way across several U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Cleveland, and more.
