Marchant, who was born and raised in the township of Bonteheuwel in Cape Town, South Africa, began his formal dance training in Ballroom at the age of 7, eventually reaching the competitive professional level and winning hundreds of trophies in competitions throughout South Africa. He also participated in Cape Town's street dance group scene, known as "Boogie" dancing, and with his brother's dance team 'The Cool Boys', he won several competitions, including all three major competitions in Cape Town.
In the early 1990s, Marchant delved into Hip-Hop culture in South Africa as a producer and MC and toured with Africa's pioneering Hip-Hop group Prophets of Da City. He won the National Cape Jazz Championship in South Africa in 1999, which gave him the prize money to travel to the UK in 2000 where he discovered salsa.
Understanding the significance of studying salsa as a dance form, he trained with top Puerto Ricans, New Yoricans, Dominicans, and Cubans in the world. In 2001, Marchant was invited to start teaching and performing salsa and has since become one of the most sought-after teachers and performers in the UK and worldwide. He was also the first representative of South Africa in the international salsa community.
Marchant's choreography of Tito Puente's ‘Take Five’ in 2005 was highly acclaimed by the Mambo King himself, Eddie Torres. It was a groundbreaking choreography at the time for its smooth use of lines and arms and intricate musical interpretation. The influence of his work can be seen in UK salsa performances today.
Growing up in Africa undoubtedly contributed to Marchant's intricate sense of rhythm, from the raw sound of the carnival drum to the sophistication of Cape Town jazz musicians. In his years in salsa, he blended his salsa studies with ballroom technique, boogie dancing, jazz, and afro movement, developing a smooth, elegant, and rhythmic style of salsa known as the Alchemy Way. He has a reputation for being one of the world's best leads, with many male dancers coveting his creative turn patterns. He is renowned for bringing 'smooth' and 'flow' to UK salsa and has taught many of the current salsa teachers in the UK. Marchant has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the development of salsa in the UK, including Best British Newcomer, Best UK Dance Act, and two Lifetime Achievement Awards. He is also a Director of Alchemy Dance Company & Academy.
In Marchant’s own words, "I would like everyone to experience dancing in such a way where they hit that zone of Dynamic Equanimity. It’s a feeling of Oneness where you, your partner and the music become one, and rhythm is the glue to unify all three. You can’t even feel where your body ends and your partner’s body begins, you don’t even know if you are leading or following because everything is one. In that state, no forceful leading is necessary, you are both just flowing, and the energy is just flowing. I’m not even sure if the brain gets involved because the brain can get in the way of feeling. That is what I wish for everyone to experience."