news

The Evolving World of Ballroom

Published on June 17, 2008

By Clay Cane

June is lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month. There is much to celebrate in the past few months, such as gay marriage being legalized in California and New York State will officially honor gay marriage from other states. However, as many gays sink into the melting pot of heterosexual America, "family values" such as marriage and children, do not exactly mix in areas of the LGBT community that represent the more creative, expressive or edgy aspects of the culture.

The black and Latino ballroom scene is one of the subcultures that remains as a symbol of feverish vibrancy, which embraces the no longer "acceptable" parts of the gay community.

The ballroom scene is a community of LGBT people of color who compete in categories that involve talent, fashion, dance and relentless imagination. Participants from various "houses" -- like the House of Mizrahi, House of Blahnik, House of LaCroix and many more -- form a family structure with "Mother", "Father" and "children" who battle in categories, making a name for themselves on an individual or house basis.

Paris is Burning

For those who are not familiar with the ballroom scene, the first thought that might come to mind is the 1991 documentary Paris is Burning by Jennie Livingston, which attempted to grasp the lives of black and Latino LGBT people involved in the New York City ballroom circuit. However, in terms of black and Latino gays in media, Paris is Burning left much to be desired and for many in the ballroom circuit, the film thrived on stereotypes and missed the emotionality of this unique culture. If the ballroom scene were exactly what the film portrayed, the "kids" would not have evolved to what it is now, nearly twenty years later, a nationwide force from New York to Chicago to Mississippi to Los Angeles.

In regard to media, how has the ballroom scene managed to not only survive, but successfully evolve into a highly popular culture that many feel is on the cusp of exploding into the mainstream? The dance form "voguing", mastered by the late-great voguing legend Willi Ninja, was popularized by Madonna and often times wrongfully credited to the Michigan pop star. Now, voguing has appeared in musical performances from Janet Jackson and Kelly Rowland to Coca-Cola commercials. Just like every other faction of our new, technology-driven world, subcultures like the ballroom scene have also been affected, resulting in a massive expansion that goes beyond 3 a.m. balls in Harlem.

Today, the Internet has played a major role in the expansion of ballroom culture reaching every corner of the country. There are ballroom oriented online magazines, the famous web site Walk4MeWednesdays.com and on ServetheKids.com anyone in the world can order a ballroom DVD. The ballroom scene is now at everyone's fingertips.

The first time I attended a ball was Halloween of 1995 in Philadelphia. There was a mystique and intimacy about venturing to this after midnight function, which was filled with many of the "rejected" parts of society, who were enduring intense homophobia and racism. Those who were dissociated from their families or communities, explicitly or implicitly because of their sexuality, might never feel fully accepted.

The ballroom scene was a space that was void of sweeping judgments, enamored with an effusive emotion and a needed outlet for a black or Latino LGBT person. This transcendental expression of emotion and surrogate family is an essence that cannot be captured via the Internet.

Antar Bush, who was a participant in the Philadelphia ballroom scene for over ten years, says, "I do believe that through technology the ballroom scene has lost [the] intimacy it once had...it's not really secretive anymore."

Still, times have changed from the days of Paris is Burning and even the days of the first ball I attended in 1995. Homophobia and racism still exist, but some of the "kids" of today might not seek the same escapism as folks did once upon a time, which is a good thing. Progress marks change and cultures will evolve with upward mobility. On the other hand, does media take a stab or just sharpen the edges?

Jay Blahnik, Father of the House of Blahnik, stresses, "I don't think watching a ball DVD depicts a culture, it depicts just an event and so we have people of color who haven't really thought about ways of documenting our own history. How torches are passed from one leader to the next -- all you have is who won what ball and what night."

Whatever the case, the Internet, has helped create ballroom "stars." Leyomi Mizrahi, the current "it girl" of the ballroom community, is known for her dramatic voguing dance style. Leyomi's dynamic videos are a YouTube.com sensation; her top three YouTube videos have garnered over 350,000 views. On the MTV show, America's Best Dance Crew, a girl dance group named Fysh N' Chicks, far removed from the ball circuit, said Leyomi's name in their dance track and swung their heads from side to side, copying Leyomi's signature move.

With more popularity and outlets for the ballroom community, the question is will this culture ever become mainstream? Is the next evolution reaching beyond LGBT people of color? When asking Antar Prodigy where he sees the ballroom scene ten years from now he replies, "Well, if you would've asked me ten years ago where I saw the ballroom scene, I would've never saw it here. Mainstream? No! People don't really know what that word mainstream means. Do we really want this thing to go mainstream? When you get more mainstream it will have to be changed and tweaked. When you say mainstream people don't really think [about] what that means."

Glenn LaCroix, who has been a ballroom participant since 1991, adds, "If we're not involved directly we'll still be outcasts with something we created, which happens with everything. Gay people always create something and somehow don't get the credit for it."

One cannot deny that after four decades this underground scene has had an impact on American culture, implicitly or explicitly. No one can predict where the ballroom scene will evolve from here, but regardless of the political climate, or the selective gay agenda, this subculture will not be ignored.

Check out some great ballroom moments on YouTube.com: