Clockwise: Dejanay, Leeky 007, Nekia Zulu, and Damelo
By Dennis Richmond, Jr., M.S.Ed. Author, He Spoke At My School
Ballroom Culture is a Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ way of expression. The Ballroom Scene, or simply The Scene, traces its origins to the Harlem Renaissance and, in other instances, before the 19th Century. In the Ballroom Scene, there are dozens of groups of people in houses. A House is a community of folx that are chosen family. It was during the 1970s that America saw the first Ballroom Houses come to fruition.
The House of LaBeija, The House of Dupree, The House of Ebony, and The House of Pendavis are four of over a dozen houses that were founded decades ago. With the Scene allowing the LGBTQ+ Community freedom of expression, Ballroom continues to be a pillar for the community. “Ballroom to me is my personal escape, my own little universe,” said Damelo, 21, Los Angeles, CA. “I’m able to express myself in a way that I never thought existed.” Shahleek “Leeky 007” Lewis, 24, Staten Island, NY, explained that in ballroom, folx “walk, model, and vogue.”
Ballroom Houses reach all over the world. With dozens of houses, that means that there are thousands of Ballroom House Members. One of these House Members is Jauan T. Durbin, Legendary Prince$$ Louboutin-Balenciaga, 25, Atlanta, GA. “Ballroom means the world to me,” said Durbin. “Ballroom is where I got my start as a community activist and organizer when I was 19. It just wasn’t a safe space for me to grow and formulate my talent, but it was an incubator for me to develop my professional skills and grow as a community worker.”
As with Jauan in Georgia, Avery, 29, New York, has an alias in Ballroom. “My name is Avery Parker but in ballroom I go by Dejanay. I’m from Brooklyn.” A lot of New York’s Ballroom Scene Members and Affiliates are in Brooklyn. Parker went on to say, “Ballroom to me means freedom. You get to be who you are and be around people that are the same as you. Ballroom is power. It’s a safe place, although it does have off moments, but that’s just like life- everything isn’t always peachy. I love ballroom. If you’re looking for raw talent and realness- trust, it’s in ballroom.”
Closer to Yonkers, we find Nekia Zulu, 23, New York, NY. “Ballroom is 2 things in 1. The first- is a competitive arena, where people are able to creatively express themselves through contests,” said Zulu. These contests also serve as a way for people to perfect their crafts that they may be using outside of the competition space. The second part, which is the most important, is its a community of resistance through chosen family. Queer people from all walks of life and different backgrounds who come together to help each other grow individually and collectively.”
Whether you’re in the Ballroom scene or not, one thing is for sure, and two things are for certain. Ballroom- is here to stay.
