Under the shimmer of disco balls and the defiant stomp of heels, a new generation of ballroom artists is voguing their way into Calgary. Rooted in Black and Latinx queer resistance, ballroom culture has long been a haven for those who live boldly outside the binary.
“Creating a ballroom in your city is innately creating a space,” says legendary Mother of the House of PinkLady, SlimThick. “Somewhere for these kids to expose their talent, somewhere for them to just be themselves because half the time, these kids can’t be themselves.”
Ballroom is more than dance. It’s fashion, protest, and identity. It’s building safety in places where queer and trans people, especially 2SLGBTQIA+ BIPOC individuals, have historically been excluded. And while the city may be better known for its boots than its ballrooms, Calgary’s vogue scene is blossoming with weekly practices, rotating kiki balls, and chosen families.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF VOGUE
Ballroom culture emerged in Harlem in the 1960s. Trans and queer, Black and Latinx folks, excluded from mainstream pageants, began organizing underground balls to showcase talent, affirm identity, and build family.
Houses, led by crowned “mothers” and “fathers,” offered structure for young people facing adversity.
Vogue, the dance form that defines ballroom, evolved from the pose-heavy fashion magazine spreads it’s named after. Over time, it developed distinct styles: Old Way, emphasizing angular precision and posing; New Way, with contortion and elasticity; and Vogue Femme, a fluid, dramatic form popular today.
The kiki scene came later, around 2004 in New York, as a space for younger and newer participants to train before entering the “mainstream” ballroom scene.
“The kiki scene is like college football or a kitten heel,” says SlimThick. “The mainstream scene is the NFL. That’s a six-inch pump. She’s grown.”
The culture broke into the mainstream in the ‘90s via Madonna’s “Vogue” and the acclaimed documentary Paris is Burning, which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year with a Calgary screening hosted by BUMP Festival.
While pop culture borrowed its glitter, ballroom’s roots remain deeply political: a response to exclusion and a reclamation of space.
Today, ballroom scenes exist globally, from New York to Berlin to Tokyo, and Calgary is staking its claim.
CUE THE MUSIC, HIT THE DROP
Catfish is a staple DJ in Calgary’s music and dance scenes. He has played for Vogue YYC, launched the street dance series Soul Circus, and is part of hip hop artist Tea Fannie’s collective.
As a DJ, Catfish carefully curates tracks to suit each category. “Runway is minimal. Performance needs high energy. Sex Siren has a whole vibe. It is seductive and powerful. I’ll also use remixes that blend top 40 samples that will resonate.”
He emphasizes etiquette, too. “Respect is everything. Don’t interrupt the floor. Don’t talk over judges. Don’t assume you know more than the community you’re entering.”
