Strike a Pose 2.0: The Resurgence of Vogue

[Published in Dance Spirit Magazine: July 2008 | by Santiago Freeman]

The year was 1990. An independent documentary film and a pop music icon would introduce the world to a form of urban dance that had rarely been seen outside of Harlem. The movie was award-winning Paris is Burning. The pop icon: Madonna. “Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it: Vogue!” became a dance anthem throughout the world, while Paris is Burning went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. What started as a vibrant form of cultural expression for New York City’s black and Latino gay community transformed into a media sensation. And then, like other underground dance forms that have been “discovered” by the mainstream, Vogue faded into pop culture history, remembered by most as a hit Madonna song. Now, eighteen years later, the dance has regained the spotlight on its own terms.

History

Vogue has a long and distinguished history dating back to the 1960s when black and Latino gay men began performing in drag at Harlem ballrooms. Prior to that time, drag fashion shows had been a popular form of entertainment in New York as early as the 1930s, but many blacks and Latino drag queens were unable to participate as a result of discrimination. During the 1960s, an Uptown ballroom community developed in which gay men dressed in elaborate costumes began to merge the flamboyant dances of Las Vegas showgirls with pantomime and modeling poses. The dance was originally called Presentation, and then Performance. By the 1970s and into the 80s, however, the dance became less about decorative clothing and more about individual style, movement and “realness”. During this era, Vogue became more connected to the street and to the lives of a marginalized community seeking artistic expression through dance.

Structure

In the world of Vogue, “Houses” represent a collective of dancers who share the same social philosophy and often perform together. Members of the house, known as “children”, view the collective as a self-sustaining family, complete with a mother, father and godfather. Some of the best known houses include House of Ninja, House of Mizrahi, House of Xtravaganza, House of Lebeija and House of Aviance, many of which were featured in the groundbreaking film Paris is Burning. The members of the house often change their last names to pronounce their affiliation.

The houses compete in “Balls” (short for “drag balls”) which are dance or “walking” competitions based on a variety of categories, including butch femme, femme queen and face. The concept of “realness” is integral to the balls and describes the dancer’s ability to incorporate a theme into their movement, attitude and style. Whether the dancer “walks” as a schoolgirl, fashion model, hip-hop thug, or business executive, the dancer is able to embody that persona in convincing fashion. According to Hector Xtravaganza, godfather of the House of Xtravaganza, “the dancer who can best transform completely into the theme while maintaining their own individuality is the winner.” Dancers who consistently win a variety of balls become Legendary, the highest honor to be recognized in the ballroom community.

Styles

There are four primary styles of vogue: Old Way, New Way, Vogue Femme and Dramatics. Old Way describes any style that pre-dates 1990 and focuses on graceful movement, transitions that alternate between standing and floor positions, linear hand performance and poses of the earlier drag style. New Way (post-1990) incorporates more contortionist movements of the limbs known as “clicking” and creates complex illusions through the control of the arms and hands. Vogue Femme is a style that emphasizes an exaggeration of femininity and flamboyance that is associated with femme queens. Dramatics describe the acrobatic tricks and “stunts” often incorporated into the vogue style, including dips, hairpins, flips and spins.

Resurgence

After the media spotlight faded in the early 90s, vogue transitioned back to its underground roots. The New Way emerged as the new style, seen by many as more innovative and acrobatic. With the international exposure, the ballroom community expanded throughout the States and into Europe which served to strengthen the vitality of the art form. In 2006, German filmmaker Wolfgang Busch released his documentary film entitled “How Do I Look” which chronicles the development of Harlem’s ballroom scene since the release of Paris is Burning.

Willi Ninja, founder of the House of Ninja, was one of the most well-known and respected voguers of his generation. Before his death in 2006, he prophesized that vogue would reach out to other dancers in the world community and become more respected as a serious art form. Under the guidance of Benny Ninja, a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model, the House of Ninja has successfully transitioned vogue from the ballrooms to the concert stage, performing a seminal choreographed work entitled the “East is Red” which is now being considered for off-Broadway production. In an effort to diversify, the House also now features dancers from all walks of life, including women and straight men from the house dance community.

Voguers have also reached beyond the traditional ballrooms to compete in mainstream dance competitions, such as House Dance International NYC, which will host its second annual festival in July 2008 featuring a vogue category. www.housedancenyc.com And with the advent of YouTube, there is now access to authentic representations of the ballroom subculture, which has further solidified Vogue as one of the most breathtaking of all urban dance forms.

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Santiago Freeman is the co-founder and executive director of House Dance International. www.housedancenyc.com