What is Voguing?

Voguing is a dance style, part of the Ballroom Scene. It is originally practiced by the LGBTQ community, but it has evolved a lot over the years.

Vogue, or voguing, is stylized, modern dance originating in the late 1980s in Harlem which is a part of the Ballroom Scene. The latter "began as — and still is — a safe haven for at-risk black, Latino youth, LGBTQ community, has evolved into a sophisticated ecosystem, complete with a global network of houses, a plethora of legendary personalities, a distinct dialect and a massive digital following."

Voguing performance

Ty Young Voguing at Christopher Street Pier, in New York

Each person is part of a house with a "mother", who helps her "children" to give their best. House represents a family and the event that highlights the different families is the ball. During this ball, each family performs a performance in front of a jury made up of several people. There are a lot of different categories: runway, hand performance, virgin vogue, best dresses... with the same goal, to achieve glory.

With time, vogue changed from the “Old Way” (which emphasized hard angles and straight lines) to the “New Way” in the late 1980’s (which added elements like the catwalk, the duckwalk, spinning, bussey and enhanced hand performance). Today, New Way is characterized by more rigid movements and “clicks” or joint contortions. Vogue Fem uses similar “New Way” elements but focuses on speed, flow and stunts. Regardless of the style, voguing shows the courage of black and Latino LGBTQ communities to make an art form that goes beyond creative expression. Vogue offers a sense of identity, belonging and dignity in a world that does not fully value their lives.

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