Pioneer Junior Labeija in Drags (1975) by Junior LabeijaBallroom Throwbacks/Destination Tomorrow
White Era's Imprint on Ballroom
The White Era marked by the creation of the first categories for male-identitied performers, expanded participants in ballroom, and the creation of vogue itself.
Paris Dupree
Dupree was the founding member and mother of the House of Dupree. She is one of the seven founding mothers of ballroom. Dupree is considered the originator of the dance technique and art, voguing
Paris Dupree (1994) by Alvernian Prestife Du'Mure VersaillesBallroom Throwbacks/Destination Tomorrow
The Birth of Vogue
Paris Dupree, mother of the House of Dupree, is credited with the creation of Vogue. Vogue takes it name from the magazine, as it is also characterized by model-like poses and stylized movements.
Iconic BQ Ballroom Gems by chantal regnaultBallroom Throwbacks/Destination Tomorrow
Men in Ballroom
Just as drag pageants of the 60s, the first years of Ballroom centered on femme performance. Only femme categories existed, so men that attended balls were often spectators or accompanying performers. In that same year of 1974, another event would forever change ballroom.
Erskine Christian
In 1974 Erskine Christian (in red), founder of the House of Christian, forever changed the landscape of Ballroom by introducing categories for masculine performers. He won this first category, Model Face, setting the stage for a staple of ballroom, the Butch Queen performance.
A Broadening of Ballroom Culture
With the inception of Model Face and Butch Queen performance, participation in balls dramatically expanded. This revolutionized the number of people who attended balls, and expanded houses to allow instruction in non-feminine performance categories.
Pioneer Icon RR Chanel International (1976) by Ruben RiversBallroom Throwbacks/Destination Tomorrow
First Shadows of the Epidemic
As the ballroom community continued to grow in size and technique in New York, the HIV/AIDS Epidemic began to unfold with the first cases diagnosed in Los Angeles in 1981. This disease would forever change the face of Ballroom and the LGBTQ+ community in America.
