Black Rainbow Movement held their quarterly ballroom event on Saturday November 23rd – and the board and team delivered a ball to remember. Now this isn’t the type of ball you might be thinking of. Garrell Trinity-Woods, the caller for the night and Executive Director for Black Rainbow Movement opened with a lesson, delivering an overarching explanation for those who might not know about ballroom.
Trinity-Woods' lesson started at the beginning. Ballroom first began in the 1960s in Harlem’s LGBTQ+ community. At its core, ballroom is about building community and creating spaces where self-expression, inclusivity, and creativity are celebrated. Before the categories began, Trinity-Woods explained the deep history of ballroom and the importance it has played in the safety for the Black LGBTQ+ community throughout the years.
Emphasized was the formation of houses, an extremely important aspect of ballroom is. Houses are chosen families, run by a Mother and/or Father that have historically provided shelter, aide, and guidance for their children. During Ballroom events, children will compete in an array of categories for their designated house. The culture of ballroom has influenced everything from fashion to music on an international level.
The Candyland Ball, the 8th installment from Black Rainbow Movement showcased talents from 5 different categories: Face, Runway, Body, Bizarre, and Vogue. Each category focuses on the essence of Ballroom while incorporating the Candyland theme. These categories were full of sweet and tasty treats with each contestant bringing their favorite candy to life. Each contestant is judged by 3 talented figures in the ballroom community.
The Face category is just that: serve confidence and flair by exemplifying the features of your face to the judges. Runway is all about your fashion and walk, think New York Fashion Week meets your sugary imagination. The Body category promotes self-love and body positivity, with the judges looking at your confidence in being in your own skin. The Bizarre category challenges contestants to get creative and bring the Candyland theme to life with wild and fun attire. Lastly, the Vogue category celebrates the art of this category by showcasing the 5 elements of Vogue: the catwalk, duckwalk, hand performance, floor work, and dips. The competition was fierce for each category and unfortunately there could only be one winner, but the winners of each embodied the essence of their category and the Candyland theme.
These 5 categories were filled with creativity and skill from each contestant, captivating both the judges’ and audience’s attention. The entertainment was constant and there was never a dull moment from the beginning of the event to the end - from performances by Jasmine Iman, Ahmir Montez, to delicious freeze dried candy from Crunchies FD, and jello shots - there was so much to take in before and after the categories.
Attendance for Black Rainbow Movement’s next ballroom event is highly recommended. Not only are their events amazing experiences, but supporting our local Black queer culture movement is integral.
For more information on Black Rainbow Movement and Ballroom, visit their website at blackrainbowmovement.org, follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Your support helps this organization thrive.
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