VOGUE
Voguing is a stylized dance that developed in the Harlem ballroom culture during the 1980s. Created by Black and Latinx members of the LGBTQ community, voguing grew out of drag competitions and quickly became competitive in its own right. Instead of fighting, rivals would perform stylized dance moves and pantomime to “throw shade” and the one who did it best was declared the winner, thus winning trophies and notoriety for their Houses. Houses were groups of people who competed for the same team, for lack of a better word, but also served as families for their members. Madonna’s music video for “Vogue” in 1990 blasted ballroom and voguing into mainstream media before the fad faded away.
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In this excerpt from Paris is Burning, Willi Ninja, a dancer known as the "godfather of voguing", breaks down the origins of vogue. This excerpt also provides a glimpse into vogue competitions and the specific style of voguing popular in the 1980s and 90s.