This workshop is an introduction to one of today’s most well-known ballroom categories, performance, the dance form also known as Vogue. Vogue is a stylized freestyle dance born from the New York underground ballroom scene, a by-for community founded by Black and Latinx LGBTQI+ people. It is a camp style of dance that presents gender as a performance where dancers embody the spirit of extravagance in a way that is purposefully exaggerated and artificial. From applying makeup/"beating the face", to styling hair, donning extravagant clothing, and throwing shade through physical movement, not only does Vogue transform into a physical and emotional way to express stories and fantasies but it becomes a tool in learning to embody ones best self. During our workshop, we will be discussing the history, playing with poses, and the elements of Vogue.

Danah Rosales , known as Maldita Siriano 007 (she/her/siya) is a Tkaronto based queer millennial; 2nd-gen Canadian-Filipinx; a daughta; a cister; a solo mama of two little humans; legendary women’s performance motha of the kiki house of siriano; and a dora nominated artist in which her work encompasses dancing, teaching, producing, collaborative and interdisciplinary choreography and performance. As an active community leader, Maldita Siriano 007 contributes to the Canadian scene as a performer, emerging choreographer and teacher in pursuit of increasing the awareness of the ballroom scene, its history, relevance and presence within today's time. She continues to develop herself as a ballroom performer for the mainstream scene, training, working with and supporting her Kiki house in her leadership role as Legendary Overall House Mother and active community member within the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance as the co-chair of the TKBA Council. Maldita continues to nurture and support building the kiki scenes in Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton including the House’s chapters. Danah aspires to bring more ballroom arts to different stages with ballroom specific works, “The Grand March of the House of Siriano” that was commissioned by Fall for Dance North in Fall 2021 and “GIVE ME ONE” commissioned by Toronto Dance Theatre in Spring 2023, where the cast was nominated for the ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble’ Dora Award.

Photo by Joshua Rille @jjjjjjjoshua

*This workshop is free for participants thanks to the support of Assembly Park and Dance Together Project.