the house down BOOTS.
Paris is Burning is the blueprint. POSE has brought it to the masses. Now it's Legendary's turn.
If you've enjoyed Pose, you may like this video. It's about a new HBO contest series that chronicles a Ballroom dance contest. And it's marvelous. It's called Legendary and it is, indeed, LEGENDARY. As in, dancing the house down boots, honey.
I love me some Ballroom Dance and its prominent display of the incredible talent of many LGBTQ+ BIPOC artists. It's a fantastic showcase that includes performance, dance, costuming and makeup. You add the layer or inventiveness that permeates anything queer and marginalized and voilà . Magic.
In the series we see how trans and cisgender women are called to perform in Ballroom competitions along with cis gay men and people in all the gender spectrum without nary an eyebrow raised, as it should be. It's a place where what matters is the art you bring and anything else. Also, if you watch Pose, you'll see here one of the stars of the series serving as judge. Bonus.
I don't have HBO (I can barely keep up with Hulu and Netflix) but if you do, make sure you watch the whole competition. It's incredible. I have not watched the whole thing but after I watched the free premiere, YouTube in its insidious ex-boyfriend way, keeps recommending me Ballroom-related things to watch, knowing that I can barely resist the temptation.
Below you'll find some snippets of the competition, that I hope will whet your appetite and will get you to go down the rabbit hole the same way they did me. I hope that one day HBO Max will put it all online for free so more people can access this incredible art form.
Now, Vogue!
I wanna see you do that duck walk, hunty!
XOXO
P.S. these snippets are not in chronological order, I just chose them 'cause they slay.
and this is how you give FACE!
I could watch these all day. The artistry and creativity and passion and joy is contagious!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you.
DeleteEver since I watched Paris is Burning my question has been: why aren't these dancers better known? Why aren't they showcased? It's incredible.
I'm sure more than one dance craze or tiktok challenge come from the Ballroom scene...
XOXO
Oh. My. Darlings! How have I not heard about this?! You, sir, are a treasure trove of culture and pop genius! Love, love, love! More, more, more! You have almost recused my summer.
ReplyDeleteAs for Paris is Burning, Pose, and all those other docu/dramas... Gurl! I watched them in the theater when no cable channel or television station would air or have them. Such were the times. I'm so glad their stories are finally OUT for everyone to indulge and revel in.
Hahaha
DeleteAren't they fantastic? I'm hooked.
Paris is Burning has become mandatory viewing for the children to learn where is it that it all comes from. Really. And I'm glad Pose is now available in everybody's home, whether by streaming or by cable. Their stories do need to be told.
XOXO
Holy crap! You know I love me the dance in any form. But I typically get carried away on judging the moves and steps. A so-so dancer will have me bitching at the screen in no time. When you said Ballroom Dance, my mind immediately went to actual ballroom stuff because of course it did. You know the style they (crappily) do on Dancing With the Stars.
ReplyDeleteI watch(ed) Pose faithfully. But, this??? Six, this is Pose on steroids! I do indeed get HBO and will have to tune in. XOXO
Oh, Big.
DeleteYou have no idea how much I'd love to watch this with you! Let's have a viewing party!
And I imagine the surprise LOL. Nope, not your typical Ballroom dancing. These Balls were invented by disenfranchised, poor, usually homeless, LGBTQ+ BIPOC to find a home and express their art.
HBO has the series. I highly recommend it.
XOXO
I loved watching these vids. And, I loved Pose. I even recorded both seasons. Trans stories MUST be told. Unfortunately, I don't have HBO.
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteThese videos are a joy. And Pose is fantastic. I'm bingeing season 2 right now.
And you are right Trans stories need to be told. Especially in the climate we're living in.
And you can watch the first episode in full here. And YouTube has many of the battles. Not the whole thing, but still worth a watch.
XOXO
WOW. House of Lanvin. Amazeballs. It was like watching Rocky Horror on fastforward. Too marvelous. This? This could get addicting. Thanks for enlightening us all. You are our cultural guru.
ReplyDeleteAren't they absolutely incredible?
DeleteYou are right. It's RHPS on steroids. Creativity and talent galore. Yay for new things!
XOXO