Vogue!

I don't often find myself inside the four walls of a dance studio. But Tuesday I took a walk on the wild side, lured by a pulsating beat and the chance to experience the highly stylized movements of voguing. 

Spins and dips, hand performance, the duckwalk, the catwalk. I lustily breathed it all in. 

Voguing requires a sense of swagger and fashion I don't possess. Even more importantly, it demands thighs of steel and youthful knees. Strikes 1, 2, and 3 for this would be dancer.

With roots in the Harlem Renaissance, voguing gained much of its popularity during the 1960's-80's, as drag competitions morphed into "vogue battles," primarily featuring members of black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities. 

While I appreciate the athleticism and creativity required by voguing, I am even more grateful for the sense of home and family the "Houses" that host these events provide. A valentine of a different sort during this chocolate and flower-filled month of February.

"Ballroom has something to say to the world, about self-worth, self-expression, gender, sexuality, art, design, performance, healing, and justice." - Twiggy