There’s a ton of voguing content out in the world and has been for decades. If you’re just interested in seeing the action take a spin around the Ballroom Throwbacks or SugarChampagne channels on YouTube, any number of voguing-centric accounts on Instagram, or through music videos like Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart,” Queen Latifah’s “Come Into My House” or Teyana Taylor’s “WTP.” But if you want to know more, and maybe learn a little something about the community and the people who comprise it, here’s a short list of must-see films and television projects to devour.
Though this documentary wasn’t intended to be about the ballroom scene, it inadvertently was. Released in 1968, it showed a drag pageant that (according to urban lore) ended up leading to the formation of the house-ballroom scene. After Crystal LaBeija felt that she was robbed her rightful crown in this film, she started putting on balls by the House of LaBeija. The rest, as they say, is history.
Available on Netflix.
Undoubtedly the global cultural touchstone for the ballroom community, this Jennie Livingston doc gave most of the world its first in-depth look at the scene. Introducing us to a legion of pioneers like Pepper LaBeija, Willi Ninja, and Octavia St. Laurent, the film breaks down the scene and through the insightful words of Dorian Corey, reveals the purpose it serves for the community that created it.
Available on YouTube.
It may not be as lauded as some of its counterparts but this Wolfgang Busch project features footage of the ballroom scene from the early 2000s. Octavia St. Laurent appears in her prime here, as does Jose Xtravaganza, and others like Luna Luis Ortiz who give a fuller view of not only ballroom but the community surrounding it.
Available on Amazon Prime.
Sara Jordenö’s documentary provides a glimpse into the kiki community, a subcommunity within ballroom comprising the youngest and oftentimes most marginalized members. While there is footage of kiki balls, the doc moreso centers the stories of queer youth that make up the scene, illustrating their tales of homelessness, discrimination, and resilience.
Available on Hulu.
Created by Elegance Bratton, this Viceland series delved into the modern-day ballroom scene. Following a new cast of characters like Precious Ebony, Tati Miyake-Mugler, and Alex Miyake-Mugler, it revealed how the scene has changed, becoming a truly global endeavor, while many of the issues that its community members are confronting have remained the same.
Available on YouTube.
Though it is fictional, Ryan Murphy’s Pose is possibly the most glamorous ode to the ballroom community yet. The series uses the ballroom community as the setting to tell the stories of trans women of color living in New York through the 1980s and 1990s. Within the various storylines, the show bakes in the real stories of actual ballroom moments and figures like Tracey Africa, a trans model who once booked major beauty deals.
Available on Netflix.
