Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Tuesday 27 March 2018
Voguing revives as Paris minorities strike a political pose

By THOMAS ADAMSON to the dance's emergence
PARIS (AP) — In garish in '80s New York — myriad
makeup and dangerously minority groups, racism, ho-
high heels, a black male mophobia — is present in
dancer's outstretched arms today's Paris.
aggressively slice the air in "Racism is still here ... Of
time to the Paris nightclub course, it's even harder
music until suddenly, he being gay in the (French)
drops "dead" on the floor. black community as ev-
Vogue, the '80s dance eryone's religious and ev-
movement Madonna pop- eryone takes the bible by
ularized in her hit 1990 song the book," said Ninja, who
of the same name, is expe- sported a sparkling gown.
riencing a revival in France. Stephie Mizrahi — a dancer
It's not just a flamboyant in the 1980s at "Le Palace,"
pastime. For many minority France's answer to Studio
French communities who 54 — said he was delighted
feel alienated over ten- to see the voguing scene
sions arising from divisive in Paris flourish. It's "a safe-
anti-gay marriage protests haven for LGBT people to
and the anti-immigration express themselves and the
National Front, it's a state- harshness of daily life," he
ment of defiance. said.
Many gay black and Arab Because many of the vogu-
youths — especially those In this July 7, 2017, photo, voguing ballroom dancers perform on stage during a competition in ing participants are not out
from Paris' less affluent Paris. Associated Press to their families, filming ac-
and religiously conserva- cess to their events is strictly
tive suburbs — see Vogue identity politics. Madonna community in the contests. and there was an uptick in limited for fear of reprisals.
dance events as safe plac- was criticized for her lyrics, One of the movement's homophobic behavior. Harshness and aggression
es in which their racial and which some said appropri- founders, Willi Ninja, who The rise of the National are running themes in the
sexual identities can be ful- ated the movement for starred in the award-win- Front, Marine Le Pen's right- Vogue lexicon. There's the
ly expressed without fear of the white population (even ning 1990 documentary wing anti-immigrant party "death drop," a move that
reprisals. though black dancers fea- about New York voguing, that won a third of votes in sees the dancer collapse
"Not many people realize tured in the video.) "Paris is Burning," had want- France's presidential run- on the floor before quickly
but voguing, it's political. The moves were first popu- ed to bring the dance to off last year, aggravated bouncing up again. And
When they were lining the larized in 1980s New York the French capital before many young black Vogu- the jerky, slicing style of
streets in France with angry during exuberant Vogue he died in 2006 of an AIDS- ers who already felt ostra- Vogue arm movements
anti-gay marriage signs, Balls that served as a refuge related illness. cized. were reportedly inspired by
the others were expressing for the black and Latino The movement pirouet- French-born black drag Bruce Lee's kung fu films.
themselves with dance on LGBT community. At a time ted to Paris in 2012, the queen Lasseindre Ninja, Fashion and celebrity are
the Vogue runway," said when the AIDS epidemic in year tens of thousands of who had lived in New York also touchstones.
dancer Marion Tiger Melo- the city fueled homopho- people protested across before founding the French The Vogue community is
dy. bia and racism was rife, France against plans to le- Vogue scene, feels that the divided into global fashion-
"The increased popularity many found an accepting galize same-sex marriage perfect storm contributing themed houses, or teams,
of the (far-right) National that dance off against
Front (party) must also each other, such as the
have had an impact," she House of Gaultier, House of
added. Chanel and the House of
France is now the world's Lanvin. And for proof that
biggest voguing hub out- its popular appeal lives on,
side of New York. Talented look no further than Beyon-
young dancers and drag cé, Rihanna, Azealia Banks
queens in outlandish cos- and Willow Smith, who have
tumes face off in compe- all been influenced by the
titions, showing off moves vogue style of dance.
inspired by the poses of Designer Jean Paul Gault-
fashion models in the pag- ier, who has dressed Ma-
es of Vogue magazine. donna, was invited as a
The dance first hit the guest jury member at one
mainstream with Madon- Paris Vogue contest. He
na's 1990 song and video reminisced about going
"Vogue," in which the sing- voguing with the star in
er lists a roll call of all-white New York in 1990.
Hollywood icons — Mari- “To have been there at
lyn Monroe, James Dean, that moment, I’m really
Grace Kelly, and Bette Da- proud ... it was a small fam-
vis — while calling on peo- ily in Brooklyn and New
ple to "strike a pose." York and then it became
But the original move- global,” Gaultier told The
ment was neither white nor In this July 7, 2017, photo, voguing ballroom dancers perform on stage during a competition in AP. “I’m excited to see this
mainstream and always Paris. revival that’s modernized
closely linked with bold Associated Press and evolved.”q