Drag, dance, cash prizes and tough crowds. See Kansas City Pride’s new Ballroom show
This weekend’s Kansas City Pride activities will be kicked off with a new event.
It’s the KC Pride Ball, and it will see $10,000 handed out in cash prizes.
Organized by Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, the Pride Ball starts at 8 p.m. Friday at the Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd. Admission is free for the audience.
Pride Ball is a competition in the tradition of Ballroom, a performance that combines drag, dance, fashion and attitude. Competitions are exciting displays of showmanship, not for the faint of heart, as commentators grade and rate performers live as the show happens, with the participation of crowds that often voice their displeasure at lackluster acts.
The cash prizes will be spread across winners in 16 categories, including fem queen, tag team twist vogue, drag performance and best dressed.
This year’s Pride Ball will not be the first Ballroom event ever held in Kansas City, but it will be the first official competition under the KC Pride umbrella.
Organizers of the Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, which has put on KC Pride for the past three years, wanted to pay respect to the trailblazers and deep roots of the scene.
“Ballroom is a subculture of LGBTQ folks that had to carve out our own safe spaces,” Star Palmer, president of the Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, said. “Black and Brown folks have historically had to find their own place, as we know racism is alive and well under the rainbow and America as a whole.”
The performance genre has grown in popularity in recent years, gaining national attention on TV shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race and Legendary.
It can be traced back to the days of the Harlem Renaissance a century ago. In those early days, the event was an underground society of minorities facing discrimination based on race and sexuality. Historically, this led to the formation of “Houses” which act as a de facto family for those cut off by their own relations due to prejudice.
Palmer and her organization are excited about what they believe will be one of the largest Ballroom competitions the city has ever seen.
“This event is about paying homage to Black queer and trans women who have historically lead the charge in all things LGBTQ related,” Palmer said.
The event is sponsored by several LGBTQA organizations, including Our Spot KC, Blaq Out and Transformations.
While Ballroom has historically been a staple of the LGBTQA community, organizers and participants hope it catches on among those unfamiliar with the scene.
Jose Deanda, 25, of Kansas City, will compete at the Pride Ball in the face and vogue categories, under the name Pink Balmain.
Deanda, who identifies himself as a gay man, has been performing in Ballroom for five years, after attending an event as a spectator and becoming captivated with it.
He found in Ballroom a sanctuary where he can feel a sense of normalcy and security. And he found an outlet for emotions related to his strained ties with family.
He has been able to hone his skills and connect with people experiencing the same issues as him.
“What drew me to Ballroom was that you release a lot of anger out of,” says Deanda. “Lack of family, lack of communication, not being able to be who you are outside of the community, all that goes away when you go to the ballroom.”
With performers being judged extensively on presentation and attention to detail, Deanda has to make sure that every aspect of his routine is perfect. Each show, performers like Deanda must cultivate a look (in some cases assembled around a theme) and dance routine that is original and memorable.
Preparing for competition means a tremendous amount of planning, rehearsing and resources on the part of those participating. Hair, makeup, and wardrobe can financially burden those involved. According to Deanda, the support and reliance on a “House” to assist in the preparation and practice could be the deciding factor for many taking the stage.
“We don’t play with this, it is not a game,” Deandra said. “We take Ballroom very serious because you get to free yourself and become your inner you.”
In the five years Deanda has performed in the competitive Ballroom scene, it has taken him to St. Louis, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Chicago. He aspires to one day perform a Ballroom competition in New York, the birthplace and mecca of the culture.
He hopes the KC Ballroom scene will grow and flourish with an annual Pride Ball, encouraging other promoters to organize shows regularly.
“KC’s Ballroom culture is still kind of small and we are trying to pick that up now. It is really something that everyone can come out and enjoy,” Deanda said.
“Having an annual Pride Ball will definitely bring out more people and open up people’s eyes to Kansas City and what we have going on in our scene.”
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