Harlem, New York, 1960s-1980s
VOGUEING
The sculpted body of Harlem's Ballrooms
Vogueing was born in the Ballrooms of Harlem, underground balls created by New York's Black and Latino LGBTQ+ community starting in the 1960s. Faced with racism in white drag pageants, figures such as Crystal LaBeija founded their own scene; it would give rise to the "houses" (Xtravaganza, LaBeija, Ninja, Mizrahi), alternative families where young people rejected by their own found a second family.
Vogueing takes its name from Vogue magazine: dancers mimic the poses of top models. Three main styles have followed one another — Old Way (geometric poses, symmetry, 1960s-80s), New Way (contortions and illusions, 1990s) and Vogue Femme (fluidity, femininity, drama, 2000s). The series Paris is Burning (1990) and Pose (FX, 2018) brought the culture to a wide audience.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Vogueing is danced to house and ballroom music (the "ha" sample) at around 128-135 BPM. It combines five codified elements that are judged during battles: Hands performance, Catwalk, Duckwalk, Spins & Dips, Floor performance. Each category rewards a facet of the body.
Styles and fundamentals
Three schools coexist. The Old Way (Willi Ninja) favors symmetry, angles, and graphic poses. New Way adds contortions, impossible arm locks, and illusions. Vogue Femme (Leiomy Maldonado) explores femininity, backbends, drama, and speed. Each performer chooses their style and their "house."
Main figures
- 01
Hands performance
Fast, precise movements of the hands, wrists, and forearms around the face. The heart of the vogue vocabulary.
- 02
Catwalk
An exaggerated model-style walk, hips accentuated, steps crossing in front, a haughty gaze.
- 03
Duckwalk
A crouched walk, heels to the floor, feet pointed like a duck's. An emblematic figure of Vogue Femme.
- 04
Dip (Death Drop)
A controlled fall backward, one leg folded beneath the body, the other in the air. The exclamation point of a vogue pass.
- 05
Spins
Rotations on oneself, often linked with a dip. They punctuate the pass on the music's "ha."
- 06
Floor performance
A descent to the floor with backbends, rolls, and sensual poses. A signature of Vogue Femme.
Reading the music
Ballroom music relies on the "The Ha Dance" sample (Masters at Work, 1991), with its percussive "ha" that sets the tempo. MC vocals (Kevin JZ Prodigy) and pop-culture samples are added.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Same family
Ballroom
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Vogueing.