Voguing / Paris Is Burning

Voguing is awesome - people should do it more! Hipsters should love it cos it's the perfect mixture of dancing and fashion posing. Dancers should love it cos it's like a strange mixture of ballet and uprocking. And the competitive element should keep the crowds happy. "Instead of fighting you take it out on the dancefloor."



Thankfully, the artform is alive and well - mostly of course in the black gay clubs of the States, though the music has changed form disco and house to more booty and ghetto sounds. If you click on "Watch on Youtube" for this clip you will see that there's hundreds of similar videos linked in the various sidebars. The audio's not great though.



The history of the dance is fascinating - originating as it does from drag queen walk offs in the way underground NY clubs of the 70's. The documentary PARIS IS BURNING is fantastic - as well as being the document of the dance and clubbing movement it offers valuable sociological insight into a world very far removed from the mainstream. The whole thing is on Youtube. Here is part one, with the other parts linked below. If you have any interest in dance/club culture, black history, gay history or hell even just people in general, this film is godamn essential viewing.



P.I.B. Pt 2
P.I.B. Pt 3
P.I.B. Pt 4
P.I.B. Pt 5
P.I.B. Pt 6
P.I.B. Pt 7
P.I.B. Pt 8
P.I.B. Pt 9