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Ballroom culture originated in the 1980s in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, created by marginalized LGBTQ individuals, specifically black and Latinx gay and transgender men and women. In a society that often excluded LGBTQ communities, they decided to create their own safe space where they could express their true selves. Ballroom provided them with a loving and secure environment to showcase their inner beauty and authenticity.
Dancer KenKen Elle founded Voguing Hong Kong, dedicated to promoting local Vogue dance and Ballroom culture. Through Voguing, they aim to help more people embrace their true selves, unleash their individuality, and regain personal confidence and charm. KenKen Elle once shared, “The beauty of diversity stems from its capacity to empower individuals to express their authentic selves..”
In the Ballroom, regardless of your attributes, gender, or identity, everyone is welcome to participate in competitions and shine their light. In November, the BBLOD editors had the privilege of attending the Halloween event organized by Voguing Hong Kong called HAPPY HALLOWEEN KIKI BALL, where they experienced Voguing and Ballroom culture firsthand. Ballroom competitions are divided into various categories, and they noticed the term “OTA ” used in many categories, which stands for “Open to all genders/sexualities,” indicating that anyone of any sexual orientation can participate. This is a common term used in Ballroom competitions.
Holie, a Hong Kong Ballroom Trailblazer who has been organizing Ballroom events for several years, initially faced certain challenges when introducing Ballroom to Hong Kong. They explained that the Ballroom is a process of self-discovery and self-awareness for everyone. Starting in 2017, Holie and KenKen began organizing Balls in Hong Kong. Due to the different rules compared to mainstream dance competitions, especially with numerous categories, it took time to educate people on how to participate and understand the competition rules and various categories.
Over the years, the Ballroom community has grown larger, with more people joining this family and being captivated by the energy of the community. They are increasingly enjoying Ballroom competitions.
In recent years, Voguing has gained increasing recognition, thanks to the efforts of VoguingHK founder KenKen, and has become a highlight in the Ballroom scene. Originating from imitating the poses of models on Vogue magazine covers, Voguing is a dance style that focuses on continuous posing. Madonna’s 1990 single “Vogue” is considered a representative work of Ballroom culture. Other dance competitions in this genre include Old Way, New Way, and Vogue Femme.
Unleashing the Allure of Sexiness
One of the categories we will explore is the Sex Siren. Sex Siren falls under the Beauty category and is derived from the original categories of body, face, and siren. The emphasis is on showcasing sexiness and the seductive charm of the body, arousing desire in the audience.
Similar to other categories in Ballroom, Sex Siren will be judged by a panel of judges. Each participant will showcase their unique sexiness and allure, aiming to captivate the judges and earn high scores. In the preliminary round, when a judge raises their hand to signal “Tens,” it represents the highest score of 10 points, while “Chop” indicates the lowest score of zero. While it may seem easy to showcase sexiness, it takes a combination of beauty, personal flair, and individuality to successfully impress the judges and become the Sex Siren champion.
Is it easy to be misunderstood when expressing sensuality?
People who are not familiar with the Sex Siren culture may have various misunderstandings or negative impressions about the display of sexiness. However, being sexy is not equivalent to being cheap, nor does it necessarily mean being exposed. Sexiness is simply a natural aspect of being human, a way of expressing our innate desires. Sex Siren shows you that sexiness has many dimensions.
On one hand, it involves sexual desire, and on the other hand, it encompasses the artistic beauty of inner expression. Joining the active Ballroom community in Hong Kong, Pizza, an enthusiastic member, offers a Sex Siren Pop Up Class where she shares her secrets to embodying sexiness. Through eye contact and subtle body movements, participants learn to showcase their body’s sensual curves and discover their most alluring angles.
Lack of Body Confidence Among Hong Kong Girls
Since 2017, Pizza has been involved with Sex Siren. Originally a street dance enthusiast, she felt insecure due to her curvaceous figure. In class, Pizza exuded confidence and sexiness. But in interviews after class, she admitted with a self-conscious smile, “I never thought I was naturally attractive. It was like when I used to dance, I would think that girls with a full bust doing street dance movements looked unnatural. I always felt like I didn’t look good while dancing.”
Since getting into ballroom dancing, she has not only built up her confidence but also found her niche in Sex Siren. She discovered that she could be sexy and look good doing it. However, many people assumed that she always embraced a “sexy image” both on and off the dance floor. “A lot of people think that because I compete in Sex Siren, I must dress provocatively all the time. But in reality, outside of Sex Siren competitions, I dress quite conservatively and enjoy playing with layered outfits.”
She added, “Most Hong Kong girls are quite self-conscious about their body shapes. I think it’s a societal issue in Asia. It’s like how many times when Hong Kong people meet, there’s a habit of asking if someone has gained or lost weight and then commenting on their body changes. Have they ever considered that others might not want to answer or that it might make them uncomfortable?”
Pizza’s first experience with the Sex Siren competition was in Taiwan’s ballroom dancing scene. Through this experience, she gradually liberated herself in the world of ballroom dancing and learned how to better showcase the beauty of her body’s lines and strengths. Sexiness is innate, but everyone has blind spots and may not be aware of their own sexiness. Understanding one’s own sexy side is actually one of the challenges of self-discovery.
Hei, who started getting into ballroom dancing in 2019, instantly fell in love with the Sex Siren category. “At that time, there were two foreign girls participating in Sex Siren among so many categories. I thought they were incredibly sexy and beautiful. I was deeply drawn to them, and my heart couldn’t help but push me towards playing this category.”
“To showcase the beauty of your body, it’s essential to have self-confidence and love yourself. When you believe from the heart that you are beautiful, it naturally radiates in your every gesture and movement, without any pretense. “
When you believe from the heart that you are beautiful, it naturally radiates in your every gesture and movement, without any pretense. Hei encourages his students to practice outside of class by looking at themselves in the mirror and taking care of their appearance. They can say to themselves, ‘Hmm, I look stunning today! Alright, I’m ready to step out!’ By appreciating themselves a little more each day, they can build up courage and confidence, gradually shining on stage in front of everyone.
Pizza also emphasizes that to exude sophisticated sexiness, it’s important to be well-prepared: ‘When you step onto the competition stage, consider if your makeup is well-thought-out, if your attire is perfectly prepared, if your shoes are a flawless match, if you’ve practiced your walking posture, and if you’re skillfully using props. When you have everything in order and are fully prepared, confidence naturally emanates from within.’
In addition to the mirror exercise, Pizza also emphasizes the importance of exuding a sophisticated level of sexiness by being well-prepared. He says, “When you step onto the competition stage, have you put thought into your makeup? Is your costume well-prepared? Do your shoes perfectly complement your outfit? Have you practiced your walking posture? The effective use of props also plays a significant role. If you have everything in order and are fully prepared, you will naturally exude confidence when you step out.
“Love the body you have, be confident in yourself, and you will have the courage to show off the beauty of your own body.”
The Radiance of Sensuality through Self-Appreciation
In the world of Ballroom, everyone deserves acceptance, support, and love, which is why Pizza and Hei adore this community. Pizza shares, “In the Ballroom scene, there is a prevailing sense of positivity, so you don’t have to worry about others’ judgment. Moreover, being part of the Ballroom allows you to discover hidden strengths and qualities within yourself. Many people will compliment your beauty, even if they don’t know you personally. This community excels at praising and supporting one another, recognizing each other’s strengths and potential.” Hei also echoes the supportiveness of the Ballroom family: “I believe that Voguing culture and the Ballroom community are filled with love. People within this circle uplift and inspire each other, readily sharing and providing support.”
Source：IG@voguinghk、 IG@hkballroomfashion